While most people are downing large quantities of Netflix right now, here’s something a bit more relevant to our interests: Home videos of driving through Tokyo in the Showa Era. It’s a clockwise loop of Tokyo’s Shuto, and speaking of normal JNCs, the roads are teeming with Bluebirds, Galants, Crowns, Coronas, Citys, Sunnys, Skylines, and Glorias. It’s old Japanese car heaven. Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: A Subaru 360 has sold for $50,000
A 1969 Subaru 360 has sold for an insane $50,000. For that price, you could afford a number of significant Japanese classics. A Datsun 510 or Fairlady Roadster, Toyota Celica or AE86, early Mazda rotary, and so on. Or, you can get into a bidding war for a kei car with a 356cc, 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine. Continue reading
VIDEO: If you love Toyota Celicas, look away from this Pro/Celebrity race
For three decades, Toyota sponsored an annual automotive carnage-fest known as the Pro/Celebrity Race. It gathered a bunch of drivers, some who were actual professional racers and some who were movie and television… well, stars, might be too strong a word here, but you get the idea. All these people of wildly different skill sets were put behind the wheels of a fleet of brand new Toyotas and let loose on the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged celica, long beach grand prix, Motorweek, T180, toyota, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
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QotW: What’s the greatest “normal” JNC?
The cars that yank hardest at our heartstrings are typically specialty machines — thrilling sports cars, rugged ladder-frame trucks, adorable kei jidosha, and such. However, there are legions of once-common grocery getters that are now rare and sought-after. And, possibly offering a purer driving experience than a modern by-wire box. What’s the ’57 Bel Air of the J-tin generation? For the purposes of this question we’ll exclude performance variants, so Corollas are fine but AE86s are not allowed.
What’s the greatest “normal” JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What cars bookended your favorite era of Japanese cars?” Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show: Editors’ Picks
In a historically unusual year, the Japanese Classic Car Show managed to pull off an event that managed to capture the same sense of community that the physical provides in spades. Not only that, but they’ve even welcomed more enthusiasts into the mix by hosting a virtual show open to anyone around the world with an old Japanese car. You’ve already seen the videos, but here’s the JNC staff picks and the reasons why we love these cars. Continue reading
Nissan takes over Cars & Coffee Tokyo with Z Proto
Cars & Coffee in Tokyo is a relatively small event but given its location, it’s a place where Japan’s carmakers will sometimes sneak a priceless concept out to mingle with enthusiasts. Sometimes, even a CEO will pop up and pose with a lucky owner’s car. Last Sunday, Nissan brought out their Z Proto, attracting an army of Z owners and fans that took over the event. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 400Z, Alfonso Albaisa, datsun, fairlady z, Hiroshi Tamura, nissan, s30 z, Z Proto, Z35
6 Comments
Happy Japan Railway Day from JNC
On October 14, 1872, Japan’s first railway opened, connecting Shimbashi, Tokyo and Yokohama. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism designated the day an official holiday in in 1994. Today, Japan is home to one of the most advanced (and punctual) rail systems on Earth. It moves 10 billion passengers a year over 19,000 miles, and the average delay per year is under a minute. Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
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Acura is seriously considering an NSX Refresh Program for North America
Honda has been offering a factory NSX refresh program in Japan for years. Owners can take their cars in and select from a menu of restoration items, from a deep clean to an engine rebuild. You can even get the car stripped and repainted in a hue from the official palette, and swap out the interior leathers for new colors as well. The program is so popular, the wait list is 12 months long. Also, it’s only available if your car is in Japan. Now, though, Honda is considering bringing the program to the US. Continue reading
Mazda is giving away fifty 100th Anniversary Miatas to deserving heroes
It’s been a tough year, but Mazda is trying to make it just a little bit better by giving away 50 Miatas to deserving individuals. These are people Mazda describes as “selfless” and who have “gone above and beyond for their community.” And not only will they be getting a Miata, but it will be one of the special 100th Anniversary Editions that feature some unique color and trim. Continue reading
QotW: What cars bookended your favorite era of Japanese cars?
There’s a lot of talk these days about whether we have passed the golden age of the automobile, and what the future of transport will bring. While technological improvements in safety, efficiency, and performance are hard to argue with, many of us hold on to an irrational love for cars of a certain era. What is that era for you? One could argue that the best period in Japanese motoring began in 1967 with the debut of cars like the Toyota 2000GT, Mazda Cosmo Sport, and Datsun Fairlady 2000. From there, it was a steady rise in automotive excellence moving hand in hand with Japan’s skyrocketing economy. The closing bookend is a bit harder to pin down, but 2003 seems like a pretty good stopping point. By then, cars like the 350Z, RX-8, and S2000 had been released, but it seemed like denouement.
What cars bookended your favorite era of Japanese cars?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Where’s the greatest place for Japanese cars outside of Japan?” Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 — Finale
We have arrived at the finale of the 2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, the awards section. In a normal year, this would take place at the end of the show, at the main stage. Winners would be called up and handed their trophies while the crowd applauded. Instead, the awards are now announced in the above video for the world to see. Congrats to all the winners, and we will be sending out the prizes to the winners of the JCCS x JNC trivia contest next week. Hopefully, we will all be able to meet in person next year.
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — More 90s
Today is the final day of the 2020 JCCS, a virtual show known as World Matsuri Week. Once again it focuses on what many consider the golden age of Japanese cars, the 1990s. Sponsored by Toyota, the episode rounds out the top entries this year. Tomorrow, we will learn which cars are award winners. In the meantime, here is the seventh and final JCCS x JNC trivia question.
VIDEO: Feast your eyes on this 30th anniversary Honda NSX development film
The 30th anniversary of the production NSX took place last month, and Honda is releasing some excellent content to celebrate this phenomenal machine. Last night, a video showing the development of the NSX dropped. And even though we can’t understand all the Japanese, it’s a thrilling ride nonetheless. Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 — 90s
For the next installment of the 2020 JCCS World Matsuri Week virtual show, we are entering the final era that can reasonably called a classic. The 1990s was when Japan’s car scene peaked internationally, so it features an interesting mix of vehicles from the US, Japan, and abroad. Today, our JCCS x JNC trivia contest is sponsored by Mother’s Polish and can be found here.
The Mazda rotary will return in 2022 as a range extender
Mazda’s dream of reviving the rotary engine is finally coming true. In a Japanese presentation about the hybrid MX-30, CEO Akira Marumoto announced that Mazda will introduce “multi-electrification technology using a rotary engine” in the first half of 2022. While not the performance application some were hoping for, the rotary has always symbolized innovation at Mazda. This is certainly an innovative use of the rotary engine and a laudable successor to Mazda’s heritage. Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — More 80s
Here’s the fifth installment of JCCS 2020, sponsored by Honda. It’s a great episode with some JDM gems and an evergreen collection of AE86s, CRXes, MR2s, and Preludes from around the world. And, if you want to participate in the trivia contest, click here.
Honda made a whole video just to support JCCS
It’s no secret that 2020 has been hard on car shows. Because we help out our friends at JCCS, we are privy to some of the behind-the-scenes goings on this year. And let us just say, it has not been easy to pull off a virtual car show remotely, especially with big sponsors. However, Honda has really stepped up to the plate by producing an entire video just for the show, featuring the five car they would have brought to the event if it had been physically held. Continue reading
Posted in jccs
Tagged accord, Accord 1G, acura, civic, Civic EA, Civic Type R, honda, prelude, Prelude 4g, S500/S600/S800
4 Comments
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — 80s
In the fourth installment of this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show, machinery from the 1980s takes center stage. For many, this is the peak era of Japanese cars, and should be an exciting episode. This segment is sponsored by Yokohama Tire, and as always, you can also enter the JCCS x JNC trivia contest.
Second-gen Subaru BRZ revealed, sort of
Normally the annual Subiefest event in southern California is a cornucopia of stanced WRXes, flat-brimmed hats, and vape smoke. This year, though, Subaru brought something pretty special: a well-camouflaged example of the long-awaited second-generation Subaru BRZ. Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — More 70s
Here’s the next installment of the 2020 JCCS, aka World Matsuri Week, sponsored by Nissan. There are a lot of 70s cars to cover, so they’ve been split into multiple episodes. We’ve seen some excellent entries from around the world, so get excited for what comes next. And, if you’re playing along in the JNC x JCCS Trivia Contest, you can find today’s question here.
