This is my IRL altezza (a drawing of it) It is a 1999 RS200 Z edition I spray painted it Top Secret gold I brought it back with me from Japan, so it's a special car. But I can't afford to keep it anymore. Press space to see a couple images from my time living in Japan! The first one is my old altezza AS200 in Japan, which I learned to drift in from touge (mountain) drifters. The second image is from a night I was drifting and crashed into an S14 silvia while tandeming (the car in the photo)
Cars are special. They carry memories, emotion, and personality, far more than just a price tag. A car will always try to communicate with it's driver. Feel the car, understand it. Feel the road in your hands. The engine under your foot. The G force in your back. Listen to what the car wants. Set it free. Dance together. My tuning style has become lightweight, balanced cars more than powerful straight line cars. I prefer a car that is communicative, lightweight, and nimble rather than a car that is heavier with more power and more complex suspension. Old D1GP drivers followed similar mindsets, like Yasuyuki Kazama. Kazama-san is the biggest inspiration for my driving style - he used heel-toe downshifts, impeccable steering control, and braking drifts all while being a champion drifter. Modern drifting does away with these skilled techniques of GT drivers and emphasizes aggressive, reactive driving styles. But that only makes me yearn for the old days more. I want to become the most complete driver!