Make no mistake about it--what you see here is not a street car. Sure, it is one of 68,589 FD3Ss that rolled off Mazda production lines for a decade beginning in 1992, and yes, it still retains its factory unibody core, five-lug hubs and DOT tires. But that's where the similarities between it and any other road-going RX-7 end. This car was re-born for one purpose only: to give Aoki-san of Garage Revolution recognition as the world's best rotary tuner.
Enter the world of Japanese time attack racing and its ground zero: Tsukuba Circuit. Priority number one for any rising JDM tuning shop is to prove they can hang with the best, and the most direct way to do that is by building a winning car for the track's annual Super Battle event. Placing at the top is such a prestige that six-figure builds have been commissioned for no other reason than to run on this day, only to be retired the next. Lap the course in under a minute and you're quick; in the 55-second range, and you're one of about three cars. The Tsukuba FR production chassis record stands at 55.350 seconds--naturally, this FD was built to go faster.
A built-at-the-last-minute show car this is not; winning in competition demands that every facet of a car compliment and make full use of the rest. Revolution spent months designing just the exterior of the FD, so that once the legendary RE Amemiya started building it, every square inch of 100 percent dry carbon fiber would be made to serve a purpose. Based on a GT300 car, the front bumper features an integrated splitter that limits airflow underneath the car to improve downforce, extends underneath the engine bay to reduce vacuum, and directs oncoming air into a V-mounted radiator and intercooler, all at once. Additional vents in the front bumper direct ambient air toward the brakes, where they're expelled via oversized front fenders that also vent underhood pressure (as does the car's vented hood), as well as allow for a widened wheelbase and lower stance for better lateral stability. Oversized Hankook Ventus RSS R-comp tires and ultra-light Volk RE30s reduce rotational mass while cutting corner weight, all while increasing grip and decreasing rolling resistance. Canards improve turn-in by adding additional downforce up front, while rear downforce is increased by a frame-mounted GT wing, aided by a complex rear diffuser featuring additional canards of its own.
Above the rear diffuser lies this FD's hallmark exterior modification: a one-piece rear end that replaces the rear bumper, hatch, rear glass and quarter panels with dry carbon fiber, matches the front fenders' dimensions, feeds airflow to an ARC differential cooler, and vents excess air from within the rear wheel wells. Carbon fiber construction remains constant in nearly every one of the FD's body panels, save for the roof; the doors have been swapped with lightweight carbon units, and beneath them, carbon side skirts that bridge the increased width of the front and rear fenders, and keep outside air from entering the underside of the car during operation, further decreasing lift. Craft Square replacement side mirrors were added to cut drag, much the same as Aoki-san's choice to replace the stock FD flip-up headlights with streamlined, flush-mount alternatives. Every little bit helps.