At the recent annual Hot Wheels convention in Los Angeles, a new model was quietly revealed for 2016. It’s not quite nostalgic yet, but the Acura Integra was a long time coming.
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MINICARS: 2016 Hot Wheels Custom Acura Integra
JCCS 2015: A tribute to legendary figures in Z-Car history
When it debuted in 1969, the S30 Z promptly redefined the sports car, tearing down any remaining barriers, psychological or otherwise, to owning a Japanese car. It became the first piece of Nihon steel you could own with pride in America, which set the Z on its way to become the best-selling sports car of all time. As such, it holds a special privilege among Japanese classics, sort of like a Corvette among fans of Detroit iron. And as with Corvette fans, some of them are downright obsessive. Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 240z, 280z, bre, datsun, john morton, mr k, nissan, s30 z, yutaka katayama
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EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Workhorses
This year’s JCCS had a higher turnout, truck-wise, than any other in recent memory. Former workhorses that managed to survive — or evade — decades of hard labor showed up en masse on Queen Mary lawn to enjoy their new status as classics. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 411, 610, Chevy LUV, corolla, cressida, datsun, Datsun 520/521, datsun 620, datsun 720, e20, fj60, ford courier, hilux, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, jimny, land cruiser, LJ80, mazda, mx72, nissan, repu, sambar, samurai, stout, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, te28, Titan, toyota, trucks, VG223, wagons, x70
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VIDEO: Mitsubishi sends off the Lancer Evolution by showing you how it was made
It’s the end of the line for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The company is building 1,000 Final Edition cars for Japan and another 1,600 for North America. After that, they’ll be no more. The Final Edition cars will get several trim and mechanical upgrades, and a slight bump in horsepower. UPDATE: the US version will get the Japanese version’s 308 PS (303 hp).
To honor the last of the LanEvos, Mitsubishi has put together a video showing how the car was built at its Mizushima plant and Shiga powertrain factory. Even if you prefer older Mitsus, are a Subaru loyalist, or have a burning hatred for team Emperor, it’s impossible not to feel a twinge of sadness as we bid this iconic rally car for the street a fond sayonara. Continue reading
COLLECTIONS: Subaru’s heritage exhibition at its Tokyo headquarters
Subaru recently opened an exhibition of its most iconic cars at its headquarters building in Japan. Loosely translated as “The Finest Cars of the Six Stars,” its name is a reference to the six-star constellation makes up the Subaru logo. If you’re in Tokyo, check it out. If you’re not, some friends from Subaru of America, recently there on a business trip, have got you covered. Continue reading
Posted in Collections
Tagged alcyone, ff-1, legacy, leone, subaru, subaru 360, Subaru Headquarters, subaru xt, VIZIV 2, wagons
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EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Made in the 80s
Have chrome-bumpered bullies been making you feel bad that your urethane-capped car isn’t truly a classic? Tell them to take a chill pill. Now that 1990 is the 25-year cutoff, everything that was built in the Eighties is officially a classic. Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 200sx, 300zx, 323 GTX, a60, accord, ae86, back to the future, bosozoku, celica, civic, corolla, corolla levin, cressida, crx, datsun, e80, fc3s, fx-16, hachiroku, hilux, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, kp61, mazda, nissan, prelude, pulsar, Pulsar NX, rx-7, s110, s12, Shiro Special, sprinter trueno, starlet, tercel, toyota, Toyota Van, x30, x70, z31
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NEWS: Mazda to unveil heritage sports car concept at 2015 Tokyo Motor Show
Mazda is set to unveil a new sports car concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show next month. That in itself is already cause to celebrate, but Mazda has gone on to state that this will be a heritage model. Sources from within the company have assured us that JNC readers will not be disappointed. Could it be a return of the rotary? Here’s what we can tell you so far. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 14,500-mile Toyota AE86
The march of AE86s coming out of the woodwork continues. Now what could very well be the lowest-mileage Toyota Corolla GT-S left in the world has surfaced in Waxhaw, North Carolina. With just 14,500 miles on the clock, this USDM version of the famed AE86 could very well be the holy grail for the right Hachiroku fiend. Continue reading
Posted in for sale
Tagged ae86, corolla, corolla levin, hachiroku, kidney anyone, sprinter trueno, toyota
14 Comments
EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — Shakotan Boogaloo
In Japan, shakotan is simply means a lowered car. Many different styles of car can technically qualify as shakotan, but if we’re going to steal a traditional Japanese term, we might as well apply it to traditional Japanese cars. You know it when you see it — small-diameter wheels, limited use of body kits, and steel instead of composite fiber. Can you dig it? Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, a20, a40, Celica Liftback, corolla, corolla levin, corona, daruma, datsun, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, leone, luce, mazda, nissan, rx-2, rx-4, rx-7, s30 z, SA22/FB, savanna, sprinter trueno, subaru, subaru gl, t110, te27, toyota celica
26 Comments
Happy 9/29 Day from JNC!
The piston engine’d version of the Mazda RX-4 was called the Luce in Japan and the 929 elsewhere in the world. Happy 9/29 Day!
VIDEO: Cruising and drifting Hakone in 1989
Talk about time travel. What were you doing in 1989? In Japan, car enthusiasts were lining up at Hakone Nanamagari Touge like it was a playground slide. A notoriously twisty section of mountain road, it is part of the most famous of Japan’s touge, the birthplaces of drifting. And man, it’s a scene! Continue reading
MINICARS: Get your Hot Wheels RedLine Club Shelby Toyota 2000GT this Tuesday
A very limited Hot Wheels Toyota 2000GT will go on sale this Tuesday (ie, tomorrow). Wearing the livery of the Carroll Shelby SCCA race car driven by Scooter Patrick, it’s the latest offering from the official Hot Wheels Red Line Club for collectors, and it’s limited to just 3,000 pieces.
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QotW: What JNC would you get if you had a time machine?
Time travel is real, but it only goes to one point on the space-time continuum: Showa Era Japan. For some reason, you have a briefcase full of 1960s-era yen in large bills. You also know of a remote garage in rural Japan that will be undisturbed for 60 years because, well, you’re from the future.
What JNC would you get if you had a time machine?
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 JNC sighting will you remember forever?” Continue reading
JCCS 2015: The Ibarra Brothers’ incredible collection of classic Mazda rotaries
No one that walked through the Japanese Classic Car Show last weekend could have missed the astounding collection of half a dozen classic rotaries parked on the Queen Mary lawn. Each one was more pristine than the next, as if we had jumped a few decades back in time only to land in a Mazda showroom. Turns out, the cars belong to Abel and Elvis Ibarra, brothers who built a legendary rotary racing empire. Continue reading
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 – It’s JDM, yo
As it embarks on its second decade, the 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show has become a must-attend event, not just for J-tin owners or readers of this fine site, but car enthusiasts everywhere. Nowhere in America will you see a wider array of cars from the Japanese domestic market never sold in the US, the subject of our first installment. Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 510, 610, A175, bluebird, c10, cosmo sport, datsun, fd3s, fj60, Hakosuka, hot wheels, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, john morton, jun imai, lancer, land cruiser, matchbox, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, P40, pao, r30, r32, R390 GT1, rx-3, rx-7, skyline, spirit r, sports 800, starlet, toyota
17 Comments
JCCS 2015: The first Honda car ever imported to the US
This decrepit looking Honda N600 was one of the most important cars at the Japanese Classic Car Show last weekend. Why? Because it is the very first Honda automobile built for the US. That’s right, this faded lime green hatch barely larger than a picnic basket is the one that blazed the trail for all your beloved Civics, Integras, and NSXes. Continue reading
Posted in jccs
Tagged honda, Honda Serial One, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, n-series
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NEWS: Hiroshima high schoolers restore a Mazda Cosmo Sport
Think back a little…or a lot, what were you doing in high school? Going to band camp? Studying for the SAT? Slacking off? Or maybe restoring a Mazda Cosmo Sport? …wait what?! Turns out, if you were one of the eight lucky students at Hiroshima Technical High School, that’s exactly what you did this summer. Continue reading
VIDEO: Honda “Paper” commercial is a moving timeline
Honda is back with another incredible commercial showcasing the breadth and history of their products. This time, the painstakingly crafted spot uses nothing but sheets of paper and hours of stop-motion animation to create a moving timeline. Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC sighting will you remember forever?
As a die-hard car nut, you may not remember how many kids your boss has, your first kiss, or even your birthday, but you can sure as hell remember every vivid detail about the millisecond you laid eyes on a mind-blowingly awesome JNC. I, for example, will have that time in 2003 when I saw a black S30 Z just cold chillin’ with a VIP Cima in a Tokyo parking lot seared into my brain for the rest of my life. We witnessed that very moment in the wide-eyed faces of so many JCCS spectators this weekend — and on innocent bystanders during a post-show photo shoot in Long Beach with a couple of very cool Skylines. As we process hundreds of photos from this weekend’s festivities, we ask you:
Which JNC sighting will you remember forever?
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, “How can Nissan save the Z?” Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, Question of the Week
19 Comments
I hate red. It’s too loud, it fades to a powdery pink over time, and it’s often too obvious a choice. In Japan, red was forbidden on passenger cars until Soichiro Honda embarrassed MITI with a scathing editorial in the newspapers, thus opening the doors for the color on his S-Series and all other Japanese cars.
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 JNC would you get if you had a time machine?” Continue reading →