Author Archives: Ben Hsu
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Unmolested AE86 Coupe
Your chances of coming across an unmolested AE86 lie somewhere between winning the $600 million Powerball jackpot and spotting Sasquatch riding a unicorn. Being the O.G. drift machine and star of Initial D has its downsides. Namely, legions of aspiring Formula D … Continue reading
EVENTS: Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show
Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 510, 521, 620, 720, b-series, b110, bluebird, c10, Chevy LUV, crown, daihatsu, datsun, debonair, faster, fc3s, ford courier, Hakosuka, hijet, honda, isuzu, jimny, kawasaki, kei, kujira, mazda, mini truck, mitsubishi, mooneyes, motorcycles, ms51, nissan, proceed, rocky auto, rx-7, s50, s60, samurai, skyline, sunny, SuperCub, suzuki, toyota, trucks, yamaha, Yokohama Hot Rod & Custom Show
5 Comments
BOOKS: Inside Shelby American by John Morton
We suspect that while most readers will be buying the new book Inside Shelby American to learn about Carroll Shelby, JNCers will be buying it for its author, legendary race car driver John Morton.
Posted in Books, motorsport, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, bre, carroll shelby, datsun, john morton, nissan, s30
3 Comments
QotW: What’s the best winter JNC?
Massive loads of snow have been falling on our planet, even in regions like Texas (though still sunny in LA, in case you’re wondering). And while it’d be stark raving insanity to drive a classic car through the slush and salt, … Continue reading
PROFILES: Touring Osaka in a Seibu Keisatsu Skyline
Driving through Japan in a red-on-black DR30 Skyline festooned with emergency lights is akin to prowling rural Georgia in an orange ’69 Dodge Charger. Or Miami in a white Testarossa. Or Los Angeles in a black ’82 Firebird with a … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, profiles, Uncategorized, Video Games
Tagged 117, co10t, corona mark II, cosmo, crown, daihatsu, Hiroyuki Narazaki, isuzu, mazda, nissan, osaka, president, r30, r31, rx-5, Ryu Asada, seibu keisatsu, skyline, toyota, x20
19 Comments
VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Mattel
We’ve been to Mattel’s design studio in El Segundo, California a few times but have never been granted permission to take photos. Instead, we signed a mountain of NDAs. Clearly what we needed to be was CBS News.
EVENTS: Naniwa Swap Meet
Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay.
Posted in events, honda, kei, mazda, Motorcycles, nissan, suzuki, toyota, wagons
Tagged advan, c10, cappuccino, cressida, crown, Crown Majesta, dekotora, Hakosuka, honda, jimny, Kanjo Loop, kei, Kei Works, Laputa, mark II, mazda, motorcycles, Naniwa Swap Meet, osaka, passol, police, porter, publica, r31, s130, S180, sanitora, skyline, sunny truck, SuperCub, suzuki, toyota, tundra, wagons, x70, yamaha
20 Comments
QotW: Which completely inconspicuous car will be a JNC of the future?
There was a time when a ’57 Chevy Bel Air was just a plain ol’ car that wasn’t even as spectacular as a Buick. Now it’s a emblematic of its era and a bona-fide classic. Which completely inconspicuous car will … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Late night blast in the S800
While in Tokyo for the big Motor Show, we took Skorj’s Honda S800 coupe out for a mini-grand tour around the city. At night, of course.
QotW: What’s the cutest JNC you ever did see?
Japan obsession with cuteness even trickles down to their cars. Look, for example, at the Suzuki Twin we spotted the other day in Yokohama, leading us to wonder: What’s the cutest JNC you ever did see? The Twin got its … Continue reading
EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02
On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major … Continue reading
Posted in concepts, events, honda, mazda, minicars, Motorcycles, toyota
Tagged atenza wagon, concept, corolla fielder, crown, daihatsu, deca deca, fc deck, fit, formula 1, honda, Ken Okuyama, kopen, mazda, motorcycles, nsx, ra271, rc142, s360, s660, SuperCub, tokyo motor show, tomica, toyota, toyota 86
20 Comments
QotW: What’s one thing a JNCer must do in Japan?
So we’re “stuck” in Japan this week in the aftermath of the Tokyo Motor Show. Boo hoo, poor us. Tell us where to go and we’ll shoot some pictures. What’s the one thing a JNCer must do in Japan? If … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan’s IDx Freeflow is the Datsun 510 reborn
At the Tokyo Motor Show today, Nissan revealed the IDx Freeflow Concept, a car inspired by the legendary Datsun 510. It’s a love letter to the hard core Datsun devotee, or even newfound fans born decades after the original ceased … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the wildest Japanese concept car?
We are headed to the Tokyo Motor Show tomorrow to cover Nissan’s new retro concept. The salon is known for bringing us design studies and techno-wizardry that could only have stemmed from a nation as obsessed with the future as … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan readies 86/BRZ fighter with retro styling
In less than a week, Nissan is going to reveal something very special to JNC readers at the Tokyo Motor Show. We can’t tell you what it is, as we have no desire to steal Nissan’s thunder or betray our sources. All … Continue reading
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.
