Tag Archives: mazda

MARKETWATCH: 2018 Scottsdale JNC Round-up

Two years ago, we published a round-up of the various JNCs offered for sale during the annual orgy of automotive spending known as the Scottsdale auctions, and based on both the quantity and quality of the cars that crossed the … Continue reading

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SEARCH & RESCUE: Mazda Millenia S

Dear JNC readers, we need your help. We trust that if you are reading you 1.) believe in our mission to preserve cars for posterity, and 2.) are experienced in tracking down an elusive but prime vehicular specimens for purchase. We are introducing … Continue reading

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NEWS: The return of Mazda’s rotary engine

It’s official, Mazda’s rotary engine is making a comeback, but perhaps not in the way sports car enthusiasts hope. Rather than powerful, turbocharged powerplants in a new RX car, the new rotary will serve as range extenders on a fleet of self-driving … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Nostalgic Race Day at Autopolis

The video we’re featuring today is of a Nostalgic Race Day at Autopolis, an international racing circuit in Oita Prefecture. Autopolis, currently owned by Kawasaki, hosts a number of races for Super GT, Super Formula, Super Taikyu and MFJ Superbike, but here … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A bosozoku night cruise

Do you like bolted on bubble flares, takeyari shaped like lightning bolts, and blinding dome lights that look like they’re off a 1960s police car except they’re purple? If not, well, maybe avert your eyes so you don’t see the parade of Celicas, Soarers … Continue reading

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25 YEAR CLUB: Mazda Autozam AZ-1

Kei cars are cool. Slow and small they might be, but they are feats of engineering ingenuity that extract the most space, efficiency, and usability out of a tightly defined set of rules. And sometimes, the most fun as well. … Continue reading

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COLLECTIONS: The oldest surviving Mazda rotary car in the world, and its nod to Hiroshima’s nuclear past

What comes to mind when you hear the words “priceless artifact”? Ru ware of Imperial China? Paleolithic paintings of the Chauvet Cave? In the automotive realm it’s historically significant race cars, unique or outstanding examples of production cars, and serendipitously preserved … Continue reading

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RIP Kenichi Yamamoto, Father of the Mazda Rotary Engine, 1922-2017

Kenichi Yamamoto, who famously led Mazda’s “47 Ronin” team that brought the rotary engine into reality, passed away on December 20, 2017. His family made public his passing to the Japanese press on Christmas Day. Yamamoto was 95. A bona fide legend in … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC Japan Historics 2

2018 isn’t even here yet, but we are very excited to show what we know already be the hottest series of the year. The five-car Japan Historics 2 features two new castings, retooled versions of popular existing castings, and some seriously epic card … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda starts Miata Roadster restoration program

On December 13 Mazda began accepting applications for its Roadster Restore program. Announced back in August, the program will revive first-generation NA Eunos Roadsters at classic centers throughout Japan, and reproduce about 150 select parts for sale. 

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EVENTS: Classic Japan 2017

As the JNC crew in SoCal was getting their 80s and 90s car show fill at Radwood, we here in Australia were going further back in time. Classic Japan in Melbourne is probably one of the best gatherings of Nihon … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Radwood 2 – Electric Boogaloo

From the moment co-organizer Art Cervantes told us the name of the event, we knew it would be incredible. Radwood. It was a car show exclusively for 80s and 90s machines. Like Goodwood but, you know, rad. 

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VIDEO: What it’s like to drive an Autozam AZ-1

“Ridge Racer-feeling” are the words used to describe the Autozam AZ-1, the Mazda-Suzuki collab that was quite possibly the pinnacle of the kei car breed. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, just death and taxes, or something like that. So in … Continue reading

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LA Auto Show: Mazda’s “north-star” offers a beacon of hope

If the Tokyo Motor Show was bleak, LA was a Blade Runner dystopia of crushing inhumanity. The cars unveiled weren’t autonomous pods so you didn’t get the sense that Skynet was taking over, but nearly every new model was a crossover. It’s as if … Continue reading

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Tokyo Motor Show: The State of Cars in Japan

By now you have seen plenty of car magazine and social media channels declare the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show as being a disappointment. Leading up to the show, there were whispers of some tasty production cars being revealed: a Fairlady Z … Continue reading

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SEMA 2017: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As the largest trade event for custom cars in the US, possibly the world, SEMA can serve as a showcase for innovation and creativity, sometimes giving a spotlight for bloody knuckled backyard builds to shine. The flip side, though, is that SEMA’s high profile pressures talented craftsmen into pouring cash into cars whose sole purpose … Continue reading

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Tokyo Motor Show: Mazda’s concepts are simply stunning

In a largely disappointing Tokyo Motor Show, the stars of the Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi booths were autonomous or electric or overstyled crossovers — sometimes all three. Only Mazda bucked the trend with a couple of concepts that went old … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 — Best Booths

JCCS has become an international show. For years, the event has been growing, with ever better builds and spectators coming from farther reaches of the globe. This year, however, many top companies from Japan attended, while US-based ones upped the ante with … Continue reading

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2017 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — Trucks

One of our favorite categories of JCCS is classic trucks. The compact pickup is a lost art, and no one did them quite like Japan. As it turns out, the truck category turned out to be the single most diverse this year … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda’s Tokyo sedan concept to set next generation of design, looks rear-wheel-drive

Mazda has revealed some teasers for two concepts that will headline its Tokyo Motor Show display later this month. One is almost certainly the next-generation Mazda Axela (known stateside as the 3). The more far-out one is a sedan concept the Hiroshima carmaker … Continue reading

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