The Japanese are renowned for being crazy about their cars and so many fashions that have started in the Far East have eventually found their way to the Western world. Drifting, touge, kei cars, the mighty Skyline. We even have the Japanese to thank for the Gran Turismo series of Playstation games, thanks to the single-minded attention to detail of Kazunori Yamauchi.
Japan Lotus Day
But it’s not just a one-way street. Occasionally motoring culture heads from the west to the east and that’s what’s happened with Lotus. The British car maker has something of a cult following in Japan and there’s one part of their history that they really like – the Formula 1 cars.
In this superb video from Okidokyo, shot at the 2012 Lotus Day at the Fuji Speedway, we see some of the classic racers from Lotus’ past gathering together before heading out onto the track. It’s a great opportunity for fans to get close and listen to these racers of old.
There’s some close-up and on-board footage of a particular Lotus 97T. It just so happens to be one of the cars that were driven by the late, great Ayrton Senna. Turn up the speakers and enjoy.
