This year marks the 30th anniversary of the unforgettable 1994 action film Speed. The Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock flick told the story of a cop trying to stop a moving city bus full of passengers from succumbing to a bomb planted on board by a terrorist. As it happens, a very similar plot was the opening episode of Japanese police drama Seibu Keisatsu Part II. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite captive import?
On August 12, 1981 Suzuki, Isuzu, and General Motors signed a deal to co-develop compact cars. In hindsight we know that this deal didn’t result in any game-changing products. Instead, it produced a lot of rebadged models under the defunct Geo brand. History is littered with captive imports, cars produced by a foreign manufacturer but sold under a domestic brand. From the Mitsubishi-made Dodge Challenger to the GM-made Toyota Cavalier, these badge-engineered cars sometimes let customers buy a car that would have been otherwise unavailable in their market. Other times, it was just a lazy emblem swap. But they were once everywhere, and now a dying breed.
What’s your favorite captive import?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi dream build?” Continue reading
The fourth-gen Mitsubishi Mirage was peak Mirage
The Mitsubishi Mirage is dead. The Nissan Versa is now the only new car in America that costs below $20,000. But there was a time when the economy compact was one of the hottest, most competitive segments in the market. Hailing from that era was the fourth-gen Mitsubishi Mirage, the car that was the foundation for the legendary Lancer Evolution. But as it turns out, the base car was pretty neat too. Continue reading
Restored Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo to be unveiled at Monterey Historics
The game-changing Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo chassis 8801 is currently undergoing restoration and will be shown at the upcoming Monterey Historics later this month. Thirty-five years ago the prototype racer ended the Porsche 962’s dominance of the IMSA GTP class, in the process becoming the first Japanese car to win the 12 Hours of Sebring. It wasn’t all rainbows and roses though. The GTP ZX-Turbo experienced its share of hardships before achieving its historic successes. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
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TOM’s celebrates 50th anniversary with Starlet KP47-inspired watch
Toyota tuning house TOM’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by teaming up with Casio for a special edition watch. The design of the Edifice EFS-S641TMS-1A was inspired by the TOM’s Toyota Starlet KP47, which ruled Japan’s 1970s racing scene. The car catapulted TOM’s to popularity and many aspects of it are now are commemorated by the timepiece’s thoughtful details. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged A90, Casio, kp47, Ritomo Miyata, Sho Tsuboi, starlet, SuperGT, supra, tom's, toyota
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You can now get racing legend Kazuyoshi Hoshino as a plush doll
In case you were wondering whether it was possible to buy a plush doll of famed racing driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino, the answer is yes. That’s right, the Nissan pilot who placed third at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans and who helmed the JTC-winning Calsonic R32 Skyline GT-R now exists as an adorable stuffed figure. Funnily enough, this isn’t even the first time this has happened. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi dream build?
If you’ve been following industry news you might have heard that, last week, Honda and Nissan not only strengthened their strategic partnership, but added Mitsubishi. The alliance is for fast-tracking electrification technologies — and to compete against the Toyota, Subaru, Mazda union — but one can fantasize about the Frankensteined monsters that could emerge. A sports car with a Nissan engine, Honda gearbox, and Mitsubishi turbo system? A lineup with FF Honda cars, FR Nissan luxury vehicles, and Mitsubishi SUVs? Combining resources to release a badge engineered Integra/Pulsar/Eclipse, S2000/Silvia/Starion, and NSX/GT-R/GTO sports car onslaught? The possibilities are endless!
What’s your Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi dream build?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What marque do you most often recommend?“. Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla lets you race in automatic mode
As much as we love to drive manual transmission cars in real life, when we sit down for a round of Gran Turismo we almost always choose automatic mode. Shifting on a PlayStation controller is just another added level of unnecessary difficulty, and the computer’s shifts are so good that there’s no need to lose valuable milliseconds fumbling around with L2 and R2. That’s the idea behind Toyota adding an automatic transmission to the GR Corolla. Continue reading
Honda’s restored 1984 HP-X concept is coming to Pebble Beach
Forty years after its debut, the Honda HP-X concept has undergone an extensive restoration. It was originally shown at the 1984 Turin Auto Show and is billed as Honda’s first concept car (though that is debatable). Regardless, it’s a fascinating car that predicted many automotive trends, and helped pave the way for the NSX. Continue reading
Legendary Honda CB72 returns to Suzuka after six decades for 70th anniversary of Yoshimura celebration
Legendary motorcycle tuner Hideo “Pop” Yoshimura was recently reunited with one of the machines that changed Japan’s motorsports history. The occasion was the 70th anniversary of Yoshimura R&D’s founding, and the bike was the Honda CB72. It was the first the the bike had been shown in Japan in 60 years. Continue reading
Posted in Motorcycles
Tagged CB72, CB77, honda, Suzuka 8 Hrs, suzuka circuit, yoshimura
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Matchbox 2025 lineup gains Acura Integra Type R, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda RX-3, and more
Collectors of Japanese diecast cars will have a lot to look forward to in the Matchbox lineup of 2025. Last weekend Matchbox’s annual convention was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the hosts from Mattel previewed next year’s lineup. There are some excellent casting choices ranging from iconic models to once-ordinary cars that are now cool classics. Continue reading
Posted in minicars
Tagged accord, acura, cb7, century, honda, Integra Type R, land cruiser, lexus, Lexus GX, Lexus LC, matchbox, mazda, mitsubishi, pajero, rx-3, tacoma, toyota
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QotW: Which marque do you most often recommend?
We’re assuming that because JNC readers are car enthusiasts, you often get asked by your normie friends what kind of car they should buy. Obviously the recommendation will depend on the various needs of the buyer, but is there a brand you find yourself gravitating towards? Do you minimize the number of repair shop visits with a Toyota, open their eyes to the joy a driving experience with a Mazda, encourage them to get out and see the world in Subaru? Maybe you’re just a misanthrope and foist a Mitsubishi on everyone. Years ago Honda would’ve probably been at the top of our list, but is it still the king? We want to hear your suggestions and your reasons.
Which marque do you most often recommend?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car do you not regret selling or letting get away?“. Continue reading
The Nissan Primera P10 was an international touring car that raced on four continents
As the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R was finishing up its four-year dominance of the All-Japan Touringcar Championship (JTC), winning every single race from 1990-93, a new Nissan race car was on the horizon. The FIA had announced new rules for 1994, which required four-door base cars and naturally aspirated engines of 2.0 liters or less. Goodbye Godzilla, hello Primera. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged fuji speedway, infiniti, Infiniti G20, jtcc, masahiro hasemi, nissan, P10, Primera
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Initial D parody sees an R32 Skyline GT-R touge battle a Lincoln Town Car limousine
If there’s any question about how influential Initial D is, the references to it in popular culture should provide a clue. It’s been parodied in countless other works, but one of the nuttiest we’ve seen has to be this touge battle between an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R and a full-on Lincoln Town Car stretched limo. We don’t even know what anime this clip is from, but it’s hilarious. Continue reading
Nissan Silvia revival is the “dream” of new global product chief
The Nissan Silvia, the once abundant sports coupe and darling of the drift community, was recently name-checked by Ivan Espinosa, the company’s new chief of global product planning. Espinosa has been in product planning since 2017, and starting in 2019 worked on the sports car and NISMO programs. He says that the idea of a Silvia revival is far-fetched, but that it would be a dream of his to make it happen. Continue reading
Is this the new Mazda logo?
Mazda may be updating their logo, according to new trademark filings in Japan. The logo began circulating on Japanese social media on Monday after users unearthed it from the Japan Patent Office. It appears to follow the trend of “flattening” logos into a 2D design so that they can be better adapted to screens. Continue reading
QotW: What car do you not regret selling or letting get away?
Every car enthusiast has a few stories of the cars that got away. Perhaps it was a car you regret selling when times were hard. Maybe it was a car you should’ve bought but didn’t. On the other end of the spectrum are the ones we couldn’t get rid of fast enough — the money pit projects, the cursed cars that kept breaking down, used examples that slowly revealed a scammy seller. Personally, I owned a 240SX convertible that was just terrible. The ASC conversion was poorly assembled, the roof never sealed right, and the extra bracing was so heavy the doors sagged. I should’ve bought a coupe and I was glad to be rid of it.
What car do you not regret selling or letting get away?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car(s) from Japan would you import right now?“. Continue reading
Calsonic R32 Skyline GT-R replica gets the beans at Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb
The dust has settled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the fastest cars from the week’s hillclimb are now known. Coming in in the top ten was a replica of the Group A Calsonic R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, one of the world’s most faithful recreations of the iconic All-Japan Touringcar Championship racer. It absolutely scorched its way up the course, and it’s worth a watch because it’s beauty in motion. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged Goodwood Festival of Speed, nissan, r32, skyline, stout, subaru, subaru gl, toyota
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The Nepros NBR390X is a lightweight ratchet for your dream garage
If you know Japanese tools, you’re probably familiar with Kyoto Tool Co., a top manufacturers known for their high quality. But if KTC, established in 1950, is the Toyota of tools, their top-of-the-line Nepros sub-brand is the Lexus of tools. Now imagine that someone took that LS400 and gave it the Colin Chapman treatment, adding lightness, without sacrificing any of the strength or quality. Continue reading
Before Initial D, its author penned the illegal motorcycle racing manga Bari Bari Densetsu
Shuichi Shigeno is best known for penning the seminal touge battle manga Initial D, which played a huge part in bringing drifting to the US. But long before the beloved panda AE86 delivered its first tofu order, there was Bari Bari Densetsu, Shigeno’s award-winning manga about motorcycle racing. The two stories have a lot of parallels, not least of which was Shigeno’s realistic depiction of bikes, various riding styles, and real-world locations. Continue reading
Posted in manga
Tagged Bari Bari Densetsu, honda, Kawsaki, Kenny Roberts, MotoGP, motorcycles, NSR500, Pop Yoshimura, suzuki, yamaha
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