The Dome Zero was a prototype sports car from DOME Co. Ltd that was exhibited at the 48th Geneva Auto Show in 1978. The Dome project was started by Minoru Hayashi in 1975, with the goal of producing sports cars using knowledge gained from auto racing. The Zero was to be their first production road car and Dome planned to produce a limited number for sale in Japan. Despite multiple prototypes and homologation efforts, the Zero was never approved by regulatory bodies for sale in Japan or overseas. As a result, the project was not commercially viable and the Zero never entered series production.
The Dome Zero represented a technological leap forward for small-scale Japanese automakers. The unusual design of the Zero required an extensive engineering process, incorporating newly designed components and off-the-shelf items from other Japanese auto manufacturers. It had a wedge-shaped exterior reminiscent of the Lancia Stratos Zero, Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer. It was rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a chassis of square-section steel tube. The 2.8L Nissan L28E SOHC straight-six engine produced 145 PS. This engine was also used in the Datsun 280Z and 280ZX. With this engine and a curb weight of 920 kg, the Dome Zero offered a power-to-weight ratio that matched contemporary Porsche models. The prototype also incorporated a ZF 5-speed transmission, independent double-wishbone suspension and four-wheel disk brakes, mounted inboard at the rear.
Following difficulties with road homologation of the Zero, Hayashi decided to develop a race car, the Zero RL. This was intended to help publicize road cars and to realize Hayashi and his employees' ambitions of racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1979 Zero RL was powered by a Cosworth DFV V8 engine with an aluminum twin-tube monocoque chassis. The dimensions of the car were unusual for a Le Mans prototype, with a very narrow track (1.340 mm) and long body (5.0 m). It is unclear the degree to which the Zero RL was derived from the road Zero, as chassis, body and engine all substantially differed from the road version.
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