Sorry to do this to you guys, but there is now a third Hot Wheels Mazda RX-7 to be look out for, and it’s a beauty. The latest recolor is an ultra-Japanese pearl white with our JNC inkan in classic red on the B-pillar! But this is no ordinary Hot Wheels car. Continue reading
EVENTS: The Bayline Gathering, Part 02
In Part 01 of our Bayline Gathering coverage we gazed upon the show’s centerpieces, a collection of rare vintage Nissan Skylines that had journeyed across the Pacific to be revered by a new generation of enthusiasts. But with nearly 200 cars present the show offered plenty of rare machines that were sold new right here on American shores. Case in point: a T130 Toyota Corona Wagon. Continue reading
Posted in events, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, wagons
Tagged 2000 sports, 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, 710, a40, auster, bluebird, celica, chrysler, conquest, corolla, corona, cressida, datsun, e70, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, mitsubishi, mx62, nissan, performance options, s30, starion, t130, te37v, te72, toyota, violet, volk, wagon, x60
11 Comments
QotW: What’s the best car commercial from Japan?
Now that the star of one of the most famous Japanese car commercials has been rediscovered, it’s time we asked:
What’s the best car commercial from Japan?
The 1972 Nissan Skyline hit the market just as Japanese citizens getting hooked on the idea of road trips, vacations, and cars larger than a Subaru 360. A web of expressways had sprung up across the country and the open road beckoned. The C110 Skyline’s sun-drenched visions of Ken and Mary enjoying the freedom of grand touring took the nation by storm, and spawned the nickname, kenmeri, that has stayed with the car for 40 years.
What say you, dear reader? NOTE: This is for JDM ads only. There will be a separate QotW about the best comercial from America. As always, the most entertaining, well-written, or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random JDM toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What’s the best model name?” Continue reading
Friday Video: Nostalgic Nissan art by Osamu Samurai
Now that we’ve found Mary perhaps it’s appropriate that we share a video full of tricked out kenmeri artwork. Well not a video per se, but these frames of customized Skyline and Fairlady Z renderings by Osamu Samurai are nevertheless killer. They’re also proof that one car can take on a multitude of varying styles and still look cool. Continue reading
Posted in Art Corner, Friday Video, nissan
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, Art Corner, c10, c110, fairlady z, Friday Video, gc10, gc110, Hakosuka, kenmeri, kpgc10, kpgc110, nissan, Osamu Samurai, s30, skyline
10 Comments
EVENTS: The Bayline Gathering, Part 01
Ever since Motoring J Style faded in 2008 there’s been a void in the NorCal nostalgic scene. The Bay Area is rife with vintage Nihon steel, and it needs a bona fide show to bring the cars out from their garages. Continue reading
Posted in events, nissan, toyota
Tagged 240k, 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, ae86, aw11, b110, bbs, bluebird, c10, c110, corolla, corona mark II, cressida, datsun, diane krey, fairlady z, fj cruiser, gc10, gt-r, Hakosuka, jdm legends, jzz30, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, levin, lexus, lexus sc, mini, MkI, mr2, mx72, nissan, panasport, rs watanabe, s30, skyline, sprinter, ssr, sunny, toyota, trueno, tsurikawa, watanabes, x70
27 Comments
Hungarian in JNC T-shirt makes world’s greatest neo-hachiroku video
Look out, Top Gear. A Hungarian in, at varying times, Initial-D and JNC T-shirts has created what is being hailed as the world’s greatest Toyota GT 86 review. It might even be one of the greatest car review videos, period, neo-hachiroku or no. The production values and cinematography of Nino Karotta‘s Barcelona to Budapest jaunt are simply astounding, and there’s even some comparative track time in his own AE86 coupe. If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to shoot across Europe in a RWD Toyota, this movie was made for you. Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? 1979 TE51 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe
This 1979 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe popped up on eBay over the weekend with a $4,250 asking price and several days left on the auction clock. Then, faster you can say “Kidney, Anyone?” it was gone. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best model name?
The Japanese are known for colorful uses of the English language when it comes to christening their cars. There’s seductive women’s names like Silvia and Gloria, word salads like the Isuzu Wizard Alive and Honda Life Dunk, and perfectly chosen appellations like Skyline and Crown. So it’s about time we asked:
What’s the best model name?
Now keep in mind we’ll be asking about the worst model name next week, but for now think back to 1967. Nothing quite screamed “future” like the world’s first dual-rotor motor and the jet-like body it was ensconced in. What moniker could live up to this space-age rocket? The Mazda Cosmo Sport, that’s what.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining, well-written, or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random JDM toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What’s the most beautiful OEM color?” Continue reading
Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota
Tagged 110s, 240z, 260z, 280z, choro-q, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady z, kp61, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, s30, toyota starlet
36 Comments
Friday Video: Against All Odds, the story of the BRE Datsun 510s
Today’s video is required viewing for any Datsun enthusiast. If you don’t yet know why every vintage Japanese car show in the US is packed with 510s sporting twin stripes down their fenders, this movie will answer all questions. Against All Odds is a period documentary chronicling the struggle of the BRE Datsun 510s in the SCCA Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge against a field of what were then thought to be superior Alfa Romeos, BMWs and Volvos. We all know how the story ended, but this is how it unfolded. Continue reading
Posted in Friday Video, motorsports, nissan
Tagged 510, against all odds, bluebird, bre, datsun, Friday Video, john morton, motorsports, nissan, osca, peter brock, scca, trans-am
12 Comments
New Honda N360/N600-styled retro kei car leaked
Renderings of a small Honda city car have been leaked on to the Intarwebs, one that looks suspiciously like the 1967 N360 and its sibling the US-market N600. Continue reading
The coolest E82 Corolla on Earth is “unreal”
Can wheels/stance make anything look good? After looking at these photos we’d say the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
It appears our friend Sebastian at VirtualModels, creator of the B310 Sunny California Shooting Brake, is at it again. Thankfully he has turned his attention to a very under-appreciated JNC platform to see if he can make it into something any of us would love to drive. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most beautiful OEM color?
The world of nostalgics is filled with bold colors, perfectly paired two-tones and the whitest whites this side of heaven. Go to any gathering of vintage Japanese cars and it’s a feast for your retinas, a refreshing break from the seas of blandness at your local mall parking lots. So we ask:
What’s the most beautiful OEM color?
We’ve theorized before about why the Japanese love white cars so much. Tires must be black, taillights must be red. Add a canvas of white and you’ve got the three traditional colors of Japanese art. But Honda‘s Championship White isn’t just any white. It’s got hints of tan and yellow that make it look stunning on cars both vintage and modern. Plus it was reserved for only the highest spec models and had the provenance of the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix-winning Honda RA272 F1 car.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining, well-written, 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 coolest kei car?” Continue reading
Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki
Tagged alto, f1, honda, jimny, Question of the Week, ra272, sj140, suzuki
30 Comments
EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 04: Vans
All hail the one-box! Our final installment of the 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals is going to be van-tastic! After all, the SCN is a festival of Amesha Kulture, and what’s more American than vannin’? Continue reading
2012 Japanese Classic Car Show registration now open
The year’s most anticipated gathering of nostalgics will soon be upon us. The 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show falls on September 15 this year and will be held at the usual venue by the Queen Mary in sunny Long Beach, California.
Registration opens today, and if you have a vintage Japanese car or motorcycle to share with the growing kyuusha community, sign up now. Spaces are limited so be sure to register early.
To whet your appetite, here are some photos from the 2011 JCCS. Don’t miss it!
Classic CM: “My Baby and Me” Mitsubishi Cordia ad by Randy Crawford
Mitsubishi had big plans for Tredia/Cordia twins when they debuted in 1982. The Triple Diamond Zaibatsu was ready to go mainstream with a front-wheel-drive compact, the wave of the future! Mitsu went as far as commissioning renowned album cover artist Shusei Nagaoka to whip up some sci-fi illustrations. The TV commercials weren’t quite as far out, but Mitsubishi recorded a dedicated theme song called “Me and My Baby (Cor-Di-A)” by jazz singer Randy Crawford. Continue reading
Posted in cm, Friday Video, mitsubishi
Tagged ad, Classic CM, cm, commercial, cordia, Friday Video, mitsubishi, randy crawford
4 Comments
The last rotary has been built by Mazda
Last year Mazda said that come next June it would end production of the RX-8 and, by extension, the rotary engine. Well that day has arrived. Mazda has announced that last Friday, June 22, the final Wankel rolled off the assembly lines in Hiroshima. Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser Museum opens at Miller Motorsports Park
This week the Toyota Land Cruiser received its own dedicated museum in Tooele, Utah. The Land Cruiser Heritage Museum currently holds 40 of the stalwart Japanese SUVs, ranging from the monstrous Mega Cruiser built for the JSDF to a 1959 FJ25, one of the first Toyotas to be imported to the US, period. Continue reading
Posted in museums, toyota
Tagged fj40, fj55, fj60, fj65, land cruiser, land cruiser heritage museum, Miller Motorsports Park, toyota
11 Comments
EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 03: Wagons
There’s a special place in the Japanese heart for wagons. Sure, they’re loved in America now, but over there in Japan they were always cool. At the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, where sports cars and two-doors are the exception, not the rule, wagons are practically a way of life. We certainly could be happy with this Toyota Mark II (or a similar Cressida) as our only car for eternity, as long as it was also finished in metallic avocado. In no universe would Appliance Turbo-Vecs be our first wheel choice, but they somehow fit nicely on this goon. Continue reading
Posted in events, mazda, nissan, subaru, toyota, wagons
Tagged 323, a30, b110, b310, cedric, chaser, cressida, crown, datsun, familia, gloria, kujira, leone, m10, mark II, mazda, mooneyes, ms63, mx72, nissan, pan-am, prairie, prince, s110, s120, s130, s40, s50, s60, skyline, stanza, street car nationals, subaru, sunny, toyota, van, wa30, wagon, x30, x70, y30
6 Comments
QotW: What’s the coolest kei car?
Seeing some excellent examples of kei jidosha on the way back from Nagano last week got our brains churning. These uniquely Japanese micro machines are what put the island nation on the road and have been around for over 50 years. There are way more spiffy examples than our 360cc minds can sort out, so we put the question to you:
What’s the coolest kei car?
On paper, it would seem the Vamos is one of the most amazing cars ever built. A mid-engined Honda convertible with a 9,000rpm redline? Sign us up! Oh wait, it’s got a 30PS SOHC 0.36 liter motor? Well, at least we can go to the beach, have a picnic, and load ladders with ease while fashionably dressed.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining, well-written, or inspiring comment by next Monday will receive a random JDM toy. Click through to see the winner from last week’s question, “What Japanese concept should have been produced?” Continue reading
Posted in kei, Question of the Week
Tagged cherry, datsun, dome, honda, kei, minicars, nissan, QotW, Question of the Week, vamos, Zero
29 Comments
JNC Toyota RWD & Z Heritage shirts available in the shop
JNC‘s 2012 Z Generations and Toyota RWD shirts are now available online. Actually, they have been for a while and eagle-eyed JNCer’s have been getting them, but we neglected to make an official announcement.
Z Generations debuted at the Z-Car West Coast Nationals and is our homage to the legendary and iconic Nissan Fairlady Z. Each of the six silhouettes is accompanied by the corresponding “Z” emblem, which differs for each generation.
RWD Toyota debuted at Toyotafest and is our tribute to the return of the lightweight FR sports coupe. Iconic rear-wheel-drive cars from the Big T’s past include the 2000GT, Sports 800, TE27 and AE86. They are are pictured in rear-quarter view to emphasize the driven wheels, and are all headed towards the wearer’s heart.
Click here to visit the JNC Shop.
Posted in nissan, nostalgic wear, toyota
Tagged 2000gt, 240z, 260z, 280z, 280zx, 300zx, 350z, 370z, ae86, brz, corolla, datsun, fr-s, gt 86, hachiroku, JNC shirts, levin, nissan, s130, s30, scion, sports 800, sprinter, subaru, te27, toyota, Toyota RWD, trueno, Z Generations, z31, z32, z33, z34
2 Comments
