I will introduce Japanese motorsport scene here.July 07, 2007
●777 - RX-7 Meeting at Daikoku (7-07-2007)
7th of July 2007, 7-7-07, the perfect day for an RX-7 meeting!
Here are some pictures from Daikoku. I've never seen so many cars there, it was truly amazing!
June 25, 2007
●Il Salotto D1 3-series car
This is one I shot a long time ago. This 3 series was turned into a SR20DET powered D1 drift machine by Il Salotto
For 2007 their drift car in now based on a E36 M3 and pushes over 400 PS thanks to some turbo-charging.
Enjoy the pictures:
May 07, 2007
●New wheels for the Legacy
Well with the cold winter season over the Legacys snow tyres (which are run on the stock 17" 5-spoke wheels) have been put in storage. I picked up a used set of 10-spoke Spec B. 18" wheels from Yahoo Auctions clad in almost new Falken something or other tyres. Certainly makes a change on the handling side of things, not to mention tyre noise is considerably reduced! I really like the look of these stock Subaru wheels, but I'm contemplating having them sprayed in a dark silver for a meaner look. Next for the Legacy will be suspension and brakes. I will keep you updated on how that goes.
A few pictures.
The Yokohama snow tyres
Station Wagons are great aren't they!
Getting them fitted at the local tyre place. The poor guy doing the work looked like he was 130 years old or something!
And with the new wheels fitted. Yes I know, it rides too high!
Put away until next winter
May 03, 2007
●V36 Skyline 370GT Coupe
Spotted this at Roppongi Midtown the other day. It's a very nice looking car and looks great in this deep red. The 3.7 L V6 promeses to be even better than the already great 3.5 L VQ35HR whcih I loved in the V36 saloon. Can't wait to get behind the wheel of this.
Some crappy pictures taken with my phone:
April 22, 2007
●Newera AE86 Toyota Levin, tuned by Techno Pro Spirits
Here is another car I shot last year, the Newera Imports AE86 Levin.
The owner, Miguel, kindly let me borrow his recently completed pride and joy for a few days. And what an experience that turned out to be. This little hachiroku is a very special car. Miguel built it up from scratch and turned it into the ultimate street going beast. Under the carbon fiber bonnet beats a highly compressed 4AG pumping out a whisker under 200 PS. It is without a doubt, a full-on race engine.
Seeing this was always going to be a road legal street car Miguel spent a lot of time and money on the interior. A set of red Bride seats take center stage while details like the Nardi racing wheel add to the whole drifter look. There is even a headunit if the piercing sound of the individual throttles gets boring!
And how about this for a custom dash! The old 80's cluster was binned and this Defi custom item built on a nice piece of carbon fiber. Looks great at night with the green illumination
Looks totally mean from any angle
Under the Mito tower in Ibaraki-ken
In the back streets of the city
And of course you are all wondering how it drives? Simple, this is the rawest most thrilling car I have ever driven. Sure it might not be as precise and as fast as more modern sports cars, but it gives the driver an overall more intense driving experience. This little hachi has something that has all but disagreed from cars lately, soul. Its controls feel so direct, it immediately responds to the faintest input, and gradually becomes an extension of your mind and body. It's a delight to hammer to the redline as the tiny 1.6 engine screams its heart out from intake and exhaust. And then there is the handling. No electronics to hamper feel here. Its as raw as the rest of the package and it is its finest point to say the least. Its demanding on the limit but progressive and understandable. Mess with it and it will bite you in the ass, but respect it and it will satisfy you in a way that very few cars can.
April 18, 2007
●Infini MZ21 Soarer
Well it has been over four months since the last update. Yes I know, I'm lazy. But seeing the amount of e-mails I've been getting asking me for more updates....well I couldn't really ignore them! So here we go.
This was a car I shot early last year at the Saitama football stadium. Built by Infini this MZ21 Soarer packs some serious power, very serious in fact. 900 PS on the engine and 1200 PS with a bit of nitrous! Which explains the size of the rear tyres!
All that power comes thanks to a 2JZ-GTE swap, running JUN-Cosworth pistons, HKS connecting rods and a stock, balanced crankshaft. A big HKS T51-R turbine was chosen to meet the 900 PS goal. As you can probably imagine a lot of fuel is needed to keep this engine happy so a twin rail set-up was made up, the first running 450cc injectors the second 720cc items. If that wasn't enough Infini fitted two nitrous foggers which are used only for serious drag races. The two tanks for the gas are in the boot. You can also see the ballast weights on the sides.
The interior has been stripped out and runs all the necessary gadgets to keep the engine happy. Gearbox lever actuates the cogs on the Hollinger sequential while the OS Giken quad plate clutch juggles the immense 120 kgm plus of torque.
And in case you are wondering, yes, this Soarer is sporting a full custom wide-body. No cheap FRP panels here, it's all metal and hand shaped by the owners trusted bodyshop! Quite a car to say the least!
November 20, 2006
●330 km/h Revolfe Aristo
Built by Supra specialist Revolfe SA the black Aristo you see in the links below is possibly the most extreme sleeper currently prowling the streets of Tokyo. Up front is a completely rebuilt 2JZ mated to a good old Trust T88, a set-up capable of cranking out 720 PS! Coping with all this power and the towering 74 kgm of torque is a Supra Getrag 6-speed 'box and ATS triple plate carbon clutch. A mind-blowing set up for a luxury car!
Things have been kept very simple on the exterior with a Curve bodykit, only the rear ARC wing and white TE37 wheels hinting that this is not your average luxury barge! Simpson harnesses and a few gizmos aside the interior has been left untouched. Like every Revolfe built car suspension and brakes are high on the agenda. The Aristo runs F50 Brembo calipers & 370 mm discs up front and F360 calipers with 355 mm discs at the rear. Adjustable Sachs dampers are used all round.
November 05, 2006
●BMW 335i
Well it's not out for another few months in Japan, but I snapped up these (extremely crappy phone) pix tonight on my driveway. Guess it helps having a BMW employee as a neighbor ;-)
Funny thing is the Beemer badges are taped up....like anyone out on the road can't recognize it as a BMW! I have to say I really like it, far better looking than the saloon, very compact and flowing design. New M3 will be a beauty. Straight 6 twin-turbo engine sounds very fruity,
●Curve Auto Design
Met up with Amemiya-san of Curve Auto Design way back in February to check out some of his latest creations. Curve specializes in body modifications, and on top of their own products provide a full custom service for their customers. If you don't like a specific detail on your bumper, or want to integrate parts by different manufacturers then Amemiya-san is your man. Just take a look at the cars below.
First off the Z32 300ZX. Sporting a full Curve body kit and a Revolfe built 480PS engine this is the company's own demo car.
Owned by one of Curve's customers is this wide-body JZX80 Supra. Curve cleaned up and refined the look of the Top Secret wide body kit for a totally bespoke look.
And if the above cars aren't extreme enough for you then have a look at this fat-ass Supra!!! They don't get wider than this! Here Curve worked with an Abflug wide-body kit and Veilside parts to create an impossibly unique ride.
October 15, 2006
●Subaru Legacy Wagon 3.0R
Well it had to happen sooner or later, the good old and trusty Honda Accord had to go after 13 years of trouble free use. With the odometer reading close to 200,000 km and Shaken running out this month, it had to go.
I've been checking out dealers, internet second-hand-car data-bases and even went to USS auctions over the last couple of months. I wanted a comfortable and refined car, something that would feel right at home blasting up and down the expressways of Japan. In the end I decided to go for a Legacy Wagon 3.0 R. It packs a 250PS, 3-L flat six, permanent AWD and a 5-speed auto/tiptronic style gearbox. I've covered just over 1000 km in it now and I have to say I absolutely adore this car! The flat-six is creamy-smooth and has enough power to give sports cars a run for their money, the ride is extremely comfortable and refined while with flat-folding rear seats offer all the space you would ever need. The McIntosh audio system is sublime in every way...in fact there is very little one could fault on this 3.0R.
A few pix.
October 14, 2006
●Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider (1966)
Was leaving Unidy car park today when I noticed this little beauty parked in the car park! Interesting car to go shopping at a garden center with....especially when in the middle of a historic car race!! (notice the number on the door!)
October 07, 2006
●El Camino
Was down at my local shaken place to get some new plates for my my new car (more on this soon) when I spotted this very clean El Camino. Notice the number plate...
September 04, 2006
●997 Twin Turbo in Japan
Apologies for the lack of entries over the summer but between some technical problems and other things I've had little time to add to the blog. I have a lot of material to upload so keep checking back regularly from now on! Saw my first 997 TT in Japan the other day in Tokyo and a second today in Narashino. Luckily this white Tiptronic example was parked so got a few snaps with the cell phone. I don't know what it is about this car but I just can't make myself like it. Performance wise it's an amazing machine but aesthetically wise it looks like its been tarted up by an after-market tuner. And the wheels do nothing for it! Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4June 10, 2006
●Top Secret VQ32
Top Secret never fails to amaze. Even when there is little out there they haven't done, they always manage to come up with original cars. Check out the VQ32 Skyline which was shown at the beginning of the year at the Tokyo Auto Salon. Gone is the RB26 and the AWD, replaced by a VQ35DE from the Z33 and V35. And if that wasn't enough it pushes out almost 360PS in NA form! Look at the detail that has gone in to making the custom twin carbon air-boxes and the 6 throttle set up with gold trumpets!
June 04, 2006
●How much can you chop??? CS Hiro Impreza
Ever wondered what the chopped roof hot-rod look would look like on a modern Japanese car? Well so did Car Service Hiro, a specialized body-shop which develops and builds its own kits and has made some very special cars in the last few years.
CS Hiro built this car originally for Subaru, who displayed it at the 2004 Tokyo Auto Salon. Having no use for the car after the Salon CS Hiro bought the car off Subaru and eventually turned it into the 500 PS demo car you see here. Spot details like the full leather interior (including the leather-wrapped roll cage), radiator & intercooler mounted in V and the cool flake-effect paint job.
The car managed to lap Tsukuba in 1'00"912 during the Tsukuba Super Battle last December.
May 15, 2006
●T&E 350Z
Well it's been almost a month since the last update, apologies for that. I will try to get back on track with this blog from this month!
Following on from Nob's S15 here is the T&E 350Z sporting the full Vertex kit.
[apologies if the thumbnails are not visible, for some reason I can't seem to be able to post them any more]
April 12, 2006
●T&E Vertex Lang S15 Silvia
Got very lucky to shoot this car late last year. It is actually Nobuteru Taniguchi's personal street car and the most complete and well modified S15 I have come across. HKS engine tuning, of course, 380 PS, full Vertex Lang kit with a gull-wing door conversion coming soon, 19" AVS wheels, Project µ brakes all round and full Bride interior trim. The center console features a custom integrated LCD navi screen and what Silvia would be without a Nardi steering wheel...which just happens to be a special "Nob" edition.
February 14, 2006
●Subaru Tecnica International S204
Not even a year has passed since the S203 hit the scene and its replacement is already here. Behold the S204, probably the best Impreza you can get straight out of the box.
Subtle grille badge
The 320 PS are courtesy of the blueprinted and balanced flat four which is fitted with a larger IHI turbine. Power delivery is as smooth as it gets and there is plenty of torque available at low rpm ready to give you a punch of acceleration whenever you need it.
What really surprised me was how well the S204 handled. The hard yet supple STi suspension offer precision and accuracy without sacrificing comfort. This is also down to the tiny Yamaha dampers which have been fitted inside the rear strut bar and front chassis stiffening bar. They might sound like a gimmick but they truly work!
Only 600 will be built and only sold in Japan at 4.8 million Yen
February 07, 2006
●JUN Option Stream Z
Will 2006 be the year Daijiro Inada manages to get a decent result with the Stream Z?? JUN has certainly done an impressive job in preparing this car and there is no doubt it can average an impressive high speed over the 90 miles of the Silver State Classic Challenge. The question is....will Dai not screw it up this time??
Here are some pictures taken in the JUN Auto Mechanic workshop. Many thanks to Koyama-san for having us after-hours!
The Stream Z wears a full Top Secret GT-style wide-body kit, and features a custom low-mounted rear wing
The wheels have been sized up from 18 inch to 19 inch while the blistering-prone Michelins have been binned for some Continental V-Max
All new paint-job and graphics for 2006. Last years car was totaled during a practice run.
Endless braking system (6-pot front & 4-pot rear)
Massive Trust T88-38GK 22cm allows the engine to develop 800 PS @ 6,700 rpm. Notice the custom built intake manifold
The 81.1 kgm are developed only 500 rpm below top power so it's essential to get your gear-changes spot on if you want the engine to pull the next gear ;-)
A massive FIA approved ø 45-t2.5 mm 18 point roll cage keeps the driver safe. It's been thoroughly tested!
Bit tight in there!
February 04, 2006
●Honda Collection Hall
I always love dropping by Twin Ring Motegi. Spent a whole afternoon taking in the history behind one of Japan most accomplished sports car and race car makers. Here is a small selection of shots of road and race cars (didn't bother shooting the bikes....tooo many of the damn things!)
1964 Honda S600 Coupe. Powered by a 606 cc, DOHC 4-cylinder. Power? A close to 100PS/Liter 57 PS at 8,500 rpm. Max speed a pretty impressive 145 km/h. 715 Kg curb weight made it a real blast!
1966 S800. 791 cc for 70 PS at 8,000 rpm. 160 km/h & weight of 710 Kg.
The extremely small 1970 Honda Z. Powered by an equally small 354 cc air-cooler twin. Develops 31 PS at 8,500 rpm which pushes the 510 kg Z to 115 km/h.
1st gen NSX-R, superb car
1.5L twin turbo V6 F1 engine. I'll have to make a wallpaper with this engine:D
Some of the more modern F1 machines
2001 DC-5 Tokachi 24 h race winner, driven by Tsuchiya
1995 NSX-LM. Winner of the GT-2 class with Tsuchiya/Iida/Takahashi at the wheel.
V12 F1 engine from 1991 (McLaren). 3,498 cc, 700 PS at 13,000 rpm
2000 GT-550 NSX. 3,500 cc V6, 480 PS at ????? rpm.
January 26, 2006
●Bee-R R33 GT-R (track spec)
Well, managed to shoot this little beauty right before it was shipped to the UK to its lucky new owner by Power Vehicles.
Fully built by GT-R specialists Bee-R, it sports a fully stripped interior, roll cage and custom dash as well as full Bee-R body parts including some tasty carbon front fenders.
Uhmm, carbon...
Not often you see OMP racing seats in Japanese cars.
Stack dash unit
Standard looking engine, but GT-SS turbines lie beneath
Carbon strut bar
January 21, 2006
●Mine's BNR34 GT-R V-spec N1 base
Shot the daddy of all street based GTR demo cars a while back. This is by far my favorite GTR as I appreciate the way it is tuned and the quality of the work that is done at Mine's.
Here are some pictures.
BBS RE 18" wheels
Full dry-carbon rear wing. The adjustable part sports a gurney flap
LED GT-style lights....a real must have!
The famous Mine's Spec II engine. 600 PS and 60 kgm of bliss
Interior, again very simple, only Recaro carbon/Kevlar racing seats and a Sparco steering wheel.
A very fast rpm needle!!
Some technical shots. Notice the carbon prop-shaft and large diameter titanium exhaust.
Rear AP Racing set up and Dynamic dampers
Adjustable lower arms and AP Racing race brakes up front. Notice neatly fitted cooling ducts
And the man behind Mine's, Niikura-san
November 21, 2005
●Type-ONO MR2
How about this for something different! Totally custom wide-body Toyota MR2 from Team Autobots Japan. Built by the owner, Ono-san [hence the name "Type-0no", nothing to do with Type-One;-)] this MR2 has been treated to some very impressive body modifications. Check out the front section that lifts up at the touch of a button to reveal some mean looking subs and amps. All the body panels have been hand molded and joined to create a "one-piece-look." The interior features equally impressive touches in the form of full alcantara make-over and custom instrument binnacle.
Check out the location....biggest cemetery I have ever seen!
Deep-dish anyone?
Ono-san even has his own logo!
Front section, all one piece
Chromed up and polished engine bits
Interior....leather everywhere!
Custom dash featuring Pivot dials
Lots of ICE here! Back up camera sits between the twin titanium tail pipes
Looks nothing like your average MR2. In case you are wondering the front HID lights are from the Nissan Cima
Ono-san's girlfriend just happens to be a model so it would have been rude not to take some pictures!
And my favorite of the day....
November 10, 2005
●Lexus IS 350
Spent some time sampling the superb Lexus IS350. What a car! Really can't fault it in any way except maybe for the lack of rear room and, as ever in Japanese cars, the high driving position. Powered by the creamy-smooth 318PS 3.5 L V6 as used in the GS (the GS has 3PS less) the IS is as much of a performance car as it is a refined entry-level luxury car. And that's without going into how good it looks! I mean if you had the choice would you pick the IS or a BMW 3-series? I know which one I would take home.
And then there is the interior. Again, nothing to fault. If you really want to be picky, and in cars this good it's the only way you will find some negative aspects to counterbalance your argument with, there are a few things that could be addressed. As mentioned the high driving position. Can't quite figure out why this was allowed to pass as Lexus proved they can do it right in the GS. Other than that the gear lever shifter looks dated and the plastic surrounding of the central console looks and feels cheap. The wood trim is totally out of place in a car like this and I really do wish more trim options were available like flat or brushed aluminium or even carbon fiber to reflect the sporty feel of the IS.
The IS is an extremely comfortable car on the motorway and it can also be a hooligan's car, but not as much as you would assume. It lets you get away with the odd burn-out but for some reason Lexus has preferred to let the nannying stability control take over at the slightest hint of a slide. With all that shove coming from the V6 this happens all the time on wet roads. Brakes are superb and I was surprised to find some rather big 4-pot monoblock calipers up front. The 6-speed auto is excellent in every way and if you set it on "sport" it will downshift aggressively and even blip the throttle! But I'm sure I'm not the only one who would still appreciate a good old DIY manual. Superb car, a bit pricey here in Japan but an almost obvious choice over a BMW 330i.
November 02, 2005
●340 km/h Revolfe Supra
Just had to go and shoot this car built by Revolfe in Yokohama. Love the purposeful exterior and real Wangan racer 700PS engine breathed on by a big fat laggy T88.
This is actually a customer car, and from the looks of the interior he likes his toys!
Let's not forget the engine!
You don't want to mess with this car. It might poke you with that big antenna;-)
Here is a free ad for Brembo!:-)
October 17, 2005
●Lamborghini Diablo Bi-turbo
Supercars don't get more flamboyant than the Diablo. It's big, wide and sports a 530 PS 5.7 L V12. In fact this engine is one of the most emotional sounding V12s in existence! So it would be hard to understand why a car of this stature would not be enough to satisfy the needs of the most demanding drivers. Enter Mr. Kondou and his 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV.
A beautiful example finished off in a fine metallic silver which is contrasted with the matte-black Neez magnesium racing wheels. You might already see a few little bits and pieces that are not standard fit, but hey this is Japan and people have always liked to personalize their cars. Step into the interior and again a there are a few little touches here and there...
You might spot the Motec dash logger which hints at a top of the line management system, understandable to want a bit more processing power in such a car.
Step around the back of the Diablo and you notice the engine cover is made of glossy carbon fiber...but wait, what is that under there?
Open the cover and this is what you are confronted with....
Holy Mother of ....!!! What the hell happened here??
Yes ladies and gentleman your eyes have not failed you, this is indeed a twin-turbo-charged 5.7 L V12 Diablo SV! Feast your eyes on what is one of the most impressive engine conversions I have ever seen. Unlike bolting on ready-made, easy to fit bits & pieces like a lot of tuners do [playing Lego as I like to refer to it ;)] everything you see here has been designed and built for this particular car, all custom. The massive KKK K27 turbine and Blitz wastegates have found a home behind the massive V12 where they compress the air up to 1.2 Bar and feed the twin top-mounted intercoolers, again all custom built. This engine bay is something you just can't stop looking at...
This thing puts out 1187 PS at the rear wheels and a tractor rivaling (it is a Lambo after all!) 128.8 kgm. For those of you that can't get their heads around the modern metric system that is 931 pounds for every one of those "feet" you still use ;)
Out on the road this thing is savage. I thought highly tuned GT-Rs were fast but this thing is just ridiculous. It can pull 368 km/h flat out and there is plenty left as it bounces off the limiter in 5th. More power is on the cards too with a slight increase of boost and a few more tweaks Mr. Kondou is shooting for 1,400 PS and 136 kgm. Crazy!
October 07, 2005
●Toyota Vitz (Yaris) RS
The new Toyota Vitz went into production earlier this year and has been selling pretty well in Japan. It's biggest test is succeeding in the lucrative European market which is saturated with offerings from local manufacturers. It will go head to head with cars like FIATs new rather good Punto.
Overall it has grown considerably from the previous generation model and has plenty of interior space to sit 5 adults in comfort. Plenty of convenient storage spaces and cubby holes to keep anyone happy while the tilting rear seats (twin splitting on non sports models) offer impressively large and tall loading area. The RS comes with some nice sporty seats but, like in 99% of Japanese cars, are still way to high for tall drivers. The upright driving position might not be to everyone's liking but you do get used to it after a while. The RS came with the optional CD-based navigation unit which was excellent and feature packed and the keyless entry system which curiously uses the exact same Engine Start/Stop button as found on the Lexus GS & IS. I'm sure Lexus owners might have something to say about that!
The RS is distinguished by larger diameter wheels and a sporty bodykit as well as more aggressive rear LED-lights compared to your more sedate models.
The 110HP 1.5 VVTI engine offers plenty of go with a nice torquey low-rpm power-band but is right at home revving away to the 6,500 rpm redline. The five speeder is a bit vague but once again, like in every modern car I drive, the most annoying and hard to digest aspect is the damn throttle mapping. Electronic throttle it the culprit once again. You can stab the accelerator to give a quick throttle blip and you can virtually count to 5 while engine revolutions rise slowly and fall back to idle even slower. The result is slow gear-changes and a real pain to live with. Handling is superb, very precise and sharp turn-in which allows you to really commit to fast sweepers. Steering could do with some more feel but all in all a great all rounder. The RS is as happy pootling around Tokyo center returning 16 km/L as it is up on fun mountain roads being thrown from corner to corner. Even the brakes were superb.
Only real question is will the RS ever make it to Europe? I certainly hope so as I have no doubt it will give the hot european offerings a run for their money.
October 02, 2005
●Mazda Roadster RS (MX-5/Miata)
Spent some time savoring the dynamics of one of the most fun cars out there, the new Mazda Roadster. The design is very closely linked to the Ibuki concept shown at the Tokyo motor show two years ago and really does succeed in bringing the most successful roadster in the world into the new millennium. The cute looking Roadster has put on a bit of weight, up to 1100 kg, but that is to be expected considering the slightly bigger dimensions. The new 2L engine, which sits far back into the chassis almost all behind the front wheels, kicks out an ok 170 PS.
Top up
Out on the road the superbly balanced handling of a lightweight FR car is what impresses the most. The engine however sounds uninspiring at the best of times, it's very unrefined and it almost hurts to hear it rev over 6,000 rpm. I'm sure Mazda could have done a better job of giving the 4-cylinder better characteristics. What really did bug me though was the ridiculous throttle mapping the Roadster had. At first I thought there was something wrong with it, revs would hang on for so long when backing off for a gearchange. Of course it is all thanks to the electronic throttle which makes the accelerator pedal feel it's linked to a PS2 rather than a real engine. This resulted in extremely slow gearchange as you had to wait for rpm to drop to engage the next gear. Avoid doing this and you discover the meaning of driveline-shunt! All in all it is a fun drive but there are a lot of little things like the unprecise gearchance and comical body-roll that really spoil the experience.
The interior is a very nice place to be in. It looks and feels modern, despite the plasticky feel, to be expected of in this price range, and accommodates tall drivers without a problem. The Bose CD-based audio system is nothing to write home about but it does a good job of diffusing your favorite music around the cabin. On long motorway journeys with the roof up though things get very noisy and it becomes hard to hold speeds higher than 130 km/h. The roof mechanism looks a bit cheap from the inside and if you get caught behind a truck at anything over 100 km/h the roof will vibrate so much it will suck your ear-drums out!
I was not impressed with the Michelin tyres fitted to the car. They provide ok grip but are a bit scary on the limit. So all in all a good car but could have been so much better.
September 27, 2005
●Alfa Romeo Junior Z
Following on from the previous entry...here is another special car sighting in Tokyo. Spotted just around the corner from Super Autobacs (yes I'm there too often!) an immaculate 1973 Alfa Romeo Junior Z. Z of course stands for Zagato. Don't know much about this little car except it looks very nice in the flesh. First time I"ve ever seen one up close...
September 26, 2005
●FIAT 131 Mirafiori Abarth
It never seezes to amaze me the cars you get to see in Tokyo. Spotted this orange Fiat 131 homologation special at Super Autobacs just outside Tokyo. Brings back a lot of memories as my father used to drive this (albeit the normal road car) back when I was a little kid and it's the first car I ever got to drive. They were built between 1976 and 1981 and people might recall Walter Röhl won a few rallies with this thing!!
Powered by a twin-carb, twin-cam, 2.0 L 4-cylinder FIAT engine it develops 140PS at 6,400 rpm and considering the 985 Kg it must still be a fun car to drive. It was the Italian version of the AE86!! They even made a Shilouette Group 5 racer based on the 131. It was powered by a 260PS 3.5 L V6.
Rally car....
Gr.5 racer...
