2017.01.13

Teams introduced their plans for the new season at Tokyo Auto Salon. Kobayashi joins ARTA. MARK X MC and new RC F GT3 will compete in GT300.

Many manufacturers and teams that compete in SUPER GT and companies involved with the series participate in Tokyo Auto Salon as exhibitor. Being a big new year's event, Tokyo Auto Salon has often been an opportunity for teams to announce their overview for the new season.

 

 

Honda revealed all of their drivers! Takashi Kobayashi is coming back to GT500 with ARTA.

 

 

Honda has already made an announcement about TEAM MUGEN, which will be coming back to GT500 class, and NAKAJIMA RACING last December, but at Tokyo Auto Salon all drivers and team managers of five teams were introduced to the public.
According to the company's announcement, Tomoki Nojiri will remain with No.8 ARTA and Takashi Kobayashi, who fought with the team in GT300 class, will be coming back to GT500 to replace Kosuke Matsuura who switched team. No changes are seen in No.17 KEIHIN REAL RACING with the driver lineup of Koudai Tsukakoshi and Takashi Kogure and No.100 TEAM KUNIMITSU with Naoki Yamamoto and Takuya Izawa. All three cars will continue to be fitted with Bridgestone tires.
Honda will aim to recapture the title with its 5-team squad, adding No.16 TEAM MUGEN (Hideki Mutoh / Daisuke Nakajima) and No.64 Epson Nakajima Racing (Kosuke Matsuura / Bertrand Baguette), which were already announced last December, to above three teams. It was also announced that Honda's GT Project Leader for upcoming season will be served by Masahiro Saiki, who was involved with SUPER FORMULA until last year.

 

 

Aiming for the title with SUBARU BRZ with more powerful engine and drivetrain.

 

 

SUBARU also announced their team plan for the new season.
There is no change from last year in terms of organization with the Takuto Iguchi and Hideki Yamauchi duo at the wheel, Dunlop tire, Hideharu Tatsumi of STI taking the helm as General manager, and R&D SPORT taking up the maintenance and team operation. However, it seems there will be a significant improvement in the machine.
STI President Yoshio Hirakawa explained, "Our two drivers must have experienced frustrating moments (when losing to the rivals in terms of power on the straightaway), but we are working on to improve the thermal efficiency of the engine so that the engine can generate more horsepower. I cannot talk about it today, but the drivetrain is also modified significantly."

 

 

Lexus world-premiered new FIA GT3 specification "RC F GT3".

 

 

"LEXUS RC F GT3", a new FIA GT3 car that will compete in GT races around the world, was presented to the public for the first time in the world at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing / LEXUS GAZOO Racing booth.
It is the successor car of RC F GT3, which the development work was carried out on until last year. "It was hard and difficult work over two season, but that's how much of different know-how are incorporated into the new car," commented a development team member with confidence. Akira Iida and Yuji Tachikawa who were involved with the development testing unveiled the car at the presentation.
Four cars will be built firstly, which two will be fielded in the GT300 class of SUPER GT and the other two cars will compete in IMSA's GT races in North America including the Daytona 24 hour race.

 

 

Saitama TOYOPET will challenge GT300 with MARK X-based MC machine and Taku Bamba!

 

 

Announcement made by Saitama TOYOPET revealed that it will enter for the first time in the GT300 class from 2017 season. The team will field MARK X MC, which is also making its debut in the series. As the name indicates, it is a mother-chassis car built based on Toyota's premium sedan MARK X. Body cowling is created by Mooncraft and the vehicle as a whole is built by Saitama TOYOPET Green Brave, the actual team participating in the series.
Saitama TOYOPET is a Toyota dealer, but it has been proactive in racing activities from before through its internal department, Motorsport Section, and participating in touring car races, such as Super Taikyu Series. On their participation to SUPER GT, which had been their goal since establishment of the team, Saitama TOYOPET's Executive Director Takayuki Hiranuma explained the background of competing in the series with a MC car, "We wanted to compete with MARK X, which is a flagship car of TOYOPET."
ED Hiranuma himself has been competing in Super Taikyu as a driver, and this will also be his debut in SUPER GT. Teaming up with Hiranuma and taking up the role to lead the team is 2011 GT300 Champion Taku Bamba, who is making his comeback to GT after a long while.

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