Enjoy the circuit in a very rare machine, the only one of its kind in Japan

The Group C motorsport category was popular in the 1980s and 1990s, and the Ultima Can-Am Spyder from Ultima Sport is the only car in Japan that has the style of a racing machine like that. We happened to come across such an ultra-rare car at Fuji Speedway.

Although a racing car, it can be driven on streets and is equipped with an air conditioner

During the 1980s and 1990s, car enthusiasts became obsessed with motorsport. The most shocking of these was the Group C category, known as prototype racing cars, where fierce races were fought at speeds of over 400 km/h.

The aerodynamic theory led to the adoption of a ground-effect structure, which allowed downforce to come from under the floor rather than from the wings. The flat, elongated body form became etched in our memories as a new image of the racing car.

The car presented here is a version of this monster machine that was built to public road specifications while retaining its performance. The name of this car, which has the styling of a Group C car, is the Ultima Can-Am Spyder. It is an extremely rare car, only one of which exists in Japan.

The Ultima Can-Am Spyder, which looks for all intents and purposes like a C-car itself, is a kit car produced by the British company Ultima Sport in 2006. At the time, a closed-body version of the Ultima GTR with the same specifications achieved a world record 0-100-0 mph (approx. 0-160-0 km/h) acceleration + deceleration test time of 9.4 seconds. It also boasted a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h.

The exterior design was inspired by the cars competing in the Le Mans 24-hour race, and its form is exactly that of a race car. Inside, however, the car is equipped with air-conditioning, power steering, navigation system, and other comforts for public road use.

The current owner is Mr Masaaki Mizobuchi, who lives in Aichi Prefecture. He had been interested in this car for a long time and happened to be offered the chance to sell it to him, so he bought it last year.

It was at Fuji Speedway that we met this car and its owner, Mizobuchi-san. What’s more, we were surprised to see this car not in the paddock, but on the circuit course.

This supermachine is so valuable that it could have been displayed in a museum. It’s a rare car, the only one in Japan, that’s going full throttle on the circuit. However, according to the owner, it is only in places like this that the true potential of this car can be demonstrated. They say that driving on public roads only adds stress to the car. For a car that was born from the idea of a racing car, this opinion is certainly correct.