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
20 Comments
MINICARS: Mazda ND Miata coming to Mattel
The official Matchbox Instagram account has revealed that the ND Miata is coming to its lineup in 2016. Continue reading
DETROIT: Aisin’s 1961 2-speed Toyoglide
This crusty old transmission seems like it should be sitting in the back of an old Japanese garage in some rural prefecture but it was displayed proudly, behind glass, at the Aisin booth at the Detroit Auto Show. Continue reading
DETROIT: Soul Red is the new white
Despite our decree that white was the best color for Japanese cars, Nihon automakers are still continuing to make cars in other colors. One hue that seems to be surpassing the traditional white is Soul Red. Continue reading
DETROIT: White is the best color for Japanese cars
The NSX proves that the best color for Japanese cars, especially Honda sportscars, is white. Continue reading
Posted in honda
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DETROIT: Akio Toyoda’s rousing speech about Toyota’s future
Lexus has unveiled its new halo sports coupe, the LC 500, at the Detroit Auto Show. If you’re thinking you’ve seen it before, that’s probably because it looks identical to the LF-LC concept that spawned it. This is, amazingly, an actual production car with 5 liters, 8 cylinders and 467 horses behind its toothy maw and will hit dealerships looking exactly like it does here sometime in 2017.
The LC 500, however, wasn’t even the most exciting thing on the Lexus stage at the Detroit Auto Show. That honor goes to a 59-year-old bespectacled Japanese man named Akio Toyoda and his rousing speech about the future of his company. Continue reading
VIDEO: A giant-killing Mazda RX-2 that stays humble
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
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DETROIT: Toyota Kikai gets an American makeover
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
MINICARS: Kusaka Engineering’s super-detailed scale Skyline GT-R motors
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
Posted in minicars
Tagged c10, c110, dr30, fj20, kpgc10, NISMO Festival, nissan, RB25, rb26, RB26DETT, S20 engine, skyline
6 Comments
Divers explore the “Toyota Wreck” off the coast of Sudan
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
Posted in toyota
4 Comments
QotW: What’s your most anticipated 25 Year Club addition?
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
Posted in Question of the Week
21 Comments
MOTORSPORT: The Super Silhouette Nissans that inspired a generation of bosozoku
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
Posted in events, motorsport
Tagged bluebird, Bluebird 910, dr30, gazelle, group 5, haruhito yanagida, K10, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, march, masahiro hasemi, Matchy Kondo, NISMO Festival, nissan, r30, s110, s12, silvia, skyline, super silhouette
7 Comments
VIDEO: The dying tradition of bosozoku
“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
MOTORSPORT: How Nissan thwarted Toyota in the golden age of the Japan Grand Prix
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
