Japanese Nostalgic Car

KIDNEY, ANYONE? The finest replica of a Mugen CRX SCCA GT4 race car is in France

Posted on March 3, 2016 by David Lovett

In the early 1980s, Honda wanted to show the appeal of its high-performance vehicles to American enthusiasts. It set about building a racing car with the help of its tuning and racing division, Mugen, to compete in the SCCA GT-4 class. The weapon of choice? The Honda CRX. It debuted in 1985 at Road Atlanta, was campaigned all the way through 1990, kicking butt and taking names for the entire 6 years it ran. Honda had America’s attention. But they also caught the attention of an enthusiast from France. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged crx, honda, kidney anyone, mugen, scca | 8 Comments

DESIGN: Nissan VP reveals challenges of designing with DNA

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Ben Hsu

We recently had the chance to glimpse into the the mind of someone who spends every day thinking and making decisions about the cars we buy, drive, and love. Taro Ueda is Vice-President of Design at Nissan Design America, the automaker’s studio in southern California, and he and his team were actually able to make the 2016 Sentra look good. Continue reading →

Posted in Design | Tagged B17, nissan, sentra, Taro Ueda | 18 Comments

VIDEO: Watch the R32 Skyline GT-R lap the Nürburgring

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Nowadays, for any performance car worth their salt, a Nürburgring lap is a spec sheet staple, right there under horsepower, torque, and 0-60 time. But the Nissan Skyline GT-R was doing it before it was cool. Way before. Back in 1989, to be precise, when Best Motoring took an R32 GT-R to the Green Hell and clocked an 8:22. That’s nothing compared to the 7:08:69 of the R35 NISMO GT-R, but it was absolutely mind-blowing 27 years ago. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged gt-r, nissan, r32, skyline | 4 Comments

PIXELLATED: Forza Motorsport 6

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

Welcome to a new series about JNCs in video games. Perhaps you can’t have the garage of your dreams in real life, but you can have it in pixels.

One of the best series of all time for JNCs, Forza has seen the release of its newest sequel since we ranked the Top 5 video games featuring Japanese Nostalgic Cars. Forza Motorsports 6 launched in September 2015 with a slew of Nihon steel that included not only perennial favorites like the Toyota 2000GT and hakosuka Skyline GT-R, but less common virtual racers like the 1986 Civic Si and 1974 Celica GT. Since then, The team at Forza developer Turn 10 Studios has been hitting it out of the park with DLCs, or Downloadable Content. Continue reading →

Posted in Video Games | Tagged datsun, forza, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota | 7 Comments

Does your classic Subaru belong in a museum?

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Do you have a classic Subaru? Do you want to display it in the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum’s upcoming exhibit of all-wheel-drive Japanese cars? Our friends at Subaru of America recently alerted us to the fact that they were loaning several of their own cars from their not-so-secret headquarters “attic” to the museum, but the Simeone Foundation still needs more. Continue reading →

Posted in museums, subaru | Tagged subaru | 7 Comments

NEWS: Mazda is the title sponsor of JNC Touge California

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Patrick Strong

We at JNC are very proud to announce that Mazda will be the title sponsor of the 2016 JNC Touge California. Mazda will bring out select heritage cars to drive along with us during the 200-mile event, and give participants a rare tour of vehicles from their vast heritage collection, which is not typically open to the public. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged mazda, Touge California | 6 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1979 Isuzu 117 XG

Posted on February 29, 2016 by David Lovett

Giorgetto Giugiaro penned many stunning cars — the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint, Ferrari 250 GT, Iso Grifo — but here’s one that’ll throw the old guard at Concorso Italiano into conniptions: the lovely Isuzu 117 Coupe. It almost feels strange to be mentioning an Isuzu — perhaps best known in the US for making the ubiquitous GM box van — for sale in Detroit, but here it is nonetheless. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged 117, isuzu, kidney anyone | 14 Comments

QotW: What once-common car has suddenly disappeared?

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Ben Hsu

It’s weird. One minute they’re everywhere, so common that you almost sick of seeing them. Seemed like every cool kid in town had one. Then one day you see one and you think to yourself, “Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of those!” and you realize this once popular enthusiast’s car is suddenly nowhere to be found.

What once-common car has suddenly disappeared?

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 vintage barrel is the definitive “universal” JNC wheel?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged QotW | 28 Comments

Register for the 2016 Touge California

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Patrick Strong

The deadline for entries for Touge California 2016 is fast approaching. We’re seeking 25 pre-1980 Japanese cars to accept the challenge of a 200-mile tour of some of southern California’s most scenic and challenging driver’s roads on April 2nd. We’ve had a tremendous response from owners of classic J-Tin from around the country, but we’re hungry for more. Continue reading →

Posted in Touge California | Tagged Touge California | 6 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 01

Posted on February 27, 2016 by David Lovett

In 2015 we took a once-in-a-lifetime road trip across Japan behind the wheel of a proper Showa Era icon. The chariot of choice was an Isuzu 117 Coupé, and it would serve as our trusty steed for 10 days and over 2,400 kilometers before the trip was done. This is the story of an epic journey covering the entire southern half of Japan by JNC. Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged 117, ae86, corolla levin, Grand Touring, isuzu, Lake Biwa, toyota | 21 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 02

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Skorj

While Part 01 of our Old Car Heaven coverage concluded with a mob of rare Mitsubishis, we begin this installment along the perimeter of the show and a bevy of box vans. The Nissan Caravans were part of the Nissan Commercial Car Club, as the event celebrated not just vintage cars, but trucks, buses, and 3-wheelers as well. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 2000gt, 240rs, 330, 430, 935, barikan, bus, c10, caravan, cedric, cedric 130, city, civic, corona, cosmo sport, crown, csp311, daihatsu, e20, f40, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, Fairlady Z432, ferrari, ff-1, gloria, gto, Hakosuka, honda, honda z, HopeStar, Initial D, isuzu, Junior, kenmeri, KITT, kpgc110, Lotus Europa, mark II, Mazda T1500, midget, nissan, piazza, pontiac, porsche, prince, r30, s110, s30 z, s54, seibu keisatsu, shelby, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, subaru, t40, toyota, wagons, x30 | 18 Comments

NEWS: Honda CEO wants engineers back in the driver’s seat

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

In what sounds like a cruel April Fool’s joke, Honda announced Wednesday that it is basically undoing its entire product development strategy of the last seven years. Takahiro Hachigo, the new CEO who is barely a year into his tenure, announced Wednesday in Tokyo that Honda is shifting the development process of new platforms away from its sales and marketing departments and back to engineering, the way founder Soichiro Honda intended. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged honda, Takahiro Hachigo | 27 Comments

SHOP LIFE: The Barrel Bros’ super wheel restorations

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Kevin San

One of the most important (and expensive!) purchases you’ll make for your ride, are a nice set of wheels. J-nostalgics just don’t look right without the right vintage wheels, and so you’re probably already a veteran of cruising Yahoo Auctions Japan, looking for that ideal set of Watanabes, in the correct size and offset to get that perfect fender-scraping fitment.

Recently, we were invited to spend a day at Barrel Bros in Sydney, Australia to check out their work in restoring and modifying vintage JDM wheels. If you want something like a custom set of 15-inch wide 80s era RAYS, then this place is your new church. Continue reading →

Posted in Shop Life | Tagged 330, Barrel Bros, cedric, longchamp xr-4, ssr | 17 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Skorj

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early departure on a cold Tokyo day was made tolerable though as it provided us — and one snarling Skyline GT-B — with an unobstructed high-speed run out the Shuto-ko and over the Rainbow Bridge to Daiba. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged a20, b110, c10, celica, cherry, clipper, colt, crown, datsun, e10, e70, F30, galant gto, gloria, Hakosuka, hiace, honda, kujira, lancer, leopard, masterline, mazda, mitsubishi, ms75, nissan, Old Car Heaven, porter, prince, rally, s10, s54, s60, safari rally, sambar, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, sprinter trueno, subaru, sunny, toyopet, toyota, vamos, wagon | 29 Comments

NEWS: Japan notes increase in Skyline, NSX prices due to overseas interest

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The above chart was one of the most circulated automotive news items in Japan over the weekend. It depcits how the nation’s wheeled icons have skyrocketed in price since just four months, with a certain model jumping nearly 1 million yen. The cause? Cars joining the 25 Year Club, making them eligible for import in places like the US. Continue reading →

Posted in marketwatch | Tagged acura, gt-r, honda, nissan, nsx, r32, r34, skyline | 22 Comments

QotW: Which vintage barrel is the definitive “universal” JNC wheel?

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Brandon Kelley

There are some wheels, either stock or aftermarket, that just look good. They can be fitted to a good number of JNCs and universally improve the look, like the classic gunmetal or black Wat. You can slap those on anything and they’re guaranteed to make a difference.

Which vintage barrel is the definitive “universal” JNC wheel?

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 greatest VIP sedan?” Continue reading →

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

PROFILES: The ultimate BRE 510 tribute

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

There are occasions, as any enthusiast will tell you, when whatever you are doing, no matter how important, must be immediately and emphatically dropped in order to turn around and look at a car. That’s the situation our fearless leader Ben and I found ourselves in one afternoon during Monterey Historic Car Week. We were on our way to something — neither of us can honestly remember what — when we passed Robert Johnson’s BRE tribute 510 just cold parallel parked on the street like it was your aunt’s Altima. We looked at each other, scarcely believing what we’d seen, and knew what we must do — flip a U and go back to gawk. Continue reading →

Posted in profiles | Tagged 510, bre, datsun, nissan | 25 Comments

2016 Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620 for the Car Culture line

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

Here’s a sneak peek at the latest Hot Wheels model to wear the JNC inkan, a Datsun 620 pickup. This one, however, will be unlike previous Datsun 620s in that it will feature in the 2016 Car Culture premium lineup, which means it will have a new metal base casting and retro slot wheels. Continue reading →

Posted in Hot Wheels | Tagged 620, datsun, hot wheels | 8 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1988 Subaru XT6 for $3,500

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

So far 2016 seems to be the year that great nostalgic Subarus are showing up everywhere. If the optimism of 80s Synthwave music were to ever appear in a physical form, this 1988 Subaru XT6 would be it. For $3,500 it may not require an entire kidney, but you might have to punch someone in the kidneys to grab it. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged alcyone, kidney anyone, subaru, xt, xt6 | 40 Comments

ART CORNER: Reality-bending JNCs for your viewing pleasure

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Chris Labrooy is a British artist who creates brightly colored 3D models that look so real you can almost touch them — except that they exist only in pixels. One of his favorite subjects is cars, but stretched out into bizarre, logic-defying shapes. His earlier work consisted of strange, interlocking American land yachts and pickups. Now he’s turning his attention to Japanese classics. Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged Chris Labrooy | 6 Comments