It's a paradox, but most Rocket Bunny body kits don't produce great results in aerodynamics. To help, they help to improve it, but they do not give the full effect. But we can definitely say that, with body kits from the rocket bunny, the car becomes more beautiful.
If you look at body kits from the point of view of aerodynamics, then real aerodynamic body kits do not add beauty to the car, but they give an effect in aerodynamics. In addition, aerodynamic body kits are not suitable for all types of car bodies.
A complete car kit costs a lot of money. However, professionally and competently designed aerodynamic body kits often exceed the expectations of car owners. Having accelerated to “hundreds”, you will immediately feel that all these “bells and whistles” are not made for beauty.
To understand how aerodynamic body kits work, you need to understand a little physics and aerodynamics. Downforce and lift forces act on a moving car. Their effect depends on the shape of the car. However, most often the shape of the car contributes to its separation from the road. Aerodynamic body kits are made and placed so that the car is pressed to the ground.
Swiss scientist Bernoulli proved that the faster air molecules move around an object, the more pressure they exert on it. In general, the faster you go, the car with body kits presses harder to the ground. But without body kits, he tends to take off.
Consequently, aerodynamic body kits at high speed increase downforce for which they, in fact, were created. Note that sports cars have body kits almost to the ground. That's right: at high speed, the movement of molecules under the bottom is low, so the car "tryes" to take off above the road. Body kits won't let her do that.
aerodynamic body kits - rocket bunny If the vehicle has a front-wheel drive and front-engine layout (FF), then all the load and power is concentrated on the front axle. The back is empty. So, to increase downforce, a spoiler is placed at the back, and a splitter will not be superfluous in front (popularly “lip” or “skirt”). This improves the grip of the wheels with the road, and power losses are minimized.
A car with a rear-wheel drive FR (engine in front) will not be superfluous with a spoiler on the trunk or a wing. It will be important to reduce power losses at the rear wheels.
However, aerotuning options are most available to owners of cars with a mid-engined layout (MR). Since they have the motor in the middle, then the center of gravity is in the same place. Here, for the best result, aerodynamic body kits are needed both in front and behind.
aerodynamic body kits - rocket bunny Rocket Bunny — Video
Who came up with the Rocket Bunny body kit?
Rocket Bunny (Rocket Bunny) is unique in style and performance aerodynamic body kit for cars produced by a small Japanese company Tops Racing Arts Kyoto namely the Japanese Kei Miura.
Rocket Bunny body kit design was developed by Japanese Kei Miura. Body kits Rocket Bunny almost immediately became a cult, creating a whole direction of styling. Original Japanese Rocket Bunny body kits are of high quality and precision, which allows you to perfectly fit the body kit to the car body. Accuracy is achieved through laser scanning of the car model in the development of the Rocket Bunny aerokit.
Rocket Bunny aerodynamic body kits - rocket bunny Miura invented the hardware and software for laser scanning on his own while still a college student. Aerokit is a set of fender extensions of the original form, as well as spoilers and splitters. The “calling card” of Rocket Bunny is precisely the arch extensions.
Rocket Bunny aerodynamic body kits - rocket bunny There are two types of mounting arches to the body:
Hidden fastener.
The arch from the outside remains absolutely smooth, the place of articulation with the body is not visible.
Open fixture.
Fastening by means of open bolts located along the perimeter of the arch from the outside.
For the first time, Rocket Bunny body kits appeared on Japanese minicars - kei cars, and later body kit options for sports cars appeared. There are many replicas and copies of Rocket Bunny body kits, but the accuracy of their manufacture and the quality of materials are often much inferior to the original.
Rocket Bunny aerodynamic body kits - rocket bunny When installing a Rocket Bunny body kit, as a rule, they widen the track with spacers or install wider wheels with a smaller offset. In this case, it should be remembered that the load on the suspension increases.
Rocket bunny is an original body kit from Kei Miura. Style is an amazing thing. Many people make an effort to develop it, others have it effortlessly. The hardest part, however, is applying your style to creating things and generating new ideas. It's not easy to get recognition, but Miura-San of TRA Kyoto achieved recognition in a very short period of time. While Rocket Bunny seems to be on everyone's lips right now, I thought I'd dig a little deeper and show you the underside of what makes Kei Miura and his Rocket Bunny brands revered around the world.
text translation Batykov R.V. photo: Dino Dalle Carbonare
And it is much more than it seems at first glance. Even though Miura-San has gained worldwide fame over the past few years, not many people realize the contribution he made to the tuning industry in the Japanese domestic market. He drives Tra Kyoto and creates those cool Rocket Bunny body kits that every 86s, FR-Ss and BRZ car owner dreams of, but he has his own style that sets him apart from everyone else. However, before I begin, let's take a look at the workshop itself, which is located on the outskirts of Kyoto.
If not for the eye-catching cars that are usually parked outside…
... you probably wouldn't even know it existed. There are no bright signs telling you that these are "Kyoto's finest racing arts" - just a bunch of parts, lots of cars and pieces of Styrofoam.
Miura's demo car is usually parked right in front and half looks out onto the street that runs through this workshop.
The first thing that caught my eye was an old Nissan Cedric standing on the bridge with customs number 6666…
... as well as a few simple inscriptions. In fact, it was the first car that Miura prepared for the Tokyo Motor Show in the late 90s, about eight years after he started his business. Since then, Nissan has been standing outside the workshop.
Looking around, you begin to understand what this workshop specializes in. Fiberglass, fenders and other little things can be found everywhere, along with a half-empty Marlboro package.
Most people often call the company by the name Rocket Bunny, after the name of such popular and well-known aerodynamic body kits for Rocket Bunny cars, but this, of course, is not entirely correct. Rocket Bunny is just one line of aerodynamic body kits for vehicles manufactured by Kei Miura. Rocket Bunny body kits first appeared on Japanese minicars - kei cars such as the Suzuki Wagon, and later there were body kit options for sports cars such as the S13, RPS13 and S14.
Right outside the entrance to the main workshop was an abandoned 6666 Kanjo race car, a car I photographed a long time ago on one of my first visits to Tra Kyoto. It was a bit sad to see the EF Honda Civic look like this, but ultimately Miura has her own plans for refurbishing it.
When you see a large number of processed polystyrene parts lying around, you are sorted out by curiosity. But before entering the workshop, there was something else I wanted to see.
Seeing the popularity of Rocket Bunny's aero design, Miura decided to use it for the 86.
By the way, what do you think I saw thrown in the garbage at the entrance? One of the rear fender prototypes for the 86 is something so cool I just couldn't leave it there. I asked Miura-san if I could take it, Miura agreed and even signed it for me. Now it hangs on the wall of my office!
Under a canopy next to parked cars, I spotted a specimen of the very famous aero whale. Can anyone guess what it is?
Miura has always taken inspiration from old school and classic designs, so he surrounds himself with a wide variety of retro items.
However, until you enter his workshop, you will not guess about it ...
How much has he accumulated over the years. The best word I can use to describe it is a lair where the décor is a direct reflection of the owner's mindset.
The collection includes everything from vintage wheels…
… to vintage video games, everything fits into a pretty small space. Much like Nakai-San from RWB, Miura loves to surround himself with items that inspire him. I think great minds think alike.
He keeps a collection of leather biker boots in his workshop...
… along with a bunch of other stuff. In confirmation - s13 R / C drift car!
I even spotted some of Jason's masks from the movie of the famous horror series - "Friday the 13th."
Miura loves old wheels and old cars, so I'm sure he'll be starting on a vintage project soon. His love for wheels has led to his own designs in the past…
…and this is where Miura's personality begins to shine. He may still look like a biker barefoot or a unkempt-looking guy...
…but he certainly doesn't live in the past. Next to the packed parts of the aerokit is a 3D printer. Miura is always playing with ideas with this technique, and this is where he originally prototyped his FOUR SPOKE "DRAG 4" racing wheels in the past. He still has some of those discs lying around in the workshop...
… I even noticed one in the box!
And it's only after talking to Miura that you really start to understand what kind of place Tra Kyoto really is and why it has received so many awards in the Japanese domestic market.
Miura stands out in that he is also a computer genius. Together with friends at Kyoto University, he developed his own hardware and software that allows him to quickly and accurately scan laser cars and create 3D digital renderings on his powerful mobile CAD workstation.
Here, Miura designs and models cars in CG, designing her own aero kits. I got a quick demo of how quickly and easily he can render his finished cars in Rhino. I can't show you exactly how it scans cars, but I assure you - my mind was blown!
Yes, cigarettes are always at hand here.
KEI MIURA'S WORKSHOP - ROCKET BUNY
But how does Miura manage to turn these 3D renderings into reality, I hear you ask. Well, for that, you need to follow me to the workshop, where mind-blowing things happen.
This is a special place for Miura - it is here that he made his name and continues to be one of the best specialists in the industry for many years. While almost all Japanese aircraft makers still design their parts by hand using sculpted clay, Miura can quickly prototype full-scale parts in a matter of days.
Once the design is finished, he sends the data to the CNC, a computerized control system, with which he transfers the matrix negatives to these blocks of polystyrene, which we previously saw on the street in front of the workshop.
It seems that computers are everywhere.
Depending on the complexity of the design, it usually takes a little over a day for the CNC to complete its work, all the while the LCD screen is transmitting X, Y, Z coordinates ...
… where the cutter is at this second.
The machine starts with the largest drill...
...to outline the main figure...
… if necessary, automatically changes the tip to complete and smooth surfaces and curved lines.
That is why it seems that there is always a snow storm!
Here Miura creates the samples from which the fiberglass parts will be made. It takes him about a month to go from 3D scanning a car, to creating a design, making a sample, and eventually a finished product. With the pace at which it operates, Tra Kyoto has secured a niche for Japan's tuning industry to enter in the aero parts industry. This is also the reason why Miura is one of the busiest people I have ever met. His client list is impressive to say the least. To top it off, his method results in the production of an aerokit with a perfect shape and symmetry that fits perfectly.
Many years ago, Miura took a big step by investing in a line of work that no one had done before. With this decision, his styling business flourishes, bringing much-needed quality and speed to the aftermarket industry. And this is really just the beginning for Tra Kyoto (Rocket Bunny), I'm sure we'll see many more Miura designs set trends in the future.
VIDEO - KEI MIURA'S ROCKET BUNY'S WORKSHOP
Only a lazy street racer would not want to have a chic body kit from Kay Meura. But one desire, as practice shows, is not enough for the car to get the look of the legendary Japanese street racing. Illegal Bosozoku races began their history in Japan in the 80s and marked a whole cult of tuning, which later became known as Bosozoku - Style. One of the brightest representatives of this trend was Rocket Bunny, thanks to its creator, who directly took part in them and still takes them.
And desire is not enough, because the financial issue always gets in the way. The price of a body kit is exorbitant for most. For example, you have a “VAZ seven” and you want to put a similar body kit on it, and given that the car itself on the “secondary” costs up to 100,000 rubles, and the average price for the body kit is 250,000, then the arithmetic comes out funny. But do not despair, there is always a way out for the sophisticated. You can order a replica, which is also not a little, but you can do everything yourself. Fortunately, there are enough options for choosing materials. There is a huge choice of tools now, and if you are cramped indoors, then renting a box or a neighbor's garage for a while is also not a problem on a planetary scale. The question remains how to do all this?
Where to begin
In order to find a trait from which to push off, you need to know the very principle of production of the "Rocket Rabbit". And the whole technology can be learned only by working in TRA Kyoto. How many such masters? Not sure. What to do? Never mind. Take and do. The eyes are afraid, but the hands know their business. Of course, the Japanese have a serious approach to production, high-precision equipment, software, and so on and so forth. And what do we have? Ingenuity.First of all, we draw a sketch of our vision of the finished car and it is desirable that the proportions match. Then it will be easier to embody everything in the material. If problems start at this stage, you can immediately stop the process. But if everything is fine and you like the sketch and everything is in order with the geometry, then go to the next stage. Choose the right material. For those who will do everything by hand, I would recommend carbon or fiberglass. Both materials are perfect for such manipulations, just one is more expensive. But, you can save on priming and painting and in the end it will come out about the same. Those. the carbon body kit can be left in the original color and it will look insanely expensive.
A small digression. For those who are going to learn how to make a Rocket Bunny for sale, start your own small business, so to speak. Start first with the option without visible external fasteners. From the point of view of the production of expansion arches, it is simpler. And for those who want for themselves, then in full.
How to make a Rocket Bunny Expansion Arch Matrix
There are a few tricks that will be very relevant for domestic cars. For example, to make a matrix for the "classics" by cutting out arches from larger cars, such as the old Volga.A little work with the tools, bring to mind, then apply carbon fiber or fiberglass. Some craftsmen resort to using a two-component mounting foam, apply it to the right place, after drying they form a frame, which will later serve as a template.
You can go the scientific way, fully calculate the proportion, make mechanical measurements of bends, angles, deviations, depths and other things, transfer all this into a 3D modeling program and, based on the resulting model, pour the desired shape from gypsum, clay or plasticine. But there are 2 points:
- You need to have the education of a draftsman and a developed eye;
- Feel like a fish in water in 3D modeling programs.
Important! After the resulting matrix has been processed, several layers of wax should be applied to it so that the epoxy resin does not stick to the matrix itself.
Carbon Rocket Bunny
Those who decide to make all the elements of the Rocket Bunny body kit from carbon fiber will not have to spend extra money on priming and painting it. For, carbon looks great with any color of the car. But you will have to take care of painting the arches from the inside, so that the finished parts do not have a transparent look. But this is only if it was not possible to find a gelcoat (a special solution, a mixture of epoxy and dye, is the first layer of a carbon or fiberglass pie). The peculiarity of the gelcoat is that it perfectly resists aggressive environments and is perfect as the first layer for exterior trim details.And so what do we have? Matrix, carbon fiber cloth, epoxy, gel coat, brush, small roller. Apply the gelcoat evenly on the waxed matrix and leave to dry for a couple of hours. Next, we begin to impose carbon fiber and plentifully process with epoxy resin (several layers). Leave to dry and apply the last layer of resin, so that in the end you get at least 4. Leave until completely dry. The main thing is that there are no air bubbles left in the part, which later can serve as a weak link in the design. If everything is in order, it remains to polish the received part, drill mounting holes and install it in the intended places. Unlike fiberglass, carbon does not require drying in a drying chamber.
By the same principle we make thresholds and bumpers. By the way, when making them, you can completely and completely use the standard body kit as a donor, if it is available of course (the domestic "classic" cannot boast of this, so we make all the parts from scratch).
This is one of the first detailed reviews of a car that everyone has already seen. Such is the power of the Internet, where the news immediately spreads, and becomes old the very next day. However, there is nothing old about this car. It's the freshest yet most extreme aesthetic upgrade the new '86 has received. In truth, this is a Scion FR-S, the car that Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto imported to Japan...
…to make your instantly recognizable Widebody whale that everyone wants to get their hands on now. This is not the first body kit, as Miura has already provided a body kit for Frederick Aasboe's GT86, for its first appearance this summer at the Gatebil Festival. Frederick's car, by the way, wears a master version of the body kit ...
…sent to Norway, just in time for paint and wrap for debut. The turbocharged Japanese FR-S by GReddy is also seen in this kit, as is Imai-san's Bee-Racing Subaru BRZ. Although we have seen all these cars before, it was Miura's own car that everyone, including me, wanted to see.
So when he showed up at the Slammed Society show held at Fuji Speedway last weekend. I was convinced that I could immortalize her ...
...because, simply put, she's amazing. If you own an 86/GT86/FR-S/BRZ, this is what your city car should look like. It's not a fully trained drift car, not an extreme demo car, but the wild, street car that she was in Miura's mind.
Work on the car is still in progress, but it's so close to being finished that it's been described as more than show-ready, so Enkei put it on their booth.
After spending some time with the car, looking at the lines and details, I can definitely say that the first thing that catches my eye is their simplicity. Instead of going against the original design, Miura focused on what was already there. An analogy is a bodybuilder working on his muscles instead of inserting synthetic implants. There is a certain continuity of lines in the car ...
… right down to the rear end, where the mother of all fenders sits, it's obvious that the inspiration for this shelf was taken from the BenSopra GT-R R35.
A set of tasty, old school BBSs, which by the way really suited the car, were replaced with the new RS05RR from Enkei - “sparkle silver” on the driver's side and “matte gunmetal” on the passenger side. And while they change the look of the car a lot, they are a great choice for an FR-S with a Rocket Bunny kit that suits a variety of styles.
Attention to detail, Enkei branded wheel nuts
The rims are 18×10.5J +22 and are shod with Nankang Ultra Sport tires, 255/35R18 up front and Achilles ATR Sport 265/35R18 rear. It was hard to decide which color the wheels looked better in, silver or gunmetal.
Miura is highly respected among Japanese aero kit makers as he is one of the few who uses CAD to create designs. Before choosing the final option, he renders in different colors and with different disks. Once a design is chosen, it is sent to a milling machine that creates molds from compressed polystyrene. That's why his whales stand up like family...
...for the same reason he made a name for himself. Believe it or not, his brands Rocket Bunny, 6666 Customs, Number 6 only take up a fraction of his time as he also builds kits for other Japanese brands. Aside from the obvious wing pads, the kit consists of a more aggressive front end with a lip…
…to help create a first impression upon inspection.
The profile is given volume by the skirts, which, at the point of contact with the rear arches, create the same bends as in the front.
There is no overlay smoothing, which would be the exact opposite of Rocket Bunny's flashy style.
And what could be more extreme than a GT-style wing...
... screwed, using a set of FRP corners, following the lines of the stock trunk lid. And again, a bunch of visible bolts.
Kit Rocket Bunny continues...
...that's the structure of the lower bumper, done to inject some supercar DNA. The Miura currently has a straight exhaust with a split end that adds a bit of agility to the 4-cylinder boxer engine...and makes it sound like a tuned 4AG rather than a boxer.
Thanks to a set of stanchions from KW, the FR-S sits just right. Low enough that it looks good, but not so low that it's impossible to ride.
Since most of the time the car was at the TRA Kyoto headquarters, where work on the aero kit was carried out, Miura did not have time to properly deal with the interior.
So along with a two-DIN head...
... he managed to put only a new, slightly more sporty steering wheel.
Sparkle silver or matte gunmetal, hmm...hard choice!
Aside from the exhaust, the engine was left stock, and by the looks of it hadn't been washed since the car arrived in Japan. There you can see a decent amount of white dust, which remained from the work on the body kit. Just like RWB cars, a bit of roughness suits Miura's cars.
Miura isn't the type to keep cars looking pretty for long. He loves driving, hard driving, so as soon as he has a free moment he can be seen driving sideways on a track like Meihan.
For the track, the beautiful Enkei wheels will have to give way to 15-inch BBS, because the smaller tires are cheaper.
Riding through the driveways of Fuji Speedway, this FR-S was amazing. I don't think I'm the only one who will say that looking at these photos I want one of them! Although, forget about it, rather, I passionately desire it!
