A bunch of Mazda engineers recently took their basement collection of classics out for a drive for an internal event. Cars in the group included Miatas, a Eunos Cosmo, and even an FD RX-7 converted to LHD Spirit-R spec. But you know what we heard repeatedly from those who participated? The 323 GTX was the most impressive car of them all. Think about that before you plunk down $50,000 for an FD. Happy 323 Day from JNC!
Nissan’s Heritage Parts Program adds body panels for R33 and R34 Skyline GT-R
Nissan’s Heritage Parts Program has announced some pretty significant parts for the R33 and R34 Skyline GT-Rs. The latest batch of revival parts includes large body panels for 1995-2002 Godzillas. This includes fenders and rear quarter panels for the R33, as well as some floorpan sections and left and right members for the R33 and R34. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged NISMO, nissan, Nissan Heritage Program, r33, r34, skyline, Skyline GT-R
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QotW: Who’s your favorite race car driver?
Ernest Hemingway once said, “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” That’s because these were the only ones where one could lose one’s life. Last week we lost one of the greats, Kunimitsu Takahashi. Today, March 31, also happens to be the birthday of Ayrton Senna, who would be 62 today if he were still alive. These legends did things behind the wheel that no one thought was humanly possible. It seems a good a time as any to ask:
Who’s your favorite race car driver?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the dumbest thing a car company has offered?” Continue reading
Mitsubishi’s Pajero factory has been sold to manufacture toilet paper
Mitsubishi is selling its shuttered Pajero factory to Daio Paper, Japan’s leading maker of tissue and toilet paper. It’s an ignoble end for the plant, formerly the crown jewel of Mitsubishi Motors’ manufacturing empire. The facility was famously named after Mitsubishi’s 12-time Paris-Dakar Rally winner, the pride and joy of a once proud carmaker. Continue reading
Kunimitsu Takahashi, legendary racing driver and grandfather of drifting, dies at 82
One of the greatest names in Japanese motorsports has died. Kunimitsu Takahashi, motorcycle rider and automobile racing driver, passed away on March 16 at the age of 82. In the final years of his life, Takahashi had been battling lymphoma. Though perhaps best known for his career as a factory Nissan driver during the legendary Hakosuka GT-R’s heyday, and later as a manager of Honda’s Raybrig NSX SuperGT team, the lesser known chapters of his life are just as fascinating. Continue reading
Posted in Legends
Tagged c10, honda, keiichi tsuchiya, kunimitsu takahashi, nissan, porsche, prince, r32, r380, r382, skyline
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Honda Dax motorcycle revived, joins retro Super Cub and Monkey in 125cc fun club
Honda has been on a roll reviving its most iconic compact motorcycles. The latest one to join the party, the ST125 Dax, has just been released in Europe. As the name implies, it’s powered by the same 125cc four-stroke single as the Grom and Super Cub, as well as the recently revived Trail Cub and Monkey. With all those options it may seem that Honda does not need yet another bike with the same engine, but the Dax’s retro charm may prove otherwise. Continue reading
Two Nissan concepts have been crushed at a scrapyard
Once proudly displayed on auto show turntables with the eyes and cameras of global media trained on them, two Nissan concept cars have met their unceremonious ends in a Tennessee junkyard. Both were stars at Nissan’s booth at the North American International Auto Show in different years. The Nissan Quest Concept debuted on the Detroit stage in 2002, while the Nissan Bevel was unveiled in 2007. Continue reading
Subaru ceases development of gasoline WRX STI cars
It’s the end of an era. For three decades cars branded with Subaru Technica International’s initials have graced Subaru’s top performance cars. However, Subaru has announced that it will officially cease production of gasoline-powered WRX STI cars. It’s an immediate stop, and the current WRX, which debuted last year, will not be getting an STI variant. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the dumbest thing a car company has offered?
Last week Acura dropped some details about the reborn Integra. We can debate the merits of the car itself, and we have, but the thing about the launch that left us appalled was the fact that Acura was offering buyers an Integra NFT to drum up excitement. Almost a year ago we made automotive NFTs our April Fool’s post, but since then classic car NFTs have become an actual thing. So has destroying a real car and offering its demise an an NFT — thankfully it’s not an irreplaceable classic, as we joked, but that’s probably only a matter of time.
Anyway, we didn’t mean for this to be a rant about NFTs. Car companies have been offering other dumb things long before the digital age. We once received a Nissan USA-branded promotional tool kit — with all standard unit tools. Years ago we came across a neat diecast car in BRE livery, except it was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Also, everything offered in the official Ferrari store.
What’s the dumbest thing a car company has offered?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What vehicle would you use to escape a war-torn hellscape?” Continue reading
The Acura Integra returns after a 22-year hiatus
After more than two decades off the books, Acura has revived the Integra name. After a roller coaster of emotions revolving around the name, from the announcement hype to a disappointing concept reveal, we at least now have some concrete numbers on which to judge the successor to one of the most beloved sport compacts in history. Continue reading
Posted in Next Version
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Suzuka Circuit’s 60th anniversary Fan Appreciation Day
Over the weekend, Suzuka Circuit held its annual Fan Appreciation Day, a festival for motorsports enthusiasts of all stripes. The early spring event has always been an unofficial kick-off to Japan’s motorsports season, but this year it was a special occasion. Not only did it mark the event’s return after two years of cancelation due to the pandemic, but 2022 is Suzuka Circuit’s 60th anniversary. Continue reading
The Volk Racing 21A’s introduction completes Rays’ neo-classic wheels trilogy
Rays Wheels has launched their latest neo-classic model, the Volk Racing 21A. With its introduction to the market, the wheelmaker has completed its wheels inspired by the glory days of Japanese tuning and built for domestic cars of the era, what it calls the VAC collection. Continue reading
Posted in wheels
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Yumiko Okayasu went from acting to driver to race team owner
Yumiko Okayasu was born Tokyo in 1961, and began her career as the head of a street performance dance crew. By the mid-80s, she had joined the ranks of Japan’s entertainment industry as a singer and actor. Her big breakout came when one of her songs, “Dangerous Sexy Girl” was used in a commercial for a Subaru Rex. Ironically, she ended up being a standout Mitsubishi racer and eventual team owner. Continue reading
Happy TE37 Day from JNC
The TE37 Toyota Corolla had one of the cleverest US side marker light adaptations in the automotive universe. In Japan, the TE37 had three vents on the rear of the car. The US market mandated side marker lights, which often disrupted the original designs of cars whose nations of origin did not require them. So, Toyota simply added the rear side markers to the bottom vent, which happened to be positioned perfectly for the light. Voilá, problem solved! Happy TE37 Day from JNC!
QotW: What vehicle would you use to escape a war-torn hellscape?
It was a good five minutes we had between a global pandemic and a world order-realigning conflict that will likely plunge us back into a new cold — or maybe even hot — war. Our hearts go out to the people fleeing Ukraine right now, as well as those staying to fight. If it were possible we’d donate thousands of Land Cruisers, Pajeros, Jimnys, and whatever vehicles readers deem best of the situation at hand. Instead, we have donated to these worthy organizations. But if it were possible to donate cars…
What vehicle would you use to escape a war-torn hellscape?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What Japanese car would you build a lowrider with?” Continue reading
The Toyota 2000GT Shelby racer is the first Japanese classic to break $2 million at auction
The Carroll Shelby-tuned Toyota 2000GT race car we wrote about earlier this week has sold for $2,535,000, becoming the first Japanese car to cross the $2 million threshold at auction. It’s a stunning result. Originally, we had some doubts it would fetch such a high price, due to the fact that it wasn’t hugely successful in this lower-tier racing series, but we are happy to be proven wrong.
You can read more about the car in our earlier article, or in our old print magazine. Given the provenance of this car, it seems unlikely this record will be broken any time soon.
1994 Infiniti Q45: Now with more grille!
Fair or not, the Infiniti launch in 1989 will forever be remembered in the annals of automotive business history as a series of blunders. The name was weird and misspelled (this was decades before words like Google or Lyft could be names of multi-billion dollar companies). Television ads never showed the car. And when people finally did see the car, it shocked them with its Voldemort-like ugliness because it lacked a big fat chrome grille. Continue reading
Toyota Supra belonging to Japanese Prime Minister candidate to undergo restoration
Although Sanae Takaichi lost her bid to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister last year, she remains one of Japan’s most powerful women. She also happens to be the original owner of a 1991 Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited. For the past decade Takaichi has been a bit busy with her many jobs, including Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications during the Abe administration, so she hasn’t had much time to drive it. But now, with the help of Toyota, Takaichi’s Supra is about to undergo a full restoration. Continue reading
R32 and R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R CRS concepts go for a spin at Fuji Speedway
The Nissan Skyline GT-R’s menu of factory tuned versions run deep, and one could argue that the NISMO CRS cars are the ultimate examples of the breed. The Clubman Race Spec treatment, which combines the highest level parts NISMO has to offer, is available on R32 through R35 generations, and upgrade the already potent machines for amateur track duty. It’s a rare treat to see these cars at all, but Nissan has just released a video of the R32 and R33 CRS at speed at Fuji Speedway. Continue reading
The Shelby SCCA Toyota 2000GT will likely be the first Japanese classic to break $2 million, maybe $3 million, at auction
Among historically significant Japanese cars, the 2000GT sits right there at the top of the heap. Among 2000GTs, the Carroll Shelby’s ex-SCCA race car is one of the most historically significant. The car is almost certainly going to be the first Japanese classic to break the $2 million auction barrier, and possibly the $3 million barrier when it goes up for sale this weekend. Continue reading
