Tsukuba Circuit

Tsukuba Circuit is the bench mark of Japan. Buy GT4 for the Playstation2 and check it out. This is where any lap time compared among the Japanese tuning community will immediately give you an idea of a cars true performance and gain respect. For an Fd with around 400hp and well tuned suspension and S-tyres you would be looking at around the 59 second range if you install a professional driver thats lapped Tsukuba about 1000000 times. For the rest of who pull up and hack out a few laps. We may use these as our ultimate goals but will never really get close.

Here is a sample reference of real FD reference times at Tsukuba. Many of these have been set with low fuel limits and qualifying tyres.

The best of the all out race cars is the Pan Speed 2006 Time Attack Fd 56"800 closely followed by the Re-Amemiya 2002 Time Attack Fd at 56"863. The R-Magic Pinky 4 Fd hit 57" but is aiming for the 55 second range. Feast regularly attend and got their blue GT Fd into the 58"s
For the road cars, the Fujita single turbo Fd sits near the top with a recent 59"352. Many of RE-Amemiya cars also sit in this range from 59" - 1'01". The T78 equipped Greddy G9 hit 1'01" flat in 2002. The Revolution boost-up Fd recently logged a 1'01"375 so its all pretty close and whether you have 450hp or 350hp there are many factors affecting times.

Off the Shelf from mazda 2002 Mazdaspeed BSpec FD 1'07" without S-Tyres. Still pretty impressive. Slight boost up, shocks and and S-tyres should yeild around 1'04" and add a full GT wing and body kit should get you in the 1'03 region. Add some more serious boost brings you 1'01' and from there it gets seriously competitve and the "street tune" is somehow forgotten.

If all this time talk sucks, then just drift it up! Yahoo Map

Russ

Fast, East & Extreme II

Newera Media is currently in production of Fast East and Extreme 2. This DVD is dedicated to the Japanese performance scene and has a varied overview of the best japan has to offer.

Drift experience is big at all levels in Japan and Newera takes you to Tsukuba for the Battle Magazine - Batttle of Drift 2005. This showcases the preliminary series to D1. The action is raw but the action is all there.

At the other end of the scale is BIG X. This is where the D1 Drivers go to have fun. Ebisu circuit is well known in drift circles and it becomes the venue for a drift show of mamoth proportions. All the big names are out on track in a choreographed drift performace.

Garage Saurus are in direct competition with Top Secret in the some street scene. They are the Keepers of the infamous 800bhp, orange, dual-purpose drag and track car. Not to mention a few other 8 second cars. Newera brings you interviews and in depth footage from their premises in Saitama, Japan.

Also check out Weld Technique Factory. They are known for crazy one off Drift and Drag cars but their products find their way into the D1 Grand Prix for 2005 and live very happily in Street JZX100 drift machines. These heavyweight driifters actually receive awesome reviews from the best, given the right road conditions. Bounce that limiter.

Tsukuba Super Battle is the premier event for Japanese tuning companies to flex their muscles. This time attack event around Tsukuba Circuit is breath taking stuff. We were there. Trackside cameras, on board cameras, interviews and results !

Tokyo auto salon and more make this an awesome DVD. Dont miss it.

Check the www.neweramedia.com website for previews and more.

Veilside Fortune FD

This the Fortune #2 car prepared for the Paris Tuning show. Yokomaku-san volunteered to expand his reach to europe with Newera's help.

Here is an extract of an interview with the designer himself which provides a bit of an isight into the process.

"I never draw concepts on paper before I start to shape. The ideas and inspiration are all here in my head. I can shape and create a design directly by hand as a 3D full sized design. Really, I find I work best like this - and this is how I've shaped all my designs from the beginning. The process for making a design starts with foam, which is used to make the initial shape. By shaving it, I can get a clear shape. Next, I cover the foam shapes in glass fibre, which gives the shape rigidity and is like putting a bandage over one's skin. "
Once the glass fibre's hardened, I apply clay - and this allows me to shape to exactly how I want the car to be. Then, once that stage is completed, I spray the bodywork with primer, so I can check and completely erradicate any minor imperfections. Upon completion of the design, I use the 3 dimensional plotter to log the complete shape of the design to within 0.1mm. With this data, I can re-create the work by reversal of the operation. I can also use the 3 dimensional plotter to enable me to get exact symmetry between each side of the design and so get a perfect design as I complete it."

We saw this car in preparation in 2004 and there is a feature on Fast East and Extreme.
Check www.neweramedia.com for more info.