Stopping at a petroleum station in the midst of nowhere – miles from civilisation or the closest freeway – may look like the right evening out for slasher movie buffs desperate to channel the vitality of The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath. Nevertheless, for many of us, the one cause for such a detour could be if the petrol station offered 99RON gasoline.
However that is Japan, the place high-octane petrol is as ubiquitous as sushi and obtainable at each station, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. But the attract of this specific Apollostation, located deep within the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, is way extra intriguing.
As I pulled as much as the forecourt, proprietor Keiji Kasugai waved me in.
Instantly, I noticed Maeda-san – no stranger to Speedhunters – skillfully reversing his pristine Subaru Forester S/tb-STI into the loading bay of a close-by shed. It solely has 30,000 kilometres on the clock, and smells like new sneakers. Maeda-san’s assortment consists of a number of 22Bs and a few WRC Imprezas, and Keiji-san takes care of all of them.
Earlier than we try what Maeda-san was unloading, let’s discover the primary Apollostation Autocare workshop…
Wherever else within the nation, an Autocare workshop is the place households convey their Honda Stepwgns for routine service. This Autocare, nevertheless, serves as a entrance for a much more attention-grabbing operation. Step into the dim gentle of this service centre, and also you’ll discover extra than simply kei vehicles ready for an oil change.
What could look like a typical service station can also be house to Keiji-san’s true ardour: AION Racing Service.
Keiji-san gives race assist for Method Drift Japan and D1 Grand Prix rivals. However his expertise aren’t restricted to race weekends; AION Racing Service additionally builds and tunes varied race vehicles for these collection.
In a single nook of the workshop, an FDJ3 Toyota JZX entry in scorching pink awaits Keiji-san’s contact.
The 2024 D1GP R2-winning Toyota GR86, powered by a Nissan R35 GT-R VR38DETT, is parked alongside. The brand new engine remains to be high secret so I can’t present you it now, however don’t fear – I’ve scheduled a shoot.
Throughout the forecourt, a extra nondescript shed homes even spicier machines.
The Finest WRC Storage That Isn’t
A forklift was used to shift a JDM Mercedes-Benz Unimog 411 out of the way in which, however I used to be glad to maintain it in my body. Presumably a parallel import from the late Nineteen Fifties, the Unimog’s portal axles are good for Japan’s mountainous terrain. A favorite of farmers and emergency providers, these quirky machines are nonetheless utilized by Shinkansen rail development crews as we speak.
By now, you is perhaps starting to know Keiji-san’s spectacular mechanical experience. And the initiatives he takes on are as eclectic as they arrive.
Stepping contained in the unassuming shed transports you again to the glory days of the WRC. “It seems like the Prodrive workshop from 1999!” exclaims Maeda-san, proprietor of W24 SRT, as he admires his totally restored Prodrive S5.
We unload a field from the again of the Forester: a set of refurbished WRC dampers. They be part of a set of latest, outdated inventory and used Subaru WRC components cluttering the workshop. Suppose carbon fibre air intakes, hub assemblies, physique panels, and subframes.
Within the nook, a well-recognized sight catches my eye: an Impreza Retna, an identical to my two-door mission automotive. This was the opposite car Maeda-san had squirrelled once I purchased mine. It’s been utterly stripped and is destined to grow to be a WRC reproduction, full with unique metal wide-body panels from Prodrive for a contact of authenticity.
Something Is Doable – Simply Do It
Keiji-san is tasked with the reproduction’s restoration, however he additionally maintains these priceless rally legends.
But Keiji-san isn’t just a few ex-Prodrive mechanic residing out an idyllic retirement in Japan’s mountains; he’s only a very intelligent man. Intrigued by the array of rally vehicles in varied levels of restore, I requested Keiji-san how he learnt to repair WRC vehicles. “I simply learnt by doing,” he replied with an informal shrug.
Honest sufficient. However, I’m wondering, when components break, are they nonetheless obtainable? “Many components are nonetheless obtainable, like brakes and suspension. But when one thing else breaks, I simply make a alternative or modify one thing else to work.”
In a manner, Keiji-san’s ingenuity embodies the rally spirit. Pictures of Colin McRae bashing a bent management arm again into form with a boulder on the facet of a gravel highway come to thoughts.
Within the reverse nook, a Safari Rally-spec shell awaits its buckled physique panels to be pulled out, arrange on the chassis jig, and restored. There was a time when these ex-works vehicles could possibly be bought for the value of a well-kept R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. These days are lengthy gone; even vehicles like this mangled wreck have grow to be extremely wanted.
I’m simply grateful that locations like AION Racing Service exist, the place the damaged warriors of WRC are rehabilitated and reborn as road-legal reminders of Subaru’s rally historical past.
Toby Thyer
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