<p>Fast and furious they aren't, but for a group of Japanese retro car enthusiasts, the sleek lines and high shine of their old-school models hold a much more special charm.</p>.<p>A loose club of fans rolls up most weekends in central Tokyo to show off their Cadillacs, Chevrolets and other modern classic vehicles from the mid to late 20th century.</p>.<p>"Each time I drive it, I still get a thrill. There aren't many vehicles that give you that feeling," Masamune Isogai told AFP of his Knight Rider replica -- a Pontiac Trans Am, the car made famous by the hit 80s TV drama.</p>.<p>Sliding into the driver's seat — which he calls the cockpit — he is surrounded by futuristic displays, illuminated buttons and a wheel that looks like an oversized gaming controller.</p>.<p>These sci-fi touches were installed to give the ride the look and feel of the show's AI-powered talking car called Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT.</p>.<p>"I speak to the car when I drive," laughed the 46-year-old, who has owned the streamlined black vehicle — complete with sound effects and a "KITT scanner" light on the front -- for around a decade.</p>.<p>These days Japan is known for its practical cars that economise on fuel and space, and rarely break down — a world away from the group's painstakingly maintained wheels.</p>.<p>The casual society has around 10 members and the oldest cars they own are a 1941 Cadillac and a restored 1929 Ford Model-A.</p>.<p>People cheer and take snaps as the cars go by, from the 1956 Ford F100 Pumpkin to the 1961 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.</p>.<p>"The shape of old cars is very charming, impossible with today's mass production," said Hiroyuki Wada, 49, next to his red 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.</p>.<p>"When you get older, you are more likely to appreciate a car that requires lots of care," Wada said.</p>.<p>"Old engines often need 10 minutes or so to warm up before you can drive them. That's what's really charming about them."</p>.<p>Wada, who runs a car valet business near Tokyo, will spend three to four days on each old-fashioned ride to give it a shiny new look.</p>.<p>He says his heart belongs to American vehicles including old police cars, which he rents out for film and photography shoots.</p>.<p>"Someday I want to valet old fire engines in the United States. That is my dream," he said.</p>
<p>Fast and furious they aren't, but for a group of Japanese retro car enthusiasts, the sleek lines and high shine of their old-school models hold a much more special charm.</p>.<p>A loose club of fans rolls up most weekends in central Tokyo to show off their Cadillacs, Chevrolets and other modern classic vehicles from the mid to late 20th century.</p>.<p>"Each time I drive it, I still get a thrill. There aren't many vehicles that give you that feeling," Masamune Isogai told AFP of his Knight Rider replica -- a Pontiac Trans Am, the car made famous by the hit 80s TV drama.</p>.<p>Sliding into the driver's seat — which he calls the cockpit — he is surrounded by futuristic displays, illuminated buttons and a wheel that looks like an oversized gaming controller.</p>.<p>These sci-fi touches were installed to give the ride the look and feel of the show's AI-powered talking car called Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT.</p>.<p>"I speak to the car when I drive," laughed the 46-year-old, who has owned the streamlined black vehicle — complete with sound effects and a "KITT scanner" light on the front -- for around a decade.</p>.<p>These days Japan is known for its practical cars that economise on fuel and space, and rarely break down — a world away from the group's painstakingly maintained wheels.</p>.<p>The casual society has around 10 members and the oldest cars they own are a 1941 Cadillac and a restored 1929 Ford Model-A.</p>.<p>People cheer and take snaps as the cars go by, from the 1956 Ford F100 Pumpkin to the 1961 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.</p>.<p>"The shape of old cars is very charming, impossible with today's mass production," said Hiroyuki Wada, 49, next to his red 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.</p>.<p>"When you get older, you are more likely to appreciate a car that requires lots of care," Wada said.</p>.<p>"Old engines often need 10 minutes or so to warm up before you can drive them. That's what's really charming about them."</p>.<p>Wada, who runs a car valet business near Tokyo, will spend three to four days on each old-fashioned ride to give it a shiny new look.</p>.<p>He says his heart belongs to American vehicles including old police cars, which he rents out for film and photography shoots.</p>.<p>"Someday I want to valet old fire engines in the United States. That is my dream," he said.</p>