Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Friday Video: The Last Hero Trailer
In honor of earthquake-damaged Sportsland Sugo circuit in Miyagi Prefecture, this week’s Friday Video is the trailer for the 1982 film The Last Hero, also known as Dirty Hero. Adapted from a 1969 novel by Haruhiko Oyabu, the motorcycle racing … Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater
Tagged akio kitano, c10, dirty hero, domenico agusta, gt-r, Hakosuka, haruhiko oyabu, jim redman, kenjiro tanaka, kgc10, kpgc10, mike haliwood, motorsports, mv agusta, pgc10, rosemary butler, shiro ito, skyline, sportsland sugo, takahashi kunimitsu, the last hero, wgp, yamaha
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Mooneyes Toyota Crown Picnic
The Mooneyes Crown Picnic took place before the tragedies of March 11, but we thought it’d be nice to share the pics now. Besides, who doesn’t like the Toyota Crown?
Long Overdue Idea: V6 Datsun 240Z Drift Machine
We’ve long wondered why no one has built an S30 Z drift machine yet. It’s light, it’s RWD, it’s simple to work on. Parts, whether junkyard special, aftermarket, or reproduction, are plentiful and can be scavenged from a whole host … Continue reading
Nostalgic Mitsubishi Funny Cars
Okay, so technically these are Dodge Colts and Plymouth Arrows, but as we all know they’re Mitsubishis in disguise. Before the Triple Diamond established an official US presence Chrysler rebadged them as Dodges and Plymouths, and that close association with … Continue reading
Posted in mitsubishi, motorsports
Tagged altereds, arrow, bob glidden, celeste, challenger, colt, dodge, don prudhomme, drag racers, galant, irda, lancer, mitsubishi, nhra, nostalgia drags, plymouth, ronnie sox, sapporo, sox & martin
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What the Tsunami Looked Like from a Car
DONATION LINK. Here are some more harrowing videos of the tsunami, including an in-car video from a Japanese driver who just happened to be driving along the coast the exact moment the tsunami hits. He remains amazingly calm as his … Continue reading
Friday Video: Zokusha Cruise Osaka
As Japan recovers, let’s visit a simpler time. Here’s a nice evening commute through Osaka. Judging from the cars the background, it’s mid-1980s. Fun times. Watch the video below the fold.
Sportsland Sugo Damaged in Earthquake
Japan is still recovering from last week’s record-breaking 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Sadly, reports say one of the nation’s great racetracks, Sportsland Sugo, has sustained damage. Located in the hard-hit Miyagi Prefecture, Sugo was built in 1975 by … Continue reading
Posted in japan, motorsports, wagons
Tagged earthquake, japan, juichi wakisaka, miyagi, sports 800, sportsland, sugo, supra, tohoku, toyota, wagons
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“Save Japan” Disaster Relief Campaign from Japan’s Motorsports Community
Juichi and Shigekazu Wakisaka, the race car driving “1141” brothers, have started a relief fund from the Japanese motorsports community for victims of the Tohoku earthquake. Save Japan has the support of Japanese racers and motorsports personalities of diverse backgrounds, … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports
Tagged daisuke ito, earthquake, japan, JGTC, juichi wakisaka, kamui kobayashi, kazuki hoshino, kazuya oshima, lexus, manabu orido, sakon yamamoto, sc430, sendai, shigekazu wakisaka, soarer, Super GT, supra, tohoku, toyota, yuji ide
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How the Earthquake is Affecting Japan’s Automakers
In the aftermath of the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake of March 11, the Japan’s great automakers are mostly at a standstill. Supply chains, transport and shipping facilities have all been affected by the quake and subsequent tsunami. There’s also rolling … Continue reading
Posted in honda, japan, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged akio toyoda, earthquake, honda, japan, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, sendai, tohoku earthquake, toyota
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The Spirit of Sendai: JNC’s Tribute to the Hi-Land Drags
The news out of Japan keeps getting worse. Nearly 1,600 are dead, the Nikkei stock market plunged 6%, and a second explosion has occurred at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Sendai, one of the hardest hit areas with some reports of … Continue reading
Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake Strikes Japan
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all our Japanese friends today. A magnitude 8.9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Sendai a few hours ago, shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo. Even worse, the quake triggered a … Continue reading
Friday Video: Cedric 330 Wagon Full of Carnival Freaks
In what was probably one of the more bizarre episodes of Seibu Keisatsu, our favorite band of police heroes goes undercover at an amusement park. The goal is t catch some nefarious characters, one of which wears some sort of … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, Video Games
Tagged 280zx, 330, 430, car chase, cedric, datsun, fairlady z, gloria, japanese cop show, nissan, s130, seibu keisatsu, wagon
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Old Ad: Kenmeri Nissan Skyline for Techno Project TR-V
Was the Nissan Fairlady Z432 ad just a bit too stock for you? Maybe a vintage rim ad for the Techno TR-V is more your style. This kenmeri shows how things were done back in the day — shakotan stance, … Continue reading
VIP S120 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon
Mid-80s Toyotas are rather unappreciated, but subtle expression is the key to customizing an S120 Crown. And you thought the Cressida was boxy… [Image: ezbbs.net]
World’s First Nissan Fairlady Z Newspaper Ad
Ready to go back in time? This is the first newspaper ad in history to fully reveal the Nissan Fairlady Z. It was published on October 20, 1969, four days before the 16th Tokyo Motor Show, where the S30 was … Continue reading
Design Study: Nissan Silvia CSP311 and S13
Looking at images of the Silvia recently, I was surprised that I had never noticed how many styling cues the 1988 S13 takes from the first Silvia, the 1965 CSP311. Part of it probably has to do with the fact … Continue reading
Friday Video: C130 Laurel vs. Kenmeri Skyline
Today’s video appears to star Tachi Hiroshi, but the cars are too old for Abunai Deka and it lacks the trademark pursuit music of Seibu Keisatsu. We don’t know from whence this car chase came, all we know is that … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, Video Games
Tagged c110, c130, car chase, datsun, gc110, japanese cop show, kenmeri, laurel, nissan, skyline
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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, 1992-2013
Like the giant panda, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution may be an evolutionary dead end. Assuming Mitsubishi global product director Gayu Eusegi wasn’t suffering from altitude sickness at the Geneva Motor Show when talking to Autocar, the Lancer Evo X will … Continue reading
