Smokey Nagata's 1995 Top Secret GT-300 Toyota Supra
Lent by Redline Restorations, Bridgeport Connecticut
Built by the legendary “Smokey” Nagata, Founder & Owner of Top Secret Co., Ltd
Made to be competitive in multiple racing disciplines, including high-speed street and track runs, circuit racing, time-attack, and drifting.
Arguably the most famous and recognized Top Secret car.
In 1978, while employed at Trust Company LTD as a tuner and fabricator, Kazuhiko “Smokey” Nagata began secretly using the facility to work on his personal automotive creations. Hence, the “Top Secret” name was born. Due to his time spent as a mechanic at Toyota and his wealth of knowledge in the field of tuning, Trust deemed “Smokey” a valuable employee and allowed him to continue his private efforts.
In 1991, Nagata left his position at Trust and founded Top Secret. Along with a limited crew, Smokey set up shop in a small garage in Chiba, Japan. Top Secret offered a full gamut of performance engineering services including tuning as well as the sale and application of aftermarket parts and body kits. The company began promoting its work at the Tokyo Auto Salon in 1993 and gained traction at a local level. However, their labor was not limited to customer vehicles. In true Smokey Nagata fashion, Top Secret continued to modify cars for their purposes — achieving blisteringly fast speeds.
Before drifting became popular, top speed was the goal of Japanese tuners and car enthusiasts. In 1994, Smokey and Top Secret began participating in speed trials and challenges with their freshly built, RB-26 swapped, 1000 hp A80 Supra, known as “0-300.” The car was so well equipped that it easily became the record holder for 0-300 kph in the rear-wheel drive category. However, this did not stop “Smokey” from chasing after more records. His endeavors knew no bounds, leading him off the track and onto public highways for illegal top-speed attempts.
Famously, in 1998 Smokey made a run in the UK. During this run, he reached 197 mph, but not before being clocked by police at 194 — still the highest speed ever recorded on England’s public roads. Smokey was pulled over and arrested, and the vehicle was impounded. As a result of his crimes, Smokey spent the evening in jail and received a driving ban in the UK. In the morning, he retrieved “0-300” and returned home to Chiba. When stories of Smokey’s run hit front-page news, he was thrust into international stardom. His tuning abilities were now undeniable.
In 1999, another opportunity arose for Top Secret to solidify their name in the tuning industry. Option Magazine introduced the Option Top Speed Challenge — a sanctioned and legal, 0-300 kph run on a stretch of highway in New Zealand. They invited several tuning companies. Among them were JUN, Veilside, and of course, Top Secret. Smokey’s weapon of choice was Top Secret’s third iteration of the A80 Supra — The GT-300. Gone was the factory 2JZ-GTE inline-six. In its place was a heavily modified Toyota 3S-GTE 4-cylinder, capable of revving over 10k rpm and producing 700 horsepower to the rear wheels.
Unfortunately, the GT-300 encountered mechanical issues during its run and failed to reach the 300 kph mark. However, the GT-300 reignited people’s excitement for Smokey’s top-speed builds and earned the company even more worldwide recognition. Ever since, Top Secret has been a staple in the automotive community, with tales of Smokey’s illegal high-speed runs being passed on through generations and the desire for a car with Top Secret modifications burning ever bright among JDM enthusiasts.
Specifications
Engine: 2.2L Turbocharged, Garage Fukui Stroker, Toyota 3S-GTE 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 700 whp
Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive, Getrag Six-Speed Manual Transmission
Weight: ~ 2750 lbs
Top Speed: 176 MPH (Confirmed), 200+ MPH (According to Smokey)