Japanese Nostalgic Car

MOTORSPORT: Restored Mazda 767B debuts at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Dave Yuan

The newest addition to Mazda USA’s ever-growing Heritage Collection debuted recently at the 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In a nod to both Mazda’s racing legacy and its “Driving Matters” slogan, the newly restored #202 767B — clad in the iconic orange-and-green Renown CHARGE livery — greeted the world by racing around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the biggest vintage racing gathering in the US. We were on location to soak in the sight and sound of it and its stablemates. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport | Tagged 13J, 767b, 787, gto, le mans, mazda, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, rotary engine, rx-7, rx-792p | 6 Comments

MINICARS: Car-shaped mice and USB drives by Camshop

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Dan Hsu

Is your desktop a little dull? Perhaps you need a car-shaped mouse so you can make “vroom-vroom” noises as you move your cursor across the screen. Camshop is a Japanese company that makes computer peripherals that look like real cars. Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged 2000gt, c10, Hakosuka, nissan, skyline, subaru, toyota, toyota 86, WRX STI | 6 Comments

PROFILES: Dr Hitoshi Kato’s Mazda R100 vintage racers

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Dave Yuan

Racing is an extraordinary human endeavor. It encompasses brains and brawn, heroics at the individual and team levels, with huge amounts of synergy and coordination. And the machines are both technologically advanced and visually magnificent, catapulting us beyond our natural human abilities. For spectators, racing is an awe-inspiring assault on all senses. No wonder countless enthusiasts trace the seed of their passion to motorsport. The story here is one such example, in which 45 years separate the seed and the glorious fruit. Continue reading →

Posted in profiles | Tagged 24 Hours of Spa, familia, Familia Rotary, familia rotary coupe, mazda, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, monterey historics, motorsport, r100, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, rotary engine, spa francorchamps | 10 Comments

QotW: What’s your most prized JNC part?

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Ben Hsu

If you have an old Japanese car, it’s not difficult to find yourself with a garage full of old Japanese parts, too. Even weird stuff like a 350mm Hitman steering wheel.

What’s your most prized JNC part?

What say you, dear reader? 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’s the best Japanese car name?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 31 Comments

Happy National Dog Day from JNC

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Wow. Such design. So convertible. Much JDM. Many happy.

Posted in jnc | Tagged city, city cabriolet, honda, National Dog Day | 4 Comments

MOTORSPORT: R100 and Mazda’s Endurance Racing Legacy

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Dave Yuan

2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at the world’s most celebrated endurance race: Le Mans. Yet Mazda’s interest and involvement in endurance racing stretches way back, beginning with its Cosmo Sport at the 1968 Marathon de la Route. Following that excellent showing—4th place finish after 84 hours at the Nürburgring in its debut race—Mazda continued in endurance racing but with a new car: the R100, a.k.a. Familia Rotary Coupé. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport | Tagged 10A, 24 Hours of Spa, Familia Rotary, mazda, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, monterey historics, r100, racing history, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, rotary engine, spa francorchamps | 6 Comments

VIDEO: The UK’s most famous Honda Civic restorer

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Ben Hsu

“Mad about Honda” is the way one UK man describes his love for the early Civics, so much so that he’s built an entire community around the preservation of early UK-market examples. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged civic, honda | 6 Comments

NEWS: Miata from Louisiana flood rescue video will be restored for free

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Ben Hsu

In a heartwarming story of generosity, heroism, and what love for a car can accomplish, a Miata seemingly ruined in the recent Louisiana flood will be brought back to life by enthusiasts. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged mazda, miata, mx-5 | 9 Comments

MINICARS: 2017 Hot Wheels X JNC Nissan Fairlady 2000

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

We at JNC are once again extremely proud to share with you the latest Hot Wheels car to wear the JNC inkan. The Nissan Fairlady 2000 will be showing up in stores soon as a 2017 release, part of the “Legends of Speed” mainline series. Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged datsun, fairlady roadster, hot wheels, minicars, nissan | 11 Comments

VIDEO: Toyota Latin America has much cooler ads than us

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

In the US, Toyota gives us two doofus brothers dreaming about racing Monaco in a pair of Camrys and Prius getaway vehicles. They are the worst commercials ever. Toyota Latin America, on the other hand, features a trio of rather comely women in a FJ40 Land Cruiser touring Colombia and a pair of mustachioed 70s dudes in a TE27 Corolla. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged corolla, fj40, land cruiser, te27, toyota | 7 Comments

Stay safe out there, Tokyo!

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Ken Lee

Typhoon Mindulle is hammering Tokyo right now with epic rains. A tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in Tokyo saw some epic flooding this morning. The storm is headed towards Tohoku next. Looks like I won’t be driving my Skyline for a while.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged chuo expressway, tokyo | 5 Comments

QotW: What’s the best Japanese car name?

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Yes, we all know about the Suzuki Every Joy Pop and the Hino Dolphin Dump, but we’re not talking about “oh look how weird and crazy those Japanese are” type car names today. We’re talking cool names that instantly evokes a tree-lined mountain road or sea breezes wafting through open windows. Something you’d be proud to have on your trunklid.

What’s the best Japanese car name?

What say you, dear reader? 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 was the one that got away?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 42 Comments

VIDEO: Honda Serial One’s engine is alive!

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Dan Hsu

When it’s done, this might just be the best restored Honda N600 on planet Earth. But then again, it’s a special car, the first Honda ever built for US import. Our friend Tim Mings — who we believe is planning a full transition into the character that gave him his nickname Merciless Mings, fu manchu and all — is in charge of the restoration, and in the latest installment the humble Honda undergoes a down-to-bare-metal stripping usually reserved for Pebble Beach show cars. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged honda, Honda Serial One, n600 | 5 Comments

TUNE UP: Mazda Cosmo Sport on Unicorn album cover

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Ken Lee

Last week the Japanese rock band Unicorn released their thirteenth album, and lo and behold, there’s a Mazda Cosmo Sport on the cover. It’s not clear why the band has taken a liking to the classic rotary sports car, but it features very prominently on their artwork and marketing. Continue reading →

Posted in Tune Up | Tagged cosmo sport, mazda, Unicorn | 1 Comment

NEWS: Mazda announces 1,000 Launch Edition MX-5 RF Miatas

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Ben Hsu

There have been many limited edition Miatas. Here’s one more. Mazda has announced that the first 1,000 examples of the 2017 MX-5 RF will be exclusive Launch Edition models. As with the soft-top ND Miata Launch Edition, the RF will feature a few bits that you can only get on the Launch Edition too. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged mazda, miata, mx-5, MX-5 RF | 6 Comments

NEWS: Subaru 360 recognized as part of Japan’s cultural legacy

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers has certified the Subaru 360 as part of the the nation’s “Mechanical Engineering Heritage.” It is only the second car in the organization’s 119-year history that an automobile has received this honor. So what does it mean, exactly? Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged subaru, subaru 360 | 3 Comments

MOTORSPORT: The hakosuka Skyline GT-R at its absolute peak

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Ben Hsu

By the end of 1971 racing season, the Skyline GT-R was barreling towards its highly anticipated 50th victory in Japan’s hotly contested touring car races. The GT-R had enjoyed three years of domination but, as history knows, the planning for that much publicized 50th win would all come tumbling down in Nissan’s face at the hands of a Mazda Savanna RX-3. Before that happened. though, on October 10, 1971, at a race that would be Nissan’s 49th checkered flag, the Hakosuka was at its absolute motorsports peak. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport, Video | Tagged c10, capella, fuji gc, fuji speedway, gt-r, Hakosuka, kpgc10, kunimitsu takahashi, mazda, Motoharu Kurosawa, nissan, rx-2, skyline, Yoshimi Katayama | 4 Comments

QotW: Which JNC was the one that got away?

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Life with cars is cruel as it is in dating. Sometimes, you just don’t know you how good you have it until it’s gone. Or, maybe those are the lucky ones, because they actually had some time with their soul mate, no matter how brief. Others never met them to begin with, or were a minute to late to make that call asking them to prom before they were picked up by someone else.

Which JNC was the one that got away?

What say you, dear reader? 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’s your best Japanese taxi story?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged mazda, mitisubishi, QotW, Taxi | 26 Comments

VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Toyota’s Calty design studio

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Ben Hsu

We all know that cars are designed, but what is “design,” exactly? A new video released by Toyota aims to answer that question via a history and tour of their Calty design studio. Toyota was the first Japanese automaker to open a US design studio back in 1973. From there sprang everything from the 1978 Celica to the first Lexus SC to what could be the next Supra. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged a40, calty, celica, fj cruiser, FT-1 Concept, lexus sc, supra, toyota | 3 Comments

COLLECTIONS: Mazda restores historic 767B Le Mans racer

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Dave Yuan

Mazda has something good in store at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In what’s becoming a bit of a tradition for Mazda North American Operations, it’s adding a restored race car to its Heritage Collection: the #202 767B that raced at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsports | Tagged 13J, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 4-rotor, 767b, le mans, mazda, Mazda Race Laguna Seca, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, rotary engine | 5 Comments