Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What JNC should receive a lifetime achievement award for design?
Recently, the Daihatsu HiJet received a lifetime achievement award from Japan’s top design institution. There haven’t been many cars to receive this honor. Past recipients have included the Nissan Cube and Toyota HiAce. While these vehicles are surely deserving, they’re … Continue reading
Toyota Chinook Camper reborn in “Tacozilla” SEMA build
Toyota has revealed its incredible Tacoma-based Tacozilla, a retro mobile home based on the Chinook campers of the 1970s. Unlike the Chinooks of old, which were mostly fitted to 2WD pickups, the Tacozilla rides on a 4WD Tacoma TRD Sport … Continue reading
A Honda NSX joins the Toyota Automobile Museum’s permanent collection
Last month the Toyota Automobile Museum unveiled a new addition to their permanent collection: a 1991 Honda NSX. As those who have visited the museum know, Toyota’s museum not just a showcase of Toyotas, but a comprehensive look at the … Continue reading
QotW: Tell us you’re a JNC owner without telling us you’re a JNC owner
The JNC life is a hard one. There’s a lot to deal with when you drive an old car, so let’s commiserate with each other by playing the Tell Me Challenge, in which you tell your fellow travelers what it’s … Continue reading
Toyota will begin making new parts for the AE86 again as the Hachiroku joins the Heritage Parts Program
Toyota announced on November 1 that it will begin remaking parts for the AE86 Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno. The beloved Hachiroku is the latest car to be added to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program. What’s more, Toyota … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged ae86, corolla, corolla levin, GR Heritage Parts Project, Heritage Parts Program, sprinter trueno, toyota
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The Daihatsu HiJet has won Good Design’s lifetime achievement award
The Daihatsu HiJet, perhaps the most ubiquitous of all the many kei trucks in Japan, has won Good Design’s “Long Life” award. It’s one of Japan’s highest honors in the field of industrial design, recognizing graphics, products, and architecture that … Continue reading
Watch an original Acura NSX being slung around by an F1 driver
At last weekend’s US Grand Prix, Formula One drivers from the Honda-powered Scuderia AlphaTauri team got the chance to throw an original Acura NSX around Austin, Texas’ Circuit of the Americas. Though their driving was impressive, it’s almost funny because … Continue reading
10-mile Honda CRX could be the most pristine example on Earth
A 1990 Honda CRX billed as the lowest-mileage example anywhere in the world has come up for sale. With just 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) on the odometer that claim is likely to be accurate, at least if we discount the … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the one car enthusiast tourist thing you must do before you die?
Today is Industrial Tourism Day in Japan, an occasion that sounds a lot more boring than it is. Started by the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce, it asks people to explore the ingenuity and craftsmanship that may lurk behind the scenes … Continue reading
This 400,000-mile Acura NSX’s owner is our new hero
When it comes to classics, bone stock examples with as few miles as possible are always going to fetch the most coin. But there is another way to live, and that is by putting the most damn miles a person … Continue reading
Sadly, Netflix’s Kate is not about kaido racers
You may have seen a trailer for a relatively new action movie on Netfllix named Kate, in which a pink kaido racer speed through the streets of Tokyo. The right car will definitely draw us into a film, and a … Continue reading
Honda brings out all the classics in new ad, “The Origin of Determination”
Every once in a while Honda will put out an ad that reaches deep into its past and pull out all the classics. Sometimes the results are downright beautiful, sometimes they’re terrible. The latest one, released today, falls somewhere in … Continue reading
Posted in cm
Tagged acura, civic, Civic EG, Civic Type R, crx, Dream D-Type, Element, honda, Honda N-Series, McLaren Honda MP4/4, nsx, ra272, Ridgeline, s2000, S500/S600/S800, sb1, t360, vamos
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QotW: What’s your favorite JNC work vehicle?
Today is Driver’s Day in Japan, an occasion to honor the professionals who operate the trucks, buses, and taxis that make the economy hum. It takes place on October 18 every year, because an alternate pronunciation of the numbers “ten, … Continue reading
Reborn Acura Integra’s manual transmission confirmed
Stick shifters, rejoice! The 2022 Acura Integra will have a manual gearbox. Acura revealed the teaser in a clever video titled “Generational Shift” that depicted the standard transmissions (remember when they were called that?) of all past Integra models, including … Continue reading
The Twilight Express Mizukaze is the Toyota Century of trains
Today is Railway Day in Japan, established to commemorate the opening of the country’s first rail line, which connected Tokyo and Yokohama on October 14, 1872. Nearly 50 years later and exactly 100 years ago today, on October 14, 1921, … Continue reading
