SUNLINE AUTO S15
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THE red S15. Aside from Taniguchi’s personal S15, Sunline Auto’s S15 is THE red S15 that stands out in the crowd. I honestly don’t know much about Sunlline besides they make rad stuff. As I dissect the article from RevSpeed No. 155, enjoy the scans and story behind the ultimate red S15!
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Sunline S15 1’00.416
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The engine body incorporates Tomei forged pistons, H-section connecting rods, and a full counter crank, increasing displacement to 2.2 liters and spinning the big turbine. Both IN/EX have 260-degree high cams, with a rev limit of 8000 rpm. The suction, I/C pipe, and surge tank are all custom made. The throttle is a N15 Pulsar set. With a boost of 1.7kg/cm², it produces 500ps of power and 60kgm of torque. The cooling system uses an irregular V-mount, which improves efficiency and contributes to weight reduction.
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I installed a wide body kit and GT wing from C-WEST. I also installed carbon canards and under panels to generate strong downforce.
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The weight reduction is achieved by using carbon doors and acrylic windows. The inside of the trunk is changed to aluminum plate for thorough weight reduction. The trunk lid is fixed with a bonnet pin and a GT wing is attached. The body is reinforced with a 17-point roll cage and urethane foam that are stretched all over the body. The gauges are arranged in an easy-to-read manner, ,ainly the ST8 100 of the stack. It is a cockpit make that provides reliable information even during hard attacks.
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The suspension is Endless Zeal. The bushings are original pillow balls. The Endless brake system with 6P in the front and 4P in the rear provides strong stopping power. The wheels and tires are SSR Type C wheels combined with A048 (F&R255/40-17) front and rear.
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To minimize power loss, an electric power steering system is used. In addition, a tank is installed in the trunk to prevent deterioration of operability due to an oil temperature rise.
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Sunline Auto Representative Yasuhiro Sato-san
Sato came all the wat from Okayama Prefecture. He drives the car himself and is involved in parts development.
“I didn’t expect the brakes to be too effective. I’ll further refine the balance of the whole machine and aim for a surprising time next time.”
Racing Driver Taniguchi Nobuteru-san
GT & D1 driver. His precision driving was proven in the recent Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race.
“This machine has the best overall balance of body, suspension, and power. If the specifications are perfectly suited to Tsukuba, I’m sure I can improve my time even more!!”
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Armed with bodywork and big power, a genuine circuit attacker!!
Sunline Auto’s S15 was built from a white body for the circuit attack, with particular focus on weight reduction. All unnecessary parts were removed, with the bonnet and doors made of carbon, and everything except the front window made of acrylic, keeping the weight down to 1,100kg. The body was also carefully reinforced, with full spot reinforcement and a 17-point pillar-mounted roll cage. “The power unit was originally a GT3037 turbine, but we wanted more power in the high-rev range, so we changed it to a T78-29D. This eliminated the torque drop,” said Sunline Auto’s president, Sato-san. By incorporating a Tomei 2.2 liter kit with a full counter crank, the big turbine was fully rotated, resulting in a big power of 500ps. And for this race, the exhaust system was made from a single piece of titanium, from the outlet to the muffler. Apparently it was quite a struggle to build, but the weight is under 5kg, which has contributed greatly to weight reduction. With these specifications, the car was able to achieve a flat time of 1 minute 30 seconds on the shakedown at its home course, the TI Circuit. “Today was the first time at Tsukuba, so it was essentially a shakedown, or more like a data gathering session. Also, on the wet road surface in the morning the braking was too effective and I couldn’t get a good time” he said, but still managed to achieve a flat time of 1 minute on his first try at Tsukuba. This is a machine that is sure to continue to improve its time in the future.
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SPEC:
F-Con V Pro, Blitz D-SBC, HPI stainless mesh air cleaner, HPI aluminum two-layer intercooler, original surge tank, SARD 800cc injectors, stainless exhaust manifold, original titanium front pipe & muffler, Bosch fuel pump, ATS carbon LSD, carbon twin plate clutch, Ikeya Formula lower arm, full pillow, SARD stabilizer, member rigid, Trust 16-stage oil cooler, original aluminum two-layer radiator, RDD brake pads