Japan’s post offices have unleashed a slew of Mazda RX-7 themed merch to mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic Hiroshima sports car. The goods celebrate all three generations of the RX-7, as well as the rotary engine. The only problem, other than the fact that they are available only in Japan, is that they’re shockingly expensive. Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota brings back vintage tricolor livery on 86 TRD Special Edition
Toyota has announced a new version of its 86 sport coupe and bringing back some retro colors to go with it. The 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition is the most performance-oriented 86 (née Scion FR-S) offered in the US yet, and Toyota is really trying to go retro with it. Not only does its name harken back to the legendary AE86, but it also wears Toyota’s old racing tricolor. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most fitting match of car and place?
We all have our favorite cars. We all have our favorite places. But do your favorite car and place match? For example, I love my AE86, but I live in Los Angeles. But to be honest, the Hachiroku’s sharp handling and notoriously crackable interior is simply not suited to LA’s long, vast freeways and blazing heat. It would absolutely brilliant in Monterey or Napa, with its cool climates and endless ribbons of two-lane winding roads. What would be ideal for LA is something like an MA71 Supra or Z31 300ZX, a with a torquier motor that longs to stretch its legs but a cabin that’s comfortable if you find yourself stuck in a two-hour traffic jam — which is coincidentally where I came up with this QotW.
What’s the most fitting match of car and place?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC would you import from Japan?”
EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018, the Greatest Hits
Among the many examples of 80s and 90s Japanese cars that populated Radwood NorCal this year, there were a few that really stood out to us. We hesitate to call them the best; except for the actual “Best Of” voted upon by the Radwood staff, these are merely our personal preferences. But much like 80s songs, there are ones that just bring a whole lot of joy, even if they aren’t technically The Best. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240sx, 323 GTX, accord, Accord 1G, b13, camry, cressida, cultus, Dodge D50, Eagle Talon, eclipse, f31, fd3s, forte, geo, honda, infiniti, leopard, m30, mazda, metro, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, mx-5, nissan, prelude, Prelude 3g, Radwood, rx-7, s13, sa22, sentra, silvia, suzuki, swift, tacoma, toyota, v10, x70
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NEWS: Kiichiro Toyoda inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame
Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda has been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. When he was born in 1894, his father Sakichi was already on his way to becoming one of Japan’s most famous inventors, by devising an automatic loom that would revolutionize the textile industry. However, it was Kiichiro that convinced his father to enter the automobile business. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged crown, Kiichiro Toyoda, toyoda aa, Toyoda G1, toyopet, toyota
3 Comments
JNC THEATER: JNCspotting in the Stranger Things Season 3 trailer
Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday, and not because I give out candy until all of the children of my neighborhood are in a diabetic coma, but because my favorite Netflix series debuts its new season. Netflix UK & Ireland just released their teaser video for the third season of Stranger Things, and, well, actually it looks like a commercial for Hawkins Indiana’s newest shopping center, Starcourt Mall. Continue reading
EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018
The Radwood phenomenon is spreading faster than hairspray-induced polyester fire. The celebration of 80s and 90s autodom is now on its fourth show in just two years, and the organizers tell us it was the biggest one yet. We attended the Radwood SoCal last year and had a totally gnarly time, so we decided to head north and get into the groove. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 2.5RS, 240sx, 3000GT, 300zx, A31, a40, a60, a70, A80, accord, acty, acura, ae86, ae92, aw11, az-1, b-series, cappuccino, Cefiro, celica, corolla, crx, delica, fc3s, fd3s, figaro, fj60, GC8, honda, impreza, integra, land cruiser, LC70, LC80, legend, leone, lexus, Lexus LS, lexus sc, Lotus Esprit, mazda, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, montero, motocompo, mr2, mx-5, nissan, nsx, pajero, r32, r34, Radwood, rx-7, s13, skyline, subaru, sunchaser, supra, suzuki, sw20, toyota, Toyota Van, z31
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One of the few Toyota Sports 800s sold new on US soil
These days, it’s easy, but also not terribly difficult to see a Toyota Sports 800 in the US. Though Toyota never offered them in the US, they’ve been part of numerous car shows and museum exhibits. And with their build dates of 1965-69 landing squarely before even California’s strict emissions testing schedule, they are free to cross our borders as they please. This, however, is one of the few new Sports 800s sold officially on US soil (two others were sold in Hawaii). Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota is making a Celica, but they’re not calling it that
The more news about the Supra that comes to light, the more head scratching it elicits. First there was the revelation that it wouldn’t come in a manual, then that it would race in NASCAR, and lest we forget, the entire thing is actually a thinly disguised BMW. Now, it has been discovered that it will have a four-cylinder option. A four-cylinder Supra is not a Supra. That, my friends, is a Celica. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Kyoto Station in 1967 was full of Bluebird taxis
In a previous Showa Snap we posted a photo of Kyoto Station full of Toyota taxis. A couple of decades earlier, in 1967, if you wanted to hail a cab from the station your choices were apparently limited to a 411 Bluebird, 411 Bluebird, or let’s see, 411 Bluebird. There was probably a barikan Toyota Corona or two sitting in the queue, but at least in this snapshot Nissans ruled the day.
Image: 昭和スポット巡り
Posted in Uncategorized
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VIDEO: Honda RA301 at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Fifty years ago, Honda introduced the RA301 race car at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix. It hailed from the first generation of Honda’s Formula One efforts, and was powered by a 3.0-liter V12 in an aluminum body. The original car was piloted by John Surtees, but to mark the half century of the RA301 former Honda F1 driver Jensen Button had the honor of running it up the hill. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged Formula One, Goodwood Festival of Speed, honda, Jensen Button, John Surtees, RA301
2 Comments
MINICARS: Hot Wheels second-gen Honda CRX teased
The designers at Hot Wheels recently revealed a teaser image of the next JNC to make it to their minicar lineup. It is the unmistakable silhouette of the second-generation Honda CRX. Unlike the first-gen CRX, this one appears to mostly stock. The proportions look great, and we can’t wait to see it in the diecast metal.
QotW: What JNC would you import from Japan?
Nowadays, there are plenty of JNC offerings from importers. It also helps that you can stuff a few JNCs into a shipping container. But, most importers are focusing on a few models that bring in the biggest money. If you had a direct line to Japan, what JNC would you scoop up in a heartbeat?
What JNC would you import from Japan?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite JNC body type?” Continue reading
KEI HERO: The Suzuki Cappuccino is to the Miata what the Miata is to all other cars
Kei cars are an important and inescapable aspect of life in the Land of the Rising Sun. Some are important because they were a landmark of technology, and others because they were the first of their kind, and still others because they were integral to the growth of Japan’s economy. There is one, though, that’s important merely for being the purest: the Suzuki Cappuccino. Continue reading
VIDEO: Toyota Supra and Nissan GT-R50 make their debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is happening in England right now, and there’s a couple of neo-nostalgics headed up the hill. Here’s the first running footage for the A90 Toyota Supra and the Nissan GT-R50. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged A90, Goodwood Festival of Speed, gt-r, GT-R50, Italdesign, nissan, r35, supra, toyota
4 Comments
PROJECT DUSTBUS: How I scored a “barn find” Toyota Van for a measly 50 dollars
The notion of an automotive barn find usually conjures up visions of dodgy trips up muddy country paths and into decrepit shacks, followed by a black mold discovery in what’s left of your chosen vehicle’s upholstery and the eventual adoption of a litter of opossums in the trunk. It’s worth considering, though, that with heavy vehicle concentration in and around our major cities, there must be more barn find cars out there that are not parked in literal barns, but rather hiding in plain sight.
For example, here’s the one-owner, 51,000-mile 1989 Toyota Cargo Van I bought in LA for fifty dollars. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Meiji Jingu, 1967
We’ve covered a few car shows at Meiji Jingu Park in Tokyo, but here is what it looked like as a normal, everyday street in 1967. Look at all the Showa Era cars (Toyota Crown, 411 Bluebird, Prince Gloria, Mazda Familia, etc.) and trucks (Toyoace, Prince Miler, Mitsubishi Minica, and so on). Notably, the commercial vehicles and taxis account for more than half the traffic, as it was still the dawn of private car ownership in Japan — which makes the li’l red Toyota Sports 800 in the corner even more special!
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged 411, bluebird, crown, datsun, familia, gloria, mazda, miler, minica, mitsubishi, nissan, prince, s40, sports 800, toyoace, toyota
3 Comments
NEWS: Honda is coming out with a retro motorcycle too
With Kawasaki’s recent debut of a K1-inspired retro motorcycle, Honda is not about to neglect its own rich two-wheeled history. Internet sleuthing has turned up a Honda patent filing with Japan’s intellectual property administration that reveals what could be a revival of the legendary Honda CBX. Continue reading
Happy 710 Day from JNC
Since this year’s July 10 is the day that the famed Odakyu 7000 Series Romancecar makes its last official run after 38 years of service, we thought it only fitting to celebrate 710 Day with the rail-themed 1974 Datsun 710 brochure. On the cover, Nissan referenced the Wabash Cannonball, a train with a murky history, a supernatural origin story, and a song written about it. Continue reading
Japanese Nostalgic Train: The iconic Odakyu 7000 Series “Romancecar” makes its last voyage
Imagine a classic Japanese vehicle, avant garde in its time, beloved by fans, and part of a record-setting and influential legacy. For fans of Japanese nostalgic train, that vehicle is the Odakyu 7000 Series LSE Romancecar. Since 1980, this Japanese railway icon has ferried people from Tokyo to Hakone in luxury and style, and today, sadly, is the final run of its long and distinguished 38-year service history. Continue reading
