Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Infiniti logo updated to add third dimension, new signature sound and smell
Unless a clapped-out G35 is about to smack you in the ribs at a takeover, you probably don’t give Infiniti much thought these days. You might even be surprised to learn that the Infiniti logo was recently updated, along with … Continue reading
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Toyota Starlet revival is the dream of new Gazoo Racing president
Much has been written about Koji Sato, the former Gazoo Racing president and AE86 owner who has since ascended to the top job at Toyota. He’s said that it’s his life’s dream to bring back the Celica. But what about … Continue reading
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Toyota Land Cruiser teaser for 2024 seems to confirm retro front end
A new teaser released by Toyota portends good things for the upcoming 2024 Land Cruiser. Its return has been highly anticipated return after leaving the US market at the end of the 2021 model year. The image pictures it in … Continue reading
We regret to inform you that Yamaha will also end its swimming pool business
Just days after Yamaha announced it would cease snowmobile manufacturing, it has also announced that it will stop making swimming pools too. If your reaction to this news was, “Yamaha made swimming pools?” you are not alone. I had no … Continue reading
Mazda RX-792P quad-rotor race car, one of three built, is for sale
Mazda’s quad-rotor racing engine is the stuff of legend. It propelled the 787B to a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans proved Mazda’s rotary engine in the crucible of motorsport. Mazda only ever put triple-rotor engines in road … Continue reading
A Honda Civic Wagon was the sound of Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s iconic boulder
The Indiana Jones movies aren’t typically very car-centric, as most of them are set in archaeological sites that date back hundreds of years before a car was even conceived. However, you might be surprised to learn that in reality, a … Continue reading
New Toyota Land Cruiser reportedly getting FJ40 and 70-inspired design
We’re all excited about the Toyota Land Cruiser reboot in the US, but a new report has us even more stoked than before. A report out of Australia says it may get a retro-inspired design that is specific to the … Continue reading
Nissan technical college students restoring flood-damaged Fairlady Z for bereaved family
In 2018 one of the deadliest floods in the country’s history swept through southwestern Japan. Twenty-three prefectures received evacuation notices, over 200 people perished, and damages to infrastructure, farms, and property totaled about $20 billion. One family lost an S130 … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC is not being preserved, but should be?
Today is 626 Day, an occasion to commemorate a car that’s been largely forgotten though they were once everywhere. The Mazda sedan didn’t sell as well as rivals from Toyota and Honda, but it’s an interesting car nonetheless. It served … Continue reading
Mazda is mass producing rotary engines for the first time in over a decade
On June 21, 2012 Mazda shut down rotary engine production at its Ujina No.1 plant in Hiroshima. A day later, on June 22, the RX-8, the last production car in the world to have a rotary engine, ended production as … Continue reading
Nissan Z NISMO drifts into 2024 with new nose
Nissan says it’s “teasing” the new Z NISMO with a video of it kicking out tire smoke galore. It’s not much of a teaser, because the whole shebang can be seen in its full undisguised glory. There’s a number of … Continue reading
Toyota GR86 Trueno Edition pays tribute to the original panda 86
Toyota has introduced a new limited edition model of the GR86 with a strong throwback to the famed AE86. It’s even called the Toyota GR86 Trueno Edition, and it’s loaded with visual cues referencing the car that gave the GR86 … Continue reading
Former Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi showroom, the San’ai Dream Center in Ginza, will be demolished after 60 years
Another famous Tokyo building with ties to Japan’s automotive history is on the chopping block. It was announced earlier this year that the San’ai Dream Center is scheduled to be demolished. For 60 years it has been a landmark in … Continue reading
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
