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.
2NR: Was campaigning in D1 a career move?
SM: No. I have a 9-to-5 job as a businessman in Kagoshima. Drifting is my passion.
RE: This kid is great. He worked his tail off and tried so hard over the past few years in the drifting scene. His drive and motivation pushed him to join the RE Amemiya team and earned him a ticket to drive our new FD. He has potential and we expect good things from him.
2NR: What's your drifting style?
SM: I have smooth driving control. My main goal is to stay competitive when performing tandem and to maintain a consistent line.
Then we went to look at the car. Walking through the paddock area, my eyes glimpsed the aqua and pink RE Amemiya GReddy D1-7. Suenaga explained the exterior modifications, beginning with the body kit. "This kit is a RE Amemiya AD GT complete conversion kit.
Running larger blister fenders in the front and a set of overfenders in the rear, the FD sticks to the track with a larger set of Enkei RP01 rims and Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 tires. This is one of the newer kits for the FD. The hood is a FRP fully vented unit. Carbon diffusers are set up on both sides of the front bumper. The rear has an older rear underdiffuser. The main purpose is to reduce underbody drag while maintaining minimum wind resistance. The GT wing is an all-carbon RE Amemiya unit. Developed by Nagisa Auto, the L.E.D. tail lamps are a one-off light kit for the Amemiya FD."
At the front of the vehicle, Suenaga unclipped the hood pins to reveal the FD's meat and guts. "The custom GReddy intercooler layout was pushed back to the very limits, toward the engine to maintain proper balance and retain usage should an accident occur. A GReddy oil cooler handles the constant gear shifting. The engine is normal; the brunt of the power comes from the TD-07 Trust/GReddy turbo.
"The rotary engine lacks torque. To maximize torque, the engine was torn apart and the housings received a custom port job. The team decided the TD07-25 turbine was laggy, so we downsized it to a TD06-25G turbine to increase engine response.
"The sweet spot is from 4000 to 8000 rpm. The engine can rev higher but the turbo was designed as a more responsive lower-rpm design. Using an A'PEXi Power FC as a base computer, an additional HKS F-Con V Pro supports the control parameters. We use the best features from both units. Most recently we switched from the factory transmission to an OS Giken cross-sequential setup, which creates a more narrow shift point and maximizes the powerband through the drifts. With the new setup I can concentrate on entering and exiting the apex with more linear control."
One of the tires was removed to admire the intricate suspension work. The suspension setting was firmed up over factory while the engine's tuning resembles that of a Time Attack vehicle. The differences include a set of fully adjustable Quantum Amemiya D1-spec coil-overs on all four corners working in collaboration with a set of swift springs. Pillow-ball mounts fully adjust the camber. The RE Amemiya team fully redesigned the tie rod offset and knuckles to produce more angle through the turns. The car stops via 16-inch Project u rotors and calipers, and a brake balancer was installed to properly set the bias.
The interior was reduced to skin and bones. Lightweight FRP doors, carbon-fiber door panels and acrylic windows dramatically reduce the overall curb weight to a scant 2,403 pounds. Supplying the necessary data when competing are GReddy 60mm gauges placed on the passenger-side glove box. In addition, the cage was specifically designed to fit Suenaga's body.
An aluminum box is placed in the rear trunk space as the fuel collector tank or surge tank. It has been installed in an aluminum box as per D1 regulations in case the car should ever catch on fire or flip over.
Future plans for RE Amemiya call for a second vehicle to campaign in D1. The RE Amemiya team has already begun its R&D using the high compression 10.0:1 ratio Renesis RX-8 engine in hopes of campaigning for the 2005 season.