Top Automotive Cars: November 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

HKS R35 GT-R

HKS and Taniguchi have for years been a winning combination, setting records wherever they go. Time attack has always helped push the tuning envelope further, as extreme parts and modifications eventually trickle down and are able to be used on street applications. This is what will eventually happen with the R35 GT-R. HKS definitely have something up their sleeves as we all saw at the recent R's Meeting event

Once Taniguchi pitted after his second track session I went to take a closer look at the R35. The temperatures on the screen showed that a good thrashing was given but they weren't as high as I've seen on these new GT-Rs so I'm guessing that whatever cooling upgrades they have carried out, are working efficiently.

Then came the big surprise as I glanced at the HKS lap timer. While most tuners were out for nothing more than a few demonstration laps, HKS was out to break records! On the second outing Taniguchi managed a best lap of 1'45"82, the fastest an R35 has ever gone around Fuji. The top speed, 300 km/h (186 mph)!

That puts the R35 in hot pursuit of established older GT-Rs like the Autech Tsukada ATTKD BNR34 and Auto Gallery Yokohama BNR32 which both lap in the 1-minute 43-seconds (on street-legal, semi-slick tires)

HKS, up until late last year, were using the stock radial tires on the R35, managing a best of 1'48"94 before switching to slicks. Their first attempt on the sticky race tires yielded a best of 1'47"126 with Orido behind the wheel. You can see the video of the lap here. Now with the new 20-inch Advan A-005, the time has dropped further.

The very loud titanium exhaust.

Behind the 20-inch Yokohama AVS Model F7s are serious Endless brakes, forged monobloc 6-pot calipers front...

...the laptop to be connected, making last minute ECU program alterations quick and easy.

The dry carbon wing has been bolted down directly to the trunk lid...

...the aluminum stays allowing 9 different angles to be selected.

Taniguchi looking through his lap times on the HKS Circuit Attack Timer module.

The R35-specific EVC boost controller is fitted in front of the gear selector along with the HKS AFK A/F meter.

I would personally love to see what the HKS R35 would be able to do around Tsukuba, with and without the slick tires. The bar has obviously been raised, so it will be interesting to see how all other R35 tuning shops will respond.

R35-only time attack even at Tsukuba anyone?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011 Porsche Race Edition Pilot by Adidas Review

Exceptional functionality coupled with a striking design - since 2006, that has been the standard of the Porsche Design Sport Collection, a collaboration between adidas and the Porsche Design luxury brand. As part of its Spring / Summer 2011 collection, Porsche Design Sport is presenting its first made in Germany shoe: the Race Edition Pilot.

The manufacturing of the Race Edition Pilot takes place at the long-established adidas shoe production facility in Scheinfeld (Bavaria), where football shoes, such as the Copa Mundial and World Cup are produced. About a dozen employees are currently entrusted with manufacturing the Race Edition Pilot.

Inspired by open-road racing, the Pilot features a rounded heel and collar padding for comfort. A TPU midsole shell is engineered with shock-absorbing adiPRENEÂ® for platform stability and a smoother ride, while low-profile rubber outsole inserts facilitate fluid pedal work. Supple and lightweight, the Pilot's elegant silhouette is crafted from premium Italian full-grain aniline leather.

One hundred pairs of Porsche Design Sport's most innovative Driving shoe to date are currently produced each day, employing components, uppers and soles supplied from Asia. This requires about 30 production steps, of which the following are crucial: attaching the insole, lining up the toe, pre-spreading the lasting margin (lower edge of the upper), clipping the side margin and heel, buffing and finely polishing the uppers, cementing the lasting margin and sole, applying and pressing the sole, finishing, and final inspection.

Porsche Design Sport is a collaboration between the adidas brand and Porsche Design. Launched in 2006, the Porsche Design Sport collection fuses engineering excellence with an inherent commitment to refined style. The range of luxury sportswear utilizes the industry's most advanced technologies in concert with luxurious, exclusive materials, performance-enhanced details and impeccable craftsmanship. Stylish yet understated, casual yet technical, Porsche Design Sport is defining a new era of engineered luxury sportswear.

adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

Porsche Design is a luxury brand with particular focus on technically inspired products. The brand was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, whose products have ever since stood for functional, timeless and purist design. The product portfolio includes classic men's accessories, a sport and fashion collection as well as electronic products and a men's fragrance range. The products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria, and sold worldwide in the company's own stores, shop-in-shops, high quality department stores and exclusive retail outlets.