The Suzuki Samurai is not the type of vehicle you would ever expect to see on a racetrack but this particular Samurai is unlike any other we’ve seen before.
We haven’t been able to find any details about this Samurai but it recently competed in a Time Attack event at Japan’s famous Tsukuba Circuit and looks more at home on the tight and twisty track than some modern and far more expensive sports cars.
Based on the sound of the tiny off-roader-turned-track-weapon, as well as the speed at which it rockets down the main straight and how well it accelerates out of corners, it’s safe to assume that the original powertrain has been replaced by something with much more horsepower and torque. The sound of a blow-off valve reveals that it is turbocharged and it seems like quite a fun car to drive.
Watch: Tuned 355 HP Toyota GR Yaris Laps The Tsukuba Circuit Faster Than A Nissan GT-R Nismo
Of course, one would need to change much more than a Samurai’s engine to make it suited to track use like this. Significant suspension modifications have clearly been made to the Suzuki. Indeed, it has very little body roll in high-speed and low-speed corners, indicating that it is running a very stiff setup and would probably now be completely useless should the owner ever try to drive it along an off-road trail. We can also see that it is rocking a new set of wheels and tires.
The Suzuki managed to lap the circuit in 1:12.056. That’s some 14 seconds slower than the lap record held by a modified Toyota GR Yaris and is approximately 5 seconds slower than a Renault Megane R.S. 265 Trophy but for the little Zook, is quite the achievement.
Making this time even more impressive is the fact that the Samurai was once criticized as being unsafe because of its handling characteristics. In 1998, Consumer Reports said that it “easily rolls over in turns.” Suzuki was not happy with this assessment and accused Consumer Reports of severely hurting sales of the Samurai in the United States. The Japanese car manufacturer went on to sue Consumer Reports for $60 million in damages before the case was settled out of court after an 8-year legal battle.