Nissan Skyline C210 Kaido Racer - BAPE 30th Anniversary (Pop Race)

Japanese Street Culture Meets Streetwear Icon

This Pop Race model celebrates the intersection of three Japanese cultural forces: the Nissan Skyline C210 (1977-1981), Kaido Racer street modification culture from the 1970s, and A Bathing Ape’s 30th anniversary. The BAPE camo livery on a Bosozoku-style Kaido Racer Skyline represents a collaboration between automotive and streetwear heritage.

The C210 Skyline was Japan’s first production car with a turbocharged engine (L20ET), making it historically significant and a popular platform for the Kaido Racer modification scene.

Model Specifications

• Real Vehicle: Nissan Skyline C210 (5th Generation, 1977-1981)
• Scale: 1:64
• Series: Pop Race Special Edition Collection
• Model Number: PR640009
• Edition: BAPE 30th Anniversary Limited Edition
• Configuration: Right-hand drive (RHD) - authentic Japanese spec
• Features: Diecast metal body and chassis, opening hood, detailed Kaido Racer modifications
• Livery: BAPE camouflage pattern with signature branding

Nissan Skyline C210 (1977-1981)

Launched in August 1977 as the fifth-generation Skyline, the C210 “Japan” generation (named after a TV commercial featuring a song called “Japan”) introduced something revolutionary to Japanese automotive history. The Skyline GT-EX carried the L20ET engine - a 2.0-liter inline-six with a turbocharger producing 145 PS and 21.0 kg·m of torque.

This was the first turbocharged engine ever installed in a Japanese production car. At a time when strict emissions regulations were strangling performance, Nissan’s engineers found an elegant solution: force more air into the combustion chamber. The turbo didn’t just offset power losses - it pioneered forced induction for an entire industry. Every turbocharged Japanese car that followed owes its existence to the Skyline C210’s L20ET.

The C210 received a facelift in late 1978, changing the chassis code to C211. This was also when Skylines first appeared in European export markets like Germany, expanding the nameplate’s global reach beyond Asia and North America.

Engine Options:

• L20ET: 2.0L turbo inline-six (145 PS, 206 Nm) - First Japanese production turbo
• L20E: 2.0L naturally aspirated inline-six (130 PS, 167 Nm)
• L24: 2.4L inline-six (113 PS)
• Z18E: 1.8L inline-four (115 PS)
• Z20E: 2.0L inline-four (added June 1980)
• GT-Diesel: 2.8L inline-six (91 PS) for fuel economy

Chassis & Layout:

• Front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) layout beloved by enthusiasts
• Clean, timeless design with strong aftermarket support
• Large engine bay ideal for engine swaps and modifications
• Affordable when Kaido Racer culture emerged, making it perfect for customization
• Popular platform for Kaido Racer culture due to responsive handling and modification potential

Kaido Racer Culture

“Kaido” (街道) is an older Japanese term for “road” or “highway.” In 1975, Holiday Auto magazine in Japan launched a reader submission photo section called “Oh MY! Kaido Racer!” Young enthusiasts were transforming their everyday family sedans into wild homages to circuit racing machines - ground-scraping suspension, massive overfenders, tall bamboo-spear exhausts reaching skyward. They called themselves “Kaido Racers” - highway racers.

These weren’t race cars. They were street cars built to look like they belonged on racing circuits. “Almost all the modifications on a kaido racer are made to be seen and heard. Performance is not the point,” as automotive historians note. The aesthetic was unmistakable and intentionally dramatic.

Typical Kaido Racer Modifications:

• Massive bolt-on overfenders covering deep-dish SSR MK-II or WORK Equip wheels
• Stretched tires on wide wheels for aggressive stance
• Suspension slammed so low that chin spoilers nearly scraped pavement
• Tall takeyari (bamboo spear) exhausts announcing arrival from blocks away
• Racing numbers, period decals, and bold liveries
• Aggressive aero kits mimicking silhouette race cars

Pop Race’s BAPE edition captures this spirit perfectly. The green BAPE camo livery with the iconic Ape Head logo turns an already wild Kaido Racer aesthetic into something even more eye-catching. The diecast metal body reproduces the overfenders, lowered stance, and aggressive aero in miniature. The opening hood reveals detailed engine components.

The Bosozoku Connection

Despite frequent mislabeling, Kaido Racers are not Bosozoku cars. Understanding the distinction matters.

Bosozoku (暴走族) - “violent running tribe” - referred to motorcycle gangs that peaked around 1982 with over 42,000 members across 830+ groups in Japan. Police crackdowns through the 1980s largely eliminated the movement as an organized force. The term carried connotations of rebellion, violence, and outlaw culture.

Kaido Racers borrowed visual drama from Bosozoku culture but celebrated racing, not rebellion. Where Bosozoku emphasized extreme gangster aesthetics and outlaw identity, Kaido Racers focused on recreating silhouette race cars for the street. The influences overlapped - both movements favored bold modifications and attention-grabbing presence - but the philosophies differed fundamentally.

Today’s Kaido Racer scene thrives where Bosozoku faded. Active clubs in Japan hold touring events, summer and New Year’s cruises bring communities together, and Western adoption through JDM culture appreciation has spread the movement globally. It’s become half house-party, half archival project - preserving 1970s automotive counterculture while keeping it alive for new generations.

BAPE 30th Anniversary Collaboration

A Bathing Ape was founded in 1993 by Nigo in Tokyo. Thirty years later, BAPE’s signature ABC Camo pattern and Ape Head logo are recognized worldwide. The brand pioneered Japanese streetwear globally, collaborating across fashion, art, and automotive sectors with partners including G-Shock, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari.

This collaboration makes perfect sense when you understand both movements. Kaido Racers and BAPE share the same DNA - bold, unapologetic Japanese creativity that refuses to conform. Both transformed conservative foundations into cultural statements. Kaido Racers turned ordinary family sedans into rolling automotive art. BAPE transformed streetwear from underground Tokyo fashion to global phenomenon. Both became cultural exports that defined their respective eras.

The BAPE camo livery on a Kaido Racer Skyline connects 1970s automotive counterculture with 1990s-2020s streetwear dominance. The C210 Skyline was perfect for this transformation - affordable when the culture emerged, clean design that responded well to modification, FR drivetrain loved by enthusiasts, and that groundbreaking L20ET turbo under the hood. Similarly, BAPE took basic streetwear silhouettes and transformed them through bold graphics and limited releases.

BAPE Key Facts:

• Founded: 1993 by Nigo in Tokyo
• 30th Anniversary: 2023
• Signature elements: ABC Camo pattern, Ape Head logo
• Cultural impact: Pioneered Japanese streetwear globally
• Previous automotive collaborations: G-Shock, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari

Collection Value

Pop Race is a relatively new brand in the 1:64 market but rapidly gaining collector reputation. Their focus on Japanese domestic market vehicles with meticulous period-correct details fills a gap that larger manufacturers often overlook. This BAPE 30th Anniversary Edition showcases their commitment to authentic JDM culture representation.

Model Features:

• Full diecast metal body and chassis construction
• Opening hood functionality revealing detailed engine components
• Precision tampo printing reproducing complex BAPE camo graphics and Ape Head logo
• Authentic Kaido Racer modifications rendered in miniature: overfenders, lowered stance, aggressive aero
• Real rubber tires on period-correct wheel designs
• Green BAPE camouflage livery with signature branding
• Right-hand drive (RHD) configuration - authentic Japanese spec

Manufacturing Details:

• Manufacturer: Pop Race
• Model Number: PR640009
• Series: Pop Race Special Edition Collection
• Edition: BAPE 30th Anniversary Limited Edition
• Production: Time-limited collaboration
• Retail Price: Approximately $33-49 USD

As both BAPE collectibles and JDM culture continue appreciating in value, this model sits at an interesting intersection of multiple collector demographics: JDM car enthusiasts, Skyline/Nissan collectors, Kaido Racer/Bosozoku culture fans, BAPE streetwear collectors, Japanese pop culture enthusiasts, and 1:64 scale diecast collectors. The BAPE 30th Anniversary collaboration, special packaging, and time-limited production ensure collectability.

This model captures Japanese cultural history in miniature - celebrating the C210 Skyline as Japan’s first production turbocharged car, honoring the wildness of 1970s Kaido Racer highway racing culture, and commemorating three decades of BAPE’s streetwear revolution. 街道レーサー lives on.