Author Archives: Ben Hsu

Friday Video: Nissan Caravan comes to a tragic end

If you plan to flee from the cops, perhaps a getaway vehicle in which you are not sitting in one of the primary crumple zones is a good idea. Watch the video here.

Posted in nissan, Video Games | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Surf’s Up when your Surf Wagon has a Surf Line.

Reason number one to have a C210 Skyline Japan as your surf wagon: It’s already got a surf line. Reason number two: It looks killer lowered on Star Sharks. Did we mention we love wagons?

Posted in nissan, wagons | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Suzuki Fronte 550

This here rare brown bird is a Suzuki Fronte 7-S 550. That’s 550cc’s of rear-engined, rear-wheel drive kei car sweetness. It’s difficult to eyeball the scale of this car until you get a look at the fender mirrors, which protrude … Continue reading

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Chat with Hot Wheels’ Jun Imai

Hey minicar fans! Hot Wheels designer Jun Imai will be taking part in a live online chat tomorrow, August 16 at 3:30 PDT. If you don’t know already, Imai-san is the one responsible for the recent surge in nostalgics in the … Continue reading

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What a Japanese Redneck Would Drive

Whilst browsing The Intarwebs last weekend we came across this feat of fabrication. Why anyone would ute the Triple Diamond’s executive town car is something we, sadly, do not have the answer to. What we do have is a Mitsubishi Debonair … Continue reading

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JCCS Registration Coupon for JNC Readers!

Great news for JNCers! There is now a special discount code for the 2011 Japanese Classic Car Show. $5 off registration $50 = $45. Hurry before the offer ends. Just use the code “JNC” at the vehicle information page when … Continue reading

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Friday Video: Nissan Patrol Lays Waste to Amusement Park

If you’re a bad guy fleeing from the fuzz, you probably wouldn’t take time out of your busy schedule to destroy an amusement park with your getaway vehicle. But if you were going to, a Nissan Patrol makes a good … Continue reading

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Nissan Cedric Y30 & President

Many of you thought the 1977 Nissan AD-2 concept ungainly but at least one of its “Advanced Design” cues, the wraparound rear window, carried over to production. It first appeared on the 430 Cedric and Gloria twins, and then on the … Continue reading

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Nostalgic Concept: 1977 Nissan AD-2

We’ve seen what Toyota was up to at the Tokyo Motor Show in the late 1970s. What about rival Nissan? Behold the 1977 Nissan AD-2, a design study for the ultimate luxury sedan. 

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Nostalgic Concept: 1977 Toyota F110

Ever since our visit to Calty Design Research we’ve been fascinated with the lost concepts borne from that studio. The bizarre 1977 Toyota F110 was unveiled at that year’s Tokyo Motor Show, depicting what a luxury sedan would look like in the coming … Continue reading

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Join JCCS, TORC and JNC for the 2011 Motion Show

Last year we teamed up with our friends at JCCS and TORC to stake out a little corner of old school goodness in what is billed as “one mega show that is a beacon of the sport compact lifestyle, culture, community … Continue reading

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Found in Belgium by Larry Chen of Speedhunters. Owner wishes to remain anonymous. Smart man.

Posted on by Ben Hsu | 5 Comments

Friday Video: Happy 86 Day!

Alright, fine. Here’s a Toyota with a Toyota engine. A hachiroku, to be specific, sailing through a gymkhana course in this oldie but goodie. Ken Block, eat your heart out. Happy 86 Day! Another run below the jump.

Posted in motorsports, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Team HDO SR20-Powered RA28 Toyota Celica Drift Machine

Yesterday we posted a period-correct vintage Toyota race car. Today we’re going with a thoroughly modern one. Wildly stickered nostalgics usually induce mild indigestion around the JNC office but I suppose we can make an exception when it’s a D1 Grand … Continue reading

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Kidney, Anyone? 1968 Toyota 1600GT Race Car

This is no ordinary kidney car. Though it may appear to be a gussied-up barikan Corona coupe, it’s actually a 1968 Toyota 1600GT GT5. And if that has a familiar ring to it, that’s because it’s sibling to the legendary Toyota … Continue reading

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Depth of Speed Talks Hakosuka with Fatlace Founder Mark Arcenal

We’ve been big fans of Josh Clason‘s Depth of Speed videos, and the latest does not disappoint. It’s an interview with Mark Arcenal, founder of the Fatlace, who is fortunate enough to own a KGC10 Nissan Skyline, S14 drift machine, and … Continue reading

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Kidney, Anyone? 38,000-Mile 1985 Toyota 4Runner

Is the first-gen 4Runner becoming the next hot collectible? After all, it was one of the most capable SUVs of its time. It hails from an era of Aichi greats like the AE86 Corolla, AW11 MR2, and MX73 Cressida. Hell, … Continue reading

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Friday Video: Nissan Skyline Japan, Subaru Leone, and a Helicopter

The 1979 cop show Detective Story was hugely popular, and responsible for launching the career of Yusaku Matsuda. This clip appears to be a parody of the original, as it contains no Matsuda and adds a laugh track instead. Nevertheless, it … Continue reading

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Kidney, Anyone? 1978 Datsun 200SX

With some already speculating the hakosuka GT-R as a million dollar car, this 1978 Datsun 200SX for $4100 is a helluva a steal. For one, it’s one of the rarest Dattos out there. And while that’s because it was widely … Continue reading

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Nostalgic Concept: 1977 Toyota CAL-1

One of the concept cars we really wanted to see during our visit to Calty Desing Research was the 1977 Toyota CAL-1. Sadly, it wasn’t available for viewing. But come on, who wouldn’t be intrigued by the intersection of a … Continue reading

Posted in concepts, toyota | 8 Comments