Category Archives: News
Hyundai continues to build better Mitsubishis than Mitsubishi
In 1986, to prepare for the upcoming Seoul Olympics, Hyundai needed a flagship sedan. But it was so wet behind the ears that it had to turn to another carmaker to design one for them, one that seemed like a … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite car chase scene?
The world of movie car chases was forever changed 54 years ago today. October 17, 1968 saw the theatrical release of Bullitt, in which the centerpiece action sequence between ad Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger is considered to be one … Continue reading
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Why Toyota Land Cruisers are the best, according to the man who literally wrote the book on crossing the Sahara Desert
Chris Scott has completed over 50 overlanding expeditions and is an expert on crossing the Sahara Desert. He’s authored several books on the subject. He made his first trip into northern Africa on a motorcycle in 1983. Since then he’s … Continue reading
Mitsubishi Fuso’s rare dual front-axle bus has been restored
Looking like something out of an Ultraman movie, the Mitsubishi Fuso MR430 bus oozes retro-futuristic strangeness. Tri-axle buses aren’t rare, but one with two axles located at the front, both of which turn with the steering wheel, certainly is. It … Continue reading
Mazda to launch restoration program for FD RX-7
Mazda plans to launch a restoration program for the FD RX-7. Details are scarce for now, but we expect something similar to the Mazda Roadster Restore program launched in 2017. If that is the case, the program will likely see … Continue reading
Miatas enter Guinness Book of World Records for largest Mazda parade
A gathering of Mazda MX-5 Miatas has broken the world record for largest parade of Mazda cars. The assembly took place at Italy’s Modena Circuit on September 18 and was certified by a Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator at … Continue reading
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Tagged mazda, Miata NA, Miata NB, Miata NC, Miata ND, Modena, mx-5, nobuhiro yamamoto
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Rate this Ad: Toyota HiLux family receives an unexpected visitor
In the latest ad for the Toyota HiLux, a family that owns multiple generations of the venerable pickup receives a disturbing visit. It’s time for another Rate This Ad, this time coming to us all the way from Australia. This … Continue reading
Nissan Skyline tops Japanese survey about dream cars
Monday, September 19, was Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. To mark the occasion Kinto, a car sharing service, held a survey to ask drivers of three generations about their motoring habits, including what their dream cars were when … Continue reading
The 1937 Datsun Type 16 now displayed at one of Japan’s top engineering universities is a gift from a former student
On September 20 an unveiling ceremony was held at Shibaura Institute of Technology, one of Tokyo’s most prestigious engineering universities, for one of Nissan’s oldest prodcution vehicles. The 1937 Datsun Type 16 sedan is now part of the school’s permanent … Continue reading
Brand new Nissan SR20 engines will soon be available in Japan
A company in Japan will soon start making brand new SR20 engines. While they’re not technically from Nissan, like the remade Skyline GT-R parts and NISMO gauge clusters are, the motors are being made with Nissan’s blessing. Mercury Enterprise, a … Continue reading
1969 Toyota Corolla driven 350,000 miles by original owner heads to museum
In 1969 Shougo Asada, 24 years old at the time, bought his first car. a KE10 Toyota Corolla. Now he’s 77 and still driving that same Corolla. Under Asada-san’s care, the car has traveled 563,632 km, or 350,225 miles. But … Continue reading
In its 26th year, Toyotafest is still going strong — a brief history of TORC, the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club
We’ve been attending Toyotafest every year since JNC started in 2006, and it’s consistently one of our favorite events. Last year was the 25th Toyotafest, which means the show itself is now old enough to wear historic plates, buy collector … Continue reading
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Tagged 4runner, a20, a60, a70, A80, ae86, aw11, cabe toyota, celica, corolla, corona, e20, e70, fj40, fj60, GR86, hilux, J70, kp61, L10, land cruiser, lexus, lexus is, Lexus LS, mr2, N60, RAV4, scion, sports 800, st185, st205, starlet, stout, supra, sw20, t40, tacoma, tercel, toyota, toyotafest, W30, xb
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Toyota MegaWeb showroom demolished; to be replaced with sports arena
Yesterday, August 31, was the final day for the Daikanransha, the 377-foot ferris wheel that was one of the many attractions by Toyota’s MegaWeb showroom. When it opened in headier times in 1999, it was the tallest ferris wheel in … Continue reading
NISMO reproduces Silvia S15 and Skyline R34 gauge clusters
NISMO has begun selling reproduction gauge clusters for the Silvia S15, Skyline R34, and Skyline GT-R BNR34 models. Note that these are not the OEM Nissan units, but actual NISMO aftermarket ones that would have been in-period upgrades for these … Continue reading
Tetsu Ikuzawa’s 1967 Japan Grand Prix-winning 906 gets factory homage from Porsche
No, you haven’t mistakenly clicked on German Nostalgic Car (no relation). Granted, this isn’t the type of car we normally cover, but it’s too cool not to share. Porsche Japan has created a one-off factory custom tribute to Tetsu Ikuzawa’s … Continue reading
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Tagged 1967 Japan Grand Prix, fuji speedway, nissan, porsche, prince, r380, r381, r382, Tetsu Ikuzawa
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New California laws will mean stricter smog tests, phase-out of gasoline cars by 2035
The strictest state in the union in terms of emissions and fuel economy is about to put the hammer down on gasoline cars. Two laws introduced in California this week will crack down on emissions cheats and fossil fuels. It’s … Continue reading
Oops, someone has already wrecked a new Nissan Z
As you read this the Nissan Z is just arriving at dealers, but the first documented crash involving the new 400-horsepower sports car has already occurred. As it happens, the Z configurator went live on Nissan’s US site only two … Continue reading
Honda has been quietly reproducing parts for the 1988-99 Acty Truck
In recent years Japanese automakers have been remaking genuine parts for many of their most popular discontinued models. Thus far, such programs have been for sports cars and enthusiasts’ models. However, Honda has also been quietly reproducing parts for the … Continue reading
Toyota Supra successor rumored to spawn Mazda rotary variant
According to reports out of Japan, Toyota is reportedly working on a new sports car to be released sometime in 2026, around the time the current GR Supra is scheduled to sunset. The next version will allegedly be an electric … Continue reading
