So after we dropped off the hakosuka GT-R at Nissan’s garage, we set out to see what the rest of the Monterey Historics had to offer. It is the most mind-detonatingly expensive automotive festival in this hemisphere, a world we plebes normally never get to experience. We’d heard there was J-tin in them thar hills, and we were off in search of it. Continue reading
We just brought a genuine KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to the Monterey Historics. It was a bit surreal to say the least, watching it enter the paddocks of the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Though it never raced here, the circuit is the GT-R’s natural environment, and it dominated every one that it went to throughout the late 1960s and early 70s. From the banks of Fuji Speedway to perhaps the most famous track in the US, the GT-R had come home to roost. Continue reading
At this year’s Z Car Club of America’s annual convention, a unique 240Z was unveiled. The Datsun 240Z “Sport Wagon” was borne from the mind of Yoshihiko Matsuo, the original stylist of the Datsun 240Z. Though it was never put into production, this one-off custom has made his vision a reality nearly 50 years since he first put pen to paper. Continue reading
One of the great things about Tokyo is that just about every Japanese automaker has a large office building there. Such buildings usually have a showroom on the ground floor, and you can spend an entire day gallery-hopping, picking up brochures, collecting whatever swag they have lying around, or dropping some serious yen on minicars, posters, and apparel.
Among the easiest to get to was the Subaru Building in Shinjuku, just across the street from the massive west exit of Shinjuku Station, Tokyo’s largest train depot. Sadly, it closed for good last week. Continue reading
We are headed to the Monterey Historics this week. Among the festivities are the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in which million-dollar cars you’ve never heard of compete to see who has the bone-stockiest restoration, the Motorsports Reunion in which priceless pieces of racing history are driven around Laguna Seca, and a myriad of auctions among which a Ferrari owned by Steve McQueen is expected to sell for over $60 million.
In the middle of all that madness are several important milestones involving Japanese nostalgic cars, including the auctioning of a pair of Toyota 2000GTs, a Mazda Cosmo Sport, and for the first time ever at Monterey, a genuine S20-powered hakosuka Skyline GT-R. It appears that Japanese cars are finally getting the recognition they deserve, but you know what that means.
JNC prices are on the rise. Good or bad?
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 the last QotW, “What’s the greatest Z-Car?” Continue reading
Google “SpoCom” and you’ll find more photos of bikinied booth babes than actual cars, but occasionally this “automotive lifestyle” show for the dubstep crowd does turn up some JNC gems. To show you, we dodged legions of rehearsing dance crews, suffered loud electronic distortion masquerading as music, and endured a convention hall packed with candy colored Scions and stanced Audis. Continue reading
It’s that time of year again, August 6 or 8/6, the day on which we celebrate the hachiroku. It’s the drift king, the touge master, the car both Keiichi Tsuchiya and Takumi Fujiwara cut their teeth on, or to paraphrase Mad Max — last of the rear-drive Corollas.
To commemorate this day, take a gander at the original Japanese brochure and its Bubble Era naming excesses. It’s not just a 4A-GE, it’s a Lasre α. And did you know, that as you sling your AE86 around your canyon roads, you’re riding on a Pegasus? No, not the winged horse, Toyota’s Precision Engineered Geometrically Advanced SUSpension!
There’s even a female-oriented SOHC version with floral upholstery called the Corolla Levin Lime. With all the focus on the top-spec twin-cams, are there even any Levin Limes left in the world? Ponder these eternal questions and many more on this day, our day of 86es. Happy 8/6 Day! Continue reading
These may be the worst photos ever taken by someone trying to sell what is claimed to be a historic vehicle. Despite the potato-cam, however, the seller of this 1985 Honda Civic hatchback claims that it was a special car commemorating the 500,000th Civic ever built. As such, it has been driven only 200km (124 miles) in its lifetime. UPDATE below. Continue reading
As we prepare for the 2014 ZCon this week, we can’t help but reflect on how influential the Z-Car has been to the JNC scene. We don’t usually devote a QotW to a single model but the Z has earned it over six generations and 45 years.
What’s the greatest Z-Car?
In 1971 the No.11 Datsun 240Z finished a five-day, 3,977-mile trek across the punishing landscape of East Africa and won the 1971 Safari Rally. That very car is still kept in Nissan’s Zama warehouse, battle scars and all, as a reminder of that fantastic feat. Incidentally, the designers of the 240Z, 300ZX TT and 370Z will all be in San Diego this week. at ZCon.
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 the last QotW, “What’s the coolest JNC stereo deck?” Continue reading
Long after earning driver’s licenses and pinkslips to our rides, some of us still find ourselves mired in plastic model cars. Perhaps it reflects the constraint suffered by many of us on budget, space, or sanity (of ourselves and/or family members), limiting the number and kind of cars we can own. Or maybe there is something innately attractive about miniature replicas of objects of our interest. Fortunately, there have been no shortage of plastic models of JNCs. One line of particular relevance to JNCers is Fujimi’s Touge series of 1/24 scale model kits. Let’s take a look at them, especially the awesome box arts that graces its packaging. Continue reading
Mazda sure knows how to pick ’em. In the US, Mazda PR reps never let us forget that the full name for the famous corkscrew-having NorCal circuit is Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. On August 1 in Japan, they’ll be the official sponsors of the Hakone Turnpike, a road leading to one of the birthplaces of drifting. Continue reading
For your Hump Day viewing pleasure, we present two videos about 1970s Toyota Corollas. One’s stock, one’s anything but, though both are equally entertaining. Continue reading
The problem with cars is that they’re made of metal. That means rust, skinned knuckles, and, most importantly, an inability to be cuddly. A shop called Rocket Craft has solved that last one for us by creating a series of stuffed cars, which are totally adorbs. Continue reading
The rise of Japanese stereo component systems parallels the popularity of Japanese cars. Since it’s already been determined that retro electronica bands love the styling of 80s Japanese cars, what about the devices used to play them?
What’s the coolest JNC stereo deck?
This is the OEM stereo in the JNC Cressida wagon. It’s a massive double-DIN unit, has a 9-frequency equalizer, and the tape deck boasts something called “logic control,” which sounds like a world domination device Dr Mindbender would invent. In night driving, it lights up like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Sure, it sounds like the music’s being played through a pillow compared to modern systems, but it looks so damn cool we can’t bear to part with it.
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 the last QotW, “What’s the best shade of JNC blue?” Continue reading
ZCon 2014 is coming up soon, and this year the organizers have a lot of great thing planned. First and foremost, you should know that this is not a Z-only gathering. While Zs from 240 to 370 are definitely a large part of the festivities, the organizers have plans to include Nissans and Datsuns of all stripes. Continue reading
Electronica, it’s what all the kids are into these days. It’s like the 1980s all over again, especially in car choice, and the AW11 Toyota MR2 is apparently the go-to machine for music videos of 1980s electronica revival bands. Continue reading
Yes, you read that right. 57 miles. 92 kilometers. That’s the odometer reading of this Canadian MA71 Toyota Supra Turbo, likely a dealership showpiece for nearly 25 years. Now it’s being offered by County Hills Toyota-Scion in Calgary after a lifetime of being wrapped in the original plastic. Continue reading
Every summer at the Mitsubishi Motors North America’s headquarters in Cypress, California there’a massive gathering of the triple diamond clan. The company might be in dire financial straits, but they’re still the only Japanese automaker to invite all their fans over for a house party. This is the west coast Mitsubishi Owners Day. Continue reading
We are proud to show you the latest Hot Wheels to wear the JNC inkan, the long-awaited second color of the immensely popular Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon. However, this is also the third color, because this model is being released as a Super Treasure Hunt, a special variation that will sure to be incredibly difficult to find in stores. Continue reading
The artist known Coop has made a career illustrating hot rods, X-rated devil girls and rock ‘n’ roll album covers. His latest creation takes the style of Ed Roth (check out his sweet Honda N600) and gives it a Japanese twist. Nag Fink, a tribute to Roth’s Rat Fink, rocks a blown kenmeri Skyline and a samurai sword. You can preorder it here for $75.
