In an age when Toyota’s sports cars are built by other carmakers, Aichi still has one historic world-dominating model that the company will pull out all the stops for: the Land Cruiser. A new generation of the venerated truck debuted on June 10, marking its tenth iteration, and for the debut Toyota leaned heavily on Land Cruiser history, enthusiasts, and clubs to make it statement. That part should be of no surprise, and while it says a lot about the Land Cruiser’s place in Toyota’s family tree, it says even more about cars like the Supra and 86. Continue reading
Happy 610 Day from JNC
Rob McFarlin of FAR Performance raced a number of different popular Datsun models. While he took his 240Z, 510, and Fairlady roadsters all to the SCCA Runoffs, it wwas perhaps his 610 that was the most unexpected finalist. Happy 610 Day from JNC!
Daihatsu might bring back the Rocky as a Jimny rival
There’s a rumor swirling around Japanese automotive media right now that Daihatsu might be bringing back the mighty Rocky. Well, technically it’s not the Rocky, but the vehicle that the original Rocky was based on, the Daihatsu Rugger. It’s said to be a very compact, ladder-frame 4WD, one that will go head-to-head with the tremendously popular Suzuki Jimny. Continue reading
Suzuki’s COVID project was a stunning retro Katana
The year-long lockdown due to COVID gave all of us a lot of downtime to catch up on back burner projects. Hopefully, you used that time as wisely as Suzuki did. The company has just revealed a stunning, one-off, road-going retro Katana based on a 2008 GSX-R1000 Superbike World Championship race motor. Continue reading
Nissan previews 70th anniversary of Patrol with some really bad CG
The Nissan Patrol turns 70 this year, and Nissan has released a new video previewing some kind of occasion to mark the milestone. It’s a worthy goal, as the Patrol enjoys a huge following on par with that of the Toyota Land Cruiser in some parts of the world. Unfortunately, the computer generated images of the Patrol used in the video are absolutely terrible. Continue reading
QotW: What tuning house demo car do you want to own?
We recently learned that the Jun Auto Mechanic Honda Civic is up for sale. Tuning houses are small outfits, especially in Japan, and it’s basically impossible for them to keep everything they’ve built. Many once-revered demo cars plastered on the covers of magazines and catalogs have been released into the wild. Let’s say for a moment that you could take any one of these shop specials — even if it’s still owned by the original builders or has since been destroyed — home.
What tuning house demo car do you want to own?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC concept deserves to be found or restored?” Continue reading
The Toyota S-FR was almost certainly a Mazda Miata underneath
The Toyota S-FR concept debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2015 to much fanfare. The lightweight, rear-wheel-drive coupe had a manual transmission and was said to complete Toyota’s “three sports car brothers” trio below the 86 and Supra. Aichi even said its purpose was “to make a whole new generation fall in love with driving.” They got everyone excited about the notion of a sporty Toyota, even built a racing version, licensed Tomica miniatures, and then it disappeared without a trace. What happened? Five and a half years later, we think we’ve solved part of the mystery. Continue reading
Mitsubishi almost made a Starion 4WD Group B road car
This past Monday’s QotW explored “What JNC concept deserves to be found or restored?” Coincidentally, a never-before-seen Mitsubishi Starion 4WD Group B road car has just been unearthed, albeit in an illustrated and archival form. If it were put into production, it would have been one of the greatest Mitsubishis ever made. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Jun Auto Mechanic’s 1996 Honda Civic
While Honda honors the history of the Civic with hidden easter eggs, celebrating it outright would entail driving a brightly colored screamer built by one of the powerhouses of Japan’s tuning world. There’s no better way to start off the month of June, than with possibly owning a Jun-modified Civic. Continue reading
QotW: What JNC concept deserves to be found or restored?
Mazda recently went through great lengths to restore the MX-81 concept, paying respects to the first car to bear the “MX” designation. As you can see, it needed significant reconditioning to bring it back to its former glory as it had been, according to the company, languishing at a warehouse somewhere (we’re imagining a room like at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Prior to that, it had not been seen in public in many years and no one would’ve blamed you if you assumed it had been destroyed (the fate of many a concept). It makes us wonder, though, what else might be lurking out there in a forgotten storeroom?
What JNC concept deserves to be found or restored?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What theft prevention measures do you take for your car?” Continue reading
The 2022 Honda Civic has a cool throwback Easter Egg
The 11th-generation Honda Civic makes a departure from the spaceship-like previous generation and leans toward the upscale, its angular lines replaced with a more sophisticated dynamic shape reminiscent of Acura. The new interior is said to “reimagine the clean and uncluttered lines of earlier generations of Civic.” Little did we know, it would give a nod to them as well. Continue reading
The City wasn’t the first Honda with a bike-in-car concept
If you utter the words Honda City to any enthusiast of Japanese cars, the first thing their brains will map to is the foldable Motocompo bike that lived in its trunk. Although it’s the most recognized execution of the bike-in-car concept, it’s apparently not the first. A decade and a half earlier, Honda introduced the same idea in the S600 Coupé. Continue reading
MINICARS: The Kaido House Datsun 510 begins Jun Imai’s next chapter
Jun Imai is a pivotal figure in the diecast world, having transformed the most “hot rod” of diecast brands into a leader in Japanese minicars. For that he became a star in the collectible car world, and ever since he left Hot Wheels in 2018 people have been clamoring for his next project. Now, Kaido House is finally here, we think it’s safe to say it takes the adult collectible 1:64 diecast car into new and exciting realms. Continue reading
Toyota Supra owner selling car to pay for his cat’s medical expenses finds there is still good in the world
The pandemic has been a reset for mankind, with shelter-in-place orders last year giving us time to wrench on our projects and spend time with our loved ones. However, one man in Osaka was posed with a very difficult choice between keeping his A70 Toyota Supra and saving his cat, and the resulting story is one that will completely restore your faith in humanity. Continue reading
QotW: What theft prevention measures do you take for your car?
The theft of a Hakosuka Skyline last week left the JNC world in a bit of a panic. Of course we have been accustomed to bandits wreaking havoc in the select communities, but to target a very specific, 50-year-old car like a custom Hakosuka Skyline signaled that perhaps a new breed of guns for hire were out to capture iconic Japanese classics. It was more akin to an art heist than your typical larcenous behavior. Luckily, this time the car was recovered and the criminals seemed didn’t seem to know what they had, but whether you’re driving a Hako or a Honda, caution must be taken.
What theft prevention measures do you take for your car?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What automotive stuff do you hoard?” Continue reading
Mazda restores a 40-year-old concept that was the first MX car
It appears that Mazda is continuing its streak of restoring works from its 100-plus years of history. The latest car to be restored is the Mazda MX-81, a 40-year-old concept car that also happens to be the first Mazda to wear the MX designation. First shown at the 1981 Tokyo Motor Show, the MX-81 Aria was a 323 wearing a very period-futuristic body designed by Bertone. It’s a beautiful restoration job that also provides Mazda, and us, an excuse to delve into some curious corners of Mazda’s design heritage. Continue reading
Toyotafest is happening but everyone, including spectators, must pre-register
Great news! The City of Long Beach has given Toyotafest the green light, meaning the year-long nightmare of no official car shows may soon be over. However, there will be some major change that will affect everyone who attends, so consider this a JNC public service announcement. Continue reading
Be on the lookout for this stolen Hakosuka Skyline and its trailer
A 1971 Nissan Skyline was stolen earlier this morning out of Vallejo, California. It was inside of a white enclosed trailer with a number “87” on the side and being towed by a cherry red 2001 F-350 dually. If spotted, please contact local authorities or @california_hako on Instagram. Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? Nissan 300ZX IMSA GTO race cars, one of seven built
While we await the next Nissan Z‘s arrival, and the new era of Nissan is has promised, with engaging, fun to drive cars and bright 90s hues. However, if you want to actually drive the king of 90s Nissans, here’s a 700-horsepower IMSA GTO race car for sale. Continue reading
These Mazda rotary facemask holders are the latest from a Japanese jewelry company that makes car-themed bling
The year-plus-long hell that the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned some interesting products. For example, Japanese jewelry company Jerev has made a facemask holder in the shape of a Mazda rotary engine rotor. Basically, The flat side sticks to your dash, and the curved part gives you a handy little place to hang your mask’s strap. The only hook (no pun intended) is that it costs ¥13,200 ($120 USD). Continue reading
