Tag Archives: honda

Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

Valentine’s Day. Unavoidable and yet oh-so-little to do with cars. That is, unless you’re lucky enough to receive one of these kyuusha-shaped Tomica chocolates. For 2014, they’ve added an adorable cocoa Subaru 360 to the set. How cute is that? I … Continue reading

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SHOP LIFE: Standards, Part 02

In Part 01, we headed up to Gifu to visit a shop called Standards, which had a mind-blowing amount of Showa goodies hidden in every nook and cranny. After going into Showa overload, Yokoyama-san, the owner, asked if we wanted … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Original owner 1987 Honda CRX Si

In the 27 years Chris Hoffman has owned his 1987 Honda CRX Si he’s seen his model of choice transform from econobox to tuner king to Japanese classic. Now his well-preserved car is also the subject of Petrolicious‘ latest video, titled “Original Fanboy.” As it … Continue reading

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ART CORNER: Ryuji Tsugihara’s Yoroshiku Mechadoc

There are countless manga devoted to the subject of cars, but rarely do they leap off their comic book pages into the world of anime. Any self-respecting JNCer knows a few, but before Initial D or Wangan Midnight, before even Shakotan Boogie, there … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 38k-mile EF Honda Civic Si

For the Honda purist, online searches are a form of self-flagellation. You’ll want to go all Oedipus on your eyeballs after witnessing what crimes the average shocker-rockin’ Civic owner perpetrates on Soichiro’s creations. But wade through enough garish paint jobs … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival & Parade, Part 02

When Toyota holds a car show in the middle of Tokyo’s equivalent of Central Park, people notice. In Part 01 of our Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival coverage we had the rare opportunity to see the best of Japan’s historic … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival & Parade, Part 01

We’re extremely lucky to attend as many J-tin filled shows as we do, so it might sound like a first world problem when we say there’s always one teensy issue: The cars are stationary. That’s why when the Toyota Automobile … Continue reading

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VIDEO: The Challenging Spirit of Honda

At the Tokyo Motor Show last November Honda released a short video called “The Challenging Spirit of Honda.” Chock full of 1960s racing footage from Honda’s first foray into Formula 1, it begins with Old Man Soichiro’s world-beating RC motorcycles and … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Japanese Nostalgic Legos

Apparently, building JNCs out of Legos is a thing. After stumbling upon a Toyota Celica built by -Kyusha-, we fell down the rabbit hole and discovered an entire subculture of nostalgics made of plastic blocks. Here are some of our favorites.

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EVENTS: Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show

Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Naniwa Swap Meet

Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay. 

Posted in events, honda, kei, mazda, Motorcycles, nissan, suzuki, toyota, wagons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Late night blast in the S800

While in Tokyo for the big Motor Show, we took Skorj’s Honda S800 coupe out for a mini-grand tour around the city. At night, of course. 

Posted in Grand Touring, honda | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02

On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major … Continue reading

Posted in concepts, events, honda, mazda, minicars, Motorcycles, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

EVENTS: Honda celebrates 50 years of the S-Series

Honda‘s first passenger car went on sale in October 1963. That was 50 years ago, and the S-Series was a screamer. You know the story: While the rest of Japan’s burgeoning auto industry was assembling crude beasts of burden, Soichiro … Continue reading

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VIDEO: “Silver Bullet” Honda CB350 Cafe Racer

The last time we saw Electric Federal they were chatting with Brian Karasawa about his 1977 Celica Liftback. Now it’s time for some classic Honda love (of the two-wheeled variety). Gasser Customs builds classic cafe racers like this Honda CB … Continue reading

Posted in honda, Motorcycles, Video | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

NEXT VERSION: Honda S660 Concept pays homage to S600/S800, Beat

The Honda S660 Concept is set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show late next month. The name recalls the S500/S600/S800 of the 1960s, the first use of the S-Series name since the demise of the S2000 in 2009. In … Continue reading

Posted in honda, Next Version | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

MUSEUMS: Tour the Honda Collection Hall on Google Street View

Don’t want to fly to Japan? The Honda Collection Hall is now fully tour-able on Google Street View. The museum, located on the grounds of Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Tochigi Prefecture, houses three stories packed with Honda heritage. It’s … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — Less is More

There’s no replacement for displacement? Bzzzt, that is incorrect! The answer is weight, or lack thereof. This year’s JCCS had plenty of small wonders (including motorcycles) that warrant attention. They might not roar when you goose the throttle, but they’re … Continue reading

Posted in events, honda, mazda, Motorcycles, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 – Rolling Stock

Purists will be pleased. This year’s JCCS had significantly more bone stock cars on display than any previous show. And they weren’t of the standard variety of, say, a 2000GT or Datsun 312, though those were well represented. We’re talking … Continue reading

Posted in events, honda, isuzu, mazda, nissan, toyota, trucks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

EVENTS: 2013 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Mad Tuning Styles

The Japanese Classic Car Show showcases a wide variety of makes and models, but perhaps even more diversity can be found in the subject of this week’s QotW — the multitude of tuning styles. Not only are there differing genres … Continue reading

Posted in events, honda, mazda, nissan, toyota, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments