QotW: What’s your favorite automotive manga or comic?

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Steve Chang

Today, March 17, is the anniversary of Japan’s first weekly manga, Shukan Shonen Magazine. Launched in 1959 and published each Wednesday, the book kicked off the trend of serialized comics for boys, and spawned stories such as Shuichi Shigeno’s Bari Bari Densetsu. The format would be copied by other magazines, which led to seminal works like Initial D,Wangan Midnight, Circuit Wolf and more. These tales would go on to influence generations of car enthusiasts around the world.

What’s your favorite automotive manga or comic?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How did you learn about cars?“. Continue reading →

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How far can a Nissan kei car go without refueling?

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Ben Hsu

It’s easy to dismiss kei cars as weak, un-serious shoeboxes for misers. However, there’s a good reason why they comprise more than 34 percent of car sales in Japan. Even if you take the registration, parking and tax benefits out of the equation and judge a kei car purely on fuel consumption, they are incredible feats of engineering. To see just efficient they are, a couple of vloggers in Japan see how far they can get a single tank of gasoline. Continue reading →

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Boxy sedans ruled Tokyo in 1984

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Matt De Mangos

There’s not an SUV in sight in this busy Tokyo intersection circa 1984. Instead, it’s populated by Nissan Cedric and Toyota Crown taxis and a lone privately owned dark blue X60 Cresta lurking behind the bus. Nor are the delivery vehicles are SUV-shaped. Workers chose a practical Mazda Porter kei truck or various Toyota wagons to make their rounds. Today, the landscape further changes as even the city’s trademark neon signs, like the Columbia Records billboard, disappear. Other old school signs include the original Tokyo Metro “S” to indicate a subway entrance, and the S&B Foods sign. Now I’m in the mood for curry…. and sedans.

Posted in Showa Snap | 4 Comments

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

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Ben Hsu

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 and Nissan fell through last month, and many thought that was the end for Nissan. With no other Japanese carmakers willing to step up it seemed Nissan was doomed to become a subsidiary of a tech company. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said that he’d give the talks another shot if Uchida was out of the picture, and that’s exactly what happened. Continue reading →

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The Datsun Fairlady Roadster was owned by automotive greats

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Dan Hsu

Today, March 11, is Datsun Roadster Day. Many remember the Datsun 240Z or 510 as the first Japanese car to win over American customers, but the Datsun Fairlady Roadster actually paved their way. The SP(L)311 (1600cc) and SR(L)311 (2000cc) was the better-performing, more reliable alternative to British roadsters like the MG B, and automotive gurus who knew a thing or two about cars gravitated toward these early examples of Japanese sports cars. Continue reading →

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QotW: How did you learn about cars?

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Steve Chang

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article 80 percent of Americans prefer to let professionals handle their automotive maintenance. Fewer DIYers was also the reason cited by Advance Auto as to why it’s closing over 700 stores in the US. So if you wrench on your own cars, congratulations, you’re in an elite minority in the US.

How did you learn about cars?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s a car-related thing that you should really get rid of?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | 17 Comments

Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX: Once beloved, now extinct

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Ben Hsu

If you didn’t live through its introduction it’s hard to grasp just how big of an impact the Mitsubishi Eclipse made. The all-wheel-drive turbo sports coupe was so beloved that major magazines devoted extra pages to it beyond the typical test drives. Car and Driver borrowed one to drive cross-country from the Canadian border to Mexican border in a beautifully photographed spread that fueled my adolescent love of road trips. Even Motorweek in 1990 aired a very un-Motorweek-like episode where they took an Eclipse to Roebling Road Raceway and gave viewers a tutorial on how to flog it at the track. Continue reading →

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Bob Sharp, Datsun and Nissan racing pioneer, 1939-2025

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Ben Hsu

Racing legend Bob Sharp (right) died last week at the age of 85. The driver and race team owner helped establish Datsun as a motorsports force in America, winning six SCCA National titles and an IMSA GTU championship, all behind the wheel of Datsun cars. Sharp also gave seats to Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, mentoring the actors through their racing careers. Continue reading →

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Toyota is restoring an A70 Supra with GR Heritage Parts

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Ben Hsu

Toyota is restoring an A70 Supra via its Gazoo Racing Heritage Parts Program. A few years ago Toyota restarted production of parts for both generations of the Supra, A70 and A80 (in Japan the A40 and A60 were called the Celica XX and predate the Supra name). To showcase what the program is capable of, Toyota is bringing a rusty A70 back to its former glory. Continue reading →

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Castrol livery returns again, on Subaru and Skoda

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Steve Chang

Is Toyota’s 80s and 90s Castrol livery becoming the next Gulf? The Gulf Oil blue and orange gets plastered on everything these days, even cars that never wore those colors originally. Two new race cars mark the third (and fourth) times we’ve seen the red-and-green-on-white Castrol warpaint revived on non-Toyota cars. Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s a car-related thing that you should really get rid of?

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Steve Chang

Today, March 3, is National “Simplify Your Life” Day. As fans of old cars we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. It starts with the actual car(s). Then comes the spare parts, aftermarket parts, tools, entire donor cars, diecast cars, RC cars, scale model kits, books, magazines, posters, brochures and scraps of metal and wood that you “might need” someday. It’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed, but how do you get back to just being average-whelmed?

What’s a car-related thing that you should really get rid of?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC is a must-have for a car museum?“. Continue reading →

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Gene Hackman drove a Toyota Celica in the 24 Hours of Daytona

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Ben Hsu

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was found dead in his Santa Fe, New Mexico home yesterday, along with his wife and one of their three dogs. The cause of death is unknown as of yet. Though best known for his work on screen, off screen Hackman was a motorsports enthusiast. He competed in a number of endurance races, most famously behind the wheel of a Toyota Celica at the 1983 24 Hours of Daytona. Continue reading →

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Build a huge R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO model that takes over two years to finish

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Ben Hsu

Collectors fanatic enough to have built Japan’s 1/8 scale model kit of the KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R can now have a companion GT-R to go with it. Deagostini has launched debuted its 1/8 scale BNR32 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO. Like other large-scale model kits it is offered via subscription, in which each week a small sub-assembly of the car arrives by mail. It’s a commitment, though, as there are 110 issues, which means the car won’t be completed before February 2027. Continue reading →

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Japan’s 1980s tire ads touted the glamor of driving, not safety

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Steve Chang

Roberta Flack, singer, pianist, and all around class act, passed away Monday. She was well-loved in Japan and gained popularity there after a nationwide tour there in 1975. She performed in Japan many times in the decades since, with her final concert there taking place in 2013. She achieved even more fame when her duet, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” with Peabo Bryson, was featured in an 80s commercial for Bridgestone Regno tires. Continue reading →

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The Mazda-built Ford Festiva was technically the first Kia sold in the US

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Steve Chang

Korean cars are common sights on the road today, but in 1987 the name Kia was a complete unknown in pre-internet America. Long before our streets teemed with Sephias and Souls, the first Kia to achieve widespread sales in the US was the Ford Festiva. But wait, you haven’t accidentally stumbled onto Korean Nostalgic Car because the Festiva was engineered and designed by Mazda. Continue reading →

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QotW: Which JNC is a must-have for a car museum?

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Ben Hsu

In case you hadn’t heard, San Francisco’s Academy of Art University is selling off most of its collection of 150 classic cars. As one of the nation’s top industrial design schools — and headed by none other than Tom Matano — it keeps a car museum to serve as inspiration for students. However, the school feels that today’s generation has lost interest in Pierce-Arrows or Duesenbergs. So the museum is selling most of its pre-war automobiles to acquire more modern Japanese and muscle cars, particularly of the 60s-80s era, which it believes are more relevant to students who will go on to design the next generation of vehicles.

Which JNC is a must-have for a car museum?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How can we save my friend from buying a 12-year-old EV?“. Continue reading →

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Takuma Sato drives the 1965 Honda RA272 Formula 1 racer

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Dan Hsu

The Honda RA272 was at the Maniwa Speed Festival, but it didn’t actually participate in the hill climb. That doesn’t mean it’s just a museum queen, though. The cars from the Honda Collection Hall are operable, and the No.12 Honda RA272 recently got taken for a spin by none other than two-time Indy 500 winner and former F1 driver Takuma Sato. The V12 sounds otherworldly as Sato gives it the full beans, revving it up to its 12,000-rpm redline. Continue reading →

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Legendary Japanese race cars gather at the Maniwa Speed Festival

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Steve Chang

After a 10-year hiatus the MH Hill Climb, the centerpiece event of the Maniwa Speed Festival, has returned. The event, now in a new location, gathered an impressive roster of legendary Japanese race cars both old and new, from tuner demo car to classic Formula 1 racer. Many of the priceless machines were even sent up a winding mountain road in damp conditions, and the entire spectacle was put to film. Continue reading →

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‘JDM: Japanese Drift Master’ game coming next month

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Steve Chang

There’s a new game packed with Japanese cars coming soon. It’s been compared to the upcoming Tokyo Xtreme Racer reboot, but with a focus on drifting instead of expressway racing. Despite the somewhat cheesy title of JDM: Japanese Drift Master, the game looks to be entertaining with beautifully rendered cars. Continue reading →

Posted in Video Games | Tagged | 2 Comments

QotW: How can we save my friend from buying a 12-year-old EV?

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Ben Hsu

A friend recently called to ask for car buying advice. He commutes 60 miles each way to work and the fuel bill’s adding up. He is a car guy and owns a stable of fun cars, but they’re all either too precious or too thirsty to daily. He fills up twice a week on premium right now. He’s considering a 2012 RAV4 EV for around $5,000, thinking he’d make the cost back in fueI savings in about a year. He only has access to an EV charger at his workplace, not at home. I had suggested a kei car, but his commute has no traffic and he was worried about sustaining 75 mph in one. Also, the roads aren’t great so a low car isn’t ideal.

How can we save my friend from buying a 12-year-old EV?

The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What LHD car would you drive in Japan?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 12 Comments