I love Mercs, but this is why my heart always belongs to a "rice burner"! Part 2of 2
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From: From Oxnard; living in Ocean View Hills, San Diego, CA
'01 C320 SS
I love Mercs, but this is why my heart always belongs to a "rice burner"! Part 2 of 2
Nagata doing his 190+ mph run on the A1 in the UK (and getting arrested for it... 
THE MOST INCREDIBLE SIGHT EVER
Next thing, Mr Nagata's headlights appeared about half a mile away on the southbound carriageway. Even from this distance we could hear the rumble of the tyres and the sizzling turbos. We got on the mobile to the deputy editor John Sootheran who was stationed 400 yards past the bridge. "Here it comes, John, ****ing hell!" It was the most incredible sight we've ever seen. It rushed towards us, headlights mesmerising our brains, then with a noise - no scrub that - a frequency we felt in our guts, it passed under the bridge and was gone. Jaws were open, heads shaking. The speed the car passed under us was devastating.
Mr Nagata eased the Supra back onto the bridge for some more checks. When he jumped out we jumped in and pressed the recall button on the Stack; the figures 310kph (194mph) and 9700rpm flashed up. It took a while for the reality to sink in.
Still no 200mph, though, so Mr Nagata leapt in for another crack. It was difficult to see the point. He'd just gone faster than anyone's ever gone on British roads as was still alive. Surely 200mph wouldn't feel that much different?
There was not talking him out of it, especially as we knew no Japanese and he couldn't speak English. Anyway, he'd disappeared 10 minutes ago and there was no sign of him. Then an excited Japanese voice came on the walkie-talkie.
They'd been tagged, not at speed, not doing anything wrong, but told in to uncertain terms to clear off. It was almost a relief to hear. Three cop T5s were prowling, taking an interest in why we were hanging around a bridge at 4.30am.
We decided to go. Suddenly, another message burst from the radios. Taka interpreted: "Mr Nagata, he ready for the challenge now..."
THREE VOLVOS SWARM ROUND THE SUPRA
As Mr Nagata hit 130mph, the challenge was over. Three T5s had swarmed around the Supra in a matter of 20 seconds and the car was escorted away by the trio of flashing Volvos, leaving Mr Nagata to face a challenge he hadn't expected.
We followed the convoy, which arrived at Peterborough police station 15 minutes later. As the officers took him inside, Mr Nagata's only hope was to mount a spirited defence using the words 'hello' and 'schoolgirls' - the only English he knows. Even a man fearless enough to attempt 200mph on the A1 for the sake of a Japanese-commissioned video must have been cacking himself.
As we arrived, Taka went in to translate. He was in there for just over an hour and 30 minutes. When he came out he gave an immediate update on the proceedings. "They're not happy," he said.
It was now 6.34am. No one had slept, Top Secret's President was in custody and he needed a solicitor sharpish. Astonishingly, Taka remained adamant that Mr Nagata would do 200mph on the road. "He's no chicken," said the man we know as "The Otter". We could scarcely believe what we were hearing. Eyes bloodshot and screaming for bed, we were seriously doubting the sanity of our Oriental friends.
We offered sympathy as Taka tried to work out what to do next. Incredibly he remained unfazed and asked us to look in the phone book for Perry Mason. When it was explained that he was a fictional lawyer, Taka did not seem so optimistic anymore.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 10 YEARS AT THIS RATE!
"You could always try someone from LA LAW," it was suggested, jokingly. "Yes, I think that is a good idea," said Taka, looking relieved. ****. They'll all go down for 10 years at this rate...
Thinks looked grim. Even with an interpreter, Mr Nagata's on line of defence was: "Come on, you honour, 130mph isn't that fast." The police had also seized the video evidence of his earlier shenanigans, which probably featured a close-up of the Stack system showing 310kph - a piffling 194mph.
With that likely to go down like a pork chop at a Bar Mitzvah, Top Secret's other hope was that the police video facilities hadn't yet moved out of the Betamax era.
Later on, a call to the police station revealed that the wheels of Britain's legal system were spinning even faster that the Supra's. A solicitor and interpreter were currently with Mr Nagata, and the case would be held at Magistrates Court shortly.
Once in court Mr Nagata clarified his name, age and promptly pleaded guilty. Good start. The police account of events was read out and shed new light on the case, however. According to them the Supra was stationary on the hard shoulder with its hazard warning lights on when the police pulled up behind it. At this point, they said, the car accelerated off and was pulled over seconds later doing 130mph. Talk about rock 'n' roll.
The solicitor read the defence for Mr Nagata, stressing the time he'd already spent in custody and the Magistrates huddled to confer like the contestants on Blockbusters.
Amazingly, the fine was £155, plus £35 costs, plus a 28 day ban from driving on English roads.
BRITISH JUSTICE AT ITS CRYPTIC BEST
With that, it was over. British justice at its cryptic best. In local and national news, police would be quoted as being "astonished" at the punishment, calling this "the sort of maniac driving at daft speeds that the courts should be cracking down on."
It would also transpire that this was the first serious speeding offence on the new A1(M), and that police were opposed to the road being widened to four lanes for fear of this type of excessive speeding.
We left Court One and congregated outside. Normally reserved, Mr Nagata beamed and once more gave a thumbs-up. He said something to Taka, who immediately translated... "Mr Nagata said that when he comes back to England next summer, he will definitely crack the 200mph-barrier." Oh ****...
...ok; I'm done!!!
rob c.
1985 Toy Supra TRD Susp., [Thorley headers, HKS P-flow, Exh] 210hp
1988 Toy Supra TRD Susp., [HKS Stage 3 [circa 1990] 325hp@22psi
1994 Honda Civic EX Turbo, Eibach/Koni Susp. [Rytek/DPR] 280hp @ 12psi
1999 Honda Civic EX [Stocker]
THE MOST INCREDIBLE SIGHT EVER
Next thing, Mr Nagata's headlights appeared about half a mile away on the southbound carriageway. Even from this distance we could hear the rumble of the tyres and the sizzling turbos. We got on the mobile to the deputy editor John Sootheran who was stationed 400 yards past the bridge. "Here it comes, John, ****ing hell!" It was the most incredible sight we've ever seen. It rushed towards us, headlights mesmerising our brains, then with a noise - no scrub that - a frequency we felt in our guts, it passed under the bridge and was gone. Jaws were open, heads shaking. The speed the car passed under us was devastating.
Mr Nagata eased the Supra back onto the bridge for some more checks. When he jumped out we jumped in and pressed the recall button on the Stack; the figures 310kph (194mph) and 9700rpm flashed up. It took a while for the reality to sink in.
Still no 200mph, though, so Mr Nagata leapt in for another crack. It was difficult to see the point. He'd just gone faster than anyone's ever gone on British roads as was still alive. Surely 200mph wouldn't feel that much different?
There was not talking him out of it, especially as we knew no Japanese and he couldn't speak English. Anyway, he'd disappeared 10 minutes ago and there was no sign of him. Then an excited Japanese voice came on the walkie-talkie.
They'd been tagged, not at speed, not doing anything wrong, but told in to uncertain terms to clear off. It was almost a relief to hear. Three cop T5s were prowling, taking an interest in why we were hanging around a bridge at 4.30am.
We decided to go. Suddenly, another message burst from the radios. Taka interpreted: "Mr Nagata, he ready for the challenge now..."
THREE VOLVOS SWARM ROUND THE SUPRA
As Mr Nagata hit 130mph, the challenge was over. Three T5s had swarmed around the Supra in a matter of 20 seconds and the car was escorted away by the trio of flashing Volvos, leaving Mr Nagata to face a challenge he hadn't expected.
We followed the convoy, which arrived at Peterborough police station 15 minutes later. As the officers took him inside, Mr Nagata's only hope was to mount a spirited defence using the words 'hello' and 'schoolgirls' - the only English he knows. Even a man fearless enough to attempt 200mph on the A1 for the sake of a Japanese-commissioned video must have been cacking himself.
As we arrived, Taka went in to translate. He was in there for just over an hour and 30 minutes. When he came out he gave an immediate update on the proceedings. "They're not happy," he said.
It was now 6.34am. No one had slept, Top Secret's President was in custody and he needed a solicitor sharpish. Astonishingly, Taka remained adamant that Mr Nagata would do 200mph on the road. "He's no chicken," said the man we know as "The Otter". We could scarcely believe what we were hearing. Eyes bloodshot and screaming for bed, we were seriously doubting the sanity of our Oriental friends.
We offered sympathy as Taka tried to work out what to do next. Incredibly he remained unfazed and asked us to look in the phone book for Perry Mason. When it was explained that he was a fictional lawyer, Taka did not seem so optimistic anymore.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 10 YEARS AT THIS RATE!
"You could always try someone from LA LAW," it was suggested, jokingly. "Yes, I think that is a good idea," said Taka, looking relieved. ****. They'll all go down for 10 years at this rate...
Thinks looked grim. Even with an interpreter, Mr Nagata's on line of defence was: "Come on, you honour, 130mph isn't that fast." The police had also seized the video evidence of his earlier shenanigans, which probably featured a close-up of the Stack system showing 310kph - a piffling 194mph.
With that likely to go down like a pork chop at a Bar Mitzvah, Top Secret's other hope was that the police video facilities hadn't yet moved out of the Betamax era.
Later on, a call to the police station revealed that the wheels of Britain's legal system were spinning even faster that the Supra's. A solicitor and interpreter were currently with Mr Nagata, and the case would be held at Magistrates Court shortly.
Once in court Mr Nagata clarified his name, age and promptly pleaded guilty. Good start. The police account of events was read out and shed new light on the case, however. According to them the Supra was stationary on the hard shoulder with its hazard warning lights on when the police pulled up behind it. At this point, they said, the car accelerated off and was pulled over seconds later doing 130mph. Talk about rock 'n' roll.
The solicitor read the defence for Mr Nagata, stressing the time he'd already spent in custody and the Magistrates huddled to confer like the contestants on Blockbusters.
Amazingly, the fine was £155, plus £35 costs, plus a 28 day ban from driving on English roads.
BRITISH JUSTICE AT ITS CRYPTIC BEST
With that, it was over. British justice at its cryptic best. In local and national news, police would be quoted as being "astonished" at the punishment, calling this "the sort of maniac driving at daft speeds that the courts should be cracking down on."
It would also transpire that this was the first serious speeding offence on the new A1(M), and that police were opposed to the road being widened to four lanes for fear of this type of excessive speeding.
We left Court One and congregated outside. Normally reserved, Mr Nagata beamed and once more gave a thumbs-up. He said something to Taka, who immediately translated... "Mr Nagata said that when he comes back to England next summer, he will definitely crack the 200mph-barrier." Oh ****...
...ok; I'm done!!!
rob c.
1985 Toy Supra TRD Susp., [Thorley headers, HKS P-flow, Exh] 210hp
1988 Toy Supra TRD Susp., [HKS Stage 3 [circa 1990] 325hp@22psi
1994 Honda Civic EX Turbo, Eibach/Koni Susp. [Rytek/DPR] 280hp @ 12psi
1999 Honda Civic EX [Stocker]
Last edited by CHATMANR; Nov 21, 2002 at 01:40 AM.
