Tag Archives: motorsport
VIDEO: The Datsun 240Z was Nissan’s ambassador to the world
While the original Skyline GT-R dominated at home and was largely unknown outside of Japan until the R33 had existed for several years, the S30 Z was Nissan’s halo car, torchbearer, and image-maker around the world. It was the 240Z … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Kaori Okamoto — actor, businesswoman, race car driver
To say that Kaori Okamoto was multi-talented would be an understatement. Known today primarily as an actor, Okamoto in her long career has also been an author, entrepreneur, and yes, a race car driver. Okamoto wasn’t just your typical celebrity … Continue reading
50 YEAR CLUB: Nissan Skyline GT-R
Fifty years ago today, on February 21, 1969, Nissan unleashed three letters unto the world that would change automotive history forever: GT-R. For a sub-model that’s encapsulated the dreams of so many, including those far beyond its intended reach, surprisingly … Continue reading
VIDEO: Watch Gan-san whip a Hakosuka GT-R around Fuji Speedway
In 2003, Fuji Speedway was shut down for a year in order for a major redesign. It wouldn’t be its first, but it would be substantially different than any of the previous configurations. To celebrate the last days of the … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: The Supra returns to Japan touring car racing
Toyota has announced that the fifth-gen Supra will return to Japanese touring car racing. The prototype body will be shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon this weekend, and marks the first time in 12 years that a Supra has participated … Continue reading
JCCS Spotlight: This N600 was Honda’s first race car in America
At this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show, you may have been wondering why there was a rusty heap of an N600 given prime position in the middle of the Honda booth. Surrounding it were a new Civic Type R and … Continue reading
VINTAGE RACING JOURNAL: The Mitty, Part 01 — Test Day
There’s nothing like the early morning start to a race weekend. Your mind becomes clear. Any lingering stress from your day job is replaced with the smell of a coffee and race gas mixture. Nothing else comes close. An early rise to … Continue reading
EVENTS: Automobile Council 2017, Part 02 – Mazda, with heritage guns blazing
Now in its second year, Automobile Council gives car companies a chance to flex their heritage a bit. Some seized the opportunity better than others, but none came out with more guns blazing than Mazda.
NEWS: Infiniti Prototype 9 envisions a retro racer from the 1940s
Infiniti has revealed the Prototype 9, a true dream car project. Built from authentic old school construction methods and designed with parameters limited only by human imagination, it fantasizes a “what if” scenario that saw Infiniti competing in the so-called Golden … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? SCCA AE86, a Corolla with racing pedigree
By now, JNC readers are probably pretty familiar with the AE86’s roots as the weapon of choice during the underground touge battles of the 1980s. It’s no surprise, however, that the Hachiroku was also a formidable machine on the track. While the famed … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Drifting is now an FIA-sanctioned motorsport
If you are a fan of both professional motorsports and drifting, your day has come. FIA, the federation that sanctions the likes of Formula One, World Rally Championship, and World Endurance Championship — of which 24 Hours of Le Mans … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: A giant cutout commemorating the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo is up for grabs [UPDATE: It’s been claimed]
For years a giant, 15-foot-wide image of Nissan’s championship GTP ZX-Turbo prototype racer has been displayed at the automaker’s marketing agency’s offices in Los Angeles. That piece of history is now up for grabs, completely free, but the catch is … Continue reading
PROFILES: Dr Hitoshi Kato’s Mazda R100 vintage racers
Racing is an extraordinary human endeavor. It encompasses brains and brawn, heroics at the individual and team levels, with huge amounts of synergy and coordination. And the machines are both technologically advanced and visually magnificent, catapulting us beyond our natural human abilities. For spectators, … Continue reading
VIDEO: Why the first-gen Honda Civic makes a great race car
One of our favorite series on the internet right now is by Shannons Insurance of Australia. In the latest episode, they explain why you should go out and buy a first-gen Civic immediately.
MOTORSPORT: 25 Hours of Thunderhill Miatas in retro livery
If you’re watching the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this weekend you might see a very familiar livery blasting around the northern California circuit. Mazda has sent a quartet of ND Miatas into the longest enduro in America and, fittingly, they’re … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Mazda at Le Mans
As you’re reading this sentence, the world’s most advanced race cars are barreling down a country road in France at 200-plus miles per hour. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is happening right now, and to commemorate their own win … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Mr K and the rise of Nissan racing
Yutaka Katayama, who passed away last month, was unlike most executives. There was more than just spreadsheets and sales statistics to him; he was a true motoring enthusiast. Although this is exactly the type of automotive executive enthusiasts in the outside … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your biggest JNC regret?
You hear these stories all the time: “I should’ve never sold that car.” “One day it was gone and the owner said he sold it for scrap.” “I bought a Chrysler Sebring.” Life is full of regrets, and cars are a … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 05 — Racers and Replicas
There is no shortage of motorsports history in Japan, and it’s not uncommon there to find road-going replicas of some of of the nation’s most iconic — and some not-so-iconic — competition machines. Here at the New Year Meeting, it’s a … Continue reading