Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Mazda RX-7 reportedly returning in 2017
2017 will be an important year for Mazda‘s rotary engine, as it will mark 50 years since the revolutionary motor’s debut in the 1967 Cosmo Sport. However, our mates at Australia’s aptly named The Motor Report are, well, reporting that 2017 is … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2012 ZCon
In the automotive kingdom there exists only a handful of models that can inspire a car show at the national level. We’re not talking about marques here; we mean a single model so iconic and beloved that its devotees have formed … Continue reading
Posted in events, nissan
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, 280zx, 300zx, black gold, black pearl, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s130, s30, safari rally, shiro, z31, z32, zcca, zcon, zzzap
7 Comments
QotW: What car would you drive across Japan?
From Hokkaido to Kagoshima, Japan has some of the coolest highways and mountain passes known to man. We live vicariously through Skorj’s Grand Touring stories, in which he travels across Japan looking for nostalgic cars “in the wild.” Though he owns a Honda … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, Question of the Week
Tagged ae86, corolla, hachiroku, levin, QotW, Question of the Week, sprinter, te27, toyota, trueno
44 Comments
Friday Video: Jay Leno drives Toyota’s 1936 Toyoda AA
What’s it like to drive the first Toyota ever built? Jay Leno answers that question. Leno’s been on a whirlwind tour of Japan. First he stopped by the Nissan design center to drop hints about the 2014 Fairlady Z and take a … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese racing livery?
Graphics. Livery. Warpaint. Originally meant to identify the country of origin and visually distinguish fast-moving cars on the track, they are now the domain of corporate sponsors. Either way, there have been some darn cool ones. Therefore we ask: What’s … Continue reading
Posted in honda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, chaser, choro-q, cressida, cresta, f1, fairlady z, formula 1, honda, mark II, mark x, minicars, nissan, QotW, Question of the Week, ra272, s30, toyota, X100, X110, X120, x20, x30, x40, x60, x70, x80, X90
31 Comments
Friday Video: God Speed You! Black Emperor
God Speed You! Black Emperor by award-winning director Mitsuo Yanagimachi is a documentary following junior members of Black Emperor, the infamous bosozoku gang, or “touring club,” as they prefer to call themselves. This is not a car movie by any means. However, if you can … Continue reading
Posted in bosozoku, Video Games
Tagged Black Emperor, bosozoku, God Speed You Black Emperor
7 Comments
EVENTS: 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07: Trucks & Vans
Thought we were done with our barrage of 2012 JCCS photos? Think again! From mini trucks to land crushers, trucks have been part of the Nihon nostalgic scene for decades. And like their car counterparts, they have just as many … Continue reading
Friday Video: IndyCar’s Alex Lloyd drives the BRE Datsun 510
We all know why the BRE Datsun 510 rules, but what’s it like to actually drive? In this fantastic video by Road & Track, professional IndyCar racer Alex Lloyd gives viewers a seat-of-the-pants rundown on what makes the car so magical. This … Continue reading
Posted in Friday Video, motorsports, nissan
Tagged 510, bluebird, bre, datsun, Friday Video, nissan, Pete Brock, peter brock, scca
15 Comments
EVENTS: MazFest/SevenStock 2012: The Sevens
As the name implies, SevenStock was originally a gathering for Mazda‘s iconic sports car, the RX-7. Over the years it’s evolved to include all rotaries, and this year they teamed up with MazFest to throw one giant celebration of all cars flying … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06: Wagons & Hatchbacks
It’s no secret that many of us on the JNC team are certifiably nutty about wagons, yours truly included (There are a couple that aren’t, and they look at us as if we’re the weird ones when it’s clearly the … Continue reading
Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota, wagons
Tagged 411, 510, 610, accord, bluebird, civic, corolla, corona, datsun, e70, ed1, ed4, honda, japanese classic car show, jccs, kp61, liftback, ln360, mark II, mazda, MkII, MkIII, mx29, n600, nissan, rx-3, savanna, sr20det, sr5, ssr, starlet, te51, te72, wagon, wagons, x20
6 Comments
EVENTS: MazFest/SevenStock 2012, Part 01: Early RX and Pistoned Mazdas
Mazda likes to brag that on any given weekend there are more of their cars on America’s road-race circuits than any other marque. It’s true that Mazdafarians love wringing their cars out, and MazFest has been one of the best events … Continue reading
Posted in events, mazda, motorsports
Tagged 323 GTX, 929, acura, capella, cx-5, familia, honda, mazda, mazdaspeed, mazdaspeed 6, MazFest, miata, mx-5, nsx, protege, r1100, racing beat, repu, rotary, rx-2, rx-3, savanna, sevenstock, ssr, wankel
19 Comments
QotW: What’s the best Japanese car emblem?
Japanese automakers love emblems, and we’re not just talking about those for the various marques. In Japan, each model often has its own as well, and these badges are highly desirable to those of us who want to JDM-ize our … Continue reading
Posted in mazda, minicars, Question of the Week
Tagged choro-q, mazda, minicars, minivans, mitsubishi, mpv, QotW, Question of the Week, rx-3, Tosa Clan, Yataro Iwasaki
15 Comments
Jay Leno tours the Nissan Zama Warehouse, gets dirt on potential S30 successor for Nissan’s 80th Anniversary
Jay Leno is in Japan. What comes of this trip should be interesting, but for now, watch as he tours the Nissan DNA Garage. UPDATE: Leno goes to Toyota and drives the Lexus LFA Spyder as well!
SevenStock Preview: JNC “Daytona” Shirt
Last year at SevenStock JNC debuted “LeMans” in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Mazda 787B‘s historic win at the French enduro. This year we follow it up with “Daytona,” the second in the series, celebrating the Mazda RX-7 that … Continue reading
REminder: REstart the Revolution at SevenStock this Saturday!
This is just a friendly reminder that SevenStock and Mazdafest have joined forces this year to form one mega-celebration of rotary power at Willow Springs Raceway this Saturday, September 29!
EVENTS: 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03: Sport Coupes
Part 03 of our 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show coverage considers the very vehicles that put Nihon cars on the map. Agile and stylish, the rise of the Japanese sport coupe gave those of us who like to do our … Continue reading
Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota
Tagged 200sx, 510, 610, a20, a60, ae86, b110, b210, bluebird, c30, capella, celica, corolla, da3, datsun, datsun 1200, epsilon, familia, gt 86, hachiroku, honda, integra, laurel, levin, liftback, mazda, nisei, nissan, r100, ra21, ra29, ra65, rally, riverge, riverside, rs watanabe, rx-2, rx-3, rx-3 sp, s10, s110, s12, savanna, scion fr-s, silvia, sprinter, sr-5, ssr, sunny, ta21, ta22, te37, toyota 86, trueno, watanabes, z360, z600
12 Comments
Kidney, Anyone? Possibly the freshest Mitsubishi Galant Sigma in the US
With all the JCCS coverage going on it’s time for east coasters’ yearly grumble session about their lack of clean cars. While it’s true that faded 510s and AE86s are not on every corner there, it’s equally true that when … Continue reading
QotW: What is the greatest Mazda of all time?
From greatest engine to most luxurious to most beautiful to proudest marque, Mazdas have consistently been winners in our QotW series. And since it’s also SevenStock/Mazdafest week, we thought we’d devote the next question to this one very special marque. What is the … Continue reading
