Today’s market isn’t particularly kind to small cars, or cars in general, as the would-be small cars on stilts we know as crossovers dominate the sales charts. There was a time in 1985, however, when you could buy a literal crossover, a perfect pairing of utility, tossable driving dynamics, and fuel economy. Enter the third-generation Honda Civic five-door Wagon. Continue reading
Reports that Mazda is killing the rotary are not true
Even though Mazda’s new rotary engine is not slated for a sports car, many Mazda enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting its return. However, several English media outlets are reporting today Mazda’s rotary engine is once again on the back burner, with some even saying it’s dead. These are not accurate, according to Mazda. Continue reading
QotW: What are your best tips for managing your JNC life?
The JNC life is not an easy one. It starts with one old, temperamental, and rare car. Next thing you know, your savings, house, and free time are consumed by tools, parts, and perhaps even a spare donor car or three. Long-time JNCers probably have it even worse, because for decades these cars and their second-hand parts were relatively cheap to acquire. It can all get quite overwhelming.
Today, July 12, is Simplicity Day, created in honor of Henry David Thoreau, the poet who got rid of his worldly possessions and went to go live in a cabin in the woods. We’re not suggesting that, but we know it can be a challenge to keep your garage space work-friendly and your projects on track.
What are your best tips for managing your JNC life?
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 best way to find your dream JNC?” Continue reading
3DBotMaker’s JNC tournament qualifying round
Here it is, the qualifying round for 3DBotMaker’s Japanese Nostalgic Car tournament. This race will set up the brackets and provide an idea of how fast the cars are. We had no influence on the tournament other than selecting the cars, and are also seeing this video for the first time. Let’s see how the cars stack up. Continue reading
There’s a Datsun Bluebird 411 Wagon in Loki, y’all
Several readers sent in a hot tip yesterday regarding an old Datsun wagon guest starring in the Marvel cinematic universe. Specifically, it’s a 1965 Datsun Bluebird WP411 in the series Loki, and it plays a pretty significant part in the episode. Continue reading
Subaru has built 20 million AWD cars
Subaru has passed quite a milestone. It was announced yesterday that Subaru passed the 20 million mark of production all-wheel-drive cars some time back in June of this year. It all started with the 1972 Leone 4WD, taking Subaru nearly 50 years to achieve that figure. Continue reading
3DBotMaker’s JNC diecast racing tournament begins this weekend
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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