JAPANESE JEWELS

PRESENTED BY

1984 Mazda RX-7

The RX-7 firmly established Mazda as a sports car maker. Launched in 1978, it won huge acclaim as a road car and was a great success on the race track, including winning the Spa 24 Hours in 1981 with Tom Walkinshaw and Pierre Dieudonné at the wheel. Powered by a 1146cc 12A twin-rotor engine that produced 115bhp, it could hit 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and max out at 125mph. European cars also benefitted from having all-round disc brakes. Built in 1984, this Series 3 has done fewer than 200 miles from new. Series 3s featured several detail improvements over previous cars, such as an upgraded dashboard as well as stiffer springs and dampers. This car joined the Mazda UK Heritage Fleet in May 2017. Having spent all its life in storage, it’s one of the finest RX-7s in the UK.

MATT VOSPER

1995 Honda NSX-R

While the NSX was designed to be as usable as any other Honda, its engineers believed the car had more to give from its precision-honed chassis. The result was the Japanonly NSX-R, which was put on a crash diet that saw its sound deadening, air-con, spare tyre, audio system and more ripped out, and lightweight material used; in all, it weighed 120kg less than a standard NSX. Due to the Japanese brands’ ‘gentleman’s agreement’ at the time, officially it is no more powerful than the original NSX, but anecdotal evidence points to many more horses than 276bhp. Stiffer suspension and tweaks to the final-drive ratio, plus a blueprinted engine, made this the ultimate track-honed NSX. A renowned collector imported this car to the UK, and it is well pampered yet regularly driven.

2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II

The final Skyline to wear the hallowed GT-R badge was a very special one – the R34. Its predecessors had pushed the performance envelope and given the European automotive aristocracy a bloody nose on track – be it in the real world or via Gran Turismo. The Skyline has become a cult, one based on the strength and tuneability of its twin-turbo 2.6-litre engine. Nissan refined the R34 recipe over the car’s three-year run, building increasingly rare and more hardcore versions. This V-Spec II has stiffer suspension, larger rear discs and a carbonfibre bonnet. The owner imported it 18 years ago after his first, a silver model, was stolen. Once lightly modified, the car was returned to factory spec five years ago.

PRESENTED BY

MATT VOSPER

1969 Mazda Cosmo 110S

The Cosmo was the first production Mazda to use a Wankel rotary engine, while its styling was inspired by European GTs. To prove this technical innovation’s reliability, it was entered into an 84-hour endurance test at the Nürburgring. Only a Lancia Fulvia and two Porsche 911s beat it. Just 343 Series 1 Cosmos were built with the 0810 982cc engine, which produced 110bhp. The Series 2 arrived in 1968, with the more powerful 128bhp 0813 engine. This added an extra 5mph to the top speed. Only 1176 models of all types were built, and this one forms part of Mazda UK’s Heritage Fleet.

1998 Subaru Impreza 22B

This ultra-rare Impreza took the best parts of Subaru’s road-going rally car and brought it all together in one special package – the 22B. It used the same two-door coupé bodystyle as the rally cars, and aped their swollen wheelarches to accommodate a wider track (40mm up front and 80mm at the back). The big change, however, was the engine – bored out to 2.2 litres and enhanced with custom fuel rails, lightweight forged pistons and a larger IHI VF23 roller-bearing turbo. Although officially it put out no more than the standard Impreza, it actually delivered an extra 70bhp, pegging it at around 350bhp. Just 426 22Bs were made, with only 16 officially coming to the UK.

@PADDLEUP

2012 Lexus LFA

The LFA was the first Lexus supercar, and it made a grand entrance to this hallowed arena. Its 4.8-litre V10 produces 553bhp at a vertiginous 8700rpm, with 354lb ft of torque peaking at a lofty 6800rpm; all-out, you’ll be doing 202mph. The LFA’s chassis was designed in-house, with a carbonfibre-reinforced polymer monocoque from which hang aluminium front and rear subframes. Only 500 were built, and this one is number 262. The only miles on the odometer were those covered in testing with Lexus. Step inside the white leather-clad interior and you’ll notice the plastic wrapping covering the seats, sun visors and infotainment system. It’s as close to a new LFA as you’ll ever see.

2001 Mitsubishi Evo 6 Tommi Mäkinen Edition

To celebrate Tommi Mäkinen’s dominating performances in the World Rally Championship, which saw him take four consecutive titles between 1996 and 1999, Mitsubishi added his name to one of the most honed road-going rally cars ever produced. It was treated to a larger intercooler, quickerspooling turb0, lowered ride height and a front upper strut brace, too. Just 250 were built for the UK out of 2500 worldwide, and only 50 had the Special Colouring Pack to replicate Tommi’s winning rally car. This example, number 36 of that 50, has just come out of a six-year nut-andbolt restoration.

PRESENTED BY

1971 Nissan Fairlady 240ZG

Designed to fight the MGB GT and its European ilk, the stylish 240Z had a 128bhp six-cylinder. It was called the Fairlady at home, and this car is a Japan-only ZG. Released in October 1971 to homologate the 240Z for Group 4 racing, it has wider arches, acrylic light covers and wing mirrors. The better aerodynamics allowed a 130mph top speed – 5mph more than the normal 240Z. Just 500 were said to be built, but the figure is believed to be closer to 900 or 1000. This relatively unrestored Grand Prix Maroon car is described as a preserved example fitted with many original and rare factory competition components.

1995 Toyota Supra TT MkIV

The Supra had a long gestation period – its engineers, shocked by the competency of rival Nissan’s 300ZX, ditched their nearly finished fighter to come up with something even better. The result was the Supra MkIV, a hyper-GT powered by a legendary twin-turbo straight-six engine that’s reached such levels of infamy it can be referred to by model name: 2JZ-GTE. Although known for its strength – it can handle power in advance of 1000bhp – this particular example has the standard 326bhp, which is good for a 160mph top speed. It’s a rare and soughtafter manual example (many were produced with automatic ’boxes) and it has covered a mere 19,000 miles.

1967 Toyota 2000GT

The 2000GT was designed to act as a halo model for Toyota’s range, and with Yamaha’s help it turned out to be one of the 1960s most memorable GT cars. Its 2.0- or 2.3-litre straight-six, with between 138bhp and 148bhp on tap, was matched with a standard limited-slip differential and all-round disc brakes – both firsts for the Japanese auto industry. It was also the first Japanese car with rack-and-pinion steering. Its top speed was a heady 135mph, and just 351 cars were built in total; this is one is chassis no. MF10-10129. Originally sold in Mozambique, it went to Portugal in 1976 before appearing on eBay in 2007 with 42,000km on the clock. It was fully restored in 2012.

1991 Mazda MX-5 Le Mans

To celebrate its 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours victory, Mazda launched an MX-5 Le Mans special. Wearing the winning 787B’s livery, it had a Brodie Brittain Racing turbo. Just 22 were built, with power boosted from 115bhp to 150bhp and torque from 100lb ft to 154lb ft. This cut 0-60mph to 6.8 seconds. This car was purchased with 600 miles on the clock in February 1992. The owner did 219,000 miles by 2014, at which point the car failed its MoT due to corrosion. It then remained off the road until 2016, when it was renovated by a new owner. The restorer acquired the car in early 2021, and added the MX5 to its heritage collection.