It's Barbie on Steroids! No way! The more pressing thought centers around who the hottie is that owns this vehicle. Initially, that was our first reaction when we came across the bright Pink FD3S sitting in storage within the confines of a tuner shop, Racing Produce Speed in Daimon, Okazaki-City, Aichi, Japan. To our disappointment, a young Japanese man in a grungy mechanic jumpsuit smiled at us, performed a traditional greeting bow while claiming ownership of the vehicle. he quickly jumped into the Bride bucket seat and, with a turn of the ignition, the Pink machine came to life as the ear-deafening rat-a-tat sounds, synonymous to the rotary engine, echoed through the morning air. Racing Produce Speed, otherwise known as RP Speed, tuned and modified high-performance vehicles for a number of years, building a reputation as an elite tuner within the Nagoya district of Japan. The most recent vehicle under construction at RP Speed was a 400-hp SW20 (MR-2). I don't know about you, but owning a 400-hp MR-2 would be better than say, sex? Dry humping the walls is as not satisfying to us in comparison to the final horsepower standings on the SW20 was for RP Speed. Deemed perfectionists, RP Speed considered the horsepower output on the SW20 marginal and extracting more ponies proved to be difficult. It was determined from then on that the project was to be terminated and to take its place was a brand-spanking-new FC3S.
Racing Produce Speed (RPS) forged ahead to build a race-spec engine that would withstand the rigors of drifting and constant abuse from their driver on the circuit course. Utilizing a Blitz K-5660R turbocharger mated to a RP Speed exhaust manifold, the rotary engine maintains excellent boost and response for mid to top end when entering and exiting through the apex. Of course, it's not the size of the package, but how well you use it. Just make sure you don't tell that to the engineers at RPS! Custom 76mm charge pipes feed the well-endowed front-mount intercooler through a "monster bore" RPS throttle body. The cool dense air is force fed into an "original" trick plenum intake manifold. With every compression of the rotors, boost level is regulated through a Type-J Sard wastegate, eventually evacuating spent gases back into a 80mm RPS race exhaust. Fuel management has always been a critical factor in any high-horsepower vehicle. Combining a full lineup of off-the-shelf products from RPS, the factory fuel pump, injectors, and fuel rail were all discarded in favor of the more horsepower-friendly setup. Trunk space was eliminated in favor of a custom fuel cell mated alongside an RP Speed surge tank to deliver consistent levels of fuel. Altering the factory ECM (ECU), an RP Speed full computer system efficiently alters fuel and spark timetables to unleash the pink FC3S beast to the tune of 450 whp. The RP Speed BS-01 Maxboost controller monitors PSI levels ensuring boost levels are always under control. Utilizing an SK-01 RP Speed misfire system, turbine spool and boost levels are constantly under pressure even when the foot is off the accelerator. The misfire system is an integral part of WRC rally cars throughout the world and has been proven to be beneficial when maintaining high rpm becomes a necessity throughout each banking turn.
With all the horsepower waiting to be unleashed, lack of traction can always pose a serious threat. Transferring the wild ponies to the ground, RP Speed mated its newly built 13B transplant with an original "cross gear" transmission using a 4.3 final drive gear ratio. Clutch kicking the rotary in succession to slideways drifting is enabled with an ORC twin plate race clutch. A KAAZ 1.5-way limited slip differential efficiently keeps both tires spinning at all times and provides increased drivability through the twisty turns. Possessing the proper suspension components has become a necessity in the world of drifting. Kei- Office D1 Shiwachi model coilovers establish linear balance on all four corners of the FD. With 14kg springs on the front and 16kg in the rear, the rotary smoothly rotates around the turns as if possessed by the devil himself. Adding rigidity and improvements to the suspension, Tanabe Racing Development Sustec front and rear sway bars along with Tanabe Racing's under brace and fender brace minimize chassis flex. Wheel size, offset and tire selection only come secondary in importance to suspension components. RPS selected 18-inch Advan TC2s wrapped in the highly popular Advan Neova 235/45R18 in front and 265/45R18 in the rear to wage battle on the tarmac. Perhaps the most unique feature of the FD3S is the near perfect weight distribution from bumper to bumper. Largely in part to the custom engine and transmission mounts, the 13B powerplant sits lower and more off center than factory, due to the engine being pushed father into the firewall for a lower, more equal center of gravity. With modifications to the body and mounts, the final ratio weighs in at 52 percent front and 48 percent for the rear. The balanced weight contributes to more manageable handling characteristics when drifting the apex at high speeds.
It's uncharacteristic, but even the name of the body kit seemed to suit the FC3S. Accentuating the factory bodylines, RP Speed enlisted a full body kit from Sexy Style to transform the angelic tengoku [heavenly] rotary into jigoku [hell] on wheels. Adding to the mix, RP Speed included its own FRP doors, rear over fenders, rear winker covers (that's turn signals for us gaijins), and an Msports rear bumper. With the complete chassis stitch welded, the final stages of bodywork consisted of a custom blend of RP Speed Pink sprayed generously to the FD3S's skin. A full carbon GT wing and carbon-fiber front diffuser adds functionality and style to the rotary's exterior while red graphics emblazoned on the sides of the car accentuating sponsors and shop graphics display a killer look.
Interior amenities were kept to a bare minimum in the quest to minimize weight and eliminate any chances of electrical problems during competition. Replacing the cluttered factory gauge cluster, a Sard stack meter, similar to the ones used in F1 racing, enables the driver to monitor rpm, oil temp, water temp, speed, stop watch and a number of other programmable features within one unit. An RP Speed Racing 10-point roll cage adds rigidity to the chassis while keeping the driver safe from any sudden drift disasters. To make sure boost levels are kept safe, a Blitz white face boost gauge resides in the dash console.
Racing Produce Speed's pink FC3S plans to debut the D1 Grand Prix circuit within the following year under the helms of driver and shop owner Yasuyuki Shiwachi. As for now the car has passed all tech and spec under the sanctioned D1 series and received the necessary credentials to run in future events. If you ever decide on clowning a pink car, be smart, and make sure it's not the RP Speed FD3S. Chances are, this car will rip you a new one you'll be regretting for the rest of your life, not to mention the mockery that follows being spanked by a Pink vehicle.