Electric Federal has done some great videos of the Toyota Celica and Honda CB350, but in the latest video they turn their attention to the quintessential sports car that defined a generation: The Datsun 240Z. And the owner is none other than our friend John Williams, who does an superb job of eloquently explaining why the Z is such an icon. Continue reading
Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay. Continue reading
There was a time when a ’57 Chevy Bel Air was just a plain ol’ car that wasn’t even as spectacular as a Buick. Now it’s a emblematic of its era and a bona-fide classic.
Which completely inconspicuous car will be a JNC of the future?
One could make a compelling argument that the CB7 Honda Accord was the pinnacle of the model. It looked good, handled well, and had an interior that far surpassed its competition. It was also everywhere, one of the best selling cars in America. Now, if you take away the beaters with one Pep Boys Altezza light and sagging suspension, how many examples are left? One day people will be nostalgic for these bread and butter specimens from Honda’s heyday, and they’ll be gone.
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 cutest JNC you ever did see?” Continue reading
We saw plenty of nostalgics on our recent trip to Japan, and we’ll have more coverage of those as soon as we go through the photos. In the meantime, please enjoy these omiyage, or souvenirs. You’ll be glad to know that nostalgics are still being driven on the streets every day, so even though we were too slow to snap the Fairlady roadster before it flung around a turn and disappeared, and traffic was blocked our camera from the Mark II wagon we glimpsed, we still found an interesting machine or two around every corner. Continue reading
While in Tokyo for the big Motor Show, we took Skorj’s Honda S800 coupe out for a mini-grand tour around the city. At night, of course. Continue reading
Japan obsession with cuteness even trickles down to their cars. Look, for example, at the Suzuki Twin we spotted the other day in Yokohama, leading us to wonder:
What’s the cutest JNC you ever did see?
The Twin got its name from the fact that it was a two-seater and that, as the first hybrid kei, it had two propulsion methods. Though it looks like it could hail from the early 90s it’s not nostalgic at all, with production starting in 2003. It was so bad that Suzuki killed it after two years and moving a little over 10,000 units. But it sure is cute!
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 one thing a JNCer must do in Japan?” Continue reading
This is now the fourth Toyota 2000GT to sell for around one million dollars. Sotheby’s and RM Auctions recently collaborated together to throw a live auction extravaganza in Manhattan called “The Art of the Automobile”, bringing together 34 historic cars which are predicted to sell for over $50,000,000. Continue reading
On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major rivals had to offer. Continue reading
So we’re “stuck” in Japan this week in the aftermath of the Tokyo Motor Show. Boo hoo, poor us. Tell us where to go and we’ll shoot some pictures.
What’s the one thing a JNCer must do in Japan?
If you’re going to Japan for the first time, may we suggest going at the end of January? The New Year Meeting is a great opportunity to see all kinds of Nihon steel in one place. Plus its location puts you right into the heart of Odaiba, the man-made island in Tokyo Bay that is home to Toyota’s Megaweb and History Garage showrooms, and just a few subway stops from the biggest Super Autobacs in Tokyo. Trust us, it’s worth the trip.
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 wildest Japanese concept car?” Continue reading
We’ve already covered the biggest reveal of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, and it was a doozie. But it wasn’t the only thing to see at the wild and wonderful event that showcases what the automakers we know and love are working on. Let’s take a tour, shall we? Continue reading
At the Tokyo Motor Show today, Nissan revealed the IDx Freeflow Concept, a car inspired by the legendary Datsun 510. It’s a love letter to the hard core Datsun devotee, or even newfound fans born decades after the original ceased production. We’ve known it was coming for a while now, and believe me, it was killing us not to share it with you, our dear readers, but we hope it was worth the wait. Now here’s the deets. Continue reading
If you are not yet familiar with comedian Louis CK, do yourself a favor and look up his stuff on YouTube. Artist Jaeil Cho recently drew a comic version of one of CK’s bits about kids asking “why?” ad infinitum. But when Cho got to the part about CK’s parents conceiving him, this was the car the did the deed in. A T100 Toyota Corona, fender mirrors and all. You can see the rest of the comic below and play the original bit on YouTube as you’re reading along. Continue reading
We are headed to the Tokyo Motor Show tomorrow to cover Nissan’s new retro concept. The salon is known for bringing us design studies and techno-wizardry that could only have stemmed from a nation as obsessed with the future as Japan. So it seems like a good time to ask:
What’s the wildest Japanese concept car?
We’ll leave the real crazy to the comments, but we’ve always loved the bonkers 1970 Nissan 126X. Believe it or not, this wedge was a four seater GT, powered by a mid-engined 3.0 straight-six. There was absolutely no rearward visibility, so it had a rear-facing camera instead. Little did they know that 40 years later most cars would come with backup cameras, not because they’re so low slung, but because everyone’s driving SUVs.
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 modern car would be acceptable at a JNC meet?” Continue reading
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Philippines. Earlier this month, Typhoon Haiyan ravaged through the Leyte and Samar islands, causing catastrophic damage and the loss of 3,700 lives. Ninety percent of Tacloban City was destroyed by gusts reaching up 195 mph, leaving many with no food or water. Evacuation and relief efforts were greatly slowed by closed roads and lack of electricity. The calamity is the second-deadliest typhoon to hit the Philippines. Continue reading
In less than a week, Nissan is going to reveal something very special to JNC readers at the Tokyo Motor Show. We can’t tell you what it is, as we have no desire to steal Nissan’s thunder or betray our sources. All we can say is what has already been leaked or speculated by other news outlets, or told to us at official press events. Continue reading
Mecca for Mazdafarians. That was the scene at SevenStock 16 last weekend, held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. This year’s gathering for fans of rotary engine was one of the biggest in recent memory, and although everything from Cosmo Sport to RX-8 was represented, it was the largest turnout for old school Mazdas we’ve ever seen. Continue reading
The SEMA show is a purist’s worst nightmare. Stock is a dirty word to these people. You won’t find a single unmolested car in the whole Death Star-sized convention hall, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Those brave enough to venture inside will encounter the craziest automotive freak show on Earth.
We cover SEMA every year not because it’s bursting at the seams with nostalgics, but because it’s a barometer of where trendsetters of the automotive industry are headed. So even if nostalgics themselves were largely absent, at least there was this Nissan GT-R decked out in BRE livery at the Optima Batteries booth. It did a great job translating the graphics to a much larger and differently proportioned body. It was more faithful than many actual 510s doing the BRE thing. Continue reading
Here’s JDM Legends taking the Prince Skyline GT-B we profiled earlier this year into the snowy touge of Utah. That straight six burble is music to our ears. Watch the video below. Continue reading
We at JNC are proud to share the latest Hot Wheels release to bear our inkan logo. A couple weeks ago the third official color of the popular Hot Wheels 1970 Toyota Celica arrived at the JNC office, but as usual we took a blood oath of secrecy not to reveal it ahead of Mattel’s release schedule. Then the Lamley Group obtained leaked images, so here are our official pics. Continue reading
A couple months ago we had a beer with Nissan’s Shiro Nakamura. He’s a man with a long title, namely, Senior Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, Design and Branding. In other words, he’s the Don Draper of Nissan.
Nakamura-san oversees the visual language that distinguishes Nissans and Infinitis in a crowded marketplace. He defines the concrete answers to nebulous questions such as, “What feeling should one get when thinking of Infiniti?” Horsepower and crash tests are science. Nakamura deals with art. We sat down with him at the Pelican Hill Resort’s poolside bar during Nissan 360, and over a some bottles of Stellas we discussed Japanese auto design, his favorite nostalgic cars, and what’s coming down the road for Nissan. Continue reading
