In case you were wondering whether it was possible to buy a plush doll of famed racing driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino, the answer is yes. That’s right, the Nissan pilot who placed third at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans and who helmed the JTC-winning Calsonic R32 Skyline GT-R now exists as an adorable stuffed figure. Funnily enough, this isn’t even the first time this has happened.
The original doll was sold by Hoshino’s team Impul in in the heyday of the Calsonic R32 Skyline GT-R. In 1990 Hoshino and co-driver Toshio Suzuki came out of the gates with the Group A Godzilla’s inaugural season and went straight to the top of the leader boards. It wasn’t even close. Hoshino and Suzuki logged 230 points when the season was over, while the next closest team got only 160, forever cementing the R32 Skyline GT-R and Calsonic Blue into the hearts of fans. These days the original doll is quite rare and a rather sought-after collector’s item.
Last week Impul announced a re-issue of the plush figure. As you can see, there are some differences between the original and the re-release. The original has Hoshino in a Calsonic racing suit with Nissan and Bridgestone branding on it. The re-release simply says Impul on the side, as Calsonic is no more. The face, however, is spot on with Hoshino’s long face and shaggy hair. A spitting image!
The remake is offered for sale at the Impul showroom in Tokyo or at the Impul online shop for ¥2200. Of course, you’ll need to find a friend to buy one in Japan for you, as it is not available to ship internationally. Why would you want one? It’s just another interesting part of Japanese motoring history, like a manga about Soichiro Honda or a Mr K bobblehead. If you ask us, there should be more stuffed likenesses of decades-old Nissan Works drivers.
It’s a cute plush toy Ben, but did you really not make a post for 8-6 day? I’m flabbergasted.
I was actually looking for an 8-6 Day post too. I dont think Ben did one last year either.