Tag Archives: toyota

Come to the Toyota USA Museum for the Touge 80s finish

This Saturday will be the inaugural running of Touge 80s, our first Touge California event with a focus on cars of the pop-up headlight era. After six hours of driving, our finish will be the Toyota USA Museum. And while all openings on the driving … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota-Suzuki partnership could result in a Japanese Big Three

At a surprise press conference October 12 in Japan, Toyota and Suzuki announced that they are in talks about a potential partnership. The announcement was puzzling to industry watchers, but if such a tie-up comes to fruition, we will essentially have three factions of … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 — The Indestructibles

You would think that some of the most indestructable machines built by humankind would be plentiful. Well, yes, but not in show-like condition. Ironically, because Toyota trucks work so damn well they’re used, abused, and then used some more, and vehicles like … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Chubu and Kinki, Part 03

In Part 02 of our grand tour through central Japan, we experienced some of the best touge roads the country has to offer. After making it as far west as Matsue City, we decided to head back home to Chiba via a … Continue reading

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PIXELATED: Hooning a Brumby through the Outback in Forza Horizon 3

Eleven years ago when the Forza franchise originally launched there was an AE86, an R32 GT-R and that was about it for JNCs. Over the last decade, however, more and more have been added to the game. Over the weekend, the … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2016 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — Movin’ On Up

We’ve been going to the Japanese Classic Car Show for over a decade, but this year was undoubtedly the best one yet. In its twelfth year, the JCCS, which took place this weekend at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, has grown … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Chubu and Kinki, Part 02

Part 01 of our grand tour through central Japan took us to Toyoma, a city that revealed not only castles but a trove of classic Toyotas. After prying ourselves away, we headed inland. 

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TOUGE 80s: A Call for Entries

Response to JNC‘s Touge California has been almost unanimously positive… almost. There was one group in particular who felt left out of the fun: Owners of 80s cars. That’s because all Touge California cars had to be 1980 or older. Well, take heart, … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Chubu and Kinki, Part 01

After a longer than usual break between our tours, we decided to take a full week off and continue our Western Coast explorations through the Chubu and Kinki regions. As we embarked, the outer bands of a seasonal typhoon loomed over Japan. … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Shihomi Hosoya test drives the Rocky Auto 3000GT

The Rocky Auto 3000GT is a work of modern art. A hand-crafted body draped over one of the finest drivetrains ever produced and screwed together by one of Japan’s top tuners, it’s an homage to a timeless blue chip Japanese classic. 

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EVENTS: Automobile Council 2016

In an already packed calendar, a new event has appeared on the Japanese auto show roster. Recently, Tokyo hosted the inaugural Automobile Council, an affair whose stated goal was “Encouraging car culture to blossom in Japan.” That’s a noble aim if there ever was one, … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Car-shaped mice and USB drives by Camshop

Is your desktop a little dull? Perhaps you need a car-shaped mouse so you can make “vroom-vroom” noises as you move your cursor across the screen. Camshop is a Japanese company that makes computer peripherals that look like real cars. 

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VIDEO: Toyota Latin America has much cooler ads than us

In the US, Toyota gives us two doofus brothers dreaming about racing Monaco in a pair of Camrys and Prius getaway vehicles. They are the worst commercials ever. Toyota Latin America, on the other hand, features a trio of rather comely women … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Toyota’s Calty design studio

We all know that cars are designed, but what is “design,” exactly? A new video released by Toyota aims to answer that question via a history and tour of their Calty design studio. Toyota was the first Japanese automaker to open … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Corolla Matsuri 2016 goes all-out 80s on VHS tape

By now you’re all familiar with the typical drift video — dramatic hi-def footage of heat waves coming off of the tarmac, wheels being mounted, zipties being zipped, and cars sliding in slow-mo to the beat of electronica. This is … Continue reading

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Happy 86 Day from JNC

Today is 86 Day, and in honor of the momentous occasion, we at JNC are sharing some of the favorite examples of Toyota’s game-changing drift machine that we’ve seen over the last decade, starting with the most recent one spotted at Mooneyes … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the best Japanese getaway car?

Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. but when a heist goes down, it’s a big one. As in, the kind you need a getaway car or two to pull off. A getaway car has to be … Continue reading

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SHOP LIFE: A visit to Mooneyes Area 1

When recent travels took us to Yokohama, our resident illustrator and Japan native San Mamiya suggested that we meet up and go to Mooneyes Area 1. It had been a few years since we’d visited the Japanese headquarters of Mooneyes, and there’s always … Continue reading

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GRAND TOURING: Mazda Hakone Turnpike and Izu Skyline

While living in Tokyo has many problems, finding a place to go for a drive is not one of them. There are countless skylines, touge, and turnpikes, all challenging and spectacular roads within a short distance of the capital. For this … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Matchbox 2017 lineup revealed with surprising J-tin castings

Last week was the annual Matchbox Collector’s Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mattel took the opportunity to reveal the cars and trucks of their 2017 lineup, and there are several that will surely be of interest to JNCers. 

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