A new commercial for cellphone carrier Boost Mobile features a nice, lightly modified Datsun sports car. The rest of the spot features music, a lot of sweet moves, and someone maybe named Pitbull? We don’t know, we’re old, like that guy quietly polishing his 240Z. Continue reading
MINICARS: Return of the Hot Wheels Supra
The Supra is back, and we aren’t talking about the A90. Instead, we’re referring to the the sleek A80 Hot Wheels casting. It, along with all other Toyota castings, from the popular toy lineup, has taken a hiatus but now it’s making a return, and we think this is great news for both Hot Wheels and Toyota. Continue reading
VIDEO: Honda’s early F1 years, told in manga form
Honda periodically releases videos that tell its history in manga form. The latest is about Honda’s early years competing in Formula One. In 1964, just two years after Honda produced its first cars, it formed an team to take on the world’s best. As history shows, Honda did emerge victorious in 1965, but getting there was a tremendous uphill battle. Continue reading
QotW: What should be inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame next?
There are actually surprisingly few cars in the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame. The Mazda Roadster/Miata was just inducted, and the Toyota Corolla was welcomed last year, but the list is still pretty short. There can be many reasons for a car to deserve a spot. A pure and consistent sports car like the Mazda is appealing to enthusiasts, but the Corolla has put more people on the road than any other model in history. The JAHoF takes motorcycles, commercial vehicles and notable individuals too. What would you nominate, and why?
What should be inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame next?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the last car you will ever own?” Continue reading
Japanese Classic Car Show 2019, Part 09: Trucks, Vans, and Wagons
We have arrived at what could be our favorite part of JCCS, the vans, trucks, SUVs, and wagons. And now, in addition to seeing amazing US-market builds of such cars, their Japan-market counterparts are flooding in. No longer are the importers solely focusing on GT-Rs and Figaros. Here are the best Japanese haulers of JCCS. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 510, 521, 620, Blizzard, bluebird, corolla, corona, crown, daihatsu, datsun, dodge, e30, fj40, forte, H100, hiace, hilux, honda, J60, J80, jccs, land cruiser, Life StepVan, mazda, mitsubishi, montero, n10, N20, N30, nissan, pajero, Pajero Evolution, repu, s130, stout, t80, Taft, toyota, trucks, vans, wagons
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NEWS: NA Mazda Roadster, Mitsubishi Model A inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame
The 2019 inductees for the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame have been announced. The ceremony took place earlier this month, welcoming four historically significant vehicles and three important individuals for their impact and contributions to Japan’s automotive industry. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged B1500, B360, carol, elf, eunos roadster, isuzu, japan automotive hall of fame, k360, kawasaki, Kawasaki Z1, kei, KZ1300, mazda, miata, mitsubishi, mitsubishi model a, motorcycles, MX5, r360, Silver Pigeon, SR400, t2000, yamaha
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SEMA 2019: Honda had the best booth of the show, and there was even a Chevy in it
There used to be tons of Japanese manufacturers at SEMA. One by one, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mazda, and Lexus have all pulled out. And in a year that marked the 50th anniversary of Nissan’s two most beloved models and the second coming of the Toyota Supra, it was little ol’ Honda that had the best display. Their booth was stacked with cool vehicles old and new, two-wheeled and four. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged acura, cb160, civic, EM1, honda, Honda N-Series, Monkey 125, NA1, nsx, s800, super cub, Type S Concept
4 Comments
SEMA SPOTLIGHT: Daniel Wu’s show-stopping Honda S800
Even with countless companies spending big bucks, it’s hard to find anything truly stunning at SEMA anymore. The race to outdo each other and grab eyeballs, has resulted in some high-dollar builds, but when everything is extreme, nothing is. It’s been years since we were shocked, in a good way, and this year it was all due to Daniel Wu’s 1968 Honda Sports 800. Continue reading
2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 — 90s Kids
With 90s cars now eligible for JCCS it is suddenly quite obvious that the cars of the Tuner Era are have arrived at JCCS. This coincides with the Youngtimer movement in the collector car community as a whole catching steam. Many of the cars we once saw gracing the covers of the old print media magazines back in the day, and with most having had the life driven out of them, are now rubbing elbows with the chrome bumper royalty we typically think of when we think of “classics.” Continue reading
SEMA 2019: Finally, you can get an inexpensive ultra-wide bosozoku tire in the US
One of the most unexpected treats of the SEMA Show was the surprise appearance of Banzai Sports’ Bluebird SSS Sanitora. We first spotted this eye-catching ute at the Tokyo Auto Salon in 2018 and were extremely taken by it. Half 510, half Sunny Truck, it’s a seamless combination of US and Japanese styles. Continue reading
VIDEO: Behold the now-extinct B11 Nissan Sentra hatchback
The B12 Nissan Sentra didn’t really make shockwaves in the American car market, but according to Motorweek, it was once the best-selling import in the US. Not only that, but the car review program actually named the Sentra their top pick in a comparison of compacts. But even though it sold in apparently large numbers, 1985-1990 Sentra, especially the 3-door hatchback model, is all but extinct. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the last car you will ever own?
This week’s QotW can be read any number of ways. Our younger readers will likely witness the dusk of the traditional human-driven car in their lifetimes, or at least the end of the internal combustion engine. Older ones are paring down their collections and thinking about how to pass what they have on to posterity. Sometimes though, it’s hard to let go. What will be the car that you drive till your dying day (or until the robots take over), and why?
What’s the last car you will ever own?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Share with us your JNC selling stories.” Continue reading
SEMA 2019, Part 04: More Nihon Steel
It’s really hard to capture everything at a show as big as SEMA, but here are a few more slabs of Nihon Steel we found lurking around. There was everything from slammed sleds to off-road heroes, sometimes both in the same car (you’ll see what we mean). Here’s more J-tin for your eyeballs. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 370z, acura, civic, Civic EG, cressida, eclipse, fc3s, fj40, fj62, Frontier, honda, hot wheels, J200, J60, J70, J80, jimny, Kicks, land cruiser, mark II, mazda, mitsubishi, N260, nissan, nsx, rally, Rocket Bunny, rx-7, rx-8, s13, sema, silvia, subaru, suzuki, tacoma, Titan, toyota, WRX STI, x80, z34
5 Comments
SEMA 2019, Part 03: Year of the Supra
There were, like, so many Supras at SEMA, you guys. It felt like everywhere you went, you were bumping into an A90. Either that, or a mobility scooter with a swag-filled reusable Spyder bag. But yeah, Supras. At the end of the day the SEMA is a trade show, Las Vegas was built on gambling, and every aftermarket parts company is betting that in the coming years enthusiast dollars are going to be spent on the fifth-generation Supra. Continue reading
SEMA 2019, Part 02 – The coolest cars at the Toyo Treadpass
Toyo Tires consistently has one of the best displays at SEMA. It offers the most diverse lineup of cars of any company, from classics to supercars to scratch-your-head stuff like a slammed Mercedes G-Wagen. It also offers a convenient pass-through between the Central and South Halls of the ginorrmous Las Vegas Convention Center, because who wants spend 30 minutes wading though swarms of dudes wearing Guy Fieri flame shirts and the booths of fifty knockoff wheel companies you’ve never heard of just to meet up with your friend who texts, “I’m over by the new Supra,” (there are 8,000 new Supras at SEMA). But I digress. Onto the cars! Continue reading
Happy 117 Day from JNC
The Giugiaro-designed Isuzu 117 was so beautiful that when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, it won the Concours D’Elegance at the event, likely a first for a Japanese car. Today, November 7, is the day when we celebrate the beauty and elegance of the Isuzu 117. Or wait, is it January 17? Perhaps the 117 deserves two holidays per year!
NEWS: Toyota and Subaru might be collaborating on the next WRX STI
Rumor around the interwebs is that Toyota and Subaru will join forces for not only the next-generation BRZ/86, but also the next WRX STI. The scuttlebutt comes courtesy of Japan’s automotive-tabloid-best-picked-up-with-can-coffee-and-onigiri-at-your-local-convenience-store industrial complex, so taking the news with a mountain of salt would be advised. Nevertheless, here’s what’s being reported. Continue reading
SEMA 2019, Part 01 — Japanese Hot Rods
When there are 2,400 companies and 2.2 million square feet of exhibits, limits are constantly pushed in order to garner attention. It can result in show cars that are insanely expensive but absent of taste. Still, there can be gems hidden in the massive three-hall circus of automotive excess. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Akita Prefecture, circa 1965
Akita Prefecture, where Japan’s bear-hunting dogs get their namesake, once boasted the northernmost tram on Honshu, Japan’s main island. In this cool shot, all the greats of the early Sixties are seen. A Toyopet Crown waits for pedestrians in the foreground, a 410 Bluebird taxi headed in the opposite direction makes a right. The Esso station in the background hosts an Isuzu Bellett 1500, 210-series Datsun, and even a couple of Mitsubishi 500s, while the shop truck appears to be a Mazda B360. Finally, there’s the little Subaru 360 scooting behind the tram, just as happy as can be. These days, there aren’t many streetcars left in Japan; the Akita Tramway ceased operations on December 31, 1965.
Image: jyutakujiban
Posted in Showa Snap
Tagged 210, 410, B360, bellett, bluebird, crown, datsun, isuzu, kei, mazda, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi 500, nissan, s30, subaru, subaru 360, toyopet, toyota
4 Comments
QotW: Share with us your JNC selling stories
Sometimes you just have to part with your beloved automobile. Whether it’s financial hardships, a life change, the fact that you’ve simply done all you can do, or a simple loss of interest, it’s time to pass it on to the next owner. Or, there are those of us who will never let their cars go. We want to hear your best JNC selling stories, whether they be joyous or painful or another emotion. Or, tell us why we should never, ever sell.
Share with us your JNC selling stories.
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best use of a JNC in cinema?” Continue reading
