As a longtime proponent of the Honda NSX, Keiichi Tsuchiya enters this heated battle with just a hint of pride. His tastefully-modified, facelifted Type R only features an upgraded set of KeiOffice coilovers and a stereo system, but the car has been setup to complement Tsuchiya’s tail-out driving style. Suffice to say, it’s one nimble car, and while it might be the least powerful of the bunch, it starts on pole, has the Drift King behind the wheel, and turns in incredibly well.

Competing against the sleek, white NSX are a slew of tuned and stock sports cars. The lightweight Amuse 370Z will turn some heads with its wild aero kit, athletic stance and raspy exhaust note. PowerHouse Amuse have garnered a reputation for bringing out the best of popular sports cars like the S2000 and the Z with upgrades that reduce vehicle weight and improve overall response. Though likely the least expensive car among these heavy-hitters, Amuse’s cars have an ability to punch above their weight, so to speak.

Tsuchiya’s stands by the outdated NSX for its innate handling balance and response.

A stock, unmolested 458 Italia sits third on the grid, and with nearly 600 horsepower and a very spiffy gearbox, this car will be one to respect on Tsukuba’s straights. The second Italian entry is a modified 360 Modena from RSD. Stripped, lightened and benefiting from a functional aero kit, this Ferrari might be a decade old, but its braking performance will be useful at the end of Tsukuba’s start-finish straight.

Last of the pack is the almighty Corvette ZR1. Boasting the most grunt of the bunch, there’s no denying that this car will hold the advantage come the straightaway. However, we’re all familiar with the fact that Chevrolet moved the game forward with the C6 Corvettes and they’re no longer merely dragsters. The ZR1, with its magnetic dampers, carbon brakes and carbon body panels, is an all-around performer. However, will that torque be applicable in the slow corners that define the track? 

As always, the tight configuration brings out the best and worst in every car. Added to the challenge is frigid weather, which keep the cars from bringing their tires up to temperature on the first lap – as evidenced by the Drift King’s constant steering corrections and Seiji Ara’s big lockup in the Z. Unfortunately, those locked brakes spell the end for the Super GT ace’s race, since he’s then gulped up on the subsequent straightaway by the big muscle machines behind him. Suprisingly, the Corvette and the Ferrari seem to exit the hairpin leading onto the back straight will the same urgency – proving that a FR car can still put the power down well if set up properly.

The Corvette as well as the Italian stallions then form a train behind Tsuchiya’s machine, but despite outgunning him in sheer horsepower, are held off until the back straight. It’s evident that Tsuchiya isn’t going to make life easy for the modern machines behind him, and despite having half the power, his quick countersteering and comfort in low-grip situations allow him to position his car well enough to maintain a lead – temporarily.

The scrap between the 360 Modena and the ZR1 highlights the Vette’s poorer braking performance.

At the end of the day, power is power, and the NSX is hopeless against the big V8-powered speedsters. In front of him, the 458’s power and technical brilliance allow it to stream off into the distance, whereas the Corvette charges away commandingly on the straights, only to be caught in the braking zones by the lightweight Ferrari 360 Modena. Being light, mid-engined and benefitting from some considerable downforce, the tuned Ferrari really performs like a racing car in the braking and entry phases, but it’s tough to compete with the 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 sitting under the ZR1’s hood, especially when it can actually deploy that power fairly well.

There might be a huge performance spread here with the platforms and power outputs here, but that doesn’t necessarily establish the storyline. In fact, that wide gap shows that, given the right circumstances, gutsy driving and a bit of inclement weather to spice things up, these races can be close, exciting and unpredictable.