A Nissan GT-R patrol car is now on duty in Japan. At a ceremony today, the country’s fastest pursuit vehicle was donated by Nissan to the Tochigi Prefectural police department. The gift marked 50 years of operations of Nissan’s Kaminokawa, Tochigi factory, where GT-R is built.
“The members of the patrol unit were excited to hear that the GT-R is joining the fleet,” said Masaki Tanaka, commander of the expressway patrol unit. Ya think? Continue reading
Two independent filmmakers have created an amazingly crafted and moving documentary about their most cherished marque. Between the Lines by Jan Lim and Jose Valdez delves deep into the world of Subaru fandom, and goes beyond the technical aspects of the cars themselves. It explores the many facets of Subaru culture, from rally racers to campers to show-goers. Continue reading
Today, we have a very special Today. Specifically, it’s a Honda Today painted like the star car of the You’re Under Arrest series. Even more specifically, it’s the actual Honda Today used in the live-action adaptation of Kosuke Fujishima’s popular manga. Continue reading
Back in 2003, my brother and I went on our first trip to Japan. Being the Toyotaku that I am (and especially fanatical about AE86s), one of the first things on our agenda was hitting up Toyota’s Megaweb showroom in Tokyo. At the gift shop there, I came across the most amazing sweat shirt I had ever seen. Continue reading
Right now, one of the rarest Nissan vehicles on Earth is up for sale on Craigslist in northern Virginia. It is so rare, in fact, that it took some digging just to find out what year and model it is. Behold, a 1954 Datsun 6147 Double-Cab. Continue reading
We were pretty torn up when Honda announced in April 2017 that it would discontinue its Monkey motorcycle by the end of the summer, especially when it was the 50th anniversary of the 50cc mini-bike. The reason given was that it was too hard to certify the engine for emissions, but as it turns out, Honda had (literally) bigger plans, like bringing it back to the US. Continue reading
In preparation for the this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota has decked out a trio of 86 sport coupes in the racing colors of former contenders. A win at the famed endurance race has proven to be a heartbreaking and elusive dream for the Big T. They’ve even won the World Endurance Championships overall, in which Le Mans is just one race of many, but Le Mans itself has always remained just out of reach. Perhaps decking out these 86s in the warpaints of challengers past will bring them better fortune. Continue reading
Mazda is about to give the MX-5 Miata a significant bump in horsepower, and a screaming redline to go with it. The move to increase output from the current 155 horsepower to a reported 181, all the while pushing the redline to 7,500 rpm, should help quell the clamors for more power, even though we didn’t think the car needed it. Continue reading
Everyone’s first instinct is to head towards a Skylines or Z, but Nissan, Prince and Datsun all have long histories of varied models and cool special editions that deserve a spot in your garage to leave a small oil stain.
Which JNC Nissan should be in your garage?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Tell us a tale of a JNC you helped rescue” Continue reading
Though many enthusiasts bemoan Toyota’s transition, starting in the mid-1980s, to a mostly front-wheel-drive lineup, this shouldn’t be the case. Sure, the Cressidas and Supras carried the RWD torch, but Toyota built many fun-to-drive models with transversely mounted engines too, and those cars have their devotees as well. Continue reading
Subaru is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Japan this year, and to honor the occasion the country’s post offices are issuing a set of commemorative stamps. The postage sheet features several Subaru models from the company’s six decades of cars, from the 360 (in both stock and racing form) latest Legacys. Continue reading
“We used to do this with hot rods,” said Shige Suganuma, president of Mooneyes, as I pointed out the unmissable Mark II kaido racer in the Cressida section at Toyotafest. We were walking the grounds, and he recalled how, during the Bubble Era, his company would buy US-built exemplars of automotive Americana and import them to his homeland. Now the tides have turned, and Americans are bringing the most traditional of Japanese car cultures stateside. Continue reading
Jay Leno has driven cars that would make any motorhead jealous, but in the most recent episode of his online show Jay Leno’s Garage, America’s most famous car collector gets wowed by what is perhaps the ultimate sleeper classic, the Nissan Skyline GT-R sedan. Continue reading
To the general public, Toyota may be most well-known for its sedans, but for enthusiasts another five-letter word that begins with an S calls to them: Supra. For four generations the mighty flagship sports car of Aichi has been a petrolhead’s dream. At the celebration of the Big T that is Toyotafest, there was no shortage of the straight-six halo machines. Continue reading
Paramount Pictures has just released the Bumblebee trailer, and we couldn’t help but notice a BRE-themed Datsun 510 lurking in the background. It’s not the first time a Datsun 510 has made an appearance in the Transformers film universe, and though we hope it will be portrayed more positively this time around we’re not holding our breaths. Continue reading
If there’s one thing Toyota is known for, it’s sedans. Yes, the Camry is basically the default car that pops into most brains when the word “sedan” is uttered, but Toyota also has a mean portfolio of old school, rear-wheel-drive mobbers. From Cressida kaido racers to VIP Lexuses to the king-daddy Century, Toyotafest had them all. Continue reading
You can get almost anything in a vending machine in Japan, and now that apparently includes toy kaido racers. Just drop in ¥1,000 (approximately $10 USD) and out comes your 1:64-scale bosozoku-style minicars. Continue reading
Summer is just around the corner here in Japan. As we get ready to take our prized machines out on a hot sunny day with the wind in our hair, we ask you to think back on a time when you rescued a JNC destined to return to the earth or live a life under heaps of junk and clutter. Maybe it was a vehicle you rescued, or maybe one you helped find a new owner that would give it the care it deserved.
Tell us a tale of a JNC you helped rescue
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC belongs in a museum?” Continue reading
Just a reminder: The 2018 Toyotafest is tomorrow, June 2 at Marina Green Park in Long Beach, California. It promises to be the largest one yet. There are over 550 slabs of Aichi steel registered for this event, plus vendors, special displays, as well as official presences from Toyota and Lexus.
Note that Toyotafest moved to a new location last year, the aforementioned Marina Green Park. It’s no longer at the Queen Mary. The new location has allowed the organizers to accommodate many more cars than before.
JNC will be there as well, so be sure to stop by our booth and say hello.
Admission is free, and the show goes from 9 am to 3 pm.
Though it has been on the market for nearly 50 years, the stalwart Suzuki Jimny has had only three complete generational changes. The fourth generation of the kei SUV debuts this July, but renderings based on leaked information in Japan’s Best Car magazine have revealed that it will be a throwback design reminiscent of the beloved second-gen. Continue reading
