Japanese Nostalgic Car

Japanese automakers are in a bit of a slump. Sure, there’s the fleet-footed Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins, the fire-breathing Nissan GT-R, and the rough-and-tough FJ Cruiser. But is there a car you can buy new today that offers the equivalent of what Japanese cars of sixties, seventies and eighties did? In other words:

What new car on the market is the most JNC?

You can define JNC-ness in any way you want — great design, practicality, user-friendliness, affordable sportiness. Our pick is the Mazda 6/Atenza, which combines sharp styling with excellent driving dynamics and puts it in an utterly utilitarian family sedan/wagon package. A package, by the way, that blows away everything else in its class, including the established giants (in this case, the Accord and Camry) and yet is completely overlooked.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “When is it okay to buy an automatic transmission?”  Continue reading →

When considering what new cars will be future classics, JNC‘s Law of Transmission Selection for Future Collectability states: if it’s sold with a stick, you must buy it in stick. Yes, fancy new gearboxes can shift faster than a human being, many supercars aren’t even offered in MT, and the law is often in direct conflict with our Law of Engine Selection for Future Collectability: you must buy it with the most powerful engine option offered.

But in the old days, every car was offered with a manual, from the lowliest Subaru 360 to the grandest Toyota Crown. Plus, those old slushboxes were power-leeching whirlpools that needed at least one — more likely two — extra speeds to make you feel comfortable about highway driving.

When is it okay to buy an automatic transmission?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the greatest JNC barn find story?”  Continue reading →