Time attacks arguably define the current trend of track racing. It's not all about power such as in drag racing, nor it is about showmanship and smoke as in drifting; it is down to the fundamental basics of racing which is who is the faster driver/car combo. When balance is the key, big horsepower may not be entirely relevant if it could not be used efficiently. That in my opinion is the essence of racing.
As the world manages its dwindling resources, racing in some sense is another wasteful activity; consuming not only fuel as well as producing much higher carbon footprint than driving to the neighbourhood deli. But the wonderful thing about people is, they create technologies to overcome these initial problems. Eventhough environmentally friendly and zero emissions racing cars such as the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC are still only a potential future, latest steps taken by manufacturers such as Porsche had recently came up with hybrid cars such as the 911 GT3R Hybrid which recently raced in the Nürburgring. The Honda CR-Z, although without a racing pedigree comparable to the Porsche, had competed at NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill at Willows, California in 2010 with one car finishing second in its class while another won pole position but ended with a DNF.
It may not be a norm as yet, but cool hybrids such as the Honda CR-Z is gaining momentum in both cult following and aftermarket support. One of the giants of tuning in Japan, HKS, has already offered a supercharger kit which they claim to be able to push the little car in excess of 300PS with proper engine modifications.
The owner of this pristine CR-Z is a track junkie at heart, previously running around tracks such as the famous Batu Tiga Speedway as well as Sepang International Circuit (SIC). Passionate about Hondas, his previous cars were obvious choices of any Honda fans; an EK, a DC5 and more recently an FD2R. Asked why a 'downgrade' from the track-potent FD2R to the CR-Z, the answer was simple; although the Civic is awesome on track, the daily drivability suffers greatly thus the change to a more compliant CR-Z. I'd agree, though more for the sporty looks of the CR-Z which reminiscent of the popular CR-X, as well as the potential fuel savings that can be had with the hybrid technology. This is the second CR-Z to arrive in Malaysia by the way, the first being a showroom car.
For more of the CR-Z, please hop on over to Awesome Powered website as well as their Facebook page.
