Last weekend Honda unveiled its S2000 20th Anniversary at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon. Man, that’s a lot of twos and zeroes. The car exhibited several minor changes, mostly subtle and cosmetic, that kept true to the original design. Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: A Nissan Fairlady Z432-R has sold for over $800,000
Over the weekend a Nissan Fairlady Z432-R sold for ¥88.55 million, or $804,600 or so at current exchange rates. That makes it the most expensive S30 Z — and one of the most expensive Japanese cars, period — ever sold at auction. Given the history of the model, however, perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising. Continue reading
VIDEO: The year 2000 was still a great year for Japanese sports cars
In the US, we often think of the late 1990s as when the good times came to an end. The flagship Japanese sports cars had left the US market, and automakers began building cars to the preferences of local markets, meaning once fun but practical choices started to get dumbed down for the average commuter. However, in Japan, even though the bubble economy had burst, many golden age sports cars continued production through Y2K. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged A80, acura, altezza, autech, best motoring, celica, civic, Civic EK, Civic Type R, fd3s, fto, honda, impreza, integra, Integra DC, Integra Type R, LANCER Evoluution, legacy, mazda, Miata NB, mitsubishi, MR-S, mr2, nissan silvia, nsx, r34, rx-7, S15, s2000, skyline, sportsland sugo, subaru, supra, sw20, toyota, W30, WRX STi MITSUBISHI
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QotW: What’s your favorite Japanese car from 1995?
Today is Coming of Age Day in Japan, the day when all those who turn 20 years old between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current one officially become adults. It’s fitting, because as is the custom when we change our calendars, our QotW is all about the cars that pass the 25-year threshold to become official classics. For 2020, that marker is 1995, the year of Braveheart in theaters, Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo, and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” blaring from every double-DIN head unit. That’s right, cars from the year that eBay launched are now importable into the US, eligible for historic plates, and qualify for classic car insurance. Tell us why you picked what you did.
What’s your favorite Japanese car from 1995?
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 JNC New Year’s resolution?” Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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RIP Yoshikazu Sunako, 1932 — 2020
It was announced yesterday that on January 3, 2020, racing driver Yoshikazu Sunako passed away at the age of 87. The former Prince and Nissan works driver was a pioneer during the nascent years of Japan’s motorsports scene, perhaps most known for helping kick start the legend of the Skyline. Sunako came in second at the 1964 Japan Grand Prix driving his blue No.39 Prince Skyline 2000GT, a family saloon stretched to accommodate the straight-six engine of a Prince Gloria, and sent into battle against a purpose-built Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. Continue reading
Toyota says the GR Yaris is a Celica GT-Four successor
At the Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota has debuted a new hot hatch that it says is the spiritual successor to the almighty Celica GT-Four. While that claim does raise an eyebrow, the GR Yaris is a potent machine that could have hailed from the Bubble Era. It’s based off of Toyota’s World Rally Championship entrant like the Celica before it, and has dazzling specs for a compact. Continue reading
Posted in tokyo auto salon
Tagged celica, Celica GT-Four, GR Yaris, homolgation, rally, st165, st185, st205, tokyo auto salon, toyota, wrc, yaris
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Happy Kenmeri Day from JNC
It’s Kenmeri Day, the holiday where you take a road trip with your significant other to a deserted field and frolic through the grass for no reason. Enjoy!
Toyota’s Supra Heritage Parts Program will be offered in the US
Last May Toyota became the latest Japanese carmaker to announce a heritage parts program, starting off with items for the Supra. Just hours ago, Toyota announced that not only is the program kicking off this spring, but that it will extend overseas. What’s more, the company has released a list of initial parts that will be offered. Continue reading
Set an hour aside to watch this truly excellent Mazda Miata documentary
At this point we all know that the Mazda MX-5 Miata is a very special car. Despite four generations and 30 years in the books, it is one of the last enthusiasts’ cars left that remains pure to its original mission — to provide a superbly engaging driving experience that connects you to your car. For its 30th anniversary, our friends at Savage Geese have created a wonderful five-part documentary chronicling the development of this singular machine. If you already love Miatas, you’ll love them even more after watching it; if you don’t, this may just nudge you into the Miata cult. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged mazda, miata, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, mx-5
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The Honda Beat Parts program reveals why it’s so hard for carmakers to produce old parts
It’s been a while since we checked in on Honda’s Beat Parts program, which once again produces parts for Honda’s popular mid-engined, kei roadster. Since the program was announced in August 2017, the list of parts available has grown. And, after learning what it took to get them back into production, we can see that it’s a miracle the Beat Parts program happened at all. Continue reading
Tan Toyota Corona Liftbacks are the car of choice for broke lawyers trying to do the right thing
Recently Patrick sent me a link to the trailer for Dark Waters and wrote, “The magic happens at 0:08.” That magic, it turns out, was Mark Ruffalo’s character driving a tan T130 Toyota Corona Liftback. I didn’t really think anything of it, but then a few weeks later the trailer for Just Mercy drops, and Michael B. Jordan’s lawyer character is driving — you guessed it — a tan T130 Toyota Corona Liftback. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?
It’s a new year, a new decade. A chance to start off right. Will you finally make progress on that long-awaited project, take that road trip of a lifetime, complete your collection of the JNCs of the Wonder Bread Crazy Cars trading cards line (there are only two), or track down that elusive part even if you have to personally comb through every landfill in Japan?
What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What did you think cars would be like in 2020?” Continue reading
Toyota has ended 51 years of Mark II, Mark X production
On December 23, Toyota held a farewell ceremony for the beloved Mark II and Mark X sedan. The final example, a white Mark X 250G, rolled off the line at Toyota’s second-oldest plant, the Motomachi factory in Aichi Prefecture, as workers waved goodbye. The car was immediately driven to a small sendoff where it was parked beside a first-generation Corona Mark II, the car that started it all. Continue reading
Travis Scott’s new album and videos feature a plethora of Japanese sports cars
When Ryan told me to check out Travis Scott’s new album two days after Christmas, I had to google who he was. A rapper, it turns out. I confess I haven’t actually listened to it, but the cover has caught my attention. At least three 1990s icons are gathered, along with some guys wearing neon balacavas. There’s an FD Mazda RX-7, JZA80 Toyota Supra, and lampenbaum-equipped E30 BMW M3 which Scott is auctioning off. The first video had even more. Continue reading
Happy New Year from JNC
Here’s to another decade, one that saw Japanese cars appreciated by a small cadre of knowledgeable enthusiasts to full-blown mainstream collectibles amid massive changes in the automotive world and corporate changes. To cement their classic status, nearly all the major Japanese carmakers announced heritage programs remaking parts for iconic cars. Thank you for joining us on this journey, now and in the next decade to come. 明けましておめでとうございます!
25 YEAR CLUB: Third-Generation Acura Integra
Regardless of income, gender, creed or species, when asked what the greatest front-wheel-drive car of all time is, the answer is almost unanimously the DC2 Integra, specifically the Type R. However, the Integra story is more than its race-ified trim level. The DC Integra chassis was the culmination of Honda’s collective strength during their greatest era. The mind, heart, and soul of the company came together to create something truly special that transformed the landscape of suburban malls across America and what a hot rod could be. Now, 25 years later, it’s only right that we tip our hats in honor of the latest inductee to the 25 Year Club: The third-generation Integra. Continue reading
RIP Syd Mead, 1933 — 2019
On December 30, 2019, Syd Mead passed away at the age of 86. The legendary concept artist almost single-handedly shaped our visions of tomorrow, having designed the futures seen in films such as Blade Runner, Alien, Tron, and the Star Trek movie. However, it was Mead’s illustrations of a bright and optimistic human destiny that excited a generation and became his signature style. He worked with many companies, dreaming up utopian showcases for their products, and it should be no surprise that Japan’s top carmakers were among them. Continue reading
Posted in Legends
Tagged Akira, ballade, camry, corona, Gundam, honda, hot wheels, motorcycles, prelude, quint, Rays Wheels, SV40, Syd Mead, t80, toyota, Vigor
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NEWS: Ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn flees Japan ahead of trial
The strange saga of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn keeps getting weirder. The disgraced executive, accused of misusing Nissan’s funds, has unexpectedly shown up in Lebanon after allegedly skipping bail ahead of his upcoming trial. The image above, of Ghosn driving a 1938 Datsun Type 17 through Nissan’s Zama garage, happened in 2012, but we’re just going to pretend his escape went something like that. Continue reading
QotW: What did you think cars would be like in 2020?
The digits we assign to years are, of course, arbitrary, but 2020 still seems like a very futuristic number. When the JNCs we love were still new, 2020 seemed like a distant tomorrow, where we’d travel by tubes or sleek flying cars. Who could’ve guessed that the most cutting-edge forms of transportation would be bulky top-heavy wagons or someone else’s car that you hail with your phone?
What did you think cars would be like in 2020?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What are the biggest changes to the Japanese classic scene in the last decade?” Continue reading
VIDEO: Why don’t more people appreciate the Dodge Colt Vista?
These days, three-row CUVs are big, hulking things that blot out the sun when they lumber into your general vicinity. Back in the 80s, however, Mitsubishi built a 7-seater, all-wheel-drive wagon that basically does 90 percent of what a modern Nissan Pathfinder can do. Though it was sold as the Dodge or Plymouth Colt Vista, in Japan it was called something much grander befitting of its all-around versatility: the Mitsubishi Chariot. Continue reading
