Innehållsförteckning för No 234 June 2016 från NZ Performance Car

Let me pose a question: if you could have any two cars to fill your dream two-car garage, we’re talking no budget restrictions whatsoever, what would they be? This was a question posed to the editors of our three motoring magazines, thanks to a recent post on The Motorhood (yes we get that deep here in the office). Now, you’re probably thinking that guys who live and breathe the stuff would have a solid answer right there, sitting in the brain and ready to go, but you would be wrong. It damn near took me 12 hours to reply, and, even then, I was not really sure what to say — the main reason being the limit of two cars when I could easily fill a warehouse with my dream-cars.…

NISMO R35 GT-R SETS NEW DRIFTING WORLD RECORD Naturally, you’d expect some gnarly results when two leaders in the automotive industry like Nismo and GReddy Trust team up, but smashing the world record for fastest drift and clocking an additional 86.99kph on top of the previous time were slightly unexpected. Thanks to a 1029.06kW (1380hp) Nissan GT-R redesigned to deliver power to only the rear wheels, Japanese drift champion Masato Kawabata laid out a 304.96 kph (189.49mph) run at a 30-degree angle at Fujairah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. This was the fifth time Nissan has broken a Guinness World Record, and the 3km (1.86-mile) airstrip was chosen for its extensive length with hopes from the beginning that the car would perform a drift at a speed of…

The driver best known for his legendary victories under Mazda and development of the rotary engine, Yoshimi Katayama passed away, at the age of 75, on March 26. He leaves behind a legacy as the driving force behind some of Japan’s most iconic race cars, including the Mazda Savanna RX-3, RX-7, and Mazda’s Le Mans prototype race car, the legendary 787B. Born in 1940, Katayama-san had a rough childhood growing up in Hyogo Prefecture, leading him to pick up motorcycle racing to satisfy his daredevil nature. While working as a live-in apprentice at a local motorcycle shop, he religiously rode the touge of Mount Rokko each morning and was given the nickname ‘Rokko Legend’. Katayama later rode for Yamaha in his first professional race at the 1961 All Japan Clubman…

When you’re faced with the same canvas as, well, hundreds of other car owners, it truly is hard to do something different and stand out from the crowd without becoming that guy that people laugh at when you roll down the street in your ‘different’ car. No siree, there is a fine line to walk — one that Tauranga’s John Stride has walked with the utmost care over the past three years during the build of his FD RX-7. The proof in that pudding was the RX-7 being awarded Best Late Model RX at both the V 4&Rotary Nationals and Jamboree earlier this year and Best Paint at REunion. The FD RX-7 has been a dream car of John’s since his teen years; it was just a matter of waiting…

New Zealand is a small country with not a lot of land mass, and even less that’s been developed into much beyond a paddock suitable for housing livestock. This means that, unlike the vast expanse that is America, there really are very few abandoned locations around the countryside, which makes places like the Waikune Prison in the Central Plateau a rare gem. Well, maybe the term ‘rare gem’ is not quite right when describing a prison camp that has been closed since 1986 and is slowly rotting away to nothing, but, to a drifter, the large sealed areas linked by roading that weaves throughout the decaying structures make this a playground just begging to be explored. Sadly, it’s not the kind of place you can just rock up to and…

THE RUCKUS OF THE DUAL-COMBO VTEC AND TURBOCHARGED INDUCTION SET-UP CAN BE HEARD PUMPING THROUGH A CUSTOM STAINLESS MANIFOLD AND 2.75-INCH STRAIGHT-PIPE EXHAUST SYSTEM POWER 260kW (349hp) at the wheels on 14psi EXTERIOR PAINT: Factory Wakatipu Gold ENHANCEMENTS: EK carbon lip, custom boot lip, custom rear lip, SJ tail lights, EK9 grille INTERIOR SEATS: (F) Bride Low Max replicas, (R) DC2 Type R STEERING WHEEL: Factory INSTRUMENTATION: Blox Racing boost gauge AUDIO: Sony Xplod head unit, Soundstream six-inch speakers, Fusion Jonah Lomu Series 15-inch subwoofer, Soundstream TR700 amp HEART ENGINE: Honda B18CR, 1800cc, four-cylinder BLOCK: Wiseco pistons, Eagle con rods, ACL Race Series bearings HEAD: Oversized exhaust valves, Skunk2 valve springs, Kelford camshafts, ZSpeed Performance adjustable camshaft gears INTAKE: Factory Type R EXHAUST: 2.75-inch straight-pipe, custom stainless manifold TURBO: T04E…

HEARING THINGS 1 SLIM LOOK, BIG BASS Not everyone has the luxury of a large boot space, and this can limit your options when it comes to quality audio packages. The slimline Nakamichi NBX25L 10-inch subwoofer box adds a blast of bass to your vehicle’s audio performance while saving that precious boot space for lugging around the rest of your car parts. Years of development spent on the Nakamichi product range mean you can rely on the 100W active subwoofer for tight, responsive low notes with impact you can feel while you drive. The Nakamichi NBX25L 10-inch subwoofer is available for $249. For the technical specifications, head to nakamichicaraudio.co.nz, or, to purchase, phone 09 571 3375. 2 TOUCHSCREEN EASE If you’re in the market for a bit of style in…

GET YOUR DAILY FIX ONLINE: themotorhood.com KEEPING FRESH Straight off the back of the latest addition to his ever-successful Gymkhana series, Ken Block is keeping things fresh with another livery change on the infamous 447kW Ford Focus RX RS. He employed a street graffiti artist to design the piece, giving him unlimited canvas and spray cans, and the final result is a psychedelic whack of ’80s and ’90s styling. New Zealand drivers are no strangers to wild livery incorporating dragons, palm trees, and even half-naked anime characters, but Block has shown us a thing or two about making race cars look cool. THE OG DRIFTING DOCO If you don’t already know the name ‘Keiichi Tsuchiya’, then you’re about to get a crash course in drifting history. Check out Pluspy, the…

HEART ENGINE: Toyota 1JZ-GTE VVT-i, 2500cc, six-cylinder BLOCK: Factory HEAD: Kennelly custom cams, Brian Crower valve springs, Tomei adjustable cam gears INTAKE: K&N air filter, 600x300x76mm intercooler and piping by Dylan at NZEFI, tractioncontrol delete, modified throttle body EXHAUST: HPC-coated Sinco manifold, three-inch system, custom downpipe, lobster-welded tip TURBO: Garrett TA3410 WASTEGATE: Turbosmart 50mm Progate BOV: Turbosmart FUEL: Bosch 1000cc injectors, Tomei fuel-pressure regulator, Walbro in-tank pump IGNITION: Factory ECU: Link G4+ Fury COOLING: GReddy radiator, electric fan, GReddy oil cooler EXTRA: Custom catch-can with in-built radiator overflow by Dylan at NZEFI, Weld coil cover, gold glitter rocker cover Zen Thunsupap, a 24-year-old apprentice mechanic from Christchurch, has always wanted to own a JZX100 — arguably, the greatest sedan Toyota has ever produced. The thing is, the South Island is…

HEY, BRENT. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST DRAG CAR? It was a tubbed old-school Mazda 323 running a 240hp [178kW] 13B PP. It ran a best of 12.2[s], if I remember correctly. That engine later went into ‘Mad Mike’ [Whiddett]’s blue Mazda 808 wagon. DID YOU BUILD THE ENGINE YOURSELF? Yeah, I built it myself. I was about 23 at the time and working at RX-7 Heaven. My first real drag car that I built was the black Castrol Edge RX-7 with Dan Johnston. It was the first New Zealand 13B to run into the sevens. WHAT SORT OF POWER WAS THAT 13B MAKING? It was running 900hp [671kW] at the wheels and went a best of 7.88[s] at 171mph [275kph]. THAT CAR WAS ALSO SPONSORED BY CASTROL…

D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEMON 1989 Nissan Silvia S13 (Ben) ENGINE: Nissan SR20DET, 1998cc, fourcylinder BLOCK: Forged pistons and rods HEAD: Kelford 272 camshafts, Brian Crower valves, springs, and retainers; ARP head studs, head gasket TURBO: Garrett GTX3076R, TiAL exhaust housing ECU: Link G4+ Storm TUNER / ENGINE BUILDER CHRIS WALL AT SPEEDTECH MOTORSPORT DRIVERS TROY JENKINS AND BEN JENKINS 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 (Troy) ENGINE: Nissan RB30DET, 3000cc, sixcylinder BLOCK: RB30E, ACL bearings, polished crank HEAD: RB26DETT TURBO: Garrett GTX3582R ECU: Link G4+ Extreme PREPARATION When the Jenkins brothers arrived at Speedtech Motorsport (STM), they were bringing in one already built RB and a completely factory SR — two very different beasts to tackle, but Chris Wall was keen to take on the challenge. Starting…

NAME: JUSTIN PILLAY LOCATION: AUCKLAND OCCUPATION: ACCOUNT MANAGER NZPC: Hi, Justin. That’s a pretty rad Civic you’ve built — what made you choose a Honda chassis? Justin: It was originally my daily-driver, and I got a new job that required me to buy something newer, but I’ve always owned Hondas. So, I bought a 2008 Civic for the new daily and started what was supposed to be a weekend swap on the EG. Once I decided there was no time limit for swapping it, I began to look at rebuilding the motor instead. It’s an exceptionally clean example — were you going for a ‘sleeper’ vibe with the build? I’ve always been a fan of Honda OEM styling. It was not exactly a sleeper to start with, but I did…

OWNER: SAM MCGILL LOCATION: AUCKLAND OCCUPATION: NAVY ABLE MARINE TECHNICIAN (ELECTRICAL) NZPC: Hey, Sam. You don’t see many people daily driving an old-school Japanese car in this condition any more. How long have you had it, and what have you done? Sam: Hey, guys. I bought it nearly two years ago from an old guy down in Wellington. It was a bit rough around the edges, but I’ve been bringing it back up to tidy condition, and have added the ST-model bonnet vents, grille, and oil-pressure and ammeter gauges. Being an able marine technician in the navy and getting deployed on the ships regularly, how do you find time to work on the car? I actually took the door cards on the ship down to Antarctica with me — the…

ADAM CROY As the head of our light-capturing team, Adam is the only team member actually qualified for the role at hand. As he’s the longest-serving member of our team, if you think of an NZPC style shot, then chances are that it was this man who was behind the camera. Just as at home shooting our models as he is capturing someone popping a set of tyres, this man is never afraid of getting in there, up close and personal, to get the perfect shot. Time and time again, while we stand around talking shit at a shoot, Adam gets the job done. The unsung hero of our team? We think so. PETER KELLY A name that surely needs no introduction around here, Peter Kelly — more commonly referred…

NZ Performance Car is 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 the 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.…

Competing at the top tier of rally competition in New Zealand is not easy. Rally at the elite level is an expensive sport, it’s brutal on components, and your next big crash is only ever an incorrectly made–split-second decision away. Building a car to contest such a championship in such an unforgiving sport has historically been a pricey exercise; now, this has been compounded by high maintenance costs due to rules dictating the use of factory components not suited to rallying’s harsh environment and race parts permitted from only one supplier, resulting in a monopoly. But there were those who were not content with the status quo — guys like passionate gravel devotees Andrew Hawkeswood and Norm Soo of Force Motorsport, who decided to rewrite the rule books on what…

Heading into a final race-series round with a 272-point lead after winning nearly every race contested that season is not easy in a series as competitive as the BMW Race Series, let alone if you’re driving what was effectively a brand-new race car at the season opener. But, perhaps it’s simply vindication for the extremely well-planned and executed race-car project produced by the small team involved. The project was spearheaded by owner/driver Andrew Nugent, who is something of an old hand in the BMW racing ranks in New Zealand. “When I was young, I raced cars and then powerboats.” But he hadn’t raced in a long time when the BMW E30 Series was first considered, so, “Myself and a friend, Paul Mill, decided to build two, and we had a…

Artists continually endeavour to make a statement — for many, lukewarm creations and ‘fitting in’ mean certain death. For Mitsuru Haraguchi, sticking to his guns — and constantly striving to create his own vision of what a car should be — has not only earned him a reputation but also praise as one of Japan’s most colourful automotive creators, and one with a vision unlike any other. Haraguchi-san is no stranger to the tuning world, and while many of you may not be overly familiar with his name, you will certainly recognize the brand: 326Power. Responsible for taking the VIP scene and giving it a good shake-up, Haraguchi-san is also no stranger to style; in fact, it seems he was born with style flowing through his veins. Growing up in…

NAME: AARON KEACH LOCATION: SWANSONBY OCCUPATION: STAY-AT-HOME DAD NZPC: Hi, Aaron. We understand you weren’t even looking for a project when the FC turned up? Aaron: It was one of those deals that was too good to turn down, so I grabbed it. Originally, it was just supposed to be a cheap hack, but, once I got the Meisters, it snowballed. We understand that the Meisters have been painted three times in their short life? They came from Work in black on black. I had GT Refinishers paint the centres in a custom teal candy, but an American guy saw the colourway and copied me straight away, so I had them repainted again, this time in a custom white with gold hardware and stickers. This has to be one of…

MAY 7–8 2KCUP — ROUND SIX HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA MAY 7–8 2KCUP — ROUND SIX HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA For those who enjoy serious racing but on budget that won’t break the bank. In this, the sixth and final round in the 2KCUP 2016 series, competitors will push what’s left of their cars to the absolute limit, and well beyond, to score every last point. If you haven’t been to a round this season, this is the one to make — visit the 2KCUP Facebook page to get all the relevants. MAY 8 NZDM MAYDAY MADNESS MEREMERE DRAGWAY, MEREMERE Grab a Sharpie and scribble it across your bedroom wall: NZDM is back once again with its grassroots drift events. Driver entry is $100 for a…