Caution! Unless noted, I have not yet verified or updated any
times since the page was created (June 1998) - see updates
below
If you have updated info (preferably verifiable by pic of time slip or quote from
magazine etc) let me know and I'll add it.
Introduction
Here is a collection of what to the best of my knowledge are the
world's fastest rotaries in the following categories:
*Quickest overall 1/4 Mile
*Highest Speed
*Quickest 1/4 mile for a "full bodied" car
*Quickest 1/4 mile for a "Legally Registered" car.
Quickest 12A in the world
The world's quickest 12A rotary over the 1/4
mile is this almost certainly this car.
Owned by Boris from Delirium Racing in Puerto Rico, this Datsun 1200 is
powered by a 12A turbo. It's best time is 8.27 @ 160 mph!
This is quite an achievement as there are many 13B and 20B powered cars that are
2 or 3 seconds slower than this.
Here's what Boris said about the car (minor edit by me):
The car is a 1972 Datsun 1200 full tube mild steel chassis. It has the 12A with
an Innovative turbo and wastegate, a Tial blowoff valve a Greddy intercooler
with 4 1100cc injectors. The throttle body is custom made and has a Racing Beat
intake. It runs the stock distributor with MSD 6AL boxes and coils. The fuel
injection system is a Haltech F-9 programmed by Jorge "Oso" Juarbe.
The engine has a port job done by Jose Burgos.
We use VP Race fuel with a Aeromotive fuel pump and regulator. We use a Mc Leod
clutch with a G-Force 5 speed clutchless tranny. This hooks up to a 9" Ford
rearend with 4.56 gears. The tires used are 29X12 Goodyear slicks.
Other members on the Delirium race team are Ismael Velazquez, the pitman and my
wife Astrid Lopez who also helps out. Any other questions contact me at borito69@hotmail.com
Thanks to Rabule www.pistonvsrotor.com and Carlos from
www.puertoricodragracing.com for sending me the photos.
Almost without doubt the racing beat Bonneville racer
with it's 900+ hp triple turbo 13G engine is the world's fastest rotary
car, at 242 MPH (387 km/h)
Until the appearance of the rail dragster at the top of
this page, the world's quickest 1/4 mile rotary was this car, "Rafaelito",
with a 510 bhp 13B turbo, using a Weber carburettor and weighing 770kg
(1700 lb), it does 8.45 seconds/160mph
(Update - 14 May 1998 from Rafael in Puerto Rico, This car is down to 8.19
seconds)
(Update - 30 August 1998 from Vicente, Reyberto & Jose in Puerto Rico,
This car is down to 8.07 seconds at 170mph. Thanks also to Vicente for
the most recent pictures at the lower half of the pics above)
(Update - 25 November 1998 7.87/171mph , Thanks to Vicente of Cayey Racing
Team, in Puerto Rico)
Quickest 1/4 mile time for
a Street Registered car
This is quite probably one of the world's quickest street registered rotary
cars.
Owned by Rene from California, USA this RX3 is powered by
a GSL-SE 13B with aftermarket turbo (for the uninitiated the GSL-SE was the
highest spec 1st gen RX7
with fuel injected 13B derived from the RX5 .
This engine was different to the 13B used in the 2nd gen RX7 . Given that the car does 8.8 @ 160mph and is the original
steel bodywork I would guess this car is making in the 700hp+ region which is
interesting given the basic engine was around 135hp.
Here's what Rene said about the car (minor edit by me):
Hi there, my name is Rene and I am sending you this little story about my drag
Mazda Rx3.
This car may be one of the fastest all steel street registered Mazda RX-3s
around. My car is non tubbed, all original with windows, original suspension
except for the rear end and tranny, but it is street registered with only
26x8.5x15inch rear slicks running a record setting 8.80@160mph, 3000 ft above
sea level in December 2001. I only have a 85gsle SE street port turbo set-up no
NOS, running fuel injection. I have been looking at your website for a long time
and I am interested in getting my little story out there if possible. Here are
some pics of my car when I did my record setting time. Check out the registered
license plate. thanks
<Craig note - I asked if the time was in street trim - i.e. with tyres as
used on the street. response was:>
No the car was on full slicks when I did these times at the track but I
change tyres for the street. Slicks are 26x8.5x15. Here are some more pictures
of my car I dug out and some time slips. Check out some of the 60ft on this car,
even today I get surprised about the 60ft
Perhaps this is the world's quickest rotary over the 1/4
mile that is "Legally Registered".. Yes this car is in fact "legally"
allowed to drive on the road! (though I suspect the police would throw
the book at you if you tried!).
It has a 550hp 13B turbo and does 9.41/145mph
(Update - 17 November 1997, this car has done 9.36/142mph)
(Update - 16 June 1998, 9.05/ ? mph)
(Update - 23 June 1998, 8.78/154mph)
n.b. This section was originally added in 1997 and I have since been told by
several people that it was never actually streetable.
This FD3S (3rd generation) RX7 is made by a company called
Esprit.
It is powered by a 13B-REW engine which the modifiers claim makes 700ps
(ps is 'metric horsepower', and is measured differently - probably about 650 SAE
horsepower).
Turbo: Single T78 @ 1.5 kg/cm (21 PSI boost)
Muffler: Stock
Computer: Stock
Injectors: Six 550cc and Six 440cc
It also features a lot of HKS equipment such as boost controller,
auxiliary fuel computer.
It is a pricey conversion at over $US 10k as you could build a 20B for the same
price.
The car is on page 49 of the Japanese book 'Hyper-rev RX7 FC3S &
FD3S', published in 1992 in Japan. This book is available from time
to time in Japan and is a Japanese RX7 fan's bible. Unfortunately
it is virtually impossible to get outside Japan.
There is another 13B of comparable power made by a company called 'Scoot'. It
uses a peripheral port and single turbo.
Pictures captured from a video that's on the web. There's 3 guys sitting on the
back of the car to try and help traction on the dyno!
(Update Dec 2002 - the esprit RX7 was made in 1992, 10 years ago at time of
writing. this was leading edge at the time at it took until about 1999 before I
heard of others making 600-700hp 13B-REW engines with mostly stock internals, I
have heard reports of 740, even 800hp from a 13B-REW on nitrous. It would be
feasible to set up the intake ports, turbo and fuel systems for 900hp although
this is really in exploding engine territory)
This 20B powered car is perhaps the world's wildest rotary.
Perhaps not the best overall handling, top speed or accelerating, but a
400hp 20B in a sub-1000kg (Probably about 700kg) would be pretty hard to
match. Unfortunately there are no more details available.
See links below for another similar car.
While not quite in the world's fastest category,
this car is still very fast and I've included it for the spectacular picture; it
is doing a big launch (the car bent the panel at the
front when it hit the ground) at a 1998 street meet in Adelaide, Australia.
The car now has wheelie bars fitted but has not done a pass with them yet.
The owner hopes to beat their personal best of 10.22 @137 mph.
Also note the blue flame roaring out of the wastegate near the front right
hand side wheel.
This car was built by Tim from RPM rotary in Adelaide
Updated times and facts about cars:
(Please email me if you have any
updated info and/or pictures)
From: jose riveracoriano [riveracoriano@xxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2002 12:00 PM
... I also wanted to let you know that unfortunately, for Rafaleito Racing,
there is a new BEAST in Puerto Rico, I am talking about Siguel Racing's new 20B
powered RX-7. This thing is wild, and from what I've read in the local
magazines, it is already in the low 7's, 7.37 @ 180 MPH to be exact. It was
published in Super Compacto magazine August-September 2001 issue, but
unfortunately I'm not quite sure if this ET is official. just wanted to keep you
informed, hopefully you won't take this in a wrong manner, but raher
informative. Thank you for your time.
More Information
Further reading and acknowledgements:
* FF&R magazine - limited use of pictures & info
* Thanks to Rabule www.pistonvsrotor.com and Carlos from
www.puertoricodragracing.com for sending me the photos of the 12A Datsun.
* Rene's sent me his RX3 pics which came from www.935draggers.com and
www.overboost.com
Other relevant reading at Craig's Rotary Page (Please go via the INDEX
page):
* Books page (FF&R back issues, Hyper Rev)
* My 1994 USA trip (Racing Beat Bonneville RX7)
Other relevant sites on the Internet (Please go via the LINKS
page):
* Car videos incl Scoot video.
* RPM Rotary (R100 and rail dragster in future)
* Laminar Concepts in the USA make a clubman car called the viking with standard 400hp 13BT. Optional
600hp 20B!
[TOP OF THIS PAGE][TOP PAGE OF SITE]
This page last updated 6/8/2002
Update History:
27/12/2002 - Added Rene's RX3 and credits
6/8/2002 - Added Boris' 12A Datsun 1200 and credits for photos
22/3/2003 - Added info about the Viking.
9/1/2002 - Added update from Jose
17/3/2001 - Converted all text to new standard (Headings as
Heading1, Some sub-headings (e.g. tables) as 14 point normal bold italic, Most
text as Normal, Internal page links at top not all uppercase)
11/3/2001 - Minor content update (Spelling mistakes, tidy up). Changed from Netscape to
FrontPage and from
CWK8.HTM to PG22.HTM
(& all sub files). CWK8.HTM changed to redirection page. Background image
changed to PG00_02B.JPG
16/6/1998 - Previous known update (May have been some before this)
This site is online at tripod (The large images on many pages don't
work due 20MB site limit)
Please do not 'rip' the site (due to bandwith restrictions)
I have a number of other sites. Visit the main
index page Please note this information is not definitive check the disclaimer
Here is a collection of what to the best of my knowledge are the
world's fastest rotaries in the following categories:
with fuel injected 13B derived from the RX5 
