Yamamoto Katsuya – Nissan Figaro Racing Car

Words and Pictures Yamamoto Katsuya

The original car positioned above the sub-frame

To Build a Figaro racing car was named project S2020 at the beginning of 2020. Simply because I said Figaro racing car does not mean there is such a race that can be joined with this Figaro though.

Actually, this plan was supposed to be started in 2014. I run a shop which is specialized for Honda sports cars especially NSX and S2000. That said, on the other hand, I was working on some cars called pike cars like Nissan Figaro and Pao as a subcontract of a Figaro and Pao specialized shop that a friend of mine used to run. What I was doing was so-called tuning, modification, and to produce car parts for these cars. So I used to produce not a few original parts for Figaro, for example, exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe, coil-over suspension kits and some alternative parts for discontinued parts like 0.5mm oversize pistons. Also built the domestic fastest Figaro using Subaru Legacy turbo. However, when it reached at 210km/h at a boost 1.5 kg, always the crankshaft got twisted and we learned that it is the limit of the MA10 engine. Of course, as you may know, Figaro is not such a car.

The respray commences

I was in charge of such rare demands of strange Figaro owners. Most of the jobs of that shop were maintenance or restoration. But a few owners wanted to modify their car like this, in spite, there was no shop which can modify these kinds of cars. I do not know if it were thanks to my assistance, but the shop grew remarkably to be the biggest Figaro shop in Japan. On the way to be like this, I suggested building a racing car and the president of the Figaro shop agreed and he decided to invest his money in the project. Instead, I bought a Figaro from him. However, after a while, the shop has unfortunately gone bankrupt because of the president’s bad health. To tell the truth, he still owes me a lot and has gone where I do not know but it amused me at that time. And the Figaro has kept being left in the vacant land having sometimes rain. Thus the project has been salted until 2020. This story has too many spin-off stories to speak in this time. There are some reasons which triggered this project to build a racing car from scratch was kind of my dream and the car has to be very original. The racing industry is a competitive world and the car design trend is intimidating unnecessarily. When I worked on the Super GT race as an engineer, which is the top category race in Japan, of course, this is a very serious professional race, I was feeling something wrong. In order to enjoy my life, I stepped into this industry, but I was somehow not enjoying it and tired.

The new engine installation looks very clean

It was kind of like a money game and self-evidence desire war. So I slowly attempted another thing to do in order to enjoy like that to build a car which can be done by myself alone from to design to finally drive it and edit the onboard videos without anybody’s assistance. This is a DIY small GT car, a kind of minimalist racing car, it probably means it is an antithesis against the serious racing industry. From my past experience doing similar things, this project car should be more impressive, more original and controversial. Yes, some ideas came to my mind like Civic engine Pao or Figaro, but it seemed way easy and somebody different seemed can do. As a matter of fact, I found a Youtuber building a civic engine on a Pao and Silvia engine on a Pao.

Eventually, I decided to go with Figaro and Honda S2000 platform. Of course, it requires changing the drive system. So I started it by designing the ideal platform. However I did not have a detailed blueprint of Figaro, so it was all gauging. In fact, a lot of problems came out and were solved. By the way, I would rather like Figaro design, because the height of the car is lower. And the cute face than anything attracts me. What’s more, I have not seen racing style, Figaro, ever.

Incidentally, I once met the designer Mr Kobata who designed Figaro. I rescued him by bringing an extra alternator at a Pike car meeting nearby because his Figaro has broken there. And I had lunch with him next. I suppose that if he saw my Figaro he could be sad though. Like what a mess! Anyway, it seemed he was not so keen on mechanical. So converting the engine would not be a concern. To tell the truth, I graduated from an art college and worked as a designer for a while.

Selfie of me and my Figaro Racing Car

So I know that when I create something new from a motif, it should be Homage. This is the most tricky point to integrate racing style and Figaro brilliantly not to let him down. That said, there are so many restrictions to make an ideal shape that costs so much money and time and so on.

Where to compromise in a sense with limited time and budget. This is DIY work and the working time is just one year I decided. So I put the primary goal that bringing it on Tokyo Auto Salon. Unfortunately, the first goal was postponed to 2022 due to Covid19. Something that has no deadline could not be done because I am lazy, so the goal is necessary. I might be able to show the final shape of the car before long. My project to bring NSX to Europe was postponed due to Covid, so the Figaro in UK plan would be pretty long future though and my goal is to drive on some tracks in UK!

Latest Pictures – December 2021
We are in contact with Yamamoto and will publish further pictures and a full specification in the next few months.

Here is the finished car