RE Amemiya (Mazda Rotary Tuning)

RE Amemiya, widely known in Chinese as "RE Yu Gong", is an undisputed hall-of-fame name in Japanese rotary engine tuning. Its existence forms the other half of the legendary Mazda rotary story—while Mazda engineered and mass-produced the rotary, RE Amemiya proved just how formidable this powertrain could be on the track.

Origins: A Bosozoku Who "Only Knew Rotaries"

Isami Amemiya, the founder of RE Amemiya, is a living JDM legend in his own right. Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1946 and a self-proclaimed "bosozoku", he has never shied away in interviews or his writings from recounting his youth breaking through police roadblocks and hitting 300 km/h on expressways. In the 1970s, he ventured into the tuning scene, starting out by shoehorning 12A and 13B rotary engines into everyday family cars like the Mazda Chantez and Familia. In an era when vehicle modification laws were far stricter than today, he was among the pioneers in mastering road-legal compliance for modified cars, with most of his in-house "GReddy" Complete Car series passing Japanese vehicle inspection (Shaken).

His reason for specialising in rotaries was disarmingly candid: "Because apart from this, I know nothing else." This near-obsessive focus transformed RE Amemiya into the only "unofficial factory-level tuner" in the rotary arena capable of standing toe-to-toe in dialogue with Mazda officially.

Track-Proven: Proving the Rotary's Limits with Silverware

RE Amemiya's credibility is built entirely on the circuit rather than marketing hype. It remains one of the very few privateer tuning outfits to consistently contest top-flight Japanese motorsport over the long haul.

In the GT300 category of SUPER GT, competing under the "RE Amemiya Racing" banner for years, the team campaigned an FD3S RX-7 powered by a naturally aspirated 3-rotor 20B unit. Despite being throttled by intake restrictors to an official output of "just" 310 PS, ruthless weight-saving measures (yielding a kerb weight of only 1,100 kg) and masterclass chassis setup propelled the team to secure the double GT300 Team and Drivers' Championship titles in the 2006 season. In the D1 Grand Prix drift series, RE Amemiya-built RX-7s also claimed championship honours, whilst its touge-honed machines went on to conquer the AMUSE S2000 R1 and MCR GT-R in Hot Version's legendary "Touge Monster" battles.

These accolades prove that RE Amemiya’s mastery of the rotary goes far beyond building outright speed—it is about ensuring bulletproof reliability under extreme operating conditions.

Iconic Builds: From Super G to "Toki"

The RE Super G aero kit is RE Amemiya's most iconic signature styling, serving as the benchmark setup for FD3S RX-7 builds. Its aggressive widebody lines and race-derived aero give the RX-7 an unapologetic track-focused presence. Having gained fame as Keisuke Takahashi's updated machine in Initial D, this aero package achieved a cult status in car enthusiast and ACG subcultures well beyond typical aftermarket body kits.

Among RE Amemiya's most talked-about modern builds is the "Matsukiyo Toki 3 Rotor NA-7" (fondly nicknamed "Toki"). Built on an FD3S chassis, the car pays tribute to Mazda's unproduced Iconic SP concept. Forgoing forced induction, it runs a 3-rotor naturally aspirated setup churning out 350 PS with a screaming 9,000 rpm redline, paired with an RX-8 6-speed manual transmission (6MT). The entire shell is virtually rebodied in bespoke carbon fibre, complete with Mazda MX-5 ND headlamp units upfront, bagging top honours in the tuning category at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Furthermore, RE Amemiya joined forces with Goda Bodywork to mid-mount a 402 hp 13B rotary engine transversely into a salvaged Autozam AZ-1 kei sports car, producing a pure showstopper with an insane 538% horsepower hike purely for exhibition.

Modern Legacy: The Rotary May Be Gone, but Amemiya Pushes On

While Mazda discontinued standalone rotary production years ago, RE Amemiya continues to soldier on, rolling out bespoke rotary machines at the Tokyo Auto Salon each year. Isami Amemiya himself still actively attends owner gatherings, gathering real-world feedback straight from drivers to continuously refine their parts.

In the JDM tuning universe, RE Amemiya represents the philosophy of "deep, uncompromising dedication to a single platform". Unlike HKS with its broad all-make portfolio, or Top Secret with its wild cross-platform engine swaps, Amemiya has channelled decades of pure engineering craft solely into Mazda’s rotary platform. For rotary purists and owners, RE Amemiya is far more than an aftermarket tuner—it is the ultimate guardian giving this inherently delicate engine a durable second lease on life without sacrificing outright performance.