Category Archives: News

Mazda and Toyota rumored to be working on straight-six sports car

Reports out of Japan claim that Toyota and Mazda are rumored to be deepening their ties by jointly working on a new sports car. The two companies are already linked in that Toyota owns 5.1 percent of Mazda and the … Continue reading

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Mitsubishi reportedly partnering with Foxconn for electric vehicle production

Speaking of dying marques, Mitsubishi is reportedly on the verge of announcing deal with electronics giant Foxconn. The Taiwanese firm, best known for producing the iPhone for Apple, would build electric vehicles for Mitsubishi. This venture move would mark Foxconn’s … Continue reading

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‘Leno’s Law’ to grant relief for California classic car smog testing

Even if you don’t live in California you probably know it has the most stringent emissions testing rules in the country. Any car made in 1976 or newer must be smogged every two years, no exceptions. However, the newly proposed … Continue reading

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Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida steps down, opening doors for Honda merger again

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida has resigned. In typical Japanese fashion Uchida, who took the reins in 2020 after the Carlos Ghosn scandal, has fallen on his sword, likely to give the Honda merger a second chance. Merger talks between Honda … Continue reading

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Classic Subaru Wagons take to the slopes at ‘Gelande Taxi’ event

Speaking of Naeba Ski Resort, Subaru recently revived its Gelande Taxi promotion at the famed winter sports destination (it had been on hiatus since 2019 due to the pandemic). Instead of lifts, skiers and snowboarders can opt to take a … Continue reading

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Packing up the Land Cruiser

Last night as my wife, 5-year-old son and I sat down to dinner we looked out of our window and saw flames. For the last 48 hours smoke from wildfires has been billowing into Los Angeles’ skies, but this was … Continue reading

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Nissan 240SX barn find gets first wash in almost 30 years

In Japanese tradition an osoji (literally “big clean”) is conducted to welcome in the new year with a fresh start. Therefore, here is a 45-minute video in which a barn find Nissan 240SX gets a thorough wash and detail. It’s extremely … Continue reading

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Mazda RX-7 daily driven by 80-year-old grandmother begins new life

For the final post of the year we wanted to end on a heartwarming story about Naoko Nishimoto, the coolest lady you’ll ever meet. Nishimoto just turned 80 years old on December 18, and has been dailying an FD Mazda … Continue reading

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Lexus digital gauges mimics that of classic Toyota 2000GT, AE86, and more

At the Japan Mobility Show last year Lexus unveiled the LF-LZ, an electric flagship concept. We didn’t pay much attention to it at the time because looked like any number of EV concepts developed by various automakers over the last … Continue reading

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Honda and Nissan’s merge is about more than just EVs

Honda and Nissan are reportedly “in talks” regarding a possible merger. Officially the two companies plus Mitsubishi, of which Nissan owns 24 percent, say they’re “considering various possibilities for future collaboration, but no decisions have been made.” In our opinion, … Continue reading

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Honda Prelude officially returning to US after quarter-century

It’s official. After nearly a quarter of a century, the Honda Prelude will be returning to the US market. Honda will be bringing its flagship coupe stateside in late 2025. While hard core enthusiasts yearning for a VTEC kick or … Continue reading

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Hagerty selects Datsun 280ZX, Honda Prelude as cars to buy for 2025

Hagerty Insurance has announced its list of classics to buy for 2025. The “Bull Market List”, seemingly named for maximum flipper engagement, includes 10 cars plus an eleventh people’s choice selection whose values are expected to rise significantly. In other … Continue reading

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Toyota Estima is latest nameplate selected for revival

Now that the 86, Supra, Land Cruiser, Celica, and possibly Starlet and MR2 have all been properly resurrected, what other historic model names can Toyota bring back? Sports cars and SUVs are all well covered. How about a minivan? According to … Continue reading

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Car & Driver‘s twin-engined Honda CRX rides again, with Jay Leno behind the wheel

We don’t normally we don’t pay much attention to crazy Frankenstein builds. They might be impressive feats of engineering and construction, but they usually exist to show off the owner’s insane wrenching skills or satisfy some performance metric at the … Continue reading

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Toyota Celica revival confirmed by top exec

Rumors of a Celica return have been circulating for over a year and a half, but we finally have confirmation from the horse’s mouth. Or, rather, the mouth of a top Toyota exec who would know about such things. The … Continue reading

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The Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata was a product of the tuner times

It’s funny to see how our beloved cars were reviewed when new. In the present we think of the Miata as standing heads and shoulders above rival sport compacts of the era. Cars like the EP Honda Civic Si, Ford … Continue reading

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Mazda exec says Iconic SP ‘not just an empty show car’

While the prospect of a Toyota-Mazda partnership sounds promising, the car they built together had lost some of that Mazda soul. Toyota needs to let Mazda Mazda, especially if cars like the Iconic SP are what they come up with. … Continue reading

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2025 CX-50 Hybrid: What happens when Toyota and Mazda join forces

We’ve long wondered what would happen when Mazda and Toyota finally teamed up. Mazda, the enthusiasts’ choice that carries the torch for true drivers outgunned in a cruel market of crossovers and electrification, and Toyota, the juggernaut which for years … Continue reading

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Motorcycle racing pioneer, father of Prius, and more inducted into Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has selected its 2024 inductees. In addition to four vehicles of historical importance to Japan’s automotive history, the JAHoF has also selected five individuals whose work in the field are considered significant contributions to … Continue reading

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Japan Automotive Hall of Fame inducts Toyota 2000GT, Subaru Legacy and more

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for 2024. Every year the non-profit organization adds four “Historical Heritage Cars” to its list of vehicles that it believes are important milestones in Japan’s automotive industry. The cars are … Continue reading

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