At the ripe age of 15, Isami Amemiya began working as fabricator and paint technician at a local machine shop. At 21, Amemiya opened his own mechanic shop with only two goals in mind: one, to fulfill his automotive passion, and two, to put food on the table at the end of the day.
2NR was blessed with the opportunity to interview both tuner and newly instated D1 driver, Masao Suenaga, during a vehicle shakedown at Sugo Raceway in Japan.
2NR: What's in store for the RX-8 and its aftermarket products?RE: Right now manufacturers like Trust/GReddy have turbo kits available. RE Amemiya developed and recently released a turbo kit for the automatic transmission Renesis engine.
2NR: Horsepower numbers?RE: About 270 hp as a drop-in kit. We'll use larger-sized turbos soon to be more competitive with the FD3S (RX-7) in terms of horsepower.
2NR: Does the RX-8 have tuning potential, or is it true the Renesis engine is untunable?RE: It's a tough engine to work on because it's fairly new. Look at the older 13B engines-we're still learning new things about them. The FD3S engine (13Brew) is still popular and produces far more horsepower when properly tuned.
2NR: What high-horsepower rotaries have you built in the past?RE: At RE Amemiya, it isn't a horsepower goal. It's about tuning the suspension, vehicle balance and responsiveness for events like Time Attack or GT. If I had to put numbers on the car I would say it's about 500 hp. These vehicles can drive on the street and compete at the tracks. That's my concern when building a vehicle.
2NR: You have some of the sickest body kits for the RX-7 family. Will any newly designed body kits for the FD or RX-8 to debut in the next few months?RE: At the Tokyo Auto Salon, the team will have a modified GT replica on display. We're developing a concept widebody kit that's under wraps.
2NR: What's key when tuning a rotary?RE: Pay attention to the vehicle's engine setup and the engine's sounds when it's running. Detonation and overheating are downfalls for all rotary engines.
2NR: The lifeline of any rotary is the apex seal. Do you suggest running 3mm apex seals or ceramic units?RE: Stock units are more than enough. I don't use anything else.
2NR: What horsepower are they rated?RE: At least 500 hp. They are very durable and are even used in the GT cars we campaign.
As we conclude our interview, a black S13 pulls up and Amemiya's newest driver, Masao Suenaga, jumps out to greet me and the boss.
2NR: Let's talk about your race history.SM: I joined in 2002. In 2003 I received my highest D1 ranking of fourth place. From 2002 to 2003 I was the youngest competitor to compete in the Best 16 bracket at D1.