Infiniti launched exactly 32 years ago today, on November 8, 1989. To mark the occasion, the company has released an 8-part documentary on the origins of the brand. What’s unusual about this series is that there is almost no footage of the cars themselves, no clips of engineers at drafting tables or designers molding clay. It’s just one guy, Dean Leathers, a member of Infiniti’s launch team in the 1980s, talking about the old days. And yet, it’s still interesting. Continue reading
QotW: What JNC should receive a lifetime achievement award for design?
Recently, the Daihatsu HiJet received a lifetime achievement award from Japan’s top design institution. There haven’t been many cars to receive this honor. Past recipients have included the Nissan Cube and Toyota HiAce. While these vehicles are surely deserving, they’re just all so, well, practical. Sure, they’ve done a lot for the delivery drivers of Japan, but what about driver drivers? Certainly there is a car that evokes joy, elegance, refinement, or some other form of vehicular excellence. Cars are meant to be driven, and is carving a touge pass or carrying occupants in luxury not just as pure an expression of the automobile as cargo capacity?
For the purposes of this question we’ll adhere to the rules of the HiJet’s prize, the Good Design Long Life award. That means it will have to have been on the market for more than 10 years (multiple generations are okay) and must endure in some way as a marker of Japan.
What JNC should receive a lifetime achievement award for design?
The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Tell us you’re a JNC owner without telling us you own a JNC.” Continue reading
Honda S660 extends final production run, for the fans
It’s always good to hear a story about a carmaker doing something for the fans. Honda announced that sad news back in March that production of the S660 roadster would be coming to a close. That led to a spike in S660 purchases, causing it to be sold out much sooner than even Honda had expected. As a result, Honda says it has decided to extend S660 production so more fans can grab one before they’re gone for good. Continue reading
Yamaha XSR900 joins 80s-inspired retro motorcycle craze
Yamaha has unveiled its new XSR900 ahead of the Milan Motorcycle Show later this month. The sports heritage model is a throwback to the 1980s, when Yamaha’s Grand Prix road racing bikes were vying for world dominance against the likes of Honda and Suzuki. In 1984 Yamaha won both the 500cc and 250cc classes, and the 2022 XSR900 is a nod to that historic year. Continue reading
Toyota Chinook Camper reborn in “Tacozilla” SEMA build
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
