Lately we have been showing you what the Japanese tuner Top Secret can do when they want to build a signatureone off automobile that changes the way enthusiasts think about cars. Well this is a perfect example of Nagata-san working his magic on a car that changes the way we think about the tuning industry. This is the R34 Nissan SkylineGT-R based Competizione R built for a private customer. Originally the owner wanted a daily driver that could still tear up a drag strip or embarrass the competition on the wangan, but after many years of being a GT-R owner was infected with the track day bug, and the Competizione R once again underwent a complete transformation.
It has taken seven years for the Competizione R to become the dark gray blue pearl vehicle you see before you. While it used to wear a Top Secret body kit, the front end has been replaced with a full Nismo front end. This is made up of a Nismo Z-tune front bumper and flared fenders as well as a Nismo R-tune dry carbon hood while the wet carbon front lip from Top Secret has remained. The side skirts are from Do-Luck and have been molded into the new wings. Out back there is a Nismo dry carbon adjustable lip made to work with the Top Secret diffuser and vortex generator. and the stock GT-R spoiler has been lowered out of the slipstream using a set of custom Top Secret mounts.
The heart of the beast, Nissan’s iron block RB26DETT has been increased in size thanks to an HKS 2.8 Liter stroker kit and in an interesting move, the engine original had a pair of reasonably large GT3037S turbochargers while now it makes use of smaller GT2835Rs for their quicker spool up and ability to make more power down low where the owner wanted it for the track. The little black box in front of the engine is an HKS V-Cam Pro; this system gives the RB26 variable cam control on the intake side, which makes more power at every RPM. The compressed air is fed into the engine through a Nismo GT plenum, the same item that was used on the old R34 JGTC racecars. The package has been tuned to make a much more track friendly 700 HP. Keeping the Competizione R going in a straight line down the front stretch at Fuji Speedway is an adjustable Nitron Pro racing suspension from the U.K. combined with a host of highly adjustable Ikeya Formula suspension links that allow the suspension to be fine tuned.
The American automaker Ford recently sent their Formula Drift driver Vaughn Gittin Jr over to the land of the rising sun along with a 2010 Ford Mustang packed with all sorts of goodies from the Ford Racing Parts catalog in order for the only American to win a round of D1 competition to get a better feel for the origins of the sport while at the same time showing all of the drifting enthusiasts in Japan just what an American car can do. J.R. explains that drifting at the Ebisu circuit is one of those things that he has been dreaming of ever since he began getting his car sideways; Ebisu is one of those infamous circuits in Japan, built by Team Orange founder Nobushige Kumakubo into the side of a privately owned mountain Ebisu is the ultimate destination for drifting enthusiasts from around the world. Thanks to the blue oval, Gitten’s dreams are coming true.
Vaughn was scheduled to arrive just in time to watch some of the D1 professionals perform in front of Option’s cameras and even make an appearance while they shot footage for an upcoming episode of the video magazine. Despite a little inclement weather everything went off without a hitch, not even rain and bald tires could keep J.R. away from having the time of his life.
For many years the Subaru Technica International team has been the only factory backed racing effort to compete in Japan’s most prestigious form of motorsport when it would team up with the aftermarket parts manufacturer Cusco to campaign an entry into what used to be called the Japanese Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC. The rules are simple, you need to use the firewall from the factory car, an engine from the manufacturer and that is about it. The race is run similar to an American Le Mans Series race, the competition is broken down into two categories, the bigger GT500 cars are limited to 500 HP while the smaller GT300 class competitors are limited to you guessed it, 300 HP, but they also get to run a few less laps.
Subaru has decided to not only pull the Impreza out of World Rally Championship competition but Super GT as well. At least in this case the Japanese automaker is going to offer a substitution. This Legacy based GT300 racecar looks like a Mercedes Benz DTM car with its wide arches and bright silver paint reflecting the sun during the shakedown run at Fuji Speedway. This is also an advanced look at what the redesigned 2010 Lagacy is going to look like before Frankfurt. The Legacy continues the automaker’s tradition of entering an all wheel drive into the championship, a proving factor for their drivetrain.
Perhaps with this blow, Subaru is only distanceing themselves from their once infamous boy racer image with box fendered and wild winged WRXs being replaced by much more civilized and muscular sport sedans, perhaps next year they will have a WRCOutback.
Last week we brought you an innovative creation from the Japanese tuner and infamous speed junkie Mr. Kazuhiko Nagata. However you may know him better as Smokey due to his affinity for rapid fire chain smoking before conducting one of his highly publicized top speed runs in any of his signature gold colored Top Secret tuner cars. When Mr. Nagata chose to make his own replacement for the defunct Skyline GT-R, Nissan took notice and it is apparent just by looking at the Top Secret GT-R and the one you can buy in a dealership. Never one to rest on his laurels, Smokey decided that if putting a V8 in a GT-R was a bold move, then a V12 poweredToyota Supra would just be insane, and he was right.
In order to make the best you must first start with the best. So aside from the entirely redesigned aerodynamic front end this particular fifth generation gold Supra has the heart of a late model Toyota Century luxury limousine, a car that rivals the ultra luxurious Mercedes Benz S Class and is placed even above the automaker’s Lexus luxury brand. Smokey’s intention was to create one of the most extreme cars ever made by his tuning shop. The body kit that you are looking at on this very unique Toyota Supra is called "Final Evolution," and was a hint at what the Japanese design team at Toyota needed to create what we now know as the LF-L.
The Japanese luxury car builder Lexus is looking to get a better handle on the small car market that is currently dominated by the Audi A3 hatchback as well as the up and coming BMW 1 Series with a small car of their own. The high end arm of Toyota recently released this sketch giving an idea as to what the soon to be concept car will look like, and we could be seeing it as early as this October at the Tokyo Motor Show.
According to Lexus, the automaker would rather get a reaction from the public before they go ahead and start stamping out the sheet metal for the production car. The design certainly is rich with Lexus like lines shaping the headlights and front end, the oversized wheels don’t hurt the eye candy factor either.
Despite the Japanese automaker’s conviction for rear wheel drive vehicles, iut appears that the new car will be a front wheel drive model. However there is also talk of a hybrid powered version. It could be that the compact cruiser will be offered exclusively as a green car, powered by a 2.4 Liter four cylinder engine that, with the help of an electric motor, is set to produce a maximum output of 187 HP wearing some sort of a combination of CT and h badges.
While the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has enjoyed an impressive showing in the U.S. market, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to a lot of us because, well, the Camaro has always been one of Chevrolet’s strongest cars among American car owners.
It turns out, the US isn’t the only place where the Camaro is considered king. The iconic American muscle/sports car has already sold out in Japan despite the car not being on sale yet. Confused?
As it turns out, GMAP has already received over 120 orders for the Camaro, more than the quota GM originally pegged for the Land of the Rising Sun. While it’s misleading to assume that the Camaro has been flying off the shelves in the Japan – there are, after all, only 120 units that’s going to be sold in Japan. – it should warm the hearts of the folks from GM to see that the Camaro has fetched quite a following in Japan.
While we’re pretty disappointed that the Alfa Romeo MiTo isn’t ending up on US soil, our friends over at Japan must be doing cartwheels and toasting to shots of sake after learning that Alfa Romeo has decided to bring over their stylishly cute compact vehicles to the Land of the Rising Sun. Even better is the fact that Alfa Romeo isn’t just sending any standard MiTos to Japan; they’re sending 150 special Imola Edition MiTos. Now’s a good time to start drooling.
These cars, which are painted in the classic Imola Yellow colorway, also comes with 18-inch wheels, red brake calipers, and chromed mirror caps, which gives all of us the impression that these special edition cars are a cut above the rest any standard MiTo. If those aren’t enough, the car’s interior comes with rare Pelle Frau leather upholstery and the same Imola Yellow-inspired color accents.
While we still don’t understand Alfa Romeo’s rationale in withdrawing the MiTo’s U.S. release, word that it’s sending these special edition babies over to Japan just made a lot of us more envious than we could ever possibly be.
Sometimes – much to our dismay – life works that way
Mazda of Japan has just revealed a special edition MX-5 in celebration of the lightweight roadster’s 20th Anniversary as a member of the automaker’s lineup. Since its inception, the Mazda Miata has been awarded the title of world’s highest production two seater roadster by the Guiness Book of World Records. All of the double decade Miatas will be covered in Crystal White Pearl Mica, a color that is being used for the first time on the fun to drive roadster that will be sold for around $30,000.
The new special edition MX-5 is is offered in two flavors, the first example is based on the Roadster RS version featuring a rag top and six speed manual transmission, while the other will be built upon the VS platform taking full advantage of the vehicle’s power assisted retractable hard top and six speed automatic gearbox.
Setting the 20th Anniversary Miata apart from the rest of the crowd are a set of functional Recaro racing buckets wrapped in red and black leather, exclusive 20th Anniversary badges, clear fog light covers, a glass window for the soft top model and a set of stylish multi spoke 17 inch aluminum wheels
Toyota Motors Corp., one of the foremost authorities on hybrid technology is planning on producing about 20,000 to 30,000 plug-in hybrid in 2012.
We all know that if there’s a manufacturer that can make this claim and back it up, it’s Toyota. After all, their very own hybrid car, the Prius, was the first hybrid vehicle to appeal to the mainstream audience.
Plug-in cars are different from the standard hybrids because they can be charged at home through an electric socket, although by running on electricity, these cars come with batteries that can be heavy on the wallets, and that’s not even counting the electric consumption bills you’ll have to come face-to-face with every month.
Nevertheless, the future for these cars remains promising, especially considering that the world’s supply of oil won’t last forever.
If you had a choice on what car you’ll most likely want to bring you to the doorstep of the Pearly Gates, why not go take the eco-friendly route?
The Japanese – ridiculously awesome trendsetters that they are – have outdone themselves once again. Their latest brainchild is a 2010 Toyota Prius hearse, and by all accounts, it’s going to be making the rounds in funeral homes all over Japan anytime soon.
Now we’re not exactly sure how the Japanese people perform their funeral services over there, but at the very least, you can say that they’re making every effort in providing their dead the chance to ride in the finest of posthumous eco luxury one last time.
Anybody who might want to own their own Prius hearse will have to dole out $80,000, which, by all accounts, does not include a coffin inside. But hey, at least you’re getting your money’s worth with this car. It’s not too often you see people stopping for gas in a hearse, let alone a Toyota Prius hearse. The bewildered looks you’re almost certain to get should be enough reason to grab one of these bad boys.
And if you can’t afford them, you can at least tell your loved ones that when you die, you’d want to make a good impression and score some points with St. Peter by ‘going green’ one last time – even if you won’t live long enough to see it.
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