July 7th means only one thing for car lovers in Japan: the day of the 7s.
Since the start of Speedhunters in 2008, we have been dealing with this car culture spectacle, and 15 years later, the official unofficial Collecting RX-7s and other machines with rotary engines cannot be left behind. Because even though Mazda no longer makes rotary engine cars, the passion surrounding the famous RX models is as strong as ever.
As I do every July 7th, I visited the mecca of car meets in Japan – Yokohama’s Daikoku parking lot – to join rotary enthusiasts from all over the country (and abroad) and take in some spectacular sights and sounds.
The 7-day gathering is a little different every year.
Of course, the familiar cars are always there, but at the same time, there are also plenty of new trips.
And being a Daikoku PA, you can always count on non-rotating type vehicles to show up, like this pristine Autech Stagea 260RS on BNR34 BBS wheels.
Knowing that the on-site police would eventually close the parking lot—as they do every time there’s a big convention—I arrived early in the evening to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Being a Friday, it was pretty quiet when I arrived as people are still getting off work at this time. But that just meant I got to see every single car arrive and park.
My first observation after a good watch on the Daikoku PA was that the stock and OEM+ look is still a fan favorite. This happens all over the place in Japanese performance cars from the golden era, so it’s not really surprising that RX-7 owners are going this route, even if the rotary engine coupe is traditionally one of the most modified models.
While I’m always on the lookout for a cool Cosmos, another car from Mazda’s back catalog caught my eye. I wasn’t alone either. What is everyone watching here?
A 13B turbo from an FC3S RX-7 that was installed in Mazda’s large four-door sedan from 1990.
I’ve featured this particular Luce before, and it’s still a stunning example with the SSR mesh rims and FC3S 5-speed manual transmission swap.
Into The Night
As cool as Daikoku PA is during the day, there’s a whole new atmosphere when the sun goes down.
I’m always amazed at how surreal Daikoku PA looks and feels at night, and this is coming from a guy who came here for it. three decades!
The turnstiles and all kinds of other cars kept pouring in until 8:00 p.m., when the first police announcements began over the parking lot’s public address system. We all knew the meeting was on borrowed time.
I’ve been wanting to show off this sinister looking FD3S ever since I first saw it at the secret car meet in Tokyo a few months ago.
It’s the only FD3S I know of that has hydraulic suspension, so it can pull off a lowrider-like stance.
Who wants to see the full feature on this car?
To Umihotaru
I put my camera down for 20 minutes to eat dinner (onigiri in the convenience store of course), and during that time the Daikoku PA really emptied.
Word on the street was that there was an invite-only curated meetup at Umihotaru PA organized by some prominent rotary guys. I headed straight for it, but by the time I got there, all the cars gathered for the meeting on the ground floor had been kicked out by the police.
There were rumors that the cars were heading to the backup location – the Decks Tokyo Beach parking lot in Odaiba – but instead of chasing the small group around the bay, I decided to stay in Umihotaru and see what else came out.
There was plenty to see, and after about an hour some of the RX-7s that had left returned.
I came across this wild Nismo GT-R with 21-inch AL13 rims and a wrap that kept changing color with the slightest shift in perspective.
What’s a spinning celebration without some Nissans?! At least they didn’t get fired…
7’s Day in Tokyo is always a fun night, and with Japan fully open again, the event had a nice international feel, with plenty of tourists enjoying the spectacle. Until 2024!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com
