Author Archives: Ben Hsu
NEWS: Only 200 of these Daihatsu Copen Coupes will be sold
The Daihatsu Copen has been a gem among kei cars since it debuted in 2002. Its cheery face and folding hardtop convertible roof (still novel in those days) livened up any street it occupied, and created yet another branch on … Continue reading
Forget tofu, Arby’s gets the drift
Takumi has gotten a new job, delivering roast beef sandwiches for Arby’s.
NEWS: Honda reveals Neo Classic Racer, Trip Van ahead of Tokyo Auto Salon
The Tokyo Auto Salon isn’t until next January, but Honda has already revealed a few of the cars it plans to display at the aftermarket extravaganza. Both capitalize on nostalgia, and are both are based on kei cars exclusive to … Continue reading
BIKES: Japan establishes Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Federation of Japan has established a national Motorcycle Hall of Fame. For its inaugural year, it has inducted two important figures in two-wheel racing into its ranks. The inductees were announced Saturday, December 15, at an award ceremony … Continue reading
Posted in Motorcycles
Tagged honda, Isle of Man TT, kunimitsu takahashi, motorcycles, suzuki
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NEWS: Honda thinks the sound of revving cars will soothe your baby
Honda has created a plush car that emits the sounds of engines revving in order to soothe crying babies. The Honda Sound Sitter is a stuffed car, but inside is a speaker that plays engine sounds of cars like the … Continue reading
VIDEO: This Mazda R100 made it halfway around the world
The Mazda R100 is already a rare car in the US. Thanks to an Australian rotary enthusiast, it’s now even rarer. A one-owner, numbers-matching example has been shipped halfway around the globe to Alex, a new owner in Australia, who … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Eight hours of Honda motorsports festivities
Like Nissan, Honda has its own day-long motorsports festival in December. The Honda Thanks Day, held to show appreciation for its fans, was held last weekend. For those that couldn’t attend, Honda has provided eight hours of livestream footage from … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged acura, formula 1, honda, Honda Thanks Day, Jenson Button, MotoGP, n-one, nsx, RA300, super cub, SuperGT, Takuma Sato, twin ring motegi
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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Someone just traded in their entire Toyota MR2 collection
The best thing about working at a car dealership is that there’s always a chance some eccentric old owner will waltz in with a mint-ass car for trade. A few days ago at a showroom in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, that … Continue reading
NEWS: Mazda trademarks MX-6 name in Japan
Mazda has trademarked the name MX-6 with the Japan Patent Office. In Mazda parlance, the “MX” nomenclature has always referred to sporty two-door cars such as the MX-3 and MX-5 Miata. A true sports car like the RX-7 probably isn’t … Continue reading
NEWS: The million-dollar Nissan GT-R50 is a go; order it in Bayside Blue
Nissan has confirmed that it will indeed produce the GT-R50 to commemorate the GT-R’s 50th anniversary. When it was announced back in June, the GT-R50 was a one-off car used to gauge customer interest. Nissan said it would give the … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Have a refreshing Corona Mark II
In 1973, several Coronas lined what could have been a Tokyo dealership. With limited real-estate, urban Japanese dealers often have just a few cars on hand to test drive, but not a massive lot full of inventory. Here, a row … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 230, cedric, corona, corona mark II, nissan, t60, T70, t80, toyota
4 Comments
VIDEO: Eight hours of NISMO Festival footage
The 2018 NISMO Festival took place at Fuji Speedway last weekend, and in case you missed it, don’t despair. Nissan has helpfully provided nearly eight hours of footage from the event. There’s everything from a Touring Sedan races involving Nissan … Continue reading
PIXELATED: Gran Turismo Sport gets Fugu Z, new track
Polyphony Digital has announced the December update to Gran Turismo Sport. It includes a bunch of classics, like the Bandit Trans-Am and split-window 1963 Corvette, but JNCers are probably most concerned with Sung Kang’s Fugu Z. Actually, though, there’s an … Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
Tagged 240z, datsun, Fugu Z, gran turismo, Gran Turismo Sport, nissan, s30 z
7 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Fastbacks abound in 1975
Every time you see a new crossover ambling down the street, clogging your view, remember what life could have been. In this 1975 Japanese street scene, fastbacks are everywhere. In the car park to the right there’s a Corona Mark … Continue reading
JNC THEATER: Discovery Channel Japan to air new car restoration show
Discovery Channel Japan has announced a new car restoration show, Chihara Junior’s Car Revival Project! Hosted by comedian and TV host Chihara Junior, it will follow restorers and shops as they rebuild classic cars. Each car will have three episodes … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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QotW: What car should Nissan build next?
Carlos “Le Cost Killer” Ghosn came to Nissan at a time when the company was in massive debt, due partially to the fact that it was building too many different and over-engineered cars. He started a ruthless cost-slashing campaign that … Continue reading
VIDEO: Look at what Nissan had to offer in 1991
The year 1991 might have very well been, for enthusiasts at least, peak Nissan. In a three-part series that year, Best Motoring covered the entire range of Nissan’s specialty cars, and there were tons of them. Sure, there were the … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan will make parts for the R33 and R34 Skyline GT-R again
Last year Nissan announced to great fanfare the first phase of its Heritage Parts program. Through its NISMO division, the company would re-issue parts for the R32 Skyline GT-R, and if the program was successful enough Nissan would expand the … Continue reading
