Tag Archives: honda

NEWS: Honda CEO wants engineers back in the driver’s seat

In what sounds like a cruel April Fool’s joke, Honda announced Wednesday that it is basically undoing its entire product development strategy of the last seven years. Takahiro Hachigo, the new CEO who is barely a year into his tenure, announced Wednesday … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , | 27 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

NEWS: Japan notes increase in Skyline, NSX prices due to overseas interest

The above chart was one of the most circulated automotive news items in Japan over the weekend. It depcits how the nation’s wheeled icons have skyrocketed in price since just four months, with a certain model jumping nearly 1 million yen. The cause? Cars joining … Continue reading

Posted in marketwatch | Tagged , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

ART CORNER: The superdeformed model kits of Ryu Asada

Most of you know the name Ryu Asada from his work at Mattel designing hit diecast cars. The talented and creative veteran of both the Matchbox and Hot Wheels brands as penned some truly memorable castings, including JNC favorites like the Honda CRX, EF Civic, ’90 Acura NSX, and ’72 … Continue reading

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

MINICARS: The 2016 Hot Wheels Honda Odyssey takes inspiration from an 80s turbo hatch

The norm of our minicars articles is to report breaking news on miniaturized JNCs. Today, however, we’re telling you about a new Hot Wheels, um, minivan. Worry not, it’s a Honda! Not good enough? Read on, you’ll like it. 

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Happy year of the Monkey from JNC

Welcome to the Year of the Monkey! In mythology, the monkey is cleverest of all the 12 animals, but also active and adventurous. In fact, it’s sort of the perfect description of the Honda Monkey. 

Posted in jnc | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

ART CORNER: Beautiful dioramas of model cars from Japan

Takuji is a Japanese artist who places 1:43 and 1:64 scale minicars into beautifully constructed dioramas. From AE86s on touge roads to Mitsubishis tearing through a rally stage to mechanics tuning Skylines in a garage, each scene is a slice of … Continue reading

Posted in Art Corner, minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

EVENTS: Initial D World meet

If people are willing to dress up as country squires, high-mannered butlers, and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey season premieres, then why not an Initial D-themed car meet? As the most popular work of Japanese automotive fiction of all time, it’s … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

EVENTS: Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — Old School Cool

As one of the most important auto shows on the Japanese calendar, the Tokyo Auto Salon is a showcase of Japan’s latest and greatest tuning trends. With every customization style imaginable on display, however, old school cool is not always easy … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

DETROIT: Soul Red is the new white

Despite our decree that white was the best color for Japanese cars, Nihon automakers are still continuing to make cars in other colors. One hue that seems to be surpassing the traditional white is Soul Red. 

Posted in mazda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

QotW: What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?

Happy Year of the Monkey! We’re like 80 percent sure that Han Dynasty astrologists weren’t talking about Honda’s 50cc mini-bike, but perhaps this will be an auspicious year for you, JNC-wise, anyway. Will you finally pull the trigger on that old … Continue reading

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

EVENTS: Hachimaru Meeting at Fuji Speedway

If it wasn’t for its glorious motorsports history, Fuji Speedway would be just about the worst place to hold a car show. It rains seemingly half the time there, and while that makes for cool photography, it can’t be pleasant for the … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

EVENTS: 2015 Mooneyes All Odds Nationals

If you’re looking for high-powered GT-Rs and the like, Mooneyes shows are probably not for you. The cars you find at a typical Mooneyes event celebrate the art of customization, whether it’s on kei cars or commercial trucks. The vehicles here less about racing than … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

VIDEO: Why the first-gen Honda Civic makes a great race car

One of our favorite series on the internet right now is by Shannons Insurance of Australia. In the latest episode, they explain why you should go out and buy a first-gen Civic immediately. 

Posted in honda | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

MUSEUMS: LA’s shrine to the automobile reopens with (slightly) more Japanese representation

Los Angeles has three major institutions on what the tour guides call Museum Row: one for art, one for natural history, and one entirely devoted to cars. The Petersen Automotive Museum is the Temple of the Car in what is considered the car culture … Continue reading

Posted in museums | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

VIDEO: Shakotan car show rollout

And now for your viewing pleasure, a metric buttload of kyuusha leaving a car show in Japan. Every single one is a proper, old school Japanese sled. Also note the immaculate smoothness of Japan’s roads, which makes these shakotan rides possible. Watch … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

GRAND TOURING: A Miura Hanto Sunday Drive

For most, the term “Sunday drive” means a leisurely excursion, to no place in particular, just a way to exercise the family car. In Japan, it can include a number of things — blissfully empty touge, kohi (coffee) and kuruma (car) … Continue reading

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

NIHON LIFE: How to park your car in Japan, Part 03

Welcome to the final installment in our multi-part treatise on short-term automobile storage in Japanese society. In Part 01 of the investigation we studied what was within and without the bounds of the law, as well as the ubiquitous steel-bar-rising-up-out-of-the-ground parking lots. In … Continue reading

Posted in Nihon Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

NIHON LIFE: How to park your car in Japan, Part 02

Sure, owning your own kyuusha in Japan sounds like a lot of fun, but where do you put it? In Part 01 of our damning exposé on the topic of parking an automobile in Japan, we illustrated what was legal and illegal, and did a … Continue reading

Posted in Nihon Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

NIHON LIFE: How to park your car in Japan, Part 01

Finding public or street parking in Japan’s major cities is sometimes chotto muzukashii — a Japanese saying for “a little difficult,” said through clenched teeth with a trailing “iiiii…” it essentially means, with typical Japanese subtlety, impossible. So there is naturally … Continue reading

Posted in Nihon Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments