Japanese Nostalgic Car

Pop culture can make cars into stars, but also destroy them. If it wasn’t for Back to the Future the DeLorean would be a historical footnote. If it wasn’t for 007, the Aston Martin DB4 would not even be uttered in the same breath as Porsche today. On the other hand, how many Highland Green ’68 Mustangs do we have to see at a Ford show? How many JZA80 Supras must be bastardized to recreate a cringey car from a mediocre movie? How many iterations of the silver and blue 2 Fast 2 Furious R34 must we walk past in the Target toy aisle? Sometimes fandom goes too far.

What car has been absolutely ruined by pop culture?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your craziest tire-related story?“. Continue reading →

Today, April 7, is Tire Gauge Day in Japan. It was established by Asahi Sangyo, a tire gauge manufacturer established in 1946, to remind people of the importance of keeping your car tires properly inflated. My craziest story doesn’t involve the tires on my own car, but that of a tractor-trailer wheel-and-tire combo that came bounding over the highway median one day while I was taking my 66,000-mile factory 5-speed ’97 Lexus SC300 out for a drive one day. It was bouncing at least 15 feet in the air headed right toward me. I swerved two lanes and the truck tire, which typically weighs 110-120 pounds, obliterated the front of Prius that was behind me.

What’s your craziest tire-related story?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Gun to your head, which crossover would you drive for the rest of your life?“. Continue reading →

The body style wars were bloody, but a clear victor has emerged. Sedans are dead; the crossover reigns supreme. Future generations will sing the praises of Mazda CX-5s and Acura MDXes the way we applaud ‘Speed 6s and Integras. Resistance is futile. But before you’re absorbed into the collective, the overlords will grant you one reprieve. You get to choose the crossover you drive for the rest of your miserable little existence, or perish. No body-on-frame SUVs, no vans, no wagons.

Gun to your head, which crossover would you drive for the rest of your life?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “When a marque dies, do its classics lose their luster or become more legendary?“. Continue reading →

What happens when a marque dies? Not that we have anything particular on the mind; it’s just a random topic that came up around the JNC water cooler the other day. Some of us believe that the lack of connection to a living company means that people will eventually lose interest in the brand’s cars, even the classics. Others believe that the certainty those classics will never be revived or supported makes them even more sought-after. Which side are you on?

When a marque dies, do its classics lose their luster or become more legendary?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite automotive manga or comic?“. Continue reading →