FRIDAY VIDEO: Kei Miura, TRA Kyoto, and the Rocket Bunny FR-S

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Ben Hsu

At this point cave dwellers and castaways may be the only people on Earth who haven’t had their senses assaulted by Rocket Bunny‘s insanely wide-bodied Scion FR-Ss. However, it’s Kei Miura, Osaka Kanjo racer, ex-bosozoku and shacho at TRA Kyoto that’s the man behind the machine.

Yes, the uber-aggro neo-hachiroku is cool and we dig it, but what really makes us want to share this video that our friends at Crank & Piston and Maiham Media made is that the internet’s man of the hour also owns a flared 510 Bluebird, and it’s a hint at what motivates his mad mind.  Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2012 Skyline Nationals, Part 01 – Australia’s Love Affair with Godzilla

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Kevin San

The fourth event of its kind and the largest Nissan Skyline gathering in Australia, the 2012 Skyline Nationals in Goulburn brought together enthusiasts of all kinds of Skylines imaginable, from an immaculate original Prince S54 GT-B to the Australian-built R31 Silhouette and the high-powered R34 GT-R. Continue reading →

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MINICARS: Tomica Limited Vintage Toyota Crown

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Ricky Silverio

You could be forgiven if you thought the Toyota Crown above was a real car. In fact, it’s a highly detailed 1:64 scale diecast model measuring only about three inches long in total. In a new series on JNC, we’ll be delving into the vast world of Japanese automotive collectibles with the help of our friend Felix at DaBox Toys.

Any aficionado of Nihon steel is surely familiar with Tomica. Japan’s most popular diecast car brand has been around since 1970, largely unchanged but for the addition of models reflecting what life-size cars became popular as the decades passed. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 25,000-mile 1974 Mazda RX-4

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Here’s another garage gem for east coasters JNCers. A seller near Philadelphia is unloading a 25,000-mile 1974 Mazda RX-4, and it’s a beaut. We’ve long contended that the pre-facelift big Luce coupe was one of the sexiest cars from its era. Add what appears to be a gorgeous period Iris Blue paint job with white interior and you’ve got a real stunner. Although we could do without the white vinyl top, door ding guards and US-spec bumper extenders, this car is rare enough that beggars can’t be choosers.  Continue reading →

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QotW: What should Suzuki USA have done differently?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Alas, Suzuki, we hardly knew ye. This statement rings especially true in the wake of the Suzuki’s departure from US shores last week, because as JNC reader Tyler pointed out, many of their best cars were not sold here under the Suzuki name. That’s why this week we ask:

What should Suzuki USA have done differently?

We opine that Suzuki should have imported their Alto Works RS-X to America. What’s not to love about a turbocharged, twin-cam, all-wheel-drive pocket rocket with an astounding output of 118 horsepower per liter? To be fair, that’s the specific output if you actually had a full liter, and the kei car actually had only .543 liters. Still, that’s 64 angry ponies in a package weighing 1345 pounds. Would it have changed Suzuki’s fortunes? Probably not one iota, but  damn it would’ve been fun.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What music do you listen to when driving your nostalgic?”  Continue reading →

Posted in kei, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged , , , , , , | 30 Comments

FRIDAY VIDEO: Initial D Fifth Stage, Episode 01 – Encounter of Destiny

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Admit it, you’ve been waiting for this, ever since Fifth Stage rumors surfaced months ago. There’s no shame in being a fan of Initial D. After all, it features some of our favorite cars drifting through the mountains of Japan, and it can’t be any worse than the live action Wangan Midnight movie.

The first episode has already been posted to YouTube and subtitled (be sure to click on the closed captioning button). Just sit back and enjoy your guilty pleasures. UPDATE: Episode 02 now out too (see below, thanks to Marcelo for the tip)! Continue reading →

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GRAND TOURING: Sailing through the desert in an Infiniti QX56

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Lawrence of Arabia. The Road Warrior. Return of the Jedi. These journeys into the desert and the hazards that befall their heros were fully seared into our minds as we traveled from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona for the 25th Z Car Convention.

Those of you who attended JCCS this year will probably never forget how skin-meltingly hot it was by the coast in Long Beach. We were headed 400 miles into a barren wasteland in the midst of this record heat wave, and as much as we love the JNC wagon, we love A/C and not turning into a powdery skeleton even more. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 17,000-mile 1972 Datsun 1200 Coupe

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Matt De Mangos

Right now on Ebay there’s a 1972 Datsun 1200 Coupe for sale, with a claimed mileage of only 17,181. Nissan USA marketed it as a fuel saver back in the day, with ads trumpeting its ability to drive from New York to Los Angeles for under $30 in fuel (in 1972 dollars, of course).  Continue reading →

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American Suzuki Motor Corp, 1985-2012

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

After 27 years American Suzuki Motor Corp. has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Though it will no longer be selling cars in the US, the motorcycle and ATV side of things will continue on.  Continue reading →

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QotW: What music do you listen to when driving your nostalgic?

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

We all know the correct answer is “the engine,” but sometimes you need to rock out to some tunes to fully capture that nostalgic feel.

What music do you listen to when driving your nostalgic?

With songs their bosozoku-inspired costumes and songs like “Boso Skyline Phantom,” “330,” and “Wangan Nocturne,” Kishidan (Japanese for The Knights) is our current playlist favorite. Their songs are steeped in nostalgia for rebellious youth, being outcasts and, of course, vehicular mayhem. The long performance above is from 2006 of a song called “The White Lightning of Route 127.”

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What car would you drive across Japan?”  Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Reminder: Less than a month to go for Classic Japan 2012

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Ben Hsu


Just a friendly reminder that there’s less than a month to go before the Classic Japan show of 2012 kicks off!

The Melbourne, Australia event will showcase over 200 classic Japanese cars and over 50 motorcycles on the lawn at Como Park in South Yarra, Victoria.

The event is put on by the Toyota Car Club of Australia, but welcomes any Japanese marques built before 1987.

JNC has shipped a package of decals to organizer Adam Laws for any of our Aussie compadres who bring a car to the show on November 25. For more details, go to the TCCAV website, and check out photos from 2011’s Classic Japan show.

 

Posted in events | Tagged | 5 Comments

Honda Celebrates 30 Years of US-built Accords

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Here’s your daily dose of history. November 1, 1982 was the day when the first US-built Honda rolled off the assembly line in Marysville, Ohio. The first car to emerge from the newly constructed plant three decades ago was a gray Accord sedan, which now resides at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. wearing the license plate “USA 001.”  Continue reading →

Posted in honda, kei | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Mazda RX-7 reportedly returning in 2017

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Ben Hsu

2017 will be an important year for Mazda‘s rotary engine, as it will mark 50 years since the revolutionary motor’s debut in the 1967 Cosmo Sport. However, our mates at Australia’s aptly named The Motor Report are, well, reporting that 2017 is also the year the famed Mazda RX-7 makes its return.  Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2012 SEMA Show

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Ben Hsu

It should surprise no one that this year’s SEMA show revolved around a single car, the Scion FR-S. The neo-hachiroku has injected new life into the “sport compact” aftermarket, and this week you couldn’t swing a dead cat inside Las Vegas Convention Center without hitting one.  Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2012 ZCon

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Ben Hsu

In the automotive kingdom there exists only a handful of models that can inspire a car show at the national level. We’re not talking about marques here; we mean a single model so iconic and beloved that its devotees have formed a national governing body, with regional chapters across the US, and a yearly convention.  Continue reading →

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QotW: What car would you drive across Japan?

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Ben Hsu

From Hokkaido to Kagoshima, Japan has some of the coolest highways and mountain passes known to man. We live vicariously through Skorj’s Grand Touring stories, in which he travels across Japan looking for nostalgic cars “in the wild.” Though he owns a Honda S800 it is unfortunately not the most practical steed. So on his excursions he takes a late-model Honda CR-V instead, which begs the question:

What car would you drive across Japan?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “Which nostalgic car makes the perfect daily driver?”   Continue reading →

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Friday Video: Jay Leno drives Toyota’s 1936 Toyoda AA

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Ben Hsu

What’s it like to drive the first Toyota ever built? Jay Leno answers that question. Leno’s been on a whirlwind tour of Japan. First he stopped by the Nissan design center to drop hints about the 2014 Fairlady Z and take a spin in a 240ZG. Then he swung by Fuji Speedway to take a lap in the Lexus LFA. Next stop, Aichi Prefecture to drive Toyota’s first car, the 1936 Toyoda AA. Continue reading →

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MINICARS: How to make custom decals for your Hot Wheels hakosuka Skyline

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Ricky Silverio

Many readers have asked JNC contributor Mark “ScaleMaster” Jones exactly how he adds his amazing detail to the custom Hot Wheels he’s shown you how to build. In Today’s article he’ll explain exactly how to do just that by turning the Hot Wheels hakosuka into Kunimitsu Takahashi’s 1971 works racer. —Ricky

This is another “how to” article using a Hot Wheels C10 Skyline to create a tribute to Nissan’s 1971 Japan Grand Prix winning Skyline GT-R. It will contain mostly information about the decals and how to make your own using commonly available tools, materials and computer hardware/software. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09: Editors’ Choice

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Ben Hsu

It should be no surprise by now that the Japanese Classic Car Show continues to grow each year, but we still weren’t quite prepared for just how much bigger and better it was for 2012. Let’s recap some of the highlights and favorites from this year’s event.  Continue reading →

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QotW: Which nostalgic car makes the perfect daily driver?

Posted on October 22, 2012 by John Roper

Some of us are blessed with enough parking to house multiple cars. Others must choose only one to fulfill all their practical, reliable and/or economical reqs while maintaining a veneer of old school Japan cool. Therefore we must ask:

Which nostalgic car makes the perfect daily driver?

As it happens, we have to haul a lot of gear around to car shows. We’d love to rock a comfy new crossover, but we gots to keep it real on the nostalgic tip, yo. We’ve taken our 1986 Cressida wagon all over SoCal, to Vegas for SEMA, and up and down the western seaboard. Here it is at California Speedway a couple weeks ago for 86Fest wearing faded AE86 steelies. The JNC wagon swallows more cargo than many modern SUVs, draws plenty of power from a nearly indestructible Toyota straight six, and most importantly, has passed that 25-year-or-older threshold. Who could ask for anything more?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What’s the greatest Japanese racing livery?”  Continue reading →

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