Today, November 4, is Butt Day in Japan. Now as you pick your brains up out of the gutter you should know that the holiday comes from the popular children’s character Detective Butt, who is a crime solver with a rump for a head. The official description from Toei Animation states, “While he may look like a butt, he is a great detective with excellent deduction.” As with many special occasions, the day comes from the fact that 11 can be read as ii (11) oshiri (04), which means, “nice butt”. It also happens to be Det. Butt’s birthday. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, cars. In all the time we spend gazing upon them, the angle we view them the most from is the rear. In real life the side view is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it blur. Front view? Maybe at a car show. On roads, in traffic, in parking lots, the primary perspective is the rear. So it’s fairly important for car designers to spend time on a good looking posterior. The question this week is simple:
Which JNC has the best-looking rear?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite animated JNC?“.
Cars from Initial D were clear crowd favorites, from Bunta’s Subaru as picked by Lakdasa to Mako’s Sileighty as nominated by Chris M to Ryosuke’s FC RX-7 as chosen by j_c. speedie said any car from the series would do, and predicted that the Toyota 86 from MF Ghost would be go-to in 10 years’ time. Other faves included the Celica from Yoroshiku Mechadoc selected by TheJWT and the much-copied Devil Z from Wangan Midnight submitted by Nigel.
We were especially stoked to learn about some cartoon cars from series we’d never seen before, like the Toyota Sports 800 from Gate Keepers recommended by Lee L, or the Kawasaki Z750 from Grand Teacher Onisuka suggested by Spam1269. One series we’ll have to check out is Over Rev! which apparently stars an AW11 Toyota MR2, elected by both Ian G. and Angel0.
The winner this week was cesariojpn who make the insightful observation that You’re Under Arrest might as well have been a product placement deal with Honda.
Given Seibu Keisatsu was to Nissan Police Cars, Guerllia Group 8 was to Mitsubishis, You’re Under Arrest was to Honda Cop Cars. From the Honda Today, the Motocompo, to even the various Honda V-Series and even the rare NSX decked out as a cop car, it showed a marque rarely seen as cop cars.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
that’s a no-brainer. i mean only one car that i know of was ever named after a butt, the Butaketsu Laurel. and call me Sir Mix-a-Lot cause damn that draggin wagon ain never saggin.
it’s been a car on my wishlist since forever and i saw one in person for the second time in my life last summer. laurels are awesome!
I had to look that up. 🙂 https://www.speedhunters.com/2015/05/kyusha-laurel-c130/#_presentation-240263
While StreetSpirit’s comment is definitely funnier than mine, I do think my 79 Corolla (the very one in Ben HSU’s “Kidney, anyone? 1979 TE51 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe” post from July 10, 2012 https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/kidney-anyone-1979-te51-toyota-corolla-sr5-sport-coupe/) definitely has the best butt out there. Here’s a single shot of it. https://pegspen.com/79_corolla_rear.jpg
BTW, the car is in Canada ATM but I will likely bring it back to AZ within the next two years to sell it.
I am not a Mazda guy but its clearly the Cosmo.
Its such a classy design that aged really well.
I must give a four door answer and say, Toyota GX71 any of the three…
Nissan Cherry X1R, based on the number of kaido racers its taillights have found their way to
76 Celica GT – the Mini Mustang!
Mazda RX-7 in its various generations. Each one being recognizable in its time and timeless in its latest incarnation that even today if it were released would be modern (wait a minute… that would be the RX Vision… or the iconic SP with its lines, curves and lights)
Beat me to it!
I’d say Mazda tends to nail their, uhh, rear ends (and design in general), be it the RX line (especially the FD), the 110S, the Eunos Cosmo, the rare NB Miata-based RS Coupe or maybe even the 1992 626 liftback
The Toyota 2000GT is the most beautiful JNC and the rear is its best aspect, so no contest really. The pre-aero styling saves it from the fat butt of newer cars like the A80, instead tapering down into an elegantly cut tail complete with crisp creases wrapping around from the side. Even the road car rocks a ‘racer’ look without bumpers, just a couple of vertical overriders framing the number plate. The lamp clusters are period-unique, grouped on silver backing, foretelling the “Altezza lights” that would be all the rage three decades hence. A slight three-quarter angle lets you enjoy the car’s elegantly organic flanks seeming to leap ahead down the road.
The lower rear is tucked under in the classic style, with a couple of neatly grouped exhausts sticking out Italian style, and if you get low enough you’ll see the long lower wishbones almost meeting in the centre, revealing the thoroughbred chassis that so endeared it to real drivers such as Carrol Shelby.
yeah the 2000-GT is ridiculous, as someone who does a lot of bodywork it’s like seeing a masters sculpture!
Nice Question: I have a few cars that’ll fit this list.
I’m a fan of heckblende, so for sure the Acura NSX. The sliver of LED third brake light is delicately elegant, and that trunk height is very low (obviously). The bumper is pronounced, but it is all completely integrated to the rest of the body lines, which helps hide its bulge. I like the kouki tail pipes over the earlier ones with the oval exhaust tips. Nothing is too loud here, everything is nicely integrated and artfully sculpted.
On the topic of heckblende, I do like the rear of a 1992-94 Nissan Maxima SE. There’s nothing fancy or exotic about the shape, but I like the full red across, with clear signals lenses, black trim surround, and a correctly-size spoiler that finishes up a boxy yet rounded shape. The twin slashed exhaust tips are perfectly sized as well. Handsome is this rear end.
This will be somewhat biased, but the rear of a kouki Nissan Z32 300ZX is very sexy. I like the sloping hatch shape as it integrates to the rear, which simply gets thick and wide. The shape of the red / clear tail lights really stretch out the overall surface area, not to mention keep the colors to a minimum. The rear bumper is nicely integrated to the profile, and although the four OEM chrome exhaust tips look great, a GReddy exhaust with two big shiny cans and two 4″ tips would really finish this “fat ass” look.
Finally, I think the rear of an NA Miata looks great, BUT it has to be pretty specific. The finish panel needs to be color-matched. It needs to have the “R” package rear skirt that pairs nicely to the bumper. There needs to be a beefy rollbar bolted on, and the soft top needs to be dropped to show it off. 205 tires on 15×7 +35 wheels with a slight negative camber adds a bit of aggressiveness.
Final-finingly, I also wanted to add the second-generation Toyota MR2 Turbo to the mix, particularly the 1995 model, as it has the one-piece spoiler that’s not cumbersome as the earlier models’, nor as wild as the adjustable spoiler in the latter years. I like how the cabin rear window has that wrap-around shape to form with the C-pillar, and the louvered engine lid definitely lets the passerby know this is mid-mounted. The tail lights have the bulbous form around the four brake lights, so I like those contours. Then, similar to the 300ZX, I’d like a huge Greddy exhaust with big opposing cans and nice exhaust tips; the rear will be scraping every curb it comes across.