Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Dome and Zagato collab on carbon fiber cello case
I don’t know anything about classical music, but it seems that a cello would be a pain to lug around. Fear not, engineering firm Dome, known for the Dome Zero concept car, has come to the rescue with a carbon … Continue reading
Nissan’s twin-cam L-series head gets $25,000 price tag
Back in February 2024 Nissan unveiled a prototype of its twin-cam L-series head, gauging public reaction to see if they should put it into production. In June 2025 it was greenlit. Now we have a price tag of ¥3.85 million, … Continue reading
The Toyota Crown Coupe is a rolling art museum of Japanese craftsmanship
One of the biggest topics at the Japan Mobility Show is the shocking Toyota Century Coupe. The massive fastback upends over half a century (no pun intended) of tradition, in which Toyota’s flagship sedan was just that — a sedan. … Continue reading
Mazda unveils a turbo rotary ‘coupe’ and a cute hatch in Tokyo
Mazda’s stand at the Japan Mobility Show never disappoints, with breathtaking concepts like the RX-Vision taking center stage. This year, Mazda’s show cars tell a tale of two futures. The small Vision X-Compact hatchback shows commitment to a segment that … Continue reading
The Honda Super-One Prototype is a Bulldog-inspired EV
Honda never explicitly states it, but its latest EV concept takes a lot of inspiration from the 1983 Honda City Turbo II. With its aggressive stance, flared blister fenders, and asymmetric grille, the nods are unmistakable. It even comes in … Continue reading
Toyota builds twin-turbo FJ60 Land Cruiser thanks to modern Tundra engine swap
SEMA builds tend to be over the top, but when everyone has a kandy-colored, lifted, widebodied Frankenstein one way to stand out from the crowd is with an absolutely bone stock-appearing classic. That’s what Toyota did with this plain-Jane FJ60 … Continue reading
QotW: What is your ideal Honda Civic build?
Today, October 27, it National Civics Day, an occasion to learn about how our govenrment, in theory, should work. But let’s not forget the Honda Civic. To the everyman, it’s affordable, efficient, and reliable, but to those in the know … Continue reading
Century to become its own hyper-luxury marque in Toyota empire
When Toyota teased its upcoming Gazoo Racing GT3, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the Century phoenix joined Toyota’s other major brands — Toyota, Lexus, GR, and Daihatsu — with a standalone logo in the lineup. Turns out that Toyota is indeed … Continue reading
Toyota’s ‘baby’ Land Cruiser FJ revealed as mini body-on-frame SUV
Since at least 2022 Toyota has been teasing the idea of a mini SUV that draws on the Land Cruiser’s rich heritage. Now that vehicle has arrived, revealed in full ahead of the Japan Mobility Show at the end of … Continue reading
Toyota’s motor show video unites owners from around the globe
Not to be outdone by its subsidiary Daihatsu, Toyota has its own compilation video for the Japan Mobility Show. With the tagline “To You. Toyota”, the video depicts a vast variety of Toyota cars and trucks in all walks of … Continue reading
Posted in Japan Mobility Show
Tagged a70, A80, ae86, corolla, fj cruiser, hiace, hilux, Japan Mobility Show, land cruiser, supra, toyota
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Nissan CEO discusses Silvia revival, IDx concept
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa recently gave an interview and mentioned two model names that may be of particular interest to enthusiasts. The first was the the Silvia, which Espinosa has a special passion for and wants to bring back. The … Continue reading
Posted in News
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Forget the Century coupe and six-wheeled Lexus LS, peep the Daihatsu Midget concept
It’s almost time for the Tokyo Motor Show Japan Mobility Show, and Toyota is first out of the gates with a buffet of unhinged concept cars. And yes, the coupe based on the Century SUV or Lexus LS reborn as … Continue reading
Posted in Japan Mobility Show
Tagged century, daihatsu, Japan Mobility Show, lexus, midget, toyota
2 Comments
Nissan designer Hiren Patel talks about his classic Pathfinder
With the news of Nissan Design America’s closing, we wanted to consider the earliest and arguably the most iconic vehicle to emerge from the studio: the WD21 Nissan Pathfinder. As it happens, we once stumbled upon this exact car at … Continue reading
Sam Mitani’s ‘Keys to the Empire’ finishes the automotive spy trilogy with a bang
The third and final installment of former Road & Track International editor Sam Mitani’s car-themed thrillers is Keys to the Empire. The trilogy began in 2018 with The Prototype, continued in 2023 with Red Mist, and draws to a close … Continue reading
Japan’s new Prime Minister is a Toyota Supra owner
In 2022 we wrote about Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi and her beloved A70 Toyota Supra. At the time, she had lost her bid to become the next Prime Minister, but over the weekend she was elected to head Japan’s ruling … Continue reading
QotW: What are your gasoline filling routines?
Today, October 6, is Oil Day in Japan, marking an occasion for average citizens to think about the many petroleum-based products used in every day life. The date was chosen because the numbers 1, 0, and 6 can be rearranged … Continue reading
It’s the end of the road for the Lexus LS
In 1989 Toyota introduced what was arguably the most over-engineered car ever made. The Lexus LS had to be perfect if it was going to go toe-to-toe with the established European brands. It was. More refined, more durable, and far … Continue reading
The Honda RA272 will return to the site of its first Grand Prix win 60 years ago
In 1965 Honda achieved something unthinkable. It won a Formula 1 Grand Prix just two years after it had begun producing its first car. As the famous story goes, when Soichiro Honda instructed his engineers to develop a car that … Continue reading
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QotW: Which JNC looks most proper in red?
The color red is most closely associated with Ferraris, Alfas, and other Italian cars. Former head of GM Performance John Heinricy once said, “All Corvettes are red, the rest are mistakes,” and they even titled a book based on that … Continue reading
SuperGT champ puts five NSX versions to the test
Continuing on its 35th anniversary celebration, Honda has released another NSX video featuring five iterations of its flagship supercar. This time, it has recruited two-time SuperGT champ Tomoki Nojiri to provide his driving impressions of the five cars. Nojiri drives … Continue reading
