The flagship of Suzuki’s motorcycle line is the GSX1300R Hayabusa, a streamlined, 175 horsepower, 305-kph missile. The Hayabusa, with its compact DOHC 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder alloy engine is a formidable piece. Its redline is set at a giddy 11,000 rpm and it has a sequential 6-speed transmission built right into the engine cases.
Making a screaming 135-horsepower per litre, the Formula Suzuki engine blows automotive benchmarks like the Honda S2000 (120-horsepower-per-litre) out of the water.
The brainchild of Nobuhiro (Monster) Tajima, founder of Suzuki Sport in Japan, the Formula Suzuki races in its own spec series in Japan and since all the cars are equal, the racing is spectacularly close.
Will the Formula Suzuki series prosper in New Zealand? GP Motorsport are ensuring that it will in it’s second year in tier 2 and with 14 cars already sold here and more new cars on the way.
A key element of the Formula Suzuki series is affordability, with the Formula Suzuki being a definite bargain among race cars, so even though the car looks like a Formula 3 car, it borrows freely from Suzuki’s car and motorcycle parts bins to keep costs under control.
The chassis is a purpose-built space frame design, and carries the engine longitudinally.
At about 425 Kg, the car weighs about twice as much as the Hayabusa motorcycle, but with four wide F3 slicks and plenty of down force, it can corner much faster.
Geared to top out at over 250 Kph just reaching redline in sixth, acceleration is exhilarating and certainly not for the faint hearted.
For more details of the Formula Suzuki or the new IRC series (previously Tier 2) starting again in October, check out the website at www.formulasuzuki.co.nz
Phone, (anytime): 021 425850
