If there’s one event in Japan where you’re likely to find the best from Subaru and Mitsubishi, it has to be Hyper Meeting.
Hyper Meeting has been going on since 2002 and is a mainstay for tuning shops, wanting to showcase their latest offerings, for the Impreza and Evolution models. Tsukuba Circuit plays host and features vendor booths, drifting demos and time attack events, for both privateers and tuning shops a like. As with most things Subaru-related on A Class, we’re going to take a trip down memory lane. Lets be honest, things where just better back in the day; in this case 2003.
While rally builds tend to be more popular in Europe, Japan has also been known to keep the tradition alive. WRC replicas are a common sight at Hyper Meeting and L’AUNSPORT is well known, for their WRC-style body kits. I say style very loosely because the word tends to refer to cheap replicas, but that isn’t the case here. L’AUNSPORT are some of the best in the business and offer full carbon aero kits for the entire Impreza lineup. Naturally the bugeye looks the best in WRC trim.
A GDB WRC replica and the C-West GDA demo car. I’ve never been a fan of the C-West headlight covers or that front grill, but the bumper has grown on me over the years.
Engine bay from the BOZZ Speed GDB, easily one of my favorite Imprezas ever. To the right is the Toyama K-One Spec-C Impreza. The car was primarily used for Gymkhana.
The long forgotten Aqua GDB. Unfortunately Aqua is no longer around; another casualty in the war against knock offs. Prova however, is still alive and well. Above is their Super Taikyu front bumper, on the shop’s GDB demo car.
Engine bays of the Stillway GDB and the Shinonome Super Autobacs BE5 Legacy.
It’s impossible to have a conversation about Imprezas and Time Attack, without mentioning Zero/Sports. Next to JUN they’re probably the most well known of all the Japanese Subaru tuners. They’ve been a fixture at Hyper Meeting since the beginning. Their BTZ201 GDA hit the track, while a demo car displaying their latest front bumper (circa 2003), stays at the booth. The bumper would eventually be fitted to Zero/Sports’ BTZ301-R; a car which would end up having a slew of mechanical problems, including a blown transmission at Tsukuba Super Battle.
For me, the greatest GDA of them all. JUN’s Super Lemon Impreza, the brainchild of Mr. Koyama himself. My long standing obsession with this car runs deep. It’s considered one of the greats and not just by Subaru standards. I believe the car’s best time around Tsukuba was 56:59.5, which put it in the same territory as the Cyber Evo and some of the more recent RX-7s. I believe the car was sold to a private owner and last I heard, it was being stored in a shipping container in the Caribbean. Maybe one day it will resurface because that’s a terrible fate, for such an important car.
This year’s Hyper Meeting is being held in a little over 2 weeks, on April 8. I’m excited to see the turnout, but can almost guarantee none of the cars above will be in attendance. While most of the focus will be on Imprezas and Evos, I’ve got a feeling a few BRZs may turn up as well.
