Japanese Nostalgic Car

QotW: What JNC should be in the Blade Runner universe?

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

New Year’s in Japan is a time to take things slow. Many people leave the big city lights for the quiet hum of kerosene heaters at their grandparent’s homes in the flat countryside. I too, went outwards to Gunma prefecture and relaxed with family. A funny thing happened though. While browsing auctions I came across an old Blade Runner record and found a second-gen Mazda RX-7 Turbo in white happily resting on the corner. In fact, you can see the RX-7 and theme in action here!

Since the Ridley Scott classic hit in 1982 but Mazda didn’t release the car until 1985, we know it wasn’t cast as an extra for the streets of 2019 Los Angeles. But, I also feel that it may not be that out of place if it had. During this same New Year’s holiday, the new Blade Runner 2049 movie trailer was released and it got us thinking:

What JNC should be in the Blade Runner universe?

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 JNC New Year resolution? Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged Blade Runner, QotW | 16 Comments

VIDEO: Hot Wheels designer Jun Imai details the Datsun Fairlady 2000

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Ricky Silverio

The Nissan Fairlady 2000 is one of the most anticipated cars of the 2017 Hot Wheels lineup, and it’s easy to see why. Dedicated collectors will easily spot the signature touches of designer Jun Imai, who has transformed it into a bumperless, hard-topped race-ready version that would look right at home tearing through Fuji Speedway circa 1967. Watch Jun explain his inspiration in a Hot Wheels official video. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

VIDEO: The world’s first race cars to broadcast live from the cockpit were Toyota Celicas

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Toyota Australia has just released an interview with Aussie racing great Peter Williamson. As you may recall, Williamson passed away in 2016, but his legacy as the world’s first in-car camera broadcaster lives on. The interview was conducted at the 2016 Toyota Nationals shortly before he passed. Williamson had brought and displayed one of his Group C Celica “camera cars” — which pioneered the technology of sending live video and sound feeds from the car, in this case to a helicopter pacing the vehicle above the track. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged a40, australia, celica, Paul Williamson, toyota, Toyota Nationals | 4 Comments

VIDEO: Japan’s best drivers compete in Japan’s slowest car

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Ben Hsu

The brilliant thing about Best Motoring is that one day you get an epic AE86 track battle, and the next day you get antics rivaling 2002-era Top Gear in silliness. Take this 1996 episode, for example. Daihatsu had just resurrected the Midget II delivery truck, a bug-eyed, 31-horsepower kei pickup offered mostly in green. Still, it was quite a technological leap from the Midget I, which had only three wheels. Best Motoring then raided the local Daihatsu dealer and put Japan’s top drivers in a flock of them. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged best motoring, daihatsu, Midget II, Motoharu Kurosawa, Tsukuba Circuit | 7 Comments

VIDEO: Racing Beat at the 24 Hours of Daytona

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Dave Yuan

The passing of Racing Beat cofounder Jim Mederer dealt a blow to the community of rotary and Mazda enthusiasts. In remembering the accomplishments of Jim and his shop over the years, we were reminded of the magnitude of their contribution to the racing legacy of the RX-7, Mazda, and Japanese cars in North America. How cool would it be to witness a piece of that legacy in action? Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport | Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, gto, imsa, mazda, Mazda GTP, racing beat, rotary engine, rx-7, sa22 | 1 Comment

VIDEO: The ultimate AE86 track battle

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Ben Hsu

In 2005, to commemorate volume number 86, Hot Version invited Japan’s top AE86 to Tsukuba Circuit to lay down some lap times. This era was the peak of innovation for AE86 tuning with the TRD N2 Corolla Levin, driven by Keiichi Tsuchiya, as perhaps the poster child of peak Hachiroku modding. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged ae86, corolla, corolla levin, hachiroku, hot version, sprinter trueno, toyota, Tsukuba Circuit | 5 Comments

RIP Jim Mederer, 1942 — 2016

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Dave Yuan

2016 may be over, but we’re sad to report that on its way out an already tough year has claimed yet another luminary from us. Jim Mederer, co-founder of the renowned Mazda tuning house Racing Beat, passed away on December 27th after a long battle with cancer. Continue reading →

Posted in Legends | Tagged bonneville, Jim Mederer, Land Speed Record, mazda, racing beat, rotary engine, rx-2, rx-3, rx-7 | 10 Comments

QotW: What’s your JNC New Year resolution?

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Shogatsu, or New Year, is the most important holiday of the Japanese calendar, as important as Christmas in the US. It’s a chance to get a fresh new start on life, which perhaps means finally getting around to that project. In which case, we wish you an auspicious 2017!

What’s your JNC New Year resolution?

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 part of 2016 are you most eager to forget?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 11 Comments

50 YEAR CLUB: Fuji Speedway

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Ben Hsu

In a year of momentous anniversaries for Japanese automotive institutions, one stands above all others in shaping the cars we love. Fuji Speedway, which opened in 1966 and turned 50 this year, has been the birthplace of countless legends, whether made of steel or of flesh. Continue reading →

Posted in 50 Year Club | Tagged 2000gt, 810, a20, A80, bluebird, bosozoku, brz, celica, cherry, crown, daruma, datsun, dr30, Fuji Grand Champion, fuji speedway, group 5, gt-r, gurachan, Hakosuka, JGTC, jtcc, kunimitsu takahashi, mazda, Meishin Expressway, motorsport, nissan, pgc10, r35, r380, r381, r382, rx-3, rx-7, s110, s12, Sivlia, skyline, sports 800, subaru, Super GT, super silhouette, supra, toyota, toyota 7 | 19 Comments

Sayonara, 2016. Happy New Year from JNC

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Kevin San

あけましておめでとうございます。

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged c10, Hakosuka, kgc10, nissan, Project Hakosuka, skyline | 5 Comments

25 YEAR CLUB: Subaru SVX

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

“We made the SVX from our hearts,” said Nobumasa Saeki, general manager of Subaru’s engineering division 25 years ago, in a booklet published at the model’s release. “It is the kind of car that we wanted to drive. It was the kind of car we wanted. It was what we wanted a car to be. As engineers, as drivers, we built this car based on our own true feelings.” Continue reading →

Posted in 25 Year Club | Tagged 25 Year Club, alcyone, subaru, svx | 22 Comments

100 YEAR CLUB: Isuzu Motors

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Ben Hsu

What’s Japan’s oldest automaker? Like most questions, the answer isn’t necessarily a simple one, but there’s one thing that we can guarantee. It’s not Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, or any of the marques you might expect. One candidate, however, is Isuzu, founded in 1916, making it 100 years old this year. Continue reading →

Posted in 100 Year Club, isuzu | Tagged 117, Acura SLX, Aska, bellel, bellett, Bighorn, Chevy LUV, faster, gemini, Geo Storm, hillman minx, honda, impulse, isuzu, legacy, Oasis, Odyssey, Passport, piazza, Rodeo, Statesman De Ville, subaru, Sumida, Trooper, VehiCROSS, Wolseley | 15 Comments

MINICARS: All the Japanese cars in the 2017 Hot Wheels mainline

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

Mattel has released the complete 2017 Hot Wheels mainline list, and it includes plenty of things for collectors of Japanese cars to get excited about. Old castings make a return, while new ones continue the trend. Here’s a complete rundown on what J-tin aficionados should look out for. Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged 180sx, 240z, 510, acura, bluebird, c10, Chevy LUV, civic, Civic EF, Civic Type R, crown, datsun, datsun 620, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, faster, fd3s, Fugu Z, gt-r, Hakosuka, hilux, honda, hot wheels, integra, isuzu, mazda, miata, Miata ND, monkey, mx-5, nissan, nsx, Odyssey, r35, rx-7, s13, s30 z, sa22, scion, skyline, toyota, xb | 12 Comments

25 YEAR CLUB: FD3S Mazda RX-7

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Dave Yuan

Here we are at the end of 2016, twenty-five years since 1991. Think back, what do you remember of MCMXCI? The Gulf War? The end of the Bubble Era? Many of us remember the year quite fondly because it represented a kind of Cambrian explosion of JNCs. A vast array of automotive marvels replete with technological wonders and stunning designs emerged from Japan during that time. Among these was one car that many quipped to be destined for classic status from the beginning: the third-generation Mazda RX-7. This is how that car came to be. Continue reading →

Posted in 25 Year Club | Tagged Efini, mazda, rotary engine, rx-7, RX-Vision, savanna | 15 Comments

JNC THEATER: Watch a Nissan Cefiro drift its way through Protector 2

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Despite its status as a formidable drift chassis in Japan, the A31 Nissan Cefiro looks to the rest of the world like an average late-80s sedan. That’s exactly what makes it the perfect stunt vehicle for Protector 2, the action-packed martial arts film in which a Cefiro engages in a car chase with, of all things, a B13 Sentra. Continue reading →

Posted in JNC Theater | Tagged A31, Cefiro, nissan, Tony Jaa | 2 Comments

BOXING DAY: 50 Years of the Subaru Boxer Engine

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

Lead vehicle designer Shinroku Momose “was not fussy about the engine,” recalls Motomitsu Honda, who worked in Subaru engine department in 1966. Momose merely “presented the required dimensions and performance and said that any type of engine would suffice providing [it] met those conditions.” And so, 50 years ago, the Subaru boxer engine was born. Continue reading →

Posted in 50 Year Club | Tagged brat, impreza, legacy, leone, sti, subaru, subaru 1000, wrx | 13 Comments

TUNE UP: Remember George Michael with this supercharged Subaru kei car ad

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The Subaru Rex Combi VX Supercharger was introduced in March 1988, and along with it came a snazzy new ad campaign. The addition of a supercharger to the 550cc kei hatchback boosted output from 36 to 54 horsepower, which doesn’t sound like much but was a 50 percent increase in a car weighing 590kg (1300 pounds). It also had a fairly advanced (for its time) electronic fuel injection system, three valves per cylinder and a CVT automatic decades before they body snatched Nissan’s entire lineup. Continue reading →

Posted in Tune Up | Tagged kei, rex, subaru | 6 Comments

QotW: What part of 2016 are you most eager to forget?

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Ben Hsu

December 31 is when the Japanese typically throw a bonenkai, or “year forgetting” party, to drink away memories of a particularly crappy trip around the sun. Maybe your ride suffered a horrible mechanical malady this year, or perhaps a favorite racing idol died, or could it be that you sold a rare part you should’ve kept?

What part of 2016 are you most eager to forget?

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 are you asking Japanese Santa Claus for this year?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 9 Comments

TUNE UP: RIP George Michael, who gave us the leggiest legs ever to emerge from an FB Mazda RX-7

Posted on December 25, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

We at JNC are saddened to learn of singer George Michael’s passing. So we celebrate his life featuring the three milliseconds of FB RX-7 glory from his “Careless Whisper” music video. They could’ve used any car for this shot, especially the C4 Corvette showing up immediately after it, but they didn’t. So next time you see an FB, think of this song. Continue reading →

Posted in Tune Up | Tagged fb, mazda, rx-7 | 2 Comments

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Ben Hsu

May you enjoy not just your presents, but the box they came in. メリークリスマス from JNC!

Image courtesy of Nissan.

Posted in Holidays | Tagged datsun, datsun 320, nissan, Titan, trucks | 5 Comments