Brad wrote concerning the Tommykaira ZZ final week; a fundamental, light-weight Japanese sports activities automobile that made the Lotus Elise look heavy and smooth compared. It was a cool have a look at a automobile that few individuals who weren’t obsessive about Gran Turismo knew about, however on the similar time, it wasn’t essentially the automobile Tommykaira followers have been most obsessive about. No, that distinction goes to the Tommykaira ZZII, a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive supercar that by no means made it into manufacturing, even when Tommykaira solely ever constructed a single instance in actual life.
And what have you learnt, just some days later, Dino DC, the YouTube channel that made the unique ZZ video, additionally launched one specializing in the ZZII. Heck yeah!
Mainly, the aim was to observe up the unique ZZ with one thing that would compete with European supercars and go racing at Le Mans. Sadly, the instance Tommykaira constructed for the 2002 Tokyo auto present was the one one ever constructed, and it wasn’t even clear whether or not or not that instance was an precise operating, driveable automobile or only a idea. As you possibly can see within the video under, although, the ZZII positively runs.
It additionally nonetheless seems to be unbelievable, too, even in the event you can see influences from the McLaren F1 and different supercars from the time within the design. You additionally obtained two air ducts on the roof as an alternative of 1, so take that, McLaren.
Nissan GT-R energy
Then once more, you did not get the McLaren F1’s naturally aspirated V12, both. As an alternative, the ZZII used a GT-R-sourced RB26 engine that it bored out to 2.7 liters, in addition to the GTR’s six-speed guide and all-wheel drive system. And whereas it did not have greater than 600 horsepower just like the McLaren, 550 hp was nonetheless nothing to snigger at again in 2001, and because it might ship that energy to all 4 wheels, it was additionally significantly fast. The aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber physique actually did not damage in that regard, both.
After all, Tommykaira might have used a carbon-fiber tub, however as you will hear within the video above, they wished to make use of a curved aluminum chassis to offer occupants extra space. Getting that to cross the required assessments, although, proved costly, and finally, Tommykaira ran out of cash. That led to the design being bought to an organization known as Autobacs, which finally pulled out earlier than manufacturing started. So ultimately, there’s just one ZZII, and it by no means had an opportunity to go racing in the actual world.
But it surely did dwell on in Gran Turismo, the place loads of younger lovers obtained the prospect to faux to race it, so at the very least there’s that. And on the finish, you do get to see the ZZII transfer underneath its personal energy, even when it is simply to maneuver it, not take it out on a public street or put it by its paces on a race monitor. That is most likely higher for making certain the ZZII does not get destroyed in a crash, but it surely nonetheless would have been unimaginable to see it actually pushed arduous.
