2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — 60s and 70s

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Ben Hsu

This year, the Japanese Classic Car Show could not be physically held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the organizers took the opportunity to expand the show into a global virtual event for 2020, allowing entries from all over the world. So, all this week, they will be releasing videos of the best cars, categorized by decade. Today at noon (Pacific Time) we will see the first episode, sponsored by Toyota and covering the 1960s and 1970s. Also, be sure to look for a mention of a special trivia contest held in conjunction with JNC (hey, that’s us!). Enjoy!

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VIDEO: The fifth-gen Honda Accord was “the most widely anticipated family sedan ever”

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The Honda Accord was the first imported car to hold the crown of best selling car in America. Starting in 1989, the third-generation CA Accord‘s 362,707 in sales held the top spot, and carried it over through the first two years of the fourth-gen. Ford regained the title with the Taurus in 1992, so when Honda debuted of the fifth-gen in 1994 it was indeed looked upon with excitement. Continue reading →

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The Prince Skyline Sport is an unsung legend of Japan’s motoring history

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Ryan Senensky

During the 1960s the upper echelon of car buyers were at a crossroads. For the previous 80 years of automotive history, if you wanted the best car money could buy you would get a car bodied by the great coachbuilders of Europe. Prior to World War II, names like Pourtout, Saoutchik, Touring, or Pinin Farina signified of the finest automobiles of the age, massive cars with equally massive engines. While you would occasionally get a relatively sporty coachbuilt car like a Duesenberg SSJ, the majority were built for decadent luxury. Continue reading →

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MOTORSPORT: Calsonic colors live on, even though the company’s gone

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Ben Hsu

When Calsonic was merged with Magnetti Marelli in September of last year and renamed to just Marelli, the fate of its famed blue livery was uncertain. It would have been sad to see Calsonic go, as they had been a title sponsor of Hoshino Team Impul since 1982, making them the longest-running title sponsor in in the world of motorsports. Turns out, the blue lives on, even though company doesn’t. Continue reading →

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PIXELATED: Art of Rally looks like a ripping good time

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Ryan Senensky

A new driving game, Art of Rally, has been at the top of the upcoming games chart on Steam for a while now and it looks like loads of fun. Described as a stylized game that lets you progress through the “golden age” of rallying, it features dozens of rally machines based on classic icons from the real world. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 5,400-mile Lexus LS400

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Ryan Senensky

As the world creeps towards apocalypse on a daily basis, we are reminded of the necessity of an apocalypse-proof vehicle. As luck would have it, a 1994 LS400 with a scant 5,400 miles on the odometer has appeared on the market in Long Branch, New Jersey. Given that a first-generation LS400 with a hundred thousand miles is still more reliable than the most vehicles on American roads, one that has only ticked four digits on its odometer since new might just be the right car for the coming cataclysm(s).  Continue reading →

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Happy 929 Day from JNC

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Dave Yuan

The HC-generation Mazda 929 is oft forgotten, but Mazda’s ads at the time positioned it as a luxury sedan that could deliver better performance than the European brands for two-thirds the price. Come to think of it, that’s also their formula today. Happy 929 Day from JNC!

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This thing could have been the Nissan Z Proto

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Okay, just one more thing about the Z Proto and we’ll shut up about it (for now). In some materials that Nissan shared, alternate designs for the Z Proto can be seen on the wall at the Nissan design studio in Atsugi, Japan. Some are good, others are… not. After seeing them, we’re glad that the Z Proto turned out the way it did. Continue reading →

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QotW: What stupid question have you always wanted to ask about Japanese cars?

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Ben Hsu

September 28 is Ask a Stupid Question Day, so today’s your chance to ask a stupid question about Japanese cars, no judgements. Why do Japanese cars limit their engine displacements and power? Why do Japanese cars have so many variations of the same model? Why is the 2-t0ne color of the S130 Z called the Manhattan? Make them general or specific. We’ll try to answer them as best we can, and other readers can chime in as well.

What stupid question have you always wanted to ask about Japanese cars?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What pivotal Japanese car made our modern favorites possible?” Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Here’s every generation of the Honda Trail Cub

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Dan Hsu

Here’s a very informative history lesson on the Honda Trail Cub (or Hunter Cub, or Postie, depending on which continent you live on). Produced by Honda, it goes through every iteration of what started out as a Super Cub modified for off-road use. It starts out with a C105T, developed in 1961 by American Honda thanks to an Idaho dealer of Super Cubs, but it’s a super rare chrome plated version, given in 1963 as a gift to top US dealers.  Continue reading →

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VIDEO: The Isuzu Elf had a cute name but did massive work

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The Elf is to Isuzu what the Land Cruiser is to Toyota or the Skyline is to Nissan. At 61 years old it’s the longest running nameplate in Isuzu’s history, and a truck that can be seen in almost every corner of the globe (including the US, where it’s rebadged as a GMC W-series. Unless you’re living in a unabomber cabin in the woods, chances are that something you own has been on an Isuzu Elf. Continue reading →

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Here are all the references to past Z-cars on the Nissan Z Proto

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Dave Yuan

Now that we’ve had some time to digest the Z Proto, let’s take a look at what Nissan has given us. In the company’s own words, the Z Proto is mostly a design statement. So, we can’t really speculate any more on the chassis or power, but there’s still a lot to unpack. Continue reading →

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Mazda classics take a lap at Tsukuba Circuit during a 4-hour Roadster enduro

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Dave Yuan

Many automotive journalists don’t even own cars. Why do that when you are supplied by a never-ending stream of press loaners that show up in your driveway every week? However, if you were to poll all the journalists, you’d probably find that the car most owned by this strange breed of human is the Mazda Miata. It handles well enough to excite after doing time in a slew of numbing SUVs. It handles well enough to excite after thrills in six-figure luxury sports cars. And, most importantly, it’s reliable enough to own on a scribe’s meager salary. That’s probably why in Japan Mazda has held a yearly 4-hour endurance race for journalists every year since the Roadster’s introduction in 1989. Continue reading →

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Toyota sees the new Z and would like to remind you about the GR Super Sport

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Ben Hsu

You might have heard that over the weekend, Toyota won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third time in a row. It’s a tremendous feat, even if it ran largely unopposed by any other automaker. Toyota also took the opportunity to remind the world that it is, in fact, working on a hypercar that will make the Lexus LFA look like a Camry. Sure, Nissan, your Z Proto might be the talk of the town, and the R390 GT1? That’s cute. This is the GR Super Sport, and it’s probably going to have close to 1,000 horsepower. Continue reading →

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The new Nissan CEO’s first car was a Z32 Fairlady Z

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Nissan has been through a tumultuous couple of years. In November 2018 its CEO of nearly 20 years Carlos Ghosn was arrested on charges of misappropriating company funds and has since become an international fugitive. His replacement, Hiroto Saikawa, lasted less than a year before resigning over improper overcompensation. All the while, the company faced falling sales made even worse by the onset of the coronavirus. Makoto Uchida became CEO in October 2019, promising to turn the company around and rebuild the internal structure that made his predecessors’ alleged improprieties possible. It’s won’t be an easy road, but Uchida has at least one thing going for him — his first car was a Z32 Nissan Fairlady Z. Continue reading →

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QotW: What pivotal Japanese car made our modern favorites possible?

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Ben Hsu

Today is Respect for the Aged Day, a Japanese holiday that honors the elderly. With the introduction of a new Z, one of original models that changed western perceptions of what a Japanese car could be, it seems only fitting to consider the predecessors that have made our hobby what it is today. While the Z might be an obvious choice, one could argue that its little brother, the humble 510, put more Japanese cars in driveways. There’s no right or wrong answer, and it probably depends on what your modern favorites are.

What pivotal Japanese car made our modern favorites possible?

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 fondest Nissan Z-Car memory?” Continue reading →

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The Nissan Z Proto wasn’t even a thing until three years ago

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The Nissan Z Proto is finally here, and that’s a good thing. For one, it means Nissan plans to bring a seventh-generation Z to market. Let’s not forget that the sixth-gen 370Z was introduced in 2008, or two Spider-Man reboots ago. For a long time, the fate of the Z35 — and the Z lineage at large — was uncertain. We recently found out just how uncertain it was. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: The Isuzu TX-80 helped build modern Japan

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Ben Hsu

The Isuzu TX-series trucks were a fixture in Japan’s post-war reconstruction. Their rule spanned over three decades, from 1946-79, an era that saw Japan transform from a defeated power to and economic juggernaut. TX-series trucks hauled cargo, moved earth, and were adapted into fire engines. The TX-80 in particular was a best-seller in the 5-ton segment. With seemingly zero cares given to styling, these trucks were ugly as an ox but they got the job done. Continue reading →

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Why Mazda is turbocharging all the things

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Ben Hsu

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 →

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All seven generations of the Nissan Z gathered for a family portrait

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Ben Hsu

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 →

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