Tag Archives: honda

Grand Touring: The Kii Peninsula via the newly opened Shin-Tomei Expressway

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Skorj

Earlier this year the first section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway opened for traffic, marking a new era for Japan’s highway system. Naturally we went exploring, taking this newest road to one of the oldest inhabited regions of Japan, the Kii Peninsula.

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged accord, ae86, beat, brz, c10, corolla, cr-v, debonair, hachiroku, Hakosuka, honda, impreza, kei, kii peninsula, levin, mitsubishi, shin-tomei, skyline, sprinter, sti, subaru, subaru 360, tokaido, tomei, toyota, trueno, vino, wrx, yamaha, yamano magic | 9 Comments

Friday Video: Tim Mings’ collection of Honda 600s

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Tim “Merciless” Mings has been driving, collecting and restoring 600cc Hondas since he could drive. Over the years, he’s amassed an astounding collection both cars and parts and has become America’s go-to guy for anything Honda N600 and Z600. Part of his collection includes the … Continue reading →

Posted in Friday Video, honda | Tagged Friday Video, honda, merciless mings, n360, n600, tim mings, z360, z600 | 4 Comments

Shaken preparation at Sports Car Service of Yokohama

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Nestled in the sleepy, semi-rural outskirts of Yokohama is Sports Car Service, specializing in the repair and maintenance of nostalgic cars. Recently a friend needed to get an old rotary prepped for shaken, Japan’s roadworthiness inspection, and we tagged along to … Continue reading →

Posted in Nihon Life | Tagged 110s, 1500 sports, 1600 sports, 2000 sports, bellett, capella, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady, fairlady roadster, honda, isuzu, mazda, nissan, rx-2, s800, Service Corner, sp311, sports 800, Sports Car Service, sr311, toyota, yotahachi | 13 Comments

QotW: What is the greatest Japanese engine?

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Dan Hsu

We’ve asked quite a lot of weekly questions about the greatest cars. What about the hearts that beat within? There have been incredible motors forged in Nihon, from 10,000rpm Honda mills to screaming Mazda rotaries. So we put the question … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged acura, honda, mazda, nissan, nsx, prince, QotW, Question of the Week, s20 | 88 Comments

New York man holds funeral service for 30-year-old Honda Civic

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Last Sunday the Inwood neighborhood of New York said goodbye to an old friend, Harry Etting’s 1982 Honda Civic. A Dixieland band performed, a New Orleans jazz funeral procession marched down Seaman Avenue, and a wake was held at a … Continue reading →

Posted in honda | Tagged civic, funeral, honda | 18 Comments

The astoundingly detailed custom Hot Wheels of ScaleMaster

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Ricky Silverio

Please allow me to introduce our two newest JNC contributors — Ricky Silverio, an unquestionable nostalgic car guru who will be writing regularly about Japanese collectibles, and Mark Jones, the man behind these custom toy cars. Enjoy Ricky’s first article. – … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars, nissan, toyota | Tagged 2000gt, 240z, 260, 280z, 350z, ae86, bre, celica, civic, civic si, corolla, datsun, fairlady z, hachiroku, hks, honda, hot wheels, kurosawa, levin, minicars, mooneyes, mugen, Nerve Hammer, nissan, r32, s30, ScaleMaster, skyline, sprinter, super tsunami, supra, toyota, trd, trueno, z33 | 20 Comments

QotW: What’s the worst model name?

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Ben Hsu

A few weeks ago we asked JNCers what the best model name was. Well here’s the flipside. Sometimes the best and worst are one in the same but in any case we put the question to you. What’s the worst … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, nissan, Question of the Week | Tagged 300zx, charade, cm, cog, daihatsu, honda, nissan, Question of the Week, z32 | 48 Comments

Tamiya R/C Honda Ballade Sports Mugen CR-X Pro

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Dan Hsu

If the upcoming Hot Wheels Honda CR-X is too small for you, try this one on for size. Japanese hobby company Tamiya has released a radio control version of the Mugen CR-X Pro, the ne plus ultra of early 80s pocket rockets. Not … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars | Tagged ballade, cr-x, crx pro, honda, mugen, tamiya | 8 Comments

QotW: What’s the best Japanese car commercial from the West?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The Japanese are known for offbeat, zany or downright insane car commercials, but clearly not all of them would translate to western audiences. International marketing departments have their own way of luring you into the showroom, so we ask: What’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, subaru | Tagged furata, honda, impossible dream, kp61, legacy, Mel Gibson, QotW, Question of the Week, starlet, subaru, toyota | 37 Comments

New Honda N360/N600-styled retro kei car leaked

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Renderings of a small Honda city car have been leaked on to the Intarwebs, one that looks suspiciously like the 1967 N360 and its sibling the US-market N600.

Posted in honda, Next Version | Tagged honda, n360, n600, Next Version | 3 Comments

QotW: What’s the most beautiful OEM color?

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The world of nostalgics is filled with bold colors, perfectly paired two-tones and the whitest whites this side of heaven. Go to any gathering of vintage Japanese cars and it’s a feast for your retinas, a refreshing break from the … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged alto, f1, honda, jimny, Question of the Week, ra272, sj140, suzuki | 30 Comments

QotW: What’s the coolest kei car?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kevin San

Seeing some excellent examples of kei jidosha on the way back from Nagano last week got our brains churning. These uniquely Japanese micro machines are what put the island nation on the road and have been around for over 50 … Continue reading →

Posted in kei, Question of the Week | Tagged cherry, datsun, dome, honda, kei, minicars, nissan, QotW, Question of the Week, vamos, Zero | 29 Comments

Grand Touring: A Weekend in Nagano Prefecture

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Skorj

Eight-and-a-half feet of reliable snowfall blankets the mountains of Nagano Prefecture each winter, transforming quaint and quiet towns into temporary getaways for Tokyo-ites. When the snows disappear so do the downhill skiers and onsen soakers, but local FJ40 Land Cruisers stay to witness the spring thaw. … Continue reading →

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged Bessho, bus, Chikuma, chuo expressway, cr-v, daihatsu, fd, fj40, fuji heavy industries, fuso, hijet, hino, honda, j3, jeep, Kakeyu, kei, land cruiser, mazda, mitsubishi, Nagano, onsen, r3, rx-7, subaru, subaru 360, Summer Wars, toyota, Ueda, vitz, yaris | 9 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 02: Sedans

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The Mooneyes Street Car Nationals may take place in Tokyo, but unlike the typical kyuusha gathering the SCN is a celebration of Amesha Kulture. That’s why you’re more likely to spot a Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier van than a G-nosed Z, and … Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 130, 230, 430, 510, a30, appliance, b110, barikan, barracuda, bluebird, cedoglo, cedric, century, concerto, corona, crown, datsun, datsun 1200, debonair, gloria, hardtop, honda, k12, march, mitsubishi, motor wheel spyder, nissan, Paint Factory, rays, rt40, rt50, s110, s150, s50, special six, sunny, t40, t50, te37, toyota, turbo-vec, volk, vto | 12 Comments

Four new Choro-Q Zero models spotted at Shizuoka Toy Show

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Dan Hsu

The discontinuation a few years ago of Choro-Q, also known as Penny Racers or Turbo Tricksters to USDM fans, will remain one of the great injustices of modern Japanese society. Last year the line was relaunched as Choro-Q Zero with a focus on … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged 300zx, ae86, caravan, cedric, choro-q, choro-q zero, city, corolla, delica, fairlady, gloria, group 5, honda, levin, mitsubishi, nissan, r30, skyline, soarer, sprinter, super silhouette, toyota, trueno, y31, z10, z31 | 8 Comments

Wednesday Wall: 100 vintage Honda motorcycle wallpapers for your desktop

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Honda Japan has given us some beautiful digital artwork for our computer desktops over the years, but mostly of the four-wheeled variety. Well motorcycle fans, your prayers have been answered. In a series called Motorcycle Graffiti, Honda dishes out 100 … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, Wednesday Wall | Tagged cb400, cb750, honda, integra, monkey, motra, spacy, super cub, superhawk, wallpaper, Wednesday Wall, z50 | 9 Comments

Motorsports: The Honda S800-based Macransa Tojiro-III

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Ben Hsu

Whilst roaming around the Speedway paddocks for our 2012 Fuji Jamboree coverage we spotted this FRP creation stamped with a vintage Mark of Soichiro below a Honda Twin Cam Club decal. What could this contraption be? Why it’s the 1966 … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, motorsports | Tagged alpine, dome, fuji jamboree, fuji speedway, honda, lola, lola t70, m63, Macransa T-III, Macransa Tojiro-III, Minoru Hayashi, motorsports, porsche, porsche 904, renault, s500, s600, s800, soichiro honda | 8 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Fuji Jamboree, Part 02

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Ben Hsu

In Part 01 of our 2012 Fuji Jamboree coverage we focused on machines that took to the Speedway. Blood red hakosuka with Okamoto logos? You know those black Wats are ready to cut loose on Fuji’s tarmac. However, as every … Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, isuzu, nissan, toyota | Tagged a20, b210, bellett, butaketsu, c10, c110, c130, c210, celica, daruma, datsun, fuji jamboree, fuji speedway, gc10, gc110, Hakosuka, hayashi, hayashi street, honda, isuzu, kenmeri, kp30, laurel, MkII, motorsports, nissan, publica, ra28, rs watanabe, s500, s600, s800, skyline, ssr, starlet, sunny, sunny excellent, toyota, watanabe, yonmeri | 15 Comments

Question of the Week: What’s Japan’s most luxurious car?

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Ben Hsu

From the world’s first production GPS system in the JC Eunos Cosmo to the Cressida’s redundant stereo volume dial next to the steering wheel, Japan has always been a pioneer of automotive luxury. That is why this week we ask, … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week, toyota | Tagged ae86, century, civic, corolla, eg, hachiroku, honda, levin, QotW, Question of the Week, sprinter, toyota, trueno | 29 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Fuji Jamboree, Part 01

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Ben Hsu

If the sight of a Skyline and Savanna in nostalgic warpaint doesn’t stir your soul, we’ll go ahead and notify your next of kin. Add to that a sprinkling of Starlet, Sunny, and a snazzy Japanese-colors retro racing helmet perched just so, … Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, isuzu, mazda, motorsports, nissan, toyota | Tagged 110s, 1600 sports, 2000 sports, 240z, 260z, 280z, 330, 510, advan, alpine, b110, bellett, bluebird, bmw 2002, c10, c110, c130, cedric, cosmo sport, datsun, europa, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, familia, familia rotary coupe, fuij speedway, fuji jamboree, fuji speedway, gc10, gloria, gordini, gt-b, gt-r, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, laurel, lola t70, lotus, m63, macransa, mazda, motorsports, nissan, passol, porsche 904, publica, r100, renault, rs watanabe, rx-3, s30, s500, s54, s600, s800, savanna, skyline, sports 800, starlet, sunny, toyota, toyota sports 800, wagon, watanabe, yamaha | 19 Comments