For the many of us, owning a supercar is only something we can dream of. Getting close to a supercar may be limited to seeing one at a motorshow or visiting a dealer. I adore supercars for their crazy styling, mind boggling performance figures, and the excitement they stir up as people seem in public. I also love that supercars are something people aspire to own. It’s something that drives their motivation to work harder and become more successful.
But more often than not, the rarest and most valuable of supercars are hidden away in air-conditioned garages in remote parts of the world never to be seen in public again. They something to add to a collection, like acton figures or vintage Coke bottles. To me this is wrong. Instead of being selfishly hidden away, they should be displayed for the public to see. Or better yet, driven out on the road.
This brings me on to obsession of supercars in Japan, and Tokyo in particular. Spend a few hours in the more affluent parts of Tokyo such as Roppongi, Aoyama, or Ginza and you’ll soon see more supercars than you can comprehend. A quick look at my Instagram account (@kenmsaito) will you show what I’m talking about. The Japanese are supercar crazy and for reasons beyond my knowledge, they keep buying them.
Which is why places like Bingo Sports exists; to cater to the ultra rich and their supercar desires. I’ve been to Bingo once before, when I first moved to Tokyo and have been meaning to do a post on them because I find the whole thing incredibly fascinating. Of course, as it was my first time there I got a bit carried away and the whole experience as bit overwhelming. So second time around, I was bit more level-headed.
Bingo Sports was started by Shinji Takei who’s just as supercar obsessed as any sane petrolhead out there. His passion for cars became too much that he started collection the fastest and most exclusive supercars on the planet. Some of the cars he owns are: Bugatti Veyron, Pagani Zonda F, Lexus LFA, Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Miura Jota, Lamborghini Countach, Mercedes 300SL, Mercedes-McLaren SLR and many many more. It only made sense that he wanted to surround himself with supercars, so why not start your own dealership that sells them?
There are two showrooms for Bingo Sports. The main one is in Nagoya City and the Tokyo one is the “smaller” showroom. But don’t let that fool you because there are still some hugely impressive cars. On my first visit there was a Pagani Zonda F, Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenerie, Ferrari F40, Ferrari 330 GTB, Ferrari F40LM, Ferrari 288 GTO Competizione, and a Ferrari 512 BB.
Unfortunately, on my second visit, the Grand Sport had just been sold. The buyer is a young (22 year old) chap in South Korea. Lucky sod. The Zonda and Ferrari 330 were gone too. I was hoping a Huayra would be there but instead I was greeted by a Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722S Roadster and a 365 GTB Competizione. Not bad at all. Bingo Sports is the only official Pagani dealer in Japan. Takei-san actually met Horacio Pagani himself when he picked up his Zonda in Italy. Pagani only allocate 2 Huayras a year to Japan, and they’ve so far sold 4.
According to Toshi, one of the salesmen, most of their clients are old(er) men who already have extensive car collections. One of their customers is the guy who owns the famous champagne Veyrons that’s often seen in Tokyo. A perk of working at place like this is being able to drive the cars they have in stock. He says the Veyron is “very easy to drive” and probably the easiest one to drive. He said the SLR was great in a straight line but the handling was a bit tough. His favourite was the F40 though, but it had a “tricky clutch”. I literally could’ve spent hours asking him how these were to drive but I had to let him get back to work.
It’s far from being a ‘tourist’ sport and I’m not entirely sure if they’d appreciate a bus load of visitors going there, but if you’re in the area give Bingo Sports a visit. The team there are very friendly and welcoming. Taking photos is fine too, which is better than most dealers in Tokyo. I’ll definitely be visiting again, I refuse to leave Japan without having seen a Huayra up close and personal.
