Top Secret (company)

Top Secret Co., Ltd. (株式会社トップシークレット, Kabushiki-gaisha Toppu Shīkuretto) is a Japanese automobile tuner and parts manufacturer. The company was founded by Japanese automotive engineer and driver, Kazuhiko “Smokey” Nagata.[1]

Top Secret Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社トップシークレット
IndustryMotorsport
FounderKazuhiko “Smokey” Nagata
HeadquartersChiba Prefecture, Chiba City
ProductsAutomotive Performance Parts
Websitehttp://www.topsecret-jpn.com/
Top Secret
Founder(s)Kazuhiko “Smokey” Nagata
Former seriesD1GP
Drivers'
Championships		1

The company is mainly known for its body kits and performance engineering. Top Secret is also known for its illegal Wangan high speed runs, professional Drifting, Circuit, and Drag Racing. A recognizable feature of many Top Secret tuned cars are their gold paint schemes. Only cars that Nagata deem to be his best work receive this paint scheme.

Ryuji Miki won Round 5, and ultimately won the 2004 Japanese D1GP championship in a Nissan Silvia S15 racing for Top Secret.[2] In 2005 Miki won an exhibition round at Silverstone Circuit in the UK in a Nissan Fairlady Z.

In 2007, Yoichi Imamura took 3rd place at Round 3 and 6 at Suzuka and Autopolis respectively. Imamura also won an exhibition round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the same year.

Top Secret won the 2007 Tokyo Auto Salon Championship with its "Final Evolution" V12 twin turbo Toyota Supra.[3]

At the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon, Top Secret debuted an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R that had been transplanted with the engine, driveline, and interior of the newer R35 Nissan GT-R. The tuning company dubbed this car the "Skyline VR32 GT-R".[4]

"Smokey" Nagata

Kazuhiko Nagata grew up in the northernmost Hokkaido province of Japan working on his parents’ farm. Nagata became interested in automobiles and started working as a mechanic at the local Toyota dealership. It was there that Nagata began modifying cars and street racing.

Nagata moved to Tokyo and became a shop assistant for the aftermarket tuning company Trust. There he started working after hours in the motorsport division, creating parts for himself. Company executives caught him eventually and instead of reprimanding him, they were impressed by his skill and advised him to keep his activities "top secret". This became the inspiration for the name of his future company.[5]

In 1999 Nagata famously shipped a Toyota Supra producing over 1000 horse power to England with the goal of going 200 mph on the A1 expressway. He got to 197 mph on wet roads in the middle of the night before being pulled over by police. Nagata was jailed for the night and forced to pay a £190 fine. He was subsequently forced to leave the country the next day and banned from driving in England for 28 days.[6]

Racing Results

D1GP
Year Car Driver Drivers' rankings
2002 Nissan Silvia S14 Ryuji Miki 28th
Nissan Silvia S15
2003 Nissan Silvia S15 Ryuji Miki 13th
2004 #10 Nissan Silvia S15 Ryuji Miki 1st
2005 Nissan Fairlady Z Z33 Ryuji Miki 16th
2006 Nissan Fairlady Z Z33 Yoichi Imamura 15th
2007 Nissan Fairlady Z Z33 Yoichi Imamura 6th

References
  1. "株式会社トップシークレット". www.topsecret-jpn.com. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  2. "D1 GRAND PRIX Official Website - Past Series". www.d1gp.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  3. "Top Secret - Nengun Performance". www.nengun.com. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
  4. "A Skyline GT-R With A Secret - Speedhunters". Speedhunters. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  5. "Spotlight JDM: Behind The Scene Shop Visits: Top Secret & Advance-JP". REVVED. 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  6. "Ben Barry Blog | Japanese nutter gene | drifting and speeding". CAR Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
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