![]() ![]() ![]() HKS supplied the stunning carbon intake pipe onto which its trademark Super Power Flow filter is mounted, and it extends well into the expansive frontal void of the engine bay. Of course, this modification was made to shift the weight bias to a more central position, benefitting the handling and the way the big sedan switches from transition to transition. It sits rearward of its original placement, with cylinder number six pretty much right under the dashboard. The position of the 2JZ engine itself is precisely why the car is no longer legal for D1 Grand Prix competition. Custom tube work now serves as the mounting points for the front end. The inner wheel arches have been lopped clean off, only the lower box chassis where the subframe bolts up to retained. What isn’t necessary is simply not there, starting with most of the original chassis forward of the suspension towers. There is no detail that hasn’t been thought about it’s all geared towards creating the most powerful and agile drift car possible out of a chassis and engine combination that Toyota originally designed to serve pensioners. I’ll have to pull out the minimalistic adjective here again. But beauty is only skin deep there is pure evil beneath all of this and that’s what I wanted to really sink my teeth into… Who Needs Intercoolers? It’s the same story at the front, with so much of the hood cut out right above the engine. I think there is more metal grille that actual FRP material on the trunk lid, but seeing as the radiator is positioned back there, these openings help to keep the air flowing. The BN Sports skirts are there to help smooth and direct air towards the wheels, not to mention play with the clouds of smoke that pour out of the rear arches which themselves have been widened and vented. I can tell you that it’s mostly very thin FRP or carbon. I spent a decent amount of time walking around the car and poking at every panel. ![]() Behind them, Endless brakes, specifically 6-pot monoblock calipers matched to 2-piece E-grooved rotors up front, and smaller and more conventional 4-pots at the rear alongside drilled discs to help dissipate the heat from copious use of the hydraulic e-brake. The car sits on forged Prodrive GC-05N wheels painted Monster Energy green to match in with the unmistakable livery that has accompanied Daigo for years in D1. The lightweight focus is a Saito trademark, and it’s probably come about through preferring a faster reacting and more twitchy chassis mated to immense mechanical grip and of course oodles of power. And with both a new Formula D series and D1GP about to kick off very shortly, what better way to get us all into a drifting mood.Īesthetically speaking, Daigo’s Mark II wears a BN Sports aero kit with added featherweight carbon fiber panels to help shed as much weight as possible. There’s no doubt that he’s a true master of his craft, but for me, his finest creation thus far has been the last JZX100 he used in D1 Grand Prix.ĭespite the car no longer meeting D1 Grand Prix technical regulations, Daigo’s held onto it, and I was able to grab a few moments with it the last time I dropped by Fat Five Racing in Saitama. Like many drifters out there, Daigo has always had a big hand in creating his own cars and testing out new things, and that’s allowed him to develop his own unique style. He’s adept at modifying his style to match whatever series he may be participating in, and I don’t need to remind you of how many he has entered in – and won – during his years as pro. However, I’ve always thought that Daigo Saito’s style of car building somehow combines the two. The style of drifting is different too, as is the judging, and it all trickles down to the little variations in car spec and setup that differentiate the two schools of thought. If you’ve watched professional drifting come of age in the US, you’ll probably associate the motorsport with million-dollar, manufacturer-backed, V8-powered monsters. In Japan, however, pro drift cars are built with an different mindset there are things that make them a little more befitting to the type of driving and tracks that they are punished on. Could this possibly be the wildest drift car ever built? The most minimalistic? The best ever? Maybe all of the above…
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