“The important thing to immortality is to first reside a life price remembering.”

Poignant phrases from historical past’s most harmful dragon, Bruce Lee. However this story will not be in regards to the ‘Dragon’. It is about one other dragon, the Toyota Sera ‘Twin Dragon.’ A becoming title, given by its mad scientist creator, Takuro Watanabe from Circuit & Goals CLR. Not solely as a result of it is the 12 months of the snake within the Chinese language zodiac, but in addition as a result of this Sera is a 1,000hp twin-motor 4WD beast that defies perception.

This is not Watanabe-san’s first rodeo relating to loopy creations – you may bear in mind his quad-turbo Nissan Silvia S14 from seven or eight years in the past. To have fun the twentieth anniversary of Circuit & Goals CLR, Watanabe-san took his imaginative and prescient of automotive insanity to an entire new degree, and he confirmed the Sera in its working, however not fairly completed state at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.

Earlier than we dive into the main points of this double-headed dragon constructed for driving, what even is a Toyota Sera?

Constructed by Toyota solely for the Japanese home market between 1990 and 1995, the Sera was geared up with a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine and was supplied with a 4-speed automated or 5-speed handbook transmission. Its occasion piece was its butterfly doorways, which hinged upwards and required simply 430mm of exterior area for clearance – good for tight Japanese parking areas.

These doorways even have one other declare to fame. Coincidentally, a grey import Toyota Sera was residing close to Gordon Murray’s house within the UK on the similar time he was placing the ending touches on the McLaren F1 design. Whereas the unique sketch for the F1 was drawn in an Italian airport lounge in 1988, the Sera supplied the inspiration for the McLaren’s two-cornered doorways.

There’s a noticeable design language shared between the Sera and the F1. The swaying oval shapes, rounded corners and insect-like curves are strikingly related. Sure, these design particulars could be seen in lots of ’90s automobiles, however the break up home windows and greenhouse format of the F1 and Sera are significantly harking back to one another.

So it is no shock that once I requested Watanabe-san about his plans for a customized physique package for his Sera, he mentioned it will characteristic styling cues borrowed from McLaren. With a a lot wider entrance and rear observe than the unique, the fenders and aspect skirts might want to accommodate the butterfly doorways. Perhaps one thing just like the McLaren Senna?’

So what has Watanabe-san constructed to date? Nicely, solely the most effective bits of the Sera stay. Entrance and rear tubular body integrates with the unique Toyota monocoque chassis and a roll cage to strengthen the construction. Many of the inside is gone aside from the door playing cards.

Twin MoTeC ECUs are seen by the sprint, together with the clutch and brake reservoirs, serving to to clear up area within the engine bay(s). A MoTeC M800 controls the entrance engine, whereas an M400 handles the rear. Inspiration for the setup got here from Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima’s unique twin-engined Pikes Peak Suzuki Cultus (Swift).

The Sera’s entrance engine is an SR20VET from a 2001 X-Path GT, Nissan’s first turbo engine with VVT. It’s geared up with high-lift cams from the Pulsar VZ-R N1 homologation particular and cast pistons and connecting rods. Based on Watanabe-san, this engine produces 500 hp because of a Belief/GReddy TD07-25G turbo and gasoline system improve. It’s mated to a 6-speed Honda transmission, initially mated to a K20A.

The identical transmission seems behind the Sera, however this time it’s used with the Honda engine it was designed for. The K20A additionally advantages from a TD07-25G turbo, plus Wiseco cast pistons, K1 cast rods, 296-degree Toda Racing cams, and 1,000 cc/min gasoline injectors, all good for 500 hp too.

This wild Nissan-Honda-Toyota mashup is a testomony to the relentless spirit of Japanese tuners, all the time pushing the boundaries of what is doable, exploring chassis past the standard JDM efficiency automotive classics. I am positive this may not be the final time we see Watanabe-san’s creation, and when it is lastly executed, Speedhunters will probably be there to allow you to reside by it vicariously.

Till then, you’ll be able to see extra of the Sera – together with some very transient footage of it in motion – right here video.

Toby Thyer
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