Two Decades Behind

Five

The older Takahashi's mind wandered off to the recent encounter he had with the GT-R, the black Godzilla powering up the uphill, chasing his own beloved FC.

Oh, and there was the green SA.

"Hey, Fumihiro."

"Yes, Ryosuke-san?" Hiroshi responded, looking up from his iced tea.

"Have we ever seen a green SA from the SpeedStar before?"

"SA?" Keisuke asked, curious.

"First generation RX-7, SA22C," the older Takahashi replied cooly. "They were built between 1978 to 1980, and despite being in the same generation as the FB, they were unique in many ways as well."

"Isn't the FB what all the first-gen RX-7s are?" Fumihiro asked, now curious as well.

"Not quite. The first generation of RX-7s can be divided into 3 series. Series One ran from 1978 to 1980, and these are the SAs. Due to Mazda adhering to American VIN naming conventions, Series Two onwards became the FB for the rest of the generation."

"I see," was the reply. "But why are you interested in one, Ryosuke-san?"

"The FB was slow, wasn't it?" Keisuke chimed in. "Despite what I've seen with that 86, that car won't be any trouble for us."

"That is true; minus the barely-100 hp 12A rotary engine that was the predecessor to the 13B, despite its lightness the SA had flaws that were fixed on the FB, such as the tendency for its front to start to lift up at high speeds," the older Takahashi explained. "However, for the first time, I'm not interested in the performance just yet; I'm concerned about the license plate."

The other two men jumped back, surprised. "Hey, Aniki," the younger Takahashi quietly said, "the driver may be pretty, but you don't have to go that far..."

Ryosuke chuckled in response. "You've both got the wrong idea. When I saw the SA on Akina, there was something off about it, and after reaching the peak I quickly scribbled down its license plate number while it was still fresh in my mind. And here it is," he said, taking out his wallet and handing a slip of paper over to Fumihiro. "I need you to help me out, Fumihiro; look for the SA for me. I've got the number memorized now, so I'll look up the data for the car myself. After I'm done with formulating a plan for the 86, that is."

"Will do, Ryosuke-sama," was the reply.

The younger Takahashi rested his head on his hand. "I still think you've found a pretty girl."

The older Takahashi sipped his tea again. "If you take all cars as feminine per tradition, the SA is a beautiful girl anyway."

"Oh, come on!"

------------

I drove my SA downhill, the little 12A screaming as I revved high and shifted.

With the corner ahead, I tried braking at the edge of my comfort zone again.

The RX-7 slowed down just enough, and with my foot stepping lightly on the gas, I cornered a little bit faster than usual, passing the apex almost perfectly.

But it still wasn't fast enough. Not at the limit where the hachiroku went with Takumi behind the wheel.

The 86 had increased my desired level of cornering, and has helped me corner faster. But I'm still not faster.

Why? This ain't right...

I went through the next few corners, unable to get the feeling I wanted.

I braked again.

Shit, too hot!

Quickly turning, I narrowly avoided hitting the outside guardrail, obviously botching my cornering attempt.