Author Archives: Ben Hsu
VIDEO: Why the Isuzu museum in Japan has a Chevy in it
Despite its prowess in building large industrial trucks for any type of terrain, Isuzu was never truly able to succeed in the domestic truck and SUV market. They never were able to challenge the like of the Land Cruisers, Patrols … Continue reading
A treasure trove of rare FD Mazda RX-7 parts has been found, but what does it mean?
Over the weekend, a Mazda RX-7 hoarder’s treasure trove was unearthed and shown to the world. Owned by an FD3S enthusiast from Kansas who’d recently passed away, the collection was purchased by an Oklahoma man named Lucas Fletcher who began … Continue reading
The Mazda MX-5 Miata’s reproduction parts are now available in Europe
One of Mazda’s biggest gifts to motoring enthusiasts was when it announced a Roadster Restore program in Japan, bringing NA Eunos Roadsters back to factory fresh and offering a slate of official reproduction parts. Then Mazda brought the parts to … Continue reading
VIDEO: This Datsun Z’s first wash in 44 years is extremely satisfying to watch
Barn finds are great, especially if the car in question has only 350 miles on it. Not so great is the cleaning process required to wash a car that has been sitting for 44 years. The original owner of a … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC would you choose for surviving the zombie apocalypse?
It’s almost Halloween, a time for celebrating the spooky and ghoulish, and this year feels particularly endtimey. What if there was a different sort of pandemic, one where anyone who caught the virus turned into a brain-gobbling savage? There’d likely … Continue reading
VIDEO: Mazda tells its 100-year history with its most significant classics
As part of its continuing celebration of its 100th anniversary, Mazda has produced a short film covering its most significant classic models. Beautifully shot with a 15-minute runtime, it covers the company’s early history before delving into several milestone cars … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 3-wheel truck, Automobile Council, cosmo sport, familia, Familia BD, Ikuo Maeda, luce, mazda, miata, Miata NA, mx-5, r360, rx-7
5 Comments
VIDEO: The Isuzu Bellel was far from great, but good enough
In the early 1960s, as Japan’s automotive market was heating up, Isuzu decided to forge its own path with a full-size, six-seater sedan. Notably, the Isuzu Bellel was Japan’s first sedan with a 2.0-liter engine and Japan’s first diesel passenger … Continue reading
Posted in Video
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JNC THEATER: Here’s the car chase from the new Lupin III movie
The first computer-animated Lupin III movie arrives in US theaters this week. The film looks beautifully rendered, and promises all the madcap shenanigans that generations of viewers have grown up loving. Cars have always been a big part of the … Continue reading
VIDEO: If you love Toyota Celicas, look away from this Pro/Celebrity race
For three decades, Toyota sponsored an annual automotive carnage-fest known as the Pro/Celebrity Race. It gathered a bunch of drivers, some who were actual professional racers and some who were movie and television… well, stars, might be too strong a … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged celica, long beach grand prix, Motorweek, T180, toyota, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
6 Comments
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show: Editors’ Picks
In a historically unusual year, the Japanese Classic Car Show managed to pull off an event that managed to capture the same sense of community that the physical provides in spades. Not only that, but they’ve even welcomed more enthusiasts … Continue reading
QotW: What cars bookended your favorite era of Japanese cars?
There’s a lot of talk these days about whether we have passed the golden age of the automobile, and what the future of transport will bring. While technological improvements in safety, efficiency, and performance are hard to argue with, many … Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 — Finale
We have arrived at the finale of the 2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, the awards section. In a normal year, this would take place at the end of the show, at the main stage. Winners would be called up and … Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — More 90s
Today is the final day of the 2020 JCCS, a virtual show known as World Matsuri Week. Once again it focuses on what many consider the golden age of Japanese cars, the 1990s. Sponsored by Toyota, the episode rounds out … Continue reading
VIDEO: Feast your eyes on this 30th anniversary Honda NSX development film
The 30th anniversary of the production NSX took place last month, and Honda is releasing some excellent content to celebrate this phenomenal machine. Last night, a video showing the development of the NSX dropped. And even though we can’t understand … Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 — 90s
For the next installment of the 2020 JCCS World Matsuri Week virtual show, we are entering the final era that can reasonably called a classic. The 1990s was when Japan’s car scene peaked internationally, so it features an interesting mix … Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — More 80s
Here’s the fifth installment of JCCS 2020, sponsored by Honda. It’s a great episode with some JDM gems and an evergreen collection of AE86s, CRXes, MR2s, and Preludes from around the world. And, if you want to participate in the … Continue reading
Honda made a whole video just to support JCCS
It’s no secret that 2020 has been hard on car shows. Because we help out our friends at JCCS, we are privy to some of the behind-the-scenes goings on this year. And let us just say, it has not been … Continue reading
Posted in jccs
Tagged accord, Accord 1G, acura, civic, Civic EA, Civic Type R, honda, prelude, Prelude 4g, S500/S600/S800
4 Comments
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — 80s
In the fourth installment of this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show, machinery from the 1980s takes center stage. For many, this is the peak era of Japanese cars, and should be an exciting episode. This segment is sponsored by Yokohama … Continue reading
