WHAT IS DOME?
Established in 1975, Dome Co. Ltd., pronounced “do-mu” or “child’s dream”, was kickstarted by the revolutionary Dome Zero— the mid-engine road going prototype designed to be the world’s lowest riding sports car. Unveiled in 1978, the Zero was a hit at the 48th Geneva Motor
Show, where its impressive power to weight ratio and futuristic design brought a new standard for small-scale automakers.
In 1979, the “Zero P-2”, the successor of the Zero built for international markets, was brought to the USA, where “DOME USA, INC” was established. In the same year, Dome participated in the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race with a race variant of the Zero, called the “Zero-RL”.
After developing the first full-fledged Group C car in Japan with Tom’s Toyota in the 80s, Dome foresaw the potential of carbon fiber and built the “Black Buffalo” carbon chassis motorbike for the Suzuka 8-hour endurance race. Moving on to build an original F3000 race car, a 25% scale wind tunnel was constructed ahead of other companies, which allowed for more dynamic designs and ideas.
Dome continued to develop prototype vehicles such as the Jiotto Caspita, as well as experiments with EV and solar technologies, eventually building an F1 car in 1994.
After participating in the Japanese Touring and Grand Touring Car Championships with a Honda Accord and NSX in 1995, Dome constructed a new LMP car for Le Mans, eventually building a 50% scale wind tunnel and the “Dome Carbon Magic” carbon composites (CFRP) facility to further the advancements in racing technology. The “Mother Chassis” and “FIA F4”, which entered production in 2014, cemented Dome as a well-established domestic and international race car constructor.
To this day, Dome continues to utilize its knowledge and engineering background to support various kinds of businesses while maintaining its roots in race car construction. Born from the love for cars and racing, the spirit of Dome has remained constant throughout its history.