NZ Performance Car No 292 October - November 2021

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 had…

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 drift…

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 rear, 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 (thank you!),…

IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT HERE IN NEW ZEALAND WE HAVE A BIG LOVE FOR THE MAZDA ROTARY. WE HAVE A UNIQUE WAY OF MODIFYING THEM, AND IT’S A STYLE THAT NEVER GOES OUT OF FASHION. THE TEAM AT JOKERS WILD KUSTOMS HAVE TEAMED UP WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED ROTARY FANATICS TO BRING YOU IMPULSIVE — ROTARY ONLY DAY, A NEW AND EXCITING ROTARY-ONLY EVENT ON THE CALENDAR, TO BE HELD AT HAMPTON DOWNS ON 23 OCTOBER, LABOUR WEEKEND. IT’S THE PERFECT RECIPE, FEATURING TRACK SESSIONS, DRIFTING, BURNOUTS, AND SKID PAN ACTION ALL DAY. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT IT’S FREE TO ENTER — YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY; IF YOU HAVE A ROTARY-POWERED VEHICLE, ENTRY IS FREE. THE ONLY REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER ONLINE TO SECURE YOUR SPOT AND YOU MUST…

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…