Lauren

Just did the Hakone Skyline and after a few navigational errors we made it to the Toyo Tires Turnpike.      Stability control off, pay the toll and away you go. We didn't see any other cars on the way up till we stopped at the viewpoint. It's all second gear up and down to the redline with every bend a hairpin.    The Toyo Tires Turnpike was much faster and was downhill. I admit I just ignored the 50km/h speed limit and went for it. That was until approaching some bend at around 160km/h to find I had no brakes! Err, slightly scary moment. I went around another corner, yep no brakes so pulled in just about to a small car park to see smoke rising from both sides of the front wing! Oops!    Okay after two minutes they had stopped smoking, but you get the idea:     Was amazing fun though. Even went Irish for a minute and did a few donuts in the car park (it was remote). What we noticed at any turning point there was just loads of circular lines everywhere where people just donut, I'm guessing. Also slower cars just get out of your way, reckon this road is famous for having a play. Crazy, mental fun and it felt like it was the kind of place where you can just let rip and nobody minds.   On Hakone Skyline at the viewing point.   

I'll do a full report on the car when I get a chance. Notice the plate, cool eh? 
 
This car has done 49,000 kms and is not immaculate by any means. I found at least ten little dents in various places. You can see the one on the offside front wing. Good to be driving again though and in Japan!

Decent speakers a good improvement over the woeful OEM ones. 
 
I have the two way component set of those. 

New speakers fitted in the door yesterday, sound is so much better, think Toyota must of spent about £2 on the original ones

Cheers Paul!   Blog now updated with all the Toyota museum stuff!   http://laurenblighton.blogspot.jp

Blog has been updated for day one.
 
Had an entirely bizarre experience today, we went to a 'Maid Cafe' in Akihabara which is 'Electric Town', so a geek wonderland for Mark.        Yes we were the lucky ones to get called on stage to make meow noises and do bonkers hand gestures and clap like school girls.    I think Mark was a little scared of it all, but what a totally bizarre experience!      Meow, meow! 

Not driven it in a GT. I reckon though with my car I could go quicker. 
 
I'm keen to go back there as I've driven that track more than anywhere else, it's just finding the time to do it. 

Just had a call from Abbey.........my car is on the dyno..........can`t wait !

Nothing wrong with enjoying a car stock. I admit though, mine was modified by the time I picked it up!

I'm having a go at doing a blog of our Japan trip:
 
http://laurenblighton.blogspot.co.uk

I did a 1.50 round there in an RX8 in 2004.
 
Sway bars what are they?

I really wouldn't worry about it, doesn't look bad at all to me. 

There's quite a bit of difference between V105s and AD08Rs. Having slightly more grippy tyres is a world away from trackday type ones.

Looks good. I reckon it still needs to settle looking at that pic. What did you go for in the end Ian? 

When I won that HKS oil last year. Expensive oil, but the spec differs from stock so I haven't put it in.
 
In the end I've stuck with stock oil. My car has done 40K and uses no oil, so I thought it isn't broke so no need to fix it kind of thing. Also for the sake of warranty it made sense to stick to OEM oil. 

Track Day booked for the 19th  and sprint on the Sunday yipeee
Should be a good 2 days.

Over tyring a car makes it boring. You can drive it flat out everywhere. Handling is not just about when you are driving well within the limits of grip it is also about how the car 'handles' when you exceed the limits of grip and are driving in the tyre slip angle. 
 
If you're a keen driver and like handling, putting too wide tyres on just makes it really boring. 

I think it's just fashion and Valenti lights being a part of that. 
 
I seriously doubt Maserati got the idea from Valenti. 
 
Getting a bit common eh?

17s are better and they're lighter! 
 
Well done, Ian, they look good. Once it's lowered it'll be spot on.
 
That's a wide tyre though, Ian. Will it ever go sideways?

Cheers.
 
My only reason for not getting a red interior is that I thought that the black would stand up to Indy better.

Sorry, watching Glastonbury this weekend. 
 
All said, i'd like to go, but reckon the Thursday/Friday are the days to go on. Maybe another time. 

Our rail passes arrived today. Green class is first class in Japan.
 

Hire car booked. Only one car would do really.
 
Yes, you've guessed, it, GT86 from Toyota Rentacar.

Trackside vid by Mark on his camcorder at Woodbridge TSS     Has lots of slides and a walk around including drive shaft changes! 

Trackside vid by Mark on his camcorder at Woodbridge TSS     Has lots of slides and a walk around including drive shaft changes!