We at JNC are excited to announce a partnership with 3DBotMaker, the premier diecast racing league. For the next four weekends, every Saturday the 3DBotMaker YouTube channel will be broadcasting the Japanese Nostalgic Car tournament, in which all the Hot Wheels competing will be classic Nihon steel. Continue reading
There’s now a Mazda 787B easter egg in the Mazda 2
It’s kind of a shame Americans don’t buy small, zippy hatchbacks anymore because the Mazda 2 by all accounts is an affordable car that is still pretty fun to drive. Even if it hadn’t been discontinued already, it was offered only with an automatic transmission, and only as a Yaris. And as a Toyota, it wouldn’t have included this easter egg nod to the legendary Mazda 787B that’s appeared on the latest version from Japan. Continue reading
Happy Sevens Day from JNC
Today is the day when Mazdafarians celebrate the RX-7, and by extension the rotary engine at large. While there may be a new rotary engine on its way after a long absence, it’s not quite what sports car enthusiasts were hoping for even if it is a worthy application of Mazda’s know-how. For those of us fortunate enough to own (or have owned) one of Mazda’s wonder engines, however, today is the day to go forth and brap. Happy Sevens Day from JNC!
QotW: What’s the best way to find your dream JNC?
It used to be very simple. If there was a JNC you wanted, you’d search its make and model on Craigslist. Either that, or hop on a forum dedicated to that model if such a thing existed. Nowadays, it can be a daunting task to find your dream car. Do you go on one of the newer sites like Offerup? Relentlessly prowl Facebook? Pay top dollar at one of the auction sites? With more and more people aware that Japanese cars are valuable, it’s a very different car buying landscape than it was a few years ago.
What’s the best way to find your dream JNC?
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 Japanese luxury car?” Continue reading
VIDEO: The 1984 Corolla marked a watershed moment in Toyota history
The fifth-generation Corolla marked a paradigm shift in Toyota history. It was the first sign that the old, rear-wheel-drive traditions would soon be wiped clean, replaced with newfangled front-drive successors. It was a risky proposition for Toyota, but it paid off. Continue reading
The Isuzu Plaza museum’s latest exhibit has a Bellett race car
Last week the Isuzu Plaza museum in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture has opened a new exhibit. Called “Isuzu Challenging Spirit,” it shows a few off-the-beaten-path creations that the company, which is today primarily known for large trucks, has been responsible for. The star car of the display is a 1970 Isuzu Bellett 1600GTR race car. Continue reading
Toyota’s Megaweb shows off some actual Toyotas
Like the Toyota Automobile Museum, the History Garage of Toyota’s Megaweb showroom in Odaiba, Tokyo is a celebration of all things automotive. Recently, we’ve seen them restore a couple of Nissans, an R32 Skyline GT-R and 510 Bluebird Coupé. Now, they’re finally showing off some actual Toyotas from the collection. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged ae86, corolla levin, Megaweb, soarer, sprinter trueno, te27, toyota, z10
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Toyota adds more Supra parts to GR Heritage Parts Project
Toyota announced today more parts to be added to the GR Heritage Parts Project for the A70 and A80 Supras. It’s the first expansion since the program was launched almost a year ago. So far the list hasn’t been very long, but the new parts are an encouraging show of the program’s reach. Continue reading
VIDEO: The Lexus LX450 was the Land Cruiser’s richer cousin, but today their fortunes have reversed
For years the 4×4 market has been hit with the Toyota tax, with a legendary reputation of indestructibility jacking up the prices of Land Cruisers, 4Runners, and pickups. When the Lexus LX450 debuted in 1996 with a $47,500 base price, little did Motorweek foresee that a low-mile, creampuff J80 Land Cruiser it was based on would command prices nearly three times that 25 years later. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite Japanese luxury car?
On June 28, 1995 the governments of the US and Japan reached a historic trade agreement regarding the auto industry. The US was seeking to balance out the trade deficit, and Japan agreed to build more cars in the US and buy more US-made parts. The US was threatening to slap a 100 percent tariff on 13 models of Japanese luxury cars. Fortunately a compromise was reached just hours before the deadline, though it does make one wonder what the market would’ve looked like for a Lexus LS that suddenly cost not $50,000 but $100,000. It also brings us to this week’s question:
What’s your favorite Japanese luxury car?
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 Japanese race car?” Continue reading
Rent your own island villa complete with FJ40 Land Cruiser
Remember that Allstate Insurance ad where the guy drives his little Defender all over town, revealed at the end to be entirely situated on a tiny island that you could drive across and back before your tea kettle boiled? Well, it turns out you can rent an entire island villa on your next vacation to Japan, and it comes with its own FJ40 Land Cruiser. Continue reading
Nissan imagines Datsun 240Z Safari Rally tribute from Juke
The Safari Rally kicks off today in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the 50th anniversary of when Nissan won the tortuous desert race overall in a Datsun 240Z. To commemorate the occasion, Nissan Europe has created a tribute to the iconic black-on-red race car out of a new Nissan Juke. Continue reading
Mitsubishi on why there won’t be a Lancer Evo, even though shareholders requested it
Mitsubishi made its first newsworthy announcement in years in May when it said it would revive Ralliart, its motorsports brand for all things rally. On June 23 at Mitsubishi Motors’ annual shareholders meeting, CEO Takao Kato got a bit more specific about what exactly that means. Continue reading
Kunio Matsuura, Mr. Rotary Racing, led Mazda motorsports for 27 years to its 1991 Le Mans victory
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at Le Mans with the iconic rotary-powered 787B. We have explored Mazda’s journey in this and other endurance racing events over the years, yet were only scratching the surface. The people involved and the stories they lived through could fill volumes. Today, let’s highlight a Mazda luminary perhaps not yet well known to some readers, Kunio Matsuura, the only person to have worked twenty seven straight years on racing development of the rotary engine. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 787b, Fuji Grand Champion, Kenichi Yamamoto, Kunio Matsuura, mazda, rx-3, rx-7, sa22c, toyota 7
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The Suzuki Jimny Lite has the formula every carmaker should be copying
The Suzuki Jimny is already one of the most affordable yet purest 4x4s on the planet. However, Suzuki has decided to offer an even purer version of its capable compact off-roader called the Jimny Lite, one that gives enthusiasts a everything they need and nothing they don’t. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite Japanese race car?
This week marks the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic victory at Le Mans. Fairy tale doesn’t properly describe it, as fairy tales are usually pat and tidy. For Mazda, it wasn’t just the race itself but everything that led up to it, including many prior years of blood, sweat and tears, as well as decades of rotary engine development that took place before that. Add to that the demonic roar of its fire-spitting quad-rotor, the end-of-era clinch in the final year of the rotary’s eligibility, and its insane so-ugly-it’s-cool livery, and it’s an unforgettable machine. It may be the obvious answer to a question, but this is just the discussion opener.
What’s your favorite Japanese race car?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the biggest hurdle to keeping your JNC nice?” Continue reading
Mazda’s RX-7 heritage parts inventory has been expanded
Mazda has just quietly published an updated version of their RX-7 heritage parts list. The program launched in December 2020 with about 90 parts total for both second-generation FC3S and third-generation FD3S models. With the latest update, there are now 30 items for the FC and 73 items for the FD. Continue reading
The Mazda Miata will reportedly be electrified by decade’s end
This week has been filled with reports about Japan’s hallowed nameplates. First there was the Skyline, then Celica, and now Miata. The latest to come out of Japanese media about Mazda’s roadster says that it will be electrified within nine years, but there could be one last ICE version before that happens. Continue reading
Mazda shows straight-six rear-wheel-drive platform and outlines the coming decades
On June 17 Mazda dropped a ton of information regarding its plans for the next decade. As expected, electrification is on its way, but that doesn’t mean the outlook is bleak for motoring enthusiasts. Additionally, Mazda has released renderings of its highly anticipated straight-six, rear-wheel-drive platform. Continue reading
A Toyota Land Cruiser J80 has sold for $136,000
It was bound to happen. An 80-series Land Cruiser has followed the likes of the 2000GT and A80 Supra deep into six-figure territory by recently selling for $136,000. Of course, there are extenuating circumstances, with the main one being that this particular example had only 1,000 miles on the odometer. Continue reading
