Hoshino Impul Co., Ltd., commonly known as Impul, is a Japanese automotive aftermarket company and racing team based in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Founded by Nissan's factory driver, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, the company exclusively produces aftermarket parts for Nissans, such as bodykits, engine components as well as wheels.
History The company was founded in 1980 by the Nissan works driver, Kazuyoshi Hoshino in Maruko-cho, Shizuoka Prefecture. Within months, Impul produced its first product, the IMPUL D-01 wheel, which to promote it, it found its way on Hoshino's Gr. 5 Silvia racing competing in the Formula Silhouette, a Fuji Grand Champion support series, as well as starting a Tokyo-based sales center in Sayama-shi, Saitama-ken. A year later, that was relocated in Kichijōji, Musashino-shi.
In 1983, Hoshino formed Hoshino Racing Limited, a racing team to help promote his products and because of expansion, he relocated his company in Shimorenjaku, Mitaka as well as establishing a depot nearby.
In 1987, Impul offered its first fully tuned car, the IMPUL 630R, a tuned Y30 Gloria/Cedric.
In 2002, the racing relocated to Gotemba, Shizuoka. After that, the company began to focus on tuning cars and has since tuned the Infiniti M, which became the Impul 651S, and the Nissan Juke. Both of these examples of Impul's tuning has changes to the bumpers, engines, brakes, tires, exhaust system, among other things. VIP style is the common element Impul has incorporated on.
Motorsport
Since 1983, the company ran its own racing team which found success in domestic series such as JTCC, Formula Nippon and Super GT. Hoshino was the first driver to win in the team's R32 GT-R during a JTCC race in 1990. In addition to Hoshino, notable Impul drivers include Masahiko Kageyama (1993 Japanese Touring Car Championship winner), Satoshi Motoyama (2001, 2003 and 2005 Formula Nippon champion), Benoît Tréluyer (2006 Formula Nippon champion), Tsugio Matsuda (2007 and 2008 Formula Nippon champion), Yuji Ide, and Kohei Hirate. From 1988 to 2022, auto parts supplier Calsonic served as their primary sponsor in touring car racing. Their partnership has continued through the era of the rebranding to Marelli until the end of 2024. In 2025, the partnership continued with Tokyo Radiator (whose primary owner is Marelli) taking over in Super GT.
Racing results
Complete All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC) results Sources:
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year CarTyresClassNo.Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Makes Pts1983Nissan Silvia Turbo CC23 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Akira HagiwaraSUZSUZFUJN/AN/A1984Nissan Silvia Turbo CA/BC12330 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Akira HagiwaraSUZTSUSUZFUJN/AN/A1985Nissan Silvia Turbo CNissan R85VC28 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Akira Hagiwara Keiji MatsumotoSUZFUJFUJSUZFUJFUJ4th301986Nissan R86VCLD12823 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Osamu NakakoSUZFUJFUJSUZFUJFUJ4th211987Nissan R87ECLD123 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Kenji Takahashi Dave ScottSUZFUJFUJSUZFUJFUJ4th221988Nissan R88CCLD123 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Kenji Takahashi Win Percy Toshio Suzuki Allan GriceFUJSUZFUJFUJSUZFUJ2nd361989Nissan R88CNissan R89CC123 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toshio SuzukiFUJFUJFUJSUZFUJ3rd241990Nissan R90CPC123 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toshio SuzukiFUJFUJFUJSUZSUGFUJ1st901991Nissan R90CPNissan R91CPC123 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toshio SuzukiFUJFUJFUJSUZSUGFUJSUG1st1171992Nissan R92CPC1LD21 Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toshio Suzuki Takao WadaSUZFUJFUJSUGFUJMIN1st120 Note: From 1985 to 1987 scored points for March in the Makes Championship. From 1988 the team was run as part of NISMO along with Hasemi Motorsport and scored points for Nissan in the Makes Championship.
Complete JGTC results
Sources:
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year CarTyresClassNo.Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 89 Pos Pts 1994Nissan Skyline GT-RGT11 Masahiko KageyamaFUJSENFUJSUGMIN1st70 1995Nissan Skyline GT-RGT11 Masahiko Kageyama Kazuyoshi HoshinoSUZFUJSENFUJSUGMIN2nd67 1996Nissan Skyline GT-RGT5001 Masahiko Kageyama Kazuyoshi HoshinoSUZFUJSENFUJSUGMINNC13rd54Nissan SilviaGT30012 Satoshi Motoyama Yuji Ide Fuminori MizunoSUZFUJSENFUJSUGMINNC1NC4 1997Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Satoshi Motoyama Kazuyoshi Hoshino Fuminori Mizuno Takeshi TsuchiyaSUZFUJSENFUJMINSUGNC1NC27th24 1998Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Takuya Kurosawa Kazuyoshi Hoshino Michael KrummSUZFUJSENFUJMOTMINSUGNC14th49 1999Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Masami Kageyama Kazuyoshi HoshinoSUZFUJSUGMINFUJOKAMOTNC1 5th 40 2000Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Satoshi Motoyama Kazuyoshi HoshinoMOTFUJSUGNC1FUJOKAMINSUZ3rd66 2001Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Satoshi Motoyama Naoki Hattori Kazuyoshi HoshinoOKAFUJSUGNC1FUJMOTSUZMIN10th28 2002Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Tetsuya Tanaka Kazuyoshi Hoshino Benoît TréluyerOKAFUJSUGSEPFUJMOTMINSUZ12th4 2003Nissan Skyline GT-RGT50012 Yuji Ide Benoît TréluyerOKAFUJSUGFUJFUJMOTAUTSUZ5th64 2004Nissan Fairlady ZGT50012 Yuji Ide Benoît TréluyerOKASUGSEPTOKMOTAUTSUZNC1NC29th35
Complete Super GT results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year CarTyres Class No. Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 Pos Points 2005 Nissan Z GT500 12 Yuji Ide Benoît Tréluyer OKA FUJ SEP SUG MOT FUJ AUT SUZ 11th 35 2006 Nissan Z GT500 12 Kazuki Hoshino Benoît Tréluyer Jérémie Dufour SUZ OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ MOT AUT FUJ 8th 67 2007 Nissan Z GT500 12 Kazuki Hoshino Benoît Tréluyer Jérémie Dufour SUZ OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ MOT AUT FUJ 11th 34 2008 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda Sébastien Philippe Dominik SchwagerSUZOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZMOTAUTFUJ4th61 2009 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda Sébastien PhilippeOKASUZFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOT10th36 2010 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda Ronnie QuintarelliSUZOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJMOTNC1NC25th47 2011 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda João Paulo de OliveiraOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOTNC1NC25th49 2012 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda João Paulo de OliveiraOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOTNC1NC24th45 2013 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Tsugio Matsuda João Paulo de OliveiraOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOTNC1NC29th46 2014 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 João Paulo de Oliveira Hironobu YasudaOKAFUJAUTSUGFUJSUZBURMOT 5th 60 2015 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 João Paulo de Oliveira Hironobu Yasuda OKA FUJ CHA FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 2nd 74 2016 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 João Paulo de Oliveira Hironobu Yasuda OKA FUJ SUG FUJ SUZ CHA MOT MOT 8th 43 2017 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Hironobu Yasuda Jann Mardenborough OKA FUJ AUT SUG FUJ SUZ CHA MOT 13th 17 2018 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Jann Mardenborough Daiki Sasaki OKA FUJ SUZ CHA FUJ SUG AUT MOT 11th 29 2019 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Daiki Sasaki James Rossiter Katsumasa Chiyo OKA FUJ SUZ BUR FUJ AUT SUG MOTNC1NC2 13th 17.5 2020 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Daiki Sasaki Kazuki Hiramine FUJ FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ 13th 24 2021 Nissan GT-R GT500 12 Kazuki Hiramine Nobuharu Matsushita OKA FUJ MOT SUZ SUG AUT MOT FUJ 8th 45 2022 Nissan Z GT500 12 Kazuki Hiramine Bertrand Baguette OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 1st 70.52023Nissan ZGT5001 Kazuki Hiramine Bertrand BaguetteOKAFUJSUZFUJSUZSUGAUTMOT5th692024Nissan ZGT50012 Kazuki Hiramine Bertrand BaguetteOKAFUJSUZFUJSUGAUTMOTSUZ5th702025Nissan ZGT50012 Kazuki Hiramine Bertrand BaguetteOKAFUJSEPFS1FS2SUZSUGAUTMOT12th44.5 ‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. * Season still in progress.
Complete Japanese Top Formula racing results
Source:
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)