Mazda surprised the world last week when it snuck images of a sleek sports car into an otherwise mundane briefing about its plans to electrify. At first glance it struck us as a potential design direction for the next Miata, but upon closer inspection it exhibits shades of the RX-7 as well. It seems Mazda is mashing together the Miata and RX-7 into a unified sports car heritage. Continue reading
Barn find FD Mazda RX-7 R2 with 8,800 miles washed for the first time in 23 years
Since it’s Car Wash Day in Japan, we thought it was only appropriate to share this video of an amazing barn find FD Mazda RX-7 washed for the first time in over two decades. According to the video by WD Detailing, the owner bought the RX-7 new in 1994 and accrued 8,800 miles on the odometer. Apparently he got spooked by the car after going 140 mph (!). Scared for his life — maybe for what the car would tempt him to do — he parked the twin-turbo rotary and never drove it again. Continue reading
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QotW: What does your car cleaning regimen consist of?
We hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving long weekend last week. Perhaps you were able to get some quality time with your car because today, November 28, is Car Wash Day in Japan. In fact, it’s one of two Car Wash Days, the other one being April 28. In Japanese, the numbers 1128 and 428 can be read as a homonym for the phrase “high luster” or “high gloss”. Here in southern California, it’s necessary to wash, clay, and wax twice a year to protect the paint, as the harsh sun tends to pulverize the clear coat and discolor plastics. That, and buying a whole ‘nother car that you don’t care about as a daily beater.
What does your car cleaning regimen consist of?
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 childhood road trip memory?“. Continue reading
Art exhibition celebrating Initial D creator Shuichi Shigeno opens in Japan
An art exhibition in Japan has opened to honor 40 years of art by Shuichi Shigeno, the author of Initial D. Long before the tale of a tofu delivery boy street racing his beloved Toyota AE86 hit the newsstands, Shigeno’s first manga was published in 1983. That makes 2023 the 40th anniversary of his illustrious (no pun intended) career, and the retrospective focuses on the three series Shigeno is most known for. Continue reading
Mazda Vision Study Model teases stunning next-gen Miata
Mazda is teasing car enthusiasts with a low-slung sports car design that could portend the next Miata. The Mazda Vision Study Model was buried in a mid-term plan outlining an $11 billion push toward electrification. Reading between the lines it seems almost certain that the next Miata will be a hybrid, but maybe it really will look this good. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite childhood road trip memory?
The holiday season is upon us, and that means a lot of traveling to visit family and friends. Some of our earliest experiences of automotive adventures are sitting in the back of the family station wagon, in the days before seat belt laws, and going on what seemed like never-ending car rides across states to visit relatives. Perhaps the prevalence of screens on such drives might be one reason why the younger generation has less interest in cars, but in the days before smart phones or headrest-mounted screens we looked for cool cars in interstate traffic and alphabets in road signs to keep ourselves occupied. Studying mom and dad operate the controls and buttons on the dash gave us an appreciation for the machinery. These were good times.
What’s your favorite childhood road trip memory?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Why aren’t there more good looking cars?“. Continue reading
Hayashi Racing debuts finned rear drums for classic Nissans
Hayashi Racing has announced a new product that is sure to be of interest to kyusha owners. These gorgeous rear brake drums are now available for Nissans of the late-60s and 1970s era. The aluminum drums are finned to help dissipate heat, but look beautifully period as well. Continue reading
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Mazda debuts Roadster Brown Top Edition in Japan
Mazda has released a new special edition Roadster in Japan. The Brown Top Edition debuts a new color to the ND, Zircon Sand Metallic, that looks kind of like a modern take on 90s champagne gold. As you can probably guess, the Brown Top Edition has a brown top, along with a few other exclusive bits. Continue reading
Suzuki’s decision to crush its MotoGP bikes explains a lot
Earlier this month Suzuki won the Valencia Grand Prix, the last MotoGP race of 2022, but it was a bittersweet victory. With this win, Suzuki is closing the books on its decades-long participation in MotoGP, the premier motorcycle racing series in the world. And as Suzuki’s racing program draws to a close, it’s going to crush its bikes and associated parts. Continue reading
Mitsubishi Starion’s first wash in 26 years is extremely satisfying
The Mitsubishi Starion might look like a boxy, uncomplicated car to clean from afar. But all those straight lines must intersect in corners, and those many little nooks can be a real pain to keep spotless. Most 80s cars are like that, especially on the inside with the myriad buttons and crevices, and especially when you let one sit for 26 years in a damp garage in the northeast. Continue reading
QotW: Why aren’t there more good looking cars?
One time I was explaining to my non-car guy friend how there are entire schools specializing in automotive design. Car companies spend millions on every visual detail, like picking just the right shade of red. And everyone knows that buying a car is, for many, an emotional decision, and that a beautiful shape can dupe unsuspecting consumers to buy a car that’s otherwise crap. My friend was confused, and it was warranted. His exasperated response:
Why aren’t there more good looking cars?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What automotive dreams would you fulfill with $1.9 billion?” Continue reading
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Japan’s supercar booms, a brief history
Exotic machinery has long been popular in Japan, but the country has had two notable supercar booms in its history. It could now be on the brink of a third, thanks to a perfect storm of unprecedented factors. According to a Bloomberg report, sales of cars with price tags greater than ¥20 million ($136,000 USD) have increased 64 percent this year compared to 2021, and last year sales increased by 75 percent from the year prior. Continue reading
Enkei RPF1RS now available in 18-inch sizes
It’s been 20 years since the release of the Enkei RPF1, a timeless racing wheel for Bubble Era cars. The super lightweight design has its roots in Formula 1 racing, but its consumer version has for two decades been one of the go-to wheels for street cars. The deeper RPF1RS variant, which has an extra step in the lip, has thus far only been available in 15-inch sizes, but Enkei has just released a new variation of the classic in 18-inch diameters. Continue reading
Initial D Toyota AE86 gets schooled by GR86 again, with a different master behind the wheel
In January a series of commercials for the 2022 Toyota GR86 reunited it with the famous Initial D AE86. In those commercials tofu delivery boy Takumi is defeated by none other than the Drift King himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya (or at least an animated version of him). In a completely different series of ads playing overseas, Takumi is once again schooled, but by a different master. Who else could out-drive our touge prodigy? Continue reading
Japan Automotive Hall of Fame welcomes Fairlady Z, Prius, and more
The Japanese Automotive Hall of Fame has announced their 2022 inductees. Each year three vehicles representing milestones in the country’s auto industry are selected for the honor. This year, they include a sports car classic, a technological turning point, and Japan’s first front-wheel-drive car. Continue reading
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Tagged fairlady z, japan automotive hall of fame, Katana, nissan, prius, S30Z, suzuki, Torao Yamaba, toyota, Tsukuba
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QotW: What automotive dreams would you fulfill with $1.9 billion?
The Powerball jackpot has grown to $1.9 billion, the biggest ever in a national lottery according to the Guinness Book of World Records. For the winner the possibilities will be endless, quite likely in several life-ruining fashions. You could build your dream garage several times over. Or open the world’s greatest car museum. You could even buy a controlling stake in Mazda and force them to restart the RWD straight-six sedan project and put a rotary engine sports car into production. It’s such a huge amount of money it’s hard to wrap your brain around it.
What automotive dreams would you fulfill with $1.9 billion?
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 sinister looking JNC?” Continue reading
This Honda Civic EF wearing Advan Oni 2 wheels was our SEMA favorite
We’re still compiling the hundreds of photos from SEMA into a digestible gallery (and intermittently washing our eyes out with bleach), but we wanted to give credit where credit was due. Our favorite car at the 2022 SEMA Show was a humble 30-year-old Honda Civic hatchback at the Yokohama Advan booth. Even better, it was brought in to advertise the remake of Advan’s famed Oni wheels. Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser body panels are here to help you rebuild an FJ40
One of the surest signs a car has become a classic is when an aftermarket company begins to offer body panels for it. At the SEMA Show this year, we stumbled upon a outfit making replica body panels for nearly every surface of the FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser. In theory, if you bought them all you could recreate the your dream 4×4 with brand new rust-free sheetmetal. Continue reading
Toyota’s TRD tricolor will never not look cool
At the SEMA Show Toyota unveiled a colossal number of trucks while announcing yet another line of off-road sub-brands called Trailhunter. Apparently this overlanding thing is really taking off (/s). The coolest among this gaggle of 4x4s is a Sequoia that’s been slathered with the old TRD tricolor on every conceivable surface. It’s almost too much red, orange, and yellow. Ah, who are we kidding? this livery will always be cool. Continue reading
Casio’s Honda watches are a tribute to historic machines
We don’t really know a lot about watches here at JNC, but our recent article about an Initial D and MF Ghost Casio took us down a bit of a rabbit hole. Turns out Casio is an official partner of Honda Racing and has been making some pretty spiffy watches are part of that relationship. There are two that caught our eyes specifically, inspired by the legendary racing machines of the Honda RA272 Formula 1 car and the Honda RC162 race bike. Continue reading
