Author Archives: Ben Hsu
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
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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
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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
VIDEO: The Toyota Land Cruiser helped build Australia
Toyota Australia is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and the company is celebrating the brand’s early years in the country. The back story starts with the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Australia’s largest construction project. With seven power stations, 16 large … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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VIDEO: The Mitsubishi Galant GSX offered AWD in a sporty sedan package
Everyone remembers the Eclipse GSX, Mitsubishi’s wildly popular sports coupe. Everyone also remembers the Galant VR-4, their rally-bred, turbocharged, AWD sedan. Before that arrived, however, Mitsubishi also offered a car that we almost forgot existed: the Galant GSX.
VIDEO: Nissan gets the whole family together to celebrate 50 years of GT-R and Z
As regular JNC readers know, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Nissan GT-R and the Nissan Fairlady Z. The GT-R debuted on February 21, 1969 and the Fairlady Z debuted on October 18, 1969. Nissan has released two videos … Continue reading
VIDEO: Honda’s early F1 years, told in manga form
Honda periodically releases videos that tell its history in manga form. The latest is about Honda’s early years competing in Formula One. In 1964, just two years after Honda produced its first cars, it formed an team to take on … Continue reading
NEWS: NA Mazda Roadster, Mitsubishi Model A inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame
The 2019 inductees for the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame have been announced. The ceremony took place earlier this month, welcoming four historically significant vehicles and three important individuals for their impact and contributions to Japan’s automotive industry.
Posted in News
Tagged B1500, B360, carol, elf, eunos roadster, isuzu, japan automotive hall of fame, k360, kawasaki, Kawasaki Z1, kei, KZ1300, mazda, miata, mitsubishi, mitsubishi model a, motorcycles, MX5, r360, Silver Pigeon, SR400, t2000, yamaha
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SEMA 2019: Honda had the best booth of the show, and there was even a Chevy in it
There used to be tons of Japanese manufacturers at SEMA. One by one, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mazda, and Lexus have all pulled out. And in a year that marked the 50th anniversary of Nissan’s two most beloved models and the second … Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged acura, cb160, civic, EM1, honda, Honda N-Series, Monkey 125, NA1, nsx, s800, super cub, Type S Concept
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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
