The Car
Like Seikatsu, world-renowned Zacspeed Racing also itched to participate in the BRC Global GT series. However, their only racing chassis - the WR-GT2 jointly constructed with Sirius - was outlawed due to a change in rules for 1996. Out of desperation from both parties, they unanimously agreed to join forces. With Seikatsu’s manufacturing prowess and Zacspeed’s racing expertise, this joint venture proved mutually beneficial.
Seikatsu designed the exterior and bodywork, while Zacspeed was responsible for the chassis, powertrain, and suspension. Construction and stress tests were conducted at their respective motorsports facilities in Europe and the United States. During wind tunnel testing, they discovered that stretching the bodywork further behind the rear wheels and adding a sloping wing structure ending in a ‘kammback’ increased stability at very high speeds.
The resulting powertrain was a 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8. Like the WR-GT2’s powertrain, it utilized a crossplane crankshaft, giving it a distinctive engine note. Engine longevity, reliability, and fuel efficiency higher up in the rev range were prioritized instead of focusing on outright power. Despite this, it still outputs a potent 570hp.
CEO of Zacspeed - Zachary Speed - had an infatuation with aerospace and military aircraft. For such a high-performance, purpose-built GT car, he christened it the “YR-1,” taking inspiration from Seikatsu’s naming scheme for their sports cars (MR, GR, UR) and the designation of experimental American aircraft during the second world war (which had a “Y” prefix before the name). Aerospace influence can be found all over the YR-1, from the intake warning signage inside the NACA ducts to the central seating position and the gray paint scheme on the #52 YR-1.
#52 - Zacspeed Racing
DRIVER: J.J. LENO
1970 24 Hours Nürburgring. Group 5. Group C. IMSA GTO. Group GT1. Few others had the privilege to participate in as many racing classes and attain as much success as Zacspeed has throughout its rich, storied history. They’ve proven themselves to be just as competent on collaborative projects as well, having formed partnerships with Silver-York and Bradford Designs in the past. Just like their prior designs, the YR-1 was designed with an emphasis on mechanical and aerodynamic grip - especially the latter - for superior performance on tracks with high-speed corners.
Zacspeed Racing knew that a racing series of this magnitude would demand among the finest men to command their #52 YR-1. What they needed was an ace pilot who could bring out the car’s ultimate potential, and for this, F1/DTM driver J.J. Leno was recruited for this responsibility. Having driven Rexsport’s WR-GT2 just the year before, he would now find himself behind the wheel of the brand new Japanese-American racing prototype.
#84 - Project ATELIER LIQUID STINGRAY
DRIVER: ALBERT STINGRAY-LIU
Like his older half-brother Wilson Valentine-Liu, Albert Stingray-Liu picked up a keen interest in cars at a young age. He grew up watching the Japanese Grand Prix series of the 60s at a local theater. It was a calling to him; after watching Japanese manufacturers emerge with their own racing designs and besting even proven European designs, he knew what had to be done. Whereas Wilson would go on to work for Seikatsu as an exterior designer, Albert would go in the other direction and focus on the mechanical aspect.
Graduating from the University of Tokyo with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Liu found work at tuning company PERFORMANCE WORKS RENOWN (PWR), closely associated with Seikatsu. In the 90s, with Seikatsu’s plans to participate in the BRC Global GT series made official, he was chosen to spearhead the factory team’s efforts. Following Seikatsu’s nomenclature system for their different divisions, Liu named the new GT program “Project ATELIER LIQUID STINGRAY.”
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