In a motor sport that has been historically plagued by the phrase ‘function over form’, those of us who disagree with the sentiment can always rely on Japan to provide us with some relief. And at that intersection of engineering and aesthetics that so many people have trouble finding, you’ll find Toru Inose and the team at Friends Racing. Inose and staff aren’t just interested in building fast cars, the machines they craft have to be as impressive to look at as they are to drive.
Over the past decades, Friends Racing has migrated from drag racing to drifting, and from D1 events into time attack, leaving their signature mark with each motor sport they compete in. Their demo cars have become iconic with their bright red exteriors, and impossibly clean silver interiors and undercarriages that show off the craftsmanship of the chassis work. The last two seasons saw their flagship S15 take a back seat in favor of campaigning Taichi’s S14 and the newer VAB STI demo car; both of which have seen notable improvements as of late. In the most recent Machine Check! video, and the accompanying gallery, we take a closer look at both of these cars.
Both the VAB, driven by Yukio Matsui, and the S14, driven by Inose’s son, Taichi, have made their way onto the TC2000 Rankings list with a 55.795 and 56.054 respectively – proving that these cars aren’t just show pieces (although they could be). Inose is infamously tight-lipped at events, and getting very specific information on the Friends cars is difficult, but we did our best to get the most up to date information in modification – even an in-car video of the S14 from this last Sugo event. Enjoy the video and take a moment to look through the gallery to see more of the most recent version of the two cars.
There’s also a past feature on the origins of Taichi’s S14, as well as more photos of the STI from past Attack events, on the main site. Scroll through the main page or use the search function to find them easier.
Actually, this article here, goes over a brief history of Friends Racing, as well as a look back at the S14’s former life – check it out if you get a chance!
