An introduction to Super GT (part 3) #blogpost

Super GT is one of the premier racing series in the world, with more than one driver using it as a stepping stone to F1. Racing on the best circuits Japan has to offer, with some of the best Japanese cars, is always a recipe for brilliant racing, and that’s exactly what Super GT has to offer. There are two classes, GT500 and GT300. In Part 2 I detailed some of the more interesting cars to come out of GT500, so now it’s the turn of GT300.

Hope you enjoy :)

GT300 is a lot more open than GT500, and as a result a great variety of cars race. European GT cars focus on this championship over GT500, with their GT3 cars too slow for the top class. The Japanese teams also compete in GT300 with an even greater variety of cars than in GT500, and there was even an American Daytona Prototyoe, which was raced for 5 years.

Rather than have a look at the factory teams first, and then do spotlights on some of the lesser-known cars like I did in part 2, I’m just going to move straight into the spotlights.

Spotlight #1: Toyota Prius

Ah yes, the petrolheads favourite car. With its beautiful styling, lightweight design and powerful engine, this is the dream car of so many, and rightly so. So when one was entered into Super GT in 2012, everyone was excited. The car has been entered into every season since, and has scored three wins, albeit with a lot of DNFs. It even took third in the constructors standings in 2015. And it’s still a hybrid!

Spotlight #2: Honda CR-Z

It’s another hybrid, though at least this one half tries to be sporty. Campaigned from 2012 by Mugen and Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA). Between the two teams the CR-Z won five times and won the championship in 2013. Not much is left of the original car, with the car changing from front-engined and FWD to mid-engined and RWD.

Spotlight #3: ASL Garaiya

Tommykaira. No matter what cars I’m researching, they always seem to come up. Even though they weren’t very successful.

Tommykaira was a manufacturer of sports cars that built cars in Norfolk and then exported them to the main market of Japan. The cars used a Nissan SR20DE from a Nissan Primera. Just under 200 hp in a car that weighed just 710 kg.

Tommykaira then went into some financial difficulties, and was bought out by Autobacs. Renamed ASL (Autobacs Sports car Laboratory), a new car was soon built. The Garaiya was based on the same chassis as the earlier cars, but got a small weight increase to 800 kg. But the biggest feature was the new bodywork. Quite divisive, but I think beautiful, with the low-cut Windows and Alfa Romeo tail lights.

Autobacs had been racing in Super GT with a Toyota MR-S(under the name ARTA - Autobacs Racing Team Aguri) for a few years, so figured that they would use their new car instead. The car was underpowered in 2003, but nearly won the championship in both 2004 and 2005. After disappearing for 2006, the car was a regular front-runner for another few seasons.

Spotlight #4: Mazda RX-7

Campaigned from 1995 to 2010, the RE Amemiya RX-7 enjoyed considerable success and popularity, even winning both drivers and constructors championships in 2006. Fitted with a 3-rotor 20B instead of the standard 13B, the car made RE Amemiya into what it is now. And sounded brilliant while doing it.

Spotlight #5: Mooncraft Shiden

A homage to the original Shi-den 77 that raced in the Fuji Grand Champion Series, the new version is based on a Riley endurance chassis from America. Raced in Super GT from 2006 to 2014, it won the teams championship in 2007 and was a regular front-runner. It was sadly outlawed after the 2014 season, but plans have been made to put it on the road.

There are many, many other cars that have taken part in the GT300 category over the years, too many to write about here, and too many for me to be bothered to write about. So this is the end.

Thanks for reading :)

Part 1: https://www.carthrottle.com/post/nr3xepv/
Part 2: https://www.carthrottle.com/post/wmdldxr/