As of late, I have developed an addiction for well-executed time attack cars. A huge source of my inspiration stems from Narita Dog Fight and the awesome content that they keep blessing enthusiasts like myself with. Judging by their intensive knowledge and coverage of cars running on Tsukuba Circuit, I figured I would PM them about a particular video that I found on YouTube. (see below)
The car’s throttle response immediately made me suspect some sort of ITB build. It almost sounded to me like a Honda motor–an item I covet due to the Miata’s BP engines feeling so gutless from the factory.
The Roadster almost passed the minute mark–which is generally the time to beat at Tsukuba. Sean from NDF was quick to email me back a few weeks later, notifying me that this Roadster belonged to a person called Freedom-san. He also stated that the car was running a high compression build with TODA internals. Sean included the pictures below.
A quick Google search also revealed that Speedhunters did a small feature on the same car years ago. I wish I knew more about the build. I think most of the aero is custom, the flares look like Tuckin99 N2 wide flares. Wheels either BBS or SSR? But the bigger mystery is the drivetrain components and suspension parts used on this car that complimented both aero and driver.
Finally, I was sad to learn that the car caught fire a few months ago. See the video and picture below:
I hope that this tragic event does not deter the owner to rebuild and attack Tsukuba again. I would love to see a Miata beat the minute mark at Tsukuba, especially with a BP motor!
Ichiban Garage 