20-year-old racer Rami Sasaki takes vintage car for a spin

This is a project in which 20-year-old female racing driver Ms. Rami Sasaki, who loves old cars, is asked to test drive a variety of old cars to give her honest impressions from a young person’s perspective. This time, with the cooperation of the Endless 130 Collection in Nagano Prefecture, she rode a Toyota ‘Sports 800’, known affectionately as the ‘Yota Hachi’.

“Yota-Hachi” restored and modified by ‘Endless’

Ms. Rami is a young female racing driver born in 2004 who made her four-wheel racing debut in the 2023 season in the KYOJO CUP, a motorsports category for women only held at Fuji Speedway. She recently celebrated her 20th birthday. She is an old car enthusiast at heart, to the extent that she posts about her participation in old car events on SNS. During race week, when she sees an old car at the circuit, she gets excited and her eyes light up with excitement.

Aside from being a racing driver, she usually works for MSC Corporation, the company that manages Formula Drift Japan, and lives a car-obsessed life both publicly and privately. This season, she entered the KYOJO CUP as she did last season. In the opening round on 12 May, just after her birthday, she took the chequered flag in 5th place, her best finish. She will also make a spot entry in the GR86/BRZ Cup Clubman Series this season.

We asked Rami, such an old car enthusiast, to test drive a Toyota ‘Sports 800’, a vehicle on display at the Endless 130 Collection. The Endless 130 Collection is a facility opened in March 2021 by Endless, a parts manufacturer famous for its brakes and suspension. It has a café with a focus on flavor, a museum with a collection of vehicles on display, and a racing garage where race cars are maintained. The opening of this facility was a long-time dream of the late Isao Hanazato, founder and chairman of ENDLESS.

Open the door to surprise: where is the rearview mirror?

This Toyota Sports 800 is a 1965 model and was finished to be exhibited at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon. From its initial rusty, putty-covered state, it was fully restored and modified in the Endless style over about six months.

“The round shape is so cute!”

That was Rami’s first comment when she saw the actual Sports 800.

“I like the overall rounded silhouette and the design of the front face, including the lights. I also like the way the rear design fits in with the body lines!”

She also liked the points unique to the 130 Collection specification.

“The PIAA fog lights have been added, and I like them because they give the car a kind of racing car feel.”

And as she was about to get into the driver’s seat, Rami was surprised when she opened the door.

“I’m surprised that the door is so thin and light! I guess the car weighs quite light too. The room mirror is …… oh! Is it on the dashboard instead of on top? That’s kind of interesting! Also, I like the way the frame sticks out from the interior, it gives it a racy look.”