Today, February 2, is Number Two Day in Japan. It’s an occasion to celebrate the penultimates, such as Mt Kitadake, the second tallest mountain in the country after Mt Fuji, or the Shinkoro Clock Tower, the second oldest clock tower in Japan after the one in Sapporo. In the automotive world there are forms of conventional wisdom that are taken for granted. The FD is the best RX-7. The Land Cruiser is better than the Pajero. The GT-R slots above the Z. These assumptions have been baked in for so long that most don’t question them. But are they true? In the spirit of the holiday, what are some Number Two cars that should actually be Number One?
What car unfairly lives in the shadow of another?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What are your rules for parking your car in public?“.
It’s good to know our readers are neurotic about parking as we are. We even picked up a few tips from the comments, like nlpnt‘s rule about parking by the employees at retail locations to avoid the constant shuffle of customers’ cars. Some, like Sakamoto, insist on parking at the back of lot and even got his spouse to do it (kudos!), while others like Jonathan P. and Negishi no Keibajo are obsessive about centering the car between the white lines.
On the other side of the spectrum, TheJWT throws caution to the wind and parks for utmost visibility. And amateur_hour_auto goes a step further and just accepts the potential for dings.
The most pathological parkers gave us an entire dissertation of parking rules, and it was a tough choice between @ye and aaad6598-d50a-4e34-bf8e-100ef7f10315. In the end, this week’s winner was aaad6598-d50a-4e34-bf8e-100ef7f10315 for being just a tad bit more fanatical:
Do you circle the lot for a wider spot at the end of a row, or just go for the closest?
* I tend to park far away. Close to the door has more traffic/pedestrians so more chances of mishaps or delays. Far away is easier when leaving and I can often pull through. More healthy to walk the extra steps too.
Do you avoid trees?
* I live in a very sunny place so I seek out trees/shade. Bird poop can be washed off, and sun damage is cumulative and cannot be washed off.
Are you allergic to paying for a spot?
* Very. I actively avoid dense urban areas where this is common and will even walk a few blocks if necessary.
If not, do you ever let a valet touch your car?
* Not usually going places so fancy as would have a valet, but if I did I wouldn’t be thrilled about it. Family can drive it sometimes but even then I feel a little off afterward.
Other items
* At home I usually back in since I have a lot of practice aligning with the landmarks in that spot but out in the wild I rarely do.
* Always put up the sunshade even in winter
* Always use the parking brake
* I dabbled in car covers at one point and decided I didn’t like to use them.
* Need more garage space but have to make do with what I’ve got.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
I would say the last I6 Z, the 200ZR, which had an RB20 under the hood. This is understandable, as the Z31’s pretty commonly associated with the VG series of engines, but there is something about an inline six which just feels right. There is barely any information available online about this particular one.
In a bit of a curveball way, if I interpret “second-best” as applying within car families, it might be interesting to say that the Civic Si often gets overshadowed by the Type R.
I would say that the Lexus sport models live in the shadow of Supra’s, the ISF and GSF models for sure are a better vehicle.
That limited production ’60s Toyota coupe with a Yamaha-built engine and race car components…
…You know, the 1600GT
“Once a mighty specimen of the sporty coupe family, the elderly S12 is usually seen sitting covered in rustholes in a trailer park that is now its natural habitat. The 200SX can be seen eating fuel and oil once or twice a year but it now rarely eats any tires. It is hoped that what is left of the S12 population get the same kind of protection as other members of the JDM bubble-era genus.
This has been Franxou, reporting from a random field filled with old forgotten cars for the Save The Cool Old JDM Classic Foundation.”
You know, when at a quick glance, you see a weirdly long low and wide AE86, it just might be the elusive Nissan S12-chassis!
A nice talking car offered in 4-, turbo 4- and 6-cylinder flavour. I do not know if it has any racing pedigree, but I believe that after the S13 homerun of a car and once the AE86 got popular, most people tought the S12 as “the AE86 we have at home”.
Nissan put the nose from an S12 on the S110 Super Silhouette car to pretend like it was a new car, if that counts as racing pedigree…
As quite usual for RWD Nissans of the 70’s and 80’s, Nissan was relatively successful with the S12 in rounds of the World Rally Championship where durability was the most decisive factor.
I had an S12 that I converted to GroupA spec for rallying with an FJ20here in the US. Likely the only one here. That car lived a good long rally life in the hands of two other good drivers if not more. So there is that local angle. The V6 version was also homologated. And that car ran the safari rally once perhaps twice.
1990-2001 Honda Civic and Acura Integra sedans. Yes, these are the 4-door family models that aren’t in demand because of the additional doors, weight, and less performance. I still think they’re cool looking if you remember the European and Japanese touring car races from the 90’s and German DTM racing. With the current Civics and Integra now only available as 4-door sedans, these old school double wishbone sedans are still cooler than the large overweight Civics and Integra’s sold new today. Sure, they’re slower in a drag race, but the older sedans could probably corner faster because of lighter weight and better suspension.
The AW11 MR2 and AE82 FX-GT living in the shadow of the AE86. Both equally awesome 4AGE powered cars that get often overlooked by the AE86 in terms of 4A powered toyotas that handle great and look great.
I could say the FWD 80-series Corollas, but that’s only the case for how the cars are remembered (or not) now.
But instead I’m going with the *erimaki* Mitsubishi Mirage, at least from an American perspective. Mitsu, like Isuzu, was opening pickup-and-SUV only dealerships in the early ’80s long before it became cool because under the Voluntary Restraint Agreement quotas and their contracts to Chrysler (and in the latter case, GM) they couldn’t bring in enough of their own passenger cars to supply dealers outside California.
And at least the (FF) Isuzu I-Mark came in generally nicer trim levels than you could get a Chevy Spectrum in, especially comparing early hatchbacks. Mitsubishi offered nothing on a Mirage that you couldn’t get just as easily, with a better warranty, and likely closer to home on a Colt from a Mopar store.
1969; The Mazda R130 Luce Coupe designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro / Bertone & its elegant body had to share the stage with the blockbuster Cosmo. Arguably more beautiful than most BMW’s of the era. What an understated, elegant car.
I am waiting for the day technology can offer that gorgeous A Pillar & greenhouse glass again.
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/news-mazda-completes-restoration-of-a-1969-luce-rotary-coupe/
The AE92 Corolla GT-S is my choice. Despite sharing the sporty pop-ups and 4A-GE engine with the AE86 Corolla GT-S, its lack of popularity in the drift and amateur racer scenes because its FWD ensured it will never be remembered as fondly as its predecessor. The upside is they cost 10x less, making them a tempting option for people who understand, enjoy, and prefer front-wheel drive performance cars like myself. I’d love to get one in red.
I Agree the Ae92 was the Bastard child. Wish it was RWD with the room in the engine bay area 1JZ would fit in it.. and they look clean modded
This was my first thought. I’ll have to think some more and decide whether to come up with an original choice!
I would say the Mazda Familia 323 GTX and GTR under the MX5 shadow. Those where rally competitors but sadly they silently died while the Mazda MX5 got popular with the nimble British feel and continued with its B6 and BP motor. BP motor had all the platform. FWD (Familia Protégé, 323, Ford Laser, Escort GT and Mercury Tracer ) RWD ( MX5 ) and AWD (Mazda BG, BF GTX and GTR, Ford laser TX3
Mark 3 Supra. Yeah, the Mk4 was perfection, but the Mk3 is outstanding.
…you’re tempting me to change my choice now!
The Z32 Nissan 300ZX. It was such a game changer when it came out in 1989, and it easily ran side-by-side with the 3rd-gen RX-7 as well as the MKIV Supra. The Skyline GT-R was also in the limelight, but it wasn’t stealing the Z’s flame. In the mid-90s, people still wanted the 300ZX, even if the Supra had 20 more horsepower or won a certain Car and Driver comparison test.
However, after The Fast and the Furious came out as well as Gran Turismo players winning every race using the GT-R, the 300ZX gradually took a back seat. It sure didn’t help that Nissan stop importing them in 1996 as well. Nissan vehicles historically resale lower than Honda / Toyota, and the Z was no exception. I bought my great condition Z in 2013 for $6k when Supras were probably in the $30k range! This “demoted” the Z, and pretty soon a lot of high schoolers were buying and clapping them out, further spiraling the car’s status. The 25-year import rule resulted in Americans being able to obtain the R32 GT-R, and I’m sure the Z, by now, was just a ho-hum car. Excellent examples were appreciated usually by Z enthusiasts, but just didn’t command that popularity that the Supra or said GT-Rs were attracting, mainly social media influencers.
Prices for those excellent examples have trended upwards in the past decade, but unlike the Supras or GT-Rs. And why is that? Enthusiasts on those auction websites keep on saying “it’s only a matter of time,” but the Z still sells for pretty low, comparatively. I’m not looking to sell mine, but it’d be nice if there was some more tangible forms of appreciation for the car.
THE SKYLINE GTR!
Which is a halo car, so to be specific, the R33 generation of the Skylines, because OH, it gets so outshined by its older brother and younger brother.
Comparing the 33 with every other generation, let’s think about it. The father and uncle both got prestige, even being given nicknames with Hakosuka and Kenmeri, respectively. Its older brother, the 32, became THE Japanese racing monster with Godzilla, and when it came time for the 33… yeah lets just give them the same name/nothing special to add.
The 34 was also thrown around as a Godzilla, and actually, at one point, even when the 34s were being produced, the 33s had a period of popularity as the more desired car, but since it became a Hollywood star, the 33 got left behind.
I know the question specifically looks at #2, but I can’t help but think the 33 truly and unfairly lives in the shadow of its racing famous 32 and media icon 34 as the MIDDLE CHILD.
Shoutout to all the middle kids, this one came from the heart.
I’d have to say the Datsun SPL311 (1600 roadster) was always overlooked when comparing with the SRL311 (2000 roadster). But have to say, I love the 1600 despite my having raced (in old SCCA D-Prod class 40-some years ago) and currently owning a 2000. The SU-carb-equipped 1600, IMO, was always less temperamental and a better daily than my Solex 2000 (which I’m still fussing with to get right.)
Also, as mentioned in another response, the Z32 NA was often overlooked compared to the Z32 Turbo. I had an NA model that, while not nearly as fast as the Turbo (of course) was downright dead reliable and still managed to get out of its own way pretty easily.
remember the Tercel? the econobox that everyone got as a hand-me-down? the rustbucket that’s already been driven to the moon and back when you got it (along with your license) and then you still drove it some more for YEARS, until you finally got ‘your’ car? that thing with the faded paintjob that’s a semi-permanent feature on your driveway, or parked at the kerb outside your front door? that box that helped you move house at least twice, that you always can’t seem to find the damn keys for, and have gotten you into more fender benders than you cared to admit? that old car that you finally got rid of one day but never quite seem to remember how or where or whom to? yeah remember that Tercel? some lucky few even had the L20 with 4WD and low-range gear!
no, of course you don’t. you only remember the starlet. you only remember the corolla and the damn AE86 sprinter trueno. what Tercel?
I believe one model that lives in the shadow of the revered KE70 is the 1980 Toyota Carina TA40, sharing its chassis (as far as I understand) with the Celica’s 1.6-liter 2T engine. It was affordable, had some racing history, was more comfortable, and had a more powerful engine straight from the factory.
I’d like to write about a car that lives not in the shadow of another, but in the shadow of another that lives in the shadow of another. While I am sure there are FC fans that will disagree, I think it is pretty universally accepted that the FD sits at the zenith of RX-7 majesty. Whether it is because of the iconic looks, or more modern performance, I have no idea why (but maybe probably actually it’s the looks). I’ve never owned or even driven one either. And I’ve also never driven the sidlined founding father, the FB, but I did see one sitting abandoned in the parking lot of a random e-bike shop in Raleigh NC, and fell in love with it.
My wife and I found ourselves in Raleigh with plans that had just gone up in smoke. Instead of turning around and heading home like quitters, we decided that under no circumstances were we leaving without having fun. So it was on a food run to the local Publix that we passed the aforementioned bike shop, and decided we absolutely had to pull over and check out the lonely FB.
It was faded blue, no hood, no engine, no interior, but it was gorgeous. This was the first time I had seen one up close, and actually being able to stand next to the car allowed me to realize how amazing the FB looks. The proportions just looked perfect. It looked like a pair of jeans that fit juuust right. My wife immediately decided that the car looked good on me (which won it MANY points), and we snapped some pics and fantasized about it before moving on with our day (we later made hotel room fish tacos. Trust me, it was an -interesting- time). And ever since, the FB has had a place in my heart which before had been filled with FD’s and a few select FC’s.
The NC Miata. Yeah, the NC. or better yet: The NB.
I don’t think I need to explain that one.
FACTS