Features | Drifted.com https://www.drifted.com The Ultimate Online Drifting Experience Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:53:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 This 27-liter Twin-Turbo Crown Vic Is The Definition Of Madness https://www.drifted.com/this-27-liter-twin-turbo-crown-vic-is-the-definition-of-madness/ Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:53:03 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=332312 Have you ever dreamed about pairing an ex-cop car with a 70-year-old, 27-liter, twin-turbocharged tank engine? No? Thankfully, this madman did.

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Have you ever dreamed about pairing an ex-cop car with a 70-year-old, 27-liter, twin-turbocharged tank engine? No? Thankfully, this madman did.

Swedish car builder Daniel Werner imported an ex-police car from California to his home country to make his dream a reality. The outcome is one of the craziest builds we’ve ever witnessed, labeled the “Meteor Interceptor.”

This true definition of a beast is powered by an unthinkable 27.0-liter Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 powerplant. The engine is a sibling of the famous Merlin aircraft engine used to power Spitfire fighter planes, but this version is designed to run on lower-octane fuel for tank use.

However, enough power to shift a tank wasn’t enough for Werner, so he slapped on two huge BorgWarner S500SX turbochargers because, well, why not? The result is a power output that’s so ridiculous it outpowered the dyno’s capabilities when they tried to see what it was pushing out.

The goal is to reach a laughable 2,500 horsepower and over 3,800 lb-ft of torque. To put things in perspective, that’s more than ten times the power of a stock Crown Vic, with the most powerful factory variant pushing out just 235 horsepower.

Now, you’d think cramming a tank engine into a Crown Vic would make it handle like, well, a tank. But surprisingly, it’s only about 440 lbs heavier than stock, and they’ve even managed to pull off a 55-45 weight distribution.

One of the biggest surprises is that the gigantic engine actually (sort of) fits in the bay with the front bumper still intact. While it won’t be a convincing street sleeper with the huge bonnet bulge (or sound), it’s almost… practical? Nah, who am I kidding?

The videos of this thing in action are mind-boggling. It performs the most effortless burnouts we’ve ever seen, and the ridiculously low revs don’t match how quickly it shifts – it messes with our brains!

While the engine is barely trying, the tires are screaming in agony, desperately clawing for traction. Good luck with that!

As you may have noticed, given the three-speed auto box and various other factors, such as the (not-so-subtle) parachute on the back, the Meteor Interceptor isn’t an all-out drift build.

The Meteor Interceptor was initially designed to set land speed records, but Daniel’s clearly enjoying throwing it sideways and shredding tires for the time being. We certainly can’t blame him!

We hope to see this thing at Gatebil, the Nordic celebration of crazy drifting creations, or maybe even a drift competition at some point. That’d be wild.

Either way, the Meteor Interceptor is quite possibly the most unique and fascinating engine swap we’ve seen. It proves that you can fit almost anything into a car to turn it into a tire-shredding monster with enough creativity (and a spare tank engine!)

If you’re as interested in this project as we are, you can follow the progress on the official website, YouTube channel, Instagram, or Facebook.

Did you enjoy this build? If so, make sure you also check out this crazy ex-Corvette drift kart.

The post This 27-liter Twin-Turbo Crown Vic Is The Definition Of Madness first appeared on Drifted.com.

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I’m Back… But Where Have I Been? https://www.drifted.com/im-back-but-where-have-i-been/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:38:00 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=331819 Bill Jefferies returns to Drifted armed with global drift expertise from a world championship media journey alongside first-hand S15 build experience.

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Bill Jefferies returns to Drifted armed with global drift expertise from a world championship media journey alongside first-hand S15 build experience.

naoki nakamura s15 wheelie nikko circuit

I’d like to reintroduce myself. I’m Bill Jefferies, also known as the guy behind the lens at Eyedea Media.

Early Days At Drifted

Fans of Drifted who have been around for almost ten years may remember when I joined the team back in 2015, but it’s certainly been a while, and I won’t hold it against you if you don’t!

nissan s14 200sx 240sx drift touge karpacz poland

After providing some of my favorite event coverage at Drifted, such as my visit to the European drift Mecca, Gatebil, life got a little hectic. When 2016 came around, I opted to take the opportunity of a lifetime, which I discuss in-depth on my personal “Eyedea Media” blog.

World Championship Adventures

My photography and writing caught the eye of a European drifting Championship (at the time), which quickly escalated to become a World championship.

For several years, I juggled multiple roles throughout my full-time role as part of the King of Europe/King of Nations (KOE/KON) team, most of which involved my main passions – writing and media.

During my time with KOE/KON, I was the guy behind the camera and the keyboard. From press releases to website content, if it needed writing, I was on it. It was a blast and taught me tons about the inner workings of the drift world.

bill jefferies media drifted king of europe king of nations

On the off-seasons, I continued working behind the scenes at Drifted, helping wherever possible with media, gaming, or providing my knowledge to help with the content.

fujairah dubai skyline uae keiichi tsuchiya

During my years on the road, fully encapsulated in the drifting scene, I was treated to upcoming talent alongside drifting legends (both cars and drivers!), feeding my fascination with the global drift culture.

The images above were from a place I’d never even heard of before my first trip – Fujairah, in the UAE. With none other than the Drift King himself, Keiichi Tsuchiya, along for the ride with the KON team, I got to experience some of the craziest cars and builds I’d seen to date. It would set the tone for what I’d experience over the next few years.

diago saito chaser jzx mark ii

As I ventured from Europe to Australia and just about everywhere in between, I witnessed some of the craziest driving drifting had to offer.

Don’t believe me? Check out Daigo Saito ripping tires in his insane Chaser (which features an equal power-to-weight ratio of 1,000 horsepower to 1,000 kg) at the incredible Yas Marina F1 circuit above. This is what drifting dreams are made of!

naoki nakamura ebisu minami jump ps13 diago saito lead

If that’s not impressive enough, how about Naoki Nakamura bouncing off the legendary Ebisu Minami jump (RIP) with Daigo Saito ready to knock on his door? You get the idea. It was a crazy journey that I’ll be eternally grateful for having the opportunity to experience.

Building My Dream S15

While in what I class as my spiritual motherland (Japan,) I decided it was time to achieve another lifelong dream. This time, it wasn’t photography or media-related. I had always wanted my own drift car. Where better to go car shopping than at the JDM auctions?

Although it certainly wasn’t the cleanest Nissan Silvia S15 on the market (and I say that lightly), it was soon to be MY S15. While I continued traveling, my dream ride began the slow journey across the oceans to finally enjoy what drifting had to offer when I wasn’t busy behind the lens.

Until this point, the only S15 I’d driven was when Naoki Nakamura handed me the keys to his freshly built S15 so I could take it for a journey around the pits!

When it arrived, the small visible rust spot I’d noticed at auction had escalated quickly, probably not helped by the salty air on the boat. I decided I wanted to clean up the car and bring it back to its best, so she took a trip to the best fabricator in the country.

At this point, I had a stark realization that the rumors of JDM cars being (mostly) rust-free weren’t always true!

Regardless, I wanted to give the S15 a fresh chance at life, so the entire underside was stripped back. After what seemed like cutting half of the car’s metal away, the rust, in far more areas than I’d like, was carefully removed, treated, and restored to its former glory. It was no small task, but it was worth it. She was transformed into one of the cleanest S15s (underneath, anyway!)

When the restoration work was complete, it was time for a trip to Driftworks, where she got measured up for some new shoes. After choosing the Work Emotion Kiwami wheels, I wanted the extra concave to get them sitting pretty, which meant more waiting, this time for fresh stock that was taking another trip across the ocean.

Despite my plans to stay with the OEM Nissan red colorway, I had seen Mazda’s Soul Red paint in the flesh, and given that I was starting from scratch, it felt like the perfect opportunity to go with something a little more unique.

I also opted out of the aftermarket fiberglass body kit in favor of the increasingly rare OEM Aero kit, complete with a center leg delete on the spoiler. Many more mods later, I had built the car of my dreams. Just one problem – it was now too pretty for skids! Just kidding, she still gets to shred her fair share of tires!

Now that the world-hopping adventures are over, I’m getting time to enjoy things at home again. This includes plenty of sideways fun, whether in the real world or on the sim rig, where I enjoy the cheaper drifting antics that drifting games such as Assetto Corsa, CarX Drift Racing, and Forza offer.

I’ll also be returning to the forefront of Drifted, where I look forward to sharing with you the wealth of drifting and photographic knowledge I’ve built up over the years. I hope to potentially help improve your virtual sliding skills, too!

The post I’m Back… But Where Have I Been? first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Christy Carpenter’s Yokohama Sponsored Nissan Silvia S15 With 1JZ-GTE https://www.drifted.com/feature-christy-carpenters-yokohama-1jz-nissan-s15/ https://www.drifted.com/feature-christy-carpenters-yokohama-1jz-nissan-s15/#comments Wed, 29 May 2024 08:00:05 +0000 http://www.drifted.com/?p=7693 We revisit this high quality Irish built Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, that boasts a full 1JZ-GTE conversion, originally built in 2011 for ProDrift.

The post Christy Carpenter’s Yokohama Sponsored Nissan Silvia S15 With 1JZ-GTE first appeared on Drifted.com.

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We revisit this high quality Irish built Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, that boasts a full 1JZ-GTE conversion, originally built in 2011 for ProDrift.

Nissan Silvia S15 JDM tuner

When the rumour mill started flowing that Christy Carpenter had bagged a big name sponsor for the upcoming Irish Drift season I was straight on the phone to the man they call ‘Carpo‘. A new season, a new brand, a new tyre, a new colour scheme, and a new adventure for Christy Carpenter.

Most people I know would love to have any form of Nissan Silvia S15 as their private weekend or daily car, but Christy “Carpo” Carpenter does not have a reputation for doing things in half measures, therefore it will come to no surprise to those who know him best that this amazing machine has been built with only the finest parts money can buy.

Check out more Nissan Silvia S15’s on Drifted

Christy says “I feel if you invest in good quality parts you will gain more in the long run, for example you could buy a cheap diff etc. and blow it out in one event during competition, quality parts are key to a reliable car”

Quality parts are definitely something this car has in abundance for sure, let’s take a look around Christy’s awesome machine.

We line up the Nissan S15 for a test shot, awesome fat lines filled beautifully by those 9.5J Gramlights.

It’s Round 1 and Christy get’s his official stickers on the freshly finished paint job carried out by Martin O’Meara, top job as always !

We wonder how much Christy can actually see from these mirrors, but really who cares, they look awesome.

Christy is rocking new shotgun style exhaust from Japspeed this season, which carry the note of the 6 cylinder JZ Toyota motor incredibly.

This car could really attend any event worldwide and fit right in, especially with big name sponsors like Yokohama and RHDJapan.

Up close and personal, every detail on the car performing it’s own function, aesthetic or otherwise.

One of my favourite shots of the day, the S15 sits somberly in the shade, the illuminous wheels really contrasting vigorously against the reds in the picture.

Inside the cockpit, where all the business happens.

Matching Bride Gardis FIA approved seats keep Christy and his plus one secure.

There may actually be a Defi gauge here to tell you the time, I wouldn’t be surprised.

This Willwood hydraulic handbrake gets the rear wheels locked up in ultra quick time.

With the aid of Christy hanging on to this of course 🙂

Christy can manage his turbo boost and his array of Defi gauges via his custom centre control panel.

Christy obtained the services of ROCO Performance to fabricate this crash barrier across the front of his car to protect the cars vital parts during competition, in theory Christy can take impact now while greatly reducing his chances of knocking off an intercooler pipe or damaging his coolant system, and after seeing Christy lose his front bumper in twin battles it works !

Reflection of the 1JZ lump that can churn out figures of circa 600bhp !

Upgraded braided hoses and fittings are essential given all of the extra power.

We look at the life of a 1JZ through the eye of a tow hook.

Christy rolls out to gear up for some sideways action.

A Prodrift Marshal looks on as Christy deviates his best plan of entry, this car is quite low.

A couple of shots of Christy in action at Prodrift Round 1 to finish up, that’s my lot for now.

Engine:

JZX100 1JZ VVTI 2.5 turbo engine by DEANEMSPORT
Garrett GT35R Turbo
Garage 27 Stainless Exhaust Manifold
Tail External Wastegate
Custom Down pipe
Custom Japspeed exhaust system
HKS 264 camshafts
HKS Cam pulleys
HKS Timing belt
HKS F-Con V-Pro ECU
HKS Intake Air Filter
ACL Race Bearings
ACL Rod Bolts
ACL Headbolts
SARD 1000cc injectors
SARD fuel rail
2 x Bosch Fuel Pumps
Custom Swirl pot
Custom Fuel Lines
Custom headwork by TDP.ie
Custom intercooler piping
Custom oil catch tank
Japspeed Skyline GT-T Front Mount Intercooler
Japspeed s14 50mm Racing Radiator
Custom Ford Fan
Mocal Power Steering Cooler
Mocal Oil Cooler Kit
Aqua Sump Kit

Drivetrain, Transmission & Braking:

6 speed Supra Getrag Gearbox
ACT Race Clutch kit w/ XACT Prolite Flywheel
Custom prop shaft
Skyline r33 v-spec diff
Skyline r33 v-spec drive shafts
Skyline r34 brembo gt-r brakes front and rear
Nismo GT-Pro 2 way lsd 4.1
Power enterprise front and rear brake lines
Reddot brake discs
Project mu brake pads

Cusco brake stopper

Suspension:

Driftworks subframe bushes
Ikeya formula pillow adjustable lower arm kit
Ikeya formula tie rods and tie ends
Ikeya formula tension rods
Ikeya formula adjustable rear lower arm kit
Ikeya formula toe rods
Ikeya formula traction rods
Ikeya formula rear camber arms
Good road japan front knuckles
URAS steering rack spacer
Tein drift master adjustable coilovers
Tein adjustable top mounts
Swift racing springs

Wheels and Tyres:

Front 19” x 9.5, Rear 19”x 9.5 Gram Lights

Yokoaham Advan Neova A048

Exterior:

BN Sports Blister kit
BN sports front bumper
BN sports rear bumper
BN sports side skirts
BN sports fenders front and rear.
Custom Garage bb GT-Wing
V-S Racing Carbon Vented Bonnet painted
Origin FRP Doors
Wise Square Mirrors
Wise Square 50/50 tail lights
Carbon Roof vent
Origin Front Bumper Canards
Polycarbonate windows
Carbon door panels
Driftworks front and rear toe hooks
Interior:

Defi Gauges x 6
Defi Gauge controller
URAS Gauge Pod Holder
HKS EVC Boost Controller
HKS Turbo Timer
Keys Racing Steering Wheel
Keys Racing Snap Off Boss Kit
Willwood Hydo Handbrake
Plumbed in fire extinguisher
Electric Cut off switches
SARD Racing Battery Box
Bride Gardis 111 FIA seats x2
Custom Roll Cage by Garage-D.com
Custom Front and Rear tubs by Garage-D.com
Full Seam Welded Shell by Garage-D.com
Custom Gearbox Tunnel by Garage-D.com
Car painted inside in custom blue

Performance: Power 620.8hp/543.6 toque

If you’d like to learn more about the engine that powers this car then check out our 1JZ Specs article. If you would like to see how this engine fares against it’s bigger brother then check out our 1JZ Vs 2JZ feature.

The post Christy Carpenter’s Yokohama Sponsored Nissan Silvia S15 With 1JZ-GTE first appeared on Drifted.com.

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The Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86 Trueno https://www.drifted.com/feature-the-world-famous-keiichi-tsuchiya-ae86-trueno/ Sun, 20 Aug 2023 05:00:55 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=37396 Every car guy and their mum knows about the Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86 Trueno. We peek under the hood of this iconic ride to see exactly what makes it special.

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We peek under the hood of the iconic Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86 Trueno and reveal exactly what makes this car so special.

History of Keiichi’s AE86

 

Keiichi’s drifting exploits have proven an inspiration for sideways enthusiasts around the world for coming on three decades. His green racing suit, his AE86, and his signature aggressive driving style are the key components of his iconic brand. You can read more about Keiichi’s life and racing career here, however this article is focused solely on his personal Toyota Corolla AE86 – the car that started it all..

His green racing suit, his AE86 and his signature aggressive driving style are the key components of his iconic brand

Keiichi purchased his Toyota Corolla Trueno in the mid 80s, allegedly building up his funds by working multiple jobs (one as a club bouncer!). With the keys in hand he worked during the day and practiced his driving skills at night. His chosen stomping grounds being the mountain passes of Japan.

After Keiichi had worked hard to make his way into the motorsports scene of Japan he took extra effort to build close relationships with his race engineers and while driving for Toyota (TRD) he built a great relationship with Mr Sakurai of Toyota’s Racing Division.

This fantastic video from back in the nineties shows just how potent Tsuchiya-san can be behind the wheel of his AE86 with just a 1600cc naturally aspirated engine. It is rumored that street racing and the on road driving antics shown in this video cost him his domestic racing license after a run in with the Japanese authorities.

Tsuchiya specified “total balance” over outright power for his own AE86 build

Working with Mr Sakurai, Tsuchiya specified “total balance” over outright power for his own AE86 build, all areas of the car’s performance were to be improved and only afterwards was power to be added.

keiichi tsuchiya ae86 corolla

The TEC-ART Partnership

When Mr Sakurai passed away Keiichi reluctantly needed to find a new workshop and engineer for his beloved Trueno, he selected TEC-ART of Saitama, Japan. TEC-ART’s is at top of the Toyota Corolla Levin scene and was the natural choice at the time.

TEC-ART took Mr Sakurai’s already highly developed platform and recommended a slew of upgrades to increase overall performance. These upgrades are detailed in the sections below.

keiichi ae86 spec

AE86 Engine specification

The engine was given a total overhaul with a staggeringly long upgrade list, everything from the engine mounts to the cylinder head assembly were touched.

  • 7A-G 5 valve (AE111 head)
  • Power Output: 217ps (214 hp) @ 7200rpm
  • Torque: 22.9kgm @ 4200rpm
  • AE111 cylinder head ASSY
  • 7A-FE engine block ASSY (Used 7AG engine and used 20-valve engine)
  • TEC-CAM264 (264-9.0Mm) TEC-ARTS TOMEI collaboration products
  • TODA strengthening valve spring
  • 82deg forged pistons Koizumi Shokai made
  • TEC-ART’S 7AG dedicated I-beam connecting rods
  • Crank shaft: 7A genuine “balancing”
  • Crank cap bolt (ARP strengthening bolt)
  • Crank metal & connecting rod metal: NISOM Tasu TRD
  • Various parts WPC / DLC processing
  • Oil pan spacer (TEC-ART)
  • Large capacity Carl funnel (TEC-ART)
  • Leveling injector (TEC-ART)

keiichi ae86 engine spec

  • IMPULSE made 5-valve water around KIT
  • Aluminum pulley set (TEC-ART)
  • Water pump adapter
  • Super alternator (TEC-ART)
  • Planetary starter (TEC-ART)
  • other processing: combustion chamber processing (combustion chamber volume adjustment and correction) block shakeout etc..
  • MOTEC M84 set
  • Direct ignition KIT (TEC-ART)
  • New engine harness production
  • The current car settings (with horsepower measured at the chassis dynamometer)
  • Mount: TRD strengthen engine mount
  • Mount: TEC-ART’S made mission mount bush SET

ae86 exhaust

  • Strengthening fail-pump (SARD made )
  • EX manifold (Type-F)
  • Street Premium muffler Tsuchiya version muffler (serial number)
  • 2-layer radiator (Type-R) electric fan set)
  • Oil cooler (electric fan set)
  • Present car Settings (MOTEC chassis Settings horsepower measurement) at dyno
  • Engine harness production
  • TEC-ART’s made EX manifold (Type-F)
  • Street Premium Muffler
  • AE111 genuine catalyst

ae86 carbon bonnet

AE86 Drivetrain

To get the new found power onto the ground TEC-ART’s opted for their own single plate clutch kit and a hybrid 2-way rear differential.

  • TEC-ART’S made 7AG dedicated carbon single clutch KIT (pro – spec 2)
  • TEC-ART’S made N2 Cross mission + TRD 2WAY + 4.7 Final

hachi roku ae86

AE86 Cooling System

  • TEC-ART’S made of 2-layer radiator TYPE-R + electric fan 2 groups set
  • Setrab made oil cooler (W360 × H265) + electric fan

ae86 work wheel

AE86 Wheels & Suspension

Keiichi’s AE86 has worn many different sets of wheels over the years however it is currently on a set of MEISTER CR01 by Work. TEC-ART’s own brand suspension dampers have been fitted all round for enhanced body control.

  • TEC-ART’S made by TEC-DAMPER TYPE-Aragosta (Street type front / 8k rear / 9K)
  • Nagisa Auto made pyro tension rod and Pirorowaamu
  • TEC-ART’S made Pirro control arm
  • TRD stabilizer (front) + genuine stabilizer (rear)
  • WORK MEISTER CR01 8.5j / off + 3/15 inch (front)
  • WORK MEISTER CR01 8.5j / off + 3/15 inch (rear)
  • GOODYEAR RS SPORT 195-50-15

ae86 twincam rear

AE86 Brakes

The car’s braking power has been increased by DIXEL rotors and calipers all round with ENDLESS brake pads.

  • DIXEL made slit disk rotor SD + full overhaul caliper (processing for MZ20) (front)
  • ENDLESS made brake pad CC-Rg (front)
  • DIXEL made slit disk rotor SD + full overhaul caliper (TEC-ART’S) (rear)
  • ENDLESS made brake pad CC- Rg (rear)
  • TEC-ART’S made original stain mesh hose

keiichi tsuchiya ae86 interior

AE86 Interior specification

The interior has only been lightly modified; three performance gauges, a TRD wheel and shifter plus a pair of custom BRIDE seats complete the cockpit.

  • Water temperature gauge
  • Oil temperature gauge
  • Oil pressure gauge
  • Driver’s seat BRIDE GIAS II (Keiichi Tsuchiya KING version)
  • Passenger’s seat BRIDE STRADIA II (Keiichi Tsuchiya KING version)
  • TRD Steering & Shift Knob

keiichi ae86 gauges

Want an instant hit of AE86 drifting action? Try our drifting games section. We just added six new 3D drifting games.

The finished Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86

So what do all of these extensive modifications add up to? Watch the video below to find out, as the drift king battles a Nissan Skyline R34 GTR!

TEC-ART offers the full ‘Tsuchiya Keiichi’ AE86 menu to owners of the car, if you have the cash and want the best drop them a line. The TEC-ART website is here: http://www.tecarts.com/.

Want to jump behind the wheel and slay tyres with your own AE86? You can do that and much more by playing Drift Hunters.

Now that you have boned up on Keiichi’s AE86 why not take a look at his life story as a street racer?

Curious to learn more about another iconic Hachiroku? Then, you’ll love our Initial D AE86 Guide.

Just as Keiichi-san has his iconic AE86 so Daigo Saito has his JZX100. Check out our Daigo Saito JZX100 feature.

Thank you for reading this article, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions drop a comment below.

The post The Keiichi Tsuchiya AE86 Trueno first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Kazama Silvia S15 https://www.drifted.com/feature-kazama-s15/ https://www.drifted.com/feature-kazama-s15/#comments Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:00:33 +0000 http://www.drifted.com/?p=12892 Kazama-san shares his widebody, PROMODE sponsored drift-spec Nissan Silvia S15 with Damien O'Connor at Drifted.

The post Kazama Silvia S15 first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Damien O’ Conner drops his full feature on this stunning Kazama built Silvia S15.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Wow it feels like an eternity since I’ve sat down to drop a cool feature, work commitments have really eaten up a few hectic months of my life but one could have worst complaints, given my brief absence I felt what I came back with would have to be something altogether a little special, a little unique, well thanks to Mr.Kazama and Paul Kane, we bring you just that!

Check out more Nissan Silvia S15’s on Drifted

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Enter on Que 1 No. Kazama built special Nissan s15, churning out no less that 450 horses may I add, but really what does that mean, 450bhp?

Well for me at least in Ireland it’s difficult to emphasis how much power that is for a road legal driveable car, I feel we have been sucked in and created this blase approach to power figures where 300bhp is  just a standardish car, spoiled with the riches of a Celtic tiger and the packed ships of high powered RWD cars that followed from Japan.

To try put it into perspective, this car produces as much power as a Porsche 911 GT3RS, it produces a whole 100bhp more than say an E46 BMW M3, that might aswell be a VW Golf , ok so we get the idea, this car is packing the punch to meet its hardcore Japanese styling.

Right away I can tell, you will either completely love this car or you will cringe at the thought of all that beautiful gear in that body, however I think all special cars are a bit like that, otherwise they would just be the same as every other subtly styled car I imagine.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Subtle S15 lines are ditched for some hardcore edges which comes in the form of the Promode body parts which have been fitted.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Dark, moody edgy, this car has some serious attitude.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

The quality of the body work is flawless, you can see even from these shots above how good the over fenders match up with the front bumper.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

A quick glimpse underneath the bonnet and you can instantly tell this car has all the right ingredients.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

The car sits on these awesome chrome Volk GTV rims, only complimented further by an awesome set of Grex 6 pot stoppers.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

As if the hardcore graphics weren’t enough we see even more signs of Japanese culture tagged on the front window.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

The co-pilot at any given time is treated to the responsibility of ensuring all is good under the hood via an array of Greddy gauges mounted in the dashboard.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

The driver just get’s one, Paul get’s it hard enough to keep the back wheels on the road with that aggressive Cusco two way differential without any further distractions.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

More business as usual on the inside, matching Recaros, Works Bell snap off wheel, and much more.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

The car, remains unchanged since is importation a few years ago, it stills carries the names of famous tuners Kazama and vehicle exporters Powervehicles, like many of Powervehicles cars, this particular car was imported by WKD Imports from Co.Carlow.

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

Kazama Nissan Silvia S15 drift car

I leave you with my closing shots, as always I hope you enjoyed, special thanks to Paul Kane for allowing us to shoot his ride, Paul is selling his car, opportunites to buy a car like this are a rare thing these days.

S15 owner? Looking to tune up your SR? Our SR20DET tuning and SR20DET turbo guides were written just for you.

Kazama Silvia S15 spec list

Exterior

  • Repainted Kazama Auto Red
  • Kazama Auto Aero (F/S/R, F/R Fenders)
  • Kazama Auto 2005 D1 Graphics
  • SARD Rear Wing
  • Vented FRP Bonnet
  • Ganador Mirrors
  • Wise Square Rear Tail Lights

Interior

  • Factory Option Navi (Folds away into top of dash)
  • Works Bell Snap off Boss
  • Personal Steering Wheel
  • Kazama Auto Shift Knob and Drift Handbrake Button
  • Blitz Turbo Timer
  • GReddy Profec B Spec 2 Boost Controller
  • GReddy Meter Controller
  • GReddy E-Manage
  • GReddy Fuel Press, Oil Press, Oil Temp and EGT Gauges
  • Carbon Look Shift and Handbrake Gaitors
  • Recaro Seats x 2
  • Razo Pedals

Engine

  • GReddy FMIC Kit
  • GReddy Oil Cooler Kit
  • GReddy T67 Turbo (Polished)
  • GReddy Downpipe
  • GReddy Wastegate
  • Greddy Manifold
  • Metal Suction Pipe
  • Z32 AFM
  • Induction Kit
  • Kazama Auto Oil Catch Tank
  • GReddy Radiator
  • Nismo Fuel Pressure Regulator
  • Uprated Engine Room Fuel Line and Connectors
  • Custom Cam Cover
  • Aftermarket Cams
  • Red Injectors (720cc)
  • Greddy Auxiliary engine Pulley Kit
  • Kazama Auto Oil Cap
  • Kazama Auto Under Engine Guard
  • Aftermarket Exhaust System
  • Aftermarket Catalyser

Wheels, Brakes  Transmission & Suspension

  • Volk GTV 18″ Alloys
  • Grex 6 Pot Front Brake Kit
  • HKS D-Dash Coilovers with Camber Adjustable Pilo Uppers
  • OS 5 Speed Cross Mission Kit
  • Kazama Auto Engine Mount Kit
  • Grex Oil Filter Relocation Block
  • Stainless Mesh Front Brake Lines
  • 2 Way LSD (Cusco)
  • Aftermarket Clutch
  • Kazama Auto Front Tension Rods
  • Kazama Auto Solid Subframe Collars
  • Kazama Auto Rear Arm Set
  • Kazama Auto Tie Rod Ends

Who is Kazama?

Check out this action video of Kazama-san and his infamous “Rodeo Drift” in Japan:

The post Kazama Silvia S15 first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Daigo Saito’s Mighty JZX100 https://www.drifted.com/daigosaito-jzx100/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:00:20 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=37763 Buckle up and hold on tight as we take you behind the wheel of Daigo Saito's mighty JZX-100. Let's find out what makes this big Toyota so special.

The post Daigo Saito’s Mighty JZX100 first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Buckle up and hold on tight as we take you behind the wheel of Daigo Saito’s mighty JZX100. Let’s find out what makes this big Toyota so special..

daigo-saito-jzx100-thumbs-up

Having been spoiled with witnessing drift cars from all over the world, I have found it increasingly hard to become impressed with certain builds. So often there’s huge amounts of hype and anticipation for something which eventually results in an anti-climax.

daigo-saito-jzx100-jump

Other times, something is even more incredible than you had initially imagined. This is one of those times.

Daigo Saito’s insane JZX100 jump drift at Ebisu

Since you are already on Drifted, chances are you have enough of an interest to have stumbled across the Noriyaro videos a few years ago where Daigo Saito piloted his JZX-100 Mark II for the first time at Ebisu Circuit. I say piloted because the car was quite literally flying over the Minami jump despite being a brand new build taking part in its D1 debut.

Want to jump your drift car like Diago Saito? You can give it a try on Drift Hunters!

daigo-saito-jzx100-smoke-machine-side

Fast forward a few years and the methanol-powered 2JZ 1,000bhp beast handed Daigo Saito the D1 Championship crown. However, despite its quick rise to the top of D1, it’s fame would be short-lived within the series.

daigo-saito-jzx100-mechanics-zoom

“which weighed in at just 1000kg – boasting an insane equal power to weight ratio!”

With new firewall legislations put in place by the series, the JZX-100 would no longer be eligible to compete. Despite undoubtedly having one of the largest drift car collections out there, it was clear that Daigo Saito was keen to compete in the four-door sedan, which weighed in at just 1000kg – boasting an insane equal power to weight ratio!

daigo-saito-jzx100-smoke-machine-front

JZX100 – The Japanese legend

This is where the perfect opportunity for the Japanese legend would arise. There are no such rules within the King of Nations Championship, handing Daigo Saito the opportunity to compete with the car in a world series.

daigo-saito-jzx100-twin-battle-jzx100

This is when I was handed the opportunity to shoot the car for the first time and get to relive those old videos with my own eyes and camera. Nothing can quite match the feeling of seeing the car come flying over the blind crest, heading straight for the wall at Ebisu Minami before being thrown around with perfection.

daigo-saito-jzx100-cockpit-driving

There’s no doubt that there are very few people out there that would be able to tame such an animal, but Daigo Saito does so confidently whilst adapting to his unusual seating position – which is more akin to sitting in a rear seat than the front!

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Is this JZX100 his wildest build yet?

These builds are undertaken at his garage; Fat Five Racing in Saitama near Tokyo. From his infamous Lamborghini Murciélago build, right through to the Corvette GT300, which he is currently preparing for this season. It is easy to see the work that has gone into the car, which keeps it close to Daigo’s heart.

Want an instant hit of drifting action? Try our drifting games section. We just added six new 3D drifting games.

daigo-saito-jzx100-rear-boot

Once you have lifted your jaw upon viewing the car, you can immediately see where Daigo Saito has managed to reduce such a huge chunk of the original 1480kg weight, which the chubbier standard Mark II rolls out of the factory with. The car is absolutely covered in holes – anything that was not an absolute necessity removed, both inside and out. If you look carefully, you can even see that the rear-light clusters no longer exist!

Want to play with cars like Daigo’s JZX100 right now? Then give Madalin Stunt Cars 2 a blast.

daigo-saito-jzx100-rear-quarter

Keeping in line with the huge wings that he is famous for, the exterior styling is also perfected with BN Sports wide-body fenders. Up front, there is a combination of Rocket Bunny and Ben Sopra aero, complimenting one another other perfectly whilst also adding an aggressive touch to the front.

daigo-saito-jzx100-2jz-engine-bay

Keeping the power contained is no simple feat – an aluminium 2JZ block with BC connecting rods, cams and crankshaft help push the power out. No ridiculous build is complete without a crazy turbo – Saito has opted for the GTX4088R. His sponsors at HKS provide the management in the shape of an F-Con Pro ECU.

daigo-saito-jzx100-cockpit

Anything that is not an absolute necessity within the interior has been removed. When you look inside, you will notice that the Racepak IQ3 takes the centre stage, providing the vital information. The un-natural seating position, which is no doubt inch-perfect for his needs. A Holinger RD6 sequential gearbox is on hand for firing the car through the gears.

daigo-saito-jzx100-front-arch

With the steering arms provided by Ikeya Formula, and knuckles made by fellow JZX100 legend Shinji Minowa, from his HEY MAN! Products shop, which is located just a few doors down from Fat Five Racing.

daigo-saito-jzx100-vented-hood

The combination provides the car with some much-needed ridiculous lock, to which he is no stranger to using to its full potential! Huge Endless brakes ensure that it comes to a stop just as quickly as it accelerates.

daigo-saito-jzx100-backwards-entry

The JZX100 at Yas Marina

With the first round of the King of Nations series being held at the legendary Yas Marina F1 circuit, it was refreshing to see Daigo Saito outside of Japan and desperately eager to conquer a new track. With the JZX-100 shipped and ready for the weekend, it was unloaded, given its methanol dose and was ready to tear up the Abu Dhabi track.

daigo-saito-jzx100-wheel-spin

Something I have noticed each time I have seen Daigo driving – you can put your money on the fact that he will be the last driver out in both practice and qualifying. He will also make the least amount of laps, and on the rare occasion that he makes a mistake, you can ensure that he will not do it twice!

daigo-saito-jzx100-winner

With just a couple of laps in practice, he would make his grand entrance during qualifying, (you can probably guess where this is going) as the last driver!

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As with what is becoming a familiar story, he once again nailed the challenging layout with pinpoint precision to secure the top spot.

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As the weekend progressed, his typically unbelievable form soon saw him emerge in the final against Middle Eastern Champion – Ahmad Daham, (who will also get a Drifted feature later in the season!).

daigo-saito-jzx100-smoke-machine-low

Despite an intense battle, Daigo Saito made absolutely no mistake in ensuring that he took the victory before having to leave immediately to participate in the HKS Premium Day back in Japan just one day later!

A week later, and a return flight for Saito would see Round 2 of the series take place – this time in Muscat, Oman. With yet another impeccable qualifying run laid down, it would see the Japanese driver once again top the qualification rankings.

daigo-saito-with-luke-fink

Australian Luke Fink had been eager to knock doors with Saito during practice, and when presented with the opportunity before the Top 32 battles, it was immediately obvious that the car was losing oil at an alarming rate.

daigo-saito-jzx100-broken-engine

After assessing the damage, it was clear that the 2JZ power plant would force Daigo Saito to make an early retirement from the round before the battles even took place. With the King of Nations rules stating that you can only run in the Top 32 in the qualification car, and just minutes remaining until the battles – it would mean an unfortunate conclusion to the round.

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With the sedan now returning to Japan for the next rounds at Nikko and a return to Ebisu circuit, a brand new heart from one of the many that are sat on the shelf at Fat Five Racing will drop straight in as he fights to maintain his spot at the top of the overall rankings.

daigo-saito-jzx100-fat-five-racing-garage

As Daigo Saito prepares to continue the 2017 King of Nations series, which shall bring both him and the JZX-100 to Europe later in the year, the madness does not stop there. With a 1300bhp/1230 kg Nissan R35 GT-R built for sideways action whilst also showing the latest previews of his most recent concoction – an evil-sounding Corvette GT300!

daigo-saito-jzx100-twin-battle-s14

“I am only fixated on winning and will drive in whatever way is required for that”

A quote from the man himself

I shall leave you with a quote from the man himself, which felt very fitting – I feel that it conveys one of the main reasons as to why he is so successful. His ability to analyse an opponent and decide the extremes that he needs to push both himself and the car during that battle are very noticeable. This is proof that drifting is not just about going 100% full-retard at all times.

“I do feel that my greatest strength in drifting is the ability to adapt, I am not fixated on any particular driving style (like being super aggressive, or overtly technical), I am only fixated on winning and will drive in whatever way is required for that.”

daigo-saito-jzx100-front

Take a look at Speedhunter’s feature of Daigo Saito’s shop; Fat Five Racing. What a fantastic place to build your dream drift cars.

Daigo Saito Drift Garage

Prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor once you clap your eyes on Daigo’s drift garage.

Check out this superb Aoshima 1/24 JZX100 Chaser Tourer V model over at Detail Scale View, I stumbled across this website after a search and now I find myself wanting a model JZX-100 more then ever!.

The post Daigo Saito’s Mighty JZX100 first appeared on Drifted.com.

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FEATURE: The Perfect Understated GC8 2.5RS? https://www.drifted.com/the-perfect-understated-gc8-2-5rs/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 16:29:59 +0000 http://www.drifted.com/?p=28100 For this feature, we stray from our usual RWD bias and take a look at one of the cleanest GC8's we've ever encountered.

The post FEATURE: The Perfect Understated GC8 2.5RS? first appeared on Drifted.com.

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For this feature, we stray from our usual RWD bias and take a look at one of the cleanest GC8’s we’ve ever encountered.

subaru gc8 feature

I’d like to introduce you all to Clarence Vong’s 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS.

details subaru gc8 feature

Clarence purchased this car back in 2010 after graduating high school and has been an avid fan of the Subaru brand ever since. When not being a busy full-time student, he works on cars in his dad’s shop in Los Angeles.

front end subaru gc8 feature

Something about the Subaru GC8 gives me the chills every time I see one on the streets. It is, in my opinion, the best-looking Impreza to come out of the Subaru factory. The C-West front lip, in combination with the beautiful Sedona Red color of the car definitely adds to the menacing yet understated look of this Impreza.

rear end subaru gc8 feature

The rear of the car takes a more subtle approach; JDM tail lights help make this car stand out from the normal US Impreza.

spoiler wing subaru gc8 feature

Clarence spent some time looking for this rare piece; it’s a replica 22b wing. Most people with a GC8 in the United States that choose to change their wing usually opt for the JDM WRX wing as opposed to the 22b adjustable wing.

wheel brakes detail subaru gc8 feature

Moving on to the wheels, the car is equipped with the “coveted” 2004 STI BBSs. They were refurbished in the silver you see above. The car sits on Tein Super Street coilovers. Brembo rotors and calipers stop the car efficiently and without fuss.

close up subaru gc8 feature

Clarence’s engine has been rebuilt with STI rods, pistons, and crank; his GC8 also benefits from an Avo turbo. A 2004 STI 6-speed transmission and differential was recently installed. An STI engine swap is in the works.

rolling shot subaru gc8 feature

Being a daily driver, the GC8 runs a conservative 5lbs of boost, making roughly 220hp to the wheels, which is plenty more than the 165hp the stock 2.5RS makes.

sunlight clean subaru gc8 feature

Future plans for the car includes the STI engine swap and possibly a 22b sheetmetal widebody (as opposed to fiber glass).

clean parking lot subaru gc8 feature

As of right now, having just installed the STI transmission, Clarence is looking to just enjoy the car. He’s taken it to Adams Motorsport Park, just outside of Los Angeles for the appropriate shakedowns.

sun rays subaru gc8 feature

This 2.5RS is the perfect daily, and is Clarence’s pride and joy; there are no plans to get rid of ‘Susie’ the Subie anytime in the near future.

rolling pan subaru gc8 feature

2000 Subaru 2.5 RS USDM Spec:

STI crank
STI rods
STI pistons
2004 STI transmission
2004 STI differential
2004 5 x 100 BBS STI rims
Avo intercooler
Avo BOV
Avo turbo
Walbro 255 fuel pump
PP6 piggyback
C-West front lip
JDM rear spats
JDM tail lights
JDM corner lights
Version 6 STI grille
Cusco front camber plates
Act clutch – stage 2
Act pressure plate
Act flywheel
Brembo rotors
Brembo calipers
Stop Tech performance brake pads

The post FEATURE: The Perfect Understated GC8 2.5RS? first appeared on Drifted.com.

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The Competitive Drifter – Mind And Machine https://www.drifted.com/richies-s13-sil80/ Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:44:49 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=46803 We shine the spotlight on grassroots drifter Richie Gilbey's awesome Nissan S13 Sil80 in our full feature.

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We shine the spotlight on grassroots drifter Richie Gilbey’s awesome Nissan S13 Sil80 in our full feature.

nissan s13 sil80 drifting

When we talk about the drifting scene it is often asked of competitors What`s in it for me? The competitive side of drifting seems like a one-sided affair to most.

Little to no financial reward and certainly no stardom. To be known in this game takes a lot of hard work and most definitely a lot of money.

Ever wondered exactly what a Sil80 is? Check out the complete SilEighty guide over at the 180sx Club.

This can take the form of sponsorship but a lot of the grassroot drivers out the there competing are probably operating at a loss.

With this being said what makes them do it, adrenaline, thrill, excitement, probably all of the above. Maybe the promise of future sponsors, maybe some form of personal voyage, but most definitely the commitment to pushing the boundaries of the sport.

nissan sil80 drifting front

The more famous drifters out there at the moment are still not mainstream to all but to the committed followers are like the pinnacle of where grassroots drivers want to be.

To look at the grassroot element deeper we need to engage a grassroot driver.

So, stand up Richie Gilbey, the Essex native who at an early age caught the bug. Living next to the now defunct Arena Essex, UK, Richie was exposed to the early days of drifting due to his brother who through his friends was a King of the Ring fanatic.

richie team shot

To all that do not know, King of the Ring (KOTR) was regular event organised at the Arena Essex track. A standard oval tarmac track with a crossover. Various layouts over the years proved its success until the tracks closure in 2018.

Back to Richie and in his teenage years getting all important itch with a ride in a Volvo 340 round the wide corners of the track. In his own words “I was instantly hooked and knew I wanted to do it when I was older”.

e46 m3 vs sil80

Fast forward to 2019 and Driftcup. Richie a seasoned competitor now in his 200sx. We ask him what drives him to compete and how its all changed this year.

What was the car like at the beginning of the season?

The car was in good form at the start of season without a doubt, through the winter, we had decided we was going to push for a HEL performance Driftcup ticket and wanted to make sure the car was ready whatever the outcome.

The car was stripped to a shell, and a list was made for all the work that needed to be completed to get it in a good place for the start of season.

nissan s13 sil80

The car was stripped inside, and sent to CT Fabrications in lancing, for Chris and Mac to build a tubular rear, custom fuel cell and removable firewall as the back of the car was tired and did need addressing, Chris and Mac transformed the car and the work was phenomenal.

The car then went directly to JDM-J customisations and was painted inside and out to make the car presentable, and after that had various mechanical work taken out at Unitwerks including full subframe changes before a full Violent-D livery to finish the car off.

By the time the season arrived, the car was outstanding and the response we got at round 1 from the public and other competitors really spoke for itself.

sil80 drifting

What changes did you make throughout the year to make the car more competitive?
For grip we changed some geometry settings, the main changes were after round 3 at Teesside when the engine failed, which was in many ways heart breaking.

At this point, we decided to make some big changes to the car that really have paid off. Of course, along with buying another engine, there was a big conversation about lag.

Originally, the 1JZ-GTE that we had in the car had a HX40 turbo, which is a big lag turbo for what we wanted. We spoke to Martin Battye of MB Automotive who was our tuner of choice to map the car and asked for he’s opinion, told him what we wanted and believe now that he’s advice was perfect.

sil80 twin drift vs e36

To bring up the response and still be able to get more power from the engine than we had previously, we collected a Garret GTX3076R GEN 2 from one of our partners Wayne Taylor of AutoExtreme LTD.

The next step was diff and gearbox change, the decision was to build the car to the best spec we could for the future of our career.

sil80 rear

For reliability, we decided to upgrade to skyline rear diff and shafts, we purchased a KAZZ Super-Q diff in a skyline housing that Martin had built and it made a phenomenal difference to the way the car drove.

The gearbox of choice was a BMW 6 speed gearbox conversion. Bailey Morris made us a custom prop shaft that was fantastic quality. It has an internal spline drive unit to eliminate the reliability issues of the BMW rubber prop doughnuts.

Dan & Dilan from Unitwerks toiled for countless hours during the week to get the car ready within the time scale and to have it strapped onto a dyno with Martin eight days later was an amazing turn around, hats off to these men they really did make the difference in the time of need.

Martin spent the day testing & tuning the car and it definitely made all the difference, the car drove amazing afterwards and was definitely far more competitive from the changes we had made.

Current spec of the car

Nissan (R)S13 200SX

ENGINE

1JZ-GTE, Speedtek manifold, Turbo smart Twin 45 hypergates, Garrett GTX3076R GEN2 turbo, 3” V-Band exhaust, 5L swirl pot, Walbro 270 lift pump, Bosch .044 main pump, SARD 800CC injectors, Japspeed intercooler, ECUmaster EMU classic Standalone ECU, GS6 BMW gearbox conversion, Organic M5 clutch, RTD short shifter.

SUSPENSION

Driftworks CS2 coilovers, Japspeed ‘hard’ inner & outer tie rods, Cut, extended & modified front arms, Hard race adjustable rear arms, Driftworks GEOmaster3 hubs front & rear, Nissan Skyline r33 brakes with EBC disks and pads, Skyline 4.08 diff, rebuilt with a KAZZ SUPER-Q 2-way diff, skyline shafts. Japan racing wheels 18×9.5 ET 22 front 18×10.5 ET 25 rear

INSIDE

Flocked dashboard, custom centre switch panel, ACER tablet running EMU dash, Recaro Pole Position seat, TRS 3” Harness, Weld in 6-point roll cage with door bars, Lifeline plumber in fire extinguisher with remote & external shut off, Handheld 1kg fire extinguisher, Custom removeable firewall & tubular rear by CT fabrications.

Who are your current sponsors?

CT Fabrications – based in lancing. A Fabrication shop that can make full roll cages, tubular front & rears, fuel cells, custom made to spec radiators etc – you name it they can make it.

Unitwerks – Dan & Dilan are based in Ongar. An engineering team capable of doing full engine conversions, stainless TIG exhaust systems, full race looms etc.

NGK/NTK Spark plugs UK – the suppliers of the best spark plugs on the planet – we run iridium NGK plugs in our car and they’re faultless.

JDM-J Customisation – Warwick is based in Benfleet. Whether it be a full outside paint with a bit of flake to spice it up or a full restoration job, everything is possible.

Auto Extreme – Wayne at auto extreme is based in Kent. Wayne can supply any of your Japanese performance parts, from full forged engine kits for SR/RB/JZ to 7twenty wheels, all in stock at the warehouse.

What are you planning for the winter?

We will be making various changes to the car this winter; biggest changes will be in December. The car will be going back to CT Fabrications for a custom tunnel for easier gearbox access, new ‘nascar’ style door bars, sill bars, and a few other roll cage changes.

Then back to JDM-J customisations for paint inside, carbon fibre roof & Lexan windows. The rest of the changes and modifications will be decided after we take the car out for testing in early 2020.

What are your aims for 2020?

2019 was a good test year for us, first full competitive season, first season in this car too. We had various problems throughout the year and Of course lost vital championship points after the engine failure at Teesside, but we still managed to finish 9th which we think is a respectable finish for our first season of Driftcup & we was happy with the result.

So, for 2020 we’re hoping for a podium finish, and hopefully a top 5 finish in the championship overall which is more than achievable. We would like to say a massive Thankyou to all our sponsors for their continued support, our success wouldn’t be achievable without their efforts. CT Fabrications, Unitwerks, NGK/NTK Spark plugs UK, JDM-J Customisations, & Auto Extreme.

A massive thank you to all our close friends & family, helping with the car and coming to events to show support, it really does not go a miss.

A special thank you to Mark Lappage for his efforts this year, he does lots of work to help behind the scenes, helping us develop the car, transporting the car to events amongst many other things, we really could not have done this season without marks help, so a special thank you to Mark for his life changing efforts.

So, I hope this is a little insight in the mind of the grassroot competitors. I thought it might give others what drives the drifters to compete, and hopefully enthuse others to give it a go.

The post The Competitive Drifter – Mind And Machine first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Team Lovetap Mercedes CLK Drift Car https://www.drifted.com/team-lovetap-mercedes-clk-drift-car/ Sat, 18 May 2019 13:55:07 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=44507 Drifted flew to Sweden to meet Mårten Stångberg from Team Lovetap and to share his new Mercedes CLK drift build with you.

The post Team Lovetap Mercedes CLK Drift Car first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Drifted flew to Sweden to meet Mårten Stångberg from Team Lovetap and to share his new Mercedes CLK drift build with you.

mercedes-drift-car-hard-parked

To kick off let’s take a couple of minutes to enjoy Lovekhana – Team Lovetap’s slick promotional video:

Pretty cool huh?

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Who is Mårten Stångberg?

Mårten is a 28yr old drifter hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. He started drifting back in 2012 and has been hard-charging ever since. He favours Mercedes as his drift cars of choice, initially starting out in a Mercedes 190.

I’ll hand over to Mårten and let him tell his own story…

My very first encounter with competition was made in 2012

“My journey started out like many others by modifying my own streetcar to make it handle better, go faster and of course look cool while doing it! But quite quickly I got a taste for drifting and decided to pursue my dream of competing in Motorsport.”

“My very first encounter with competition was made in 2012 when I entered my first round of the Swedish Drifting Championship since that day I was hooked and I knew that this was what I wanted to do.”

welding

“Our Competition debut was made in my first Drift car that was a Mercedes 190.”

“It got some serious attention worldwide from a lot of different online media and car magazines.”

“The 190 was used in competition until December 2014 where it was deemed illegal due to new regulations in the Swedish Drifting championship. This meant that we had to either rebuild the entire chassis our build a new one.”

“None of these alternatives felt good because we had experienced problems with keeping our drivetrain from breaking down, it just couldn’t handle the torque our engine produced.”

“So we decided that we should build our next Drift car on a new chassis, but which kind of chassis was the big question.”

mercedes-drifting

That chassis is a Mercedes CLK.

This is the first of it’s kind, a fully built CLK drift car. Here is the spec:

mecedes-drift-car-engine-bay

Mercedes CLK spec list

  • Mercedes M104 inline six (792 whp & 915wnm)
  • BorgWarner EFR 9180 turbo
  • Nuke performance fuel system
  • Auto Verdi DrySump system
  • 200mm Sachs Motorsport clutch and Tenaci flywheel
  • Tex Racing T101a Dogbox (4 speed)
  • E34 Differential and custom axles fitted into stock subframe
  • KW Suspension
  • Custom built steering angle kit (55 degrees of lock)
  • Xt206r Cosmis Racing wheels (18×9.5″ front / 18×11″ rear)
  • 6 Point rollcage
  • Custom built wide bodykit

mercedes-interior

Back to Martin:

“So a couple of seasons has passed with the CLK chassis and we felt that we had a quite competitive platform as we went through the 2018 season, this, however, is where it starts to get interesting.”

“Now that we have figured out a baseline for the car where it performs well and holds together, it’s time to take it to the next level step by step and that is what the 2019 season will be all about!”

“This offseason will be the calmest one we have had in many years when it comes to rebuilding the car, we have decided that we will only do a few but very important changes coming into the season to make sure we don’t have to start from zero.”

“One of our biggest challenges with the CLK right now is the weight, so we are trying to focus on reducing the weight on every area that we are rebuilding.”

mercedes-drifting-front-2

“Rebuild 1:
One of the things we are doing this winter is rebuilding the fuel system, we are going from a traditional external surge tank setup to a Nuke Performance CFC Unit setup.”

“This is a replacement lid for the 24 bolt patterned fuel cells that include a built-in surge tank and feeder pump setup that will be inside the fuel cell instead of the external version. This helps us save a couple of o kilograms both in hoses, surge tank weight and brackets.”

teamlovetap-driver-incar

“Rebuild 2.
We are changing to a new set of KW Suspension competition coilovers that also saves us a couple of kilograms compared to our old coilover setup, this will also improve the handling of the car as well as gaining more grip that always is an important factor when it comes to competitive drifting.”

mercedes-drifting-2

“Rebuild 3.
After more than 5 years running our current ECU setup we are about to change to a new brand of ECU! We have been struggling with some problems back and forth with our current setup and we are very excited to announce that Autogruppen is helping us replace it with an Emtron KV8 Ecu.”

“Emtron is an Australian based company which produces high-quality Ecu’s and they are focusing on the market between the standard ECU brands and top-level brands that are extremely costly. ”

mercedes-drifting-front

“Rebuild 4.
When running a unique chassis like the CLK it means that you can hardly buy anything off the shelf for the car, this means we produce a lot of the parts ourselves and this often means that we maybe don’t have the time to make spares.

So this offseason we are working hard on making sure we have spare control arms and all of the parts that are exposed to wear and tear in drifting.”

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“Our season kicks of at the traditional season starter Bilsport Performance & Custom Motorshow in Jönköping 19-20 of April, this is Scandinavia’s biggest car and bike show and they host a competition called Påsksladden (Easter Drift).”

“This is a single event with a lot of spectators and media so it’s definitely one of the best events of the year!”

“After that event, we head up to Gatebil Vålerbanan were our first round of the Gatebil Drift Series takes place, this is a drift series where the best in Scandinavia competes during the awesome Gatebil festivals.”

“So that means its always a good time no matter what, the 2019 championship features 4 rounds which include Vålerbanan, Mantorp Park, Rudskogen and Mantorp Park again! This will be our main focus as a team and will be the only full championship we take part in during 2019.”

“Besides the drift series we are going take part in the Gatebil main event at Rudskogen in July, this will host the Gatebil Super 3 competition where we will compete as well as the Breisladd.”

“Outside of the Gatebil events, we have some events we are planning/interested in but we are not going to release them quite yet!”

If this tuned up Mercedes has inspired you to pick up your own tuneable car then check out our best tuner cars article.

teamlovetap-triple-drift

So, who are team LoveTap?

Team Lovetap consists of Mårten Stångberg and mechanics Christopher Reinholdsson, Robin Carlsson, Stefan Engström, Jesper Jumisko, Edvin Olsson, Joel Haglund and my Spotter/Media person Sebastian Simonsson.

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You can follow Team Lovetap’s adventures on their website or social media.

Photo credits

Drifted extends warm thanks to P.Blomqvist Photography, Bringitonmedia and Patrick Visser for the amazing photos used in this article.

The post Team Lovetap Mercedes CLK Drift Car first appeared on Drifted.com.

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Matt’s Home Built 240sx S13 https://www.drifted.com/240sx-s13-matts-drift-car/ Wed, 03 Oct 2018 08:38:53 +0000 https://www.drifted.com/?p=41744 Allow me to introduce "Nancy", a less than serious take on the popular 240sx (S13) platform. This is a true no-fu*ks-given build that proves you don't need a big budget and 500bhp to have fun drifting.

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Allow me to introduce “Nancy”, a less than serious take on the popular 240sx (S13) platform. This is a true no-fu*ks-given build that proves you don’t need a big budget and 500bhp to have fun drifting.

240sx s13 rear tunnel

The car’s owner is Matt Crarey, a happy father of one who resides in Canada. Matt is an artist by trade and his profession really influences the build of his 240sx. The car has a distinctive JDM inspired street style that just oozes cool.

240sx s13 tunnel

He has a collection of exterior aero parts that he swaps around, mixing up fenders, guards, lips, side skirts and rear wings on a monthly basis.

240sx s13 static helmet

The car currently runs a carbon hood, OEM front bumper with a customised Honda Prelude Wings West front lip and a set of Bomex side skirts.

240sx s13 rear

The really interesting rear wing is actually an OEM item, but it has been set back and raised on custom risers. The high level rear hatch wing was fashioned from a piece of discarded aero Matt found on the side of the road after a snowstorm.

240sx s13 front wheel

The wheels are XXR 513s in 16″ 8j ET 0 fronts and 16″ 8j ET 15 rears with a 1″ rear spacer. These are wrapped in 205/55/16 tyres all around.

240sx s13 vinyl

Matt regularly mixes up the stickers and vinyl to keep the look fresh. Nearly all of the stickers and vinyl on the car are hand-cut by himself with scissors and razor blades.

240sx s13 tunnel lights

The 240sx sports a set of BC Racing coilovers, carbon fibre strut tower braces, PBM solid subframe risers and a Driftworks Hicas delete kit. Aaron Glendon custom extended lower control arms and knuckles, offset steering rack spacers and adjustable arms throughout help the car to perform on the track.

crashed 240sx

Matt has been drifting this car for over three years so naturally the car has seen a few scars. Kudos on the Drifted sticker Matt 😉

ka24det

After beating on the car with the stock KA24DE for over three years, Matt decided the need for more power was too much so he handed the engine to Post Haste Performance.

Looking to turbo your own KA24DE? Our KA24DE turbo kit guide was written just for you.

They installed a brand new set of Manley H arms and Weisco Pistons. These were over-bored by 0.5mm to 2.45 litres. These reinforced components are finished off with a Cometic head gasket and ARP hardware.

ka24det on stand

An IRS bottom mount exhaust manifold holds a custom-built turbo by Chris Scremin of Spectrum Motorsports Langley. The turbo unit started life in an S15s SR20DET, but was bored out to fit larger billet wheels to suit the increased displacement of the KA24DE-T. An internal wastegate was then installed to limit the boost.

240sx s13 engine work

The turbo dumps its waste through a test-pipe equipped, custom stainless-steel exhaust system. Fuel is fed into the KA24DE-T by an AEM fuel pump and is filtered through a 300zx fuel filter.

ka24det dyno graph

An EMU stand-alone ECU by ECU Master controls the engine and produces a solid 270 WHP and 249 WTQ at 14 psi.

240sx s13 interior

The interior of the car is simplistic, a reclining bucket seat and stock passenger seat, MOMO steering wheel and a Villains dual calliper hydro kit. Matt has stripped the rear for extra loading capacity.

240sx s13 full

That really comes in handy on a drift day…

240sx s13 popup

Matt likes to get his whole family involved in his drifting, young Stevie even gets to draw on the car – cool dad!

240sx s13 drifting front

Matt has joined a local drift team (Dark Lotus Drift Team) that his old roommate, Shelby Moreau started back in the day.

240sx s13 flaming

As you can see from these action shots the running gear and handling modifications have made a very capable drift car.

240sx s13 drifting bright

This is a 240sx that does not take itself too seriously. Underneath the mismatched aero and wild vinyl is a well set up and reliable drifting platform. Matt loves his car and we commend him for not being a sheep and building a car that is right for him.

240sx s13 static helmet far

While wilder cars are awesome, we feel that Matt’s 240sx is a car that is a little more relatable to most of us enthusiasts.

matt and partner

It goes to show that you don’t need an LS swap or JZ under the hood to enjoy the best drifting has to offer. Friends, family and fun.

Thanks for sharing your ride with us, Matt.

240sx s13 wrap

Matt would like to give shout-outs to his local underground street scene Chilliwack D-Boyz, Facebook group; Slammed N Sidewayz Drift events, darklotus.ca performance parts, Post-Haste Performance dyno tuning. Photographers; Endless Motion, DwyerZ Photography, RIDIC U LOOSE Photography, to Lil Stevie and finally, my co-pilot Alan (rally) Werner.

We would like to thank Cody McLachlan for use of his photography in this article.

Want to get started drifting yourself? Then it’s time to pick out you first drift car. Not got the cash for the real thing? Try our drifting games.

The post Matt’s Home Built 240sx S13 first appeared on Drifted.com.

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