HKS Time Attack Evo Beat!

The HKS time attack Evo competed here in the states and completely obliterated any competition (if you can call it that). In Japan, they've had the Tuskuba recored as well, which is something like 54 seconds. The car really did seem to be the single greatest time attack machine in racing, that is until a Malaysian team put them out.

This car that you see before you is a Lotus Exige 300RR. It is the instrument of destruction that defeated the HKS Evo. Tipping the scales at a lightweight 1580 pounds and powered by a GM V6 producing 400 horsepower, I'd say this is more than a match for the HKS machine.

Read more about it here

For the complete gallery, go here

GT Live/Formula D Pro-Am

Wow, what a weekend ineed. For the third year, GT Live has put on quite a motor sports festival with just about everything you'd want to see. From the cute umbrella girls to the tire shredding action, there was lots of action to be seen.

Redline Time Attack was part of GT Live again this year, and they certainly didn't fail to bring some excting battles. As expected, Tyler McQuarrie pilot the CWest/BC S2000 to an overall victory in the unlimited class. Even with some slight tune issues, they managed to pull out the win.

On the Pro-Am side, fourty amatuer drifers came from all over the western United States to complete and earn a change for a full year's competition license to run with the big boys. Several California favorites including Jeff Jones, Cyrus Martinez, and my long time auto mentor Alex Villareal were all in attendence and also earned their ticket to compete in the finals later this year. Some local drivers also made it out into the fray, but many were sent home getting a taste of what's needed to run with the elite.

My driving time was cut short unfortunately due to some oil temp issues. I always knew that 4AG's ran hot, but 250 degrees F after only 1 lap? I think that's a little outside of the realm of safe.

For the complete gallery, go here

Thanks Alex V for the pics!

First Drive: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX

Few cars have the same motor sport history that the Subaru Impreza WRX has. With the WRX, Subaru has won multiple manufacturer’s and driver’s championships in the WRC, and has also jumpstarted some of the greats like Colin McRae and Peter Solberg. Today’s’ stars in the USA, namely Ken Bloc and Travis Pastrana, pilot the new generation of these machines and are looking forward to a repeat of their successful seasons last year. 2008 marks the second coming of the WRX in the United States, and the bar is indeed set high by the previous generation model.

The new 2008 model has some pretty significant styling changes. Our 2008 model is a 4-door, and doesn’t share any of the same body lines that the previous generation had. It seems that where there were angles there are now bends, and where there was bends there are now angles. While the styling change isn’t a total departure from what we’d expect, it definitely is different and takes a while to get used to. The headlights for example are much closer to the last iteration than they are from the model’s best headlights, which they mistakenly only made for one year (2006). Overall the styling is still clean and attractive, and it certainly stands apart from its competitors.

Wheelbase has also changed and is increased overall, and weight has also been slightly reduced. This increases handling stability and overall agility, but also sacrifices some of the quick reflexes that the previous generation had. Suspension also seems to have been softened up a bit, which is a welcome departure from any motor sport infused system designed for track usage. This is true for the majority of WRX owners, as they’ll mostly pull street duty for hauling kids, groceries, and luggage for most of their life. Those who wish to tighten things up a bit have no shortage of aftermarket support which will likely be released sooner than later.

The interior is certainly a nice place to be. While Subaru may not win any styling awards, it is definitely attractive, and gives the driver a feeling of confidence. The sport bucket seats are wrapped in an upgraded cloth material, and give plenty of lateral and lumbar support to make long drives comfortable. All of the gauges and switches are within easy reach, as are the cup holders. Speaking of the gauges, Subaru has outdone themselves with their clever styling of the gauge cluster. Everything looks beautiful, and is easy to read with a clear display. Absent from the gauge cluster however was a boost gauge to help me in my geeky assertion that I’m driving a force fed beast, but in reality any stock vehicle equipped with a turbocharger doesn’t necessarily need one.

The back seats are also comfortable. There's plenty of headroom, in addition to leg and hip room being at a premium. The extended wheelbase not only added to vehicle stability, but in this case also allowed the interior cabin room to become more comfortable.

What hasn’t changed is the sweet, sweet engine and all-wheel drive system. The whole WRX package, which increases horsepower from a meaty 170 hp in naturally aspirated trim to a hearty 225 hp is easily felt. You defiantly feel the difference between the two, and know exactly where your extra money went. Power is direct, and there is almost no indication of any turbo lag, thanks in part to Subaru’s turbocharger design and size choice. The transmission shifts easily (although slightly notchy, which some may like) and gave no indication that it was fragile, as the previous generation transmission seemed to be notorious for (but I guess 5500 rpm clutch drops will hurt anything).

Driving the WRX on city streets is actually very comfortable. With the quick and torquey power delivery, passing isn’t a problem at low speeds or at freeway speeds, and the clutch effort is very, very easy (which wins points in LA traffic for sure!). The dark interior sometimes make you feel like you’re in the bat cave, but still feels higher quality than the Mitsubishi counterpart. Potholes are soaked up yet there’s still enough bite to have some fun on freeway on-raps.

Some may say that the WRX has lost some of its edge. Gone are some of the raw and brutal characteristics that attracted thousands upon thousands of American fans throughout the country, but new owners do have to look forward to one thing: refinement. Where the old WRX might have made you feel like a rally champion all the time, the new one does so only when you don’t feel like being in a comfortable cruiser. My vote? Definitely the one with the split personality!

Torc (Toyota Owner's And Restorer's Club) brings out all the Toyota enthusiasts from around the country. This year, a few friends and I decided we'd actually enter our cars into the show! We all had no intentions of winning anything (we're all track guys with dirty, beat up cars) but we still thought it would be fun to show and hang out with other people that share our passion for cars, even though it may be in a different manner. Oddly enough though, Andy Yen took 2nd place for best AE86! Its really no suprise though since he's the only one of us with real paint (and a nice job at that) and he's also got tons of cool little doo-dads like the Stack digital display gauge and the Autronic stand alone system. Congradulations Andy!

For the entire gallery, go here:

thanks alex V for the pics!

Greddy Performance Festival

We love it when track days are close to home. This rarely happens however, since California Speedway and Irwindale Speedway are the only tracks close to us, and neither of them hold drift events anymore! Luckily for us, Greddy helds its first ever open to the public performance festial. Designed to be an interactive event with multiple chances to drive, they also wanted to display their current crop of products so people could actually get a feel for what Greddy makes. A few lucky people even got to test drive their fleet vehicles which are equipped with some awsome Greddy goodies.

We signed up for the autocross and drift portion. I've never actually done an autocross before (only open track days, and wheel to wheel) so I thought it would be an interesting experience to finally get a feel for it. Some of the other guys who signed up for the drift were looking forward to driving in an event that wasn't going to kill their stamina or wallet to get to.

The autocross course was fairly straight forward. No real long straights, one big decreasing radius sweeper, and mostly left and right chicanes. Overall it think only 5 people throughout the day had at time that was faster than mine, and that included a few Miata's on full Hoosier slicks.

The drift event however, left some people a little upset. Apparently the run time wasn't delegated properly and there were just too many people. Most drivers didn't get to do more than 2 runs per hour, which equates to only about 8 runs total for the day.

Even though the event was filled, it sounds like the venue wasn't too happy with the way things were being run, so the event is now in question as to whether or not it'll happen again next year. Contact Greddy and let them know its worth it, and that an event like this one are few and far between!

Alex Pfeiffer's Locost 7

There are many paths you can take to build the ultimate track day vehicle. Some people buy high dollar exotics, some people buy bare shells to build from the ground up. For a select few, either of those options don't lead to their ultimate goal: dominance. Alex Pfeiffer decided to up the ante in his history of vehicle ownership, and bring the thunder with his Locost Super 7.

Being the avid driver and fabricator that he is, he wanted something unique that was fun to drive, and could be an expression of the purist attitude that he believes should be embodied in all cars. Nothing could be more representative than this Locost 7. Weighing in at a bare bones 1200 lbs., you'd be hard pressed to find a chassis that has the same potential that this has. Perhaps the only thing that comes close are the KTM X-bow or the Ariel Atom, but both of those monsters costs upwards of 30,000, a sum of which many of us can't afford to spend on a weekend toy.

Alex decided that he would transplant the baisic mechanical components from his AE86 Corolla onto his 7. No small task by any means, but not an impossible one for a man with his fabrication and building skills. First to go on from the AE86 was the rear axle. Alex kept the 6.7" rear differential with 4.3 ratio ring and pinion to drive his 7, along with the all import KAAZ 2-way limited slip differential. These components, mated to the standard T50 transmission put down all the power his engine produces.

The engine was also transplanted from his AE86. This was no ordinary AE86 engine, however as the 16v powerplanted was boosted with a turbocharger. Alex' custom fabricated turbocharged engine includes OEM 4AGZE pistons, rods, crank, block and head, with boost duties handled by a Garret T28. A custom tube manfold collects the air to help the spool, and a custom aluminum intercooler helps cooling duties. You'll also notice that the intercooler and aluminum radiator are positioned in the newly popular "V" positioning. Usually to showcase fabrication skills among show cars, this setup actually gets put to use m allowing additional airflow to enter the nose of the engine, to help in cooling of both the radiator and intercooler, and in this case also the massive 40 row Long Racing oil cooler. The entire engine setup is good for 240 rear wheel horsepower.

The suspension is also trick. Custom Koni coilovers with heim jointed ends along with custom wound eibach springs aid in the majority of the dampening, only complemented by custom heim jointed arms at each end that Alex fabricated himself. The result is clear and reactive steering and chassis control. For some this might create a vehicle that is too sensitive to inputs, but in the hands of the right driver it becomes a surgical instrument to carve correct lines on the track.

To help stop this beast, Alex also imported his own Batlle Version AE86 Corolla brake kit, which includes steel braided lines, Hawk "Blue" pads, and most importantly Willowood 4-piston front calipers. These brakes, while small play a significant role in this vehicle's balance and supercar ability as stopping form high velocities become a matter of finessing the pedal.

Inside the car, you'll finder perhaps the most spartan of all stripped down interiors. Absent are any gimmicky race gagues, instead replaced by no-nonsense race gauges from a variety of different manufacturers. Oddly enough, positioned center directly in front of the driver is not the tachometer, but rather the water temperature gauge. Helping contrl the vehicle is a custom Momo steering wheel originally intended for use on a go-kart, but adapted for duty to help tame this beast. Also, a vintage Momo fiberglass race bucket holds him in place during long drifts and high speed turns alike.

Driving Impression:

Doing the math leads you to one conclusion: this thing is fast. Take a 1200 pound car and give it more than 300 flywheel horsepower, and you have a recipe for pants-wetting excitement. To say that this thing is fast is a total understatement. Perhaps its the proximity to the ground, or perhaps its in its necessity to wear goggles or some sort of shield to prevent the wind from burning your eyes, but no other vehicle that I have ever drive even comes close to the sheer performance this vehicle unleashes at you.

Taking the car out and driving it around town is actually pretty easy. When the engine is not under boost, it is actually quite docile, and is even fuel friendly! The minute you stab the throttle however, all things totally change. Boost hits incredibly fast thanks to the ball bearing center section, and before you even have a chance to process what you've just done, you're off. Acceleration is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Pure neck snapping torque coupled with the rush of the turbo spool creates and addictive environment that's both exciting and frightening at the same time. Hit 2nd gear, and soon enough third is right around the corner. The final drive gear ratio makes for insanely fast acceleration, and rewards those who are paying attention. Unlike an AWD turbo vehicle, like the Lancer Evolution or the Subuaru WRX, you absolutely must pay attention while driving this vehicle. All the traction and versatility is there, but if you're caught asleep for even a second, things will certainly get ugly.

The steering, ooooh the steering. Alex also decided to bring over the steering system from his AE86, but modified it. With aggressive negative camber settings and sticky tires, this car bites and bites hard. Not once did I feel understeer at the limit, nor did I feel any numbness. As a matter of fact, the steering feels like its wired directly to your brain. The reactions are so fast, that you wonder if you even though of the movement first, or if it happened in some Jedi mind trick manner. Either way, telling the car what to do and thinking ahead is the way to drive this car. In addition, in case you've come into a corner too hot or power on the gas too early, Alex had built in a failsafe. He modified the steering rack so a massive amount of angle can be achieved. The car almost feels like it can bite its own butt. Hanging it out and letting the wheel counter, you can dive in and give the car throttle without worry of the car spinning. It really makes you feel like you're a much better driver than you actually are.

The brakes on the car are very sensative. Almost too sensative, as it was rather easy for me to lock up the fronts. Perhaps its my driving style, but barely pushing on them induces lots of pressure on the rotors. Indeed it does help the vehicle stop, but heel-toe driving in my size 13 shoes proved to be quite difficult.

Feats of testicular fortitude often times define masculinity. At least among race car drivers, that attitude is still prevalent. Hiding behind computer controlled traction control all wheel driver or insane amounts of power are definatly ways to help you go around a race track quickly, but if you really want to showcase your hairy chest, then you'll buy a Super 7!

Tokyo Auto Salon 2008

There's always a "big one" for everything you could possibly be obsessed with. Comic book and art fans have the San Diego Comic con, Baseball fans have the World series, and heavy metal fans have Ozzfest. We Japanese car enthusiasts have the Tokyo Auto Salon. Through some careful planning and lots of overtime, I got a chance to take the pilgrimmage to Japan and attend the worlds largest show for customized and modified Japanese vehicles.

Every major player involved in the automotive aftermarket in Japan was represented here. HKS, Greddy, Jun Auto mechanic and many others pulled out all the stops and brought their finest to showcase what they have in store for 2008. In addition, many of the OEM manufacturers also use the show to highlight their dedication to the customization world, and also bring some new models out to gauge interest from those who show more than a casual interest in motor vehicles. The difference between the two types of booths? Budget. The OEM's have huge displays with large flashing lights, dancing girls, and professional announcers, while the aftermarket booths usually let their products and fabrication do the talking.

Here are just some highlights from what was on the main floor:

HKS had a fine booth at the very forefront of the first main hall. HKS was celebrating their 35th anniversay and decided to showcase many of the parts that made them the oldest and perhaps most trusted name in Japanese performance parts. Everything from the first turbo kit they sold all the way through their current host of electronics were all on display. They even brought a timeline of cars, which included their drag skyline as well as their time attack Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

A shop that some of you may not be familiar with is Tec-Art's. They're a small shop on the outskirts of Tokyo specializing in fabrication and engine building. They are perhaps best known for their involvement in the AE86 N2 series from Hot Version, where their high-tech AE86 continues to impress with its 17" wheel setup and sequential transmission. Here, we have an example of one of their customer cars, which is an FC RX7 with a custom wide-body kit to house the tremedous wheels and tires, as well as a custom Trust turbo upgrade to help battling those pesky I-6's on the track. Beautiful indeed!

Up next, we have this wonderful example of "old meets new" with HotStaff's AE86 with F20C powerplant swap. This vehicle was recently showcase in the "VTEC Club" dvd series and has also motivated many AE86 enthusiests to think about using Honda power in their usually underpowered vehicles. With 240 naturally aspirated horses on tap in a lightweight 2200 pound car, this thing moves like there's no tomorrow. You'll certainly suprise a few unsuspecting Porsche owners with this setup.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is known worldwide as one of the premier bases for rally racing. Its turbocharged powerplant combined with its technologically advanced all wheel drive layout allow the car to be fast out of the box, and even deadlier in modified form. Here, we have the Japanese Rally Championship Evo 8, modified to the strict standards that the JRC enforces.

Suzuki only seems to be a major player in the motorcycle and power sports industries, but they are alive and well automobile motorsports. Suzuki runs a factory backed Swift in one of the lower classes in the Junior World Rally Cross Championship, and this is an example of one of those fine machines. With a 2.0L naturally aspirated power plant producing roughly 240 horsepower, you can be things thing makes short work of tarmac, gravel and road courses. This partciular vehicle was actually featured in Best Motoring's "Hot Version" DVD magazine series, pitted up against Keiichi Tsuchiya's tougue king AE86. An impressive machine, indeed!

This story wouldn't be complete without at least one offering from the world of Super GT, or perhaps more widely known as JGTCC. This team Yellow Hat 350Z showcases all the current technology being utilized in Japan's premier sports car series. Underhood is Nissans' new flagship engine, the VQ35 although modified to compete with other 500 horsepower machines via route of a twin turbocharged system. While the machine looks very close to a road going 350Z (or Fairlady Z in Japan) it is definately modified beyong the reach of most aftermarket tuners.

So concludes our coverage of the floorshow of the Tokyo Auto Salon. Hope to see you on the trip with us next year!