The final chapter of the long running manga Initial D was released yesterday in Japan. After 18 years of publication the hugely influential story that introduced touge battles and the glory of RWD Japanese cars to a whole generation of enthusiasts has come to a close. Here’s how it ends (Warning: Spoilers ahead). Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC should be revived for modern times?
The revival of the Datsun brand didn’t go in the direction many Bluebird and Sunny enthusiasts wanted. We know an exact nuts-and-bolts resurrection of a 510 or B110 would not be practical, but cars with the spirit of those JNCs certainly could.
Which JNC should be revived for modern times?
How ’bout a modern day Mark II to battle Audi? A reborn Celica would, ironically, compete with the downsized, world market-friendly 2014 Mustang. Sure there are the obvious cars — RX-7, Silvia, etc. — but imagine a revived TC Cup consisting of lightweight, RWD equivalents of a revived Sunny, Savanna RX-3, and the Toyota GT86.
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 open top JNC?” Continue reading
NEWS: Final chapter of Initial D to be published Monday
Eighteen years after a tofu delivery Toyota AE86 drifted onto the scene, author Shuichi Shigeno has announced that the hugely popular Initial D manga will come to an end on July 29, 2013.
Since 1995, the tale of a teenager with a gift for slinging his dad’s old hachiroku on the touge has sold over 48 million copies and made a hero car out of Toyota’s last RWD Corolla. Continue reading
Posted in toyota, Video Games
Tagged ae86, corolla, Initial D, levin, Shuichi Shigeno, sprinter, toyota, trueno
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EVENTS: Mooneyes Open House, Mitsubishi Owners’ Day, SpoCom 2013 — Attend All the Shows!
Life is soooo hard in SoCal. Gorgeous women dress too scantily, it’s hard to decide between beautiful roads in the mountains and beautiful roads by the coast, and it barely ever rains. And then we have the horrible inconvenience of too many car shows.
That was our dilemma one warm Saturday when we found ourselves confronted with the Mooneyes Open House, Mitsubishi Owners’ Day, and SpoCom. Right. Fire up the Cressy. Continue reading
MINICARS: Kyosho X DMC Limited Edition “Panda” Toyota 86
A while back our friends at DaBox Model Cars decided to make a limited edition car based on Japan’s car of the moment, the Toyota 86. They were looking for a tribute to the original AE86 on which it was based, so we at JNC lent a hand to the design process. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Deep Yayoi “Sakura” Barrels
The Yayoi “sakura” wheel has long been considered the holy grail of vintage Japanese barrels. Now, a never-used ultra-deep set can be yours for the low, low price of — pinky to mouth — one million yen ($10,000 USD). Continue reading
VIDEO: The ultimate Mazda fan’s marriage proposal
What’s the most romantic spot for a marriage proposal? This video, which has been making the car blog rounds, proves there was no place better than the cockpit of a Lola Mazda ALMS race car.
Ian Browning and Sarah Bunting are two die-hard Mazdafarians who own a pair of FC RX-7s. At this year’s ALMS race at Mosport Park Ian popped the question while Sarah was in the driver’s seat of the #16 Dyson Racing race car. Spoiler alert: she says yes. It must have something to do with the cool JNC Daytona shirt he’s wearing. Watch the video below. Continue reading
VIDEO: “I am bad till I die. Is there anything wrong with that?”
We in the west might think of bosozoku culture as part of “true” Japanese car culture where its extreme style and foreignness is unlikely to ever fully make the cross over to the west. The truth is, most true Japanese people hate the bosozoku. They are known for holding up traffic with their antics and if anyone tries to get by, well, that’s what the twirling baseball bats are for.
In this video called, “Underground Hero: Love to Hate Me,” Maiham Media explores the life of a gangster as they bousou around Tokyo. As scary looking as these professional troublemakers are, they are not above letting a cool car sweep them off their feet. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest open top JNC?
It’s summertime, and what better way to enjoy the sun than to take a drive with the top down? Japanese cars come in all shapes and sizes, but one body style Nihon tends to lay off of is the convertible. Therefore, we must ask:
What’s the greatest open top JNC?
It’s a tough decision, but given the historical significance of the Honda S-series, we’d probably have to go with Old Man Soichiro’s passion project. Not only did it signal the company’s foray into passenger cars, thus launching the Honda automotive empire, but it was loaded with technology found only on Formula 1-level cars at the time. The 10,000 rpm wonder can still be seen racing vigorously in classic events in Japan today, and is one of the most iconic nostalgic cars from the land of the rising sun.
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 most Japanese non-Japanese car?” Continue reading
NEWS: Happy 60th birthday to Fuji Heavy Industries
Rejoice, Subarites, for it is the 60th birthday of your beloved parent company. Fuji Heavy Industries was founded on July 15, 1953, formed when five former companies of the disbanded Nakajima Aircraft Company. The new logo showed five smaller stars behind a larger one, a symbol that graces the nose of every Subaru car. Continue reading
Posted in News, subaru
Tagged ff-1, fuji heavy industries, leone, subaru, subaru 1000, subaru 360, subaru p-1
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VIDEO: Teruhisa Inoue’s B110 Sunny
Teruhisa Inoue owns the world’s most famous B110 Sunny. Here is a video of it. Continue reading
The return of Intelligent Sport” and a introducing a new member of the JNC family
By the time Nobuaki Katayama began work on the original Lexus IS, he was already a rock star within Toyota. He’d chief engineered all-time greats like the Lexus SC and JZA80 Supra and, in his younger days, worked on the legendary AE86. He’d put in five years in the trenches of Toyota’s European motorsports program and in his spare time, according to company lore, was often seen behind the wheel, tail out, on rally stages.
As the so-called enthusiast’s Lexus, the IS 300 had a lot of weight to shoulder. The world was waiting for the still-young brand to prove it wasn’t just a wannabe. You see, Lexus wasn’t just the flagship marque for Toyota. It was, and still is, the flagship marque for all of Japan. With the third-gen IS dropping worldwide, it’s time to look back on Katayama’s legacy, and see whether the latest incarnation is a worthy successor. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 13,000-mile Honda CRX
It’s impossible to find an unmolested Honda CRX, you say? Make that almost impossible, because a unicorn just showed up in El Cajon, California. It has zero things in common with the Toyota Century Ben just posted, except for its astounding odometer reading. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 20,000-mile 1981 Toyota Century
If a Crown is just too common and a 2000GT too small for your old school flossin’ needs, here’s your chance to destroy all comers with a 1981 Toyota Century. The ultimate Japanese VIP sled is now for sale on Las Vegas craigslist $15,000, tagged, titled and ready to roll on US roads. Continue reading
NEWS: The 2014 Datsun GO is here
Nissan is now a three-marque company. The revived Datsun brand was launched in Gurgoan, India today to much fanfare at a theater called the Kingdom of Dreams. The new car, christened the Datsun GO, took its name from the DAT GO, Nissan’s — or the company that became Nissan, rather — first car built 99 years ago. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most Japanese non-Japanese car?
Japan is a land of unbelievably cool motoring culture, a place you can see cars you’d never in a million years see elsewhere. Sure, you have your standard hakosuka Skylines and funky kei jidosha, but there are other cars the Japanese just seem to gravitate towards, so much so that you don’t really see them anywhere else.
What’s the most Japanese non-Japanese car?
We’ve always like the platypus stylings of the Lotus Europa. But it wasn’t until our first New Year Meeting in Tokyo that we got rocked by more Europas in one spot than we’d ever seen in life, ever. Not only were they plentiful, but the Japanese had decked them out in uniquely Japanese tuning styles — slammed, big wings, and with deep barrels like SSRs or Hayashis. So awesome.
There are other cars Japanese are mysteriously drawn to. The Ford Mustang II even had a Tomica version, but you won’t find a ’65 fastback or ’70 Boss 302 in their lineup. The 1970-74 Plymouth Barracuda, third-generation Dodge Ram Van and Chevy Astro also qualify.
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 front-wheel-drive JNC?” Continue reading
NEWS: Prepare yourself for the new Datsun
In a few hours the world will have a new Datsun. Leading up to the unveiling in India, Nissan has been teasing older Datsuns from the Heritage Collection in Zama. Continue reading
MINICARS: The 1/18 cars of your dreams are now for sale
A few months ago this slammed Toyota 2000GT spread like a gasoline fire across Teh Interwebz. Many thought it was real. Of course, 2000GTs are so rare that anyone who’d really shakotan one would simultaneously be considered a god among men and Satan himself. Continue reading
VIDEO: Honda celebrates 50 years of auto manufacture with “50th Museum” advert
Hot on the heels of “Hands” comes another Honda commercial, this time celebrating 50 years of automobiles. Starting with the T360 truck, the ad takes us on a virtual journey through an imaginary museum of Honda’s automotive greats, including the N360, Civic, City, Integra, StepWgn, Fit, CR-Z and finally the N-One kei car. Continue reading
VIDEO: Brian Karasawa’s 1977 Toyota Celica Fastback by Electric Federal
In a new video called “Japan’s Forgotten Fastback,” Electric Federal gets up close and personal with our friend Brian Karasawa‘s and his gorgeous 1977 Toyota Celica Liftback. Of course, JNCers and anyone who’s been to Toyotafest or JCCS knows that the RA29, and Brian’s gorgeous one in particular, is anything but easily forgotten. With a port-and-polished 20R/22R hybrid putting out 185 horses, it’s sound is even more unforgettable. Watch the video below. Continue reading
