10 Fast Facts About ‘Smokey’ Nagata, The Man Who Attempted 200 MPH On British Public Roads

Nowadays, Kazuhiko Nagata, known as “Smokey,” has a reputation that spans the globe. A man who breathes and sweats automobiles, he made a name for himself in the Japanese automotive tuning industry in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s when Japanese automakers were making some of the most tuner-friendly cars. Today, his name always comes up in conversations about JDM tuning and street racing.

Born in 1964, Smokey Nagata spent his formative years in the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, in a little village surrounded by picturesque countryside and rolling hills. Smokey’s fascination with automobiles stemmed from tinkering with cars from an early age. After a bad break in his career as an amateur mechanic when he was 16 years old, he headed to Tokyo to pursue his dream of becoming a racing car driver. Though a humble guy, Smokey Nagata has never humbled his dreams and ambitions. He eventually rose to prominence as a leading street racer and tuning expert in Japan.

Even though “Smokey” is well-known because of unlawful high-speed runs, people know very little about his life and journey. Here are 10 fast facts about ‘Smokey’ Nagata, the man who attempted 200 mph on a British Public road.

10 Legendary Street Racer In & Out Of Japan

Smokey Nagata is a speed demon. Owning several well-modified cars capable of pro-level drifting, street, and circuit racing, he’s rumored to have been a member of Japan’s notorious street racing outfit – the Midnight Racing Club. On the Yatabe oval circuit (when it was operational), he drove an R33 Skyline GT-R from 0 to 186 mph in 17 seconds, before breaking 204mph in the Aqua-line tunnel (Tokyo).

Behind the wheel of self-tuned cars, Smokey has hit insane speeds on different freeways (wangans) around the globe. The most notable feats include clocking 222mph (358kph) at the Nardo Ring (Italy) and again 229 mph (370kph) on the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line tunnel. These, among other high-speed runs, made him a legend in the underground racing scene.

9 Smokey Nagata’s Most Notorious High-Speed Run

Smokey Nagata’s 200-mph attempt on the A1(M) in the UK was a PR stunt to advertise his company Top Secret globally as the real deal in tuning cars for speed. It worked like a charm, with the footage going viral. Notably, he only had a few attempts, it was raining, and there were other complications. On one run, the engine was running lean (the air-to-fuel mixture was too light), and the hood was almost getting blown off around the 190mph mark. Nonetheless, his Mk4 Supra managed to clock 197 mph (317kph).

This unofficially became the fastest a car has reached on a UK public highway. While spectacular, it was also illegal, landing him in trouble. Smokey only admitted to doing 120mph and got jailed At Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Luckily, he got released the next day but got banned from the UK for 10 years, a one-month international license ban, a £155 ($174) fine, and £35 ($39) in court fees.

8 Smokey Nagata’s Early Life & First Car

Smokey’s first experience behind the wheel was in their family truck. Growing up around a father who loved driving fast explains why he grew up as a speed freak.

He acquired a motorbike and then a go-kart as his passion for speed intensified. He would go to drive the go-kart in the town streets because his neighborhood was entirely made up of farms. Aged 15, he got his first car, a 1970 Mitsubishi Galant GTO with over fenders.

7 Origin Of The “Smokey” Title

For a very long time, people have referred to Kazuhiko Nagata by the nickname “Smokey” – he even uses it for his social media profiles. People started calling him “Smokey,” because of his tendency for swelling burnouts almost everywhere he went.

He loves spinning the wheels for a huge cloud of smoke wherever he gets the opportunity, mostly in the middle of a highway before a high-speed run.

6 Started As A Mechanic Working At Toyota

Despite tinkering with cars from a tender age and having a mechanic father, Smokey Nagata couldn’t get his Mitsubishi GTO running. A local Toyota boss helped him fix it, and Smokey was already driving himself to school at 16. Being illegal in Japan, he got expelled. With a friendship already developed and the Toyota boss feeling responsible for Smokey’s dismissal, he gave him a job at Toyota as a mechanic.

At 16, Smokey was the youngest employee at Toyota. Being an aspiring auto-tuner and racing driver, Smokey focused on quickly learning advanced automotive engineering principles at work and sharpening his driving skills in and around Hokkaido mountains after work. With some newfound tuning skills, Nagata began modifying his Celica on the job which got him fired.

5 Become An Autotuning Genius At Trust

With Smokey not having a job in Hokkaido, and the place lacking a racing scene, he moved to Japan’s capital to fulfill his dream of becoming a racing driver. In Tokyo, he joined tuning company Trust/Greddy, which had racing programs in the works. This is where he became an auto-tuning genius.

Initially, Smokey was packing mufflers and turbos but he frequently offered to help out in the racing department to get a deeper understanding of tuning race cars. It wasn’t long until he was sneaking about the shop, modifying cars as well as fabricating components for his projects. One year later he opened his own tuning garage.

4 Smokey Nagata Founded The Famous Top Secret Tuning Shop

After learning the ropes at Trust/Greddy, now confident in building racing cars and aftermarket parts, Nagata set up his tuning shop under the Top-Secret banner in 1978. He coined the name at Trust, where his bosses allowed him to pursue personal projects in his spare time but keep everything under wraps.

The bosses did this to retain him as Smokey was a very highly-skilled and hardworking employee. The first car Nagata worked on at Top Secret was an RA25 Celica. To this day, Top Secret is one of the most well-known Japanese car tuner and parts makers in the world.

3 A Habitual Smoker

Most men have an obsession they simply can’t live without. Smokey is no different; he is a classic example of an inveterate smoker. Whether doing interviews or working on cars, almost every time, he always has a cigarette dangling casually from his mouth.

Mingling with this automotive legend, you’ll realize smoking is a part of his character.

2 Once Rumoured To Be Dead

It has recently been commonplace for social media users to invent stories about well-known figures. Smokey Nagata, famous in the car world, hasn’t been excepted. A well-propelled rumor once claimed that he had died in a high-speed car crash.

Possibly because Smokey prefers to let his works do the talking for him, and stays unheard of most of the time, is why some people bought into this rumor. However, it turned out to be completely groundless. The autotuning whiz turned street racer, now 57 years old, is active and healthy, working tirelessly to leave a lasting legacy for himself and Top Secret.

1 Smokey Nagata & Top Secrets Most Insane Builds

Checking out some of Smokey Nagata’s most insane builds at Top Secret, you’ll understand why he is a big name in the Japanese tuner scene. He has worked with every version of the Nissan GT-R, transferring the internals of the R35 GT-R into the classic R32 chassis and even built a 1200-hp R33 GT-R nicknamed the DRAG R II.

Smokey has also built and owned a 200 mph-capable MK4 Supra codenamed “the GT-300” equipped with a 3G-STE engine (780hp) and a V12-powered Toyota Supra (930hp) with a Toyota Century engine, capable of 220mph. The best of his creations get a gold livery. Check out other badass creations by Smokey Nagata and Top Secret.