Car Feature>> Re-amemiya Maoh Rx-7

Balance is key. There is no point in having power if there is no control. It might sound obvious, but you will be surprised how easily people can forget this. Outright grunt will get you from point A to point B very quickly, but if corners are thrown into the equation, excessive power will probably slow you down. Every aspect of a car plays a critical role in determining its pace through a certain section of demanding tarmac; chassis, suspension, brakes and of course engine performance, not to mention characteristics, all have to be addressed in the quest for ultimate speed. This is precisely what Hot Version’s touge course at Gunsai demands from cars and when it comes to building the most successful vehicle to compete on it, RE-Amemiya certainly know a thing or two about it.

I met up with Ken Amemiya at one of the most picturesque spots along the Chiba bay to take a closer look at what makes the ultimate “Touge Monster.”

Ken, son of the legendary “Ama-san,” showed up with the company’s transporter, from which he unloaded the lime-green Super GReddy III kitted Maoh, or “Devil King.” A very suitable name for what has become one of the most successful cars to take on the 6 km course at the Gunsai Cycle Sports Center, a tight and demanding track that is usually used for bicycle races. This is where famous tuner cars from across the nation have been battling it out for years on the impossibly close bouts organized by the Hot Version crew. We have all seen Tsuchiya, Taniguchi, Orido and others driving at ten-tenths, millimeters from each other in battles that are determined on how much of a gap one can open up against his opponent. This is where a car’s set-up counts for everything, where everything comes together to allow the driver to carry a little more speed through corners, or get on the power that little bit sooner on the exit. This Maoh FD3S took the last Touge Max Championship back in 2009, following in the footsteps of the company’s light-blue demo car, which won the title in 2006 and 2007.

So what makes this RX-7 so fast through the twisties? This is a car that has beaten brutes like Kobayashi’s 650 + HP MCR R35 GT-R and tons of other well known tuner demo cars. Under the lightweight carbon hood Amemiya-san concentrated on getting the best possible response out of the engine. Turbo lag is something touge cars just can’t afford to deal with so the stock twin turbo set up remained. Boost was slightly increased and to boost cooling efficiency, the space in front of the engine was taken up…

…by the V-mount set up, where the massive intecooler sits horizontally and the radiator underneath it at a 45º angle. Carbon fiber shrouding helps direct air through the core and out via the openings on the hood. The V-mount allows piping to be kept short compared to a front-mounted layout, always a good way to boost throttle response. Exhaust gasses are dumped through the RE-Amemiya titanium exhaust, featuring the company’s signature downward pointing “Dolphin Tail.” With an Apex Power FC handling engine management this 13B develops 400 HP and 340 lb/ft with almost no lag in the way the power comes. An RE-Amemiya LSD helps juggle drive between the rear wheels and the single plate clutch, again from Amemiya, is enough to handle the engine’s performance.

RE-Amemiya was originally set up as a body shop so it’s obvious the looks of the car have been transoformed! The car wears the aggressive Super GReddy III widebody conversion, replacing most of the body panels with custom shaped FRP items. The pop-up headlights are replaced with fixed powerful IPF HID projectors and sit recessed in the all new front bumper. Canards and a functional front lip spoiler help keep the front end of the car glued to the road at speed.

The integrated overfenders help pump the stance of the car and that side skirt treatment is what ties the whole conversion together. The rear end is drastically altered with a short overhang, custom LED lights and a carbon fiber rear hatch, which like the hood up front helps shave off considerable weight.

The width of the high set rear spoiler has been kept within the dimensions of the car so it can remain street legal.

Like on all RE-Amemiya cars the wheels are courtesy of Enkei, 17-inch by 9.5J GTC01s, shod in 255/40R17 Advan Neova AD08 tires. Suspension is handled by specially set up and valved DG5 dampers, built for RE-Amemya at the DG5 HQ in Nagano. The FD is a considerably light car and thanks to the optimal engine position it has very neutral handling characteristics, a great thing to have when trying to blast through Gunsai at the speed those pro Japanese drivers drive at! Brembo F50 calipers join Project µ 2-piece discs to boost braking power at the front while the stock calipers remain at the rear but are mated to Project µ discs. RE-Amemiya covered up the ugly rear factory cast 2-pots with Brembo caliper-like plastic covers, a purely aesthetic detail.

The Maoh certainly means business!

Along with Bride Low Max bucket seats the interior has been spiced up with a green carbon-look treatment.

Along with the M7 Japan boost controller the instrumentation has been up upgraded with an RE-Amemiya 310 km/h speedometer…

…and a steering column mounted boost gauge.

More dials courtesy of M7 Japan are found on the passenger side of the dashboard.

This car continues to do the rounds at events and has recently posted an impressive 1’01″149 lap time at Tsukuba with Taniguchi behind the wheel during the recent 7’s Day track event. That’s an impressive time on radial tires. Russ from RE-Xtrme was there to check out the car in action.

Despite the plug having been pulled on Hot Version, there is talk of the series living on under another production company. I certainly hope it doesn’t die all together as the Touge Max competition alone has helped push tuners to concentrate on building well balanced cars, gaining invaluable knowledge that trickles down to their products and of course customer cars.

This Amemiya FD proves the point that you don’t need to get lost in the details, concentrate on selecting the best parts for your application and spend time setting up the car as a whole. The satisfaction of having a balanced all-rounder will be far more rewarding than a car that can go fast in a straight line but be unable to steer or stop effectively. Balance is indeed the key!

RE Amemiya

-Dino Dalle Carbonare

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1

Ummm, fake brembo stickers on the rear calipers? fake carbon green interior trim? Is this a car from Miami Vice or some coke dealers fantasy ride? I dont know what to say other than it sure is unique.

2

"This Amemiya FD proves the point that you don't need to get lost in the details, concentrate on selecting the best parts for your application and spend time setting up the car as a whole. The satisfaction of having a balanced all-rounder will be far more rewarding than a car that can go fast in a straight line but be unable to steer or stop effectively. Balance is indeed the key!"



It was this philosophy itself that drove me to build the cars the way I do here in the USA for my customers....BALANCE. Something the USA really forgets or doesn't even know exists....its one extreme or another.....either make it super low and drive it slow and handles like crap, or make it super powerful and go straight with no handling.....but I always try to mix everything and have a balanced and its because i watched the Touge battles when i was younger and there just didn't seem to be a better way....so i hope to see them back soon!

3

It's rear end looks a lot like the Soldat Meltfire from the Ridge Racer series!

4

Not liking the looks, especially those green bits in the interior - looks horrible. The engine seems very nice though

5

the car looks pretty sweet apart from the headlights, the rear and that 'spiced up' interior....

6

damn this rx7 back is sooo crazy

7

Wicked. It has its good points like the engine and other performance bits, but it fails in the looks department in my opinion. That spoiler and front bumper are nice though.

8

that is the ugliest rear end i have ever seen.

9

im curious what people will say about the brembo covers on the rear brakes

11

Awesome feature on the Amemiya machine. I just love these rotary tuners from Japan.

12

the theory at the beginning about balance of power and grip and cornering, etc. is very true if you want to be very fast, and i'd stand by that any day of the week.. however i must admit that when the power side of the equation is a little out of balance driving is much much more fun :)

13

Is this someone with NC Miata envy or something? Between the round flares, sloping trunk, and popup conversion, this thing is truly an abomination. And some horrible wheels to top it off.

15

I understand a wish to make anything new with RX7, the restyling and all that speaks about this wish, but those tale lights are not how it's suppose to look like..

16

Ls1rx7, what fake brembo decal? I think these brakes are actual brembos.

17

I'm very glad that you've done a full car feature on this RX7! I saw this in an Option magazine special about a year ago and wanted to know more/ see more of it. Glad this article is in english ^^; Haha



and funny hearing that from an alleged RX-7 owner with an LS1. Ironic this article stresses balance. Though I'll agree that fake carbon trim is pretty damn tacky. I'm surprised to see that from such a well respected shop

18

Amazing car! But I don't know about the interior... Or the back...

19

I am a BIG fan of RX-7's but I have to sya that thing is UGLY, except from the engine bay of course

20

Beautiful car, except for the rear. That bodywork back there is simply hideous.

21

Weirded out by the interior but the rest of the car is workin. The blue one is better.

22

Superb...!

23

Sorry, car is ugly. The guy who says he does this in the U.S.A, if you are so important why hasn't speedhunters done a feature on one of your cars?

24

"RE-Amemiya covered up the ugly rear factory cast 2-pots with Brembo caliper-like plastic covers, a purely aesthetic detail."



WTF??? Seriously? I expected a lot more from a shop of this caliber. Couldn't agree more with LS1RX7owen

25

It has fake plastic brake covers? It has fake carbon fiber dash? Rice? Fake shit? On a one hundred thousand dollar car? Seriously? I really don't know what to say.

26

I like the one from initial d much better.. i think its the same kit as the light blue?

27

hmmm? mixed feelings about this one.. love whats going on under the bonnet, even the wheels i can 'dig', but that rear end is the most alluring modification. - very well turned as a package on the whole.

28

"RE-Amemiya covered up the ugly rear factory cast 2-pots with Brembo caliper-like plastic covers, a purely aesthetic detail"



That is quite sad!

29

I like that Keeich T. Quote there Din. lmao

30

Cool car... the rear doesn't convice me, but it's unique. RX-7s are great cars, and as you say, balance is the key.

31

no -corey

32

I just can't look at that back end, it's like a train wreck. Sad to see they cut so many corners on the car, they have much better cars to feature, I can't really blame speedhunters since they just took the pictures. It's RE-Amemiya that dropped the ball this time. I do like that color and the wheels though. Oh and a big LOL at the guy who builds stuff in the USA while watching togue/initial d videos as a kid. They really do teach it all to you man. Those street credit points you earn on the togue get you a stuffed animal at 5 points, but get like 20 points and it really starts to pay off.

33

pug-ugly, its a Touge Monstrosity. sacriledge to butcher-up a good solid car.

[via NuggetG60YorkshireUK's computer]

34

This car must be driven by the albino life guard, or the scotch-korean. They are all contradictions, just like this car. One part you tell me its well balanced to corner and stop, then you go an say the rear calipers are factory with plastic covers? Juicy like a liquid, but a solid. All these contradictions!! Please next time, if you are going to have factory calipers, don't cover them up, just leave them alone. I question the application purposes of the covers anyways. Don't see them lasting to long in a race with the heat from the rotors. If you are concerned with symetrical appearance, buy real brembos on the rear, install a brake proptioning valve and then tone it back down to factory specs if that is what you prefer. That is my .02 cents.

35

Wallpaper for the last pic PLEASE!! 1920x1080 many thanks.

37

The comments don't do it justice - a really great car!

38

dont like the fake carbon interior...green doesnt look nice inside cars. but other than that...its RE-Amemiya! its perfect...love it.

39

Guess most people are not that familiar with re amemiya. They have always been one to do out of the box styling. This car is really no surprise to some one who has seen many of their cars over the years.



Rear brake covers? well they obviously did not see a need to upgrade the rears, ( really no point given the type of driving its being put to ) and simply wanted a better look for the car. Whats wrong with that? Any of you really believe re amemiya wouldn't spend a little more money on rear brakes if it was necessary?



Spocom styling is big on street cars in Japan. This was built to be a street car. Accept it ! <33

40

This car is so damn Sexy!!!

41

Im a Big Re Amemiya fan (we have two Re Amemiya kitted RX7s) but Like many im not a big fan of this body style from Re Amemiya. The front doesnt bother me, but the rear is not too pretty to look at.

Also a little saddened by the use of fake brake covers, but at the end of the day the car does what many thers cant. I wouldnt mind it in my driveway.

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