Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Akio drives his favorite Toyota Corolla
In honor of the Corolla’s 50th anniversary, Toyota has posted a photo of their CEO in a TE71. “My used 4th generation Corolla 1600 GT was like a best friend to me. I shared my youth with it! That car showed me … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: Acura made a RWD non-hybrid NSX
Like the title says, Acura unveiled an NSX powered purely by the back wheels and which threw out the electric motors, batteries, and other hybrid gear. The bad news is, if you buy one, the only place you can drive it is in … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: Hope for humanity confirmed as Mazda Miata wins World Car of the Year
The world may be rushing headlong towards domination by blundering crossovers and autonomous hybrids, but there’s still hope for a light, impractical, rear-wheel-drive sports car. Proof of that came today when the ND Mazda Miata won two of the five World … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: Honda’s bringing hatches back
Though once its defining form, the Honda Civic has abandoned hatchbacks for at least a decade now. At the NY Auto Show today, Honda announced it was bringing hatches back. Oh, and manual transmissions too.
NY Auto Show: Toyota kicks off 50th anniversary of Corolla
In November 1966 the Toyota Corolla went on sale in Japan. That makes 2016 the 50th anniversary of the humble little runabout that’s been everything from a family hauler to a balls-out drifter to a rally racer. To kick off a year-long … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: First in-person look at the 2017 Toyota 86
We got our first glimpse of the 2017 Toyota 86 at the New York Auto Show today, and we were wrong. When Toyota first released images of the facelifted neo-hachiroku, we implied that the “86” badges, once displayed prominently on the fender … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: 2017 Nissan GT-R brings all generations together at last
“It is the dream of Nissan,” says Hiroshi Tamura, product chief of Nissan’s sports cars and NISMO head honcho, about his GT-R. The automaker is in New York to debut an update of the halo car of not just the … Continue reading
NY Auto Show: All generations of GT-R, a preview
In about an an hour, Nissan will unveil the 2017 GT-R at the New York Auto Show. Here’s an exclusive preview from the setup day yesterday. Some of these cars came from Nissan’s Zama collection, and are the first time they … Continue reading
QotW: If you could only drive one car for the rest of your life, what would it be?
So here’s the situation. You can pick one car, any car, but it’s the only car you can drive for the rest of your life. Money is no object, but you can’t choose a 2000GT so you can sell it and use … Continue reading
VIDEO: Why you should buy a Datsun 510
“Experts across the world concluded it had to be a copy of the BMW. It wasn’t… As long as it could be dismissed as a copy, the global car industry didn’t have to face the real threat the Datsun 1600 represented,” … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Unmolested 1985 Toyota Cressida
Years ago, unmolested Cressidas could be found on the List of Craig all day long, at “just a used car” prices barely cracking the three-digit mark. These days, nearly every Cressida for sale has been cut, slammed, or converted into either … Continue reading
VIDEO: Restoration of the first US-market Honda begins
Last year we showed you one of the most significant Honda automobiles in the world. Many spectators at JCCS walked right by the decrepit Honda N600, not realizing that it was serial number N600-1000001. That makes it the first Honda automobile built … Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota 86 to get facelift with new name
In addition to a new (yet old) name, the lightweight sport coupe formerly known as the Scion FR-S will get a facelift when it transitions to the Toyota marque this fall. Meet the 2017 Toyota 86.
NEWS: The Scion FR-S is now the Toyota 86, may get more variants
When we first reported that Scion was no more we also told you that all its models would be transitioned to the Toyota brand. We reported that when that happened, the Scion FR-S would be called the Toyota FR-S, even though that … Continue reading
VIDEO: James May goes to Japan
In the latest episode of James May’s Cars of the People, the former Top Gear host travels to Japan and drives some JNCs. Specifically, he gets behind the wheel of a Mazda Familia (aka 323) hatchback in its hometown of Hiroshima, … Continue reading
VIDEO: Jay Leno drives the Fugu Z
Watch two car cultures collide as Jay Leno and Sung Kang (along with his “legit Asian” buddies) discuss the award-winning Fugu Z. The car may not be everyone’s cup of matcha — one of the builders has an interesting definition of … Continue reading
VIDEO: The most high-tech Japanese sports car of the 90s
What was the most high-tech Japanese sports car of the 90s? Quite possibly the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4, with its all-wheel-drive, twin-turbos and active aero. Today they seem to be taking a back seat to cars like the NSX, RX-7 and Supra … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your most heartwarming JNC story?
Somehow, old cars inspire tales of friendship, camaraderie, and bringing out the best in your fellow humans. Case in point: this weekend we learned about an entire country that banded together to help one owner restore a Toyota Corolla that had … Continue reading
