JDM Clips comes through again with some great media of the Eneos SC430 Endurance GT Racer. We’ve all driven this car at one point in time…right? Well, in Gran Turismo at least. So you already know how awesome it is. This car is unique in many ways, especially because of the rarity of the platform in racing. You don’t often see SC430’s competing in organized motorsports. I can only think of the other 4 which competed in GT500 also. So, if you haven’t driven it, and don’t know how awesome it is, click past the break and I will tell you.
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The body of the Lexus sure looks like it’s been widened, so it came to as a surprise to me that the body wheel base, and width are untouched. Although the body panels are different (i.e. huge fenders), the values that matter stay the same. The extra aero does make the SC430 body look much longer though. You can see the custom sheet metal where the rear seats used to be, blocking the fuel cell and battery in the trunk area.
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Remember SC430’s are hard-top convertibles from the factory, so Eneos and Lexus Team had to make and weld in a permanent top. You can kind of see the welds on the exterior where the top meets the body. I love the aero lines of that rear quarter panel. You can see from this angle the car looks much longer despite the OEM wheelbase.
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The little touches of carbon, like the inserts in the mirror block-off plates are awesome. This car weighs in at 1,100 kg, or just over 2,400 pounds. Still a bit heavy, but absolutely amazing if you consider the factory weight of the SC430 is whopping 3,840 pounds.
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More carbon aero tidbits. I’ve never seen a splitter come to a point in the middle like that. Check out how clean that floor is. Taka shot these when the Lexus was on display at the Amlux in Tokyo. The Amlux is one of those awesome places that we’ll never have in the States.
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A shot of the rear quarter panel area and that sexy aero I mentioned. If you just glanced quickly, this could almost be mistaken for the front fender. I like the stacked rear canards.
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Side exit exhaust are the coolest thing ever invented.
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The office – looks more like a cockpit now. The original dash, as well as everything else, has been completely stripped, and replaced with only the essentials. The Sequential Transmission shifter being the focal point. The roll cage bracing on the a-pillar is awesome. Not to mention the dry carbon transmission tunnel.
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A look from the back reveals the gigantic GT wing that goes through the trunk and attaches to the frame like it should. It almost looks as if the diffuser and canards are molded out of one piece of carbon. I doubt it, but it’s a great piece regardless.
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In last years season of GT, the Eneos SC430 consistently finished races in the top 5, and was a contender for the championship until the very end. It also set fastest lap around Motegi during tire testing. Best of luck this year! I can’t wait for the 2011 season to start.
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HARD. love it.
Not often you see an sc430 that doesn’t suck!