This Japanese Reverse Driving Trial Is Like a Real-Life Gran Turismo License Test

The tenacious Japanese driver Manabu “Max” Orido has taken home another trophy for his exploits behind the wheel. The two-time Super GT champion and GT4 Asia competitor can add yet another precision driving award to his trophy case. Not for Formula Drift—where Orido often competes—but for a reverse-braking competition held at this year’s All-Japan 4A-G Festival.

The 4A-G Festival is a celebration of all the cars that the inline-four engine has powered, from the Toyota Corolla AE86 to the Toyota MR2 and many others. The Supra’s 2JZ and Tacoma’s 22R engines tend to get all the fanfare in America as far as Toyota engines go, but the 4A-G has tons of fans in Japan, leading to the second-annual 4A-G Festival. There, people show off their AE86s and drivers like Max Orido and Akira Iida compete in the peculiar event.

A cursory glance from Google Translate calls this the “Back Stop Championship.” Normally, I’m loathe to give Google’s translation efforts any credit, but “Back Stop Championship” just puts a smile on my face. As you can likely make out from the video that Orido shared on Twitter/X, the competition is to see which driver can come the closest to a cone by braking while driving in reverse—without hitting or knocking the cone over, of course. This is basically a Gran Turismo licensing test come to life.

As video footage of the festival shows, the event puts all contenders behind the wheel of the same first-generation Toyota MR2—a supercharged AW11 model, to be precise. Drivers then have to accelerate heavily in reverse and time their braking just right to get as close to the cone as they can. Some drivers brake way too late, knocking the cone over, while others brake way too early. Orido, however, reportedly came within one centimeter of the cone. Talk about precision driving, err, braking.

And while I know the draw here is the hilarious reversing competition, let’s take a moment to appreciate the MR2 driven in the event. The teal paint, the gold wheels, the dual-tipped exhaust. The car is as glorious as the small yet mighty inline-four powering it. Toyota’s A-Series engine may have been discontinued in 2006, but the engine is alive and well in Japan thanks to enthusiasts, race drivers, and the charming 4A-G fest.

Pretty much everything about this is wholesome. From the rows of immaculate AE86s and MR2s at the exhibition to the reverse-braking competition, ahem, championship. Congratulations to Max Orido on his latest win. I highly encourage you to watch the recap of the 4A-G Festival posted on Vimeo. Skip to 1:24 and thank me later. Or just watch the whole thing because it’s car enthusiasm at its finest.

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