Author Archives: Ben Hsu
There’s an elephant in the room and it’s a Toyota 2000GT
Pat Goss, the Bob Ross of car repair, has been a staple of Maryland Public Television forever. Their names even kind of sound the same. In a recent episode, Goss is showing off a new parts cleaner while a Toyota … Continue reading
This awesome vintage motorcycle event but with cars, please
Even without a ton of knowledge about motorcycles, we can probably all agree that the Legend of Classic is a cool event. Held at Japan’s Tsukuba Circuit and Fuji Speedway, the vintage motorcycle racing event’s self-described philosophy is this: “To … Continue reading
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Circuit Wolf author Satoshi Ikezawa
If you’re wondering why Japan seems to have an inordinate number of Lotus Europas, the answer can be found in Satoshi Ikezawa’s Circuit Wolf. From January 1975 to June 1979, the wildly popular manga was one of the many car-themed … Continue reading
Posted in manga
Tagged 2000gt, 240zg, a20, celica, circuit wolf, cosmo sport, europa, fairlady z, Fairlady Z432, ferrari, Lamboghini, lotus, Maserati, mazda, nissan, porsche, rx-2, rx-3, sunny, toyota, toyota 7, ts cup
3 Comments
Even Honda yearns for its heyday with a 20th Anniversary S2000 and EK9 Civic for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon
It’s hard to believe but the Honda S2000 is 20 years old (For reference, when JNC started the AE86 was 21 years old, and it felt ancient). At the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon in January, Honda will be revealing a … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged civic, Civic Type R, EK9, honda, s2000, stepwgn, tokyo auto salon
5 Comments
QotW: If you could own a Japanese race car from any era, what would it be?
Race cars. Purposeful, raw, historic. We recently learned that Subaru WRC rally cars were going to be restored for anyone lucky enough to own one. They seem like a thrill to drive. That would be a completely logical pick from … Continue reading
JNC THEATER: Shelby American
Ford v. Ferrari might be the biggest car movie out right now, but there’s an even better one currently playing on Netflix — and it’s non-fiction. Shelby American is the latest release by Chassy Media, the production company of Adam … Continue reading
Posted in JNC Theater
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, carroll shelby, dan gurney, ferrari, ford, john morton, John Surtees, motosport, peter brock, Shelby Cobra, Shelby Daytona Coupe
8 Comments
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Mazda Roadster in Japan
While we were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Mazda Miata in the US at Laguna Seca, Roadster owners in Japan had their own shindig. Held at Mazda’s Miyoshi Proving Grounds, the event drew 2,200 cars and 3,500 fans of … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged eunos roadster, mazda, miata, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, miyoshi proving grounds, mx-5
2 Comments
QotW: What’s your ultimate SUV restomod project?
Last week Acura unveiled a very cool thing: a restomodded SLX with a modern RDX engine and drivetrain. It was clever, challenging, and unexpected — all the hallmarks of a great build. Since SUVs and crossovers outsell sedans these days, … Continue reading
EVENTS: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s iconic roadster at the Miata Reunion
There aren’t many cars like the Mazda Miata, and we don’t mean light, two-seat sports cars, even if their scarcity is indeed glaring these days. We’re talking about something even rarer — a machine that transcends the realm of car … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged Laguna Seca, mazda, miata, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, Miata Reunion, mx-5
10 Comments
Acura resto-modded an SLX with 350-horsepower and a modern drivetrain
When one ponders the modified Acura, it’s usually a B18C-swapped Integra or some kind of insane time attack NSX. The SLX is probably pretty far down that list, if one can remember that is exists at all. However, Acura — … Continue reading
TUNE UP: “Toyota Man” is an actual song by Indian Neon
You can imagine our joy when we discovered that there was an actual song called “Toyota Man.” Unfortunately, upon further research, the new release by Neon Indian doesn’t really have much to do with Toyotas at all, even if the … Continue reading
VIDEO: How Japan’s best-selling compacts stacked up against the Ford Pinto
Here is a 1977 Ford commercial that is great on several accounts. First, it pits a Pinto against the best-selling Japanese compacts, which include an E30 Toyota Corolla, first-gen Honda Civic, and Datsun B210 (Honey Bee!). Second, it has none … Continue reading
QotW: What should we do about the manual transmission?
Last month, a turning point in automotive history was reached when electric vehicles outsold ones with manual transmissions. According to JD Power, stick-shifts accounted for 1.1 percent of new cars sold in America, while EVs accounted for 1.9 percent. The … Continue reading
VIDEO: The Toyota Camry Wagon is the quintessential family car
We hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving. Holidays, family get-togethers, road trips. These are the domain of the station wagon, and what better steed for the occasion than the longroof version of the 1992 Toyota Camry? The third-generation clan … Continue reading
See some rare Showa Era trucks at Mega Web right now
If you’ve been to Tokyo you’ve likely visited MegaWeb, Toyota’s showroom in the Odaiba shopping district. The History Garage section has a rotating collection of classics, and typically you’ll be able to see a Toyota Sports 800, Mazda Cosmo Sport, … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged 3-wheeled truck, corona, daihatsu, datsun, datsun 220, honda, Honda T-Series, mazda, midget, nissan, Ohta, T20, toyoace, toyota, trucks
6 Comments
TUNE UP: An A60 Toyota Celica stars in Beck’s “Dark Places” video
There’s definitely some 80s vibes going on in Beck’s new song “Dark Places,” off the album Hyperspace, which just dropped November 22. Lingering shots of the Los Angeles skyline, distant highway lights, and a woman driving a red A60 Toyota … Continue reading
QotW: What job well done are you thankful for?
Japan obviously doesn’t celebrate the same Thanksgiving Day as the US, but there’s a very similar holiday in Japan that occurs on November 23 each year. Labor Thanksgiving Day, or Kinrōkanshanohi, has its roots in a harvest festival, but in … Continue reading
