Next stop for Keiths car is the A-Team reunion show.
This monster is rated at 255 hpthats 196 hp per liter. Wow!
Bright lights, screaming fans, limousines, and girls (of course) are just a few perks that come with fame. Keith Imoto of Newport Beach, California, always wanted to be famous, but the question was, how? Little did he know, his '93 Mazda FD3S RX-7 would be the answer.
Faster than a Hollywood starlet could say yes to a "casting" session on a producer's couch, celebrity came knocking in the form of The Fast and the Furious and from there, trickled down from the film's star, Vin Diesel, to the now famous FD3S. I wish I could become famous too. I'm not down with shaving my head and lifting mad amounts of weights, so I guess that takes me out of the picture.
In the end of 1995, American Mazda decided to discontinue RX-7 sales, but nothing would ever diminish this legendary sports car's reputation. Equipped with a 13B-REW rotary motor, the FD3S is an excellent platform to work off of. With only 1.3L of displacement, the factory FD3S is capable of pushing 255 hp with the help of a unique sequential turbo setup. That's just about 196hp per liter-go ahead and pull out a calculator.
Keith started his project with minor bolt-ons consisting of Mazda Trix front and mid-pipes and a Blitz Nurspec R exhaust. Opening up the exhaust flow not only increased the 13B's rumble level a notch louder than my stomach after eating a bowl of Tom Yum Goong, but it also allowed Keith to raise boost an extra .3 BAR. Unfortunately, additional fuel was not incorporated to match the higher boost levels. Not knowing that the 13B motor can be very fragile if not properly tuned, Keith learned a hard lesson. The increased boost pressures caused the 13B motor to lean out and forced the stock apex seals to call it quits. Keith was distraught as he towed his FD to the guys at Sidepex for some assistance. To avoid such occurrences in the future, Sidepex tore the rotary motor down and fit it with stronger 3mm apex seals. Before reassembling the Wankel, they initiated a street port to extract maximum power.
With the rehabilitated 13B in place, Keith decided to give the motor a full workout. Already numb to the performance of a slightly modified FD, he added an Apex AVC-R to maintain full control of boost pressures. This time, he knew that just cranking the boost could be fatal.
Engine management of choice came from Apex in the form of a Power FC stand-alone computer. The Apex Power FC allows XS to tune the fuel maps in order to avoid any potential fuel mishaps. Any further troubles with leaning out were taken care of by a high-pressure fuel pump out of a 20B-REW (tri-rotor) Cosmos. A pair of Blitz stainless steel air cleaners ensures that no unwanted particles will find their way to the turbo compressor wheels and a Blitz Super Sound blow-off valve was bolted on the charge pipe to minimize backspin (which could lead to permanent damage to the stock sequential turbos). Theres something hypnotizing about hearing turbo spool-up, followed by a release of an angry sounding blow-off valve. Maybe thats just me, but then again, I'm a boost junky and I need help. And since rotaries are notorious for running extremely hot, an aluminum radiator from Knight Sports helps keep the 13B at operable temperatures.
As mean as the rotary may be to the ear, the exterior is responsible for the car's aggressiveness. A full VeilSide Combat-II body kit hugs itself around the FD. The wide mouth on the hand-laid, fiberglass bumper reveals a huge Blitz front mount intercooler. Every piece of the original VeilSide body kit is fully functional, including the carbon-fiber rear wing. Smothered with fire engine red paint and Troy Lee custom graphics, the FD is camouflaged for all-out war. RE Amemiya's sleek headlight kit replaces the bulky pop-up factory headlights. Maybe if I did this to my car, I could get chicks. Then again, probably not. For street handling, Apex T-MAX shocks with Racing Beat springs do the trick. Cornering is aided by 18-inch VeilSide Andrew Racing F rims wrapped in Toyo T1 rubber. The interior receives treatment from Apex as well. A full line of A'pex gauges allows Keith reference to the temperamental 13B's vital statistics. He topped off the cabin with a Recaro seat and a VeilSide steering wheel to give the FD a more cockpit-like atmosphere.
Although Keith hasn't taken his FD to the track yet, he assures us that it's very fast. But after you've hit the silver screen, speed just doesn&'t seem all that important anymore.