While “Super Saturday” was just getting started in Scottsdale on Jan. 25, owners of classic European and Japanese cars were getting together in downtown Phoenix for the second “Kyusha Club” meetup of the year. Even though the weather was overcast, the rains held up (in fact, Phoenix continued its run toward a record-setting dry streak).
Here were five specific vehicles that caught my eye among the large number of attendees, in order of oldest to newest model year.
1993 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 “RS America”
The silhouette of the Porsche 911 has been an unmistakable figure of sports car motoring since the mid-1960s. The RS America was a lightweight version of the 964 “Carrera 2” coupe that was offered only in 1993 and 1994. It weighed 77 pounds less than a standard 911, and that power-to-weight advantage helped it gain a slight edge in performance. The 911 has always been praised for its agile handling, and the RS America was no exception. There were only 701 RS Americas produced. It was a treat to see this historic-plated Guards Red 911 on display in such well-kept condition both inside and out.
1996 Nissan 300ZX
This popular Japanese sports car could be optioned in either two-seat or four-seat arrangements, and its available twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 pumped out 300 horsepower. The “Z32” platform was the second generation of the car that was known as the Fairlady Z in select non-U.S. markets. I enjoyed seeing this beautiful Ultra Red example sporting its original five-spoke 16-inch wheels and a stock quad-outlet exhaust system. The Z has a longstanding history with Nissan, and even today, the car is cherished by a dedicated enthusiast base, including attendees of the nationwide “Z Club of America.”
1997 Toyota Celica GT4
The sixth-generation Celica rode on Toyota’s front-wheel-drive T200 platform and was sold from 1994 through 1999. The GT-Four variant (previously known as the “All-Trac”) became known as the ST205, but it was not offered for sale in the United States. The car had been developed for rally racing applications and came with all-wheel drive, a limited-slip differential, special suspension upgrades and a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 255 horsepower. Now that the 25-year-rule for Federal importation has passed, examples like this white right-hand-drive car are making their way to the United States.
1998 Acura Integra Type R
A favorite car for collectors and tuners alike, the Acura Integra Type R took the already-capable third-generation Integra platform and gave it a few tweaks like a special B18C motor with 195 horsepower and an 8,400-rpm redline. But even that power wasn’t enough for some – and this eye-catching (and mean-sounding) Phoenix Yellow Integra received a complete motor swap to a K-series powerplant. This car deserves a standalone story at some point, but aside from the drivetrain update, it had Japanese-market front-end swap, a modified suspension and aerodynamic treatment all the way around.
2004 Volkswagen R32
The R32 was offered for just one year in the United States, and it was a perfect definition of the term “hot hatch.” It came with a 237-horsepower V6 engine and an available six-speed manual transmission sending power to all four wheels via the “4MOTION” all-wheel-drive system. The performance credentials were many, and some of them included larger brakes, bolstered seats and anti-roll bars for optimized handling. Despite having over 100,000 miles on the odometer, this one looked fresh inside and out.
Do any of these imports of yesteryear bring back memories for you? The volume and variety of cars at Kyusha Club continue to impress, and we are excited to see what vehicles show up to the next event. Until then, thanks for tuning in!