QotW: Is Toyota making the right move?

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Ben Hsu

1855187_FI_0427_toyota_AC

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 →

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MOTORSPORT: Why Ayrton Senna is a Japanese hero

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

McLaren Honda Ayrton Senna

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 →

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2014 All-Toyotafest, a reminder

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Ben Hsu

1980 Toyota Supra SSR

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!

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PROFILES: 1989 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club Racer

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

RS22_MazdaMiataMX5ClubRacer

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 →

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QotW: What’s the greatest nostalgic Toyota?

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Toyopet Crown

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 →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 10 Comments

NEWS: Toyota USA moving headquarters to Texas

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Toyota 1957 Hollywood dealership

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 →

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T-minus one week: Toyotafest!

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Ben Hsu

2014 Toyotafest flyer
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

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Matt De Mangos

Nishi-Shinjuku

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 →

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JNC THEATER: Solaris

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Solaris Highway Scene Tokyo

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 →

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Nissan Bluebird and Toyota Levin revived in China, in name at least

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Toyota Levin China 03

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 →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Winning Paul Newman documentary seeks Tom Cruise

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Paul Newman Winning

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 →

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QotW: What’s your best fuel-saving JNC story?

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Mazda Mizer

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 →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged , | 17 Comments

EVENTS: Mazda Miata’s 25th birthday steals the NY Auto Show

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Mazda MX5 Miata NYAutoShow01

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 →

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Next Mazda MX-5 chassis reveals first-gen throwback

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

Mazda MX5 Miata ND chassis 01

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 →

Posted in Next Version | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

25 YEAR CLUB: The Mazda MX-5 Miata is officially a Japanese Nostalgic Car

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Ben Hsu

01-6575_Mazda MX5 Miata_Chicago Auto Show 09

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 →

Posted in 25 Year Club, mazda | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

QotW: What’s your greatest Mazda MX-5 story?

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Ben Hsu

156-BH7519_Mazda MX5 Miata NA

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 →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 15 Comments

PRODUCT GUIDE: Koyorad 1971-74 Corolla aluminum radiator

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Ben Hsu

010_KoyoradRadiatorTE27ToyotaCorolla

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 →

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THE VAULT: That time Mr. K met Barbara Eden

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Mr K & Barbara Eden I dream of Jeannie
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.

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VIDEO: 8-second kujira Crown

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Shawn Cassidy Toyota Crown MS75 drag

So you find one of the rarest Toyotas ever to make landfall in the US, and what do you do? Tub it out, drop in a 2JZ bored .40 over with HKS 280 cams, and take it to the strip, of course. Although every fiber of my purist being is screaming in protest, I can’t help but like Shawn Cassidy’s whale in drag. It must be one of the craziest, most heavily modified MS75 Toyota Crowns in existence, but it can register an ET of 8.09 seconds at 171.12 mph. What do you say, yay or nay, to the fastest whale on Earth? Watch it in action below. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Chris Forsberg drifting a Datsun 280Z

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Chris Forsberg Datsun 280Z Drift

And now for your viewing pleasure, Chris Forsberg drifting his 500hp, RB25-swapped Datsun 280Z. Chris may be better known his day job as a Formula D champ and pilot of a near-1,000hp Nissan 370Z powered by the VK56 V8 from a Titan pickup, but for his own personal slider he’s got his own wicked nostalgic. Watch the video, a promo for his sponsor Clarion, in the video below:  Continue reading →

Posted in Drifting | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments