Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Before Toyota sells you its next supercar, it wants to know if you’ve ever owned a 2000GT
This year the FIA plans to kick off new Le Mans Hypercar class and Toyota will be there, ready and waiting with its Gazoo Racing Super Sport. The class homologation rules require 20 road cars to be built, and Toyota’s … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Mami Ayukawa, singer and racing driver
Mami Ayukawa is probably best known as a singer, but she was also a well-known racing driver in her time. She holds an FIA A-class racing license and competed in numerous races in Japan throughout the late 80s and early … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite automotive game?
Coming this week is March 10 (aka Mar 10, aka Mario Day), and 2021 also happens to be the 40th anniversary year for Nintendo’s plumber mascot. In the decades since his debut in Donkey Kong games have had a huge … Continue reading
MINICARS: There’s a very good reason why this Toyoda AA model from the Toyota Automobile Museum costs ¥3,350
If you’ve been to the Toyota Automobile Museum’s gift shop, perhaps you’ve seen a 1:43 scale model of the company’s first production car, the 1936 Toyoda AA. It’s available in two colors and you can buy it for ¥3,350 (approx. … Continue reading
Happy Z31 Day from JNC
Nissan cruelly left out the Z31 from the lineup when they talked about the Z Proto’s design inspirations last year. Don’t worry, Z31 stans. There’s a whole day devoted to celebrating the third-generation Nissan Z, and that’s today, 3/1. We’ll … Continue reading
QotW: How did you learn to drive a manual?
The conventional wisdom is that Americans don’t buy manual transmission cars. While that’s largely true for vehicles like a Nissan Sentra, it turns out Americans do overwhelmingly prefer stick-shifts when the right car comes along. For example, 90 percent of … Continue reading
VIDEO: Chip Foose reimagines the AW11 Toyota MR2
We recently learned about Chip Foose’s new video series, in which he applies his designer’s touch to popular classics, when he drew his interpretation of an FJ40 Land Cruiser. Turns out, he drew an AW11 Toyota MR2 as well, reimagining … Continue reading
ART CORNER: Takashi Matsuyama’s Motor Panic
Takashi Matsuyama is a Japanese artist that creates wonderfully rich automotive landscapes in his art. Densely packed with cars, pop culture references, and easter eggs galore, his works are like a vehicular Where’s Waldo? Many of his illustrations were supposed … Continue reading
MINICARS: Help us identify this grotesque Datsun 240Z toy car
Recently we received a bizarre toy that has us puzzled. It looks like a Datsun 240Z or S30 Nissan Fairlady Z that, instead of rolling on four wheels (which it has), walks on human feet. There are a few markings … Continue reading
QotW: What do you actually drive?
Self-described car enthusiasts on the internet love to tell car companies what kind of cars should be made. And if all of them really put their money where their keyboards are, the world would be flush with 400-horsepower manual sports … Continue reading
There’s a Honda Civic on the cover of Stephen King’s new book
We don’t know anything about horror master Stephen King’s new book, Later, except that there’s an early first-generation Honda Civic on the cover. We can’t seem to find out if the car is even in the story, but King has … Continue reading
Posted in Books
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VIDEO: The 1990 Isuzu Impulse deserved better
The second-generation Isuzu Impulse never got enough love. It was cheap, but not quite cheap enough. It was sporty, but not quite sporty enough, especially compared to the competition from Honda or Toyota. Isuzu was more of a truck brand … Continue reading
Restoration of the Mazda 737C Le Mans race car has begun
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Mazda 787B’s historic win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the occasion one of its predecessors, the 1985 737C, is undergoing restoration. Last week in Hiroshima, technicians began disassembling … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 737C, mazda, Takashi Yorino, yojiro terada, Yoshimi Katayama
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Dreams and Sawzalls: How the Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder was made
The Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder was the first modern car to offer a power folding hardtop convertible roof. The option was a big deal in 1995, adding anywhere from $22,000, or the price of a new Acura Integra, to the cost … Continue reading
QotW: What would you have bought if you were rich in 1990?
Today, Japan’s Nikkei stock index surpassed 30,000 for the first time in over three decades. The last time it was that high was August 1990, right before the bursting of the asset bubble, an event that would slowly sap the … Continue reading
Happy Presidents Day from JNC
Announced at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, the Nissan President was the pinnacle of luxury. It offered more cabin room than the flagship car named after a US president whom we are actually honoring today, the Lincoln Continental (by 1.6 … Continue reading
A train station in Japan now plays the Seibu Keisatsu theme song
Starting February 20 of this year, Kokuryo Station, located in Chōfu, Tokyo, will adopt the Seibu Keisatsu theme song as one of its platform jingles. The change is a tribute to Ishihara Pro, the production company responsible for some of … Continue reading
Get an Okayama Circuit license as a reward for paying taxes
The city of Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, is offering one of the best citizenship benefits we’ve ever seen. The hometown of Okayama Circuit has begun offering residents a circuit license to drive on the famed race track as a reward for … Continue reading
