Let me start by putting things into perspective: Takashi Koike never intended to execute a Porsche 935 replica with his Z33 Nissan Fairlady Z. He simply wanted to pay homage to a car that he has huge respect for, and in the process build a Z like no one had ever seen before.
One look at Takashi’s Nissan, and I think you’ll agree that he has pretty much nailed the brief.
View the Z from the rear and you’d not even know that the front end has received such a drastic conversion.
In fact, the nose tuck is so smoothly integrated that you may not even spot the difference from a profile view.
I call it a ‘nose tuck’ because this goes so far beyond bolting on aftermarket aero parts – it’s a true transformation that Takashi executed himself. Of course, it helps that he works in a bodyshop and is a seasoned pro when it comes to these sorts of custom modifications.
Deleting headlights is no simple feat, especially when they extend into the bumper and fenders like the OEM items on a Z33 do. To remove them altogether, substantial work needed to be done around the hood line and where the bumper meets the front fenders. The integration of the large round HID projector lights and LED DRLs was actually the easy part, as they sit beautifully recessed in the custom mounts that Takashi created.
As these build images that Takashi shared with me show, everything was shaped hand. Much care was taken refining the radius for the bumper snout, the new hood line and both the front and rear wheel arches. You can see just how far back the conversion stretches too. In fact, it’s just the doors, roof and rear deck lid that remain stock.
The fenders were cut and molded into the overall new shape of the car, taking that added width and bringing it around and over the arches, right down into the side skirts.
At the time of our shoot, Takashi was running on aftermarket coilovers and a set of 19-inch Work Gnosis GS-1s. Behind the squared-off spokes of the front wheels hide Central 20 6-pot brake calipers biting down on 2-piece slotted Project µ rotors.
The modified side steps brings a nice angular feel across the profile of the car, something that helps counteract the fact that the Z33’s rear is rather bulbous. They meet the massively widened 3/4 fenders which taper inward to almost meet the original width of the rear bumper.
Takashi finished it all off with an integrated lower bumper skirt, large diffuser section and a Battle Aero wing with tall stays that sprout from behind the bumper.
On the back glass, Takashi proudly displays the Raiden logo, a club he belongs to with all his friends.
There is something just so imposing about a slantnose car. The Kremer Racing 935s of the early 1980s took a base 911 and lobbed off the car’s signature bug-eye headlights for that flat-nose look. The main projectors were moved to the corners of the bumper and with that a legendary transformation was born, one that Porsche ended up offering in 1986 with the pricey Flachbau (flatnose/slantnose) option for the 930.
I think Takashi’s headlight conversion has a Garage TBK feel about it, you know, like the 930 from Wangan Midnight.
The hood modifications also include a pair of dummy louvers and a functional center air outlet.
A lot of thought went into the color – a custom-mixed blue/gray – and the contrasting black detailing, and I think it works well.
Takashi has stuck to very minimal upgrades under the hood with an HKS induction kit to give the VQ35 V6 some character on the induction side. The exhaust has also been enhanced with a full Fujitsubo system and the ECU was re-flashed with a custom map.
Takashi may look at some substantial engine mods in the future, but for now he’s enjoying having completed the exterior styling.
With the car oozing 935 vibes, it only seemed right to somehow try and tie the interior in too. Takashi found these Sparco Martini Racing sports seats that hint back at the legendary livery the Kremer-built 935s are most associated with.
It’s always a true pleasure to meet talented young builders. Without guys like Takashi and his Raiden team, the Japan car scene wouldn’t be what it is.
It was so cool that they all made the trek from Nagoya to Tokyo to meet me for this shoot, and I can’t wait to share with you what the rest of the Raiden crew brought along.
Two Decades Chasing Perfection: Neil Dawson’s E36 M3 – Speedhunters
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“Everyone started putting M3 mirrors on Corsas, so I figured I’d put AC Schnitzer mirrors on my M3.”
When Neil Dawson, the owner of this E36 M3, first said that, I couldn’t help but crack a huge smile. Partly because it’s the level of pettiness I aspire to, but mostly because I could tell his obsession for all things M3 stemmed from a single pair of mirrors. An obsession that’s lasted some 17-years now, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Back in the 1990s, the E36 M3 was the BMW to have. That and brightly-coloured Tacchini tracksuits along with funky Mitsubishi-logo’d sweets. Its launch made the E30 BMW look and feel dated, and being a BMW fan already Neil quickly decided this was the next car for him.
These were the days before readily-available finance, however. You had to buy things the old fashioned way; cash was king, and good cars were expensive. So while Neil wanted an E36 M3 in the ’90s, his bank account wouldn’t allow it. That’d come later in 2002.
This wasn’t Neil’s first foray into the world of Bavarian brutes. His weapon of choice was a black-on-black E30 325i Motorsport, the kind of thing you’d look at now as a ‘future investment opportunity’. A Dakar Yellow M3 coupe caught his eye, and if he could part-exchange the 325i, it could be his.
That wasn’t going to happen though, because back in 2002, the E30 wasn’t as desirable as it is today. So much so that when he offered it towards the M3, the dealer flat-out refused.
The E36 M3 was by no means a rare car, but it wasn’t the mass-produced behemoth of M3s today. They were pretty exclusive things back then. Being just out of his grasp, Neil settled on a 328i M-Sport to fill the void until the right example came up. And lo and behold, six months later, an Estoril Blue M3 Cabriolet with Silver Grey interior did.
Fortunately, the dealer was happy to take the 328i as a part-exchange, meaning Neil finally had the M3 he always wanted. He was over the moon, and BMW’s approved used cars at the time came with a generous warranty. It would’ve been foolish to rush into any modifications at the time and void it, especially before getting used to the new car. So instead, Neil spent the next four years living with and enjoying the M3, and definitely utilising the warranty.
The roof, gearbox, VANOS and various other components all deteriorated over time, and everything was covered. It was a great game right up until 2007, when BMW decided to start charging customers for their approved used warranties. Given the premium being put forward, Neil decided enough was enough – it was time to get modifying!
We say modifying, but it was more of an OEM upgrade. The M3 Cabriolet never came with the option of Vader bucket seats – something Neil preferred over the stock seats – so that became the first change. He even Connollised the leather himself to get it as close to a match as perfect. For me, I’d have been pretty happy, but Neil had other ideas.
The interior quickly became his main focus, and bit by bit every panel you could see and feel was re-trimmed in Silver Grey leather. That includes the whole dash, tonneau, console and even the foot wells and seat bases. And for the panels not covered in leather? They gained carbon fibre to provide a dark, detailed contrast against the cow hide.
As the owner of a ’90s BMW myself, I can relate with Neil on just how pants the sound systems in these cars were. So with the interior being re-trimmed, it gave him the perfect excuse to begin the boot build. A pair of 12-inch subwoofers with a Directed amplifier were installed in their own dedicated enclosure, also trimmed in Silver Grey leather to match the interior. These were joined by a set of AudioEscape speaker pods in the footwells.
By this point, there wasn’t really anything left to touch in the interior so Neil shifted his focus over to the engine bay. Much like the interior, what started off as a few dress-up parts soon became overwhelmed with both OEM and carbon accessories. Each one was chosen for a particular reason, including the GruppeM intake (which Neil is particularly proud of) and one of the rarest E36 parts available – an AC Schnitzer carbon fibre fan shroud cover. These were usually found on the ‘factory’ ACS3 CLS cars, and very few were ever sold separately.
I’m too young to remember the Max Power days of the UK car scene, but like all types of fashion it inevitably comes full circle a good few years later. There’s no denying that the ’90s/’00s era of styling set the tone for a generation; you could literally go to your local Halfords and (if you had the cash) give your car a complete makeover there and then. A fresh set of rims, spoilers, stick-on chrome detailing and plenty of audio.
It was also the era which made the humble M3 mirror an essential item for every car that wasn’t an M3. Even more so than Lexus tail lights. Whether you were creating an M3 replica from a 318is or simply trying to make your Cavalier stand out from the crowd, M3 ‘style’ mirrors became a necessity.
So if everyone was trying to make their cars look more like the M3, Neil decided he was going to make his look less like one. Cue the AC Schnitzer route. It started with small bits first; the rear was de-badged along with the side trims, and the moulding badges replaced with ACS items. Then came the mirrors, side skirts, more badges and a diffuser.
“I got the badges, skirts and diffuser pieces from BMW Rossiters in the UK, but got the mirrors directly from AC Schnitzer Germany. They were the last of their existing stock if I remember,” Neil says.
Although not pictured, Neil initially went for AC Schnitzer Type 2 Monoblock wheels for a stopgap until the correct set of splits came up for sale. Paired with Eibach coilovers, the car looked well-rounded and (almost) complete, with an aggressive stance and distinctive look. But before Neil could get too accustomed to the style, the perfect splits inevitably turned up – a unicorn set of ACS Type 1 Rennsports. Bear with me a moment whilst I nerd out on wheels, because the 18-inch Type 1 Racing is a very special item.
The 18-inch Type 1 was only available as a face-mounted wheel, and was manufactured by OZ Racing. As such they use a 40-hole design, which was used by OZ for all of their 18- and 19-inch wheels of the era. They are rarer than their successor, the Type 2, and arguably more desirable in 18-inch spec.
Those wheels hold a fairly special place in Neil’s collection, and not just because of their rarity. Back then, PayPal wasn’t really an option for sending large sums of money to people – not unless they were princes from Nigeria. A physical trip to your bank was the main option, and while withdrawing the money Neil was asked what he was buying with it. That cashier turned out to be Ricky Sadasivan – AKA Big Rick – who at the time had a well-known Techno Violet E36 Cab of his own. Neil may have left Barclays with a lighter pocket, but he managed to make a friend in the process.
Fast-forward a few more years, and it was getting to the point where Neil felt the E36 should be ‘retired’ from daily duties to really allow it to progress. So in 2012, he opted to buy an E46 M3 instead. Finished in Estoril Blue to match the E36, the newer M3 boasted a Champagne interior (rather than Silver Grey) which Neil fell in love with immediately. I don’t blame him; the light cream contrasts incredibly well against the blue paint.
The BMW stayed this way for a few more years until 2015, when a new suspension setup that could really bump it up a notch caught Neil’s eye – Air Lift Performance. Switching over to air would allow Neil to keep his E36 usable on rough and bumpy roads, while being able to give it a killer stance at the push of a button. Drive low, park even lower.
More impressively, Neil did all the work himself – from dismantling the previous audio build to constructing the new air setup. It took him a few weekends to run the air lines and switch over to Air Lift Performance struts, but it genuinely was a do-it-yourself purchase.
With the car now sitting perfectly, Neil’s mind was being clouded in a haze of Champagne interior. Just as he was getting close to being finished – again – he decided Silver Grey was no longer the colour for him. Fire up another re-trim…
Never one to do things by halves, Neil did more than simply swap out the leather. The Vaders had gone and been replaced by a pair of super-rare Recaro A8s. Personally, I’m a huge sucker for A8s; they are without a doubt one of my top three bucket seats, fixed back or not.
One of my favourite details about the car are the seat backs. In dark light they appear black, but they are in fact BMW Carbon Black Metallic, so in the light you get an incredible blue pearl which matches the paintwork, yet it’s not evident when first seeing the interior. It’s funny how one of the most frustrating BMW exterior colours works so well inside the car.
Neil’s next change was the wheels, the set of BBS RSs currently fitted. He’d bought them from Budapest earlier on in the car’s life, but never had a reason to build them with the AC Schnitzer wheels being on the M3. Keen for a change given the other work happening, Neil refinished them with brushed faces along with gold hardware and hex nuts. Every detail really does matter to Neil.
Back in 2005, a couple of years after purchase, Neil decided the M3 could do with a little freshen up and as a result had the front end painted. At the time this wasn’t an issue, but it always stood out as being slightly better than the rest of the Estoril Blue paintwork. Not willing to shell out more money on paint, Neil decided to embark on a full detail of the E36 to get it back up to scratch. What’s the worst that could happen?
“I bought a rotary polisher and decided to have a go myself, but I wanted to wet-sand the paint too…”
Inevitably, within about 30-seconds of starting, Neil managed to burn straight through the paint on the top of the rear three-quarter panel. Brilliant.
No one he contacted was willing to do a smart repair on that section, so he took the car back to the painter he’d used previously. The M3 was painted from the doors back to match the nose. Except that it didn’t match the nose. So the car went back in to be resprayed again to match the rear. Thankfully for his bank account, the paint finally matched all around the car.
However, Neil wasn’t really that happy with the paint finish after all this work. Which resulted in a further decade spent (slowly) repainting sections all around the car as he found flaws along the way. No sooner had he fixed one issue, another popped up.
By 2019, things had peaked. Having been accepted for an indoor show called FittedUK, Neil was concerned about the paint under fluorescent lights. He decided that the only way to have the car looking acceptable would be a complete respray, so that’s exactly what he did.
I asked him why he put so much effort into the car over nearly two decades. Especially into details such as paint matching and trimming under the dash – things that the majority of people would never notice. “The more you look, the more you’ll see. You’ve got to keep looking,” he replied.
I can’t think of a better phrase that sums up Neil’s approach to his M3 over the years. If you ensure the details are looked after, the rest of the build will follow.
Riverside: Come For The Cars, Stay For The People – Speedhunters
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Not being able to attend events or social gatherings this year has been a real bummer, so when I heard that the Riverside Spring Meet 5 show had been rescheduled to the fall, I knew I had to make it out to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
This being one of my first officially sanctioned car events since COVID struck this year, I was on edge with a 2-stroke-like mixture of excitement and anxiousness, for obvious reasons. But thankfully, much of my anxiety was alleviated by the fact that the event organizers had followed the latest CDC guidelines along with all of the local health guidelines.
If you’re unfamiliar with Riverside events, let’s just say you’ve really been missing out. At this event – renamed the Riverside 5 Fall Meet – some of the best food trucks catered to a huge variety of people and cars in an amazing venue, with true southern hospitality.
One of my favourite times at a car show is the early morning roll-in. Not only do you get a preview of some of the best cars of the event, this time of the day tends to have some of the best natural light.
A quick cup of tea later (yes, with milk my British counterparts) and some really interesting machines had started to turn up.
As the morning rolled on and the show start time inched closer, the morning light only got better. Was it worth the lack of sleep and a Red Bull-fueled diet? Absolutely.
Like most shows, Riverside has both indoor and outdoor elements, but unlike most shows they don’t charge admission for spectators. Being completely open to the public, many people from all walks of life had a perfect introduction into our wild world of cars.
Every single car that registers for Riverside has to be approved, but the event organizers don’t play favourites. From the vibe of the show, it was extremely well curated.
While I had seen a few of my favourites during roll-in, there was a good dozen or more that I wanted to take a closer look at before the show became too packed.
This included one of the best Chevy Astro vans I have ever seen. This has definitely been added to the list of vehicles that I don’t need but most certainly want.
Next up was this phenomenal Mercedes-Benz 190E on two-piece BBS Motorsport wheels, in my all-time go-to colour combo – white on white.
Yes, I may be biased as I own a W201 and think that they’re one of the best-looking cars ever made, but so many details on this one were personalised. From the parking marker to the exhaust tips, each piece had its own flair and style.
Even in my semi-awake state at 6:00am during roll-in, it was impossible to ignore the sound of turbocharged LS idling. To find out that the sound was coming from a Mazda Miata was even more welcoming. I’m not a huge Miata guy, mostly for the fact that I don’t fit in them, but seeing this one set up as a drag car had me fizzing.
An LS with a turbo the size of my head along with an idle that rattled my teeth is an awesome upgrade from the stock 1.8L four-cylinder.
As this particular engine is capable of putting down anywhere from 800 to 1,100hp, a parachute has been fitted, along with some meaty tires to hook up the gobs of torque and keep the car somewhat straight.
Just as I found myself on the track of not wanting to buy anything else, and therefore not needing to deal with storing more cars in Los Angeles, I stumbled upon this FC3S Mazda RX-7 convertible on classic Panasport G7 wheels.
For a long time, I thought convertibles weren’t for me and were inferior to other cars. Then I relocated to the only place that has summer and sun all year round with crazy traffic, and I’ve slowly come around to the idea of being at the beach while sitting in traffic.
And looking mighty fine at the same time. Not only was the wheel fitment and colour the perfect choice, but this RX-7 also had a two-tone matching interior, which to me was the absolute cherry on top.
Maybe it was because I was in the South and folk are known to be more friendly around these parts, or maybe everyone was just happy to be out of the house and interacting with others, but I met so many good people at this event that it’s unreal to think about.
From the those putting on the event, to those with cars, and those and catering food for the masses, everyone was passionate about being there.
Riverside’s tagline reads “Come for the cars, stay for the people” and this year’s event lived up to that and more. BBQ, cars, good people, fantastic weather, and southern accents – maybe it’s time to move to Tennessee…
While I ponder that thought, make sure you check out all the gallery images below.
