Engineering:Vemac RD408R

Short description: Japanese grand touring race car

Vemac RD408R

Category	Super GT GT500 (2004) Super GT GT300 (2006–2010)
Constructor	Vemac (Tokyo R&D)
Designer(s)	Masao Ono
Technical specifications
Chassis	Hybrid steel aluminum
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone
Length	4,610 mm (181.5 in)
Width	1,990 mm (78.3 in)
Height	1,160 mm (45.7 in)
Engine	Mugen MF408S 4,000 cc V8 Mugen MF458S 4,500 cc V8 Porsche M96/77 3,598 cc F6 Naturally aspirated Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted.
Transmission	Hewland 6-speed sequential manual
Power	>460 PS (>340 kW) 8200/min
Weight	1,250 kg (2,756 lb)
Tyres	Advan, Dunlop Tyres 280-710x18
Competition history
Notable entrants	R&D Sport Team Mach
Notable drivers	Shinsuke Shibahara Tetsuji Tamanaka
Debut	2004 Suzuka GT 300 km
Last season	2010
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 37 2 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Vemac RD408R (Japanese: ヴィーマック・RD408R, Hepburn: Vuīmakku RD408R) is a race car produced by the Vemac Car Company that raced in the Japanese Super GT GT300 and GT500 classes. It raced between 2004 and 2010.

Specifications

The RD408R is essentially a version of the RD320R introduced in 2002, but fitted with a Mugen Motorsports MF408S 4.0 L V8. The RD408R was developed specifically to compete in the GT500 class as a successor to the RD350R. In later years the RD408R's engine was replaced with a Mugen MF458S V8.

At least one road car, known as the RD408, was built. It was given the registration plate of EU54 BXA. A related car, the RD408H, was also developed; this was essentially the RD408 road car with a hybrid system developed by PUES Corporation, one of Tokyo R&D's subsidiaries. The RD408H was intended to be produced in small numbers and compete in races but ultimately found no buyers.

Racing record

The car was first introduced with R&D Sport in 2004 at the final round of the championship in Suzuka; the team performed poorly, finishing 13th in the race with no points and never competed in the GT500 class again. No RD408Rs competed in 2005; the year after, R&D Sport campaigned an RD408R in 2006, winning the Fuji GT 500 km Race. The RD408R would win the 2007 Autopolis GT 300 km Race; this would be the last win for any Vemac in the series.

The last race for the RD408R was the Motegi GT 250 km in 2010, with a sole RD408R campaigned by Team Mach; it notably used a Mid West Racing-tuned Porsche 911 GT3 engine as opposed to the Mugen powerplant used in previous years. the team would replace their RD408R with an RD320R for 2011, the first time they had used the RD320R since 2009. This RD320R would also use an engine from the Porsche 911 GT3. After the Super GT rule changes in 2012 that prohibited low-volume production cars from entering races, the RD408R (and likewise all other Vemacs) is no longer able to race in the series. Despite the RD408R being the latest and fastest of all the Vemacs, it never really reached the competitiveness of the RD320R.