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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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


