ForzaTimes

Tsukuba Circuit, Japan-
With the the events of the last month, ForzaTimes Tsukuba tests have been ongoing. While there are quite a few cars left to drive, I couldn’t resist posting the review for the third car in a series that needs no introduction.

The Tsukuba Express 3 is being billed as the final part of a trilogy. Following the Tsukuba Express and Tsukuba Express Two, the TE3 has some big expectations to live up to.

The original Tsukuba Express was groundbreaking. Perhaps the best original RACE livery ever put on an Evo, Hashiriya’s paint is still one of the most sought-after in Forza. Put that together with the fact that this was the first Evo that could compete with the Elise’s, and you’ve just scratched the surface of the car’s significance. The follow-up, the TE2, was a faster tune thanks to a collaboration with the speed freaks over at Tuning AG. The “Rising Sun” paint was great if not as original as, well, the original TE. After the smoke cleared in 2007, the TE won ForzaTimes Car of the Year, while the TE2 won the first ForzaTimes Tsukuba Shootout.

That level of excellence is difficult to maintain, and when I first talked to Hashiriya about his plans for the TE3, his thoughts on the car were modest. He intended to make it as desirable as the original TE for the paint alone, but didn’t know if the tune could be as fast and forgiving as the TE2. Those are lofty goals indeed, but anyone that has seen his paper model of a TE knows that he has a way of getting things to fit just right.

Through EXPERI:project, Hashiriya put together one of the newest and most talented teams in Forza. Parisse, aka R2P Henniker, is lead tune, and JED is lead test. On paper, Hashiriya’s famous TE-style paint and R2P’s tune and flog should make this car an instant must-have. After driving it, I say that this is definitely the sum of all parts.

During EXPERI testing, this car easily became the Fastest Tsukuba Evo in Forza. JED has worked on the 52’s off an on for a while with Tuning AG, and felt it was only right to give AG’s fantastic Junismo-tuned Evo 8MR another shot, one-upping the TE3 by the smallest of margins. However, I’ve been informed that JED himself was on for a 52.7xx in the TE3 before a slight error. I believe it is only a matter of time and opportunity.

When I drove the car, I had no idea if it was a pre-release or the final version. A few multiplayer races and I had my answer. My previous personal best was a 53.9 set in the stellar KillerB, and I was shocked that it knocked off my 53.975 in the 787 Evo X. It usually takes a LOT of effort for me to get in the 53’s, as those that race with me can attest.

Not so in the TE3.

Out of 4 Multiplayer races, I ran a 53.9 in 3 of them. The other one I ran a 53.7. Surprised? I sure was. Even more astounding is that I was .150 in the RED on that lap at the Dunlop bridge. I made up over .4 in the last two corners. Amazing. If I’d have been in the green, I would’ve ran a 53.5, maybe even a 53.4 on a good enough lap. Guys as slow as me aren’t meant to go that fast. Did I mention that I finished 1st or 2nd every multiplayer race with the car? People in the rooms kept asking: “What car is that?” and “Is that the TE3?”… even though the paint is instantly recognizable. They knew the answer before they asked, but they couldn’t help themselves, and I can’t blame them. I would’ve needed to hear it, too.

Having crushed my Personal Best, I couldn’t help but repeat it to the lobby how completely shocked I was. Those results and the familiar TE colors and paint scheme put this car in my #1 garage slot. It’s incredible on many levels and faster than any other car I’ve driven at Tsukuba.

A lot of credit also goes to the other tuners, Luminossi, Junismo, LikeMike22 and others that have pushed the competition to new heights in search of the 52, as well as JED, Potzy, and Chemical for being able to drive them that fast. If it had been one tuner and/or one driver, it may have never happened due to a lack of motivation. Even with the competition it took almost a year, but the results speak for themselves.

The car seen here has been pushed to be better, faster, and easier to drive than the previous two models because that competition exists… and the final product is a complete success.

The road from Club 54 to the Tsukuba Express 3 has had more twists and turns than the Tsukuba Circuit itself, but like a good lap of Tsukuba, it’s worth every minute. Even in a time of multiple 52-Second cars, the TE3 lives up to the legacy.