Author Archives: Dan Hsu
Happy Familia Day from JNC
Being cooped up at home under COVID-19 quarantine is a great way to spend some quality time with your family. It’s fitting, then, that today is Familia Day, also known as 323 Day. Be sure to tell your loved ones … Continue reading
Happy 310 Day from JNC
You know, even though we have been celebrating holidays like 510 Day for years, we’ve been neglecting the poor Sunny. No more. The sub-Bluebird compact deserves some love too. Happy 310 Day from JNC!
BIKES: Now the Yamaha XSR700’s paint finally matches its retro looks
When Yamaha introduced the XSR700 in 2016, its goal was to combine modern technology with classic styling. The naked twin used the MT-07’s frame, suspension, and the crossplane crank parallel twin, but wore the retro look of famous Yamahas of … Continue reading
Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all. Show your loved ones some TLC today, but don’t forget your spouses! Original Post
Happy TE27 Day from JNC
Metal bolt-on fender flares should be a factory thing again. Happy TE27 Day from JNC!
Happy 117 Day from JNC
The New Year Meeting is no more, sadly, but back when times were headier an Isuzu 117 was the way to exit in style. Happy 117 Day from JNC!
Happy Kenmeri Day from JNC
It’s Kenmeri Day, the holiday where you take a road trip with your significant other to a deserted field and frolic through the grass for no reason. Enjoy!
Honda concludes its 70th anniversary year with 400 millionth motorcycle built
This year marks the 70 years since Soichiro Honda’s little venture into motorcycle manufacturing. In 1949, the Dream D-Type became Honda’s first real motorcycle; prior models still had the appearance of a bicycle with an auxiliary motor strapped to them. … Continue reading
The Shoei NXR Zork TC-7 is the raddest helmet
We don’t often write about motorcycle helmets here on JNC, but when one comes along that is this striking, it’s hard to ignore. For 2020, Shoei is releasing a version of their popular NXR helmet slathered with 80s-inspired graphics, and … Continue reading
Japanese Classic Car Show 2019: Upping the Game and Best in Show
We are 60 percent of the way to the point where the JCCS itself, if it were a car, would be eligible for classic status. In its 15 years in existence, the Japanese Classic Car Show has grown from a … Continue reading
Happy Evolution Day from JNC
We don’t think Charles Darwin had flying Mitsubishis in mind when he published On the Origin of Species in 1859, but nevertheless, here we are, 160 years later, to celebrate Evolution Day. All our ancestors were running across the savanna … Continue reading
New cell phone carrier commercial features Datsun 240Z
A new commercial for cellphone carrier Boost Mobile features a nice, lightly modified Datsun sports car. The rest of the spot features music, a lot of sweet moves, and someone maybe named Pitbull? We don’t know, we’re old, like that … Continue reading
QotW: What should be inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame next?
There are actually surprisingly few cars in the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame. The Mazda Roadster/Miata was just inducted, and the Toyota Corolla was welcomed last year, but the list is still pretty short. There can be many reasons for … Continue reading
Japanese Classic Car Show 2019, Part 09: Trucks, Vans, and Wagons
We have arrived at what could be our favorite part of JCCS, the vans, trucks, SUVs, and wagons. And now, in addition to seeing amazing US-market builds of such cars, their Japan-market counterparts are flooding in. No longer are the … Continue reading
SEMA 2019, Part 03: Year of the Supra
There were, like, so many Supras at SEMA, you guys. It felt like everywhere you went, you were bumping into an A90. Either that, or a mobility scooter with a swag-filled reusable Spyder bag. But yeah, Supras. At the end … Continue reading
Tokyo Motor Show: Could this be the return of the Honda Hunter Cub?
At the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda quietly rolled out a bike concept that hearkens back to the original CT110, aka the Trail Cub or the Hunter Cub. Though not for production, Honda says it was there simply to gauge customer … Continue reading
2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — Kaido Racers
The classic Japanese street racer look has really taken off in recent years. It’s gotten to the point where even non-Japanese cars are adopting the look of deep-barreled small-diameter wheels, over-fenders with flush fitment, and a tough shakotan stance. It’s … Continue reading
2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 — Awesome 80s
The 80s were a pivotal time in Japan’s automotive history, and the JCCS did not disappoint with a of turbocharged, retractable-headlight, angular-bodied machines.
MINICARS: At long last, a fifth-gen Honda Prelude is coming to Hot Wheels
The fifth-generation Honda Prelude was a phenomenal car, but until now it was nearly impossible to find one in diecast form. It wasn’t a popular car in Japan and thus doesn’t really exist in diecast form there, and when it … Continue reading
2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Zoom Zoom
The Mazda booth is always a classy affair at JCCS, and this year they brought a who’s who of classics and late model cars from their North American collection. Right off the bat was one of the first Mazda RX-7s … Continue reading