This article is one of our DS Does Japan series from our recent trip to the land of the rising sun, courtesy of Toyota Australia. Click here for the whole set!
Day 2 of ‘DS Does Japan’ started off gloriously, with a spectacular view of Tokyo in the foreground and Mt Fuji in the distance, viewed through crystal clear skies from my hotel room.. Just a taster for the spectacular things that we would see today.
After a five minute walk to the train station, we had our tickets purchased and we were on our way to Yokohama. Greeted at the station by Noaki-san and Nakamura-san from Toyota Technocraft, we jumped in their Toyota Alphard and started to make our way to TRD Station – Yokohama.
After meeting briefly with Hattori-san, the General Manager of the Overseas Project Division, it was time for my mind to explode. We made our way through the roller door and I came across a sight that I never in this life thought I would have the honour of witnessing. The very first car that you came across was one of the prototype Lexus LFAs. Simply incredible, but nothing compared to the history and rarity of what was sitting behind it.
Enter stage left, the Toyota 2000GT.
With only 351 ever made, the 2000GT was amazingly simple yet eternally beautiful. This classic changed Japanese automotive history and revolutionised sports cars for Japan.
Seeing them side by side was breathtaking. Modern and classic examples of Toyota are proving to the world that when it comes to the crunch, they can create the most passion-inspiring, beautiful and amazing cars in the world.
Having only taken about ten steps into the warehouse though, there was plenty more jaw-dropping to be done.
Further up and over to the side I could hear a car running. Trying not to cry at what else I could view heading over I spotted the source of the sound. Just casually performing some tuning maintenance on a Formula 3 car.
All of these were incredible machines, but I could no longer control myself. Enter dreams and memories from my childhood. If you’ve played Gran Turismo, or had any interest whatsoever in motorsport over the years, this car should need no introduction. However, let me introduce to you THE one and only, number 36 Castrol TOM’S Supra. (1997 GTC 500 Champion piloted by Michael Krumm and Pedro de la Rosa. Click here for a full feature on this!
I cannot explain the excitement and amazement that I had seeing such an icon of motorsport history right in front of me. We got to see it, touch it, and even sit in it. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Right next to it was the #6 Esso Ultraflo Supra (GT500).
The GT Supras actually had the 2JZ engines binned for a replacement 3SGTE. Lighter and smaller, they were moved behind the front axle for superior weight distribution and handling aspects. Despite that, they still made huge power and torque, right up to the limits imposed by the classes they raced in.
There were various Le Mans cars scattered through the workshop in varying stages of epicness.
Centrelock Magnesium TE37s!
The staff were always super friendly and happy to help, allowing us to peek under the bonnets of some cars and starting others.
This AW11 is one of 3 AW11s created and specced for Group B, but with the class changes ended up racing in Group S rally. The other two cars are located in the UK and are TMG cars, quite often taken out to Goodwood.
This particular example makes 600kw fed to all 4 wheels. Insanity now, let alone in 1984.
There was carbon and kevlar absolutely everywhere.
It took me far longer than the length of my TRD Station visit to wrap my head around all the vehicular unicorns that were in this shed altogether.
A big thank you has to go out to the mechanic staff on the day who were more than gracious enough to let us firstly be there in the first place, but also to let us sit in some of these icons, photograph them, and start them up for us. We can never thank you enough.
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[…] the sun set on a day of epicness and we were trying to catch our breath after the day at TRD Station when Matyas received a message from Luke Huxham from Maiham Media asking if we were going the RWB […]