The World's Most Expensive Toyota - With a Twist
On top of restorations and plenty of engine swaps, Rocky Auto dabbled in recreating modern cars with classic looks. Their R32 Skyline that was reskinned with a KPGC10 Kenmeri body was one that impressed but his Toyota 3000GT creation takes things way further.
Based on a bespoke steel chassis, Watanabe created a Toyota 2000GT replica that is 20% bigger and runs a modern driveline topped up with all the creature comforts we all want in our cars. I went to test drive it and understand what his goal was the 50 cars he built. It’s been such a success that he’s now embarked on a new project too…
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Hope you’re enjoying this new, more polished style of content! Still one more to come from Rocky Auto 🫶
I've enjoyed all your content really and the b-roll has always been great, but the inclusion of drone shots, interview & the driving sections w/ monologue were all fantastic. Seeing interesting and niche creations like this presented in this style, is fantastic. I'll always watch your event walk-arounds, but I think there must be a pretty deep well of Japanese shops and creators you could feature in this style and I'm very much looking forward to it.
Thanks Dino! All you content is always excellent 🙏
Love it!! Beautiful!!
I was about to comment, Very pro looking video this time round! I like it! 🤌👍👍
Thanks Dino! Amazing content, beautiful editing and nice mellow beats! GOAT
They had to rip the roof off the 2000GT just so Sean Connery could fit in it in 'You Only Live Twice'.
yea if you are over 5'9 you will struggle to fit in it.
people keep repeating that myth, but they never ripped the roof off so Connery could fit in. The script called for Bond and Aki to be in a convertible of some kind before they even knew what car it was going to be, the script had suggested a Ford Mustang, but Toyota who were supplying other vehicles for the movie lobbied for their 2000 GT and offered to turn it into a convertible so that it would fit with the requirements of the script.
I was a car nut at birth. My valedictorian straight A's girlfriend was going to USC studying engineering. She was very smart. She wanted a nice used car. We found a 1971 Celica Coupe. She bought it. I preceded to show her the lineage of Toyota. I showed her the Toyota 2000 GT. She said, "that's not a Toyota, you're making things up"! I tried to convince her that the Toyota 2000 GT was real. She never believed me. NOW, she's a retired rocket scientist. She still won't admit it! LMAO!!! This video does justice for my knowledge of cars as a teen. THE BEAUTIFUL 2000 GT! THANKS!!!
cool story bro
don't you know etype？
The best looking E-Type is a Japanese Toyota 2000 GT!
'67 cars were just different. The list is full of beautiful cars, a style never truly made since. Toyota 2000GT is for sure a true family member.
Good grief that is staggering! Looking forward to see the build process of the 2000. That’s just beautiful.
This is amazing. We need manufacturers to make neo classics with the same vision. Old design with modern tech. Saw the red 3000gt at TAS Last year and was amazed how good it looked. Ive been following rocky auto for years now and they always built amazing cars and the 3000gt is no different.
As a 13 year old kid who was seriously into cars I stumbled across one of these parked on the street in the 80's. My bike leaning against the wall I probably spent 15 minutes looking around it as I had only ever seen the Bond version but this one had a roof. One of the employees at the owners company must have told him and he came out to talk to me in a nice way as I hadn't touched it. He opened it up and let me look around inside as well as under the bonnet. It turned out he had driven one in Japan and loved it so he ordered the only one to make it out to Australia {that's what he told me}. They are indeed very small almost petite and the Karman Giha parked net to it looked huge. If I remember correctly his name was Clisby a well recognized engineering guy in Australia. His company made all sorts of things from Compressors to some very unique hobby lathes. Sherline? Only ever say it this one time and heard it has been sold overseas.
interesting enough there were 3 Shelby Toyota 2000 GT's, i've heard there is one in a museum in Tokyo, and then the other two were actually in the state of Maine not far from where i am! Both sold elsewhere though, but one sold for $2.535 Million dollars, making it the most expensive japanese car ever.
Awesome video. The effort and quality really shows. Thank you for sharing.
I saw these back in 2016 when i visited rocky auto, he had sone that had the hybrid badges on them, and i was actually amazed.
I feel that if i ever have the chance of driving these kind of cars, 2000GT, Giulia's, GTO's, etc. I have to be very well dressed and "On days like these" on the radio.
Dino, Thanks for this look of my dream car I was hoping for someone to interview Rocky Auto shop .I always wanted to see the 3000 GT . Its a masterpiece
Great story! Thanks for sharing it with us.
I really love this car, great content as always and the video quality seemed higher than usual.
I would pass out in that shop 4:00
Awesome video! I’ve been really curious about the process of the replica 3000 GT. The photos are great and overall production is excellent
Thank you!
I’d buy it for the pop up headlights. Stunning
Love what Rocky is doing. Thanks for bringing this to us in such a well thought out and polished video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a beautiful car. White suits it very well imo. Loving the style of this video as well! The last shot of it driving off is so good.
Thank you!
Brilliant! 100k coming up Dino
What a crazy story behind this legendary car and Rocky Auto! I will look more into this company of which I know nothing about. I just saw a 2000GT at a museum here in the USA last week. First time ever I saw this piece of history with my eyes. It was so elegant and more appealing in real!
Thank you Dino ❤
One of my favourite 60s cars. Absolutely beautiful. He did amazing job. 😊
Its really good Dino. But as many already have stated, I have liked all your content. Also, the car ia rad too. Good upload.
Glad you like it
This is the best car I ever seen. Can you do another video to show us how they put this machine together from scratch please
That’s awesome Always love the 2000GT The James Bond roadster is to die for That’s a replica worth having
Nothing quite like a 2000gt that body is simply ❤😮😊
Another great video! That GT is beautiful from just about every angle. I think the best look might be the rear 3/4 view. 🇮🇹🇯🇵
at first glance I thought it were a modded 240/ 260 Z but a totally new chassis etc... that must have cost 3 arms and 4 legs to produce!? Gutsy to create something some wonderful. I kinda wonder if this is what the designers at Toyota would have made if they'd been allowed to make a successor to the 2000GT? I am thrilled that Watanabe is going to make a narrower bodied version with a 2 litre engine, that should be an exciting project. Do you think you will be able to document that along the development and construction journey in a series of videos? Please please please can you get this car together with a 2000GT for a photo shoot and drive 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 That I'd love to see. 💫💫💫💫💫💫💫
Un' altra perla. Grazie Dino ❤
Beautiful. Thankyou ...
This was another excellent video!!!
Thank you 🙏🏻
A singer version of Toyota 2000 GT 😊🎉
great report dino! what a stunning re-creation by watanabe-san. if i were to spec one, i would go for manual and ITB with the new 2000GT. 😁
What an amazing project! can't imagine the price tag😊
That saffa accent still quite apparent. Content is great very slick. I always loved the 2000GT.
Quality content
My favorite Japanese sports car since seeing James Bond in You Only Live Twice for the first time.
This Japanese Jaguar is extremely pretty . Its a replica , cool . Its beautiful . Now i will watch but undeniabky very good looking vehicle/ design however it came to be and what it is .
Thank you
Most beautiful Japanese car of all time imo ❤ thnx for sharing
thank you, great
Amazing car. But also as he said "they used to cost $300K and he couldn't afford that price", and now he's making a car that also costs $300K, which we can't afford.
300k back then is way more expensive than 300k is today though 😅
Really good video on a cool af car
Absolutely gorgeous in every way!! Wow!! I want one!! I'm sure these are still expensive??
It looks pretty exactly like the first GM Camaro concept design if I do still remember it right when the Camaro project was still called “ Panther “ pretty much the exactly same thing!
Toyota is definitely built to last.
Very nice 😎
Thank you for a great video. I really enjoyed this one! It seems like Watanabe was surprised by the price increase in the past, then decided to make these 3000GT cars. Do you know how much he was selling them for once they were made? Also, towards the end of the video, it sounded like he was working on newer projects/cars. Is he referring to the 2000GTs with BMW engines? (I was a bit confused about what his next project actually is)
30 mil yen for the 3000GT and same price for the new and smaller 2000GT. 33 if you want it cabriolet
i love the air of this video ...
Thank you 🙏🏻
Just wondering as I watch will there be a video of you getting out of the 3000gt like a graceful swan??? 😂
That opening song is noice
Dino da GOAT 🐐
So cool. Just So cool. Wonder if rollers will ever be an option.
Oh man. I wish Hethel would produce something like this. Low volume manufacturer could still offer some scale efficiencies, maybe get this into the $125k range. I'd be all over it! The Lotus tribute to the 2000GT!
Quality
Had me fooled because I think I’ve only ever seen the real thing in magazines and internet. Legendary recreation
When you see it you know it, it’s so much bigger
I read somewhere that Caroll Shelby tried to get Toyota to put a 3L V8 in the 2000 for the racing program. There is not way go get significan power in a 2J NA.
Great video. I love the concept of this car. Has to be a manual though!
Manuals are available, or were… all 50 cars have now sold
@@dino_dc Yeah, I meant that if I were to order one, it would have to be manual. But the 15 customers that did get 3 pedals are lucky!
Camissa did a great icons video on the og 2000gt. Amazing how Nissan was first approached to team up with Yamaha’s existing sport concept car. They passed but Toyota swooped in and thus the 2000gt was born. Nissan saw there mistake, struck back with a much more affordable 240z. Thus us enthusiasts got the best of both worlds 😊 Many complaint that it looks like an E-Type knock off but that was exactly what Toyoda was going for. It was meant as a love letter to that sexy Jag. Even Enzo said the E-Type was the most beautiful car ever designed
first time im here when it says 1 view lol
Affordable, beautifully styled kit cars need to become normal.
车身线条真好看
Dino, great video, but I'd like to know 'how' this car was made, like how was the frame made and the body and how did he even get a windshield made and all the glass. There's so many questions for something like this that it would be extremely interesting to know. I can't imagine how it could even be done by a small outfit, because it's not like a kit car... this is an actual, totally detailed, perfect car that looks like it was put together in a factory.
It was all bespoke, glass included that’s why it was all so pricey to put together
I would up the stakes . build a 4000 gt with a 4 liter turbo charged 6 cylinder .. and create a modern take on the original body style . and paddle shifters in the automatics .
The best looking toyota
Congrats 👏 Hope i can fit as well 😅
It looks very nice. One thing that let's it down is the track is too wide, particularly on the front axle. It spoils the lines and looks initially as though it has had wheel spacers fitted or is a kit car. It detracts from the original design. Always wanted one of the originals since seeing it in a Bond film.
wow
Show 🎉🎉🎉
The price hurts 😢 but i think about it in this way. You can either buy this or all of toyotas other cool hits imo. Higher milage lfa~800,000 usd RCF (the track edition), GSF (in that funky orange color) and ISF (any will do honestly this is just my modern toyota dream garage). A 1is is300 (beams or 1j or 2j idc im having it) you could problably fit your choice of supra in here but since its pretty cringe ill just say a70 with a 7m turbo cause i hate myself. Beyond that an aw11 and sw20 mr2 will be lovely and a corolla as a daily with a 4 runner or a land cruser as a car hauler would do nicely, also lc500 as a solid weekender. Lfa-800,000 Lc500-100,000 Rcf-track ed -100,000 GSF- 80,000 Isf-25,000 7m a70-15,000 Aw-11 sc -(in them overrev colors ;) 8-10k Sw-20 (dont care if turbo or non turbo just want one for the theoretical collection) 20,000 Land cruser-90,000 Or 4 runner-40,000 Also fuck the ae86 and a80 supra shits cringe. I only included the lfa to show you how expensive the toyota 2000gt is. You could have all the cars posted above with margins for value changes and a house with a garage to store them in for this 1 car. I think the 2000gt is worth it
this model used in James Bond film
17 year old girl drove one of these to high school,, back in 1970,,😮
Yeah like the one of the James Bond movie
The headlights are funny! Why do you need 2 sets of big headlights?
That’s how the 2000GT was designed in the sixties!
Cuz it's sick
As with most things in the automotive world, it had to meet changing regulations. California regs yet again. They kept the original covered lights and turned them into driving lights
@@James-pl2oy just a quality copy cat 😁
YeS - and now Toyota should do what Ford did with the Ford GT40
I'm curious, are the Z3 powered 2000GT would have bespoke chassis like 3000GT? Or are they gonna use BMW Z3 chassis instead?
All bespoke
@@dino_dc They could use 1g-fe vvti 2.0 inline 6 from Altezza AS200/Gita instead of bmw engine.
@@aaabbb9953 its the toyota x bmw thing now hehehe
She s so beautiful, a dream
Emil must be salivating if he saw this
It's a beautiful design i love this car but for me it would be manual setup not an automatic and with a 2J 6 cylinder
It looks like the front wheels are set wider apart than the rear, it’s driving me crazy!
They are, old car set up
Looking to do the same with the bmw m1
Awesome. How do they make it road legal though?
Kit car or self made registration probably.
I heard they're making a new one.
Yes the 2000gt
Niceprofile but headlights look silly Too vulnerable in crash etc
What is the price of it?
$195k
WHATS THE COST OF THAT NEW VERSION?
Same, ¥30m
The car looks great, but the lighting is poor, we cant really see all the details of the car because of darkness. Another video would be much appreciated
👍💪✌
and uhm does it come in carbon fiber ?
No it doesn’t
It costs a lot, yes... but it is NOT worth that much.
Is any lump of metal then?
Agreed but that’s pretty much true for all these restomod boutiques. Singers, Alfhaholics, Gunther Werks, Theon, etc. they just don’t have the scale and man power as the mainstream automakera
Bro Do you have his contact details?
Rocky auto? Look them up, website or social media 👍🏻
It's unbelievable that this is a scratch built car. By a dude in a warehouse!
With 30 years experience building cars lol
Just looking for someone to say put a B58. I'd prefer the B48 sir. Just saying....
Welp, I found my new dream car, wonder what the new ones he'll be building will be going for. Would LOVE to own one to drive here in the US. Always wanted a 2000gt but the prices and low production numbers would make it impossible for me, but now... there's a chance!
The beauty of that car is on par with the Jaguar E-type.
Oh, FFS, is that an automatic?
Yep but he also did manuals
time to ls swap it. Yes it's a joke! 2jz are better....
the'se are s'ome s'uper s'exy car's