Anyone who's visited Tokyo could understandably assume that the rest of Japan is simply a sprawling extension of the neon capital. But actually only about 20 percent of the country's landmass is inhabitable. A series of volcanic islands hanging on the edge of the Pacific Rim of Fire, Japan is mostly one big mountain chain — a headache for civil engineers, bliss for tarmac enthusiasts.
Drifting as we know it today was born in Japan's mountains, from the "touge" ("toe-gay"), a word simply translated as "mountain pass," but which defines an auto subculture in which precision, control and balls are all that matters.
The rules are simple: The lead car must open and hold a gap, at least a length or two, on the chase car to win.
These basic rules birthed a code and a lifestyle that produced the Japanimation classic Initial D and provided the inspiration for American enthusiasts to buy beater Nissan 240s and practice kicking out the back end on twisty midnight roads.
Touge runs in Japan are still a hushed ritual, thanks to police crackdowns and the sport's increased profile. And it lives in an official, controlled form thanks to our friends at GT Channel and their link with Best Motoring/Hot Version, Japan's automotive video A-team.
In these clips, the Hot Version team — including drivers Keiichi Tsuchiya, Manabu Orido and Nobuteru Taniguchi — gathers at the Gunsai Cycling Circuit north of Tokyo for the Touge 300 battle. Five Japanese tuners have each brought a car — 300 max horsepower — to challenge the reigning favorite, a Honda S2000 tuned by Tokyo's Honda/Nissan specialists Powerhouse Amuse, on Gunsai's tight, 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) downhill.
In which we're introduced to the "Touge Monster's Servant," one Ms. Kazumi Kondo, dressed inexplicably in leopard print hot pants and bikini top — because of course you need a young Japanese lady in swimwear to flag your downhill races.
Drivers test the first three challengers to the Amuse Honda S2000: the fourth-gen Honda Prelude from tuner JUN ("june"), a Honda Accord Euro R from Phase and the Fairlady Z33 from Central 20. The 270-hp Prelude won a previous touge shoot-out, and its improved Zeal rear suspension and new limited-slip again make it a formidable contender.
Nissan fans will want to check out NER's S13 Silvia with its Tomei individual throttle bodies. Taniguchi likens it to a Hachiroku with a bigger engine. Renowned Osaka tuner J's Racing brings its low-slung S2000. Built from the shop's success in endurance road racing, it turns out to be the Amuse S2K's biggest competition yet.
The drivers wish for a better limited-slip differential in the Silvia and better grip from the Z33. The Euro R is praised for its speed and poise despite its portly dimensions and daily comforts. The J's S2000 earns raves, while the JUN Prelude is proclaimed flawless, thanks to its rear suspension setup and shortened gearing from an Accord Euro R transmission.
One of the best parts about Best Motoring's presentation is the in-car cams behind the driver's shoulders. Watch Tsuchiya's control at the wheel at 2:25 and Taniguchi's technique at 4:24.
The Powerhouse Amuse Honda S2000 arrives to set up the first three-car touge shoot-out. It's Tokyo (JUN, Amuse) vs. Osaka (J's Racing).
The final battle. Watch closely at 0:55 as Tsuchiya barely reins in some nasty oversteer as his tires start to fade. That, friends, is what we call pro.
Drifting as we know it today was born in Japan's mountains, from the "touge" ("toe-gay"), a word simply translated as "mountain pass," but which defines an auto subculture in which precision, control and balls are all that matters.
The rules are simple: The lead car must open and hold a gap, at least a length or two, on the chase car to win.
These basic rules birthed a code and a lifestyle that produced the Japanimation classic Initial D and provided the inspiration for American enthusiasts to buy beater Nissan 240s and practice kicking out the back end on twisty midnight roads.
Touge runs in Japan are still a hushed ritual, thanks to police crackdowns and the sport's increased profile. And it lives in an official, controlled form thanks to our friends at GT Channel and their link with Best Motoring/Hot Version, Japan's automotive video A-team.
In these clips, the Hot Version team — including drivers Keiichi Tsuchiya, Manabu Orido and Nobuteru Taniguchi — gathers at the Gunsai Cycling Circuit north of Tokyo for the Touge 300 battle. Five Japanese tuners have each brought a car — 300 max horsepower — to challenge the reigning favorite, a Honda S2000 tuned by Tokyo's Honda/Nissan specialists Powerhouse Amuse, on Gunsai's tight, 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) downhill.
In which we're introduced to the "Touge Monster's Servant," one Ms. Kazumi Kondo, dressed inexplicably in leopard print hot pants and bikini top — because of course you need a young Japanese lady in swimwear to flag your downhill races.
Drivers test the first three challengers to the Amuse Honda S2000: the fourth-gen Honda Prelude from tuner JUN ("june"), a Honda Accord Euro R from Phase and the Fairlady Z33 from Central 20. The 270-hp Prelude won a previous touge shoot-out, and its improved Zeal rear suspension and new limited-slip again make it a formidable contender.
Nissan fans will want to check out NER's S13 Silvia with its Tomei individual throttle bodies. Taniguchi likens it to a Hachiroku with a bigger engine. Renowned Osaka tuner J's Racing brings its low-slung S2000. Built from the shop's success in endurance road racing, it turns out to be the Amuse S2K's biggest competition yet.
The drivers wish for a better limited-slip differential in the Silvia and better grip from the Z33. The Euro R is praised for its speed and poise despite its portly dimensions and daily comforts. The J's S2000 earns raves, while the JUN Prelude is proclaimed flawless, thanks to its rear suspension setup and shortened gearing from an Accord Euro R transmission.
One of the best parts about Best Motoring's presentation is the in-car cams behind the driver's shoulders. Watch Tsuchiya's control at the wheel at 2:25 and Taniguchi's technique at 4:24.
The Powerhouse Amuse Honda S2000 arrives to set up the first three-car touge shoot-out. It's Tokyo (JUN, Amuse) vs. Osaka (J's Racing).
The final battle. Watch closely at 0:55 as Tsuchiya barely reins in some nasty oversteer as his tires start to fade. That, friends, is what we call pro.
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