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Nissan released a video today previewing and confirming the next-gen Z car. We got to see a shadowy silhouette of Nissan's upcoming sports car — find all the details on that here — but we also got a preview of many other future Nissan products. Most notable among the line of products rolling by us was the first look at Nissan's next-gen Frontier pickup.

We've heard scads of information about this truck coming our way, but this is the first time Nissan has shown what it's going to look like. The differences are clear as day. The front nose no longer slopes downward when viewed in profile, appearing like most upright truck faces do these days. Two proud twin strips of LED lighting bring it up to date with a signature look, and the hood features multiple muscular lines. Viewed from the side like this, we're getting Toyota Tacoma vibes from its blocky shape and brawny lines.

Last year, we learned that Honda would be wrapping up production of the Honda Civic hatchback in the U.K. in 2021, and production would move to North America for the next generation. This meant that we were probably only a couple of years away from a new model being revealed. That seems even more likely now that a next-generation 2022 Honda Civic Type R has been caught by one of our spy photographers.

It maintains a number of Type R basics from the current model. It has very wide bodywork, a black mesh grille, aggressive front fascia, and of course a gigantic rear wing. But there are some major changes, too. The body looks to be lower and longer. The hatch has a gentler descent to the stubby deck, and it loses the split rear window. All of these cues give it a bit of a coupe-like appearance. The car's surfacing is cleaner, too, and the rear bumper looks pretty much devoid of fake vents, though there is a provision for a center exhaust tip. Returning to the front, the headlights look lower and not as swept back, but they still have an LED array similar to the current car.

Japanese astronaut Noguchi Soichi says he will do his best to ensure the success of his next mission on a new spacecraft developed by a private US company, SpaceX.

Noguchi spoke to NHK in an online interview from the United States.

The Japanese government will start mailing reusable cloth masks to all households in the country next week in a bid to address the continuing shortage.

Households in Tokyo and other urban areas will be the first to receive the masks as they have the largest number of coronavirus cases.

Images have leaked online reportedly showing an all-new generation Toyota Harrier sold primarily in Japan but also some other Asian markets.

Honda's electric car range has been pretty paltry in the United States so far. Its only full electric is the short-range Honda Clarity EV, which is on its way out, and the adorable Honda E doesn't look like it's coming here anytime soon (no matter how much we want it to). But the company is planning on changing that. In a joint press release, it announced with General Motors that it has two new EVs coming that will be based on GM's electric car technology.

The two cars will use the new global EV platform from General Motors and the company's new Ultium batteries. The platform will be used in a wide array of GM vehicles from Chevy to Cadillac. The Ultium batteries are unique pouch-style batteries that allow for lots of packaging flexibility, rapid charging, and will be offered in packs from 50 to 200 kWh. All of this technology will underpin the new Hondas. In fact, these new Hondas will even have OnStar and the hands-free SuperCruise advanced driver assist system. They'll be built in GM factories in North America, too.

The head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee says he hopes to set new dates for the postponed events by the end of next week.

The committee has been working to finalize schedules and secure venues for the Games since they were postponed from this summer in the face of the coronavirus. It wants to hold them by the summer of 2021 at the latest.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach have agreed to hold the Tokyo Games by next summer at the latest.

Abe and Bach talked over the phone on Tuesday to discuss what to do about the Games. That comes in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan's top government spokesperson says the supply of face masks will increase to more than 600 million per month from March amid a severe shortage across the country.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday that the government is working to resolve the shortage as soon as possible while closely monitoring mask production and distribution.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested that major sporting, cultural and other events should be canceled, delayed or scaled down for about two weeks amid the new coronavirus outbreak.

Abe was speaking at a government task force meeting at the prime minister's office on Wednesday.

The Subaru WRX STI is getting pretty long-in-tooth, but an all-new model is on the horizon and it could have 90 hp (67 kW / 91 PS) and 71 lb-ft (96 Nm) more than its predecessor.

The next-generation Subaru WRX STI may boast as much as 400 horsepower from a re-tuned, 2.4L turbocharged boxer engine, making it the most powerful factory STI ever to be offered in America. 

Forbes reports that an upgraded version of the engine currently offered in the three-row Subaru Ascent crossover will power the new model, rather than the 2.0-liter unit that powers the current WRX or the 2.5L found in the current STI.  

Japan's Foreign Ministry says the new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit the country next week.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will visit Japan from Monday to Friday. This will be his first visit to Japan since he took office in December following the death of his predecessor Yukiya Amano from Japan.

Here in the States, the only engine available in the reborn Toyota Supra is an inline-six that produces 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. In other markets, however, Toyota's swoopy sportscar is offered with a couple of four-cylinder options. According to a report from Motor Trend, an announcement for a 2.0-liter turbocharged four for the U.S. could be imminent. Motor Trend asked Ed Laukes, Toyota's group vice president of marketing, directly about the possibility of a downsized engine in the U.S. Supra, and he responded that they should "stay tuned for next week." Taking that a little further, MT postulates that an announcement could be made at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16. BMW offers a 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the mechanically similar Z4 with 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It's not clear what power level Toyota would target for a base-level Supra, but a 225-hp version is offered in Japan. What's more, a four-cylinder Supra has already been certified for sale by the California Air Resources Board, which means at least some hurdles have already been passed. So, will it come? Perhaps we'll find out in a week.