Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What’s the scariest thing you’ve discovered while working on your car?
Since we in California are under “shelter in place” orders due to the coronavirus, I decided to spend some much-needed time making a bit of headway in my multiple project cars. About a year ago I picked up an FZJ80 … Continue reading
VIDEO: Watch Tim Allen try to identify a Mazda Cosmo Sport while blindfolded
On Jay Leno’s Garage, there’s apparently a recurring segment where the prolific car collector puts blindfolds on his fellow showbiz car guy friends and makes them guess what car they’re riding in. In a recent clip Tim Allen, star and … Continue reading
Honda has brought back the Trail Cub
At the Tokyo Motor Show last year Honda showed a cool little concept bike that looked like a revival of the 1980 CT110. Also known as Trail Cub or Hunter Cub, the original was a more rugged version of the … Continue reading
Posted in Motorcycles
Tagged CT110, CT125, honda, Hunter Cub, Motorcycle, super cub, Trail Cub
9 Comments
VIDEO: In post-Maria Puerto Rico, cars still shine
Even though it’s about the size of Connecticut, and despite a devastating hurricane just two years ago, Puerto Rico has a thriving car scene. It’s downright amazing what enthusiasts on the small island territory are able to accomplish, considering the … Continue reading
QotW: What shot of a JNC will be forever seared into your brain?
Today is the birthday of one of the greatest humans ever to work behind a camera, director Akira Kurosawa. If he were alive today, Kurosawa would be 110 years old. Film (and digital) shots, whether still or moving, can make … Continue reading
Nissan has trademarked a retro logo for the next Z; could it be electrified?
Nissan has filed trademark applications in at least three countries for a new Z logo. For Zed heads waiting for a new Z, this alone would cast a ray of hope for a next-generation Z, but there’s one aspect that’s … Continue reading
VIDEO: There’s no need for austerity measures when you’re driving the T12 Nissan Stanza
The T12 Nissan Stanza was called the Nissan Auster in Japan, but even if you owned this sub-Maxima compact it didn’t necessarily mean you were living in austerity. It offered styling and features above its station in the Nissan lineup, … Continue reading
Good guy Nissan offers virtual tour of Zama warehouse during corona virus quarantine
Nissan knows people are staying home to prevent the spread of the corona virus. So, to keep us occupied, it’s going to offer a live two-hour virtual tour of its heritage collection, otherwise known as the Zama warehouse, of 400-plus … Continue reading
VIDEO: The Ford Probe was a more futuristic looking Mazda MX-6
The Ford Probe is now largely forgotten, but even at the height of its popularity it was mostly known as the butt of jokes about its orifice-seeking name. Developed during Ford’s ownership of Mazda, it shared a platform with the … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your JNC project until this whole coronavirus thing blows over?
Many places around the world are shutting down because of the COVID-19, a.k.a. the coronavirus. Though the virus has nothing to do with vintage Toyotas, this is an excellent time to get some work done on your JNC project if … Continue reading
Toyota revives the Black Limited 86
At the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, Toyota unveiled a close-to-production concept of a special edition 86 called the Black Limited. A throwback to one of the most desirable AE86 special editions of all time, it seemed to signal an … Continue reading
JNC LIBRARY: A must-have book for the Isuzu aficionado
If you’re a hard-core enthusiast, or even just a casual fan, of Isuzus, the the new book A History of Isuzu Passenger Cars by Setsuo Toma should be in your library. As the title implies, it spans the entire run … Continue reading
Akio Toyoda celebrates Lexus’ 30th anniversary with a champagne glass throwback to the original LS
How does one celebrate a milestone anniversary? If you’re Lexus, it’s with champagne… glasses in the form of a tower on the hood of an LS. One of the most famous car commercials of the 1990s was Balance, the spot … Continue reading
Toyota closes museums, Megaweb, for coronavirus
COVID-19 is no laughing matter, but sometimes the jokes write themselves. Toyota has closed several of its facilities in Japan, including the Toyota Automobile Museum and Megaweb showroom, due to the coronavirus.
Mazda brings back the 93LE Miata’s black and red for a limited Eunos Edition ND
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has had many, many limited and special editions, but one of the most beloved is the 93LE. As the enthusiast-coined name implies, it came out in 1993 (1992 for Japan) and wore a distinctive black-with-red-interior color … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC model deserves its own museum?
Most automakers have their own museums that showcase the history of the entire marque, but last week we wrote about an entire museum dedicated to one model, the Suzuki Jimny. Typically, to warrant its own museum the model would have … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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COLLECTIONS: By opening the Jimny Museum, Shigeru Onoue achieved his dream
The Jimny Museum in Japan was not officially established by Suzuki. Instead, the two story shrine to the country’s favorite mini 4WD truck was the obsession of one 72-year-old man, Shigeru Onoue, who has devoted his life to this single … Continue reading
Posted in Collections
Tagged Apio, HopeStar, jimny, Jimny Museum, lj10, lj20, Osamu Suzuki, samurai, sj10, sj20, SJ30, suzuki
6 Comments
