We’re back to Gunsai Touge for another year of pure AE86 bliss.
This time, Garage Infinity expanded its scope to include all 4A-GE powered cars in their annual review matsuri, although the turnout remained overwhelming Hachiroku-centric.
My day started at the nearest Gunsai supermarket, which always has a revolving door of cool cars on the way to the famous driving spot.
For those interested in my AE86 adventures in Japan, you know I got my car from Garage Infinity. So it was only right to attend their annual event and soak up the atmosphere.
As some of you know, I’ve also been delving into drifting with my AE86 – stay tuned for a story on that – and the temptation to experience the Gunsai Touge from the driver’s seat was strong. However, after several visits, I knew better than to risk driving home in a tow truck.
As always, the event attracted a diverse audience Hachirokus. I’ve always preached that AE86s are one of the few chassis that vary so widely from build to build, and this event was proof of that.
A highlight for me was this cream-over-silver Trueno hatchback.
Once again the Team Mouse cars came from Kansai. These are always mine ‘how to strike back’ examples, when I need inspiration. In my opinion, there are two main styles for an AE86: 15-inch wheels with a body kit, or 13/14-inch wheels with standard Toyota aero. Team Mouse cars follow the first perfectly.
One of the best parts of shooting at Gunsai is how close you can get to the action. As scary and dangerous as it may be, there’s nothing like standing behind flimsy guardrails outside a fast turn, closing your eyes to avoid getting hit by rocks, and keeping the shutter on steady fire hoping for that perfect shot.
I also spoke with Naoki-san and took some photos of his stunning 4A-GE 20V ‘Blacktop’ swapped Levin. After years of calling, there is almost nothing left to adjust, adjust or improve.
I even mounted my GoPro in Naoki-san’s 86 for some in-car footage. Watch it above!
Hiroshi ‘Kaicho’ Takahashi was also there with his iconic red Running Free Trueno. This car is always evolving, and this time Kaicho came to play with a full carbon roof swap, which was quite impressive.
Towards the end of the day I jumped into the passenger seat of a car to see if I could capture a few Hail Mary action shots out the window. As seen in the video, Gunsai is fast. Sitting on a chair with no support and dangling my camera out the window, I felt lucky to get the photos I did, and the risk was well worth it.
The Gunsai Touge will forever hold a place in my heart as the true mecca of drifting in Japan, and events like Garage Infinity’s 4A-GE-only matsuri just make it even more special.
Alec Pender
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