Author Archives: Ben Hsu
TUNE UP: J Cole’s “Fire Squad” video features the sweet sound of AE86s revving and drifting
Rapper J Cole’s triple-platinum album 2014 Forest Hills Drive came out six years ago, but a previously unseen music video for the track “Fire Squad” was just released. It prominently features a pair of drifting Toyota AE86 coupes sending up … Continue reading
The legendary Toyota plant that built the AE86, Mark II, and Century is now closed
On December 7 Toyota held a closing ceremony for its Higashi Fuji plant. Today, all production lines will be shut down and the factory closed for good. The 53-year-old facility has produced some of Toyota’s most iconic models, including the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged ae86, century, chaser, corolla levin, cressida, cresta, Crown Comfort, Isis, JPN Taxi, lexus sc, mark II, origin, Porte, soarer, sports 800, toyota, x30, x60
6 Comments
The Nissan Skyline wins Japan Naming Award despite controversy about name origins
Naming a car can be difficult. Just ask the folks who came up with the Mitsubishi Pajero or the Buick Lacrosse (both of which turned out to mean wanker in other languages). There are also the unintentionally funny ones given … Continue reading
VIDEO: Was the Camry really that boring?
The Toyota Camry often gets a bad rap for being boring, but it’s really not a bad car. That is especially true when talking about the XV10 chassis, sold in the US from 1991-96, and we’re not even talking about … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
13 Comments
NISMO launches bare-metal, balanced-chassis, nut-and-bolt restoration program for Nissan Skyline GT-R
NISMO has announced an unprecedented restoration program for the renowned Nissan Skyline GT-R. It will soon be possible to take a car down to bare metal, balance the chassis, and rebuild its mechanical and electrical components and come back with … Continue reading
VIDEO: Fun facts about classic Mazdas, depending on your definition of fun
Mazda UK has released a series of videos issuing “fun facts” about classic Mazdas. To be honest, it’s a bit of a stretch to call these facts “fun” unless you find scintillating tidbits such as “Mazda first used the 929 … Continue reading
VIDEO: The hand-built 117 Coupé was easier for the Isuzu Museum to restore than a lowly pickup
The most heralded passenger car from Isuzu’s portfolio of classics is the 117 Coupé.Marketed as a flagship luxury GT, it was very much an image car intended to put Isuzu on the map against the Toyotas and Princes of 1960s … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: The Raybrig NSX finished its final race in a jaw-dropping blaze of glory
For nearly 25 years, the Raybrig NSX has been a fixture in the Japan Grand Touring Championships. In the heyday of JGTC, the striking blue racing machine was one of the most recognizable on the track. Over the weekend, however, … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged acura, honda, Jenson Button, JGTC, kunimitsu takahashi, nsx, SuperGT
6 Comments
50 YEAR CLUB: The Toyota Celica, a pivotal player in Japan’s car culture
Fifty years ago this day, on December 1 1970, the first Toyota Celica went on sale in Japan. It proved to be a groundbreaking car, the first of Japan’s production “specialty cars”, fashionable personal coupes based on a sedan chassis. … Continue reading
Posted in 50 Year Club
Tagged a10, a20, carina, celica, fuji speedway, tokyo motor show, toyota
19 Comments
MINICARS: How to turn a Hot Wheels Nissan Skyline into a kaido racer
There’s a whole subculture of customized Hot Wheels and, as it happens, an ever-growing list of Japanese castings. That gives ample opportunity to create something cool from Japan’s rich car culture, like this Kenmeri Skyline kaido racer. It’s hard to … Continue reading
VIDEO: Nissan Z Proto designers talk about what inspired them
The Nissan Z Proto’s design leads, Executive Design Director Satoru Tai and Senior VP of Global Design Alfonso Albaisa, both have a strong love for Z-cars and worked on past Z generations. Tai said he in fact wanted to be … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged Alfonso Albaisa, fairlady z, nissan, s130, s30 z, Satoru Tai, Z Proto, z32, z33, z34, Z35
9 Comments
VIDEO: The Isuzu Rodeo was cheap but cool
If you were a teenager in the late 80s or early 90s, wanting an Isuzu more than anything in the world was not an odd thing. Dealerships were lined with sleek Impulses and colorful Amigos. The coolest kid in my high … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC things are you thankful for this year?
It’s almost Thanksgiving in a crazy, tumultuous, and strange year. But if there’s one thing that can keep us sane, it’s our JNCs. Cars have no idea what ails the world. The friends we make, the experiences we have, and … Continue reading
Toyota will drown 65 years of history and tradition in a shallow bathtub by discontinuing the Crown sedan
It’s been a hard year and we’re so close to the finish line. Before it leaves us, though, 2020 is going to deliver one last sucker punch to the gut. The Chunichi Shimbun newspaper reports that Toyota will kill off … Continue reading
The Toyota Automobile Museum has opened a “Motorsport Biography” exhibit
“A harsh environment of competition toughens our people and cars,” said Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda once said. It’s a quote framing the Toyota Automobile Museum in Aichi, Japan’s newly opened an exhibit highlighting some of the company’s historic race … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 89C, celica, crown, imsa, mobilgas trial, s30, T165, TF109, toyota, toyota 7, Toyota Automobile Muesum, TS020
7 Comments
MINICARS: The classic Tomica Building playset updated and re-released for 50th anniversary
Originally released in 1971, the Tomica Building was one of the most popular and iconic playsets from the diecast company’s early years. The palm-sized diecast cars that had debuted in 1970 had turned out to be a big success, so … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan may sell its stake in Mitsubishi Motors
It seemed like just yesterday that Nissan took a controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Now, some insiders are saying that it’s looking to abandon the project like a crank-walked Eclipse. It’s no secret that Nissan is hemorrhaging cash, a one-two … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite JNC fast food story?
Today, November 16, is National Fast Food Day. While I generally try to avoid the stuff for health reasons, there’s one situation where I give myself á la carte blanche: road trips. Whether it’s picking up a Craigslist score, cannonballing … Continue reading
