If you like cars and enjoy the Internet it's almost impossible that you haven't been on the Speed Hunters site. What you might not know is that Speed Hunters is the brainchild of EA's automotive division, Need For Speed. The site is known the world-over for offering some of the freshest content and inside views anywhere online.
At some point, you were likely to run across Matt Powers and his previously banged-to-hell emerald green S14. Matt quickly went from an amateur nobody to an underground drifting icon with a cult-like following. All the while driving the same car that he is now drifting at a professional level. Known for his car's extremely low stance and killer style, it's not surprising to many that Speed Hunters decided to join forces.
On his last outing as a privateer, Matt gained some serious attention after he placed an impressive 4th at Formula D's season finale at Irwindale Speedway. During the off-season, Matt joined forces with EA, alongside teammate Mad Mike, and began turning this S14 into a more capable pro-level car with entries on the Speed Hunters site documenting the process.
The first thing that you notice about the car is its new livery. According to Matt, he wanted to "apply some rock to the Need for Speed theme". It reminds me of those zebra-striped hammer pants that were in style when I was in first grade, which is pretty cool. There's definitely no mistaking who's behind the wheel of this wild animal-inspired S chassis.
One sticker that stands out is the Nitto logo placed prominently above the fender arches. This is a much-welcomed partnership that also came to fruition before the 2010 season. Tires cost a fortune, and with his new Nitto NT05 regiment, Matt can put more smoke and/or mirrors into his drift program, something the ladies are sure to enjoy.
We all know that the KA motor in stock form is pretty much an iron suckfest and most owners would swap the motor out first thing. Matt decided to be a little different, or maybe cheap, but the new setup makes almost 500hp! Largely thanks to the tuning gurus at Jim Wolf Technology and a huge Garrett turbo, the once sadly underpowered S14 will finally be able to keep angle and speed. To accompany this newly-found power without blowing up the driveline, there is also an OS Giken gear set and twin-plate clutch added for this year.
The chassis was getting a little sad, but after a near total loss accident, Matt decided to reengineer a few parts rather than having to buy an entire new chassis. The front section from the fenderwells forward is now a tube construction. This helps to lighten the car as well as add some rigidity. With the bodywork performed in the off-season, it's almost hard to recognize this car as the smashed up crap-box it once was.
Although the car still isn't quite a top-level funded machine, Matt has been doing some serious work with it this year and continues to qualify higher with each Formula D event. Who knows, by the end of the year this old car might just podium, maybe even several times. But the best part about this car is that even it if it isn't winning it's definitely going to be fun to watch!
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