Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 8:37pm
Stopping at a petrol station in the middle of nowhere – miles from civilisation or the nearest highway – might seem like the perfect night out for slasher film buffs eager to channel the energy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. However, for most of us, the only reason for such a detour would be if the petrol station sold 99RON fuel.
But this is Japan, where high-octane petrol is as ubiquitous as sushi and available at every station, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Yet the allure of this particular Apollostation, situated deep in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, is far more intriguing.
As I pulled up to the forecourt, owner Keiji Kasugai waved me in.
I spotted Maeda-san – no stranger to Speedhunters – skillfully reversing his pristine Subaru Forester S/tb-STI into the loading bay of a nearby shed. It only has 30,000 kilometres on the clock, and smells like new shoes. Maeda-san’s collection includes several 22Bs and a couple of WRC Imprezas, and Keiji-san looks after all of them.
