Table of contents for No 292 October - November 2021 in NZ Performance Car

I’ve done it. I’ve driven my track day car — after six months off under construction! At the start of the year, I got my 2004 Altezza ready for Toyota Festival. I put some serious work into getting it perfect for that event too: new semi-slicks, new race pads, bought a GoPro, and had the engine tuned further with the individual-throttle-body (ITB) set-up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, as, at around eight laps into the day, the engine let go, losing compression on one cylinder. I managed to limp it back to my performance workshop with smoke pouring out the back. An engine was sourced, but after a few different delays, it did take some time. I made the switch to a manual engine, bought some Kelford cams, and…

Last issue, we said farewell to the last-ever EJ-powered Subaru WRX. Although incredibly sad news for Subaru fans all over, Subaru has been teasing us with an all-new Subaru WRX, with videos and images scattering the far reaches of the internet. The 2022 Subaru WRX is set to debut at the New York International Auto Show as this issue goes to print. Although there are no confirmed reports of what engine the all-new WRX will be running, there is speculation that it will be a 2.4-litre flat-four engine as found in one of Subaru’s crossovers, which produces 194kW. However, the WRX STI is said to put out around 298kW in its new specification. Subaru is said to be releasing the WRX with a six-speed manual transmission to keep enthusiasts happy…

Pedalling a highly strung circuit weapon on a semi-pro basis brings with it its own set of hurdles. You’re out there suited and booted, belted in, representing your brand and backers, with a focus on performing to the absolute optimum. After all, performance is what got you there. From the outside, it looks like a hell of a time: living the dream to the fullest, doing the thing that, as car aficionados, we’d all do some dubious things to achieve. However, from behind the visor, this is serious business. It’s not all rev limiters and banging gears wearing a grin big enough to chomp into the Ohakune carrot. There’re targets to meet, expectations to fulfil, and a whole team of personalities behind you to do justice to. It can be,…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN AN ENGINE BAY AND NOTHING YOU DON’T. THE STACKED K24A SITS AMONG A SWATHE OF FRESH SCARLET JAM, WITH A CLEAN AND, MOST IMPORTANT, FUNCTIONAL LEVEL OF PREPARATION. ACCESSIBILITY IS PARAMOUNT IN THE HEAT OF AN ENDURANCE RACE PIT STOP, WITH ALL OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE 225KW K-SERIES ABLE TO BE FETTLED AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE PERFORMANCE POWER: 225kW at the hubs TORQUE: 293Nm FUEL TYPE: 98 octane TUNER: Lin at Concept Dynamic Motorsports HEART ENGINE: K24 2400cc four-cylinder BLOCK: Wiseco forged 13.0:1 pistons, Saenz forged rods, King race bearings, blueprinted bottom end HEAD: CNC ported by Horsepower Heads, Supertech dual valve springs, Supertech titanium retainers, Supertech collets, Supertech valve seats, Drag Cartel Elite Pro camshafts INTAKE: Jenvey 54mm custom individual throttle bodies (ITBs),…

You’ll have no doubt heard of the Mitchell Race Xtreme (MRX) team, as it builds some of the wildest race cars to come out of New Zealand — and, boy, does it have a banger for you this time! Take what you know about the BMW E36 platform, grab the nearest cutting tool, and cut it to pieces — this is exactly what the MRX team has done with a completely factory BMW E36 rolling body. “A standard E36 shell rolled into the MRX shop. That lasted about two hours, before we cut nearly every piece of German metal out of the chassis,” Nick from MRX tells us. “Rear floor section, gone. Firewall, gone. Complete front chassis, gone. Tunnel, gone.” So, what are the plans for this E36 you wonder?…

Hero contributor, huh? You might have heard my name or about Ambition Works four or more years ago — nearly every weekend I was at Hampton Downs, Meremere Dragway, Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, or Manfeild shooting drifting. I then disappeared and became one of those typical white guys in Japan. René contacted me last year, after my four-year stint in Japan and two weeks into my holiday quarantine, asking if I’d be interested in running an article about my adventures in that marvellous country. Of course, I said hell yeah! This will be the sixth article in the series and one that people will love, I’m sure. As well as this Japan-based article, we’ve also come up with a street-legal segment where I sniff out New Zealand’s best WOF/reg./cert. street-legal…

There’s something special about a comeback. It’s never easy and most of the time we’re not fully aware of the hurdles involved in getting back onto whatever horse it is that someone has fallen off. For William Au-Yeung of PZtuning, that horse was a goddam Trojan-sized one. Not only is William’s Civic a North American hero, claiming track records at each circuit it attacks, but it has also travelled abroad, contesting Sydney’s Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge — which is where we first saw and met the team. Then, at the start of 2019, William and the PZtuning team tackled Japan’s holy grail of Time Attack events — Attack Challenge, hosted at Tsukuba circuit. The circuit, home of Time Attack and, more specifically, the front-wheel-drive community, learned the hard way…

Over the weekend of 22–24 July, the general public would have noticed a stack more cars around Christchurch and the surrounding southern towns; that would be all thanks to Premier Events’ Chrome Expression Session — three days of modified car madness. Day one saw entrants galore. We’ve never seen an event with lines this long in the South Island. On that calm Saturday morning at 7.30am, the gates were open and the lines at least 1km long, with modified imports rudely breaking the silence. But with a friendly smile from the gate staff, the queues were flowing smoothly and entrants made their way to the pit areas to set up for a day’s fun. The first lot of driver briefings was held at 8.15am, followed closely by the first Prowear…

There have been plenty of crazy, converted Starlets over the years but they’ve mostly been rotary powered or some sort of high-performance Toyota engine. So, what do you do to keep up with the times? A K-swap, of course! Stuart bought this slant-nose 1983 Toyota Starlet back in 2016 as his first car. “It was the first car I had ever bought myself,” he tells us, “and I was stoked with it, using it as a daily — it had me grinning from ear to ear when I drove it.” However, being a 30-year-old car, it came with a few mechanical setbacks, so, after it had chewed through two diffs and two gearboxes — then ending up with a four-speed instead of a five-speed — Stuart made the decision to…

Strap in for the ride! Strap in tight, there’s a new parts store in town! Zoo Performance NZ specialises in a wide range of performance-related products, including fittings, hoses, oil and fuel systems, manifolds, throttle bodies, RTS G-Force gearboxes, and even Winters Quick Change differentials. It also has a range of its own Zoo Performance NZ products. Introducing the Zoo Performance NZ six-point HANS (head and neck support) and FIA-approved harnesses! These are a German-engineered and ultra-thin with high-tension webbing design, complete with lightweight cam lock. When you’re out on the track, drifting, or grip racing, it’s important you have a harness you can trust and one that’s comfortable — better yet, one that looks damn good. With five different colours and designs to choose from, there will no doubt…

RX fans, get excited — Mazda has submitted patents in Japan for what appears to be a two-door, rear-wheel drive coupe that looks suspiciously like the 2015 RX-Vision concept. With what appears to be an aluminium space frame, it shares similar angles and lines, and even the tail-light section appears to be close. However, the submitted drawings appear to be powered by a hybrid system, with a 48V power train, and electric front motors, hinting at an all-wheel drive, rear-biased set-up. It’s unclear what engine will be powering the vehicle in the submitted plans, but it is common knowledge that Mazda has been working on a straight-six engine, and it’s already got an array of turbocharged four-cylinders in the line-up. Additionally, this Mazda appears to run doublewishbone suspension front and…

The Mitsubishi Evolution is the pinnacle for many automotive enthusiasts. For Rizwan, this rang true — now even more so since it’s packing over 780kW at the wheels; a true nine-second bright yellow monster. Technology: the advancements allowing us to obtain the previously unobtainable. Imagine telling the dreadlocked, chrome-dripping performance car enthusiasts of the early 2000s that in the distant future we’d be street driving road-legal, stock-looking, nine-second Mitsubishi Evos — you’d have been clipped around the ears for speaking such dribble. Yet here we are — technology, you beautiful thing. Gone are the days of spliced airflow meters with air–fuel controllers, octane boosters, and manual-bleed valves on spiced-up factory turbochargers. We are in a new era now, with previously high-end race car tech now in the affordable realm, and…

Ah, Chrome Expression Session, you’re fast-becoming New Zealand’s very own Gridlife, or Gatebil festival, with car folk all over New Zealand getting to experience your phenomenal array of automotivebased activities — all we need now is on-site camping and live music and we’re there. With the North Island–based event taking place only weeks after the South Island event, we thought we’d spotlight them both. From 6 to 8 August — kicking off with cool winds and a heap of rain — Hampton Downs Raceway and the Premier Events team put on another doozy. The Chrome team put on a special VIP day on the Friday when 200 VIP entrants could roam the Hampton Downs venue and blacktop without the crowds. If you’re into premium circuit time and cruising with your…

It’s always a great time when you get a new project. Dreams begin, plans are hatched, and the work usually begins pretty damn quickly for us performance car folk. It has been a while since I have purchased a project I have been itching to get into like this one, so, without further ado, meet Project GRB: a 2007 Subaru WRX STI hatch. Fitted with an EJ207 engine from the factory — with a tough six-speed manual gearbox — it’s a great base for modification. The guards are wide, lending themselves well to a wide wheel-and-tyre combo, and the factory brakes are Brembo items, meaning there is heaps of potential to be unlocked there too. After owning a GRB-model Subaru in the past that was modified, I definitely got used…

NZPC: Carl, that’s one seriously cool-looking R33 GT-R you’ve got there. Why did you settle on an R33 GT-R? Carl: Hey, team. Thanks! I have always loved the R33. Growing up, it was the most un-preferred from the R32–R34, which really suited my personality, but I really wanted to showcase that the R33 could still look and perform as good as the rest! In what state did you buy the R33? Was it always this modified? I actually found it in Auckland six years ago, fresh from Japan, completely stock standard with low kilometres — very clean and tidy. Not even New Zealand registered yet, which was perfect for being a blank canvas for what I had planned. Have done everything myself with the help from Tony and the boys…

BILLY GORDON AGE: 24 //LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH OCCUPATION: CAR PAINTER NZPC: Hey, mate. How did you get into modifying cars? Billy: As a kid, I grew up heavily influenced by my dad. I was that kid getting picked up from school in the cool WRX and going to car shows, etc. Then, when I got my first car — an MX-5 — and a job painting, the modifying bug hit and I’ve been at it ever since. I’m proud to say everything I’ve accomplished on my cars has been done with my own hands and with help from my friends and family. Why did you choose the Mazda RX-7 as your platform to build? Purely for the shape. I’m heavily inspired by aesthetics, and from a young age I knew it…