Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: How do you find the car of your dreams for sale?
I haven’t really searched for a car on the internet in almost a decade. I tend to be very specific about the cars I want, and that one was a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 40th Anniversary Edition in Antique Sage … Continue reading
Nissan heard enthusiasts and gave the Z a facelift and a manual transmission for the NISMO
Two long-awaited changes to the Nissan Z address the two biggest complaints about the car. We reported in January that the Japan-market Fairlady Z appeared at the Tokyo Auto Salon with a facelift. That’s officially coming to the US now. … Continue reading
After 58 years, former youth fashion hotspot and Citroen importer Seibu Shibuya is closing its doors
It was announced yesterday that the Seibu Shibuya department store will be closing after 58 years in operation. Even in Shibuya, the epicenter of youth culture in Tokyo, the Seibu store was once considered the trendsetter. For years Seibu was … Continue reading
Next Mazda Miata will weigh just one ton, run on pure gasoline
It was only one month ago that the rumor mill was saying that the upcoming fifth-gen Mazda MX-5 would be electrified. Multiple sites reported that the NE Miata would likely be a hybrid of some sort, based on a designer … Continue reading
Joji Luz was a pioneer for the classic Toyota community
It is with great sadness that we inform you about the passing of our friend Joji Luz. Those that knew him will remember his ever-joyous face and warm greetings whenever he saw a fellow car enthusiast. Joji was a trailblazer … Continue reading
Toyota GR Heritage Parts Program reissues moderinzed A80 Supra dashboard
Toyota has announced that it’s reissuing the dashboard for the A80 Supra, via its Gazoo Racing Heritage parts Program. Officially the part is called the instrument panel stretching from A-pillar to A-pillar with a center section that extends down to … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your most terrifying near miss story?
Today, March 23, is Near Miss Day, commemorating the day in 1989 when the asteroid 4581 Asclepius got close enough to Earth that astronomers thought we might end up like the dinosaurs. That would almost be as bad as if … Continue reading
‘Seibu Keisatsu’ and ‘Abunai Deka’ star returns in action movie parody ‘Return My License!?’
The trailer for Return My License!? starts out looking like a sequel to Abunai Deka, the 80s cop show starring Hiroshi Tachi. It even features a gold-on-silver F31 Nissan Leopard undercover police car that starred in that show. However, this … Continue reading
Honda Heritage Works reproduction parts program to launch in the US this summer
Acura has announced that reproduction NSX parts will be available to order stateside starting this summer. The parts are part of a greater Honda Heritage Works program that started in Japan last year. The NSX parts will be offered exclusively … Continue reading
Century marque opens showroom separate from Toyota brand
We knew Century was going to become its own marque separate from Toyota, but now it’s official as official can be. A new Century showroom has opened in Tokyo. To drive the point home, the inaugural window display has a … Continue reading
QotW: Who in the automotive community would you like to say thank you to?
Today, March 9, is “Thanks Day” in Japan, created because three (san) and nine (kyu) sound like “thank you” when said together. These days, saying thanks almost seems like a lost art, what with everyone on social media so obsessed … Continue reading
The Volk Racing TE37 celebrates 30 years: A brief history
This year the Volk Racing TE37 wheel by Rays Engineering turns 30 years old. To celebrate the most iconic Japanese wheel of the modern age, the TE37 now has its own official holiday in Japan. Appropriately, that date falls on … Continue reading
Acura brand to be introduced in Japan after 40 years in America
Acura, the marque created so Americans would accept the once-wild notion of spending $20,000 on a Honda, is coming to Japan. In a strange reversal of product flow and 40 years after the luxury brand’s launch, Honda will now be … Continue reading
Is the next Toyota Celica testing as a camouflaged rally car?
Some footage out of Portugal has revealed a new Toyota rally car test mule. Though wrapped in camouflage, it’s clear that the profile isn’t that of a GR Yaris. It looks like a small coupe, leading many outlets to claim … Continue reading
Nissan’s Skyline GT-R Bayside Blue color is also a city bus in Yokohama
Yokohama a great city to visit. It’s away from the hustle of Tokyo and there’s many historic and fun places to see, like the Yokohama Ramen Museum. For car enthusiasts it’s also the home of Nissan and the Nissan Headquarters … Continue reading
Honda and Nissan are still figuring things out
Despite a well-publicized dissolution of merger talks last year, it seems that Honda and Nissan are still talking to each other. The result might not be a marriage, but perhaps more of a rebadging situation. Either way, the two companies … Continue reading
Happy Year of the Horse from JNC
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, meaning it is now officially the Year of the Horse. America may have its Broncos and Pintos, but in Japan the marque most associated with the horse is Mitsubishi. The … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite factory exterior/interior color combo on a Japanese car?
Today, February 16, is Matching Color Day in Japan. It’s a play on the words ni au iro (similar colors), which sounds like ni (2) i (1) ro (6). The occasion asks us to consider what colors go well together … Continue reading
