Author Archives: Ben Hsu

VIDEO: Travel through time with these defining moments in Mazda’s 100-year history

As you may have heard, Mazda is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, and they have created a little video showcasing the company’s “defining moments”. It’s short, but cleverly blends archival footage with modern, to give the impression that you … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Here’s your classic Toyota papercraft

If you’ve ever visited the Toyota Automobile Museum, you may be familiar with the exclusive papercraft they give away at the info desk. It changes every so often, so you’ll never get the same one twice. Well, the museum has … Continue reading

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Next-gen Nissan “480Z” and design detail rumors

More dispatches about the next Nissan Z are coming through the grapevine. The latest is that the Z35 will spawn a high-performance version called the 480Z, and the number will refer not to the engine displacement, but its power output. … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: Watch these old Nissans dominate Fuji Speedway

If you’ve ever wondered why Nissan has such a strong following among Japanese enthusiasts, this video snapshot from 1970-71 explains it all. Nissans of all types dominate the field in two major races from those years. Though this was likely … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the best way to make progress on your project car?

There are many hurdles to moving forward on a big project. In the past year, my wife and I bought a house, moved, and had a baby. I waited a long time to have my own garage space but now … Continue reading

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VIDEO: And now for your viewing pleasure, Hakosuka drift!

We were quite taken by this Hakosuka when we came across it in 2016, even though it might just be one of the rattiest examples to set a wheel into a car show. But, there’s a reason for its battle-scarred … Continue reading

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Happy TE51 Day from JNC

One of the oddest Corolla body styles must have been the SR-5 Liftback, or what hipsters today would call a shooting brake. Essentially, it’s a wagon, but sporty because it has two doors. I still see one in my neighborhood … Continue reading

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Toyotafest 2020 has been canceled, but you can still get these 50th anniversary of the Celica T-Shirts

We are sad to report that Toyotafest 2020 has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show, originally scheduled for June 6, was to be the 25th annual Toyotafest, a momentous occasion to be sure. So, while quarter-century celebration … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Ease your quarantine blues with an official Mazda coloring book

Automakers continue to find new ways to help us deal with being stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Mazda’s latest scheme to help us kill some time is a downloadable coloring book that features seven of their landmark cars.

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VIDEO: Every Honda S-car, driving

Every iteration of Honda’s S-series cars has been a hoot to drive. In a newly released video, the Honda Collection Hall in at Twin Ring Motegi compiles runs by each of their S roadsters around the narrow footpath behind the … Continue reading

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Watch all six episodes of Honda’s history as told by manga

Honda has re-released its full six-part cartoon history video series, told with manga panels. The series is based on the m the Shogakukan manga series about company founder Soichiro Honda. Though Honda has released the videos piecemeal before, the old … Continue reading

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Check out Isuzu City, the mind-blowing miniature town that is Japan’s largest diorama

Goodbye forever, readers. We at JNC have decided to move to a place in Japan where there are plenty of nostalgic cars, clean streets, and barely any traffic. It’s Isuzu City, population 3,300, located inside the Isuzu Plaza museum in … Continue reading

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There was a Subaru 360 on The Sopranos, youse guys

Last week we asked what show had the best background JNCs. I had no idea at the time that I would find one of Japan’s iconic kei cars on HBO’s groundbreaking Y2K-era mobster drama, The Sopranos.

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QotW: Do you have any fond memories of the Lexus GS?

We learned Friday that Lexus has killed off the GS name. It had been rumored for a while, and at the same time models like the ES are getting big enough to step on the GS’s toes. Plus, there’s that … Continue reading

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The Lexus GS is no more.

Lexus has announced it is ending the GS nameplate. The Grand Sedan is no more. Sales for the luxury sedan have been slow as people move towards crossovers instead. It also spells doom for the wonderful 467-horsepower, naturally aspirated, V8-powered … Continue reading

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You can get the old Suzuki Jimny’s graphics on a new Suzuki Jimny

Not only is the Suzuki Jimny is one of the hottest new cars you can buy in Japan right  now, but it’s one that’s ripe for modification. From functional off-road equipment to appearance packages, there’s tons of options available in … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Here’s some classic Mazdas you can build out of paper

Carmakers have been coming up with creative ways to keep us occupied during the time of corona. The latest is Mazda’s recent release of papercraft cars marking its 100th anniversary. Specifically, they are the white and red Mazda R360 Coupé … Continue reading

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CONCEPT CARS: 1991 Honda EP-X

Here at JNC, we have an Earth Day tradition where we dig deep into the memory banks to highlight an environmentally themed, often bizarre concept. This time around, we’d like to draw your attention to the alien-looking 1991 Honda EP-X.

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VIDEO: More of the Daihatsu museum in a virtual tour

Daihatsu has uploaded more videos continuing the virtual tour of curiously named Humobility World, the company’s museum in Osaka. In part one, we saw the earliest Daihatsu products, a 5,842-pound diesel engine that’s likely the heaviest thing in Humobility World, … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Stave off coronavirus boredom with an official Nissan coloring book

The time of coronavirus can be scary and boring, but being forced to quarantine can spawn creativity as well. Case in point. Nissan employees have been working from home for weeks now, and the quarantining designers have used some of … Continue reading

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