The Heisei Era is over, and the Reiwa Era has begun. However, we’re going to Showa ourselves out with a third-generation Toyota Corolla Sport Coupe, or TE51. It may not be the most celebrated holiday on the JNC calendar, but it’s a good reminder that there are still good cars undiscovered by speculators. Happy TE51 Day from JNC!
MOTORSPORT: Record-holding Dakar racer Yoshimasa Sugawara retires at age 77
After a record 36 back-to-back runs in the Dakar Rally, Yoshimasa Sugawara has decided to hang up his racing hat for good. The Hokkaido native holds dual Guinness records for most consecutive starts, having participated in his first Dakar Rally in 1983, as well as most consecutive completions in a race where only one in five make it to the finish line, a 20-event streak from 1989-2009. In recent years, Sugawara has also been the oldest driver in the backbreaking race, and at 77 years old, it’s no wonder he’s retiring. Continue reading
Happy 430 Day from JNC
This Nissan Cedric may look plain, but nearly every aspect of it has been customized. As is the case with many forms of art, subtlety is the key. Happy 430 Day from JNC.
QotW: What’s the greatest car of the Heisei Era?
This Tuesday, April 30, Emperor Akihito will become the first Japanese royal in 200 years to abdicate his throne, citing his age and declining health and bringing the Heisei Era to a close. Though Japan’s royal family is largely symbolic these days, their reigns are still important markers of time. Akihito took the throne on January 7, 1989, ending the Showa Era that is often referenced with nostalgia for its post-war economic boom, bringing things like color television, transistor radios, and a Cambrian explosion of the cars that we know and love today to the forefront of Japanese culture.
Akihito’s era, then, will have spanned just over the last 30 years. It was probably just as significant, car-wise, ushering in the days of peak Japan with cars like the Skyline GT-R and Z32, Toyota Supra twin-turbo and SW20 MR2, Mazda FD RX-7 and MX-5 Miata, Mitsubishi 3000GT and Lancer Evolution, Honda NSX and Integra Type R, Subaru SVX and WRX STI, and so on. With the recent death of beloved models like the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Mark X, it almost seems like another golden automotive age is ending.
What’s the greatest car of the Heisei Era?
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 favorite Z?” Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Mazda still carries the IMSA torch
Mazda has been a dominant force in IMSA since the original 1979 RX-7 won its class at the 24 Hours of Daytona in its debut year. As our resident vintage racer Glenn Chiou mentioned in his recent piece, much of IMSA’s formative and most-watched years were dominated by Japanese marques, especially Datsun and Mazda, joined later by Toyota. Today, though, only one of these companies remain active in IMSA with a factory effort, and that’s Mazda. Continue reading
NEWS: It’s the end of the road for the Toyota Mark X
All good things must come to an end, and today we must bid farewell to yet another steadfast nameplate of Japan’s automotive landscape. On the very same day that Mitsubishi announced the end of the Pajero, Toyota announced, after 11 generations and 51 years of continuous production, the end of the Mark X line. Continue reading
NY Auto Show: There’s a Suzuki Jimny in New York, you guys
One of the biggest surprises at the New York Auto Show was the presence of a Suzuki Jimny. We were stoked to see what was likely the first new Suzuki car on US soil, in all its highlighter yellow glory, since the company left the market in 2012. It was even a left-hand-drive model. What was it doing here? Continue reading
NEWS: It’s the end of the road for the Mitsubishi Pajero
It’s always sad when a storied and accomplished lineage comes to an end with no successor in sight. Today, that fate belongs to the Mitsubishi Pajero. On Wednesday Mitsubishi Motors announced that the illustrious off-roader will cease sales in Japan this August, and that the company will not develop the nameplate any further. Continue reading
VIDEO: Nissan celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Tomei Expressway
You are probably sick of hearing about Nissan’s many anniversaries this year, but the company is celebrating one more 50-year milestone — that of the Tomei Expressway. The 215-mile highway traces Japan’s southern coast between Tokyo and Nagoya, following a trunk road dating back to feudal times. In 1969, that route opened to motor vehicles and became one of the most heavily traveled roads in Japan. Continue reading
Posted in Nihon Life
Tagged 510, 521, a30, b110, bluebird, c10, cedric, cedric 130, datsun, fairlady z, gloria, nissan, S30Z, skyline, sunny, Tomei Expressway
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EARTH DAY: The 1985 Toyota AXV got 80 mpg thanks to clever design
Toyota is known leading sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and pioneering hybrid tech (even as early as 1977), but back in 1985 they didn’t reinvent the wheel with a new powertrain. They simply tried to build the most efficient internal-combustion automobile imaginable. That car was the Toyota AXV. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite Z?
Nissan celebrated dual 50th anniversaries last week for two of its most revered models. We’ve inquired about the GT-R already; now it’s the Z’s turn. The beloved Z has gone through countless variations over the years, from the race-ready Fairlady Z432 of the disco age to the twin-turbocharged Z32 of the Bubble Era to the the long-lived 370Z of modern times. From the moment of its debut, the way the world looked at sports cars was changed forever. There are many to choose from, but if you could have any one, what would it be, and why?
What’s your favorite Z?
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 favorite GT-R?” Continue reading
NY Auto Show: A gallery of classic Z-cars
The GT-R’s incredible 50th anniversary display may have taken center stage at the New York Auto Show, but the Z’s half-century birthday did not go uncelebrated. Nissan also brought out several historic Z models from its US collection, and also welcomed several owners from local Z-car clubs to show their rides. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 280zx, 300zx, 370z, new york auto show, nissan, s130, s30 z, yutaka katayama, z31, z32, z34
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NY Auto Show: Nissan built a one-night shrine to the GT-R and Z
It’s been a big week for Nissan here in New York, celebrating the 50th anniversaries of its two most revered nameplates, the Z and GT-R. Nissan hosted a reception to honor the two models, bringing art, artists, and actual cars to commemorate the occasion for one night. The shindig took place at an event space near Union Square, and for one night, the it was the closest thing you could get in the US to a GT-R and Z museum. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240z, 370z, c10, gt-r, GT-R NISMO, GT-R50, Hakosuka, new york auto show, nissan, r35, s30 z
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VIDEO: The Datsun 240Z was Nissan’s ambassador to the world
While the original Skyline GT-R dominated at home and was largely unknown outside of Japan until the R33 had existed for several years, the S30 Z was Nissan’s halo car, torchbearer, and image-maker around the world. It was the 240Z that transformed Americans’ ideas of what a sports car could be, achieved countless victories at road racing events across the US, and wowed Europe with rallying wins. A new video from Nissan celebrates that legacy. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged 240z, bre, datsun, john morton, motorsport, nissan, s30 z, safari rally
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MOTORSPORTS: Archival footage of Hakosuka Skylines racing evokes the passion and history of the GT-R
To coincide with the 50th birthday celebration of the GT-R and the release of the 50th Anniversary Edition GT-R, Nissan has released archival footage of the original GT-Rs that launched the legend. No matter how grainy and shaky, these videos still stir passions for the Skyline in sights and sound. Skyline GT-Rs finish 1-2-3 at the Japan Grand Prix separated by less than a car length. Fearless men sling them around the fatally dangerous banking of old Fuji Speedway. Hakosuka GT-Rs plow through walls of water and fog as they race in Japan’s famously drenching summer downpours. It is the very definition of beauty in motion. Continue reading
NY Auto Show: Nissan brings its GT-R crown jewels to New York
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the GT-R this year, Nissan came to New York with three GT-R crown jewels. Perhaps three of the most priceless cars in Nissan’s own collection, the trio represents three generations of GT-R motorsports provenance and are irreplaceable. Yet Nissan flew them halfway around the world from Japan to New York for the big 50th birthday party. Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan releases 50th Anniversary GT-R and upgrades Track, NISMO editions
2019 is a momentous year for Nissan. Not only does it mark 50 years of the iconic Z, but also 50 years of the legendary GT-R. Nissan already marked the Z’s birthday with a 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition, but now it’s Godzilla’s turn with its own motorsports-inspired 50th Anniversary Edition. Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan releases 50th Anniversary Edition 370Z
Nissan is releasing a special edition version of the 370Z to commemorate 50 years of its revolutionary sports car. The Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition is based on the 370Z Sport, but features a distinct two-tone graphic that fans of Nissan’s motorsports heritage will surely recognize. Continue reading
VIDEO: Watch Monster Tajima crush this New Zealand Hillclimb
Monster Tajima’s Suzuki Escudo is a legendary hillclimb machine. In this Option video circa 1998, the crew follows Tajima on his quest to win the New Zealand Gold Rush in Queenstown. Of course, that in itself is worth watching the video for, but what’s also interesting are the other slabs of Nihon steel who also participated. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged A80, cultus, escudo, GC8, impreza, monster tajima, nissan, Option Video, Pikes Peak Celica, pulsar, Rod Millen, subaru, supra, suzuki, toyota, wrx
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QotW: What’s your favorite GT-R?
This week Nissan plans to celebrate 50 years of the iconic GT-R at the New York International Auto Show. Godzilla has had many incarnations over the years, from classic street machine to world-beating race car. Designs have spanned the chrome age to the carbon fiber age, horsepower from 160 to 600, and price from $20,000 to $1.1 million. At times, it seems as if GT-Rs have comprised half the cars available in Gran Turismo. There are a lot to choose from, but if you could have any one, which would it be, and why?
What’s your favorite GT-R?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC would you name your kid after?” Continue reading
