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Bentley Lights Up Tokyo Tower to Debut the Continental GT S

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Bentley didn’t just launch a new grand tourer in Japan—it turned one of Tokyo’s most recognizable landmarks into its own billboard.

To mark the Japanese debut of the new Continental GT S, Bentley orchestrated a multi-day celebration that blended luxury with grassroots car culture, culminating in a dramatic takeover of Tokyo Tower. Bathed in Bentley’s signature green, the iconic structure served as the backdrop for the regional unveiling of the driver-focused coupe before an audience of more than 100 invited guests.

Parked beneath the illuminated tower sat the Continental GT S, joined by the car that inspired its sharper character: the new Supersports. But the high-performance flagship had already spent several days immersing itself in Japan’s legendary enthusiast scene before arriving at the night’s headline event.

Bentley’s specially prepared “Pymkhana” Supersports—the same machine driven by Travis Pastrana in the Supersports: FULL SEND film—made an appearance at the famed Daikoku Parking Area, one of the world’s most celebrated gathering spots for automotive enthusiasts. In a nod to Japan’s distinctive tuning culture, Bentley equipped the car with subtle green underbody lighting that echoed the accent colors of its motorsport-inspired livery and wheels, proving that even a six-figure grand tourer can appreciate a little aftermarket flair.

The following evening, the action shifted to Shinjuku, where Bentley partnered with creative director Mai Ikuzawa for an open “coffee and cars” event celebrating Tokyo’s remarkably diverse automotive community. Exotic supercars, meticulously restored classics, and heavily modified street machines shared the same space as Bentley’s latest models while owners traded stories over live music, food, and drinks.

Among the highlights was another Continental GT S wrapped in a striking livery inspired by the Hayabusa Shinkansen—the fastest bullet train service in Japan. Before arriving at the event, the bespoke Bentley made a stop at the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, where giant LED displays played footage from FULL SEND, giving unsuspecting pedestrians a preview of Bentley’s Tokyo showcase.

The celebrations reflected Bentley’s renewed emphasis on the sporting side of its grand touring lineup. While the Continental GT has long been known for effortless cross-country performance, the GT S adds a more focused personality with sharper dynamics and a more purposeful character aimed at drivers who want their luxury served with an extra dose of engagement.

“Japan has always been a strong market for Bentley,” said Dave Hayter, Bentley’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific. “As we continue to explore our more sporting side again, we were honoured to debut the new driver-focused Continental GT S to our most loyal customers with the unique event at Tokyo Tower. Having the FULL SEND Supersports with us made the occasion even more special, and our coffee and cars gathering in Shinjuku showed us that enthusiasm for Bentley continues to grow.”

With its Tokyo tour complete, the FULL SEND Supersports is heading back to the UK, where it will make its public homecoming at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. After proving it could turn heads everywhere from Daikoku to Tokyo Tower, it’s safe to say Bentley’s most extroverted modern grand tourer won’t have any trouble stealing the spotlight on the hillclimb either.

Source: Bentley

Story

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

News

Lamborghini Day Japan 2025: When Tokyo Turned Bullish

Tokyo doesn’t just sparkle—it roars. And for one unforgettable night, it roared in Lamborghini V12s, carbon fiber, and electric torque. For Lamborghini Day Japan 2025, the Italian marque transformed Ariake Urban Sports Park—originally built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics—into a symphony of passion, performance, and avant-garde design.

More than 500 owners, media, and fans from across Japan and the Asia-Pacific region converged to celebrate not just the brand’s history, but its electrified future.

The Parade of Bulls

The day began with an awe-inspiring parade of over 100 Lamborghinis, snaking from Umi-no-Mori Park along Tokyo’s waterfront through the cultural heart of the city. Aventadors, Huracáns, and Uruses rolled past the Kabuki-za Theater, cruised through Ginza’s neon corridors, and thundered across the Rainbow Bridge—a visual feast that made even Tokyo’s skyline feel like a mere backdrop.

By the time the convoy reached Ariake Urban Sports Park, the stage was set for something bigger than horsepower—a showcase of Lamborghini’s evolution in the age of hybrid performance.

A Night of Premieres: The Fenomeno and the Revuelto Ad Personam

At the center of the spectacle stood two showstoppers: the Fenomeno, Lamborghini’s most powerful V12 “Few-Off” model ever built, and the Revuelto Ad Personam, a bespoke creation symbolizing the art of personalization.

The Fenomeno is a mechanical manifesto: just 29 units, each a rolling sculpture of Italian craftsmanship and technical insanity. Its heart is a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 delivering 835 CV, supplemented by three electric motors adding another 245 CV for a total of 1,080 CV. The result? 0–100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, top speed north of 350 km/h, and braking courtesy of CCM-R Plus carbon-ceramic rotors inspired by motorsport-grade systems.

A new 6D sensor suite gives the car predictive handling control, while the carbon-fiber monocoque and active aerodynamics fuse brute force with intelligence. If the Reventón was the jet fighter on wheels, the Fenomeno is the starship.

Beside it stood the Revuelto Ad Personam, Lamborghini’s hybrid halo car taken to a new level of artistry. Its bi-color gradient exterior fades from Bianco Asopo white to Rosso Khonsu red—a world-first longitudinal fading paint effect inspired by Japanese symbolism. White stands for timeless elegance; red for passion and performance. Together, they mirror both Japan’s national colors and Lamborghini’s dual nature: past and future, art and aggression.

Inside, the Revuelto mirrors that duality with a cabin split in two—white on the passenger side, red on the driver’s—divided by a central tunnel that acts like an emotional axis. Even the start-stop flap carries the same fade, and the embroidery flips the color scheme, a masterstroke in design symmetry.

Heritage Meets Tomorrow

Around the park, Lamborghini assembled a living timeline of its legends: Reventón, Centenario, Sián, and Countach LPI 800-4. Each a stepping stone to the Fenomeno—each a reminder that Sant’Agata doesn’t evolve, it detonates forward.

A separate display featured the Urus SE, Huracán Sterrato, and the original LM002, forming a rugged family tree of Lamborghini’s off-road rebellion. The Temerario, the brand’s new mid-engine hybrid supercar, was presented via an Apple Vision Pro immersive experience—a glimpse into Lamborghini’s next digital frontier.

As Francesco Scardaoni, Regional Director for Asia Pacific, put it:

“Japan stands as Lamborghini’s leading market in Asia Pacific and our third-largest worldwide. The debut of the Fenomeno and Revuelto Ad Personam here is a testament to that bond—where creativity, technology, and emotion converge.”

Design, Culture, and Sustainability

Under the watchful eye of Design Director Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s Centro Stile recreated its design process on-site, including a live sketch of the Fenomeno. In another corner, the Polo Storico exhibit honored ten years of preserving Lamborghini’s heritage, headlined by the jaw-dropping Miura SVR, a racing reimagining of the world’s first supercar.

And in true Italian fashion, the night blended speed with lifestyle: Lavazza espresso flowed beside Champagne Carbon, and Roger Dubuis timepieces glittered beside the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2, the brand’s racing alter ego.

The choice of venue wasn’t accidental. Ariake Urban Sports Park—built on sustainable, modular architecture—echoes Lamborghini’s Direzione Cor Tauri vision: a roadmap toward full hybridization and carbon-neutral production.

For Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini’s charismatic CEO, it was the perfect setting:

“Tokyo is a city where heritage and innovation coexist perfectly—just like Lamborghini. Celebrating here feels like celebrating the essence of our brand.”

Lamborghini Day Japan 2025 wasn’t just a car event—it was performance theater, staged with the precision of a samurai blade and the heart of a raging bull.

With the Fenomeno’s record-shattering specs and the Revuelto Ad Personam’s emotional craftsmanship, Lamborghini has made one thing clear: in the electrified era, passion is still measured in decibels, revs, and goosebumps.

Tokyo didn’t just light up—it burned bright in Lamborghini yellow.

Source: Lamborghini