Tag Archives: lexus

Japanese Classic Car Show 2021, Part 01

To close out 2021, a year where things were finally opening up again, we’re going back to the Japanese Classic Car Show. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, JCCS was back in full form. Perhaps trying to … Continue reading

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The Lexus Electrified Sports concept sure looks like the stunning Mazda RX-Vision

Akio Toyoda surprised the world with a mega press conference yesterday, announcing Toyota’s plans for electrification. He showed no less than 16 concept cars in dramatic fashion, talking about a packed lineup of five before dropping the false wall behind … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Lexus ES300 had some unexpected features, like a manual transmission and ski sheath

The Lexus ES300 was largely decried as a “Camry with a fancy badge” back in the day. It was a more than that, though, even if it shared the same platform with its mainstream cousin. And so what if it … Continue reading

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Japan’s Automotive Hall of Fame inductees for 2021 include Toyota Celsior and Nissan Be-1

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 inductees. Each year three vehicles representing milestones in the country’s auto industry are selected for the honor. This year, they include two cars from the Bubble Era and a classic … Continue reading

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2021 All-Toyotafest, Part 02 — Supra & Lexus

One of the great developments we noticed this year was the ascendancy of the A70 Supra. We can’t remember seeing such a high turnout of the third-gen Supra at Toyotafest, and it was good to see this important chassis receive … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Lexus LX450 was the Land Cruiser’s richer cousin, but today their fortunes have reversed

For years the 4×4 market has been hit with the Toyota tax, with a legendary reputation of indestructibility jacking up the prices of Land Cruisers, 4Runners, and pickups. When the Lexus LX450 debuted in 1996 with a $47,500 base price, … Continue reading

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Toyota Supra owner selling car to pay for his cat’s medical expenses finds there is still good in the world

The pandemic has been a reset for mankind, with shelter-in-place orders last year giving us time to wrench on our projects and spend time with our loved ones. However, one man in Osaka was posed with a very difficult choice … Continue reading

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Toyotafest is happening but everyone, including spectators, must pre-register

Great news! The City of Long Beach has given Toyotafest the green light, meaning the year-long nightmare of no official car shows may soon be over. However, there will be some major change that will affect everyone who attends, so … Continue reading

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The Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins trailer gets Japanese cars right

Hollywood movies often get car scenes wrong, but especially when the setting is in Japan. Typically they just sprinkle in some a Nissan Figaro in the background or set up a parking garage drift in Los Angeles that stands in … Continue reading

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Before Toyota sells you its next supercar, it wants to know if you’ve ever owned a 2000GT

This year the FIA plans to kick off new Le Mans Hypercar class and Toyota will be there, ready and waiting with its Gazoo Racing Super Sport. The class homologation rules require 20 road cars to be built, and Toyota’s … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 5,400-mile Lexus LS400

As the world creeps towards apocalypse on a daily basis, we are reminded of the necessity of an apocalypse-proof vehicle. As luck would have it, a 1994 LS400 with a scant 5,400 miles on the odometer has appeared on the … Continue reading

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Here’s what modern cars would look like with their predecessors’ wheels

There’s a new Facebook page that seems to have nothing but photochops of new cars with old wheels. Specifically, the images on the aptly named Unnecessary Wheel Swaps are of modern vehicles wearing the wheels of their predecessors. The ND … Continue reading

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MINICARS: 2021 Matchbox lineup includes MR2, BRAT, T360, and more

The annual Matchbox collector’s convention was supposed to be last weekend, but the coronavirus happened. Instead, it was held virtually, with a video presentation to show what’s coming down the line. There’s a lot of excellent new castings for fans … Continue reading

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The Lexus GS could have been so much more, but it was the right car for the time

Now that we know the Lexus GS is not long for this world, it’s time to reflect on what it meant. In the US it was seen mostly as a middle-tier luxury sedan, a competent but unassuming rebadged Japanese Toyota … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the best way to make progress on your project car?

There are many hurdles to moving forward on a big project. In the past year, my wife and I bought a house, moved, and had a baby. I waited a long time to have my own garage space but now … Continue reading

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There was a Subaru 360 on The Sopranos, youse guys

Last week we asked what show had the best background JNCs. I had no idea at the time that I would find one of Japan’s iconic kei cars on HBO’s groundbreaking Y2K-era mobster drama, The Sopranos.

Posted in JNC Theater | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

QotW: Do you have any fond memories of the Lexus GS?

We learned Friday that Lexus has killed off the GS name. It had been rumored for a while, and at the same time models like the ES are getting big enough to step on the GS’s toes. Plus, there’s that … Continue reading

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The Lexus GS is no more.

Lexus has announced it is ending the GS nameplate. The Grand Sedan is no more. Sales for the luxury sedan have been slow as people move towards crossovers instead. It also spells doom for the wonderful 467-horsepower, naturally aspirated, V8-powered … Continue reading

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Details on next Toyota 86, Land Cruiser leaked

We’ve given Toyota a lot of shit recently, but maybe there’s a method to their madness after all. Yesterday, a slide from a dealer meeting was leaked, revealing Toyota’s plans for six models extending to the 2022 model year, including … Continue reading

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Akio Toyoda celebrates Lexus’ 30th anniversary with a champagne glass throwback to the original LS

How does one celebrate a milestone anniversary? If you’re Lexus, it’s with champagne… glasses in the form of a tower on the hood of an LS. One of the most famous car commercials of the 1990s was Balance, the spot … Continue reading

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