Tsutaya Bookstores T-site flagship store is one place i always love to revisit, besides the fantastic section dedicated to all things automotive, the excellent Ivy’s Place restaurant and a lovely little petshop, there is also the carpark where there will always be something cool or interesting parked up, even on days where planned meets are not being held. Today was no different.
After a super tasty breakfast, i popped over to the carpark for a quick look around and it didn’t take long to find something interesting in when you are in a country full of auto-otakus. Air-cooled, check! Alfa Romeo, check! (Mercedes Shooting Brake, check!)
Across the carpark though was something entirely different. This is something special indeed. A Porsche 356 cabriolet with a hardtop in place. It even sported Reutter badges along the sides. It even had a nice 1957 plate. Surely in reference to the car’s birthday.
I wish i had taken pics of the interior as it was immaculately trimmed in tan leather with a set of matching Hermes (for real) suitcases strapped down to the rear parcel shelf. Classsy.
As i was ogling over the details of the 356, eagle-eyed readers would have spotted what just pulled in. An E30 M3, in red no less. I made my way over and gave the owner a big thumbs-up.
Interestingly, this was actually the second E30 M3 i spotted for this trip. The first was actually a night or two nights ago, at a traffic junction in Shibuya. White E30 M3 running on TE37s. Unfortunately, i didn’t quite have my camera ready. In Daikanyama though, i was prepared.
I love the E30 M3. Such simple clean lines and such purpose.
Elsewhere, it looked as if a little modern Porsche gathering was taking place with a GT3RS and 50th anniversary edition 911 pulling in. Love the Fuchs-style tribute wheels on the 50th anniversary.
And to finish off my short little walk around the carpark, a Mayback and a Japan favourite, the Lotus Europa.
Quick look inside the bookstore.
Along the way back to the train station, there was this Big white Bippu machine.
Of course, Daikanyama T-site is not the only place in Tokyo to spot cool cars, to be honest, in central Tokyo, it is not too difficult to spot something interesting. Just walk down a street and more often than not, you’ll encounter something that’s worth taking a second look at(or even a picture). Like this Japanese Nostalgic Car on our way back to our Airbnb apartment. I can’t put my finger on what model it is exactly, i think it is a Laurel, but i could be wrong of course. Nevertheless, i love Kyushas! (edit: turns out it’s a Corona Mark II! Hat-tip to Roy!)
On my previous writeup for Akihabara, i wrote about the Toy stores i visited but failed to mention the interesting sights i saw along the trek up and down those shops. Like the above “i-want-it-so-badly” Honda NSX, so clean. And a car that still manages to look so good 25 years after it’s original introduction. That’s good design for you. I doubt the new one will be remembered as fondly.
Let’s finish off with a little more offbeat, this strange Bosozoku/Dekotora-esque Toyota Century. They even had a strange contraption at the back just to emit smoke. Deko-Yota maybe?
GARAGE36 