My final 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon spotlight had to be based on a rotary-powered machine.
The unique engine is synonymous with Japanese tuning culture, and Mazda is trying its hardest to bring it back for enthusiasts. But in the meantime, we still have wonderful creations from the past that keep fuelling that rotary passion.
As always at TAS, the Option magazine display area was where the highest concentration of cool cars were located. They’re the vehicles that you and I love, those that mix good old fashioned Japanese tuning with a bit of aero, lots of style and a hell of a lot of performance. I also like the fact that it’s almost a separate entity from the greater show, away from the limelight, the crowds and the girls. And one car that I found quite refreshing to see in this space was a lime green FD3S RX-7 from Racing Paddock Miyoshi. I thought it was a good mix of old and new, starting off with an unmistakable exterior look courtesy of Miura-san.
The addition of SSR Formula Mesh wheels are a superb addition to the Rocket Bunny body kit; a nod to the BBS Motorsport rolling stock of old, but built with more modern applications in mind.
I found the extended and angled side mirrors pretty cool too; the FD3S being a perfect base for curious aesthetic details like this.
The 13B twin-rotor engine features a GReddy T88 turbo kit and a front-mounted intercooler setup to generate the levels of boost the little Wankel craves.
Since this RX-7 is a street car, performance is limited to around 450hp – more than you would ever need in such a light and lively chassis. The dollar bill engine bay wrap is an interesting thing, but since the Mazda was built to showcase Racing Paddock Miyoshi’s vast capabilities, you can’t knock it.
I love the interior treatment, which includes plush suede-wrapped Bride recliners up front and a matching tan re-trim elsewhere. And check out the A’PEXi Power FC engine management system’s FC Commander hand unit, which has been flush-fitted in the transmission tunnel console for a clean touch.
The show car feel of the whole build is finished off with a big bass tube in the back and yet more rotary-themed pillows. I’d imagine those are selling rather well…
Despite its age, the FD3S remains a highly customisable base to work from, and it’s great to see shops like Racing Paddock Miyoshi still putting together fresh and imaginative examples like this one.
Stay tuned for my final wrap-up post from the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Where would you go about finding a Liberty Walk Kenmeri skateboard? I don't skate, but it looks nice enough to hang on a wall for display.
This car screams Japanese car culture. They really don't care about fitting in with the latest trend. They just seem to do whatever and its cool to mostly everybody lol
This car is sexy in some places and others eh I don't know. But I respect anyone that rolls in a rotary powered car. Rock on. BRAP! LOL I couldn't resist
NRNL Right here.
http://libertywalk.co.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=288
Blehhh.... So sick of this look. Looks like everything was an afterthought. I miss fenders that aren't riveted on. Give me a stock FD lowered with a nice set of wheels over this concoction.
Every time I think 'no I don't need that Rocket Bunny kit', I see another RX7 like this and start to re-evaluate that decision...
Looks so good in lime with those wheels.
I really don' like the front bumper/fenders on this kit, however the rear looks fine.
Diggin it, love the wheel choice here!
NRNL Also check out Jay Bryan/JDMego - he does similar things with skate decks.
http://www.jdmego.com/accessories/skate-decks.html
Power FCs are great but they're getting pretty old now - the first thing I thought when I saw that hand commander was "damn, that's retro."
This car is about the look, so details like that are a nod to the classics - in an age where you can now get the kind of engine management with active knock, 947346 inputs, and complicated readouts on your dash mounted tablet or digidash, the little hand commander with it's little LCD matrix screen is period cool for FDs
I love Power FCs. Universally known, accessible tuning for your 90s hero.
Just read the autosport article then clicked on this...ugh
Great car, where can we get the rotary engine soft toy?
too swaggot lyfe for me
Anybody else thinks the side mirrors are Ferrari items?
Somehow I don't like the mirrors, but I do like the LED tail lights.
Walleee You mean F430?
Speedhunters nice
"They don't care about fitting in with the latest trend" mate, this whole car is using things which are in trend right now.
Brett Allen What do you have?
Why is the header always not downloadable as wallpaper
afongdesign It is, just klick Presentation Mode on the first picture and push left arrow on your keyboard.
Speedhunters
Speedhunters WyattLemoine these SSR's killlll me ugh
#swagYOLO
meh, too much for me
TimJotPunkt what a hack, thanks!
love it, i also like how its "only" 450hp. too many people think more horsepower is better, honestly, anything over 600ish hp is overkill.
Although i have to say, i don't think green fits it very well......
This is an interesting contrast to the R32 you spotlighted a few days ago Dino... Nice to see how well the arches compliment the original lines of the car, even if people don't like the overfender look I think it's difficult to not enjoy the flow of the rear arch
Jbrady43 Silver FD in my display pic.
2015 called: they want their overfenders back...
@chester binglesnatch wuajaja
TAS must have sucked this year if this years spotlights are any indication
Dino can you stop uploading shit please.
@Straight talker No one cares about your opinion. If you think its shit...don't click on it. Dino thought it was interesting so he uploaded these pictures to share with fans of speedhunters. Go back to youtube if your going to be a dick
GreenZeroZ Fuck that, this is what we need. People with balls. This FD sucks horribly and Speedhunters loves any and everything rocket bunny which in my opinion is horrible.
How in the sweet fuck does this suck? People with balls?? Are you fucking kidding. You think it takes balls to anonymously call something "shit" over the Internet?
And you only hate Rocket Bunny because it's popular, because it's cool amongst Internet trolls to hate popular things.
I was thinking the same thing. Everything about this car is on a higher level than that R32. The exterior lines flow, the interior is clean as fuck, the engine and engine bay looks nice. Overall, a well executed car.
Dude, when the guys in Japan started doing this stuff, it wasn't a trend yet. They made it popular, you jumped on the trend, and now you are bored of it. They couldn't really give a fuck what you think, they're going to continue to do what makes them smile.
Twitch_6 stfu dumbass canadian. Go watch some drift videos fucking kid. Or go build another shitty EJ boxer motor.
I bet those are motorcycle mirrors! don't know which bike though... haha
Brap
Probably the best looking tuning car I have ever seen. Not in the F40 or 911 RS category but for sure better than most sports car. So so cool even the color
The overfender look doesn't fit every car, and if you can make one it takes some really delicate choices in the lines you have to create. The R32 overfender doesn't look righ because it looked like somebody bolted on the damn thing, while this one; from the wheel arches and how it seamlessly blends into the cars original body it just works so well. If you ever just do a quick PS removing the rivets it still looks good
kei miura is one hell of a designer
@tiifc Twitch_6 Its not even the fact that its got over fenders... It has nothing to do with it.
It has to do with the fact that this is literally a reality check for uncultured people.
We are looking at a Modern Day Ricer.
Its like the owner purposely built this car to say:
"This is the definition of an uncultured idiot."
@tiifc, are you the chief of my fan club? How do you know so much about me lol? I guess this is you showing your bravery, with your internet tough guy skills, eh.
Look at your dialog...I'm the kid? You're fucking dilusional.
@straight talker, lol wut? Uncultured? Are you a automotive hipster or something?
You anonymously calling someone else stuff "shit" over the Internet shows exactly how cultured you are.
Now, I know Rocket Bunny are a major site partner, they're cool guys letting us get peeks at new products and letting you guys hang out with them and all but, good grief, y'all have been plugging them like your lives depend on it!
It's okay to dislike this and it's okay to like this.
BigTmoneyD Braaaaaap
@tiifc GreenZeroZ There's having balls and then there's being an ass.
hash the toyota man yeah. I mean, I'm not an experienced performance driver, so I'm sure that accounts for some of it, but my car probably weighs half again what this one does, and, to me, it having 200hp would feel fast. so 450 in a light car would be insane and 600+... Well, I'm pretty sure I'd end up killing myself.
Is that a crashed rally car in the background?
muse_coyote GreenZeroZ This is beyond cars...
People who think this is cool are part of the problem in today's society.
"Swag on fleek, call it hellaslicious."
"Honest bro these bbs/vossen/rotiform/meister wheels are genuine."
"Trap so hard even ackbar 'ready kno"
"Stance yo."
#yolo.
"bro pour some liquid on my tyres and film me around my car at a low angle while i do a sick burnout"
These are the type of people that this car caters to
And theoe people are uncultured idiots.
Its beyond cars.
@straight talker, you realise this car wasn't built in America right? I won't disagree with you that the people you described exist, but you also described a completely American per
American person.
This style of car existed in Japan long before the bros you described even knew what an RX7 was.
In my opinion, you can't hate on a style or a builder just because a bunch of random people on a different continent, who happen to have shitty attitudes, happen to like the same style.
If Bozo style suddenly blew up in the US, and all the dude-bros jumped all over it, would you start hating on Bozo cars and builders who just want to keep doing what they were doing, before the bros were keen to it?
The world is bigger than SoCal.
I believe that is the old crashed 350z that Dai drove and flipped in the US. "Stream Z"??
Twitch_6 This is the part where I be like Bill. Cause you don't get it.
Woot finally an article on RX-7's. MOAR PLEASE!
like it, would have done the wheel centers silver.
mmm
10/10
GODDA*M THAT IS BADAZZ.
Slappy_Pistons Thanl you
Thank god. This car, while I appreciate the work put into it, looks like shit. The color is ostentatious, the rims are too big, and the stickers make it look like a toddler's coloring book. You guys go on and on about letting people express their taste in cars, but whenever criticism comes up, you all lose your minds