trinydex

iTrader: (12)

i think this is a common misconception... that the japanese cars are tuned to perfection.

i think the japanese don't do a lotta things well in their tuning, mostly because either it's fitment limitations, price limitations or just demand limitations.

they do make some things that are really really great... but other things... seem lacking.

SKILMATIC

iTrader: (1)

Please explain better. thanks

housedj

iTrader: (2)

too bad i missed it!!!!!!!!! i heard they had 3 (count em 3) fully built Cyber Evo's out there & Tarzan set a record of 1:01 on that track there @ PIR. i also know they were giving rides in that car to other people as well. i believe the tires they are using are the same Advan A032R's that i use (phenomenal grip) & BTW everyone, THE CYBER EVO'S ARE FOR SALE!!!! if u own a shop u will have no trouble with importation of this fine vehicle...

trinydex

iTrader: (12)

i don't believe that the japanese have the best racing brakes. in fact they have quite possibly the worst engineering wise. they only thing that they do engineer is the materials, otherwise the vaning and the hat design is pretty much horrible. this is speaking about project mu and endless.

i don't believe they have the best suspension design, i don't believe they have the soundest or most tested valving. for their smooth roads, stiffer will work. in fact the only thing i've ever seen to even suggest slight damper tuning is the touge segments where they have the bump testing section of the touge course.

that said they tend to use voodoo to setup their suspensions, they hop up and down and all that stuff... very little data logging it seems, lap times being as close as they get. where's the motec?

they of course have the POTENTIAL to make the greatest stuff suspension wise, ohlins are produced in japan... but it just doesn't seem like the vast majority can afford it or can put in enough developement, even the time attack shops.

one other misconception. japanese people are by and large poor, living costs are HUGE and there is very little all out tuning for the average joe in japan. many have to work multiple jobs to support their hobbies, where most of us over here just assume that the japanese have the craziest setups and have all the money in the world to make and buy these cool jdm one off pieces.

i don't believe their engine building is as good. particularly for the evo and i don't believe their turbine selections are good either. our us turbo and motor kits are far superior in strength, displacement and power output. there are VERY few good solid motor kits from japan and most of them don't put out nearly as much power AND use funny proprietary measurements and cost a lot.

i don't think their tires are as good, they don't use slicks a lot and when they do they're real racing slicks... they don't have a hoosier class tire and it seems tehy will never be interested in one. they also never run anything beyond 275.

so what are the japanese good at? how can they run these great times? well they have years of developement, and you can't mess up that bad when you've had a lotta time. they also have a band of closely tied drivers. there's no lack of great drivers in america or europe but these guys grow up together, they play together, compete together and have dinner togehter and then do it all over again and then go film a show togehter. we don't have any such solidarity in america.

are any of these time attack machines world class? maybe... can they be better? yeah. they're far from perfect to say the least.

SKILMATIC

iTrader: (1)

Thats funny cause some of the best jgtc cars use endless and project mu same with rotora. But ok thats your opinion, moving on.

Your kidding me right? Their suspension rivals some of the best coming out of germany and italy. Compaines like tein, JIC, Tanabe are some of the best in the world. And again I guess it would dependon what kind of driving your doing.

On the contrary, I dont know if you have been there, but Japan has the 2nd worlds biggest economy. Number 1 is the US by far and number 3 is China. The people there are for the most part very well off. Living conditions are a problem there, but thats not due to poverty its due to resource. Japans landmass is about the size of california and they have over 125million people. California has around 40million and its nearlyimposible to buy a house here in socal and in san francisco average 3bed 2 bath house in SD costs around 550,000. Get the picture? And most land in japan is prime property due to location.

Umm I dont know about you but most of the cars with over 300,000 mileson them are either toyotas, hondas, or nissans. Fords have problems just getting to 150,000. Same with most US motor companies like GM and Chrysler. Japanese engine designs have always been about most bang for the buck all while being conservative because last time I checked Japan has 0 oil fields. So fuel conservation and efficiency is a big deal to them. Which is why they mostly use diesel because the first diesel engine was designed to run on cooking oil. As far as tubos are concerned look up Greddy(aka trust) they have a bolt on turbo kit for the scion tc producing over 300whp for less than 3grand. All turbos are made off of either precision, innovate, or garrets design. Even turbonetics are in essence knock offs from garret. However, the japanese constantly take what we invented and make it better. I know this is a little off topic, but look at all their electronic departments such as tvs, dvd players, cameras, computers, etc etc. All of them are better. Same goes for engie components and ems systems with the exception for maybe the electromotive stuff.

Again this all goes back to resource. Also because of their emission and recycling standards japan is a stickler about disposal of rubber even the US is starting to crack down on it. In japan v8's are banned for production. If you notice the titans and most of the japanese vehicles you see with v8's they are American engines speifically for the US.

This train of thought can go for just about any and everything.

SwabeLife

iTrader: (21)

di you kiss Tarzan?lol
lucky guy you are!

8urv8

Nice man, real nice. That is awesome!

Kryptonite

I watched the tape delayed Grand-am and Rolex races on Speed Sunday and Seen Tarzan driving in the Speed Source RX-8. Finished 16th out of 26, not bad for first time racing in the ST class.
Lucky You on the ride!

TheGVR4kid

iTrader: (3)

WOW. In a Japanese series, some of the best cars have Japanese brakes. <yawn> Wake me up when a Rotora equipped car places in the top 30 at LeMans.

A Chevy Cobalt is leading it's class in Grand Am Cup, does that make it a world beater?


Seen a real world class racing car using Teins? Haf nt. Most of the JGTC cars run the sponsorship of the suspension company, but in reality are running Penskes and other, non-Japanese suspensions.

Ummm. You must have forgotten the Y-series V8's in the Nissan cars, Toyota's 4.0 and 4.3L V8's, the V12 that came in the Toyota Century, tons and tons of V8 engines made in Japan and used in the Japanese market, many of them exclusively.

2dcurb

iTrader: (1)

lucky guy! Wish I could sit in that Evo driven my Tarzan

value

iTrader: (1)

Usual hater post. If they are so bad how do they always destroy track records. Reading your post it is obvious you have never lived in Japan.

Nope A-048

SKILMATIC

iTrader: (1)

Dude, Lemans is a totally different class of vehicles then what japan produces and markets. Lemans is basically a supercar series. Most actually all cars in that race are V8 and above. And therefore japanese cars arent even in its class. So please get a clue buddy. Thats like me comparing the jgtc cars to the pro fwd ion with Lisa Kubo. I mean it doesnt make sense bud.

HAHAHA you must be a nascar fan huh? I knew some kid would say the jgtc cars are using penske suspension. I suppose they are using ford and dodge engines too huh? They arent using penskies. Please show me a link to where it says the takata NSX is using a penske suspension which isnt even designed for jgtc racing its designed for strictly nascars.

Umm no I didnt forget any of those engines. And I said japan banned these engines I never said they were ever made. However, the toyota F-series engines you are talking about were ONLY made from 1948-92 and cancelled production. The GZ series is a very rare and specialty engine. And the V8 engines you are talking about with nissan like I said before but you arent listening those engines are strictly produced for the US in the US. Those engines are actually made in the US. Also another interesting fact you may not know is that most domestic engines are made and assembled in japan. For instance, alot of the Ford engines were actually mazda engines. Its funny when people think they are buying an american car when infact they are buying a japanese car. HAHA

SKILMATIC

iTrader: (1)

Exactly. Its funny how no other car for 5 consecutive straight yrs held the all time world record for the fastest lap at tokyo speedway. Then the only car to beat it was the evo. You may have heard or seen the evo on super street some time back. It was a full carbon fiber bodied evo. The car that held it before was the GTR. The 911 c2 was the closest to the record. Every car manufacturer in the world brought their Gran Touring cars and still could not beat the time of the GTR.

Like I said for the type of racing the japanese are into they have mastered and nearly perfected their craft. Their performance cars are well rounded I cant say that for most american production cars cause they are either very good at one thing or sukballs in the other.

In the evo you can do anything you want with it rally, circuit, drag, GT, D1. You couldnt get an american production car to be able to do half of that. The best american production car ever made IMHO was the FORD GT.

jid2

iTrader: (62)

Guy above... are you JDM? What people are saying is that in the big World of racing people run the best parts they can find, period. Sure the JGTC is cool, but it is not the the most respected or advanced racing league in the world. And that is fact.

And if you think Tein is so sweet and that the real suspension makers such as: Penske, Ohlins, Extreme, Moton and so forth are crap... well good luck to you.

nils

iTrader: (56)

lol.. this is funny.