QotW: What JNC would you take for a race around the world?

Today, February 8, is the birthday of Jules Verne, one of the first science fiction authors, born in 1828. One of his most famous works is Around the World in Eighty Days, in which a Londoner takes a bet of £20,000 that he can circumnavigate the world in under 11 and a half weeks. Keep in mind, the book was published in 1872, so air travel was not yet possible.

So, let’s say for the purposes of this exercise, that as was the case with Phineas Fogg, air travel is also off  limits. You have to start and end with the same vehicle, and you will have to traverse every continent except Antarctica and over varied terrain. A truck with plenty of parts support in remote regions might be the obvious choice, but Fogg was quite well off. That wager would be worth $3.2 million today, so you might want to travel in luxury and stay in nice hotels, or with speed accompanied by an army of support vehicles.

What JNC would you take for a race around the world?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What should Toyota do with the Celica name?

To the question of what Toyota should do with the Celica name, we received many excellent answers, none of which will happen. Still, it might be fun to think about the what-ifs. For tugging at enthusiasts’ heartstrings, Dillon and dankan came up with a Celica All-Trac with GR Yaris drivetrain. Meanwhile, CycoPablo and Rod Panhard proved we’re not anti-change by suggesting a sporty EV coupe. The most practical recommendation was Lee L‘s idea of an FF coupe on the Corolla platform with a parts bin M20A-FKS engine.

Naturally, putting the name on the second-gen Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ was a popular choice, but even then we got several different solutions. Steve got right to the point by offering a BRZ with proper Toyota engine. Sammy B had a brilliant idea of renaming the 86, but keeping the GT86 name as an upper-spec trim designation. Ultimately, the winner this week was james, who came up with a realistic scenario that we could all still live with:

I might get some flak for this, but this is what I feel Toyota should do with the Celica name. They should attach the name to a new line of sporting coupes/liftbacks or even a sedan (anyone remember the Corona EXIV?) and offer them with a multitude of engines, powertrains (from FF to 4WD) and transmissions (especially). why hell, even one model could utilise hybrid technology. The cars should be designed and built in house or they could collaborate with Mazda, who knows a thing or two about building enjoyable cars.

 

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11 Responses to QotW: What JNC would you take for a race around the world?

  1. エーイダン says:

    Diesel Hilux. Durable as hell, as proved by Top Gear. Popular, with everyone from farmers to armed militants. Need I say more?

  2. emuman says:

    Mazda RX-8 with Toyota FJ40 as service car.

  3. harshith says:

    i would take toyota TJ concept, mitusbishi lance EX, 10th gen pajero and nissan patrol dakar rally the fanta one

  4. HotWheelsAndFriedChicken ! says:

    I’d go for a 1993 Toyota T100 Baja Truck. My support vehicals would be R35 GT-Rs with off road conversions.

  5. Brett says:

    An aircraft; Mitsubishi MU-2. Why drive when you fly?

    • Negishi no Keibajo says:

      Outstanding choice!!!! Not just any plane but a MU-2: Fast by Turboprop standards, (but really unforgiving as well). Rugged F-104 landing gear for that scenic shot in the middle of Mongolia.

      Decals for Brett.

    • Ben Hsu says:

      This would have been a winner, but the rules said air travel was off limits.

  6. Negishi no Keibajo says:

    No mention of crew size so I’m going for a team of 3 in a Hino 500 modded just shy of Dakar. Sleeper suite, 7KW genset powering a small shop& galley, drone recovery system on the roof for scouting the path a mile ahead: Driver, Navigator, Drone Scout Operator (& cook!). Everybody wrenches.

  7. Angelo says:

    A Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon, stock-bodied yet equipped with the essentials needed to traverse the world.

    I think it can survive beatings that it might encounter in various places around the world, as it’s very reliable not to mention being a van, it can double as living quarters when you have to rest.

  8. jan says:

    truth be told i don`t think i`d take a JNC on my epic journey, a 91-92 pontiac firebird formula would be my globetrotter of choice, see the world through it`s HUGE glass surface and open up the t-tops whenever possible. but if i`d take a JNC it`d have to go for a datsun u620
    part car with just enough room to sleep if needed and a truck bed in the rear for souvenirs and luggage

  9. My_Fairlady_ZFG says:

    I would take a Toyota Camry All-trac wagon with a manual transmission and a few inches of lift. I would paint the exterior with dark green bed-liner, and mount a light bar on the roof rack and rally lights on the front because I can and because no one can stop me. I’d have a overlanding tent on the roof as well and I’m really really bad weather, I could stretch out in the back of the car. I love Camrys despite how everyone rags on them. I learned to drive in my moms Camry, learned to be irresponsible in my grandparents Camry on solo cruises, and just really learned to appreciate them for what they are, what they can do, and how reliable they are. My mom has had her Camry since I was 8, and almost 300,000 miles later still runs like a champ. Nothing has ever gone wrong aside for a relay issue causing the ac to cut out, and it burns oil because the engine wansnt broken in correctly by the people who had it before us, but it’s an amazing car, and I love it. Does anyone know how fast a Camry can go? People shouldn’t hate on it until they’ve taken it up to the top speed. The Camrys reliability combined with the all wheel drive of the All-trac would make it a great car to drive around the world. Will it win? I don’t care. If I’m driving around the world, best believe I’m going to be liking out the window at the scenery. For me, the journey really is about exploring what’s on the way.

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