JDM News From JapanYou've probably seen the videos, you may have seen the cars and, if you've been to Japan, you might even have noticed the skid marks. Drifting is big in Japan and its popularity is spreading, but where did this crazy idea begin?
Drifting is something that drivers have been doing since the invention of the automobile, but the Japanese seem to have taken the simple act of oversteer and created a lifestyle from it.
If you follow its history, the idea began in the mountains and canyons of Japan in the '60s, both on dirt and paved roads in the very remote and uninhabited countryside. Track racing back then was just for the very wealthy car owner. The typical driver really pushed the cars hard and with the tires, performance and suspension of the day, the cars would often slide into a tail-out attitude.
The '70s and '80s saw a lot of interest in rallies and a grassroots version called dirt trials. Dirt trials (rallycross) wereautocross/Solo IIs on dirt. The courses were usually really tight and with the RWD cars that were popular of the day, driving fast meant sliding around. Sometimes sliding rearward into a corner so you could slow, turn and then accelerate the fastest. Using the parking brake was a given. Even with the autocrosses (or Gymkanas), using the side brake had to be done and, due to the extremely small courses, sliding was often the fastest way around the course.
Car control, then and now, is an important aspect of driving fast. Setting up oval courses in vacant lots (both dirt and paved) was common, driving faster upon faster laps, meant sliding the car around. It's now called drifting. After lots of practice, many of the best drivers would be sliding most of the time around the course. The feeling you get from a good slide is euphoric, almost spiritual. The car and you are as one. At least when you don't slide off the road and destroy it.
During the mid-'80s, Japan saw a resurgence of performance cars. While most were more than what I could afford by waiting tables and teaching English, these cars sold well. The Nissan Skyline was dubbed the Newman Skyline after actor Paul Newman, and some came with a new FJ20 turbo four-cylinder. Toyota had the AE-86 Levin/Trueno (Corolla GT-S in the USA), which are still being used in Japan as performance/drifting cars to this day. The other popular makes are Honda with the CRX and Integra, and Mazda with the rotary legend RX-7.
Even with these somewhat affordable cars, track time was still very, very expensive-several hundred U.S. dollars an hour to use a track was common. That's in addition to the safety regulations, membership fees and licensing. With the track mostly off-limits, the urge to drive fast was taken to desolate hills with one-way roads, private tollways, ship docks and warehouses of Japan. Then as now, racing on public highways is greatly frowned upon in Japan, but it happens. Many of the risks were reduced by blocking off roads until the racing ended or racing on private roads or even by racing down a one-way street with no connecting side streets. Since the really dynamic roads of Japan twist, turn and then turn again, spectacular slides and drifts were common.
With lookout and rest areas a part of the program, too, people would get together in these "galleries," but things could really get rowdy. Of course, everybody appreciated spectacular driving, frequently letting the drivers know they approved by screaming and yelling. The more sliding there was, the wilder the gallery got. The louder the crowd grew, the more the drivers wanted to show off.
Sometimes, the galleries got a little out of hand and helped the cars get sideways by sprinkling sand around the corners. This wasn't too bad if you were expecting it, but sliding headfirst off the edge of a road into the trees was not the best way to learn of your crowd's enthusiasm. Driving in the canyons required great car control to not only go fast, but to stay alive. "Street no Aka" is a term used to describe the ever-changing variables of the street. Drifting or sliding the car around was something that was very important to be able to do. To control the sliding car on pavement like you do in the dirt was something to be admired.
Into the '90s, you had a choice of cars: from K-cars (micro cars with 660cc engines and exterior dimensions all government mandated) to top-of-the-line dream cars like the Skyline GT-R (R32). The Skyline was back with a vengeance after about a 15-year absence. But what many enthusiasts wanted were the Nissan Silvia, Honda CRX, Toyota Celica or MR2 and some of the early-generation RX-7s. These cars were affordable. In any case, rear-wheel drives like the Silvia (S13 and S14), Skyline and AE-86 twin (the AE-86 Trueno was very similar to the Corolla GT-S, with pop-up headlights, while the Levin had fixed headlights) had tremendous appeal.
By this time, drifting was beginning to gain more momentum. It was a huge street scene and, with the help of the Japanese car magazines, it really started becoming more and more mainstream.
Option and its video magazine started exposing car enthusiasts to this phenomenon back in the mid- to late-'80s. With several pro-drivers as judges, the rage began with small events.Organized by Option and hosted by Keiichi Tsuchiya and his comedic accomplices, those early videos were a riot. Keiichi was an up-and-coming racer who was a legend among the drifter's scene. His battle weapon was an AE-86 (or Hachi-roku...eight-six would be the literal translation). For years, he was the man to beat and became known as the "Dorikin" (the Japanese abbreviation of "Drift-King"). While the depth of the quality of the drivers wasn't what it is today, the contestants were always very enthusiastic.
After these videos started circulating around the country, there was a huge surge in people wanting to compete. The Dorikin host was always encouraging people to come to these events and emphasized that it was about car control. With the big drop in the cost of renting a track and with the numerous small tracks being built, this was a great way to get to drive your car hard without the added dangers of driving on the street. Not to mention the party atmosphere and the chance for fame.
Getting sideways, maintaining high speeds and exiting quickly were always given higher scores. Keeping a good line also gave you higher scores. There were the occasional extra-curricular peace signs and one finger salutes out the window while driving sideways, but that was about it.
Along with the cars, the racers have changed. It's become a party atmosphere, where drivers are concentrating on special effects (like fire from the exhaust) rather than driving skills. For better or worse, it's changing and growing. New "heroes" are always emerging. Ken Nomura (battle weapon-Silvia) with his outrageous driving and saru (monkey) antics is becoming wildly popular. It is still outrageously entertaining. The car at speed, rear end smoothly steps out sliding, making one fast smooth arc through the corner with no visible twitch upon exiting the corner and then accelerating towards the next corner to continue the graceful dance.
The spectacular car control and outrageous party atmosphere of the events is what is really "drifting." How the pastime will develop, no one knows, but it has continued to be popular much longer than most trends in Japan.
The "Hell Just Froze Over" DepartmentBack in 1997, after hearing rumors that Force was contemplating leaving his long-time sponsor Pontiac, we ran a picture of what we thought John Force's NHRA Funny Car would look like if it sported an import body. Well, that didn't exactly happen, but as luck would have it-an Integra bodied NHRA Funny Car did make its first appearance at the last Winter Nationals and we were there to get the photo.
Driven by Bernie Harrington, this "Type R" bodied funny car is putting out between 3000 to 3200 hp! "It'll do 265-plus mph, and runs a 526 cubic inch engine," said Harrington.
OK, so it has pushrods (as the NHRA rules dictate), but it does 5-second quarter-mile passes. It looks like a Honda...kind of.
Plan on seeing more of this monster doing exhibition passes at IDRC and NHRA Summit drag races. Or call (760) 243-1616 for a complete appearance schedule.
Anarchy in The U.K. Fast Fords ForeverFord continues to be a major player in the modified car scene in the United Kingdom and, as an automotive journalist, I'm in a good position to sample some of the best enthusiast cars that it has to offer.
Two that come to mind are the Sierra and Sapphire. Despite the fact that Ford stopped producing the Sierra Cosworth in 1986 and the Sapphire Cosworth by the end of 1992, these cars continue to be the enthusiast's choice. With around 204 bhp and 220 bhp respectively in stock trim and much more when tuned properly, the fact you can still buy a decent Sierra or Sapphire for under $15,000 (U.S.) is remarkable. In my opinion, Ford hasn't built anything to match this level of performance since it stopped production of these cars. Of course, neither of the Cosworths I've seen recently have been stock.
For the lucky owners of either the Sierra or the Sapphire, it's not enough to have performance parts like a GpA head gasket, bigger injectors and hybrid turbos, owners in the United Kingdom are demanding engines that look the part as well. That means a huge selection of polished or chromed parts, from strut braces to dump valves and water tanks, all joined together by color-coded hoses and pipes. The message is clear: If you've got it, flaunt it!
Mind you, I thought I'd seen it all when it came to performance Fords, but I recently came across an unusual conversion.
This tuner car started as a Ford Puma, a new, sporty two-door coupe, powered by a 1.7-liter 16V engine producing 125 bhp to drive the front wheels. Through major mods, it had been transformed into a one-of-a-kind street machine. I've seen old cars fitted with newer, more powerful engines, but this was a brand-new car fitted with a 10-year-old engine.
It was no ordinary engine, though. How does 250 bhp and whiplash- producing torque grab you? Despite its abilities, this car is a real sleeper; its owner hasn't even changed the alloys. The only hint of performance is the roll-cage. Performance is under the hood-where it counts.A quick look reveals a totally reconditioned 1600 cc Escort turbo engine, which came direct from Ford Motorsport. Severn Valley Motorsport in the United Kingdom then added a Pace Chargecooler, hybrid turbo, Piper 285 T2 cam, chip upgrade, swirl pot, twin high-pressure pumps, additional radiator, Ram Air induction kit, Samco hoses, braided pipes and a Mongoose exhaust.
The result? I can confirm it's fairly docile to 2500 rpm, then things get a bit more exciting around 4000 rpm. On a wet road, you can getwheel-spin in fourth, even fifth gear.
Whether or not you like ords, in the United Kingdom, certain models are becoming a hot commodity, and in the hands of tuners, they are definitely making heads turn.