Event>> Roadster & Rotary Meeting 2010 – Pt2

It was so refreshing seeing a track full of Roasters last week in Sendai. I often see the one-make series at Tsukuba where a field of almost stock NCs go against each other in a series of tightly fought races, but the highly tuned cars at the Roaster and Rotary Meeting were just on another level, managing to keep up with a lot of RX-7s out on track. These little Mazdas definitely have a lot of potential, which is precisely why I will have to try and find more to shoot in Japan.

One of the nicest RX-7s of the day, aside from the crazy time attack beasts, was this Suzuki Jikou FD, seen here entering the pits after yet another rain-soaked outing.

The perfect day for a hardtop!

The fastest car on the day was the Pro Shop Screen FD3S GT35, which despite the slippery conditions managed to lap in 2’04″466, driven by Super Taikyu driver Masahiro Sasaki, during the tuner shootout. The car’s record at Hi-Land, in the dry, is 1’52″3.

Screen is one shop I will definitely have to visit, as they are renowned for tuning a very wide range of cars. For time attack events however they have always preferred the lightweight FD,

As you can see from the interior this thing means business. And yes that is a sequential transmission straight out of a Super GT car! A lot of weight reduction has been carried out, with the car hitting the scales at 1,050 kg.

The engine is conservatively tuned compared to some other 13Bs in the time attack circuit, running around 450 HP.

Looks the part doesn’t it!

I prefer when the bronze RE30s are fitted. I’ve been really liking these wheels more and more lately.

RX-8 powering down the main straight.

Some people in Japan run the wildest street cars!

Coolest NC of the day was this T-win Factory track-prepped car. I only ever saw it out in action once.

Second fastest car of the day was the Pan Speed Street King, a kind of road-going version of the time attack demo car. Best time was 2’07″779.

Kouta Sasaki in the Pan Speed FD we all know and love, came in third with a 2’10″924 after having massive wheel spin issues due to running semi-slick tires. When blasting down the main straight it was very evident just how much work the rear diffuser does, shooting up a massive rooster tail of spray into the air just like GT cars.

Every aspect of this car is pure race car. Since changing over to a high performance GCG T04 turbo the car is making more power compared to when it was running the HKS version of the same turbine.

Race car performance requires a braking system up to par, and no corners have been cut in this department with forged monobloc Brembo Racing calipers and massive rotors mounted on custom billet bells.

There is no dash instrumentation in the interior, all the driver needs to know is displayed on the little Motec LCD unit fixed on the steering wheel.

I stuck this on at the World Time Attack Challenge in Australia. Still representing!

While the mechanics attempted to fix the Pan Speed RX-8…

…I had a quick look under the hood. The custom built, naturally aspirated 13B is fed by a large ram-air carbon air box, the biggest thing in the engine bay!

The perfect track-day set up. Dry pit, fold out table with food and drink, a car and plenty of spare tires!

The variety of Roadsters was impressive…

…and this Auto Garage K2 NC was the fastest of the lot. I liked it so much I will be doing a spotlight on it.

Nice headlight conversion but where does all the rain water go?

The FC is set to become the next sought after classic. The eighties ruled!

Tuning garage Zesty Racing had a nice display of parts for the FD like these K sport 8-pot calipers and 2-piece floating discs, a nice upgrade to any RX-7 that spends a lot of time on track. That’s it from this year’s R&R Meeting, an event that despite the rain I really enjoyed covering. I’ll definitely be back next year!

Roadster Rotary Meeting 2010 – PT.1

-Dino Dalle Carbonare

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1

Rad. Can't get enough Roadster coverage!!!

2

not many NB's i see.

3

Auto Garage K2 tuned NA Roadster looks sick!!

4

Any more pictures of the NB MX5's?

5

Maybe more pictures of that first NB?

6

what kit is in the first pic of the nc?

7

That Yellow RX-7 from Pan Speed is sick.

8

Those k sports look really small for 8-pots

9

Screen RX-7 is sexy, but I bet that sequential tranny is beggin' for more powwwwa!

10

roadster love.

11

I would just love to be there to see the Panspeed and Screen cars in action. This is awesome stuff for us FD3S owners.

12

cracking coverage dino. both this and the rs meeting. keep it up .also loving the roadsters.

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