In all my years in Japan I’ve never seen an influx of tourists like I have in the last two years since the country opened up post-pandemic.
And rightly so, there’s so much to see, visit, do and of course eat, oh and if you happen to be a car guy or gal, then you’re in luck as there’s never been a better time to actually see the car culture in all its glory.
With famed parking areas like Daikoku and Umihotaru having been turned into popular destinations for the countless companies and individuals out there offering “tours” there’s also the better option to really get the full Japanese car culture experience, and that’s rent a car.
JDM car rentals aren’t anything new, there have been multiple companies around for years allowing you to sample your dream Japanese car, or if you want something more high end there’s always supercar rentals.
While it’s not something I’ve ever tried, I have often wondered how it all worked, and today we find out just that.
The guys from Drivers Lounge hit me up and invited me along to one of their first outings as they’ve just opened up their doors.
Seeing I get my fair share of messages on social platforms asking for recommendations of what to do while in Japan I thought this would be the perfect way to find out exactly how a day with a rental car company would actually be like.
Alec and I showed up nice and early to their HQ just outside Tokyo and met with the guys behind the company. Needless to say it was reassuring to find out that the owners are as much car guys as we are and we hit it off instantly while checking out their facility and array of cars.
So let’s start with the cars themselves. Drivers Lounge offers a selection of 8 cars (soon to be expanded) and these are all models that I think do a good job at offering a nice and unique experience for anyone signing up to one of their outings. The list goes something like this:
In the all-wheel-drive camp we have the R35 GT-R, a Lancer Evo X and a Toyota GR Yaris.
For the rear-wheel-drive grouping we have the A90 Toyota Supra and Spoon Sports complete Honda S660.
And to finish it off we have the two front-wheel-drive cars, the DC5 Honda Civic Type-R and Monster Sports complete Suzuki Alto Works.
One of the main reason I was more than happy to participate on this outing, is that Drivers Lounge allows people to swap cars during the day, which makes them rather unique compared to most other rental car companies in Japan.
So you get to not only experience driving in Japan with iconic JDM cars, but you even get to do it with multiple rides. But more on that later on, first up let’s get an idea of how a day tours with these guys is structured.
So first things first. Once you arrive you head up to the second floor lounge on top of the first garage and get the application and paperwork out of the way.
This is a nicely appointed space, comfortable sofas to sit on and enjoy your welcome drink while running through the structure of the day tour with the staff.
You can expect to see episodes of Best Motoring and Hot Version to be playing on the TV and many issues of Initial D manga to flick though, you know, just to get you in the mood for the day!
Clement, the owner, has even raced in a bunch of motorsport series in Asia so you know he really understands what enthusiasts want when it comes to a driving experience.
While you won’t be doing Wangan high speed runs, what you will have is a choice of six tours that range from a 10-hour Hakone to Daikoku PA excursion, Chiba to Daikoku PA scenic drive as well as the ability to request custom tailored outings. What Alec and I were going to experience that day was the Hakone 7 hour tour, which believe me packs in as much driving as you’d ever want to do in one day! It’s pretty much the exact same route I usually take when I need an escape from Tokyo and some alone-time to just drive.
The last picture hints at one of the future cars that might be added to the line up very soon!
With the formalities taken care of it’s back downstairs and time to get ready for the day.
One thing that struck me instantly and that I do need to mention is that with the addition of the Spoon S660 and the Monster Sports Alto Works you realise that all the cars in the line up are pretty special. Aside from these 2 complete ex-demo cars all cars are all slightly modified, all running aftermarket suspension, high performance brake pads and tires at the very least, while others may sport some other goodies like wheels, exhausts and in the case of the DC5 a roll cage.
Rather than a JDM experience I’d probably call it more of a true hashiriya experience!
With the location of Drivers Lounge in Noborito, you are only 16 min train ride away from Shinjuku which means you could set out in the morning and be back in central Tokyo in time for dinner.
We set out in convoy from the HQ, myself behind the wheel of the GR Yaris and Alec in the Supra. Every car has a walkie talkie with an ear piece so that you are always connected with the leading car and never have to think about where you need to go. You set out with a full tank of gas and an ETC card in the reader so you don’t need to worry about tolls or getting gas either.
The drive down to Odawara town where the Hakone Turnpike sets out from take about an hour, so you cruise down the Tomei Expressway and the Atsugi-Odawara toll road in convoy and conserve gas, saving it for the twisty interesting bits later on!
It’s been a good year since I’ve driven a GR Yaris and I have to say it still remains one of my favorite modern day Japanese performance cars, so capable, blisteringly quick and responsive yet perfectly relaxing for normal driving too.
First stop was to grab a quick lunch at the 7-11. A few onigiri later we were all ready to move right in front of the toll gates to heaven…
… i.e. the Hakone Turnpike!
We lined up the cars before entering for a quick few shots before the real driving began.
I drove the first section in the GR Yaris but then swapped to the Spoon S660 which was hilarious up the Turnpike. Not exactly quick, after all it’s powered by a 660 cc blown motor, but so funny how you hardly ever use the brakes and just carry so much speed into any of the fast third and fourth gear sweepers.
Then we all met at the top of the pass for that iconic Fuji-san picture.
With two cars down it was over to number 3.
And for that it was over to the Alto Works which was even more of vibe than the S660 as in stark contrast you sit so much higher and gives a whole different feel though the corners, almost feeling more of a rally car, handling on rails and enough boost-assisted torque on tap to keep the smiles coming.
As we moved to our next leg of the tour towards the Ashinoko Skyline it was the DC5 that I chose and boy what an eye opener this was.
I hadn’t driven a DC5 Type-R since when the car was released back 20 years ago and I had forgotten what it was like to drive these things.
Such a different approach to the trubocharged cars I had driven before. The high revving NA motor has to be kept on the boil for it to develop enough pull out of corners and with the lowered stance thanks to the aftermarket suspension, the playful nature of the chassis really shined through. Lift off oversteer anyone?
Since the Ashinoko Skyline crests a whole different part of the mountain chain, you get a very different view towards Mt. Fuji, so a second group shot was in order.
I took this opportunity to jump into car number 5 and 6 for the day, the 2 Lancer Evos! The Evolution 6 for me remains the best of the bunch, while the third generation that came after (7,8 & 9) were far more capable and faster, the 6 is the last one to have that direct link to WRC and rowing gears to make that 4G63 sing away is always a special sensation.
I equally enjoyed the Evo X with the SST gearbox, surprised at how capable and easy to drive these last-gen Evos are. While the SST might not be as involving as a manual it does allow you to focus more on your steering and lines through the corners and you just surf on that mid-range torque to catapult you towards the next turn.
From the Ashinoko Skyline we drove down a tight stretch of touge that brought us to a parking area over on a quiet side of Lake Ashi. This was our final stop before we climbed all the way back up to the top of the Hakone Turnpike pass, heading towards what would become the best part of the day.
For this stretch of driving I jumped into car 7, the A90 Supra. The BMW connection is more than evident on this car, and out of all the cars that day it’s the one that felt the most like a effortless GT cruiser rather than a pin sharp sports car.
That took us to what is one of my favorite stretches of roads in the Hakone area, one I’ve been driving cars on for the last 25 years, the Tsubaki Line.
About a third of the way down there’s a little parking spot, the perfect place to stop for a rest, a few shots…
… and a look over into Pacific towards the small island of Hatsujima.
Pondering over the last 6 hours of driving and the 7 cars I had sampled thus far, it hit me that this had been one of the most varied driving experiences ever.
And the variety is more about the layouts rather than the cars themselves, from AWD to FF and FR, mid engine to front engine.
You really do get to fully understand the differences between them all, their respective positive and negative points, and in the end choosing your favorite.
The drive back to the Drivers Lounge ended with car number 8 for me, the good old R35 GT-R, a car I’ve driven in all its guises, stock and modified, an extremely familiar place for me to be in and 18 years on since its inception, still a true weapon on roads like these.
The day ended with a final sunset shot at 1000 m above sea level at the top of Mt. Taikan overlooking Lake Ashi and Fuji before we returned al the cars to the HQ.
A day like this spent through some of the best driving roads in Japan is probably one of the best ways to experience Japan for a car guy and gal. Massive thanks to the guys at Drivers Lounge for inviting me along and showing exactly why they do what they do!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
Additional photography by Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
