QotW: Who deserves to be in the JNC Hall of Fame?

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Steve Chang

Last week we wrote about two great men from Japanese motoring history. Former president of Toyota Shoichiro Toyoda passed away, while co-founder of Honda Takeo Fujisawa was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. That got us thinking about creating a Hall of Fame for Japan’s auto industry from scratch. Who deserves to the honored? There are executives, engineers, race car drivers, tuners, designers (like Satoru Nozaki pictured above, who penned the beautiful Toyota 2000GT) and more. You don’t even need to name names. “The person who…” is good enough. Personally, I would like to thank whoever decided to put a crotch vent in my 4Runner.

Who deserves to be in the JNC Hall of Fame?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What once uncool family car is now desirable?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 7 Comments

Happy Presidents Day from JNC

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Dan Hsu

As we all know from the Toyota Century, the most luxurious upholstery for your Japanese VIP sled is wool. The JG50 Nissan President also came standard with wool and silk fabrics slathering the interior, but if you really wanted, you could have a Connolly leather option. The price? Oh, only ¥900,000. That was equivalent to about $7,000 when the car debuted in 1990. You could also get Persian rug-style floot mats as a ¥300,000 option (over $2,300). Fancy! Happy Presidents Day from JNC!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Toyota AE86 Hydrogen and Electric Concepts: build video and driving impressions

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Steve Chang

Toyota’s twin AE86 concepts, one powered by hydrogen fuel and one powered by electrons, were unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year. Toyota has released some additional materials about the cars, including the images you see here, as well as a video, now translated and subtitled in English, about the builds and driving impressions for the cars. Continue reading →

Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon, Video | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Mazda made a chocolate Miata for Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Steve Chang

Picking out a spot-on Valentine’s Day gift is never easy but as it is in all aspects of life, Miata is always the answer. Forget flowers, if I found a chocolate Miata like this wrapped in a bow on V-Day I’d know my wife truly gets me. Since it’s a RHD car from Japan it’s technically a Roadster RF, but the point is that the ND looks as delicious as it is detailed. Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Shoichiro Toyoda, the Toyota president who built a global powerhouse, 1925 – 2023

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Shoichiro Toyoda, the influential president of Toyota who captained the company during its growth into a worldwide phenomenon, passed away on February 14. The official cause, according to a Toyota press release, was heart failure. “Dr. Toyoda,” as he was affectionately known, was 97 years old. Though he only served as president for 11 years, he was actively involved with the company for over seven decades, ushering it through some of its most crucial turning points. Continue reading →

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Honda co-founder Takeo Fujisawa to be inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Soichiro Honda may have been the genius engineer behind Honda Motor Company, but brains alone can’t sell products. For that, Honda-san relied on his friend and business partner Takeo Fujisawa (from left to right: Kiyoshi Kawashima, Soihciro Honda, Takeo Fujisawa), a brilliant marketing and sales strategist. Together, they were able to bring Honda from a tiny motorcycle outfit to one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan has announced that Fujisawa will be among their 2023 inductees. Continue reading →

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QotW: What once uncool family car is now desirable?

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Ben Hsu

On February 13, 1997 the original Subaru Forester debuted in Japan. It was just another AWD wagon marketed as an SUV from Fuji Heavy Industries, bigger than an Impreza but smaller than the Legacy. In the era of Jeep Cherokees and Ford Explorers, its design evoked a scaled down ladder-frame SUV. With its big chrome grille and white-letter tires, it almost looked like one of those kei cars with the nose of a classic grafted on. Decades later, though, Foresters have a unlikely but legitimate enthusiast following. Their nimble handling, wagon profile, and parts interchangeability with other Subarus have earned it a dedicated following, alongside other generation-one crossovers like the original Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Who woulda thunk?

What once uncool family car is now desirable?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What would your dream garage build include?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | 10 Comments

1994 Mitsubishi Galant was once a compelling alternative to the Honda Accord

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Poor Mitsubishi. It’s fallen so far but in 1994 it was riding high. So high, in fact, that Motorweek introduced the seventh-generation Galant by saying, “Mitsubishi is a company on the move.” Not only that, but the sedan was an actual contender against cars like the Honda Accord. Can you imagine if Mitsubishi hadn’t imploded, what kind of turbocharged family sedan would have at our disposal now? Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Happy B210 Day from JNC

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Dan Hsu

The third-generation Nissan Sunny debuted in Japan in 1973, making this year the 50th anniversary of the B210. Nissan sold nearly 900,000 of these bad boys. A good portion of them were sold in the US, where it was called simply the Datsun B210. It arrived for the 1974 model year, just in time for the sudden concern in fuel economy following the oil crisis and helped firm up Nissan’s footing in the market. Happy B210 Day from JNC!

Posted in Holidays | 3 Comments

TRD still offers old school desktop wallpapers of Toyota art by Masahisa Higuchi

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Are wallpapers still a thing? Japanese websites used to issue loads of them. Now it’s a dying art. We were surprised to learn that TRD still offers a few, though given the subject matter it’s likely these have been hanging out on the internet for a while. Nevertheless, it’s always good to have some A70 Supra art. Continue reading →

Posted in News | 4 Comments

This Toyota AE86 gets 40 mpg with its original gasoline engine

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Steve Chang

There has been a lot of buzz about the pair of alternative energy AE86s that Toyota unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon. However, even before Akio Toyoda‘s big reveal there’s been other efforts at making an environmentally friendly AE86. Specifically, the what creator Yoshinori Kamata calls the ECO-Hachi, which gets an astounding 42 mpg. Continue reading →

Posted in tuning shop | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Nissan and Renault are finally on equal footing

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Ben Hsu

After decades of unhappiness in an unequal partnership, Nissan and Renault have rewritten the rules of their alliance. The two giants will now each hold an equal stake of 15 percent in the other, with Renault reducing their share down from 43 percent. Nissan, however, was the larger company, with more global sales and name recognition. The mismatch had been the source of much friction between the two companies, which came to a head with the arrest of former CEO Carlos Ghosn. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged | 3 Comments

QotW: What would your dream garage build include?

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Ben Hsu

We’ve asked about dream garages filled with your most wanted cars, but not about the garage itself. What kind of home with your cars live in? We’re not talking a Jay Leno-style museum for 100 cars, but something more reasonable. Something that a reasonable enthusiast could actually set up, and that won’t have your neighbors calling city inspectors to pull your building permits. So far I’ve been maintaining my fleet with hand tools and floor jacks, but it would be nice to have a lift, a set of air tools and compressor, maybe even 220-volt wiring to try my hand at metalwork and fabrication. I’d like a storage rack for several sets of wheels and tires, and shelves for my many spare parts and Tamiya kits. Oh, and of course space for several real cars.

What would your dream garage build include?

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 favorite JNC shout-out in a song lyric?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | 11 Comments

Abandoned Japanese cars of the Fukushima nuclear exclusion zone

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Steve Chang

The Fukushima plant meltdown following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011 was one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Today, there’s an area of about 143 square miles that’s still part of the nuclear exclusion zone deemed unsafe for humans to live in. That hasn’t stopped urban explorers from passing through and documenting some of the vehicular ruins that exist within. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Will Nissan’s 80s retro-futuristic roadster be the first fun-to-drive EV?

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The Nissan Max-Out concept doesn’t take any cues from previous Nissan models, but it’s aesthetic is decidedly retro. There’s a lot of 80s contour grid patterns and neon colors, and the entire presentation evokes an Out Run-type video game that never was. Best of all, it’s a two-seat roadster. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Happy TA22 Day from JNC

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Dan Hsu

Please excuse this terrible angle of this shot, taken hastily in the parking lot of the 2011 New Year Meeting, back when that was still a thing. The key part of this Celica is the wild rear spoiler, anyway, which adds a dash of outlaw flare onto this otherwise textbook build. Happy TA22 Day from JNC!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

At least the Mazda Miata will be forever

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Mazda’s all-SUV lineup might be demoralizing to some, but there is hope. They still make the Miata and, according to Mazda execs, the Miata will exist as long as the company does. It may not always have four cylinders or a purely gasoline engine, but it will continue to bring driving joy to the masses in one form or another. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Mazda CX-90: How Mazda laid out the roadmap for a glorious enthusiasts’ future, then threw it away

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Many years ago a little bird at Mazda told us that the firm was working on a rear-wheel-drive sedan to be powered by a straight-six. We were stoked. On paper it was the ideal configuration — an inherently balanced engine on an inherently balanced chassis. And from the same people that built the RX-7, gave us the ND Miata, and made the CX-5 a better dance partner than a front-biased crossover has any right to be. I immediately began making plans to someday put this FR6 in my driveway. Unfortunately, time has a funny way of messing with your best-laid plans. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

QotW: What’s your favorite JNC shout-out in a song lyric?

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The Mazda MPV made its Japanese debut on January 30, 1990. Eagle-eyed observers might note that this date is two years after it debuted in the U.S. With available seating for 8 and 4WD, it was a unique conscription into the minivan wars, but no one could have predicted that it would become a hip-hop icon. As it happens, our friend Brett Berk just wrote the definitive story on MPVs in rap for an upcoming issue of Road & Track, referencing plenty of lyrics from plenty of artists.

What’s your favorite JNC shout-out in a song lyric?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you scratch your car itch in the dead of winter?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 17 Comments

Toyota launches Refresh Program for “classic” 86/BRZ

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Steve Chang

We’re used to Japanese carmakers launching restoration and heritage programs these days, but here’s something we didn’t expect. Toyota is launching a factory refresh program for the first-generation Toyota 86. The announcement came from the Tokyo Auto Salon and the program rolls out nationwide in Japan this year. Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments