BLACKBIRD: How a Porsche 911 Lost Its Sleep

this is the world and this is a tiny country in the Northeast Asia a country with many amazing cultures amazing people clean streets and most importantly the perfect place for any street racing car [Music] Enthusiast in the 1990s Japan became a lawless era of high octane Knights street racing ruled the streets with clubs battling for dominance but there was one Legend a Phantom black Porsche that haunted them all a blur in the night that vanished before anyone could get a good look they called it the black bird this 1986 model was a shadow streak down the wangan a Wraith in the neon glow its obsidian paint swallowing light was a predator in motion but when it comes for its engine you just hear a symphony of whispered rumors and Untold modifications thrummed with a power that defied logic this was no ordinary Porsche this was a legend whispered on the wind a king cloaked in Darkness ready to Devour the Straits and conquer the night this was a car that lost its sleep in the dark streets of Japan to become a legend that haunted the dreams of an entire generation of racers so who was the brain behind this icon and how it became the most feared car in Japan's streets and how did a tragic accident changes the course of it it's Destiny Forever This is the story of the iconic Midnight Club Car the Blackbird porch 911 Turbo [Music] [Music] [Music] imagine if we can get back to the 1980s Japan was the wild west of Street Racing everybody was racing everybody and the passion for racing grew so intense that by 1989 the Japanese government put out a law stating that Automotive man manufacturers cannot produce a car that has more than 276 horsepower however this did not stop people from modifying their cars and many clubs and teams were created there was Tokyo group Shadow no good racing rough world team Emperor but the club to beat was the American Car Club koichi Okawa the leader of the American Car Club drove a meticulously tuned Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Okawa a member of the renowned tuner trust leveraged the team's expertise to optimize the massive 7.4 L LS6 engine pushing it to approximately 500 horsepower he also replaced the body panels with f FRP reducing the car's weight by 600 lb the result was not just a swift Street machine but potentially the fastest car in Japan to validate this Okawa took his American muscle car to yatabe a Proving Ground managed by a research institute dedicated to Automotive Safety testing occasionally this facility hosted speed trials such as determining Japan's fastest car on that occasion the Trans Am set a record with a top speed of 264.7 kmph this remarkable achievement thrust Okawa into the spotlight however little did anyone know that this achievement would ignite the birth of one of the most powerful Japanese street racing clubs the Tokyo Midnight Club II oida was a trusted member in the ACC he was burned with an insatiable passion for Speed and the thrill of the open road seeing Okawa achievement he wanted his share of the limb light too but what he didn't realize yet is that he will be the man behind the Blackbird porch 911 Turbo so how he did it one fateful night while cruising along the wangan highway II encountered a scene that would change his life forever ahead of him two cars an R R X7 and a Skyline GTR were locked in a fierce duel their precision and speed were all inspiring a testament to their driver's skill and courage II followed them keeping a respectful distance mesmerized by their prowess after the race II approached the drivers Hiroshi and Kenji who welcomed him with open arms they were members of an underground street racing Community known as The Midnight Runners a group of enthusiasts who lived for the the thrill of high-speed chases under the cover of Darkness II's passion and knowledge earned him an invitation to join their [Music] ranks as a midnight Runner II found a family of Kindred Spirits they shared tips tuned their cars together and race through the night always seeking that perfect moment when man and machine became one however II soon realized that their Pursuits were fraught with danger several accidents and increasing police scrutiny threaten their existence determined to create a safer more organized environment for street racing aichi envisioned a club where like-minded enthusiasts could gather and race with mutual respect and understanding he proposed his idea to the Midnight Runners who were skeptical but intrigued by his vision of erasing Utopia iichi worked tirelessly spreading word of his new Venture he named it the Midnight Club a group of Highly skilled wealthy and secretive Street Racers who spent millions of dollars building some of the fastest cars in the world which they would then race in the streets of Tokyo at midnight many people knew their names but few knew who they actually were the Midnight Club was not just a group of racers it was a Brotherhood Bound by their shared Love For Speed and the open road over the years the club that was created just by a bunch of friends became so popular as he dominated the wongan streets and won against any team that came to challenge them Midnight gained a reputation for being unbeatable the club's story spread quickly even reaching michiharu kusunoki who asked yoshida's permission before releasing the apply named manga wangan midnight with Midnight's growing Fame the team saw a surge of new applicants and a rise in companies selling counterfeit versions of their iconic silver sticker to protect their reputation Yoshida trademarked the logo and implemented a strict system to manage the influx of hopefuls over the years the entry requirements became more demanding prospective members needed to sustain speeds over 250 kmph on public roads not just in short bursts but for extended periods this was merely the initial hurdle successful applicants were then paired with a mentor and given a pink sticker they were expected to meet with the team every Saturday night initially at the Royal host and later at yoshida's shop before heading out to the highway for races periodically current members would vote on which trainees could join requiring unanimous approval for admission this process often took years with many apprentices dropping out before earning the coveted silver sticker placed diagonally on their car even after all that effort members could be expelled instantly if they lost a race to a rival team such events were rare as Yoshida personally approved D any races outside the team this protocol ensured that only the best Racers regardless of their car became part of the team unlike the American Car Club which featured exclusively American cars midnight boasted a diverse mix of vehicles and drivers from various backgrounds however certain cars like the Porsche 911 were particularly well suited for this type of racing even a stock 911 Turbo could reach speeds of around 260 kmph making it a formidable Contender but still not as powerful as okawa's Trans Am but what Yoshida did for the Porche 911 was far from stock [Music] though yoshida's vision for the black bird was clear from the start he saw the potential in the Porsche 9911 turbo a car all already renowned for its engineering and performance but for the Midnight Club Yoshida knew it needed something more something extraordinary Midnight's members cars included some of the most iconic JDM tuner cars of all time like the Mazda RX7 Toyota Supra or Nissan Skyline but the fastest car in the club was yoshida's Porsche 911 Turbo this thing was absolutely crazy Yoshida tuned the car over the decade into the car that it is today he installed a custombuilt 3.6 L Flat 6 engine equipped with twin turbochargers this boosted the horsepower significantly allowing the Blackbird to achieve incredible acceleration and top speeds Yoshida upgraded the suspension system with high performance shocks and struts providing unparalleled stability and control on the road to handle the intense speeds he added custom aerodynamic enhancements including a redesigned front bumper and a large rear wing to improve downforce and reduce drag making the Blackbird more efficient at high speeds while adding high performance brakes for safety and control as for the interior it was stripped down and refitted with lightweight racing seats a roll cage for safety and a custom Dash dasboard with Advanced Telemetry systems to monitor the car's performance in real time some of these upgrades required Yoshida to send the car to porch themselves so they can tune it the streets of Tokyo became the blackbird's playground its unmatched speed and handling quickly earned it a fearsome reputation midnight club members and Rivals alike respected the Blackbird not just for its modifications but for the skill and precision with which Yoshida drove it the Blackbird wasn't just a car it was a statement when you saw it in your rearview mirror you knew you were in for the race of your life Yoshida and the Blackbird were inseparable his connection with the car was almost mystical pushing both man and machine to their limits and for the result it exceeded all expectations the Blackbird was known to exceed speeds of 320 km per hour on Tokyo's highways setting unofficial speed records that few could challenge in one Unforgettable race in an event organized by drag times the Blackbird outran a heavily modified Nissan GTR showcasing its Superior engineering and yoshida's unparalleled driving skills this race became a Cornerstone of the midnight club's lore the Blackbird wasn't just about short bursts of speed it excelled in longdistance endurance races often maintaining blistering speeds for hours a testament to its robust engineer ering and yoshida's strategic driving these achievements even inspired all team members who were all competitiv and pro Racers with some tuning within midnight an era of Unforgettable fast 911s emerged with auto garage tbk 911 leading the charge this legendary Body Shop made custom front bumpers with giant lights made specifically for the wangan and large vents to cool the brakes throughout the runs these bumpers can be found on many of the midnight 911s including yoshida's Blackbird some of the members pushed the boundaries even further with their modifications like the warm Yokohama 930 a mix of 935 Inspirations with Ferrari f40s headlights some members went to twin turbos and spent years trying to extract every ounce of performance from it like the colorful absolute Porsche which once met a violent end on the wangan was resurrected into a 700 horsepower track monster that continues to dominate the current ERA today the Blackbird stands as a testament to the Golden Era of street racing in Tokyo its Legacy is not just in its speed or engineering but in the stories and legends it created the Blackbird remains an enduring symbol of the Tokyo midnight club's pursuit of perfection and the thrill of the race as the legend of the Blackbird grew so did the fame of the Tokyo Midnight Club but like all great stories this one too has an [Music] end despite their unmatched dominance on the Tokyo highways the Midnight Club faced increasing pressure from law enforcement the club's high-speed races were drawing unwanted attention and the risks were growing too great to ignore in the early 2000s the police launched a massive Crackdown on illegal street racing the Tokyo Midnight Club was their prime target members were arrested cars were impounded and the Very fabric of the club began to unravel for Yoshida and the Blackbird this marked the beginning of the end the Relentless pursuit of speed and the thrill of the race had taken its toll the club that once ruled the night was now scattered and in disarray Yoshida The Mastermind behind the Blackbird faced the harsh reality that the midnight club's era was over the camaraderie the late night Gatherings the adrenaline fueled races all became memories etched in the minds of those who lived them the club was reportedly disbanded in 1999 after a tragic incident on the expressway a group of Boku clashed with midnight club members resulting in a fatal accident while the details remain shrouded in mystery the event cast a shadow over the club's Legacy but of course I should note that this story may or may not be true as there was no Club policy that stated that a happening would cause the club to be disbanded immediately and forever since then there have been numerous imitators but with tighter traffic laws making things difficult most of such groups have since been disbanded the Midnight Club has continued to race and are still prevalent in Japan today as a sort of Legend as well as a modern team that still races yoshida's car the Blackbird remains a subject of Fascination among enthusiasts after its days of Glory it found a home in yoshida's showroom a testament to its iconic status however yoshida's legal troubles cast a shadow over its fate leaving its current whereabouts uncertain after two fraud cases against its original owner led to his arrest in conviction it is unknown whether he still owns it or if it's being held on his behalf by friends or family beyond the time of the legal suit and so the Tokyo Midnight Club and the Blackbird reached their end what was once a beacon of speed and excitement now exists only in memory but the legend lives on a testament to an Era when the streets of Tokyo Belong To The Fearless Racers of the night

Channel: Vroomz101

Views: 10,228

Keywords: Blackbird, Porsche 911 Turbo, Tokyo Midnight Club, Yoshida Specials 930, fastest car in Japan, iconic cars, legendary cars, Porsche history, car stories, car culture, car enthusiasts, Vroomz101, japan culture, japan street racing

Id: x3JVWgk1sdU

Length: 16min 35sec (995 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 03 2024