Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming miniseries about celebrated Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. Considered one of the greatest drivers of all time, Senna won three world championships while driving for McLaren-Honda, an era of dominance that is still regarded as one of the sport’s most memorable. And if the footage from the trailer is any indication, Senna will be a thrilling ride. Continue reading
Castrol TOM’s Supra livery rides again — in NASCAR
The iconic red, green, and white livery from the JGTC Castrol TOM’s Supra is making a comeback, but not on a Supra, Toyota, or even in Super GT. The reincarnated colors will instead be emblazoned on the No.6 Ford Mustang of Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Cup Series. Continue reading
Toyota Starlet revival could actually be happening, maybe
After Akio Toyoda stepped down as CEO of Toyota last year a shuffling of the ranks put Tomoya Takahashi at the helm of Gazoo Racing. As it happens Takahashi was a big fan of the Toyota Starlet hot hatch, and said it was his dream to revive it. At the time he made sure to clarify that this was his personal wish and not an official goal of the company. But if a new report from Japan is to be believed, his wish may come true after all. Continue reading
Posted in Next Version
Tagged Gazoo Racing, GR Starlet, GR Yaris, rally, starlet, takahashi, toyota
3 Comments
QotW: What’s your favorite Showa Era car?
Today, April 29, is Showa Day, one of Japan’s national holidays. It’s considered a time to reflect on the Showa Era, which lasted from December 25, 1926 to January 7, 1989. But when you say Showa Era to the average Japanese person, they mostly think about the 1950s and 1960s, the time when Japan’s economy entered a period of rapid growth that culminated with the Bubble Economy of the 1980s. Cars that typify the Showa Era include the Daihatsu Midget, Subaru 360, and Mazda R360, the pioneers of private car ownership. For the purposes of this week’s question, though, we’ll allow any car sold before 1989.
What’s your favorite Showa Era car?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the greenest car you’ve ever owned?“. Continue reading
Even Mercedes-Benz is getting their classics from Japan
It’s been an unintentionally German week here on JNC. Many respondents, rightly so, said that Porsche had the best automaker heritage collection in the world. Then there was news that German supplier Bosch was launching a series of classic car service workshops in Japan, something Denso or Aisin haven’t done. Then on Tuesday, I received an opportunity to see some of Mercedes-Benz’s collection of G-Classes and was surprised to find that two out of the five were from Japan, one a very rare model and one with a rare inspection sticker. Continue reading
Ultraman Dyna‘s Machine Zellet — Guess the Tokusatsu Car!
Welcome back to JNC‘s “Guess the Tokusatsu Car” series. This should be a relatively easy one. For those unfamiliar with the term, tokusatsu shows are Japanese programs for kids that usually revolve around superheroes, robots, and giant monsters. Power Rangers, that was essentially a dubbed and recut version of the tokusatsu series Super Sentai. For this installment, it’s the Machine Zellet from 1997’s Ultraman Dyna. Continue reading
It’s the end of the road for the Subaru Legacy
Subaru of America has announced that, after seven generations, 2025 will be the final year for the Legacy. And since the Legacy sedan is only sold in North America, it means next year is also the end of the Legacy line, period. Although the Legacy hasn’t really been compelling since around the time Subaru canceled the non-Outback Legacy Wagon, it’s still a sad end for the beloved nameplate. Continue reading
Bosch to launch classic car service workshops in Japan
Bosch Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of German parts supplier Bosch, has announced the Bosch Classic Car Service program t0 help keep older cars on the road. BCCS targets cars that are 15 years or older, an age at which many cars become too expensive to own due to Japan’s stringent Shaken safety inspections. To accomplish this, BCCS will offer parts and training to independent repair shops so that old car owners will have somewhere to turn to. Continue reading
Posted in News
3 Comments
QotW: What’s the greenest car you’ve ever owned?
Happy Earth Day! We at JNC don’t see a love for cars as being in conflict with care for the planet. We’re all about preservation, whether it’s classic cars or mountain gorillas or clean rivers. We love our Land Cruisers and rotaries, but luckily for us, many of our favorite old cars are not the gas guzzling kind. If anything, J-tin proved that you don’t need a big thirsty engine to have a ton of fun behind the wheel. From Honda CRXes to Mazda Miatas, there are plenty of excellent performance cars that don’t leave a big carbon footprint.
What’s the greenest car you’ve ever owned?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which carmaker takes the best care of its heritage?“. Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
22 Comments
‘Initial D’ Mazda RX-7 computer mouse slides across your desk with ease
If your computer mouse isn’t the fastest downhill peripheral on Mt Desktop, perhaps you need to upgrade to this Initial D one. Modeled after Ryosuke Takahashi’s FC Mazda RX-7, the mouse is a dead ringer for the White Comet of Akagi. But if its cursor pointing style is too clinical for you, there’s the option of getting its younger brother, Keisuke Takahashi’s more flamboyant FD. Continue reading
Toyota Corona ads like this helped establish the brand in the US
Toyota’s entry into the US market was famously disastrous. The Toyopet Crown was built for crowded Japanese alleys, not wide American highways, and its troubled launch almost sent Toyota back to Japan entirely. What redeemed the company was the introduction of the 1965 Corona, a car that went head-to-head against the Volkswagen Beetle. Continue reading
Mitsubishi restored the Lancer Evolution III that won the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1996
If you were to ask which Japanese carmaker was least likely to drop some coin on their heritage collection, we doubt Mitsubishi would be at the top of anyone’s list. It hasn’t been a good couple of decades for them, what with scandals, getting bought out, and the slow atrophy of their lineup. And yet, Mitsubishi recently restored a prized WRC Lancer Evolution from their collection, then promptly hooned it. Continue reading
Baby Toyota Land Cruiser rumored to arrive next year
Since last fall there have been rumblings of a baby Land Cruiser joining the Toyota lineup, a vehicle said to be called a “Jimny killer” internally. A new report out of Japan suggests that, whatever it’s called, the public could see it as early as next year. And, unlike the FJ40-inspired Compact Cruiser electric concept, it’ll be gasoline-powered. Continue reading
QotW: Which carmaker takes the best care of its heritage?
The recent revelation that the Toyota USA Museum was crushing two of its cars was gut-wrenching for enthusiasts. Every carmaker struggles with the conflicting forces of keeping their heritage alive and having to juggle constraints of cost or space or legal liability. Some do a better job of managing those factors than others, and we enthusiasts benefit from seeing those collections come alive.
Which carmaker takes the best care of its heritage?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What advice or stories do you have about tires?“. Continue reading
Ex-race car driver and Japan National Diet member Junko Mihara just had her car stolen
Japan is a famously safe nation, but car thefts have been on the rise. Among the most popular targets are high-end Toyotas like the Alphard, Land Cruiser, and Lexus LX. The thefts have even struck some of the highest-ranking people in Japan. Last week, the Land Cruiser of politician Junko Mihara, a former race car driver, has been was stolen. Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged 24 Hours of Spa, a60, celica, corolla, corolla levin, e90, honda, integra, J200, JGTC, jtcc, land cruiser, long beach grand prix, Masahiro Matsunaga, mr2, prelude, pulsar, Super Taikyu, supra, sw20, tom's, toyota
4 Comments
A first look inside the remodeled Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi
If you’re a Hot Wheels collector, sometimes you just have to pull everything out of storage and go through it. Honda has been doing a similar thing, except with its entire car collection. It recently opened a new Racing Gallery at Suzuka Circuit, an American Honda Collection Hall, and it remodeled its flagship museum, the original Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi. In a new video, Honda offers a peek inside the facility, and its much more museum-like atmosphere. Continue reading
Toyota 4Runner’s sixth generation answers one big question about the new Land Cruiser
Ever since the Toyota Land Cruiser nameplate was revived last August, we at JNC have been a bit flummoxed about it. Though it wore the legendary name, it didn’t feel like a real Land Cruiser. It just felt off somehow, almost toy-like. We couldn’t quite put our finger on it until now, because the newly unveiled sixth-gen Toyota 4Runner is the actual real deal. Continue reading
Posted in Next Version
Tagged 4runner, J250, J300, land cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, lexus, Lexus GX, toyota
6 Comments
The Mitsubishi Eclipse was named after an undefeated racehorse, not the astronomical event
On April 8 a rare total solar eclipse took place in North America. Despite the many “Eclipse Day” references in automotive media, the beloved 1990s sports coupe is not named after the astronomical event — not directly, anyway. In fact, Mitsubishi named its car after an undefeated thoroughbred racehorse from the 18th century. Continue reading
QotW: What advice or stories do you have about tires?
Today, April 8, is Tire Day in Japan. The day was established by the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association to remind people to inspect their tires, and in fact JATMA holds free tire inspections at popular expressway rest stops throughout Japan on this day. Our biggest dilemma with tires — other than the time we had a blowout on an 800-mile road trip — is that it’s become so hard to find tires in smaller sizes for older cars. When the average new car has 18-inch wheels, manufacturers aren’t offering as many 13- and 14-inchers any more.
What advice or stories do you have about tires?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the biggest joke in the automotive world?“. Continue reading
A first look inside Suzuka Circuit’s Honda Racing Gallery
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Honda’s entry into Formula 1 at the 1964 German Grand Prix. Today, April 5, Honda is using the occasion to open a new museum dedicated to Honda motorsports at Suzuka Circuit, which began hosting the Japanese Grand Prix in 1987. It was only a year after Honda had started producing cars, and the sport was largely unknown in Japan. Continue reading
