There’s something about Tokyo at night that never loses its charm. The constant hum of the expressways that weave through towering high-rises, the soft glow of street lamps highlighting the chaotic layout of a city that never fully sleeps. The lure to pull out your car and head out into it all for a cruise is always hard to resist, something that I just had to do with the 964 a few nights back.
Ever since Nakai-san finished the build, I’ve made sure to get as much enjoyment out of it as I possibly can. It’s been exactly 14 months since that December day that my RWB dream became reality, and every time I look at the car I can’t help but grin at just how damn perfect it looks. It’s unapologetically aggressive, which makes it a head turner no matter where I take it.
No other car I’ve ever driven generates so much attention, so much positivity up front and to my face – yet so much negativity behind my back, usually through comments on my videos.
And it’s this that I love the most about owning an RWB. It’s a car that has impact, and while it may be a little rough around the edges and far from finished when it comes to the overall goal of the project, damn does it get people to talk. Try that with an EV!
But back to the point of it all. Alec and I took the car out to film an episode for our series, a simple ode to the yellow 964 that turned out to be the perfect timing to get some imagery of it in various spots around the city. WhileI babbled into the camera, Alec grabbed some stills to mark the moment.
First stop was Tatsumi Parking Area. I spent so many years shooting at this PA, and for a while there I thought it was all over, what with the Police closing it almost every night. But recently it’s been left alone, quickly once again becoming the perfect pit stop for anyone out for some driving.
The 964’s hips and Turbo-inspired whale tail mean the rear quarter angle of the car satisfies me the most. The balance of it all is so visually pleasing, the way the Work Meister M1Rs shine against the faded Speed Yellow of the car just brings it all together so well. I can just sit and look at it for hours.
From Tatsumi, we looped back onto Route 9 towards the inner C1-loop, tracing the curves through the city’s core. The rhythm of the road took us toward Hakozaki PA, another sacred Tokyo stop for the hashiriya. Hakozaki’s layers of interlacing ramps and moody industrial ambiance made it the perfect spot for the shot I’d been dying to capture – the one I’ve framed countless times for other cars, but only a few times for my own. It truly looks like a videogame.
Heading north, it was down onto the “low roads” into the quieter streets of Asakusa, where traditional Japan still holds strong amidst the modern sprawl. This area of the city is known as Shitamachi, and temples such as Sensō-ji dot the area; interconnected with narrow streets with tons of little shops and Izakaya-type eateries.
The 964 looked like something from another dimension against this backdrop. The contrast was tangible and indeed the perfect metaphor for Tokyo itself – old meeting new in a harmonious clash of beauty.
It made me realize, I should take more of my humble lineup of project cars out on night drives more often!
It turns out yellow is the colour of envy!