Tag Archives: toyota

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

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Toyota Chinook Camper reborn in “Tacozilla” SEMA build

Toyota has revealed its incredible Tacoma-based Tacozilla, a retro mobile home based on the Chinook campers of the 1970s. Unlike the Chinooks of old, which were mostly fitted to 2WD pickups, the Tacozilla rides on a 4WD Tacoma TRD Sport … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A Honda NSX joins the Toyota Automobile Museum’s permanent collection

Last month the Toyota Automobile Museum unveiled a new addition to their permanent collection: a 1991 Honda NSX. As those who have visited the museum know, Toyota’s museum not just a showcase of Toyotas, but a comprehensive look at the … Continue reading

Posted in museums | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Toyota will begin making new parts for the AE86 again as the Hachiroku joins the Heritage Parts Program

Toyota announced on November 1 that it will begin remaking parts for the AE86 Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno. The beloved Hachiroku is the latest car to be added to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program. What’s more, Toyota … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Traffic in eastern Tokyo circa 1964

We haven’t done a Showa Snap in a while, but this shot of Tokyo from 1964 seemed like a good photo to bring it back with. This shot of eastern Tokyo is another bustling street scene, with buses, streetcars, and … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Toyota is building a 1970s Chinook-inspired Tacoma camper

If you were around in the 70s and 80s, you probably have vivid memories of neat little campers built from Toyota HiLux pickups. The compact motorhomes were an official Toyota product, sold at dealerships and borne of a partnership between … Continue reading

Posted in Next Version | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Gran Turismo 7 looks to the future, celebrates Japanese classics

Last month, Polyphony Digital dropped the trailer for Gran Turismo 7, the latest iteration its ultimate driving simulator. The gorgeous visuals built on the standard set by GT Sport, along with the promise that we will get to drive on … Continue reading

Posted in Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Megaweb has reopened before closing permanently at the end of the year

As we reported back in July, Toyota’s Megaweb showroom in Tokyo will be closing for good at the end of the year. If you wanted to see it, though, there was a slight hitch: the showroom had already closed, as … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

There is now a Takumi motor oil for Initial D fans

Since its debut about a decade ago, Japan’s Takumi motor oil has had nothing to do with Initial D. If Sears had been Japanese, its in-house line of tools would have been named Takumi, because though Takumi is a popular … Continue reading

Posted in Product Guide | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

MINICARS: Here’s the cars from the upcoming Hot Wheels Toyota series

We got an extraordinarily positive response about the Hot Wheels FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser yesterday. As you can see from the packaging, it’s part of an all-Toyota premium series. We promised there would be some new castings in it, and … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

MINICARS: Hot Wheels x JNC Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60

We are stoked to show you the latest Hot Wheels to wear the JNC inkan. In fact, it’s got quite a few more similarities than just the sticker with our own real-life shop truck, a 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser The … Continue reading

Posted in Hot Wheels, minicars | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

History’s greatest Toyota trucks converge in new commercial

Toyota ads have been pretty lame for a while now but if they asked us how to make one, their latest new ad is exactly how we’d do it. The Big Three have been leaning into their heritage for decades … Continue reading

Posted in cm | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Range Rover promo video shows James Bond’s Toyota Land Cruiser destroying Range Rovers

Normally when a car company strikes a product placement deal in a major blockbuster, provides cars to the production team, then posts a video to social media in which the cars getting destroyed, it typically doesn’t show the hero in … Continue reading

Posted in JNC Theater | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Toyota thanks fans for 70 years of the Land Cruiser

The first Toyota Land Cruiser went on sale in August 1, 1951. This year, they celebrated 70 years of the well-traveled beast by not only launching the all-new J300 Land Cruiser, but announcing that the FJ40 would be the first … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Sonny Chiba gave the Mitsubishi Galant GTO a star turn in Key Hunters

Sonny Chiba, who passed away earlier this month, was synonymous with the Toyota Carina in Japan. For two decades the action star appeared in Carina commercials, and drove Carinas in real life (provided by Toyota, of course). However, there was … Continue reading

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

VIDEO: The 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser was ahead of its time

No one could’ve known when the J80 Land Cruiser was released just how insane the SUV market would become. And we’re not talking about the popularity of Toyota 4Runners and Ford Explorers that helped killed off sports cars like the … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sonny Chiba, actor, action hero, Toyota spokesman, 1939—2021

Legendary Japanese action hero Sonny Chiba died on August 19 of pneumonia resulting from a COVID-19 infection. Known for his on-screen tough-guy persona, he often played martial arts masters, samurai, and yakuza. The actor in such films as The Street … Continue reading

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Toyota Celica Supra and Mazda RX-7 make amazing transforming robots

You will soon be able to get highly detailed toys of two iconic Japanese sports coupes that transform into robots. Incredibly faithful to the 1980s Transformers they’re paying homage to, these recreations have super realistic automobile likenesses. However, due to … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nicholas Cage drives a bugeye Celica in this bizarre Japanese movie

There’s a new trailer out for Prisoners of the Ghostland, a bizarre looking movie that takes place in some kind of Japanese Bartertown. It stars Nicholas Cage and, frankly, looks terrible, but there are at least some notable cars in … Continue reading

Posted in JNC Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

VIDEO: Your all-Toyota garage in 1989 needs nothing else

Toyota was on a roll in 1989, with three revised or all-new models that are all highly desirable today. If you bought the entire trio of Cressida, Supra, and Truck you’d have a vehicle for every situation right at your … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment