It seems that Mazda is about to reveal some news about the rotary engine. The company published the above graphic of a 1967 Cosmo Sport, Mazda’s first rotary-powered car, along with a countdown indicating that there was some rotary goodness coming our way. There’s only one catch — all the information was in Chinese. Continue reading
BIKES: Honda is selling a retro CB1100 RS cafe racer
To mark the 50th anniversary of the game-changing CB750, also known as the world’s first superbike, Honda UK is selling a limited run of retro motorcycles based off the CB750’s successor, the CB1100 RS. Only 54 of the cafe racer-inspired bikes will be made, and they include some very cool custom touches. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Almost brand new “New Silvia”
The S10 Nissan Silvia is an already rare car. Sold in the US as the Datsun 200SX, American-spec safety bumpers marred its clean lines, giving it an undeserved reputation as one of the ugliest cars Nissan ever made. Few in the US thought it worthy of preservation. This one currently for sale in Japan might be the cleanest, most original example left on planet Earth. Continue reading
QotW: Which influential person in the JNC world, living or dead, would you like to meet?
History is full of influential men and women whose training, decisions, and determination conceived of and built the things we love today. Engineers, designers, CEOs, race car drivers, tuners, and so on. If someone had a magic machine through which we could talk to these figures, living or dead, with no language barrier, who would you like to meet? I would love to be able to chat with Ichiro Suzuki, the father of the JZA80 Supra and Lexus LS, to ask what it was like to be entrusted with building not just a car, but a brand, that would challenge the world’s best (and also, you know, what he’d think of the new Supra).
Which influential person in the JNC world would you like to meet?
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 ultimate JCCS build?” Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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JCCS Preview: Come check out some new 2020 Hot Wheels at the JNC booth tomorrow, and maybe win a Super Treasure Hunt R32 Skyline GT-R
Our friends at Hot Wheels have some amazing Japanese cars in the works, and they will be giving a sneak peek at our booth at JCCS tomorrow, September 21. There will be some never-before seen Japanese castings, as well as some new recolors of existing castings, about a dozen cars in all: Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and more! Also, we will be posting on our Instagram page tomorrow morning on how you can win one of the 2020 Super Treasure Hunt Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R models at our booth, so be sure to follow us. See you in Long Beach!
JCCS PREVIEW: Z Generations 50th Anniversary special edition shirts
One of the best selling items in the JNC Shop has been the Z Generations shirt, depicting all six iterations of the venerable Z chassis. However, this year marks the 50th anniversary for this game-changing car, and we wanted to honor it in a special way. We’ve changed it up a little, and will be using a reflective gold leaf instead of the regular white ink. We’ve also created a special sleeve logo inspired by the advertising of the original Fairlady Z. And due to strong demand, we are offering women’s sizes as well. As usual we will offer the shirts at the JNC booth at JCCS first, then put the rest for sale in the JNC Shop if there are any left. See you on Saturday in Long Beach!
Posted in JNC Apparel
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 300zx, 350z, 370z, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s130, s30 z, z31, z32, z33, z34
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Here’s the new Emperor’s Toyota Century convertible
The 30-year Heisei Era came to an end and the Reiwa Era began with the official transition of royal rule on May 1 of this year. However, the new emperor’s actual coronation ceremony, which expects foreign dignitaries and envoys from 190 countries, doesn’t take place until October 22. On September 19, photos were released of the car that the royal family will be taking to the succession ceremony — a convertible Toyota Century. Continue reading
A Subaru 360 came out to celebrate Subaru USA’s 10 millionth sale
Nate Wade Subaru of Salt Lake City, Utah is the oldest Subaru dealer in the United States. It just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and recently had the honor of selling Subaru’s 10 millionth car in the US. That car was a 2019 Impreza, but also joining in the festivities was a little Subaru 360, the company’s first and only model offered when it opened its doors in 1968. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Tokyo Imperial Plaza, 1967
With Tokyo Tower looming in the background, the streets in front of the Imperial Palace were absolutely teeming in 1967. Four lanes of traffic in each direction couldn’t keep the stream of Crowns, Cedrics, Glorias, Bluebirds, Publicas, and Minicas flowing. For the sporting driver, there’s even a Sora Blue Fairlady Roadster in the bottom right. This postcard from the era showed just how quickly Japan was motorizing in the Golden 60s.
Image: eBay
Posted in Showa Snap
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QotW: What’s your ultimate JCCS build?
The 15th annual sapanese Classic Car Show is this Saturday, September 21. For many, it has been the one place in America where you can see the vast range of Japanese cars all in one spot. There is always something new to see, and where many people debut long-awaited projects that have never been seen. Whether is the most carefully preserved Mazda RX-4 wagon, a 100-point restoration Subaru 360, a bosozoku Toyota Mark II imported directly from Fukuoka, or a classic Datsun skin with the running gear of a 600-horsepower Nissan powertrain, there is something for everyone. But if you had an unlimited budget:
What’s your ultimate JCCS build?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What kind of JNC stuff can you find for a baby?” Continue reading
NEWS: Calsonic is no more, say hello to Marelli
As of September 9, Calsonic Kansei is no more. The company whose bright blue livery graced many a Bubble Era race car is now known as Marelli. That’s Marelli, as in Magneti Marelli SpA., the Italian supplier of electronics, fuel injection systems, and engine components whose own logo has graced many famed race cars from the other side of the globe. Continue reading
VIDEO: A Mazda Miata now holds the world record for most hairpin turns in 12 hours
While most automakers are chasing speed records on the Nürburgring, Mazda has been quietly unlocking an achievement of a different sort. Mazda Germany revealed last month that back on July 18, it had broken the world record for most hairpin turns in a 12-hour period, a fitting coup for a company that prides itself on sharp handling and fun-to-drive cars. It was a stunt to celebrate the iconic roadster’s 30th anniversary and furthermore, they did it with a vintage Miata. Continue reading
VIDEO: How Honda was making some of the world’s most precise machines in 1967
Though Honda was still in its infancy in 1967, it was already conducting some of the world’s most precise engineering. A video tour of the company’s Wako R&D facility and various plants is a fascinating glimpse into Honda’s operations at the time. Engineers in crisp, white labcoats perform countless tests, automated tools churn out part after part, and quality control technicians run then-new S800s on the “Test-O-Matic.” Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: MF12 Toyota 2000GT prototype sells for $820,000
At a high end sports car auction in Tokyo last weekend, a 1969 Toyota 2000GT sold for a record ¥88 million ($820,000 USD). Though other 2000GTs have sold for over $1.1 million, this is a new auction record for the later and less desirable MF12 model, and even among the rarest of the rare, this particular example was a very special one. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Chiyoda, Tokyo, 1972
Tokyo’s subway system is a confounding wonder, but as late as 1972 the metropolis still had streetcars that drove alongside traffic. Here in the Chiyoda district, 510 Bluebirds, Cedrics, Sunnys, Corona Mark IIs, and kujira Crowns teem among the rails. Just another day in Tokyo.
Image: hiromi7
QotW: What kind of JNC stuff can you find for a baby?
As we mentioned before, two members of the JNC team had little ones this year. Brandon Kelley and his wife had their son, Maximus, and Ben Hsu and his wife had their son, Cedric. However, it can be incredibly hard to find proper JNC-themed gifts for pre-Hot Wheels age kids. Typically, anything car-related will feature generic, unlicensed blobs on wheels. Or, they’ll have your typical Mustangs and such. Probably the most popular real car on kiddie gear is the VW Bus. The Munchkin Motors 240Z above is a rare exception. So, readers:
What kind of JNC stuff can you find for a baby?
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 coolest JNC work vehicle?” Continue reading
What cars were parked at Toyota USA headquarters in the 1980s?
Toyota is long gone from southern California, but back when they were still in Torrance, their massive campus was a showcase of its then-current models. This was especially true in the 1980s, when their star was on the rise. These images from the TRD 40th anniversary video show a treasure trove of unmolested Aichi steel. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged a40, celica, corolla, cressida, supra, Tercel Wagon, toyota, x30
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KIDNEY, ANYONE?: Eric Bizek’s KP61 Toyota Starlet
Typically, we don’t name drop the Kidney Car’s seller, but if you are even remotely familiar with our site, or the American JNC community, the shop JDM Legends is a household name. The Utah-based restomod shop has been around as long as we have, just over 10 years, and have been cranking out some of the best JNC builds in the country since. They even have their own TV show. Now, you have a chance to own JDM Legends’ owner’s personal car. Continue reading
PIXELATED: Honda celebrates 30 years of gaming with new ad
Honda has a new commercial celebrating 30 years of video games. Apparently, the company sponsors a team of professional gamers that is competing in the upcoming League of Legends championships, and released the ad to commemorate the occasion. Can you name all the appearances? Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
Tagged civic, Civic EG, Civic Type R, crx, ef, honda, nsx, Ridgeline, video games
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VIDEO: FJ Company’s G43 is a restomod Land Cruiser done right
There is exactly one Japanese car that has achieved the kind of cult following that spawns aftermarket companies building ground-up tributes to the original, and it’s not a car at all. The Toyota Land Cruiser, like the Porsche 911, has inspired a thriving restomod industry surrounding the singular model, with the top end builders charging many times the cost of the original car for their bespoke creations. Continue reading
