Race to the Summer

Hi and welcome to the summer, well, the weather outside may be grey and wet, but rest assured, our newsletter is full of sun and warmth.  Unless you are stuck on a strange Pacific Island with only an 'execute' button for company, you can't have missed that it is less than 2 months to the premier Japanese car event of the year, the Japanese Automotive Extravaganza, and whether your a seasoned veteran, or a JAE virgin, you can't help but be excited about the biggest, and potentially best, JAE ever.

However, if it is your first time, fear not, as in this edition of the newsletter we have the essential guide to JAE, covering everything you need to know, and possibly quite a bit you don’t, about the event.

General News

Congratulations to Fizz, who recently got married and traded his MR2 Turbo for a 306 Diesel in the run up to his wedding, so his new wife Nafisa must be someone very special, and we wish them a long happy life together. Celebrating their 9th Wedding Anniversary were Les and Anne, and seeing as it is the pottery anniversary, we can only assume they partook in a recreation of 'that' scene from Ghost.

But spare a thought for those Toccers who are doing their bit for charity, as Tegan and Sarah are both doing a sponsored skydive, and Em is taking part in the 'Race for Life' in July and lets not forget all the efforts at Track Attack to raise money for these good causes.

For those of you that always wondered what went on in your fellow Toccers heads, well now you can find out thanks to the new Blog system, which a lot of members are taking part in, with quite a few adding regular entries. Give a blog a go, talk about anything and everything, the link is at the top of the forum page and in members’ signatures.

And finally, you may notice a few new names contributing to the newsletter this month, as we introduce our 'Guest Editor' feature, where normal members can get involved and provide reviews and opinions to the newsletter, were hoping to make this a regular feature, so if you'd like to join in, just let your friendly editor know.


Out and About

Boxhill by Guest Editor PaulT

On February 25th, the Rykers Cafe played host to the Boxhill meet, and while the usual meets team were preoccupied, the substitute organisers hard work ensured there was a comprehensive selection of Japanese car clubs in attendance. By lunchtime the entire car park was full of an excellent selection of machines, with a good representation by Toyota in the shape of some impressive Supra’s and a vast array of MR2's and a distinctive TOC orange Avensis. Due to the popularity, the side roads had become littered with show-standard motors, but this didn't detract from the buzzing atmosphere of the meet which continued late into the evening.

Nürburgring

This Easter saw what has become an annual TOC pilgrimage to the car enthusiast’s Mecca – otherwise known as the Nürburgring.

There was an extremely good turn out with a mix of newbies and old hands alike, which had all packed up their GPS’, bags, various safety equipment and above all, nerves to take on the infamous circuit.

After a long but relatively trouble free journey, everyone made it to the hotel in good time, immediately dumping their bags and heading straight to the bar for the first German beer of the trip and onto a Chinese restaurant for some much-needed grub.

Good Friday saw everyone up before 8am, listening to Rob's (Jaxx) German Techno tunes and ready to convoy to the Easter Japanese car club meet, held in a field near the circuit. Whilst everyone drove in to what could be described as a quagmire and parked up, Lee (Leeky) was unfortunate enough to get his Toyota Aristo stuck in the mud. Lots of video footage and several photographs later, Sean (SeanH) was on hand with his Hilux and trailer to give Lee a tow – crisis averted!

After watching the first few brave drivers out on the wet circuit, everyone began to slowly make their way out of the muddy field to start their laps. Some got on the circuit as soon as buying their ticket, whilst others chose to spectate for a bit and make their way out later on.

The Nürburgring has never been for the faint hearted, but the sheer volume of traffic plus a mix of bad weather caused even experienced drivers to come a cropper, resulting in the circuit being closed on numerous occasions. Unfortunately Al (Alan_21) fell foul of the conditions and mud that had been previously kicked onto one corner. It is a sobering sight seeing a fellow member’s car after such an incident, especially as he had been taking a steady first lap. Everyone was glad that whilst shaken and a bit bruised, neither Al nor his fiancée Nikki (Nikki_21) were seriously hurt.

The Yaris crew proved to be amongst the most enthusiastic, getting in as many laps as they could between them over the weekend. Chris’ (Earpl) Yaris T-Sport showed some European counterparts just what his car could do. Other hits of the weekend included Jon’s (Turbo Jon) GT-Four and Tim’s (Sera Beetle) Sera.

The rest of the weekend continued in a similar vein. Some people chose to take it easy and fit in the odd lap here and there, whilst others hit the circuit hard. The evenings consisted of a few drinks in the hotel bar and then moving onto a choice from the local restaurants – from Curry to Steak houses, along with a few more drinks. Some people (namely the Envy crew) even dared to sample the local ‘Disco’ in the club next door, until YMCA and other choice tunes drove them to the exit.

One downside to the Nür trip is how the time flies whilst you’re there. If people thought it came round quickly each year (particularly when their cars are not quite ready) then that’s nothing compared to the feeling you get at the end of the holiday. No sooner had everyone packed their bags, ‘collected’ a few choice beer glasses from the bar and recovered from their hangovers, it was time to bid farewell to Koblenz and head home.

A few members vowed that they would return, perhaps at a quieter point in the season, but everyone was safe in the knowledge that they had taken on the Nürburgring challenge and were therefore entitled to slap on that famous bumper sticker and wear a grin all the way home.


Bruntingthorpe

A cold April day saw the quiet, pleasant Leicestershire countryside shattered by the noise of, well, Toyota's. Bruntingthorpe proving ground playing host to the second Track Attack, and with a large turnout of both Toyota's and Lexus, it proved to be a big hit.

The action on track was as good as ever, with the usual vast array of cars battling it out of track. Some owners taking care with their pride and joy, others seeing how much tread they could remove from their tyres, however all drivers were polite and careful, making the track action fun for all, although an unfortunate couple did have technical issues that meant going home on the back of a truck, but that’s racing! Spectators weren’t left in the cold either, Les offering passenger rides in exchange for charity donations, as well as other drivers offering a chance to experience the fast flowing airfield circuit.

The 1/4 strip provided some great action, although the surface was not ideal, and the high horsepower cars struggled to gain traction, but the shootout provided some frantic action, and the winners were presented with trophies by the days sponsor, Prolex UK.
The fastest front wheel drive Toyota was won by Ken in his Orange Avensis, with christian doran taking the rear wheel drive trophy in his Supra, and the magnificent Blue Supra from envy took the fastest of day.

All in all, an enjoyable day was had by all, and we look forward to the 3rd instalment next year.


Rotorstock - by Guest Editor Giddlepin

Rotorstock was started by the RX-7 owners clubs, and over the years has gradually grown into a Jap car meet. There was a small TOC turn out, however the day was not as exciting as advertised.
It didn't help matters when I had to negotiate the swamp infested everglades......oops sorry!... Club stand, the one advantage of pitching a tent on a peat bog is that you don't really need a mattress as the ground is nice and soft anyway
There was nothing majorly wrong with it, just lots of little things that put a damper on the event, such as none of the information boards were working so no 1/4 mile times were relayed to the crowd.
Another thing that spoiled it was seeing more track clearing action than actual track action, and although not the fault of the organisers, but it did seem a lot of overkill, and resulted in the programmed "Hot Hour" at the end of the session ended up being a "Hot fifteen minutes", with the interesting cars just squeezing in one run.

The evening was spent in true TOC tradition of beer and curry, but the morning brought rain and with no track action all morning, the spirits were dampened further, which resulted in a steady stream of people leaving. It was a shame as the meet could've been one of the calendars’ best, and instead it just left a bitter taste in your mouth, not that the staff are to blame, they did the best they could with the equipment available, unfortunately they would have had more luck using a chamois leather...


Forthcoming meets, summer 2006

JAE 2006

The nights are getting lighter, the days are getting warmer, yes its that time of the year, where you confine your woolly jumper to the depths of the cupboard and bring out the shorts and t-shirts. But summer brings with it not just fine weather and hay fever, for it is the car show season, and its less than a month to the biggest Japanese Car Show in Europe.

Yes folks, JAE is coming.

For those of you who have never experienced the Japanese Automotive Extravaganza, then let us try and introduce yourself to the TOC event of the year.

Set in the East of England showground, near Peterborough, JAE plays host to a weekend of a combination of Japanese car show, and let’s face it, a huge party, but let’s start by concentrating on the cars...

JAE was founded in 1992 by the Nissan Z car owners club, and has steadily grown from year to year, with Toyota Owners Club being in attendance for the last 4 years, and now almost every Japanese car manufacturer is represented at the show. Hundreds of clubs play host to everything from standard hatchbacks, to the most seriously modified performance cars in Europe.

There are traders too, where it the atmosphere of all these shining, tweaked motors wants to make you add some sparkle to your wheels, you need not wait until you get home, and you wouldn’t believe what people do to their cars while at the show. In fact, last year a supercharger was fitted to a Lexus through the Saturday morning in the middle of a club stand.

Of course, the weekend starts either Friday evening or Saturday morning, and last through until late Sunday, with the option to camp on site, or have a slightly more comfortable nights sleep in one of the many local hotels. Not that sleeping will be an issue, as alcohol does play a part in the evenings activities (assuming you are of legal age and a willing participant), and with enough you wont have any problems sleeping under a canvas roof, or even a Toyota Hilux as one member proved last year.

Another feature is the food, with Friday night being Ken's curry night, and the return of Les's Barbeque for the Saturday, along with a host of refreshment caravans and stands around the site, you'll be in junk food heaven.

But the biggest thing about JAE is the social aspect; it is a unique opportunity to socialise with the other club members.

It is simply the biggest social gathering on the TOC calendar, and if it’s your first time, it may appear overwhelming, but be rest assured, you will find everyone friendly and welcoming.

Although don't expect to remember all the names of who you met, or half the evening if you partake in the Sambuca, you will make a lot of new friends, show off your car, but most of all, have fun.

On the Road

Rav4 Moves Forward

Toyota have been in the 4x4 market for a long time, having arguably the best ‘off road’ car on sale with the Landcruiser, and while Land Rover certainly had the image, the Toyota had the bullet-proof reliability. However, in recent years, a majority of all 4x4’s sold were more at home in a supermarket car park than up a mountain, which caused an explosion in off roaders for the cities, but you could never get away from the high centre of gravity, leading to some truly awful handling cars.

This is where the original Rav4 came in, with a small wheelbase making it ideal for the city, and while other manufacturers were doing everything to make theirs butch and rugged looking, Toyota gave the Rav4 a cheeky and fun look, but where it really excelled was, the fun part was more than skin deep.

Yes, the Rav4 was really fun to drive, a red GTi badge wouldn’t have been out of place on the boot lid, and while ground clearance wasn’t great, it still could mount the kerb outside the school and comfortably cruise on the motorway. Even a new model in 2000, which saw the car mature and grow in size still offered the drivability and fun, but in a more family friendly package. The brand new Rav4 has a hard act to follow.

The style has continued to mature, and it has continued to grow, and is now 300mm longer than the original, meaning there is a vast improvement in rear leg space, and the ability to slide the back seats means you can increase either leg or boot space. The latter needs all the help it can get, the price too has grown, with a starting price of just short of £19,000, stretching to £27,000 for the top spec T180.

The build quality is improved too, the new Rav feeling very solid and well built, the interior too, while still a vast expanse of plastic, feels well put together, and the trip computer under the speedo flashes a Rav4 graphic as you switch on the engine. In fact, the only thing that lets the interior down was the silver plastic around the stereo heating console, while trying to look like aluminium, it just made the dash look cheap, something not helped by the basic climate control digital screen which could have been stolen from a 1987 Casio Calculator.

Once your moving, your attention is drawn to the large, more steeply raked windscreen, giving an excellent view of the road ahead, coupled with large wing mirrors, which counteract the limited rear view from the rear view mirror the new Rav offers good all round visibility. The test car was a 2.0 Petrol Xt4, the only petrol engine on offer, which offers 142bhp and a casual 10.6 seconds dash to 62. The only other choice as far as engines are concerned is the 2.2 diesel, which comes either in a 140bhp variant, or if you opt for the T180, you get the 180bhp oil burner from the Avensis which also comes with a 6-speed gearbox.

On the road, the Rav is comfortable, easy to drive, the electric power steering is speed sensitive, and around town it made the Rav light and easy to manoeuvre. It rides well, giving smooth comfortable progress, soaking up potholes and bumps, and as you leave town, you accelerate up to the national speed limit easier than the torque of the engine would suggest, and this is where things start to look less rosy. The steering, while not as light as in town, is still far too over-assisted, offering very little feedback, the gearbox is clunky and ungainly, a definite fly in the otherwise relaxing soup that is driving the Rav.

Where the original excelled was out on the A-roads, and the new Rav certainly destroys it’s competition on the bends, the lack of body roll making the driver feel reassured, but unfortunately, you can never get away from the high centre of gravity, and you have to work hard to keep the nose in and stop the car running wide, not an easy task when the steering is providing you less information than you'd get in a sensory deprivation chamber.

However, the new Rav4 is a good all round car which corners well and offers good comfort, and apart from wind noise is as good on the motorway as around town, and compared with its rivals, the new Rav4 is a great car and remains the class leader, it's just a shame the driving experience has been numbed.


TOC Feature car

Steve says Aygo through a lot of Toyota's

Going from the likes of a Lexus IS200 to a Toyota Aygo might seem a bit odd to some people, a 2.0 litre straight-6 to an engine half its' size. Does it make sense? Well to Steve (SMW), it most certainly does!

After a varied car history, including a variety of Fords, including a Cortina and a Granada, Steve bought his first Toyota in his late 20’s, a 1.6 Carina GLI saloon. He must have got the Toyota bug as soon after, he bought a 1.8 Avensis CDX, which unfortunately he had a few issues with, so then switched to a Lexus IS200 SE Automatic. Steve loved the refinement and power of the IS, but didn’t like the auto box, so ultimately traded the IS in for a 1.3 Yaris GLS, which he ran for a couple of years before buying his trusted and much loved manual IS200 in 2005.

With a 60 mile round trip to work and back (plus a growing family), Steve was feeling the pinch of running the IS200 and decided to get himself a smaller and more economical car for his daily commute and after seeing a Aygo demonstrator at Bluewater Shopping Centre and the Top Gear Aygo football feature, he took a test drive. He was amazed at how nippy the little car was, and with a quoted 55mpg, it was exactly the sort of car he needed for his trips to work. And with only Group 1 insurance and the recent drop in yearly road tax to just £40, Steve’s wallet breathed a sign of relief! He placed his order with Toyota and was soon the proud owner of his Carbon Quartz Aygo Sport!

Steve was not only one of the first to own an Aygo on TOC, but also one of the first to start modding it. Firstly he bought TTE lowering springs which give about 30mm drop and firmed up the ride and made it far better in corners. He changed the gear knob to a leather and chrome one from a Corolla as the standard one is, by his own admission, a bit cheap looking.

Outside the car he changed the standard long aerial for a beesting one and also had some custom number plates made with charcoal borders to match the paint and TOC URL and TTE logos on. He de-badged the rear and covered the unsightly pin holes remaining with TRD logos.

He also fitted a K & N panel filter, changed all the front bulbs with Phillips day headlights, installed blue vision side lights and silver coated the indicator bulbs to get rid of the orange corners and most recently stuck a Tom Tom Sat Nav unit in the cabin. He plans to do more yet to the little car, included upgrading the speaker system, adding 15” alloys and also an alarm.

His wife now drives the IS and Steve has the Aygo, which has done nigh on 9000 miles, with little to no problems. Of course you can’t compare the luxury of the IS200 with the Aygo and although he misses the refinement and handling of the Lexus, he definitely does not miss the extra cost, he saves over £250 a year on fuel costs, not to mention the cheaper servicing costs.

There’s not many people who would take the leap from a 2.0 saloon to a 1.0 hatchback, but Steve’s done rather well out of it!

Round up

Right, that’s all from this edition of the newsletter, were off to pack our sunscreen and sambuca, and let’s just hope we don’t forget the other essentials, like a tent while we're at it. We hope you've enjoyed this edition, and if you haven’t, well, you won’t have read this far so it doesn’t matter! Have a great summer, let’s make JAE the best ever, and drive safe!