Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Sam Mitani’s ‘Keys to the Empire’ finishes the automotive spy trilogy with a bang
The third and final installment of former Road & Track International editor Sam Mitani’s car-themed thrillers is Keys to the Empire. The trilogy began in 2018 with The Prototype, continued in 2023 with Red Mist, and draws to a close … Continue reading
Japan’s new Prime Minister is a Toyota Supra owner
In 2022 we wrote about Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi and her beloved A70 Toyota Supra. At the time, she had lost her bid to become the next Prime Minister, but over the weekend she was elected to head Japan’s ruling … Continue reading
QotW: What are your gasoline filling routines?
Today, October 6, is Oil Day in Japan, marking an occasion for average citizens to think about the many petroleum-based products used in every day life. The date was chosen because the numbers 1, 0, and 6 can be rearranged … Continue reading
It’s the end of the road for the Lexus LS
In 1989 Toyota introduced what was arguably the most over-engineered car ever made. The Lexus LS had to be perfect if it was going to go toe-to-toe with the established European brands. It was. More refined, more durable, and far … Continue reading
The Honda RA272 will return to the site of its first Grand Prix win 60 years ago
In 1965 Honda achieved something unthinkable. It won a Formula 1 Grand Prix just two years after it had begun producing its first car. As the famous story goes, when Soichiro Honda instructed his engineers to develop a car that … Continue reading
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QotW: Which JNC looks most proper in red?
The color red is most closely associated with Ferraris, Alfas, and other Italian cars. Former head of GM Performance John Heinricy once said, “All Corvettes are red, the rest are mistakes,” and they even titled a book based on that … Continue reading
SuperGT champ puts five NSX versions to the test
Continuing on its 35th anniversary celebration, Honda has released another NSX video featuring five iterations of its flagship supercar. This time, it has recruited two-time SuperGT champ Tomoki Nojiri to provide his driving impressions of the five cars. Nojiri drives … Continue reading
Tom Matano, designer of the iconic Mazda Miata and FD RX-7, has passed away
Tom Matano, the famed designer of the original Mazda Miata, FD RX-7, and more, has passed away. The Japan native was born in 1947 in Nagasaki, Japan and studied engineering at Seikei University in Tokyo but then left for America … Continue reading
QotW: What would you do without a car?
Today, Septemeber 22, is Car Free Day in many cities around the world, including nine in Japan. It asks citizens to refrain from driving in urban centers to consider what life might be like without the traffic and environmental impacts … Continue reading
Nissan to close 46-year-old San Diego design studio
Nissan is on a cost-cutting rampage, and the latest to fall are its studios. Design centers in southern California and São Paulo, Brazil are to be shuttered as part of the company’s “Re:Nissan” restructuring plan that hopes to bring the … Continue reading
Robert Redford helped launch Paul Newman’s Nissan racing career
Legendary actor and filmmaker Robert Redford passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Though he wasn’t as well-known for being a car guy as his buddy Paul Newman, Redford did have a penchant for vintage cars and racing. As … Continue reading
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Toyota reissues 4AG cylinder block and head through Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program
Last month Toyota teased a grand plan involving its heritage parts program and the venerable 4A-GE engine. Specifics weren’t disclosed, but the reality is far grander than we imagined. Turns out Toyota is reproducing the entire block and head of … Continue reading
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Tagged AE101, ae86, ae92, aw11, corolla levin, GR Heritage Parts Project, mr2, sprinter trueno, toyota
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Nissan Z Heritage Edition brings Midnight Purple stateside
It’s hard to make a heritage edition of a car that’s packed with retro cues. The RZ34’s sheetmetal already mimics that of the S30 and the Z32 generations, so when it came time to make a Heritage Edition of the … Continue reading
Which sixth-gen Honda Prelude looks best?
I clearly remember when the last Honda Prelude came out. By the time the fifth-gen came out for the 1997 model year the entire country had been fully consumed by tuner fever. The first BB6 I ever saw outside the … Continue reading
Nissan will finally give the Z NISMO the manual transmission it’s deserved all along
When Nissan debuted Z NISMO debuted two years ago, despite offering the type of rear-wheel-drive sports car doesn’t cost six figures, something that’s in very short supply these days, they managed to piss everyone off by making it automatic only. … Continue reading
QotW: If you could buy any new JNC from 1975, what would it be?
You’ve run out of fuel on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. It’s getting dark. There’s no cell service. In the distance, you see a dim light emanating from an old gas station. You walk toward it, hoping … Continue reading
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The Nissan GT-R ends 18 years of dutiful service as the halo car we all needed
On August 25, production of the Nissan GT-R ended after 18 years. A small ceremony was held in Nissan’s Tochigi factory, surrounded by line workers who assembled the car and takumi craftsmen who hand-built 48,000 twin-turbo V6s over the years. … Continue reading
The world’s first Japanese auto race began in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo
The Japanese American National Museum recently kicked off its groundbreaking exhibit documenting the history of Japanese Americans and the automobile. While most JNC readers are familiar with the Japanese American tuners that popularized modified Datsuns and Toyotas in the US, … Continue reading
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Nissan’s 90s motorsports dominance memorialized in Casio Edifice watch
Nissan and Casio have teamed up for a watch celebrating NISMO’s racing prowess. The Casio Edifice NISMO Heritage Edition pays homage to Nissan’s race cars created during the golden age of its NISMO division. Everything from Skylines to sports prototypes … Continue reading
Posted in nostalgic gear
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, Casio, NISMO, nissan, r30, r31, r32, r33, R91CP, R92CP, skyline, Skyline GT-R
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Nissan promises to revive Xterra as body-on-frame SUV
Back in April Nissan executives proclaimed that they really wanted to bring back the Xterra. At the time Nissan Americas chairperson Christian Meunier said, “We’re working on it. We’ll find a way.” Well, they found a way, because at the … Continue reading
