Because I am a millennial with limited time and limited funds and therefore there’s a ceiling on how creative I can afford to get with my vacation destinations, I’m going to Japan next month. As part of this trip, I’m going on a one-day driving tour with Drivers Lounge, a company that takes car enthusiasts on guided tours through rural Japan in a smorgasbord of JDM icons.
For 108,000 yen (about $735 at today’s exchange rates), I’ll be driving up the famous Hakone Turnpike, along the shores of Lake Ashi, and down Tsubaki Line, ending the day with a visit to the iconic Daikoku PA to drop in on a car meet. And full disclosure, I’m not going as a journalist trading seat time for publicity but as a tourist, paying my own way.
But I’ve found myself in a bit of a pickle I hope you all can help me out with. Because I’ll only be going with my partner (who enjoys a cool car but not enough to drop half the price of a small Chanel wallet to drive one for a day), I’m limited to two cars. Which ones should I pick?
In the order they appear on DL’s website, here’s what’s on the menu:
- Nissan GT-R R35 (Front end styling says it’s a “first facelift” car from 2011 to 2016. Mods include HKS coilovers and an HKS exhaust.)
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 (Tein coilovers, Fujitsubo exhaust, and unavailable until late October, so that’s out.)
- Mazda RX-7 FD3S (The engine is “freshly rebuilt” and uses a GReddy V-mount radiator for better cooling. Mods include AutoExe coilovers and an RE Amemiya exhaust.)
- Toyota GR Supra (Likely a first model year example, given it’s listed with 340 PS and the automatic. This one rides on Blitz coilovers.)
- Honda S660 (A “Spoon Complete Car” built entirely by the tuner running a Hondata ECU. One of three in the entire world, apparently.)
- Toyota GR Yaris (HKS coilovers. 5Zigen exhaust.)
- Suzuki Alto Works (A kei car turned up to 11 by Monster Sport, a tuner founded by legendary Japanese hillclimb racer Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima.)
- Honda Integra Type R DC5 (Ohlins coilovers, GP Sport exhaust, stripped out interior with roll cage.)
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI (Blitz coilovers. 5Zigen exhaust.)
Alright, here’s what I’m thinking. We can skip the Supra, Yaris, and R35 because if I want to drive a GR Supra, I can always email Toyota Canada and book a presser. If I want to drive the Yaris, I can email Toyota Canada, book a GR Corolla, and imagine it is smaller. And while it’d be nice to finally have a go in the R35 right as it’s finally going out of production, it isn’t nearly as legendary as some of the other names on here and may also be a bit too much car for tight Hakone backroads.
That Spoon S660 is mighty interesting and mighty enticing, but as someone who already owns an S2000, picking this feels a bit like flying all the way to Japan only to eat Wagyu hamburgers half the time. No, it’s not the same thing, and I’m sure it’s amazing, but it feels very much “we have shades of this at home.” Maybe next year. In a similar vein, I’m sure the DC5 Integra is an absolute riot, but Acura RSXs were a pretty common sight back in the day, so it isn’t inherently as exotic.
I would’ve absolutely gone for the R32 if it were still on the table, but it’s not, so this leaves the RX-7, the Suzuki, and the Evo.
Which ones would you pick?
Top graphic images: Drivers Lounge
Drive the ones that speak to you.
Sticking with three you’ve outlined, I would recommend the Alto Works and the Evo, as neither were officially sold in the US.
Me personally, I would go for the R35 and Alto Works. How many people can say they drove a R35 in Japan, on the last year of its production? There’s a bit of unique history there to stash for trivia night.
And the Alto Works? A boxy little kei car tuned to 11? Hell yeah.
S660 or the Yaris. The Suzuki is going to get old quickly. And the other two you can drive in the US as well.
Rx7 and Suzuki.