Normally “national sales events” ads are pretty boring. You have the latest models zipping along a city street while APR financing options are recited at Micro Machine Man speed. For this summer’s Toyotathon, however, Toyota is pulling out the classics for a multi-generational tale of Toyota ownership. Continue reading
One of the biggest mysteries of the universe will always be why Honda never capitalized on the whole “tuner” phenomenon of the 90s. Back in the era of front-wheel drag racing and underglow, car enthusiasts in the 18-34 age range thought Hondas and Acuras were the coolest ticket on the street. It was a marketing department’s dream, a demographic most companies would kill for, and yet, Honda completely ignored them. Continue reading
In 1985 Japan’s Patent Office named the country’s 10 greatest inventors. As it turns out, a full six out of the ten came from Japan’s central region. The most famous among them, at least to automotive enthusiasts, was Sakichi Toyoda, founder of what the company we know today as Toyota. That is why Toyoda-san’s home prefecture established August 1 as Aichi Invention Day. It was 125 years ago today, on August 1, 1897, that Mr Toyoda received the patent on the automatic loom upon which the Toyota empire was built. In that spirit, our question for the week is:
What is the best engineered Toyota?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you encourage a kid who’s just discovering cars?” Continue reading
After much consternation and speculation the 16th-generation Crown was launched earlier this month, and to be honest we are still vexed. The Crown Crossover is, to us, such an affront to nearly 70 years of tradition that we can’t stop thinking about it. It’s not just its grotesque styling or front-wheel biased AWD drivetrain, though those are bothersome, but it represents a greater question. That is, does Toyota care about its own history? Continue reading
After a 23 year absence, the fire-breathing Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette race car is back in Gran Turismo. The iconic race car is part of the July 2022 free update to GT7, making its long-awaited return to the franchise. This time, it’s one of over 400 so-called “super-premium quality” cars, which have significantly greater detail and high-fidelity engine sounds. It’s a fitting treatment for one of Japan’s most recognizable racing machines. Continue reading
Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki are reportedly teaming up to build a 1.0-liter sports car. There hasn’t been a real compact sports car from Japan since the Honda S660, and that was discontinued last year. A one-liter car would exceed kei car specs, but there is still room in the market for a niche performance car. The segment once teemed with offerings like the Honda Beat, Mazda AZ-1, and Suzuki Cappuccino, not to mention hot hatch kei cars like the Suzuki Alto Works. Continue reading
The city of Shibukawa, Gunma is promoting itself as the home town of Initial D protagonist Takumi Fujiwara. The real-life town is where all the action of the series began, and even now, 27 years after its debut, fans of the manga are still traveling there. Now, the city is adding taxis, inspired by the cars of Takumi and Keisuke Takahashi, that visitors can hail. Continue reading
On a recent visit with some friends that I haven’t seen in years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the younger of their two kids, now eight years old, is really into cars. His parents aren’t, so he’s been going to the library and borrowing the latest car magazines, studying the cars he sees on the street, and correcting his dad (“Our neighbor has a Land Cruiser, not a 4Runner!”). He reminds me of myself at that age. Naturally he loves supercars and big trucks, but I this is how I know he’s a connoisseur: his favorite is a Subaru WRX.
I immediately gave him a stack of Hot Wheels, but it made me somewhat sad. “Is this a real car?” he asked of the Honda CRX. “I’ve never seen one before,” he said of the FD Mazda RX-7. “So many coupes!” he noted as he opened Nissans, Porsches, and Camaros. He’s grown up in a world of Teslas and crossovers. I want to introduce him to the classics.
How do you encourage a kid who’s just discovering cars?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the last year that had cars which interested you?“. Continue reading
Yesterday Honda launched the new Civic Type R, but the occasion was more than just the debut of Honda’s latest FF rocket. Honda also took the opportunity to celebrate the Civic’s 50th birthday with a lineup of multiple body styles and generations. People would have been there just to see the new Type R, but the celebration was a nice little nod to the history of Honda’s most important model. Continue reading
It’s been 30 years since a tiny red letter “R” appeared on a Championship White Honda. That car was the 1992 NSX Type R, an even more hard core, light weight, and track focused version of Honda’s already brilliant supercar. That would be fitting enough a reason to launch the new Civic Type R this year, but it also happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Civic itself. Which is the grander accomplishment? Continue reading
This year marks the 50th anniversary of one history’s most important motorcycles, the Kawasaki Z1. To celebrate the occasion, and to promote the retro Z900RS inspired by the Z1, the company held a little event at its Swiss importer’s headquarters. As it happens, this is also the location of one of the largest and most thorough Kawasaki museums in the world. It houses around 100 bikes, each one brand new and displayed since it was unboxed. Continue reading
As you go forth and enjoy your summer vacations, please remember that gigantic mobile homes are excessive. Our ancestors made do with campers like this Datsun pickup, and they did it with style. Happy 720 Day from JNC!
About five years ago a bunch of automakers were trying to rebrand themselves as “mobility companies” to deal with the shifting trends of the industry. Car ownership was dead! People were just going to pay subscriptions to borrow a car whenever they needed one. Well, at least one good thing came out of it, and it’s the fact that you can now rent these classic Toyotas the next time you visit Japan. Continue reading
If you’re a glass-half-empty type of person, you’re probably not excited about where the automotive industry is headed. Each year that passes, there seems to be fewer and fewer enthusiast cars, and the ones that come out are compromised in some way. If you’re a glass-half-full type of person, you might think that the best is yet to come. With the advancement of technology cars perform better than ever, and new architectures like battery-electrics and PHEVs will offer things traditional combustion engines could only dream of.
What’s the last year that had cars which interested you?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your Honda Civic story?“. Continue reading
Thank the car gods that we were wrong. It turns out that the horrendously ugly Toyota Crown that we’re getting in the US is only one version of the Crown. There’s actually four versions of the car, including a rear-wheel-drive sedan that keeps the 67-year tradition of one of Toyota’s most venerated nameplates alive. Continue reading
After his assassination on July 8, the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was carried to its final resting place in a Toyota Century limousine hearse. Toyota’s most elegant car is a fitting way to travel through Tokyo for any head of state, but the Century hearse is even more majestic, measuring over five feet longer than the already lengthy sedan. Continue reading
When we last saw the dilapidated but rare Toyota Land Cruiser FJJ fire engine, it was being hauled from an owner’s driveway to a restoration shop. Turns out, that shop is Shinmei, a company that has been responsible for some of the most high-end restorations at the Toyota Automobile Museum. However, even the experts seem maddened by the some of the Land Cruiser’s challenges. Continue reading
The Honda Civic debuted on July 11, 1972. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, let’s look back on five decades of design sketches that have helped shape the car. Spanning 11 generations, the illustrations are taken from various stages of development of each chassis. Some are clear depictions of what the production versions turned out to be. Others are wildly different possibilities that from an alternate timeline. Continue reading
The 2022 Japanese Classic Car Show has opened its doors for registration. Now in its 17th year, the show continues to evolve. The biggest change this year is the award categories. There will now be two Best in Show awards, one for restomods, and one for stock. This is a welcome and long-overdue change that will keep judges from having to decide between craftsmanship and originality while recognizing both important sides of the Japanese classic car hobby. Continue reading
Fifty years ago today, on July 11, 1972, the Honda Civic went on sale. The tiny but mighty compact became synonymous with value, dependability, and the tuner culture of the 90s. It’s a household name to even the least car-aware people, and with 27 million sold it’s one of the best-selling nameplates in the world. Nearly everyone has either owned one or knows someone who has.
What’s your Honda Civic story?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What type of car has the best community of owners?“. Continue reading
