Even the most ardent, deep-pocketed collector knows you can’t always have everything you want as a collector. One of the ways you can spot a non-gearhead is to ask them what their dream car collection would be. What do you wager is a hardcore collector’s ultimate dream garage? Fewer supercars that anyone with bucket loads of money can buy and more rare classics like the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Spider or the Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coupe.
So, you can understand why our jaws dropped when we first saw photos of the content of Rocky Auto’s garage (if you’d call it that) in Okazaki, Japan. The collection, including an ungodly dose of Skylines and Datsun’s Z-cars, napping in that Japanese shop tells you right away that the tuning house owner, Yoshiya Watanabe, is a hardcore vintage JDM car enthusiast.
So, we also got quite excited when we found out that Watanabe’s Rocky Auto is building 2JZ-powered Toyota 2000GT replicas, the car regarded as Japan’s first supercar, without which there’d probably be no LFA, Celica, Supra, or GT86.
Remembering The Original Toyota 2000GT
Toyota collaborated with Yamaha to develop the 2000GT introduced at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, 20 years after Japan's defeat in the Second World War. In many ways, the Toyota 2000GT was an extra-special car, not just for the Japanese automaker but for the country as well.
Following the ravages of WW2, the Toyota 2000GT was a symbol of resilience, renaissance, and hope. How else can you describe Yamaha’s decision to link up with Toyota’s skunkworks group to make a bold statement of engineering and design intent? It was a “super” car also in the sense that it adopted a design direction that heralded Japan’s automobile industry as better than the monotonous and plagiaristic designs it was known for.
The 2000GT was a momentous product in the form of a sleek, high-performance fastback coupe, a veiled demonstration directed at Europe. Little wonder then that Road&Track described the car as "one of the most exciting and enjoyable cars we've driven" and even compared it to Europe's Porsche 911.
Yamaha eventually built the model under contract from 1967 to 1970. We detect patriotic and camaraderie undertones for Toyota to let Yamaha play around with its flagship model.
The 2000GT was a limited-production front mid-engine, RWD, 2-door, 2-seat sports car/grand tourer. The thing is, just 351 Toyota 2000GTs were made. So, the car is so rare that you might wait a lifetime for the chance to buy one, even if you can pay the million-dollar price tag. It’s a good thing then that Rocky Auto can build you the closest thing to the original for a lot cheaper.
Rocky Auto Used Laser-Scanning For The 3000GT's Body
The thing is, there are replicas, and then there are continuation cars like the Aston Martin Goldfinger Continuation Series or the Blower Bentley. The Rocky Auto tuning house’s reproduction of the Toyota 2000GT is so perfect that it could technically pass as a continuation car. While it isn’t (a continuation car has to be built by the original manufacturer), it very closely follows the build details of the original copies such that Rocky Auto’s 3000GT are definitely not basic replicas.
They’re better than that, in large part due to Watanabe’s use of laser scanning to capture the exact measurements of the original 2000GT. Sticking to the original, the 3000GT features aluminum panels hand-beaten onto the wooden buck. Thus, Rocky Auto succeeded in reviving the iconic Japanese renaissance car, not by clothing a strange chassis with the 2000GT’s body, but by building the darn thing from scratch, using made-to-measure chassis and body panels of the original thing.
The Rocky Auto 3000GT's Engine Packs A Punch
Although Rocky Auto’s Toyota 3000GT painfully mirrors the '60s model, would you insist on the original powertrain too? Of course not, which is why Wanatabe and his crew would even pack a Prius powertrain onto your 3000GT if you want. But if you’re like the rest of us, you’re just fine with the default engine that doesn’t stray so far, anyway.
We’re talking about Toyota’s legendary 2JZ inline-6 borrowed from the equally famed Toyota Mk4 Supra. The 3000GT is powered by a naturally breathing 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six that can make 215 horsepower and 218 lb-ft of torque mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. However, Rocky Auto offers a manual option as well as an optional turbo Pkg.
This engine is based on the same short-block 2JZ-GTE. Though nearly identical, it has a higher-compression rotating assembly good for about 230 hp, with Toyota, at least. So, yes, the 3000GT engine packs a harder punch compared to the original 2000GT’s 138hp 2.0-liter 3M (Toyota M engine) DOHC inline-six and 148hp 2.3-liter 2M SOHC inline-six. They were tied to either a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission.
The 3000GT Has A Handmade Interior To Mimic The Original
It isn’t just the powertrain that got a modernized revival. Inside, the seats and dashboard on Rocky Auto's 3000GT are modernized too but pay homage to the original 2000GT. The interior highlights are the laminate wood 3-spoke steering wheel and dashboard.
Other interior features include modern air outlets, a radio face, a modern instrument cluster, leather upholstery, and a hand brake in lieu of the original footbrake. The chassis and just about everything else is handmade except the engine, transmission, wiring loom, and some interior elements taken from Toyota.
The Rocky Auto 3000GT In Details
Interestingly, some guys behind the Rocky Auto 3000GT were part of the crew that built the original Toyota 2000GT. Watanabe himself is said to have a history with Toyota and was behind the design of the HiAce van.
The 3000GT is as good as it gets to mimicking the 2000GT but certainly doesn't fit to a T. That's to be expected, though, with the 3000GT having a bit more plastic and the subpar interior wood detailing. But would you rather trade the 3000GT’s modern steering and suspension system for the original?
While it admittedly does not offer one-to-one Toyota 2000GT replication, the Rocky Auto 3000GT succeeded in capturing the style, spirit, and sensation of the original in a significantly cheaper package. Ignore the turbo option, so you can properly enjoy the feel of the 2JZ.
A fair condition 2000GT costs at least half a million dollars, while pristine copies command over $1,000,000 according to Hagerty. Meanwhile, Rocky Auto can build you the iconic Toyota 3000GT for roughly $200,000. And you can have the roof chopped off too, James Bond style.