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Tokyo’s Hidden Temple of Speed: Inside Naito Engineering, the World’s Most Secretive Restoration Atelier

Tokyo hides things well. Duck into the right side street, slip between two concrete walls, and you’ll find one of the most extraordinary automotive workshops on Earth—though you’d never know it by looking. No neon sign. No glass showroom. Just a narrow doorway leading to Naito Engineering Tokyo, a family-run restoration shop so selective it asks curious visitors not to stop by.

Naito isn’t a speed shop. It’s not even a traditional restorer. It’s an enclave where car guys become craftsmen, where five workers—each related by blood—perform some of the most precise, obsessive restoration work anywhere in the world. In an era of digital scanners, robots, and plug-in everything, Naito’s most advanced tools are wrenches, jacks, and the kind of hands that come from decades of doing one thing extremely, stubbornly well.

The Cutting Workshop

The heart of Naito Engineering is what they simply call the “cutting workshop,” a modest room that might as well be a shrine. It’s here that the crew brings back the crème de la crème of automotive exotica—rare European sports cars restored piece by piece, all in-house. Engines, transmissions, chassis, paint, metalwork: nothing leaves the building. Nothing gets outsourced. There’s no stopwatch ticking in the background. The only deadline is perfection.

This philosophy traces back to the company’s founder, Shinichi Naito. Born a natural mechanic, Shinichi learned his trade the hard way: keeping aircraft engines alive during World War II. Precision wasn’t an ideal—it was survival. When he opened his Tokyo garage in 1952, those same principles carried over. Imported European sports cars arrived with demanding standards; Naito matched them with Japanese meticulousness and a stubborn resistance to shortcuts.

Shinichi’s son, Masao, inherited not just the tools but the ethos. Under him, Naito Engineering transformed from a humble garage into a mythical name whispered among collectors. If you wanted the best, you went to Naito. If you wanted the fastest job… you didn’t bother calling.

Now the torch is being passed a third time. Masao’s sons—So and Kei—work beside him, continuing the family craft while navigating what might be the biggest challenge in the shop’s history: living up to the legacy.

A Family on Film

The world’s been trying to peek behind Naito’s curtains for years. Finally, documentary filmmaker Ben Bertucci managed it. His feature film, One of One, took five years to shoot and captures Naito Engineering with the intimacy of a meditation and the tension of a family drama.

At the center is Masao, the aging patriarch whose retirement is approaching like an unwelcome deadline. He knows what this shop means—what his father built, what he’s expanded, and what could be lost if the transition isn’t perfect. The film follows him wrestling with one question: Can he trust his sons to carry the Naito legacy forward?

Not in a business sense. In a soul-of-the-machine sense.

The documentary doesn’t focus on glamorous cars or high-rolling clients. It focuses on the hands that shape them, the patience that restores them, and the fragile, human thread tying three generations together.

The Garage That Doesn’t Want Visitors

Today, Naito Engineering is so sought-after that the family can choose their clients. Random walk-ins aren’t allowed. The workshop’s website even politely warns against unannounced visits. They simply don’t have the time—or the desire—to be distracted from their work.

Because for Naito, this was never about expanding, franchising, or becoming an empire. It was always about doing one thing, the right way, from the first bolt to the final polish.

And in a city of 14 million people and infinite noise, this tiny workshop tucked in a concrete courtyard remains one of the quietest—and greatest—testaments to automotive craftsmanship in the world.

Source: Type 7 via YouTube

NEW CARS

MG 2: The UK-Designed EV Aiming Squarely at the Renault 5 — and at Europe’s Streets

MG is gearing up for a return to its roots with a small, stylish, and value-driven electric hatchback designed specifically for European tastes. Set to launch by 2027 and priced from under £25,000, the upcoming MG 2 is positioned as the brand’s answer to the reborn Renault 5—and possibly one of the most important models in MG’s modern lineup.

The MG 2 will slot beneath the MG 4 EV, forming the entry point into what will soon be a seven-strong electric lineup for the brand. And if MG’s leadership is to be believed, this won’t simply be a budget EV chasing the lowest price tag. Instead, the company sees it as the next big battleground in the electric market.

MG’s Strategy: Value, Not “Cheapest”

Speaking to Autocar, MG Motor UK boss David Allison made it clear that the brand isn’t chasing Dacia Spring–level sticker shocks or the aggressively priced entrants from Leapmotor. “Our ethos has always been about value,” Allison said. “It has not necessarily been about being the cheapest; it has been about providing the most we can for the best value for money.”

If the MG 2 follows the pattern set by the ZS—Qashqai-sized crossover, Juke-like pricing—then expect the 2 to offer more space, range, and tech than you’d expect at this price point. MG wants to occupy the sweet spot where affordability meets substance.

Platform, Power, and Positioning

Technical data remains under wraps, but sources indicate the MG 2 will ride on the same SAIC Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) that underpins the MG 4. That means flexible battery packaging, modern motor technology, and a strong chance of multiple range options.

MG is openly benchmarking the Renault 5, which runs a 150-hp motor and up to 250 miles of range from a 52-kWh battery. While MG hasn’t committed to specific figures, the implication is that the 2 will need to be competitive on both performance and usability if it’s going to win European buyers.

Designed in Britain for Europe’s Streets

One of the most interesting elements of the MG 2 is where it’s being developed. The design work—already in “fairly advanced” concept stages—is happening in MG’s London design studio, while engineering refinement will run through the brand’s Longbridge facility.

According to Allison, a European-centric design isn’t optional—it’s essential. “A four-metre electric car with European styling just won’t really work in China or several Asian markets,” he explained. That’s why MG sees this model not as a global EV, but as a car built specifically for European urban environments, where compact dimensions and tight-road agility matter.

The Renault 5 Effect

The strong early interest in the Renault 5 proved to MG that the small affordable EV market is not only real—it’s exploding. Allison admits the Renault has “made the job much more important,” accelerating MG’s urgency to enter the segment. As Europe’s EV market matures, downsizing isn’t just sensible—it’s inevitable.

A Gateway for New Markets

MG also sees the 2 as a strategic tool for unlocking markets where EV adoption is sluggish. Italy is one example Allison cites, where EV share hovers below 4%. Narrow city streets and limited parking have made small EVs a natural fit—but few manufacturers currently offer them at accessible prices.

When someone launches an affordable sub-4-meter EV suited to Italy’s roads, MG believes demand will surge. “It’s a space we absolutely should be in,” Allison said. He’s confident the MG 2 could be a breakthrough car for multiple European regions.

2027: The Next Big Step

With prototypes reportedly close to testing and development work well underway, a 2027 arrival looks likely. If MG delivers on its promise—sub-£25k pricing, grown-up features, and a genuinely European design—the MG 2 could become one of the most relevant small EVs of the decade.

MG is betting big on the idea that the next EV revolution won’t come from luxury crossovers or ultra-cheap commuters, but from well-rounded, compact, versatile electric hatchbacks designed for real European roads. The MG 2 aims to be exactly that.

Source: MG Motor

NEW CARS

Genesis G90 Wingback: Korea’s Velvet-Gloved Hammer Takes Aim at the M5 Touring

Genesis has made bold moves before, but nothing quite like this. At the launch of the brand’s new high-performance Magma sub-brand, the company pulled the wraps off something nobody expected: a full-size, high-horsepower estate version of its flagship G90 saloon. Called the G90 Wingback, the concept previews a future where Korea’s rising luxury star intends to go head-to-head with the likes of the BMW M5 Touring—and possibly win.

A Concept… or a Quiet Promise?

Officially, the G90 Wingback is just a design study for Genesis’s One of One bespoke program. Unofficially, executives hinted it’s much more than a fantasy. While no production green light has been given, Genesis leadership suggested that turning the Wingback into a showroom model would be “relatively easy” if the business case is there. And given the industry’s renewed enthusiasm for super-wagons, the case practically builds itself.

Luxury Liner, Track Suit Heart

Underneath its long-roof silhouette, the Wingback carries over the drivetrain from the current G90 saloon—a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, offered elsewhere with 375 or 409 horsepower. Genesis hasn’t disclosed final output for the Magma version, but the sub-brand’s mission is clear: hotter, sharper, louder. Expect substantially more than what the standard G90 offers.

But Genesis insists this car is about more than numbers. It’s about blending the brand’s two emerging identities: effortless luxury and genuine performance.

Donckerwolke’s “Dr Evil”

Genesis’s design chief, Luc Donckerwolke, speaks about the Wingback with the kind of theatrical pride only he could deliver. Internally, the car was nicknamed “Dr Evil,” a tongue-in-cheek label that evolved from Donckerwolke’s own nickname for the project. The idea was to create a machine with a dual personality: refined chauffeur car by day, road-devouring performance wagon by night.

“It shows how Genesis can offer Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” he said. “An aerodynamic and elegant body with true sports functionality.”

He described the car as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” claiming the Wingback embodies what the Magma brand is all about: power wrapped in sophistication.

Magma: The New Hot Line

The G90 Wingback is only an appetizer. Magma’s first production model will be the GV60 Magma, arriving next year. After that, Genesis plans to build a performance variant of every model in its lineup. And at the top of the ladder, a dedicated Magma GT sports car is under development, serving as the basis for a future GT3 racing program.

If this is Genesis testing the waters, the water appears to be boiling.

Europe Loves It—But the UK Will Have to Watch From Afar

The current G90, launched in 2021, is sold in several European countries, though still not in the UK. If the Wingback ever reaches production, it could become one of the most desirable long-roof flagships on the continent. Whether British buyers will ever get the chance to see one in showrooms remains… uncertain.

Estate Performance Reborn?

With the industry rediscovering its love for performance wagons—from Audi’s RS6 to BMW’s newly revived M5 Touring—Genesis seems poised to join the party at exactly the right moment.

The G90 Wingback may only be a concept, but it feels like a statement: Genesis isn’t following the European luxury playbook anymore. It’s rewriting it.

Source: Genesis; Photo: Autocar

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