copy from http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/03/nascar-power-the-rs-r-formula-d-asia-86/
When faced with the need to stand out, a true challenge in any forms of motorsports, it’s pretty safe to say that RS-R have taken the correct path. With a need to replace their successful, yet ageing JZA80 Supra, for this year’s Formula D Asia championship, they ended up doing things a little differently. It was decided early on that the ZN6 would be the perfect choice for this whole new project…
…but the true dilemma came when they began brainstorming ideas for the powertrain. What RS-R and Flatwell have achieved with the 2JZ is nothing short of impressive, building upon the straight-six’s capabilities and reliability extremely well, extracting superb levels of performance that kept them competitive in the various drift series they entered their Supra in. However, while the “2J” would have been a great choice, it would also have been – how can we put it – predictable. So, what did they do? They took the complete opposite path and in the process challenged both themselves as well as their drivers. The result is the car you see here, well a 95% finished interpretation of it at least. So if you focus beyond the “in-progress” looks your will find what has to be the most complex drift-oriented Toyota 86 anyone has so far created…
…boasting a TRD NASCAR V8 swap. Now for all you Formula D fans out there, seeing V8 transplants must be pretty normal but you need to understand how uncommon this is in Japan. This is the first time RS-R have attempted anything like this and the result is simply mouthwateringly impressive.
Plus, seeing those TRD head covers in a Toyota chassis, well it just looks so right doesn’t it! The V8 motor was sourced from the US and originally came from Ed Pink Racing Engines (EPRE) in California.
EPRE converted it to fuel injection by welding in eight injector ports on the existing inlet manifold, fed by a pair of Wilson Manifolds fuel rails.
An LS-series electric throttle was then added along with the top mounted 90-degree elbow, the whole assembly along with Blitz mesh filter sticking right through the hood, something that will become the car’s most recognizable feature, especially after Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto completes the hood scoop that will cover it all. But more on that later on.
Ignition is handled again by a direct coil system borrowed from an LS engine, replacing the distributor that was run originally.
The engine already came with billet aluminum anchor points, so what Flatwell had to do (the shop that was commissioned to build the 86) is machine some mounts and position the whole unit properly in the vast engine bay. And I say vast because there is plenty of clearance all around the engine, one of the benefits of designing a car around a boxer motor. The 86 really is made for swaps!
The stainless steel headers have individual temperature sensors for each cylinder, one of the many parameters that are logged via the Motec engine management system. In this way the best possible performance can be extracted safely from the engine at all rpm, as the ECU continuously monitors and adapts to even the smallest variation of temperature, A/F ratio and knock. This allows both drivers of the car, Manabu Orido and Fredric Aasbø to make full use of the close to 750 HP the motor churns out without many concerns. This is precisely why RS-R went for this set-up, the NASCAR engine offering the best of everything – ample power and torque, simplicity and reliability. All they had to do it drop it into the compact ZN6 chassis and set it all up for its new dorisha duty!
Lubrication is dry-sump of course but for best weight distribution the oil tank, as you will see further down, is located in the trunk and feeds the scavenger pumps up front via very long and very large diameter braided lines. Big engine big everything else – including the truck sized Fram oil filter.
We were invited to check out the car’s first shakedown test in Suzuka Twin the other week, where both Orido and Fredric worked hard with the team to iron out little problems and get everything working properly. You will be finding out all about that from Fredric’s own blog soon, but needless to say it was impressive seeing the RS-R guys at work once again, fine tuning an all new machine and make it perform so damn well in such short time! But enough of that, let’s get back to the car itself! As you have probably already noticed the exterior of the 86 has been pumped up with a full 6666 Customs Rocket Bunny aero, the same that is used on Fredric’s own car back in Norway. Kei Miura will be adding some custom touches like the hood scoop and a custom rear diffuser section, but the most important additions to the car itself – from a performance point of view – were the front and rear overfenders. These allow the Enkei wheels to be pushed right out to increase front & rear track and give tons of space for aggressive negative camber, as well as toe and caster adjustments.
Behind the front RP03 hides a Project µ brake upgrade with big 6-pot calipers and 2-piece slotted discs, 4-pots at the back Also take a look at the spacers that have been added to further increase track and play around with geometry on the test day.
To appreciate the car you have to look beyond its unfinished, multi-colored exterior. The stock red doors are to be replaced with lightweight dry carbon items to slash a good 20+ kg from the body and the whole car will be painted white before the trademark RS-R graphics are applied.
There isn’t much bumper left, everything has been cut away to expose the underpinnings of the custom rear treatment. The tubular section is there to hold the custom cooling set up in place…
…as well as to offer an anchor point for the megaphone titanium exhaust. Actually it shouldn’t even be called an exhaust but a screamer pipe, from where thunder is released when Fredric or Orido give the slightest prod to the throttle. Never has anyone heard a V8 scream like this in Japan, that’s for sure!
Sending drive to the rear wheels is a Winters Performance quick change rear end that not only allows tons of adjustability for the various tracks in the Formula D Asia series, but great reliability…
…when pulling these sort of full-throttle-in-fourth-gear epic drift moves! The rest of the driveline is finished off with a Hollinger sequential transmission…
…further helping to annihilate lots of sets of Yokohama Advan Neova rubber!
Undo the two rear latches and the top quick release pins and the featherweight carbon trunk lid is easily lifted off the car…
…revealing this work of art. It may look extremely complex in there but the need to balance the weight efficiently in the car dictated the need to shift components into the trunk.
The big tank is for the dry-sump lubrication and on top of holding 12 liters of top of the line synthetic oil, it’s also fitted with a warmer to get the oil up to temperature before it’s circulated into the engine. The rest of the piping you see feeds the two L-shaped radiators that have been beautifully…
…positioned on each corner of the trunk area… Along with the engine’s water pump…
…an additional two electric pumps are added to help flow the coolant the extra distance.
It’s all topped off with this overflow tank.
To further help shave weight off the rear glass has been replaced with a lightweight lexan sheet while the roof has been hacked off and a dry carbon one fitted in its place. The attention to detail truly is mind boggling.
This rough cover placed over the lateral rear windows is a piece custom made by Nakawatase-san, Kei Miura’s newest employee and known for his crazy military themed Volklinger S14 Silvia. Once cut out it will help channel even more air towards the rear radiators and give another bespoke touch to the car’s exterior.
Open the soon to be replaced stock doors…
…and your first sight is the highly bolstered Bride racing seat, where Fredric and Orido will do their thing.
This Nardi steering wheel is what Orido used during the test days, with Fredric preferring a deeper cupped Tanida item for a more “rally-style” driving position.
All engine parameters are displayed via the Motec SDL3 digital display dash unit…
…and if you peek behind the semi-stripped stock dash you can just about see the Motec M800 unit, the brains of the car.
I thought this was a neat way to take care of the switch panel, rather than lining up a bunch of old style toggle switches on the center console everything is cleanly arranged in this easy to understand switch panel. The buttons are even rubberized so that you don’t slip while pressing them while wearing race gloves.
With Fredric being quite a bit taller than Orido, an adjustable pedal box was a must so that, just like in the Supra, both drivers can be easily accommodated.
One of the most important commands in a drift car is of course the handbrake (or e-brake/side-brake depending on what sort of English you speak). The level actuates the Wilwood hydraulic pump that instantly locks the rear wheels to initiate drifts or help the driver prolong them.
The rear section of the cabin is where the fuel system is laid out along with the aluminum water lines…
…and the beefy braided oil lines.
RS-R and Flatwell knew their new Formula D Asia car had to be special, but after spending some time looking over the 86 in detail at Suzuka Twin, not to mention observing two days of testing, we can safely say they have really outdone themselves in every way.
We were lucky enough to get some images minutes ago from the RS-R guys showing the almost completed look of the 86. The team were back out for one last test session in Okayama yesterday…
…with Orido, fine tuning the suspension set up before the car is sent off on its 9-month voyage around Asia. Needless to say we can’t wait to see Fredric rip up the track in Melbourne next month at the first round of the 2013 FDA season!
Specs:
Engine & driveline: 2006-spec 5.7 L TRD NASCAR V8, custom engine mounts, Ed Pink Racing Engines fuel injection conversion, Ed Pink Racing Engines direct coil ignition conversion, Ed Pink Racing Engines electronic throttle conversions, Blitz mesh filter, custom dry sump system with rear mounted tank, custom rar mounted twin L-shaped radiators, twin electric water pumps, custom fuel system, Motec M800 ECU, Hollinger sequential transmission, Winters Performance quick-change rear end
Suspenson & Brakes: RS-R adjustable front & rear dampers, wide selection of springs, custom front subframe, custom front lower arms and tie rods, Project µ 6-pot front calipers, Project µ 4-pot rear calipers, Project µ 2-piece slotted rotors front and rear
Wheels & Tires: Enkei PF01 9.5Jx18, Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 235/40R18 (front), 265/35R18 rear
Exterior: 6666 Customs Rocket Bunny full aero, custom Rocket Bunny side intakes, carbon fiber doors, carbon fiber trunk, carbon fiber hood, custom Rocket Bunny rear diffuser & hood scoop, carbon rood, lexan rear glass
Interior: Fully spot welded and reinforced chassis, custom weld-in roll cage, Bride racing bucket seat, Taktata MPH-341 racing harnesses, Nardi steering wheel (Orido), Tanida steering wheels (Fredric), race switch panel, Motec SDL3 dash display, Flatwell adjustable pedal box, billet ARC handbrake lever & Willwood hydraulic pump
RS-R Japan
RS-R USA
Formula D Asia
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
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For those keen to BMW's current racing lineup, it will come as no
surprise that BMW is replacing the M3s with it's more recent racing
platform, the E89 Z4 Coupe. The Z4 GT3 chassis has held its own on more
than just a few laps on countless foreign circuits, including a win at
the 24 Hours of Dubai in 2011. However, America's BMW Z4 GTE is a
ground-up redesign of its GT3 counterpart. Little remains the same, as
regulations and standards set by IMSA, ACO, and others require more than
just a set of intake restriction plates. Extensive windtunnel testing
has brought about an entirely new body, molded from carbon fiber and
glossed with bright white and the renowned Motorsport stripes.The wide
arches, front and rear, hang over the faintly visible factory lines in a
display of immense width and true racing pedigree.
The front is reminiscent of the outgoing M3 GT; the arches roll off
the front bumper and then angle in to meet the body after the arch
closes, butting up against the ALMS position lights that reside on each
fender. The true departure is at the tail of the car: the capacious
flares widen the car almost a full eight inches. Following the redesign
from the GT3, the lines are all-new, and more radical than ever, with
the shape of the tail lamps being held out to the edge of the car, and a
tail width that makes the GT3 seem rather scrawny. Tucked under the
tail end is a massive diffuser, spanning the full width of the car,
paired with a massive spoiler up top to create as much downforce as
possible. In a sport as fast as this, aerodynamics play a crucial role
in shaving those vital seconds off of the total race time.
Under the carbon fiber heavily-ducted bonnet rests a newly-designed
4.4-liter variant of its GT3 counterpart. The 32-valve aluminum V8
pushes out a restricted yet visceral 473 horsepower and 354lb-ft of
torque, thanks to a pair of 29.4mm restrictors tucked behind the
kidneys. The power is delivered to the rear wheels through a six-speed
sequential manual gearbox, and delivered to the tarmac through a pair of
18x13 forged BBS monolug wheels. Up front, 18x11s hug the ground, shod
in 300-680-18s. 310-710-18s wrap the rears, proudly displaying the new
tire sponsor for team RLL. Dunlop has pulled from ALMS to focus on its
European racing, and in its place, Michelin has moved in. However, the
new tires come with a warm welcome.
To keep the tires planted, the Z4 GTE's suspension is once again
all-new. McPherson struts up front and wishbones front and rear provide
the handling BMW is known for. AP Racing provides the stopping power
once again, utilizing monobloc multi-piston light alloy brake calipers,
inner-vented steel brake discs, and brake-balance adjustment available
to the driver at any time, front and rear. Unlike the GT3, however, the
GTE is not allowed any electronic driving aids, such as antilock brakes,
stability, or traction control - a pivotal reason for much of the
redesign. So how does the GTE stack up to the production model? At 4
inches lower, 6 inches longer, and as mentioned before, 8 inches wider
thanks to the gargantuan fenders, the GTE fits more into the category
of "muscular cousin" instead of "sister" to the road-going Z4 3.5iS.
It's also, staggeringly, 700lbs lighter, totaling 2744lbs, thanks to ACO
stipulations.
With their new car in front of them, the drivers took some time to
familiarize themselves with the cockpit where they’ll be spending
countless hours in the coming months. Stories of lessons learned in the
M3s were traded as they all looked over the Z4 in anticipation. Over the
course of our trip, it was clear that an enthusiastic energy existed
throughout the BMW Motorsport and Team RLL camps. It’s nearly time for
them to get behind the wheel for another season of racing and they all
hold high hopes for the races that lie ahead. In a team meeting,
Auberlen expressed his enthusiasm for the coming season, “Every time a
new car comes out, it renews hope. I didn’t need much more hope after
the M3 because it seemed like it was ready to win everything, but
whenever it comes to BMW and a new car, I think you’re going to see it
on the victory podium and I’m very excited.”
After unveiling the car, Joey Hand took to the track for a quick,
albeit short pair of laps for a brief demonstration, as the team was
imited to just two laps at a time to avoid any penalties for "testing"
the car. Dirk Müller is the only driver with serious seat time thus far -
the Z4 GTE began as a mere blueprint only seven months ago. Developed
in just six short weeks, the car was disassembled and shipped to Ohio
where the Team RLL Headquarters resides. While car #55 was unveiled to
the press, #56 is busy with testing in Spain. To add to the stress of
preparing, the cars premiere at their first race in just a month.
The race? The 12 Hours of Sebring; one of racing's most prestigious
races and one of the three legs of the "Triple Crown of Endurance
Racing" alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The Z4 GTE will go head-to-head with last year's champions, Corvette, as
well as the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, and SRT's Viper,
and the grueling race will truly push the newborn GTE to its limit. With
just one month to prepare, there's no telling how the pint-sized BMW
may fare. Rahal considers this season a "developmental" one, as it's
unlikely that the car won't have some kinks to work out. However, after
BMW's 20-year hiatus from DTM, Bruno Spengler won the 2012 DTM Driver's
championship, allowing BMW to take home the Driver's, Team, and
Manufacturers Championship titles in the inaugural year of the M3 DTM.
Perhaps similar early success isn't too unrealistic; after all, while
the GTE is all-new, the BMW has extensive practice and research under
their belt regarding the Z4 has a whole.
