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Friday, July 1, 2022

One-off Japanese-made Mantaray concept

Cool CREATIONS Some time ago while surfing the internet, we met a unique roadster whose at a glance similar to Batmobile on the Funatic_Airline's status on Twitter. At first we had a hard time looking for it all over the internet due to our ignorance regarding the name of the car in Japanese which translates into English as 'Barry Foo Mantarei.' Automatically when we searched with such key-words, there are no results that match to the car whose image is posted on Twitter.🤔 
The Bally Hoo Mantaray is designed by Tetsuharu Kawakami of Ballyhoo Custom for Kamiaki Yoshii, and built based on the rare Renault Sport Spider of 1999. (Picture from: Funatic_Airline's status on Twitter)
In short, after knowing the real name of the car is Bally Hoo Mantaray, then we dig up information about the car's origin. Now, let's discuss a little about this unique roadster. As quoted from Wikipedia, the customized roadster is known to have been built by Tetsuharu Kawakami, a Japanese artist, motorcycle and car builder who is also the owner of the Bally Hoo Custom Motorcycle.
The Bally Hoo Mantaray's first appeared in yellow color while exhibited at the 2016 Tokyo Motor Show. (Picture from: TopGear)
Still quoted from the same source, this extraordinary customized car (at least in our opinion) was knew belong to Kamiaki Yoshii, and built based on Renault Sport Spider of 1999. For your info, this donor car is rare car model produced during 1996 to 1999 by Renault Sport (subsdiary of French' auto brand Renault) in only 1,700 units worldwide while the unit that was later customized to be the Mantaray is 1 of 700 units sold in Japan, so that's not a random car.
The Bally Hoo Mantaray's body was built using Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and Carbon Fiber, where the front is designed to resemble the shape of the mouth from Mantaray. (Picture from: Option.Tokyo)
The mentioned donor car was purchased by Kamiaki Yoshii in 2014 which then sent it to the Bally Hoo Custom workshop in Atsagi, Kanagawa to be customized as it looks today. According to the automaker the car design was inspired by the world's largest stingray called Mantaray, which also later adopted as the name of the customized car.
The Ballyhoo Mantaray's final looks has been changed by installing the separated windscreen and repainted dominantly in blue pearl, which based on black, while the first yellow color is only left in the side ducts. (Picture from: Gazoo)
When the Bally Hoo Mantaray is finished, then exhibited for the first time at the 2016 Tokyo Motor Show, at the event it appeared in yellow, which is the Renault's typical color. Now the Mantaray has been repainted dominantly in blue pearl, which based on black to represent the color of those massive sea creature, while the first yellow color is only left on the side ducts.
The Bally Hoo Mantaray is designed by Tetsuharu Kawakami of Ballyhoo Custom for Kamiaki Yoshii, and built based on the rare Renault Sport Spider of 1999. (Picture from: Funatic_Airline's status on Twitter)
This custom car body was built using Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and Carbon Fiber, where the front is designed to resemble the shape of the mouth from Mantaray. Because there is a change in the engine layout that was moved to the back, so the front cowl was converted into the car's trunk, and has a reverse opening structure like the Miura.
The Ballyhoo Mantaray's cabin has two seats are integrated with the body, then on the dashboard attached a special-made speedometer, including several instrument panels installed there. (Picture from: Option.Tokyo)
In the building process of this custom car is used many components taken from various other vehicle parts. Besides that, in its final looks, the Mantaray has also been changed by installing the separated windscreen (each on the driver and passenger sides), and uniquely, then on the screen's frame is mounted with rearview mirror on each sides. 

Then there is a carbon fiber air intake installed between the separeted windscreen has a function to flow air to rears. There are two holes of the air intakes, and the wind during driving is used instead of the air conditioner. When winter comes, those two holes of the air intakes is closed and radiator heat is released to the feet through the pipe replace the heater.
The Ballyhoo Mantaray is powered by the Renault Sport Spider's original engine, a 1,988 cc inline horizontal 4 cylinder mid-mounted engine. (Picture from: Option.Tokyo)
On the front fender is installed turn signal lights, which on one of them on the passenger side was equipped with a camera. While the side ducts is made of carbon fiber with a shape similar to a manta ray's wing and is painted in yellow which was the car's first color.

Meanwhile at rear, there're two tunnels have been built in the rear cowl to solve the problem that heat tends to be trapped in the engine, which was one of the disadvantages of the base car with the shark fins also are installed between the tunnels to regulate better airflow.
The Ballyhoo Mantaray's rear has two tunnels have been built in the rear cowl to solve the problem that heat tends to be trapped in the engine. (Picture from: Option.Tokyo)
The Mantaray' cabin has two seats are integrated with the body. Then on the dashboard attached a special-made speedometer, including several instrument panels installed there. The steering is also one-off and made of all carbon, plus a screen monitor is attached to the center console to capture the image of the side camera.
The Ballyhoo Mantaray's final looks has been changed by installing the separated windscreen and repainted dominantly in blue pearl, which based on black, while the first yellow color is only left in the side ducts. (Picture from: Option.Tokyo)
So what about the powertrain? The Bally Hoo Mantaray concept is powered by the Renault Sport Spider's original engine, a 1,988 cc inline horizontal 4 cylinder mid-mounted engine, which capable of producing a maximum power of 150 PS at 6,000 rpm.
By looking at its overall appearance, in Our opinion, the Bally Hoo's car creation worthy to be the next-Batmobile (at least for Batman while he visited in Japan). Just kidding.😀Or Might be You willing to see another Japanese compact-sized sports cars which also was not widely known by the public before such the Suzusho Suppase V*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | S.RESPONSE.JP| WIKIPEDIA | GAZOO | TOPGEAR ]
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