In all my years in Japan I’ve by no means seen an inflow of vacationers like I’ve within the final two years for the reason that nation opened up post-pandemic.
And rightly so, there’s a lot to see, go to, do and naturally eat, oh and if you happen to occur to be a automotive man or gal, you then’re in luck as there’s by no means been a greater time to truly see the automotive tradition in all its glory.
With famed parking areas like Daikoku and Umihotaru having been became standard locations for the numerous corporations and people on the market providing “excursions” there’s additionally the higher possibility to essentially get the complete Japanese automotive tradition expertise, and that’s hire a automotive.
JDM automotive leases aren’t something new, there have been a number of corporations round for years permitting you to pattern your dream Japanese automotive, or if you would like one thing extra excessive finish there’s at all times supercar leases.
Whereas it’s not one thing I’ve ever tried, I’ve usually puzzled the way it all labored, and at the moment we discover out simply that.
The blokes from Drivers Lounge hit me up and invited me alongside to one in every of their first outings as they’ve simply opened up their doorways.
Seeing I get my justifiable share of messages on social platforms asking for suggestions of what to do whereas in Japan I believed this may be the right solution to discover out precisely how a day with a rental automotive firm would really be like.
Alec and I confirmed up good and early to their HQ simply outdoors Tokyo and met with the blokes behind the corporate. For sure it was reassuring to seek out out that the house owners are as a lot automotive guys as we’re and we hit it off immediately whereas testing their facility and array of vehicles.
So let’s begin with the vehicles themselves. Drivers Lounge presents a collection of 8 vehicles (quickly to be expanded) and these are all fashions that I believe do an excellent job at providing a pleasant and distinctive expertise for anybody signing as much as one in every of their outings. The record goes one thing like this:
Within the all-wheel-drive camp we’ve the R35 GT-R, a Lancer Evo X and a Toyota GR Yaris.
For the rear-wheel-drive grouping we’ve the A90 Toyota Supra and Spoon Sports activities full Honda S660.
And to complete it off we’ve the 2 front-wheel-drive vehicles, the DC5 Honda Civic Sort-R and Monster Sports activities full Suzuki Alto Works.
One of many principal motive I used to be more than pleased to take part on this outing, is that Drivers Lounge permits individuals to swap vehicles throughout the day, which makes them fairly distinctive in comparison with most different rental automotive corporations in Japan.
So that you get to not solely expertise driving in Japan with iconic JDM vehicles, however you even get to do it with a number of rides. However extra on that afterward, first up let’s get an concept of how a day excursions with these guys is structured.
So first issues first. When you arrive you head as much as the second flooring lounge on high of the primary storage and get the applying and paperwork out of the way in which.
It is a properly appointed area, snug sofas to take a seat on and revel in your welcome drink whereas operating by the construction of the day tour with the workers.
You’ll be able to count on to see episodes of Finest Motoring and Scorching Model to be taking part in on the TV and lots of points of Preliminary D manga to flick although, you already know, simply to get you within the temper for the day!
Clement, the proprietor, has even raced in a bunch of motorsport sequence in Asia so you already know he actually understands what lovers need relating to a driving expertise.
Whilst you received’t be doing Wangan excessive velocity runs, what you’ll have is a selection of six excursions that vary from a 10-hour Hakone to Daikoku PA tour, Chiba to Daikoku PA scenic drive in addition to the power to request customized tailor-made outings. What Alec and I have been going to expertise that day was the Hakone 7 hour tour, which imagine me packs in as a lot driving as you’d ever need to do in in the future! It’s just about the very same route I often take after I want an escape from Tokyo and a few alone-time to simply drive.
The final image hints at one of many future vehicles that is likely to be added to the road up very quickly!
With the formalities taken care of it’s again downstairs and time to prepare for the day.
One factor that struck me immediately and that I do want to say is that with the addition of the Spoon S660 and the Monster Sports activities Alto Works you realise that each one the vehicles within the line up are fairly particular. Except for these 2 full ex-demo vehicles all vehicles are all barely modified, all operating aftermarket suspension, excessive efficiency brake pads and tires on the very least, whereas others might sport another goodies like wheels, exhausts and within the case of the DC5 a roll cage.
Reasonably than a JDM expertise I’d most likely name it extra of a real hashiriya expertise!
With the situation of Drivers Lounge in Noborito, you might be solely 16 min practice journey away from Shinjuku which implies you might set out within the morning and be again in central Tokyo in supper time.
We set out in convoy from the HQ, myself behind the wheel of the GR Yaris and Alec within the Supra. Each automotive has a walkie talkie with an ear piece so that you’re at all times linked with the main automotive and by no means have to consider the place it’s essential to go. You set out with a full tank of fuel and an ETC card within the reader so that you don’t want to fret about tolls or getting fuel both.
The drive all the way down to Odawara city the place the Hakone Turnpike units out from take about an hour, so that you cruise down the Tomei Expressway and the Atsugi-Odawara toll highway in convoy and preserve fuel, saving it for the twisty attention-grabbing bits afterward!
It’s been an excellent yr since I’ve pushed a GR Yaris and I’ve to say it nonetheless stays one in every of my favourite modern-day Japanese efficiency vehicles, so succesful, blisteringly fast and responsive but completely stress-free for regular driving too.
First cease was to seize a fast lunch on the 7-11. A number of onigiri later we have been all prepared to maneuver proper in entrance of the toll gates to heaven…
… i.e. the Hakone Turnpike!
We lined up the vehicles earlier than getting into for a fast few pictures earlier than the actual driving started.
I drove the primary part within the GR Yaris however then swapped to the Spoon S660 which was hilarious up the Turnpike. Not precisely fast, in any case it’s powered by a 660 cc blown motor, however so humorous the way you infrequently use the brakes and simply carry a lot velocity into any of the quick third and fourth gear sweepers.
Then all of us met on the high of the cross for that iconic Fuji-san image.
With two vehicles down it was over to quantity 3.
And for that it was over to the Alto Works which was much more of vibe than the S660 as in stark distinction you sit a lot increased and provides a complete completely different really feel although the corners, virtually feeling extra of a rally automotive, dealing with on rails and sufficient boost-assisted torque on faucet to maintain the grins coming.
As we moved to our subsequent leg of the tour in direction of the Ashinoko Skyline it was the DC5 that I selected and boy what a watch opener this was.
I hadn’t pushed a DC5 Sort-R since when the automotive was launched again 20 years in the past and I had forgotten what it was prefer to drive these items.
Such a distinct method to the trubocharged vehicles I had pushed earlier than. The excessive revving NA motor has to be stored on the boil for it to develop sufficient pull out of corners and with the lowered stance due to the aftermarket suspension, the playful nature of the chassis actually shined by. Raise off oversteer anybody?
Because the Ashinoko Skyline crests a complete completely different a part of the mountain chain, you get a really completely different view in direction of Mt. Fuji, so a second group shot was so as.
I took this chance to leap into automotive quantity 5 and 6 for the day, the two Lancer Evos! The Evolution 6 for me stays the very best of the bunch, whereas the third technology that got here after (7,8 & 9) have been much more succesful and sooner, the 6 is the final one to have that direct hyperlink to WRC and rowing gears to make that 4G63 sing away is at all times a particular sensation.
I equally loved the Evo X with the SST gearbox, stunned at how succesful and simple to drive these last-gen Evos are. Whereas the SST may not be as involving as a guide it does will let you focus extra in your steering and contours by the corners and also you simply surf on that mid-range torque to catapult you in direction of the subsequent flip.
From the Ashinoko Skyline we drove down a decent stretch of touge that introduced us to a parking space over on a quiet aspect of Lake Ashi. This was our last cease earlier than we climbed all the way in which again as much as the highest of the Hakone Turnpike cross, heading in direction of what would grow to be the very best a part of the day.
For this stretch of driving I jumped into automotive 7, the A90 Supra. The BMW connection is greater than evident on this automotive, and out of all of the vehicles that day it’s the one which felt essentially the most like a easy GT cruiser fairly than a pin sharp sports activities automotive.
That took us to what’s one in every of my favourite stretches of roads within the Hakone space, one I’ve been driving vehicles on for the final 25 years, the Tsubaki Line.
A couple of third of the way in which down there’s a bit of parking spot, the right place to cease for a relaxation, a couple of pictures…
… and a glance over into Pacific in direction of the small island of Hatsujima.
Pondering over the past 6 hours of driving and the 7 vehicles I had sampled up to now, it hit me that this had been one of the different driving experiences ever.
And the variability is extra concerning the layouts fairly than the vehicles themselves, from AWD to FF and FR, mid engine to entrance engine.
You actually do get to completely perceive the variations between all of them, their respective constructive and adverse factors, and ultimately selecting your favourite.
The drive again to the Drivers Lounge ended with automotive quantity 8 for me, the great outdated R35 GT-R, a automotive I’ve pushed in all its guises, inventory and modified, a particularly acquainted place for me to be in and 18 years on since its inception, nonetheless a real weapon on roads like these.
The day ended with a last sundown shot at 1000 m above sea degree on the high of Mt. Taikan overlooking Lake Ashi and Fuji earlier than we returned al the vehicles to the HQ.
A day like this spent by a few of the greatest driving roads in Japan might be top-of-the-line methods to expertise Japan for a automotive man and gal. Large due to the blokes at Drivers Lounge for inviting me alongside and displaying precisely why they do what they do!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
Further images by Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
