“The important thing to immortality is first living a life price remembering.”
Poignant words from history’s most dangerous dragon, Bruce Lee. But this story isn’t in regards to the ‘Little Dragon.’ It’s about one other dragon, the Toyota Sera ‘Twin Dragon.’ A fitting title, given to it by its mad scientist creator, Takuro Watanabe of Circuit & Dreams CLR. Not simply because that is the 12 months of the snake within the Chinese zodiac, but additionally because this Sera is a 1,000hp twin-engine 4WD beast that defies belief.
This isn’t Watanabe-san’s first rodeo in relation to crazy creations – you would possibly remember his quad-turbo Nissan Silvia S14 from seven or eight years ago. To mark the twentieth anniversary of Circuit & Dreams CLR, Watanabe-san has taken his vision of automotive madness to an entire recent level, and he showed off the Sera in its running, but not-quite-finished state at Tokyo Auto Salon 2025.
Before we dive into the main points of this double-headed dragon built for drifting, what even is a Toyota Sera?
Built by Toyota between 1990 and 1995 exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, the Sera was equipped with a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine and was offered with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. Its party piece was its butterfly doors, which hinged upwards and only needed 430mm of outward space for clearance – perfect for tight Japanese parking spots.
Those doors even have one other claim to fame. By pure likelihood, a gray import Toyota Sera lived near Gordon Murray’s home within the UK at the identical time he was putting the ultimate touches to the McLaren F1 design. While the unique sketch for the F1 was doodled in an Italian airport lounge in 1988, the Sera provided the inspiration for the McLaren’s dihedral doors.
There’s a noticeable design language shared between the Sera and the F1. The sweeping oval shapes, rounded corners, and insect-like curves are strikingly similar. Yes, those design details might be seen in lots of ’90s cars, however the split windows and greenhouse layout of the F1 and Sera are especially paying homage to each other.
It’s no surprise, then, that once I asked Watanabe-san about his plans for a custom body kit for his Sera, he said it will feature styling cues borrowed from McLaren. With a much wider front and rear track than the unique, the fenders and side skirts would want to accommodate the butterfly doors. Perhaps something just like the McLaren Senna?’
So what has Watanabe-san built thus far? Well, only the perfect bits of the Sera remain. Front and rear tube framing integrates with the unique Toyota monocoque chassis and a roll cage to strengthen the structure. A lot of the interior is gone, save for the door cards.
Twin MoTeC ECUs are visible through the dash, together with the clutch and brake reservoirs, which help clear up space within the engine bay(s). A MoTeC M800 controls the front engine, while an M400 handles the rear. Inspiration for the setup got here from Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima’s original twin-engined Pikes Peak Suzuki Cultus (Swift).
The Sera’s front engine is an SR20VET from a 2001 X-Trail GT, Nissan’s first turbo engine with VVT. It’s been fitted with high-lift cams from the Pulsar VZ-R N1 homologation special and forged pistons and connecting rods. In response to Watanabe-san, this engine is making 540hp due to a Trust/GReddy TD07-25G turbo and fuel system upgrade. It’s paired with a 6-speed Honda transmission, originally mated to a K20A.
The identical transmission appears within the rear of the Sera, but this time, it’s used with the Honda engine it was designed for. The K20A also advantages from a TD07-25G turbo, plus Wiseco forged pistons, K1 forged rods, 296-degree Toda Racing cams, and 1,000cc/min fuel injectors, all good for around 490hp.
This wild Nissan-Honda-Toyota mashup is a testament to the relentless spirit of Japanese tuners, at all times pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, exploring chassis outside the standard JDM performance automotive classics. I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see Watanabe-san’s creation, and when it’s finally finished, Speedhunters will likely be there to allow you to live vicariously through it.
Until then, you may take a look at the Sera in additional detail in this video and in motion here.
Toby Thyer
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tobythyer.co.uk
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
