Author Archives: Ben Hsu
1970 KE10 chases Toyota GR Corolla in new ad that is cringe
In Toyota’s latest ad for the raucous GR Corolla, a cameo by a 1970 KE10 almost threatens to steal the show. Not only that, but there are several references to past Toyota commercials, some obscure enough that only Toyota nerds … Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser returning to the US market
Toyota quietly made if official late last night. The venerable Land Cruiser is making a comeback to the US market. After departing our shores at the end of 2021, it will be returning for what is likely the 2024 model … Continue reading
QotW: How would you spend $10,000 on a car in the year you were born?
Recently I was tapped to play out this game on another site. The rules there stated I had to spend all 10 grand on a single car, which put my top choice, a 1976 Celica GT Liftback, out of the … Continue reading
New Toyota Automobile Museum exhibit spotlights classic Japanese trucks
A newly opened exhibit at the Toyota Automobile Museum puts the focus on Japanese trucks of the Showa Era. “Road Transporters” hosts a number of workhorses from Toyota’s collection, ranging in age from the 1930s to the 1990s, with special … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite Japanese car logo?
Today is Logo Day in Japan. The date was chosen as a pun formed by the first syllable of roku (ro/lo), Japanese for “six” and go, Japanese for “five”. The purpose of the day is to promote effective logo design. … Continue reading
Toyota 86 coupes drift through new Japanese cop show
A new Japanese police series promises a throwback to classic shows chock full of shootouts and car chases. Farewell, Gun: Metropolitan Police SGU is an 8-episode streamer that harkens back to old school standards of the genre like Seibu Keisatsu … Continue reading
Toyota Stout name could be revived for sub-Tacoma pickup
Compact pickups are coming back. Former compact trucks have gotten so large that there’s now room at the low end of the market for smaller offerings. The catch is that this new crop of vehicles like the Ford Maverick and … Continue reading
Wanton Toyota MR2 Spyder destruction proves takeovers aren’t about the cars
A couple in Tolland, Connecticut were heading home from a dinner in a Toyota MR2 Spyder when they passed through a street takeover on May 21. The crowd of supposed car enthusiasts ended up surrounding their mid-engined roadster and deliberately … Continue reading
Nissan R90CK that set “the greatest lap at Le Mans” is for sale
At the peak of Group C racing, this Nissan R90CK set what is considered one of the greatest laps in modern racing. At the qualifying session of the 1990 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, newcomer Mark Blundell … Continue reading
QotW: Would you import a JDM car that you could get in America?
There are many degrees of JDM-ness, but we think it can be classified into four main categories. If we were to list them in order from most JDM to least, something very JDM like a Skyline GT-R that has absolutely … Continue reading
The seventh-gen Mazda Familia wagon only existed as a Ford
Talk about a genre of car that’s gone completely extinct. The compact wagon used to be a staple of American roadways, but first wagons vanished and now compacts are gone. The charm and sheer functionality of compact wagons is unmatched, … Continue reading
The R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO is right at home in Gran Turismo 7
If there’s anything Gran Turismo is known for, it’s having a zillion variations of the Nissan Skyline. The tradition continues with the latest Gran Turismo 7 update, which adds the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO to the list of playable … Continue reading
Mitsubishi Electric, which put the world’s first in-car GPS in the 1990 Mazda Cosmo, is leaving the nav business
Mazda’s Eunos Cosmo was a car of many firsts, one of which was the world’s first in-car GPS system over three decades ago. The so-called CCS (Car Communication System) was developed by Mitsubishi Electric, a trailblazer in car-based nav systems. … Continue reading
QotW: What will my 3-year-old’s first car be?
My son is three. I’ve always had dreams about passing down my AE86 to him someday. But by the time he turns 16 in 2035, a car built in 1986 will be nearly 50 years old. That would be like … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
22 Comments
QotW: Should being celebrity-adjacent add to a car’s value?
As you may have heard, an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R that appeared in one of The Fast and the Furious movies has sold for $1,357,000. Specifically, Paul Walker drove it in the fourth installment of the series. With an East … Continue reading
Nissan Crossing Ginza: Hakosuka GT-R, Pulsar EXA, and a kei car with a piano in it
The Nissan Crossing showroom in Ginza, Tokyo currently has an odd collection of cars on display. It’s typical for vehicles rotate in and out of the showroom from Nissan’s Zama warehouse for a few weeks at a time. More often … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged c10, N13, nissan, Nissan Crossing Ginza, pulsar exa, Roox, skyline
4 Comments
Lovers kissing in Toyota MR2s is one of Japan’s most memorable TV scenes
So you thought the scene in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift where Sung Kang drifts through the crowd at Shibuya Crossing was the most famous car-related clip to take place there? Well how about the time when two lovers just … Continue reading
The Toyota Automobile Museum has acquired a Celica XX, successor to a debated speed record
The Toyota Automobile Museum in Japan has a new acquisition, a 1983 Celica XX. We know it stateside as the second-generation Celica Supra but technically speaking this is a GA61, which is considerably different than the MA61 we got in … Continue reading
Posted in museums
Tagged a60, celica, datsun, fairlady roadster, nissan, sr311, supra, toyota, Toyota Automobile Museum
6 Comments
Gran Turismo trailer has Nissans galore, but also glaring omissions
The new Gran Turismo movie trailer was released earlier today, giving us a first look at what to expect when it arrives in theaters in August. In a heavily car-themed story like this one, it’s always interesting to see what … Continue reading
