Tag: FD

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Encounter: Shark Attack – Hiroyuki’s Naturally Aspirated FD3S

In a clutch drive at the end of last year, Hiroyuki ‘Shark’ Iiri set a new track record for the naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive class with a blistering 55.887 lap around TC2000.  Considering that this project hasn’t been in development for very long in comparison to some other builds gives you an idea of both the talent that Hiroyuki has behind the wheel, and the people involved in making this car what it is.  I’m looking forward to getting some time in Hyogo this month to talk to him about the car a little more in-depth.  For now enjoy some photos from the record-breaking day.

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Automotive by Sean
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Encounter: Nakashima’s Off-Season FD3S

It’s been awhile since we’ve come across Nakashima and his red FD.  No stranger to Attack and Evome events, Tomo has been competing in the Japan based time attack events in his RX-7 for years now.  Stumbled across here in a Saitama parking lot, you can see a couple obvious changes since last year.  New GT wing element, and Craft Square mirrors replace the Ganadors that were once affixed to the doors.  Carbon side strakes line the skirts and help tie together the front and rear aero of the car.  Looks a lot more aggressive!

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Automotive by Sean
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Feature: The Pleasure of Drive – CCE FD3S

In the furthest Southeastern part of the Saitama prefecture lies the small commuter town of Misato City.  The suburb that serves as home to many employees of Tokyo, also serves as the headquarters for CCE; a fairly new, by some standards, tuning shop that offers a one-stop option for a variety of cars.  The president, Yoshihiro Nakamura, chose this FD3S to serve as the companies flagship build.  It’s gone through minor changes each year for the past several years, but I think that it’s current state is one that strikes a good balance between street and track; a goal that many enthusiasts in Japan strive for.

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Automotive by Sean
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Close-Up: Masaki Kitajo – Craft Company’s Flagship

I ran into Masaki this weekend at the second round of Battle Evome at Tsukuba Circuit.  He was not driving his shops demo car, however, but his street ‘practice’ Porsche 996.  On radials, he had hoped to get a still respectable 1’05.000 out of the German made sports car (and if I recall correctly he ended up lapping in the 1’03 range).  We made small talk about his drive to Tsukuba from Kobe, and the day’s unseasonably warm weather.  The conversation didn’t linger on the day’s drive for too long though, and I soon changed the subject to that of his flagship build; the Craft Company FD3S.

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Automotive by Sean
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Close-Up: Atsushi Shimaya’s Endless FD3S

Out of the thousands of cars at TAS, it’s always exciting to see, in person, a car you’ve followed online for years.  Every once in awhile a build will snowball into something so involved that it makes you wonder if the end result was ever really envisioned.  A perfect example of this is Atsushi Shimaya’s FD3S.

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Automotive by Sean
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Encounter: アドバンステクニカル FD3S

As you know by now, Advance builds their shop cars specifically to take on Fuji Circuit.  Their FD, which they’ve been developing for some time now, is hands down the shop’s fastest build.  It’s able to lap Fuji Speedway in a very respectable 1’56; a lap time most street cars can’t touch.

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Close-Up: Mister ヮ タ ヮ タ’s Dogfight FD

I’d say that, after three years of attending Evome, the one thing I really get excited for is seeing everyone again, as well as meeting new friends.  The privateer ‘Attack’ season in Japan is such a short lived experience each year that my time with the drivers is fairly brief.  This is somewhat of a Catch 22 because while it does make each encounter much more special, I end up having to divide my time between talking to people and photographing the hour long event; and with just 3-4 Evome events a year, my time becomes very limited (especially not living in Japan).

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Automotive by Sean
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Feature: Tsukuba Revisited – Tomizawa’s Wild Heart

As I sit in front of my gate at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, with the hopes (although very little) of catching an earlier flight back to California, my mind can’t help but wander back towards days that I enjoy more than those of which I spend inside the depths of US airports; which I relate now more or less to that of a colony of bees.  Filled to the brim with people going about their every which way, connecting to cities across the expanse of the Earth, each with a unique task to complete (varying in importance).  The days on my mind? Those of which are spent in Japan, at the circuits which I’ve grown all too comfortable being at…

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Automotive by Sean
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Feature: The Pan Speed FD – Reborn

The last time I saw this car was literally a year ago; and I can tell you, it looked nothing like this.  Yes, this is the same FD chassis that PanSpeed commissioned last year at HKS Premium Day, except that this year the car has gone through quite a cosmetic transformation.  Actually, you can see it’s previous reiteration here.  Over the course of last year, the car was stripped of it’s exterior and fitted with an entirely new aero kit that PanSpeed has been developing.  I know this is a bit late in the day, but I finally stopped fiddling with my new audio equipment that I got for the new Podcast long enough to get the article out.

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Feature: Deep Grip RE – Tomo’s Circuit-Bred FD

 

Saitama native Nakashima Tomoyoshi, or Tomo for short, is an avid fan of the RX-7.  Unique in many ways, the car has stolen his attention for better half of several years.  Before he built the FD you see here, Tomo was the proud owner of a white Savanna FC.

 

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Feature: ネギ Shooting In Gunma – テクニカルオートワンズ

Well, this post has been a long time coming!  Hard to believe it was about 8 months I ago that I made the trek out to Gunma to shoot Takahashi’s FD for Super Street.  Now that the magazine has been off the stands for awhile, I think it’s about time I post up some new and behind the scene shots that weren’t used in the magazine.  To be honest I’ve been so caught up with other coverage and work in general that I forgot all about posting some shots.  I ran into Takahashi at the last Battle Evome and it reminded me I had these shots just sitting around.  He was at the event supporting the Wood Village S30, as he had just completed some work on it.

 

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Event: HKS Premium Day 2015 – Assault on Fuji

 

There I found myself; laying on the ground, the unmistakably cold chill of the natural wooden planks pressed against my warm back, staring blankly at the clouds drifting lazily overhead.  I slowly closed my eyes, ignoring the incredulous stares from the other men in the room, relaxing my exceedingly overworked muscles.  As the cool breeze consumes my elevated body temperature, and a somewhat effervescent steam radiates from my naked body, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander – recollecting upon the events of the day.  It had been a long one, I thought to myself, and ending the day with a trip to an onsen was nothing short of perfect (I realize that introduction has very little to do with the event, but I thought it was notably humorous).

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Automotive by Sean
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Event: Motor Games 2014 – Scorched Fuji

    ピットの端まで来るとUnder Suzukiさんの　S15　BodykitをUpgradeなさったので、是非とも取材したかったのですが、Except Rear aeroeffectのみ写真OKとの事だから、RearはWTAC Australiaまで 秘密にしてとの事なので、Detailはありません。     Another draw of Motor Games was the World Time Attack Challenge Japan, which was a spin off of the famous WTAC Australia that’s coming up […]