Reason number 4,197 why Japan is awesome. No matter how miniscule the meet, wicked metal still shows up. Here’s a small gathering called Showa Version 2 that took place at the base of Mt. Fuji last November. Continue reading
Narusawa Village Showa Version 2 Gallery
Posted in mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, trucks, wagons
Tagged 240rs, 720, a114a, aa175, aa63, ae86, b110, b122, b210, b211, b310, bs110, c230, camry, celica, corolla, corona, cressida, cresta, crown, datsun, galant, gazelle, gc110, gf31, gx71, hayashi, kb110, ke75v, kenmeri, kgc110, khc231, khgc10, kp61, lancer, laurel, leopard, levin, liftback, mark II, mazda, mesh, mitsubishi, MkII, MkIII, ms112, mx73, nissan, pf30, pickup, ra25, ra55, reverse mesh, rx-7, s110, sa22, sa22c, sanitora, savanna, silvia, skyline, sprinter, ssr, starlet, sunny, toyota, truck, trueno, tt106v, un521, van, vanette, vb310, wagon, work equip, yayoi, yonmeri
13 Comments
Friday Video: The Last Hero Trailer
In honor of earthquake-damaged Sportsland Sugo circuit in Miyagi Prefecture, this week’s Friday Video is the trailer for the 1982 film The Last Hero, also known as Dirty Hero. Adapted from a 1969 novel by Haruhiko Oyabu, the motorcycle racing story was shot at the Yamaha-built Sportsland Sugo, and featured real-life figures such as Domenico Agusta of MV Agusta; Honda riders Jim Redman, Kenjiro Tanaka, and Mike “The Bike” Haliwood, who gave the upstart manufacturer its first international title in 1961; as well as Takahashi Kunimitsu, hakosuka GT-R driver who got his start on two-wheelers. Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater
Tagged akio kitano, c10, dirty hero, domenico agusta, gt-r, Hakosuka, haruhiko oyabu, jim redman, kenjiro tanaka, kgc10, kpgc10, mike haliwood, motorsports, mv agusta, pgc10, rosemary butler, shiro ito, skyline, sportsland sugo, takahashi kunimitsu, the last hero, wgp, yamaha
1 Comment
Gallery of Japanese Concept Cars
We’ve talked about many of these cars individually, but Pink Tentacle recently collected a bunch of Japanese concept cars all in once place. Here are some of Nihon’s wildest from the golden age of show cars. Above is the 1971 Nissan 216X. Continue reading
Mooneyes Toyota Crown Picnic
The Mooneyes Crown Picnic took place before the tragedies of March 11, but we thought it’d be nice to share the pics now. Besides, who doesn’t like the Toyota Crown? Continue reading
Long Overdue Idea: V6 Datsun 240Z Drift Machine
We’ve long wondered why no one has built an S30 Z drift machine yet. It’s light, it’s RWD, it’s simple to work on. Parts, whether junkyard special, aftermarket, or reproduction, are plentiful and can be scavenged from a whole host of later-model Nissans. There are enough non-mint 240Z/260Z/280Zs out there that you wouldn’t feel bad about cutting one up (or putting it in a wall). Plus, you’ll have the best looking puck on the track. Continue reading
RT50 Toyota Corona Found in Infiniti M Hybrid Ad
Oversight or subtle jab? In a new Nissan TV spot, the Infiniti M Hybrid speeds through “the last 100 years of hybrid technology.” When it gets to 1978, there’s an RT50 Toyota Corona sitting pretty in a supposed hybrid car dealership. And that’s not the only Aichi product in the commercial either. The M later whizzes by a Lexus GS450h en route to a balletic slow-mo drift as the voice-over announces it’s the first hybrid you’ll enjoy driving. Oooh, burn! Watch the full ad below the fold. Continue reading
Nostalgic Mitsubishi Funny Cars
Okay, so technically these are Dodge Colts and Plymouth Arrows, but as we all know they’re Mitsubishis in disguise. Before the Triple Diamond established an official US presence Chrysler rebadged them as Dodges and Plymouths, and that close association with Mopar spawned funny car followings that other imports rarely enjoyed. Here’s a gallery of nostalgic Mitsubishi doorslammers with giant slicks, Hemis, and colorful names. Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi, motorsports
Tagged altereds, arrow, bob glidden, celeste, challenger, colt, dodge, don prudhomme, drag racers, galant, irda, lancer, mitsubishi, nhra, nostalgia drags, plymouth, ronnie sox, sapporo, sox & martin
12 Comments
What the Tsunami Looked Like from a Car
DONATION LINK.
Here are some more harrowing videos of the tsunami, including an in-car video from a Japanese driver who just happened to be driving along the coast the exact moment the tsunami hits. He remains amazingly calm as his car is tossed around like a bathtub toy. More videos of cars tossed around like Matchboxes below the fold. Continue reading
Friday Video: Zokusha Cruise Osaka
As Japan recovers, let’s visit a simpler time. Here’s a nice evening commute through Osaka. Judging from the cars the background, it’s mid-1980s. Fun times. Watch the video below the fold. Continue reading
Sportsland Sugo Damaged in Earthquake
Japan is still recovering from last week’s record-breaking 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Sadly, reports say one of the nation’s great racetracks, Sportsland Sugo, has sustained damage. Located in the hard-hit Miyagi Prefecture, Sugo was built in 1975 by Yamaha, and is a regular stop on the Super GT circuit. It’s also hosted World Superbike Championships, World Motocross Championships, and the Rock Olympics, one of northeast Japan’s largest music festivals. Continue reading
Posted in japan, motorsports, wagons
Tagged earthquake, japan, juichi wakisaka, miyagi, sports 800, sportsland, sugo, supra, tohoku, toyota, wagons
3 Comments
“Save Japan” Disaster Relief Campaign from Japan’s Motorsports Community
Juichi and Shigekazu Wakisaka, the race car driving “1141” brothers, have started a relief fund from the Japanese motorsports community for victims of the Tohoku earthquake. Save Japan has the support of Japanese racers and motorsports personalities of diverse backgrounds, including F1 drivers Kamui Kobayashi, Yuji Ide, Sakon Yamamoto, drifter Manabu Orido, Super GT drivers Daisuke Ito, Kazuya Oshima, Kazuki Hoshino, and many more drivers, riders, journalists and announcers. Of course, Juichi Wakisaka himself is most known for being a two-time Super GT champion with the Esso Toyota Supra in 2002 and the Petronas Lexus SC430 in 2007. All have issued personal messages on the Wakisakas’ Save Japan website. There does not appear to be a way for English speakers to donate, but we would like to show our support for Japan’s motorsports community. You can donate via international aid organizations here.
Hat tip to Toyotageek.
Posted in motorsports
Tagged daisuke ito, earthquake, japan, JGTC, juichi wakisaka, kamui kobayashi, kazuki hoshino, kazuya oshima, lexus, manabu orido, sakon yamamoto, sc430, sendai, shigekazu wakisaka, soarer, Super GT, supra, tohoku, toyota, yuji ide
Leave a comment
How the Earthquake is Affecting Japan’s Automakers
In the aftermath of the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake of March 11, the Japan’s great automakers are mostly at a standstill. Supply chains, transport and shipping facilities have all been affected by the quake and subsequent tsunami. There’s also rolling blackouts in some areas due to an energy shortage resulting from damage to nuclear plants. How are the automakers responding to the worst quake in Japanese history? Continue reading
Posted in honda, japan, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged akio toyoda, earthquake, honda, japan, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, sendai, tohoku earthquake, toyota
7 Comments
The Spirit of Sendai: JNC’s Tribute to the Hi-Land Drags
The news out of Japan keeps getting worse. Nearly 1,600 are dead, the Nikkei stock market plunged 6%, and a second explosion has occurred at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Sendai, one of the hardest hit areas with some reports of the tsunami reaching 8km inland, is also known for Sendai Hi-Land Raceway, a road course and one of the most famous drag strips in Japan. So while areas of the nation are on rolling blackouts due to the power shortage, here are some clips of old school Japanese cars with no dearth of power whatsoever. This is our little JNC tribute to the spirit of Sendai!
As always, keep the Japanese people in your thoughts and please consider a donation. Continue reading
Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake Strikes Japan
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all our Japanese friends today. A magnitude 8.9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Sendai a few hours ago, shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo. Even worse, the quake triggered a tsunami that has washed, by some accounts, 1.5 kilometers inland in coastal cities across northeast Japan, flooding homes and sweeping cars away like they were toys. Phone lines were downed/jammed for hours, and train and expressway operation have been suspended. Thankfully JNC‘s friends and occasional contributors are okay, but say it’s the worst they’ve ever experienced in their lifetimes. Sources are now saying it is the worst quake since the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. That was the one which famously demonstrated a need for automobiles while Japan’s railways were downed by the disaster. We wish all the people of Japan Godspeed. UPDATE: DONATE TO THE RED CROSS TO HELP JAPAN HERE. Continue reading
Friday Video: Cedric 330 Wagon Full of Carnival Freaks
In what was probably one of the more bizarre episodes of Seibu Keisatsu, our favorite band of police heroes goes undercover at an amusement park. The goal is t catch some nefarious characters, one of which wears some sort of kaiju monster mask. Of course a car chase ensues, with the bad guys fleeing in a Ceddy 330 wagon decorated in Woody Woodpecker carnival gear and a swarm of 430 Cedrics in pursuit. Watch the video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in nissan, Video Games
Tagged 280zx, 330, 430, car chase, cedric, datsun, fairlady z, gloria, japanese cop show, nissan, s130, seibu keisatsu, wagon
Leave a comment
Old Ad: Kenmeri Nissan Skyline for Techno Project TR-V
Was the Nissan Fairlady Z432 ad just a bit too stock for you? Maybe a vintage rim ad for the Techno TR-V is more your style. This kenmeri shows how things were done back in the day — shakotan stance, hippari stretched Sumitomo Dunlops, rabbit ear antennas and no less than two tones in your paint job. And check out the sizes. 14x10s in front and nearly square 14x13s in the rear!
VIP S120 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon
Mid-80s Toyotas are rather unappreciated, but subtle expression is the key to customizing an S120 Crown. And you thought the Cressida was boxy…
[Image: ezbbs.net]
World’s First Nissan Fairlady Z Newspaper Ad
Ready to go back in time? This is the first newspaper ad in history to fully reveal the Nissan Fairlady Z. It was published on October 20, 1969, four days before the 16th Tokyo Motor Show, where the S30 was shown to the public for the first time. The catch copy of the ad is “Your Dream Comes True,” and seeing as how it prominently features the Z432 and its S20 engine from the Skyline GT-R, we’d say that’s pretty spot-on. The headline for the day says the Yomiuri Giants win again! See the second and third ads below the fold. Continue reading
Design Study: Nissan Silvia CSP311 and S13
Looking at images of the Silvia recently, I was surprised that I had never noticed how many styling cues the 1988 S13 takes from the first Silvia, the 1965 CSP311. Part of it probably has to do with the fact that Americans think Nissan 240SX when they hear S13, and the 240SX encompassed both coupe and fastback body styles, all with flip-up headlights. But in Japan, the Silvia’s only form is a coupe with fixed headlights. From there you can see the hood’s taper, roofline, and C-pillar treatment. Even the S13’s wheels look like an updated alloy of the CSP311’s wheel covers. Continue reading
Friday Video: C130 Laurel vs. Kenmeri Skyline
Today’s video appears to star Tachi Hiroshi, but the cars are too old for Abunai Deka and it lacks the trademark pursuit music of Seibu Keisatsu. We don’t know from whence this car chase came, all we know is that it kicks major ketsu.
A C130 Nissan Laurel goes head to head with a C110 kenmeri Skyline down narrow Japanese streets like some unholy Asian combination of Ronin and The Italian Job. And the background cars are all Nihon steel! Best part is, unlike many stunts from the era, the chase seems to unfold at real time speed. Watch the video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in nissan, Video Games
Tagged c110, c130, car chase, datsun, gc110, japanese cop show, kenmeri, laurel, nissan, skyline
7 Comments
