“I bought a car with a rich character that is worthy of welcoming Kanreki” [A masterpiece purchased in 2024]

What did Japan’s top five car enthusiasts buy?

(Summary of the previous episode: Nishikawa Jun buys an E46 3 Series Cabriolet. Behind this lies the existence of a secret club…)

One day, K-chan, a fellow car buddy from Tokyo, asked me if I wanted to have dinner with him as she was going to Kyoto to buy a car. When I met up with her that night, she said, “I liked it so much that I bought it. And I’m going to drive it home now!” Handing over cash, getting the documents, and driving home is just like America. What courage.

K-chan is a huge fan of supercars, both old and new, and is one of the top five car enthusiasts I know in Japan. On that day, he enthusiastically showed me his gold E46 Cabriolet (late model).

It’s really cool. I used to drive an E46 M3, so it’s one of my favorite 3 Series. Up until this point, the soft top made it look neat and sleek when open, and it was a full four-seater, which was neat. Although the current model has returned to a soft top (although it is very hard), the two generations from the E93 onwards had a slightly awkward retractable hard roof, so the sleek style when open looked all the more refreshing.

For now, I got my first one.

“So, I’m thinking of forming a team of only 46 Cabrio’s,” K-chan said. “I’ll get my desired number, 46-01, and have everyone else follow suit.” I see. Then, if the club gets excited and we reach the 29th one (Nishikawa Jun’s lucky number), I’ll buy one too, so let me join! I replied lightly, overconfident that “we probably won’t get that many people.”

After a while, “Nishikawa-san, we’re almost at our 29th car!” Seriously?! There’s a rule that you can’t reserve a number. I quickly searched for a used car, but just when I was about to, I couldn’t find one in the color or condition I wanted. I had no choice but to buy my first-generation car, which I think was white or silver. I don’t remember the color very well because I had it repainted right away.

I managed to get a 46-29 (currently registered up to 46-41, so it’s almost 46-46), but I’m a body and interior color fetishist to begin with, so even though it was repainted, the condition wasn’t great and I didn’t feel like driving it.

If you miss this, it will probably never come again.

One day, we heard that the shop where K-chan first bought the car had a silver one for sale. The cars for sale at that shop are especially revered by the members as “Kyoto items” (lol). It was silver with a gray interior. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the early model with droopy eyes that I preferred, but it was in good condition so we decided to buy it. This is the second generation.

However, a few months after I received my silver 29, I was browsing the website of a friend’s company that deals in luxury foreign companies in Kyoto and Oita, and I found the exact gold model I was looking for, a non-M Sport model with 30,000 km on the clock, listed for negotiable price! If I missed this opportunity, I knew I wouldn’t see it again. I immediately consulted my friend. Exchange the silver for gold! (Of course, I paid extra, since it was gold.)

This is how the third generation 46 Cabriolet, Gold No. 29, arrived in our home. As for the Silver No. 29, it has been converted into a 46-39 and is now the beloved car of the friend who gave me the Gold No. 29.

I’m starting to want a sedan or touring car.

Finally, there’s one other good thing about the 46 Cabriolet other than its styling. It’s the engine. It’s equipped with a 3.0-liter inline-six, which, combined with a five-speed automatic transmission, delivers a comfortable ride that seeps into every corner of your body. It’s definitely not a silky six. It’s a little different. You could say that with a three-pedal manual, but with the automatic it’s more sticky, with a slight tug or resistance, which is actually quite pleasant. It’s not fast nowadays (or rather, slow), but the feeling of being “solidly connected to the engine” is something you can never get with any other model.

The 46 is great. I’ve been wanting a sedan or touring lately, so I was searching Car Sensor and another superb 46 Cabri came up. This time it’s a rare left-hand drive in Japan Red, but it’s a later model… Hmm, a red 46 Cabri is nice too. Red 29, that sounds good too.

Who says we no longer have material desires? No, no, our worldly desires are not over yet. Next year, we’ll finally have to wear our own clothes. We have to buy a red car!