During the 2010s, Japanese car culture was dominated by a single name: Rocket Bunny.
The Rocket Bunny brand of extreme wide-body kits is like putting Japanese sports cars on steroids. Add one of these kits, and you get something out of a cyberpunk dystopia (in the coolest possible way). For example, take a look at the Rocket Bunny twin-turbo 2004 Nissan 350Z offered on eBay.
Flares, Ducts, Vents and Wings
If you’ve been to SEMA or the Tokyo Auto Salon any time in the last decade, you have probably come across one of these wide-bodied sports cars. Adapted models include Honda NSX, Mazda RX-7, Nissan GT-R, and Toyota Supra. But it doesn’t stop there.
Fellow tuning house Liberty Walk, Rocket Bunny’s primary co-conspirator, also gets used on BMWs, Corvettes, Ferraris, Lambos, and Mustangs. Any sports car can fall under the spell of this modern tuning style.
The rules are simple. Fit ultra-wide fender flares onto the bodies attached with exposed fasteners. Then, add extra pieces like canards, wings, ducts, and vents. The wheels need to be flush—with a tight fitment at the top edge of the rim, almost touching the bottom of the wheel arch. And, of course, the design must slam everything to the ground.
Read this: Fender Flares vs Widebody Kits.
Keeping the Trend Alive
The uniquely Japanese style has its roots in the traditional kaido street racer. Car-obsessed Japanese youth—whose passion and ingenuity make up for any lack of funds—built their versions from the prevalent cars of the era. They were inspired by 1970s touring cars and 1980s Group 5 racers.
They used exposed rivets on the fender flares because race cars had them. In Japan, it’s illegal to have your tires stick out beyond the bodywork. If you wanted a larger contact patch, you needed a wider body.
Shop now for Rocket Bunny kits and parts
The trend fizzled out in the ‘90s. But Rocket Bunny and Liberty Walk resurrected and reinterpreted it for the modern age. A Rocket Bunny Nissan 350Z, like the one for sale on eBay, does not look strictly look like a period kaido racer. But its elements—fender flares, creative vents, and the ducktail spoiler—can be traced to the era.
Behind the Panels: 500 HP
The Z for sale on eBay not only comes equipped with a Rocket Bunny kit but backs its mean looks with enough power under the hood. The factory-supplied naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 is twin-turbocharged with a JWT kit putting out 500 horsepower.
A massive intercooler lurks behind the Rocket Bunny front fascia–although we would probably match the black section with the rest of the custom blue paint. The seller also advertises a fully built suspension, exhaust, clutch, and fuel system representing a $50,000 investment.
See this: How Intercoolers Work, And Why You Might Want One.
That makes the asking price of $21,000 a bargain, considering that the 19-inch Volk TE37 Wheels alone cost $4,000. Then add a similar amount for the Rocket Bunny kit.
Custom cars rarely recoup the cost spent by their builders. But that spells significant savings for the buyer of this menacing Rocket Bunny 350Z.
