We’ve waited to talk about the Toyota Kikai because we were hoping to get an answer from Toyota about one of the most bizarre easter eggs we’ve ever seen on a concept car. We still don’t have it, but hopefully by raising the question we can find someone who has the answer. [UPDATE: Actually, we may have found it. Scroll to the bottom.] Continue reading
Sure, owning your own kyuusha in Japan sounds like a lot of fun, but where do you put it? In Part 01 of our damning exposé on the topic of parking an automobile in Japan, we illustrated what was legal and illegal, and did a deep dive into the most popular type of parking in Tokyo, the coin park. Today, we continue our series with two more… Continue reading
The Tokyo Motor Show may be over, but the concepts have a chance to live on. This year saw a return to the far-out concepts that you don’t see at any other auto show. From oddball Suzukis to a mid-engined Yamaha, bonkers Daihatsus to the stunning RX-Vision, as well as just about every type of sports car under the sun, Tokyo had it all. The only thing that’s missing is production.
Which concept from the Tokyo Motor Show should be built?
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, “If you could witness one automotive moment, what would it be?” Continue reading
Finding public or street parking in Japan’s major cities is sometimes chotto muzukashii — a Japanese saying for “a little difficult,” said through clenched teeth with a trailing “iiiii…” it essentially means, with typical Japanese subtlety, impossible. So there is naturally a range of inventive, complicated, and sometimes expensive options to parking your car in public. Continue reading
This video of a club-level race at Nakayama Circuit in 1985 has got everything: AW11, Gemini, Bluebird, R30, SA22, multiple generations of Truenos and Levins, and the smooth jazz of a Gran Turismo menu screen. Watch the video below. Continue reading
Though the exciting debuts of the Tokyo Motor Show have been covered, you didn’t think we’d go all the way to Tokyo and and not show you around, did you? Here’s what it’s like to attend the press days of the maddest Motor Show on Earth. Continue reading
In honor of the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota has released a video showing a year-by-year review of every display it’s had since the show’s inception. Travel through time to see Crowns, Coronas, 2000GTs, Corollas, Celicas, and even more Crowns! Watch the video after the jump. Continue reading
The Tokyo Motor Show ended last night, and we have one thing to say: Oh Suzuki, how we’ve missed you. Not only do we not see your funky little cars on US roads any more, but then you show up to the big show with a bunch of throwback concepts. Continue reading
Toyota is offering a pretty nifty promotion in which you can get a free badge in Toyota font spelling out the name of your car. Just upload a photo of yourself with your car and tell them your name at this website, and that’s it! Funnily enough, their example is a new Camry named Trueno.
We recently asked about what car you’d preserve if you had a time machine, but what about a memory? Kenichi Yamamoto having his eureka moment about the rotary engine? Tetsu Ikuzawa passing the Porsche 904 at the 2nd Japan Grand Prix? Keiichi Tsuchiya initiating his first drift?
If you could witness one automotive moment, what would it be?
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 favorite Japanese car culture?” Continue reading
Just a quick reminder: These exclusive black Datsun 510 Wagons with the JNC inkan will go on sale tomorrow at 9:00 am local time at participating Kmart stores. This is a KDay event, and in case you need a refresher on what that means, check out this post about a past KDay car, the Datsun 620. An exclusive yellow Subaru BRAT will be also be available at the same time. Continue reading
In Day 01 of our 2015 SEMA coverage, we noticed a marked increase in JNCs on the show floor. Unlike past years, these weren’t just museum cars trotted out by the automakers but builds that prove our little niche is moving into the mainstream. Continue reading
SEMA is for cars what Paris fashion week is for clothes. Top companies strut out their latest wares, often outlandishly decked out on stunning models. Most of the time it’s stuff you never see in the real world, but these shows act as barometers for the hottest trends. And if this year’s SEMA is any indication, Japanese nostalgic cars are generating some major heat. Continue reading
It was right there, lurking ominously beneath a dark gray cover in the middle of the GReddy Racing parking lot. We all knew what it was, and we had a pretty darned good idea of what it was going to look like, what with three behind-the-scenes videos splashed across the internet and enough social media heat to make a Kardashian proud. Beyond that, there was the thing itself, keeping scant few secrets under its tarp: anyone could see that it was bespoilered, widely flared, and packing a pair of JDM fender mirrors. And yet, despite being the worst-kept secret in the tuner car world, none of us knew exactly what to expect when the wrapper was removed from the Fugu Z, actor Sung Kang’s restomodded 240Z named for a potentially lethal cut of sushi. Continue reading
Possibly the rarest Civic we’ve ever seen has turned up for sale in, of all places, the Netherlands AutoTrader website. This was brought to our attention from a post in our own forums by autofocus. Built by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Coggiola, the 1976 Honda Civic Lady prototype debuted at the 1976 Geneva Auto Show and was based off of a first generation CVCC Civic. Of the original three hand-built Coggiola cars, this is believed to be the only surviving example. Continue reading
Tomorrow is Culture Day, a national holiday in Japan in which the nation’s ancient traditions are celebrated. Everyone gets the day off of work, presumably to tend to their minka or to practice their kabuki. Of course, Japan is a rich source of car culture, from vanning to VIP, drifting to Wangan hashiriya.
What’s your favorite Japanese car culture?
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 car would you import from Japan?” Continue reading
Much ink has been spilled writing about the demise of the Japanese auto industry, especially for enthusiasts. Some of it here at JNC. However, if there was one thing to take away from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, it’s that Japanese automakers are practically undergoing a sports car renaissance. Continue reading
One of the best sports car surprises from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show came not from Mazda, Toyota, or Honda, but Yamaha. The Sports Ride is a car built to drive like a Japanese crotch rocket on four wheels. Continue reading
Mazda launched the RX-Vision Concept moments ago at the Tokyo Motor Show. Now, we can finally reveal definitively what many of you have been hoping for since we first hinted at a return of the rotary. Continue reading
Watch the live unveiling below. Continue reading
