![]() Although FORD designed a carbon-fiber composite prototype vehicle in 1977, it was Japan who implemented CF onto their daily drivers and weekend track cars. Carbon fiber has been available for over fifty years with its earliest history in the aerospace and military industries. The image shown above portrays the MK-1 on the left, MK-2 in the center and MK-3 to the right.Ĭarbon fiber spawns the dawn of a new era as fiberglass body panels, hoods, and wings have become second best to this lightweight and durable product. Tanabe USA has begun selling new batches of these once-rare wheels to the general public along with its optional center caps. Over thirty years have elapsed since the debut of the MK series, but exciting news has recently developed as all three rims have recently been on the comeback trail after more than three generations. In 1972, the MK-3 completed the Mark series as the first-known company to develop a true three-piece wheel within the JDM market. The Mark -1 (MK-1) which looked similar to America's Centerline rims was proceeded by the next generation of three-piece wheels known as the MK-2 during the same year. According to JAWA (Japan Light Alloy Wheel Association) records, the first three-piece rim developed in Japan was in 1971 by Speed Star Racing otherwise known as SSR. Today's more popular JDM wheels are more subtle in appearance, with less chrome and more focus on performance. Today's aftermarket JDM wheels and their eclectic designs have been a major contributing factor among the growth of the aftermarket import market. and visiting Japan drivers as competitors compete for the fastest lap times and bragging rights across the states. Numerous magazine publications such as Super Street and Modified Magazine have taken the "time attack" concept and turned it into a popular event for U.S. market by storm as drifting has largely influenced both east and west coast drift enthusiasts to purchase and build their very own Nissan S13 or Toyota AE86 drift machines, complete with robust over fenders, large offset wheels, and intricate body kits that often cost more than the vehicles themselves.Road racing on a sanctioned track isn't a new concept by any means in the U.S., but the term "time attack" is often used by our Japanese friends to describe what we commonly refer to as a "time trial." With JDM street vehicles eclipsing the 500hp marker, Japanese performance tuners were in search of translating power and handling improvments into the fastest qualifying lap around the various courses. Today, the D1 Grand Prix has taken the U.S. Tsuchiya and Option magazine introduced their first drift competition call 'Ikkaten' as rookie competitors like Orido Manabu and Nobuteru Taniguchi honed their drifting skills and gained notoriety at a young age. The king of drifting, Keiichi Tsuchiya, introduced Japan to a new sport in the '80s based on technique, and skills, while maintaining absolute car control. residents and JDM enthusiasts don't seem to mind this minor setback as both seats and harnesses have been on a solid sales incline over the past few years. guidelines only approve of SFI certifications on both seats and seatbelt harnesses, U.S. Manufactured with strict FIA regulations, the TAKATA 4-point and 5-point harnesses have protected drivers in even the most strenuous conditions such as the GT 300 and 500 Championship series. The BRIX reclinable model, the first seat developed through BRIDE has proven to be popular among Japanese circuit racing competitors, while the more average street enthusiasts were found cruising the streets of Japan in their daily drivers using the same seats.Takata harnesses, renown for its bright green coloring, have been a staple product within the motor sports world throughout much of Japan. While aftermarket reclineable and bucket seats continually flood the aftermarket scene, BRIDE of Japan has continued to show a strong presence in the land of the rising run for over a decade. ![]()
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