Author Archives: Ben Hsu
NEWS: Toyota S-FR Concept is the Sports 800 reborn
Toyota has previewed a new sports car concept ahead of the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show later this month. According to the automaker, the Toyota S-FR “continues the proud heritage of Toyota’s fun-to-drive lightweight sports cars.” Of course, this year was the 50th anniversary … Continue reading
JCCS 2015: A tribute to legendary figures in Z-Car history
When it debuted in 1969, the S30 Z promptly redefined the sports car, tearing down any remaining barriers, psychological or otherwise, to owning a Japanese car. It became the first piece of Nihon steel you could own with pride in America, which set the Z … Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 240z, 280z, bre, datsun, john morton, mr k, nissan, s30 z, yutaka katayama
15 Comments
VIDEO: Mitsubishi sends off the Lancer Evolution by showing you how it was made
It’s the end of the line for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The company is building 1,000 Final Edition cars for Japan and another 1,600 for North America. After that, they’ll be no more. The Final Edition cars will get several trim and mechanical … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best shade of JNC red?
I hate red. It’s too loud, it fades to a powdery pink over time, and it’s often too obvious a choice. In Japan, red was forbidden on passenger cars until Soichiro Honda embarrassed MITI with a scathing editorial in the newspapers, thus opening … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Made in the 80s
Have chrome-bumpered bullies been making you feel bad that your urethane-capped car isn’t truly a classic? Tell them to take a chill pill. Now that 1990 is the 25-year cutoff, everything that was built in the Eighties is officially a classic.
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 200sx, 300zx, 323 GTX, a60, accord, ae86, back to the future, bosozoku, celica, civic, corolla, corolla levin, cressida, crx, datsun, e80, fc3s, fx-16, hachiroku, hilux, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, kp61, mazda, nissan, prelude, pulsar, Pulsar NX, rx-7, s110, s12, Shiro Special, sprinter trueno, starlet, tercel, toyota, Toyota Van, x30, x70, z31
22 Comments
NEWS: Mazda to unveil heritage sports car concept at 2015 Tokyo Motor Show
Mazda is set to unveil a new sports car concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show next month. That in itself is already cause to celebrate, but Mazda has gone on to state that this will be a heritage model. Sources from within … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 14,500-mile Toyota AE86
The march of AE86s coming out of the woodwork continues. Now what could very well be the lowest-mileage Toyota Corolla GT-S left in the world has surfaced in Waxhaw, North Carolina. With just 14,500 miles on the clock, this USDM version of … Continue reading
Posted in for sale
Tagged ae86, corolla, corolla levin, hachiroku, kidney anyone, sprinter trueno, toyota
14 Comments
VIDEO: Cruising and drifting Hakone in 1989
Talk about time travel. What were you doing in 1989? In Japan, car enthusiasts were lining up at Hakone Nanamagari Touge like it was a playground slide. A notoriously twisty section of mountain road, it is part of the most famous of Japan’s touge, the birthplaces … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC would you get if you had a time machine?
Time travel is real, but it only goes to one point on the space-time continuum: Showa Era Japan. For some reason, you have a briefcase full of 1960s-era yen in large bills. You also know of a remote garage in rural Japan … Continue reading
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 – It’s JDM, yo
As it embarks on its second decade, the 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show has become a must-attend event, not just for J-tin owners or readers of this fine site, but car enthusiasts everywhere. Nowhere in America will you see a wider array of cars … Continue reading
Posted in events, jccs
Tagged 510, 610, A175, bluebird, c10, cosmo sport, datsun, fd3s, fj60, Hakosuka, hot wheels, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, john morton, jun imai, lancer, land cruiser, matchbox, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, P40, pao, r30, r32, R390 GT1, rx-3, rx-7, skyline, spirit r, sports 800, starlet, toyota
17 Comments
JCCS 2015: The first Honda car ever imported to the US
This decrepit looking Honda N600 was one of the most important cars at the Japanese Classic Car Show last weekend. Why? Because it is the very first Honda automobile built for the US. That’s right, this faded lime green hatch barely larger than a picnic … Continue reading
Posted in jccs
Tagged honda, Honda Serial One, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, n-series
16 Comments
QotW: Which JNC sighting will you remember forever?
As a die-hard car nut, you may not remember how many kids your boss has, your first kiss, or even your birthday, but you can sure as hell remember every vivid detail about the millisecond you laid eyes on a mind-blowingly awesome JNC. I, for … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, Question of the Week
19 Comments
JCCS Preview: San Mamiya X JNC Fuji Speedway available
We are proud to debut our first poster collaboration with Japanese artist San Mamiya at this Saturday’s Japanese Classic Car Show. Titled Fuji Speedway, it is an easter egg-filled tribute to the golden era of Japanese motorsports, Showa Era pop culture, and, … Continue reading
Posted in JCCS Preview
Tagged 240z, 510, a20, bluebird, c10, celica, daruma, datsun, fuji speedway, Hakosuka, hot wheels, mazda, Mazinger Z, nissan, rx-7, sa22, San Mamiya, skyline
4 Comments
JCCS Preview: Nissan’s Zama cars arrive in California
Man, those guys at Nissan really know how to cut it close. Here are two cars they shipped over from the Zama warehouse in Japan for this Saturday’s JCCS, and they just arrived today.
Posted in JCCS Preview
Tagged 610, bluebird, datsun, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, nissan, R390 GT1, Zama
11 Comments
JCCS Preview: Mazda’s lawn lineup at the Queen Mary
Mazda’s lineup for this Saturday’s Japanese Classic Car Show promises to be a terrific gathering of zoom-zoomy machines. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s to come, in chronological order.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 323 GTX, cosmo sport, CX-3, fd3s, japanese classic car show, JCCS 2015, mazda, mx-5, MX-5 NA, MX-5 ND, rx-2, rx-7, spirit r
1 Comment
NEWS: Honda’s RA272-inspired “Project 2&4” revealed
Honda has created a mutant offspring of motorcycle and street legal Formula One car from the 1960s. The Honda Project 2&4 has been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
