GENROQ Driving Academy

Genroku Driving Academy

It’s also a great opportunity to interact with fellow car enthusiasts as they hone their skills safely and have fun !

The cars that gathered were from all over the world, from sports cars to SUVs. However, they were all sports models that any car enthusiast would take notice of!

Nowadays, cars are becoming so powerful that they are unable to fully demonstrate their performance on public roads. That’s why GENROQ, which deals in supercars and luxury cars, wants to provide an opportunity for people to enjoy such cars to their heart’s content! We want people to be able to bring out the true potential of their beloved cars and fall in love with them even more! The “GENROQ Driving Academy” was planned with this idea in mind. The event was held on Wednesday, October 9th at Fuji Speedway. Despite it being a weekday, 25 people applied, and the event went off without a hitch.

The cars on display were a diverse range, from supercars to compact sports cars and even SUVs. However, they were all models for the discerning car enthusiast, and it was clear at a glance that they were all driven by car enthusiasts. Just as you’d expect from a GENROQ reader.

Unfortunately, it rained on the day, and depending on the time it got quite wet. However, everyone was very positive, saying, “No, no, in fact the tires aren’t wearing down!” Let’s stay positive and enjoy the day!

The lecturers will be Tanaka Tetsuya and Ara Seiji, who are familiar faces from the series!

[The lecturers are Tetsuya Tanaka and Seiji Ara, familiar faces from the series!] The two familiar faces from the magazine's "Harsh Impressions" series appeared as lecturers. Sometimes gentle, sometimes strict!? They gave us guidance. — The two familiar faces from the magazine’s serial “Harsh Impressions” appeared as lecturers. They were sometimes kind, sometimes strict!? They gave us guidance.

Lesson 1/Classroom

First, inside a building in the large parking lot, the instructors, racing drivers Tetsuya Tanaka and Seiji Ara, gave a lecture on how to drive on the course and its purpose. At this point, Ara made a shocking confession: “We made the course more difficult than originally planned.” Huh, I hadn’t heard that…? He said that they made the double lane changes and J-turns tighter. Perhaps seeing everyone’s cars made him think, “We can go further!”

After that, the participants split into two teams and entered the course. In the “Handling & Braking Section,” they attempted pylon slalom, full braking, double lane changes, and J-turns. Participants first rode in an instructor’s car and received a lecture while watching the instructor demonstrate from the side. After that, they tried it in their own cars. Participants were a little scared at first, but as they made several runs, they gradually got the hang of going faster and faster. It was clear just from watching from the sidelines. Yep, it felt great!

[The instructor cars were the BMW M2 and the Lotus Emira] The two instructors chose these two cars for their demonstration runs, as they offer high performance and smooth handling. Both are new models that have only just been released, so the participants were very interested. — The instructor cars used this time were the BMW M2 and the Lotus Emira. These two cars were chosen for their high performance and smooth handling. Both are new models that have only just been released, so the participants were very interested in them.

Lesson 2/Pine Slalom

Lesson 3: Full braking and J-turns

Lesson 4/Double lane change

Lesson 5: Oversteer and Understeer

In the other “Oversteer & Understeer” section, participants first rode in the instructor’s car to experience understeer, oversteer, and drifting. That alone was exciting, so I wondered if everyone would be okay, but despite my worries, everyone drove hard. At first, participants only spun out, but gradually they were able to go from oversteer to countersteer. Some participants even managed to go around a steady circle countersteer, and at that moment, everyone in the gallery, including us staff, applauded enthusiastically. We felt a strong sense of unity among fellow car enthusiasts.

[Lesson 5 / Oversteer & Understeer] Accelerate while turning a steady circle created by a pylon. Participants experienced understeer and oversteer. Some even managed to complete a full circle using countersteer! — The participants accelerated while turning around a steady circle made by a pylon. They experienced understeer and oversteer. Some even managed to complete a full circle using countersteer!

Lesson 6: Fuji Speedway Main Course Experience

Special Event/Latest Supercar Exhibition & Test Drive

The sub-event, “Latest Supercar Exhibition & Test Drive,” was also a huge success. Everyone was excited to see supercars that they don’t usually have a chance to see or drive all in one place. Everyone seemed to gain a deeper understanding of the McLaren in particular, as they were able to drive it for themselves. Some even searched for dealerships near their homes on the spot to take a test drive. We hope you’ll open the door to a new car life.

At the end of the event, the instructor gave his comments at the closing ceremony. “There are a lot of good drivers among GENROQ readers!” said instructor Tetsuya Tanaka, in all honesty. To all participants, we hope you continue to enjoy your beloved cars.

The next event has not yet been decided, but we at the editorial team feel that it was extremely meaningful to be able to communicate directly with our readers. We hope to see you again next time!