We are very proud to announce that in 2016, Hot Wheels has created a new premium collection devoted to Japanese nostalgic cars. Called the Japan Historics line, it will feature celebrated cars from Japan’s automotive past. And of course, we are very excited to tell you that the JNC inkan will be featured on all of them.

First up is the Mazda RX-3, a brand new casting for 2016 that will debut in the Japan Historics line. We showed you a preview of the car in its prototype stages a couple of weeks ago when Jun Imai brought a bare zinc example to JCCS. Though we’ve had these renderings for months, we can now reveal that the final car will be purple with black racing stripes and the #3 in its roundel.

The RX-3 was designed by Mattel veteran Mark Jones and was inspired by the touring car RX-3s that raced in the early 1970s. It features Katayama flares, a ducktail spoiler and front spook. The model will have a metal base and the new 4-spoke wheels with hippari stretched tires as well.

The red JNC inkan is located on the doors, and we are proud to share space with JCCS, Advan, and NGK.

Jun Imai was the mastermind behind the Japan Historics line, so it’s only natural that his own personal 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon would make an appearance. Black with a Flame Red interior, this time it’s decked out in classic black and red Advan racing livery.

Once again the wheels will be the new 4-spokes with hippari tires, but this time in black with red foil lips. A red JNC inkan appears on the rear quarter panels, along with JCCS, Advan, NGK, Greddy, and Speedhunters elsewhere on the car. The #0 in the roundel on the hood is a nod to the graphics Jun designed for his 1:1 scale 510.

Last but definitely not least will be the Nissan Skyline 2000GT-X. The famed Hakosuka returns with a classic livery inspired by Kunimitsu Takahashi’s #15 Nissan Works KPGC10 GT-R. The wheels are existing 8-spokes, which are reminiscent of RS-Watanabes.

This is a very special casting and color scheme for us at JNC, because this casting debuted with a similar livery (inspired by Moto Kitano’s GT-R) back in 2011. That was the first time the JNC inkan appeared on a Hot Wheels car, fulfilling a childhood dream of many JNC staffers.

That was also the very model that sparked the current wave of Hot Wheels collectors obsessed with Japanese cars, even though cars like the 510, 240Z and AE86 existed before. As fans of J-tin, it’s been especially rewarding to see these cars get the love and recognition they deserve over the last five years from fans and collectors both new and old.

The Japan Historics line will be part of a larger Car Culture premium series, which will feature subcategories such for European cars, trucks, and so on. There are more models in the lineup that we’ll share with you as they get closer to release.

If you’re keeping track, here’s a list of Hot Wheels featuring the JNC inkan.