Tag Archives: toyota

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 01

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

The New Year Meeting is Tokyo’s premiere classic car show and it takes place at the end of January. You’ll likely never see a gathering of J-tin so diverse anywhere else, and the magic begins with a line of cars at the … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 117, 3K, 510, a20, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, c30, cedric, celica, corolla, corona mark II, daruma, drag racer, Farialdy Z, galant gto, h31, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kaido racer, kp47, laurel, le mans, leone, life, mazda, Mazda B360, Minica Skipper, mitsubishi, Musashi Crystal, new year meeting, nissan, porter cab, publica, Rilakkuma, S-Series, s30, skyline, soarer, starlet, subaru, t60, toyota, z20 | 9 Comments

PIXELLATED: Forza Motorsport 6

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Ryan Senensky

Welcome to a new series about JNCs in video games. Perhaps you can’t have the garage of your dreams in real life, but you can have it in pixels. One of the best series of all time for JNCs, Forza has … Continue reading →

Posted in Video Games | Tagged datsun, forza, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota | 7 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 01

Posted on February 27, 2016 by David Lovett

In 2015 we took a once-in-a-lifetime road trip across Japan behind the wheel of a proper Showa Era icon. The chariot of choice was an Isuzu 117 Coupé, and it would serve as our trusty steed for 10 days and over 2,400 kilometers before … Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged 117, ae86, corolla levin, Grand Touring, isuzu, Lake Biwa, toyota | 21 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 02

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Skorj

While Part 01 of our Old Car Heaven coverage concluded with a mob of rare Mitsubishis, we begin this installment along the perimeter of the show and a bevy of box vans. The Nissan Caravans were part of the Nissan Commercial Car … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 2000gt, 240rs, 330, 430, 935, barikan, bus, c10, caravan, cedric, cedric 130, city, civic, corona, cosmo sport, crown, csp311, daihatsu, e20, f40, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, Fairlady Z432, ferrari, ff-1, gloria, gto, Hakosuka, honda, honda z, HopeStar, Initial D, isuzu, Junior, kenmeri, KITT, kpgc110, Lotus Europa, mark II, Mazda T1500, midget, nissan, piazza, pontiac, porsche, prince, r30, s110, s30 z, s54, seibu keisatsu, shelby, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, subaru, t40, toyota, wagons, x30 | 18 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Skorj

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged a20, b110, c10, celica, cherry, clipper, colt, crown, datsun, e10, e70, F30, galant gto, gloria, Hakosuka, hiace, honda, kujira, lancer, leopard, masterline, mazda, mitsubishi, ms75, nissan, Old Car Heaven, porter, prince, rally, s10, s54, s60, safari rally, sambar, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, sprinter trueno, subaru, sunny, toyopet, toyota, vamos, wagon | 29 Comments

Toyota Cressida Facebook page moderator experiences righteous meltdown

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Ben Hsu

As many readers may know, I daily drive a Cressida wagon. That means I am part of the Toyota Cressida! Facebook group and occasionally get its posts in my feed when Zuckerburg feels like it. Recently, one of its moderators had a pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged cressida, toyota | 24 Comments

ART CORNER: The superdeformed model kits of Ryu Asada

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Most of you know the name Ryu Asada from his work at Mattel designing hit diecast cars. The talented and creative veteran of both the Matchbox and Hot Wheels brands as penned some truly memorable castings, including JNC favorites like the Honda CRX, EF Civic, ’90 Acura NSX, and ’72 … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged 323, city, familia, Gunze, hilux, honda, hot wheels, mazda, model kits, motocompo, nissan, r30, Ryu Asada, skyline, superdeformed, toyota | 6 Comments

ART CORNER: Beautiful dioramas of model cars from Japan

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Takuji is a Japanese artist who places 1:43 and 1:64 scale minicars into beautifully constructed dioramas. From AE86s on touge roads to Mitsubishis tearing through a rally stage to mechanics tuning Skylines in a garage, each scene is a slice of … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner, minicars | Tagged 200sx, 323 GTX, 510, a70, ae82, ae86, alto, Art Corner, aw11, az-1, b110, beat, bluebird, c110, carol, carry, colt, corolla fx, fairlady z, familia, fj60, fronte, fto, Galant VR-4, Hakosuka, honda, Honda N-Series, jimny, K10, kei, kenmeri, lancer celeste, land cruiser, march, mazda, miata, minicars, mirage, mitsubishi, mr2, mx-5, nissan, rally, rx-3, s12, s30 z, safari rally, silvia, skyline c10, sprinter trueno, starion, starlet kp61, stepvan, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, supra, suzuki, toyota, violet, Vivio | 14 Comments

VIDEO: Hankook Tires shows why FJ40s are awesome

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Ben Hsu

With the popularity of the FJ40 at auction, it makes you wonder if people who buy them will actually use them how they were intended. Sometimes it’s not cool when companies try to spice up their brand with an old Land Cruiser. This … Continue reading →

Posted in cm | Tagged fj40, land cruiser, toyota | 4 Comments

VIDEO: Drag racing outside Makuhari Messe circa 1992

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Makuahri Messe is the big convention center in Chiba that hosts events the Tokyo Auto Salon and (before its move to Big Sight) the Tokyo Motor Show. If Tokyo city is at the 11 o’clock position of Tokyo Bay, then Makuhari is at … Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged a70, drag racing, fc3s, Makuhari Messe, mazda, nissan, r30, r31, r32, rx-7, savanna, skyline, supra, toyota | 4 Comments

“Iron, Lion, Scion” — Bob Marley

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The news that Scion was dead leaked Tuesday night. Few outlets dared report it because it seemed too crazy to be true. At every single auto show last year, representatives continued to reassure the press and public that they were doubling down with new … Continue reading →

Posted in jnc | Tagged scion, toyota | 14 Comments

NEWS: RIP Scion, 2003-2016

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Scion is dead. After 13 years, Toyota announced this morning that the alternative, youth-oriented, no-haggle brand would be killed off and most of its products — some very recently launched — rolled under the Toyota marque.

Posted in News | Tagged scion, toyota | 28 Comments

MARKETWATCH: 2016 Scottsdale auction roundup

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Patrick Strong

If the 2016 Scottsdale collector car auctions are any indication, it may be time to declare that Japanese classic cars have gone fully mainstream. All five of the major Scottsdale auctions (Barrett-Jackson, RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Gooding & Co. and Russo … Continue reading →

Posted in marketwatch | Tagged 2000gt, A80, auctions, cosmo sport, fc3s, fj40, ford courier, hilux, land cruiser, mazda, rx-7, supra, toyota | 3 Comments

VIDEO: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the super-rare 1983 North American FJ40

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Jonathan Ward is the head honcho at ICON, a company known for its restomods of classic trucks. Ward started out restoring FJ40s and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of them. He says the North American market 1983 FJ40 is the best FJ40, of all … Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged fj40, icon, land cruiser, toyota | 1 Comment

EVENTS: Initial D World meet

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Dave Yuan

If people are willing to dress up as country squires, high-mannered butlers, and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey season premieres, then why not an Initial D-themed car meet? As the most popular work of Japanese automotive fiction of all time, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 3000GT, a20, a60, a70, A80, acura, ae86, celica, corolla, e70, fc3s, fd3s, honda, Impreza GC, Initial D, legacy, mazda, Miata NA, mitsubishi, MX5, nsx, rx-7, s14, silvia, st205, subaru, supra, toyota | 13 Comments

NEWS: Toyota to buy Daihatsu, make it a global brand

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Toyota has announced it will buy out Daihatsu in a stock deal worth about $3 billion. The Big T currently owns a controlling stake in the small car manufacturer, approximately 51.2 percent, and Daihatsu has served as Toyota’s kei and compact car arm since … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged charade, Charmant, daihatsu, toyota | 14 Comments

VIDEO: Drifting Hakone in 1992

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Imagine a winding touge packed with Japanese drift machines — Silvias, RX-7s, Supras, Fairlady Zs and AE86s. So. Many. AE86s. Last year we showed a video proving that underground drifting was already reaching fever pitch by the late 80s. By 1992, Hakone Pass — one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged a70, ae86, corolla, corolla levin, e70, fairlady z, fc3s, hakone, kp61, mazda, nissan, rx-7, s13, s30 z, sa22, savanna, sprinter trueno, starlet, supra, touge, toyota | 6 Comments

VIDEO: 40th Anniversary of TRD

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Founded in 1976, Toyota Racing Development is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. At the Tokyo Auto Salon a video played on loop, showing highlights of the last four decades. From Starlets to AE86s to Celicas to Supras, this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged ae86, altezza, aw11, celica, corolla, corolla levin, JGTC, mr2, sprinter trueno, starlet, supra, toyota, trd, wrc | 4 Comments

VIDEO: Rocky Auto’s 2JZ-powered Toyota 2000GT

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

One of the most talked about cars from the Tokyo Auto Salon was the Rocky 3000GT, a scratch-built replica of the iconic Toyota 2000GT, but powered by a 3.0-liter 2JZ inline-six. It was the creation of Okazaki-based tuner Rocky Auto, whose mad builds … Continue reading →