Tag: bmw

Hall to Hall | Osaka Auto Messe 2020 Part#1

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Between the time spent in Japan from visiting that trackday in Tsukuba, to arriving in Osaka, me and Luke did some cool stuff in the interim such as: catch a guided tour through the Samurai Museum; see Mount Fuji (a lot, which is a rarity); drove both an R34 & R35 GT-R (at the very conservative Japanese speed limits); caught a couple bullet trains from Tokyo – Odawara – Osaka. I have a fair few photos of all that but, to be honest, I would rather get the bulk of the material uploaded first, which happens to be what will result in an event coverage blog post split into two. Its only right to do so, as it was my primary intention to visit the Kansai region’s version of Tokyo Auto Salon, so chill and sit back to scroll through all of what the show had to offer.

On the Saturday that we went, it didn’t feel crazily busy, although the footfall came in at 207,479 which is child’s play to the big TAS which saw a count of 330,666 visitors (2019). We got to the entrance just after the opening time I think, and joined the wave of visitors patiently waiting to get through the ticket gate. I say patiently, however, I remember there being one kid slipping past everyone needlessly. Maybe he really badly wanted those HKS ratchet-spanner keyrings on sale.

Before checking out the display halls, we saw a large gathering of people around a couple Super GT cars. I did get a mobile phone video of the Wakos Lexus LC500 GT500 car being fired up, but no revs occurred so I won’t bother uploading it. Juichi Wakisaka is actually the Team Director who was involved in the team’s securing of 2nd place overall last season, only to be left behind by Team KeePer / TOM’S and their Lexus by 1 point. Wakisaka-san was definitely the funniest Best Motoring host drivers, but not exactly the guy you would expect to be heading a Super GT team, no offense.

The first hall started off with a load of camper conversion MPVs and SUVs. Luke and I weren’t expecting this, but I suppose the event has to cater for everybody. We skimmed past all of that and headed towards the buzz – the Kuhl Racing stand. You can spot their demo cars from a distance, as you can’t help but be drawn in by their majestic, artisanal handicraft that is ‘Grinder Tattooing’.

Other than the bodywork finish, the R35’s low-slung swan-neck carbon wing and double-stepped carbon front splitter were elements that were very Kuhl to me.

Toyota and their Gazoo Racing division capitalized on the majority of the space in that same hall. The amount of width and aero applied to the WRC Yaris was pretty substantial to say the least. The automaker also had the all new 2020 GR Yaris on display but there was no chance of me getting a clear shot of it with my 50mm lens. There was a drivetrain layout display of the new hot-hatch’s 4WD system, something else I struggled getting full view of. A lot of hype and anticipation around Toyota’s all-new homologation special. I hope they have more success with them in the UK, unlike the last Yaris GRMN which was a great car on paper but didn’t sell a great amount. I am just bored of seeing Ford Fiestas left, right and centre to be honest, that’s all…

Seriously serious rear portion. Props to Toyota for pulling off some of the most coolest livery designs aswell.

Supra-ise! This car was in abundance at the OAM, clearly being the next big thing for Japanese/German sportscar enthusiasts. Snide remarks aside, I really do like the look of the next season’s Super GT car. I’m excited to see this thing go wheel-to-wheel with Nissan and Honda’s works-backed GT-R and NSX in the GT500 class.

After coming across a very weirdly customized Toyota Prius of the future and then a Gazoo Racing rep trying to sell us the idea of how their groundbreaking formula bottled in the form of a spray/wax/liquid sealant, can single-handedly counteract aerodynamic drag and body roll, we felt it was time to transport ourselves to a different hall.

Enter the world of V.I.P.

Luke wasn’t a fan of what we came across in this part of the Intex convention centre. Personally, I don’t mind this type of build style. Low, big-body Japanese metal looks great when done tastefully. A little (~3 degrees) negative camber is a good amount of aggressive alignment; excessive camber to a point where it looks awkward can sometimes appear nonsensical though. Saying all that, I have seen some wild cars before, most of them being online so I can’t comment on the fit & finish etc, and they have been executed really well.

More than a couple of cars wore these new SSR Formula Aero Spoke wheels which were a breath of fresh air. Its an off-trend approach to the VIP-look. A bit daring as the wheel looks smaller than it actually is, but it kinda worked, I dunno maybe time will tell.

This is probably the photo I should set as the thumbnail when sharing this article online. I think its a Toyota Crown, not sure, but it had more than a few exhausts. I cannot confirm which of these in actual fact dispelled any burnt gases, or if they were just ornaments…

…The Kanji characters stamped into the silencer shrouding were a neat touch.

For some reason, I instantly thought of Gundam looking back at this 350Z. I don’t even watch the anime, but its got that type of vibe going on.

Nizo-Low (an aftermarket aero/dressup parts maker?) had that blue Ferrari California on flat-bronze TE37s on show last year. Nothing mega-crazy in 2020 though, just this casually lowered 488 Spider.

As soon as we entered hall No. 3 (that probably wasn’t the hall number, it was just the third one we browsed) it was Euro-mania. Even WORK Wheels’ stand had a BMW 8-Series convertible showing-off their latest set of hoops. I have noticed over the years, Japan really knows how pay respect to the German marques when it comes to customizing them. You can tell there is a popular fondness of BMW over there, ranging from the classics to modern chassis. Oh and of course, RAUH-Welt Begriff has unquestionably made the Jap-mad worldwide take notice of old Porsches.

As if the standard 993 Turbo isn’t wide enough.

Internally, I was having a party when I caught sight of this 2002 built by a Euro importer. Every detail was just so on point, I couldn’t help but take photos of it. Whether it be the all-aluminium face Hayashi Racing Type ST wheels, custom carbon air scoop, rear screen louvres, the licks of chrome across the metallic green body, that carbon-fibre rear wing, or the jaunty side-exit exhaust tailpipe – or maybe its the culmination of all the above – this machine had a bunch of character. And those ITBs tell me that it must sound like a tune to every bone in your body.

A Toyota Celsior fashioned with the classic two-tone top-bottom paint option, plonked on a set of Walds…

… hard to look bad, especially with that stylish 3-piece ducktail boot spoiler.

This establishment is a staple in the automotive industry, both for showcars and competition cars alike. The all-new TE370 wheel is really cool with its pocketed spokes. I can already see every other GT-R wearing those seen as though RAYS will probably only make them in sizes above 19″. I remember that booth being really busy, so it was an in-and-out job. I did pick up a brochure though, of course!

WORK Wheels and their setup was nice, almost showroom-like in the way the wheels were all hung in their own recess built into the wall. And the lighting was good, so the photos make the wheels look very fresh. This dual-element design WORK and SSR are doing is pretty nifty, take a look at the WORK Crag T-Grabic intended for outfitting offroad vehicles. Thats the new 14″ version, which looks miles better than the larger diameter option in my opinion, taking the spoke count down and simplifying the look of the wheel. Oh, and the (prototype) WORK Emotion CRs were on display in forged guise!

Pretty certain this photo of the underbelly of a A90 Supra was captured at the Kakimoto Racing Exhaust booth…

…could be wrong, either way the company showed off their components installed on a demo car in a trippy way. The mirror was so clean and well positioned, I thought there was a pit in the floor!

Finally, BRIDE decided to produce some genuine articles of the [in]famous BRIDE backpack, along with a cool helmet bag too. Man, I always used to see people wear those “BRIDE/TAKATA” backpacks at college; shit made me nauseous.

Not usually a fan of the new-gen style of wheels, as they tend to overdo things, ending up in a good-looking car ruined. These HREs on the other hand are next level, and are actually more concave than they appear on camera. Dwarfs those brakes on the new Supra though, don’t you think?

Okay, so remember how I said it didn’t feel crazily busy at the start of this blog post? Well, I was chattin’ out of my arse abit to be honest. If you’re stood looking at a car, you’ll be able to breathe. But when a model comes out of nowhere, all the ‘keen photographers’ come out the woodwork and you’re screwed in terms of getting a decent photo of the car. This TOYO Tires D1GP Supra was different though, because a lot of people were hoarding the car to take photos of that, and not the female stood posing in front of it. I did manage to get some shots of the rear, illustrating the girth of the Rocket Bunny Pandem widebody. Cameras in place of the wing mirrors were also interesting.

That’ll do for Part#1, hope you enjoyed the read. Keep an eye out for the second accompanying post where we come across the real Osaka-style builds.

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Ko-Op Tour of Deutschland | Beem There, Done That

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It’s the last entry for this Germany 2019 series, and on the day we were due to fly back to the UK, BMW Welt was around the corner (not literally) from the Munich Airport so we did a visit because, why not. After all, BMW has always been – in my eyes – German automotive engineering in the most definitive sense.

I remember the first Beemer that probably initiated my affinity towards the marque. It parked up outside my house in the form of a black E46 3-Series coupe belonging to my cousin. It wasn’t even an M3, nonetheless, it was and still is a highly appealing machine to me. I have always appreciated BMW always being slightly off the beaten path in their manners, whether it be slapping the infamous “kidney-grille” on every one of their models, or throwing daft engines, such as a 5.0L V10, into the E60 M5 saloon. Every write-up I read tends to vouch for the BMW’s superiority over their Audi and Benz counterparts, and I think it is because the company know balance and how to implement it well. Before you think I am fanboying, there of course were some cock-ups made in the past by the BMW design department; see E63 6-Series or those weird 3-Series Compact things…

Situated pretty much right off of the autobahn, the BMW Welt and Museum architecture was quite brave in its design. Inside the museum was a bit of a maze and it also had an upwards-spiral walkway, similar to that found in Mercedes’ Museum, but not as grand.

Krazy spindle-shaped structure partially grafted on to the BMW Welt building.

BMW, similar to other car manufacturers, started out producing aircraft engines, before venturing into the motorcycle industry, only until late-1920s/early-1930s did the company begin making four-wheeled automobiles.

A line-up of the brand’s bread-and-butter, takes you through time via generations of 3-Series, all the way up until the E9X iteration. Was this where the peak was tipped before emissions controls forced the glory of the NA “M-Car” days to retreat? I reckon so…

Pre-1990s marketing memorabilia has got to be the best form of advertising there has been, especially the German way with its straight-up, no-nonsense captions. That BMW K1 ad for the Japanese market loosely reads: “The new indicator of supersports”… If they ever do an Akira live-action movie, that bike gets the part, no contest.

Luke’s worst nightmare is FOMO, and the BMW Museum’s awkward layout with multiple floors let the win go to Mercedes in the final verdict. I didn’t mind the labyrinth of rooms, it kept you on your toes and it made you take note of what you saw in each exhibit.

Could the Z1 have been a kei-car for the roads of Bavaria? Such a quirky design with its disappearing-doors and pocket-sized kidney-grilles.

The M-Power bloodline.

I have always been drawn to the shape of the 2002, probably thanks to the Turbo model. You can definitely find hints of the 1M Coupe embedded within this early predecessor.

BMW’s racecar livery and aero-work has always been on point – Exhibit A, B, and C, above.

Of course, like the rest of ’em, BMW are keen on showcasing the people what the future could look like. The company’s efforts were evident throughout the museum, implying their methods of making humanity’s lives more “convenient” with autonomous driving, whilst simultaneously being a harbinger of alternative fuels.

I am quite interested in how manufacturers will manage to successfully implement the use of hydrogen as a form of energy to power vehicles of the future. I feel that because it is seemingly difficult to efficiently do so at the moment, if the industry can power through the challenges they face, Tesla will have to up their game. But that’s just a hunch, eh…

Upon leaving the museum, we popped into a glass building situated outside, separate from both the BMW Welt and Museum. This small space was given to a few M Performance demo-cars, tarted up with all of the options available from the pricey catalogue. You’re talking £5k for a set of those 19″ wheels; with tyres of course. I suppose its nice of BMW to offer aero parts and wheels that better represent the models’ deep-seated motorsports DNA.

That Z4 GT car was the show-stealer for me though. From its centre-lock BBS, to the silhouette of the widebody, I can imagine it looking (and probably sounding) like a maniac out on circuit. [Scurries over to YouTube]…

On another note, are BMW aware of how dramatically enlarged the front grilles are on their current models? I just saw an X7 for the first time out in a retail carpark, and the proportions between the headlights and grille are just straight weird. I guess only time will tell, for now, lets just appreciate how mean M4s look even when painted in the colours of lemon and orange TicTacs.

That journey to BMW World closes out the Germany 2019 saga. It was a kool trip and I reckon we saw a decent amount in the 5 nights we stayed there for. The highlight has got to be Nurburgring, but seeing the appreciation for Mazda was also absolutely worth the 300+ mile drive from “Burg to Burg”.

As always, thank you for stopping by at the site, and please follow the Instagram @soulfokus for more of my car/photography content. If you’re not far from the Yorkshire & Humber area, give me a shout if you would like me to shoot your motor!

Ko-Op Tour of Deutschland | 5 REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO DO A RING TRIP

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Instead of leaving you the residuals of the ‘Ring gallery without much commentary, I might just shake it up abit and do a list, 1 to 5, of valid excuses for you to use to make the journey out into the Forbidden Forest of Nurburg.

Eins! The Nurburgring is the best testing ground for those who want to improve on their driving in an environment that does nothing but demand of your complete 100% fokus. Whether it be your own personal vehicle, a ‘Ring rental, or one you’ve borrowed from SixT (naughty), the not-so-smooth ride you’ll be faced to endure for 11.9 miles of the ‘TF’ bridge-to-gantry course will put both man and machine to the ultimate test. A lot of cars that manufacturers plan on producing are tested on the circuit, and for good reason. The varying conditions that the collective orchestra of components of a car are forced through simulate the very tough and rigorously spent life of use/abuse the vehicle will most likely go through when put on sale. This process brings near enough every flaw to light. I suppose, for the everyday driver, driving the Nurburgring will be more of a challenge for the driver and less so for the car. But, if you reckon your “lowering-springs-with-wheels-and-tyres” mod recipe is enough to keep pace, the Nurburgring might just devour you and spit you out into the oblivion. It is a track that demands total respect, so you better be serious if you’re wanting to set that BTG lap record.

Zwei! What you will immediately notice when you arrive in Nurburg, is the pure dominance of the Porsche marque, the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS model in particular. It gets to a point where you are on a hunt for all the 9 colour options that they are available in. But, whilst me and Luke were patiently waiting in the Suzuki Swift for the red flag to be dismissed, this friggin’ 991 GT2 RS rolls up and I managed to snap this one clean photo before the beautiful British Racing Green stunner got horded by Snapchatters. It didn’t stay for long, since the parking spot was for Ring Taxis only, and the marshal told him to scram. Its not all just rare Porsches though. You will stumble across a handful of extraordinary pieces of automotive art, with such an eclectic assortment, there’s bound to be something to make your gob drop…

…Just like that BMW 2002 did to me.

Drei! Enough’s enough, quit playing pretend on Playstation, get off your gaming chair and into the hot seat on track for real! If taking your own pride and joy is too much risk, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to hiring a purpose-built motor to blitz around the Nordschleife in. That purple Swift Sport was what we borrowed for a few laps, costing us about £150 for the day including fuel and lap tickets. You might snigger at its meager 125bhp turbo-less output, but if you find enjoyment in driving cars to the limit, this is a sensible option when you’re concerned about damage excess if something does go wrong. Besides, the car we got was fully caged, bucket seats with harnesses hold you in, Endless brake pads literally felt neverending in terms of stopping power, and sticky (when dry) Advan AD08R tyres; a proper ‘Ring spek Swift in all aspects.

Vier! Okay, so it might be your first time or perhaps the weather turned to shit on arrival, so you don’t have it in you to risk a remortgage back home if you write-off a rented GT86 all because you wanted to become Takumi Fujiwara coming off Karussell in 2nd gear. If thats the case, jump into the passenger and ride shotgun with a taxi driver. As long as that taxi is a Mclaren or better yet, a 550bhp F80 M3 with 4 Recaro bucket seats so its fun for the whole family! I wanted to get round the ‘Ring with a view from the passenger seat (which would be the driver’s side in normal countries), so I luckily got chance to hop in a 720S piloted by Moritz Kranz, some guy who can drive cars fast and win races, basically. The Mclaren was beyond ballistic, its twin-turbo V8 powerplant is phenonmenal with its delivery, but Moritz made it look like a Sunday drive whilst simultaneously passing everything, of course.

Fünf! The final reason I can give for visiting the Nurburgring, is simply this. Whether you love driving cars, watching cars be driven to the edge, or just enjoy generally enjoy the kulture, this is the place for you to experience at least once. There is so much passion and enthusiasm, not only in and around the Nurburgring facility, but also in the villages that are dotted in that region have a strong affinity to motorsport. Germans, in fact, just like the Japanese make a tremendous effort when it comes to car life. They share a lot of similarities, which is what I tended to note frequently during my stay. The way in which they do things (cars, specifically) is probably the greatest difference. Germany brings functionality to the forefront; Japan highlights delicate form in very unique ways (which is why it can be misunderstood most of the time).

To be quite honest, I didn’t need to give much justification for my reasons. In fact, why the hell do I need to persuade anyone to visit the world’s most notorious automotive holiday destination? Its one of those things that has got to be done.

Probably gassed enough on this one, so I’m out of here.

Thanks for checking my stuff out, if you can be bothered, share it with your fam or your mate. I appreciate your time. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one in this Germany saga…

Ko-Op Tour of Deutschland | First Stop: The Ring

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Just after coming back from Japan in June, returning to work wasn’t gruelling, but there’s always the helpless reminiscing about the great country no matter how many times I go back, its always an unforgettable experience.

I felt, however, I needed to do the trip that has always been within arms’ reach; the one any car “enthusiast” must fulfil as a rite of passage. Germany. Nurburgring in particular, but I wanted to ensure I got to see as much of the country as possible within a short span of time. Fortunately, I have a buddy who has featured on the site in previous posts (Luke) who has ventured twice before, so he had the Ring experience under his belt and was pretty keen on getting back out there this summer just gone. We planned the trip for about 6 nights, cramming a decent amount of highly car-related activities in. Not gonna spoile whats to come, but Nurburgring was just the beginning…

We picked the hire car up from the airport in Cologne, and made the drive down to Nurburg, home to the infamous Green Hell. It was really odd seeing the circuit, initially, as we were just rolling along the country road that lines up parallel to the Dottinger Hohe (the longest straight on the track, where we have all gone off at the end of on Gran Turismo). Luke was like, “See where that Audi gantry board is, that’s the home stretch”, and at first all I could do is replay memories in my head of watching replays of the virtual version of the Nordschleife, trying to work grasp my bearings. It was pretty nuts at first. Then it just kept getting nuttier, as the villages you drive through are littered with so much serious metal, you don’t know where to look.

A quick walk through the ‘ring`Boulevard’ where there’s a few manufacturer dealership/showrooms, a go-kart track, ‘ringwerk’ museum, a handful of giftshops, and a tattoo parlour. We then made our way back to the hero-hirecar which we spent hours debating over whether it was the update 184-bhp model or not. Turns out, it was, according to the VIN plate. Bit disappointing to be honest as I expected a bit more out of the tune-up Mazda made. Not complaining though; its boot was big enough for my camera backpack, a duffel, and a mini suitcase. Oh yeah, and it drove spektakularly.

On the Thursday we landed, practice for the VLN 4 hour endurance race was already in progress, so we headed to a couple corners where you can park up and spectate till your heart’s content, watching the beast-mimicking GT4 & GT3 cars blitz by, before we drove to our airbnb.

Took this just before I got shouted at by the giftshop saleswoman for pointing my camera at basically everything…

Suited & Booted, Kitted & … | Fitted UK 2019

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Late July just gone, I decided to head over to Manchester and see what the north can offer when its time for the gladrags to be donned. Fitted UK is, from what I can tell, a pretty well established automotive outlet, and I have always been intrigued by the online content I have seen in the past: vehicles set up on 2-foot high stage platforms dotted about the main hall.

So, since I have been a bit slack on the blogfront, here is a image-heavy post for your viewing pleasure.

I chuckled to myself when I saw the reg on this R34 GT-R, as it spells out my initials. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the owner about to be able to tell him I want the keys back now, haha. As we all know, the Bayside Blue bombshell is a timeless klassik, so not much modification is needed to be honest. Tastefully executed, this V-Spec model had a few touches that made it stand out, like the inlet hardpiping, polished & engraved fusebox cover, and well-fitted black TE37s.

A hard combination to beat: Millenium Jade on an R32 GT-R equipped with a TRA-Kyoto Pandem widebody. I’m a sucker for this generation of Skyline just in stock form, but this tough-looking machine by JapSalon blew me away.

One of two “Midnight Purple” tinged R32s, this one wearing a set of Work CR2Ps under what seemed like a stock body sans the front and rear bumper add-ons. I found the assymetric headlight-intake unit quite kool, as was the purple underglow.

Yet another Pandem R32 Skyline that was getting a shedload of attention from the crowd gathering around it. It must be that metallic shade of purple doing justice to those body lines. That widebody conversion is incredibly well done; designer Kei Miura knows how to sculpt automotive art.

A few R35 GT-Rs made an appearance, of course, being the most popular and relatively more accessible of the “godzilla” selection. My top ranker was this all-carbon, Overtake-bodied model, with some TE37s in a colour rarely specced on the legendary wheel. This bodykit is featured on GTRs around the world, particularly those that destroy literally everything on a dragstrip, so rest assured its not just all for the sake of showing of that new weave.

The Pandem kraze was spreading like wildfire it seems, as this striking R32 in red was in attendance, with a set of wide Work VSXX 3-piece barrels shrouded by those girthy widearches.

Interesting take on this 4-door 4th Gen Civic, and it properly suits it. A style I wouldn’t mind seeing more of to be honest.

Back to basic and clean bodylines with this white-on-blue EK Civic.

I currently am unsure how I feel about this ‘Kanjozoku’ look being replicated outside of Japan. It is almost sacred, and the origin of the tribal car culture has deep roots, which I think is best left to those who run the real loop in Osaka. At the same time, there were a few decent builds that actually pulled off the street-runner look quite nicely.
That grey and white EJ Civic with its cut-up rear bumper was a kool thing.

Slightly left-field was this EF Civic with some pretty negatively cambered stance using Work Equip 40 wheels with chrome lips to polish off the look of this hatchback.

My fave Civic of the day has got to be this EG in two-tone, with its heavy duty rollcage (bolt-on or welded, I don’t know) and aggresive poise.

I love that look reminiscent of the Japanese 80s, with the top-bottom two-tone exterior paint.

Front and centre of the main stage sat this Phoenix Yellow DC5 Integra Type-R, a paint option never offered by Honda for the final generation fast FF coupe. Not only was it wearing an unusual colour code, the rare Mugen kit was a bit of a blast from the past. Saying that, the ‘Teg’ still looks fresh and modern till this day. Klap klap Honda, designers of timeless machines.

Very loud looking NA MX-5 hunkered down on some sprawly wheel fitment…

At first I thought the rollers under this NB MX-5 were Weds Bazreia, but I misjudged, as I soon found the centre caps read Euroline. Never come across these two-piece wheels by the one and only Work, which impressed me and proved how this this build is not your average low roadster. Would be mint to see this turbocharged Mazda moving swift out on the road. The touches of exposed carbon break the mould also, not to mention a bodykit I’ve never come across. A lot of cool details on this that some would overlook.

Emoji horn button doing a great job mirroring the driver’s reaction when they katch a full send in a roadster. Ahh, I do miss mine…

Its hard to make an S2000 look terrible. Some interesting choice wheels on that red one; orange Honda was cool playing the safe set-up.

Some more sick roadsters outside in the overflow.

My first car was a Toyota Aygo, not as radical as this LHD model from Finland (if I remember correctly, probably totally wrong).

First time seeing one of Khyzyl Saleem’s lifelike renderings come to, well, LIFE. This 86 he created sporting a Rocket Bunny widebody, was definitely a eye-katching machine, from its striking livery to the sharp trio of canards mounted low at both corners of the rear bumper. I kept going back for more, as the numerous photos exemplify.

Refreshing to see something other that panda white on a Hachiroku. Why I didn’t take more pics, I’ll never know…

Some dude was revving the arse off of some car, but I couldn’t stop gawping at this 86 and its wastegate/screamer pipe setup plumbed back from a BorgWarner turbo mated to, yep you guessed it, a 2JZ-GTE in place of that measly four-pot boxer lump.

Pretty sinister styling on this BRZ. Bit of fresh air from the typical look you find these cars built with. Very meaty wheel and tyre combo, paired with the edgy semi-paint, semi-carbon bodywork. And that rear diffuser looks like its ready to tear up a rally stage.

Silvias apleny at Fitted, but one in particular was my pick of the bunch…

The S13 has a charm in factory form, that cannot be paralleled with the other S-chassis. But this modified example has got the perfekt balance between aggression and elegance. I saw this car online months, even years back, and it struck me instantly. The ‘Miyabi’ bodykit produced by Spirit Rei really does flow with the S13 body, and those incredibly colour-coordinated Work Meister M1s crammed into the wheel arches do the entire ordeal justice.

The Z33 350Z is a nice all-rounder of a Japanese sporty gran-tourer. I really do hope Nissan bring the Fairlady back into production, with the same grunt and purity as the current and previous iterations…

A “Japanese Mercedes”?…

Or would you rather have the native original?

Plenty of klassic Bimmers, this E9 3.0 CS stood out with ease. Pillarless coupes will be missed, a design feat unfortunately left in the decades long gone.

Loved every bit of this E30. So neat and tidy, but at the same time going against the grain.