Car enthusiasts have long noticed that news footage from war-torn regions inevitably result in grainy shots of heavily armed men overflowing from the beds of Toyota pickups. Whether it’s rebels, guerillas, insurgents, counterinsurgents or, on occasion, the US Special Forces, the Toyota truck has become as ubiquitous on the battle field as the AK-47. Now Newsweek is taking an in-depth look at the history of Toyotas on the war front. Continue reading
The Toyota Truck: Weapon of Choice
Friday Video: How to Kill a President
Before the feds kick down our door, let’s clarify: a Nissan President. Although the hero Nissan Leopard F31 (aka Infiniti M30) never comes face to face with said President in this episode of Abunai Deka, it does chase down a freight train laced with explosives and a koala bear ordinance. Video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan, Video Games
Tagged abunai deka, datsun, f31, japanese cop show, leopard, nissan, president
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Event Horizon for the Weekend of October 15, 2010
The Art Center Car Classic is a design focused car exhibition that features high end European and American classics. This year, nostalgics will be making a strong case for Japanese automotive design. Among others, see the Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA this Sunday in Pasadena!
This weekend:
- Sunday, October 17 / Pasadena, CA: Art Center Car Classic
Honda Fit RS Now Road Sailing in Sunset Orange
The Honda Fit has taken up the small-car slot that the Civic 1200 once held in the automaker’s US lineup. So it’s no surprise that when Honda resurrected the RS badge that first appeared on the 1974 Civic RS, they put it on the pocket-sized hatch. And with the recent introduction of the Fit Hybrid and mid-model update of the Fit line, there’s a new RS as well. Skorj has gone ahead and photoshopped them in a Two-Face type amalgam. Look how nicely they “fit,” har har. Continue reading
C31 Laurel
John and Ben posted the C32 earlier this week. But this C31 Laurel is badasser. Pillarless, check!
Kobayashi Tire & Wheel: Old School Japanese Garage
Kobayashi Tire & Wheel is totally old school. How old? According to its website, the tire & wheel shop was established way back in 1923! You can tell this isn’t your run-of-the-mill JDM version of Big O Tires, because they didn’t open up their second chain until 1997.
The best part is, they’ve taken (and developed, and subsequently scanned and posted) a Mazinger-sized library of photographs from the heyday of chrome bumpered motoring. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged 117, 240z, 510, b110, b210, bluebird, c130, caravan, carina, celeste, celica, cherry, civic, corolla, datsun, fairlady z, g-nose, galant, gemini, gto, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kenmeri, lancer, laurel, levin, liteace, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, rx-3, s30, skyline, sprinter, sunny, te27, town ace, toyota, trueno
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C32 Laurel
Tsurikawa, check. Shako stance, check. Two-tone, check. Work Equip 03s, check. RB20DET? Possibly. Don’t get us wrong. We’re grateful for the Cressida, but sad that Nissan never brought this rival to the Toyota luxemobile stateside. There can never be too much 80s boxiness.
Posted in nissan
Tagged c32, cressida, datsun, laurel, mark II, nissan, toyota, work equip 03
5 Comments
Friday Video: Nissan Cedric vs Matsuda
Yusaku Matsuda, to be precise. Although not a rotary-powered model, it still exhibits all the nimble handling the brand is known for. Video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan, Video Games
Tagged 230, cedric, datsun, gloria, nissan, yusaku matsuda
6 Comments
Toyota Skyline, Anyone?
Since we mentioned the BRE Mitsubishi Evo yesterday, we might as well one of the most classic examples of minicar marque-model mismatch. Zee Toys went out of business in 1996 but in its heyday the company had, among other products, an interesting lineup of cars. For a California based company in the 70s, there were a surprising number of Japanese cars in their lineup — Honda N600, Datsun pickup, and a whole mess of Toyotas like the TE27 Corolla, 2000GT, Celica and Corona.
However, as you can see from the 1979 catalog, there was an interloper in the family… the Toyota Skyline! It’s clearly a C110 or C210, but it’s even got a huge “TOYOTA” graphic on the side and “TEAM TOYOTA” writ large across the hood. Perhaps in 30 years the BRE Evo will be as interesting an oddity.
[Image: Zylmex]
BRE Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X?
So we were browsing the diecast aisle at Target the other day when the unmistakeable red/white/blue livery of Brock Racing Enterprises caught our eye. It was slathered over a big honkin’ semi rig with a matching smaller car on the trailer, so naturally we assumed the latter was a BRE Datsun 510 or 240Z. But upon closer inspection… Continue reading
Posted in datsun, minicars, mitsubishi, motorsports, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, bluebird, bre, brock racing enterprises, datsun, evo, fairlady z, john morton, lancer, maisto, mitsubishi, nissan, peter brock, s30
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JNC Z Meets Aston Martin
As you may know, JNC’s Art Director (the one responsible for our new design and layout) owns just one mode of transportation, a 1972 Datsun 240Z. Well, technically he also owns a vintage Japanese Univega but let’s not split hairs. Living in LA with a forty-year-old kyuusha means adventure is always around the corner. Here’s Yee’s own words. -Ed.
So I was at Haus Dessert Cafe, the upscale coffee shop on 6th, and an Aston tried to overtake my parking space to no avail. The Z looks like a car Aston Martin built in the late 60s. This DB9 is closer to what a Z should be than the current 370Z, at least in triple Black Gloss PPG. That valet space is mine (though I park it myself).
Posted in datsun, jnc, nissan
Tagged 240z, datsun, fairlady z, JNC Project Z, nissan, s30
14 Comments
Kidney, Anyone? 2500-mile 1982 Toyota Starlet
Who says the northeast doesn’t have any nostalgic treasures? The spectre of oxidization may loom large, but that just guarantees that when a specimen emerges, it’ll be a low-mileage garaged beauty. Unlike the $500 finds from SoCal whose odometers have rolled around the ol’ 00000 God knows how many times, this Vermont Starlet can still be considered a virgin with just 2500 on the clock. And unlike the over-tanned Los Angeles examples, this one still has an uncracked dash and wears its original, classy black-and-red interior. And unlike the 12,000-mile 280ZX we saw last week, this RWD baby rows her own gears.
It seems as if the seller has received a smokin’ offer too, because the auction has ended early. Was the opening bid of $3200 too conservative? In any case, even if this car disappears into some eccentric hermit’s private collection, we will at least have the images below the fold as reference in case anyone wants to do a proper restoration of a 1982 Toyota Starlet. Continue reading
Friday Video: Toyota Corona vs Nissan Cedric
Finally, an inter-marque rivalry between the two titans of Japanese auto manufacturing! As with last week, we are unsure which movie this chase comes from, but who cares? We’ve got a daring escape by a bank robber in a jacked RT102 Toyota Corona taxi and cops in Nissan Cedrics pulling reverse 180s. Which industrial giant builds the better chase chariot? Video below the fold. Continue reading
Event Horizon for the Weekend of October 1, 2010
- Friday, October 1 / Torrance, CA: SoCal Japanese Classic Car Meet
- Saturday, October 2-3 / Odaiba, Japan: Motor Sport Japan Festival
- Sunday, October 3 / Tacoma, WA: Puget Sound Toyota Owners Festival
Where to Get Tomica Toys in the US
We reported that Tomica was returning to the US market and debuting at the JCCS. Here are the details on where to buy them. Continue reading
Datsun 240Z Breaks Bonneville Record with 172.9 MPH Run
This salt-caked 1972 Datsun 240Z hit 172.9 miles per hour on September 17. In doing so, it broke the the F/GT class (GT = Grand Touring gas-only class, F = the engine size, which has been upgraded to 3.0L) record previously held by a Ferrari that managed 168.7. Congratulations are in order for Douglas “Burton” Brown and the crew from Victory Motorsports in Fremont, Wisconsin. And it wasn’t even a G-nose!
Posted in datsun, motorsports, nissan
Tagged 240z, bonneville, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s30, salt flats, speed record
8 Comments
Yonmeri
Sometimes four doors are better than two. Check out this GC110 and more in JNC reader dalla’s mega gallery of the Historix Japan event at Suzuka.
Kidney, Anyone? 12,000-Mile 1983 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
As we have shown, the S130 chassis has potential, but if you were lucky enough to win this 1983 Datsun 280ZX for $17,200 you won’t flaring it like some bosozoku sled. That’s because its Tron-like 80s dashboard reads only 12,245 on the odometer! Resplendent in decidedly sleek Jade Gray paint job, its silver and black leather interior that resembles a finely crafted vintage hi-fi system.
True, it’s hobbled by a slushbox, but it makes up for that with original paperwork, tool kit, and T-top bags. The 280ZX was the car to have in the 80s — Knight Rider was even going to star one — and with that kind of rep, we would have listed it at one of the Arizona auctions rather than eBay. More photos below the fold. Continue reading
Friday Video: Rare Toyota Destruction!
We’re not sure what this movie is, but it features terrible tons of totalled Toyotas. Corona Mark IIs and Crowns with bad/no brakes get slaughtered in some of the most spectacular patrol car pileups since The Blues Brothers. It’s enough to make a grown Toyotaku cry. Celicas, X30 Mark II/Cressida and Mitsubishi Colt Galants also make cameos as decoys. Video below the fold. Continue reading
Posted in toyota, Video Games
Tagged a60, car chase, celica, colt, corona, cressida, crown, galant, japanese cop show, ma61, mark II, mitsubishi, ms65, ms80, mx30, mx32, ra64, rx30, s60, seibu keisatsu, toyota, x30
5 Comments
