Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Toyota’s awesome 2012 Geneva Motor Show display
What’s happening right now is the Geneva Motor Show, traditionally the unveiling venue for six-figure European exotics. To stand out ToMoCo had to do something special, and we’d say a pair of gleaming white RWD GT coupes fits the bill. … Continue reading
Friday Video: Nissan Cedric 230 vs Nissan Cedric 230
We’ve seen some oddball Seibu Keisatsu match-ups over the years, but two evenly balanced foes is a rarity. Neither has the weight advantage. It’s a battle of sheer will as they sideswipe each other repeatedly down a strip of two-lane blacktop, … Continue reading
Posted in nissan
Tagged 230, car chase, cedric, datsun, gloria, japanese cop show, nissan, police drama, seibu keisatsu
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Question: What should be the first model under the Datsun brand if it comes back?
It’s been a few months. Time for another cycle of Datsun revival rumors! The media has been awash with speculation on the return of the Datsun brand for the past week. We’ve heard it before, last October, July and beyond, so instead of just … Continue reading
Aussie Rally Champion Hoons Rebuilt RA40 Celica Rally Car
Neal Bates is a four-time Australian Rally Championship winner, long associated with Celica GT-Fours and AWD Corollas that we didn’t get here in the states. Though retired, Bates spent the last 18 months building a replica RA40 Celica rally car inspired … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, toyota
Tagged celica, neal bates, ove andersson, ra40, rally, toyota, wrc
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Friday Video: Nissan Technical Center Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Instead of the wanton destruction of 430 Cedrics, this week’s video shows them being created at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Founded in late 1981, the NTC is the design and engineering hub of the Yokohama-based automaker, … Continue reading
Posted in Assembly Lines, nissan
Tagged 430, 720, 910, assembly line, bluebird, cedric, datsun, fairlady z, gloria, gt-r, maxima, nissan, Nissan Technical Center, pickup, z34
5 Comments
For Sale: Victor Laury’s 1972 Datsun 240Z
No glib joke about kidneys today, because it’s with great sadness that we announce the sale of Vic Laury’s 1972 Datsun 240Z. He is no longer able to enjoy this car because of his recent health conditions, and must reluctantly offer … Continue reading
Posted in for sale, nissan
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, datsun, fairlady z, kidney anyone, nissan, s30
14 Comments
Friday Video: S41 Prince Gloria vs ’65 Dodge Coronet
Miki Sugimoto was most known for her roles in 1970s exploitation films that lured viewers into 90 minutes of low-budget cinema with 0.5 seconds of soft-core nudity Sadly, the only cheap thrills we can promise today come from Sugimoto’s S41 Prince … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, prince, Video Games
Tagged coronet, dodge, gloria, miki sugimoto, nissan, prince, s40, s41
8 Comments
Automobile realizes old Japanese cars are pretty cool after all
Well lookee here. Automobile, long the bastion of if-it-ain’t-Euro-it’s-crap has suddenly discovered the awesomeness of classic Japanese sports cars. Are we in the bizarro world? Their March 2012 issue even manages to review four cars — Honda S800, Mazda Cosmo Sport, … Continue reading
Wednesday Wall: Nissan Skyline 55th Anniversary Wallpapers
For the Skyline‘s 55th birthday Nissan has released a series of wallpapers by artist Eizen Suzuki. The gorgeous illustrations depict each generation of the Japanese legend in various nostalgic settings, and a new one will be released every month of … Continue reading
New York Times reports on vintage Japanese cars
A few months ago Koji and Terry Yamaguchi of the JCCS, Jun Imai of Mattel and I were interviewed by a reporter from the New York Times about the growing collectibility of vintage Japanese cars. This is the article. Nothing in … Continue reading
Wangan-Style Z31 Anniversary
Some say we don’t post enough Z31s. Let’s rectify that right now with a hidari-handoru 1984 Nissan 300ZX 50th Anniversary Edition targa that’s returned home for modification, wangan style. That is all. [HTF]
Hot Wheels Datsun 510 Bluebird in Metallic Gray
The latest iteration of Hot Wheels‘ ever-popular Datsun 510 Bluebird is going to be metallic gray. It has the same graphics as the red one that came out late last year, but racier wheels. It’s still part of the “Faster … Continue reading
Friday Video: How not to stop a heavy duty dump truck with your Nissan Cedric
As it turns out, ramming an 8,000-pound dump truck with your 2,800-pound Nissan Cedric Special 6 is not an effective method for slowing it down. Like always, what you need is a Sgt Daimon in his own Cedric several miles … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, Video Games
Tagged 130, car chase, cedric, japanese cop show, nissan, seibu keisatsu, special 6, super 6
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Friday Video: Dekotora Chase!
The 1996 film Super-Woman was not in fact about an ultra-strong female hero, but a cashier who uncovers shady dealings at a rival supermarket chain. The Japanese love of abbreviation strikes again! The movie would be altogether unremarkable except for a … Continue reading
Cedric-Corolla switcheroo pulls off 300 million yen heist
The biggest robbery in Japanese history took place on December 10, 1968. On that day, duralumin cases with the year-end bonuses for an entire Tokyo Shibaura Electric (now Toshiba) factory was to be delivered by the Kokobunji branch of the … Continue reading
