It’s hard to find the balance between power and purity when restoring a classic. We all love to go fast, and the light weight of old school J-tin is a great starting point for the vintage racer of your dreams. On the other hand, as owners of now-rare cars we feel a responsibility to preserve these rolling history lessons for posterity. What to do? Jason Humble seems to have found the answer with his Mazda RX-2. Continue reading
One of the funkiest concepts to come from the Tokyo Motor Show last year was the Toyota Kikai, a steampunkish, Miyazakian retro hot rod. It’s a re-imagining of the automobile for a world where mechanical objects are things of beauty to be shown, not hidden. Toyota shipped the Kikai halfway around the world for the Detroit Auto Show this week, and updated it for an American audience along the way. Can you spot the differences? Continue reading
Nissan’s legendary S20 engine costs $50,000 or more, but here’s one you can get for just a fraction of that price. Not only that, but you can get all the renowned Skyline powerplants — as long as you don’t mind having them at a fraction of the size. Continue reading
In 1977 the Blue Belt collided with Sha’ab Suedi Reef in the Red Sea and sank off the coast of northern Sudan. It took its cargo of cars and trucks to the bottom, where it is today known as the Toyota Wreck. Continue reading
Each year on the calendar brings us another round of cars that turn 25. Why is this significant? In short, 25 is the age at which most governments will grant a car historic status, which makes them eligible for things like collector car license plates and classic car insurance. Being 25 years of age also makes a car legal to import, according to the US federal government (though whether that imported car can be driven on the street is a state-by-state issue so your mileage may vary).
As we round the corner to 2016, a slew of Japan-tastic machines have now reached this threshold proving that 1991 will be another seminal year for the 25 Year Club. There’s the stunning Lexus SC/Toyota Soarer, the pocket supercar SW20 Toyota MR2, and 510-channeling Nissan Sentra SE-R. If you like very small sports cars, there was the Mazda MX-3 and Nissan NX. If you want to go by JDM model years there’s the breathtaking Mazda FD RX-7, which won’t be a classic in the US until 2018, and home-grown candidates like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino, Nissan Figaro and many more.
What’s your most anticipated 25 Year Club addition?
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 JNC New Year’s resolution?” Continue reading
One of the biggest treats from the NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway the display of Nissan’s Super Silhouette racers from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Developed for Group 5 specifications, their extreme aero styling inspired a generation of bosozoku and kaido racers. Continue reading
“The view was breathtaking, especially at night. The lights would just go on forever,” recalls Kazuhiro Hazuki, the 21st leader of Specter, one of Japan’s most famous bosozoku gangs. In its prime, the Chiba Soumei Rengo (alliance), of which Specter was a part, stretched between eastern Tokyo and western Chiba and could bring out 2,000 bikes riding in formation in a single night. Sadly, those days are gone. Continue reading
By 1968 Toyota had had enough of losing their home country’s biggest race — the annual Japan Grand Prix — to Nissan. They had just debuted the nation’s flagship sports car in the 2000GT, but it was getting trounced by the Prince/Nissan R380, a purpose-built race car that had no street-legal counterpart. Continue reading
A celebration of all things Nissan and racing, the annual NISMO Festival held by the Nissan mothership in Japan. For one late November day, legendary racing machines are dusted off and emerge from their Zama hibernation to roar across the hallowed tarmac of Fuji Speedway. Continue reading
With 2015 in the books, we thought it might be a chance to look at the highlights from the world of JNC. Continue reading
Happy Year of the Monkey! We’re like 80 percent sure that Han Dynasty astrologists weren’t talking about Honda’s 50cc mini-bike, but perhaps this will be an auspicious year for you, JNC-wise, anyway. Will you finally pull the trigger on that old “Datsun or something” your UPS guy told you about? Patch up that bit of bubbling paint that’s been slowly growing over time? Or, first things first, move to a place with a garage?
What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?
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 automotive woes are you most eager to forget?” Continue reading
In Japan, the bonenkai (“year forgetting”) parties on December 31 are where you leave behind the stresses of the previous year, usually by consuming large quantities of alcohol with friends. Old cars can be the source of many reasons to down a pitcher of Sapporo — a project car that’s its very own circle of hell, an obscure part grenading itself at the worst possible time, or perhaps the regret of that rare Craigslist find slipping through your fingers.
What automotive woes are you most eager to forget?
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 will you ask Japanese Santa Claus for this year?” Continue reading
From all of us at Japanese Nostalgic Car, have a happy holiday. May your desserts be sugared and your cars unsalted!
If it wasn’t for its glorious motorsports history, Fuji Speedway would be just about the worst place to hold a car show. It rains seemingly half the time there, and while that makes for cool photography, it can’t be pleasant for the owners. Luckily, the Japanese don’t seem to be phased by the precipitation one bit and and came together for an impressive 80s-themed show. Continue reading
Want a JNC-themed activity you can do with your family this holiday season? We at JNC have created an AE86 cookie cutter that you can download, 3D print, and use to make delicious, rear-wheel-drive cookies that will drift their way right into your bellies. Continue reading
Little known fact: Japanese Santa Claus lives in Hokkaido and has a team of magical Sanrio animals that can make any car part your little heart desires. If you’re a good boy or girl, he can deliver them via a flying Hino flatbed pulled by eight Sika deer and one extremely loyal Akita with a red floppy ear.
What will you ask Japanese Santa Claus for this year?
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 was the greatest single year for Japanese cars?” Continue reading
If you’re looking for high-powered GT-Rs and the like, Mooneyes shows are probably not for you. The cars you find at a typical Mooneyes event celebrate the art of customization, whether it’s on kei cars or commercial trucks. The vehicles here less about racing than about cruising, but they are all in some way interesting. Continue reading
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn likes Datsun 240Zs and is now the proud owner of a Hot Wheels version with the JNC inkan. Apparently, Vikings coach Jerry Gray has been hand-picking the diecast cars and giving them out as rewards to his football players after particularly impressive feats on the field. Continue reading
While most Japanese automakers battled it out on Suzuka and Fuji, Mitsubishi took a different tack. From 1970s Lancers on the Safari Rally to the WRC Evos of the 90s to the Pajeros reigning supreme over Dakar, Mitsubishi has always loved to get dirty in the dirt. For a brief moment in the 80s, though, they could be found swarming the tarmac thanks to the wedge-tastic Starion. Australia is where they flourished, and so once again we turn to the excellent video series by Shannons Insurance to explain why you should seriously be looking to add a Starion to your garage. Continue reading
Today’s guest writer is my friend Mika Latvala from Finland, who sent an event report from the Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza. Enjoy! —Ben
The Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza, or FinnJAE, is for all Japanese car enthusiasts in the country. All cars are welcome, no matter if they are original, tuned or even close to destruction. The event is held all over the country, depending on the area with the most active members. There were four clubs in the beginning arranging the event — The Toyota Club of Finland, Nissan Club, Mazdago and Honda Club) — and actually 2 of these clubs were even founded during FinnJAE! Continue reading
