Author Archives: Ben Hsu

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

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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

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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

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X70 Toyota Mark II Sharknose

Proof you can make a subtle zokusha that still looks gangster.

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EVENTS: 2011 USDM Jam

Car culture has a curious way of ping-ponging across continents. While we in the US are drool over rare JDM goodies, our counterparts in Japan long for door mirrors, amber turn signals and safety bumpers. For eight years now there’s … Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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MS112 Toyota Crown on Super Volks

1980s swirly rims always seemed a bit cheesy so we’ve never been real big fans of them. Until now. Get a set of white Super Volks and slam a similarly white S112 Toyota Crown on top of them in a … Continue reading

Posted in toyota, wheels | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Video Camera Goes on Wild Ride with Honda S800

Sky-high redline, feather weight chassis, open top motoring. The Honda S800 is a breathtaking machine. It is also a camera-taking machine. If this short clip of a topless roadster howling through the two-lane backroads of Japan does not induce some … Continue reading

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Identify This Rusty Car Found in a Japanese Junkyard

See that wagon lurking behind this hakosuka and Honda Today? All we know is that it’s old, rust, and resting in a junkyard somewhere in Japan. This photo was sent to us by a reader there. Heck, it may not even be Japanese. Be … Continue reading

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RA21 Toyota Celica Drift Machine

This may look like an RA21 Toyota Celica. But look below the surface where the sun don’t shine and you’ll find a full-on AE86 drift machine. The result? Whether it’s smoking tires sideways or just cold chillin’ by a vending machine, … Continue reading

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Friday Video: Toyota 2000GT Meets Nissan Fairlady 240ZG Meets KPGC110 Skyline GT-R

The title says it all. Watch the luckiest bastards in the world at Best Motoring drive the greats.

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Hot Wheels Datsun 240Z Treasure Hunt

It seems we’ve got some exciting news from Hot Wheels every week now. Mattel‘s diecast toy line is really firing on all cylinders with cool nostalgics that JNC readers will love. Now you can park this Datsun 240Z next to … Continue reading

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Kidney, Anyone? 1959 Datsun 1000

It’s not every day you find a 1959 Datsun 1000 on eBay. This L210 is probably one of the earliest Nissan products ever sold in the US. This ancestor of the Bluebird is not for the faint of heart though. … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Mooneyes Mania Cruise

Every couple of months our friends at Mooneyes holds an informal gathering near their HQ in Yokohama called the Mania Cruise. The great part about these shows is that you get to see oddball machines that tend to get crowded … Continue reading

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Friday Video: B110 Sunny & KP61 Starlet Take to the Hills

Best Motoring may be no more, but videos like this from their heyday are what old school Japanese cars are all about! Lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, small-displacement cars that are a blast to sling through the twisties. Watch as Keiichi Tsuchiya and … Continue reading

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New JNC Shop Open, LowLife T-Shirts Now Available

We quietly launched a new JNC Shop a few weeks ago, giving it an updated look and easier ordering process. It includes all the new gear we debuted at Toyotafest, like the Vintage Barrels II shirt, JNC X JAF decal … Continue reading

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The Most Painful Skyline You’ll Ever See: Hakosuka Itasha

It’s one thing to slap giant anime characters on your Suzuki Wagon R, Toyota Alphard, or even your Ferrari F430, but a KGC10 Skyline? That really hurts. This hot pink hakosuka was spotted last week at an itasha car show … Continue reading

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Friday Video: This Nissan Cedric Hates Bicyclists

A suspect attempts to slink away just as our heros from the Western Division arrive on the scene. Too late, he’s made. Nothing left to do but wheel that Cedric like it’s your ticket to salvation. Oh, an plow over … Continue reading

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