Jay Leno doesn’t have a ton of Japanese cars on his show, but the last two were both Zs. And they couldn’t be more different. One is a 1970 Honda Z600, a 2-cylinder front-wheel-drive compact making about 36 horsepower; the other is a brand new rear-wheel-drive Nissan Z with a twin-turbo V6 making 400-horsepower. Both are enjoyable drives in their own way. Continue reading
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 of the best vehicular pursuits ever filmed. Call us childish but car chase scenes always get us stoked. Even the worst examples have us glued to the screen when we’d gladly skip the rest of the surrounding movie. For this question any cars of any country of origin will qualify, though you will get bonus consideration if there’s J-tin involved.
What’s your favorite car chase scene?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite Japanese sports car?” Continue reading
One hundred and fifty years ago today, Japan’s first railway opened. The line connected Shimbashi, Tokyo to nearby Yokohama, a distance of just 18 miles. Pulled by a British-built steam locomotive, the trip took 53 minutes non-stop. The train made The opening of the railway not only revolutionized the movement of people and goods, but established the consistent keeping of time. Continue reading
Our friends at Hot Wheels recently shared with us some previews of upcoming cars. For fans of Japanese diecast, there will be no shortage offerings infiltrating every series the company makes. Here’s a couple dozen peeks at what’s coming down the pipe, from some in the very early stages of prototyping to ones that are already complete. Continue reading
Showa era images always manage to unearth something of interest. For example, in a photo taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s, we stumbled upon an ultra-rare Datsun U221 pickup. It looks like a coupe at first glance, but is instead a ute-like vehicle with a very small bed. We’d bet the number of these still in existence is somewhere in the single digits. Continue reading
Fifty years ago today, at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Honda revealed the CVCC engine to the world. The engine was still over a year off from mass production in a road car, but Honda was eager to get the news of their achievement — an engine that could pass the strict emissions rules for 1975 without the use of a catalytic converter — out to the press. After the unveiling the EPA invited Honda to Michigan to subject a CVCC engine to their rigorous tests. The only problem was, the Honda Civic was so new, it wasn’t yet ready. So Honda installed their CVCC engines in a couple of Nissans and sent them to Ann Arbor. Continue reading
Today, October 10, is Sports Day in Japan. The holiday was established after the opening day of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which took place on this day exactly 58 years ago. Definitions for what constitutes a sports car will vary, but at a minimum it should stem from a performance-oriented design objective and have no more than two doors. Fixed or open roof structures are both admissible. While there is some debate over whether seating should be limited to two, we think 2+2 seating counts as well, as long as the car was designed with a goal toward performance.
What’s your favorite Japanese sports car?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “When is it time to call in the professionals?” Continue reading
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 traveled all over the world in motor vehicles. Scott’s weapon of choice for navigating the harshest regions on the planet? The Toyota Land Cruiser. Continue reading
Last year we were honored to have Hot Wheels make a replica of our FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser shop truck. We’ve often said that the most die-hard Toyota enthusiasts can be found off-road, and the perfect companion to the Cruiser is a similar era Toyota 4Runner. Hot Wheels doesn’t make a first-gen 4Runner, but luckily the crew at Matchbox does. Continue reading
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 is believed to be the only tri-axle, dual front, rear-engined bus in the world. And until last week no running examples were known to exist. Continue reading
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 certified Mazda technicians removing every nut and bolt off of the cars and rebuilding them as new. Continue reading
When it comes to car repair or restoration, many of us pride ourselves on what we can do in our own garages. But there are lines that must be drawn. We feel pretty comfortable tackling any mechanical, some electrical, and occasionally cosmetic issues. When it comes to paint and body, though, that’s when we tap out. It’s time to call in the pros. There’s something about nuts and bolts fastening into place that feels like science, while rust and dent repair or spraying the sheetmetal is more like dark magic.
When is it time to call in the professionals?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What TV series or movie fueled your love for cars?” Continue reading
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 6pm local time. The total of 707 cars surpassed the Dutch record set in 2013, which had 683 cars. Continue reading
It was announced today that Tadashi Kume, the third president of Honda Motor Co., had passed away. The engineer turned businessman died on September 11, 2022 at age 90. The influential leader guided the company from 1983 to 1990, a time of great change and expansion for Honda. During his tenure, Honda was transformed from a small automaker, operating in the shadow of Nissan and Toyota, into an international rival to those giants. Continue reading
The lads at NISMO have been busy at work with the new Z, and Nissan has just revealed the results. It’s not the street legal NISMO Z you’re hoping for, but could be even better, depending on your perspective. Instead, it’s a track-ready RZ34 that meets all FIA GT4-class specifications so you can head into battle against GT4 Supras, Mustangs, Cayman 718s, BMW M4s, and so on. Continue reading
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 one is titled “An Unbreakable Connection” and arrives just in time for Halloween. Continue reading
The Lexus SC is probably, to this day, still one of Toyota’s best-looking cars. It was the Supra you could take to the opera, built upon the same chassis that spawned the legendary JZA80, but grander, more civilized, and fitted with a sharper suit. However, the SC presented a vicious buyers’ dilemma. Go with the V8-powered but automatic-only SC400, or the manual-equipped but less powerful 6-cylinder SC300? Continue reading
Forty years ago today, on September 26, 1982 Knight Rider debuted on NBC. As much as I hate to admit it, the show played a seminal role in my love for cars. The reason I hate to admit it is because, well, the show was objectively ridiculous. The screenshot above is from a first season episode in which Michael and KITT enter an alternative fuel race to root out a saboteur. It was a funny episode because the race included an “electric” Porsche, a “solar” Mustang, a “propane-powered” Datsun 200SX as the Japanese entry, and a not-so-subtle jab at that other jumping car show in the form of a “moonshine-powered” orange Charger (which gets blown up, naturally). Despite its terrible writing, what could be cooler to a grade school kid than a talking Firebird Trans-Am that could fly through the air, reach 200 mph, and be your best friend?
What TV series or movie fueled your love for cars?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What will happen to classics after the EV revolution?” Continue reading
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced yesterday that Japan would remove caps on international travelers and visa restrictions on countries such as the US in three weeks’s time. That effectively means Japan will allow tourists back in starting October 11. However, if you can’t wait that long to visit Nissan’s Zama Heritage Collection, the company has conducted another virtual video tour. Continue reading
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 they were in their 20s. It should be no surprise that the Nissan Skyline topped the lists, but here are the detailed results. Continue reading
