Iramitsu Jidōsha Kabushikigaisha (Iramitsu Motor Corporation) is a fictional car manifacturer based in Inazawa, Japan (Aichi prefecture)
Founded in 1957 from the vision of a young car enthusiast called Iratashi Mitsuyada, it places as a competitor for Toyota, even though it’s roughly the size of Nissan for selling numbers, number of plants and workforce.
In May 2020 Iramitsu and Gatto Motors started a merging operation that should result in the birth of Nekomitsu Mobility (Neko is the Japanese word for Gatto, which is Italian for cat)
In 1978, their Kei-class car operations were spun off in an independent brand called K-Motors.
From 1979, the Iramitsu International Racing Team, which handled the tuning and racing of Iramitsu’s cars, became official part of Iramitsu Jidōsha, changing its name to Shōri Performance (shōri is Japanese for victory) and finally creating a legacy as Iramitsu’s official tuning shop
Iramitsu Koi “B1/B2/B3” The first three generations of the Koi, the B1/B2/B3, were all developed on the same platform and shared a similar exterior appearance. During the years, the Koi managed to prove itself as a success, and today as many as 1 mln Kois are sold every year
In 1967, the Koi was presented, available with 2 engines (a 1.1L inline-4 and a 1.2L inline-4, both with two carbs) and two body trims: sedan and coupe (only available with the 1.2)
In 1971, the Koi got updated to the B2, with smaller bumpers, different trims and a different grille, with the introduction of a new 1.4L engine for both the coupe and the sedan and a peppy 8v DOHC 1.6L for the Coupe S version, so now the lineup is:
1.1L sedan
1.2L sedan
1.4L sedan
1.2L coupe
1.4L coupe
1.6L coupe
In 1974, the B3 was introduced, with updated engines, new bumpers, new rear taillights, a new front face and new suspensions. The 1.1L sedan was dropped, so now the lineup consists of:
1.2L sedan
1.4L sedan
1.2L coupe
1.4L coupe
1.6L coupe
The 1964 Iramitsu Iwazama is Japan’s answer to the best European sports cars
Powered by a 48v NA 2.5L V12 capable of 200hp and 240Nm palced in a 1012kg aluminium chassis, the Montegi can reach a top speed of 228km/h, also thanks to a great 4-speed manual transmission.
The interior is very luxurious and posh, completed with a high-quality AM radio, power steering and two seats
1978 K-Motors Deliverion
The Deliverion is the first K-Motors-branded vehicle, it follows the 1978 Kei Car’s rules and it’s available in two body configurations (Van and Pickup) and one engine:
The engine is a small 550cc 3-cylinder derived from the 1957 Iramitsu A-Type engine capable of 18hp and 34Nm, paired with a 2-speed manual transmission. The Pickup can carry as much as 362kg, which is one of the best values in the market
The Iramitsu 700 is Iramitsu’s first car ever. Powered by a 700cc A-Type 3-cylinder engine capable of 26hp and 47Nm, it was available in 4 trim options: Popular (the lowest trim level, available with an AM radio, cloth seats and 3-points seatblets), Deluxe (the highest trim level, with an AM radio, an engine rev counter, fake-leather seats, power steering and 3-points seatbelts), Wagonette (the wagon version, based on the Popular) and the Transportation (the van version based on the Wagonette). All cars used a 3-speed manual transmission
The Iramitsu Starfire is Iramitsu’s new flagship mid-engine car, powered by Iramitsu’s new H-Series 3.0L boxer-6 engine capable of 247hp and 275Nm in the regular one and 283hp and 294Nm on the Shōri VS version. The weight is nice and low, clocking at 1152kg for the Shōri VS. The engine is paired with a 5-speed transmission and a geared LSD
The Starfire was one of the peak vehicles from the Japanese bubble era, competing with cars like the Honda NSX and the Ferrari 348. It was discontinued in 1995 because of low sales numbers, especially compared to the NSX or the Iwazama (Iramitsu’s main sports car)
The Starfire is not a bad-looking car for the most part, except from the front - I would prefer it if it had only one pair of pop-up headlights instead of two. As it is, it looks quite odd whenever its lights are deployed.
I agree, I kinda like the Starfire design. Clean and timeless, the lights though is a matter of taste I guess. It adds some quirkiness and if that’s good or bad is probably in the eye of the beholder.
Yeah. The twin pop-ups are mainly to add a bit of Cizeta V16-inspired quirkiness, but I totally understand that it’s not of everyone’s taste. Thank you to both for the feedback!
Powered by a modified version of the 1964 Montegi’s C-Type V12, the National featured disc brakes on all 4 corners, a 3-speed automatic transmission, 4 wool seats with knitted seat covers, a phonograph, an AM radio, electric rear windows, air conditioning, an hydropneumatic suspension system (borrowed from Citroen), power steering, 4-wheels independent suspensions and 3-points seatbelts, all built by hand by specially trained artisans
It’s powered by a 1.8L 8v “B-Series” inline-4 with mechanical “Kugelfischer” injection capable of 88hp and 108Nm. The engine is paired with a 4-speed manual which sends the power to the rear wheels. It’s equipped with an advanced “mixed” braking system, with discs on the front and drums on the rear. It has power steering, an AM radio, 3-point seatbelts and a 3-years warranty
The 0.9 is the Koi’s base model. Powered by a turbocharged version of Iramitsu’s K-Series 12v 3-cylinder, also used in smaller capacity in the current K-Motors lineup, capable of 90hp and 95Nm. It has a 5-speed manual transmission, 5 seats and a 4-year warranty
The 1.4 is powered by a turbocharged version of Iramitsu’s I-Series 16v inline-4 capable of 140hp and 165Nm paired with a 5-speed manual. It offers 17-inches rims, a sunroof, LED foglights and everything esle that was on the 0.9T
The VS is powered by a turbocharged version of Iramitsu’s I-Series 16v inline-4 tuned as only Shōri can, so it’s capable of 304hp and 322Nm. The power is sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed sequential transmission that’s paired with a viscous LSD. It features all-around vented disc brakes, 4 seats, a lighter interior, Launch Control and an extended warranty compared to the regular Koi
The 2018 Aichi is available in 4 trim options, 3 engines and 3 body variations
Aichi 1.6T Brilliant sedan and wagon
Powered by a turbocharged version of Iramitsu’s I-Series inline-4, the Brilliant is the entry-level trim option for the Aichi, but it still offers (as standard) 16-inch alloys, a high-tech infotainment system, the best safety systems, foglights and front and rear parking sensors
Aichi 2.2T Excellent sedan and wagon
Powered by a turbocharged version of Iramitsu’s M-Series V6, the Excellent is the mid-range trim option of the Aichi, and for what offers, it’s the one to get. The Excellent offers you Gatto’s level of luxury and refinement for a lower price than a comparable Gepard, including a award-winning infotainment system, a sunroof and tri-zone A/C, plus all the stuff available on the Brilliant
Aichi 2.2T Exquisite sedan and wagon
The Exquisite is the top-of-the-range trim option. Powered by a differently tuned version of the same 2.2L V6 from the Excellent, it’s only available with a 8-speed automatic. Compared to the Excellent, it also offers a full-glass roof, 4-zone climate control, and a longer 5-year warranty
Aichi 3.0T Shōri VS sedan, wagon and coupe
Like the Koi, the Aichi also got the Shōri VS treatment. The 2.2L V6 is now a 3.0L V6 capable of over 507hp, the gearbox is a 6-speed manual paired with an electronic-controlled LSD that sends power to all four wheels (a 6-speed sequential version is also available on the Coupe). The interior is lighter and sportier, the aerodynamic is more refined, the front and rear tracks are widened. Since it’s based on the 2.2T Excellent, it offers all the features of that trim
The nose of the Aichi (and to a lesser extent, the Koi) seems quite dated to me - it’s too reminiscent of something from the late 90s/early 00s for me, despite the addition of LEDs and daytime running lights. Also, the former has a very bland rear end; the taillights look like they were hastily tacked on and don’t complement the other fixtures as well as they should. Still, both of them are affordable and well-equipped - but they will need more than that just to have a chance of remaining competitive in a crowded marketplace.
I had to change the Montegi’s name to Iwazama because, as it turns out, the track wasn’t built until 1997 (34 years after the car was released), it is owned by Honda and there isn’t anything interesting there apart from the track
TL:DR I learned how important it is to do your researches before taking decisions
