This Is How Japan Does Euro Style
From a ‘slant nose’ Porsche 996 Turbo to an S54-swapped E30 convertible, this is how Japan tuners do Euro style.
Japan may be an island, but its geographic isolation did not stop its people from embracing other cultures while also incorporating creative ideas of their own. Case in point: the latest issue of Japan's Stance Magazine profiles two of the coolest Euro-style builds, with a Japanese twist. Check out the Stance Magazine #20 teaser video featuring the latest builds by Osaka's AP Garage:
Akira Nakai's renowned Rauh-Welt Begriff Porsches have no doubt inspired a lot of car enthusiasts to aspire for a classic air-cooled Porsche. But with the prices appreciating dramatically every year, vintage Porsches are approaching unobtainium levels, while more modern 996 and 997 Porsche 911s are starting to become the more pragmatic choice.
However, without an RWB wide body kit available, the modern Porsches didn't seem to exude as much edginess and shock factor as the older cars could—that is, until the Old & New Porsche 997 made its debut at SEMA.
The "slant nose" styling inspired by the iconic Porsche 935 "flachbau" made the Old & New kit a must have. But since the Old & New kit was originally designed for the Porsche 997, AP Garage had its work cut out in order to make the kit fit the 996 Turbo. Still, the end result looks terrific, and the grayscale Martini livery really finishes off the car.
AP Garage's second build is far milder—at least from the outside. The classic lines of this BMW E30 convertible remained unchanged, only accented with square headlights (love it or hate it) and aggressive stance fitment (again, love it or hate it).
What's really special about this E30 convertible lurks inside: a motor salvaged from a BMW E46 M3 that crashed at a circuit. AP Garage performed an S54 engine swap, shaved the bay, and got the car ready for Osaka Auto Messe 2017.
What do you think of Japan's interpretation of Euro style? Do you prefer the aggressive Old & New 996 Turbo or the more subtle E30/46 convertible? Let us know in the comment section below.
