“Ridge Racer-feeling” are the words used to describe the Autozam AZ-1, the Mazda-Suzuki collab that was quite possibly the pinnacle of the kei car breed. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, just death and taxes, or something like that. So in exchange for the gift of reduced vehicle registration fees and the ability to park anywhere, the otherwise unforgiving Japanese government imposed severe constraints on physical size and engine displacement kei cars. Mid-engined, twin-cammed, turbo-charged, and gull-winged, the Autozam took those constraints and made the most bonkers, futuristic sports car it could. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite color on a JNC?
One of my favorite bands of all time is Living Colour. As a kid growing up in the dying ages of cassette tapes and the new age of digital platters, my first journey beyond the radio man’s reach was listening to my brother’s Living Colour CDs. Therefore, we must ask:
What’s your favorite color, baby, on a JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What modern day feature does your JNC need?” Continue reading
A 600-mile road trip in the JNC Project Hakosuka
JNC is attending two car shows this weekend, one on each side of the globe. For the SoCal team it will be an easy journey. Basically, I’ll take a leisurely 30 minute drive down to Anaheim for Radwood, the 80s and 90s car show, in my Don Johnson white pants, shoes and blazer with a blue T-shirt. Team Australia has it slightly harder. Kev is taking the JNC Project Hakosuka from Sydney to Melbourne for Classic Japan, the largest gathering of vintage Nihon steel in the country.
That’s a distance of 1,000 km, or 600 miles in Yank speak, and to top it all off it’s summer in the southern hemisphere. That means nine hours with no aircon and no music but the sweet sounds of an L-series at sustained rpm. Follow our road trip, in which we convoy with the Nissan Cedric from Barrel Bros., in the videos below. Continue reading
Posted in jnc
Tagged 330, c10, cedric, Classic Japan, Hakosuka, JNC Project Hako, nissan, Project Hakosuka, skyline
2 Comments
LA Auto Show: Mazda’s “north-star” offers a beacon of hope
If the Tokyo Motor Show was bleak, LA was a Blade Runner dystopia of crushing inhumanity. The cars unveiled weren’t autonomous pods so you didn’t get the sense that Skynet was taking over, but nearly every new model was a crossover. It’s as if we have lost our automotive imagination. Among the Japanese automakers, only Mazda offered a beacon of hope, in what Mazda North America CEO Masahiro Moro called the company’s “north star.” Continue reading
VIDEO: Behold the glory of the Nissan Pulsar N12
Australian classic car insurance company Shannons has been featured on JNC a few times for their excellent videos about Nihon steel through Aussie eyes. It’s intriguing how the same car can be viewed completely differently by enthusiasts on opposite ends of the Earth, and the N12 Pulsar is a perfect example. Continue reading
GALLERIES: Nissan says the Stanza Wagon is as iconic as the Datsun 510
Vindication. It’s a good feeling. Earlier this year when Ryan published a Consider the Following article about the many charms of the Nissan Stanza Wagon, the comments section got rather heated. Some couldn’t believe a Pulitzer-esque publication like JNC would sing the praises of the Prairie, which — shocker — is apparently not a cool car to some eyes. Well guess what, nonbelievers. Nissan has taken our side. Continue reading
Consider the Following: Subaru XT
With the prices of the most popular models entering unattainable status for a lot of younger JNCers, we felt it necessary to highlight some painfully overlooked yet still affordable (for now) nostalgics. Welcome to another Consider the Following installment, in which we consider the Subaru XT. Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan’s NISMO Heritage parts program launches
Nissan has begun its NISMO Heritage program, which manufactures parts for its iconic cars. The program kicks off with 74 parts for the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, but there could be more in the future. Continue reading
QotW: What modern day feature does your JNC need?
Last weekend I found myself behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Turbo. It was fun to toss the plucky 4WD on stock 5.5-inch wide tires around corners like it was ice skating, but the thinness of the doors and lack of sound deadening made conversations hard to have over road noise and turbo howls. What would the Pajero Mini needed for it to be a perfect little 4-wheeler — a body with higher torsional rigidity, or high-tech terrain system with crawl control, or would updated safety systems in case of a T-bone collision.
What modern day feature does your JNC need?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best stock JNC steering wheel?” Continue reading
NEWS: Mitsubishi unveils a hideous tribute to its first car
Mitsubishi began work on its first car, simply named the Model A, in 1917. That was 100 years ago, and so to celebrate this momentous occasion Mitsubishi Motors North America commissioned a recreation of it. Sadly, the Re-Model A, as it is called, it just plain ridiculous. Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving from JNC
Have a happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at JNC. A big domo arigato gozaimasu for reading, weighing in with your comments, and purchasing items from the shop, as well as for being enthusiasts, caretakers, and drivers of the cars we love. We are truly thankful for your patronage. Be safe this holiday.
Posted in Holidays
6 Comments
Tokyo Motor Show: The State of Cars in Japan
By now you have seen plenty of car magazine and social media channels declare the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show as being a disappointment. Leading up to the show, there were whispers of some tasty production cars being revealed: a Fairlady Z concept from Nissan, the next-gen Supra and a turbocharged F version of the Lexus LC coupe from Toyota. After a rousing speech from Akio Toyoda the JDM sports car renaissance would burst onto the stage amid cheers, hugs, and confetti.
What actually happened was the opposite of that. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Motor Show
Tagged brz, calsonic, Concept-Ai, CrossHub, crown, Dakar Rally, Fine Comfort Ride, gt-r, hino, honda, Kai, kei, LCV D-Cargo, le mans, mazda, Motobot, MWC4, nissan, r35, s660, Sora Fuel Cell Bus, subaru, SuperGT, tokyo motor show, tomica, toyota, toyota 86, TS040, Viziv Performance Concept, Wonder Capsule, WRX STI, yamaha
10 Comments
Kei Hero: Subaru 360 Young SS
The Subaru 360 gets a lot of praise as being the first massively successful car in the Japanese market, as important as the VW Beetle was for Germany and the Model T was for the US. That is great and well deserved recognition, but mention of it being the first high performance Subaru is rare, and I think its high time we shed some light on the Subaru 360 Young SS. Continue reading
NEWS: Four cars inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame
The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has announced the inductees into their Historic & Heritage Vehicles class for 2017. The selected automobiles are regarded to have contributed to the development of Japan’s automobile industry and car culture, and are deemed worthy of preservation. There were four inductees this year. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 3-wheeler, daihatsu, fj40, japan automotive hall of fame, land cruiser, prince, s54, skyline, subaru, subaru 1000, toyota, Tsubasa
2 Comments
QotW: What’s the best stock JNC steering wheel?
Ben just posted about some beautiful Iwate steering wheels found at the Tokyo Motor Show. This got me to think about stock JNC steering wheels and how strange they can be. The bubble era triggered a rush of asymmetrical, neon-future works of art. Some make the car, fitting the era and your hand in a way that needs no aftermarket replacements.
What’s the best stock JNC steering wheel?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What tools do you keep in your JNC?” Continue reading
Happy birthday, Soichiro Honda
We’ve had a lot of bike stories this week, and it could not have been more appropriate. Soichiro Honda would be 111 years old if he were alive today. Though infamously tough as a boss, he left a legacy that persisted long after his passing in 1991 and was, above all else, a man who loved cars, bikes, and racing. Honda didn’t start out making something else first, whether it be planes, looms, or corks. He devoted his life to making engines.
This is a quote often attributed to Soichiro Honda, and it’s apt: “I think best when I have a wrench in my hands.” November 17 should be a national holiday devoted to working on your car or bike, even if it’s not a Honda.
Tokyo Motor Show: Incredible Iwate lacquer steering wheels
One of the most beautiful things we saw at the Tokyo Motor Show was located at a small, carless booth in a remote corner of the convention center. Japan is of course known for its traditional crafts, many that have been honed for centuries, yet there are few opportunities for those to come to the forefront in a relatively new technology like the automobile. That’s why we fell in love with these Iwate lacquer steering wheels. Continue reading
Tokyo Motor Show: The Kawasaki Z900RS is the Kenmeri Skyline of bikes reborn
There’s just one more bike story to cover from our visit to the Tokyo Motor Show, but it’s an important one. The Kawasaki Z900RS is a glorious throwback to the heyday of Japanese motorcycling, going all the way back to 1972 and the debut of the Kawasaki Z1. If the Honda CB750 is the Hakosuka Skyline of Japanese motorcycles, the Z1 is the Kenmeri. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Motor Show
Tagged honda, Honda CB750, kawasaki, Kawasaki Z1, Kawasaki Z900RS, motorcycles, tokyo motor show
7 Comments
Radwood, the 80s and 90s car show, is coming to SoCal
Radwood is coming to southern California. What is Radwood? It’s a car show focused on the 80s and 90s lifestyle. Think Goodwood, but, you know, rad.
The first Radwood took place in June in Brisbane, California. Though we couldn’t attend that one, it was successful enough that the organizers have decided to host a second one, Radwood 2, and this time it will be in Anaheim. All cars built between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1999 (plus continuation models) are welcome. It’s not limited to Japanese cars, but as JNCers know this era spawned some of the best Nihon steel ever built.
Radwood is more than just a car show. “Period dress is compulsory,” say the organizers, “So get your Michael Jackson jacket, acid wash jeans, BIG DOG t-shirt, mirrored sunglasses, or Hypercolors out of storage.”
The event will take place December 2, 11am to 5pm at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. Come by the JNC booth and say s’up.
Posted in Reminder
Leave a comment
Tokyo Motor Show: Mikuni will make these throttle bodies if there’s enough interest
One of the interesting things about the Tokyo Motor Show that you don’t see in other major shows in LA or New York is that many major suppliers have booths too. The Mikuni Corporation is still alive and well, and makes a variety of parts for OEMs, like intake manifolds, variable valve timing systems, and many of the pumps electronic pumps and valves that are found on new cars today. However, the thing at their booth that caught our eye was the L-series setup with a small placard that said “prototype” on it. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Motor Show
Tagged c10, c110, fairlady z, Hakosuka, kenmeri, l-series, mikuni, s30 z, skyline
26 Comments
