Innehållsförteckning för No 233 May 2016 från NZ Performance Car

If there is one place I love to visit for work, it’s Christchurch. It’s such a lovely and vibrant city, and everyone we have dealt with through the magazine who lives there has been a top-notch human. However, clearly there is a side of the city’s car scene we have missed, if Christchurch councillor Tim Scandrett’s call to ban cruising in the Port Hills is anything to go by. In the article I saw, it talked about ‘boy racers’ terrorizing Port Hills residents by vandalizing property, drifting, doing burnouts, and having what were described as ‘parties’ on Summit Road. Scandrett himself lives on Summit Road and has witnessed these parties first-hand. To me, it sounds like the same old story of a few bad eggs (who are probably not even…

GET YOUR DAILY NEWS FIX ONLINE: themotorhood.com EKANOO R35 GT-R RUNS 7.20 AT 325KPH It would seem that Bahrain-based EKanoo Racing is dead-set on resetting just about every drag racing record it can, with a total of seven world records set in seven different cars this season. The team’s stock-chassis R35 has just reset its own PB, running a 7.20-second quarter-mile at 325kph (202mph), making it the quickest and fastest GT-R (and all-wheel-drive car) on the planet — a record that had been in Kiwi hands for nearly 10 years, first with Reece McGregor’s Heat Treatments R32 GT-R and then with Robbie Ward’s R.I.P.S Racing R32 GT-R. The EKanoo Racing R35 GT-R is estimated to be making around 1641kW (2200hp) from its T1 Race Development–built engine, with a Pfitzner Performance…

We usually like to begin our articles here at NZPC by using some cleverly constructed sentences explaining exactly why you should read on or by outlining the unique precursors that set a particular build in motion. But explaining something like RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB) is much easier done with visual aids, so if you could all please take two seconds to drool over the opening image of the very first two New Zealand–built RWB 964s, we can get that part of the process out of the way. Right! Now that you understand where we are coming from, let’s dig a little deeper into the latest additions to the growing RWB family. Like each and evey RWB that came before them, these two were hand built by Akira Nakai, the creative force…

POWER 270KW (362HP) ON 20PSI ATW HEART ENGINE: Mitsubishi VR-4 4G63, 2000cc, four-cylinder BLOCK: Wiseco pistons, shot-peened VR-4 rods, ARP main and rod bolts, ACL race bearings, deleted balance shaft HEAD: Ported head, multilayered-steel head gasket, adjustable cam gears INTAKE: Custom intake manifold, 65mm throttle body, 600x300x76mm intercooler EXHAUST: 2.5-inch straightthrough TURBO: Garrett GT2876R, custom high-mount manifold, turbo beanie WASTEGATE: TiAL 38mm BOV: TiAL 50mm FUEL: 680cc Precision injectors, Sard fuel-pressure regulator, 500hp Walbro pump IGNITION: 10.5mm Eliminator Series 2 leads ECU: Link G4 Storm COOLING: Alloy water pipes, alloy radiator, 10-row oil cooler, dual 10-inch fan EXTRA: Custom sump, deloomed engine bay, oil and radiator catch-cans WITH NO DOOR HANDLES OR DOOR LOCKS, JOHN USES REMOTE LOCKING AND A VERY SMALL POPPER THAT SITS JUST BELOW THE WINDOW RUBBER…

Following in your big brother’s footsteps is a daunting task at the best of times, let alone when that brother is ‘NITTO’ — the notorious lightning yellow R34 GT-R capable of running nines down the quarter-mile. But this was the exact task Mercury Motorsport’s 1044kW (1400hp) BNR32 GT-R, ‘NITTO II’, was built to do. The car’s owner, Trent Whyte, is a seasoned driver in Australian motorsport, having competed in numerous disciplines, including World Time Attack Challenge in a 10-second-capable Nissan Silvia S15; Drift Australia in a 521kW (700hp) R32 GTS-T; and drag racing in the legend itself, the 857kW (1150hp) R34 GT-R dubbed NITTO. However, it was his work building high-power record-setters for customers that set him apart from others, and he’s tuned a number of well-known World Time Attack…

Graeme Smyth is probably better known to most readers for podium snatching in his S15 drift car in the Demon Energy D1NZ series (NZPC Issue No. 199) or pedalling one of the Trass Family Motorsport Ferraris, but it’s what he’s been up to in the workshop that’s really caught our interest. A staunch competitor in the SS2000 class, Graeme and his dad, Kerry, were looking to retire their well-used Series 1 RX-7 in favour of something that had more parts readily available than does the ageing chassis. This hunt turned up an ex-GT2 FD RX-7 that had only ever seen four race meetings before being stripped down and listed for sale. Recognizing its potential, and wanting to stick with the RX-7 family, the rolling body was purchased. In went the…

OWNER: TYLER YOUNG LOCATION: AUCKLAND OCCUPATION: DESIGN STUDENT NZPC: Hi, Tyler. That’s a dope Golf. What first got you into them, and how long have you owned it? Tyler: I’ve had it for almost three years now. It was probably the rarity the got me into them at first, and seeing them online and not in New Zealand. So, most of your inspiration came from overseas? Yeah, definitely. A few really cool Mk2s are popping up in Japan, as well as the more clichéd ones in Europe and the States. Those BBSs are pretty insane. Was it hard to find them and the parts to make them in 10.5-inch wide? Yeah, they’re pretty wild. I picked them up really cheap, so I convinced myself it was a good idea to…

The year 2015 marked the return to America’s Formula Drift for Kiwi ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett. It was not his first attempt at the world’s biggest drifting championship, as he’d competed in 2010 with his ‘BADBUL’ RX-8, but the car in which Mike showed up to the grid at round two in Atlanta in the US in 2015, was unlike anything the Formula D championship had ever seen. Dubbed ‘RADBUL’, the NC Miata featured a Mazda 26B four-rotor twin-Garrett-turbo engine, backed by a Holinger HD6 sequential 6-speed and Winters Quick Change diff. To say the MX-5 was radical was an understatement, and no one knew how it would stack up against the competition, as Mike explained: “Last year, we really didn’t want to over-promise; we were going up and competing in…

THE JERICO REVISION 4 FOUR-SPEED DOGBOX OFFERS SUPERIOR SHIFTING FEEL, WITH QUICK, CLEAN, AND SMOOTH GEAR ENGAGEMENT. IT’S EVEN CLAIMED THAT THE FASTER THE RPM, THE SMOOTHER THE SHIFT POWER 480kW (644hp) at the wheels on 16psi boost EXTERIOR PAINT: GT-R black, gold pearl flakes ENHANCEMENTS: Rocket Bunny Pandem S15 bodykit, livery by Redline Signwriters AUTHENTIC JAPANESE-MADE ROCKET BUNNY KITS ARE NOT MASS-PRODUCED; THEY ARE PERSONALLY CRAFTED BY KEI MIURA. THE END RESULT IS A PERFECTLY FITTING AERO KIT WITH A UNIQUE DESIGN THAT IS SOUGHT AFTER BY CAR ENTHUSIASTS THE WORLD OVER When making the step up from Pro-Am to the Demon Energy D1NZ Pro series, Benjamin Wilkinson wanted to make a statement to establish himself as a serious contender, retiring his old, well-used S13. In its place, is…

Love them or hate them, American muscle cars are known for the big-capacity dinosaur-technology V8s under the hood. At least, that’s what they were known for until recently. When Ford announced that the latest generation Mustang would be available in both turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V8 format, there were cheers of joy from import fans and exclamations of ‘What the hell?’ from V8-lovers. This isn’t Ford’s first try at putting a smaller turbo’d motor into its iconic Pony car, though, as the company also had a go at it back in the late ’70s in an attempt to provide performance during the fuel crisis. Despite not having huge success back then, it had the potential to be a successful formula, and, this time around, we think Ford has nailed…

OWNER: MARK CONNELL LOCATION: REEFTON OCCUPATION: MAINTENANCE FITTER NZPC: Hey, Mark. We have been following your Cefiro build for some time — it’s taken a pretty wild route. Did you always plan for it to be this insane? Mark: Hey, guys. The original plan was to keep the car basic and simple, but, after having some wheels built by Shaun at Apex Effects, I decided [that] the rear guards needed attention, which then required me to call on some friends for preparation and paint. The scope of the build went well past what was originally planned. So, it’s purely a track car now? With the combination of steering modifications and how I like to run the car down low, along with the wheels and tyres, I don’t believe the car…

Every year, tens of thousands of people venture out onto a dried-up lakebed in the middle of the California desert, with minimal mobile-phone reception, enduring below freezing temperatures and a shitload of dust, to experience the annual Ultra4 King of the Hammers (KOH) off-road racing event. Set in the beautiful, yet desolate, Johnson Valley, near the small town of Lucerne Valley, KOH offers a unique and epic adventure for anyone who dares to try it. It has the perfect combination of fast desert racing and gruelling, car-breaking, rock-crawling sections, and everything in between. Our home for the week of the 2016 Ultra4 KOH event was Hammertown, an entire city that appears in a matter of days and functions as any normal city does. It has road signs, streets, communal parks,…

If you have an event you’d like to see in the Gig Guide, email editor@performancecar.co.nz with all the details APRIL 23–24 DEMON ENERGY D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP — ROUND SIX PUKEKOHE PARK RACEWAY, PUKEKOHE It’s here folks — the final round of the Demon Energy D1NZ National Drifting Championship. Head on down to Pukekohe to witness firsthand one of the fastest drift corners in the world and see who will be crowned the D1NZ champion. For more information and ticket pricing, head to d1nz.com. APRIL 2–3 PROWEAR NZ SUPERLAP — ROUND SIX BRUCE MCLAREN MOTORSPORT PARK, TAUPO Prowear NZ Superlap competitors will head back to the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park to contest round six of the series. The stakes will be high, as there is only one remaining round after…

AARON MAI As a Kiwi living the gaijin life in Japan for many years, Aaron has long used his camera, smooth charm, and allegiance to NZPC to get into places most people just can’t access — and certainly not if you’re on the tourist trail. These days, he is back here in New Zealand, but he plans regular, ridiculously busy, trips to Japan to exercise his ability to pry open those closed doors. We salute this man’s ability to share with NZPC a world that, for the most part, you can’t even find on the internet. SIGGY EICHHOLZ One of the hardest working photographers we know, with what has to be the hardest surname to spell, is Siggy. One weekend, he will be at Meremere getting a face full of…

NZ Performance Car are putting the power in your hands — decide which feature car stands above all others, and most deserves to be crowned Castrol EDGE Performance Car of the Year 2016. Each issue, we select three feature cars to go head-to-head for that month’s spot. Who’ll take it is up to you, so jump on themotorhood.com each month to vote for your favourite. Once we have our 12 finalists, these will be put to vote once more, and you will get to decide who will be crowned Castrol EDGE Performance Car of the Year 2016. So, what are you waiting for? Get voting and let us know who you think should be crowned champion! 20 LUCKY VOTERS WILL EACH RECEIVE • NZ PERFORMANCE CAR POSTER BOOK VOL. 5…

The second annual Rotary REunion saw upwards of 160 rotaries descend on Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo for what has become the biggest rotary-only track day on the planet. The low-key Powercruise-style event is about getting the rotary community out of their sheds and all together in one place.…

These tech guides aim to arm you with the necessary info and knowledge to get out there and give it a go yourself, with no professionals needed and at a price tag that won’t break the bank. This month, we delve into painting a set of headers with VHT’s Flameproof aerosol product, which is made to handle up to 1093°C (2000°F), making it great for headers and turbo housings. A high-temp ceramic-based coating, it is often applied incorrectly and then people wonder why the finish doesn’t last; however, it’s a great product if applied as per the recommended process. This is one of those jobs that always looks easy at the outset, but failure to correctly follow all of the process steps will mean the paint will flake off within…

Sure, the names ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse, Curt Whittaker, ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett, and Gaz Whiter are household monikers within the New Zealand drifting scene these days, but there was a time when they were all just starting out in the sport, building their first cars, learning what works and what doesn’t, all while mastering the art of car control at 180kph only millimetres from another machine. It’s this baptism by fire that happens season after season with fresh recruits, the young guns who are stepping up to take on the challenge. These days, you’ll find it in the feeder class to the Pro field, known as ‘Pro-Sport’, which allows young drivers the chance to hone their skills before stepping into Pro. Those such as Nico Reid, Darren Kelly, Vincent Langhorn, and…

The humble Wankel engine has a special place in Japan’s heart, and, for many Japanese, once you have owned one, there is just no going back. “All it took was one little taste, and I was hooked,” is how Yukimitsu Hara, owner of Car Shop Glow, described his first run-in with a rotary. Since then, he has been developing and radically shaking up his own RX-7, and the current result is downright perfect. In the time-attack world, there is no such thing as a final result when talking about modifying cars; there is always room to play and tinker, with the only hindrances being money and time. Not surprisingly, more often than not, hard-tuned cars like Hara-san’s are the work of a dedicated tuning shop. This is where Hara breaks…

1 TWO-HIT COMBO The Clarion SB3022XR (280W) package takes the guesswork out of buying a sub and amp for your ride, and features a 12-inch 1000W single-voice-coil Clarion subwoofer parked inside an ultracompact sealed enclosure that has been specifically designed for utility vehicles. Considering the kick, you’ll be amazed at how slim its space-saving design really is. Powered by a separate Clarion XR2220 two-channel amplifier putting out a steady 190rms into four ohms and utilizing gold-plated terminals, the XR2220 amplifier offers increased conductivity and low signal loss. Also included is a two-channel amplifier installation kit, so you can get your music up and running straight away. For further information on the Clarion SB3022XR, which has an RRP of $299, visit zeroflex.co.nz. 2 DOUBLE THE BASS The Clarion DB3021XR (570W) sub…

1UZ-FE A31 LAUFIRO Each of us probably knows someone who is the butt of a long-running joke about their never-ending car build, who cops more than their fair share of shit about it. Well, it’s safe to say that this describes Chris Noble and his Laurel-fronted Nissan Cefiro A31 pretty well. Six-years deep and with a face only a mother could love, the heavily modified shell still awaits its Lexus 1UZ-FE powerhouse; however, the original plan for forced induction has long since been abandoned, even with the twin T28 turbos and custom intake manifold ready to go. Their fate now is to be shelf ornaments, or perhaps Chris might change his mind two years from now — we’ll find out eventually. The good news is that the motor will be…

OWNER: AJ NORTON LOCATION: AUCKLAND OCCUPATION: MEDIA SALES / COPYWRITER NZPC: Hey, AJ. EX Lancers are a bit of a dying breed, so it’s good to see one in this condition. How long have you had it? AJ: Hey, Marcus. Yes, I was lucky to find one that had been garaged most of its life. I’ve had the vehicle [for] over 10 years. How long has it been turbo, and was it a hard conversion? The conversion was done around eight years ago. The engine bolted straight in, although the firewall did have to be cut. It also required a custom bellhousing to match the gearbox. Owning a car for 10 years is a long time — do you have plans for more modifications, or are you happy with the…