Toyota has revealed its incredible Tacoma-based Tacozilla, a retro mobile home based on the Chinook campers of the 1970s. Unlike the Chinooks of old, which were mostly fitted to 2WD pickups, the Tacozilla rides on a 4WD Tacoma TRD Sport chassis for overlanding. The result is impressive, even if it makes many concessions to style over practicality. Continue reading
A Honda NSX joins the Toyota Automobile Museum’s permanent collection
Last month the Toyota Automobile Museum unveiled a new addition to their permanent collection: a 1991 Honda NSX. As those who have visited the museum know, Toyota’s museum not just a showcase of Toyotas, but a comprehensive look at the history of the automobile itself. Finished in classic Formula Red, the NSX found its new home among its contemporaries, including an AE86 Corolla Levin, NA Mazda Roadster, R32 Skyline GT-R, and a LHD Lexus LS400. Continue reading
QotW: Tell us you’re a JNC owner without telling us you’re a JNC owner
The JNC life is a hard one. There’s a lot to deal with when you drive an old car, so let’s commiserate with each other by playing the Tell Me Challenge, in which you tell your fellow travelers what it’s like to own an old Japanese car without actually saying that. For instance, “I have enough parts stashed away to build a second example of my car,” or, “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I look at Bring a Trailer,” or, “People always ask me what year Mustang I’m driving.”
Tell us you’re a JNC owner without telling us you own a JNC.
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the one car enthusiast tourist thing you must do before you die?”. Continue reading
Toyota will begin making new parts for the AE86 again as the Hachiroku joins the Heritage Parts Program
Toyota announced on November 1 that it will begin remaking parts for the AE86 Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno. The beloved Hachiroku is the latest car to be added to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program. What’s more, Toyota has said that these parts will be available both in Japan and overseas. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged ae86, corolla, corolla levin, GR Heritage Parts Project, Heritage Parts Program, sprinter trueno, toyota
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The Daihatsu HiJet has won Good Design’s lifetime achievement award
The Daihatsu HiJet, perhaps the most ubiquitous of all the many kei trucks in Japan, has won Good Design’s “Long Life” award. It’s one of Japan’s highest honors in the field of industrial design, recognizing graphics, products, and architecture that bear the standard in their categories, that have stood the test of time, and that have become beloved cornerstones of Japanese society. Continue reading
Mazda reveals 990S Roadster, an even lighter ND Miata
God love Mazda. As if the ND Miata wasn’t already one of the purest, lightest sports cars on the road today, in Japan Mazda has just announced an even lighter model. It’s called the Mazda Roadster 990S because it weighs just 990 kg (approximately 2,180 pounds). That’s almost as light as the original NA Miata from 1989. Continue reading
Watch an original Acura NSX being slung around by an F1 driver
At last weekend’s US Grand Prix, Formula One drivers from the Honda-powered Scuderia AlphaTauri team got the chance to throw an original Acura NSX around Austin, Texas’ Circuit of the Americas. Though their driving was impressive, it’s almost funny because neither was alive when the NSX debuted and both have made their careers exclusively in the paddle-shift era. To them, the Honda supercar is basically an antique. Continue reading
The Subaru GL-Turbo 3-door 4WD is a total unicorn
Talk about a unicorn. The Subaru 3-door was probably the rarest of all the US-market third-generation Leones, and was significant for being Fuji Heavy’s first sporty model offered in the US market. Despite this notable history, there remains precious little about these boxy boxers online, even in the modern internet age. Continue reading
10-mile Honda CRX could be the most pristine example on Earth
A 1990 Honda CRX billed as the lowest-mileage example anywhere in the world has come up for sale. With just 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) on the odometer that claim is likely to be accurate, at least if we discount the possibility of an undriven one at one of Honda’s museums. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the one car enthusiast tourist thing you must do before you die?
Today is Industrial Tourism Day in Japan, an occasion that sounds a lot more boring than it is. Started by the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce, it asks people to explore the ingenuity and craftsmanship that may lurk behind the scenes but that make up everyday objects and drive the country’s economy. The automobile is a huge part of it, and the world has no shortage of museums, racing circuits, car meets, or incredible roads to celebrate the car.
What’s the one car enthusiast tourist thing you must do before you die?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite JNC work vehicle?” Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Traffic in eastern Tokyo circa 1964
We haven’t done a Showa Snap in a while, but this shot of Tokyo from 1964 seemed like a good photo to bring it back with. This shot of eastern Tokyo is another bustling street scene, with buses, streetcars, and swarm of sedans. The big ones — Toyota Crowns, Nissan Cedrics, and the occasional Isuzu Bellel — are almost all taxis. Privately owned cars number much fewer. Datsun Bluebirds seem to be the popular choice, and the distinct rounded shape of a VW Beetle stands out from the crowd. You can practically smell the hydrocarbons as you gaze upon that beautiful sunset.
This 400,000-mile Acura NSX’s owner is our new hero
When it comes to classics, bone stock examples with as few miles as possible are always going to fetch the most coin. But there is another way to live, and that is by putting the most damn miles a person could possibly drive on a single car. And if that car happens to be an Acura NSX, well, you’ve pretty much figured out life. Continue reading
Sadly, Netflix’s Kate is not about kaido racers
You may have seen a trailer for a relatively new action movie on Netfllix named Kate, in which a pink kaido racer speed through the streets of Tokyo. The right car will definitely draw us into a film, and a caged 330 Nissan Cedric in an American movie presses all those buttons. Sadly, despite its prominence in the trailer, the car has very little to do with the actual story. Continue reading
The award-winning 1980s Honda Civic Si kicked off modern age of sporting Hondas
On October 24, 1984 Honda launched the original Civic Si in Japan. Based on the third-generation Civic that had debuted a year prior, the car packed an almost inconceivable amount of performance into a small and easily affordable package. It was a revelation, and it could be argued that this tiny box on wheels ushered in the modern age of sporting Hondas. Continue reading
Honda brings out all the classics in new ad, “The Origin of Determination”
Every once in a while Honda will put out an ad that reaches deep into its past and pull out all the classics. Sometimes the results are downright beautiful, sometimes they’re terrible. The latest one, released today, falls somewhere in between. The concept is fantastic, but the obvious computer generation of the cars kind of ruins it. It’s understandable though, because the spot has more classics than we’ve ever seen in a single commercial and it would have been impossible to coordinate without the use of pixels. Continue reading
Posted in cm
Tagged acura, civic, Civic EG, Civic Type R, crx, Dream D-Type, Element, honda, Honda N-Series, McLaren Honda MP4/4, nsx, ra272, Ridgeline, s2000, S500/S600/S800, sb1, t360, vamos
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QotW: What’s your favorite JNC work vehicle?
Today is Driver’s Day in Japan, an occasion to honor the professionals who operate the trucks, buses, and taxis that make the economy hum. It takes place on October 18 every year, because an alternate pronunciation of the numbers “ten, one, eight” happens to be do rai ba, or “driver” in Japanese. Japan has a huge number of workhorse vehicles, from post office Super Cubs to three-wheeled pickups to blinged out Hinos. Not to mention nearly every wagon ever made had a commercial “van” variant, so there’s no shortage to choose from.
What’s your favorite JNC work vehicle?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite Japanese race truck?“. Continue reading
Toyota is building a 1970s Chinook-inspired Tacoma camper
If you were around in the 70s and 80s, you probably have vivid memories of neat little campers built from Toyota HiLux pickups. The compact motorhomes were an official Toyota product, sold at dealerships and borne of a partnership between the Big T and the Chinook Mobilodge Company. Now, Toyota is paying tribute to those mini-RVs with a new project using a Tacoma as a foundation. Continue reading
Reborn Acura Integra’s manual transmission confirmed
Stick shifters, rejoice! The 2022 Acura Integra will have a manual gearbox. Acura revealed the teaser in a clever video titled “Generational Shift” that depicted the standard transmissions (remember when they were called that?) of all past Integra models, including the RSX, being rowed by an enthusiastic driver. Continue reading
The Twilight Express Mizukaze is the Toyota Century of trains
Today is Railway Day in Japan, established to commemorate the opening of the country’s first rail line, which connected Tokyo and Yokohama on October 14, 1872. Nearly 50 years later and exactly 100 years ago today, on October 14, 1921, Japan’s Railway Museum opened in Tokyo. So today we’ll take the opportunity to draw your attention to one of the most unique, beautiful, and luxurious trains in Japan. Continue reading
VIDEO: The 1982 RX-7 GS was reviewed surprisingly similarly to modern Mazdas
We’ve seen a lot of Motorweek‘s old reviews, but a recently uploaded flashback to a 1982 Mazda RX-7 GS is a standout. Few have raved about their subject matter as much as this one. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the RX-7 is a fantastic car. What does surprise us, though, is just how closely the test matches today’s reviews of Mazda’s products some 40 years later. Continue reading
