WTAC Exclusive Panspeed RX-8

You've heard the rumours, now here's the confirmation! PanSpeed are bringing their Mazda RX-8 to Sydney. Japanese rotary tuning house, PanSpeed are hardcore time attack nutcases. For the last two years at the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge they have had Aussie crowds loving their bright yellow FD RX-7 and it's flame-shooting exhaust.

But this year all that will change as they leave behind the FD RX-7 and instead bring their freshly rebuilt RX-8 to Eastern Creek! Years of development and a modern chassis will have hopefully produced a more competitive car than the FD, so we simply cannot wait to see the lap times it's able to achieve.

Tsukuba's famous racetrack was used for testing of the RX-8 back in December, but currently the whole PanSpeed RX-8 package is undergoing a mammoth overhaul that will have the car looking completely different by the time it reaches Australia. The chassis has been stripped bare in readiness for widened bodywork and extensive lightening. Time is not on their side with almost no time left, but they have said there is no way they're missing out!

PanSpeed's engineers have also transformed the engine bay of the RX-8 with a totally new motor package. It's a peripheral ported triple rotor (20B) making 480hp. We can't tell you too much about it, but the chassis it's powering has been constructed by a Super GT builder.

In previous years Sasaki-san has steered the PanSpeed RX-7 to achieve respectable results, placing 5th in 2010 and 8th in 2011. This year Naoki Hattori will take the wheel, and naturally he will be looking to go a few spots better and get his yellow race suit up onto the podium! Hattori-san is an ex Formula 3 champion who has also raced Indy Cars and GT series in Japan.

 Yokohama's WTAC for 2012 is shaping up to be the best year yet by a long margin. Entrants are coming to Sydney from all corners of the globe and the field will undoubtedly be the fastest we've ever seen.