TM KART KZ-R3 TOTAL BLACK: THE BEST-SELLING SHIFTER ENGINE CHANGES... THE GEARBOX!

With the start of each new FIA Karting homologation cycle dedicated to engines, the karting market's attention focuses on TM Kart to understand what evolutions the Italian manufacturer has introduced to the flagship product of its range: the Shifter engine. This is the company's iconic engine, as well as the most widespread and successful internationally, in its various evolutions that have followed over the years. For the homologation cycle valid for the three-year period 2026-2028, curiosity has grown even further. This, in fact, was the first cycle following TM Kart's entry into the OTK Kart Group. It is in this context that the KZ-R3 was born, even if - in practice - all the design and development work on the engine was largely done before the two companies merged. The new engine follows in the footsteps of the KZ-R2 (for more information, read “Under Review | KZ-R2 by TM Kart: the latest evolution (CIK-FIA '23 homologation) Total Black version of the world's most popular shifter engine”), a model that has established itself as a benchmark in international competitions promoted by FIA Karting, winning two KZ FIA Karting World Championships (2024 and 2025) and three consecutive FIA ​​Karting KZ2 World Cups (2023, 2024, 2025). Precisely for this reason, according to what TM Kart technicians reported, the KZ-R3 does not represent a radical change of the previous project, but an evolution developed on the same technical base. Compared to the KZ-R2, the updates introduced were focused on obtaining a more homogeneous progression and a lower drop in revs during gear changes. This development direction derives from the continuous work of the TM Kart R&D department and from the feedback gathered on the track by teams, customers and tuners.

To analyze the technical choices made in detail, we visited the TM Kart headquarters, where we examined the factory-prepared version called Total Black. Compared to the standard configuration, the Total Black features more extensive internal work on the cylinder ducts and pump casing, as well as a surface-polished connecting rod. This technical setup (which entails an additional cost of €606.56 excluding VAT compared to the standard version) encompasses the most advanced finishes envisioned by the manufacturer and represents the most comprehensive basis for analyzing the modifications introduced on the KZ-R3.