Tofu Auto Works is building a race car that never consisted of 3D prints and scraps, and it’s incredibly entertaining – Jalopnik

Some of the world’s biggest automotive enthusiasts are keeping track of their travels on social media, and it’s time we do our part to bring as much attention to them as possible. This is the first part of a regular Jalopnik series we call Wrenchers You Should Know. In each episode, we introduce you to a cool new builder, talk about their work, and give you a few reasons why you should keep an eye on their progress. This week we’re talking about Tofu Auto Workswho operates as a single person in a beautiful barn in the countryside. Their current street-legal Group C project is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, and every time there’s a new installment in my YouTube feed, the TV remote is hits my hand like Mjolnir.

You may have heard of the good and difficult work Tofu Auto Works is doing in the Antipodes. Both the channel’s Cyperpunk Miata and GT-R-look Stagea Wagon projects (more on that later) have been quite well received and have racked up some views. Not enough, I say! Show this channel to all your friends, have watch parties and share widely because this person needs more clicks.

This incredible build started with a wrecked Toyota MR-Spyder, a CAD drawing, some giant 3D printers and a dream. It’s far from finished, but the amount of effort and effort they’ve put in and seen so far is inspiring. If watching this doesn’t make you want to get off your ass and start working on your own projects, you’re probably missing that heartthrob gene.

The project is affectionately known as the MR-C, which I think is cool. I had a teacher in high school named Mr. C, and he was pretty cold.

So what does TAW do with all that 3D printing capacity? For this project, they printed their own fiberglass molds to create custom Group C-style bodies (inspired by the Porsche 962, Sauber-Mercedes C9 and Mazda 787B) that the MR-S can carry. This is a level of technology use that I could never aspire to, so I’m definitely using this as an opportunity to both learn and just sit back in amazement and watch a masterpiece.

This project is different from many others on YouTube because there is nothing to trick the algorithm. This isn’t a build with four-figure horsepower, or a seven-figure price tag, it’s just an unassuming guy in his shed making a cool-looking race car body for a twenty-year-old, underpowered Japanese roadster.

Most projects on the TAW channel are aesthetic in nature. The goal isn’t necessarily to build something that gets the job done quickly, but just something that looks cool. Really, that’s what modifying cars is usually about. Even if you enjoy driving, many modifications are made to make the car (and the driver) look cooler to other car people. Would it be cooler with a big turbocharged Honda K-series engine? I’d say it would actually be worse because while the power is great, I want to see a car that will actually work when they’re done.

Once you’ve seen all the episodes of the MR-C build, dive back into the archives and watch the full four and a half hour GT-R Stagea build supercut.

And once that’s gone through, you can also catch up on the Cyberpunk Miata, perhaps the coolest Miata ever built. It also has more downforce than almost anything you’ve ever driven.

Don’t worry, he has it too the world’s coolest Suzuki Twin! Yes, my tongue was firmly in cheek when I typed that, but it’s nice.

I really enjoy watching these videos, and have spent a few dozen hours watching this guy silently work his magic. If you haven’t caught up with his efforts yet, take a look at it.

If you have any suggestions for some lesser known builders on social media, feel free to leave them in the comments section as well. I’m always looking for people who do fun things. It doesn’t have to just be cars either. While I am well versed in the car and motorcycle building scenes, I would like to delve deeper into the nitty-gritty of some more niche topics. Do you follow some cool people who build snowmobiles or jet skis or DIY fighter jets or something? I definitely want to know more about it.

And yes, you are also welcome to do some self-promotion in the comments. Let everyone know where they can follow your build and what you’re up to. If it’s particularly unique or incredibly good, we’ll mention it on the blogs.