Monthly Archives: September 2022
Miatas enter Guinness Book of World Records for largest Mazda parade
A gathering of Mazda MX-5 Miatas has broken the world record for largest parade of Mazda cars. The assembly took place at Italy’s Modena Circuit on September 18 and was certified by a Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator at … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged mazda, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, Modena, mx-5, nobuhiro yamamoto
2 Comments
Tadashi Kume, former president of Honda, 1932-2022
It was announced today that Tadashi Kume, the third president of Honda Motor Co., had passed away. The engineer turned businessman died on September 11, 2022 at age 90. The influential leader guided the company from 1983 to 1990, a … Continue reading
The Nissan Z is looking sharp as a GT4 race car
The lads at NISMO have been busy at work with the new Z, and Nissan has just revealed the results. It’s not the street legal NISMO Z you’re hoping for, but could be even better, depending on your perspective. Instead, … Continue reading
Rate this Ad: Toyota HiLux family receives an unexpected visitor
In the latest ad for the Toyota HiLux, a family that owns multiple generations of the venerable pickup receives a disturbing visit. It’s time for another Rate This Ad, this time coming to us all the way from Australia. This … Continue reading
VIDEO: The Lexus SC presented buyers with a difficult dilemma
The Lexus SC is probably, to this day, still one of Toyota’s best-looking cars. It was the Supra you could take to the opera, built upon the same chassis that spawned the legendary JZA80, but grander, more civilized, and fitted … Continue reading
QotW: What TV series or movie fueled your love for cars?
Forty years ago today, on September 26, 1982 Knight Rider debuted on NBC. As much as I hate to admit it, the show played a seminal role in my love for cars. The reason I hate to admit it is … Continue reading
Nissan’s Zama Heritage Collection offers another virtual tour
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced yesterday that Japan would remove caps on international travelers and visa restrictions on countries such as the US in three weeks’s time. That effectively means Japan will allow tourists back in starting October 11. … Continue reading
Nissan Skyline tops Japanese survey about dream cars
Monday, September 19, was Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. To mark the occasion Kinto, a car sharing service, held a survey to ask drivers of three generations about their motoring habits, including what their dream cars were when … Continue reading
The 1937 Datsun Type 16 now displayed at one of Japan’s top engineering universities is a gift from a former student
On September 20 an unveiling ceremony was held at Shibaura Institute of Technology, one of Tokyo’s most prestigious engineering universities, for one of Nissan’s oldest prodcution vehicles. The 1937 Datsun Type 16 sedan is now part of the school’s permanent … Continue reading
Brand new Nissan SR20 engines will soon be available in Japan
A company in Japan will soon start making brand new SR20 engines. While they’re not technically from Nissan, like the remade Skyline GT-R parts and NISMO gauge clusters are, the motors are being made with Nissan’s blessing. Mercury Enterprise, a … Continue reading
QotW: What will happen to classics after the EV revolution?
Automakers, governments, and Elon Musk are all pushing the industry headlong into electric cars. There are pros and cons to EVs, but whether you see them as Betamax or VHS, it doesn’t really matter. The industry seems like it’s headed … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1973 Mazda Luce with less than 4,000 miles
When considering the list of 6-figure Japanese cars, the Mazda RX-4 isn’t typically a chart topper. When new it was considered too heavy for its rotary engine, especially compared to its RX-3 and RX-2 stablemates. But man, it was a … Continue reading
A Toyota Corona runs from the law in Assassin
Almost exactly 40 years ago, on September 15, 1982, the movie Assassin was released in Japan. The plot was loosely based on the Setouchi Seajack Incident of 1970, one of the country’s most notorious hostage situations at the time. In … Continue reading
A Nissan Patrol became the first vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert 60 years ago
Sixty years ago, the Sprigg family made history as the first to cross Australia’s Simpson Desert in a motorized vehicle. That vehicle was a G60 Nissan Patrol, a four-wheel-drive rival to the Toyota Land Cruiser. The Spriggs made the 12-day … Continue reading
Posted in trucks
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QotW: How have video games affected your passion for cars?
Today, September 12, is National Video Game Day. For many car enthusiasts, especially of Japanese machines, the cultural reach of video games has been instrumental to the hobby. Whether you’re into cars we’d otherwise never see on the streets, the … Continue reading
1970 Datsun 240Z Rallye Monte-Carlo: A history lost, now found
As iconic as the Nissan Z is, remarkably little is known in English-speaking countries about its motorsports history. In the US, the American-spec Datsun 240Z is best remembered, and deservedly so, for its SCCA victories. But while names like Peter … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 240z, datsun, nissan, Rallye Monte-Carlo, s30 z, safari rally
8 Comments
Watching an immaculate 1,500-mile Mazda Miata get even cleaner is extremely satisfying
You might think that a 1990 Mazda Miata with only 1,500 miles on the odometer would not need a thorough detailing. Especially when that Miata was lovingly cared for by its original owner and is so “new” that even its … Continue reading
1969 Toyota Corolla driven 350,000 miles by original owner heads to museum
In 1969 Shougo Asada, 24 years old at the time, bought his first car. a KE10 Toyota Corolla. Now he’s 77 and still driving that same Corolla. Under Asada-san’s care, the car has traveled 563,632 km, or 350,225 miles. But … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC looks best in black?
Today, September 6, is Black Day in Japan. A number of businesses producing black goods promote their wares on this day, so it’s a good day to wear black clothes, eat black Kagoshima pork, or indulge your inner goth. It’s … Continue reading
