Newera Tokyo Drift

For the first time in the trilogy of Fast & Furious fims, the genuine original movie cars are available, exclusively through Newera Imports!

During the making of the film, it would’ve been inappropriate to release news of Newera Import’s involvement in the supply of the original movie cars and performance parts to build them, but now the film’s been released wordwide, the following original cars are available!

These include: Veilside Fortune RX-7, Veilside Turbo RX-8, 350Z’s prepared by Top Secret & Veilside including the grey & black twin turbo’d example, S15 Silvia, Turbo’d PS13 Silvia, Skyline R33 GT-R’s JZX100 VVTi Twin Turbo Chaser and more!

For FD fans this is massive news as one or two lucky people will have the opportunity to acquire the awesome Fortune FD model. The Rx8's are also a massive attraction.

View the Newera stock list for further details of these amazing machines.

Russ.

Aoshima FD Kits

There are a couple of new Rx7 Plastic models out and these are the new releases from Aoshima based on the RE-Amemiya drift car used in the D1 championship. There are two versions of this kit 2004 and 2005 which has a different front bar, different lights and stickers. An S-Package Kit also uses the 2005 front and AD-GT kit but includes the lights from the 2005 model and the full interior.

The RE AD Kit is well shaped and the quality of the kit is superb. For those of you familiar with the other FD kits from Aoshima such as the C-West or Veilside kits, this one is mostly different. Many of the parts have been revised, with the body itself is a whole new shape.

The wheels have changed to Fujimi style female mounting points and the body panels do not match the older vehicles. Which is a shame. But you can build it with the old rim style as parts are included. Which is good for me as I love the GTR Nismo rims from Tamiya.

But the D1 cars also have full interior with cage and other nice items. Wheels are Enkei as seen on the Re-Amemiya drift car, but are not really big enough. The drift car runs 17"s and 18"s so that cant be replicated but they are good looking rims. It will also be interesting to see how low I can get his car as the oringinal positioning seems very high as is usual with these kits. I have a tutorial on my old site and the method should still apply.

A good kit and the body went together absolutely perfectly. 2000 yen or 1500 if you know where to buy... Yodobashi Akihabara has a huge new model section thats very cheap.

Russ.

Hakkone - Izu

A glorious sunny was perfect for the cruise. We tagged along with the GTR boys on a hike from Tokyo to the Izu penninsular. We started the day from the Hakone Turnpike which is an awesome wide road with some amazing bridges that span the valleys and provide a view to the coast, If you dare to look.

A small deviation saw a thin winding downhill then a silmilar uphill to the ???parkway.Our adventures then led to the Izu Skyline where we blasted along in either direction for a while before continuing to some more well known locations later in the day. Namely the Hakone skyline pre-empted by the Ashinoko Skyline these roads are quite tight and offer limited passing so you have to be brave and use all your cars power and your own commitment.

The cruise back to Tokyo met its usual traffic problems but it helps you wind down after punishing your body in the Bride seats. On the Mountain Touge, it doesn't matter what car you drive. But we all know some are just made for it. The Fd is one such machine.

Russ.

ps. watch out for hachis, they are quicker than you think.

Single Twins

Lets face it, the standard Fd is no ballistic missile, but it can hold its own against other unmodified sports cars. However, its not long after purchase that many owners start longing for more oomph. Few people are ready to spend a huge load of cash and generally progress through a boost up scenario adding inter-cooler, exhaust and computer.

Soon after this, the search for more power bites again and the only option left is a turbo upgrade. So deciding how far you want to take your Fd, should be thought about up front to prevent spending twice on similar components like a header ( dump ) pipe that will be useless in a single turbo setup, like wise, airfilters are throw away items for a single upgrade, but do you need to go single?

The standard twin turbine setup on the Fd is not bad, it definately has advantages in anti-lag spooling and also some drawbacks, like the nest of wires and troublesome control mechanisms, but the major one is a maximum efficient power output of around 350hp. If you dont want to redesign your engine bay for a single, you have a few options when searching for a litle more power in this department. A rebuilt turbine with replacement compressor wheels can be performed. Knight Sports goes a little further with their own design twin turbo replacement good for approx 420hp. This is as much as most single turbo conversions.

What about Single Turbos?!?! With advances in turbo design and knowhow that surrounds them, a 450hp single can provide good power across a wide power band or you can opt for the laggy & peaky, huge power options up to 650hp from your 13b. You'll have to spend up big on ancilliaries like fuel pumps, injectors, wastgate, manifold, filter, exhaust header and a bunch of other items that probably wont match anymore, but the less clutter in the engine bay and the simple design could mean less trouble in the future if you dont go too mad.

So whatever you end up with under the bonnet, do the hard yards first, drive one of each and feel the difference yourself. You may decide a single turbo is indeed over-rated. But for me, Ill have a 1000hp triple HKS GT2835 sequential setup on a 20b. Now that should be enough!!!

Russ.

Split Lip

Front splitters, canards and undertrays are often seen on the demo cars we all love and we find our selves wanting them even though we don't really understand the effects they will have on the car. When you get this far into tuning you probably do have to understand that practicality has already gone completely out the window. Low ride height has resulted from stiff coil-over suspension and we are searching for those lap time minimising devices that can shave the odd 1/10th or reduce drag for outright speed.

For cruising around the street I wouldn't recommend these devices. Apart from the fact they are probably illegal child mauling additions, soon after addition the ability to negotiate the local shopping centre speed bumps and driveways become a nightmare and you find yourself driving to the track and thats it. Which may not be all bad if you go often enough.

Downforce and airflow, Cd and drag are all the keys in aerodynamics and the addition of well designed canards and splitters that aid and don't hinder airflow should all make a definite difference. Can you feel the effect on the street? Maybe on the C1 or your favourite blasting road, but anywhere else you probably wont be going quick enough. How efficient is the Fd anyway? I guess anything can be improved and slapping a flat piece of carbon under the car is an easy way to see whats going to happen. Usually the simple addition of the front underpanel creates an oversteering machine, so balance is all important. These race items can have a real effect on suspensions settings. Spring rates and rollbar changes could all be required, to balance the way the thing handles. But in reality, street use will never really warrant a splitter and diffuser. If you want to get a defect notice from the cops for dangerous bodywork or go to jail for chopping off some little girls foot as you drive past, go right ahead. I'm getting mine for the latter reason. They just look damn cool!

Russ

Diffusion Confusion

What do these things do? Why do we love this carbon creation that hits on every low gutter and scrapes on everything.? We just do! A well designed rear diffuser creates a pressure zone behind the car that feeds the rear wing and adds better overall downforce in a straight away for stability. This downforce comes at the cost, but luckily the high aerodynamic drag coefficient is reduced by the diffuser also as it smoothes airflow around the rear.

The key to the compromise is smooth airflow, so these parts are usually linked with a front splitter and smooth undertray thats allows for the smooth airflow right beneath the car that effectively sucks the car to the road. That's why F1 teams spend wind tunnel money. A small wing or undertray adjustment can have a huge change in straight line speed or downforce through cornering, even though the under body of the car is flat.

For lovers of the wingless Fd this is a true alternative to the GT wing. That can add downforce in a subtle way. However, use it in combination with a GT wing and an all round aero package should see lap times dropping as cornering speeds increase.

The four main companies producing these for the Fd are RE-Amemiya, Sanai-D, Craft Company and Ken Style. There are others that have some effect but none are as full on as these. If you do manage to attach one to the rear of your Fd, please be careful when reversing. Carbon is expensive.

Russ

Mounting Pressure

There is a lot of pressure these days to have the best of the best. But does the best of the best relate to the best for the chosen application. As far as intercoolers are concerned, there is considerable choice out there, but it can be broken down into three main areas. Original Mount, Front Mount and V-Mount. All have advantages and disadvantages and should be considered when tuning your FD.

The original mounting position is quite good as so if you are after a light tuned machine for cruising then there are simple replacement options that are 2x, 3x and 4x more efficient than the OEM part and do not impede on the function of the standard engine components. They also keep the intake track short so throttle response is not compromised either.

If you are more adventurous but don’t have a truck load of money then the next option is the FMIC or front mounted inter-cooler. This huge chunk of alloy sits in front of the radiator and usually requires a huge hole in the front of the car. This is usually facilitated by a replacement bumper. So the Intercooler is a mile from the throttle body, It blocks cool air to the radiator and weighs a ton. Is there any Advantage? Well the sheer size equals efficiency and the position means that they get the full face of airflow therefore getting the lowest charge cooling temps possible. However it is most recommended that the radiator is also upgraded to improve cooling required from more horsepower and blocked airflow. Fujita engineering still favour this setup and is a proven technology. You can also use a huge front splitter under the car effectively so down force considerations also come into play.

Finally the V-Mount has the ultimate reputation. With its’ expensive price tag comes the requirement to replace a bunch of componentry and reposition the battery and other bits and pieces. Air-con may also have to be sacrificed in the chase for ultimate power. Some smaller designs still allow for these luxuries but at the offset of performance. The V splits air equally between radiator and Intercooler and some of the flow goes beneath the car and half over the engine. For these systems to work efficiently, a vented bonnet should be combined to allow for maximum airflow to escape or be drawn out and an accommodation should be made beneath the car to extract radiator heat. Thus the aforementioned splitter under panel should be kept short near the radiator section or quality fans be used. Not only should response and horsepower benefit, but the cooling factor of the radiator will allow for sustained low temperatures, even on track.

So whatever your choice, weigh it up and think about all your options before embarking on an upgrade in this area.

Russ

Option - Headlights

Headlights on the Fd are a favourite for modification. Whether its the slightly open look, the 4 beam sleek light replacements or those R-magic eyes, everyone has a choice when it comes to this enhancement. But how good are they? Is the uprgrade or downgrade really worth it?

To make the easiest change to the poor old pop-ups is the wise clear lenses that recently appeared on the market. A simple change for improved lighting and no real visual change. The next slight change is the Pivot headlight adjuster. The additional cool air from half opened headlights is supposed to do something... :) I got one for that reason, not. From there, Knight Sports 4 beams improve vision and the HID is a more focused addition also that still allows them to be retracted back to the original external appearance. To go any further requires ditching the pop-up mechanism. Did I hear a weight saving of 10grams?

Of all reports you hear, the RE-Amemiya 4 beam headlight kit is really quite bad. Poorly focussed lighting, lens fogging in wet conditions, inability to adjust after installation and the cutting of the chassis mounting area are all negatives for the most popular of headlight conversions. Even the addition of HID to these do not overcome the drawbacks, but they look really really good. Similar thinking was employed by KSP, who offer a fixed HID kit with small Reybrig lights. For other options, the discontinued RUN rotary lights offer a nice direct beam which eliminated fogging while still being sleek in appearance through an oval shaped opening.
C-west have the slightly raised Carbon items and in a similar vein the new additions of cheap kits add terrible double bug eye styling. About the only other option you have without major body enhancement are the R-Magic eyes. These hot looking items are expensive, so there aren't many around.

After that you can do the Border type front bumper or R-Magic bumper of old that houses original or 4 beam options cut into the bumper. Final options involve replacing the front of the car like the RE-Amemiya AC.

Russ.

Fd Evolution

Through the Japanese car shows, namely the Tokyo Auto Salon, Osaka Auto Messe and Nagoya Auto Show, you can witness trends and concepts that appear through the peering world eyes. Although, with so many rumours coming from Japan about these awesome machines, we really knew nothing about them. These days it’s a bit different as each Japanese Tuning house sells its componentry overseas through agents like http://www.neweraparts.com/ and directly through English speaking staff. The world is getting smaller for the global population.

But in 1991, finding out what was going on in Japan was difficult indeed. Being involved in the IT industry since 1990, I had opportunities that others may not have had, like access to high speed "low speed" internet and time to test/surf. Even so, I wasn’t browsing Japanese sites heavily until around 1998 as there weren't that many. I started looking for Fc parts as that’s what I had at the time, but I would always see my dream car ( Fd ) at the same events and keep the pics of all of them. From then on I saw a lot as I started from Rotary Japan's site.

I don't know if you learn anything really useful, but I used to spend so much time looking at pictures from these events, and browsing for used cars. I would guess and decide for myself what was going on. Over time things become more apparent as the pieces slotted together and my Japanese improved to make up the Fd Tuners History. Maybe not the most accurate in detail but I could see what companies were out there and what they were doing.

I guess, the first tuned FD that really caught my eye was the '96 Knight Sports Type III demo car with the four beam headlight replacements and four extra driving lights. It's simple high mount rear wing and cool side skirts looked awesome at the time and complemented the Fd's shape. This was the car that confirmed to me that the Fd was something an Fc owner like myself really wanted in the future. The chisel shaped Amemiya cars of the day didn’t really appeal and the Viper clones and Race looking cars weren't appealing as I had no reference to what GT300 was. It was the R-Magic twin turbo car and the Border machines that created my thirst for a Twin Turbined monster with more than 500 hp.

These days I have realised that 400hp is more than enough for a quick street Fd and setup is more important that outright power. But that experience is something you don’t have when you're young. My vision for the ultimate Fd is torn between Amemiya G9, Fujita and Scoot components that would combine to create a unique machine. While Nissan GTRs changed through the 90's It was only really the Fd and the Supra that maintained the same shape. This however creates the dilema of choosing from the variety of componentry created by more than 100 companies over the 15 year Fd history. It is a daunting experience, so I know that the Ultimate Fd can take many shapes these days and still continues to evolve as we speak.

So whether you are into Collecting and Restoration, Cruising to the supermarket, Drift, Drag, Dress-Up, Racing, Street Tuning, Gykhana, Dirt Rally, Tarmac Rally or a mix of all, I hope we can continue to enjoy our Fds as they excel in all our pusuits.

Russ.

The Ring

"The ring" is a track steeped in legend surrounding Formula 1. As the F1 cars became too fast, the track became too dangerous. But somehow these days, it's not too dangerous for you and I. So Any old hoon can head to the ring, strap on some basic safety gear and go for an all out time attack on this lengthy track that snakes it way through the picturesque German countryside.

The Nurburg ring allows users to buy lap tickets and head onto the circuit a lot like your local McDonalds drive through. 1 please... 10 seconds later your surpassing the speed limit and heading down towards the half way point at the carousel, travelling over 300kph+ straights and tight twisting, undulations.

Is it the ultimate road? Well it's arguably one of them. The shear fact that no-one is coming the other way and you don't need to worry about the cops is enough for me to say its the ultimate road.

As you complete your run on this awesome track. You may have the chance to paint your name on the circuit. Its one of the trademarks of the place. As you drive over everyones calling cards, think about the countless others who have driven the Nurburg ring. Maybe one day I'll get there to paint it in person, until then its PS2 for me.

For more info visit http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/

Russ