Japan, as most of you realize, is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is a country unto itself, like nowhere else on earth. The food is different, the people are different - even the air is different. The cars are no exception. No matter what they do we in America want a piece of it. Hell if they started banging their cars in with hammers it would only be a few months before it caught on here.
Thankfully the Maziora DC5 you're currently drooling over only suffers banging from the occasional wall or other car. That is of course because this beast competes in the infamous Super Taikyu (or S.Tai) racing series. For those of you unfamiliar, S.Tai is a series that falls into FIA's "Group N" regulations and because of such they are very limited in terms of modifications. The vehicles are expected to be a realistic representation of the stock vehicle and are far less modified than say Super GT cars, which only bare a slight resemblance physically and almost zero resemblance mechanically to the original car.
S.Tai (formerly called Group N) is where many infamous Honda builders such as Spoon and Mugen got their start in automotive racing. The name Super Taikyu translates to "Super Endurance" in English, so it should be no surprise it's an endurance series. Every modification done to the vehicle has to be in durability's best interest. By tuning vehicles for this type of torture Spoon has become well known for making parts that don't necessarily make more power than other options available, but have next to OE quality fitment and reliability.
Super Taikyu has four classes. ST-1 is for the crazy cars with more than 3.5L of displacement, cars such as the Skyline GT-R and Porsche 911. ST-2 is a class setup specifically for EVOs and WRXs with less than 3.5L displacement. ST-3 is for any two-wheel-drive vehicle with less than 3.5L but more than 2.0L of displacement and is dominated by cars like the M3, NSX and 350Z. ST-4 is the final class and consists of any car with 2.0L or less displacement and that is the class where this DC5 dices it up alongside the likes of S2000s, FD2 Type Rs and other DC5s.
Fast Facts
(DC5) Honda Integra Type R
Owner Signal Auto
Hometown Osaka, Japan
Daily Grind Building Dream Vehicles
Under The Hood 2.0L naturally-aspirated K20A; custom heat tapped airbox, custom oil catch tank, custom header and exhaust, custom oil dipstick retention spring; silicone radiator hoses
Drivetrain OEM 6-speed K20A transmission; Kaaz LSD; Exedy Clutch
Stiff Stuff custom fabricated rollcage; air jacks
Stoppers Brembo GT front calipers w/2-piece slotted rotors; Endless Brake Pads
Rollers 17" PIAA Motorismo wheels (custom black) wrapped in 215/45R17 Advan Tires
Outside J's Racing Type-S front bumper w/carbon panel, carbon canards, carbon front sidewing, Type-S sideskirts w/carbon underpanel, Type-S rear bumper w/carbon canard, Type-S hood; Mugen wing, towhooks, battery cut-off switch; Craftsquare side mirrors; external air jack wand mounted in front bumper
Inside stripped interior, OE air vents/radio/buttons all covered w/carbon-fiber panels; Momo suede steering wheel; Motec SDL digital display; Recaro SP-G3 seat; Teamtech harness; floor-mounted fire extinguishers; custom fuel tunnel
www jsracing.co.jp; mugen-power.com; signalauto.com; youtube.com/watch?v=iiFPeie9-18