Tag Archives: QotW

One of the coolest things about the FJ40/J70 Franken-Cruiser from the Tokyo Auto Salon was how it looked. It was indistinguishable from a classic FJ40 to all but the most dedicated Land Cruiser enthusiasts. Yet it rode on a modern … Continue reading →

Life circumstances have made it so that you can have only one car that needs to do it all. It has to take you to work every day, look dignified enough as to not embarrass your boss/date/HOA, and be fun … Continue reading →

A new year means a new crop of cars are eligible for import. This year cars built in 1999 will be legal to bring ashore under America’s 25-year-rule. The Godzilla in the room is of course the R34 Nissan Skyline … Continue reading →

Do you think Japanese Santa Claus is a rosy-cheeked, jolly old man with a fluffy white beard? No, he’s a chain-smoking mechanic in red one-piece coveralls with blackened fingernails and a perm. If you ask him the price of anything … Continue reading →

Today is ET Day in Japan, commemorating the day in 1982 when the movie E.T. The Extraterrestrial was released there. Using that as a jumping off point, let’s say you encounter a curious and benign life form that has traveled … Continue reading →

In 2014 a new trilogy of Initial D movies came out. Called New Initial D Movie — Legend, It was a reboot complete with new animation style, a retelling of the earlier chapters of the beloved series. We watched the … Continue reading →

This week is Thanksgiving (if you’re reading from the US), that time of year when we talk about the things in life that, big or small, we are grateful for. In the very futuristic sounding year of 2023, we are … Continue reading →

To the average consumer the formula is pretty straightforward: new = good. But JNC owners know better than that. The last couple of decades have seen an in-car technology boom, but if you’re reading this you likely long for the … Continue reading →

Last week I visited the home of some distant in-laws who were meeting my 4-year-old for the first time. They’re grandparents already and asked my kid if he’d like to play with some toys that once belonged to their now-adult … Continue reading →

Boo, it’s Halloween! Gather around the campfire and tell us your spookiest tales of automotive terror. Was it that time a simple repair turned into a months-long jack stand occupation? A near miss on the road? A 10mm nut disappearing … Continue reading →

Today, October 9, is Truck Day in Japan. Like many such days, the occasion is a pun on the word toraku, which means “truck” in Japanese. The syllables to and raku are alternate pronunciations of 10 and 9, respectively. While … Continue reading →

Today, October 2, is National Name Your Car Day. According to National Day Calendar it was created by a TV personality named John Pertzborn from St. Louis in 1990. No one gives a name to their fridge or clothes dryer, … Continue reading →

We recently learned that Mitsubishi is opening a theme park in Japan. While not automotive-themed, we do hope that they include at least some nods to their automotive division’s long history. Why not include a Pajero jungle cruise, Lancer Evolution … Continue reading →

Due to life circumstances, you have only two parking spaces at your residence and will for the foreseeable future. Fortunately the car gods have granted you one space for the JNC of your dreams, no questions asked except it must … Continue reading →

Honda has made some fantastic vehicles in its 75 years as a company. But if you had to pick just one car to represent the distilled essence of Honda, what would it be? From the humble Civic CVCC to the … Continue reading →

Today, August 28, is the 70th anniversary of Japan’s first television broadcast and, thus, it is also the 70th anniversary of Japan’s first television commercial. TV signals began beaming at 11:20 am; the first commercial aired 40 minutes later. It … Continue reading →

Apologies for the late QotW, thanks to a big storm that knocked out power a JNC HQ. It was an annoyance, but not as big an annoyance as the many atrocities committed by car people. We, for one, cannot wait … Continue reading →

Ads for Barbie‘s live-action film are everywhere, and her 1956 Corvette seemingly plays a significant part. It makes sense, as the movie has massive GM product placement (the Blazer, Hummer EV, and Suburban also feature heavily). But for her next … Continue reading →

Nissan harshed our mellow last week when it was reported there’s a good chance the next Skyline will become an electric crossover, and not a sedan like it’s been since 1957. It seemed like a sad fate for one of … Continue reading →