Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What JNC would be best for an EV conversion?
There was much internet debate about whether an R32 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R would be an appropriate car for Nissan to convert into an EV. Meanwhile, Toyota’s already done so with a classic AE86. It’s a trend that will only … Continue reading
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Nissan Cedric Gran Turismo ads helped make the Y31 cool
The world lost two legendary musicians recently when YMO founders Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away in January and March, respectively. The Yellow Magic Orchestra was one of the first modern Japanese bands to break through internationally and was … Continue reading
Bridgestone Super R.A.P., an aluminum wheel that looks like a steelie, revived
Bridgestone is reviving its Super R.A.P. wheel, once famous for being incredibly light weight. A mainstay of the Showa Era, it was originally released in 1987. Though it looks like a simple steelie coated in white, the Super R.A.P. was … Continue reading
Posted in wheels
Tagged ae86, bridgestone, Bridgestone Super R.A.P., K11, march, nissan, tokyo auto salon, Tommykaira, Tommykaira M13, toyota
4 Comments
Nissan’s R32 Skyline GT-R EV conversion donor is surprisingly mint
Nissan announced last week that it will be converting an R32 Skyline GT-R to run on battery-electric power. A followup video has revealed the candidate that will undergo the knife, and it’s a pretty mint example. That has polarized many … Continue reading
Posted in News
3 Comments
QotW: Which car has the best (or worst) seats?
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as Sports Seat Day in Japan, and it was started by a company you’ve actually heard of. Bride established the anniversary for April 10 because 4 and 10 can be pronounced … Continue reading
The Toyota Celica Liftback debuted 50 years ago today
On April 6, 1973 the Toyota Celica Liftback was born. It joined the lineup just two years and four months after the original Celica in Japan, though it wouldn’t appear in the US market until 1976. Thanks in part to … Continue reading
Harry Bradley sketches Toyota Soarer, Isuzu Piazza, and Nissan Leopard
Remember the post about car designer Harry Bentley Bradley’s, uh, eccentric Infiniti J30? While Bradley was mainly known for designing hot rod and custom American cars and many early Hot Wheels castings, he also worked for a number of car … Continue reading
Happy 4×4 Day from JNC
Today is 4×4 Day (April 4, or 4/4), and incidentally it was reported that the Toyota Land Cruiser J70 was returning to the Japanese market as a 3-Number class vehicle. These numbers, the smaller digits on top of Japanese license … Continue reading
QotW: What are your hobbies?
Today is Hobby Day in Japan, a pun made from combining the numbers shi (4) and yumi (3) to make shumi (“hobby” in Japanese). Of course, one could argue that cars themselves are a hobby, but we’ve found that those … Continue reading
Mazda CX-90, the first straight-six RWD machine from Hiroshima, is a superb driver
There isn’t a single new car on the market we’ve been more curious about than the Mazda CX-90. Normally we wouldn’t think twice about a heavy three-row SUV, but the CX-90 marks the long-awaited arrival of Mazda’s rear-wheel-drive, inline-six platform … Continue reading
Toyota Celica revival is the “life’s dream” of new president Koji Sato
By this time tomorrow Akio Toyoda’s reign as President of Toyota Motor Corp will be over. He’s stepping aside and his protégé Koji Sato is taking over. Toyoda will be missed. When he took the helm the sportiest thing in … Continue reading
Hot Wheels designer Harry Bradley’s “shark fin” Infiniti J30 is now for sale
The 1990s was a weird time. Although countless young enthusiasts were customizing Japanese cars already, they operated outside the purview of mainstream publications, seen as a fad that would quickly fade. And what kind of Japanese customs did the car … Continue reading
Posted in for sale
Tagged Harry Bentley Bradley, hot wheels, infiniti, J30, Leopard J. Ferie
11 Comments
Nissan is converting a Skyline GT-R into an R32 EV
Nissan has launched a teaser for an electric Skyline GT-R. No, it’s not speculation for an R36, but a classic R32 GT-R that will be converted to an EV. So far there’s very little about the project, which is commencing … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC will never die?
We were as surprised as anyone to learn that the Toyota Camry was ending its 43-year run in Japan. It’s popular enough to live on in some form in places like the US even if it will no longer be … Continue reading
Posted in News
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The V10 Toyota Camry debuted 41 years ago today
The Camry we consider to the be the first-generation of Toyota’s hugely successful family sedan debuted in Japan 41 years ago today, on March 24, 1982. It almost seems like poetically tragic, seeing as how it came out yesterday that … Continue reading
Toyota will end Camry sales in Japan after 43 years
The name Camry is almost synonymous with Toyota. It would be unthinkable for Toyota to kill its bread-and-butter model off in the US, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Japan. Today, Toyota notified its Japanese dealers that Camry production would … Continue reading
A toy car helped Nissan reclaim the Skyline trademark from Ford
Two years ago Ford filed a trademark application for the name “Skyline” with the US patent office and was granted those rights. As one of Nissan’s most valuable properties, the makers of the GT-R weren’t about to let Skyline get … Continue reading
QotW: What aspect of car life makes you happy?
Happy International Day of Happiness, the day created to recognize happiness as a fundamental human goal. As enthusiasts we derive joy from many aspects of car ownership. It could be a drive on your favorite road, the satisfaction of working … Continue reading
The digital cars of Chris Labrooy are still fanciful fun
You might have noticed photos of some weird swan car built out of a Porsche 996 circulating on social media this week. Porsche is currently showing the art car in their display at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, … Continue reading
Posted in Art Corner
Tagged A80, datsun, fairlady z, gt-r, nissan, r34, r35, S30Z, skyline, supra, toyota
3 Comments
