Tag Archives: toyota
MOTORSPORT: A history of Toyota’s heartbreaks at Le Mans, Part 02
In Part 01, Toyota ended 1992’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with a second place finish, their best to date, in the TS010. Surprisingly, a 3.6-liter Toyota 92C-V fielded by Trust (GReddy) based on the older generation of Group C racers took … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: A history of Toyota’s heartbreaks at Le Mans, Part 01
This week we learned that Toyota’s Le Mans curse remains firmly in tact, having robbed the team of what seemed like a sure-fire victory. The loss, due to a comically unfortunate mistake perpetrated by another team, prompted President Akio Toyoda … Continue reading
VIDEO: Ode to an AW11 Toyota MR2
If you haven’t watched Mr Regular yet, you’ve been missing out on some truly entertaining car reviews. Punctuated with literary references and dick jokes of the highest caliber, they are the exact opposite of the typical driving impression videos. There’s no … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Toyota 86 sets world record for the most drifting
Lest you forget what Toyota’s neo-hachiroku is about, the 86 just set a new alleged world record for longest non-stop drift. This is not the first time this has happened; the previous Guinness-certified world record was set in 2014, also … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Why Toyota needs to win Le Mans this weekend
One of the world’s great motoring contests, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, takes place this weekend. Toyota was already a strong favorite to win, but now even more so after Kamui Kobayashi pulverized the track record during his qualifying lap. If he wins, it … Continue reading
QotW Update: This is the car my fiancée got
A couple of months ago, I enlisted the help of JNC readers to pick a chariot for my soon-to-be wife. She got one, and though it isn’t a Japanese nostalgic car yet, we think one day it might be. This was one of … Continue reading
VIDEO: FJ40 Land Cruiser stars in Hankook ad
We all know the FJ40 is legendary in its off-road capabilities. It’s also one of the hottest SUVs in the very hot segment of classic SUVs that are skyrocketing in value. It’s no wonder then that a beautiful Coronado Beige example stars … Continue reading
Happy National Doughnut Day from JNC
In Japan, the police don’t like doughnuts. Especially not the kind made by a Toyota Soarer on the pedestrian-dense and high-traffic streets of Shibuya, one of the busiest districts of Tokyo. Don’t try this at home and happy National Doughnut Day, … Continue reading
Happy KP61 Day from JNC too
As many of you have reminded us here on JNC and on Instagram, today is KP61 Day too. So, happy day to all the owners and fans of one of the very few RWD hot hatches around!
Happy MA61 Day from JNC
“One is reluctant to speak of ‘a man’s car’ in these liberated times, but the Supra is exactly that,” wrote Car and Driver in 1983 when they put the MA61 Celica Supra on their 10 Best list. “The pedal effort, … Continue reading
VIDEO: Toyota made some ads about long-time Corolla owners
Toyota Japan is continuing its celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Corolla with a series of videos about owners who have driven their Corollas for a very long time.
NIHON LIFE: Stumbling across random car shops in Tokyo
It’s easy to get lost in Tokyo. The streets aren’t laid out in a grid and often have no signs on them, or if they do, they’re in Japanese. As a car otaku, the problem is compounded because rather than looking at … Continue reading
Toyotafest Spotlight: Mike Muniz’s 1972 Sprinter Trueno is one of the finest Toyota restorations we’ve ever seen
Without exaggeration, Mike Muniz’s 1972 Toyota Sprinter Trueno is a paradigm shift in the world of Japanese nostalgic cars. In fact, we’re pretty certain that Muniz has not only achieved one of the most stunning Toyota restorations we’ve ever encountered, but also … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 06 — Straight Sixes
With the passing of time, we are seeing more and more cars pass into 25-year classic status from what is perhaps the most epic era of Toyota history — that of the inline six-cylinder engine. From early Land Cruisers and Crowns … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 05 — Trucks
Toyotafest is the only Japanese car show that can boast such a wonderfully diverse a mix of both car and trucks. This year, Toyota celebrated the Land Cruiser but there were just as many HiLuxes, Stouts, Tacomas, and other assorted trucks.
50 YEAR CLUB: Toyota 2000GT
Fifty years ago, the automotive world was forever changed. It was a Tuesday, May 16, 1967 that the Toyota 2000GT was introduced. It marked the dawn of a new age, a breakthrough in not only Japan’s automotive industry, but in … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 04 — The rise of the E30 Corolla
There is never a shortage of Corollas at Toyotafest, and for years the best builds in the field belonged to the AE86, TE27, and TE72 contingents, maybe even a front-driver AE92. This year, however, the 1975-79 E30 Corolla has emerged as a new … Continue reading
Toyotafest Spotlight: Orly Tapay’s Works replica KP47 Starlet
One of the stars of Toyotafest this year was Orly Tapay’s 1974 Toyota Starlet. Not only was it a rare model never sold in the US, but it was a stunning replica of a Toyota works racer from the heyday of … Continue reading
Toyotafest Spotlight: JZ-powered Celica drag racers
Two of the biggest head turners at this year’s Toyotafest were a pair of seriously mean drag racers built on a daruma Celica chassis. Both were caged, tubbed, and running mills from the legendary Toyota JZ family.