The biggest aftermarket show in the world is taking place this week, and JNC is headed to the automotive circus. Last year Datsuns were hot and it seemed like the aftermarket was finally recognizing the Nihon classics. What’s next?
Which JNCs would you like to see at SEMA?
As always, 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 Dracula drive (and why)?” Continue reading
Unveiled at the JNC booth last Sunday was a one-two punch of miniature Mazda magnificence. First came the cult classic Rotary Engine Pick-Up, but this next casting needs no introduction. The unmistakable profile belongs to none other than the FD3S Mazda RX-7. Continue reading
Those who stopped by our booth last Sunday may have noticed a few sneak peeks from our friends at Hot Wheels, hand-delivered in a nondescript plastic bag by designer Jun Imai himself. The first of them is a brand new casting for 2017, the Mazda REPU. Continue reading
Today’s Kidney Car is a rarity, but it probably won’t even cost you an internal organ. Offered for sale on Craigslist Detroit is a 1986 Plymouth Conquest flatside for the sweet, sweet price of just $2,500. Continue reading
It’s that time of the year, the automotive spectacle that is SEMA is almost upon us. Manufacturers have begun to preview their builds soon to debut in ‘Vegas. For their part, Mazda just dropped a pair of special MX-5 Miatas.
Corporate reports are the best! Said pretty much no one. Imagine our delight then when we found some cool and fun stuff as part of the latest Sustainability Report from Mazda: a make-your-own paper craft lineup.
Toyota had always described their Scion brand, which was axed earlier this year, as not just a car marque but a “lifestyle brand.” People seemed to either lament its passing or thought it was a horrible idea to begin with. As it turns out, Trump Hotels liked the name so much that they decided to revive it for a new — you guessed it — “lifestyle brand” of hotels. Continue reading
Halloween is nearly upon us so why not go for a fun one! There are many iterations of Dracula over the years. He supposedly is hundreds of years old. He’s seen the ages go by so why wouldn’t he get himself a JNC? Be fun, be creative!
What JNC would Dracula drive (and why)?
As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What defines the era of known as JNC” Continue reading
Toyota UK has been straight up killing it, unafraid to go all-out in promoting the marque’s vast motorsports history. They’ve decked six GT86s in the liveries of the most significant Toyota racing machines, brought an Initial D-inspired GT86 to life, and dressed a GT86 race car in the warpaint of a BTCC-winning AE86. Now they’ve just released a beautiful video in which the six retro livery cars drive across the British countryside. Continue reading
If there’s one thing that gets carriage-loads of people enthused, it’s trains — especially in Japan, where everyone loves trains. So, combining a wide range of Showa Era kyusha with a summer matsuri (festival) and organizing it at the most famous train line in Chiba Prefecture — that’s a guaranteed recipe for success. Continue reading
Do not adjust your set. This is a takeover. Nissan’s purchase of a controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors is now official. Transaction complete. Nissan-Mitsubishi-Renault-Samsung-Dacia-Venucia-Lada Alliance is now one of the top three largest automotive groups in the world. Plants will be optimized, platforms shared, and “significant synegies” “unleashed,” says our Alliance leader Carlos Ghosn, who took inspiration from Agent Smith when he came up with this vlog. Resistance is futile. Continue reading
Despite lacking the slick production values popular with online classic car videos these days, Australia’s Shannons Club TV is our favorite series on the web. That’s because they have real, well-researched, and informative content that doesn’t simply parrot conventional wisdom. Watch this video on the Datsun 240Z and you’ll see what we mean. Continue reading
One of the reasons JCCS was so special this year was the special debuts that carmakers had in store. Perhaps the most significant of them all was Honda’s unveiling of the newly restored Serial One N600, the first Honda automobile built for the US market. We chatted with the man who restored this piece of history and, as it turns out, it’s by several bouts of sheer luck that this car is even with us today. Continue reading
Now in its eighth year, Miatas at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has become one of the keystone annual events for Miata enthusiasts in North America. It famously celebrated the 25th anniversary of the world’s favorite roadster two years ago with a gigantic, crop-circle-rivaling “MX-5 25” spelled out with Miatas. This year, it had the honor of hosting the final American tour date of the one millionth example of Mazda’s beloved sports car. Continue reading
This Saturday will be the inaugural running of Touge 80s, our first Touge California event with a focus on cars of the pop-up headlight era.
After six hours of driving, our finish will be the Toyota USA Museum. And while all openings on the driving portion of Touge 80s have been filled, our sponsor Toyota has generously opened the doors to the museum to the public!
The museum is normally open by appointment only for special events, so this is a rare opportunity to see Toyota’s many classic, racing and concept cars.
In addition, this year is the 50th Anniversary of the Toyota Corolla, and Toyota invites you to come celebrate.
See below for details: Continue reading
American Muscle. European Design. German engineering. Italian flair. This is what gets thrown around the wash bay when describing classic cars from various areas. How about JNCs? Excluding the mid 90s of the “rice burner” era, what say you when thinking of the cars of the JNC line-up. How are they remembered now or will be remembered in the coming ages.
What defines the era known as JNC?
As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC needs the Hot Wheels treatment?”
An Indonesian rapper going by the name of Rich Chigga went viral when he uploaded his song “Dat $tick” to YouTube in March. Rockin’ a preppy pink polo, an 80s Reebok fanny pack and plenty of guns, it seemed like satire. Or was it? The 16-year-old spat dopely enough to catch the ears and respect of established artists like Cam’ron and Desiigner. Ghostface Killah liked it so much that he said, “I’ll get on that track.” Well, now he — along with some Skylines and dekotora — has indeed gotten on that track in the “Dat $tick Remix.” WARNING: the video is straight up NSFW. Continue reading
At a surprise press conference October 12 in Japan, Toyota and Suzuki announced that they are in talks about a potential partnership. The announcement was puzzling to industry watchers, but if such a tie-up comes to fruition, we will essentially have three factions of automakers in Japan. Are we on the way to a Japanese Big Three? Continue reading
Nissan Australia does some pretty cool stuff Down Undah, things we can only dream of in the States. For example, they take the Altima racing, but instead of cheesy stunts punking normal schlubs, the Aussies turn them into actual race cars by converting them to RWD and shoving 668-horsepower 5.6-liter V8s under the bonnet. Then they put vintage Skyline liveries on them. Continue reading
In the Venn diagram of automotive cultures, there are some that simply have no overlaps. Even a few short years ago, the idea that the moneyed, Euro-centric world of Formula One would collide with the underground, largely disdained world of bosozoku would be unthinkable. Yet here, in 2016, we have two F1 drivers who have just gotten an image upgrade by driving a Skyline Japan zokusha. Continue reading
