Tag Archives: kei
NEWS: The end of the kei car era?
For Japan’s largest automakers, the kei car has outlived its usefulness. The government is aware of this and is ratcheting up taxes on the uniquely Japanese microcars to make their cost of ownership more on par with regular passenger cars. The … Continue reading
Happy Mother’s Day from JNC
A page from the 1962 Mazda Carol 360 brochure, one of Japan’s first family cars. Happy Mother’s Day from JNC.
KEI HERO: Remembering the Suzuki Fronte Coupe
Can you name a rear-engined Japanese sports GT with Italian styling and specific output of over 100PS/L? Such a car was real, and it came from Suzuki. Suzuki is a marque with rather divergent reputations in the US versus Japan. … Continue reading
Ten years, 100,000km of Mitsubishi ownership
Back in 2010 Mitsubishi went around Japan looking for the most loyal members of the triple diamond clan. They sent journalist Hirohisa Kaneko across the country looking for individuals who had owned their Mitsubishis for either 10 years or 100,000km … Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi
Tagged chariot, debonair, delica, dignity, gto, kei, lancer, minica, minicab, mitsubishi, montero, pajero, proudia
13 Comments
EVENTS: Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show
Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 510, 521, 620, 720, b-series, b110, bluebird, c10, Chevy LUV, crown, daihatsu, datsun, debonair, faster, fc3s, ford courier, Hakosuka, hijet, honda, isuzu, jimny, kawasaki, kei, kujira, mazda, mini truck, mitsubishi, mooneyes, motorcycles, ms51, nissan, proceed, rocky auto, rx-7, s50, s60, samurai, skyline, sunny, SuperCub, suzuki, toyota, trucks, yamaha, Yokohama Hot Rod & Custom Show
5 Comments
EVENTS: Naniwa Swap Meet
Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay.
Posted in events, honda, kei, mazda, Motorcycles, nissan, suzuki, toyota, wagons
Tagged advan, c10, cappuccino, cressida, crown, Crown Majesta, dekotora, Hakosuka, honda, jimny, Kanjo Loop, kei, Kei Works, Laputa, mark II, mazda, motorcycles, Naniwa Swap Meet, osaka, passol, police, porter, publica, r31, s130, S180, sanitora, skyline, sunny truck, SuperCub, suzuki, toyota, tundra, wagons, x70, yamaha
20 Comments
QotW: What’s your favorite JNC tuning style?
From bone stock to bosozoku, there’s a wide range styles for nostalgic cars. Crazed pimp van, Mooneyes hot rod, Fuji racer, high-society VIP, Resto-mod, nisei cruiser, rally racer, it’s a blank canvas out there. What’s your favorite JNC tuning style? … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged carol, fronte, kei, mazda, QotW, Question of the Week, suzuki
33 Comments
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 03 – Driving Insane Stuff
Thus far our Nissan 360 coverage has focused on your rare but predictable classic and race cars. However, the global Nissan empire is built on stuff sold in reaches of the world you can’t even find on a map. So every four … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 02 – 80 Years of Cars
In December Nissan will turn 80 years old, and in light of that milestone this year’s multi-day Nissan 360 press event was all about heritage. Part 01 of our coverage spotlighted the company’s rich motorsports lineage, including some race cars never before seen on … Continue reading
Posted in News, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, bluebird, concepts, csp311, datsun, Datsun Type 14, EXTREM, Fairlady 1200, fairlady z, Friend-ME, Hypermini, kei, moco, nissan, Nissan 360, Resonance, silvia, SPL213, tama
5 Comments
EVENTS: Nisei Week Stancenation & Showoff
Nisei Week has been a Los Angeles institution for nearly two decades. For years the car show capping off a week of Little Tokyo cultural festivities has been a showcase of nisei automotive culture, but now the torch has been … Continue reading
ART CORNER: Build a classic Honda N360 and life-sized N-One kei car out of paper
Those familiar with Japanese culture have likely encountered the art of papercraft. You may have even built a paper car or truck yourself. But we know you’re secretly wondering what would happen if some insane origami craftsmen built an entire full-size car … Continue reading
VIDEO: UNUSUAL DRIFT! Sideways and Stoppies with Kei Trucks
Okay, so there’s nothing nostalgic about a Suzuki Carry. However, we fully approve of modifying your company kei truck with a Suzuki Every turbo, a Cappuccino rear end, and a Silvia(!) coilover setup for the express purposes of drifting said company truck. It’s undiluted sunshine … Continue reading
Posted in kei, mitsubishi, suzuki, Video
Tagged carry, drift, kei, minicab, mitsubishi, suzuki
11 Comments
QotW: What should Suzuki USA have done differently?
Alas, Suzuki, we hardly knew ye. This statement rings especially true in the wake of the Suzuki’s departure from US shores last week, because as JNC reader Tyler pointed out, many of their best cars were not sold here under the … Continue reading
Posted in kei, Question of the Week, suzuki
Tagged alto, kei, QotW, Question of the Week, suzuki, works, ymo
30 Comments
