SIS 2015: Best of the Best

As promised in my last update, we are returning to Special Import Car Show to have a look at six vehicles that stood out the most, and we pick up exactly where we left off: at Liberty Walk exhibition space,

This year Kato-san and his crew brought 5 wide bodied Nissan GTR's to the show and I chose to feature the brightest of them all!

Sure, the GTR is not an import, but in this world, you don't tell Kato-san, what to do, you exhibit whatever he decides to bring along, so here it is, in bright orange wrap, sporting LB Walk wide body kit: a true JDM superstar: the Nissan GTR R35!

The first thing that grabs everyone's attention is how low it sits.  Thanks to air suspension kit from Airex the car can adjust its height for desired purpose.  The show-car height is synonymous to "slammed" in this world, so we will leave it at that.

With such a great variety of cars in LB Walk area, it was hard to pick just one.  For all I know I could have done a special post about their space alone and I would probably end up with a lot more photographs to share. Perhaps something for next time.

The GTR has stuck me with its menacing look and contrasting colors, which played really well under direct sunlight.

The wide body look is perfectly complimented by 20 inch LB Walk custom designed wheels,

while rear view is enhanced an enormous splitter and Armytrix titanium exhaust system.

The package wouldn't be complete without the swan neck rear wing, which design comes straight from DTM world suggesting that the the purpose of this body kit is a lot more than just visual appeal. 

With Kato-san himself approving the build I can do nothing more than to admire the work and style.  I said it before and I will say this again: Liberty Walk never fails to impress!

Perhaps this is where the whole wide body over-fender craze started.  This car is a timeless legend and was a star in Wangan Midnight movie that was based on real life events.

The 1987 Porsche 930 Turbo was acquired by the director and featured in the film depicting Tokyo's street racing scene of the mid-90's.  What makes this car more than just an exhibit from the movie set is the authenticity and sheer performance of the machine that turned a fiction character into a true racing legend. 

After the car was sold to its current owner as it was "difficult to drive" for the movie director, there was no time wasted as it transformed the 28 year old car classic into a 300 kph+ super-car killer.

Body modifications feature the instantly recognizable Rauh-Welt fender work, Gruppe M front bumper and DORF carbon adjustable wing. 

Other DORF modifications were mostly featured in the engine compartment where the flat-six power plant was fitted with RUF 3.4 stroker kit and 364 turbo camshaft.  Following engine re-balancing, addition of SuperGT spec intercooler and turbine from an F1 race car the "Black Bird" now pushes out 600HP and is capable of exceeding 300KPH barrier. 

Suspension is a race spec custom made unit, while brakes are equipped with Brembo race mono-block calipers and Dixel large diameter rotors.

Interior has been stripped out and refitted with racing seat and steering wheel, as well as reinforced by six point roll cage.

With curb weight down to just 1150 the car is capable of impressive 1:51 around Fuji Speedway on street tires.  Indeed this was a one of a kind encounter and it almost seems that the car has been moved out of the cave now.  Opposite Lock has spilled the beans with their detailed article and it makes me proud that we were able to pick this right up before anyone else and add a few photos for the world to see.

We must now move on as it seems that Japanese wide body creations are becoming more common and are being applied to just about any car out there.

Before we go on, however, I mustl take a step backwards and write a little foreword here, as what we are looking here is one of the most bizarre creations ever.   When I write about these events most of the time goes into plain research making privately owned cars are most difficult to work with as there is very little information available unless the owners are  nearby.  Following hours of internet searches in multiple languages for what looks like an F430 with Liberty Walk body kit, it actually turned out to be...

Ferrari experts will instantly see that this engine does not belong here...

But the back instantly gives it out: it's a 360 Modena modified to look like an F430 Scuderia with wide body kit.

At this moment I cannot come up with any economically logical reason why would anybody invest so much money to make a less powerful Ferrari look like a model of the next Generation, rather than just trading it in.

But we all know the answer to this: it's Japan! When it comes to cars, enthusiasts draw no lines.  Each and every car nut in this country is willing to go above and beyond what we see as "acceptable modifications"; and yet no matter what they do, they execute it to perfection!

Which brings me to this Lotus Esprit S3 Turbo customized and tuned by Technical Garage Happy.

Lotus enthusiasts in Japan are the cream of the crop of car geeks, and I say this in a very positive kind of way.  As the cars themselves, these guys are all about function: efficiency, speed, and cornering.

There is no form, just function, yet the fact that their cars with a 100% functional mods and tweaks look absolutely brilliant is just a nice bonus.

This is a world where you simply don't see the crazy wide body conversions, or over-done camber.

Here, the standard wheel size is 17 - just enough to clear the upgraded brakes. 

Wheels are Panasport G7 3 piece - a more expensive but lighter choice than similar looking Work Meisters.

Stickers - only when it's necessary to give a shout-out to your tuner, and it the spirit of the 80's - proudly display your engine's forced induction method.

The turbocharged type 910 2.2 cylinder engine received a few upgrades from Technical Garage Happy,

while owner went for the sporty no holds barred interior.

It is definitely cornering over comfort in this part of the world, but they will never say 'no' to a decent stereo setup.

This machine truly seals the complete JDM performance package. A lightweight turbo-charged sports car complete with modern high quality parts and accessories making it capable of giving all modern performance cars the run for their money.

The harmony of island nation mentalities comes together perfectly in a shape of JDM customized Lotus cars.  We will surely see more of that in the events around the country.

But for now, we must move on, on the wildest and boldest JDM treatment to be done to an Italian exotic.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the Pagani Zonda that everyone keeps talking about and I have recently learned that the car is currently up for sale on Yahoo Auctions.  http://page23.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o101210373

'Pagani Automobili' has become a very important player in the world of hypercars.  The primary objective of the firm is to deliver vehicles in top exclusivity as well as performance and functionality.  For that purpose fulfillment of each order takes several months to over a year and their research and development are constantly busy inventing materials stronger and lighter than what we have ever seen before.

So why customize it? The only answer to this - it is the Japanese way, and like anything it is always about color matching and highest quality possible.  Three-piece forged Work heels, custom built Endless brakes, carbon spoiler - none of this has any performance improvements, but for some reason when you see this car in person, it looks amazingly well put together.

The design is complemented with custom titanium exhaust that resemble thrust vectoring of modern jet fighter perhaps summarizing the theme of entire car.  To each their own, as they say, but I must admit that the world would be a rather boring place without creations like this.

The final car that we feature in this post is the modified Ferrari F50 belonging to a one of the member's of Anija's A-Team.  The Giallo Modena Ferrari F50 has undergone a light resto-mod with the visual appeal of track car in mind.

The car has been fitted with Roberuta air dampers to adjust height depending on situation and fitted with aerodynamic body kit to keep the car planted at all times. 

High grip Dunlop tires were installed on larger diameter wheels to create extra room for race spec brakes,

while the custom exhaust has been put in place to adjust the back pressure and of course to extract even more noise from the glorious Ferrari V12.

A light weight rear mesh reveals the aftermarket suspension and the V12 Power plant.

As the owner lifted the bonnet we were granted an opportunity to have a closer look at the technological masterpiece that is positioned low in the carbon fiber tub derived from Formula 1 technology.

Along with upgraded components the 4.7L Ferrari V12 delivers amazing power and driving experience. 

Ferrari F50 is not always praised as the ultimate driving machine, but it serves its place in history as what many see as the first modern hypercar.  This concludes our special selection coverage from Import Car Show 2015. As you can see the last shot is not from the show, but from Daikoku Parking Area, where I had an encounter with the said Ferrari F50 again, perhaps hinting the theme of the next post.  Until then please don't forget to share, follow and comment, and if you haven't done so already follow Motorflair on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

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