If there is one carmaker, Japanese or not, that consistently puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to performance, it’s Mazda. Already flush with a lineup of cars with razor-sharp handling, over the last few years it has also been quietly turbocharging everything too. Today the Hiroshima company announced that it’s now putting its 2.5-liter turbo into its CX-30, essentially a 3 wagon with plastic cladding. But why? Continue reading
All seven generations of the Nissan Z gathered for a family portrait
With any car possessing as much heritage as the Nissan Z, you can’t just trot it out with paying respects to its elders. So it was only natural that Nissan would bring out its classic Z-cars from its own collection to the debut of the Z Proto in Yokohama, Japan. Here’s the entire clan, all gathered together, to welcome the latest addition to the family. Continue reading
This is the seventh-generation Nissan Z Proto
It’s hard to believe, but the Nissan Z Proto is the first new Z design in nearly 12 years. It was way back on November 15, 2008 we showed you the first photos of the 370Z ahead of its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Since then, several other Japanese sports cars have seen reboots, but arguably none have the name recognition, the following, and the brand heritage of the Nissan Z. When you have that much history and fandom, expectations run sky-high and it’s an almost impossible bar to clear. From what we know of the Z Proto, though, we think Nissan just might have pulled it off. Continue reading
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Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 400Z, Alfonso Albaisa, datsun, fairlady z, Hiroshi Tamura, nissan, s30 z, Z Proto, Z35
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Watch the debut of the Nissan Z Proto live right now
Posted in Video
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 400Z, Alfonso Albaisa, datsun, fairlady z, Hiroshi Tamura, nissan, s30 z, Z Proto, Z35
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SHOWA SNAP: Nissan Fairlady Z unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show
On October 18, 1969 the motoring world was forever changed when the Nissan Fairlady Z was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. These lucky attendees, who probably all have heads of gray now, got to see it in person. Did they fathom the sports car revolution that was about to transpire when the car before them was unleashed to the public? Tonight, nearly 51 years later, we can be these young men as Nissan unveils the long-awaited seventh-generation Z online. JNC will have our impressions of the Z Proto, with photos, here at 5:45 pm Pacific Time. Stay tuned.
Honda launches NSX 30th anniversary minisite in Japan
Over the weekend Honda launched an NSX 30th anniversary minisite in Japan. But wait, you might say. Didn’t Honda already celebrate the 30th anniversary of the NSX last year? Well, you would be correct. The event at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show celebrated the 1989 debut of the Acura NS-X Concept. The production NSX was announced on September 13, 1990 and went on sale a day later, September 14. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your fondest Nissan Z-Car memory?
By tomorrow night the world will know what the long-awaited seventh-generation Z-car will look like. It’s been over 50 years since the debut of the original, so let’s take this opportunity to reflect on our fondest memories of the Z, no matter which generation.
For me, personally, it was probably receiving a Bluestreak toy from my aunt as a birthday present. Transformers, though, were flying off store shelves and nearly impossible to get. My aunt didn’t even know what they were, just that they were “popular with the kids.” I’ve competed in a TSD rally in a good friend’s 240Z, gone camping with my wife out of a 370Z, driven a sub-200-mile Z32, and attended the Z’s 50th birthday party at the hotel where the original 240Z was unveiled, but I will never forget this toy. At the time my peer group was outgrowing Matchboxes (but not cartoons created as 30-minute toy advertisements targeting children) so it was no longer “cool” to like toy cars. Bluestreak not only made me realize there was something special about the Z, but rekindled my love for cars of all sizes, a passion that I haven’t strayed from since.
What’s your fondest Nissan Z-Car memory?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “If you could only own one car from each Japanese marque, what would your garage look like?” Continue reading
VIDEO: Behold, the Isuzu Sumida bus
Pre-war photos are very difficult to come by, but Isuzu has just released a video comprised of images of the Isuzu Sumida bus from 90 years ago. The Sumida was one of Isuzu’s earliest designs, introduced in 1929. In fact, it even predates the company known as Isuzu, which at the time was still called Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding & Engineering. Design began in 1927, in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 that leveled much of Tokyo. With rail systems disrupted, it became clear that trucks and buses were desperately needed if Japan’s economy was to recover and grow. Continue reading
Happy 25th Anniversary, Sony Playstation
On September 9, 1995 the original Sony PlayStation went on sale in the US. There were only 10 original games available at launch, and the shining star among of them was Namco’s Ridge Racer.
Sure, it didn’t have any licensed cars (although there was that one car on the cover that looked like a cross between a Mitsubishi Eclipse and FTO), but it as the name implies, it was inspired by the mountain driving popular in Japan at the time. It was a pioneer of drifting physics as well, which became integral to the personality of the game. In other words, the PlayStation and Ridge Racer brought an early form of touge battles to American living rooms long before anyone in the States knew of Initial D (Sega, for its part, went with the 3D Daytona USA).
Nissan Z Proto: I am manual, hear me roar
Nissan is really coming on strong with the Z Proto teasers. It was only Monday that they seemed to hint at a manual transmission. Many of you jokesters said that it was probably just the gear selector for a CVT, a not entirely unjustified concern. However, another teaser that dropped just this morning shows definitively that yes, the Z Proto will have an honest-to-god stick shift, with six-speeds and a rev match on/off switch like in the 370Z. We also get a few more glimpses of the exterior and some engine sounds. Continue reading
Happy 910 Day from JNC
The Nissan Bluebird 910, also known as a shorter, four-cylinder version of the original Nissan Maxima, saw no shortage of racing action. Nissan even entered it in the 1981 Safari Rally, equipped with a turbocharged Z18ET said to output 230 horsepower. Sadly, it got stuck on one of the stages and thus timed out of the race. Still, Nissan managed to sweep the podium with other entries, so it was an overall success. Happy 910 Day from JNC!
Nissan is giving up on the March and handing development over to Renault
Oh, Nissan. You would not be you if you didn’t follow a week of promising teases of the new Z without some crushing disappointment. Turns out, Nissan is completely giving up on the March, and handing development over to Renault entirely for the next generation. Though it might not seem like a big deal to Z and GT-R fans, the March has been an essential member of the Nissan family since its launch. Continue reading
BIKES: The Honda Trail Cub will be available in the US
The Honda Trail 125 motorcycle, successor to the once popular bike known colloquially as the Hunter Cub, is coming to the US. The stripped down, toughened up version of the Super Cub has been a favorite for outdoorsy types for decades, and went on sale in Japan in March. It is only fitting that the Trail Cub (this thing has many different nicknames around the world) return to the States, as it had its origins here 60 years ago. Continue reading
QotW: If you could only own one car from each Japanese marque, what would your garage look like?
We know there are lots of brand loyalists in our readership, but this is a game some of the JNC staff have been playing offline. What if the Honda Heads, Toyotaku, Mazdafarians, and their ilk were forced to consider a garage where you could not own more than one car from each marque? And to make this harder, let’s say that these are all the cars you are allowed to own. We often think of respective sports cars as the “best” from each badge, but do you need a stable full of two-door coupes? Keep in mind that your tow rig, winter beater, and spouse’s daily will all have to come from this pool.
For the purposes of this question, let’s establish that the marques are Toyota/Lexus/Scion, Mazda, Subaru, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti/Datsun, Mitsubishi, and Isuzu. If you’re going to throw in a Hino or Suzuki in there we won’t complain, but one car per marque.
If you could only own one car from each Japanese marque, what would your garage look like?
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 Tomica story?” Continue reading
The seventh-generation Nissan Z Proto appears to have a manual transmission
A new teaser trailer for the seventh-generation Z Proto seems to imply that the car will be coming with a manual transmission. Not only does it show a brief clip of a driver’s hand coming to rest on a gear selector, the video ends on that image. Nissan is clearly trying to make a statement, and it’s a statement that matches what sources have hinted to us. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Metropolitan Expressway Route 4 at Asakasa Mitsuke in the 1970s
In preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the Metropolitan Expressway Route 4 Route at Akasaka Mitsuke was rushed to completion. Below the highway, Aoyama Street (National Route 246) intersects with Sotobori Street. Crossing under the right-most branch is the Benkei Bridge heading toward the wonderfully old school New Otani Hotel. Sadly The building in the center is long gone, along with its Mazda advertising, replaced with new towers obscuring the silhouette of Mt Fuji. Here’s what this area looks like today, and here’s what it would look like as you’re hurtling westward on it today.
Image: eBay
For absolutely no reason for it at all, there’s a Datsun 510 is in this Little Caesar’s ad
In a new Little Caesar’s Pizza commercial, the butt of an orange Datsun 510 peeks in from stage left. It is an example of “oddvertising” and the primary thing featured, in this case a combination telephone-saxophone, is not the thing being sold. Instead, you get this pastiche of strange artifacts — a CRT television, a mid-century coffee table, and one of the greatest sports sedans ever made. Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: A 1990 Nissan 240SX has sold for $32,750
While 2020 has been a bust on the car show front, the collector market has not slowed down. From barn finds to first car nostalgia buys, there has been no shortage of record setting sales this summer. Take, for example, this 1990 Nissan 240SX that sold for $32,750. Continue reading
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That junkyard-found LHD Prince Skyline is in good hands in Japan
A few months ago a super-rare left-hand-drive 1960 Prince Skyline was found in an Idaho junkyard waiting to be scrapped. We immediately helped spread the word, and pretty soon the ALSI Skyline was purchased by a buyer in Japan, someone who reportedly had a few other Prince-era Skylines, with plans to restore it. Now, the car has landed on the other side of the Pacific and we are happy to tell you that the story gets even better. Continue reading
Is this the rear of the seventh-generation Nissan Z Proto?
The official reveal of the seventh-generation Nissan Z isn’t until September 15, but here’s a sketch that might reveal a never-before seen rear view of the Z35. The line drawing comes from Nissan Senior VP for Global Design Alfonso Albaisa himself, and appears to take inspiration from the fourth-generation Z32 Nissan 300ZX. Continue reading
