NSX Type R
At the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda displayed the most extreme NSX in its history, the Type R. The new Type R uses carbon fiber and other ultra-lightweight materials in places where even the NSX's usual aluminum body panels are unnecessarily heavy. This includes, obviously, the carbon-fiber hood, rear spoiler and engine cover. The interior has also been lightened with Recaro carbon/aramid seats, a Momo steering wheel and the deletion of all those pesky luxuries with which U.S. market Acura NSXs are burdened. The Type R also rides on 17-inch aluminum wheels with P215/40ZR-17 front and P255/40ZR-17 rear tires. Also, the Type R gets all the updates made to current NSXs including the exposed headlights. There's probably more to the Type R, but this is all Acura is telling us at the moment.
No Acura won't sell it here. Maybe it thinks it's just too much carbon fiber for us to handle.
Toyota ccX
At the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota debuted the Concept Coupe Crossover (ccX) vehicle. The ccX, according to Toyota, is a multi-purpose concept vehicle that combines the aggressive styling of a sporty coupe with expansive cargo-hauling capability. Think of it as a two-door Matrix.
Designed in Japan, the ccX was built in Italy at Forum Ricerche E Progetti. Under the hood is a 2.4-liter, DOHC four-cylinder engine linked to a four-speed automatic transmission. The front-wheel-drive ccX rides on 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels with 225/45R-18 tires.
The roof is comprised of two large power sunroofs, each made up of four glass panels. The roof panels tilt up individually, and then slide fore and aft toward the center of the roofline, creating large openings over the entire waterproof passenger compartment and cargo area.
The ccX accommodates four passengers with see-through bucket seats made of washable blue neoprene fabric and mesh netting. The blue instrument cluster is center-dash mounted and the blue theme carries through to the auxiliary illumination that runs vertically down each side of the center console, bordering a 7-inch multi-display monitor that displays DVD entertainment, navigation and audio systems.
And in the rear cargo area are six hidden tie-down hooks and an electric-powered removable cooler that plugs into a 12-volt power source.
Hell's Own Lexus
There's not a lot of racing going on in December, but that's when the IDRC ran its "Fourth Annual Nitto Tires International Finals Presented by Toyota" at Los Angeles County Raceway in the high desert town of Palmdale. And what came out of the thin air was the single quickest run in the IDRC's history.
Tadatoshi Wakita's Blast Racing brought its tube-frame, twin-turbo Lexus SC400 over from Japan (where it probably runs as a Toyota Soarer), and ripped off an astounding 7.38 at 184 mph run. This is what a Toyota 2UZ-FE V8 with two monster-sized, HKS-controlled, KKK turbos humming can do. In the NHRA Pro Stock, where it has a 30-year head start on chassis and engine development, winning cars are running in high 6s at more than 200 mph. It's only a matter of time before a Japanese car will break 200 mph in IDRC competition and the Pro Class develops well beyond what's going on in the technologically moribund NHRA Pro Stock Class.
Still, Wakita's blast wasn't enough to win the Pro class. This title went to Hiro Shiobara and his Escort Racing Nissan 300ZX.
By Hans G. Lehmann/ Hidden Image
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