Super Asurada 01

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Super Asurada 01
Super Asurada SA-01/C

[edit] History

Immediately following the completion of the Asurada GSX, Hiroyuki Kazami began work on his crowning achievement, the Super Asurada. Where as the Asurada GSX was conventional, the Super Asurada was designed from the ground up to be revolutionary. Making its debut at the British Grand Prix under the driving of the young Hayato Kazami, it scored a maiden victory in a breathtaking final dash for the finish. While it failed to win the next two races, it kept it and its driver in the hunt leading to another victory in Spain against Karl Richter von Randoll. However, disaster struck in Germany when a high speed crash between Kazami and Johji Ohtomo lead to the near total destruction of the machine. As it wasn't originally made by Sugo, spare parts were still being manufactured and took some time. As a result it wasn't till the final third of the following round in Japan that the Super Asurada took the track again. A new more light 'B' chassis and the engine that was installed tuned more powerful specifically for the remainder of the race, both helping lead Kazami to his first World Championship.

Super Asurada SA-01/C in the 2016 season

The off-season however wasn't kind to the new champions as Sugo, still a small company, struggled to keep pace with giants like Aoi and Union Sabre. The SA-01/C developed for the following year was really nothing more than a trimmed down version of last years car which while weighing less, wasn't properly balanced leading to early bitter disappointments for the team in Brazil, USA, and Canada. However, the rain in Australia proved to be the great equalizer giving Kazami a badly needed victory. The joy was short lived when the following race saw Aoi unveil their new car for the year Ex-Superion Z/A-8 and get a 1-2 finish, though the Super Asurada came home 3rd. The car was retired following the race when the new Super Asurada AKF-11 was completed.

[edit] Design

The Super Asurada introduced several new concepts to Cyber Formula chassis development. The most revolutionary of these was the variable chassis system. While other cars were able to slightly alter their form for high speed runs and off-road performance, a true variable system was elusive to most designers without a serious weight penalty. Kazami got around these difficulties and delivered a true all around machine. Using three modes the Super Asurada could adapt to any race environment. Circuit Mode was the basic operating mode resembling a traditional open wheel racer which provided excellent downforce and handling. Aero Mode could be used on long straights allowing the car to hit incredibly high speeds without adding more power. Of course in this mode the twin-booster system was available doubling previous boost power allowing for speeds in excess of 500 km/h. The final mode is Rally Mode which elevates the car and somewhat streamlines it to improve off-road performance. This would also be the first cyber formula car to utilize a six-wheel drive system to improve traction and handling hearkening back the 1970s of Formula One with the Tyrrell P34. The cyber system of the Asurada GSX is easily compatible with the new car and actually receives a slight upgrade in performance when installed in the new chassis.

The SA-01/C is a slightly longer narrower version of the base model. However, this design change lead to unexpected instability as mentioned. However, these problems were resolved by the British Grand Prix thanks to Claire Fotran.