When we first featured this car two years ago Signal was one of the first to perform the VQ-ectomy on the Z33, opting for the lighter, more compact, more tunable Seor Twenty. Kousuke-san says he will eventually turn his tuning prowess toward the VQ in the future. But right now he can get more power from less mass with the SR20 and, most importantly, position that powerplant lower and farther back in the chassis to achieve a better weight distribution and a lower center of gravity.
Visually the engine bay looks much the same in this redux, with the matched Signal intercooler and Super radiator mounting each other in not doggy but V-style. It's even boosted by the same HKS GT2835RS turbine. Although if you had x-ray vision-in addition to spending most of your time outside the girls' locker room-you would be able to see that this version 2.0 is actually a 2.2, indicating the increased displacement of the Toda Racing engine kit. An Exedy Super Single clutch, Tanabe Ultra Medallion exhaust, and Turbine Tube front pipe are just some of the other major motor mods, while an HKS F-CON V Pro engine management system makes sure the fuel, air, spark, and timing are shaken and not stirred.
The interior is where the change is most apparent and the silhouette of the factory dash is about all that remains inside of this stripped Z33. If the lone Bride Zeta seat, Simpson four-point harness and Nardi wheel don't announce the Time Attack intent of this car then the ATL fuel cell and the remote reservoirs of the Tanabe Sustec Pro Seven coilovers shout it even louder than Ricky when he trades pleasantries with his noisy neighbors. Perhaps the most glaring tell of this Fairlady's transformation lies tangled within the custom Signal 18-point cage (yes, 1-8). The bare elegance of the stripped interior and a cage like this are the most obvious clues to the Z's record-breaking potential.
Some modifications are more subtle, such as the ings Type-E front bumper (part of a four-piece kit) and custom Signal Auto vented hood. These are all part of what Kousuke-san calls his Hand-Made Induction Plate. The HMIP (as Mad K would no doubt refer to it on IM) matches sheets of aluminum with the ings bumper to precisely direct fresh cool airflow into the V-mount while the mesh insert in the passenger side headlight assembly does the same thing to the Power Flow air cleaner. The excess hot air exits through the hood vents. In addition to adding power and improving efficiency by cooling the intake charge, this setup also increases down force, much like Mugen's matched front under spoilers and aero hoods.
But the single most dramatic element of this car is not even on it yet. This Fairlady is code-named KD-Z33 because of the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A rubbers in a yummy gummy KD variety. The car's title is also a reflection of the close partnership Signal Auto enjoys with the tire maker. The KD's may be the ultra highest of BFG's ultra high performance lineup but they simply are not as fast as the DOT R compound rubber favored by other top time attackers. Some of you tire whores may remember BFG's DOT-legal R compound R1 concept tire from last year's SEMA show. The word on this tire is that BFG is trying to get it into production in time for our '06 Time Attack finals. The other word is that this new tire is going to be fast-real fast. If Signal wraps these hoops onto its Z33 the paper lanterns at the Izanagi Jinjya won't be the only things shaking.