The Soarer with the specifications from the manga “Shakotan Boogie”

The manga “Shakotan Boogie”, written by Michiharu Kusunoki and serialized in Weekly Young Magazine in 1986, had a great impact on vehicle lovers in Japan. Influenced by the manga, an owner built a real-life version of the Toyota Soarer that the manga’s main character “Hajime-chan” drove.

Equipped with the most powerful unit, the RB26DETT

One manga that had a huge impact on the vehicle-loving youth of the 1980s was the manga “Shakotan Boogie”, written by Michiharu Kusunoki and serialized in the Weekly Young Magazine in 1986. The reason why it enthralled street racer fans and the modification mania of the time was that the modified cars depicted in the manga all pursued reality.

The owner of the MZ11 Toyota Soarer 2.8GT shown here, Taku-san, is also from the generation that was hooked on the manga “Shakotan Boogie”. After restoring the unmoving Soarer he inherited from his uncle, he built an actual Soarer version with the RB26DETT engine that Hajime-chan used to drive. Its perfection completely exceeded the world of the manga.

Anyone who knows the world of tuning knows the greatness of the RB26DETT, the power unit of the R32 GT-R. Not only the engine, but also the drive system and electronic devices of the GT-R at the time were all state-of-the-art and amazing, and it was even said that the only enemy of the R32 GT-R in both the tuning and racing industries was the R32 GT-R.

Many people must have been shocked by the absurd idea of installing such a powerful engine in a Soarer in the manga “Shakotan Boogie”. Taku-san introduced here is one of them, and the content of that shocking story became an unforgettable memory, out of curiosity to see if he could actually build one ……, he decided to build a Soarer equipped with RB26DETT.

Equipped for the R32 GT-R from start to finish

It took about two years of repeated trial and error with the help of friends to produce the car. The 5M-GEU engine originally installed in the base MZ11 Soarer 2.8GT was unloaded, the suspension members were slightly modified to fit within its dimensions, and engine mounts were fabricated so that the RB26DETT could be installed. Of course, the turbine and other auxiliaries were also installed inside the Soarer’s body. The result is a very high degree of perfection and looks as natural as a stock engine.

Along with the engine conversion, the drivetrain was also modified significantly, using the R33 Skyline Type M 5-speed transmission and an OS Giken twin plate clutch. A mechanical LSD was also installed, but as for the differential, the stock carrier was left in place, so it was strengthened with a TRD mechanical differential for the Soarer.