[karthayabusa.blogspot]

We had a trio of Honda 600s in an earlier Project Car Hell, and the subject of this insane Hayabusa-powered 600 came up in the comments. Since then, the idea of stuffing one of Suzuki's loony engines in a 600 has hovered around us, a miasma we can only dispel by showing how we might go about doing the same sort of thing on a smaller budget. So! The recipe could go as follows: Take one tube-framed 1971 Honda 600 (go here if the ad disappears) and subtract the Chevette engine that comes with it. Next, add one this 2001 Hayabusa engine (go here if the ad disappears), which is already set up for installation in a four-wheeled vehicle. Stir well, seasoning liberally with blood, sweat, and cubic dollars. The 600 is already set up for rear-wheel drive (which is fine) but that doesn't mean you can't convert it back to front-drive and end up with the scariest torque-steering beast to ever drive on a public road... or get a second Hayabusa engine and make it a twin-engined, all-wheel-drive, totally uncontrollable deathtrap!

Screaming small-displacement engines are fun, especially with the unearthly power-to-weight of a Hayabusa mill, but there's something to be said for an engine that delivers maximum tire-obliteratin' torque at a mere 1,450 RPM. Hell, the Hayabusa probably spins that fast before it's even assembled! And what goes with serious diesel grunt? That's right, a big ol' postwar Detroit chariot- like, say, this 1947 Ford (go here if the ad disappears). It comes with a Chevy 350, which you can sell off and recoup .005% of the project's costs! Not only that, you get a Ford 9" rear, which might even withstand the torque of this Duramax diesel V8
(go here if the ad disappears). Yes, naysayers, we know the engine needs rebuilding, but you get the engine ECU, an Allison transmission, and a transfer case- and the seller takes credit cards! Hmmm... Veggie-oil Duramax Monster '47 Ford, anyone? Thanks (and a half-credit towards a PCH Tipster T-shirt) to Mad_Science for the tip on the Duramax!

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I just drove the 'busa v8 equipped atom for the first time yesterday. That's the motor which is going into the production version of the dp1. Just putt-putting around for now but the motor sounds and feels awesome. the video doesn't really do it justice because of the electrical interference noise but with a decent set of speakers and a sub on a computer it gives you an idea. On laptop speakers all you hear is the noise :(

It wasn't enough for H.R. Engineering to merely perform one of its signature front-to-rear-drive conversions on this Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf Mk1). Under this hood is bolted a turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engine producing 350 hp. Apparently, as expected, the one-off is quite a handful — and it yells quite loudly, indeed. Maybe the next step is a call to Mr. Hartley for a V8. – Mike Spinelli

Hayabusa Turbo-Powered Mk1 Golf [German Car Scene]

Related:
More Hayabusa fun [internal]

Hi Al. We thought we would post this. It's a video of a Caterham with a Hayabusa motor. We're sure you know more about it than we do. We just like listening to that 1.3L Suzuki mill wind out. Humina. – Davey G. Johnson

GSX1300R Hayabusa [Super 7 Cars]

Related:
I Am The Gert: Riding Shotgun In A Se7en Over Decker Canyon [Internal]

Take one part Honda S2000, one part classic Opel GT, one part Suzuki Hayabusa and one part orange juice and what do you get? A track-day cocktail we'd consider imbibing fairly often. The folks from Zolfe say their little Orange GT car will launch next week in the UK. Designed for both road and track, the Orange employs a tubular space frame chassis underpinning a composite body. Engine choices include the famed 1.3-liter Hayabusa mill, producing 175 hp and propelling the lightweight GT to 60 mph in a more-than-spry 4.5 seconds. Buyers can also choose from 2.0-liter four (145 hp ) and 3.0-liter V6 (203 hp) Ford engines. The cost for such a purist's tarmac runner will be around 25,000. – Mike Spinelli

ZOLFE ORANGE SET FOR TAKE-OFF [PistonHeads]

Related:
An Orange for Track-Day: Hayabusa-Powered Zolfe [internal]

A few years back, a Hayabusa-riding roommate of ours was dating a Geo Metro-driving friend of ours. The relationship didn't last, but during the brief romance, we discussed with said roommate the prospect of replacing the Metro's 1.3L Suzuki mill with the rather more potent unit from the sportbike. This character aimed a bit lower, dropping a 600cc Honda bike mill into a Metro, and now he's listed it on craigslist for a paltry $2,500 bucks. We'll leave it up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not. [Thanks to Larsen for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Superbike Powered Geo Metro [craigslist]

Related:
SUPER RPM AMUSEMENT! Hayabusa-Powered Starlet [Internal]

666 Motorsports [External]

Related:
Martino Kamikaze Spotted at SEMA; Turbo 'Busa Rear-Drive Mini [Internal]

We've posted on the Kamikaze before, but caught it up close in all its questionable, Hayabusa-powered glory. The crazyass-crazy reverse trike features 400 horsepower from its modded bike motor, an overwrought paint job, plenty of chrome and thankfully comes with a wheelie bar. Somebody should challenge an Ariel Atom to a drag race in this thing. [Gallery]

Martino Motor Company

Related:
ayabusa-Powered Trike-Thingy: The Martino Kamikaze [Internal]

The Radical SR8 could be one of the most economical ways to go really freaking fast and actually make a corner without testing Euclid's solution (tangents can hurt). It's powered by a lightweight, 2.6-liter V8, derived from two 1,300cc Suzuki Hayabusa engines (whoa, momma), wrapped in a LeMans-style package. As you'll see in this video — should you decide to watch it — the SR8 also holds the outright lap record around Germany's N rburgring Nordschleife. Accompanying text says it's the record-setting lap of 6:55:00, which is like running the 50-yard dash in like five seconds is to a sprinter. [Thanks to Jakob for the tip.] [UPDATE: Reader Arun adjusts our focus. The Radical SR8, which is street legal, holds the outright lap record for the 'Ring among production cars. The outright lap record overall was set in 1983 by the late Stefan Bellof, teammate of Jacky Ickx, in a Porsche 956 at 6:11.13.]

Radical SR8 on Nurburgring [via Google Video]

Related:
Another Hayabusa Powered Supercar: Radical SR8 [internal]

We nearly forgot to mention the Geneva coming-out party for the Acabion GTBO, whose streamlined comportment looked like something from the centerfold of Guided Ordinance Aficionado. We heard tales of the twin-seat, Suzuki Hayabusa—powered Swiss moto-rocket (prototype) hitting 280 mph at half throttle, accelerating from 180 mph to 280 mph in 10 seconds, and a potential for up to 700 hp (which would make the top speed, what, 600 mph?). It's the product of a 45-year-old engineer, who once worked for Mercedes, Porsche and BMW. The project cost something like 30 million euro, and the hand-made finished "works" will be priced in the neighborhood of $600,000. Anyone want to write the maestro a check?

Related:
Hayabusa-Powered Trike-Thingy: The Martino Kamikaze [internal]

Oh God. If we hadn't been walked out on by the last girl of our dreams, we wouldn't be looking for a new one at the moment. And actually, maybe we've already found a new one. We love old Minis. We love rear-drive cars. We love anything with a Hayabusa motor in it, and we love turbo'd Hayabusas. This then, could be the ne plus ultra of the 'Busa-mill-swapping genre. It's so our new dream girl.

Minibusa [Miniboost.no]

Related:
Hayabusa-Powered Trike-Thingy: The Martino Kamikaze [Internal]

We don't know quite where to begin with this thing. On one hand, y'all know our obsession with Hayabusa-powered vehicles. And we think trikes are kinda fun. And outrageously pumped turbo-fours are right up our alley. So this hits on three points. But Goddamn does the styling and paint just kill it for us. Ugh and ugh. But still, 400hp? In a vehicle that weighs a thousand pounds? That's 'Busa power-to-weight territory and you don't hafta worry 'bout fallin' off. It's just too bad you can't get past looking like a complete 909-bred dork while doing so.

Martino Motor Company [via Motorpasion]

Related:
Indy Cycle Kit: Build Your Own Super-Trike [Internal]

Visitors at the Autosport International show in the UK earlier this month got their eyeballs flushed by a a new, hyper-orange track-day car: the Zolfe Orange. Powered by a 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa motor, the 1300-lb Orange has a composite body built on a tubular spaceframe chassis. The Hayabusa mill, hooked to a six-speed manual, produces 175hp of juice — which, with all the lightness, offers up zero to 60mph times in the 4.5-second range and a top speed of 135mph. Oh wait, there's also a turbo option, which boosts horsepower to 350 and turns the little coupe into an orange pavement eater — zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 150mph. The Orange starts at the equivalent of $44,653.29. Street legal? Uh huh.

Zolfe Orange

Related:
Let the V-Twin Have Some: Hot Rod Hawg [internal]

Your author's thoughts on being on the back of a Hayabusa doing over 160MPH on the Pacific Coast Highway between Watsonville and Santa Cruz: "Well, at least if we crash, I'll be dead before I have time to worry about it." One thing we'd bandied about with our Hayabusa-owning former roommate was the idea of shoehorning one of the killer 1.3L mills into an Isetta. So when this thing showed up on eBay, we were elated, yet deflated that somebody had beaten us to the punch. Now, Fred Parker, the man who won the auction, writes in with an update on the Hayasetta's status:

"When I bought it it was not really roadusable but work is progressing and I hope to have it up and running by April. The body has been sorted and now the mechanical work has begun." Judging from the pics, saying that the bodywork's been done is a bit of an understatement. While we personally liked the idea of a stock-appearing Isetta with the 'Bus motor in it, we might've gone for a Gee Bee-style scallop job. Fred, on the other hand, is going full-mod hot-rod on the thing with Frankenstyle ghost-flames galore. He also adds, "If you are interested I will send more pics when it is up and running." Uh, Fred, to say that we're interested is an exercise in understatement akin to calling an Antonov An-225 "large."

Related:
Hayabusa-Powered BMW Isetta For Sale on eBay

With zero-to-60 times of a stock Smart Fortwo most accurately reckoned with a sundial, 4.9 seconds seems like an exersize in hyperspace. Still, that's exactly the figure builders of this Suzuki GSXR1000-powered Smart achieved, with technical aid from the UK's Seton racing and tuning shop Z Cars. The moto motor that powers the Fortwo has been upclocked to 180hp — a long way from the stock model's 60hp — with a redline of 13,000rpm, and linked to a Cosworth differential. Too much power for a road-egg to handle? Not exactly. It nearly matched a Mistubishi Evo FQ-330 in an Autosport Magazine head-to-head test.

Smart Car plus GSXR equals Smartuki, a VERY Smart Car [The Kneeslider]

Related:
The Hayabusa-Powered Ultima: Twin-Engined Insanity Machine; Another Hayabusa Powered Supercar: Radical SR8; Hayabusa-Powered BMW Isetta for Sale on eBay; More Hayabusa Fun: Suzuki-Powered Sand Rails; Chevy-Powered Ultimate GTR Breaks Speed Record; Suzuki's GSX-R/4 Concept: Ready for Production?; New Bike-Engined Road Car From UK Firm [internal]