We were lost in translation at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon, wandering the halls of the Makuhari Messe, hopped up on Qoo, and being assaulted with visions of JDM tuning--and unpixilated JDM models--when we happened upon the Car Make T&E booth. Our J-Spec buddy Teddy Ogushi suggested that we try to secure a feature on the Vertex Soarer. Then we suggested that his wannabe Western name wasn't hiding his JDM (the M is for Mexican) heritage from anyone. Stupid Teddy, we featured this car waaay back in our June `03 issue. That's when O-Ted just sighed and walked away from us.
Little did we know that the car you see on these pages is actually the third version of the Vertex Soarer D1 sled. Sequels are rarely better than the original, unless The Pacifier 2 comes out. Vin Diesel as a badass babysitter? Now there's a bit that never gets old. And while this new Soarer may also look like a rehash of the previous Vertex ride, this new unit is knocking out teeth like Sam the butcher bringing Alice the meat.
The lucky b-stard who has played slap and tickle with the controls of each one of the Vertex D1 Soarers is none other than Takahiro Ueno. Not only does Ueno-san get to drive because of his drifting dominance, but he also happens to be the founder of Car Make T&E, which produces, among other aftermarket products, the Vertex line of aerodynamic kits. Ueno-san also has mad creative skills, as he designs all of the Vertex kits.
The T&E (that's T&E, not T&A, Roel) initials stand for Technical and Elegant, and they also make for the perfect adjectives to describe Ueno-san's style. Through his dress, manner, and clean sense of design, Ueno-san punctuates the greasy coveralls image of drifting with an ultra-fine LV flair. Nowhere is Ueno-san's sense of refinement more evident than in his choice of D1 machines. You can keep your rusted Hachis and 180s because for Ueno, nothing less than a Toyota Soarer (aka Lexus SC 300) will do.
Because Ueno-san is such a baller, he's had the opportunity to drive plenty of cars. Here's his list of previous vehicles owned: R32 Skyline Type M, AE86 Trueno, FC3S, Soarer, 180SX, S14, S15, Z33, Altezza, JZX100 Mark II, Mark X, etc. (Damn, we could only dream of owning an etc. one day). But Ueno-san's passion lies with the Soarer, and he let us in on all the secrets behind building this car to D1 specs, and then he told us all about how bees and dogs can smell fear.
Moving Forward, Scaling Back
The biggest challenge with the Soarer is that although it has great lines, it's rather portly because of its luxo DNA (much like those chicas in the Lane Bryant catalog: kinda hot, but not exactly spinner material). While Ueno-san's Soarer III may look like his first two, he's elevated the weight-loss program to a science so that this car manages to be both lighter and stiffer than the previous models.
Two characteristics that Ueno-san disliked about the Soarer is that it has no steering angle and the heavy curb weight makes for lethargic transitions. To cut LBs and KGs, the Soarer was stripped to a bare shell. The dry carbon, hood, doors, and trunk not only help reduce weight but also lower the center of gravity, as do the acrylic side, quarter, and rear windows. An Okuyama special rollcage is welded into the mix, and much like the rest of the chassis work, the fabrication is pure perfection. The engine is even mounted lower and farther back in the chassis to help with weight distribution. Ueno-san may have crafted his own South Beach diet, but how do you increase steering angle?
The Turning Point
In drifting, the greater the steering angle (the amount the front wheels can turn from side to side), the greater the drift. It stands to reason that if more opposite lock (oversteer, or steering into the turn) can be applied, then a driver can achieve a greater drift angle (how far your ass end hangs out). In short, more steering angle equals a better drift. Because Ueno-san's beloved Soarer is not blessed with a good steering angle, his latest and greatest drifter features quite a few tricks to bump up the lock-to-lock over stock. The first change was to ditch the conservative steering rack with a model from a Toyota Celsior (our Lexus LS). The front suspension geometry was also completely revised. Another major makeover went down in the fenderwells, which were hacked up and replaced with the gorgeous tubs that can be seen from the engine bay. The outside flexes a Vertex Ridge widebody kit, and the combo allows the 19-inch meats to swerve it up like the Silvia set.
Footwork Fetish
Peep these heavy rollers. You want `em don't you? Put down this rag and contact Mackin Industries, the official importer for Rays Engineering. Tell Mackin you want the Volk Racing GT-Vs with the same red anodized centers as the Vertex Soarer. Wait for the laughter and dial tone, and then continue reading this story. These JDM bling rings are custom-colored for Japan's tuning elite. What can we tell you? Move to Japan, establish yourself as a famous tuner, and ask Rays to send you some of these Volks. Then you can return to the States, move back in with your parents, and put them on that primered Integra that's on blocks in the driveway (or front yard if you live in the durrty South). In addition to the wheels, the rest of the underpinnings include the finest in D1 fare: Yokohama AVS Sport rubber, HKS Hipermax D coilovers, Do-Luck stabilizer bars, Ikeya Formula pillar arms, and Project big brakes.
Tire Hazing Horses
Vertex Soarer numbers uno and dos both retained the stock 1JZ-GTE motors, but numero tres is equipped with a 2JZ-GTE from the Supra. Ueno-san says the Supra swap offers more torque and power. Duh, even we knew that. OK, maybe we didn't, but we do now.
Sui:Vax is the tuning arm of Car Make T&E, and it handled the engine build. The bottom end is stock but fully balanced, and Sui:Vax also ported the stock head. From here just about every box from the 2JZ section of the HKS Goods Master was checked off, with a T04Z turbine topping everything off. The HKS intercooler and Yashio Factory radiator assume a Kama Sutra position, better known as a V-mount, and finally all of the bad gas is expelled through a T&E Legerfort full titanium exhaust.
Soaring To New Heights
All in all, Vertex Soarer the Third took one year to build, and Ueno-san lists the cost as too much and the value as priceless. "I like the challenge of driving a hard car in the first place," said Ueno-san. "I built a vehicle to compete in D1 Grand Prix with my favorite car. And I don't plan to change cars until I win a round." Consider that Ueno-san stormed into the final four at the recent D1GP first round at Irwindale--in the old first version of the Soarer. Ueno-san should have that win once he drops Version 3.0 on the set. This new car may look the same, but it's bringing a whole new game.
Car Make T&E is comprised of a handful of exclusive brands. The Vertex line is comprised of aero kits, while Vertex Ridge covers the widebody line. Vertex Lang offers beefier versions of existing kits and Vertice Design provides for the discriminating Ferrari clientele.. At the other end of the spectrum is the Ism line for wagons and smaller cars. Finally, Legerfort exhaust systems and T-Zero brakes add performance to the aero improvements. A few years ago we would have spit these products at you so you could drop your JDM knowledge on your buddies who hang out with you at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Friday nights. But now, thanks to Speed Alliance (www.speedalliance.com), you don't have to just talk about that JDM kit; you can actually buy it from Vertex USA (www.vertexaerokits.com).
Don't say we never gave you anything
The pot of gold at the end of the tunnel. Or rainbow. Whatever. For the readers that actually weren't so lazy as to not scroll down to the bottom, you win. Send an email with the the words "Vertex Soarer" typed into the subject field to Chimpy@superstreetonline.com for an autographed 10x7 photo of Ueno-san's Vertex Soarer sliding into a drift. Only five are available, so get on your horse! Hehehe, we said get on.