Chapter 36 - Subway Racer
It was the next morning. Hitomi’s phone started ringing beside her with the same old Rihanna ring tone.
Hitomi: Ugh… Who’s calling at this time of day…?
She picked the phone up and glanced at the caller ID. She didn’t recognise the number. She picked up anyway.
Hitomi: Hello…?
Man: Is this Hitomi, Leon’s girlfriend?
Hitomi: Yeah… No! I’m not his girlfriend!
Man: Oh? I must have my information wrong. Anyway I’m Chris, his brother.
Hitomi: So you’re the one who’s supposed to be lending us a car for the British Lightweight season huh?
Chris: Yeah. I’m at Subway right now, it’s just down the road from your hotel I believe. I’ve brought the car along, want to meet up?
Hitomi: Sure…
Chris: Great. Is your cousin there with you?
Hitomi: Yuka? Yeah, she’s still asleep.
Chris: Oh, did I wake you just now?
Hitomi: Yeah.
Chris: My apologies! How about I treat you both to breakfast?
Hitomi: Sure. We’ll be there once we’re both actually awake.
Chris: Great, see you soon.
Hitomi: See you.
Hitomi put the phone down and woke Yuka up.
Hitomi: Hey Yuka, wake up.
Yuka: Mhmmm…
Hitomi: Hey!
Yuka: I’m sleeping!
Hitomi: It’s morning and we’re being treated to breakfast, so get up and get ready.
Yuka: Oh alright.
Later on…
Yuka and Hitomi made their way down the street towards Subway.
Hitomi: London is pretty big isn’t it?
Yuka: Yeah.
Hitomi: Hopefully our car won’t be too much of a handful, I don’t want to crash through a shop window.
Yuka: Elise’s aren’t hard to drive.
Hitomi: Yeah… Wait, Elise? What Elise?
Yuka: Isn’t that our car over there? That white Elise over there outside Subway.
Yuka pointed out a white roadster with a huge rear wing and front splitter.
Hitomi: Oh! Yeah I think that’s it.
The girls walked over to the car and started inspecting it.
Yuka: It’s cute!
Hitomi: Looks fast.
Yuka: Looks like it’s had a lot of work put into the handling.
Hitomi: This spoiler is huge though. Surely they could’ve fitted something more suitable?
Yuka: It’s not that bad.
Hitomi: Well there’s no doubt this is the car then, let’s go inside.
Hitomi and Yuka walked into Subway. Chris immediately recognised them and got up to introduce himself.
Chris: Hitomi! And ah, Yuka?
Hitomi: Oh so you’re Chris.
Yuka: Hi.
Chris: I see you’ve already seen the car. Do you like it?
Hitomi: It’s not a TVR but it’ll do.
Yuka: I think it’s cute. Hehe…
Hitomi: Yeah. So about breakfast?
Chris: Ah yeah. Go order and I’ll pay for you both.
Hitomi: Sure.
Meanwhile, in Japan…
Dave arrived at TJ’s. He walked into the garage where he saw his Atenza completely stripped down to bare metal, with all the paint sanded away. All of it’s parts were removed and organised into neat piles around the garage. TJ was flicking through a parts catalogue.
Dave: Wow. You’ve sure made progress.
TJ: Ah, Dave, I was about to call you.
Dave: Yeah? Need help?
TJ: Well since this is your car, it’s your choice as to what colour you want it painted.
Dave: Oh true. Yeah… I’m not even sure myself.
TJ: The car was originally white, if that helps. Can you believe that green respray was a professionally done job? Must’ve cost a fortune. They actually painted the whole shell, not just the exterior panels. I only found the original colour by looking the car up online.
Dave: So I guess we’re going to do that too?
TJ: We have to after I sanded it all down to bare metal again. So yeah, pick a colour out and we’ll get cracking.
Later on…
Yuka and Hitomi finished their Subway breakfast, paid for by Chris.
Yuka: Ahhh! I love a good sub! Especially foot longs, mmmm… I could go for another!
Hitomi: How do you eat those and not get fat?
Yuka: Well I’m not thin…
Hitomi: Yeah but you’re eating foot long subs!
Yuka: I guess I just exercise enough then.
Hitomi: You need to teach me your secrets girl.
Chris: Aha! I’m glad you two are enjoying your meals. How are you finding London by the way?
Hitomi: So far, I like it!
Yuka: It’s pretty neat. I see they’ve already prepared some roads for the race this afternoon.
Chris: Yeah, it’ll be fully barricaded by then.
Hitomi: So are we driving the Elise to Surrey or are you using a trailer?
Chris: The car is road legal, so you two can drive it up to Surrey, race it, then come back here to drop the car off before you go.
Hitomi: Great stuff.
Yuka: So what’s been done to the car exactly? I noticed it’s not standard.
Chris: Oh yeah, I should explain that huh? It’s a 1996 Lotus Elise, tuned for low level track racing. It’s had some weight reduction done so it weighs about 740 kilos, basic engine work to 140 horsepower, a shorter ratio gearbox, suspension already adjusted for racing and the aerodynamic improvements you saw for yourselves.
Yuka: Sounds good.
Chris: If that’s all, then I think we’re all done here.
Hitomi: Yeah, I think that’s it.
Yuka: Hitomi, do you want to take London? I really want to race on the Top Gear track…
Hitomi: Sure cousin.
Yuka: Yay!
Chris: Well I need to go now, I’ll leave the keys with you and I’ll see you both in a few days!
Hitomi: You’re just leaving us with the car?
Chris: I trust Leon’s opinions about you, so yeah.
Hitomi: …
Yuka: Well thank you Chris, we’ll take good care of the Elise!
Chris: I’m sure you will, goodbye ladies!
Yuka: Bye!
Chris made his way out of Subway.
Yuka: Hitomi, you didn’t say bye.
Hitomi: I just don’t like how Leon’s been talking about me to his brother.
Yuka: Guys will be guys Hitomi.
Hitomi: I guess this is why you changed huh?
Yuka: Sort of…
Hitomi: I’m glad you have Kei anyway. I can’t have my little cousin all heartbroken like me now can I?
Yuka: You’ll be fine, look how easily you get guys!
Hitomi: Mhmm.
Yuka: Anyway, I want to look around London for a bit. Want to go window shopping before we race?
Hitomi: Yeah, why not.
Later on…
Yuka and Hitomi returned to the hotel, only an hour before they were due to race.
Yuka: London is expensive…
Hitomi: Yeah… I really wanted those shoes… And that dress… And that hat…
Yuka: It’s funny though because most of this stuff is made in Asia or imported from America. We sure do make a profit from Europe don’t we?
Hitomi: Yeah and we buy their products for a premium too. It’s how the world economy works.
Yuka: Yeah. Anyway it looks like its time to race. You’re up!
Hitomi: Right.
Starting Grid
1. Green MG TF160
2. Black Lotus Elise Type 72
3. White Lotus Europa
4. Red MGF
5. Yellow Lotus Elise Sport 190
6. Black Lotus Elise 111S
7. Yuka & Hitomi’s White Lotus Elise
8. Blue Lotus Elise
9. Yellow Triumph Spitfire
10. Blue Lotus Elan
11. Black TVR V8S
12. White TVR Griffith
TF160 Driver: This MG is perfect for blasting around London!
Type 72 Driver: That couldn’t be Yuka I just saw getting into that white Elise could it?
Europa Driver: I don’t want to wreck a classic but I want to show these Elise’s who’s boss.
MGF Driver: The MGF is apparently a girl’s car but honestly I don’t see it.
Sport 190 Driver: These first generation Elise’s are the best of the lot. Much better looking and lighter.
111S Driver: The Elise is perfect here, I can squeeze through and claim the win!
Hitomi: I’m going to end this quickly. This track is too tight to risk getting caught up in little battles.
Yuka: It’s cosy in here.
Hitomi: Yeah, this Elise is tiny.
Elise Driver: Hopefully I get some blessing from RKM’s Juliet Elise for painting my Elise the same colour…
Spitfire Driver: Don’t break down on me now…
Elan Driver: Nothing like a classic Lotus to enjoy a London race.
V8S Driver: Lets see these Lotus’ keep up with my V8!
Griffith Driver: I come all the way from Blackpool to start last, great.
The lights went green, Hitomi floored it, instantly feeling the Elise’s lack of power as the 111S in front slowly pulled away.
Hitomi: What the? It’s hardly moving!
Hitomi braked late for the first corner, using the Elise’s formidable grip to make up for it’s lack of power.
She went side by side with the 111S around the first corner.
Hitomi: Damn it, does this thing have any power?! I can’t pass!
The 111S started pulling ahead down the straight and retook its position.
111S Driver: Hah.
Hitomi: Are you kidding me?!
Hitomi stayed close through the next corners. Both the 111S and Sport 190 in front started to slide through the right hander, scraping the wall. Hitomi’s Elise stuck firm to the tarmac with it’s downforce, letting Hitomi pass the injured 111S.
Hitomi: There we go!
Hitomi took the next right like a woman possessed, narrowly missing the guardrails as she passed the Sport 190 on the inside.
Yuka: You’re crazy Hitomi! I love it! Haha!
Hitomi jumped yet another kerb, passing the MGF.
Hitomi caught the Europa and TF ahead. The Europa and TF traded paint coming through the chicane. Hitomi came flying in just as the Europa started to lose grip.
Europa Driver: Crap!
Europa: Ahh! Not the paint!
Hitomi: Ow!
Yuka: The hell just hit us?!
Hitomi: That Europa!
Yuka: That’s going to leave a mark…
Yuka: That Type 72 is ahead! Lap two Hitomi!
Hitomi: It’s fast! We haven’t got the power Yuka!
Yuka: Push harder!
Hitomi: Hard enough?
Yuka: Harder Hitomi! Sod the paint and get that Lotus!
Type 72 Driver: Okay I’m convinced, that’s Yuka in that car behind me. No one else could possibly keep up like this. What are you doing in London I wonder?
Type 72 Driver: What the?!
Hitomi: Lesson five of the Hitomi school of driving baby!
Yuka: Weeeeee!
Yuka: Last lap coming up, let’s do it!
Hitomi: Right!
Type 72 Driver: Whoa! What the hell? She’s riding my bumper!
Hitomi: This Elise may not be powerful, but the brakes are superb!
Hitomi stayed hard on the throttle, pushing the Elise to its limits in an attempt to keep up with the powerful Type 72. Once they reached the kerbs, Hitomi began her attack.
Hitomi: Hold tight Yuka!
Type 72 Driver: What…?
Type 72 Driver: No way! She’s passed me! I’ve never been overtaken here!
Type 72 Driver: How on earth can you jump the kerbs every lap?
Hitomi: We did it!
Yuka: Yeah buddy!
Type 72 Driver: I’ve lost…
Hitomi kept her foot to the floor, taking the battered and bruised Elise to victory.
Yuka: Woooo!
Hitomi: Yeah that’s it!
Hitomi stopped the car and ran out to the podium to celebrate. The Type 72 stopped behind. Yuka glanced over as the driver got out. She instantly recognised the driver.
Yuka: Kyoko?!
Kyoko: Yuka! Wait, it wasn’t you driving just now?
Yuka: Nope, my cousin was.
Kyoko: Hitomi? Wow.
Yuka ran over to Kyoko and hugged her tight.
Yuka: It’s good to see you again!
Kyoko: Yeah! I haven’t seen you since college!
Yuka: Yeah. So what are you doing in London?
Kyoko: Huh? I live here! I should be asking you that question, unless… It’s you two who’ve been beating everyone in Europe?
Yuka: Yep!
Kyoko: Wow Yuka. You’ve turned pro since the last time I saw you.
Yuka: As have you! Anyway lets go celebrate on the podium, we’ll catch up later, yeah?
Kyoko: Yeah.
Well done to everyone who guessed the car correctly! You all win a part of Dave’s old Vitz!