Author Archives: Ben Hsu
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
Nissan executives want to bring back the Xterra
The Nissan Xterra debuted for the 2000 model year. That makes the originals 25 years old, eligible for historic car license plates and collector car insurance in most states. The Xterra was an unexpected hit for a bleak period at … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite car care product?
Today, April 28, is Car Wash Day in Japan. The date comes from a play on words for 4 (yo), 2 (itsu), and 8 (ya), or yoitsya, which means “a good gloss” in Japanese. Washing your car can be a … Continue reading
Mazda will build a rotary sports car if you actually buy it
Mazda has reaffirmed its desire to build a new sports car based on the gorgeous Iconic SP concept. It even wants to slap a rotary engine into it, creating a true successor to the RX-7 and RX-8. Things are ready … Continue reading
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Toyota unveils restored A70 Supra 2.5GT Twin Turbo
Last month Toyota revealed that it was hard at work bringing an A70 Supra 2.5GT Twin Turbo back to its former glory. The restoration is now complete, and Toyota has released a video showing how much work was involved. Like … Continue reading
Posted in Heritage Collections
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Nissan says next GT-R could share a platform with Honda NSX
Remember when Nissan and Honda’s merger talks fell apart earlier this year? Unsurprisingly the two companies are still talking, and as one senior Nissan exec revealed, one of the potential projects the two juggernauts could collaborate on is their respective … Continue reading
The Nissan 315X was an EV concept from over half a century ago
Nissan pioneered the mass-market electric car with the Leaf, launched 15 years ago in 2010. At the 1970 Toky0 Motor Show, 55 years ago, it debuted an all-electric city car called the Nissan 315X. It’s Earth Day, so let’s take … Continue reading
Posted in concepts
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Rally drivers Hiroshi Masuoka and Teruo Katsuta receive Japanese government’s Sports Achievement Award
Two rally racers have received the Japanese government’s Sports Achievement Award. The honor is given to individuals that have made outstanding contributions in the world of sports. Hiroshi Masuoka won the Paris-Dakar Rally back-to-back, contributing to Mitsubishi’s era of dominance … Continue reading
This Mazda Miata quote about light weight may be among automotive history’s greatest
When answering the question of what defines the Mazda Miata, chief technology officer Ryuichi Umeshita just laid down what might go down as one of the great quotes of automotive history: “I would say the most important thing is that … Continue reading
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The ultimate Mazda Miata model car collection can be yours for just $1,300
Strap in, NA Miata fans. Mazda Japan has unveiled the ultimate collection of MX-5 scale models. The 17-model diecast car set, each slightly different, represents the complete history of the first-generation Mazda Roadster. And it costs a whopping ¥180,000, or … Continue reading
QotW: What car has been absolutely ruined by pop culture?
Pop culture can make cars into stars, but also destroy them. If it wasn’t for Back to the Future the DeLorean would be a historical footnote. If it wasn’t for 007, the Aston Martin DB4 would not even be uttered … Continue reading
Isuzu’s 80s pickup restomod steals the Bangkok Motor Show
At the recent Bangkok Motor Show it was Isuzu that surprised attendees with a restomod based on an 80s compact truck. The Dragonmax Concept began life as a 1988 Isuzu TFR pickup built for the Thai market. Isuzu updated almost … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your craziest tire-related story?
Today, April 7, is Tire Gauge Day in Japan. It was established by Asahi Sangyo, a tire gauge manufacturer established in 1946, to remind people of the importance of keeping your car tires properly inflated. My craziest story doesn’t involve … Continue reading
