Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What theft prevention measures do you take for your car?
The theft of a Hakosuka Skyline last week left the JNC world in a bit of a panic. Of course we have been accustomed to bandits wreaking havoc in the select communities, but to target a very specific, 50-year-old car … Continue reading
Toyotafest is happening but everyone, including spectators, must pre-register
Great news! The City of Long Beach has given Toyotafest the green light, meaning the year-long nightmare of no official car shows may soon be over. However, there will be some major change that will affect everyone who attends, so … Continue reading
These Mazda rotary facemask holders are the latest from a Japanese jewelry company that makes car-themed bling
The year-plus-long hell that the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned some interesting products. For example, Japanese jewelry company Jerev has made a facemask holder in the shape of a Mazda rotary engine rotor. Basically, The flat side sticks to your dash, … Continue reading
A 93-year-old grandpa driving his Mazda RX-7 in a video game takes internet by storm
A 93-year old Japanese man playing racing games on his grandson’s computer has gone viral. YouTuber Olivin Corp created a channel featuring his gearhead grandpa at the helm of various virtual cars four months ago. and the most heartwarming video … Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
Tagged fairlady z, mazda, nissan, rx-7, s30 z, sa22c, wangan midnight
3 Comments
The Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins trailer gets Japanese cars right
Hollywood movies often get car scenes wrong, but especially when the setting is in Japan. Typically they just sprinkle in some a Nissan Figaro in the background or set up a parking garage drift in Los Angeles that stands in … Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater
Tagged 4runner, celsior, century, crown, Hilux Surf, lexus, Lexus LS, Snake Eyes, toyota, vip
6 Comments
QotW: What automotive stuff do you hoard?
Today is National Pack Rat Day, a day to recognize the dreaded hoarder. If you’re into old cars, you probably a stash of parts, memorabilia, or actual vehicles somewhere. Whether it’s out of necessity for backups, reassurance for just-in-case scenarios, … Continue reading
VIDEO: A British-built Acura Legend just wasn’t the same
In 1987 the Austin Rover Group embarked on an interesting experiment. They would sell Acura Legend-based luxury sedans with Honda guts. Everything else would be developed in-house, and the result would be unleashed on an unsuspecting American public as the … Continue reading
Suzuki surpasses milestone of 25 million kei cars sold
It’s taken 65 years and 7 months, but Suzuki announced on May 11 that it has sold 25 million kei cars. That’s not a huge number compared to, say, the Toyota Corolla, which has sold over 44 million of a … Continue reading
Mitsubishi Motors announces Ralliart revival
Japanese companies are in the midst of releasing their fiscal year financial reports right now. These are typically pretty boring investor briefs, but on May 11 Mitsubishi Motors divulged an interesting tidbit in theirs — that it plans to revive … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged lancer evolution, mitsubishi, Ralliart, rally, starion, Triton
6 Comments
Toyota’s Megaweb garage takes in an MZ11 Soarer
After thoroughly restoring two iconic Nissans, the restoration pit at the Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom in Tokyo has finally taken in a car from the home team. The car in question is an 1981 Toyota Soarer 2800GT, resplendent in a two-tone … Continue reading
QotW: Are JNC prices getting out of control?
We’ve seen JNC prices on the rise for several years now, but within the past year or two there’s been an even sharper uptick. Celica Liftbacks are selling for $62,000. Datsun 240Zs are selling for over $100,000. An AE86 Corolla … Continue reading
Mitsubishi UK’s auction breaks world record for Lancer Evolution sale
We were saddened last month to learn that Mitsubishi UK was selling off its entire heritage fleet, a result of the company pulling out of the UK market altogether. Some of its cars had been part of the collection for … Continue reading
Posted in marketwatch
Tagged 3000GT, galant, gto, lancer, lancer evolution, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Jeep, mitsubishi type a, pajero, starion, Tommi Mäkinen
4 Comments
QotW: What would you do if you were Akio Toyoda?
Today is Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s 65th birthday. So, first of all, happy birthday, Toyoda-san! It’s a notable age, because in the US it was once the traditional age at which one receives a gold watch and rides off into … Continue reading
Nissan is restoring the beloved Y31 Cima of actress Kazue Itoh
Last October Japanese actress Kazue Itoh caused a bit of a stir among her fans when she posted a photo of her car on Instagram. They were surprised to see the star driving a 30-year-old Nissan Cima that she’s owned … Continue reading
Posted in Restoration
Tagged autech, C33, Cima, Kazue Itoh, laurel, N12, nissan, pulsar exa, r32, skyline, y31
12 Comments
QotW: How do you feel about car investors and flippers?
Japanese cars have been rising sharply in price in recent years and that’s attracted all kinds of buyers. That includes those who make a hobby (or living) out of finding nice examples and selling them for profit. On the one … Continue reading
Isuzu once made a J-body with a ceramic diesel hybrid engine for the Tokyo Motor Show
Every Earth Day we highlight a hybrid or alternative fuel concept car from Japan’s past. Back in 1985, long before the Prius was a twinkle in Toyota’s eye, Isuzu revealed a hybrid compact sedan at the Tokyo Motor Show. The … Continue reading
Transformers to release an updated, more realistic Honda City robot
The character named Skids was not a very memorable one from the original Transformers lineup. We honestly can’t remember anything he did in the cartoon series. But, he was a Honda City hatchback in car mode, something we didn’t really … Continue reading
