I think that today, the Japanese Best Motoring program needs no introduction. If you don’t know them, they are one of the world references in sports car tests on circuits. Icons such as Keiichi Tsuchiya, one of the fathers of drifting as a sport, have emerged from its ranks. In the year 2000, they brought together the best sports cars of the (then) past 15 years, and faced them in a circuit as iconic as Suzuka. The result is a video of almost 20 minutes, fortunately subtitled, that you cannot miss.
Among the rivals are cars like the Ferrari F40 and its modern successor, the Ferrari F50. There are also three Porsche 911s: a 993 Turbo, a 993 GT2, and a 996 GT3. They are joined by a Lamborghini Diablo SV, a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta and a Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II – the only Japanese in the contest. In the early stages of the race the turbocharged Porsches prevail, but little by little, they are dropping like flies before the slow but unstoppable advance of Italy.
This video is like watching the Gran Turismo video game in real life.
The Ferrari F40 and Ferrari F50 manage to impose themselves with full authority, highlighting the spectacular role of the Ferrari F50 – and the note of its V12, whose block was directly derived from Formula 1. The three Porsches are next on the list of results, the fastest being the GT2, and winning the 993 Turbo to the 996 GT3 in a remarkable way. The Lamborghini and the F355 are placed in sixth and seventh places, with the almighty Godzilla being relegated to the last position – the power-to-weight ratio was not in his favor at all.
