Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Friday Video: 39 Years of Honda Civic
With 19 million units sold and 39 years under its belt, the Honda Civic is an icon of motoring. With the recent introduction of the 9th generation, Honda’s marketing team has put together a video called “Heritage” that explores its … Continue reading
1981 Toyota Celica Supra at Survivor Car Show
A car show that only allows survivors? Awesome concept. If a car has been modified or restored, it is not eligible for the Survivor Car Show in St. Charles, Illinois. In other words, it’s for either OCD obsessives or incredibly … Continue reading
EVENTS: Eagle Rock Swap Meet
Aaah, SoCal. We know the rest of the country hates it when we gloat. But sorry, it’s just damn nice to be able to take a leisurely Sunday morning cruise to an old school Japanese car bazaar. The Eagle Rock … Continue reading
Hot Wheels Kenmeri Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R & Vintage Racing BRE Datsun 510 Bluebird
Hot Wheels is on a tear these days, adding Japanese classics to their lineup as quickly as the diecast cars will speed down an orange track. We were thrilled to be part of the hakosuka Nissan Skyline 2000GT-X (which is … Continue reading
Posted in minicars, nissan
Tagged 2000gt-r, 2011, 510, bluebird, bre, c110, datsun, first editions, gt-r, hot wheels, john morton, kenmeri, kgc110, kpgc110, mattel, nissan, peter brock, skyline, vintage racing
25 Comments
850hp Toyota Celica Is Fastest Hill Climber at 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Like Pikes Peak, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of motordom’s greatest hill climbs, a spectacular celebration of racing machinery from across the spectrum. Unlike Pikes Peak, the ascent is only 1.16 miles, and takes you up someone’s driveway. … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, toyota
Tagged all-trac, celica, festival of speed, goodwood, gt-four, st205, toyota, wrc
8 Comments
Friday Video: The Depth of Speed
Remember the video of JDM Legends that we posted a while back? The filmmaker, Josh Clason, has returned with another beautiful video featuring the inner workings of the SLC-based tuning house. Along for the ride are their Celica, Starlet, and hakosuka. Feast … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, toyota, tuning shop
Tagged a20, c10, celica, datsun, depth of speed, Hakosuka, jdm legends, kgc10, kp61, kpgc10, nissan, ra21, skyline, starlet, ta21, ta22, watanabe, work equip
13 Comments
JDM Old School Style Hits Russia
Can you identify this awesome Japanese-style sled? No? Well, don’t beat yourself up too bad — it was a trick question. That’s because the car is a Russian VAZ 2106 steeped in vintage JDM style. With Hoshinos, bolt-on flares, shakotan … Continue reading
Posted in Nuts and Bolts
Tagged 2106, autovaz, hoshino, impul, jdm, kyuusha kulture, lada, only dropped picnic, russia, russian, vaz
22 Comments
Adrien Brody Drives a StarQuest
Although he has been seen in a black Ferrari California, actor Adrien Brody recently pulled up to the terminal at JFK airport in a Chrysler Conquest. He was spotted by TMZ, who called it a “crappy car” and titled the … Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi
Tagged adrien brody, chrysler, conquest, mitsubishi, starion, starquest
14 Comments
Rumor: Nissan May Bring Datsun Back
Rumors are circulating that Nissan will be bringing back the Datsun brand. Unfortunately, it would be for low-cost models in emerging markets that are expected to ring in at $5000 or less. The news is being reported by the Nikkei … Continue reading
Enjoy Your JNC at Upcoming Summer Meets and Events
As temperatures increase, so do the number of events in SoCal where you can take your nostalgic car. We are highlighting some of these because these venues have not traditionally been a home for vintage Japanese steel. But their requests … Continue reading
Posted in events
2 Comments
Friday Video: Gachapin and Mukku Teach Kids about Gymkhana on Hirake! Ponkikki
The Japanese show Hirake! Ponkikki is a morning kids show akin to Sesame Street. The main characters are a green, adrenaline-junkie dinosaur named Gachapin and a red yeti named Mukku. In this episode, they visit Honda’s Twin Ring Motegi Circuit … Continue reading
Posted in honda, Video Games
Tagged acura, gachapin, hirake ponkikki, honda, integra, mukku, s2000, twin ring motegi, type r
11 Comments
Sam Witwicky’s Datsun 510 in Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Last year a Datsun 510 sedan with twin black racing stripes and a “Bee-yotch” air freshener was spotted filming in Milwaukee for Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. Immediately, speculation began that one of the star robots, Bumblebee, had disguised … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? 24,000-Mile 1977 Toyota Celica for $19,000
A 910-horsepower Suzuki isn’t the only interesting thing coming out of Colorado. Recently, a 24,000-mile 1977 Toyota Celica Liftback was offered up in the little town of Berthoud (about an hour north of Denver). It was purchased in Fort Collins, … Continue reading
Posted in for sale, toyota
Tagged a20, celica, kidney anyone, liftback, ra28, ra29, toyota
17 Comments
Monster Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 Breaks 10-Minute Barrier at 2011 Pikes Peak Hill Climb
We don’t often get to write about Suzukis, but this past Sunday, one made history. Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima has smashed the storied 10-minute barrier at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The long-time Suzuki rally racer clocked a time of … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, suzuki
Tagged escudo, hill climb, hre, mazda, monster tajima, nobuhiro tajima, pikes peak, r360, rally, suzuki, sx4, xl7
9 Comments
Friday Video: Buzz Performs “Ken & Mary Ai to Kaze no Youni”
Welcome to JNC‘s summer concert series. Well, it’s not really a series per se since there’s just one song. Nevertheless, here’s the folk band Buzz playing their hit Ken & Mary Ai to Kaze no Youni on a Japanese music … Continue reading
X70 Toyota Mark II Sharknose
Proof you can make a subtle zokusha that still looks gangster.
What the Mazda 787B Sounds Like
We mentioned a few weeks back that the Mazda 787B was making a return to Le Mans for the 20th anniversary of its victory there. One of its drivers, Johnny Herbert, was on hand to take it for another spin … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? 6,757-Mile Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 is one of the few cars that can truly be called iconic. When it debuted in 1979, it rocked the motoring world with its sleek looks, rotary powerplant, and stellar handling. It also came out of the … Continue reading
Friday Video: KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R vs Mazda Savanna RX-3
Last week we saw a meeting of some Japan’s best road-going GT cars. This Friday let’s look at two no-limit track machines. The KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R and the Mazda Savanna RX-3 are old rivals, and Best Motoring brought them … Continue reading
