Japan's prime minister daily drove a 1991 Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited for years until she was forced to stop due to security requirements
Published on Jun 09, 2026 at 12:04 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jun 09, 2026 at 12:04 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
The Japanese prime minister used a 1991 Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited as her daily driver until security requirements put a stop to that.
Sanae Takaichi was first elected to parliament back in 2005, continuing to use her Toyota Supra to drive to work each day over the next two decades.
But as her profile grew in Japanese politics, her driving habits were forced to change.
It can’t have been an easy decision to make, but being a country’s leader involves making tough calls, right?
Up until recent years, Japan’s prime minister drove a 1991 Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited
Takaichi bought the Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited brand new back in 1991, and kept it on as her daily driver over the next few decades.
Her dad worked for a company closely linked to Toyota, so there was some sense of brand loyalty in the family.
And that’s not forgetting that her previous car had been the Celica XX – known as the Celica Supra in the US.
“I was looking forward to it even before it was released. It took a long time to get the metallic pearl white finish, so I waited a long time,” Takaichi told the Weekly Shincho newspaper.
At the time she purchased it, it cost her 4.3 million yen (The equivalent of $26,882 in today’s currency).
The Toyota Supra she got had burgundy leather seats, and a 1JZ-GTE twin-turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-six engine pumping out 276hp at the heart of it.
At a later point, she added a Panasonic navigation system, Car and Driver reported.
It’s a stunning car, there’s no doubt about it.
And it served her well over her years as a MP, as she campaigned or drove to work.
But it couldn’t last forever.
What happened to this Toyota Supra once she stopped driving it?
As time went on, Takaichi rose in the ranks of politics and was soon being chauffeured around.
The Supra got less and less road usage, and went into storage in a shop in Nara.
A team of volunteer technicians would later give the car a well-deserved makeover.
Today, the car sits gleaming in Nara Toyota’s small museum, right beside a cutout of Japan’s first female Prime Minister.
The car may no longer be her daily driver, but it won’t be far from her thoughts – especially now she had a scale model of it to keep on her mantelpiece.
Politicians are serious people, but they can also be big auto enthusiasts
Politics is a serious business, but there are still people at the heart of it, many of whom are big petrolheads.
While some heads of states opt for flashier choices – the Sultan of Brunei, for example – others take a more subtle route.
Take for example, Iceland’s president, who was spotted driving a car that you would never a US president in.
Former US President Ronald Reagan was a Subaru driver too, although he kept this story close to his chest.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
