This does not sound like your typical, high-revving NA setup & I’m here for it.
Earlier last Formula D Drift Champion Dai Yoshihara shared his one-of-a-kind project car with SEMA and PRI, a 1986 Toyota Trueno AE86 with the old engine ripped out and a modern engine and drivetrain from the famed Honda Civic Type R in its place. While the unique project debuted 80 percent complete, without the ability to drive under its own power, the story’s a bit different several months later.
Dai shared on Instagram earlier today (July 3, 2020) two dyno runs from his first complete tuning session and threw out some preliminary dyno numbers for us to ponder.
Check out his videos below.
“It makes 300 and some change conservatively, which is what we were aiming for.“
With the engine turned 90 degrees, Dai did not use the stock exhaust. While Honda engineers fine-tuned the OEM exhaust to sound quiet at low-RPMs but an absolute ripper in the upper-rev range, since this is a racecar, that exhaust tuning philosophy is out the window.
Without muffling we can hear the full rev-range of Honda’s K20C1. With a rev limit of just 6,800 RPM and most of the exhaust sound naturally muffled and converted to power by that factory turbo, naturally it does not sound like those good ol’ NA Hondas we know and love.
I tweeted out Dai’s IG Story showing an additional dyno run and contrasted that with an F20C-swapped AE86, the engine found in the discontinued Honda S2000. What a difference forced induction sounds like on a factory engine.
Contrast Dai's setup with a high-revving NA S2000 swap. https://t.co/CxjNbVdKGC pic.twitter.com/QfXoeSNXCt
— Paulo Acoba (@ferio_252) July 4, 2020
According to a recent future by SuperStreet, Dai’s been getting his tuning dialed in by Link Engine Management, a tuning company based out of New Zealand. Apparently they’ve figured out a way to tune, sending maps back and forth via e-mail. How’s that for tuning in this modern age, travel restrictions and all.
With everything presumably buttoned up, I’ll be curious to see Dai get some seat-time with this Honda-powered Toyota on a track, soon.
I’ll, as always, keep ya’ll in the loop when those videos drop. Speaking of, if you’re a fan of Dai or just a car guy, you need to check out Dai’s latest vids. Dai’s been putting in the effort and it shows, they’re super entertaining!