La Collezione · 06
Four signatures.One golden era.
NSX-R · Skyline GT-R · Supra RZ · RX-7 Spirit R
Japan, at full voice
An NSX-R, a Skyline GT-R, a Supra RZ and an RX-7 Spirit R. We brought together cars from our clients and our own collection for one evening's shoot. They capture a moment when Japan's sports-car makers pursued very different ideas with equal conviction: lightness, traction, straight-six power and the rotary. Together, they make the era feel close again.
The gentlemen's agreement
280 PS.
Four different answers.
In their original Japanese specifications, these four versions shared a 280 PS rating under the industry's voluntary gentlemen's agreement. Honda concentrated on response and weight; Nissan on delivering power through all four wheels; Toyota on its twin-turbo straight-six; Mazda on the compact rotary. A shared number left room for four distinct characters. The Supra pictured here has since moved beyond its original specification.
Honda NSX-R · NA2
Every gram.
Every reason.
Reported production3–5Long Beach Blue Pearl
Estimated
Honda's road to the NSX included an unlikely experiment: a mid-engined City hatchback. In 1989, Ayrton Senna tested an NSX prototype at Suzuka and challenged its rigidity, prompting Honda to raise its targets. Precision was part of the project long before the red badge.
The NA2 NSX-R took that pursuit further. Behind the seats sits a naturally aspirated 3.2-litre V6 with a meticulously balanced rotating assembly, paired with a six-speed manual. Its carbon-fibre bonnet, rear wing and underbody aerodynamics produce downforce at both ends. Little is there without a reason.
Nissan Skyline GT-R · BNR34
A reputation
already earned.
The R34 inherited a formidable name. R32 GT-Rs had swept all 29 rounds of Japan's touring-car championship from 1990 to 1993. Australia's Wheels had already called the R32 Godzilla in July 1989, before its racing debut. The results made the name impossible to forget.
This is a standard R34 GT-R, in Bayside Blue. That already means a twin-turbo RB26 straight-six, electronically controlled all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering and a six-speed manual. Inside, a multifunction display lets the driver follow the machinery at work. The familiar squared shoulders carry considerable intelligence.
Japan: 29 rounds, 29 R32 wins. The R34 inherited an extraordinary racing reputation.
RB26 power, six speeds and all-wheel drive. Rear-wheel steering and a multifunction display complete the picture.
Toyota Supra RZ · JZA80 · 1998
A strong foundation.
A personal signature.
The Supra began in 1978 as a six-cylinder evolution of the Celica, known in Japan as the Celica XX. It became an independent model in 1986; the A80 arrived in 1993, turning that grand-touring lineage toward more serious performance.
This 1998 Japanese-market RZ left the factory with a VVT-i 2JZ-GTE, twin turbos and a 280 PS rating. Today, a built engine and a large single turbo give it a different voice. It reflects another enduring part of the era: owners developing an already formidable car into something distinctly their own.
Mazda RX-7 · Spirit R Type A
Two rotors.
A final flourish.
Mazda's rotary road began with the Cosmo Sport in 1967; the RX-7 followed in 1978. In 1991, its purpose-built, four-rotor 787B became the first Japanese car to win Le Mans outright. The FD RX-7 arrived later that year, carrying Mazda's rotary commitment onto the road.
The Spirit R marked the FD's farewell in 2002. Type A paired its twin-turbo rotary with two seats and a five-speed manual. Red Recaro buckets saved roughly ten kilograms; BBS wheels, Bilstein dampers, drilled brake discs and braided brake hoses completed the package. Years of development, gathered into one last edition.
La Collezione
Four keys.
A generation of dreams.
Their differences are what make the gathering work. Each car offers its own answer to the same desire: a drive worth remembering. Seeing them together brings the ambition of that era into focus.