Author Archives: Dan Hsu

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — JDM, yo

This year marked the 15th anniversary for America’s premier gathering of Nihon steel. To put that in perspective, at the first JCCS in 2005, the newest Japanese cars allowed for import under America’s 25-year import ban were built in 1980. … Continue reading

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2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — USDM Rare

Even in the 15th year of the wonderful and ever-growing Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, California, after so many iterations, there are still new things for the casual Japanese car enthusiast to discover. The phyla of Japanese cars … Continue reading

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JCCS Preview: Come check out some new 2020 Hot Wheels at the JNC booth tomorrow, and maybe win a Super Treasure Hunt R32 Skyline GT-R

Our friends at Hot Wheels have some amazing Japanese cars in the works, and they will be giving a sneak peek at our booth at JCCS tomorrow, September 21. There will be some never-before seen Japanese castings, as well as … Continue reading

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JCCS PREVIEW: Z Generations 50th Anniversary special edition shirts

One of the best selling items in the JNC Shop has been the Z Generations shirt, depicting all six iterations of the venerable Z chassis. However, this year marks the 50th anniversary for this game-changing car, and we wanted to … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Japanese Automotive Invitational 2019

Now in its second year, the Japanese Automotive Invitational seeks to introduce the idea of collectible Nihon steel to a crowd that considers a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM not classic enough. Located at the Infiniti booth that sits just outside … Continue reading

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MARKETWATCH: Honda RS1000 sells for nearly $90,000

We recently wrote about Japan’s first-ever high-end motorcycle auction taking place in conjunction with the 42nd running of the Suzuka 8 Hours race. Well, the auction took place July 27, and the results are in. The most expensive bike sold, … Continue reading

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JNC THEATER: Tom Cruise uncovers his old Kawasaki Ninja in Top Gun: Maverick trailer

The surprise dropping of the trailer for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick has given fans of Japanese nostalgic motorcycles a cool throwback to the 80s. In one scene, Tom Cruise’s character whips the cover off his old bike, a Kawasaki … Continue reading

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BIKES: Japan kicks off high-end collector motorcycle auctions

We at JNC certainly love our classic Japanese cars, but Japan’s true technological tour de force came on two wheels. The design, engineering, and performance of Japanese bikes had an even bigger impact on the motorcycling world than that of … Continue reading

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PARTS GUIDE: Yokohama re-issues GT Special Classic tire

Yokohama Tire has announced the GT Special Classic, a re-issue of its iconic sports radial tire from 1967. Developed in response to the expansion of Japan’s expressway system in the mid-1960s and the rise of performance cars, the original Yokohama … Continue reading

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Happy 710 Day from JNC

The Datsun 710 isn’t as revered as some of its ancestors, but let’s not forget, they were formidable race cars too. Happy 710 Day from JNC!  

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