In the event you’re the kind of particular person to have a passion, obsession or ardour, then you definately’ll know all too properly simply how a lot time these items take up. On the very excessive they are often all-consuming fevers that occupy each waking second of 1’s existence.

Automotive obsessions are a number of the most crippling. Simply attempt including up what number of hours you spend enthusiastic about, tinkering with, and driving your cash pit. Now, think about attempting to take care of that dedication to your passion whereas operating a busy Tokyo roastery and café on the identical time. I feel we’d all discover ourselves drowning in a sea of truthful commerce espresso beans earlier than we even began on the lookout for our automotive keys.

So you might most likely think about Yoshiaki Shimada‘s delight when his son Masaki developed a eager curiosity for rotary-powered vehicles. Yoshiaki-san – the present proprietor of the RE Amemiya Tremendous GReddy 8 RX-7 – may now concentrate on his enterprise, CafeAiR, whereas dwelling semi-vicariously by means of his son’s personal Mazda journey.

To be truthful, it was inevitable for Masaki-san to develop into a rotor-head. Earlier than Yoshiaki-san was a profitable enterprise proprietor and arabica bean roaster extraordinaire, he spent many late nights out on Tokyo’s highways having enjoyable in one other wild FD3S.

Twenty years in the past, Yoshiaki-san additionally participated in Japan’s model of the Cannonball Run – as organised and documented by Video Possibility – which was contested on a bit of the Tomei Expressway in between two fastened pace cameras. You may relive a few of that motion right here.

Did you see the GReddy 8 within the video? When Yoshiaki-san took possession of the ex-RE Amemiya demo automotive, the RX-7-based custom-kitted speedster nonetheless wore the long-lasting scorching pink paint seen on its debut on the 1999 Tokyo Auto Salon. He ended up respraying the Mazda white, however when Masaki-san bought his off-white FD3S RX-7, it appeared nearly as good a time for Yoshiaki-san to return the GReddy 8 to its well-known hue.

Each vehicles have a time capsule high quality about them, as if they’ve been locked up in a late-’90s/early-’00s Japanese tuning store and left untouched for 20+ years. That’s largely true of Yoshiaki-san’s automotive, and in some methods additionally of Masaki-san’s Mazda, as his was modelled off one other well-known Japanese tuner RX-7 from again within the day. I’m, after all, speaking concerning the legendary 327km/h Scoot Sports activities FD3S.

Whereas Hidekazu Koseki at Scoot in Yokohama takes care of each vehicles at present, the GReddy 8 retains most of its unique tools, together with RE Amemiya’s ‘AC987′ {custom} bodywork, Porsche headlights (though now later-model projector variations) and Belief TD06-25G turbo-equipped 13B good for 400PS. The engine has had a Scoot rebuilt in Yoshiaki-san’s possession, and the bonnet, rear spoiler, suspension and muffler are all up to date Scoot Sport items.

When Dino noticed the automotive again in 2015 it had been fitted with some aftermarket BBS wheels, but it surely’s now again on the unique RE Amemiya AW-7s seen in its ’99 Tokyo Auto Salon spec. All is correct on the planet.

Visually, Masaki-san’s RX-7 appears to be like so much like Koseki’s Scoot automotive – from the distinctive equipment with added rear wheel spats (supposedly good for an additional 5km/h on the high finish for Koseki’s unique automotive) to the Enkei NT03 wheels and Stack digital sprint show.

Underneath the hood, Masaki-san’s FD3S runs a Scoot-built 13B side-port with a jumbo Belief T78-33D single turbo and flat-mounted intercooler. Tuned by means of a Hyperlink engine administration system it makes a strong 550PS.

It might put that energy down too, because of chassis and suspension setup high quality tuning carried out by a good friend of Yoshiaki-san’s at Autopolis Circuit in Ōita Prefecture.

The frequent love that father and son share for rotary tuning was heartwarming to see firsthand, and an inspiration to all. Hobbies are greatest shared, and as seen right here, they’ll convey mates and households even nearer collectively.

I wish to give an enormous because of Yoshiaki-san, who took the time to satisfy me for the shoot with Masaki-san after an extended day spent roasting beans and brewing coffees.

Toby Thyer
Instagram _tobinsta_
tobythyer.co.uk