QotW: Which car has the best (or worst) seats?

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as Sports Seat Day in Japan, and it was started by a company you’ve actually heard of. Bride established the anniversary for April 10 because 4 and 10 can be pronounced shi and to, which is a homonym for “seat” in Japanese. Personally, one of the worst road trips I’ve taken was one from Washington DC to Florida in a late-90s base-spec Mitsubishi Galant because the seats were so bad. They were devoid of cushioning and by hour 11 my butt was so sore I was wiggling around like a kid about to pee.

Which car has the best (or worst) seats?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What are your hobbies?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 12 Comments

Subaru sends off the WRX STI with Initial D anime-style ad

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Steve Chang

Considering how Subaru will not produce an WRX STI based on the current WRX model, it seems like rubbing salt in the wound to debut an exciting new video starring what we know now will be the final iteration of the legend. No one knows when — or if — it might return, so the Initial D-style video that Subaru just released of the last-generation WRX STI is like the company officially bidding farewell to the beloved high-performance sedan. Continue reading →

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The Toyota Celica Liftback debuted 50 years ago today

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Ben Hsu

On April 6, 1973 the Toyota Celica Liftback was born. It joined the lineup just two years and four months after the original Celica in Japan, though it wouldn’t appear in the US market until 1976. Thanks in part to the Celica coupe and Japan’s rapidly expanding expressway network, the country was seeing a boom in recreational driving and outdoor activities. As a result, a car boasting style and performance but with increased cargo space and convenience hit the market at just the right time. Continue reading →

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Happy Open Car Day from JNC: Japan’s first convertible turns 90 years old

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Dan Hsu

Put your tops down because today is Open Car Day in Japan. The holiday was created by the Japan Convertible Association, who judged April 5 to be the best day of the year for topless driving. Coincidentally, it’s also the height of cherry blossom viewing season. The Japan Convertible Association is based in Yokohama, which also happens to be the headquarters of Nissan, builder of Japan’s first convertible, the Datsun Type 12 Phaeton.

Equipped with a 748cc, water-cooled, side-valve 4-cylinder making 12 ps, it debuted in 1933, meaning it’s reaching the ripe old age of 90 this year. When it came out, the price was just ¥1,350, equivalent to about $300 USD at the time, which would be $6,950 in 2023 dollars. Just a little perspective as you cruise through town in style.

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Harry Bradley sketches Toyota Soarer, Isuzu Piazza, and Nissan Leopard

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Remember the post about car designer Harry Bentley Bradley’s, uh, eccentric Infiniti J30? While Bradley was mainly known for designing hot rod and custom American cars and many early Hot Wheels castings, he also worked for a number of car magazines. One of them (sorry, the title was lost to time; if anyone recognizes this image please let us know) commissioned Bradley to sketch some of the cars that were shown at the Osaka Motor Show in 1981. The Toyota Soarer, mistranslated as “Sourer” was described as a Mercedes-Benz competitor, and at the time it was thought that the Nissan Leopard might come to the US.

Bradley was a talented artist, as you can see in these sketches. He also left a legacy of students from his time as a teacher at the Art Center College of Design, as seen in the comments on his Infiniti post. Someone really needs to save that car!

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Happy 4×4 Day from JNC

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Today is 4×4 Day (April 4, or 4/4), and incidentally it was reported that the Toyota Land Cruiser J70 was returning to the Japanese market as a 3-Number class vehicle. These numbers, the smaller digits on top of Japanese license plates, denote the tax classification for road vehicles, and a number beginning with “3” is for larger passenger vehicles. Back in 2014 when the 70-Series returned to the Japanese market with a 4.2-liter gasoline engine it was classified as a 1-Number vehicle, the designation for commercial vehicles. Registration fees cost ¥16,000 per year, but would have been as high as ¥76,500 if it had been classified as a 3-Number passenger vehicle. With the upcoming 2.8-liter diesel, the only engine available, it’ll cost ¥51,000. Still, the off-road boom has spread to Japan as well, and the J70 is expected to sell briskly.

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QotW: What are your hobbies?

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Today is Hobby Day in Japan, a pun made from combining the numbers shi (4) and yumi (3) to make shumi (“hobby” in Japanese). Of course, one could argue that cars themselves are a hobby, but we’ve found that those who go deep on cars tend to be bet pretty otaku with other interests as well. This time, we’re not limiting the response to just car-related hobbies, but anything that floats your boats:

What are your hobbies?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC will never die?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Mazda CX-90, the first straight-six RWD machine from Hiroshima, is a superb driver

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Ben Hsu

There isn’t a single new car on the market we’ve been more curious about than the Mazda CX-90. Normally we wouldn’t think twice about a heavy three-row SUV, but the CX-90 marks the long-awaited arrival of Mazda’s rear-wheel-drive, inline-six platform to the US market. On the one hand, the CX-90 is the glorious fruition of the ideal vehicle layout from Hiroshima’s wizards of motoring joy, but it’s also the largest and heaviest possible iteration of said layout. Would the driving experience be so good that we could forgive it for killing its unborn sports sedan sibling in the womb? Continue reading →

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Toyota Celica revival is the “life’s dream” of new president Koji Sato

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Ben Hsu

By this time tomorrow Akio Toyoda’s reign as President of Toyota Motor Corp will be over. He’s stepping aside and his protégé Koji Sato is taking over. Toyoda will be missed. When he took the helm the sportiest thing in Toyota’s US lineup was a RAV4 V6. During his tenure, he created the 86/BRZ twins and the GR Yaris/Corolla siblings, put Lexus’s brilliant naturally aspirated V8 in a host of cars, midwifed the LFA into production, and brought back the Supra. Those are big shoes for his successor Sato to fill, but we shouldn’t be worried. Sato has said that his “life’s dream” is a “revival of the Celica.” Continue reading →

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Hot Wheels designer Harry Bradley’s “shark fin” Infiniti J30 is now for sale

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The 1990s was a weird time. Although countless young enthusiasts were customizing Japanese cars already, they operated outside the purview of mainstream publications, seen as a fad that would quickly fade. And what kind of Japanese customs did the car mags fall over themselves to cover? Cars like Harry Bentley Bradley’s Infiniti J30. The renowned designer’s creation definitely sprang from a different culture, but it made quite a splash in the world of paper media. And now, that piece of history can be yours. Continue reading →

Posted in for sale | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Honda Motocompo and Cub EZ90 revived by Chinese EV bike company

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Dan Hsu

At the 2023 Tokyo Motorcycle Show this week a Chinese company showed off two new products that pay tribute to Honda designs. Manufactured by Felo, their styling appears to be modernized takes on the Honda Motocompo and Cub EZ90. They’re fully electric as well, so you won’t have to deal with a smelly old two-stroke between your legs. Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Nissan is converting a Skyline GT-R into an R32 EV

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Nissan has launched a teaser for an electric Skyline GT-R. No, it’s not speculation for an R36, but a classic R32 GT-R that will be converted to an EV. So far there’s very little about the project, which is commencing on March 28. Oddly, the accompanying video has the soundtrack of an internal combustion R32 GT-R starting and idling. Continue reading →

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QotW: What JNC will never die?

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Ben Hsu

We were as surprised as anyone to learn that the Toyota Camry was ending its 43-year run in Japan. It’s popular enough to live on in some form in places like the US even if it will no longer be sold in its home country. It got us thinking, though, if there was one model that might live forever. Which might weather the transition to electric vehicles, or be popular enough so that there will always been enough of an enthusiast following to keep it alive somewhere in the world?

What JNC will never die?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What aspect of car life makes you happy?“. Continue reading →

Posted in News | 12 Comments

The V10 Toyota Camry debuted 41 years ago today

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The Camry we consider to the be the first-generation of Toyota’s hugely successful family sedan debuted in Japan 41 years ago today, on March 24, 1982. It almost seems like poetically tragic, seeing as how it came out yesterday that Toyota was killing off the nameplate in Japan. Toyota had big hopes for the model, built on a new front-wheel-drive chassis called the V10 internally, but the Camry never quite caught on in Japan as it did in America. Continue reading →

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Toyota will end Camry sales in Japan after 43 years

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The name Camry is almost synonymous with Toyota. It would be unthinkable for Toyota to kill its bread-and-butter model off in the US, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Japan. Today, Toyota notified its Japanese dealers that Camry production would eventually wind down by the end of the year, concluding a 43-year history of sales in its home country. Continue reading →

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The Mitsubishi Lancer conquers the Safari Rally to hilariously incongruous music

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Matt De Mangos

We’re suckers for good vintage rally footage, especially when the car is an OG Mitsubishi Lancer 1600GSR conquering the Safari Rally. This video has it all — big air jumps, wheels sending plumes of river water skyward, a herd of giraffes galloping alongside the car. Unfortunately, it also has the most comically terrible music we’ve ever heard in a vintage rallying video. Continue reading →

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A toy car helped Nissan reclaim the Skyline trademark from Ford

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Two years ago Ford filed a trademark application for the name “Skyline” with the US patent office and was granted those rights. As one of Nissan’s most valuable properties, the makers of the GT-R weren’t about to let Skyline get away. This month Nissan finally got the Skyline naming rights back, and it was done with the help of a diecast car. Continue reading →

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QotW: What aspect of car life makes you happy?

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Happy International Day of Happiness, the day created to recognize happiness as a fundamental human goal. As enthusiasts we derive joy from many aspects of car ownership. It could be a drive on your favorite road, the satisfaction of working with your hands, the simple act of collecting, or something else entirely. There are many different ways to enjoy automobiles and it’s important to take a moment to remind ourselves of that.

What aspect of car life makes you happy?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Who would you pick, living or dead, to go for a drive with, and in what car?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 11 Comments

The digital cars of Chris Labrooy are still fanciful fun

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Ben Hsu

You might have noticed photos of some weird swan car built out of a Porsche 996 circulating on social media this week. Porsche is currently showing the art car in their display at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas this week. It’s the work of artist Chris Labrooy, who went viral in 2016 with his digital art featuring bizarrely stretched-out Japanese automotive icons like the AE86, NSX, Hako, and S30 Z. Continue reading →

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A Subaru 360 joins the super detailed subscription model club

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Ben Hsu

The 1/8 scale subscription models are among the most expensive and time consuming kits available in Japan. It takes serious commitment to complete them, and because of their complexity only a couple get produced per year. Only the most revered cars are immortalized in this fashion, making the collection of subscription models something of an automotive hall of fame. While we’ve seen Skyline GT-Rs and Toyota 2000GTs receive the 1/8 treatment, the latest offering is far more humble — a 1958 Subaru 360. Continue reading →

Posted in Model Kits | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments