Check out this commercial for Pentax Cameras, which has many things making it awesome. Let’s see:
…WIN all around. Watch the advert on youtube.
Screenshots after the jump. Continue reading
The UK owner of this car is asking 40,000 pounds sterling (over US$64,000) for a Nissan Stanza. Surprised? Well, this is no ordinary Stanza. According to the seller, it’s the ex-works car that won the 1979 Southern Cross Rally. Held in New South Wales, Australia from 1966 to 1980, it was one of the world’s premiere rally events. In the 70s, Mitsubishi maintained a five-year winning streak with the Galant and Lancer GSR. Nissan dethroned them with the Violet (aka Datsun 710) and this car, the A10 Stanza — also known as the Violet in Japan and Datsun 510 in the US. If the seller’s claims are true, this could be your chance to own a genuine piece of motorsports history built by Nissan itself. Continue reading
The march of nostalgic toys continues onward like a solid front axle truck over rocks-strewn trails. You can now find Matchbox‘s 1984 Toyota 4Runner in stores. According to the 1:64 scale diecast car maker it’s technically a 2010 model, but it didn’t start hitting stores until January. It’s a terrifically accurate piece of nostalgia, finished in metallic light blue and period-correct retro gradient stripes, and it can scale USB cables like pack mule. Continue reading
We’ve shown you a lot of cars from the 2011 New Year Meeting, but the event is much more than that. It’s a celebration of kyuusha kulture, and as you might expect, there’s all sorts of car-related goodies dotting the grounds. Let’s take a stroll through the booths, shall we?
We’ve shown you many of the car clubs that come to the Meeting, and most of them are devoted to one marque or model (like the S30 club beside this one). It’s rare and kind of cool to see a group that includes as diverse a selection as the Mazda Cosmo AP, 310 Bluebird and Honda Z. Continue reading
Surf’s up, JNCers! Since today’s installment of our 2011 New Year Meeting coverage coincides with Valentine’s Day, let’s take a look at some of the vehicles with a little more volume in the back. You know, something that Ken and Mary might choose to retire to after a long day of frolicking in the fields.
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Twenty-five years ago Nissan entered its first prototype style racer into the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now the automaker is returning to the Le Mans Cup series with the Signature LMP2, which will run NISMO-tuned VK45 V8 motors. See the cars Nissan sent to France for the 1986 battle below the fold. Continue reading
Unlike the modified Sport Coupes we normally think of when someone mentions old school Japanese cars, these bone stock beauts have been lovingly restored to the way they existed when new. They may not be the most stirring cars, but that makes their restoration and care even more admirable, and their indelible place in Japan’s motoring history make these humble forms transportation a crucial part of the New Year Meeting. Continue reading
The 900,000th Mazda MX-5 rolled out of Hiroshima last week, extending its lead as the best selling two-seat sports car in history according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The Miata got that title back in 2000 after surpassing 531,890 units. Mazda has a habit of keeping milestone vehicles in its museum in Hiroshima (the 500,000th Evolution Orange car in the image is kept there), but this Copper Red example is headed to a lucky owner in Germany. Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
What is this, Ultraman‘s collection of parts cars?
[Komin’s Photo Blog via Banpei via Gred. Hat tip to Goki.]
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.
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
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
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
