The Datsun 240Z is rightfully remembered as Nissan’s most competitive sports car, for sweeping 10 out of 10 National SCCA C-Production Championships between 1970 and 1979. However, the humble Datsun 510, initially expected to be nothing more than an econobox when first released in 1968, nearly matched that record in what was then called sedan racing. What’s more, it truly opened the doors for Nissan and other Japanese manufacturers to be taken seriously as competitors against their European rivals. Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: How the Datsun 510 revolutionized sedan racing in America
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 510, Bob Sharp Racing, brock racing enterprises, datsun, imsa, john morton, nissan, scca, Walt Maas, yutaka katayama
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VIDEO: Chip Foose reimagines the AW11 Toyota MR2
We recently learned about Chip Foose’s new video series, in which he applies his designer’s touch to popular classics, when he drew his interpretation of an FJ40 Land Cruiser. Turns out, he drew an AW11 Toyota MR2 as well, reimagining it as a fastback. First, though, a trigger warning. If you like your A-dub, you’re not going to like what Chip Foose has to say about it. Continue reading
ART CORNER: Takashi Matsuyama’s Motor Panic
Takashi Matsuyama is a Japanese artist that creates wonderfully rich automotive landscapes in his art. Densely packed with cars, pop culture references, and easter eggs galore, his works are like a vehicular Where’s Waldo? Many of his illustrations were supposed to be on display at Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom in Tokyo starting with the 2020 Olympics, but the pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. So instead, MegaWeb has filmed a virtual tour of Matsuyama’s exhibit. Continue reading
MINICARS: Help us identify this grotesque Datsun 240Z toy car
Recently we received a bizarre toy that has us puzzled. It looks like a Datsun 240Z or S30 Nissan Fairlady Z that, instead of rolling on four wheels (which it has), walks on human feet. There are a few markings on it, but none to denote who made it or when it was made. Maybe you can help us figure out this mystery. Continue reading
QotW: What do you actually drive?
Self-described car enthusiasts on the internet love to tell car companies what kind of cars should be made. And if all of them really put their money where their keyboards are, the world would be flush with 400-horsepower manual sports cars that cost $25,000. That’s clearly not the case.
Personally, the car I drive the most is our 2018 Mazda CX-5, which we got used (in 2019; the previous owner traded it in after owning for just three months and it was a smoking deal) while my wife was pregnant. It’s got enough room for a car seat, stroller, diaper bags, and grandparents, while still exhibiting good enough handling that I don’t feel like I’m captaining an oversized shopping cart. I still have my fun cars that I rarely get to drive, especially with the lack of car events this past year. If you are in a position in life where you can daily your classic, consider me envious. Our plan is to trade it in for a new Mazda FR sedan when it comes out, so we can support good carmaking.
What do you actually drive?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What would you have bought if you were rich in 1990?” Continue reading
There’s a Honda Civic on the cover of Stephen King’s new book
We don’t know anything about horror master Stephen King’s new book, Later, except that there’s an early first-generation Honda Civic on the cover.
We can’t seem to find out if the car is even in the story, but King has a history of having more than a passing interest in cars. There’s the serial killer who used his car as a weapon in Mr. Mercedes, the 1953 Roadmaster that’s actually a trans-dimensional portal in From a Buick 8, the sentient trucks in Maximum Overdrive and, of course, the 1958 Plymouth Fury in Christine.
A summary of Later appears to draw heavily from King’s well. There’s a boy with secret supernatural powers, a dead killer, and maybe his ghost. Hopefully the Civic is part of the story and not just a random car chosen for the cover art. It will be released March 2, 2021.
Posted in Books
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VIDEO: The 1990 Isuzu Impulse deserved better
The second-generation Isuzu Impulse never got enough love. It was cheap, but not quite cheap enough. It was sporty, but not quite sporty enough, especially compared to the competition from Honda or Toyota. Isuzu was more of a truck brand than a car brand, and no one turned to them for a sports coupe. They were also under GM ownership so even the badge-engineered twin, the Geo Storm, had a bigger US presence than the Impulse. Continue reading
Restoration of the Mazda 737C Le Mans race car has begun
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Mazda 787B’s historic win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the occasion one of its predecessors, the 1985 737C, is undergoing restoration. Last week in Hiroshima, technicians began disassembling the 13B rotary that powered the race car. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 737C, mazda, Takashi Yorino, yojiro terada, Yoshimi Katayama
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Dreams and Sawzalls: How the Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder was made
The Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder was the first modern car to offer a power folding hardtop convertible roof. The option was a big deal in 1995, adding anywhere from $22,000, or the price of a new Acura Integra, to the cost of a fixed-head 3000GT. That seems astronomical (and it was), but it makes a bit more sense when you see the amount of work that it took to make these cars. Continue reading
Ebisu Circuit badly damaged in landslide following 7.1 earthquake
Over the weekend Japan’s famed Ebisu Circuit suffered extensive damage following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and subsequent landslide. The race track is a beloved venue for drifting enthusiasts both amateur and professional, and is at the heart of the yearly D1GP drift schedule. Its owners are assessing the damage right now. Continue reading
QotW: What would you have bought if you were rich in 1990?
Today, Japan’s Nikkei stock index surpassed 30,000 for the first time in over three decades. The last time it was that high was August 1990, right before the bursting of the asset bubble, an event that would slowly sap the fun out of Japanese auto companies by the end of the decade. But let’s imagine for a moment that you’re back in 1990, with the economic boom seemingly unending. Money is flowing like sake at a karaoke bar, and all fiscal responsibility is cast out the window.
What would you have bought if you were rich in 1990?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC would you take for a race around the world?” Continue reading
Happy Presidents Day from JNC
Announced at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, the Nissan President was the pinnacle of luxury. It offered more cabin room than the flagship car named after a US president whom we are actually honoring today, the Lincoln Continental (by 1.6 inches). The interior had no less than 42 different combinations, and was packed with state-of-the-art features like heat-absorbing glass windshield, power windows, power locks, power seats, power ventilators, and rear heated seats. With a price tag of ¥3 million it wasn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for. Happy Presidents Day from JNC!
Happy Year of the Ox from JNC
Today is the first day of the Year of the Ox according to the lunar calendar. If this were Italian Nostalgic Car we’d be on easy street, but Japan doesn’t really have any cars named after cow-esque animals. The closest thing we can think of is another member of the bovidae family, the bison, as in the 1970 Kawasaki 250TR Bison. Continue reading
A train station in Japan now plays the Seibu Keisatsu theme song
Starting February 20 of this year, Kokuryo Station, located in Chōfu, Tokyo, will adopt the Seibu Keisatsu theme song as one of its platform jingles. The change is a tribute to Ishihara Pro, the production company responsible for some of Japan’s most beloved action series. The location is no coincidence; Ishihara Pro’s head offices are located near the station. Continue reading
Get an Okayama Circuit license as a reward for paying taxes
The city of Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, is offering one of the best citizenship benefits we’ve ever seen. The hometown of Okayama Circuit has begun offering residents a circuit license to drive on the famed race track as a reward for paying their taxes. It’s a great way to get precious track time for enthusiasts, but it’s an even better way for the prefecture to get people into motorsports and driving. Continue reading
Happy Datsun B210 Day from JNC
Everyone’s obsessed with Zs and 510s, but the Datsun B210 is the true hero of the post-oil crisis 70s. This 1977 ad brags about its 50 mpg highway rating, but that didn’t mean the economy car skimped on features. It was available with decadent luxuries like tinted glass, front disc brakes, and a rear defogger in so your panting dog didn’t cloud up the hatch window on your way to your tennis match. Happy B210 Day from JNC!
R31 House now sells inexpensive tires for vintage Japanese cars
The seventh-generation Skyline specialty shop R31 House has entered the tire business. Sales have begun on Shiba Tire, a line of performance rubber for older cars. The company campaigns cars in Japan’s D1GP and D1GP Lights drift series, and was motivated by the sheer expense of their tires to make Shibas with an eye toward affordability. Continue reading
VIDEO: Chip Foose draws an FJ40 Land Cruiser
Custom car designer Chip Foose is famous for his amazing takes on American cars from Detroit’s the golden age. He’s not typically drawing Japanese cars, but in a series produced for Hagerty, Foose takes his pen to one of the blue chip classics that’s transcended enthusiast scenes and generations, the FJ40 Land Cruiser. Continue reading
QotW: What JNC would you take for a race around the world?
Today, February 8, is the birthday of Jules Verne, one of the first science fiction authors, born in 1828. One of his most famous works is Around the World in Eighty Days, in which a Londoner takes a bet of £20,000 that he can circumnavigate the world in under 11 and a half weeks. Keep in mind, the book was published in 1872, so air travel was not yet possible.
So, let’s say for the purposes of this exercise, that as was the case with Phineas Fogg, air travel is also off limits. You have to start and end with the same vehicle, and you will have to traverse every continent except Antarctica and over varied terrain. A truck with plenty of parts support in remote regions might be the obvious choice, but Fogg was quite well off. That wager would be worth $3.2 million today, so you might want to travel in luxury and stay in nice hotels, or with speed accompanied by an army of support vehicles.
What JNC would you take for a race around the world?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What should Toyota do with the Celica name?” Continue reading
Here are all the new Nissan Pathfinder’s design cues from the 1986 original
A few days ago we predicted that the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder would take some design cues from the beloved original from 1986. Well, the new model has just been revealed, giving us a clear look at its new sheetmetal, and indeed there are. Here are all the homages to the 1986 Pathfinder on the 2022. Continue reading
