Five carmakers are enjoying the challenge of the Super Taikyu Series ST-Q class. During a press conference at the Round 2 Fuji 24 Hours Race, representatives from each company shared their commitment to ensuring a future for both engines and motorsports.
Keeping turbo-charged engines alive
At Subaru, Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer, and CTO Tetsuo Fujinuki explains that technical advances are being driven by the competitive spirit of his company’s engineers.
SUBARU CTO Fujinuki
As engineers, we can‘t stand to lose. And competition is great for technological progress.
Personally, I’ve spent many years developing the Impreza WRX STI's driving performance. I worked on the round-eyed second generation released in 2001, a car that was soundly clobbered by the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII after we put it out (laughs).
We couldn’t let that stand, so a year later with the Impreza WRX STI Spec C, we changed the car’s wheelbase and the front geometry.
Back then too, we were motivated by the idea that “we must not lose!”
We wanted to get involved in racing, but given the high entry barriers, there were no races that we could do by ourselves.
Then the ST-Q started up, and we thought, “This is it.” By coincidence, Toyota also approached us around that time, and that sealed the deal.
Racing is about developing both our cars and our engineers.
In many instances, through racing we discovered that our people had special skills we had not seen within the company.
Given all the areas we have to tackle moving forward, I think the development and discovery of personnel through racing was hugely significant.
After two years competing in Super Taikyu with the BRZ, I wanted to do more to push the limits.
Being Subaru, our next challenge is to figure out how to keep turbo engines alive.
Instead of giving up because the regulations or challenges are too difficult, this year, we are changing the car to explore what is really possible.
Although we really wanted to have it ready for this 24-hour race, from the next round at Autopolis, we will be working to hone our horizontally-opposed turbo 4WD and figuring out how it can contribute to the future.
Mazda revives a legendary number
The Mazda3 Bio Diesel Concept running in Super Taikyu bears the number 55. Mazda Spirit Racing Team Principal Ikuo Maeda, who serves as the carmaker’s Executive Fellow for Brand Design, explained its significance.
Mazda Spirit Racing Team Principal Maeda
Mazda fields two cars in the series: the Mazda3 Bio Diesel Concept and our Roadster.
The number 55 sported by this Mazda3 is actually the same as that of our Le Mans-winning car from 1991.
The biggest thing is that we’re able to use this momentous number in reviving our works team after a 30-year hiatus.
I am extremely pleased that we are among the five companies taking part in this co-challenge.
There are several different approaches to getting involved in racing. One is to focus on developing people and technologies, which is our motto.
Competing in such a fast-paced sport is hugely significant for honing our CN technologies and vehicle dynamics.
What’s more, bringing 20 to 30 of Mazda’s top engineers to every race has greatly changed the way they look at things.
Racing requires you to make many split-second decisions, and without a wide range of knowledge and experience to draw on, you cannot deal with the unforeseen situations that arise.
Spending days in this kind of tense environment is drastically different from developing for mass production. In that sense too, I think they are getting the opportunity to grow.