I couldn’t get in, I couldn’t get out. It took 20 minutes for three grown men to find the fuel flap release. A practical sports car the Tommykaira ZZ is most definitely not.

But then, the ZZ was never intended to be a practical sports car. And this example – a rare factory wide-body – is even further from being a sensible runabout.

As discussed in my interview with Tommykaira founders Yoshikazu Tomita and Kikuo Kaira, the ZZ was designed and engineered as direct competition for the Lotus Elise. If you are taking on the masters of lightweight fun, you must make a few sacrifices along the way.

The car’s tiny fibreglass doors are so fragile they will come off with the faintest sniff of any weight as you climb in. The clamshell roof – if even installed – offers no form of grip or support whatsoever, and the space between the narrow door sills and that roof is no wider than the entrance to a fox den. Once you are inside, however, it all makes sense.

When I did that interview with Tomita-san and Kaira-san, I didn’t have a chance to go for a ride in a ZZ, so I am glad I got to experience it this time. And this is peak ZZ.

It does feel a lot like being in a small fibreglass fishing dingy, but compared to the stock ZZ, the true purpose of this particular car is clear: Go fast, all the time, everywhere.

The roll cage takes up some precious interior space, and Tommykaira staffer Park-san and I inadvertently touched hands with every gear change. It was the most sensual experience I’ve ever had in a car during daylight hours.

But brushing your passenger’s hand is simply a byproduct of it being set up for circuit racing use. A Stack digital dash relays all the vital engine information alongside tyre pressures and system voltage. There are switches for the ignition, fuel pumps and electric fans, and a brake bias adjuster, which only adds to the race car vibes.

Where do you find such an adorable Momo steering wheel? From a go-kart store, of course.

Just inches away from the little wheel is the first hint at what makes this ZZ so special. The exposed shift linkage is a one-off piece, based on the stock ZZ component but re-engineered by Tommykaira for this car. The shift knob? That came from a Honda Integra Type R.

OK, let’s try and worm our way out of the car and look around its exterior…

Designed and manufactured by KED (Kyoto Engineering Development), the official supplier for all Tommykaira bodywork and the main workshop for mechanical repairs, the kit consists of a full front cowl and rear fender extensions. Added to this is a front under spoiler and canards, and a giant wing and diffuser at the rear.

The wide-body kit is subtle but necessary to fit a chunky wheel and tyre combo – in this case, WedsSport TC-005s wrapped in Kumho Ecsta V710s. Lifting the engine cover reveals why all that extra rubber is needed.

There she is, a 2.0L DOHC iVTEC Honda K20A engine and its corresponding 6-speed manual gearbox, dropped straight in, no rotation required. KED offers this conversion service for any ZZ owner with a death wish. With almost twice the power as the ZZ’s standard-spec Nissan SR20DE, the K-swap is not for the faint-hearted.

Park-san told me it is a relatively straightforward transplant. The main challenge is the K20’s physical height. If the Honda engine was dropped straight in, it would sit higher than the bodywork, so the space frame is modified and a dry sump fitted to the engine, which enables it to sit lower.

What does around 220hp feel like in what is essentially a 650kg go-kart? Well, put it this way… With cabin space at a premium, I initially began to wonder if a single seat and central driving position would be better.

But after a spirited drive around Kyoto, I think the car probably benefits from the extra mass added by a passenger. If it lost any more weight, the thing would never find traction over idle.

The ZZ’s previous owner used the car for endurance racing, which explains why the K-series engine remained unmodified. With its new owner, it will likely stay this way – not that it needs to be making more power anyway – but the idea is to otherwise restore the car to showroom-like condition.

Race car or road car – I love it.

Toby Thyer
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