Honda has greenlit the S660 roadster, shown at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, for production. The mid-engined kei sports car will begin rolling off the assembly lines in 2015. Continue reading
19th Annual All-Toyotafest, a preview
JNC on the way to the 19th annual All-Toyotafest, stopping for an early morning breakfast of champions. Supra-size me! Continue reading
QotW: Is Toyota making the right move?
Last week it was confirmed that Toyota USA would be moving from its home of 57 years in southern California to new digs in Plano, Texas.
Is Toyota making the right move?
On the one hand, there are dollars to be saved and Toyota will be closer to its manufacturing plants in San Antonio, Mississippi and Kentucky. On the other, it will be leaving the car culture mecca of the US and the only place thus far that has a thriving scene devoted to classic Japanese cars. There are hundreds of other factors at play, and the fate of the Toyota USA Museum is still unknown at this time.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the greatest nostalgic Toyota?” Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Why Ayrton Senna is a Japanese hero
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Ayrton Senna‘s death at Imola. Not only was he one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, he was the first gaijin driver to be truly embraced by the Japanese. Here’s why. Continue reading
2014 All-Toyotafest, a reminder
There are only three days till the 19th annual All-Toyotafest. As usual, JNC will be there with a booth, and we’ll be making the drive in this black 1980 Toyota Supra. Stop by and say hi.
As it happens, the day of the show, May 3, is also Toyota Motor Company president Akio Toyoda‘s birthday. So come down to Queen Mary Park at 9am and get your Toyota on. See you there!
PROFILES: 1989 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Racer
It’s highly unorthodox, at the debut of a new model, to also display a hot rod version painted in a yellow so loud it threatens to eclipse the supposed star of your show. This is especially true when the debut in question is for as important and high-profile a model as the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It’s like throwing a bikini-clad Kate Upton into the middle of a Mother of the Year ceremony.
But in fact, that is exactly what Mazda did 25 years ago with the 1989 Club Racer, an ur-Miata to give showgoers a peek at what trick mods were possible for their new sportster. However, the Club Racer is more than just a pretty face; it’s one of the only surviving pre-production NA Miatas, and a close look reveals a host of design details that never made it into production. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest nostalgic Toyota?
This coming Saturday marks two very special events for Toyotaku. Not only is it the 19th annual All-Toyotafest, but it’s also the birthday of ToMoCo President Akio Toyoda! Therefore, we take this opportunity to ask a question:
What’s the greatest nostalgic Toyota?
Just look Toyota’s portfolio and you can see what a monumentally difficult task this might be. 2000GT, Century, AE86, Supra, Celica, MR2, Crown. But then, an eleventh hour report made us consider that perhaps the answer is Toyota USA itself. You see, a report just came out today that Toyota USA might move its entire headquarters to Texas. We’ll have more on this story as it develops, but right now our friends that work at Toyota are still reeling from the unconfirmed but likely true news. UPDATE: Now confirmed.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s your best fuel-saving JNC story?” Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota USA moving headquarters to Texas
Toyota USA might be moving its US headquarters to Texas, unconfirmed reports say. UPDATE: It was confirmed this morning by Toyota in an official press release. The move would put Toyota USA’s executives closer to its manufacturing hubs in San Antonio, Kentucky, and Mississippi. The word is that Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, has been chosen.
The news broke Sunday evening on Bloomberg, leaked by sources within Toyota who did not want to be named. They say high-level employees were informed Friday and were expected to inform their subordinates this week. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
31 Comments
T-minus one week: Toyotafest!
Just a reminder that at this time next week, you should be at Queen Mary Park for the biggest Toyotafest yet.
This year registration filled up in a matter of days, something that’s never happened before, so you know it’s going to be big!
Join us for the largest gathering of Toyotas, Lexuses and Scions in the country and stop by the JNC booth to say hi next Saturday, May 3, at 9am. See you there!
Click the flyer or this link for more details.
Posted in Uncategorized
8 Comments
Old Tokyo photos oozing with Japanese nostalgic cars
We recently stumbled upon a thread of old Tokyo photos on the architecture site SkyscraperCity. Though the focus was the buildings, we came for the cars. Just look at these pictures and dream of being amongst these machines when they were still new. Continue reading
JNC THEATER: Solaris
The 1972 Russian film Solaris is considered one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. It tells the tale of a psychologist sent to investigate the deteriorating mental state of a space station crew orbiting the distant planet of Solaris. Like many sci-fi movies of the era, there are long stretches of footage where nothing seems to happen at all. Luckily for us, one of those extended scenes takes place on a highway in Tokyo and was filmed during the heyday of Japanese nostalgic cars. Continue reading
Nissan Bluebird and Toyota Levin revived in China, in name at least
Soon, you will be able to buy a 2015 Nissan Bluebird or Toyota Levin. Only, they won’t be available in Japan, and definitely not in the US. Instead, Japanese automakers are reviving these classic nameplates for the Chinese market. Continue reading
Winning Paul Newman documentary seeks Tom Cruise
Adam Carolla and his crew are hard at work putting together the Winning, the documentary about Paul Newman‘s racing life. We recently met Carolla and producer Nate Adams, and we can confirm that the level dedication and work they’ve committed to the project is second to none. We saw some footage, which has been released in the video below, and naturally there’s a lot of Datsun racing footage and interviews with other car enthusiast celebs. Other Nissan USA royalty like Peter Brock and John Morton have also been interviewed, but there’s one man Carolla wants to reach out to, and that’s Tom Cruise. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your best fuel-saving JNC story?
Tomorrow is Earth Day, and if we can get real for a moment let’s admit that one of the main reasons Americans bought Japanese cars by the boatload is because we’re cheaper than Scrooge McDuck when it comes to fuel. Japan and Europe pays more than $7 a gallon at the pump and we practically pick up the pitchforks to revolt when dead dino juice rises above the $4 mark. Luckily, many JNCs got Prius-like fuel economy 25 years ago.
What’s your best fuel-saving JNC story?
Back when we were just starting JNC, we had to buy a car with hauling capacity for long-distance driving. It looked like choices were going to by a new-ish SUV or van of some sort, but then lady luck called. In 2005 I had left a note on a 1986 Toyota Cressida in a Seattle parking lot, asking the owner to contact me if they ever wanted to sell it. Apparently, she’d kept my note for two years and finally decided to part with it. $1000 and a one-way ticket later we had our JNC wagon, averaging 26 mpg down to LA despite some, uh, spirited driving in the mountains of northern California. It’s not CRX HF territory, but it was better than any vehicle with similar cargo capacity in Toyota’s lineup at the time.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s your greatest Mazda MX-5 story?” Continue reading
EVENTS: Mazda Miata’s 25th birthday steals the NY Auto Show
Welcome back to Miata week here at JNC. We’ve covered the origin story of the world’s favorite sports car, and now we’re at the New York Auto Show, where Mazda’s party for the Miata’s 25th birthday is in full swing. Other automakers take note: This is how you celebrate your history — with 13 historic examples of your heritage at the centerpiece of your booth. Mazda’s display pretty much stole the show, outdoing even Ford’s marking of the Mustang’s New York debut 50 years ago. Continue reading
Next Mazda MX-5 chassis reveals first-gen throwback
Amidst the festivities of the Miata’s 25th birthday bash, Mazda quietly unveiled the chassis for the next-generation MX-5 off in the corner while barely saying a word about it. To true Mazdafarians, however, they don’t need to. All the answers are written in steel and aluminum and it’s clear that the next-generation MX-5 will be a return to form for the beloved roadster, a throwback to the first-generation. Continue reading
25 YEAR CLUB: The Mazda MX-5 Miata is officially a Japanese Nostalgic Car
Break out the champagne, because the Mazda MX-5 Miata is 25 years old. Later this week at the New York Auto Show, Mazda will throw a birthday party for what is not only one of the most significant Japanese cars ever built, but one of the most important cars of all time.
It almost didn’t happen. During the 10 years from conception to production, a myriad of butterfly effect-like forces could have easily sank the Miata project or altered it beyond all recognition. And yet, here we are today, welcoming what just might be the perfect sports car past the 25-year threshold into classic-dom.
Like most legends, myths about its creation are plentiful. So in honor of this momentous occasion we at JNC are going to do what we do best: dig deep and bring you the origin stories. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your greatest Mazda MX-5 story?
This week at the New York International Auto Show, Mazda will officially celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata, thus inducting it into the “25 Year Old” club of Japanese nostalgic cars. The great thing about the MX-5 is that it makes the joy of driving attainable by nearly everyone. Like the Datsun 510 of old, everyone either owned one or knew someone who did. So tell us:
What’s your greatest Mazda MX-5 story?
We have two NA Miatas in the JNC family. Justin’s is a daily driven example that’s been to MazFest, JCCS and other events all over California while Ricky’s is an original owner car yet still cleaner than most new cars after over two decades of ownership. Both are red, both are brilliantly fun to drive, and both have always known these cars would achieve nostalgic status one day.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s your best high mileage JNC story?” Continue reading
PRODUCT GUIDE: Koyorad 1971-74 Corolla aluminum radiator
Last summer we informed you that the guys at Koyorad were working on yet another aluminum radiator for classic Japanese cars. This time, the beneficiary was the classic bantamweight street fighter known simply as the TE27. Well the development process has completed and they have just announced that the radiator is available for purchase. But wait, there’s more. It doesn’t just fit mangos, but peanuts and goons as well — the new cooler will fit all second-gen Corollas, including TE21 2- and 4-door sedans and TE28 wagons, from 1971-74. Continue reading
THE VAULT: That time Mr. K met Barbara Eden
Yutaka “Mr K” Katayama was a celebrity in his own right, but mostly in the automotive world of die-hard Nissan nut jobs. Barbara Eden, on the other hand (for those under the age of 25), was the Zooey Deschanel of her day, the ur-manic pixie dream girl whose character in I Dream of Jeannie was literally magical.
One of the things that helped Mr K, the outspoken president of Nissan USA during its formative years, put Datsun on the path to success was his embrace of everything American. To understand how to sell Japanese cars in America, he cast his observations of Japanese tradition to the wind and threw himself wholeheartedly into American culture. And if that meant taking Barbara Eden’s hand at a Datsun promo event, well then so be it.
This never-before published photo was shared with us by an ex-Nissan PR rep, who found the Polaroid in a desk drawer before Ghosn moved the automaker’s US headquarters to Tennessee. Had he not scanned it, it would have almost certainly been lost to history.
