Auto Salon Magazine Tour
Presented By Nitto Tires, Razo And Carmate
The official '08 Turbo Magazine Tour kicked off another memorable event with Kintetsu International's arrangement of another amazing trip. It was best scribed by an attendee as "the best and easiest way to tour Japan, without getting lost, while taking full advantage of a car enthusiast's dream come true." The first two days after attempting to shake off the jetlag was dedicated toward spending some quality time at the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) to get well aquatinted with the newest products Japan has to offer. As we recall, it was less than two years ago that TAS was filled to the brim with manufacturers seemingly force-feeding us performance products for the 350Z. This year it was obvious that the Evo X and Skyline GT-R were now the darlings of the show. From mild to wild engines and vehicles, many of Japan's performance manufacturers came out swinging with hopes of rekindling a rather sluggish performance economy. The Evo X and R35 GT-R was just the ticket needed to rebuild the passion and spirit that help skyrocket the import market to stardom.
A trip to the largest Autobacs in Japan and historical tour of the temples, along with some street vendor shopping, were just some of the highlights that filled the Tour. On day four of the Tour, Nitto Tires and RAZO joined forces to organize the first annual Drift experience at Fuji Speedway. This special event was held for those lucky individuals who attended this year's Turbo Magazine Tour. A large gathering of over 50 Turbo Tour participants made the early morning trek out to the chilly wet proving grounds at Fuji Speedway to experience a drift seminar and ride along with Japan's popular SFR Hana, Team Kabukimono and Midori drift teams. Established in 1993 under the founder Naoya Kaneko, SFR Hana and Midori have gained reputations across Japan as fast racing teams often found perfecting their skills in the treacherous mountains of Gunma and Tokyo bayside piers. Mixed among the team was Formula D competitor and Nitto sponsored Miki Ryuji of A'PEXi and Dai Yoshihara of Pacific Rim Racing. While Dai was in attendance to sign autographs and mingle with the crowd, Miki brought out his personal S14 machine as a special occasion to offer demo runs and ride alongs to the Turbo Tour attendees. Racing competitor and RE Amemiya GT300 driver Ryo Orime was on hand to take the Subaru STI, equipped with Nitto NT01 tires, to the extreme limit as he blasted through the track in a thrill-seeking ride along session.
The initial plans were for the attendees to drive the Fuji Speedway track but due to the wet and rainy weather, there was an unfortunate change in plans. A quick walk around the Fuji paddock during lunchtime netted us some exciting club racing that took place the same day. Spectating on the grandstands was an unforgettable moment that even the 20-degree temperature couldn't put a damper on. If you missed this year's Turbo Tour, be sure to check out: www.kintetsu.com/autosalon/index.html. We'd like to extend a special thanks to Nitto, RAZO, Carmate and Kintetsu for another successful year.
 Smokey Nagata from Top Secret's...  Smokey Nagata from Top Secret's new GT-R toy was on display at TAS. It's amazing what a set of wheels and lowering the Nissan can do to improve its appearance. |  AP Boss prepped Subaru ST...  AP Boss prepped Subaru STI. |  JUN Auto wasted no time in...  JUN Auto wasted no time in building its newest Evo X demo car equipped with an external reservoir suspension and numerous prototype bolt-on goodies. |
 The Team Orange Evo X-driven...  The Team Orange Evo X-driven by Kumakubo for this D1 season-and the Ohlins circuit car teamed up on Mitsubishi's main stage. |  Pan Speed's ultra-quick, time-attack...  Pan Speed's ultra-quick, time-attack FD3S. Expect to see this car even faster this season. |  An HKS six-speed dog box gear...  An HKS six-speed dog box gear set was designed to fit in the CZ4A five-speed transmission casing. It has a stronger ear design for those who plan to display gross power displacement in the near future. |
 Bride brings out another trendsetter...  Bride brings out another trendsetter with its Japanese maple leaf-designed seat. |  The Saurus 884-R Sudo-R drag...  The Saurus 884-R Sudo-R drag R32 delivers an amazing 985 ps. |  The Lexus IS F concept race...  The Lexus IS F concept race car. |
 Daily driven and sick as hell,...  Daily driven and sick as hell, look for a full feature on this Evo to hit Turbo within the next few issues. |  Endless made its presence...  Endless made its presence known at this year's TAS show with the debut of its new mono-block calipers. |  Turning heads all day at their...  Turning heads all day at their booth was www.gtr-sns.com with its orange GT-R. |
 Here's a glimpse of the Evo...  Here's a glimpse of the Evo X HKS twin clutch prototype assembly. |  HKS T62R ball bearing exhaust...  HKS T62R ball bearing exhaust housing for the T51R series turbo, sporting a 1.20 A/R, is an excellent upgrade for JZA80 and GT-R owners. |  ARC rear differential cooler...  ARC rear differential cooler for the Z33 (Nissan 350Z). |
 Top Fuel Japan, one of the...  Top Fuel Japan, one of the few Honda performance manufacturers, debuted its Integra Type R intake (left) and Honda Fit intake (right) built in carbon fiber. |  Do we see a new trend coming...  Do we see a new trend coming to the U.S.? The rear wing spells some definite downforce for this FD3S. |  As if TEIN didn't dominate...  As if TEIN didn't dominate the suspension market enough, they surprised many with the debut of their radiator, intercooler and header tank system sporting their company green. |
 Is that a Honda S2000 engine...  Is that a Honda S2000 engine with ITBs we see peeking out of the back of this MR-S? |  A glimpse of the JUN Auto...  A glimpse of the JUN Auto 4B11 Evo X high-lift camshafts. The cam specs are still currently under wraps. |  The HKS Evo X Legamax premium...  The HKS Evo X Legamax premium rear exhaust system will have made its debut in the U.S. by the time you read this. |
 Check out the Power Enterprise...  Check out the Power Enterprise 4G63 turbo kit! |  ARC R35 GT-R Ti exhaust was...  ARC R35 GT-R Ti exhaust was prototyped and tested off the MCR Nissan GT-R. |  Drawing hundreds of interested...  Drawing hundreds of interested spectators was the HKS CAMP 2 system that was stated to be released in the U.S. in February. |
 GReddy introduces the next...  GReddy introduces the next generation in fuel management known as the F-Manage unit. |  Fuji Speedway club racing...  Fuji Speedway club racing in action. |  This FD3S was towed to the...  This FD3S was towed to the paddocks after an unfortunate incident on the track. |
 Ryo Orime making the most...  Ryo Orime making the most of his time while Turbo Tour attendees were given a chance to test their skills on the Fuji Speedway cart track. |  Miki Ryuji's S14 has definitely...  Miki Ryuji's S14 has definitely seen better days. |  Dai Yoshihara and Miki Ryuji...  Dai Yoshihara and Miki Ryuji were in attendance to pay homage to their sponsor Nitto Tires all while having some fun drifting in the rain. |
 Sumika Kubokawa, the only...  Sumika Kubokawa, the only female drifter in attendance, showed off her speed and drifting techniques-the same skills that awarded her the winner of the first annual Nikko Circuit Drift Queen contest. |  RE Amemiya GT300 driver Ryo...  RE Amemiya GT300 driver Ryo Orime awaits his turn to hit the track in the Subaru STI. |  Naoya Kaneko, team leader...  Naoya Kaneko, team leader for SFR Hana and Midori, was ripping up the track in his green and white flamed S13. The T67 GREX turbocharged SR20 powers through a HKS dog box transmission while delivering 430 ps. A set of Nitto 555 tires up front and Nitto Invo were mounted in the rear to deliver optimal drift and traction through the rain. |
 Sumika tearing it up in her...  Sumika tearing it up in her 360ps S13. |  An overzealous S2000 owner...  An overzealous S2000 owner lost control as he tail slid into the wall with our poor freelancer, Scott Kanemura, in the passenger seat. |  Meet your '08 Turbo Magazine...  Meet your '08 Turbo Magazine Tour attendees. |