Author Archives: Ben Hsu
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Nissan Fairlady Z432 up for auction
A 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z432 is going up for bidding at the RM Amelia Island auctions next month. JNCers know the drill: its namesake 4 valves per cylinder, 3 carbs, and 2 cams stems from the S20 straight six sourced from the Skyline GT-R of … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — Bone Stock Beauties
Japan has been the source of some truly extreme car cultures. Sadly, a “custom car” was the type of vehicle deemed most unseemly by Japanese women in a recent survey. No matter. Despite a western eye that cherry picks the only the most severe … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 02: Sports Coupes and Sports Sedans
In Part 01 of our New Year Meeting coverage, we looked at the early days of Japan’s infatuation with sizzling Sixties sports cars. In Part 02, we look at the Disco Decade’s explosion of new sports coupes and sports sedans.
Posted in events
Tagged 510, a20, b110, bluebird, c10, c110, celica, corolla, daruma, datsun, e30, E50, e70, fairlady z, fto, galant, gemini, gto, isuzu, levin, mazda, mitsubishi, new year meeting, nissan, r30, rx-3, s130, s30, savanna, skyline, sprinter, sunny, te27, TE55, toyota, trueno
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QotW: Which Japanese automaker has stayed truest to its roots?
Holy crap, the curmudgeons really came out in last week’s QotW responses. Well, we asked for it. This week, however, we’ll take a more positive spin. Which Japanese automaker has stayed truest to its roots? We’re going to risk the wrath of … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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You can now ride a Toyota 2000GT train in Japan
How awesome is this? A Toyota 2000GT wrapped on the side of a train. Of course, it is in Japan and the train is the Linimo, a mag-lev train in Aichi Prefecture. Japanese rail companies often create limited-time decorations for their trains, … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese Nostalgic Train
Tagged 2000gt, Aichi Expo 2005, Linimo, toyota, Toyota Automobile Museum
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VIDEO: World’s coolest cop meets Mazda RX-3
Speeding tickets. It’s like a tax on driving. You never know when you’ll be plucked by laser for the Shirley Jackson lottery. Once in a blue moon, however, you completely luck the eff out and get pulled over by the coolest … Continue reading
QotW: Which Japanese automaker is furthest from its roots?
Sometimes you have a great history and come to the table with some big wins already under your belt. Then you make a bad decision, miss the goal by one yard, and ruin everything you’ve worked for, leaving legions of … Continue reading
VIDEO: Motorweek reviews the Toyota Cressida
The Motorweek archives continues to entertain with another star of the 1980s, the Toyota Cressida. Before it was rediscovered in recent years by those with drift sedan or zokusha aspirations, the X70 Cressy was nearly entirely forgotten by much of the automotive … Continue reading
Detroit Auto Show: Acura NSX scale model
The new Acura NSX will retail for approximately $150,000. If that’s too rich for your blood, we spotted this scale model tucked away in a corner of the Acura booth at the Detroit Motor Show. It will, according to the company, … Continue reading
VIDEO: Land Cruisers and an ancient trade
A generations-old way of life is about to go extinct. The Daghwah fishermen on the shores of the Persian Gulf haul tons of fish to shore by casting massive nets each morning. Dragging them to shore and carrying them to … Continue reading
DESIGN: Acura NSX designer Michelle Christensen
Michelle Christensen was responsible for the form gracing the second-generation NSX unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, and is the first woman to hold the exterior designer position at Acura. With the original NSX passing the threshold into classic status this year and an … Continue reading
The JNC Shop is back up
The JNC Shop is back up and has a new URL. Thanks for being patient as we upgraded it. The downtime was longer than we expected but this will make the experience better as time goes on. You can … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Detroit Auto Show: The coolest car there could have been a fake
The Honda RA272 is a legend. It brought Old Man Soichiro his first Formula One trophy in 1965, only three years after his company began building cars. It is such a revered car that the company rarely even shows it in Japan. … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1977 Mazda RX-3 SP
The Mazda RX-3 SP was a US-only appearance package that included unique blacked-out bumpers trim and louvers, a snazzy decal package, and a jutting chin spoiler. Though nothing of note was added to the 12A rotary engine within, the SPs have become … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest nostalgic Subaru?
With the Legacy squarely in the 25 Year Club and Subarus being the best mode of transportation available to much of the snowed-in country right now, it may be a good time to ask: What is the greatest nostalgic Subaru? Subaru … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? How to sell a Datsun 240Z
This 1973 Datsun 240Z has dings, hasn’t been driven in 15 years, and the dash has more cracks than a plumber’s convention. It’s not even a desirable 1970-72 model. Why, then, with just a little over one day on eBay, it’s been bid … Continue reading
