More than the GT-R, I’m a big fan of Garage Active and President Sakamoto

“Garage Active” is the only specialty store in Kyushu that offers unique GT-R customization styles such as chassis and twin chassis. The shop is a one-stop shop that meets users’ needs with hard tuning, full restoration, and other services based on its many years of drag racing experience. We introduce a GT-R owner who shares the company’s originality in machine design. This time, we will introduce Mr. Sagara’s Nissan R35 “GT-R”, who has known President Sakamoto for over 30 years.

Because of the sale of his R32, he has known Mr. Sagara for more than 30 years

“I am particular about the GT-R, but more than that, I am a fan of Garage Active and President Sakamoto. That’s why I bought it here.

Atsushi Sagara says this right out of the gate.

This is the first time for him to buy a GT-R from Garage Active, but he has already known them for more than 30 years.

The sale of his R32 “Skyline GT-R” was the reason for his visit, but as soon as they started talking, they hit it off. Since then, he has always gone to Garage Active when he buys a car. At that time, Garage Active was not yet a GT-R specialty store, so they had a variety of sports cars available, including a Nissan Stagea and a Toyota Supra, but when he had a child, he switched to a Nissan Elgrand. Even so, President Sakamoto still urged him in his annual New Year’s greeting card, “When are you coming back to this world⁉?

The engine is stocked, but it is so fast that he hesitates to step on it

After raising children for about 10 years, Mr. Sagara decided to return to sports cars. As her last hobby car, she wanted to drive a car with paddle shifters, which she had never touched before. Unlike before, Garage Active is now a GT-R specialty store, and the R35 GT-R fulfilled this requirement. When he visited Garage Active to discuss the purchase, he met the demo car that would later become his favorite car. At a glance, it looked modest, but I felt its appearance was tasteful.

“They told me they could get me the same one, but I kept asking for this one. In the end, I was finally able to get him to give it to me. Perhaps it was because I felt that if it was a car that President Sakamoto had painstakingly tailored, then there was no doubt about it.

When I got into the R35 GT-R, I was overwhelmed by its speed. Even though the engine was stocked, I felt that it was too much to push the car at full throttle, but on the other hand, I also felt that the thrill that the speed brought was irreplaceable. What was unexpected, however, was the amount of attention it attracted. As a former demo car, he was often approached by people from all over the place, and he laughs bitterly, “I couldn’t stay anywhere for very long.

I was amazed at the performance of the air suspension, which is no different from a standard coilover kit!

We have no complaints about the suspension either; the air suspension, developed in conjunction with T-DEMAND, rides and performs no differently than a standard coilover kit, and the advantage is that we don’t have to worry about bumps in front of us. The only complaints are the sound of the muffler and the fender clearance. The muffler is fine while cruising, but the sound is so loud when the accelerator is depressed that it is difficult to have a conversation in the cabin. The fenders are a demo car, and as a result of aiming for an aggressive wheel size to make the fenders flush, the tires would make contact as soon as the ride height was lowered. We have not decided how to deal with this.

“I have no intention of making any major modifications in the future, but I am interested in the carbon fiber hood from Garage Active, and I am considering replacing the dashboard because I am concerned about the vertical split in the dashboard, which is a defect unique to the earlier model. I thought I was happy with it when I bought it, but once I started driving it, I noticed this and that.”

I want to enjoy the R35 with my wife until I eventually pass it on to my daughter

Also, perhaps influenced by her boyfriend who drives a sports car, my oldest daughter recently told me, “When you sell this, give it to me. I have been saying back to her, “Then buy it.”

But in truth, I am happy to hear that she is going to take it over. Until that time comes, I plan to enjoy the R35 while cherishing the time I have with my wife. My wife herself does not drive the car, but when I don’t drive it too much, she sometimes points out that I should move it once in a while. …… I am grateful that she understands that I drive a sports car and take care of this and that.

With the GT-R in his hands, Mr. Sagara is once again feeling the joy of driving a sports car. With the support of his doctor, Garage Active, he intends to accumulate precious memories with this car.

translated by DeepL