Author Archives: Ben Hsu
This Nissan Sunny conversion on a Suzuki kei truck is the cat’s pajamas
Converting kei cars to look like other vehicles is a tried and true tradition in Japan. Often times the transformations are tongue in cheek, morphing them into something they’re clearly not, like a baroque vintage design or a far more … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite radio control car?
We suspect that there’s a pretty large overlap between fans of old Japanese cars and radio control cars. After all, many of the best RC cars come from Japan, from iconic Tamiyas to new school HPIs, highly detailed Kyoshos to … Continue reading
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The Japanese Classic Car Show reaches a milestone
The Japanese Classic Car Show has announced dates for 2025. It marks a significant milestone, as it happens to be the event’s 20th anniversary. The achievement isn’t just for the success of the JCCS, but the Japanese classic movement as … Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser ‘Lite’ patent image unearthed
Toyota has been teasing the idea of a baby Land Cruiser for over three years now. The notion seems one step closer to reality now that patent images showing a full render of the vehicle have been discovered. The rendering … Continue reading
Baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima was synonymous with the X60 Toyota Mark II
On June 3 baseball star Shigeo Nagashima passed away from lung cancer in a Tokyo hospital. Voted 1958’s Rookie of the Year, he was instrumental in establishing the Yomiuri Giants as Japan’s greatest baseball dynasty. By the time Nagashima retired … Continue reading
The Toyota RAV4 concept made a tiny splash at the Tokyo Motor Show
A new Toyota RAV4 debuted last week, and in the 30 years since the original hit ToMoCo showrooms a lot has changed. Today the RAV4 has superseded the Camry as the default car for sensible but unimaginative shoppers. However, the … Continue reading
Nissan might sell its Yokohama headquarters and showroom
In 2009 Nissan spent $450 million to build a brand new headquarters and showroom in Yokohama. Opened to coincide with the Port of Yokohama’s 150th anniversary, then-president Carlos Ghosn described the seaside high-rise as a “sailboat on a voyage across … Continue reading
Toyota is coming out with a sub-Tacoma compact pickup
For years fans of Toyota trucks have been clamoring for a return to the compact pickup, the kind of mini-truck that helped Toyota establish itself in the US in the 70s and 80s. The Tacoma has gotten too big and … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your most memorable road trip?
The Friday before Memorial Day is National Road Trip Day in the US. In Japan today, May 26, also happens to be the anniversary of the opening of the Tomei Expressway, a famed route heading from Tokyo to points west. … Continue reading
A brief history of the Toyota RAV4
Toyota debuted the sixth-generation RAV4 on May 21, continuing a crossover lineage that dates back 31 years. When the original launched in 1994 no one, probably not even Toyota, predicted how massive a sales success the model would be. Toyota … Continue reading
Toyota 2000GT and LFA casually appear in Lexus ad with no mention
Here’s a puzzler for ya. A new Lexus commercial features Toyota’s two most legendary sports cars, but neither is mentioned or spotlighted at all. Normally the presence of such revered chariots would hint at the company’s storied history or legacy … Continue reading
Could Toyota be Nissan’s financial savior?
Last week Nissan announced a new recovery plan to dig itself out of its downward spiral. It announced that its deficit for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 had swelled to $4.5 billion and that it will close seven … Continue reading
Nissan’s mid-engined V6 Micra celebrates its 23rd anniversary with an refresh
Speaking of the Nissan March, Nissan Great Britain has just updated one of its wildest creations. Originally built 23 years ago, the Micra 350SR is what happened when Nissan GB crammed the ubiquitous VQ35 V6 engine midship into the back … Continue reading
Why SuperGT team owner Masahiro Kondo bought a first-gen Nissan March
To petrolheads Masahiko Kondo is best known as a racing driver and team manager. However, long before his motorsports career he was a teen heartthrob with his debut single Sneaker Blues shooting to number one in 1980 when Matchy, as … Continue reading
Toyotafest 2025 is coming soon. Get your coupon code here
The 2025 All-Toyotafest will be here in a little over a month. The show enters its 29th year and will be held at Marina Green Park in Long Beach, California on June 28, 2025. Registration is open for all Toyota, … Continue reading
Toyota’s Le Mans livery pays homage to the legendary GT-One
Toyota has unveiled its liveries for the two cars it will enter in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. As it happens, 2025 marks Toyota’s 40th anniversary of Le Mans competition, which started with the Toyota 85C in 1985. … Continue reading
Toyota wants all its cars to evoke a “This is it!” feeling
Toyota held its annual financial results conference on May 8. While most of the conference covered boring things like sales projections and the potential effects of US tariffs on Japan, president Koji Sato spoke briefly about the new direction Toyota … Continue reading
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A Toyota Cressida-based Paragon prototype has surfaced in a California junkyard
An extremely weird car has appeared in a California junkyard. It’s a Paragon sedan, essentially a Toyota Cressida dressed up to look like it’s from the 1930s. Though fitted with skirted fenders flanking an elongated hood and upright grille, as … Continue reading
Mattel Brick Shop Acura NSX features a JNC surprise
We’ve lamented the lack of cool Japanese cars represented in the interlocking brick section of the toy aisle, but that’s all about to change. Hot Wheels’s parent company is launching the Mattel Brick Shop, which offers a lineup of building … Continue reading
Akio Toyoda doesn’t like EV sports cars
Toyota chairman and racing driver Akio Toyoda has always been brutally honest about the auto industry, especially since he stepped down as the company’s CEO. His most recent sentiments about electric vehicles echo that of many enthusiasts — that he … Continue reading
