Feels Like Heaven

Porsche. Winding roads. Japan. Amazing scenery. Fantastic company. This, for me, is an epic recipe for the most memorable of drives.

It had long been a dream of mine to drive in Japan, particularly the famous Hakone Turnpike, continuing to the lesser known but even more challenging Ashinoko-Hakone Skyline. Numerous Japanese language videos of cars attacking the Hakone Turnpike (like an imaginary hillclimb race) had only served to whet my automotive fantasies.

If you’re a Best Motoring / Hot Version fan, the Hakone Turnpike featured famously in their earlier videos as they tested sports cars and tuner cars on these mountain passes with legendary Japanese race car drivers like Motoharu Kurosawa (Gan-san), Keichi Tsuchiya (DK or the Drift King) and many more.

I am blessed to have amazing friends to thank for making this happen. We had been planning this Japan trip for months. My brother from another mother, Pao Balagtas, had suggested we drive there as he wanted to test-drive a GR Yaris together with his wife and enabler, Jennifer before deciding if he wanted to buy one in the Philippines. I planned to stay for 12 days so there was time for an epic drive and tick this off my bucket list.

I thought to borrow a Porsche (what else, of course?) from Porsche Japan but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to prepare the documentation and my press credentials, file an official request with Porsche Philippines, who would then send said request to Porsche Asia-Pacific, who would then politely ask if it was possible for Porsche Japan to lend me a loaner.

And even then, it was not assured, and they could not commit a specific car to me if they did say they could lend me a car until a few days before the actual lend-out. Lastly, insurance for a gaikokujin like me would have been a nightmare to arrange for such a short drive. Too much of a hassle for a very personal and somewhat selfish request.

Such would have been the case had I also tried to borrow a BMW (my close second choice). It seemed like I’d have to share driving duties in the Toyota GR Yaris with both Pao and Jennifer. Or rent my own performance car for the day.

I got the idea to immortalize this experience, hire our friend and master lensman Kenji Tanimura, to allow us to relive the sweet memory of the drive every time we looked at the pictures and ultimately allow us to share this with our enthusiastic friends and followers at The Drive List. Slowly, our plan was coming together.

As our departure drew close, I mentioned our plans to another friend, content creator Gianluca Abad. Gianluca studied in Japan, worked there for a time, speaks Nihongo like a local and knows the best and most beautiful places to drive and shoot. I was asking for tips on other places to drive to, take photos, and enjoy the scenery.

Gianluca connected me instead with Kyle Erald Hizon of Fitment Engineering fame. Fitment Engineering has supplied its air-suspension kits on some of the most high-profile show car builds in the country with equally high-profile personalities and celebrities. They have spread their wings and now also operate in Japan, where they are supplying kits to shops and tuners like RWB.

Kyle, who is now based in Japan with his wife, is a also dealer for the likes of Gwapotech Exhausts, Mabilis Motorsport Wheels and Indecent Poland, makers of OEM quality widebody kits whose builds have appeared on high-profile shows like SEMA and Tokyo Auto Salon.

Fitment Engineering also buys and sells exotics and sports cars in Japan that they then export to anywhere in the world. It has its own facility in Fujiyoshida where they work on cars and house their fleet. It also maintains sports cars of VIP clients who frequent the Land of the Rising Sun to drive.

Three cars were made available: a 981 Boxster S updated with some newer 718 GT4 / Spyder RS bits, a 991 GT3 and a BMW 340i Touring. I opted for the Boxster S as I felt driving such a powerful car (the GT3 or the 340i Touring) on the wrong side of the road was too risky.

Finally, the appointed day came. Pao, Jennifer, Kenji and me finally travelled to Fujiyoshida City in Yamanako Prefecture to rendezvous with Kyle. Pleasantries exchanged, we mobilize to make use of the available daylight.

We headed southeast to Gotemba in Shizuoka Prefecture via the E68 Highway which forms part of the Chuo Expressway. Kyle takes the lead with the GT3, his wife June riding shotgun. Both P-Cars ride on Fitment Engineering’s air-suspension.

Initially, I thought it would ruin the experience, or at least degrade their tactility. Truthfully, at the speeds we were at, and the conditions we experienced, if you didn’t tell me both cars were on air-suspension setups, I probably would not have noticed. Which says a lot.

On the highway, the Boxster S, roof down, sang to the high heavens, its banshee-like wail enhanced by the aftermarket Gwapotech exhaust. Yes, that’s the brand. Apparently, the founder of the company, Osawa-san studied university in Cebu, learned a bit of Cebuano and was quite a looker. His classmates all called him gwapo (Filipino for handsome) back in the day. His company name is a bow of reverence to his unforgettable days in the Philippines and his love for the Filipino people.

Past Gotemba, we headed up the Hakone Togue (mountain pass) and it was here when things started to get exciting. Kyle in the GT3 pulled ahead, making full use of its 500 odd horsepower but Pao in the GR Yaris was glued to the GT3’s bulbous rear end as both cars danced around the tight, mostly second gear blind corners and the odd sweeper.

Kenji, who took driving duties kept a safe distance from the GR Yaris which allowed me to take photos, as the Boxster S’ fabric roof down meant I had a lot of space and angles to take creative shots of the Initial D-esque togue battle unfolding before me. Like David & Goliath, it was a dogfight to behold, graceful finesse versus brute all-wheel drive tenacity and grip.

Finally we reached the entrance to the Ashinoko-Hakone Skyline, with its breathtaking view of Mt Fuji. We parked-up at the rest area right before the toll booth, snapped some pics, took a break and admired the breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji. Fall in Japan is just as beautiful as Spring but in a different way: the light is warmer, the leaves yellow and red, the air nippier and the days shorter. There’s so much color and texture.

Here, the real challenge beckoned. Ashinoko-Hakone Skyline is one of the most beautiful stretches of tight winding road in the world; not as popular perhaps as the Furka or Stelvio Mountain Passes or the infamous Col de Turini, but just as epic, challenging and as breathtaking. And if my understanding is correct, this stretch of road also featured on the now-famous MF Ghost Anime.

It’s the perfect backdrop to explore a car, test its limits while soaking up the majestic scenery Japan’s Fujigoko region has to offer, with Mt. Fuji silently but all knowingly observing your shenanigans behind the wheel.

We set up base camp at the Hakone-Ashinoko Observation Park, a beautiful spot that provides a fantastic vantage point of the Ashinoko Skyline from both northbound and southbound lanes, the mountains or the plains of Gotemba providing a beautiful backdrop. Our ace snapper Kenji Tanimura has us go one at a time to maximize the scenery and our own experiences driving behind the wheel of our cars.

The two flat-six Porsches, both naturally aspirated, sing a beautiful song echoing through the mountains, their haunting wail heard from miles away. Kenji and the rest of the guys (and gals) later tell me they knew I was near because the Boxster S’ flat-six was building up to an exciting crescendo before roaring into view. The Boxster S feels so alive, perfectly balanced and perfectly in its element in these conditions where delicate handling and purity of feel matter more than outright power. I’m smitten.

Kyle in his 911 GT3 is next, and that engine has an even fiercer, stronger wail. The GT3 is bigger and lower as well, so Kyle is more careful going up and down the Ashinoko Skyline so as not to scrape the underside or snag the foliage along the path.

But it’s even more dramatic as it announces its arrival with its booming exhaust and induction noise. And it’s a workout, though a very satisfying one. Kyle steps out, buzzing with excitement afterwards.

Finally, it’s Pao’s turn in the GR Yaris. The Yaris is bone stock but Pao is a fully-modified driver with the “titanium big-balls” kit. He drives the Yaris harder and faster than Kyle and I dare to drive our respective Porsches. Though down in cylinder and displacement, his grin after stepping out of the car says it all. Of all the cars we brought, the GR Yaris is most suited for these roads.

We take some more stills and videos of our cars but pretty soon, it’s obvious that this viewing point is quite popular as throngs of guided JDM car tours make a quick stop to gather their convoys together.

Bikers also drop in to check out if there’s anything interesting and solo drivers out for a drive to clear their minds also check-in to see what’s happening.

Last photos snapped, our things packed, we head back to Fujiyoshida, the sun’s rays disappearing behind Mt. Fuji in our view. It’s getting cold and dark fast, winter setting in early this year.

It’s rural Japan after all and street lighting isn’t the greatest.

We cautiously tread back to Fitment Engineering’s facility, park up and head out to a hearty ramen dinner. It was perhaps the best way to stay warm and keep our hearts warmer to truly savor and remember this amazing experience for the rest of our lives.