Author Archives: Ben Hsu

This is the new Scion FR-S

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Tonight we round out the new Toyota 86 with the launch of its third brand, the US-spec Scion FR-S, in Hollywood, California. Why have we been dedicating all week to a brand new car? Because the reborn Toyota hachiroku is … Continue reading →

Posted in subaru, toyota | Tagged brz, fr-s, ft86, gt 86, scion, subaru, toyota, toyota 86 | 29 Comments

This is the new Subaru BRZ

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Hot on the heels of the Toyota 86 (pronounced “Toyota hachiroku”), Fuji Heavy Industries has unveiled its counterpart, the Subaru BRZ. As expected, differences are minute. The front fascia is cleaner, headlights smokier, taillights redder, the “86” fender badge is … Continue reading →

Posted in subaru, toyota | Tagged brz, fr-s, ft86, gt 86, scion, subaru, toyota, toyota 86 | 11 Comments

This is the new Toyota 86

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Ben Hsu

So it’s happened. A nickname coined by gearheads based on a chassis code uttered among only the otaku-est of drift/touge/rally nerds has been plucked from obscurity to become its own actual model name. Over the Thanksgiving holiday ToMoCo announced that … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged 86, fr-s, ft-86, gt 86, hachiroku, scion, toyota | 23 Comments

In Toyota’s new ad, diecast Celicas and 2000GTs inspire the FT-86

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Ben Hsu

What are you thankful for this holiday season? We, for one, are grateful that after teasing us with years of speculation and countless concept iterations, Toyota is finally ready to reveal the production FT-86 at the Tokyo Motor Show on … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars, toyota | Tagged brz, diecast, fr-s, ft-86, minicars, scion, subaru, toyota | 17 Comments

Occupy Tokyo with your Zokusha on Doukoho

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It’s time for our yearly commemoration of Doukoho. On November 22, 1978, over 3000 bosozoku motorcycles and cars swarmed the streets of Tokyo, cruising, parading, revving and generally causing a ruckus. They were out to celebrate the end of an era.

Posted in bosozoku, japan | Tagged bosozoku, Doukoho Eve, garuchan, motorcycle helmet law, tsurikawa, zokusha | 4 Comments

Classic CM: Nissan Sunny Lexprix to the rescue!

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Ben Hsu

The 1982 B11 Nissan Sentra was, even by the most generous metric, not a beloved car. Like most automakers Nissan had emerged from the Decade of Disco bruised, battered and choked with performance-sapping emissions equipment. The early Eighties were known for … Continue reading →

Posted in cm, nissan | Tagged b11, Classic CM, leprix, nissan, sunny, turbo | 9 Comments

Friday Video: 1972 Japan Grand Prix Touring Car Race

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It’s a sweltering day at Fuji Speedway and the grid is packed with TE27 Corolla Levins and Nissan Sunnys and (front-wheel-drive!) Cherrys. Watch Nobuhide Tachi win this round of the 1972 Japan Grand Prix Touring Car championships in his famous orange-on-white Toyota Celica 1600GT. … Continue reading →

Posted in Friday Video, motorsports, toyota | Tagged 1600gt, celica, fuji speedway, ta22, toyota | 16 Comments

What would you buy if the US changed its import ban from 25 years to 15?

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Here’s a cause we can get behind. There’s a petition at the White House website asking for two things. 1.) That the Department of Homeland Security stop wasting tax dollars seizing grey market imports, and 2.) that the DOT and EPA lower … Continue reading →

Posted in News, wagons | Tagged crown, news, s130, toyota, wagon | 44 Comments

Green Bosozoku Celica is simply sublime

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Celica fans usually prefer zenki models with the smiley-er smileys and hood flutes, but this is one post-facelift daruma that makes us green with envy. Let’s see if we can name all the zokusha traits this fine specimen exhibits. garish color … Continue reading →

Posted in bosozoku, toyota | Tagged bosozoku, celica, garuchan, ssr, SSR MkIII, toyota, tsurikawa, zokusha | 18 Comments

2011 Tokyo Motor Show Preview: Retro-electric Honda motorcycle concepts

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Ben Hsu

The Tokyo Motor Show is widely known as a place where Japan’s auto industry cuts loose with the funkiest concepts their engineers can conjure. At the last biennial show in 2009, Honda showcased its future electric tech under a nostalgic, … Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged beat, honda, motocompo, motor compo, rc162, rc163, takahashi kunimitsu | 13 Comments

Friday Video: Return of Seibu Keisatsu

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It’s been a long while since we’ve seen a car chase from the most famous Japanese cop show of all time, Seibu Keisatsu. The plot is simple — actually, who needs plot? This funk-era free-for-all is all about C210 Skyline Turbo … Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, Video Games | Tagged 330, c210, car chase, cedric, datsun, gloria, japanese cop show, nissan, prince, seibu keisatsu, skyline, skyline japan | 2 Comments

Subaru celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sambar

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ben Hsu

It’s not fast, luxurious or particularly sexy, but the Subaru Sambar is a key part of Japan’s automotive history and one of its first kei trucks. If you’ve ever set foot in Japan you’ll know these little breadboxes are everywhere, … Continue reading →

Posted in kei, subaru | Tagged akabou, kei car, sambar, subaru, subaru 360, trucks | 11 Comments

JNC 787B Le Mans Anniversary Shirts now Available!

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Our “no outline” Mazda 787B Anniversary Tribute shirts are now available for purchase in the JNC Shop. Sorry for the wait, but many of the most popular sizes sold out at SevenStock. Our most complex shirt yet proudly features the … Continue reading →

Posted in jnc, mazda, nostalgic wear | Tagged 787b, mazda, nostalgic gear | 5 Comments

Save the planet in style with the JFE Fairlady SR311 EV

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Being environmentally friendly doesn’t mean you need to drive a car shaped like a lozenge. The JFE Engineering Corporation in Japan has converted a Datsun Fairlady Roadster to run on electrons. Here it is taking part in an EV car challenge at … Continue reading →

Posted in nissan | Tagged datsun, electric car, fairlady roadster, jfe, nissan, sr311, srl311 | 5 Comments

SEMA 2011 Part 02: Old School OEM

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Ben Hsu

We were excited to show you some modified nostalgics debuting at the aftermarket circus that is SEMA, but it can be even more rewarding when manufacturers bringing out classics from their own collections.

Posted in honda, mazda, subaru | Tagged 110s, alcyone, brz, civic, cosmo, cosmo sport, fr-s, ft-86, honda, mazda, sb1, scion, stepwgn, subaru, toyota, vellfire, xt | 21 Comments

SEMA 2011 Part 01: Old School Modified

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Ben Hsu

SEMA is all about the vast automotive aftermarket, from the tallest donk to the lowest drift machine. One category that has been notably absent is the Japanese nostalgic car, but things are moving in the right direction. One of the … Continue reading →

Posted in events, mazda, nissan, toyota | Tagged 510, a20, apache II, bluebird, celica, classic series, datsun, enkei, enkei 92, nissan, primax, ra29, toyota, xxr | 22 Comments

UK Barn Find unearths massive Toyota Celica collection and a Mitsubishi Galant GTO

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Ben Hsu

So you found a Cressida owned by a little old lady who drives it to church once a week? Big deal. An enthusiast lucky bastard in the UK who goes by ra28gt on Retro-Rides was looking for Celica parts and got … Continue reading →

Posted in for sale, mitsubishi, toyota | Tagged a20, a40, a60, Barn Finds, celica, galant, gto, mitsubishi, toyota | 28 Comments

What should Toyota name the C-Pillar found on leaked production FT-86 photos and the 2000GT?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Ben Hsu

Over the weekend Teh Intarwebs was alight with photos of the production Toyota FT-86, seemingly leaked from a Japanese brochure on FT86club.com. While not as extreme in styling as the Scion FR-S concept, initial road tests say it delivers on everything … Continue reading →

Posted in toyota | Tagged 2000gt, ae86, brz, fr-s, ft-86, scion, subaru, toyota | 18 Comments

Friday Video: Mazda 787B at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Ben Hsu

As we get ready for SevenStock tomorrow let’s round out Mazda Week with a Japanese documentary chronicling the Mazda 787B‘s historic siege on Le Mans. We are so completely obsessed with this machine that we made a shirt. The film hails from … Continue reading →

Posted in mazda, motorsports | Tagged 787b, le mans, mazda, rotary | 7 Comments

Mazda Luce RX-4 Lost in Time

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Ben Hsu

The Mazda Luce still stands as one of the most beautiful coupes to come out of Hiroshima. Its American market equivalent, the RX-4, is extremely rare but here’s one just cold sitting in a Japanese barn waiting to roar again. Judging by that … Continue reading →

Posted in Barn Finds, mazda | Tagged Barn Finds, luce, mazda, rotary, rx-4 | 9 Comments