The purpose of this trip to England was to tune and test-drive the challenge car for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2023, entering the warm-up rally as part of it.

I have entered a great many rallies in Italy before, but the motorsport worlds of Italy and England are completely different.

Again this time, all sorts of items had to be prepared to meet the fine detail written into the regulations.

On this English rally, phones are not allowed. In fact the only permitted device is a distance-measuring instrument — bring a phone or any other device and you are found out, and penalty points pile up.

This next item is unique to classic cars: something to stop an oil leak dirtying the road. In Japan people lay down cardboard, but English rallying is strict even about a detail like this, and oil-absorbent mats or plastic sheeting are checked at pre-event scrutineering.

A tow rope — this too was heavy, but cheaper bought in Japan, so I brought it with me.

And then there are the essentials you have to prepare just in case, like these.

OK signs and SOS signs, copied from what I had used in JAF events.
The studying and experience that went into getting the international licence turned out to be useful in exactly this kind of way — everything is worth experiencing.

The cheap flight this time came with a baggage limit, so the tools I carried came to 23 kg in total.

This was the first batch, carrying what could be carried from Japan; the second batch, and everything needed before Peking to Paris a year from now, will come next time.

This time the tools I carried came to 23 kg in total — this first batch carried what could be carried from Japan, with the second batch to come next time, gathering what is needed before Peking to Paris a year from now.

Our research into preparation paid off this time. Carrying all this heavy equipment was hard work, but buying it locally abroad would have cost roughly two to three times as much.

With the yen this weak, I would recommend sourcing as much equipment as possible in Japan before heading abroad.
Honestly — the petrol was far too expensive (ugh). I wish I could have brought that too (laughs).

Eating out and buying snacks are both expensive too, so this was one more thing I was glad I brought (laughs).

There is no room to celebrate how cheap Japan is. Between the high prices abroad and the difference in wages, it is frightening to think that Japan too might one day see petrol at ¥400 a litre.