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Posted
Nov 17 2008, 02:21 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 30 comment(s)
Last week I tried I new kind of post where I showcased some of the cars I spotted on the streets of Tokyo, and judging by the feedback on that post, it sounds like you guys want to see more of that kind of stuff. With this in mind, I took my camera along yesterday when we out shopping. "Inaka" is what the Japanese call small town rural areas and the cars you find out here make an interesting contrast to the stuff you see in Tokyo. For example, check out this '90s Toyota Crown wagon dropped on some big-lipped wheels that I spotted cruising down Route 294 near Shimotsuma city. Cars like this are common sight in rural Ibaraki Prefecture....
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Posted
Oct 01 2008, 04:36 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 14 comment(s)
I have been quite busy working on new Speedhunters stories and preparing for my trip to this weekend's Motorsport Japan Festival in Odaiba, but before I move on to that stuff, I wanted to take one last look at last Friday's I Heart Honda!! event at Tsukuba Circuit. Judging by the feedback I have been reading on these posts, it appears that you guys are also down to see more of the hundreds of cool Hondas that converged on Tsukuba for the event....
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Posted
Sep 30 2008, 03:15 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 7 comment(s)
Time for some more action from the VTEC-drenched spectacle that was I Heart Honda!! 2008 at Tsukuba Circuit. I figured that this shot of a legendary EK9 Civic Type R undergoing some work in the paddock would be good way to open this post. There are few things that symbolize Honda performance machines more than the Championship White paint and red engine valve covers used on all of the R-badged vehicles. Speaking of Championship White, during the I Heart Honda!! event I must have seen more Championship White cars than I have ever seen before....
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Posted
Sep 29 2008, 09:34 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 7 comment(s)
September will be over in a couple days, and as the '08 drift season begins to draw to a close I thought this would be a good time for a quick review of the current standings in the Japanese D1 Grand Prix and D1 Street Legal series....
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Posted
Sep 29 2008, 02:30 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 14 comment(s)
I know this is Porsche month, but after spending last Friday at Tsukuba Circuit for the first ever I Heart Honda!! event, I just can't seem to get the sound of screaming VTEC engines out of my head. What is it about Honda? Japan's automotive scene has no shortage of remarkable machines like high-powered GT-R highway racers, time attack Imprezas, four-door Toyota drift cars, or groundbreaking rotary cars, but there is just something special about Honda's performance cars. You can check out my earlier article about Honda's Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi for a little more on Honda's unique history and the brand's lifelong infusion with motorsports around the world.
While Honda's in-house racing programs are nothing short of amazing, the I Heart Honda!! event was not really about Honda's factory racing ventures, but a celebration of Japanese Honda Tuning on a grand scale....
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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 12:54 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 23 comment(s)
As we get closer to the end of the month and our all out on focus on Porsche, it's time for me to finish up my Rauh Welt car features with the much-anticipated look at Nakai-san's personal 1985 Porsche 930. This is a car over 12 years in the making, and in its current state it is definitely one of the most unique Porsche 911's anywhere in the world. From its extensive bodywork to its laps and laps of racing experience, this car has been a testbed for all of RWB's products, and as you saw in my previous feature, it has inspired Porsche owners all over Japan and more recently all over the world....
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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 05:56 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 11 comment(s)
By now I'm sure you have probably heard the very sad news about the passing of Powerhouse Amuse founder and president Hideki Tanabe last week after a long battle with health problems. I have not been in Japan for a very long time, but going at to Tsukuba Circuit and seeing Tanabe-san and his fantastic machines will be forever etched in my memory. I remember the first event I went to in Japan this year was an Amuse-hosted track day at Tsukuba held right after the new year. I had not yet seen an R35 GT-R in the flesh and there was Tanabe-san's already modified R35 gleaming under the winter sun which made a lasting impression on me......
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Posted
Sep 16 2008, 05:32 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 14 comment(s)
I have always had a soft spot for the Toyota Soarer/Lexus SC. I even used to own of them back in the states and I always regret getting rid of it. The styling on these cars still looks fresh to this day and they look even better with aftermarket modifications. The Soarer has seen plenty of drift action over the years, notably as Takahiro Ueno's car of choice in D1 since the start of the decade. As far as traditional grip racing goes, I have only seen but a few Soarers running at Tsukuba in my many trips there. Last week at the HKS Hiper Challenge, I spotted this fully-tuned black JZZ30 Soarer running and I thought that it was cool enough to make a separate post about....
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Posted
Sep 15 2008, 08:51 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 15 comment(s)
It’s time to continue our look at some of the iconic Rauh Welt-tuned Porsche examples from Japan and this time we will be looking at a car that belongs to one of Nakai-san’s most dedicated customers. As with many of the other RWB-built cars, this one was built with a strong emphasis on both on circuit performance and style. As Nakai-san himself said, what's the point in racing if your car doesn't look cool?...
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Posted
Sep 12 2008, 04:25 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 13 comment(s)
Time for some more coverage from Thursday's HKS Hiper Meeting at Tsukuba Circuit. There was just too much cool stuff to jam into one post. I read through the comments you guys left on the first post and tried to include some more photos of the cars you wanted to see (they happen to be the same ones I was digging). Just look at the first shot with a pair of Subarus, an S2000, an Evo X and an R32 GT-R in the background. This is why I love hanging out at Tsukuba Circuit!...
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Posted
Sep 11 2008, 10:42 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 16 comment(s)
Today as I was driving out to Tsukuba Circuit, I realized that it has been quite a while since I have shot any traditional "tuning car" race events. I have covered other Tsukuba events recently like the Idlers Games and the JCCA Summer Meeting, but I was looking forward to seeing some fully tuned GT-R's, RX7's, S2000's attacking the circuit. With fall in the air, Tsukuba is again becoming busy with time trial and soukoukai events and I for one am happy be putting the humid, rainy summer behind me. The event I was going to was the HKS Hiper Challenge at the Tsukuba 2000 Course, part of a series of events held by HKS at tracks all over Japan. This particular event was it's second of three Hiper Challenges at Tsukuba this year. The Hiper Challenge includes time trial and free run classes for everyone from beginners in their daily drivers to pros driving shop demo cars. After spending a little time at the Hiper Challenge, my tuning car thirst would be more than quenched....
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Posted
Sep 08 2008, 04:45 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 22 comment(s)
Back in May,my brother came to visit me in Japan and I took him to Tsukuba Circuit to show him the track when we came across a private track session hosted by our friends from Rauh Welt. At the time I posted some photos of the RWB S15 with it's new paintjob, but I have been patiently waiting until our Porsche Month to post a few of the other photos from that day. Besides all of the RWB-tuned cars, there were also a few other machines that joined in on the fun. What could be better than watching tons of cool cars taking to the track on a nice late spring afternoon at Tsukuba?...
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Posted
Sep 02 2008, 09:03 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 21 comment(s)
In Japanese, there is a term called "omakase" which translates to "leave it to you". Sometimes the term is used at sushi bars when a customer leaves it to the chef to choose the finest fish of the day. When it comes to Nakai-san and his famous Porsche tuning shop, Rauh Welt it is kind of like a sushi restaurant with a seasoned chef. Many of Nakai-san's customers also use the omakase method when it comes to having him build their cars. After all, why would you not trust a guy who holds legendary status for his tuning style?...
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Posted
Sep 01 2008, 05:42 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 12 comment(s)
If you mention "Tsukuba" to any enthusiast of Japanese car tuning, then they will probably picture Tsukuba Circuit, the legendary race track which is known as the birthplace of time attack competition. However, about 12 miles from the circuit itself and 10 miles from the center of Tsukuba City, you will find the twin peaks of Mt. Tsukuba towering above the flat countryside. Mt. Tsukuba is quite well known in Japan and is one of the biggest mountains in the Kanto area. Every weekend, it...
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Posted
Aug 29 2008, 11:55 AM
by
Jeroen Willemsen
with 8 comment(s)
Mine's; A Japanese household name in tuning, made famous by numerous Hot Version and Best Motoring DVD's. We all remember the battle between the Amuse Supra and Mine's R34; the battle of the straight inline six. The mastermind behind Mine's is Michizo Niikura. He started his career at Bridgestone but turned his attention to tuning cars. Established in 1985, Mine's makes parts for the Skyline R34, Lancer EVO, Impreza WRX and the 350Z. Mine's have had a lot of success with their...
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Posted
Aug 26 2008, 02:09 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 7 comment(s)
had too much content for one post, so here's another batch of coverage from last weekend's Idlers Games at Tsukuba. Let's jump right into it. I took this opening shot during the first lap of the Super Cup race. Imagine over 30 fully tuned Porsches' and other makes taking to the track for fender to fender racing and you can imagine the spectacle. On top of all this, the track was wet making things even more tricky. Older Porsche cars are not known for being the most driver friendly, and you can bet that these guys were using some serious skill to keep their cars on the track. My heart was beating like crazy watching these guys scream past my camera in the wet....
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Posted
Aug 25 2008, 10:49 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 18 comment(s)
I was originally planning on joining Rod and Antonio on their trip to Suzuka for Super GT, but in the end I decided I would stick around here as there were two events going on that I wanted to cover. The first of them was the latest match of the Idlers Games at Tsukuba Circuit and although Super GT would have been awesome, I was quite happy with what I got to see at Tsukuba this weekend. If you are a frequent reader of this site or Auto Otaku, then you probably have seen my Idlers coverage in the past. Of all the events I have been to in Japan, this one is certainly one of my favorites. Idlers events always have the coolest cars to see and this one was no different. As typical for this time of year, skies were gray and rain was falling here and there, but that didn't stop anyone from coming to the circuit and running the wheels of their machines....
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Posted
Aug 19 2008, 01:43 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 5 comment(s)
I'm sure everyone has been noticing our extensive Japan-focused drifting posts over the past days. In fact, we just got back from spending some time with another drifting legend who I'm sure you guys will be VERY happy to see here. For this post though, I am keeping with the Japan theme but stepping away from the drifting for a moment. When we were at the MSC event this weekend, there was a nicely-built S13 Silvia running the course, and Rod made an interesting comment to me. He said that although in comparison to other MSC cars at the event this S13 was fairly unremarkable, if he were to see the same car driving down the street back in Vancouver, he would break his neck trying to get a look at it. That's what brings me to the photo of this RX7 circuit car......
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Posted
Aug 12 2008, 08:03 PM
by
Mike Garrett
with 10 comment(s)
Say hello to one of the single most impressive cars I have seen in Japan since I have been here. At first glance, this black FC3S RX7 does not look like much, there are no decals, no ridiculous wheel fitment or anything else that makes it look like anything other than a typical "soukoukai" car. A trained eye though, will recognize the details that hint at this car's incredible capability. For example, the doors are carbon fiber and the GT wing is quite a bit taller and wider than most...
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Posted
Aug 05 2008, 09:50 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 5 comment(s)
For the past half year or so, when it comes to Nissan's performance cars all the talk has been about the R35 GT-R. About a year ago, however, Nismo introduced a car that I still feel has not got the attention it deserves. The car is the Nismo Fairlady Z 380RS and it is quite simply one of the most impressive Z's ever built. While other markets also got a version of the Nismo Z, the Japan market 380RS offers a tuned VQ-based 3.8L engine that makes a very potent 350ps naturally aspirated. It also happens to to be what is in my opinion one of the best looking factory Z's ever. I'm usually not a fan of the "black on black" look, but I think the 380RS in the photo I shot above looks fantastic......
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