slackzy

When the missus told me she’s got a surprise for me on my 40th birthday, but I had to go to Japan to get it. I was miffed that I had to spend money to get my present, how does that work? Then it became one of curiosity. I was specifically told, I had to ensure that we have 2 nights in a Ryokan in Hakone, including on my birthday itself. What on earth is this present, that I have to fly all the way to Japan, then pay for an over the top accommodation?

As it turned out, it was the best present ever. She had booked me a driving tour with this rental company (fun2drive) that gives you a guided tour of the various Initial D touge roads. This was a 6 hours long tour, in an NSX! Apparently, you get 3 options from their list of cars when you first sign up. The missus had booked me 6 hours of driving an NSX!

We arrived at the venue after 12 noon, slightly later than everyone else on the tour that day. Turned out that even though we booked ourselves into a Ryokan nearby, the buses going there were far and few between. We only managed to board the 5th bus that came along, we had waited some 45 mins for the one bus. Lucky for us, the morning tour group had not returned, so we didn’t miss the tour.

We were greeted by Yoshi, who got started on the paperwork immediately. Of the numerous rules and conditions, the one that stood out for me was the one about not red-ling the car. There is a data logger in the cars that will record this if you do redline it.

Once that was out of the way, he proceeded to show us some crashes that had happened previously. Including one, I quote Yoshi, “52 year old man, but he was really excited”. Then he showed me a wrecked AE86 with the front left quarter panel totally wrecked. I volunteered to drive at the back of the group.

When the morning group finally came back, there was no mistaking the sight of the NSX. The 27 year old NSX definitely stood out among the convoy of cars, that’s before you even take into consideration the immaculate paint job. Upon the morning driver having parked the car, the mechanic proceeded to check the engine oil level. Presumably the NSX has the same oil issues as the S2000?

Yoshi quickly got me orientated with the car. By that, I meant, he pointed to the traction control button and said, do not switch it off. I adjusted my seat and steering, which was easy for someone of my height, all 6 feet 2 inches of me, put the seat all the way back. Even with more than 721,000 kms on it, assuming the NSX has been driven the way a rental car would be, it was still in tip top mechanical condition.

As we drove off, me at the back of the pack, the exhaust note as I accelerated out of the parking area was one of aural pleasure. Even the missus and my kids who were watching noticed how wonderful it sounded.

The first part of the drive was to familiarise ourselves with our cars. We went through a tunnel, where we were encouraged to make some noise. Being at the back of the convoy, I was wondering what our guide meant when he said “let’s make some noise”, but none in front of me moved any faster. It would appear that being the last car, instructions can take a while to flow down. The next minute, the FD in front me was flooring it. I did likewise, then I recalled the “no redline clause” and lifted my foot off the pedal. So that’s what tunnel blasting sounded like.

The first stop was to meet up with the morning crew, they had opted for the full day tour, some 10 hours of driving touge and includes visiting Fuji Speedway. Lucky fellows! This was where we were introduced to our guides (Chikara and Hiro) who were in a Subaru Legacy GT Wagon and a TME Evo respectively. They arranged us in our convoys from fastest cars to slowest. The Nissans and Subarus were put at the front followed by the NSX and FD, with the AE86 at the rear. They would then swap the positions depending on the drivers at the following stops, from fastest to slowest. So, if you want to drive fast, you will get your chance, if you just want to cruise, you won’t be pressured into keeping up.

Me? I was only concerned with wrestling the NSX as we go round corners and hairpins, without power steering, I was struggling to keep it in the narrow lane. When I got the hang of it, it drove like it was on rails. The engine kept pushing and was keeping up with the turbo-ed Legacy in front of me. Amazing linear power delivery, the exhaust note was like the cherry on top. I was loving the drive on the snaking roads.

When we stopped for lunch, Chikara got out of the Legacy, looked at me and smiled. Then asked, “Did you love the road?” while using his hands to gesture turning of the steering wheel. He must have seen my glee as I was driving behind him up the Nagao Touge. Lunch was at this café along the Ashinoko Skyline. Besides the breathtaking views, this café has a long motoring history. Turns out, lots of motoring enthusiasts or legends will come to Hakone to drive the famed roads made even more famous by Initial D, then stop here for photos, evidenced by a wall full of photos of cars and bikes.

After lunch, the tour de touge resumed with both down and uphill drives, including the Hakone/Mazda turnpike. It must mean something for a manufacturer to put their name on a stretch of road right? My personal favourite would be the hairpin (can’t remember what the road was called) that revealed a section of road covered with fallen leaves, it was akin to driving into a painting. The backend of the NSX and FD slid out a little as we went over the fallen leaves, a combination of traction control and steering wheel wrestling kept us from disaster.

Before I knew it, it was dark, time to find a service station to fill up and return the car. For the 6 hours of driving, the NSX wasn’t a thirsty car, I paid about A$30 in high octane fuel. As we pulled back into the parking area, Yoshi and his team quickly checked the cars for damages, while Chikara showed us the roads we had driven on youtube. Racers from all over the world converge on Hakone, to tackle the hills annually. We had just driven on some of the most exciting, well known and definitely best roads in Japan, and some dare say, the world.

Just then, a blue S2000 came through, seems someone had hired the car for the day. It sounded amazing, and freaking loud. I could hear it even after it had driven off into the distance. It was proudly listed on their website as ‘modified’, it definitely has, just to what extent.

I am already looking forward to heading back to Hakone, and driving on these world-famous touge again. This time, the entire family wants to come along, so no more NSX, nor S2000, maybe I should commit blasphemy and choose a Porsche? Nah, it just isn’t right if I don’t do it in something Japanese. I would love to take the S2000, let’s see if I can get the missus to drive one, while I take one. The kids will just have to ride with either one of us.

If you are reading this and planning a trip to Japan, make this a must do stop. My recommendation is to book the tour and car way in advance, then book the air tickets, so you can be 100% certain you get the car you want. Apparently, the tofu car had to be booked 9 months in advance, or you will be left with your alternate choices, which are no slouch.



Disclaimer: this is not a paid post, nor advertorial. Just sharing the best thing I did, on the best day of my life thus far.

Andythiing

awesome - thanks for sharing

flanders

Wow thanks for the great post.
I went to Hakone in may this year and was stunned just by the nature, the cable car over the mountain and then the view down on lake ashi blew my mind.
Will check this out for sure if I ever go back.

alSpeed2k

Wow, this looks fun! Thanks for posting, I'll have to try this one day!