The Volk Racing TE37 wheel is one of the finest aftermarket wheels ever conceived. Behind its clean design is a legendary combination of strength and lightness that justifies its seemingly high cost. And its maker, Rays Engineering, isn’t some fly by night shop; it’s a true engineering firm that creates wheels for OEMs, Formula One racers, and Le Mans endurance cars. A new video shows just what goes into turning a disc of raw aluminum into one of these rolling works of art. Continue reading
QotW: What should the next-gen Nissan Skyline really be?
Nissan harshed our mellow last week when it was reported there’s a good chance the next Skyline will become an electric crossover, and not a sedan like it’s been since 1957. It seemed like a sad fate for one of the longest lived and most beloved nameplates in Japanese automotive history, but a realistic one considering the state of the industry. Let’s say you’re suddenly the president of Nissan.
What should the next-gen Nissan Skyline really be?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What are your favorite cars as emoji?“. Continue reading
Watch this cracked taillight be repaired to like-new condition by a master craftsman
A cracked or broken taillight lens is usually considered something that’s unfixable. When the unfortunate happens, you’re usually off to a junkyard or scouring eBay for a replacement. But what if you’re taillight is so old and rare that replacement is not an option? A video that’s been making the social media rounds recently shows that with patience and skill, a taillight assembly destined for the trash can in fact be resurrected. Continue reading
Nissan Skyline reportedly morphing into electric SUV
A new report out of Japan says that the Nissan Skyline is about to change forms and become — you guessed it — an electric SUV. The popular tuning platform has been a sedan since 1957 (years before Nissan) when it was still a Prince model. After the merger with Nissan coupe versions existed in every generation as well. Continue reading
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Mugen celebrates 50th anniversary with Casio watch
In 1973 Mugen was founded to build race and aftermarket parts for Honda motorcycles and cars. Its racing engines, composites, and tuning parts have powered everything from Formula 1 cars to hooptie Civics over the decades. This year marks its 50th anniversary, and to toast the occasion the company is teaming up with Casio for a commemorative watch. Continue reading
Acura NSX Suzuka Circuit safety car is a tribute to beloved Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada
It’s been a couple of years since Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada passed away from cancer. His former colleagues at Mattel are honoring him with what is the most detailed 1/64 scale cars the company has ever offered. Fittingly, it’s a replica of his beloved 1994 Acura NSX wearing the livery of a rare Suzuka Circuit pace car. Continue reading
QotW: What are your favorite cars as emoji?
Today, July 17, is World Emoji Day. The digital pictograms that have proliferated ants were invented in 1999 in Japan. However, the date of July 17 originated from the day Apple launched iCal application in 2002. When emoji were added to iPhones in 2014 they continued to use July 17, and variations of the image even spread to competitors like Google and Samsung. Who would’ve thought that some 1,600 years after hieroglyphics stopped being used we’d be back at it again. In any case, it can be fun to try and write out your favorite cars. Some of the ones we’ve seen include 2️⃣3️⃣🎡💃 for Nissan Fairlady, ♦️♦️♦️🌘 for Mitsubishi Eclipse, 🍙🍙🍙✨ for Mazda Eunos Cosmo, and 🐐🐃🐪🦏🐘🇯🇵 for Land Cruiser.
What are your favorite cars as emoji?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your oil change routine for your car(s)?“. Continue reading
Official Honda wedding rings for the extremely brand loyal
Do you love Hondas? Like really, really love Hondas? So much that you’d only marry someone that loves Hondas just as much, get married at the Temple of VTEC, and name your kids Grace and Jade and CR-V? Well have we got great news for you. In Japan you can now get officially licensed Honda wedding rings to prove just how faithful you are to the brand. Continue reading
Subaru 22B STi prototype owned by Colin McRae up for auction
Adding a Subaru 22B STi to your garage would already be an accomplishment for any collector. It’s about as close as you can get to a factory WRC rally car and rare to boot. But if having a “normal” 22B isn’t good enough, an upcoming auction for a 22B prototype owned by Colin McRae himself is here to one-up all the others. Continue reading
Nissan is getting ready to throw a 90th anniversary bash
Nissan is about to throw a big birthday party for itself as it readies itself for its 90th birthday. In the coming months, the carmaker will roll out a series of initiatives to celebrate its heritage and DNA. This includes 23 stories about how Nissan “dares to do what others don’t” called, fittingly, the Daring 23. Continue reading
Infiniti logo updated to add third dimension, new signature sound and smell
Unless a clapped-out G35 is about to smack you in the ribs at a takeover, you probably don’t give Infiniti much thought these days. You might even be surprised to learn that the Infiniti logo was recently updated, along with a new signature sound and signature smell for the brand. It’s the fourth version of the logo since the marque’s launch in 1989, and while our curmudgeonly asses are pretty resistant to change for change’s sake, we think this logo actually makes sense. Continue reading
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QotW: What’s your oil change routine for your car(s)?
There’s the old joke about a wrenching noob that goes into an auto parts store to ask for a 710 cap. Well, in Japan they’ve gone and made an entire day out of it. Today, July 10, is officially Lubrication Oil Day as registered by Japan’s National Petroleum Industry Cooperative Association. Specifically, it’s because the word “OIL” printed on the cap looks like “710” when turned upside down.
Oil an important part of engine maintenance, but there are as many ways to go about it as there are types of cars. Do you religiously stick to a premium brand or just pull whatever is cheapest off the Walmart shelf? Do you keep on a strict 3,000-mile schedule or go with the manufacturer’s recommendation? Do you always use an OEM filter or just hand the keys over to a JiffyLube mechanic?
What’s your oil change routine for your car(s)?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the most ‘American’ JNC?“. Continue reading
Toyota Starlet revival is the dream of new Gazoo Racing president
Much has been written about Koji Sato, the former Gazoo Racing president and AE86 owner who has since ascended to the top job at Toyota. He’s said that it’s his life’s dream to bring back the Celica. But what about the man who replaces him at the helm of Toyota’s performance division? Tomoya Takahashi, 45, is the new head of Gazoo Racing and has said that it’s his dream to revive the Toyota Starlet. Continue reading
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Happy Sevens Day from JNC
It’s easy to forget how dreary the mid- to late-1970s were. The oil shortage and new emissions regulations meant that cars with larger engines than their predecessors struggled to achieve the same performance. The Nissan Fairlady 240ZG was a benchmark of the carefree pre-oil crisis times, clocking a 0-400m (about a quarter-mile) time of 15.8 seconds. Mazda’s SA22 Savanna RX-7 was the first Japanese car to match the ZG’s time, though it came a whole six years later, the first bright spot in what would become a new era of performance. Happy Sevens Day from JNC!
Toyota Land Cruiser teaser for 2024 seems to confirm retro front end
A new teaser released by Toyota portends good things for the upcoming 2024 Land Cruiser. Its return has been highly anticipated return after leaving the US market at the end of the 2021 model year. The image pictures it in silhouette alongside a classic FJ40, and although dark we can confirm a few rumors that have been swirling around regarding the new ultimate off-road rig. Continue reading
We regret to inform you that Yamaha will also end its swimming pool business
Just days after Yamaha announced it would cease snowmobile manufacturing, it has also announced that it will stop making swimming pools too. If your reaction to this news was, “Yamaha made swimming pools?” you are not alone. I had no idea either. But this isn’t a case of Yamaha being a strange firm that makes both grand pianos and motorcycles. No, the swimming pool division fell squarely within the confines of Yamaha Motor, the same company that engineered the twin-cam engines found in the Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA. Continue reading
Mazda RX-792P quad-rotor race car, one of three built, is for sale
Mazda’s quad-rotor racing engine is the stuff of legend. It propelled the 787B to a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans proved Mazda’s rotary engine in the crucible of motorsport. Mazda only ever put triple-rotor engines in road cars, but if you’d like a chance to own a genuine 4-rotor beast, a Mazda RX-792P just popped up for sale in Atlanta, Georgia. Continue reading
Happy 4th of July from JNC
The original Toyota 4Runner was known as the HiLux Surf in Japan and became quite popular during the 1980s boom in recreational vehicles. In its marketing materials the HiLux Surf was promoted as an “American Offroad Machine” and actually launched in the US in 1983, a year before its 1984 debut in Japan. That probably helped conjure an exotic image of the truck in the motherland. Today, the US has tons of Toyota trucks that are uniquely American and not available in Japan — Tacoma, T100, Tundra, Sequoia, and more. Happy Independence Day from JNC!
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QotW: What’s the most “American” JNC?
These days if you look at a Japanese car company’s US lineup and the hometown Japanese lineup, there isn’t much overlap. Almost all the US models have been engineered for the US market, built in the US, and sold here with no counterpart in the motherland. The myth of Japan always getting the best version isn’t true either. During the Gentleman’s Agreement Era, for instance, our versions of Japan’s top sports cars were all rated (on paper at least) with higher horsepower numbers than their domestic counterparts. But answers for this week’s question don’t necessarily have to fall into these categories. Some cars, like an S130 or 4Runner, just feel more American. All is fair game for this week’s Independence Day-themed QotW:
What’s the most “American” JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC is not being preserved, but should be?“. Continue reading
Yamaha to end snow machine production after 55 years, closing the chapter on Japanese snowmobiles
Japan’s motorcycle companies have a long history of revolutionizing the powersports market, from motorcycles boat motors. Of the Japanese Big Four, however, only Yamaha has seen any success in snowmobiles. Not only that, but Yamaha managed to keep its highly accomplished run going for longer than any of its hometown rivals, 55 years to be exact. Soon, though, that will come to an end, as Yamaha announced yesterday that it will pull out of the snowmobile market in 2025. Continue reading
