Mizuiro Motor Company

Sharing Car Design Sharing Forum
41
Mizuiro Hanabi WR '01
Serving as Mizuiro's debut in the World Rally Series, the 2001 Mizuiro Hanabi WR was adapted from the company's Hanabi sedan. Due to regulations stipulating that rally cars be based on production cars to a certain degree, the standard Hanabi was turned into a bona fide sports sedan, with its transversely-mounted inline-four engine swapped for a longitudinal flat-four, and the resulting car was sold as the Hanabi R.

Using the Hanabi R as a foundation, engineers from the Mizuiro-Dunlap Rally Team (MDRT) team began the final stage of the Hanabi’s transformation into a true rally car. The interior was stripped and a roll cage and two bucket seats were installed in its place, while the six-speed manual gearbox was swapped for a six-speed sequential. Skidplates at both the front and rear were installed to improve aerodynamics and protect against underbody damage, and the turbocharged engine’s output was increased to 260 kw (349 hp).

While the Hanabi WR did not achieve any victories throughout the 2001 season, consistency on the part of its drivers earned it fourth place in the manufacturers’ championship. With improvement after improvement every season, it would eventually net the Mizuiro-Dunlap Rally Team first place overall in 2007 before the team withdrew from competition.

WR
SPECS
Layout F4
Engine Name MB1-4D
Aspiration TB
Displacement 1997 cc
Peak Power 260 kw (349 hp) @ 7600 RPM
Peak Torque 376 Nm (278 ft-lb) @ 6300 RPM
Weight 1231 kg (2714 lb)
Weight Distribution Front/Rear 54/46
STARTING PRICE
N/A (development and production cost approx. ¥2,206,544/unit)
COLOURS

#7 Ethereal White/Tangerine
1 Like