Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Honda Collection Hall in Japan to reopen March 1, 2024
If you need another excuse to visit Japan, Honda announced today that the Honda Collection Hall will reopen March 1, 2024. One of the great car museums of Japan, the three-story building has been closed for renovations since the beginning … Continue reading
Mazda’s chocolate classics are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift
It’s Valentine’s Day, and this year a set of chocolates by Mazda has suddenly jumped into the top spot for our most wanted present list. The company has created a set of eight delicious looking chocolate bars, each with a … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged 3-wheeler, 787b, cosmo sport, familia, mazda, Mazda Type DA, r360
3 Comments
QotW: For which post-1980 JNC is zenki better than kouki?
Conventional wisdom states that newer is better but we all know that’s not true, especially when it comes to cars. There are some in which the pre-facelift (zenki) is preferred over the post-facelift (kouki). We’re limiting this question to 1980 … Continue reading
Happy Year of the Dragon from JNC
Today, February 10, is the Lunar New Year, and that means it’s officially the Year of the Dragon. The A20 Toyota Celica is the car that represents this mythical beast. For a creature that is so prominent in Asian culture, … Continue reading
The Mazda MX-5 Miata turns 35 today
On February 9, 1989 one of the most influential cars of the 20th Century was unveiled: The Mazda MX-5 Miata. It was shown to the world at the Chicago Auto Show and kicked off a roadster renaissance, inspiring BMW, Mercedes-Benz, … Continue reading
Volk Racing TE37V celebrates 10th anniversary with exclusive finishes
It’s hard to believe, but the Volk Racing TE37V is at least a decade old. The wheel was developed by Rays to merge the iconic TE37 6-spoke with fitments for old school cars with smaller diameters and low offsets. To … Continue reading
Lego McLaren-Honda MP4/4 Formula One race car debuts this spring
Lego has announced a new large-scale kit paying homage to the legendary McLaren-Honda MP4/4. One of the winningest race cars in Formula One history, the car kicked off the McLaren-Honda team’s storied 4-year F1 Constructor’s Championship winning streak, which lasted … Continue reading
Mazda CX-70: When less should be more, but isn’t
We have a wad of money, ready to fork over to Mazda, yet they seem dead set on refusing it. The Mazda CX-70 was supposed to be our next family car, but after seeing it in person we aren’t so … Continue reading
Watch a Toyota 85C Le Mans racer take on a touge road
The Toyota 85C was built for flying down the Mulsanne straight at 180 mph, not for slinging around winding roads in the Japanese mountains. The wild, 500-horsepower prototype is a rolling aero wedge. But there’s something exhilarating in watching a … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 85C, advan, JSPC, Maniwa Speed Festival, Nob Taniguchi, porsche, Porsche 962, toyota
3 Comments
Mazda Familia Van with rotary engine swap shines at Tokyo Auto Salon
The RE Amemiya booth at the Tokyo Auto Salon always gathers a special display of rotary-powered cars. The legendary Mazda tuner typically has a fleet of heavily modified RX-7s and RX-8s to display with one old school Hiroshima sled thrown … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged familia, mazda, re amemiya, rotary engine, tokyo auto salon, wagons
3 Comments
Why Toyota had a used Suzuki Jimny at its Tokyo Auto Salon booth
The main stage at Toyota’s 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon booth is a strange place to find a Suzuki. Or a Yamaha. But this year Toyota surprised attendees with a showcase of seemingly unrelated cars. In lieu of a formal press … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged akio toyoda, Century SUV, GR Corolla, iQ, jimny, suzuki, toyota, yamaha
1 Comment
An FJ40 on a J70 chassis kicks off Toyota’s Land Cruiser customization business
If you have an old Land Cruiser there is probably no better place to get it customized than Toyota itself. At the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon what appeared to be a yellow FJ40 was displayed, but it was no ordinary … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged J40, J70, land cruiser, tokyo auto salon, toyota, Toyota Auto Body
1 Comment
TOM’s launches Toyota restoration business to mark 50th anniversary
Tachi Oiwa Motorsport, better known as TOM’s, has been modifying the latest and greatest Toyotas for 50 years. To mark the occasion, the famed tuning house announced at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon that it has started its own restoration … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged a20, a70, A80, ae86, celica, chaser, mr2, soarer, supra, te27, tokyo auto salon, tom's, toyota
5 Comments
Mini Kenmeri Skyline, Corona lowrider, slammed Jimny: the wild Tokyo Auto Salon customs by NATS
One of the most reliably entertaining booths at the Tokyo Auto Salon is that of NATS, the Nihon Automobile Technical School. The college teaches auto repair, but each year students get to indulge several far-out projects that end up on … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged c110, corona, escudo, JA11, JA21, jimny, kenmeri, luce, mazda, mighty boy, NATS, nissan, skyline, suzuki, T20, tokyo auto salon, toyota
4 Comments
Mazda Miata Roadster ND in “V-Special” BRG looks pretty sharp
There are lots of outlandish custom cars at the Tokyo Auto Salon, but sometimes it’s the simple ones that catch your eye. For example, a Tokyo shop named Cabana Racing has created an ND Mazda Roadster tribute to the NA … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your best/worst police encounter story?
For the average law-abiding citizen the most likely encounter you’ve had with police involves a car. Today, January 15th, is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the famed department that has been the star of … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
18 Comments
Honda displays S800 rally car at 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon
The 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon has kicked off, and Honda’s booth is overflowing with modified current-gen Civics and Civic Type Rs. One of the unexpected treats hidden among them, however, was a bright yellow 1966 Honda S800. The subject of … Continue reading
Mitsubishi Pajero reportedly being revived for 2027
Reports out of Japan say that Mitsubishi is getting ready to bring back the Pajero (aka Montero for us Americans). The SUV was killed off in 2021 to the disappointment of die-hard Mitsubishi fans, but if the reports are correct … Continue reading
QotW: What 1999 car would you import from Japan?
A new year means a new crop of cars are eligible for import. This year cars built in 1999 will be legal to bring ashore under America’s 25-year-rule. The Godzilla in the room is of course the R34 Nissan Skyline … Continue reading
Nissan’s greatest hits converge in 90th anniversary commercial
Ninety years ago today Nissan Motor Co. was founded. It’s a momentous occasion for one of Japanese most prolific and beloved carmakers, and to commemorate the occasion Nissan has released a commercial gathering together all of their “greatest hits” over … Continue reading
