The very first Hot Import Nights in Manila, Philippines was recently held at the World Trade Center. With the ticket line extending as far as the building, a lot of show goers waited anxiously to see what’s all the hype about. Aside from the cars, another highlight of the two-day long show was the after hours VIP Party and the celebrity models.

Hot Import Nights highlights the growing subculture of compact car owners, as it represented a myriad of both import and domestic vehicles with a taste of drifting. Taking home the top spot in the tuner car category was the Nissan S-15 Silvia of P.R. Autotype shop with the Hot, Hotter, Hottest Best of Show trophy while the orange Honda S2000 entered by DZ Racing got the Coolest Tuner Car Best of Show as well as the Baddest Auto Skin Best in Paint award as well.

Just like most project cars, this one was acquired to serve as a daily driven tuner car and “play” on weekdends. However things took on a different turn as the owner decided to pursue a no expense, all-out build. His new-found goal was to turn it into a functional drift and show car and finish it in time for the Manila Auto Salon. With no time to spare, the crew over at DMF Drift Garage stripped the car to get it ready for an extensive engine, suspension and body mods. So much for the simple plan eh?

Under the hood is Nissan’s SR20DET engine that in stock form puts out around 250 horses. But since this ride is going to do drifting duties, it must have more than that in order to sustain its momentum going sideways. Among the many engine mods it has, the most significant ones include, a pair of TOMEI racing cams for both the intake and exhaust side that alters the torque curve of the engine. Featuring an aggressive cam duration timing and increased height of the cam lift, it enables the engine to gain maximum torque and horsepower. Beefing up the bottom end is a 2.2-liter stroker kit from Tomei that raises the engine’s displacement and strength. The said kit includes a set of matched forged pistons and crankshaft. The Garrett GT28R turbine benefits from a large front-mount Greddy intercooler and a DMF drift-spec top mount turbo manifold. Orchestrating the engine’s entire operation is a programmable ECU from TOMEI. What’s great about this very expensive JDM ECU is that it that can be tweaked further to allow this engine to generate more horses.

Underneath the “seam-welded” chassis are a slew of Cusco aftermarket braces and drift-spec suspension components such as a TEIN Monoflex coilover system with EDFC. The ride qualities of the Monoflex borders on the premium and competition side of the spectrum so don’t expect a fluffy ride as this is one serious coilover. Of course, no drift-spec car would be complete without the requisite heavy-duty clutch and LSD. As such they opted to use a Nismo 2-way LSD and a Super Coppermix clutch disc. Completing the all important stance aspect is a set of 18—inch Gram lights 57S Pro Wheels that feature a specially processed lip, thereby creating a rainbow effect that’s truly eye catching.

What color to paint the car also proved to be a challenge as they toyed with all sorts of colors. In the end it was Fluid body shop owner Gary Reyes who came up with a unique color as the owner describes, “It’s like a chameleon where the color changes from dark green during daytime and black at night which is something different… something elegant looking yet race ready anytime, anywhere”. Credit also goes to Stage 21 who crafted the Vertex-inspired body kit as well as the carbon fiber panels that makes the Silvia really stand out and be noticed. Obviously, this car has a lengthy list of JDM parts from top to bottom which accounts for its awesomeness. But what really makes it stand out on the numerous car shows it has entered is how seamless it all went together, thereby creating a well crafted and very functional show n’ go drift car all rolled into one.

1999 Nissan Silvia S-15
DMF Drift Garage

Engine Code- SR20DET
Engine Type- 2.2 liter DOHC 4-inline
Internal Mods- Tomei In/Ex Poncam racing cams
Tomei valve springs and head gasket
Tomei 2.2-Liter stroker kit (pistons, crankshaft)
Greddy adjustable cam gears (int&exh)
External Mods- Greddy Intercooler system, blow-off valve
Greddy aluminum radiators, pulley kit
Greddy water breather tank, intake plenum
Greddy oil cooler system w/ oil filter relocator
Top mount turbo headers (DMF spec)
Thermo Tec thermal wraps
Nismo fuel regulator, oil & radiator cap
Billion radiator hose & power steering tank
Kakimoto R exhaust
ARC valve center cover
HKS Power Flow filter
Engine Management- Tomei “Raytech” stand alone ECU
Apex-i turbo timer
Horsepower- 380 horsepower (estimate)
Transmission- 5-speed manual with
Nismo Supercopper mix Clutch disc
Differential- Stock with Nismo 2-way LSD
Suspension(F/R) TEIN Monoflex coilovers w/EDFC
TEIN tie rods and rack ends
Cusco front and rear stabilizer bars
Cusco front tension arm
Cusco rear upper/lower arm bars
Brakes- Nissan Skyline R33 disc brakes
Endless brake lines, front/rear pads
Rollers- 57S Pro Gram Lights wheels F18x9.5, R18x10
Nitto Neo-Gen Tires F225/40/ZR18 R245/40/ZR18
Interior- Bride Cuga “Japan version” seats
TAKATA 4pt. seatbelts, Defi Gauges
Nismo cluster gauge, shift knob, pedals
Nardi Classic steering wheel
Cusco Pillar side stiffener bar
Exterior- Craft square side mirrors
HID headlights, Dmax LED tail lights
Stage21 Vertex body kits
Stage21 carbon fiber hood/trunk
Body & Paint- FLUID Auto Works (owner Gary Reyes)
Standox polyurethane paint (custom mix)

While most car builds revolve around the usual suspects like Hondas and Mitsubishis, its a refreshing sight to see someone delve into something different. How different? Well how about the curvaceous, second-gen Toyota MR2. With a mid-engine rear drive layout, 50-50-weight distribution and a perky 2.2-liter engine, it certainly has all the elements for the makings of an awesome tuner car.

Take our featured car here for example that’s loaded with all the right bits without going overboard. Starting with the exterior, the owner chose to enhance the bodylines to get a serious JDM tuner look. A front bumper from Border Racing was put in place along with a rear diffuser. Other exterior mods include a rear wing/spoiler, engine lid, aero side mirrors, and a hybrid side skirt. All of which were made by Bomex that’s a highly popular Japanese body kit company. The combination of the JDM aero styling and the immaculate white paint looked spot on, but the owner wasn’t about to stop there. Starting with a set of Rays Engineering Volk Racing 17-inch GR-AV3 staggered wheels; it was then shod with Dunlop tires (205/Front, 235/Rear). Not wanting to drastically alter the MR2’s already naturally balanced handling, Bilstein short stroke dampers with KG/MM lowering springs were chosen that also lower the MR2 with a righteous amount of stance.

Power-wise, this USDM unit comes with a normally aspirated 2.2-liter 5SFE engine that’s far from stock. Why? The owner has opted to install dyno-proven bolt-on mods such as, an XS Motorsport exhaust header, Apexi rear muffler, AEM intake tube and air filter. They also hooked up a Greddy e-Manage piggyback ECU to let the ECU take advantage of the aforementioned aftermarket bolt-on parts. This piggyback unit allows the tuner to adjust a broad range of performance-oriented parameters together with the factory ECU, thus gaining more horses. Tuning and maintenance duties are handled by Titan Works and Autogiko Repair Center.

It’s never an easy task to fix up any car, let alone something like this MR2 that doesn’t have as much aftermarket parts readily available like a Honda does. But that’s just part of the hobby, for its the thrill of the chase (tracking down parts) that makes it all worthwhile. Most especially when you have an MR2 just like this parked in your garage.

1991 USDM Toyota MR2 (SW21, California Ed.)

Exterior:

• Border Racing Japan Front Bumper
• Border Racing Japan Rear Diffuser/Spats
• Border-Bomex Hybrid Side Skirts by Neosdesigns UK
• Bomex Japan Type 1A Rear Wing/Spoiler
• Bomex Japan Engine Lid
• Bomex Japan Aero Side Mirrors
• Altezza-Style Smoked Tailights by Ultra Cosmetic Lighting UK
• Front Bumper Clear Signal/Indicators by Ultra Cosmetic Lighting UK
• Rogue Motorsports UK Rev 6 Rear Center Panel/Garnish
• Bosch Germany 8000k HID conversion kit on fog lamps
• OEM Koito Fog Lamps

Interior:

• MOMO 3-Point Safety Harness
• MOMO Harness Pads
• MOMO Shift Knob
• Toms Short Shift Conversion
• OEM MR2 Steering Wheel with airbag & cruise control
• OEM blue leather interior
• Pioneer CD/MP3 Headunit
• Pioneer Speakers

Chassis:

• 17” Volk Racing/Rays Engineering GR-AV3 staggered wheels
• Cusco Strut Brace (Rear)
• Cusco Strut Brace (Front)
• Front tires: Dunlop R17/205/40
• Rear tires: Dunlop R17/235/45
• Bilstein Toyota Short Stroke Shock Absorbers
• KG/MM lowering springs

Engine:

•  2.2L 5SFE (NA)
• Bee*R Rev Limiter
• Greddy e-Manage (Blue, Piggy-Back type)
• XS Motorsport 4-1 Exhaust Manifold
• APEXi Dunk Megaphone Exhaust
• AEM Air Filter
• AEM Air Intake Tube (with K&N sticker haha)
• Aftermarket Red Silicone Hoses
• Garage Fukui Volt/Ground Stabilizer
• Garage Fukui Battery Cut-off Switch
• Aftermarket Ground Wiring
• Royal Purple 10w40 Synthetic Oil
• Royal Purple Power Steering Fluid
• Royal Purple Purple Ice Coolant
• Motolite 2SM Battery

Tuning & Maintenance:

•  Titan Works (Quezon City)
• Autogiko Repair Center (Makati City)

Auto Club:

• Club MR2

Recently Team Suicidal welcomed aboard two new members with Nino Morgan and Rainero Macapinlac “Mac”! I had a chance to sit down with them and asked a few questions about their drifting history!

Photo taken by  EKM Photography.

When did you started drifting?

Nino: I started drifting seriously back in 2007, first started drifting with a FWD honda civic!

Rainero: I started drifting on June 2010 here in Okinawa with my 1984 toyota Trueno AE86. Everything was bone stock from engine, suspension and tires. The only mods i had was TRD 2 way lsd.

Who taught you how to drift?

Nino: I taught myself how to drift by reading and watching videos. Never really had a mentor, but it sure would be nice.

Rainero: I mentor everyone who likes to drift and I learned some drifting skills from my friends.

Who is your favorite drifter?

Nino: My favorite drifter would be Naoki Nakamura (Team Burst) and Yoshinori Koguchi (Koguchi Power).

Rainero: My favorite drifter would be Keiichi Tsuchiya, the Drift King!

What is your favorite drift car?

Nino: That would be a C33 Nissan Laurel.

Rainero: An AE86 equipped with a SR20DET.

Nino’s C33 Nissan Laurel equipped by a RB25 DET with Garrett GT3076R turbine.

Do you have any plans persuing a drifting career?

Nino: I would like to pursue a drifting career if I had sponsors to help alleviate costs.

Rainero: Just like everyone else stateside, I want to compete at Formula Drift. I am planning to go grassroot first once I reach Seattle and compete in XDC from there hoping i will make it to Formula D someday and thats my priority plan. “Its not just a dream.”

How high do you see the level of the Japanese drifter are against the world?

Nino: Right now Japan is definately above the others. This is only because they practice a lot! Practice makes perfect. But there are alot of countries, the Philippines being one of them, who are now bringing more drivers on board.

Rainero: I dont think that anybody can be compared with the Japanese level for now, maybe someday. Drifting in japan is like one of their national sports.

Mac doing what he does best.

Lastly any advice for pinoy drifters?

Nino: Don’t give up! Keep practicing. My skills really got better each and everytime I go driving. I learned a lot here in okinawa being on narrow tracks/roads. My pare Mac and Toni also helped me to learn correct line techniques. I still have much to learn. You don’t need a lot of expensive parts or every suspension piece to be a good drifter; only the basics if you’re just starting out. Good coilover, differential, and a bucket seat. Spend more money where it counts, tires! If starting out, find cheap used tires. Once you are ready to go faster, you want better, more predictable tires, so choose what best suits your driving style and go from there!

Rainero:  We learn something new everyday. Drifting is not all about who is better or best. It’s all about having fun and how to improve your skills, thats why I loved drifting with my fellow pinoy drifter here in Okinawa like Toni and Nino. Everytime we drift I always learn something new.

There you go folks, that should round up my post for today. But be sure to stay tune, as we closely watch on how this 2 Pinoy drifters progess at the drift scene!

After a successful first year, the Drift Muscle Series kicks off its season at the you tube famous Meihan Sportsland. Amongst the entrants were Naoki Nakamura of D-Max, Koguchi Yoshinori of Koguchi Power, Masashi Yokoi of MCR Factory, Kenji Kiguchi, 2011 D1SL Champion Tanaka and so goes on the list of entrant. The weather was horrible at the venue, and wet conditions at Meihan was a tricky situation but all entrants performed up to expectations and put out a good event for the crowd to witness! Naoki Nakamura took honor on winning the round followed by Masahi Yokoi and Kenji Kiguchi took 3rd!

( MCR Factory Masashi Yokoi with D-MAX Naoki Nakamura)

(Koguchi vs Taniguchi)

(Akira Tsuji vs Naoki Nakamura)

The rules changed for the 2012 season and a competition license is required to enter the Muscle Class. The only way to bypass this rule is if you appeal that you are a licensed driver at D1 or MSC or took top honors on a National event. I don’t have a competition license therefore I had to obtain one through the challenge series. I entered  the challenge class a day before the round at Meihan, the challenge class was split into two class, expert class and beginner class. The entries at expert class were also entrants at the MSC expert class, and D1 Divisional drivers, so their names and cars looked familiar after reading and seeing them thru magazines and so on! I competed at the expert class and finished 7th and luckily obtained a Drift Muscle License A. It was not the way I expected or wanted to obtain a competition license since I did not ran as well as I anticipated but luckily I obtained a license and now I can compete at the Muscle class amongst the Pro level drifters. To be honest it was a hard course for me, running it for the very first time at the day of the event made things very complicated. It was still an honor and I was very eager to tear it at the event but I had a rough time with the weather conditions switching back and forth from wet to dry.

Obtaining a competition license took its toll on the S14 though, the car got some beating with the famous wall of Meihan! The judges made everyone earn the license by judging it precisely and accurately, the weather did its part as well to make it difficult for all entrants.

Overall, it was a long tough road to get here! It was like a dream at first but now its a reality  and now the tougher it’ll get. For all who has a dream, never give up and keep going forward no matter what it takes, since down the road no matter if you make it or not, you won’t have any regrets of not doing what you wanted for in your life! And for the pinoy drifters out there, this one is for all of us!

 This is also the first time that we use a classic Mini in one of our races. The Mini we used is a 998 cc Flame Red edition and it has been fitted with nothing but a Stage 1 kit from minispares.com. The suspension is stock, but it still handles well and that isn’t much of a surprise.

I managed to bag the 2nd place spot in the Experienced Stock B class with a time of 1:10. I think that It’s not a bad start to the 2012 season and I could definitely improve if I just put some more focus to the way I drive. In fact, I think that I’m really lucky to still have won 2nd place even if my run on Track B was marked DNF (Did Not Finish). It was because I simply missed one gate out of utter carelessness!

It looks like all of you will be seeing more of the Mini in this 2012 season of the Philippine Autocross Championship Series. But there will be more of the Evo when Circuit Showdown starts! So I hope you guys will keep watch of my section here on Tuned.

Well, that’s it for now. ‘Til next time!

(pictures used above c/o Alan Ranch Sevilla)

http://facebook.com/stvrjs

Hello everyone! My name is Steve Rojas, and I’m truly honored and excited to be writing for Autoindustriya.com.

I have an unyielding passion for cars and the automotive world that all I do is write and take pictures of anything related to the topic. I asked Brent if he could let me write for Tuned after he saw my senior thesis for college. I’m really grateful to him for giving me the opportunity because here I am now writing my first and introductory post on Autoindustriya.com’s Tuned section.

I also race for Rota in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series and at Circuit Showdown, although I’m new to the racing scene since I’ve only been racing for about 2 years.

I race a Toyota Vitz at the Philippine Autocross Championship series. It’s not a powerful car, but it does handle well, which is perfect for autocross.

For Circuit Showdown, I race a LanEvo 4 which we all know is a very reputable and capable automobile for circuit racing.

However, for this 2012 season, I’ll be using a Flame Red ed. Mini for some of my races in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series. This Mini has been cooped up (no pun intended) in our cold and dark warehouse for about 3 or 4 years. Poor thing. But me and my dad decided to revive her, and she’ll be making her debut on the first round of the P.A.C.S. which will take place in Alabang this Sunday.

Well, that’s me and my machines. I hope I’d be able to supply the readers of Tuned some interesting views and insights with my future content. I’ll mostly be writing about the events and races that I participate in so that readers can be aware of what they missed just in case they weren’t able to attend.

Well that’s all for now until my next post!

http://facebook.com/stvrjs

The event took center stage at the local drift scene and it attracted thousands of spectators during the two day round, which was designed and formatted after the D1 GP rounds,   the event was held January 28, 29 2012 at the Yukari “Bull Ring” Special Course!

The judges for the series were Goodyear Racing D1 driver Masayoshi Tokita, Kazama Auto’s Toshiharu Kazama and MC Bomber Yamamoto! With the presence of Drift Tengoku Magazines staff, drivers were hyped to showcase their skills! There were 60 entrants for the expert class which was cut down to 16 after the qualifying round, talk about competitiveness! Unfortunately, luck was not with me this time around since I failed to advance, but I was glad to have more seat time with the new turbine set up which am still trying to get used to. 2010 Okinawa Motor Festival champion Tsuguya Takayasu, took the day by winning the round.

Beginner class had 12 entries, and one of them was a fellow pinoy by the name Rainero Macapinlac who piloted an AE86.

Mac aboard his AE86.

Photo by Chris LaFauvre

Photo by Chris LaFauvre

Craft Factory Craft Factory S13

BM Kids Drift Team, note the drivers are only 17&18yrs old

Kazama Auto D1 S15!! Driven by Kazuhiro Tanaka during the 2011 Season.

2JZ-GTE TD07-25G turbine

Repping ROTA Wheels at Drift Tengoku Magazine, and guess who is taking the picture!!

Drift Tengoku’s very own Kawasaki san and I, the kid on the photo was a friends child!

Pinoy Pride!!!! Next stop will be at the Drift Muscle Series Round 1 at Meihan Circuit!!

Sorry for the shortage of the article but been really busy with all the settings and preparation for the upcoming round at Meihan!

For more live action photos check out Chris LaFauvre link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/f1avah/sets/72157629098537279/

When the owner of this stunning Corolla wanted to build a light and agile street/track car, he spared no expense in backing up the whole effort. After all, it was supposed to deliver a high level of performance in a car show-worthy package. Quite difficult and very costly, but based on the outcome and the mods that it currently boasts of and the numerous car show awards which it has already garnered. This show worthy and track ready Corolla has perfectly accomplished what the owner wanted.

The fun starts once you pop the hood where a very detailed, 20-valve, 4AGE, “blacktop” engine resides between its fender wells. Prepped and rebuilt by well-known Toyota specialist engine builder Fil Gulfin of Gulfspeed, he utilized stouter aftermarket parts like forged pistons, cams, cam gears, valve springs, and a metal head gasket to keep the engine bullet-proof at sustained high rpm’s. Just like most normally aspirated engine set ups that are squeezed for every ounce of performance, they have resorted to oversized forged pistons and the 20-valve cylinder head has been fully massaged. These are just some of the important mods to undertake when building a high performance N/A engine. Forged pistons offer durability and increased displacement, while proper cylinder head work optimizes the flow of the intake and exhaust charge. Together these are vital steps in making the engine put out more power. The factory ECU was then replaced in favor of an aftermarket unit from MINE’s and a Greddy E-manage piggyback ECU. Doing so enables the engine to be dialed in with a custom setting that lets it operate under a more aggressive fuel and ignition signal as compared with the conservatively programmed stock ECU. In addition, this lets the engine make full use of the different engine mods to make even more power.

Since this is a dedicated track/street car, suspending this lightweight runner is a set of TEIN Mono-Flex coil-over dampers along with an Electronic Damping Force Controller (EDFC). What’s great about Tein’s EDFC is that it permits on-board damper setting changes to suit varying road/track conditions. Excess body roll is further limited by thicker TRD anti-roll bars and strut bars at the fore and aft. In keeping with the show theme, it rolls on a multi-spoked ARD Monoblock 17-inch wheels shod with the requisite and super sticky Advan AD08 tires. Apart from the unique Euro-2 front fascia, the Corolla’s exterior lines remains stock with the exception of a subtle body skirt and a front chin spoiler. This is quite a refreshing sight among the hordes of builds that have numerous custom body panels.

Inside, the JDM-themed interior is further stressed with the best aftermarket performance parts that Japan has to offer, like the Bride bucket seats, Defi gauges, Nardi steering wheel and lots more, leaving enough space for a complete audio/video system to boot. Overall, this is one well-built Corolla that’s a done deal for it has literally everything you could want or think of putting in, plus so much more.

Engine Mods
TODA cams, cam gears, valve springs, head gasket, and timing belt. Forged pistons, Exedy lightened flywheel, ACT 6 pack clutch, Greddy oil cooler, TRD plug wires,
Cold air intake, Cusco oil catch can, Fuel pressure regulator, MINE’s ECU, Greddy E-Manage (ultimate) 140 wHP (dyno’d)

Suspension/Brake Mods
TEIN Mono-Flex coil-over dampers with EDFC, TRD anti-roll bars, TRD strut bar, DBA (slotted/cross-drilled) big brake upgrade,

Interior Mods
BRIDE bucket seats and custom door panel upholstery, Defi gauges, Nardi steering wheel,

Wheels/Tires
17-inch ARD Monoblock Wheels
Advan Neova AD08

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Under the hood the 370Z is powered by an all-aluminum, 3.7-liter, V6 engine (VQ37VHR). The N/A engine comes with Nissan’s Variable Valve and Lift Control and produces 332 bhp. Closer inspection on this particular engine will reveal an aftermarket intake system from HKS. Taking advantage of the VQ engine’s twin intake system, HKS developed their own dual open element HKS racing suction kit. The kit comes with lightweight dual aluminum suction pipes that allow more air to flow more smoothly. More importantly it comes with HKS’ high-flowing wet 2-layer dual density polyurethane filter element and Super Funnel for the absolute in performance. Next up on the mods list is a Powerhouse Amuse titanium exhaust. I’m sure most of you know who this company is and what they’re capable of making. Just think of them as Japanese exotica and you get the idea. Being made from titanium means its very, very light. How light? Well, the stock unit roughly weighs 46lbs while the Amuse unit weighs a scant 13.6lbs! As for the bling factor, the burnt blue color on the ends of the muffler housing and on the exhaust tips really look cool. Performance-wise the intake and the exhaust mod should probably add more than fifteen or even more horses at the wheel and plus ten or more clicks on the torque.

On the outside, this 370Z looks unlike any other out there as it has an Amuse Vestito body kit to boast of. Aside from performance products, Amuse has also been known to produce well-designed body kits and this one stands as one of their best work so far. From the subtle splitters that ride on the edges of the front bumper to the flowing side skirts as well as the rear bumper treatment, it really screams JDM Tuner. Finishing off the exterior mods is a rear wing that’s also made by Powerhouse Amuse. Those particular about stance should probably take notice of how this 370Z sits as it has been equipped with lowering springs from Tanabe that lower it by an inch or two. This brought even closer the massive black finished CE28 wheels from Volk racing that’s wearing Bridgestone Potenza rubber for a neat stance. Overall, with all its subtle yet costly and effective mods this 370Z is righteously far from stock and should also be aptly named Vestito for in Italian it means ‘well dressed’ or suit and this is definitely one well-dressed 370Z!

Engine Mods:
HKS Racing Suction Air Filters
Powerhouse Amuse Titanium Exhaust

Suspension Mods
Tanabe lowering springs

Exterior Mods
Amuse Vestito Body Kit
Amuse Rear Wing

Wheels
RAYS Volk Racing CE28N

Tires
Bridgestone Potenza

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