For decades, there has been a particular breed of customer for the Toyota Crown. These buyers were so loyal, dealers could count on them to trade in for each new generation before they had ever laid eyes on the car. Orders closed on the current generation Crown in March, but for the first time these same dealers are reporting that these once steadfast Crown devotees are holding back. Images of the next-generation Crown have leaked, and it seems to have confirmed their doubts. Continue reading
Okay so it’s not really a Subaru GL Wagon in any real shape or form. It’s Travis Pastrana’s “Family Huckster”, a late-model WRX STI with carbon fiber panels formed to resemble a Leone-based wagon. Said to be powered by Subaru boxer making 862-horsepower, it made its inaugural public run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend. Turns out, it was one of the fastest cars at the event. Continue reading
Over the weekend the 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb took place. The event was marked by rain and dense fog, conditions that shattered any chance of drivers setting new records. One driver that didn’t need to prove anything was Rod Millen, who brought the historic Pikes Peak Tacoma out of retirement for another run up one of the tallest mountains in the Rockies. Continue reading
The third-generation Toyota 4Runner ushered the model into the modern age. Split from its HiLux pickup roots, it was a fully modernized SUV that still managed to maintain its off-road cred. It arrived at just the right time for Toyota, too, at the start of an SUV boom that caught rivals like Honda off-guard with no equal in the lineup. Continue reading
Years ago, I had a dream of turning my factory 1997 Lexus SC into a JDM-spec Soarer. The SC and naturally aspirated Supra 5-speeds used Toyota’s W58 transmission, but to get big power to the rear wheels you needed the more robust R154 5-speed transmission found in A70 Supra Turbos. Those were available in the US, as were turbo JZ engines, but what proved impossible to get was the bellhousing to mate the two. The Soarer came from the factory with a 1JZ and R154, so during a trip to Japan I visited a Toyota dealer to buy one, and all the associated bits like the shift linkage and rear extension. Oh, and a Soarer griffin badge for the hood.
I knew about five words in Japanese and the parts guy at the dealer spoke no English. This was long before online translators, but showing epic patience and true Japanese hospitality, he spent 90 minutes with me playing the world’s worst game of Pictionary as I drew each part. By the time I left, it was an hour past closing. A few days later I went back to pick everything up. As I tallied up the parts, I realized the badge was missing. Perhaps an oversight, or something lost in translation. I paid for what I had, the man apologized, and ordered the griffin. I returned a few days later to pick up the badge. As I reached for my wallet the man gestured no, and gave me the approximately $80 part as a gift. I’m sure this is far from the best example, just as there are horror stories.
What’s your craziest story about buying goods from Japan?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How are high fuel prices affecting your driving?“. Continue reading
Toyota has begun restoration on a very rare Land Cruiser FJJ. Introduced in 1954, it was first Land Cruiser to bear any kind of “FJ” chassis code. Originally designed for use as a fire engine, Toyota only sold it to governments and never to private parties. Toyota themselves didn’t even have one in their collection, until now. Continue reading
The 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb starts this Friday. As it happens, the latest update to Gran Turismo 7 released this week brings back one of the greatest race cars of all time — at least for the in-game universe. The Pikes Peak Escudo was introduced in Gran Turismo 2 and, once unlocked, it dominated the game in almost comical fashion with its ridiculously massive spoiler and nearly 1,000 horsepower on tap. Continue reading
If you missed your chance to get a Nissan Figaro, the throwback design of the Suzuki Lapin LC is here to save the day. It’s been a while since a Japanese carmaker has produced something in the retro-cute category. With the Lapin LC, Suzuki reaches way back into their history for a deep cut from 55 years ago. Continue reading
Precious few cars that get the 6-figure restomod treatment. It’s no coincidence that these homages celebrate the absolute icons of automotive history — the Porsche 911, Jaguar E-Type, or Ferrari Testarossa. Now the Subaru Impreza has been welcomed to the club, thanks to Prodrive, the UK race car engineering firm known for building countless rally machines. Continue reading
Fuel prices are at an all-time high, and that takes a toll on those who love cars. Fortunately for many JNCers, old Japanese cars get insanely good mileage. If you have a Datsun B210 or Honda CRX you can still enjoy your cars without too much pain at the pump. Not all of us are so lucky. We pretty much parked our Land Cruisers, rotaries, and Lexuses on the day the invasion of Ukraine began, and have been relegated to driving CX-5s and Camrys for daily duty.
How are high fuel prices affecting your driving?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the worst car buying experience you’ve ever had?“. Continue reading
The Datsun 620’s simple yet stylish lines are timeless. Somehow Nissan designers managed to create a truck that looked good without a bunch of unnecessary flourishes or overly ornate grilles. The only embellishment, if it could be called that, was a character line that began on the doors and extended into the top edge of the bed. There is an official name for this, in case you were wondering. It’s called the “wingline”. So now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Happy 620 Day from JNC!
If you love Toyota Land Cruisers, you’ve probably come across the Japanese firm Flex Auto’s restomods before. The shop specializes in transforming modern vehicles into their older counterparts. Their most popular offerings include J80 or J100 Land Cruisers with J60 noses convincingly grafted onto on them. After operating in Japan for decades, Flex Auto has announced that they will be opening their first US shop later this year. Continue reading
Details about the live action Gran Turismo movie have come to light. First off, it’s now an actual feature length movie, not a series, as had been previously reported. Now we have some info about the actual plot, which will feature a bunch of Nissan race cars. Best of all, there’s a director known for his fondness of Nissan GT-Rs leading the project. Continue reading
Over the weekend, Toyota won its fifth consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just before the race, Le Mans tradition requires that the previous year’s winner bring back their trophy so it can be passed on to the next champion. This year, Toyota chose a very special car to return the prize, the Toyota 85C-L, a car that connected a father-son racing dynasty after 37 years. Continue reading
Last December, one of the final events at Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom in Tokyo, before the venue closed for good at the end of the year, was the unveiling of 16 concept cars. One of them, an electric SUV called the Toyota Compact Cruiser, was said to have been inspired by a classic Land Cruiser. Though buried way in the back row, it was actually one of the most compelling of the 16 Toyota and Lexus concepts shown. Now, it has won a 2022 Auto Design Award for Best Concept. Continue reading
A few years ago a friend of JNC finally bought his dream car, a machine that he’d been talking about and saving up for for years. It had a Toyota engine, but the rest was a bit more British. After a long search he finally found one in the proper color and condition. It appeared to have been well cared for and the seller seemed honest, so he made the deal in a private party sale on the most expensive car he’d ever bought, happy to have finally achieved his long-awaited goal. Within 24 hours of taking possession, the motor exploded due to oil starvation. What should have been a beautiful ownership experience was marred by a $10,000 repair bill.
What’s the worst car buying experience you’ve ever had?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your most memorable rainy day car story?“. Continue reading
You hear about the “little old lady” driven sports cars still with their original owners, but how many of those stories are actually true? In the case of one Acura Integra Type R, the story is not simply myth. The husband and wife who own the ITR are 86 and 84 years old, respectively. And thanks to a generous shop and crowdfunded donors, this epitome of Honda engineering has been reconditioned for the world’s coolest grandparents. Continue reading
What deep sea creature does the 1973-76 Nissan Bluebird U remind you of? The 6-cylinder variant of the 610-generation Bluebird needed an elongated front end to accommodate the straight-six, so Nissan gave the nose a whole new design. That included scuttles that looked like shark gills and a pointed prow that resembled a shark’s snout. In the grand tradition of Japanese nicknames, the Bluebird U came to be known as the sameburu, with same (sah-may) being the word for “shark” and buru an abbreviation for Bluebird. Happy 610 Day from JNC!
The hits just keep on coming from Toyota. After a period of sporty car drought, Toyota is no longer pulling any punches. A revived Supra, second-generation 86, GR Yaris and GR Corolla have all arrived (or will arrive) in quick succession. Next up: the gorgeous GR GT3 has been confirmed to have moved into the development stage. Continue reading
Forget Dom Toretto. The best action scene involving a red FD Mazda RX-7 comes from a far more obscure movie that also has the word “Fast” in the title, and beats the original The Fast and the Furious by seven years. In 1994’s Fast Getaway II, an RX-7 Touring leads police cruisers on a long car chase through the streets of Tucson, Arizona. Continue reading
