Page 1 > top performance e v e n ts 18 The fast and furious drifters

19
events
18 top performance
The fast and furious
drifters from the JDM All
Stars professional drifting
circus treated the UAE to
some serious sideways
action at Dubai's Festival
City. Top Performance
waits for the tyre smoke to
clear to bring you this indepth report.
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
20 top performance
The fast and furious drifters from the
JDM All Stars professional drifting
circus treated the UAE to some serious
sideways action at Dubai's Festival City.
Top Performance waits for the tyre
smoke to clear to bring you
this in-depth
report.
The arrival of the
UK-based JDM All
Stars promised to
rock Dubai's automotive scene with
stunning drifting
displays by their top
drivers and some
awesome drift
machines. UAE Drift
2010 was the first
and largest such event in this part of
the world in any aspect, be it the
quality of the field, the sheer number
of drivers and cars, and the adrenaline-packed performance they put up
for the spectators.
JDM All Stars is now in their third year
and in 2010 they have gone one
bigger by launching the full JDM All
Stars Professional series in Europe, and
the mini series, the Triple Crown
Series, which has been backbone of
the series for the last two years. Their
new full-scale championship allows
the very best of drivers from both the
21
UK and Europe to battle under the
most competitive championship on
the continent to date.
Their promotion of
the drifting sport
doubles in 2010
with over 15 live
events and 5
major JDM
events. The goal
has always been
to bring the
sport to the people, and
with three high-profile street events
and two of the biggest car show-based
events, JDM All Stars are upping the
ante in terms of promotion and expansion. Their race tracks are the ultimate
challenge for both driver and car setup
to show who really the best driver of
2010 is and constitute an awesome
show for the thousands of spectators
following the drifting championship.
Top Performance hooked up with JDM
All Stars back in October 2010 when
the organizers approached us as one
of their media partners in the UAE.
Our magazine was the perfect platform to present and promote this
vibrant competition and the highly
modified race cars that star in the
renowned drift championship.
This is why Top Performance is
able to bring you the exclusive
coverage of each and every
drift car that performed at the
UAE Drift.
The UAE drifting event had
to go through some teething
problems with the drift cars
stuck in the customs for
several days, forcing the
organizers to postpone the
event by a week and to run
only one event rather than
three full days packed with drifting
action. But, despite all of the logistical
issues and the unfortunate cancellation
of the event, JDM All Stars pulled
together an awesome event a week
later at Festival City, delighting a drifthungry crowd and promising to be
back for more next year.
UAE Drift 2010 showcased lots of
dramatic driving and with a star
studded line-up, the anticipation was
huge, with record turnouts coming out
the view this event. From the start, it
was evident the Dubai heat was
affecting both the drivers and the
performance of their cars. First casualty
of the weekend was Irish champion
James Deane with a gearbox problem
in practice, as well as other engine
problems for other drivers.
Nevertheless, the show had to go on
despite the casualties and from the
very start of the competition, it was
clear to see there were three guys
really on the right pace and keen to
take home the first UAE Drift title,
Remmo Niezen, Nigel Colfer and
Christy Carpenter stood clearly out as
the top contenders for the title.
In the final it was Nigel Colfer in the
Nitto Tires S13 who took home the
win after a hard fought battle with
Remo Niezen in his Falken Tires BMW.
After two very close wins, it was
Irishman Colfer who took the overall
victory. Fellow countryman Christy
Carpenter took the Nexen tires S15
home in 3rd despite after having
engine running problems all evening.
The winner of the UAE Drift event
Nigel Colfer said: "Wow, just back
from an amazing trip with an unbelievable result! Top spot in UAE drift
Dubai. Following a dramatic few
weeks with car delays and the event
being postponed, we finally got a
chance to show off our skills in Dubai
Festival City a week later than scheduled! Having drafted Nitto Tire UAE
on-board with the 1jsx no one could
touch the team over the weekend. We
qualified first and finished first overall!
The final was against Dutch driver
Remmo Niezen in the Falken Tyre
E30, but the Falkens were no match
for the Nittos and we took top spot
after a close battle!
Thanks to Nitto Tire UAE, the local
hospitality and the guys at JDM All
stars for an unforgettable trip both on
and off track!"
So there you have it, JDM ALL Stars
not only gave the hungry crowds a
fantastic time with the bevy of beautiful machines and some dramatic
driving action, but even had a rocking
time themselves. Entering its third
season, JDM All Stars is recognized as
the best professional drifting championship in the UK and around Europe.
Born and nurtured on the narrow,
winding mountain passes of faraway
Japan, drifting has gradually evolved
into a worldwide competitive sport
that challenges each driver's driving
ability and vehicle control. But mind
you, it's not just limited to hardcore
enthusiasts; thanks to the recent crop
of drifting-inspired Hollywood flicks
and hugely addictive console game
franchises, the sport has gained huge
popularity with the masses too, and
only seems to grow further with every
passing day.
JDM All-stars provides a forum for
professional drifters to compete in six
events and demonstrations nationwide
for the coveted JDM All-stars Triple
crown Series. With the recent drifting
action and culture now firmly
entrenched in collective minds here,
we're sure to see more of the same in
the near future. As for the JDM All
Stars team, here's wishing them all the
very best for their future endeavours.
See you next year guys!
www.uaedrift.com
www.jdmallstars.com
!
!
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
22 top performance
23
Lennard Wanders’ NISSAN SILVIA S14A
Sporting a wide body and wider wheels, 550+hp Dutch smoke machine is a drift monster
Lennard's Silvia features a full BN
Sports blister kit that includes the front
and rear fenders, side skirts and the
front and rear bumper. The car is
pretty wide and, with a setup like this,
the fitment of the wheels is paramount. The car initially came with a
set of Koenig 18" wheels but they
seemed a little too small in the rear.
Lennard opted for a set of SSR Agle
Strusse in 18"x12 with an ET of -35.
These wheels have a dish so large you
can fit two iPhones side by side! In
the front, the original Koenig wheels
remain, sized 18"x12 with a ET of -15.
6- and 4-pot JBT brakes with 355mm
rotors peek from beneath the front
and rear wheels, shod with 265/35
R18 Falken rubber, respectively.
Christy Carpenter’s NISSAN SILVIA S15
Inside, there's a Sparco seat for the
passenger, but Lennard has treated
himself to a Porsche bucket seat
thanks to his friend Albin. The extensive roll cage has been made by the
same man, Albin.
To keep check on all the vitals,
Lennard uses a Yashio Factory water
temperature meter, AEM air fuel ratio
meter and a bunch of STRI meters
including boost and oil temp. The
Momo steering wheel, hydraulic brake
and the Wilwood brake bias adjuster
also helps in getting the car sideways.
The engine has been made 'bullet
proof' and is force fed thanks to a T70
turbo that connects to a massive intercooler. The turbo was so big that Albin
had to make custom arches. Normally,
you would see those arches in a full
circle but now they have been made
in such a way that there is enough
clearance for the turbo and the
wheels. Another cool feature is the
custom front end, which can be
removed by unscrewing four bolts to
remove the hoses. This way, you can
easily access the front of the engine
and perform some maintenance or
adjust the pulleys.
Lennard used a Tanabe suspension
and mounted a carbon fiber strut bar
amongst other things that are kept
hidden under chassis. The rear spoiler
has been handmade by Albin's father
and adds a nice touch to the rear of
the car.
Built by Garage-D, this no-compromise purple drifter boasts enough oomph to match the show
This purple Silvia, complemented by luminous yellow Gram Lights 57D rims, takes
the cake for being the most visually arresting
car of the lot. Sponsored by JDM Jap Parts
and Top Fuel Imports, Christy’s steed was a
complete shell-up build by Garage-D in
Watford, among the UK’s top Nissan Skyline
and 200SX specialists.
There was no compromise on the build of
the car, with the fully built RB26DET
running 550hp. Sporting a BN widebody kit,
the S15 dropped its RB26DET motor
recently for Toyota’s 1JZ GTE engine, and
puts out a neat 620 horsepower in its
current guise.
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
24 top performance
25
James Deane’s NISSAN SILVIA PS13
The Low-Brain Drifters PS13 entertained with flashy graphics and a great show
Here’s some interesting tidbit for
you Silvia fans. When the S14 was
introduced, the 2-litre SR20DET
engine was developed for it.
Running alongside with the production of the predecessor, the S13
also benefited itself with the
SR20DET engine capable of higher
horsepower. This made the driftable
car even more tail-happy. With the
transplant of the SR20DET, Nissan
renamed the RS13/RPS13 as the
PS13 Silvia, which featured
rectangle headlights and continued
to be sold in Japan until its production ended in 1995.
To be fair, this particular Team
Severnside/Nexen Tire Silvia PS13
didn’t appear as clean or as wellprepped as the other cars in the
event. Even on the performance
front, engines like the 1JZ and
RB26 overshone the SR20 lump in
this PS13.
Running Equips at the front and
Rotas at the back - wrapped with
Nexen high-performance tyres - the
flashy Nissan makes about 450
horsepower and employs
Driftworks CS2 suspension.
Julian Smith’s NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R R34
Euro drift legend and Garage-D owner turns up in the UAE in a 450hp monster R34
Garage-D is considered by many to
be among the UK’s best drifting and
fast road car builders. Owner Julian
Smith has been involved with
performance driving and engineering for a long time, learning
sideways car control from a young
age in Autograss which fast
progressed into rallying on both
loose surfaces and tarmac.
Now respected as one of the best
drift drivers in Europe, Julian
arrived for the UAE Drift in an R34,
boasting a 450hp RB26 DETT and
Cusco JDM race suspension. The
exterior recieves a widebody kit
and Nismo wheels, with the driver
getting a stripped out cabin,
Corbeau Pro Series seats and a few
essential gauges.
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
26 top performance
27
Nigel Colfer’s NISSAN SILVIA 180JZ
Built the hard way, this clean 180SX features Toyota’s 1JZ-GTE motor under the bonnet
Nigel Colfer started drifting 5 years ago
on the streets of Ireland in his 180SX
road car, which put out around 300hp.
At the end of 2008, it was decided to
build a new 180sx with the current 1JZ
engine. Power was upped to a responsive 450hp with a Garrett GT35 turbo,
ARC front-mount intercooler, custom
piping and a Tial 44mm external
wastegate. An HKS F-CON V Pro
standalone engine management system
is featured, along with an HKS EVC 6
boost controller. A Bosch 044 external
pump passes fuel via braided fuel lines
to the Sard 800cc injectors that spray
them into the cylinders, and are then
zapped by HKS plugs. Power is transmitted via an Exedy Hyper Twin clutch
and 6-speed Getrag ‘box, thorugh a
custom prop shaft and to the NISMO
GT Pro 2-way differential.
On the outside, the black 180SX
features 30mm wider front wings and
50mm wider rear over fenders, which
are complemented by an S15 bonnet
as well as front and rear bumpers and
side skirts from Uras. Finishing off the
exterior are S15 Spec R headlights,
custom Kouki taillights and a Japspeed
rear spoiler.
Nigel conducts business seated in a D2
bucket seat, strapped in place by D2
harnesses. He grips a Sparco steering
wheel, and gathers vital info from an
ETB Digi Dash system that relays
speed, RPM, oil pressure and temperature, as well as water temperature.
The custom-painted Rota Torque rims
are sized 9.5x17 at the front and
9.5x18 at the rear, and are wrapped
with 225/45 R17 Toyo Proxes R1R and
255/40 R18 Nitto Invo rubber respectively. Project Mu pads grip on the
brake discs, and are controlled by an
OBP floor-mounted pedal box system,
along with a brake bias controller.
Drifting is serious business. As such,
suspension chores are handled by
Steve Will’s BMW M3 E36
While it can be easily mistaken for a sleeper, this ordinary-looking E36
can knock your lights out with an astounding 800 horsepower
Driftworks ADJ wishbones and CS2
coilovers, along with rear camber
arms, toe arms and traction arms
sourced from Cusco.
Will’s BMW M3 E36 was the
sleeper of the bunch, sporting
nothing more than dark blue paint
and black Pro Race competition
wheels from Team Dynamics. Other
than what appeared to be an E46
M Sport bumper, a slightly widened
stance and a vented carbon fibre
bonnet, there was little visual
drama on this car.
Probably, Will likes it better to do
things rather than just talk about
them, as the BMW boasts an
incredible 800 horsepower. That’s
enough power to not just shred
sticky, high-performance rubber
and melt asphalt, but probably
even good to turn back time! Very
impressive.
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
28 top performance
29
Walton Smith’s SUBARU IMPREZA GC8 TYPE R
Widebody Scooby punches out a neat 458hp from a custom-modded RB25DET lump
The exterior of the Irishman’s Impreza
features an HT Autos 22B-style wide
body front and rear arches, side skirts,
spaced out front wings, modified Evo
V front bumper, WRC-style fibreglass
bonnet, STI VII high-level bonnet
scoop, WRC roof scoop, OE rear
bumper with Evo X rear diffuser and a
GT-style carbon fibre rear wing.
Bride carbon/Kevlar bucket seats
adorn the cabin, accompanied by
Takata harnesses, six-point roll-cage,
GReddy gauges and a Honda S2000
fuel tank in the boot.
Powering the GC8 is an RB25DET that
draws in fresh air through an RB26style KU Engineering front-feed inlet
plenum and an 80mm throttle body. A
pair of Cosworth filters clean up the
fuel before twin Walbro 255 pumps
feed the 600cc Sard injectors via
braided fuel lines and an HKS fuel
rail. Pressure is controlled by a
Japspeed fuel pressure regulator.
The GReddy TD06 25G turbo, aided
by a manual boost controller, lets off
steam through an external wastegate.
Valves are operated by Tomei cams
and adjustable pulleys. Overseen by
an Apexi Power FC ECU, the engine
emits waste gases via a top-mounted
exhaust manifold and through a Blitz
Nur-spec exhaust system. The transmission is an RB25 five-speed custommounted unit featuring a Giken twinplate clutch and custom internallymounted clutch master cylinder.
The Scooby also benefits from a
custom one-piece propshaft, custom
front and rear subframes, Nissan S14
rear differential, S14 rear shafts, STI X
quick steering rack, Evo VIII steering
arms, Zero Sports track rod ends and
STI X lower rear arms. Finally, road
contact is provided by Bridgestone
Potenzas sized 215/45 at the front and
Autoguard SA802 sized 235/45 at the
back, wrapping CST Hiper Zero One
alloy wheels. Stopping power is
dished up in spades by Brembos at all
corners.
Remmo Niezen’s BMW M3 E30
Light weight and a big helping of power are almost always a tasty combo,
and it doesn’t prove otherwise in this V8-engined E30 M3
The man from Maassluis in Netherlands turned up
in his trusty Falken Tire BMW M3 E30, but guess
what it hid under the bonnet? Nothing short of the
explosive 5-litre V8 from the last generation E39
M5. Sporting a beautiful Remmo Autosport widebody kit, the car weighs in at just 1100kg.
Paired with the 6-speed from the M5 and a JB
Racing clutch, the 450hp and 540Nm of torque
throw the car at the horizon at explosive pace.
Waste gases are expelled through a JD Exhaust
Performance exhaust system. Remmo Autosport
suspension kit is used all around, and keeping
things safe are a Wielhoven Technology rollcage
and Movit Big Brake kit. Engine management is
overseen by a DTA S80 Pro system sourced from
Alons Motorsport in the Netherlands.
>
>
www.performancemag.net
events
30 top performance
Anthony Scott’s NISSAN SILVIA RB30
Built by Japan Import Car Limited, this 565 horsepower Silvia boasts a lot of JDM goodies
The Englishman’s Silvia, built in-house at
Japan Import Car Limited, boasts a
Skyline-sourced RB30 block partnered
with a ported and polished cylinder head
with modified oil feeds and returns, CP
Forged oversize pistons, Spool H-beam
conrods, ACL race bearings, mains and
big ends, and HKS 260 camshafts along
with GTR adjustable cam pulleys.
Air is drawn into the engine via a Blitz
cone air filter and Ku Engineering inlet
manifold with a 100mm throttle body.
Fuelling concerns are taken care of by
800cc injectors and a fuel rail from sard,
as well as by 1000hp fuel pumps, filters,
pressure regulator and drag race fuel cell
from Aeromotive. Helping to make
565hp is a Garrett GT35 turbocharger,
which is accompanied by a 40mm
external wastegate.
Handling duties are dealt with by a
Driftworks Control system 2 coilover
suspension, front and rear Driftworks
adjustable lower arms, Japspeed upper
rear adjustable arms and subframe brace,
Whiteline adjustable anti roll bars, and
also a Driftworks alloy subframe and
differential mounts. Brembo GTR front
and rear brakes aid stopping power, with
the former gripping grooved discs.
>