Super Asurada AKF-11

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Super Asurada AKF-11

[edit] History

Following the fourth race of the 2016 season, Claire Fortran, former co-worker of the late Hiroyuki Kazami joined the Sugo Asurada development team and in record time delivered what would prove to be another amazing design based largely on the foundation laid by the Super Asurada. The new AKF-11 would debut in the 6th round of the 2016 season in Africa and Hayato Kazami would overcome all odds and late race pit stop to bring home a maiden victory for the new machine. The AKF-11 kept him in the top standings, and while another victory would elude him until the final round, he was poised to take another world title in Japan. An epic race saw the new Super Asurada bring home its second victory and a second World Championship to the young Kazami.

With its driver now firmly accepted by the racing community, the Super Asurada would go on to a stunning opening in the following year winning the first four races from pole position never giving up the lead. However, another title was not to be as a near fatal crash at the fifth round nearly ended Kazami's racing career. It wouldn't again see the light of day until the fifth round of the following year in France. Kazami's fear of high speeds following his accident lead to two poor showings before he finally got passed his demons in Norway and took a stunning victory. Though failing to secure another World Championship in 2018, it took two more impressive wins in Africa and Japan. The Japanese round that year saw the first time a Sugo car took the track without a Sugo engine as Karl Richter von Randoll loaned the team one of the newest Union Sabre engines. The 2019 season was a close year as the AKF-11 began to show its age and despite upgraded engines and aerodynamics, it couldn't keep pace with the next generation of machines from Sturobrahms and after crashing out of the Grand Prix of Australia in the final round, it was at last retired.

[edit] Design

The AKF-11 takes the ground work laid by the Super Asurada 01 and improves upon it. Streamlining the entire chassis dramatically improved performance as did the chassis shape of an inverted wing. The suspension also was redone allowing for high speed drifting without destroying the tires, though tire wear would always be an issue. New side pods were added containing the effect fans, which now doubled as cooling fans for the engine and transmission oil. The new engine and booster system pushed the speed well over 600 km/h in testing putting it ahead of most of its competitors, especially when one factors in its driver. It maintains the variable chassis system used in the old Super Asurada with Circuit Mode, Aero Mode, and Rally Mode, though instead of being mechanically activated, it is now voice activated by the driver. It also maintains the highly successful 6WD system of its predecessor.