Author Archives: Ben Hsu
VIDEO: This Toyota Van excursion looks like a load of fun
The Barlow Pass near Mt Hood was one of the final sections of the famed Oregon Trail. And while our ancestors may have died of dysentery in a covered wagon, in modern times you can navigate from the comfort of … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged delica, fj cruiser, hiace, mitsubishi, Tercel 4WD, toyota, Toyota Van, Vanlife
4 Comments
Happy Year of the Pig from JNC
Today, February 5, is the Lunar New Year for much of Asia, and according to their zodiac it’s the Year of the Pig. Therefore, please enjoy a butaketsu (pig butt) Laurel to ring in the year 4717. Happy Lunar New … Continue reading
Toyota remakes MR2 pinball commercial for Superbowl
During last night’s big football game, Toyota ran a rather unexpected ad for the new Supra. In it, stunt driver Greg Tracy wheels and drifts an A90 through a giant pinball machine. It’s not a new concept, because not only … Continue reading
A new Nissan ad depicts the auto industry’s last 30 years
While most of America was watching the commercials between a big contest of Jeep crossovers and Dodge pickups, Nissan released a new advert tracing the arc of automotive trends of the last 30 years. Using only Nissan cars and a … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the best JNC you can find for $1,000?
Despite the rising prices of Japanese classics, there are still plenty of cars that can be bought on the cheap. A quick browse of Los Angeles’s local Craigslist reveals Maximas and Accords, and even some upscale cars like Lexus LS400s … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged 180sx, 240sx, ae86, corolla levin, mazda, miata, Miata NA, nissan, QotW, s13, silvia, sprinter trueno, toyota
7 Comments
Honda celebrates Golden Anniversary in Australia literally
On February 4, 1969, Honda established an official subsidiary in Australia. Honda Australia was founded for the purposes of selling cars, but naturally Honda’s expansive lineup of thoughtfully engineered motorcycles, power equipment, and generators soon spread across the continent like … Continue reading
Happy TA22 Day from JNC
Let’s all take a moment to remember the first-generation Celica, perhaps one of Toyota’s finest designs, the timeless A20 Celica. Of course, in the US they were technically RA coded, but nonetheless we celebrate the best of the breed on this … Continue reading
This Hakosuka Skyline chair is the ultimate piece of furniture
If you’re the kind of person who dreams about driving a Hakosuka Skyline even when you’re just sitting around at home, have we got a chair for you. Behold, the GT Chair, a seat inspired by that of of Nissan’s … Continue reading
Happy 99th Birthday, Mazda
Ninety-nine years ago, Toyo Kogyo Cork Company was established in Hiroshima, Japan. Though it’s had many ups and downs over the decades, that humble little firm would grow up to become one of the most innovative and enthusiast-oriented carmakers in … Continue reading
VIDEO: Watch Gan-san whip a Hakosuka GT-R around Fuji Speedway
In 2003, Fuji Speedway was shut down for a year in order for a major redesign. It wouldn’t be its first, but it would be substantially different than any of the previous configurations. To celebrate the last days of the … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged c10, fuji speedway, Hakosuka, Motoharu Kurosawa, motorsport, nissan, skyline
5 Comments
NEWS: Toyota introduces Heritage Edition Land Cruiser
For 2020, Toyota is releasing a Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, celebrating the go-anywhere SUV’s 60-plus years of continuous sales. Toyota established their US offices in late 1957, and have sold Land Cruisers in the states ever since then. Not even … Continue reading
NEWS: The Honda EV prototype loses its first-gen Civic looks
Over the weekend Honda published a new illustration of its upcoming electric vehicle, scheduled to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Unfortunately, it’s pretty disappointing. It looks as if it has lost much of the retro, first-gen … Continue reading
QotW: Drive, Sell or Garage? 80s Drift Machine Edition
Welcome to another edition of Drive, Sell or Garage, JNC‘s version of Bang Marry, or Kill. This time, your choices are three entry-level drift machines that have grown to legend status. Each has its own mechanical advantages and weaknesses, and … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: This Isuzu Elf was incredibly popular
Our final feature from the Tokyo Auto Salon is a vehicle that we probably would have walked right by, but proved immensely popular with our Japanese friends. Built by students at the Fukushima Science and Technology College, the 1990 Isuzu … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: A Nissan Cedric stock car built by students
One of our favorite cars at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was a humble Nissan Cedric sedan. Built by students at Tokyo Automobile University School, the car represented a brief period in the 1960s when Japan tried its hand at … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Japanese tradition in car form
The classics of the chrome era at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon could be split into two camps. Restomods look towards the future, using a nod to the past to incorporate new and modern ideas. Then there are the cars … Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged 521, advan, bosozoku, c10, Crown Comfort, daihatsu, datsun, Hakosuka, hiace, hijet, kaido racer, kei, nissan, skyline, tokyo auto salon, toyota
3 Comments
NEWS: The first A90 Toyota Supra sells for $2.1 million, but calm down
The first production A90 Toyota Supra has sold for $2.1 million at auction. It’s an eye-watering sum, though it is going to two very worthwhile charities. Seven digit sales figures aren’t that unusual in these much-hyped, first-to-market auctions, but in … Continue reading
