Dedicated to Old School Japan
As Acura marks 40 years since its launch, the brand seeks to establish an outlook for the future. Timed alongside its 40th anniversary, Acura s Nexera Vision (the name is a portmanteau of next era ) concept is a low-slung sports car with Continue reading
Announced at Monterey Car Week, Honda is launching a new Heritage Racing Program that lets enthusiasts purchase retired and restored race cars. The program is unique among Japanese carmakers, and falls under the jurisdiction of the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) Continue reading
Zippo lighters are kind of a default branded accessory in Japan s aftermarket. There have been countless automotive-themed Zippos released, with everything from Fairlady Zs to a Land Cruisers etched into the case. There have been Zippos themed for specific manga and Continue reading
The No.203 Mazda 767B caught fire yesterday during Monterey Car Week. The frightening incident took place at the paddocks at Laguna Seca Raceway. Our hearts skipped a beat when we first glimpsed footage of the orange and green Charge livery Continue reading
Today, August 10, is Hat Day in Japan, formed by Japan s love for a pun-based occasion: ha (eight) and to (ten), which together form hatto, the Japanese pronunciation of hat . It also happens to be one of the punniest dates Continue reading
The saga of Toyota s J40 restoration continues. Earlier this year, Toyota embarked on a journey to bring a well-worn 1982 Land Cruiser back to life. Though it had only 130,000 km (about 81,000 miles) on the odometer, its age and Continue reading
Toyota has updated the GR86 and launched a new ad campaign to go along with it. The improvements are minor, but the commercial, titled The Buddy , is a beautifully shot homage to motoring. Brief Archival glimpses of an AE86 are Continue reading
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Honda Accord, launched in May 1976. Pioneering ideas like front-wheel-drive and taking on environmental concerns with the CVCC engine, it sold 1.5 million examples in 90 countries. Expectations for were high when Continue reading
What s most notable about Japanese manhole covers may not be their intricate designs, bright colors, or tie-ins to popular franchises like Pokémon or Gundam. What really boggles the mind is how Japan is able to manufacture seemingly one-off examples of Continue reading
We at JNC often discuss diecast cars or model kits, but there s another world of vintage automotive toys that many have fond memories of. In postwar America slot cars were the phenomenon that bridged the gap between toy models and Continue reading
The latest car to receive the hyper-realistic 1/8-scale model kit treatment is the Subaru 22B STi. The kit, made by Hachette, consists of 120 weekly deliveries that each contain a few parts. When all is said and done it will Continue reading
Subaru s signature blue and yellow livery with gold wheels is an instantly identifiable mainstay of motorsports. It s percolated down to street cars as well, with the colorway seen on factory cars and modified Subies alike. Recently a video clip of Continue reading
One of the quintessential wheels of the Tuner Era is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. 5Zigen has quietly teased an image of its FN01R-C wheel hinting at a special edition celebrating a quarter of a century. Like the Volk Continue reading
Nissan Australia has published a tribute video celebrating over six decades of the iconic Patrol nameplate down under. As production of the 5.6-litre V8-powered Y62 draws to a close, the film highlights how the Patrol evolved into a foundational piece Continue reading
Kids don t know anything, and as a kid there were many cars that I thought were incredible until I grew up and my brain got better. Growing up in the 80s, I had the obligatory Countach poster on my wall, Continue reading
The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R is often seen as the pinnacle of JDM performance cars, but can the humble Toyota AE86 actually give it a run for the money? With a 15-year age gap and 200-horse power gap the mismatch Continue reading
A visitor to Fuji Speedway may have spotted a prototype Toyota MR2 lapping the circuit. The car in question is a compact sports car with a mid-engine layout as evidenced at the large air intakes aft of the doors and Continue reading
Initial D is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and one of the more delightful collabs is with Chen Mapo, Japan s number one restaurant for spicy tofu. After all, the entire touge racing series begins with Takumi delivering tofu to Continue reading
The Nissan Altima is dead, confirmed by a top Nissan exec last week. In Part 01 of our Altima retrospective, we followed its rise, from compact Stanza spinoff to, by generation three, a true enthusiast s contender against midsizers like the Continue reading
Today, July 20, is T-shirt Day in Japan. It was chosen to coincide with Marine Day, which celebrates the ocean, on the third Monday of July, but also because T is the 20th letter of the alphabet. The T-shirt isn t Continue reading