For a real motor head, there’s nothing better than getting a natural high from the sound of revving engines and the smell of burning rubber. And there’s no better place to get plenty of both than at a drifting event.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen drifting gain more and more momentum here in our region. The Asian Formula Drift series has been a tremendous boost to helping aspiring drifters find a competitive outlet to showcase their skills.

This year, US based Japanese professional drifter Daijiro Yoshihara came down to judge the local talent and I decided it would be a great opportunity to get a real taste of smoking rubber from a real pro.

After briefly interviewing the 32 year old, we started talking about cars and just how he got into drifting. It was immediate how deeply passionate he was about the sport, and then it was time to hop in for a shotgun ride beside the US Formula Drift race winner.

Dai, as he preferred to be called was going to take me on a short spin, demonstrating how he initiated a drift using the emergency brake, or e-brake as he referred to it.

Now I had tried my hand at drifting before and managed to pull off a doughnut and only the first half of a figure 8. It’s not as easy as it looks. Anyone can smoke tyres but not everyone can control smoking tyres.

Dai was excellent, first he just sat down and told me exactly what he was going to do, before we even started moving. This way I was able anticipate what he was doing and not miss a thing. He engaged first gear and floored the accelerator. Well actually, we weren’t going that fast, second gear and about 60km/h was all we needed to achieve. I reminded myself, that unlike in the movies, drifting wasn’t about speed.

Once he’d got the car up to speed, he pulled on the e-brake, but only for a second and at the same time flicked the steering wheel. The car started sliding and I could hear the rubber screeching as it rubbed against the tarmac.

Once we were drifting, Dai told me that controlling the slide was all about throttle technique. And sure enough I listened and could hear the short burst of the engine as Dai feathered the throttle to maintain speed. The smell of burning rubber wafted through the ajar windows.

When I tried my hand at drifting, I had real difficulty changing direction of my slide. I always ended up over compensating and flicking the car 270 degrees instead of the ideal 180. But when I watched Dai do it, it was effortless. He flicked us left, laid down some rubber, switched right squealed the tyres a little more and the swung us back to the left, before moving smoothly into a series of doughnuts and after a few360’s, drifted back out before coming to a stop. Well, at least that’s what I think he did because my head was spinning along with the rest of the car. . I felt like I’d hopped inside a washing machine on a spin cycle! Thank goodness for bucket seats and safety belts!

What a rush. And it wasn’t about the speed this time, it was the ability to control the machine and swing it to all kinds of unnatural manoeuvres but by no means destroying it.

Whist I might have not absorbed everything that he was doing, there was something extremely artistic about how he did it. Just watching his hand, feet and body at work was amazing. Everything was so calm and fluid. I could sense that he was in complete control and perhaps not even really pushing himself all that hard. But for me in the car, with the engine revving and the smell of burning rubber filling my lungs, it seemed like the most impossible task to imitate, and I must say the whole experience left me in awe of just how much skill drift drivers possess. Like I said, anyone can smoke rubber but not everyone can control smoking rubber. Dai didn’t just control it, he mastered it, and I count myself extremely lucky to be able to have experienced it first hand.

Sanjeev Palar is a presenter for the popular motorsport magazine show, Engine Block – catch more of his motorsport adventures, every Monday at 10.30 pm on STAR Sports.

The Hunt for Horses – Part 1

DTM, or Design Technik Motorsports is the performance arm of local motor shop Autotechnika. Headed by tuner Tommy Teng, DTM specializes in modifying European makes, mostly those hailing from Deutschland. Armed with up-to-date automotive technology and a pool of tuning capabilities thanks to its extensive partners here and abroad, DTM does one thing pretty clear: make that bloody car of yours go faster.

As far as European cars go, it’s hard to get any better than BMWs. The task becomes even harder when they come with an M-badge. For this installment of Autoindustriya’s Tuned, we take a look at DTM’s Project M6. Can DTM improve upon Bavarian greatness? Let’s find out…

The BMW M6 comes packed with what we all look for in a car. Power. Power. And more power! Who cares about leg room or trunk space when you’re baby’s motivated by the M-division built 5 liter V-10? This 40-valve dual overhead beast-of-an-engine spits out a hair-raising 507 hp and 520 lb-ft, enough muscle to propel such a heavy car from rest to 100 kmh in a brief 4.6 secs.

Customary with all aftermarket tuners, DTM saw obvious room for improvement. Since the owner of this Bimmer can’t seem to get enough of a good thing, DTM supplied the commodity it deals best… power!

Part 1 of project M6 is all about extracting more push from the V10 mill. Tommy of DTM gives a very succinct game plan, “We don’t want to mess around with what the factory intended this car to be, a luxury GT-cruiser. Our goal is to simply enhance what this car does best, and that’s hitting high velocities in as little time possible.”

In the hunt for greater horses, better breathing is essential. First on the go-fast list was a Gruppe-M Ram Air System. The pair of bigger lungs allows the 5.0 naturally-aspirated engine to draw huge gulps of oxygen upon every application of the throttle. It’s also designed to channel in cooler air that results to more explosive combustion. The Gruppe M intake kit is comprised of two conical air filters and proprietary carbon fiber housing for each piece. The carbon bits are beauties any racing fan will appreciate, as they sit so prominently in the engine bay. Pop that hood, flash the exotic looking hardware perched on both sides, and show onlookers that your machine’s packing some heat!

Caution to the DIYs out there, this job isn’t as simple as it looks. Contrary to the intake systems found in smaller engines, the M6′s procedure required the entire front bumper to be taken out. Only then could the stock pieces be swapped for the Gruppe M, as this kit also comes with larger plumbing all throughout. It was worth all the trouble though as the finished product just speaks for itself.

Inhale. Exhale. With more air coming in, naturally you want more air coming out. Step 2 in the modification process was revising the flow of spent gases. Eliminating unwanted backpressure is a sure way to gaining more performance, so a less restrictive exhaust system from Supersprint was procured. DTM went with the entire gamut the Italian brand offered consisting of the exhaust manifold, front pipe with a metallic catalytic converter on both sides, and center “X” pipes that lead to the dual round rear exhaust pipes. All this bent tubing doesn’t come cheap mind you, as the whole package racked up close to half a million in Philippine currency. Before you blurt out expletives, the exhaust system does showcase pretty extensive engineering. The headers alone look like the ones you see in Formula-1 with numerous bending pieces molding into a single chamber. Remember, we’re dealing with a 10 cylinder. “The manifold reminds me of something out of the Alien movie, it looks freakishly out of the ordinary. I wanted to hang it on my office wall like a piece of art,” expressed Tommy.

Getting all of the parts installed was quite a challenge as the tight confines beneath the engine meant a lot of precision was needed. When all was done though, the Supersprint exhaust endowed the M6 with a whole new set of vocals. It was like someone had pissed it off, and all of a sudden the Bimmer had an angrier tone. Racy but not obnoxious, the new exhaust lends the M6 with a sense of subdued aggression. You get the feeling a storm is bottled up somewhere, just waiting on that right foot to unleash it, but until it does, a calm baritone idle is enough hint of its might.

DTM is one of the few tuning houses locally that can tinker with a vehicle’s ECU, or what you would call the car’s electronic brain. Flash tuning is its forte, and the M6 had its circuitry reconfigured for more power. It’s wasn’t like normal projects though since squeezing that last bit of juice from an M-motor is truly a challenge in itself. M-engines have optimized tolerances already in stock form, which is testament to BMW’s standards. “This is probably the most difficult vehicle I’ve done so far,” shares Tommy who had to reach deep in his bag of tricks to further extend the gains out of the tuning. Though he doesn’t want to disclose specifics on what he exactly worked on (it’s a trade secret), part of what he adjusted involved improving the air-fuel mixture and the timing. Tommy claims that flash tuning by DTM allows you to enjoy results tailor-fit to your car, compared to an ECU program acquired from abroad. Things like fuel quality and ambient temperature specific to local conditions affect the engine’s performance, so gains claimed by the programmer abroad may not necessarily reflect gains once tested locally.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, and the results are hard to argue with. Project M6 was baseline dyno’d at 336 whp. With the Gruppe M intake installed, power went up to 352 hp at the wheels (increase of 16 whp). With the M6 enjoying the new Supersprint exhaust system and the Gruppe M intake, the dyno registered 375 whp ( a further increase of 25 whp). Finally with the flash tuning and the bolt-on parts completed, Project M6 pulled 396 whp (increase of 21 whp), for a total of 60 whp gained from a naturally aspirated M-engine.

Is this the culmination of the hunt for more horses? What’s next for Project M6? We never said forced induction was out of the question. Or perhaps some handling enhancements? Catch us next time for Part 2 of DTM’s Project M6…

Round 4 of the Lateral Drift Pro-Am Championship moved back to the metro in Eastwood City last June 26-27. With the championship going past the halfway mark, the points leaders tried to outdo themselves while those trying to catch up showed them that the series is far from over.

With great power comes great smoke – Pacho Blanco smoking the tires of the Motul/Autoplus Nissan S13

The Destroyer showing his own brand of power and tire smoke that made him the top qualifier for the Pro Division

Hot on his heels from his first podium finish during the last leg, Team AutoIndustriya.com-Kumho Tires’ Jason “The Destroyer” Choachuy truly put on a good show taking the top spot in the qualifiers for the Pro Division. Topping the scoresheets in the Amateur Division was Alvin Dayrit in his first outing in the series.

In the end, it would be classic matchup between Choachuy (Nissan Cefiro) and Yellow Cab’s Alex Perez (Nissan S13), where The Destroyer literally hands the victory to Perez on a silver platter with a spin during their first championship tandem battle.

Meanwhile in the Amateur Division, youngblood Kar Montaner drove his SR20DE powered Corona to the limit and took TRS’ Bjorn Ongtiaobok (Mazda BT50) to school.

Choachuy sticks it close to Blanco

Tayao tries to go side-by-side with Ronquillo

Hurt and still fighting – Audel Sison soldiers on after a brief encounter with the wall in the first turn

Pro Division
1. Alex Perez
2. Jason Choachuy
3. Kevin Tayao

Amateur Division
1. Kar Montaner
2. Bjorn Ongtiaobok
3. Alvin Dayrit

The Lateral Drift Championship series was revised for 2010 to merge both the Pro division and Amateur division into one series ran for 6 events with both classes running on the same weekend. Four legs were to be held in the Eastwood City open grounds while two would be in the Clark International Speedway.

The third round moved to Clark for fast paced high intensity sideways action after having run two rounds in Eastwood. The long track however proved to be more than what some expected it to be, as some cars broke down and relegated some competitors to watch from the sidelines instead of going sideways.

Norman Agojo drives his Skyline hard in Amateur Division

Mike Tuason and Mark Rosca battle it out for the win

Jason "The Destroyer" Choachuy wows the crowd with his daring drift maneuvers

One of the more exciting tandem battles between Alex Perez and Boodie Dabasol

RJ Obiedo versus “The Destroyer”

Blanco against Agregado in a highly competitive tandem battle

RJ Obiedo going sideways with his Hankook S15

Pro Division
1. Gio Rodriguez
2. RJ Obiedo
3. Jason Choachuy

Amateur Division
1. Mike Tuason
2. Mark Rosca
3. Norman Agojo

For the full event coverage on Autoindustriya.com Motorsports click here

German-based Ferrari tuner Novitec Rosso recently unleashed their new bi-compressor supercharged F430 Edizione 747 to bid farewell to the F430 Scudiera. The new powerhouse boasts of 747-horsepower at 8500rpm and 738Nm of torque at 6300rpm, capable of going from 0-300km/h in 22.9 seconds and tops out at 351 km/h.

The limited upgrade is exclusive to the Berlinetta model of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The conversion uses a similar layout to all Novitec Rosso bi-compressor conversions with each cylinder bank fitted with an intercooler. Extra power is provided by a cogged-belt-driven high-performance supercharger with a maximum boost pressure of 0.53 bar. The intercooling system features its own dedicated water circuit. The radiator of the system is located behind a special centrally placed air duct in the front apron.

For more efficiency, a specially developed underbody with integrated air deflector optimizes the flow of cold air into the engine bay. The precompressed air is routed to the combustion chambers using a custom-tailored heat-insulated intake manifold with larger cross sections. Eight high-flow injectors ensure adequate fuel supply for the compressor conversion. Upgraded radiators and oil coolers are also added to guarantee durability under high temperatures.

A Novitec Rosso engine management system perfectly syncs all high-performance components and also increases redline speed by 200 rpm. The result is a generous increase of 237-horsepower from the normally aspirated form with a generous bump of 268 Nm in torque.

It also has performance test to back up its numbers: A sprint time of less than 3.4 seconds for 0 – 100 km/h is just as unique as the sprint time of 9.4 seconds to 200 km/h. Hitting the 300 km/h mark just after 22.9. The two-seater version can also be equipped with longer gear ratios for a top speed of 351 km/h.

New sport springs have also been installed to give more agile and direct handling, which lower the ride height of the Ferrari by some 30 millimeters. An innovative hydraulic lift system has been added to the front axle. At the push of a button in the cockpit the front is raised by 40 millimeters. It allows drivers to safely navigate parking ramps, low curbs and speed bumps. After safely passing over the obstacle, another push of the button reverts the suspension to its original position. If the button is not pushed the front end reverts to its original position automatically once the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.

A two-tone special matte yellow and grey paintjob emphasizes the sporty shape of the body and lends the Scuderia pedigreed racing looks. To complement these looks Novitec Rosso installed black taillights, side markers and reflectors. The racing theme also dominates the engine’s appearance: All carbon-fiber engine components come with a matte finish.

The Edizione 747 rolls on three-piece 20-inch NF3 double-spoke wheels in sizes 8.5Jx20 in front and 12Jx20 on the rear axle are fitted with Michelin Pilot Cup sport tires in sizes 245/30 ZR 20 in front and 315/25 ZR 20 in back.

Interior upgrades include the Supersport steering wheel features a combination of leather and carbon-fiber with flattened bottom making entering and exiting the vehicle easier. Carbon-fiber shift paddles were added to complement the new steering wheel. The longer paddles also make manual shifting of the F1-SuperFast2 transmission easier. A two-tone interior is also available on option to match the racey exterior.

Very much a part of today’s pop culture, the new MINI Cooper enjoys cult status among car fans and non-car fans alike. With the nostalgia for the cute little cruiser echoed by this modern iteration, the new MINI Cooper, much like the New Beetle, is living proof that classics can indeed be reinvented.

So popular is this new version that its appeal crosses genders, making it lovable not just for hardcore Cooper loyalists but also for casual motorists who simply want to look cool in it. Which begs me to ask the question, has the new MINI Cooper been relegated to new-age chick-car status? Can it be? Has this cunning two-door devolved into a modern day girlie ride?

One look at the MINI Cooper S GP puts all those questions to rest. Look at it. Take a minute. In fact, take two. Now you know what I mean? This is what the new MINI Cooper S should have looked like from day 1.

Purposeful. Muscular. Distinguished. The MINI Cooper S GP is not ashamed to look the part of the most powerful Cooper ever produced. The attention grabbing exterior is spearheaded by the handsome lightweight 18-inch wheels, finished in black to create some aesthetic contrast with the metallic blue-grey paint. As a limited edition model, the Cooper S GP only comes in this color. The ride height has been lowered by 10mm, rendering the sports-coupe with a very taut stance. The front bumper has been reworked for better visual impact and aerodynamics, with a black mesh insert and side slats thrown into the design. If the standard MINIi Cooper S seems to be smiling at a standstill, the GP on the other hand wears a mean scowl. Over at the rear, a touring car-esque wing gives it increased downforce at high speed, not to mention a true track toy persona.

The play on colors is also a huge attraction in this car, and one of the methods employed by MINI is installing red side mirrors into all of the 2000 units that came out of Oxford. The roof is also made different by painting it silver, and on the side, one can appreciate the model number of the unit as it is loudly embossed, affirming the car’s rarity.

But what really makes the MINI Cooper S GP special is the substance beneath the form. Under the bonnet is the same supercharged 1.6 inline-4 found in the garden variety Cooper S. However, the Brits (or is it the Germans since BMW was really behind this) squeezed more power from the motor by tinkering with the intercooler and the engine settings. What you get is a stouter mill that makes an advertised 218 hp at the flywheel, significantly more than the 170 hp on the normal variant. The added grunt is paired with a leaner body, as the GP is about 50 kg lighter than its portlier sibling. The pounds are shed mainly by tossing the rear seats, and in place is a rear strut bar that tightens up the chassis. The aforementioned rims also contribute to less pounds.

Being the specialist when it comes to European makes, Design Technik Motorsports (DTM), headed by Tommy Teng, worked on making the Cooper GP an even wilder animal. Baseline testing the MINI, Tommy found that in stock form, it made a healthy 167 hp and 151 lb-ft at the wheels (Remember, wheel hp figures are always lower than the manufacturer quoted flywheel numbers). Working first on the exhaust system, DTM glued in a handsome set of Supersprint pipes from the exhaust manifold, center pipe, and all the way to the racing muffler. Result? A car that sounds more at home in a track than in the street. The GP lets out a wild shriek when gunned, and really is not for the faint of heart. But if waking up the neighbors pleases you, look no further. Since the car makes use of a supercharger, making more power meant de-loading the blower with unnecessary stress. This is why a lighter supercharger pulley was installed. The mod yields a 15% decreased load on the charger, and when paired with DTM’s flash tuning program, allows the motor to unleash its true potential. With the new modifications in place, DTM’s work on the ECU optimizes the engine for improved real-world performance. The special John Cooper Works painted red calipers have been reinforced with the use of Hawk Performance brake pads, and steel braided brake lines allow fluid to be coursed uninterruptedly.

After all the wrenching was done, the Dynapack Dynamometer registered a notable increase of 28 hp and 23 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, with the official figures being 194 whp and 174 lb-ft respectively.

Puttering around town, it’s obvious the MINI Cooper GP, now with its improved repertoire, is unhappy being driven so politely. Entering a wider piece of road, we uncork the blown beauty and it rips at the tarmac angrily. MINI Coopers were never meant to wow with their muscle, but the GP defies that ethos and temps you to plant the throttle even deeper. It’s in the corners though where the GP is best enjoyed, as intimate connection between car and driver is exemplified. Non-existent body roll means you can lean faster and tighter into turns, perfect for timed laps in the track. What amazed me the most though wasn’t the go-kart like reflexes, as this was to be expected. Rather, it was the pliant ride that the GP returned, making it utterly livable for everyday motoring. No kidney shattering ride here folks. Now only if that muffler could drop the decibel count a bit…its just way too loud for everyday use.

The Mini Cooper GP. Exciting at its core, and even when tuned for higher thrills, remains a docile two-seater for Manila’s less than ideal roads. Too bad they only made a couple of thousand of these… since this is what every MINI Cooper S should be like!

Hey AI… A few months ago we did the filming for DSPORT Magazines S2K Challenge and New Car Review at a local California racetrack. I was summoned to do all the test driving for the road course segments for these two articles. It finally hit newsstands this week and the September issue features extensive coverage and an hour long DVD! You won’t want to miss this issue, its the best one yet. Check it out!

View the DVD Trailer:

For more info, visit www.dsportmag.com.

- ROBBIE

Focusing on the needs of the track enthusiasts comes this motorsports derived TS-G lightweight shell seat from Recaro. The seat side allows smoother accelerator, brake, and clutch action with divided leg support. Support has been improved to the shoulder with the addition of a non slipping support. The angle of the back rest sleeps further compared with the RS-G and SP-G seats. Recommended for those who prefer a more reclined position for a lower eye point for the track. It is a very comfortable full bucket seat that firmly supports the waist surroundings. These seats also hold the driver with minimal vibration even with strong G-forces acting in all directions.

For Inquiries:
Excellar Enterprise, Inc.
(+63 2) 712.5373
Web: www.excellar-auto.com

H&R
SPORT SPRINGS

Give your Honda Civic that lowered look to match your up-sized rims with a set of H&R sport springs that’s not just for looks alone. H&R Sport Springs offer the handling characteristics and aggressive appearance that you’ve been looking for, without the harsh ride characteristics of less-advanced spring systems; making it the most popular spring kit in H&R’s line-up.

H&R Sport Springs are crafted from a special 54SiCr6 spring steel to ensure quality and performance with superb ride quality. H&R Sport Springs feature more control and are engineered for the street, making them comfortable and fun to drive. H&R’s line of Sport Springs will lower your vehicle an average of 1 – 2 inches for a lower center of gravity, improved handling and a more aggressive appearance. Sport springs feature more control than that of the OE Sport spring, but is still comfortable for daily use. H&R Sport springs are an excellent choice for street and occasional track use.

For Inquiries:
SPEEDLAB
(+632)3764648/3764651
E-mail: speedlab@speedlab.com

CLEAN ROLLERS
MOTHER’S
FX Line

What good would a shiny paint job be, if your wheels and tires are full dirt and grime? The solution is to treat them with Mother’s FX Line of wheel cleaner and tire shine. The FX wheel cleaner is a fast acting solution that gets rid of ugly brake dust is a snap. Just spray it on, wait for about a minute and then simply hose it off. What’s even great is that it’s safe to use on all wheel types. As for the tires, not only would they look good and clean but protected as well through advanced custom crafted polymers and coating agents that shield it against UV oxidation, brake dust and road grime.

For Inquiries:
Hart Int’l Co.
(+632)7445875
Email: Hart_Intl@yahoo.com

SpeedLab
Honda Civic R18 Turbo Kit

SpeedLab introduces their first complete 100% bolt on kit for the new Honda Civic 1.8L R18 engines equipped with either an automatic or manual transmission. The kit contains everything and installs in a about 10 days. Dyno proven to deliver an increase of 70hp-90hp.
The kit consists of the following:
- GT28 turbocharger
- Cast iron turbo manifold & outlet
- Stainless steel pipings
- Silicon hose couplers
- K&N high flow filter
- Front mount intercooler
- HKS or Greddy BOV
- Oil supply & return lines
- 590cc Injector
- Unichip piggyback engine management
- Labor and installation
- Dyno tuning
For Inquiries:
Speedlab
871 Quezon Ave. Quezon City
(+632)3764648/3764651
E-mail: speedlab@speedlab.com

SPLITFIRE
8.8MM SPARK PLUG CABLE

Get more performance and fuel economy from your engine by upgrading your OE wires with SplitFire’s twin core construction plug wires. This technology gives you a dual firing path towards each spark plug. SplitFire can deliver up to 15 times the ignition power of O.E. wire sets. More ignition power at the spark plug means improved combustion efficiency – so you can get more miles per gallon and more power at any RPM. SplitFire duplicates original equipment fit and out-performs any aftermarket wire set on the market. Application available for most car makes and models.

For Inquiries:
All-Inclusive Sales Inc.
(+632)5215921
Email:allines@allines.com.ph

BILSTEIN
SPORT SHOCKS

For the enthusiast driver who demands superior handling, the Bilstein Sport shocks and struts deliver the highest levels of control. An excellent match for vehicles with lowering springs or upgraded anti-roll bars, the Sport Series shocks and struts perform under demanding conditions. Additional advantages, based on development strongly influenced by the motorsport industry, include greater stability, better road handling, and accurate steering.

This combined with extremely high quality manufacturing and materials, means Bilsteins will last approximately four times as long as Original Equipment. The piston head design allows independent tuning of the compression and rebound damping forces to provide optimum ride comfort and performance without compromise. The product’s simple, yet exceptionally functional digressive design contributes to the extreme durability and long life of Bilstein Shock Absorbers.

For Inquiries:
Speedlab
(+632)3764648/3764651
E-mail: speedlab@speedlab.com

LIVIN’ LOUD
KICKER KS-Series
KS650.2, KS60.2, KS50.2
KS Component Speaker System

Give your car’s factory sound a serious power injection with a KICKER KS-Series Coaxial Speaker upgrade. With added improvements on the woofers and the tweaked tweeters, simply dropping them in where your factory speakers were seems like a no-brainer.

The curvilinear, gray woofer cones with a robust, Santoprene® surround, and newly designed basket give KS Coaxials the extra brawn to deliver a smooth, rich sound at any volume. Delivering the high notes is the half- and three-quarter-inch, Kaladex-domed tweeters that contain a stout neodymium magnet dipped in ferro fluid for maximum coolness, recreating highs that can rival real live performances.

KS Coaxes are available in 10 sizes, from the capable 3.5-inch up to the marine-ready 6 x 9. The line includes a specially designed 7-spoke speaker grille in a handsome dark gray finish that’s sure to spice up any car’s interior.

For Inquiries:
Winterpine Marketing
106 Kapiligan St.
Dona Imelda Village
Quezon City
(+632)7427839
www.winterpinegroup.com

This is truly more than just letting your car’s rear end hang out as there’s a theoretical approach on how to actually do it.

Origins

Its beginnings started as a competitive sport that catered to mountain-road racers of rural Japan. Informal challenges on mountain back roads (called “Touge”) eventually evolved into a heavily funded and advertised competitive event, sanctioned by organizations and held on private tracks. Initiated by Option magazine Japan and its video department V-Option, they created the popular D1 Grand Prix to catch and expand the drifting craze. Led by CEO Daijiro Inada, the Option D1GP has now broken into other venues like the States and other countries. Drifting actually started in America around ’02 a grassroots level among Club4AG members and has now exploded into a massively popular form of motorsport with the advent of the D1 GP. However, Japanese drifters are still considered to be at the cutting edge of technique and car development, but their American counterparts are quickly catching up, like Vince Gitten Jr (D1GP Champ), Rhys Millen, Samuel Hubinette, and Benson Hsu.

Definition

Drifting refers to the difference in the slip angle between the front and rear tires of a car. When the rear wheels are slipping at a greater angle than the front wheels, the car is said to be drifting, or oversteering. What happens is that the rear end of the car appears to chase the front end around a turn, as the driver utilizes both front tires and the rear tires to control the actual direction of the car. Adding more throttle induces more rear wheel slip angle and the rear of the car wants to overtake the front. Overall, the goal of the driver here is to achieve steering lock and use the throttle to fine tune the car’s angle and direction. Think of it as a controlled slide. Many of the techniques used today in drifting were developed by rally drivers who often competed on dirt, gravel and snow. Sliding around corners for rally racing was the only way to go faster around a corner as they normally raced on loose or slippery surfaces.

Drifting for Points

Nowadays, drifting has become a competitive sport where drivers have their own styles and techniques as they compete to keep their cars sideways for as long as possible. Drifting competitions are judged based not on the time it takes to complete a course, but how much slip angle a driver can get, how long can they hold it, and how close can they stay to the racing line, or to the wall. Keiichi Tsuchiya, a well known legend in the drifting world, is considered the father of drifting. Regarded as the “Drift King” (Dorikin), he is the official chief judge in the D1 Grand Prix Series. Final rounds of D1GP competition include tandem drift runs nicknamed “tsuiso” in Japanese, where one car follows another through the course, attempting to keep up with or even pass the car in front. In the “tsuiso” rounds, it doesn’t matter if the racing line is wrong, what matters is who can execute the most exciting drift. A car does not even have to keep up, because even though the other car is left behind on the straight, but managed to execute a spectacular drift, he can still win that round. However, a spin, understeer, or collision results in the disqualification of the offending party.

Drift Cars

Any rear-wheel drive car can be set up for drift competition, but must include the addition of a Limited-Slip Differential. Popular competition cars in the US include the Nissan 240SX, Nissan 350Z, Toyota Corolla GT-S (AE86), Mazda RX-7, and Honda S2000. In Japan, the top drift machines are the Nissan S13, S14, S15 Silvia, 180SX, Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno and Corolla Levin, Nissan Skyline (The 4-door sedan, RWD version, a.k.a. ER34), Toyota Altezza, Toyota Aristo, Nissan Z33, Fairlady Z, Nissan Cefiro (A31), Nissan Laurel, and Toyota Soarer. There is some debate over whether or not front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicles can drift. By the technical definition (rear wheels slipping at a greater angle than front wheels), they are indeed able to drift. However, many consider FWD vehicles a poor choice for drifting, as the frequent use of the emergency brake (necessary to drift FWD cars) slows them down and makes them harder to control. 4WD vehicles, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution drift at a much different angle and are usually induced by power-over. As the front wheels are also driven on a 4WD vehicle there is a noticeable lack of counter steer.

Drifting Techniques

Braking Drift

This drift is performed when entering a corner to induce the car to “set” or shift its weight to cause the rear wheels to lose traction and drift. This is performed by braking before a corner while starting to turn in, vary the brake petal until loss of grip is obtained and then balance the oversteer through steering and throttle inputs to control and sustain the drift.

Power-Over Drift

This drift is performed when entering a corner at full throttle to produce heavy oversteer through the corner, it is the most typical drifting technique for All Wheel Drive (AWD) cars.

Inertia (Feint) Drift

This method is done by “rocking” the car much like a pendulum, whereby once the car is rocked towards the outside of a turn, you then use the inertia of the car to swing it back to the desired direction. By going away from the corner, and turning back in hard, you are now coming in the corner at a much sharper angle.

Hand-Brake Drift

This technique is very straightforward, upon entering a corner, pull the hand brake lever to induce traction loss at the rear wheels, and balance the drift through steering and throttle play. Some people argue that this method doesn’t actually create a drift but rather just a power slide. The bottom line here is that using the hand brake is no different from any other method of starting a drift. This method is generally the main technique to perform in a controlled drift when using Front Wheel Drive (FWD) cars.

Dirt Drop Drift

This is done by dropping the rear tires off the road into the dirt to maintain or gain drift angle without losing power or speed and to set up for the next turn. Only permissible on roads without barriers and lined with dirt or other materials which to lose traction. This is commonly done in WRC rallying.

Kansei Drift

This is performed at race speeds, when entering a high speed corner a driver lifts his foot off the throttle while slightly turning into a corner to induce a mild over steer and then balances the drift through steering, braking and throttle motions. (note: the car that is being used for this style of drift should be a neutral balanced car therefore the over steer will be induce when this technique is applied, if the car plows through any turn this technique will not work)

Shift Lock

This is performed by letting the revs drop upon downshift into a corner and then releasing the clutch to put stress on the driveline to slow the rear tires inducing oversteer. (This is like pulling the E-brake through a turn – note: this is best to be performed in the wet to minimize damage to the driveline etc)

Jump Drift

This technique is used to start a drift by letting the rear tire run on the inside of a turn or apex and letting it bounce over a rumble strip to help lose traction resulting in oversteer.

Clutch Kick

This is done by “kicking” the clutch (pushing in, then out) to send a shock through the powertrain, upsetting the car’s balance. It causes the rear wheels to slip and enables the driver to induce oversteer, thereby starting a drift.

Choku Dori

This is an advanced technique that involves using one of the previous techniques to start the drift, while using the hand brake to extend the drift into a turn. This is done by pulling the hand-brake through a straight to start a high angel drift while holding this angle to set up for the turn ahead. (note: this can only be done at high speeds)

Manji Drift

This is used while drifting on long straightaways. The driver of the car sways the car side to side (like a pendulum) while the car is in a drift, which looks impressive. It can be initiated through all the above techniques

Drift Spec Suspension Tune

Drift spec tuning gives emphasis towards making the car go sideways in a controllable state. The car needs to have a low centre of gravity and be able to spin the rear wheels with ease. This makes the car look good while going sideways.

Suspension: Setting is primarily for high grip on the front wheels and low or no grip on the rear wheels. Steering inputs need to be sharp and precise. Use of a quick rack or longer steering arms recommended. Use of stiff spring/shock rates is mandatory as this gives the car low grip levels, hence the ability to easily slide.

Brakes: Low-mid temperature brake pads recommended for front to give good initial bite which helps weight transfer to the front making the rear tires light thus being able to freely spin. Handbrake cable adjustment with ultra high grip disc/drum pads are required to effectively lock the rear wheels.

Performance: Top end (high RPM) response and power is required to hold the drift through the corners. Power tuning up top is highly recommended together with engine reliability. Large radiators and oil coolers are essential to combat over heating with the engine spinning at continuously high RPM level. As the car goes sideways.

Summary: Tuning of this level makes a very responsive and very maneuverable vehicle, with a twitchy characteristic. Power and braking levels are also high, with a very hard suspension setting.

Now you can alter the camber settings on your car, anytime, anywhere, whether for street or track use.

Camber Basics

Before we begin, let’s give a rundown on what camber is and how does this affect your car’s overall handling. Remember that camber angle is made by the wheel that exhibits itself either as, positive or negative. More specifically it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear.

Positive camber is achieved when the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom.

Negative Camber is when the bottom of the wheel is further out than the top.

Negative camber as this diagram suggests is typically found on vehicles that are set up for track/autocross.

Camber angles alters the handling qualities of any suspension design, in particular negative camber improves grip when cornering, at the expense of premature inner tire wear. However in most cases, it is usually desirable to have the car adjusted for neutral steer, so that it responds quickly to a turn of the steering wheel, like the settings on production cars where car manufacturers tend to err towards positive camber to deliberately instill understeer onto its handling as this is deemed safer for inexperienced drivers.

The most common handling problems are:

Understeer

This is the condition when the front tires experience a loss in traction during a cornering situation, thus causing the car to head towards the outside of a corner.

Oversteer

This is the condition when the rear tires experience a loss in traction during a cornering situation, thus causing the rear end of the car to head towards a corner.

Bodyroll

This is the condition when the car’s body leans towards the outside of a curve, whereby this situation can cause the wheels on the inside of the wheel to be loaded with less tire grip that will contribute to an over or understeer situation.

Camber Angle                   Reduce Understeer                               Reduce Oversteer

Front camber                Increase negative camber                 Reduce negative Camber

Rear camber                  Reduce negative Camber                  Increase negative camber

Adjustable Camber Plates

These plates replace the topmost portion of your McPherson strut or coil-over.  Located on its center is what is called the pillowball mount. This allows the strut to move in such a way that it can be adjusted for different camber settings.  There are 2 Allen head type bolts on either side, that when loosened will enable one to move the strut inwards (Positive) or outwards (Negative) along with the plate.  Also located on the pillowball mounting plate is a graded mark that signifies how many degrees and if it is either negative or positive with 0 as the center. Simply line up the marker with the one on the plate with your desired camber setting and then tighten up the 4 Allen head bolts and that’s all there is to it.

The Objective

Don’t expect a dramatic improvement in handling by simply dialing in way too much camber.  Remember that in order to achieve the proper camber angle, the initial camber setting must be sufficient enough to compensate for camber lost due to body roll and suspension design. High performance settings normally dictate more negative camber and more positive caster. This is because both of this will help keep the wide tires more upright during cornering, thereby maximizing the tire’s contact patch on the pavement. However, camber angles greater than 3 degrees negative will affect transient handling (Takes too long for the tire’s sidewall to roll over and flatten out) and is indicative of that one should make suspension changes elsewhere. Bottom line here is that the interaction between driving conditions and suspension limitations dictates compromise.

Pros

No more inconsistent handling

Improved turn-in feel

Keeps the contact patch wider on the pavement

Perfect for vehicles that see autocross and track days

Enhances overall steering feel

Cons

Bit costly, but effective.

Too much negative camber will result into increased rolling resistance.

New Tech

Adjustable Camber Bolts by H&R

H&R’s new Triple C camber adjusters are a simple, yet very effective means of removing excessive camber, adjusting your vehicle’s camber settings, or even correcting small side-to-side camber variations for precise alignment. Consisting of a pair of specially-designed bolts, H&R’s patented Triple C camber adjusters replace the original upper fastening bolts on all McPherson strut applications. As the bolt is turned, a small cam eccentric alters the vehicle’s camber, allowing adjustments from 0-3 degrees, positive or negative. Installation takes only minutes with readily-available hand tools, and benefits include increased tire life, improved tracking and the ability to dial in more camber for weekend track events.