Today is the Lunar New Year and we have now left he Year of the Ox and entered the Year of the Tiger. Unfortunately, the only Tiger cars we know of are the Sunbeam Tiger and the Opel Tigra, neither of which are Japanese. So, we’re going to pick the next closest thing, a Nissan Leopard, to usher in the new year. The zodiac symbol is supposed to represent bravery, strength, and hope (as in, let’s hope this pandemic is over soon). Happy Year of the Tiger from JNC!
Nissan has teased its upcoming Superbowl ad starring the 2023 Nissan Z. Called “Thrill Driver”, it also features some human stars in the form of Eugene Levy, Danai Gurira, and Dave Bautista. The bulk of the action, however, appears to take place with a Z being chased by black-suited motorcyclists. If that sounds like déjà vu, that’s because 32 years ago Nissan released another star-powered Superbowl commercial to promote the then-new 300ZX Twin Turbo. Continue reading
As car enthusiasts, we’re familiar with the cycle of excitement and disappointment that accompanies car movies. Typically, you’ll see a trailer that promises incredible stunts and lots of action. Then after you’ve bought your ticket and popcorn, the actual movie delivers some total bullcrap like driving backwards down a freeway at 75 mph. This particular sin even happens in movies that supposedly to cater to car enthusiasts. But it doesn’t have to be something so egregious; even a simple joke in which one of Soichiro’s greatest is played for laughs boils the blood of a few readers we know.
What movie or TV car scenes have angered you most?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which seven cars would be in your dream garage if money was no object?“. Continue reading
Back in 1996 the idea of a front-wheel-drive Honda being anything but an economic commuter was still an alien concept to most Americans. But, it had grown big enough that even a public broadcast show like Motorweek was reporting on it. This was many years after Japanese cars, or “imports” as they were called at the time, had begun illicit street races on the streets of California, but also many years before The Fast & The Furious became a nationwide hit. Continue reading
While not quite as ambitious as the 6-rotor Eunos Cosmo, another Mazda that caught our attention from the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon was the show’s sole RX-3 Wagon. Done up in a touring car style that evokes the Savanna RX-3 race cars from the 1970s, it answers the question of what Yoshimi Katayama’s grocery getter might look like. Continue reading
One car that made a splash at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was a JC Mazda Cosmo with a 6-rotor motor. Built by Anniversary Racing Factory, a rotary specialty shop in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, the engine consists of three 13Bs sandwiched together and measures over one meter long. Amazingly, the car looks stock from the outside — from the front three-quarters view, at least. Continue reading
The Tokyo Auto Salon is traditionally filled with over-the-top booths filled with over-the-top builds. But this year, it was humble Daihatsu that took the cake with a lineup of HiJet kei trucks that dated back to 1960. There were 10 generations on display in all while customized versions of the latest and eleventh gen, which just came out in December 2021, sat at the forefront. Continue reading
Over the weekend some of the JNC staff played this hypothetical game, as we are wont to do. Let’s say you had enough money to buy any seven cars you wanted, but they were the only seven cars you could ever own for the rest of your life. They’ll have to perform all the duties you need — daily, track, towing, etc. In this fantasy you have enough money to maintain all of them in top condition, and there’s no selling them to buy a mansion or anything. You are stuck with them until the day you die.
Which seven cars would be in your dream garage if money was no object?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What is Japan’s Corvette?” Continue reading
Acura has launched its own anime series, titled Chiaki’s Journey. The story features a young driver, a lonely mountain road, a cocky rival, and a gruff father figure that pushes her to hone her driving skills. Sound familiar? It’s like Initial D but every car is an Acura. Continue reading
Subaru has revealed Travis Pastrana’s next steed for the Gymkhana video series, and it’s a good one. The long-time Subie collaborator is going full retro with a 1983 Subaru GL Wagon that’s got, perhaps, a few modifications under the skin. For comparison, a factory stock 4WD wagon with US Ski Team paint scheme was helpfully provided. Continue reading
In a show where copious horsepower and dazzling bling overshadows less shouty cars, a humble Subaru 360 Custom has taken the Grand Prix for kei cars at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Called the Subaru 360 Beach Van, it might be light on tire-smoking ability but makes up for it with loads of charm. Continue reading
One of the most notable displays at each year’s Tokyo Auto Salon belongs to NATS, the Nihon Automobile Technical College. As students there learn automobile maintenance, repair, and customization, they get to build some of the coolest (and most fun) school projects of all time. This year, one such creation, an insane Toyota Century limousine lowrider, took the top prize in the sedan category, beating out a slew of professional shops for the honor. Continue reading
Over the weekend the production Japanese-spec Nissan Fairlady Z was finally unveiled at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Joining it on stage at the custom car extravaganza, in addition to the standard yellow and blue, was one very orange customized version evoking thoughts of the legendary Fairlady Z432-R. Continue reading
On January 17, 1953, the first Chevrolet Corvette made its debut at the GM Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. In the nearly 70 years since, the world has come to know it as a symbol of the good ol’ US of A. Our question this week is about what car best fits that mold for Japan. We don’t mean a front-engined, RWD 2-seater with a V8, but a car that represents the engineering, performance, or spirit of Japan’s auto industry.
What is Japan’s Corvette?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car from 1997 do you want to import?“. Continue reading
As a carmaker Isuzu peaked early, but as a result we have the beautiful Isuzu 117 to admire and cherish. The Giugiaro-penned lines were said to have followed the curves of a woman. We’re not entirely sure we see it, but it definitely makes grassy fields a lot more interesting to look at. Happy 117 Day from JNC!
The Toyota GR GT3 Concept has just been unveiled at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon, signaling the Big T’s intention to enter the GT3 class of touring car racing. The car is absolutely gorgeous, hands down the best looking Toyota in the carmaker’s entire portfolio right now, and that’s because it’s essentially a reskinned Mazda RX-Vision. This is a significant development is so many ways. Continue reading
Toyota has just announced a significant expansion of new items for its Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts program. Most cover the FJ40 Land Cruiser and, surprisingly, the A70 Supra. However, the AE86, A80 Supra, and 2000GT also get some love. The latter three receive fewer, but major, hardware in this significant update. Continue reading
Back in September, Nissan released some illustrations of an electric Silvia revival. Penned by Matthew Weaver, a vice president at Nissan’s European design studio, it pays homage to the original Silvia, the 1965 CSP311. At the time, it was just an assignment where Weaver was asked to come up with an electric car based on something from Nissan’s past. Now, the electric Silvia is apparently being seriously considered. Continue reading
Mazda has filed a patent application for a 3-rotor hybrid drivetrain configured for a rear-wheel-drive layout. Obviously, if built, it would be the first rotary-engined car since the 2012 death of the RX-8, and the first triple-rotor production car since the JC Eunos Cosmo ended production in 1995. Just as obviously, though, it would totally buck prevailing market trends. The rotary, great as it was, was never as clean or as thrifty as a piston engine, and even those are phasing out. What’s going on in Hiroshima? Continue reading
It’s January 10, the day we honor the Nissan Skyline C110 chassis. It’s the car that in Japanese culture became synonymous with the romance of the open road. Why not take your JNC for a drive today to celebrate? Happy Kenmeri Day!
