Isuzus that aren’t commercial trucks may be but a faint memory today, but back in 1986 the company seemed to be on a solid roll. They had just introduced a drastically improved Trooper SUV and an even more enhanced Impulse coupe — with turbo power. Both were good values, too. Who would’ve thought that in a little over two decades Isuzu would leave the US market altogether. Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser design sketches show evolution from FJ60
Releasing a car with impossibly high expectations on it can be a daunting task. With so much heritage to go on, the J300’s development team did not have an enviable task when they set out to develop the latest Land Cruiser. Toyota has been offering unusual transparency into the development process of the J300, having recently published a series of design sketches and videos of driving comparisons between the J300 and the outgoing J200. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your ideal touge weapon?
Today is Mountain Day in Japan, a day to celebrate the geological structures that comprise 80 percent of the nation’s land mass. Of course to car enthusiasts, mountains, specifically touge roads, represent the hallowed ground on which the quintessential lightweight Japanese sports coupe was honed. There’s nothing quite as satisfying a well-executed run along a snaking ribbon of asphalt with with dozens upon dozens of turns, and it takes a very special car to master it.
What’s your ideal touge weapon?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car do you wish you hadn’t sold?” Continue reading
Japan brought out its best cars for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964
The 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo was a turning point for Japan. They were the first Olympics to be held in Asia, and Japan was ready to rejoin the world as a symbol of modernity. As a show of its recovery, Japan’s industrial titans saw the Olympics as an opportunity to present their best wares, and the carmakers seized it. Continue reading
Posted in Nihon Life
Tagged cedric, colt, corona, crown, crown eight, debonair, dyna, fuso, gloria, mitsubishi, nissan, Olympics, prince, s30, s40, shinkansen, t40, toyota
7 Comments
Happy 8/6 Day from JNC
Cars that were once plentiful for under $1,000 are now worth big bucks. For those that have them, congrats. For those that don’t, hopefully you’ll get the chance to drive one someday. Happy 8/6 Day from JNC!
Mazda is working on an RX-Vision-esque flagship sports coupe, according to patent images
According to recently discovered Japanese patent filings, it appears Mazda is working on a flagship sports coupe. The unearthed illustrations show a rear corner view that looks like the stunning RX-Vision concept but with a slightly more production-friendly shape. Continue reading
More than you can afford pal: Toyota Supra Turbo sells for $201,000
Last week, an original owner, 7,000-mile A80 Supra sold for $201,000. It is not the first time a Supra has crossed into the 6-digit territory, but it has set the record for the most an A80 that’s not a movie star has ever fetched. Continue reading
How one Nissan owner’s love for the Z31 led him to a rare widebody 300ZX
We at JNC have been known to love the third-generation Z-car, although it’s kind of a neglected stepchild of the line. Even Nissan themselves sometimes forgets about them. However, our appreciation of the Z31 is nothing compared to Colorado resident Alex Millward’s, who takes devotion to this one chassis to a whole new level. Continue reading
One-owner 1987 Toyota AE86 breaks record with $64,000 sale
A one-owner Toyota AE86 has just sold for $64,000 at auction in the UK. It sets the record for the highest price an AE86 has ever fetched outside of Japan, besting the rusty red hatchback that sold for $40,000 last March. Continue reading
Toyota announces Land Cruiser reproduction parts, starting with the FJ40
Yesterday marked 70 years since the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser debuted on August 1, 1951. And what better way to mark this milestone than for Toyota to announce that it would begin remaking parts for the now-classic 4×4. Continue reading
QotW: What car do you wish you hadn’t sold?
Whenever the topic of classic Japanese cars comes up, one of the most frequent refrains we hear goes something like, “I used to have X car. I wish I had never sold it.” It seems that no matter who you are, there is a car in your history that you wish you’d kept. We definitely have a few regrets among JNC staffers: an S13 240SX, CB7 Accord, FD RX-7, BB6 Prelude, and so on. Misery loves company, so tell us about your tragic mistake.
What car do you wish you hadn’t sold?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your must-see Japanese automotive destination?” Continue reading
3DBotMaker’s JNC Tournament Final Round
Well, here it is the final round of 3DBotMaker‘s Japanese Nostalgic Car tournament. Who’s going to win? It’s the moment you (or at least we at the JNC water cooler) have all been waiting for. The two top finishers from Round 1 and Round 2 have advanced into the finals and will go head to head against each other. Continue reading
Tom Hanks’ FJ40 Land Cruiser to be auctioned at Monterey
Tom Hanks might be a great actor, but we never knew he had great taste in cars too. The Saving Private Ryan star apparently owns a 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser. However, he won’t own it much longer as it is going up for auction soon, but that means a new lucky owner can. Continue reading
Mazda’s new “R” logo trademark looks suspiciously like a Spirit R badge
Mazda Japan has filed a trademark for a new “R” logo, potentially hinting at a myriad of possibilities regarding its denotation. It’s stylized, battleship grey and red color scheme, and race-car ish aura leads us to believe that the marque plans to use this on production cars in the near future. Continue reading
2021 All-Toyotafest, Part 02 — Supra & Lexus
One of the great developments we noticed this year was the ascendancy of the A70 Supra. We can’t remember seeing such a high turnout of the third-gen Supra at Toyotafest, and it was good to see this important chassis receive some much deserved recognition. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged a40, a60, a70, A80, A90, IS300 SportCross, lexus, Lexus GS, lexus is, lexus sc, supra, toyota, toyotafest
2 Comments
2021 All-Toyotafest, Part 01 — Starlet, Corolla, Celica, MR2
After a year and a half of no major car shows, it was good to be back. The 2021 Toyotafest picked back up right where 2019 left off, although a few changes had to be made due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, there were some opportunities missed — last year, for example, was supposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Celica — that we won’t be able to get back. Others, like marking the 25th anniversary of Toyotafest, could continue onward. Continue reading
Sung’s Garage’s new wheel pays homage to Z432
Actor and car guy Sung Kang has unveiled a new three-piece wheel destined for his DocZ project, itself an homage to the Datsun 240Z that dominated the 1971 East African Safari Rally. If you are looking to give your Z or 510 that restomod rally car look, this may be your chance. Continue reading
Posted in Aftermarket
Tagged 240z, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s30 z, safari rally, Sung Kang, z432
5 Comments
QotW: What’s your must-see Japanese automotive destination?
We were greatly saddened by MegaWeb’s closing announcement last week. The Toyota showroom was one of our favorite destinations in Tokyo. However, there still remains a great many automotive destinations for Japanese car enthusiasts, whether it’s a museum, company showroom, legendary race track, car show, a meeting place like Daikoku Futo, or a restoration or tuner shop. One day they too will probably be gone. Before that happens, please let us and your fellow JNC readers know what they absolutely cannot miss.
What’s your must-see Japanese automotive destination?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite form of motorsport?” Continue reading
3DBotMaker’s JNC Tournament Round 2
Round Two of 3DBotMaker’s JNC tournament has aired and, man, I am disappointed in myself. By all accounts my Toyota 2000GT should have been fast — it was painted like the Yatabe record breaker after all — but I didn’t account for the fact that Dave Yuan was such a ferocious driver. Continue reading
For the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Daihatsu followed the torch from Greece to Japan
The last time Tokyo hosted the Olympics, Japan had yet to prove itself as a global force in the automotive realm. The country’s budding carmakers was eager to seize the opportunity that the 1964 Summer Games presented, to introduce the world to their wares. The boldest effort came from Daihatsu, which sent a small consort of cars to follow the Olympic torch route from Greece to Tokyo, a distance of 11,200 miles. Continue reading
