Tokyo Auto Salon - Top Tenish

Picking top ten at at event like this is impossible in any order. But this Final Connection GT-R34 with a body kit that should have been released about 10 years ago was Awesome. We've been seeing these style of kits on FD3s Rx7s for ages. But a true Super GT-R34 wide body has been lacking. The contrast makes this car look RC style.

This AE86 with N3 fenders and G7 panasports was awesome.

The Gazoo FT86 was detailed a little too much. Minus the graphics would be nice, but the effect was great for the future of cars. 

G-Works and Rocky Auto. The dish on this Z30-G was amazing.

A splash of colour blended with the craziness of this car. Westfield chassis and RE-Amemiya creativity.

Kazama's Lexus widebody looked great with it's own contrast. Splashes of pink and yellow are not out of place.

GT-R dish TE37 are still my all time favourite wheel. They make anything look good. This EVO was all purpose.

New Touge Monster. The pinacle of street tuning. I love this car's curves.

Voltex Cyber Evo - Check the detail.

Below, Daigo & Chaser and awesome combo.

Tokyo Auto Salon - Textures II.

Tokyo Auto Salon was an amazing place this year. This photo showcases a lot.

The RE-Amemiya Caterham was an interesting machine. Paint, vinyl, wet/dry/fake carbon, chrome, aluminium, FRP, steel, titanium, anodised, painted and raw. Rubber, fabric and thread. Computer and hand crafted. Where does it end? The show was a tactile experience for me. About the only thing I didn't touch was the skin on show.

Rubber.

Cloth and Stitches.

Powder

Brushed Vinyl Alloy

The Kazama Auto Lexus is also a tactile machine. You have to touch this stuff to feel what it's actually made of. The roof and rear are covered in carbon weave. Real or not? The spider's legs are carbon weave? Real or not? The colour is matt vinyl or matt paint? Chrome or plastic? It's hard to tell.

RAYS GT-30. Machined centre, polished and translucent gun metal painted spokes, matt black lustreless rim. Greddy callipers are heat treated gold. Body is Maziora colour change paint.

You can spend ages looking at one car.

Varis GT-R35 reveals titanium and carbon exhaust tips. Is this too much?

While some go for Vinyl, some go authentic. Real brushed steel AND ground metal flames. not one or the other.

Wheels on this car are chrome, airbrushed, inlaid, stencilled, etc etc etc. Body had above finishes + candy apple metal flake and solid paint.

Sometimes carbon IS just for style.

And syle comes in many flavours. Leather and Chrome. Is this Animal or Mineral?

And it's not only the small players getting creative.

Under the bonnet is just as important. look at the finishes. Raw and Gloss, Shine and Dull.

Tokyo Auto Salon 2010.

Raw and Emotive. More textures here.

D1 M7 RX8

With Tokyo Auto Salon opening Tomorrow. All the cars are ready as of today. The RE-Amemiya D1 car has the most useless bumper in the world. There is sooooo much mesh and the other holes are sooooo big that this would add ZERO aerodynamic benefit to the car.

Its a good thing that these cars are designed to run with the bumper ripped off anyway.

Maybe black mesh next time. The cheapest item on the car is often the one that shouldn't be highlighted.

Compare this to the deeply rendered "good-looking" vents in the below concept picture and you would feel M7s and my dissapointment with the end result. Even the indicator light surrounds haven't been fitted.

I can only hope this was a result of time pressure for TAS and the real thing will be implemented later.

Russ's 2C

Evome Specials.

Battle Evome started as the Lancer "Evo Meeting" with almost all the cars being Evos of some kind. These days the event is more open. Some of the quicker cars in Japan are true race spec cars masquerading under the time attack guise. What's TA, road registerable semi slick tyres. This S15 in the 56.3 second range. Faster than the Cyber EVO 5.

This is a formiddable car in its own right, but it proves you need everything working together to get the best from 4wd. 58.4 this time. but it's run much faster.

This MR2 is a favourite of mine. Having owned an MR2 Turbo before, I certainly know about the tricky handling that likes 9.8 tenths driving. 10/10ths is a little scary. For DR.ZOO's car to be around 1.00 minute is great. It looks awesome with NSX scoop and FTO lights.

Lastly this GTR was running 1.03 on this day, But looks cool!

His blog donted these images. He'll be quicker.

M7 RE-Amemiya D1 RX8 with Toyo Tyres 2010

option have been showing this image.

And the RE-Amemiya images back it up with special parts.

It's still a strange choice but the chassis is good. Just the flexing part that needs addressing.

RX8 is becomming a popular tuning base in Japan.

M7 parts bin has been raided for the best.

Ringers

How to compare and when not to compare.

Everyone knows the Nurburgring has become a benchmark. But they should just make a large parking garage there, because it's fast becoming the only place you can drive fast. Or lose you life or licence.

Anyway... I digress.

Lets look at ring times. There is a list on wiki. But really WHO CARES?!

Radical SR8LM - 6:48
Grumpert Apollo - 7:11:59
Dodge Viper - 7:22.1
Nissan GT-R - 7:26:70

When you watch these videos look at how hard or easy the driver is working, because thats going to be you, or never going to be you unless you are a pro.

The Grumpert's driver looks almost asleep with ultimate grip on hand.
The GT-R driver is trying hard all the time and can never relax. He also has to keep searching for the stupid gear change levers on the wheel. I would imagine it would be soo easy to miss shift.

However, I have seen 200 GT-R35s in Japan on the streets. Yes on the streets.
How many of these other cars do you see. A PaganiEnzoACRLMAtomCR12 Not many?

So in my book the GT-R is a mass production car that is also Very Very Fast. Finish this stupid contest you race car builders. A low volume production race car WILL be faster.

Just because a car can be street legal...is it? I bet none of them pass in all countries. They all have "limited" capabilities including the driver.

Maybe this GT-RLM could be street legal if they wanted to spend the time and effort.

Compare that!

Super Taikyu - ST5

Super taikyu just got a whole new level of boring.

The new 1.5 Litre NA with 850 weight limit ST-5 class has obviously been added to boost car numbers. But who want's to be driving the Super tuned BMW Z4, when it approaches a Demio or Vitz.
These things will be slow.