I’m undoubtedly a ‘glass half empty’ sort of pessimist, so heading out onto the streets with no recreation plan within the hope of discovering automotive gold is like having a toddler with an entire stranger. You realize a beginning is inevitable, however the way it will all pan out is one other factor.
Maybe the data that a number of fascinating vehicles is perhaps noticed on the road in Yokohama is rather less worrying than whether or not your thriller baby will develop as much as be an upstanding member of society, however each are positive to get the guts racing no less than. My chauffeur for the day was Aaron, and after parking up his VR-4 we set off on foot in the hunt for some gems.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than an enormous sigh of reduction was expelled from my rotund post-Christmas stomach, as a Mitsuoka cruised previous a Nissan 350Z and a slammed drift-spec Silvia. We had barely walked 100 metres from our parking area and already had hit peak Japan street-spotting. Possibly this was going to be simpler than I assumed…
Slightly additional alongside from Zou-no-hana Terrace, strolling in the direction of central Yokohama, there’s a terrific nook for car-spotting in case you’re ever within the space.
From this spot, drivers are probably travelling into Tokyo through Minato Mirai 21 and its surrounding prosperous suburbs. Whereas most individuals are behind the wheels of Nissan Notes and different vanilla-flavoured small vehicles, it’s sobering to see fans getting round in barely extra thrilling and fascinating equipment, even when they’re typically not the very best fitted to tight Japanese metropolis roads.
Heading in in the direction of Chinatown, issues begin getting a bit fancier with daily-driven Ferraris and different high-end Euros. This space additionally has a number of the most fascinating public bathroom blocks round – if that you must make a pitstop. Given its shut proximity to Chinatown, this one options Chinese language design particulars.
After all, for us foreigners even the taxis in Japan are cool and I might have fortunately simply snapped all of them day. There’s one thing a few Toyota Crown Consolation with its headrest doilies and privateness curtains that’s nonetheless cool even after years of dwelling right here.
After which, out of nowhere, the acquainted growl of a basic carburetted Nissan six-cylinder lower by the burble of consumers as they bustled alongside the non-pedestrianised roads. ‘That Hakosuka proprietor is recreation bringing his automobile down right here’ I assumed to myself as he turned the nook and disappeared by a crowd of individuals.
It’s humorous how we shortly grow to be tuned in to our environment. Once I’m on the hunt for vehicles, I can spot them from throughout the road, by a crowd and – within the case of this Lancia Delta Integrale – tucked away in a carpark entrance. It’s some sort of previous banger sixth sense, I suppose.
Crossing a busy street, the unmistakable entrance finish of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX caught my eye, and once I clicked it was an Evo Wagon, I knew our fast little walkaround had been a hit. I’d love certainly one of these wagons to shoot monitoring pictures from, however as of late I might probably must promote a kidney and reverse import one from overseas to have the ability to afford it.
When you’d prefer to see extra road Speedhunting sooner or later, let me know within the feedback. I’ll attempt to remember that in case you drift, the automobile universe will all the time shock you. However being in Japan actually helps.
Toby Thyer
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