Tokyo Auto Salon 2013

It’s early Monday morning in Japan and this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon has officially come to an end. Here’s a sampling of all the rest of the cars present at Makuhari Messe.

As always Nissan had a very big presence at this year’s show. While the GT-R remains the king, Silvas and Skylines have not been forgotten.

TAS needs more builds like this fantastic 180SX from SPIRIT Rei.

It’s hard to go wrong with a white R32 on Advans. Funny enough it’s the simple builds that stand out most at TAS.

Phoenix’s Power had the GT-R well represented at the show including this lime green example on BBS LMs.

Next door to Phoenix’s Power was Top Secret. They also showed up with a few different GT-Rs as well as their Rocket Bunny kitted 86.

This year could be the biggest ever turnout for imports, both European and American at TAS. Ferrari had a large presence as did Porsche and BMW amongst others.

The Ferrari F40 was given a very nice display this year. The Japanese have always been obsessed with European cars and as exotics get older and become cheaper, we’re going to see a lot more tuners working with them.

Despite strong showings from Nissan and Toyota, Mitsubishi didn’t fare as well in 2013. The Evo X is now 5 years old and it’s beginning to show. It’s disappointing to see a car which once littered the show floor at TAS, suffer the same fate as its Subaru rival. With Mitsuibshi moving towards EV production, the CZ4A may be the last of the great tuner cars from the brand.

Varis continues to dominate the market. I’m disappointed that Voltex never created their own Evo X wide body kit to compete.

Unsurprisingly, Toyotas dominated the show in 2013. The 86 is the new darling of the Japanese tuning industry, massively overshadowing its sibling the BRZ.

A JZX100 with strange lights inside of the wheels. This was a trend seen on a number of cars at TAS.

Original Runduce was present with their 86 demo car kitted in Varis aero. This car just looks so good and is probably my favorite 86.

After all these years, the Mazda RX-7 continues to be one of the very best looking Japanese cars.

Last but not least there’s Subaru. As with every year, I was disappointed in the turnout for Imprezas. While the STi fights to remain relevant, the tuning industry seems to be moving on. I blame Subaru for not giving the car the AYC and extra 30-50 horsepower it so deserves.

D Language came out with a very large booth featuring their STi, Evo and 86 demo cars.

Blitz was also on hand with a GVB STi showing off some of their latest electronics and performance parts, including this 6-pot brake kit.

Despite filing for bankruptcy in 2012, Zero/Sports was on hand with a GVB STi. They’re hardly the dominant force they once were at TAS.

I’ll end with this truly awesome looking wide body GVB STi from Varis. This kit has kind of gone under the radar with all the attention on the 86.

That about does it for TAS coverage on A Class. If anything else exciting comes my way, I’ll be sure to post it. Overall I’m disappointed by this year’s show. There’s a real lack of variety right now in the Japanese tuning industry. I suppose it’s been a long time coming. With major players like Honda, Mitsubishi and Mazda failing to produce exciting cars like they once did, the industry has been forced to rely on Nissan and Toyota. Subaru can be happy with their role in the 86 and their own BRZ but as the Impreza continues to get heavier and slower, we may see another great fall by the wayside. On the bright side, the amazing reception the 86 has gotten has shown other manufacturers what’s possible. Hopefully in the next few years we’ll see more of the affordable, fun cars the Japanese automotive industry so desperately needs.

Photos courtesy of GTNET.

Garage Kagotani R34

Speaking of Japanese demo cars, the Garage Kagotani R34.

I’ve always had a certain affinity for this car. To say it looks aggressive would be a massive understatement. 650 horsepower and a best time of 57 seconds around Tsukuba Circuit aren’t too shabby either.

AWD Legends

Japan’s greatest hits, hanging around the paddocks of Fuji Speedway.

That is about as good as it gets.

Fire Starter

A few months ago, I accepted something. I accepted the fact that I will probably never own an R34 GT-R. It is my dream car and if given the opportunity, I’d choose it over anything else. But for as long as I’d like to live in this miserable country, there will be no way I can do it. See owning one as a dedicated track car isn’t good enough for me. I want to drive it on the street, bring it to work and run errands in it. I want the full experience of owning a Skyline, whether it be good or bad.

That’s never going to happen, especially in California, a state that’s becoming increasingly car unfriendly. So I decided to accept my fate and focus on cars I could own and enjoy, like my Subaru and a list of others, I could potentially own in the future. But then something bad happened the other day.

I was on Farm of Minds and I came across a video that ruined everything.

I’d like anyone that thinks imports are “Mickey Mouse” to watch that. That car is scary and I love it.

Obsession never dies. Dammit.

Midori Is More Than A Color

Midori builds some of the most badass GT-R’s in Japan. If you haven’t heard of them, you should look into it. They’ve been around for years and things only seem to be getting better for the shop. Recently, they moved into a brand new, state of the art location (more on that later this week).

This R34 GT-R is on point. No frills, just honest performance. I’m loving the gray and black color combination. TE37′s never fail to complete a car.

Photo courtesy of Midori Seibi.

Hey, It’s Paul Walker At Mine’s

For anyone who’s feeling bummed about the recent events in Japanese tuning, all is not lost. There are still many great shops out there, doing big things. A slew of awesome blogs like 7Tune are working very hard on keeping the scene alive with motor sports and events coverage. So while things have seemed a little doom and gloom lately, I’m certainly guilty, there’s still a whole lot to be excited about! As long as there’s passionate people out there, the scene will live on (in one way or another).

This brings me back to 7Tune, where earlier they posted a feature on Paul Walker’s visit to Mine’s in Japan. Many scoff at Paul’s acting chops, but he’s a legit enthusiast and he knows his stuff. Here’s the video, courtesy of GT Channel.

First off, holy shit it’s Tarzan acting normal and speaking English! Maybe I’ve seen him in too many Option videos, but I had no idea the dude spoke the language so well!

I can’t believe this is my second post in a week, involving Paul Walker. It’s exciting to see a movie star who’s passionate about the import industry. I don’t know the specifics, but he has ties with AE Performance. That would explain why so many of their stickers were popping up in Fast Five. This is a guy who’s around cars all the time and genuinely loves everything about them. Visiting a Japanese tuning shop will make any car guy giddy and there’s no exception here. I love that Tarzan let him drive the Mine’s GT-R too!

I’d go so far as to say that Mine’s is one of maybe 5 shops in Japan, to occupy the top tier of aftermarket tuning. Their attention to detail and level of craftsmanship are so high, they more closely resemble a manufacturer-funded racing program. ASM and Powerhouse Amuse would be another couple shops to add to the top tier. All in all, the guy has good taste and I’ll certainly be making an effort to plan my own visit to Mine’s next time I’m in Japan.

Video courtesy of GT Channel.

Bronze, The New Gold

It’s been a while since I posted up a car for the hell of it. Although I didn’t find them there, these pictures are clearly from Global Auto’s website.

In terms of styling, nothing is of my tastes. The Do-Luck bumper doesn’t really suit this car. However, what did catch my eye, were the bronze Advan RG’s. I’ve never seen RG’s in that color before. They look dope!

That’s more like it, probably the best view of the car. I’m really loving those wheels. The RG’s have been moving up the list lately, as one of my favorite wheels. I’ve been trying to see if I can source a set with concave fitment for the WRX. It’s highly unlikely, but you never know.

Photos courtesy of Global Auto.

NISMO Omori Factory: The R-Tune

Sometimes you come across a car that you will remember for the rest of your life. It’s the kind of car that you’re  thankful for having been able to spend a few minutes with. It serves as an inspiration, a benchmark for everything that follows. For me it was a Skyline GT-R quietly sitting in an ally next to Omori Factory’s showroom in Tokyo.

When you visit Japan, there is no doubt you’ll come across some pretty special cars. But contrary to Tokyo Drift, the city is not where you go to find all the good ones. Tokyo is like any other big city. It’s not car friendly. Everyone walks and uses public transportation. Rightfully so, seeing as it has one of the best subway systems on the planet. I had spent most of my first couple days there chasing down pretty uninspiring, bone-stock Lancers, Silvias and the occasional Skyline. They were cool because it was Japan and that somehow made it more legit. But by my current standards, they were nothing to really write home about. Then there was something a little bit different. It was the last thing Mike and I saw coming out from our visit to Omori Factory. It was undoubtably fast and very beautiful, a real needle in the haystack of Tokyo.

I don’t want to turn this into another car feature. I have no knowledge about what’s been put into this Skyline GT-R. Everything I could say about this car would be assumption. The creations of Omori Factory seem to be quite the mystery and despite the countless hours I’ve spent trying to properly research everything I’ve posted in the last few weeks, I’ve come up with very little. There just isn’t a whole lot documented out there. Not about the engines, not about the cars. So going on assumption, what you’re looking at is the R-Tune. A very special version of the Skyline GT-R and sort of another stepping stone for what eventually became the Z-Tune. From everything I was able to find, the R-Tune is like the Porsche GT3 RS. It’s a street car that is most at home on the track. It’s equipped with Omori Factory’s RB26 R1. It’s sort of a step up from the S1 which was designed primarily for street driving. The R1 is essentially an RB28, using an N1 block. Everything about this engine has been improved to take as much abuse as the track can give it. Inspired from the same engines used in SuperGT, it’s really the ultimate RB26 produced for the consumer, by Omori Factory.

Everything was just right that morning, even the lighting. It was a very humid, overcast day, but the perfect coat of Bayside Blue reminded me so much of my own WRX back home. It reminded me of just how great a car looks in blue. On this morning it lit up the entire ally, impossible not to stop and have a look at.

You’ve found yourself doing it. Standing there, looking at a car, maybe yours, maybe someone else’s. You just look at all the details, inspecting it. It’s one of the best parts about being a car guy. Those moments when you appreciate a machine for what it is. I spent a long time doing the same thing in that ally. Just admiring the R-Tune that was parked in front of me. I probably took 30 pictures of that car. I made damn sure I had documentation of it, so I could look back as I am now and remember how it felt to see it.

I never saw the owner of the R-Tune. We just left it parked there. Who knows, maybe it’s still there, guarding the entrance. It was the first proper Skyline GT-R I’d ever seen in person and for that it remains one of my favorite cars ever. It’s pure, untouched by the hands of any tuning shop except from those of the factory from which it came. It’s a shining example of everything I love about cars. It represents a mentality that is slowly drifting away. People aren’t admiring these cars anymore. I guarantee you someone would comment on the fitment if I invited the discussion on a forum. But this R-Tune works as the whole package. Nothing about it needs to be changed. It’s prefect as it is and I wish it were mine. I would take an R34 over the current GT-R any day of the week. I don’t care how much better the new one is.

So that’s it, the grand finale. The proper finish to a truly inspiring visit to Omori Factory, a shop I had no idea I was visiting at the time. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was the introduction to my obsession. An obsession all of us have. One that is so strong it influences our decisions about everything. It’s good to be passionate. It gives you something to look forward to and makes life worth living. Like my visit to Top Secret the following year, that was a good day and I’ll never forget it.

NISMO Omori Factory: Part I

NISMO Omori Factory: Part II

 

NISMO Omori Factory: Part II

How many people really care about places like Omori Factory? You think all those fitment kings in your local community college parking lot are reading about this stuff online? The answer is an obvious “no”. They have no concept about where there cars came from and why they’re important. I think everyone should be interested in the history that surrounds their cars. It seems awfully nerdy and a waste of time, but it makes you appreciate them a lot more. I think only a certain type of person finds all of this interesting. Most people don’t really car about the special variations of the RB26 or that Rays made a magnesium version of the LM GT4. At any rate, I really enjoy documenting this stuff for the people who do care. I have been extremely lucky to visit Japan and see all of the amazing things I have. A majority of people will only be able to experience these things from a far. That’s the reason I do these posts, so that hopefully you can appreciate these things as I do and maybe get a look at something interesting or different from the usual. With that said, lets get back to it.

Upstairs from the showroom are some offices and conference rooms for meeting with clients. Outside of those rooms are display cases filled with all kinds of awards and NISMO memorabilia. This first place trophy from Round 4 of the JGTC (when it was still called that) was one of many achievements on display.

I’m not sure if they were on sale or just for show, but there were tons of diecast cars of all different scales. They also had model kits like the Z-Tune, which makes me think you could buy the stuff. Basically every sports car and racer than NISMO has been involved with was in one diecast form or another. Looking back, it makes me want to start collecting again, but that’s an expensive road I should probably stay off of.

After checking out the second floor, I headed back down to the showroom. At the bottom of the stairs was this display for NISMO’s Super Coppermix Twin clutch kit for the GT-R. For most Americans, the closest we can get to our future car parts is on a webpage. It’s always nice to be able to see things in person before you buy them.

Before Rays Engineering earned it’s place on NISMO’s race cars, SSR was one of the team’s wheel suppliers. I’m pretty limited on my knowledge of vintage wheels, but these look an awful lot like the Longchamps.

I’ve done many posts on gauge clusters in the past. It’s one of my favorite parts of a car’s interior. NISMO offers a wide range of gauges and replacement clusters for the GT-R, Fairlady Z and Silvia. There were all on display in a long case in front of the checkout counter. The NISMO black and amber cluster is probably my favorite for the R34 GT-R.

In the back of the showroom, set on what seemed like a pedestal was yet another of Omori Factory’s RB26 creations, the S1.

Pristine details are what you first notice when looking at this limited production engine. Only 100 where ever produced. It was designed and constructed with street driving as the primary focus, providing better low to midrange torque. The S1 is very similar to the engine used in the Z-Tune.

We were visiting Omori Factory on a Sunday morning, so things were pretty quiet. Everything except the showroom was closed. NISMO Girl, as Mike and I started referring to her, was nice enough to take us into the back to have a look at the garage. Since it was the weekend we were only able to check out the garage from the customer lounge, a small seating area where customers can watch the Omori Factory technicians transform their cars. NISMO Girl flicked on the lights to the garage and the holy grail of Skyline GT-R’s was sitting in front of us.

I could go on about the Z-Tune all day long. I love what this car stands for, which is an approach to absolute perfection. I think it was the original inspiration for what the engineers at Nissan hoped to achieve with the current GT-R. It’s a pretty awesome site to see such a rare piece of automotive prowess in the flesh. We’ve all had the chance to see cars like this at motor shows and events of a similar nature, but to see a car of this caliber in such an everyday setting is a different sort of experience. All of the 20 Z-Tunes were built in 2003 using R34 GT-R V-Specs with less than 18000 miles. There were two versions of the car, known as the Z1 and Z2 respectively. I believe the one we saw was a Z2, probably in for service. The amazing thing about the Z-Tune is that it’s essentially a hand built car from the ground up. They’ve been said to go for around $180000, which puts it directly in line with Ferrari and Lamborghini. Like I said, I could go on about the Z-Tune all day long.

It was pretty special to see this car on the grounds with which it was conceived. I knew little of what I was seeing in the showroom, but I was well-aware of the Z-Tune and just how epic it was. Unfortunately, this is the only decent picture I got of the car. But it’s proof, that I have indeed seen a unicorn. After a final stroll around the showroom we decided to get going. I still regret not buying anything, even a simple t-shirt or something. NISMO Girl didn’t let us leave without giving us all kinds of brochures and readers though. Outside the building I spotted another very special GT-R, which we’ll be checking out in the final part of my visit to Omori Factory.

NISMO Omori Factory: Part I

NISMO Omori Factory: Part I

Making the pilgrimage to Japan can be compared to a religious experience for some. For car guys it’s one of those last, wild places where limitations don’t seem to exist. Walk down the street long enough and you’ll come across any number of beautiful cars, American enthusiasts can only dream about. There are many “holy sites” for import fanatics to visit in Japan. For Subaru guys, Tachikawa Subaru or Car-Do is a pretty regular stop. Not only is it one of the largest Subaru dealerships in Japan, it’s also a place where you’ll likely find any number of rare, limited production Imprezas. Last time I was there, I was able to check out the 22b, S202 and Spec C Type RA-R. But one of the holiest of all places, especially for Nissan guys is located in an assuming neighborhood in Tokyo, just down the road from Shinagawa.

These days it seems that every car manufacturer has a special tuning division. I think it’s fantastic that so many companies have been created for the sheer purpose of making cars more fun to look at and exciting to drive. The Japanese have been doing if for years; a culture obsessed with limited production and very high quality. There is perhaps no more well-known and celebrated manufacturer tuning division than NISMO. Their freedom to be creative, inventive and involved have allowed them to reach levels of greatness in motor sports and on the streets. NISMO’s parts and cars have been well-documented and most have come from Omori Factory.

It was my first trip to Japan and we were there for just a few days. It was more of a long weekend stop before heading to our final destination in Hong Kong. I was with my dad who was on business and my best friend Mike. When I say we knew literally nothing about JDM cars and the culture, I mean it. Sometimes I look back and wish I had done my research, there’s so much more I could’ve taken advantage of, while in Japan. But there was also a certain excitement of not knowing, that made the whole experience better. We knew we wanted to see car stuff, but were kind of limited to what was within the borders of Tokyo. Our first afternoon Mike and I spent the day walking around Ginza, Tokyo’s high-end shopping and residential district. It’s home to many car dealerships and corporate offices, including Nissan. We headed to their offices hoping to get a glimpse of a Skyline or Silvia because we didn’t know any better. Disappointingly, once we arrived, we were greeted by no such cars. Mike, in his limited Japanese, asked one of the girls working in the Nissan showroom where the “race cars” were. She was pretty confused and reluctant to respond. The Japanese are a very shy culture, especially the women. It always surprises me that you’ll see mostly women working as representatives at car dealerships. I’m not sure how they’re able to make sales, they’re almost too polite for the job. After about 5 minutes of confusion and broken English and Japanese conversation, we were given an address. The girl said if we went there, we would see race cars. I didn’t really know what to expect, but we were both very excited.

The next morning we were in a taxi heading to the scribbled address. I was expecting some sort of Tsukuba Circuit pit garage, I really didn’t know any better. After about a 15-minute ride, we pulled over to the side of the road and the driver told us we’d arrived at the location. I could feel the disappointment growing because there was nothing there. Just another street, like all the other thousands in the middle of Tokyo. It was a Sunday morning and very quiet. We got out of the taxi, looked around for a second and spotted “NISMO” in big letters ahead of us.

It almost pains me to write this today, because I truly didn’t appreciate what I had come across. I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t even realized we visited THE Omori Factory until a few months after we went. The unassuming building looks like a car dealership from the outside. Nothing fancy and if you didn’t know what you were looking for, you’d probably miss it completely. Like the rest of the neighborhood, the store was empty. At first I thought it was closed, but soon a cute girl (it’s always a cute girl in these stories) came out from behind the counter and motioned us to come inside.

As soon as we walked in the showroom, we were greeted by this, the ZEXEL R32 GT-R. This particular, No. 2 car placed second in the Japanese N1 Championships in 1992 and 1993.

The car remained virtually untouched from it’s final days in competition.

Hanging on the wall behind the ZEXEL GT-R was this dry carbon work of art. I don’t know anything about this hood, but it appears to be for an R34, possibly for use in SuperGT? Regardless, it’s an amazing piece to look at.

A sea of red, white and black. There was no shortage of NISMO memorabilia at the Omori Factory Showroom. They had everything from apparel to duffel bags.

The main thing that sets Omori Factory apart from the tuning divisions of other car manufacturers, is that they function very similarly to most after market tuning shops in Japan. It’s a place where you can bring your car and have it completely overhauled to a variety of different specifications. Much in the same way that Top Secret or Phoenix’s Power operate, you sit down with a technical advisor and explain your goals for the car. The shop offers a wide range of tuning options from basic drivetrain and exhaust upgrades, to full-blown engine swaps and race-spec tuning. The biggest advantage to going through Omori Factory is that you’re getting manufacturer levels of service at the very highest quality.

There were at least 10 engines on display in the showroom. All of them were RB26′s offering different levels of performance for the street and track. Omori Factory have released numerous turnkey engines over the years. The sheer number of variants of the RB26 is somewhat staggering. Most have been designed to be direct replacements to the standard engine the cars come with. They are built to a range of specifications that make them ideal for different driving scenarios. My knowledge of the RB26 is still pretty limited and at the time of my visit, I had no idea what I was looking at.

The first engine I came across was the RB26 F-Sport. Contrary to the name imprinted on the valve cover, this is technically an RB28. The limited production F-Sport has been fully rebuilt and stroked to a 2.8L. It’s just one of many engines offered in different NISMO power packages, which include all supporting drivetrain and forced induction upgrades.

Next to the F-Sport were the similar F-Spec and Nür-Sport engines. Both are similar, being specially upgraded and built in limited numbers. I spent hours searching for these engines and came up empty handed. If anyone has additional information on the F-Spec, Nür-Sport or any of the RB26′s at Omori Factory, I’d love to learn more.

It’s almost hard to imagine how many parts NISMO offers for Nissan owners. I thought STi made a lot of stuff for the Subaru. They really don’t scratch the surface of what NISMO has. The showroom was fully stocked with everything you could ever want for your Nissan. The LM GT4 has never been one of my favorite wheels, but with a low offset I think they look right at home on a GT-R.

Even more hardcore were the LM GT Magnesium wheels from Rays.

Being in Japan alone is sensory overload. Adding their cars and tuning industry to the mix, makes it difficult to take everything in. It’s frustrating to think back on my visit to Omori Factory because I didn’t understand what I was seeing. I was in a showroom, surrounded by racing heritage and some of the rarest car parts in the world, to which I knew nothing about. I can only imagine how much different my visit would be, were I to go with my current knowledge and mindset. I like to think of my visit to Omori Factory as the original inspiration for my obsession with all things JDM. Although I took it for granted, I came away from my visit feeling very excited to learn more. I knew what I saw was a big deal, I just didn’t know why it was a big deal. I guess it’s been a bitter-sweet experience going through these old pictures and reminiscing.

I must be making it sound like that’s the end of it. Well, I’ve got plenty more pictures and some commentary coming up this week, so stay tuned.