EVENTS: Initial D World meet
If people are willing to dress up as country squires, high-mannered butlers, and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey season premieres, then why not an Initial D-themed car meet? As the most popular work of Japanese automotive fiction of all time, it’s a bit surprising that such events aren’t more commonplace. For those fortunate enough to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, last weekend saw the third annual Initial D World Meet. Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota to buy Daihatsu, make it a global brand
Toyota has announced it will buy out Daihatsu in a stock deal worth about $3 billion. The Big T currently owns a controlling stake in the small car manufacturer, approximately 51.2 percent, and Daihatsu has served as Toyota’s kei and compact car arm since the companies began their alliance in 1967. Though they have shared many platforms in the past (the photo above is a Toyota Corolla-based Daihatsu Charmant), the formation into a single company will allow Toyota to take the Daihatsu brand global. Continue reading
PROFILES: Randy York’s rare 1973 Datsun 510
Long before social media, Randy York was one of the first members of the Bluebirds email list. He ran United Five-Ten Owners (UFO) SoCal from the mid-80s through the 90s before it faded, and was a founding editor for the definitive 510 bible, Dime Quarterly, which started in 1995 and ran until 2008. It is with great sadness that we tell you that Randy York recently lost his battle with cancer. It is in his honor that we are re-running this story, originally published in 2008, today.
There’s no question that one of Nissan’s biggest sales successes in the USA was the PL510 series, sold from the end of 1967 until the end of 1972. Initially, the 510s had many features unique to the year they were built. The ’68 model was one-of-a-kind in many ways, such as hand-clap wipers. The ’69 model had several changes to make it singular as well, like the addition of round rear side markers and an updated dash. When the ’70 came along, it was changed up yet again with different lights, badges, an all new dash, and many other updates. For whatever reason, be it saving money on production, or cutting down on R&D time, from that point on they were essentially all the same. Very little differentiates a ’70 from a ’71 from a ’72. And then came the ’73. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Holy crap, a 280Z 2+2 just sold for $49,500
If you needed more proof that originality counts, here it is. In the JNC world, a 1975 Datsun 280Z 2+2 is a special breed. Its 5 mph bumpers and rooflines practically guarantee that no one but the kindest of owners will adopt one from the shelter. In the world of high-end auctions, however, bone stockness trumps all, and the ugly duckling of the S30 family shines to the tune of $50-grand. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 8,700-mile R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R [UPDATE]
Another year, another round of auctions in which Japanese steel is dangled in front of bidders who wouldn’t have given a flying Figaro two years ago. This time it’s another Skyline GT-R, not the Hakosuka or Kenmeri but Godzilla himself, the BNR32, and it has fewer than 14,000 km on the clock. Continue reading
VIDEO: Drifting Hakone in 1992
Imagine a winding touge packed with Japanese drift machines — Silvias, RX-7s, Supras, Fairlady Zs and AE86s. So. Many. AE86s. Last year we showed a video proving that underground drifting was already reaching fever pitch by the late 80s. By 1992, Hakone Pass — one of the birthplaces of touge driving and underground drifting — was a rush hour of sliding steel. Continue reading
VIDEO: 40th Anniversary of TRD
Founded in 1976, Toyota Racing Development is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. At the Tokyo Auto Salon a video played on loop, showing highlights of the last four decades. From Starlets to AE86s to Celicas to Supras, this is straight up Toyotaku porn. There are shots of long-gone TRD accessories and body kits, a magnificent shop Toyota Van painted in team colors, and even a very young Mike Kojima (of MotoIQ fame) seen working at his desk. Rally cars, open wheel racers, street tuning kits, this video has it all, spanning TRD’s activities across the globe. It’s well worth watching if you have any interest in Toyotas or Japanese motorsport history. Continue reading
VIDEO: Rocky Auto’s 2JZ-powered Toyota 2000GT
One of the most talked about cars from the Tokyo Auto Salon was the Rocky 3000GT, a scratch-built replica of the iconic Toyota 2000GT, but powered by a 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-six. It was the creation of Okazaki-based tuner Rocky Auto, whose mad builds have included a Lexus V8-powered Hakosuka and a different scratch-built 2000GT with a Prius hybrid drivetrain. Here’s a feature documentary on the Rocky 3000GT by a Japanese news station that gives a bit of a peek at how his amazing project was executed. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 04 – JNC Staff Picks
For our final installment of our 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon coverage, we asked some of our JNC team Tokyo staff to identify the coolest whips they encountered at the annual mega-fest of Japanese automotive excess. Here’s what they came up with. Continue reading
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Tagged aqua, bluebird, bosozoku, fairlady z, Flex Auto, Free Style, gran turismo, H200, H50, hiace, kawasaki, Leg Motor Sports, LM55 Vision Gran Turismo, mazda, mazda roadster, miata, NATS, ND Miata, nissan, prius, prius c, s30 z, star road, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, trd
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VIDEO: Jay Leno drives a Hakotora
When the Japanese builders at 09 Racing debuted their Hakotora at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, it was easily one of the most talked-about cars at the show. The name comes from the blending of hakosuka and sanitora, the Japanese nicknames for the C10-generation Skyline and the B120 Sunny Truck, respectively. Who would’ve thought that one day, there’d be one driving around in Burbank with an SR20DET under the hood and Jay Leno behind the wheel? Continue reading
QotW: What’s your greatest “in the wild” JNC sighting?
Incredibly, that Friday flatbed find wasn’t even our first our 2000GT sighting. A few years ago our intrepid Touge California rallymaster Patrick, who eagle-eyed the flatbed one, saw another one in the wild, this time in Solar Red and moving gloriously under its own power. He shall henceforth be known as The 2000GT Hunter.
What’s your greatest “in the wild” JNC sighting?
For our purposes, “in the wild” means on the street, parked somewhere other than a place specifically designed to display cars (ie, a car show, showroom, race track, you get the idea). Remember, pics or it didn’t happen. But if you don’t have them, you better make sure your story is pretty darn convincing.
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 forced-induction JNC?” Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon Spotlight – RE Amemiya’s Inspired 7 and Super Chantez, a return to legendary tuner roots
There are few rotary tuners more prolific than RE Amemiya. Founder Isami Amemiya has been at it since 1974, building all manner of bonkers pistonless demons. Typically, his Auto Salon booth is lined with a column of powerful FD3S RX-7s, poised like they’re ready to attack a small country. This year, in addition to a neon yellow FD, Ama-san brought out a first-gen 7 and what promises to be one of the fastest kei cars of all time. Continue reading
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Tagged chantez, mazda, re amemiya, rx-7, sa22, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon
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WILDLIFE: Toyota 2000GT on a flatbed
So this happened on the 405 this morning. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 03 – Tunertopia
When it comes right down to it, the Auto salon is all about tuning. Sometimes, that can be downright cringeworthy when it comes to the classics we know and love. Other times, the result is inspired. And sometimes it’s just about getting a hunk of metal to go as fast as humanly possible. While not all of the cars in this installment fit the JNC style, they were at the Auto Salon, and so we’re reporting on them. Continue reading
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Tagged 2000gt, 240z, c10, fairlady z, Fujitsubo, Garage Saurus, gt-r, Hakosuka, jun auto mechanic, Kojima Engineering, Kojima KE007, lexus, lfa, nissan, r30, r35, rocky auto, s30, skyline, star road, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota, toyota 86
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EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 02 – Callbacks
One of our favorite types of customization is when a new car references something old, whether its Japanese motorsports history, an ancestor in its lineage, or just a general obsession with nostalgia. Here’s all the cars that are rolling inside jokes to those who know their Nihon car history. Continue reading
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Tagged Alto GT-RR, Alto Works, c10, fairlady z, ft-1, Hakosuka, Hello Special, J100, J70, land cruiser, mazda, nissan, rotary engine, RX-Vision, S-FR, S-FR Racing, s30 z, skyline, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota
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EVENTS: Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — Old School Cool
As one of the most important auto shows on the Japanese calendar, the Tokyo Auto Salon is a showcase of Japan’s latest and greatest tuning trends. With every customization style imaginable on display, however, old school cool is not always easy to find. But even as you journey across the seas of carbon fiber and bling, you just might stumble upon, hidden in plain sight, the most badass nostalgic sleds imaginable. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon Spotlight – Liberty Walk S30 Z
It’s understandable that most non-JNCers would recognize Liberty Walk as the purveyor of trendy widebody kits for Ferraris, GT-Rs and other assorted supercars. In his heart of hearts, though, founder Wataru Kato is an old school bosozoku. Continue reading
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Tagged bosozoku, c10, fairlady z, Hakosuka, kpgc10, liberty walk, nissan, s30 z, skyline, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, wataru kato
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QotW: What’s the greatest forced-induction JNC?
The Skyline Japan GT-EX kicked off the Age of the Turbo when it debuted in April 1980. Not only was it the first Skyline to rock a snail, it was deemed so important by Nissan that it was positioned successor to the mighty GT-R and became star of its own 80s cop show. From there, Japanese automakers embarked on a turbo- and super-charging arms race.
What was the greatest forced-induction JNC?
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 most anticipated 25 Year Club addition?” Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — A Preview
The Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off this weekend, and that means it’s time for the craziest builds the Japanese aftermarket has to offer. While gold-plated GT-Rs and VIP vans are still very much a part of it, looking past the glitz this year has revealed a slight shift towards the old school styles of Japan. But first, a preview. Continue reading
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Tagged 180sx, ambulance, bluebird, Bluebird 810, bosozoku, caravan, copen, d1gp, daihatsu, kei, mark II, NATS, nissan, shooting brake, sienna, Spirit Rei, SuperGT, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota, X100, x70
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