Imports

[homeforsummer]

Some fairly thorough engineering there! Surprised they've gone to the effort of doing that on what looks like a standard shell beneath all that. May as well have just spaceframed it...

 

[DARKEST_HOUR]

 

[speed junkie]

Some fairly thorough engineering there! Surprised they've gone to the effort of doing that on what looks like a standard shell beneath all that. May as well have just spaceframed it...

Not sure I follow you. You mean not use an Altezza but rather create an entire tubular spaceframe and cover it with an Altezza fiberglass top?

 

[Keef]

Yes, he's asking why bother modifying a standard frame to that degree when you could build a tubular chassis. Don't the rules say that these cars have to be based on factory frames?

 

[speed junkie]

Well in that case then it wouldn't be much of an Altezza. Also the car is still a TA car and so has to use the factory frame. The same is true for the FD PB posted. These cars are are almost to the level of GT cars. Very impressive stuff.

 

[Jim Prower]

I'm fairly sure that the Americas (north and south) are the only countries that have major championships based on classes for Fiberglass-over-tube-frame factory replica car rules.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Well in that case then it wouldn't be much of an Altezza. Also the car is still a TA car and so has to use the factory frame. The same is true for the FD PB posted. These cars are are almost to the level of GT cars. Very impressive stuff.

What you don't see in the pictures is this:

It's all carbon fiber, about as much as you can go away from the original frame, while still technically being an RX-7. A lot of times it's easier to work if you've got a base layout down, and just modifying (even if it is extensive) what you need to get to where you want to be.

EDIT: And some older pics:

This picture especially shows how little of the original car is left.

 

[speed junkie]

It's all carbon fiber, about as much as you can go away from the original frame, while still technically being an RX-7. A lot of times it's easier to work if you've got a base layout down, and just modifying (even if it is extensive) what you need to get to where you want to be.

Yeah but, like I said, it is still based off the factory frame even thought every non-structural part (even some structural I'm sure) have been modified. It's not a full spaceframe or carbon monocoque. Also, the FD still uses the factory shock mounts where the Altezza uses push rod-actuated dampers. I don't know if they have made this a rule but I have yet to see another TA car to have that feature.



Also...

...besides the paint job, steering wheel and wheel covers.

 

[Jim Prower]

it's basically like '70s Silhouette rules, basically the same as early JGTC.

 

[homeforsummer]

Not sure I follow you. You mean not use an Altezza but rather create an entire tubular spaceframe and cover it with an Altezza fiberglass top?

This:

Yes, he's asking why bother modifying a standard frame to that degree when you could build a tubular chassis. Don't the rules say that these cars have to be based on factory frames?

I can understand they've done that much work if the series it races/raced in required that there had to be a road shell beneath there somewhere (as you've pointed out), but for the massive amount of work that's gone into it, a silhouette approach would have been way simpler.

Obviously it wouldn't be as impressive, but it'd be easier and have the option of being even more tailored for purpose.

 

[donnie707]

This:



I can understand they've done that much work if the series it races/raced in required that there had to be a road shell beneath there somewhere (as you've pointed out), but for the massive amount of work that's gone into it, a silhouette approach would have been way simpler.

Obviously it wouldn't be as impressive, but it'd be easier and have the option of being even more tailored for purpose.

There are no series of races that the HKS altezza raced in...It was built for one race around tsukuba to break the record and then retire...thats it...1 race.

 

[-Fred-]

It was ahead of its time, back in the early 00s when the top time attack cars in Japan were still pretty much streetcars with semi-slicks and big power, this thing came out and people immediately complained it wasn't legal, and therefore was outlawed pretty quickly. Information is pretty scarce around the internet, seeing how it actually only had one outing ever.

Official name of the project is TRB-01, which stood for "Tsukuba Record Breaker 01", which it did, with a 55.8 lap at the time, back in 2001. That record's been broken multiple times since then, and it still belongs to HKS, with the TRB-02 (now known as the CT230R after it's been rebuilt following a crash) HKS has been pretty quiet recently, but with Revolution knocking on the door, I'm sure we'll see a TRB-03 pretty soon... Possibly based on a GT-R?

 

[Rue]

I've come over all funny...

 

[speed junkie]

This:



I can understand they've done that much work if the series it races/raced in required that there had to be a road shell beneath there somewhere (as you've pointed out), but for the massive amount of work that's gone into it, a silhouette approach would have been way simpler.

Obviously it wouldn't be as impressive, but it'd be easier and have the option of being even more tailored for purpose.

the point is to push the abilities of the factory frame and in every way showcasing the abilities of the tuner, not really just make a really fast car that has the appearance of a factory car.

It was ahead of its time, back in the early 00s when the top time attack cars in Japan were still pretty much streetcars with semi-slicks and big power, this thing came out and people immediately complained it wasn't legal, and therefore was outlawed pretty quickly. Information is pretty scarce around the internet, seeing how it actually only had one outing ever.

Official name of the project is TRB-01, which stood for "Tsukuba Record Breaker 01", which it did, with a 55.8 lap at the time, back in 2001. That record's been broken multiple times since then, and it still belongs to HKS, with the TRB-02 (now known as the CT230R after it's been rebuilt following a crash) HKS has been pretty quiet recently, but with Revolution knocking on the door, I'm sure we'll see a TRB-03 pretty soon... Possibly based on a GT-R?

Yeah, that's what I read back when it was featured on Super Street IIRC. Even to this day I don't think there has been another TA car with a design of such high caliber. It's beyond me why there were no videos shot during its outing or that they didn't take it out any time after that. Or who owns it now? Many questions

 

[-Fred-]

I *do* believe it now sits in HKS' museum along the Zero-R, M-B CLK Super GT car and others that didn't shine.

Would definitely be interesting to see what it could do these days with parts that are more up to date. That 55.8 back in 2001 is blistering fast, only 4 or 5 cars since then have been able to go faster, most of which were actually built with the same mentality as this one (M-Speed GT-R, HKS CT230R, Revo FD RX7, Panspeed RX7, the only other ones to have gone quicker than that were the Cyber EVO and the RE Amemiya RX7, still my favorite TA car to this day)

Unrelated but I have to post this up. Naoki Nakamura doing what he does best.

 

[speed junkie]

I *do* believe it now sits in HKS' museum along the Zero-R, M-B CLK Super GT car and others that didn't shine.

Would definitely be interesting to see what it could do these days with parts that are more up to date. That 55.8 back in 2001 is blistering fast, only 4 or 5 cars since then have been able to go faster, most of which were actually built with the same mentality as this one (M-Speed GT-R, HKS CT230R, Revo FD RX7, Panspeed RX7, the only other ones to have gone quicker than that were the Cyber EVO and the RE Amemiya RX7, still my favorite TA car to this day)

Yeah I'm just surprised as to why Speed Hunters, for example, haven't covered it considering they covered the HKS museum. Double checked the article to make sure but nothing.

On the other hand some cars you mentioned were covered...

And some other things...


An HKS-built F3 race engine

"Another HKS-tuned Mitsubishi formula engine"

An F1-spec V12 from 3.5l v12 era which never made it past testing

And the F3000 car they used to test it

JTCC Opel Vectra

I apologize if some may have been reposts.



Now for some new ones

Really wish there were more photos of that red S14 in front.

Haven't posted a massive one in a while

 

[Rue]

All sorts of awesome.

Every single one of those HKS pics is brilliant. I never knew about their F1 engine project. They really are quite the outfit aren't they.

And this ...

 

[CodeRedR51]

I'm going to do this paint combo on my RM EK Civic tonight.

 

[speed junkie]

Every single one of those HKS pics is brilliant. I never knew about their F1 engine project. They really are quite the outfit aren't they.

It probably ended in a similar way that USGP did. It was quite the achievement for a tuning company from that age though. The fact that they had the funds and resources to make it that far Just shows how big the tuning market was in Japan even back then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3s8NSY06SA

I'm going to do this paint combo on my RM EK Civic tonight.

I don't have GT5 but I didn't know they had the Maziora paint(?)

 

[benzoboy]

They do, it comes with the Toyota FT86 G-Sports Concept

 

[CodeRedR51]

They do, it comes with the Toyota FT86 G-Sports Concept

Didn't know that, thanks. I was going to see if a TVR had something similar.

 

[speed junkie]

@ Homeforsummer: I came across this photo and remembered that you wanted to see a photo under the hood.

I sold the Pole Position and got an SPG but I don't think Ill be taking any more photos of this kind until it starts getting warm.

 

[McLaren]

Yeah I'm just surprised as to why Speed Hunters, for example, haven't covered it considering they covered the HKS museum. Double checked the article to make sure but nothing.

On the other hand some cars you mentioned were covered...

Haven't posted a massive one in a while

Stunning car, livery & mods. Any more of this beast?

 

[McLaren]

Sorry for DP'ing; speaking of the NSX.

As part of a trip where a few NSXPrime members went to join the NSX Club of Japan in celebrating the car. See more here:
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?549132-NSX-Indulgence-(Big-Content-WARNING-50-Photos

 

[speed junkie]

Castrol Mugen NSX

I love late 90s/early 2000s JGTC cars.

Stunning car, livery & mods. Any more of this beast?

Not from that blog but here are some I found...

http://img2.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1...older/453545/img_453545_20918771_0?1252475768

It apparently runs in the Super Taikyu ST3 class.

 

[speed junkie]

Ooops double post

Might as well fill it...

 

[Keef]

I'd DP that NSX too.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Nice pic of the Esprit in its natural habitat

 

[Dac_Xint]

McLaren & speed junkie, may I just say that I love the both of you for that shower of NSXs, you've made my Christmas all that more wonderful in this thread. Merry Christmas!

 

[Beerz]

This picture...