The fun2drive Owners’ Club Co., Ltd. — Local services in Hakone

I can safely say Fun2Drive made the trip to Japan 100% worth it on its own! What an experience. Book online on the website and I recommend booking as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment, we booked the week the dates came free (3 months in advance). The you arrive 1 hour before your designated session to sort out the formalities, payment, to check your International driving permit (don't forget this before going to Japan), passport and driving license. They also hold approximately £3300 on your credit card as a security so that if you damage their cars it pays for the damage/insurance deductable (this refund was processed by Fun2Drive the same night as you get back from the drive. You get chance to walk around your car with one of the guides and check for any damage ect, be vigilant here, there are plenty of scratches and marks, just point them all out, I had no issue with this but it's worth making sure it doesn't crop up later, at the end of the day the cars are expensive so it's understandable to be careful. There is then a safety briefing where they tell you the order to drive, route your traveling and show you a few accidents they have had in the past to make sure your aware the older cars are raw driving car with no aids, if your inexperienced with rwd in the wet I'd recommend one of the newer cars just incase it rains. They are thorough and want you to enjoy your trip without any issues.

After the briefing we all jumped into our respective cars and set off, we are given at first an order of cars based off of power, and at the first stop we are asked if we are happy with the cars and order, if you want to play faster they put you closer to the front, if you want to take it easier they put you further back behind a 2nd pace car. So any driving skill or speed will find this okay.

The first leg up until lunch is easy and scenic sight seeing roads like the hakone skyline. Then you stop for lunch and get some photos of the cars and views. After lunch there was a smaller easy road my partner got her first taste of what a classic car was like to drive and although she was very nervous the thrill of it got her passed it very quickly, she was loving it. Then we got to Hakone Turn Pike the famous road from Initial D and Grand Turismo ect and it's as stunning and fun in real life! This is where you get to open them up a little, following the pace car they will let you push the cars more and experience a taste of the power, noise and smell of the fantastic motor you've selected to enjoy your trip with. The 911 was breath taking in every sense. Then you turn around and do the Turnpike all over again but up hill!

After a brief stop at the top of the mountain again for some spectacular views, a quick toilet break and an ice-cream, 3.5 hours never seemed to come so fast and your on your way back to base at a leisurely pace, via the petrol station to refuel. There is plenty of points to swap drivers and take photos. You will need cash for both the till booths and fuel station (I took £100 and had a good bit of change). Photos are allowed but videos are only allowed when stationary for reasons you will be explained to when there.

There has only been a handful of times in my life I have felt this adrenaline and enjoyment. I massively recommend and will definitely be back...

Wow, what an amazing experience!! My fiancé and I did the Classic Ultimate Hakone Drive in the AE86 a couple of weeks ago during our recent trip to Japan. It was literally one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had in Japan yet!!! We’re both big car enthusiasts and it’s definitely a must-do for other gear heads. The drive is super scenic, fun, and even better when you’re driving amongst other beloved vehicles. We even got to see Fuji-san! The fun2drive team is exceptional! They’re super professional and truly dedicate their time to make sure everyone has a great (and safe) experience. At the start they review the map that you will be driving, how many tolls, where the breaks will be including lunch, and do a car check with each driver as well as a radio check. They also review certain things to watch out for and provide tips for the drive. Pay attention to the tips, don’t end up wrecking the cars please, lol! Driving order gets set before departing the venue but later on during the breaks the order can be swapped. We had the second driving spot at the beginning and then after we were last. To be honest we think the last spot in the line is the best one. At one of the stops we also got to get a bunch of Initial D and MF Ghost gachas. We truly really enjoyed the drive, the cars, the scenery, and the fun2drive team. Super highly recommend!!! :) When we come back to Japan we definitely plan on renting again for another sweet drive for sure!!

The online booking process was simple. Once reservation is approved, you then pay a small deposit, which confirms your reservation and then you fill out their registration form and upload your documents. If you have a passenger with you that’s not driving you don’t have to list them as an additional driver (just a heads up because we listed myself as one and we actually didn’t need to and were able to save some yen there).

Make sure to arrive with time to make sure all details are set in stone, they can review your registration, including your passport and international driving permit, and so that you can pay the remaining amount. I did notice that a handful of other drivers did not bring cash. The website and emails clearlyyy state that you must pay in cash and also have extra cash available to be able to pay tolls and gas. It’s super important so please do not think you can use a credit card. If you forget to bring cash you will have to walk to the nearest ATM to go withdraw cash. It was save both you and the fun2drive team some time as there is a set time to begin the tour.

We were a little worried on how to make it to the venue. But we ended up taking a trip to Odawara for a couple of days and then followed the instructions to take the bus to one of the nearest stations and do a 10-15 min walk the rest of the way. Fairly simple and easy process to/from Odawara station. You can use a Suica for the bus also, just make sure it’s loaded with plenty of funds to get...

The summary: The team at Fun2drive are fantastic, friendly and helpful. The tour is well organised, communication is clear and detailed, and a huge focus is on participant safety. The choice of cars is amazing and the experience is definitely worth if you want to tick a major box and drive a JDM legend yourself. - The long version: I wanted to leave a longer review and highlight the great work TK and the team are doing. I really liked my experience, and I hope this feedback will help others who are interested. The main focus is on safety first. You are driving in live traffic, and most people will probably Not come from countries with traffic on the left, and sitting on the right side of the car. The tour pace is set by a lead car. If you have never driven in RHD vehicle on the left side of the road, chances are you will be overwhelmed with the situation. Pair this with a powerful sports car and a lack of experience, it means you might be driving slower than regular traffic. Therefore, if you have a chance to learn RHD driving and driving on the left before, I recommend doing so as otherwise the convoy will have to slow down or stop, just to wait for the slowest car, thus ruining part of the fun for the group (and by slow I mean slower than the traffic rules allow, i.e. going way under the speed limit and holding up regular traffic). Part of the safety briefing was a number of videos of 'what not to do', and what inexperienced drivers have done to the fun2drive fleet in terms of damage. These cars are from an era where assistence systems other than ABS did not exist. If you have sports car experience, great. If you do not, you must be fully aware that a car with 300+bhp and rear wheel drive on ultra sports tyres is not a regular hatchback, especially when you catch a wet or rainy day for your tour. Costly mistakes of others for you to not repeat: lift-off oversteer, releasing the throttle from full power in the middle of a corner; snap oversteer: specialty of an rx7 mid corner if you accelerate to suddenly, even at 40kph/25mph. My aim is not to deter you from fulfilling your dream of driving, but to make anyone reading this aware that it's important to be sensible, don't be a hero in a GT-R and floor it if you do not have an understanding of basic vehicle dynamics. The team are doing a great job to keep the cars, given their age, in great and safe condition so everyone can enjoy them! I respect the trust they give their customers, as yes we do pay a deposit, but some of those cars are worth way over 6 figures in any currency, so please do your part to keep them whole. This message is from someone with a powerful modified car and...