Japan's Forgotten Supercar Makes a Comeback in This In-Depth Video

      Dino DC via YouTube

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      There is precisely one Tommykaira ZZII in existence, and that’s the one you’re seeing here. This mid-engine supercar, powered by a Nissan RB26, was meant to be Japan’s answer to the Porsche Carrera GT. It was crafted by a small, ambitious tuning company that gained recognition for modifying Mercedes, Nissan, and Subaru vehicles in the 1980s and 1990s. If you belong to a certain generation, you may remember it from Gran Turismo 2 and 3. Unfortunately, the project didn’t come to fruition after many years of development, but they did manage to produce one working prototype. In a recent video by YouTuber Dino DC, we have a rare chance to view it in action and hear from the person who designed it.

      Following the lightweight, lower-powered ZZ, the ZZII was created to compete as a GT car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to be sold globally. That’s why the single unit shown here is left-hand drive and features comforts like air conditioning and a double-DIN head unit equipped with a CD player and tape deck—luxuries that were missing in its predecessor. The chassis is entirely aluminum but has a curved shape in the middle to provide more space in the passenger compartment, resembling an oval design, evident in the curved rails that you must navigate to enter the vehicle.

      The ZZII is equipped with a 550-horsepower variant of the twin-turbo RB26 inline-six engine found in the R34 Skyline GT-R, which has been bored out to 2.7 liters. As one of the company’s founders, Yoshikazu Tomita, explained to Dino Dalle Carbonare in the video, the ZZII was envisioned to be all-wheel drive using Nissan’s ATTESA system, but with a configuration that reversed the conventional setup, where the GT-R’s front differential would power the rear wheels and vice versa. However, engineering issues encountered during development led the company to leave this prototype as a rear-wheel-drive model only.

      Even so, consider the proposition: A 550-hp, mid-engine, all-wheel drive supercar powered by an inline-six engine, featuring a double wishbone pushrod suspension at the front and a state-of-the-art all-aluminum chassis. The curb weight is somewhat uncertain; Tomita-san indicated that the target was around one ton (2,200 pounds), while Tommykaira’s manufacturing partner at the time, Autobacs, estimated it at about 2,600 pounds with a functioning all-wheel-drive system and a proper production body instead of the concept's fiberglass casing.

      The ZZII would undoubtedly have been a distinctive offering for its time… or even today. Although around 25 years have passed since the car was initially conceived, Tommykaira has been expressing interest in finding a partner to produce a limited run of these vehicles, effectively seeking to fulfill the vision that began before the company ran out of financial support. Certainly, a modern ZZII wouldn't compete at Le Mans, but it would capture the attention of anyone who was enchanted by this car in Gran Turismo those many years ago. I happen to be revisiting GT3 for the first time in decades, and it has sparked so many memories.

      With its large triangular headlights, noticeable roof scoops directing airflow to an intercooler situated behind the engine, and four round taillights coupled with a broad air diffuser, the ZZII resembled Japan’s interpretation of the McLaren F1, which I found appealing. Dino had an incredible opportunity to see it in person, not to mention being the first outsider from this small company to drive the car—even if just in a circle around the Tommykaira parking lot.

      That’s Yoshikazu Tomita, one of Tommykaira’s founders, behind the wheel of the ZZII. In this prototype, the R34 GT-R’s Getrag six-speed was reconfigured, placing first gear down and to the left in a “dog leg” style, with second gear positioned above it.

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