First of all, apologies for the delay in getting any substantial Tokyo Auto Salon coverage up on the blog as of late. The week after the show was spent in Japan travelling to additional events and locations, while my time since landing back in the UK has been spent catching up on the ten days of STL/326POWER UK work I lost due to the trip. Nevertheless, it’s time to get some words and photos together and it feels good to do so.
After flying from Manchester to Tokyo via Helsinki, catching a fast train to Chiba followed by two local trains to Makuhari Messe (the train station is Kaihimmakuhari should you wish to visit next year) and walking a short distance to the APA hotel that adjoins the Messe, it was about that time to deal with the usual dose of jet lag and resist the urge to go to sleep in the middle of the day. Trust me on this, never, ever give in to the sleep when you first land in Japan. If you can stay awake for that first day and go to sleep in accordance with the local clock, you’ll feel all the better for it for the rest of your trip.
From the room on the 33rd floor of the APA building you could see right over Tokyo Bay and even catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji in the distance. However, it was the sight immediately below the window that was more interesting: a line as long as the eye could distinguish of incredible cars, patiently waiting their turn to enter the Messe.
This line spilled way beyond the confines of the Messe’s car park, blocking the entire inside lane of the nearest road. I knew that there would be some absolute gems to see amongst this gaggle of vehicles and so headed downstairs, eager to see what lay on the other side of the hotel’s revolving doors. I didn’t get very far.
Parked barely a couple of metres from the main entrance was Nakagawa Shuichi‘s (commonly known as “Nakkan” online) Porsche 997, wearing the “slantnose” aero kit sold by his company, Old & New. If Nakkan’s name sounds familiar, it might be because you remember his Bad Quality 180SX. While a Porsche might be a far cry away from an S13, both his past and present cars bear similar traits: very low, very wide and very blue. I didn’t even have time to unpack my DSLR as I caught a glimpse of the crowd of hotel guests beginning to walk en masse towards the car, so out came the trusty iPhone camera to fire off a few shots before I lost sight of it amongst a sea of tourists.
The “Overfender Paradox” has been something discussed by Speedhunters in the past and this is very much something I agree with. 99% of people viewing photos online of high end cars adorned with bolt-on fenders will have strong feelings towards them (maybe positive, but quite often negative) despite never having seen a well put together example in the flesh. However, when you do come face to face with an example such as Nakkan’s Old & New 997, more often than not, everything will just click in your mind. These creations are bold, in-your-face and leave a lasting impression. There’s a reason this style is so popular and this is why. Parked in front of a fancy hotel and amongst an array of kei cars and airport shuttle coaches, you couldn’t miss it.
I don’t know any specifics of the build other than the Old & New kit, Rotiform wheels and air suspension but, considering Nakkan and Old & New are based in Hiroshima (over 500 miles away from Tokyo) and that he arrived behind the wheel of the 997, I can only assume that the package works very well for it to have been tolerable to drive for a journey of that length. I dread to think of the petrol bill, let alone the expressway tolls…
Anyway, once I’d stopped gawking at the Porsche and hastily checked the prices of 997s on eBay UK, I began to make my way over to the cars queueing to enter the exhibition halls. Stay tuned for Part 2.