One of the cars that stopped us in our tracks at the Tokyo Auto Salon was a lone Toyota Mark II parked amidst a sea of Mazdas. Why? Despite being the archetypical Bubble Era Toyota sedan, this GX71 jettisoned its Aichi straight-six for a Hiroshima rotary, complete with the stamp of RE-Amemiya’s Isami Amemiya himself — and RX71, if you will.
As part of the Auto Salon’s Rotary Exhibition section and directly across from the RE-Amemiya booth, the gleaming white and very boxy Mark II stood out from the swoopy Mazdas that shared the space. Built by Coast Line and Goda Auto Body, the project started as a dilapidated and rusty Mark II hardtop a year ago. Many bits of the engine had already been scavenged, but the shop had a donor FC RX-7 available.
Rather than rebuild it as a proper Toyota, the decision was made to install the Mazda engine and 5-speed transmission into the Mark II. The bridge-ported rotary with RX-8 rotor and OER throttle had been built by the legendary rotary tuner RE-Amemiya. With the hood closed, though, one would never guess until they heard its unmistakable brap.
From the outside, the Mark II is the epitome of the haisoka style of the 80s. Finished in obligatory Crystal Pearl Mica, it sports straked Pittura bumpers and rear spoiler, Gains step trim and Euro rib cladding, and Work Ewings (F:15x8J, R:15×8.5J). A modern build would have flush fitment on the wheels and tires, but here the wheels are a little sunk in, completely appropriate for the time.
Like a proper Bubble Era sled, it wears chopstick antennae on the roof and a boomerang TV antenna on the trunk lid. In period this would have provided VHF/UHF signals to an on-board cathode ray, but on this particular the items were simply nostalgia-evoking decoration.
The rotary engine swap is novel, and will certainly sound unique when this Mark II is blasting down the expressway. But that’s almost immaterial to our attraction to this build. The evocation of peak 1980s Japan style is what we love most about this Mark II, and why it was one of our favorites of the show.
Unbelievably cool! I would love a GX71 hardtop someday