Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What dead nameplate should be revived as an electric car?
Today, May 20, is Electric Car Day in Japan. It was named so in 2009 after battery company Yuasa restored a century-old electric car. As we hurtle toward the EV era automakers seem to have settled on two main naming … Continue reading
Special Rescue Command Solbrain’s Sol Gallop — Guess the Tokusatsu Car!
From January 20, 1991 to January 26, 1992, kids could tune into the TV Asahi network Sunday mornings to watch the adventures of Special Rescue Command Solbrain. It’s about an elite police force that dons armored suits to fight crime … Continue reading
Automotive bearing manufacturing is a mesmerizing process
JTEKT is one of the three largest bearing suppliers in Japan, along with NSK and NTN. The original company dates back to 1935 when it was called Koyo Seiko, and some may remember the blue Koyo logo on bearings packages. … Continue reading
‘Return of Abunai Deka’ trailer promises car chases, gunfights, and the F31 Nissan Leopard
The dangerous detectives are back for a new movie to debut soon in Japan. Toei Studios has revealed a trailer for Return of Abunai Deka, the eight theatrical release in the series, which doesn’t include the original TV series that … Continue reading
Posted in Film/TV
Tagged abunai deka, f31, hiroshi tachi, leopard, mark x, nissan, toyota, Yuji Oshita
3 Comments
Castrol Toyota liveried Mustang wins NASCAR’s Goodyear 500 in Darlington
Dude, is this a Soopra? No, it’s a NASCAR Mustang running the same livery that adorned the Castrol TOM’s Supra in JGTC, and Toyota’s Celica GT-Fours in WRC before that. And as it happens, driver Brad Keselowski won the weekend … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
1 Comment
Toyotafest 2024 — Get an exclusive coupon code for a discount on admission
The 2024 All-Toyotafest will be here shortly, and we have a lot of announcements to make. First, JNC is partnering with the organizers of Toyotafest, TORC, the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club, to offer a coupon code for all attendees. … Continue reading
Toyota S-FR sportster reportedly under development
What is going on at Toyota? Not so long ago, they were called the most boring car company in the industry. Now they have one of the most exciting lineups around, with one AWD hot hatch and two rear-wheel-drive sports … Continue reading
Nissan Z celebrating 55th anniversary with special edition, report says
There’s a rumor that Nissan is preparing to launch a 55th anniversary edition of the Nissan Z later this year. Prototypes of the car have reportedly been brought stateside already, and dealer allocations will depend on how many Zs that … Continue reading
Posted in News
7 Comments
QotW: What’s your favorite Showa Era car?
Today, April 29, is Showa Day, one of Japan’s national holidays. It’s considered a time to reflect on the Showa Era, which lasted from December 25, 1926 to January 7, 1989. But when you say Showa Era to the average … Continue reading
Even Mercedes-Benz is getting their classics from Japan
It’s been an unintentionally German week here on JNC. Many respondents, rightly so, said that Porsche had the best automaker heritage collection in the world. Then there was news that German supplier Bosch was launching a series of classic car … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greenest car you’ve ever owned?
Happy Earth Day! We at JNC don’t see a love for cars as being in conflict with care for the planet. We’re all about preservation, whether it’s classic cars or mountain gorillas or clean rivers. We love our Land Cruisers … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
23 Comments
Baby Toyota Land Cruiser rumored to arrive next year
Since last fall there have been rumblings of a baby Land Cruiser joining the Toyota lineup, a vehicle said to be called a “Jimny killer” internally. A new report out of Japan suggests that, whatever it’s called, the public could … Continue reading
QotW: Which carmaker takes the best care of its heritage?
The recent revelation that the Toyota USA Museum was crushing two of its cars was gut-wrenching for enthusiasts. Every carmaker struggles with the conflicting forces of keeping their heritage alive and having to juggle constraints of cost or space or … Continue reading
Ex-race car driver and Japan National Diet member Junko Mihara just had her car stolen
Japan is a famously safe nation, but car thefts have been on the rise. Among the most popular targets are high-end Toyotas like the Alphard, Land Cruiser, and Lexus LX. The thefts have even struck some of the highest-ranking people … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged 24 Hours of Spa, a60, celica, corolla, corolla levin, e90, honda, integra, J200, JGTC, jtcc, land cruiser, long beach grand prix, Masahiro Matsunaga, mr2, prelude, pulsar, Super Taikyu, supra, sw20, tom's, toyota
4 Comments
The Mitsubishi Eclipse was named after an undefeated racehorse, not the astronomical event
On April 8 a rare total solar eclipse took place in North America. Despite the many “Eclipse Day” references in automotive media, the beloved 1990s sports coupe is not named after the astronomical event — not directly, anyway. In fact, … Continue reading
A first look inside Suzuka Circuit’s Honda Racing Gallery
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Honda’s entry into Formula 1 at the 1964 German Grand Prix. Today, April 5, Honda is using the occasion to open a new museum dedicated to Honda motorsports at Suzuka Circuit, which began … Continue reading
The Toyota USA Museum is crushing a classic Cressida and record-setting Prius
We are sad to report that the Toyota USA Museum appears to be sending two of its cars to the crusher. A gold 1978 Cressida and a 2003 Prius with a very distinct livery have surfaced in a recycling yard … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Bonneville Salt Flats, cressida, mark II, prius, toyota, Toyota USA Museum, x30, XW20
20 Comments
Nissan Z and GT-R will live to see another generation, says execs
Nissan is working on the next-generations of its two most cherished nameplates, according to a new report. Despite a hostile climate to traditional sports cars, the Z and GT-R will soldier on in a new generation, though it might be … Continue reading
