Coronavirus infections appear to be picking up in Japan, according to the latest seven-day average of new cases. The country is facing an eighth wave of the outbreak.
Data released by the health ministry show that the nationwide average has risen for seven weeks in a row.
With its 573-horsepower hybrid powertrain and 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds, there's no doubt that the Acura NSX is an impressive machine. As its production numbers and pricing adjustments attest, however, it's not a big seller. And this month, Acura's high-end coupe has a larger monetary discount than any other vehicle in America.
Buyers of the 2020 Acura NSX are scoring an average cut of $19,659 off the car's $159,530 sticker price. That equals a 12.3% savings for an average transaction price of $139,871. That's still a hefty chunk of change, but it's a reasonable sum for a vehicle with the NSX's performance chops.
Mazda has surpassed all of its rivals in being named the most reliable automaker by Consumer Reports this year.
The surge in coronavirus cases across Japan is putting a damper on plans for the festive season, with many bosses say they won't throw parties for their employees this year.
A research firm surveyed more than 10,000 companies about their plans to celebrate the end of 2020 and the start of 2021.
Just as the 2021 Toyota GR Yaris was officially announced for the European market, Autogefühl has put it through a comprehensive test.
Japan's weather officials will stop observations of about 90 percent of plants and animals that have continued for nearly 70 years.
The Meteorological Agency began observing the flowering of plants and the first chirping of animals in 1953 to report changes in season and climate.
A survey by Japan's health ministry shows that more than 80 percent of "dementia cafes" across the country remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are about 7,000 such places in Japan, where people with dementia and their families gather and seek advice.
Vans are generally boring things. Oh, you can spray paint sexy, psychedelic valkryies on the side or buy some right-hand-steer Japanese import with a name like Sambar Try Dias, but by and large, they're boring. That goes triple for the minivan variety, but since their invention in the early 1980s, one minivan has been the obvious exception. There was and continues to be absolutely nothing boring about the Toyota Previa. In fact, it's one of the most interesting vehicles Toyota has sold in this country in the past 30 years.
Early minivans were less cookie cutter in shape and layout than they are today, but even by that standard, the Previa was different. For starters, just look at the thing as it balloons above its tiny wheels and lower cladding. I imagine its design language was nouveaux blimp. There's so much glass! Just look at those windshield wipers. And remember, the Dodge Caravan looked like this when the Previa came out ... and Chrysler had just redesigned them. Yet, the styling is just the tip of the wacky pants iceberg.
The US magazine Time has included tennis star Osaka Naomi on its list of the 100 most influential people for the second year in a row.
Osaka recently won her second US Open title. She was included among the "Icons" on the list for 2020 released on Tuesday.
Tokyo officials say 187 people died of heatstroke in August in the Japanese capital. Of those people, 178 passed away indoors.
The Medical Examiner's Office says 95 percent of those who perished indoors were not using air conditioners.
Once Android 11 rolls out, the list of phones that can use wireless Android Auto will grow considerably. Google has updated Android Auto's FAQ page (as spotted by 9to5Google) to add that almost all devices installed with the upcoming mobile OS will get the capability to connect to compatible in-car entertainment systems without a wire.
The updated page also notes that your phone must support 5GHz WiFi for wireless connection to work. Most modern smartphones can already do that, so you won't have an issue unless you have an older or a low-end to mid-range device, some of which can only connect to 2.4GHz WiFi. Take note, however, that the EU has additional regulatory requirements when it comes to using 5GHz WiFi in cars.
Japan continued to experience a sweltering summer heat wave on Thursday with daytime highs of over 35 degrees Celsius recorded in many areas.
The Meteorological Agency says a high pressure system covering vast areas from western through northeastern Japan, combined with an influx of warm air, is bringing clear skies and high temperatures to the archipelago.
Japan's Cabinet has approved a package to fund most of an emergency plan to tackle the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The spending totals 10.3 billion yen, or 93.8 million dollars. The total plan is worth about 140 million dollars.
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso told reporters on Friday that the government wants to implement "firm and urgent countermeasures to stop the further spread of the virus." He also said it wants to promote urgent support plans for affected industries.
A little over a week ago, we told you to check out this spectacular, 21,000-mile 1971 Datsun 240Z on Bring a Trailer. Your chance has come and gone, but the good news is you probably couldn't have afforded it anyways. This gorgeous green coupe now appears to have earned the title of the most expensive example of a first-generation Z ever sold on the premium auction site, fetching a winning bid of $310,000. When we first laid eyes on this immaculate Z car, we said it would be hard to imagine it not setting a record price. It appears we were right. With the winning bid, this Z nearly tripled the sale price of the previous record holder, a 1970 model that sold in June of 2019 for $124,240. It should come as no surprise that prices for clean, first-generation Z cars have climbed in recent years, but the good news is that aside from this and a few other particularly noteworthy and clean examples, most sale prices have been hovering around the $20,000 mark. In fact, only three have fetched six figures; even a minty 1973 race car topped out at just over $77,000 in back in late 2017. This Z cleared the $30,000 mark in just the first day of bidding. This rare Racing Green over brown was given to the son of an Indiana Datsun dealer as a dental-school graduation present. It was alternately stored at home and the dealership, and was rarely driven. A dealer mechanic maintained the car for the owner until their passing in 2019. Thanks to this arrangement, the Z still shows fewer than 22,000 miles on its odometer, and none of it in foul weather, so the listing claimed. This unrestored, almost mint condition Z shows its originality well. While there are some signs here and there of its age, it's in remarkable overall shape. BaT commenters nerded out over details like the original (green) distributor, original radiator cap, and original hoses. The only obviously non-original parts appear to be the wheel covers; some of the interior parts are still covered in protective shipping plastic. If you missed out on this one, fear not. There's a very reasonable 1971 with a 5-speed swap still for sale on the auction site, along with a 1973 rocking a full-on L28 from the hotter 280Z, and those are just the two available at the time of publication. Z cars are fairly common on BaT, so more will come along soon enough. Note: At publication time, the 240Z's winning bid was listed as $310,000; due to issues with the Bring a Trailer web site, this figure may not be accurate. We will update this story if necessary.