Everyone talks about exporting a car from Japan, but who in their right mind would send one to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ instead? Well, UK-based BMW tuning specialist R44 Performance would.
What better way to experience Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 than in your own car – especially if the car in question is a 1,500hp, G87-generation BMW M2? None, according to Rhys Herd, who shipped his all-wheel-drive-converted drag racer from the United States to Japan, fresh off the back of its North American tour.
After touching down at Tokyo-Haneda airport, Rhys and Dylan De Jaeger – R44’s resident social media manager – made their way to the Nippon Cargo Airlines terminal, where they were reunited with the BMW. With the car passport and import documents in hand, the team ventured deeper into the city to kick off their Japan trip.
Well, almost. Although Tokyo is well-known for its outrageously modified cars cruising the streets, one built this heavily for drag racing is just asking for trouble. A quick detour was in order, and Rhys and Dylan found themselves in a local workshop to make a few changes, bringing the car (closer) in line with Japanese vehicle rules and regulations.
The carbon headlight intake was replaced with an OEM item, and a Milltek rear-section exhaust was fitted up… technically. Think of it as Schrodinger’s downpipe; the four-inch down-turned exhaust was definitely connected to the rest of the system – unless you were to see otherwise.
But even if the lads had fitted an OEM exhaust system, it wouldn’t have turned the car into a Toyota Camry. A yellow, blue and black M-car rocking a massive ‘44’ livery courtesy of Black Fish, 285-section semi-slick tyres on Vossen LC3-02 Forged wheels, MHC+ aero and a 10-foot Simpson Skyjacker parachute is bound to steal the show wherever you take it.
So naturally, Alec decided to take Rhys and Dylan for a day out, on a tour of Tokyo’s tightest backroads and busiest high streets, much to the amazement of the locals. But while the passers-by were taken aback by the M2’s wild looks, petrolheads will be stunned by its performance credentials.
If you’re gunning for world-record quarter-mile times on the drag strip, you need an engine that’s pushing some serious power. G-chassis BMWs are having a renaissance in the world of straight-line racing at the moment, with the B58 and M-specific S58 inline-six engines capable of handling prodigious amounts of horsepower.
The S58 in Rhys’s car is running not once, not twice, but over three times the 473hp it left the factory with, now outputting a mighty 1,500hp through all four wheels. Yes, you read that right, but we’ll come to the matter of xDrive shortly.
It may be strong, but even the over-engineered S58 can’t produce that much power on all of the standard internals. The OEM crankshaft remains, now coupled with 5150 Autosport x CP-Carrillo Pro-Xtreme forged connecting rods and pistons, as well as upgraded main and rod bearings, a heavy-duty cylinder sleeve set and ARP hardware throughout.
The cylinder head has been honed while the camshafts were swapped for billet S2 items from GSC Power Division, alongside strengthened valvetrain components; springs, seals and guides. All of this allows the Precision Turbo Next Gen Sportsman 8385 turbocharger, mounted on a custom R44 x Tom Wrigley Performance manifold, to push heavy boost without fear of the engine blowing apart.
This setup is rated for 1,700hp, but a small safety buffer goes a long way when it comes to bleeding-edge tuning and performance. Cooling matters, so Rhys went straight to CSF Race and raided the parts catalogue to ensure the temperatures of this drag strip demon remain in check at full send.
Under the bonnet, you’ll find a Level Up charge-air-cooler manifold, a heavy-duty heat exchanger and upgraded engine and transmission oil coolers – to handle repeat runs down the drag strip. Upgraded parts only go so far to protect the engine, but CSF has a keen eye for build quality and attention to detail.
That’s why the CSF heat exchangers come supplied with rock guards, a lifesaver at high speeds on the road, while the charge-air-cooler is machined from billet aluminium – eliminating the risk of cracking, which comes with the plastic OEM unit. A Funk Motorsport turbo blanket, designed for the 8385 turbocharger, keeps heat soak at bay.
Combined with Injector Dynamics 2,600cc injectors, a Walbro high-pressure fuel pump for E85 and an assortment of Radium Engineering ancillaries, it’s easy to see why the R44 M2 is a car that puts down consistent eight-second quarter-mile times without issue.
Another factor contributing to the ballistic drag strip performance? That would be the aforementioned four-wheel drive, which, if you know anything about the M2, you’ll know isn’t standard. Enter Tom Wrigley Performance, another UK-based BMW specialist with proven race experience, which undertook the conversion using genuine G80 BMW M3 components.
It’s the first of its kind in the world, but with a little bit of finessing and tweaking, the M3’s front axles, geometry components and the all-important xDrive transfer case fit snug under the M2’s floor. Throw in a DEKA Stage 3+ transmission upgrade, and the drivetrain is more than capable of handling the engine’s increased power.
You’ll find AST 5100 coilover suspension on all four corners, with the addition of an AST Air Jack Lift System for quick maintenance on the fly at the drag strip. The AST components are dialled in via a full suite of Suspension Secrets adjustable arms and plates.
Power is put down to the ground through Vossen GEN-05 split rims, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or with Mickey Thompson ET Street semi-slick tyres, depending on the day’s activities.
A nickel-plated MMX brake calliper setup, paired with carbon-ceramic front discs, brings the M2 to a halt at lower speeds. The aforementioned Simpson parachute scrubs off most of the car’s momentum at the end of the quarter mile, though.
For all of its ridiculous performance, the beauty of R44’s M2 lies in the way it can still be driven on the road with (relative) ease. Sure, it’s not quite the daily driver it once was, but considering Rhys and Dylan navigated Tokyo’s busy streets with Apple CarPlay, a pair of supportive Tillet bucket seats and most of the factory dashboard in place, it’s a far cry from the unrefined drag cars of the 1990s.
Which is why the M2 put in some serious mileage, driving from Tokyo to Fuji Speedway, up and around Mt. Fuji and back to Tokyo, taking it all in its stride. Rhys even took the car to a certain meet at the Tokyo Tower, which you may have seen on Turnpike… and an after-meet, too, via some of the most iconic expressways in the city.
As you read this, the BMW is on the next leg of its worldwide trip, having said goodbye to Japan. But as with any British tourist on a whistlestop tour in a new and exciting city, the R44 M2 arrived, promptly caused a scene and stole the show in the process, turning heads wherever it went.
Should you import your 1,500hp drag car to Japan for a quick visit? Probably not, but Rhys did, and he had a blast. It beats a Nissan Cube, that’s for sure.
I don’t know why but the M2 in Tokyo looks so damn cool
Everything looks cool in Tokyo