During the mid-1980s, Japan was on fire. The export frenzy and the expansion of its major companies into the West placed the country at the center of an economic boom that reached multiple markets, but one piece was missing from the puzzle: supercars. That's how the presidents of Wacoal and Dome joined forces to found the design house Jiotto in July 1988, and launch the Caspita, a 450-horsepower prototype that promised direct access to Formula 1 technology, backed by impeccable aesthetics.
Fans of Back to the Future will surely remember Marty's reply: “What are you talking about, Doc? The best stuff is made in Japan.” It symbolizes an entire era. Nintendo, Sony, Panasonic, Honda, Toyota... if you wanted quality in the '80s, it had to be Japanese. The economy was flying, and with money changing hands at full speed, prestige projects like the development of supercars also emerged.
Now, Japan was no stranger to these vehicles. Dome, led by Minoru Hayashi, had dazzled the world with its Zero prototype in 1978, but none of its versions received the necessary permits for commercialization. Ten years later, Hayashi tried again, but this time with an unusual ally: Yoshikata Tsukamoto of Wacoal, a company known for its women's underwear.
Both created the design house Jiotto in July 1988. Research and manufacturing were entrusted to Dome, which controlled 40 percent of the company, while Wacoal held the other 60. The end result? The Jiotto Caspita.
A Formula 1 on the Street
The person in charge was Kunihisa Ito, Jiotto's vice president and chief designer. With an average of 200 designs and more than twenty aerodynamic tests, Jiotto reduced its proposals to three, finally keeping the one closest to Group C cars. Among the most important adjustments, the inclusion of an electronically controlled wing with a maximum range of 19 centimeters stands out.
Subaru's Formula 1 Engine
But why talk about a "Formula 1 on the street"? The answer comes through the third partner, Subaru. After Yamaha and Honda entered the top category as engine suppliers, Subaru decided to follow the same path, teaming up with Motori Moderni to create the Subaru 1235, a 12-cylinder boxer engine with a displacement of three and a half liters and a ceiling of 560 horsepower.
The version that the Jiotto Caspita Mk.I received was "lowered" to 450 horsepower, but that relationship didn't last long. Why? Because Subaru's time in Formula 1 was disastrous (it failed to qualify in eight races of the 1990 season), and the company lost all interest in the 1235. For the Mk.II version, the Caspita received a Judd GV V10 with 585 horsepower. Its 0 to 100 km/h time was just 3.4 seconds.
The Mk.II and the Burst of the Bubble
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1du_jLfrfuwInitially, its appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1989 was very positive, and there was talk of a limited series of 30 units with an estimated price of $700,000. However, Japan's economic strength was an illusion: the bubble burst in '91 (giving rise to the famous Lost Decade), and the demand for supercars vanished around the globe. The Caspita was left without customers and without a future, but both prototypes are safe: the Mk.I is in the Motorcar Museum of Japan, while the Mk.II remained under Dome's control at its headquarters.
Source:All Car Index
