Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What’s your favorite car chase scene?
The world of movie car chases was forever changed 54 years ago today. October 17, 1968 saw the theatrical release of Bullitt, in which the centerpiece action sequence between ad Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger is considered to be one … Continue reading
Posted in News
24 Comments
Japan’s first railway began operating 150 years ago today
One hundred and fifty years ago today, Japan’s first railway opened. The line connected Shimbashi, Tokyo to nearby Yokohama, a distance of just 18 miles. Pulled by a British-built steam locomotive, the trip took 53 minutes non-stop. The train made … Continue reading
Hot Wheels has a tsunami of Japanese cars coming
Our friends at Hot Wheels recently shared with us some previews of upcoming cars. For fans of Japanese diecast, there will be no shortage offerings infiltrating every series the company makes. Here’s a couple dozen peeks at what’s coming down … Continue reading
50 YEAR CLUB: How Honda’s CVCC beat its rivals and made the Civic a household name
Fifty years ago today, at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Honda revealed the CVCC engine to the world. The engine was still over a year off from mass production in a road car, but Honda was eager to get … Continue reading
Why Toyota Land Cruisers are the best, according to the man who literally wrote the book on crossing the Sahara Desert
Chris Scott has completed over 50 overlanding expeditions and is an expert on crossing the Sahara Desert. He’s authored several books on the subject. He made his first trip into northern Africa on a motorcycle in 1983. Since then he’s … Continue reading
Miatas enter Guinness Book of World Records for largest Mazda parade
A gathering of Mazda MX-5 Miatas has broken the world record for largest parade of Mazda cars. The assembly took place at Italy’s Modena Circuit on September 18 and was certified by a Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator at … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged mazda, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, Modena, mx-5, nobuhiro yamamoto
2 Comments
Tadashi Kume, former president of Honda, 1932-2022
It was announced today that Tadashi Kume, the third president of Honda Motor Co., had passed away. The engineer turned businessman died on September 11, 2022 at age 90. The influential leader guided the company from 1983 to 1990, a … Continue reading
The Nissan Z is looking sharp as a GT4 race car
The lads at NISMO have been busy at work with the new Z, and Nissan has just revealed the results. It’s not the street legal NISMO Z you’re hoping for, but could be even better, depending on your perspective. Instead, … Continue reading
VIDEO: The Lexus SC presented buyers with a difficult dilemma
The Lexus SC is probably, to this day, still one of Toyota’s best-looking cars. It was the Supra you could take to the opera, built upon the same chassis that spawned the legendary JZA80, but grander, more civilized, and fitted … Continue reading
QotW: What TV series or movie fueled your love for cars?
Forty years ago today, on September 26, 1982 Knight Rider debuted on NBC. As much as I hate to admit it, the show played a seminal role in my love for cars. The reason I hate to admit it is … Continue reading
The 1937 Datsun Type 16 now displayed at one of Japan’s top engineering universities is a gift from a former student
On September 20 an unveiling ceremony was held at Shibaura Institute of Technology, one of Tokyo’s most prestigious engineering universities, for one of Nissan’s oldest prodcution vehicles. The 1937 Datsun Type 16 sedan is now part of the school’s permanent … Continue reading
QotW: What will happen to classics after the EV revolution?
Automakers, governments, and Elon Musk are all pushing the industry headlong into electric cars. There are pros and cons to EVs, but whether you see them as Betamax or VHS, it doesn’t really matter. The industry seems like it’s headed … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
22 Comments
A Nissan Patrol became the first vehicle to cross the Simpson Desert 60 years ago
Sixty years ago, the Sprigg family made history as the first to cross Australia’s Simpson Desert in a motorized vehicle. That vehicle was a G60 Nissan Patrol, a four-wheel-drive rival to the Toyota Land Cruiser. The Spriggs made the 12-day … Continue reading
Posted in trucks
7 Comments
QotW: How have video games affected your passion for cars?
Today, September 12, is National Video Game Day. For many car enthusiasts, especially of Japanese machines, the cultural reach of video games has been instrumental to the hobby. Whether you’re into cars we’d otherwise never see on the streets, the … Continue reading
1970 Datsun 240Z Rallye Monte-Carlo: A history lost, now found
As iconic as the Nissan Z is, remarkably little is known in English-speaking countries about its motorsports history. In the US, the American-spec Datsun 240Z is best remembered, and deservedly so, for its SCCA victories. But while names like Peter … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 240z, datsun, nissan, Rallye Monte-Carlo, s30 z, safari rally
8 Comments
1969 Toyota Corolla driven 350,000 miles by original owner heads to museum
In 1969 Shougo Asada, 24 years old at the time, bought his first car. a KE10 Toyota Corolla. Now he’s 77 and still driving that same Corolla. Under Asada-san’s care, the car has traveled 563,632 km, or 350,225 miles. But … Continue reading
Toyota MegaWeb showroom demolished; to be replaced with sports arena
Yesterday, August 31, was the final day for the Daikanransha, the 377-foot ferris wheel that was one of the many attractions by Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom. When it opened in headier times in 1999, it was the tallest ferris wheel in … Continue reading
This 1960 Toyopet Crown Custom Sports is the only known survivor from Japan’s first coachbuilder
The Toyota Automobile Museum has shared some images of one of the rarest and most seldom seen cars from its collection, the 1960 Toyopet Crown Custom Sports. The hand-built car was the first attempt at a coach-built car from Japan. … Continue reading
NISMO reproduces Silvia S15 and Skyline R34 gauge clusters
NISMO has begun selling reproduction gauge clusters for the Silvia S15, Skyline R34, and Skyline GT-R BNR34 models. Note that these are not the OEM Nissan units, but actual NISMO aftermarket ones that would have been in-period upgrades for these … Continue reading
QotW: If you could only drive cars from one marque, what would it be?
If car companies had their way, every buyer would be a return customer. Start your automotive life with a Tercel, move up to a nicer Corolla at your first job, get a Camry when your family expands, and arrive in … Continue reading
