Author Archives: Ben Hsu
EVENTS: SevenStock 16
Mecca for Mazdafarians. That was the scene at SevenStock 16 last weekend, held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. This year’s gathering for fans of rotary engine was one of the biggest in recent memory, and although everything … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2013 SEMA Show
The SEMA show is a purist’s worst nightmare. Stock is a dirty word to these people. You won’t find a single unmolested car in the whole Death Star-sized convention hall, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Those brave enough … Continue reading
VIDEO: JDM Legends Prince Skyline GT-B touge run
Here’s JDM Legends taking the Prince Skyline GT-B we profiled earlier this year into the snowy touge of Utah. That straight six burble is music to our ears. Watch the video below.
DESIGN: Our beer with Shiro Nakamura
A couple months ago we had a beer with Nissan’s Shiro Nakamura. He’s a man with a long title, namely, Senior Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, Design and Branding. In other words, he’s the Don Draper of Nissan. Nakamura-san oversees the … Continue reading
Posted in Design, nissan
Tagged datsun, Design, infiniti, nissan, Nissan 360, Shiro Nakamura
10 Comments
MOTORSPORT: Joginder Singh, Mitsubishi Rally Pioneer, 1932-2013
The Mitsubishi world recently lost one of its greats. In 1974 Joginder Singh, behind the wheel of a Lancer GSR 1600, brought the Triple Diamond Syndicate its first major international rally victory by winning the Safari Rally. Then he did it again in … Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi, motorsport, News
Tagged a73, Joginder Singh, lancer, mitsubishi, motorsport, rally, safari rally
6 Comments
QotW: What modern car would be acceptable at a JNC meet?
So it’s Friday evening and your local old school Japanese meet is about to begin. But your sweet, chrome-bumpered ride is still on jack stands and has no hope of being finished in time. Gotta hop in the daily. What … Continue reading
PROFILES: Mooneyes’ 1JZ 1970 Toyota Crown Hardtop
With 14 consecutive generations and counting, the Toyota Crown is the standard of Japanese sedans. In its 58 years of continuous production, it’s inhabited many guises — saloon, wagon, pickup, ambulance, and even police pursuit vehicle — but the most … Continue reading
PRODUCT GUIDE: Hella Vision Plus 7″ Halogen H4 Conversion Headlamp
One of the sacrifices we have to make to drive the cars we love is safety. And while old cars offer great visibility thanks to large greenhouses, that advantage is nullified at night when 30-year-old wiring and outdated bulb technology … Continue reading
Posted in Product Guide
Tagged corolla, h4, Hella, levin, Product Guide, sprinter, te27, toyota, trueno
18 Comments
QotW: What’s the worst mod you’ve ever seen on a JNC?
It’s SEMA week, and you know what that means. Steel yourself for an onslaught of the craziest custom cars blasted at you by every media outlet on Earth. Had enough of Lambo doors? Rims taller than a barstool? Paints so … Continue reading
EVENTS: Honda celebrates 50 years of the S-Series
Honda‘s first passenger car went on sale in October 1963. That was 50 years ago, and the S-Series was a screamer. You know the story: While the rest of Japan’s burgeoning auto industry was assembling crude beasts of burden, Soichiro … Continue reading
JNC GARAGE: Fun with Wipers!
Fasten your seatbelts, cause we’re about to enter super-ultra-otaku mode on the scintillating topic of Toyota windshield wipers. Along the way we discover that even when you buy Toyota parts from a Toyota dealer and it says Toyota on the … Continue reading
QotW: Which car had the most entertaining celebrity spokesperson?
Japanese automakers have been using celebrities to pitch their cars for decades, forcing them to declare nonsensical phrases, speak Japanese, kiss the product, or barely say anything at all. None of it was ever meant to be seen by western … Continue reading
NEWS: Adam Carolla working on Paul Newman racing documentary
Comedian and Datsun collector Adam Carolla is reportedly working on a documentary about the life of Paul Newman. Plenty has been said about the Oscar winner/organic food purveyor/racer, but the difference is that this project wil focus on Newman as … Continue reading
PROFILES: JDM Legends’ 1967 Prince Skyline 2000GT-B
Skyline. Just say the word and it conjures visions of Japan’s greatest motoring icons. From unobtainable high-tech monsters christened “Godzilla” by western journalists to sepia-toned commercials in which teenagers fell in love, the name evokes a meaning for everyone. However, … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most blasphemous engine swap?
Many years ago our very own Technical Editor John “DatsunFreak” Roper declared that there were three and only three engines immune to accusations of blasphemy due to their uniqueness, size-to-performance ratio, and lack of anything comparable. They were: the Honda … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Buy an unmolested AE86 for a mere $65,000
Yes, you read that right. $65,000 is the asking price of this 1987 Corolla GT-S located in Canton, Ohio. The seller clearly realizes the rarity of an unmolested AE86: “So your neighbor has a Gold Plated Lambo too? Don’t have … Continue reading
Posted in for sale, toyota
Tagged ae86, corolla, hachiroku, kidney anyone, levin, sprinter, trueno
36 Comments
QotW: What’s Japan’s greatest factory two-tone?
The Japanese can do two-tone like no other. Once the Bubble Economy was fully underway automakers rushed to tart up their luxe offerings with lavish, multi-toned paint schemes. Somehow, Japan was able to elevate the lines, contrasts and colors into an … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 —Gladiators and Flagships
For the final installment of our 2013 JCCS tour, we present a rarefied selection of automobiles. Some have been sent into battle for their respective marques. Others were made to be proud standard bearers.
