Team Orange Lancer Evo X
On my most recent Japan trip, I decided to meet up with my close friend-D1 Grand Prix Series Champion Nobushige Kumakubo-at his home track, the world renowned Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima, Japan.
After some arm twisting, I actually got Kuma to leak some information about the new competition drift car he was building: a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. For the actual one-off fabrication and engineering of the new Lancer, Kumakubo enlisted the expertise of the legendary car builder Susumu Koyama, the mastermind behind JUN Auto Mechanic in Saitama, Japan. I knew I just had to get over there and check it out!
In between about a million cigarettes, Koyama-san managed to tell me that he was converting the car from the original all wheel-drive platform to FR (front engine, rear wheel drive) by actually remounting the engine to longitudinal, or "North-South" configuration! Since Kumakubo prefers the Hollinger six-speed sequential transmission for D1 competition use, Koyama-san made sure to custom mount it to the new Lancer, along with a limited slip differential from a Nissan Skyline GT-R.
When I visited JUN with Kumakubo, Koyama was in the midst of re-engineering the Lancer's front suspension, including using a steering rack and coilover front suspension from a Nissan! Koyama wouldn't exactly tell us all his secrets though-when I suggested that maybe the front suspension and steering rack looked as if it were from an S15 Silvia, Koyama just exhaled his tobacco smoke and nodded his head, saying "So! So! Zettai dayo... tabun." (Yeah, yeah for sure... maybe.)-Antonio Alvendia
Tetsu's Tales
FR, drift, NA, Panda and Initial D: I think you are thinking one car now. It is AE86 Corolla/Hachi Roku. Hachi Roku is very popular in USA and Japan. The attraction of AE86 are FR, NA motor and the costs for driving is very cheap. I said that the costs for driving is very cheap but AE86 is over 10 years old. Toyota stop to sell some new parts for AE86 (drive shaft, some interior parts). If we didn't need to worry about old and some new parts to stop producng, I think AE86 is so nice car. Used AE86 is very expensive in Japan and I think U.S. too. You can find $1,000US used AE86 and over $25,000US used AE86 in Japan. $25,000US AE86 is looks like new car because most of genuine parts are new. $1,000US AE86 need many tune up. Many people and many car magazines say, "Please Toyota, please sell the modern AE86. Somehow or another, Toyota has the plan of a modern AE86."
Some Japanese car magazines say Toyota will sell new AE86 (AE what?) end of this year or next year. It will have FR, coupe body or hatch back, 1500cc NA motor. 1500cc motor is sounds like slow but Keiichi Tsuchiya got his drifting skill with '83 Toyota Starlet 1300cc NA motor. I guess 1500cc NA motor is no problem and aftermarket parts company will sell turbo kit or supercharger kit. The price of this car will be about $13,000USD. This price is almost same price as Yaris or Fit. How do you think about $13,000 FR car? I think it is very, very nice because sports cars are expensive these days. It is hard to buy 18-inch tires for driving on the race track for me because over 18 inches tires are expensive. JDM Civic Type-R is nice car and I want to buy it, but the size of tires are same as NSX. I think new AE86 will have 14- or 15-inch tires. If Toyota would sell new AE86, I guess Toyota give message for young people, which is driving sport car is very interesting. Now many Japanese young people like K-cars or mini vans. I said "if" because one magazine says that Toyota doesn't have the plan for selling new AE86. I am not sure Toyota USA will sell new AE86 in USA. Next generation of Scion tC will be new AE86? If so, it is very nice! (high five!) Please Toyota! Please!!