Author Archives: Ben Hsu
EVENTS: 2015 Nissan Jam, Part 02
One of Nissan Jam’s proudest accomplishments is gathering a hugely diverse field of cars from Nissan’s long and storied history. From 1960s to modern day, from mini-trucks to drift machines, from lowliest Sunny to mightiest GT-R, the Jam had it all.
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 425,708-mile 1962 Toyopet Crown Wagon
The S30 Toyota Crown Station Wagon is so rare, Toyota USA doesn’t even have one in their museum. They have two Toyopet Crown sedans, which are already exceedingly rare in the States. Wagons? They make 2000GTs seem as common as Camrys. … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 Nissan Jam, Part 01
Though only in its third year, Nissan Jam has become a regular on the nostalgic car show calendar. For 2015, the show moved from its former home to a new location, West Covina Nissan. The larger space allowed for more cars than before, as well … Continue reading
VIDEO: Japan’s car secrets, revealed!
The internet has no shortage of videos from Japan with the following premise: “Hey you poor, clueless American dreaming of Skylines and girls that look like anime characters, let us reveal to you all the ＪＤＭ ｃａｒ ｓｅｃｒｅｔｓ because, as a result of our superior engine … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to fetch a car?
Most of us car guys can’t even be bothered to assemble a respectable outfit for the social rituals that humans have to endure, such as weddings, dinner with the in-laws, or going to stores that are not Autozone. But then your friend sends you a Craigslist link … Continue reading
QotW: What made the NSX so special?
Of all the great automobiles to emerge from Japan, Honda’s NSX occupies a singular plane. While Nissan, Toyota and Mazda built GT-Rs, twin-turbo Supras and rotaries with endless potential for power, Honda built a car that did not need to be modified at all. … Continue reading
EVENTS: Petersen Museum Japanese Car Cruise-In
There are many things to hate about Los Angeles, but its car culture isn’t one of them. As the trendsetting capital of the custom automobile, it holds the motorcar in such high regard that there’s a shrine to it located smack … Continue reading
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Tagged 1uz, 200sx, 240z, 280zx, 2jz, 300zx, 370z, 510, 610, a20, a60, acura, ae86, AeroCabin, bluebird, boyd coddington, c10, celica, civic, corolla, corona, cressida, crx, daruma, datsun, dc2, e30, ef, fr-s, gt-r, Hakosuka, honda, integra, luce, maxima, mazda, Mazda 1200 Pickup, miata, mx-5, ND, nissan, patrol, Petersen Museum, plymouth, prelude, r100, r130, r32, r33, r34, rx-3, rx-7, s12, s130, s30, sa22, scion, Sienna SE, skyline, soarer, Sportstar, supra, t80, U11, Valiant, wagons, x70, z20, z32
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MOTORSPORT: Nissan GT-R NISMO LM gets retro livery
One heritage car may be dead, but another lives on, sort of. Since its US debut at the Chicago Auto Show we’ve been immensely curious about the front-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R NISMO LM. And no, that is not a typo. The car with … Continue reading
NEWS: RWD Nissan IDx will not see production, may be AWD
The news is out: The Nissan IDx is dead. This sad revelation is being reported after The Truth About Cars talked to Pierre Loing, VP of Product Planning at Nissan North America.We at JNC can confirm we’ve been hearing rumors about the IDx being … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your dream touge build?
Touge. It’s the reason Japanese sport coupes adhere to the doctrine of lightweight, high-revving philosophy. 73 percent of Japan’s landmass is mountainous, and the touge roads are where a uniquely Japanese form of hoonage was born. So, if you live … Continue reading
VIDEO: Mazda launches “Driving Matters” campaign
Many automakers claim to sell cars that are fun-to-drive, but is there anyone walks that walk more than Mazda right now? Communicating that message to the unwashed masses, on the other hand, hasn’t always been easy. Thus, the Hiroshima company’s long-standing … Continue reading
EVENTS: 1st Touge California, 2015
This past Saturday a group of select cars and their drivers gathered in Thousand Oaks, California for the inaugural running of JNC‘s Touge California. Named for the hallowed Japanese roads where racing heroes honed their skills and where drifting was born, the event was … Continue reading
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Tagged 2000gt, 240z, 260z, 510, a20, accord, bluebird, c10, celica, century, corolla, corona, cosmo sport, crown, crx, datsun, fb, Hakosuka, honda, Luce Rotary Coupe, Malamut Museum, mazda, nissan, r130, rx-7, s30, skyline, sprinter trueno, t110, te27, Touge California, toyopet, toyota, toyota museum
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QotW: What’s the ultimate Toyota-Mazda combo?
Last week we learned that Toyota and Mazda have become bedfellows. We don’t yet know what will come of the union, but let’s imagine for a second that anything goes and that a time machine is involved. A V8-powered Luce? A three-rotor 2000GT? … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 All-Toyotafest, Part 03
In the final installment of our 2015 Toyotafest coverage, we take a look at two types of vehicles Toyota is known for — its compact, rear-wheel-drive sport coupes and its famously indestructible workhorse trucks. The former once dominated the company’s lineup and the latter still … Continue reading
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Tagged a20, a60, a70, ae86, aw11, corolla, crown, e20, fj40, fj60, hilux, land cruiser, mr2, Spinter Trueno, sports 800, supra, sw20, tercel, toyota, toyota celica speedster, toyotafest, W30
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NEWS: Toyota and Mazda ink strategic partnership deal
Toyota and Mazda have signed a deal to enter a technology-sharing partnership. Besides bringing together two of Japan’s most renowned companies, the agreement also unites the world’s largest automaker with one of the world’s smallest independent automakers. So what does this mean for Toyotaku and … Continue reading
REMINDER: NISMO Fiesta coming to Austin, Texas
If you’re going to be in Austin, Texas next week, don’t miss the NISMO Fiesta, a three-day celebration of all things Nissan. Cars from all over the Lone Star State and beyond will attend, and JNC will be making the trek … Continue reading
PRODUCT GUIDE: Complete FRP Datsun 240Z body
So this is rather insane. UK-based FRP Automotive has developed an entire Datsun 240Z body made of, you guessed it, FRP (fiber reinforced polymer). The company offers the entire body, or individual panels including doors, hood, trunk and fenders. Now you can build … Continue reading
REMINDER: 2015 Nissan Jam registration now open
The third annual Nissan Jam show is now taking registrations for the upcoming event on Sunday, June 7, 10am-2pm. Please take note of a couple of new announcements for 2015. First, the show is moving to West Covina Nissan, which … Continue reading
