Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Happy President’s Day from JNC
Here’s a screen shot from 80s Japanese cop show Abunai Deka, in an episode in which a Nissan President is involved in a chase and ends up on its roof. Video of the chase may be long gone, but fortunately our screenshot is … Continue reading
QotW: What sacred model name should never be revived for a crossover?
JNC readers were pretty much in universal that the Mitsubishi Eclipse name would have been better laid to rest than revived for a crossover, even though the once great sport coupe had morphed into a bloated cruiser with little semblance of performance by … Continue reading
PIXELATED: Toyota C-HR ad stars cast of Street Fighter game
The car may not be nostalgic, but the game certainly is. Toyota has enlisted the help of the Street Fighter II cast to promote the new C-HR. In the new ad, Ryu drives the car around the world through some familiar … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1970s Toyota campus for sale
It’s finally happening. Nearly three years after Toyota announced it was relocating its US headquarters from California to Texas, the automaker’s campus has been listed for sale. Like an annoying Craiglist ad, no asking price was mentioned but according to the … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Someone is selling a Mazda 767B
You. Yes you, mere mortal. You can now own perhaps the most organ-worthy car we’ve ever come across, a Mazda 767B. While the original auction description (they have since edited it) described it as “the most iconic race car to ever come … Continue reading
Posted in for sale
Tagged 767b, le mans, mazda, Takashi Yorino, yojiro terada, Yoshimi Katayama
3 Comments
Please, Mitsubishi, don’t bring back the Starion…
… if you’re going to use the name on a minivan or something.
NEWS: The Mitsubishi Eclipse Crossover is actually happening. Whyyyyyyyyyy?
Danger to Manifold! The rumors we feared were true. Scarcely believable, but true. Mitsubishi announced today that it is reviving the name of a beloved sport coupe to use on a new crossover model called the — are you ready? — Eclipse Cross. This … Continue reading
Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC
As is tradition on Valentine’s Day, Japanese chocolatier Kobe Frantz has released a set of highly realistic, 1:1 scale chocolate tools (1:64 Toyota 2000GT for scale).
VIDEO: A Datsun 240Z is the hero car in this 1979 chase movie
1970s Los Angeles was an automotive paradise. Not only did you have a diverse mix of Detroit land yachts, European compacts and heaps of Japanese runabouts, but its freeways ran long and wide. Back then, before the 405 was one giant parking lot, … Continue reading
VIDEO: The only running Toyota 2000GT in the UK
With just 351 built, the Toyota 2000GT is a rare car. According to Toyota UK, this is the only roadworthy one in the country. They’re calling it The Toyota that Lived Twice, a nod to the 2000GT’s starring role in the … Continue reading
EVENTS: Houston Morningstar Meet
You might have heard there was a football game in Houston over the weekend. We were in town for the epic clash — something about classic Fords versus Jeep crossovers — but before the big game the local JNC community welcomed us to a Sunday morning meet.
Happy TE27 Day from JNC
When you think of Toyota performance, the color palette that pops into your head may largely depend on the cars you love. Yellow, orange and red for 80s IMSA racing, red and green Castrol for WRC, white and red for … Continue reading
Posted in Reminder
Tagged corolla, corolla levin, sprinter, sprinter trueno, te27, toyota
8 Comments
Perhaps the most thoroughly restored 1977 Celica ever
Inspired by TA22 Day yesterday, we stumbled across what is quite possibly the most thorough restoration of a 1977 Celica ever performed. Technically this isn’t a TA22, but it’s still a first-gen Celica and it’s an amazing story of an … Continue reading
Happy TA22 Day from JNC
Okay, it’s a stretch, but today is 2/2. In other words, Happy TA22 Day from JNC!
NEWS: Tokyo Motor Show may be a reunion of Japanese sports car icons
If the multitude of rumors are true, this fall’s Tokyo Motor Show could be one for the history books. Nissan, Toyota, and Honda are all said to be reviving sports car icons. A modern Z, Supra and S2000 could be in the … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged fairlady z, honda, nissan, S-FR, s2000, supra, tokyo motor show, toyota
12 Comments
RIP Namco founder Masaya Nakamura, 1925-2017
Video game pioneer Masaya Nakamura passed away on January 22 at the age of 91. News just broke in Japan, leading to an outpouring of love for the man whose company gave the world Pac-Man. However, before the round yellow ghost-hunter became a global phenomenon, … Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
Tagged dax, fuji speedway, honda, Masaya Nakamura, Mitsukoshi, Namco, pole position
6 Comments
Happy 97th Birthday, Mazda!
Ninety-seven years ago today, the Toyo Kogyo Cork Company was founded in Hiroshima. The cork business wasn’t exactly brimming in a rapidly industrializing Japan, so they soon shifted to heavy equipment, including the Mazdago 3-wheeled truck. Then they made some … Continue reading
Happy Year of the Rooster from JNC
Okay, so the logo of the Toyota Century is technically a fushichou, or phoenix derived from Chinese mythology. But, if you trace it back far enough, the fenghuang is also called the August Rooster and according to Wikipedia, sometimes replaces the rooster on … Continue reading
