After catching a train and a taxi (which featured a very confused taxi driver) to the Osaka meet at an expressway service station, I quickly realised that the sheer quantity and quality of cars meant that there was little chance of me being able to tear myself away in time to catch my train back to central Osaka.
Thankfully, my newfound friend Akifumi (of Yama-Channel fame) suggested that I could catch a lift back with his friend who happened to live near Shin-Osaka station, not too far from my hotel. He also happened to drive this JZX110 Mark II, so it was fair to say I was pretty excited for the ride back.
By no means was this a competition-spec drift car. Basic suspension, drivetrain, engine and interior upgrades though suggested that it did get used in anger, and I was assured (through the power of Google Translate) that the 360bhp or so is rigorously put to good use through frequent street drifting around the Osaka dock areas.
We eventually left the meet at about 4.30am and headed along the expressway with the Crystal Garage 1JZ-powered S180 Crown (of which I will post more pictures in the near future).
This Mark II reminded me very much of my C33 Laurel and why I want to keep it the way it is. It was low, but it was entirely usable for every day driving. It had decent coilovers and adjustable arms, but the ride wasn’t too harsh so as to make every journey miserable. The exhaust wasn’t too loud, the LSD wasn’t too clunky and the interior hadn’t been unnecessarily stripped out (I was a big fan of the on-board TV and DVD player, although it did seem to only play Nicki Minaj music videos).
In other words, it was a well thought out, sensibly modified drift car that can be used every day while also looking absolutely awesome in the process. And believe me, if I’d just forked out for a JZX110 Mark II (they aren’t particularly cheap in Japan, let alone the rest of the world) you can bet that I’d be using it as much as I possibly could. Life’s too short to spend all your time and money on something that doesn’t leave the garage.