Throughout the years, individuals have continued to express their longing for the 1990s. An era where post-modern fetishism mixes in with a dash of psychedelic positivity from what was left of an era called the 1980s. Cultivating a grunge-ridden world filled to the brim with rebellion nature and baller imagery. But enough with the metaphoric descriptions of a long lost time. Shying away from the avant-garde RnB genres and the slightly depression-heavy essence, the 90s was also responsible for what can be arguably said to be the peak era of the automotive industry. From catchy designs to fierce competition in motorsport. Japan was no exception to this boom, and out of the many racing categories it had, the Japanese Touring Car Championship was undoubtedly the last of Japan's motorsport heydays, featuring a plethora of high-revving, experimental racing saloons akin to Europe's very own British Touring Car Championship.
Before the Japanese took their very own spin on touring car racing, the sport had been very much alive since the mid 80s. Invented by the British as a tarmac-infested alternative to rallying's Group A, the first few years of its existence were nothing more than fire-breathing RS500s and ear-defening E30 M3s battling wheel-to-wheel in an intense lap battle around Brands Hatch. It wasn't until 1993 when the FIA recognized the racing championship as an international affair than a local jockey's hobby, as was its inception in its previous years. Ditched were the 500 BHP capable Sierra Cosworths and in its replacement were high-strung tincan saloon cars, shed under a new class called the "New Touring Class", or to be even more specific, "Class II Touring". About a year after its inception, and after Class II was supposedly renamed as the "Super Touring Class", Japan finally took it to themselves to held their very own version of BTCC, named, unsurprisingly, the Japanese Touring Car Championship.
The essence of JTCC was quite frankly identical to BTCC. The regulations imply that a race car wishing to compete in this championship must have an inclusion of four doors, with an engine displaced of two liters or less, and in which is mounted at the front of the car, regardless of drivetrain. The weight of each car would depend heavily on its preferred drivetrain; rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars will be given a minimum weight requirement of 1050 kilograms, while front-wheel drive cars were given a much relaxed 950 kilograms minimum, a good 100 less than FR and 4WD platforms. The first year of JTCC did in fact brought many eager Japanese manufacturers to come and compete. Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mazda all entered with their best cars to overthrow European contenders such as BMW's monstrous 318i, Vauxhall's Vectra, and Alfa Romeo's 155. Unfortunately enough, Europe has had themselves a one-year cheat gap with BTCC to perfect their cars, and unsurprisingly enough, reigned victorious amongst the new breed of Japanese saloons.
In 1995, the regulations now introduced the ability to add custom aero kits to existing platforms, also introduced was a brand-new handicap system, where 1st and 2nd placers were to be given 20 and 10 kilogram weights respectively to even out the field against the inexperienced. Toyota, which at this point has developed their Corona EXiV touring cars, finally defeated the reigning champion of BMW and Vauxhall with a more "slippery" aerodynamic approach and with the help of legend Masanori Sekiya, leading them to nearly outclass the Beamers in cornering and straight line speeds. Honda on the other hand were still struggling with their EG9 Ferios, having to deal with a chassis that simply could not meet the expected requirements of their standard, even if they have upgraded with a mere downforce spoiler at the rear, but it wasn't until 1996 where they began making serious moves. Nissan still stood with their P10 Primeras which have been tried and tested in the previous years of BTCC extreme. Mazda didn't saw much success with their bean-shaped Lantis, and withdrew from the event entirely in 1996.
The 1996 season introduced major changes in the competition field. Honda ditched their failing Ferio in favor of their now-iconic CD6 Accord, driven by Osamu Nakako and Naoki "Ha-chan" Hattori of Best Motoring fame. Nissan also upped their game with their introduction of the P11 Primera sedan, still piloted by Japan's number 1 racing driver, Kazuyoshi Hoshino. Toyota still played their cards safe with their Corona EXiV touring cars, while veterans BMW, Vauxhall, and eventually Alfa Romeo began taking the toll with their now outdated racing cars. The introduction of the CD6 proved victorious for Honda, as the new body style was able to meet their demands and requirements for further tuning. Resulting in multiple championship wins. However, an air of suspicion aroused around the carnival-livery clad Mooncraft Accords, where it was soon discovered that the under panel did not meet regulation standards. Under JAF's Examination Commitee, Honda was sentenced for a season's worth of disqualification. Even after a heated lawsuit between JAF and the respected Honda teams, the decision was not altered, and championship victory was claimed by Toyota yet again.
Toyota soon began to discover the possibilities of the FR layout as means to be ahead of the pack, following from BMW's stern example of dominance in the early days of JTCC with their 318i cars. With the current ongoing X100 generation Chaser, Toyota made the decision to re-engineer the sports saloon into a fierce JTCC competitor for 1997. Around the same time, the handicap regulations were revised yet again, now having 10 kilogram weights added to first place finishers with each finishing race, amounting to a maximum of 70 kilograms worth of ballast. Around this time, the championship was starting to see the sunset, as soaring running costs soon became a problem for the teams. Honda returned for the last time in this season, withdrawing after the season end. Nissan followed suit, and soon after was BMW and Vauxhall themselves. When the 1998 season arrived, the whole championship became a fierce one make-esque battle between Toyota's X100 Chaser and their very own Corona EXiV cars. Weight ballast regulations were eventually abolished, and that year finally marked the last championship season for the JTCC, won by none other than the factory backed Toyota Team TOM'S.
Throughout the course of 13 years, there have been many attempts to revive this prestigious racing genre drenched in experimental high-technology inventions. 1999 saw a possibility of the championship's return, now running Super Silhouette-inspired tube frame chassis cars with twin-turbocharged V6 engines becoming their main power source. However, such an idea soon became an unfinished dream, as the aforementioned cost issue killed what was essentially the last hopes for the return of a Japanese-special touring car championship. 11 years later, the official WTCC committee announced the return of JTCC with the help of advertisement tycoon Asatsu-DK and Concorde Management . Running under newly developed Super 2000 regulations, the championship will follow closely to what the WTCC had already been. Unfortunately, the great 2011 earthquake of Tohoku left the plan to be abandoned once and for all. Although JTCC is unlikely to return anytime soon, it was undoubtedly a fitting goodbye to the golden era of Japanese motorsport, an era that marked the diesel charge of Japanese automotive makers, and one which would stay special for generations to come.
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