Author Archives: Ben Hsu
VIDEO: This OS Giken twin-cam is the most glorious sound you’ll hear all week
You know the OS Giken TC24: The 9,000rpm twin-cam head for Nissan‘s L-series motor costing somewhere in the realm of $30,000 and harder to find than Yeti dandruff (only 11 were built). Last year we saw a new version, the … Continue reading
CATALOGUER: Hondas from around the world, circa 1983
Starting in 1979 Honda held yearly photography competitions among its distributors from around the world. Most appear to be brochure images localized to the many corners of the atlas where Hondas were sold. The best pictures were assembled in a … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC will get you the most dates?
For most of their existence Japanese cars have been seen as economical, practical and reliable. Those may be great qualities, but they won’t necessarily improve your love life. Which JNC will get you the most dates? The Toyota 2000GT may … Continue reading
GALLERIES: Nissan Yokohama Headquarters Showroom
In the 80 years Nissan’s been around, its flagship showrooms have moved several times. The first truly glamorous location was at the 4-chome intersection in the heart of Ginza, sharing real estate during the booming 1960s with some of Japan’s oldest … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Perhaps the greatest Mazda collectibles of all time
There are rare collectibles and there are rare collectibles. What you see here are perhaps the greatest pieces of memorabilia a Mazdafarian could ever want. You know the story of the Mazda 787B. Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans … Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota applies for Supra trademark
Toyota has applied to the US Patent And Trademark Office to secure the name Supra, according to our friends at The Motor Report. With this, plus the recent reports seemingly confirming that the FT-1 concept concept will be developed into the next Toyota flagship, … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC had the greatest interior?
Interiors. They just don’t make ’em like they used to. Do you want to sit in the infinite blackness of an East German coal mine or the tan aftermath of a khaki explosion at the Dockers factory? Back in the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
28 Comments
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Prototype Honda CB750 for $148,000
The Honda CB750 was earth-shattering when it debuted in 1969 that a new word had to be coined to describe it. And lo, the superbike was born. Soichiro Honda rocked the world with his large-displacement, transverse-mounted SOHC four-cylinder, unheard of in … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
3 Comments
NEWS: Mazda Celebrates 25 Years of the MX-5
Mazda knew when they unveiled the Miata at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show that they had built a true driver’s car, one whose stated purpose was to create joy. That was 25 years ago today. What they couldn’t have known … Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota Supra and sub-Scion FR-S sports car confirmed
It’s back, baby! Reports out of Australia say that the show-stopping Toyota FT-1 concept unveiled last month at the Detroit Auto Show has been confirmed for production as the next Supra. Even better, it’ll be in the first of an … Continue reading
JNC THEATER: Someday Into the Glare
Though it came out in 1992, there’s still plenty of 80s car-nage in Kinji Fukusaku’s Someday Into the Glare (English title, The Triple Cross). Fukusaku’s ultra-violent crime stories were a staple of Japanese cinema in the 70s and 80s, but by 1992 a … Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater
Tagged car chase, crown, nissan, pathfinder, Someday Into the Glare, terrano, toyota
3 Comments
NEWS: Toyota celebrates 35 years of TRD, revives 1980s Super Off Road video game
One a giant indoor dirt course at the Chicago Auto Show today Toyota Racing Development celebrated 35 years in the US by launching a new lineup of TRD Pro trucks. Though Toyota’s in-house tuning skunkworks has been responsible for everything … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
8 Comments
NEWS: Street debut of the Nissan IDx Concepts
Over the weekend Nissan did something very unusual. They took their priceless, one-of-a-kind concept cars all over SoCal to meet the public face to face. This would’ve been a ballsy move for any concept, but for the Nissan IDx siblings, … Continue reading
NEWS: Initial D reboot to hit Japanese theaters August 23
A new Initial D movie is in the works, and the release date has just been announced. It will hit movie theaters in Japan on August 23, 2014. According to Initial D World, the film will be the first of … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest JNC rivalry?
Now that the SuperBowl is over, it might be time to ask what was the greatest ever contest of wills involving at least one classic Japanese marque. There have been many throughout the ages. Datsun vs Alfa Romeo in SCCA … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
9 Comments
JNC THEATER: Boso Panic – The Big Crash
1976’s Boso Panic: The Big Crash was your typical action movie from the era. All the gritty ingredients were there: bank robber anti-heroes, a femme fatale, gunfights, and loads upon loads of car chases. What sets it apart is the fact that it … Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater, Uncategorized
Tagged Boso Panic, crown, hilux, JNC Theater, toyota
15 Comments
VIDEO: Toyota 2000GT drift!
So you have the most badass — and expensive — Japanese classic ever built. Why not take it to the track and mash on the pedals like they’ve got spiders pouring out of them? It’s exactly what one Japanese driver … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the coolest factory decal package?
Throughout 70s and 80s decal packages were a fact of life. Some were awesome, some were awesomely bad, but they were emblematic of the era. What’s the coolest factory decal package? We don’t know if it’s the greatest, but Mazda‘s … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1968 Paris Auto Salon Mazda 110S
Mazda Cosmo Sports are rare already, but this particular specimen has the added provenance of being a show car. According to the seller, it was displayed at the Mazda booth at the 1968 Paris Auto Salon. Additionally, this is an export … Continue reading
