The Japanese website of Brother, the printer company, has an astounding array of things you can do with paper. There are coloring books, greeting cards, forms, business card templates, and a whole lot more. Naturally, there is also an insane amount of papercraft, including a diorama set for a Toyota RTX race car, based on the T50 Corona. It’s one way to kill some time with while you’re stuck at home because of the corona virus. Continue reading
Happy St Patrick’s Day from JNC
We are members of the green car fan club around here, and the Kyoseki Nissan Skyline GT-R Group A race car is one of our favorites. Stay safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day from JNC!
VIDEO: The Ford Probe was a more futuristic looking Mazda MX-6
The Ford Probe is now largely forgotten, but even at the height of its popularity it was mostly known as the butt of jokes about its orifice-seeking name. Developed during Ford’s ownership of Mazda, it shared a platform with the MX-6, but boasted styling more futuristic — it was used in the 2015 scenes from Back to the Future II — that was different enough to not simply be a badge-engineered renaming. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your JNC project until this whole coronavirus thing blows over?
Many places around the world are shutting down because of the COVID-19, a.k.a. the coronavirus. Though the virus has nothing to do with vintage Toyotas, this is an excellent time to get some work done on your JNC project if your workplace has shut down or your area is under home isolation advisement. Those circumstances may cause some people to go stir crazy, but luckily we are Car Enthusiasts. Social isolation? That sounds like wonderful hours of uninterrupted time in the garage, whether its swapping in a new transmission, claying your paint job, or redecorating the ol’ shed. Hell, since no one else is on the roads, it’s a great time to go for a drive.
What’s your JNC project until this whole coronavirus thing blows over?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC model deserves its own museum?” Continue reading
Toyota revives the Black Limited 86
At the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, Toyota unveiled a close-to-production concept of a special edition 86 called the Black Limited. A throwback to one of the most desirable AE86 special editions of all time, it seemed to signal an upcoming model. Now it’s here, in all its midnight glory. Continue reading
MINICARS: The second color of the Hot Wheels Prelude is a tribute to Electron Blue Pearl
One of the most anticipated Hot Wheels castings of this year has been the fifth-generation Honda Prelude. We showed you the prototype last October, and Hot Wheels’ design team has revealed the first color, silver. Now, they’ve given us some exclusive photos of the second color, and it’s a tribute to one of the most memorable Honda colors of the 90s. Continue reading
JNC LIBRARY: A must-have book for the Isuzu aficionado
If you’re a hard-core enthusiast, or even just a casual fan, of Isuzus, the the new book A History of Isuzu Passenger Cars by Setsuo Toma should be in your library. As the title implies, it spans the entire run of non-commercial Isuzus, from the company’s founding in 1916 as the oldest automaker in Japan to the end of its passenger car production in 2002. Continue reading
Akio Toyoda celebrates Lexus’ 30th anniversary with a champagne glass throwback to the original LS
How does one celebrate a milestone anniversary? If you’re Lexus, it’s with champagne… glasses in the form of a tower on the hood of an LS. One of the most famous car commercials of the 1990s was Balance, the spot where a pyramid of champagne glasses was stacked on the hood of a then-brand new Lexus LS400. Now, Lexus has recreated the ad with CEO Akio Toyoda himself. Continue reading
Happy 310 Day from JNC
You know, even though we have been celebrating holidays like 510 Day for years, we’ve been neglecting the poor Sunny. No more. The sub-Bluebird compact deserves some love too. Happy 310 Day from JNC!
Toyota closes museums, Megaweb, for coronavirus
COVID-19 is no laughing matter, but sometimes the jokes write themselves. Toyota has closed several of its facilities in Japan, including the Toyota Automobile Museum and Megaweb showroom, due to the coronavirus. Continue reading
Mazda brings back the 93LE Miata’s black and red for a limited Eunos Edition ND
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has had many, many limited and special editions, but one of the most beloved is the 93LE. As the enthusiast-coined name implies, it came out in 1993 (1992 for Japan) and wore a distinctive black-with-red-interior color scheme. Now, Mazda is bringing it back for the fourth-generation MX-5. Not only that, but they’re reviving the Eunos name, just for the occasion. Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC model deserves its own museum?
Most automakers have their own museums that showcase the history of the entire marque, but last week we wrote about an entire museum dedicated to one model, the Suzuki Jimny. Typically, to warrant its own museum the model would have to be something special and widely, like a Skyline or Miata, but there are plenty more models that we’re honestly surprised don’t have a museum of their own. The ways to outfit the museum would be endless — one of every variation ever built, mountains of literature, promotional materials, scale models in dioramas, or all of the above. The possibilities are endless!
Which JNC model deserves its own museum?
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 pick if you had to charge through a snowy mountain?” Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
8 Comments
BIKES: Now the Yamaha XSR700’s paint finally matches its retro looks
When Yamaha introduced the XSR700 in 2016, its goal was to combine modern technology with classic styling. The naked twin used the MT-07’s frame, suspension, and the crossplane crank parallel twin, but wore the retro look of famous Yamahas of old like the XS 650. Now, for 2020, Yamaha is finally introducing a throwback livery to go along with the look. Continue reading
COLLECTIONS: By opening the Jimny Museum, Shigeru Onoue achieved his dream
The Jimny Museum in Japan was not officially established by Suzuki. Instead, the two story shrine to the country’s favorite mini 4WD truck was the obsession of one 72-year-old man, Shigeru Onoue, who has devoted his life to this single model. Continue reading
Posted in Collections
Tagged Apio, HopeStar, jimny, Jimny Museum, lj10, lj20, Osamu Suzuki, samurai, sj10, sj20, SJ30, suzuki
6 Comments
KIDNEY, ANYONE? MS75 Kujira Toyota Crown Coupe
The fourth-generation Toyota Crown is one the most outlandish designs in the company’s long history. The space-age front end was like nothing else at the time, and like nothing else since. Predictably, it was quite polarizing, leading to perhaps an aborted sales period in the US market. Continue reading
PARTS GUIDE: Yokohama adds new sizes for GT Special throwback tire
Last year, Yokohama Tires released a modern version of its iconic GT Special tire, with sizes specifically fitted for classic cars. Due to its success, Yokohama is adding new sizes to the lineup, which should be a boon to restorers of many JNCs. Continue reading
Posted in Product Guide
Tagged a10, a20, bellett, bluebird, carina, celica, galant gto, isuzu, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, yokohama
8 Comments
Happy Z32 Day from JNC
A styling departure from the ones that had come before it, the Z32 300ZX still looks good today. Happy Z32 Day from JNC!
Posted in Uncategorized
2 Comments
QotW: What JNC would you pick if you had to charge through a snowy mountain?
The Toyota Celica GT-Four may have nabbed the starring role in Take Me Out to the Snowland, though the filmmakers originally wanted to cast a Mitsubishi. The Celica proved capable, but Japan has a plethora of AWD and 4WD machines that can take on inclement conditions, from kei cars to Land Cruisers.
What JNC would you pick if you had to charge through a snowy mountain?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What should the Emperor of Japan have in his garage?” Continue reading
Happy Z31 Day from JNC
Won’t you consider adopting a third-generation Nissan Fairlady Z? There are many that need loving homes. Happy Z31 Day from JNC!
JNC THEATER: That time a Celica GT-Four starred in a Japanese movie about skiing
The ST165 Celica GT-Four has gotten some attention lately, thanks to Toyota constantly comparing it to the new GR Yaris. While that link is still somewhat tenuous, it did remind us of when Toyota showed off the newly introduced Celica GT-Four’s snow driving prowess in the Japanese rom-com, Watashi o Sukī ni Tsuretette (Take Me Out to the Snowland). Continue reading
