Tag Archives: mazda

2012 Hot Wheels X JNC Mazda RX-7 now in white, Kroger’s mystery pack

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Sorry to do this to you guys, but there is now a third Hot Wheels Mazda RX-7 to be look out for, and it’s a beauty. The latest recolor is an ultra-Japanese pearl white with our JNC inkan in classic red on … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, minicars | Tagged fb, hot wheels, jun imai, mazda, minicars, rx-7, sa22, sa22c | 27 Comments

QotW: What’s the best car commercial from Japan?

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Now that the star of one of the most famous Japanese car commercials has been rediscovered, it’s time we asked: What’s the best car commercial from Japan? The 1972 Nissan Skyline hit the market just as Japanese citizens getting hooked … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged ae86, c110, corolla, cosmo, eunos, furata, gc110, jc, kenmeri, kgc110, levin, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, skyline, sprinter, toyota, trueno | 30 Comments

QotW: What’s the best model name?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The Japanese are known for colorful uses of the English language when it comes to christening their cars. There’s seductive women’s names like Silvia and Gloria, word salads like the Isuzu Wizard Alive and Honda Life Dunk, and perfectly chosen appellations like … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged 110s, 240z, 260z, 280z, choro-q, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady z, kp61, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, s30, toyota starlet | 36 Comments

The last rotary has been built by Mazda

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Last year Mazda said that come next June it would end production of the RX-8 and, by extension, the rotary engine. Well that day has arrived. Mazda has announced that last Friday, June 22, the final Wankel rolled off the assembly … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda | Tagged 110s, cosmo sport, mazda, r100, rotary, rx-7, rx-8, spirit r | 24 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 03: Wagons

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Ben Hsu

There’s a special place in the Japanese heart for wagons. Sure, they’re loved in America now, but over there in Japan they were always cool. At the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, where sports cars and two-doors are the exception, not the rule, … Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, nissan, subaru, toyota, wagons | Tagged 323, a30, b110, b310, cedric, chaser, cressida, crown, datsun, familia, gloria, kujira, leone, m10, mark II, mazda, mooneyes, ms63, mx72, nissan, pan-am, prairie, prince, s110, s120, s130, s40, s50, s60, skyline, stanza, street car nationals, subaru, sunny, toyota, van, wa30, wagon, x30, x70, y30 | 6 Comments

Grand Touring: A Weekend in Nagano Prefecture

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Skorj

Eight-and-a-half feet of reliable snowfall blankets the mountains of Nagano Prefecture each winter, transforming quaint and quiet towns into temporary getaways for Tokyo-ites. When the snows disappear so do the downhill skiers and onsen soakers, but local FJ40 Land Cruisers stay to witness the spring thaw. … Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged Bessho, bus, Chikuma, chuo expressway, cr-v, daihatsu, fd, fj40, fuji heavy industries, fuso, hijet, hino, honda, j3, jeep, Kakeyu, kei, land cruiser, mazda, mitsubishi, Nagano, onsen, r3, rx-7, subaru, subaru 360, Summer Wars, toyota, Ueda, vitz, yaris | 9 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 01: Coupes, Two-Doors & Utes

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Ben Hsu

As you can guess by the name, the Street Car Nationals put on by Mooneyes each year is a festival of Amesha — American car — culture. Instead of usual Japanese fare like step-lipped SSRs and racing livery, this show is all about chromed … Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prince, toyota, trucks | Tagged 221, 510, 620, arrow truck, b-series, b120, b1600, b1800, b210, bluebird, bre, clipper, corona, courier, crown, d50, datsun, datsun 1200, dodge, enkei, enkei dish, ford, forte, hilux, kujira, libre, mazda, miler, mitsubishi, ms75, nissan, peter brock, pickup, plymouth, prince, proceed, s60, s80, sanitora, sunny, sunny excellent, sunny truck, t140, toyota, truck | 10 Comments

24 Hrs of LeMons: Rust-Bound Rotary Rides Again

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

There’s something heroic about a 40-year-old Mazda RX-2 that’s more rust than steel charging down the banked lanes of Texas World Speedway. In this case, however, one may just as easily witness a decidedly unheroic banzai-flagged Mitsubishi Cordia or sombrero-clad … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda | Tagged 24 hours of lemons, capella, mazda, rx-2 | 12 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Fuji Jamboree, Part 01

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Ben Hsu

If the sight of a Skyline and Savanna in nostalgic warpaint doesn’t stir your soul, we’ll go ahead and notify your next of kin. Add to that a sprinkling of Starlet, Sunny, and a snazzy Japanese-colors retro racing helmet perched just so, … Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, isuzu, mazda, motorsports, nissan, toyota | Tagged 110s, 1600 sports, 2000 sports, 240z, 260z, 280z, 330, 510, advan, alpine, b110, bellett, bluebird, bmw 2002, c10, c110, c130, cedric, cosmo sport, datsun, europa, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, familia, familia rotary coupe, fuij speedway, fuji jamboree, fuji speedway, gc10, gloria, gordini, gt-b, gt-r, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, laurel, lola t70, lotus, m63, macransa, mazda, motorsports, nissan, passol, porsche 904, publica, r100, renault, rs watanabe, rx-3, s30, s500, s54, s600, s800, savanna, skyline, sports 800, starlet, sunny, toyota, toyota sports 800, wagon, watanabe, yamaha | 19 Comments

Benvenuto l’Alfa Miata! Mazda X Fiat collab announced

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Ben Hsu

And so it comes full circle. In 1989 Mazda launched the template for the modern roadster, the MX-5 Miata. It was so pure in formula that the Japanese model name was simply “Roadster,” a tribute to British and Italian droptops of … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda | Tagged alfa romeo, eunos, mazda, miata, mx-5, na, nb, nc, racing mate, roadster | 20 Comments

Akio Toyoda’s favorite cars built by Toyota’s rivals

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Ben Hsu

In case you needed more proof that Akio Toyoda is a car nut of the highest order, yesterday the ToMoCo head honcho rattled off his favorite cars that are not Toyotas. The occasion was Toyoda’s inauguration as chair of JAMA, the Japan … Continue reading →

Posted in isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 110s, acura, akio toyoda, bellett, cosmo sport, dakar, honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, montero, nissan, nsx, pajero, skyline, toyota | 5 Comments

Question of the Week: Which nostalgic had the best nickname?

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Ben Hsu

One of the most entertaining things about vintage Japanese cars is the crazy nicknames. There’s obvious ones like hachiroku, shortened ones like hakosuka, and funny ones like butaketsu. Therefore, we ask you: Which nostalgic had the best nickname? There are … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged 787b, barikan, corona, le mans, mazda, Question of the Week, rt40, t40, toyota | 43 Comments

Question of the Week: What is the ugliest Japanese car?

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Without even reading the title, you can probably guess what this week’s QotW is just by photo alone. What is the ugliest Japanese car? Sorry Kev, but I’m going to have to make an executive decision on this one. The … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged 1500 sports, 1600 sports, 2000 sports, autech, choro-q, crown, datsun, enfini, fairlady, fairlady roadster, fd3s, mazda, minicars, ms75, nissan, Question of the Week, rx-7, s60, stelvio, toyota, zagato | 38 Comments

Question of the Week: What is the most beautiful Japanese car?

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Ben Hsu

This week’s QotW is one that anyone can answer, as it requires no knowledge of history, obscure Japanese trivia, or even an ability to differentiate between a sparkplug and a lug nut. All it takes is a pair of eyes. … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged honda, mazda, nissan, prince, Question of the Week, soichiro honda | 59 Comments

Question of the Week: What is Japan’s proudest marque?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Kevin San

The winner of last week’s QotW, “What 1987 car will be the next classic?” by a slim margin is Isaac with his short-but-simple answer, “’87 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II.” They were criticized in-period for looking too much like a Porsche 944, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged daihatsu, datsun, fc, fc3s, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, Question of the Week, rx-7, savanna, subaru, toyota | 39 Comments

EVENTS: Eagle Rock Datsun-Nippon Swap Meet

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Laugh all you want at our super-strict smog tests, but at the end of the day SoCal has at least one redeeming trait — enough nostalgics to hold a regular swap meet. Here’s what you missed from the recent Eagle … Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota, wagons | Tagged 510, 720, a20, b310, bluebird, c22, celica, colt, corolla, datsun, dodge, galant, king cab, levin, libre, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, nl320, phantom, rx-3, sprinter, ssr, SSR MkII, te27, te28, techno, toyota, trueno, vanette, wagon | 21 Comments

Kidney, Anyone? Tuned 1974 Mazda RX-4

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Ben Hsu

It’s not a limited edition, nor does it have a slew of rare options, but we at JNC have a soft spot for the 2nd-gen Luce. They’re just rare in general and although much maligned when new, 38 years later … Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, mazda | Tagged kidney anyone, luce, mazda, racing beat, rx-4 | 11 Comments

Ring in the first day of spring with nostalgics and sakura

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Not only is today the first day of spring, but it’s also the opening of the 100th National Cherry Blossom Festival. A century ago the mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 sakura trees to our nation’s capital as a sign of … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, crown, datsun, fairlady z, galant, gto, mazda, mitsubishi, ms90, nissan, s30, s90, sakura, t2000, toyota, wangan midnight | 7 Comments

Nostalgic Hero selects Top 20 Japanese Classics

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The 150th volume of Nostalgic Hero just hit the stands as a special edition in which the editors pick the Top 20 Nostalgic Cars of 2012. Back in 2007 they issued a Top 50 list, and some have risen, some have fallen. … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, suzuki, toyota | Tagged 110s, 117, 2000gt, 240z, 240zg, 260z, 280z, 510, b110, bellett, bluebird, c10, c110, c210, celica, colt, contessa, corolla, cosmo sport, daihatsu, datsun, datsun 1200, fairlady, fairlady z, fronte, galant, gt-r, gto, Hakosuka, hino, honda, isuzu, kenmeri, kgc10, kpgc10, kpgc110, levin, liftback, mazda, mf10, midget, mitsubishi, nissan, ra28, roadster, s30, s600, s800, skyline, sp311, spl311, sports 800, sprinter, sr311, srl311, sss, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, suzuki, ta22, te27, trueno | 38 Comments

2012 Hot Wheels X JNC Mazda RX-7, now in blue

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Dan Hsu

If you’re a die-hard diecast collector and know where to look, these beans have already been spilled. Otherwise, here’s your first look at the brand new 2012 Hot Wheels Mazda RX-7! We just got these samples fresh off the assembly line and, … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, minicars | Tagged fb, hot wheels, mattel, mazda, rx-7, sa22, sa22c | 19 Comments