Sedans and kei cars might be nice, but we know most of you old schoolers came to see the sports coupes. These compact and lightweight machines are what makes Japanese cars so much fun. Let’s start with what most Americans consider the ur-Japanese sports coupe, the Datsun 510 and its Pacific Rim equivalent, the Nissan Bluebird. Continue reading
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2011 Part 04: Kei Jidosha
If a flux capacitor equipped kei car from 1960 traveled to the present, it’d be totally jealous of the “massive” 660cc displacement its modern counterparts enjoy. Back then, maximum allowable engine size was a scant 360cc. But as the Mazda Carol 360 proves, nostalgic kei jidosha can’t be surpassed in style by today’s space-maximizing one-boxes. Continue reading
Posted in events, honda, kei, mazda, mitsubishi, subaru, suzuki
Tagged carol, carol 360, cervo, co10t, daihatsu, fronte, fuji heavy industries, fuji rabbit, honda, jidosha, jimny, kei, lj10, mazda, midget, minica, mitsubishi, MkII, n360, n600, r2, r360, skipper, ssr, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, z-act, z360, z600
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EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2011 Part 03: Sedans, Saloons, Four-Doors
Whether you prefer a relaxed ride, enjoy the extra roominess, or require three yakuza enforcers with you at all times, a nostalgic sedan can be a practical yet stylish choice. For example, everything about Mooneyes‘ S50 Toyota Crown — the whiteline tires over stock hubcaps, not-overly-aggressive stance, and pale green hue — makes us want to rewind to the 1960s. Continue reading
Posted in events, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged 1jz, a30, a53, a54, amg, b110, b310, bellett, black wats, butame, c10, chaser, colt, corona, cressida, crown, debonair, familia, florian, galant, gc10, gloria, Hakosuka, hayashi, hippari, isuzu, mark II, mazda, mitsubishi, mooneyes, ms55, mx32, nissan, prince, r100, rotary sedan, rs watanabe, s50, skyline, street, sunny, surf line, t100, t140, toyota, watanabe
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EVENTS: New Year Meeting Part 02: Sports & GT Machines
At American shows, Z-cars dominate. At the New Year Meeting, there are surprisingly few, overwhelmed by the vast numbers of Sunnys, TE27s, and especially this year, kei jidosha. Let’s take a look at the sports and GT machines that joined the festivities. Continue reading
Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota
Tagged 110s, 1600, 2000, 240z, 260z, 280z, black wats, cosmo sports, csp311, datsun, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, hayashi, honda, mazda, new year meeting, nissan, roadster, rs watanabe, s30, s600, s800, silvia, sports 800, street, toyota, watanabe
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Honda Restarts Development of the NSX
Honda heads, rejoice! In Japan today Honda president Takashi Ito announced that the company will renew development of the NSX. The next generation of Honda’s supercar was put on hold as a result of the Lehman Shock (Japanese for Global Financial Crisis) in 2008. However, Ito says that the marketplace has a demand and it is one that “we must answer.” Details are sparse and no release date was given, but with the LFA ant GT-R, we might just have another Japanese supercar renaissance on the horizon. It’s a shame they didn’t announce this at the New Year Meeting.
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2011 Part 01: Honda is the Featured Marque
Happy new year to all our JNC readers on the lunar calendar. Although modern Japan officially considers January 1 their starting point for another orbit around the sun, some Japanese still have a nostalgic feeling for the lunar calendar. Thus, the nation’s largest gathering of classics that takes place in late January is called, appropriately, the New Year Meeting. Continue reading
Posted in events, honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota
Tagged 110s, 1300, 1600gt, 2011, ape, b10, b110, b310, bellett, black wats, c10, c110, celica, civic, corolla, corona, cosmo sports, crown, datsun, galant gto, Hakosuka, honda, igeta, isuzu, kb310, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, kujira, levin, life, mazda, mesh, mitsubishi, monkey, ms65, n360, n600, new year meeting, nissan, pgc10, ra21, ra22, ra25, ra28, reverse mesh, rqe coniglio, rs watanabe, rt55, s30, s360, s500, s60, s600, s800, sb1, sedan, skyline, soarer, sprinter, ssr, stepvan, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, ta21, te27, tn-v, tom's, toyopet, toyota, trueno, ts cup, van, wagon, watanabe, work equip, z10
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Toyota Land Cruiser Turns 60 Years Old, Gets Special Edition
The weapon of choice for outdoorsmen and dictators alike, the Toyota Land Cruiser had its humble beginnings as a spartan military vehicle in 1951. The Toyota BJ was the first vehicle ever to scale Mt Fuji to its sixth station, over 8200 feet above sea level. Emergency response departments across Japan quickly adopted the tough utility vehicle, prompting Toyota to offer it with the larger F-type engine for fire engines, giving us iconic the FJ-series. In 1954 the truck was christened Land Cruiser, and it has proven to be one of the most capable SUVs on the planet with over 5 million sold in over 188 countries. Continue reading
Mazda Cosmo Sports Rust Away in Japan
What is this, Ultraman‘s collection of parts cars?
[Komin’s Photo Blog via Banpei via Gred. Hat tip to Goki.]
New Koreisha Marks Go On Sale Today
Today is February 1, which means the “autumn leaf” elderly driver’s symbol is no more. Last summer, a nation-wide contest selected a new koreisha mark, this four-color clover-type thing, because the apparently drivers over the age of 70 do not like to be reminded that they are in the waning days of their existence here on earth. Expect a clearance sale on old koreisha marks all over Japan. Hey, at least it’s not a heart-shaped bird.
Mitsubishi Bids Slow Goodbye to Galant and Eclipse
Whenever once-great nameplates get axed, we feel a twinge of regret, even if it’s a mercy killing. According to trade journal Automotive News, Mitsubishi will scuttle all region-specific by the end of 2013. That means North American market platforms like the Endeavor, Galant and Eclipse are on death row. Two of those have a long history in the US and were once proud torchbearers of the triple diamond logo. Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi
Tagged arrow, champ, colt, dodge, eagle, eclipse, galant, laser, mitsubishi, plymouth, sigma, talon
16 Comments
New Year Meeting 2011 Preview
We’ve got hundreds of photos from the 2011 New Year Meeting streaming through cyberspace as you read this. For now, here’s a quick preview of the biggest nostalgic car show of the year. Here’s the Gateway to drooltown. Continue reading
Posted in events, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged 2011, 30, cedric, cherry, csp311, galant, gto, h31, mitsubishi, new year meeting, nissan, publica, silvia, toyota
5 Comments
Inside a Japanese Used Car Auction
8000 cars on a slow day, 20 seconds to jab buttons like lab pigeon on cocaine, thousands of yen, and one new ride to take home. Follow the Australian series Mad Mods on a quest to buy a JDM car at an Osaka used vehicle auction. Watch the video below. Continue reading
Friday Video: Nissan Skyline S54 GT-B vs Porsche 904
In light of Shinichiro Sakruai‘s passing we’ve been talking about the 1964 Japan Grand Prix a lot. As we’ve mentioned, this event was notable because that’s when Sakurai and Prince Motor Company threw down the gauntlets against the Porsche 904.
We can talk about Skylines versus Porsches till we’re blue in the face, but nothing can describe what it was like to drive what was essentially mid-range sedan with a stretched nose against an established race car whose sole purpose was to devour tarmac at an alarming pace. Therefore, you must watch the video for yourself. Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, nissan
Tagged 904, bellett, datsun, gt-b, isuzu, japan gp, japan grand prix, nissan, porsche, s54, skyline, suzuka
7 Comments
The KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R in Battle
Our tribute to Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, continues with some of our favorite images of hakosuka in warpaint, ready for battle. After the S54 GT-B finished the 1964 Japan Grand Prix second to a purpose-built German race car, Sakurai promised he’d build a car faster than the Porsche and more user-friendly than a BMW. By the next generation, the KPGC10 was born. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these can speak volumes for themselves. Continue reading
Posted in Legends, motorsports, nissan, Uncategorized
Tagged c10, gt-r, Hakosuka, kgc10, kpgc10, nissan, shinichiro sakurai, skyline
5 Comments
Toyota FT-86 II Concept to be Revealed in Geneva
You know the drill. Lightweight coupe, FR layout, AE86 reborn. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, the Toyota FT-86 II Concept will be revealed, one step closer to the production version. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
20 Comments
Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Super Builds
Here are a few parting shots from the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon. Nothing major, just a couple of mind-blowing restorations make us drool uncontrollably like hungry babies. It’s a shame, but we rarely see builds of this caliber in the US. Take this Fairlady Z, for example, dripping with equal parts potential and blazing yellow paint. Continue reading
Prince Skyline S54 GT-B at the Gates
In honor of Shinichro Sakurai, we’ve been poring over images of Skylines both Prince and Nissan. Here’s a quasi-replica of the Prince Skyline S54 GT-B that went up against a purpose-built Porsche 904 race car at the 1964 Japan Grand Prix. Black Wats are a fitting substitute for the original black steelies as it stages for the 2010 Rotary Club Fellowship Rally — sorry, Mazdafarians, this particular rotary club has more to do with community service than trochoids. In a field of Maseratis and Astons, this was the only domestic, a true classic.
[Image: Blue Mercedes]
Posted in motorsports, nissan
Tagged black wats, gt-b, nissan, prince, rally, s54, skyline, watanabe
9 Comments
Kidney, Anyone? 1982 Mazda 626 Capella
In the United States, the Mazda 626 was mostly known as an honorable mention in the Accord-Camry wars of the 1990s. Competent if unmemorable, the front-wheel-drive sedan was Hiroshima’s answer to the family car question few had asked. Europeans love the “second-gen” 626, which prompts the question, “There was a first?” Yes, there was a predecessor sold from 1979 to 1982, and guess what, old schoolers? It was rear wheel drive! Continue reading
Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011
On January 17, 2011 in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, Shinichiro Sakurai, the father of the Nissan Skyline, passed away due to heart failure at the age of 81. Every major newspaper and reporting agency in Japan ran a story about the man’s life. Otherwise gruff auto enthusiasts wept openly. This outpouring of emotion and respect for a simple engineer is proof that Sakurai’s creation not only had an immense impact on the motoring community, but Japan as a whole. Continue reading
Friday Video: Toyota Celica in Family Guy/Incredible Hulk
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is a non-photoshopped image of Stewie Griffin changing the tire on a 1971-72 Toyota Celica. Continue reading
Posted in toyota, Video Games
Tagged celica, family guy, incredible hulk, ra21, ta21, toyota
10 Comments
