Tag: Narita Dog Fight

Automotive by Sean
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Encounter: Friendly Fire – Testing The New Friends Silvia

Easily the most recognizable Silvia in the paddock, the Friends Racing S15 has had quite the journey from it’s roots as a competitive D1 car.  The unique build is unlike any other in the field; in both looks and performance.  With a best time of 53’821 around the proving grounds of TC2000, Toru Inose is without a doubt among the frontrunners of time attack in Japan.  A couple years ago we caught Toru and the team at Tsukuba setting that personal best – but with a new goal in mind, the team has since gone back to the drawing board.

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Automotive by Sean
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Feature: In Good Company – Masaki Kitajo’s FD3S

It seems to be about every 2 years or so I have the opportunity to check in with Masaki-san.  A staple of the Attack community, Masaki’s FD has served as his test bed and company demo car for nearly a decade, and continues to evolve year after year.  I remember seeing it for the first time back in 2012 at Tsukuba during Advan’s ‘Fastest Amateur Tournament’.  Back then the car had a full FEED Afflux kit and was comparatively very mild looking.  Oh how far we’ve come…

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Automotive by Sean
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Encounter: Pushing Limits – Tamiya Auto Select GTR34

There’s something to be said about the privateers that push the limits of what they can achieve in a street-trimmed car.  When it comes to modifying cars, abiding by the restrictions of the state isn’t something most people are looking forward to doing.  However, there are those that don’t mind the constraints.  Those that look forward to the challenge, and prefer to have the convenience of a street car in addition to a car they can track regularly.  Tamiya-san’s entire ethos is to see how much he can push his GTR under these regulations.

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Automotive by Sean
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Encounter: Material Auto Factory Supra

During the Option Fuji Superlap, the Supra meisters from the Tokyo based Material Auto Factory had the most prominent display of JZA80’s in attendance.  Some were competing in the main event, others competed in the Hiper Challenge, and some were on display at their booth.  I had highlighted Tatsuo’s Supra in our previous coverage, and a viewer had spotted another of their cars in the background that had piqued their interest.

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Automotive by Sean
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Product Spotlight: Honed Developments Adjustable Tie Rod Kit

If you follow the site on Instagram, you’ll have seen that towards the beginning of the year I began working with Grant at Honed Developments in an attempt to better the suspension geometry of my Civic.  Truth be told, I hadn’t spent too much time on this facet of the build, as other more pertinent issues had to be dealt with first.  However, once Grant reached out to me and offered to provide both product and assistance, I jumped at the opportunity to tackle everything at once – I mean, how often do you get two engineers well-versed in Honda suspension volunteering to help you setup your car?

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Automotive by Sean
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Close-Up: The Power of K – ASLAN EF9

I’d wager that ASLAN, the Osaka based Honda outfit, is one of the leading shops in the development of K-series Honda swaps in Japan.  Following in the footsteps of America, it didn’t take long for them to capitalize on the benefits of the next generation motor.  Having no adherence to a traditional form of tuning like some shops abide by, Tani-san’s approach to building cars becomes very unique to say the least; giving each a very specific, what I can only surmise as an ‘Osaka flavor’ to them.

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