Japanese tuning, in its purest form, encompasses a representation of style and functionality not often captured here in the States. While there may be 1000s of current and classic Japanese platforms being modified in the U.S. each year, it’s a rarity to find cars today that actually define the essence of any time attack machine assembled across the Pacific. Though most of these projects are few and far between, every once in a while a certain car appears that oozes Japanese style.

Xiong Kou Lor is a guy who, simply put, gets it. That’s painfully apparent from the first time you lay eyes on his gorgeous ’89 Mazda RX-7. As a film director could possibly say about an actress cast to try out a starring role, “She’s just got the look.” This FC would look just at home in the pages of Option Magazine as it does here in Modified. But don’t be fooled by the flawlessly executed and incredibly detailed car prior to deciding to-this build was far from a stroll in the park.It all began one fateful day in secondary school. A friend introduced Xiong Kou to an episode of Initial D, the classic Japanese anime cartoon featuring the life span of a teenage boy along with his tofu-delivering AE86. Though he wasn’t considering cars and had no formal experience wrenching on automobiles, Xiong Kou was fascinated. He became obsessed, as he dove into the series and began to learn more about Japanese FR platforms. At the time, most American enthusiasts were focused on FF platforms. To top it off, most had never even heard about drifting.

Always striving being different, Xiong Kou wished to set himself apart from the crowd. At 17 years of age, he picked up his first car: a ’90 Mazda RX-7 GTU. “I wanted a vehicle that no one had, and additional studying of the rotary engine made me love its uniqueness,” he explains. After enjoying his first FC for a few years, Xiong Kou discovered that his Mazda simply became too impractical for daily use. Eventually, he finished up selling the vehicle. But as fate might have it, he stumbled upon an ’89 FC RX-7 Turbo 2 on the market with a blown engine just a few short months later. What was meant to be a fast repair and flip converted into a project that would span the subsequent decade of Xiong Kou’s change and lifeand then he set out to create an FC of his own that would truly capture his dream car’s Japanese spirit. The hours spent poring over copies of Hyper Rev, Option Magazine, and Japanese blogs he couldn’t understand became the extensive blueprint for his eventual masterpiece. But even if he collected a slew of the more sought after parts from the Land of the Rising Sun, there was always the concern in the back of his mind that things just wouldn’t click together in the end.

One might argue that the coolest point about this wild RE-Amemiya-themed FC build is the exterior. A host of aero components were sourced from Sakae Inukai, the sales rep for RE-Amemiya in Japan. With Inukai-san’s help, Xiong Kou was able to get his mitts on a complete aero kit, together with a front canards, hood and bumper side steps, GT wing, diffuser, side mirrors, and headlight air duct. Though it took more than six months time for these über-rare components going to the States, it’s clear to see they were well worth the wait. The result is ana set of Panspeed over fenders were added to complete the aggressive look. When everything had finally arrived stateside, Xiong Kou collaborated with Elvis Espino of Nisma Auto Paint Repair to bring his vision to reality. Xiong Kou gave Elvis full creative freedom with the hue of the exterior, along with the resulting Mitsubishi Dover White finish does more than justice to this distinctly Japanese machine.

But the plan didn’t call for a car with only a pretty exterior. Bucking the craze to stuff an American V-8 under that rare RE-Amemiya bonnet, Xiong Kou stuck with a street-ported 13B with a twin turbo setup modeled after the one found in-you guessed it-RE-Amemiya’s time attack car. A pair of TD05-14B turbochargers work their magic on the Wankel powerplant while a slew of supporting modifications were added to complete the setup, including a variety of items from your newer FD RX-7 chassis. Though he left the actual engine assembly work to the pros (when it comes to rotaries, we can’t say we blame him! ), everything else was custom fabricated by Xiong Kou, despite a definitive lack of experience of the automotive world-a classic demonstration of a passionate individual with the motivation to find outin a fashion that would make whenever attack mechanic smile. After many years of searching for a clean pair of discontinued Bride Zeta II bucket seats, Xiong Kou finally found the perfect set for sale in the Honda forums. The Zeta IIs bring a distinct period-correct feel to the FC’s cockpit which simply couldn’t be accomplished with more modern-day buckets. Sabelt harnesses work alongside a modified and repainted Safety 21 rollcage to perpetuate the racing theme. Once again, Xiong Kou turned into his contact at RE-Amemiya to source a rare D-cut steering wheel and shift knob. In true drift car spirit, a custom gauge cluster composed primarily of Auto Meter Phantom gauges adds a unique touch to the car’s interior. All unnecessary panels and trim pieces happen to be removed, while the sheetmetal continues to be painted white to match the car’s exterior. It’s challenging to deny that Xiong Kou hit all the small details in his pursuit of the perfect interior.

No purpose-built machine will be complete without taking the necessary steps to ensure everything is to be able where the rubber meets the highway. Without the capability to put the power to the ground and negotiate the twisties efficiently, all of Xiong Kou’s efforts would be in vain. A pair of Tein RA coilovers were chosen because the backbone of the suspension system, with numerous braces and bushings given by Cusco and Mazdatrix assisting with chassis flex.

As far as rolling stock is involved, this FC is equipped with some lightweight 17×9.5 super brilliant coating (SBC) Enkei RPF1s clad with race-ready 255/40 Advan A048 tires. This combination adds as much to the car’s Japanese time attack machine appearance mainly because it does to the on-track performance.

Despite the fact that Xiong Kou had never turned a wrench in his life, he spent countless hours over a span greater than a decade finding out how to complete the appropriate tasks himself whenever he possibly could. It’s this kind of love and dedication for a car that results in the detailed, long-term builds we commonly see emerging from Japan. It’s safe to say the massive volume of time and energy put forth have more than paid off, using the finished product being a rotary-powered beast that would look just at home lapping Tsukuba circuit as it does cruising the streets and highways between downtown and Wisconsin Chicago. But like any true long-term time attack build, it’s a never-ending process. There’s always something to be improved on in search of the perfect lap. This won’t function as the last we hear of Xiong Kou Lor with his fantastic wild FC if we were required to guess.

1989 mazda RX 7 13BT street port

1989 mazda RX 7 toggle switch controls

1989 mazda RX 7 cusco strut tower bar

Specs & Details

1989 Mazda RX-7

Engine 1.3L twin turbocharged 13B rotary

Engine Modifications Mazda 13bt (street ported with extra dowel pins); Mazda FD3S upper intake manifold, throttle body, dual oil coolers, alternator with double sheave pulley; GReddy elbow, type R wastegate; Racing Beat oil baffle plate, high oil pressure regulator, exhaust pre-silencer, aluminum main drive pulley; Banzai Racing oil pan brace, 1,600cc secondary injectors, SX fuel pressure regulator, Marren pulsation damper, Earl’s stainless steel braided fuel lines, fittings; Golan fuel filter, Aeromotive fuel filter, Toyota MK4 Supra in-tank fuel pump, Bosch 044 external fuel pump, Speedmachine surge tank, custom intercoolerpiping and core, downpipe; Synapse diverter valve, Afco dual pass radiator, Flexalite dual electric fans, ARC swirl pot, header tank; RE-Amemiya twin-turbo exhaust manifold, titanium cat-back exhaust; twin TD05-14b turbochargers, Ultra ignition wires, Jegs oil catch can

Engine Management Haltech E6K EMS

Suspension Racing Beat DTSS eliminator bushings, front sway bar; Mazdatrix rear chamber adjuster, three-point front strut tower brace; Cusco rear strut tower bar, Tein RA coilovers (10kg/8kg), inner fender brace, SARD tow hooks

Drivetrain ORC Super Single clutch kit with flywheel, clutch line; Mazdaspeed transmission mounts, engine mounts

Interior Bride Zeta II seats, seat rails; Sabelt harnesses, RE-Amemiya D-cut steering wheel, shift knob; custom gauge cluster, Auto Meter Phantom tachometer, speedometer, oil temp, oil pressure, fuel level gauges; Omori boost gauge, Defi water temp gauge SPA dual fuel and voltage pressure gauge, Innovative MTXL air fuel ratio gauge, Cusco kill switch, modified Safety21 rollcage, Taylor battery box, Optima yellow top battery, Allview rearview mirror

Exterior RE-Amemiya front bumper, canards, headlight air duct, hood, side step, GT wing, diffuser with side and center generators, oval GT mirrors; Panspeed over fenders, Juran gurney flap, JDM Mazda front side signals, rear side molding; Mitsubishi Dover white paint

Wheels, Tires & Brakes Enkei SBC RPF1 17×9.5 18, 3mm wheel spacers (f), Advan A048 255/40/7 tires, Rays duraluminum lug nuts, Hawk brake pads (f/r), Powerslot rotors, Racing Beat brake lines, Mazdatrix ABS delete

Special Thanks Elvis for helping me make my dream into a reality-the long nights of staying up until 3 a.m. are over. Without the assistance of Inukai and RHDJapan-san, I could not have access to obtained my parts-“arigatou” to both. My parents for lending me their garage for the past nine years, my family and friends for support using this type of hobby, and my friends from Chicago: Junkhouse