Author Archives: Ben Hsu
SEMA SPOTLIGHT: Daniel Wu’s show-stopping Honda S800
Even with countless companies spending big bucks, it’s hard to find anything truly stunning at SEMA anymore. The race to outdo each other and grab eyeballs, has resulted in some high-dollar builds, but when everything is extreme, nothing is. It’s … Continue reading
SEMA 2019: Finally, you can get an inexpensive ultra-wide bosozoku tire in the US
One of the most unexpected treats of the SEMA Show was the surprise appearance of Banzai Sports’ Bluebird SSS Sanitora. We first spotted this eye-catching ute at the Tokyo Auto Salon in 2018 and were extremely taken by it. Half … Continue reading
VIDEO: Behold the now-extinct B11 Nissan Sentra hatchback
The B12 Nissan Sentra didn’t really make shockwaves in the American car market, but according to Motorweek, it was once the best-selling import in the US. Not only that, but the car review program actually named the Sentra their top … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the last car you will ever own?
This week’s QotW can be read any number of ways. Our younger readers will likely witness the dusk of the traditional human-driven car in their lifetimes, or at least the end of the internal combustion engine. Older ones are paring … Continue reading
Happy 117 Day from JNC
The Giugiaro-designed Isuzu 117 was so beautiful that when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, it won the Concours D’Elegance at the event, likely a first for a Japanese car. Today, November 7, is the day when … Continue reading
SEMA 2019, Part 01 — Japanese Hot Rods
When there are 2,400 companies and 2.2 million square feet of exhibits, limits are constantly pushed in order to garner attention. It can result in show cars that are insanely expensive but absent of taste. Still, there can be gems … Continue reading
QotW: Share with us your JNC selling stories
Sometimes you just have to part with your beloved automobile. Whether it’s financial hardships, a life change, the fact that you’ve simply done all you can do, or a simple loss of interest, it’s time to pass it on to … Continue reading
Here’s how Nissan can make reproduction body panels for the Skyline GT-R
When Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to announce it would start making parts for the restoration of classics — the R32, R33, and R34 Skyline GT-R, specifically — we were pretty impressed. When it said that the program had … Continue reading
Japan’s postal service celebrates 50 years of the Z with stamps, postcards
The Nissan Fairlady Z celebrated their 50th anniversary earlier this month, and the country’s official postal service is honoring the milestone. Japan Post has issued a stamp and postcard set commemorating half a century of Nissan’s revolutionary sports car.
Posted in News
Tagged 240z, 240Z/260Z/280Z, 280zx, 300zx, 350z, 370z, datsun, fairlady z, japan post, nissan, s130, s30 z, z31, z32, z33, z34
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MOTORSPORT: RealTime Racing Integra Type R restored (and raced)
“Between 1997 and 2002 the Acura Integra Type R dominated the Speed Touring Car Championship,” says Peter Cunningham. The founder of RealTime Racing and prolific Honda/Acura racer and collector would know. “RealTime won five of the six championships, and no … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged acura, honda, integra, Integra DC, Integra Type R, Peter Cunningham, RealTime Racing
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Tokyo Motor Show: A history of Honda in rap
For the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda released a rap video titled “The Power of Dreams.” We don’t know why, except that it was a collab between Honda and the Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, in which they shout out … Continue reading
50 YEAR CLUB: Nissan Fairlady Z / Datsun 240Z
Fifty years ago today at The Pierre hotel in New York City, the automotive world was forever changed when Nissan unveiled the Datsun 240Z. The occasion was the car’s international press launch, where Western journalists got to see the game-changing … Continue reading
Posted in 50 Year Club
Tagged 240z, 240Z/260Z/280Z, datsun, fairlady z, nissan, s30 z, Yoshihiko Matsuo, yutaka katayama
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QotW: Will the sport compact style make a nostalgic comeback?
Ah, the late-90s. You know the style: retina searing paint, aftermarket roll call down the door, a wing that could double as a dining surface, unpainted carbon fiber proudly on display, Kanji that looked like the default font from a … Continue reading
The new Lupin III trailer has Bluebird-Cedric police cars
There’s a new Lupin III movie coming out, and the latest trailer shows a car chase with some classic Japanese police cars. At first glance they appear to be 510 Bluebird Coupes, but of course, it would be kind of … Continue reading
