You Can Drive Your Dream Toyota Supra While Staying At This Hotel
Japan's Fuji Speedway Hotel is kicking off the new year with its Supra Winter Festival, allowing some lucky hotel guests to "drive, dine, and unwind" by test-driving one of four Toyota Supra models. The special offer is for two days only, from January 21-22, 2024, and is being organized in collaboration with Toyota Gazoo Racing and Vintage Club by Kinto.
Hotel guests who book and take part in the event will gather for a social dinner on the evening of January 21. At the dinner, restoration experts will regale participants with "behind-the-scenes stories" (in Japanese, of course) about the Supra. The dinner portion of the event will be held for three hours at the Trofeo Italian Emerald Room and will offer guests a five-course Italian meal and a two-hour, all-you-can-drink package of soft drinks, wine, whiskey, and beer.
On the days of the event, one of each Supra will be driven together, in a convoy, with up to two people per vehicle. The convoy will take the Toyotas for a spin on public roads around the Fuji Speedway Hotel but won't be allowed on the race track of the same name. The slots available to test drive a Supra are in 30-minute increments and can be booked for either the afternoon of January 21 or the morning of January 22, with up to four rooms per slot.
Guests can learn about the Toyota Supra as they drive it
The four models of Toyota Supra to choose from for the test drive package are the Celica XX, 70 Supra, 80 Supra, and GR Supra (6MT) — representing four generations of the beloved Japanese car. Each Supra will include a different "story" you can hear during your 30-minute test drive of the model.
The A40 Celica was the first Supra that Toyota rolled off the assembly line, a luxury car — powered by a smooth six-cylinder engine — that debuted in 1978. In the domestic market, it was known as the Celica XX. The A70 Supra came two generations later in 1986, blurring the lines between sports cars and luxury cruisers. One limited edition of the A70 could be equipped with a 2954 cc 7M-GTE turbocharged and intercooled twin-cam engine that could deliver 270 horsepower, making it the fastest Japanese car of its day.
The A80 was launched in 1993 with a long, low bonnet line and an optional high-rise rear spoiler. Designed for high speeds, top-spec models of the A80 included Toyota's first six-speed transmission and was the first Supra supercar. It's been seen in movies like "The Fast and the Furious," and — contrary to popular belief — was never banned by the NHTSA. Its highly-anticipated fifth-gen successor, the GR Supra, debuted in 2019 — 17 years after the A80 ceased production — and comes with either a six or eight-speed gearbox. Needless to say, it would be a tough choice which Toyota Supra you'd like to test drive if you decide to book a Supra Winter Festival reservation.
The Fuji Speedway Hotel offers views of both a famous peak and famous racetrack
In addition to the test drive and social dinner, the Supra Winter Festival package also includes breakfast, as well as other amenities of the Fuji Speedway Hotel, including the Fuji Omika Onsen hot spring and a view of Mount Fuji. The hotel is a member of the upscale Unbound Collection by Hyatt Hotels Corp. and was — not so coincidentally — developed by Toyota. It's a popular place to stay for many of the visitors and racing enthusiasts who visit Japan's Fuji Speedway each year.
The hotel includes 21 suites and five villas, as well as dozens of hotel rooms, with many of the rooms offering a panoramic view of Fuji Speedway's Sector 3 — the last turn for racers. Villas allow you to park your personal vehicle right outside your living room, where it can be seen through a wall of glass, allowing guests to "admire their beloved car, which is displayed just like an art piece at a gallery." (The Toyota Supras available for test drives will be kept elsewhere.)
The booking period for the Supra Winter Festival is from December 15, 2023, to January 14, 2024, but you'll want to act fast — the slots are first-come, first-serve, with limited availability. Drivers must have valid driver's licenses recognized in Japan, as well as some fluency in speaking Japanese or have a translator on hand in order to get behind the wheel. You can book a slot to test drive a Toyota Supra as part of the Supra Winter Festival on the Fuji Speedway Hotel's website.