Author Archives: Ben Hsu
As part of Star Wars ad campaign, C-3PO and R2-D2 once helped sell Mitsubishi cars in Japan
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away a couple of droids landed on a remote, unremarkable planet of mostly water. Its primitive inhabitants had yet to discover interstellar travel, but for some reason these advanced droids got … Continue reading
The history of Japanese Rally Cars at the Toyota Automobile Museum
The Toyota Automobile Museum recently ended a special exhibit about the history of Japanese cars in rallying. As those who’ve visited the TAM will know, despite the name, the institution welcomes all marques. As such, the exhibit assembled cars from … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged daihatsu, datsun, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, suzuki, toyota, Toyota Automobile Museum, wrc
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Datsun ends production as Nissan’s Ghosn era continues to unravel
The vestiges of Carlos Ghosn’s reign at Nissan continue to crumble. This week, it was reported that the former CEO’s revival of Datsun branded cars has ceased production after falling far short of sales expectations. The news comes hot on … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best road trip car for the whole family?
When car enthusiasts talk about the best drivers’ cars, it’s usually selfish. Taking off for a long drive in the Z is fantastic when you’re young and free, but once the kiddos come along you’ll something bigger. By all means, … Continue reading
The 1991 Nissan FEV was an electric concept that should be built today
Every Earth Day we at JNC highlight a car engineered with conservation in mind. This year, we go back to the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, when Nissan unveiled their first “modern” electric vehicle. Whereas previous EVs had been tiny city … Continue reading
Importer selling entire inventory of 90,000 mostly vintage Honda parts
Consider this a JNC public service announcement. A defunct Honda importer is selling off its entire inventory of parts, numbering over 90,000 individual pieces. The items date back to 1974, and the majority of them are for Y2K or older … Continue reading
SSR MK-I deep dish wheel goes back into production with a limited run of 600 units
SSR will soon be putting its game-changing wheel, the SSR MK-I in deep-dish spec, back into production for a limited run. How limited? There will be only 600 units made, enough to make only 150 sets of four. SSR’s now-parent … Continue reading
Toyota AE86 goes drifting with 86 and GR86 in Japanese commercial
Toyota commercials have been getting better, and the latest Japanese-market ad continues the trend. To market the new GR86, they bring out the previous-generation 86 and the one that started it all, the original AE86 Sprinter Trueno. The trio do … Continue reading
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QotW: What’s your favorite automotive invention?
Today, April 18, is Invention Day in Japan, a remembrance of the day in 1885 when the Japanese patent system was established. The automotive world has often been on the forefront of innovation, whether its advanced stuff like carbon fiber … Continue reading
The Toyota Crown sedan will live on, joined by SUV, report says
The big news of the day yesterday was a report on Toyota bringing an SUV-ified version of the Crown to the US market. It sounds like an abomination. However, buried deep in the report was a separate item, one that … Continue reading
The Nakagin Capsule Tower, a symbol of Japan’s golden age of innovation, is being demolished
On April 12, demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo began. The once-futuristic building was a symbol of Japan’s modernism during its golden age of innovation. The avant-garde concept consisted of 140 detachable apartments that could be removed and … Continue reading
Speed Racer celebrates 55th anniversary with 24-karat gold Mach 5
The seminal Japanese racing cartoon Speed Racer debuted in 1967 and became a bona fide worldwide hit. It didn’t just influence a generation of gearheads, but it was one of the earliest examples of anime introduced outside of Japan. This … Continue reading
The 4×4 Engineering Bradley V returns for the wheel’s 40th anniversary
We’re sure most readers here are familiar with Japan’s most famous racing wheels from the likes of Rays, SSR, Work, Enkei, RS-Watanabe, and so on. On the off-road side of things, however, there’s another iconic wheel that is celebrating its … Continue reading
Posted in wheels
Tagged Bighorn, Bradley, isuzu, land cruiser, mitsubishi, nissan, pajero mini, Paris-Dakar Rally, pathfinder, terrano, toyota, Trooper, wheels
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QotW: How do you listen to audio content in your car?
Today, April 11, is National 8-Track Day. The short-lived audio format (so short-lived we apparently don’t even have a photo of one) was once the latest and greatest way to pump tunes out of your car. Nowadays, with most audio … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite 4×4 vehicle?
Today, April 4, is 4×4 Day in Japan because, you know, 4/4. The “holiday” was started by Mercedes-Benz of Japan as a marketing exercise in 2016 to promote the G-Wagen. Funnily enough, it doesn’t appear to be a thing even … Continue reading
Japanese radio announcer assaulted by Mitsubishi engineer at Hall of Fame ceremony
According to reports from Japanese media, a shocking and uncharacteristically rowdy scene unfolded at a automotive industry event in Tokyo last night. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the Japan Organization of Kuruma Engineers (kuruma is Japanese for “car”) was … Continue reading
ASIMO is retiring: A history of Honda’s groundbreaking robots
On March 31, 2022 Honda’s ASIMO robot is cleaning out its desk, turning in its badge, and collecting that gold watch on its way out the door. ASIMO is going to retire. After 22 years of delighting children, advancing technology, … Continue reading
