Subaru – Gripshiftslide

Vivid Motorsports :: Formula 1 Show And Shine

Grant — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 10:14:04 +0000

When a group of dedicated car nuts get together only good things can arise! Vivid Motorsports have been on our radar for the last six months and are a group we have been meaning to feature for a while.

When the opportunity to see their car show at the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix was offered, I jumped at the chance!

There were many car groups at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, yet Vivid Motorsports really had the greatest mix of cars compared to the car groups in the area. This classic Toyota Corolla KE30 was one car I did not expect to see! It is one of the most uncommonly modified cars in the scene and also the biggest surprise’s of the show.

Taking influences from the drift world there was a host of Subaru’s sporting blast pipes! Dare I say that the humble Subaru is soon taking the place of the Honda Civic for JDM street dominance.

One of the best things about Vivid Motorsports, it’s not just a group full of hard parking shed pony’s! They actually have full blown track and drift cars within the group.

To me, I believe that cars should be driven not just polished and placed on a pedestal. Vivid Motorsports is what a real car enthusiasts group should be about, track days , social events, car shows and special events.

The fitment scene is really starting to gain popularity in Melbourne despite our crazy strict road laws here in Australia.

Pushing the boundary’s, while avoiding unwanted attention is the great cat an mouse game. Although the game continues to increase in difficulty each and every year.

Their are still some people willing to take a chance for the sake of style! The real question is how fast can you convert your car back to stock?

After setting some quick lap times at Winton Raceway, the Saisoku racing s2000 was looking great sitting among its pals on the lawn just next to Albert Park Lake.

I can even imagine how hard it is to set your car up to sit like this. With its tyre’s tucked and rim’s on the outer edge of the wheel arch. I guess that’s why they call it fitment right?

Tyre stencils are all the rage, yet this looked like it was a new type of stick-on lettering that had a factory style appearance.

Matching the colour with the brake calipers really sets this off and you never know this may spawn a fixie style colour craze in the euro and JDM scene.

The Vivid Motorsports show even had a Maserati on display! The paint job alone was worth more than some of the other cars! Although it was great to see such a complete range of individual and unique cars at the show.

The R32 is one Nissan Skyline that everybody love’s! Such a classic especially when you see a great example like this. Mark my word’s these will start to hit Hako pricing levels in the next twenty years!

Aggressive with a touch of style, this Subaru had plenty of dish!

A wagon you should all be familiar with, Jason Ferron has truly made this R31 wagon stand out by putting it on podium many times in VicDrift and DCA drift competitions. There is a rumor that this very wagon will be for sale in the not to distant future!

One serious package, semi slicks with a spoiler bigger than a Hyundai Excel! Among the daily drivers this R33 really made an impression with the F1 fans.

Vivid Motorsports is really making steps to create a movement and bring back all that is good to the car club community. Putting on social events, track days, kebab runs, movie premieres and more! Vivid Motorsports are really growing in numbers, we cannot wait to attend more of their awesome events in the future.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Saint Side :: Slab 16 – Slow Low And Bangin

Grant — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 10:25:26 +0000

Our friends at Saint Side are no strangers to putting on a great event. Take for instance their legendary John street show and shine that is held every year which normally attracts hundreds of people! Mark from Saint Side thought it was time to mix things up and have an event away from there physical shop front.

Preston Market was chosen for the first ever Slab 16 – Slow Low And Bangin. With a host of well known cars invited to display at the event things looked promising!

Saint Side has been a name synonyms with car culture for the last 7 years! 2016 is no different with a host of sponsored Drift cars and street vehicles reppin the brand.

Saint Side events are almost like a block party where anything goes and everyone is family including the four legged friends.

Parked right next together where two very different cars, one being the very first Australian Built RWB Porsche and the other a full spec drift car with some Japanese styling.

While Rocket Bunny kits are all the rage nothing compares to the width of an RWB Porsche!

In conjunction with Swunf, GripShiftSlide will be selling the all new air fresheners featuring, Keiichi Tsuchiya(drift King), Mad Mike Whiddett, Diago Saito.

Karl’s KE70 Wagon was in prime position showing off its new 3sge Beams with a super clean install from the boys at JVN Garage. Not only did it look great but it also sounded mad especially on limiter!

If your a child of the 80’s you will undoubtedly identify with chrome BMX’s! That’s right it wasn’t only cars on show! there was also a large display of bike’s of all different types on display.

From classic bikes that look like they have just rolled off the set of Stranger Things to fighter pilot themed bikes! So much character in each example, its not just cars that get modded the retro bike scene is growing and Saint Side has all the parts to make your pushy stand out.

Fresh from a trip to sydney, straight from The-Lowdown Show and Shine at WTAC this immaculate Subaru was giving everyone a lesson in stance.

This is one of the true stand out ride’s of the show! With plenty of quality parts and great colours to match!

It wasn’t only Japanese cars in attendance there were also some tidy euro’s turning heads.

If you a fan of the Melbourne car scene you might have seen t1k tak before, complete with a fresh new look for Slab 16.

Saint Side have attracted a great mix of cars from all over Melbourne to help celebrate their newest event!

Affectionately known as the cookie monster! this 4AGE sat patiently in the back of Karl’s wagon just begging to be installed into any KE70 that had the cookies ready.

Slab 16 was absolutely full of like minded people who really took the time to check out each and every aspect of the event.

Over modifying a car is easily done, once you buy one thing its hard to stop adding more and more bits. Yet this is not the case with Daniels very sleek daily which had many people stop and stare.

Talk about maximum impact! This is one 86 that dragged onlookers in for a closer look. Even the Police could not take their eyes off this 86 awarding it a special yellow sticker on there way home from the event.

Saint Side managed to gather a great mix of cars for their very first Slab 16, with such a strong community of supporters behind the brand it is easy to see why they are so popular.

Throughout the day Saint Side had been selling heaps of raffle tickets for their big giveaway. At the end of the event the winner of the grand prize was announced! Which left a large crowd of supporters disappointed that they did not win a giant Puma sneaker! We thank our good friends at Saint Side for letting us participate in their newest event! Slab 16 We cannot wait until next years event!
Thanks for reading,
Grant
BONUS IMAGES:

JDM :: Docklands Meet

Grant — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 23:34:37 +0000

On a stormy night at the foot of the Bolte bridge a small gathering of JDM cars were preparing to come together for a car meet and mini photoshoot. I decided to tag along to see what these JDM enthusiasts were up to.

The first car I saw as I arrived was this chunky KE70 sitting on a nice set of Superlight’s with just the right amount of offset. This had me excited for what I might see next!

This tastefully modified GC8 WRX caught my eye with its clean paint work and classic wheels. It soon became apparent that this JDM meet had a strong Subaru presence.

The Subaru Forester seemed to be the most popular vehicle of choice, being as they are almost inconspicuous to the highway patrol. Apart from when you have the mighty rising sun painted on your intercooler.

A popular engine swap for the older Foresters is the EJ205/EJ207 from the WRX, this type of thing would definitely make a great sleeper.

There is always a sneaky euro at a JDM meet and this time it was a rather sleek BMW Z4.

The owner of this E85 BMW Z4 M coupe made sure to park away from the main action so he could make a quick exit encase the boys in blue arrived.

Siting on a nice set of XXR 521 wheels this turbo second generation Subaru Forester looked just right and not overdone.

It wasn’t all Forester’s there were even some Nissan’s in the mix, this 180sx had a louvered/vented hood giving it a seriously aggressive look.

A nicely modified mix of both 86 and BRZ were competing for the best spots under the bridge. Even a recent recall on the 86/brz power steering rack didn’t stop these guys from attending.

Although there were many Subaru Foresters in attendance this is the one that really stood out among the others with its clean black look and huge STI wheels.

Considering how cold and crazy windy it was, to see so many cars attending this car meet for the JDM store was great to see. It was so windy that with every large gust of wind I had to hold down my camera on the tripod to stop it tipping over! The JDM store looks like it may host more car meets soon and we can’t wait to see them gather more momentum in the scene.
Thanks for Reading,
Grant

Eastside JDM :: Under The Cover Of Dark

Grant — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 00:27:41 +0000

On a dark Saturday night a large group of JDM car’s descended on a car park somewhere in Melbourne’s east. Although not all of the cars where exclusively from the east, some traveling from the north for a chance to meet other JDM import owners. Many cars were seen scouting the area even before the meet had started at nine thirty, presumably looking out for police or defect stations.

Other cars where seen doing blocky’s just because they were lost and could not see the meet point. With a vague location listed on the Facebook event page a fair group of cars found themselves congregating around a nearby MacDonalds.

Once a small group of cars lined up next to each other then it was a simple case of follow the leader. Streams of burbling WRX’s arrived with a pack of Nissan’s bringing a chorus of turbo flutter.

It wasn’t just Subaru’s and Nissan’s that brought the JDM flavor but also a few Mitsubishi’s that made an appearance.

There were even a few Euro invaders sneaking in slowly amongst the herd of JDM cars, quietly they found parking spots close to the main action.

Not may people are brave enough to add a bold contrasting color that attracts attention but the red highlights on this R34 help to give the car a bit of an impact.

Rare and unique yet not a JDM car this Ford Sierra Cosworth was hidden up the back of the car meet where it didn’t seem to attract the attention it so rightly deserved.

Among the sea of regular JDM cars was this little and rare semi softtop suzuki swift. I’ve never seen one before however it does make sense that Suzuki would create such a thing especially in the nineties.

Now For the heavy hitters! The crowd pleasures! A supra with some serious power and a full blown drift car driving around on club plates. These two cars pulled the biggest crowd of the night they also attracted the attention of the police who were keeping a close eye on the car meet.

Another euro invader, a mini with some chunky BBS rims and plenty of style.

You can never go wrong with the traditional black and gold combo that’s why the John Player Special livery is one of the most loved race car livery’s.

Two cars that share DNA parked right next to each other! The real question is when will Toyota release a turbo 86? There are plenty of bolt on turbo kits but no factory option, we have only been waiting five years and still we wait.

A rather clean S14 with a fresh looking kit never fails to impress, the S14 is like a middle child it never gets the love it deserves.

Who needs shiny wheels when you have a striking paint job like this!

Selling merchandise at car meets is starting to gain popularity, not only where there all kinds of stickers for sale but there was also hot donuts and coffee!

A strong representation from the AE86 crew with a nice mix of hatch and notchbacks all in a row.

You cannot go wrong with an FD RX7 remarkably this one has a massive front mount intercooler tucked behind the front bar for a bit of extra oomph.

Classic Japanese style smaller negative offset wheels with fat tires, whats not to like about this Onevia!

A change of parking spot brought a whole new crowd to these two show stoppers. Unfortunately the Insane Customs S13 Drift car was not appreciated by the highway patrol who threw the book at them for driving on club plates after 12am.

Looking a little worse for wear this MX5 is mid restoration yet i bet we will see this car with a completely new look very soon.

At first i did not recognize what car this was, I soon discovered it was a Subaru Impreza with some special tuning from AVO. This Impreza goes by the name of GPVII and has it own following on Instagram.

Parked way in the back, ready for a quick escape was this beautiful R34 weapon. It sat quietly in the shadow of darkness just begging for a photo.

Having owned an import i know the feeling of always watching your back when driving in Melbourne, being a target because you have a loud car or something that looks relatively fast does not mean your a criminal. Car meets like this bring together like minded people to share their creations with the rest of the car community. Eastside JDM are helping to keep a good group of JDM fans together much like the original JDMST group and we hope to keep a close eye on this forever growing movement.
-Grant

Cars and Coffee :: Truganina

Grant — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 03:16:19 +0000

It has been almost one year since i have been to Cars and Coffee Truganina, these regular Cars and Coffee events seem to be expanding all over the place. This particular Cars and Coffee event has been running monthly for a couple of years now yet it is one of the originals.

All types of cars started to stream in, including a stanced Audi that was on show at the prestigious 100mm car show.

The que to get into the event continued to grow steadily until 10am. Lots of interesting cars made their way into the parking lot looking for the best spots to show off their rides.

It looked as thou there were a few interstate visitors with plates from NSW, QLD, TAZ. The real question, had they really traveled all that way for this monthly event? Or was it just a case of new car purchases from other states?

Regardless it was great to see such a good variety of cars at the meet. This classic Ford Escort was in great condition! looked like it could have maybe been a barn find originally.

There were plenty of nice Subaru’s in attendance including this charmingly stanced Swagon with some very nice mods including some gear from Like Wise.

This photo does not do justice to how low this R34 is! It was really dumped! full commitment by the owner, sporting tucked wheels at this low static ride height especially on a daily and points for the number plate!

A tidy white on white combo saw this RX8 turning heads! Not only did it attract attention but it also has been spotted and mentioned a fair bit on social media.

Damien from JNC Otaku has his very on unique style and you can see it at play in his classic Honda civic interior.

Although the hype over RocketBunny kits is starting to fade they are still damn impressive to see in person! Especially when combined with a great looking wing.

A little touch of color goes a long way! The right set of wheel nuts can really help to bring attention to your wheels among the sea of modified cars it can be the one thing that draws the eye of any onlooker.

Subtle yet effective this Nissan R32 is siting at just the right height to tuck and still be able to get over speed humps and enter driveways it is really what everyone dreams about.

The latest STI looked at home jammed in between its modified friends, I wonder if the STI needs 5 buttons pushed before it will go fast like the new standard WRX does?

No this is not some type of rare Pokemon! Although many people were hard at work playing Pokemon Go at the event this Gozilla wasn’t part of the hunt for Pokemon.

A good crowd for a Saturday morning, the weather was good which made all the difference plenty of cars in attendance which helped create a great vibe for the event.

Its not to often you see a supra running the classic TRD Supra Aero Bonnet! but by the sound of the car and chequered tuning sticker you know that this car will be packing some serious horsepower.

A car that is really starting to grow on me after the years is the mx5, for the longest time all i saw was a hairdressers car but with the right treatment and a few mods this is one of the best bang for buck cars around.

Interesting steering wheel, from the era of car phones and tape players when you needed 4 horn buttons just in case of a random road rage attack.

Spotted some interesting stickers and sights from the day including plenty of Hanging with the Homies air fresheners and even a few of our stickers.

In prime position were 2 stanced RocketBunny 86’s and 2 other equally stunning cars plus our good friends Saint Side selling plenty of rad merchandise.

Could this be a tribute to the Fast and Furious Eclipse from the original movie? The colors are close!

That’s one serious front splitter very time attack inspired with massive canards and plenty of carbon to match.

Not as popular as the standard R34 the four door still can look great with a good set of wheels and small drop kit to set the car off.

As far as wagons go these BMW’s are one of the most luxurious comfy to drive wagons you will find for the price they look great and run like a dream.

Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, Burt Reynolds was the won who undoubtedly made the Pontiac Trans-Am famous! As a kid i wanted one so bad! It was awesome to see this one in person! Such a classic car!

From one extreme to another! Welcome to Bag town where touching the ground is essential.

An unlikely pair, running a mexiflush setup on a commodore is a statement and a half! Notably bold in comparison to the little mx5.

This KE70 looks like a work in progress with plenty of tasty mods, it also looks like it could be hiding a secret under the bonnet.

The growth of this event is very evident, with increased parking guys helping to fit all the cars into the space while arranging the cars into position. This Monthly event may soon out grow its space come summer! only time will tell if they will have to find a bigger location.
-Grant

AKDP :: Sumida's STI Forester

Grant — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 12:56:15 +0000

The Subaru Forester is a simple car, it takes the handling and safety of the Impreza’s renowned 4wd system and throws it into a mid-sized practical family wagon/crossover. Mix in some of the rally bred DNA from the Subaru STI range and you’ll get a punchy turbo 2.5l boxer engine equipped car that is a far cry away from the standard round-trip to school, A to B affair you’ll find in most families driveway.
To Sumida-san this 2004 Subaru Forester made the perfect blank canvas and his favorite brush to use on it was the ‘lowering brush’…

Recently wrapping up our 2nd trip to Japan for 2015 we couldn’t wait to get stuck into some features and ‘first off the rank’ is Sumida-san’s STI Forester. We met up with Sumida-san by chance in a car park in Osaka late one night.
After a brief chat and some help from his friends we managed to translate enough to organise a shoot. We met up early the next morning and convoyed with Sumida-san and his friends to our location in some equally impressive cars. (More on that soon.)

In the light of day we were gobsmacked! Away from the shadows and orange street lights the paint work came to life and the extremely low ride height of this Forester became immediately apparent.
When it comes to lowering cars Japan is next level!

Tucked into the guards are an immaculate set of Volk TE37Vs. This design is an instant classic and just like the original TE37 that suit almost anything the 37Vs were designed with a vintage feel that looks at home on classics and modern cars alike.

We say “immaculate” as although Sumida-san’s Forester is extremely clean, you’ll find the telltale signs from driving a car this low on the fenders and wheel arches. For some these scars and bruises add character, almost a trophy if you will.

The wheels themselves are flawless and this goes to show it’s just as much about the wheels as it is the car for some. The wheels aren’t just an accessory here, they’re the major draw card and the car/ride height compliment them.

Looking directly from behind you can see just how much camber is used to tuck the wheels into the guard.

This amount of camber is sure to pour more fuel on the fire, the same fire that has been raging across the internet for years. Queue the “That’s just stupid”, “Ruined the car”, “stance is the worst thing to happen since…”.
We’ve all heard it, there’s arguments from both sides of the fence and we couldn’t care less. We like all cars and all styles, all we see is a passionate owner with an incredible car.

The TE37Vs measure in at an impressive 17″ x 10″ -20 on all four corners.

Standing back it really is an impeccable combo. The lines and wheel choice compliment each other perfectly!

Sumida-san drives this height everyday, there’s no airbags in sight. The suspension is comprised of a set of Cusco coilovers with a staggering spring rate of 34k up front and 16k in the rear!

Sumida-san has owned this car for a little over 4 years and in that time the car has gone through a few different looks. From different bumpers, wheels and roof racks. This car has seen it’s fair share of changes.
While every time the look is quite simple it seems Sumida-san is quite reserved in the overall appearance but when it comes to lowering his car he ‘takes no prisoners’ and goes to the extreme end of the spectrum.

Chatting with Sumida-san about his time with the Forester we asked what his favorite thing about it was, of all the answers we were surprised by his simple and humble answer… The pillar-less doors!! We thought it about it and had to agree. It’s not a common feature found on small four door family cars and usually reserved for sports cars and coupes.

Under the hood Sumida-san has kept the same reserved approach as the exterior. All the factory items remain. The only additions are an upgraded air filter and full exhaust system.

When the starting point is an STI badged Subaru there’s not a whole lot you would want to change.

What he has changed has made all the difference, the full exhaust system has amplified the famous boxer grumble from a meowing house cat to a roaring lion. The noise of the flat four echoing off the street was down right menacing!

Aside from enhancing the sound and freeing a few extra horses from the engine, the custom exhaust really changes the look of the boxy Forester.

Tie this in with the aggressive fitment from the wheels and this is sure to break a few necks anywhere it goes, no matter the reason you can’t help but stop and stare.

Inside are a host of ‘knick-knacks’ and ornaments livening up the standard interior along with a chrome gear knob, extended shifter and Grip Royal steering wheel. The drivers seat has also been replaced with an SR4 Recaro for a bit more support over the factory seat.

The more we looked at the car the more we fell in love! The simple look is super aggressive thanks additions like a headlight cover, eyelid, factory scoop and black front lip.

Spacers lift up the rear of the hood helping cooling and adding a little touch to the front that’s easy to miss at first glance.

Believe it or not, this is Sumida-sans first car! An impressive first car to say the least and over the 4 years it’s gone from stock as a rock to the pavement eating, fender smashing car that you see now.

Sumida-san has enjoyed everyday of owning it and at the moment his plans for the future are actually getting it to sit even lower! He also plans on making a few cosmetic changes along the way.

We’re curious to see if the wheels stay or go, it will be hard to top the Volks.

They’re the hero of this car and look great against the blue, we can see why he hasn’t changed them to save the guards from further damage.

Up close you can see the results of running around Osaka with only a few centimeters of ground clearance!

Sumida-san and his group of friends call themselves AKDP, they share the same love for cars and the same sense of humor. Just don’t ask us what AKDP stands for. (It’s not exactly PG-13).
We’ll be posting all of the crew together very soon. Keep your eyes out for the full feature.

We would like to thank Sumida-san for his time and for agreeing to meet a complete stranger early in the morning for a photo shoot. Thanks to Takahashi-san for translating, we had an awesome time with you and the AKDP crew and can’t wait to get stuck into the next feature.
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.

Calder Park Test Day :: Bridgestone Adrenalin POTENZA RE003

Grant — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 11:30:34 +0000

Gripshiftslide was lucky enough to score a special invite to a private test day for one of Bridgestone’s latest products. Other guests to be invited to the event included Full Boost, DownShift, Justin Fox, ClubItr and many more.

Originally scheduled to be held at Norwell Racetrack in Queensland the event was moved to Calder Park because of a large tropical cyclone! Good thing it was moved because on the day we were expected to be on track the entire Norwell Racetrack got flooded.

I could not wait to get behind the wheel of the new WRX! Of the two cars we were using to test Bridgestone’s new tyre the WRX was the one I was more keen to test with.

The reason we were all summoned was to test the brand new Bridgestone Adrenalin POTENZA RE003. The third in a series of great tyres the RE003 combines all the greatest aspects of the tyres that came before it.

With some time to kill before briefing I took the time to take a closer look at the all new WRX. This particular demo car was wearing its big brothers shoes! That’s right some STI wheels! The WRX continued to stare at me and practically begged me to drive it!

At briefing we were invited to learn more about the tyre we would be testing on the day. This included a presentation on the benefits of this awesome new tyre such as improved road contact pressure over the preceding RE002 model. Check out more features HERE.

The boys quickly checked out the tyres before hitting the first track test. The RE003 has a cool lightning bolt pattern down the right side of the tyre. The fancy name for this is the connection block and it helps to increase rigidity and transfer power in dry conditions.

Starting on the back straight we had the challenge of negating a slalom at 3 different speeds in two VW Golf GTIs. One car was running the new POTENZA Adrenalin RE003 tyres and the other Golf was running an expensive competitor tyre.

We started the slalom at 50kph on the competitors tyre. This test was easy and the tyre preformed relatively well. It was when we took the tyre over 65kph that things began to change! Having to be more aggressive with the wheel at a faster speed the tyres had to work a whole lot harder. When we raised the speed again, now at 75kph, the competitor tyre really started to scream in pain and many cones were knocked down!

Then we jumped in the other Golf GTI equipped with the Bridgestone POTENZA Adrenalin RE003 tyres. The first thing I noticed about this tyre was as soon as I gave the car the beans it bit into the road and launched the car faster than the competitor tyre. The control was much greater especially when you took the tyre to its limit.

Next we tested the tyres in the wet! Finally it was time to drive the new WRX. I was expecting a crazy rush of acceleration as I put my foot to the floor however there was nothing. It was just a very calm launch lacking excitement. Yet again we started the exercise with a car running the competitors tyre. Taking it through its paces I noticed a fair bit of understeer when turning in heavy.

It was time to swap cars and after having one experience with the Bridgestone tyre already I was beginning to trust in the tyre. Still I was unsure on how it would translate in the wet? I jumped in the car anticipating some understeer but in actual fact the tyre cut in so well I ended up oversteering! It was almost like I had too much control.

The tests were not over! Bridgestone wanted to make sure we put their new tyre through its paces! This was the second last test and it involved racing down the hill into a tighter slalom in the WRX.

Knowing that the WRX felt slow in comparison to the Golf GTI I started to mess with its many sport driving modes. Finally I found a mode that pushed the tyre harder and now that I had confidence in the tyre I was really beginning to give it hell! From lock to lock I accelerated as hard as the traction control would let me and still the tyre was predictable and totally in control.

It wasn’t only me who was impressed! Everyone was pleasantly surprised at the tyres performance. The tyre really preformed well on extreme direction change. The competitor tyre would tend to lose speed yet the RE003 had the ability to grip when others would just fade.

In both FWD and AWD the tyre was outstanding! I did however come out of these tests scratching my head at the fact that the GTI Golf was out performing the new WRX. You heard right! The Golf was fun and the DSG was super fast. The WRX on the other hand was sloppy; the suspension was too soft which in turn created body roll. Its off the line performance was sluggish and it only really felt good over 70kph.

The last test was designed to show us a real-time comparison between the Bridgestone POTENZA Adrenalin RE003 and a equivalent competitor tyre. We took part in two hot laps with one on each tyre chasing each other at the same speed.

This test really showed how at the same speed the competitors tyre would cause the car to understeer while the Bridgestone RE003 would grip and gain on the car in front.

All in all this tyre is the perfect sport tyre and is great for spirited driving or the occasional track day. Even after a host of Australia’s best car bloggers tortured these tyres for a full day there was no visible wear or tyre delamination on the RE003. I would not hesitate to recommend this tyre! Want to know more? Register your interest for the new POTENZA Adrenalin RE003 HERE and receive information as it becomes available!
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Toyota :: TCCA Family Fun Day – Motokhana

Grant — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:43:48 +0000

Toyota Car Club of Australia Victoria hosted a demo motorkhana event at Toyota headquarters. If that wasn’t enough they also invited the 86/BRZ club and mr2 club to display their cars for a small show n shine.

This classic Toyota Corona was the first thing to grab my attention. With an interior that is not created out of plastic and some shiny bling highlights this little Corona looked the part.

If you’re an SW20 fan then you should appreciate how clean this one is. The Mr2 club bought out some of its finest examples to put on display here at Toyota.

Only Japanese royalty drive cars like these so I was very surprised when I saw one in the flesh. The 3rd generation Toyota Crown was known as the Super Deluxe Sedan and was Toyota’s classy ride of the time.

A car that is seriously becoming a collectors item is the Nissan Fairlady Z. It is one of the stand out cars of the last 50 years and Adam has carefully restored this Datsun to its full glory.

I could not take my eyes of this amazing car. It was perfect; siting on coilovers and wearing 15 inch RS Watanabes!

There were plenty of clean engine bays on display. It was hard to know which engine bay to dedicate my attention to.

Not only was there old Toyotas on display there were also some slightly more modern examples showing the old timers how its done.

I had never seen this type of tailight on the 86 before and I was more surprised to find out that they are made by Buddyclub.

The BRZ club turned up to display their cars and sit back to watch the motorkhana action unfold.

This WRX was driven by a motorkhana champion who definitely had some serious skills. I couldn’t believe how much punishment this car took while he redlined 1’st gear all day long.

This mighty Corona was one of the most entertaining cars of the day. Although the car is thirty plus years old it still made it round the cones faster than many of the more modern cars.

The crowd was really enjoying the motorkhana spectacle and this little boy was glued to the action like a moth to a flame.

James took the chance to shake down his new car by taking passengers around the course while working on the setup of the car. Because the day was casual with no real time pressure people had time to fiddle with their cars in between sessions.

The best thing about this open day was the fact that the public had the opportunity to experience the action first hand! This really put a smile on the face of almost everybody who was lucky enough to get a ride.

Along with the normal cars there were some specialized motorkhana cars which are designed to be light, nimble and fast. This one was known as the “Sweet sixteen” featuring a Toyota 4AFE 1600 engine and a big set of brakes made from many different cars.

The variety of cars on course showed the public that you don’t need a supercar to compete in this sport. As long as you can steer your way through some cones and purchase some low level safety gear you are good to go.

It does not matter how old you are you can still enjoy motorsport! This motorkhana special only weighed 340kg. It also had a nifty little trick for stopping; with a small set of wheels at the front to stop the car from flipping forward during heavy braking.

Minis have always been a good choice for this type of event. With their short wheel base and nimble handling they make for a fun platform.

Specialized motokhana cars can often look more like an experimental car than a racing pocket rocket. As the crowds came and went you could tell that people were really enjoying the action on track.

With lots of cars on display and action on track the general public was treated to a fantastic free event. This AW11 was one car that stopped me dead in my tracks. Everything on this car was well balanced while being super functional.

The collaboration between a car club and manufacturer is something more clubs should try to achieve. Not only does it raise awareness about the club but it also changes up club events from your standard track day or car meet. TCCA is really doing some great work in the automotive community and we cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
Thanks for reading.
Grant

Melbourne Car Meets :: Bundoora

Grant — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:59:49 +0000

A new group is on the scene “(MCM) Melbourne Car Meets” Not knowing anything about them I decided to go and check out one of their local events. It was held at Bundoora Park; a place where many hot rod shows and fundraisers are also held. With a wide open grass area and plenty of room to park cars this is one seriously good trouble free spot.

Entry was made easier with the aid of some planks of wood to lessen the dip in the driveway. Although the entrance of this public park is littered with speed humps many very low cars made it in.

If you know your Toyotas you will know what car this interior belongs to. Beige and brown are colours that are set to make a comeback in the not too distant future.

I arrived late to this event yet I was not the only one. Cars continued to roll in for the next two hours. As the area started to fill up the weather set in.

Not your normal street set up with Nitto semi slicks and brake discs larger than a family pizza. This 200sx had obviously seen some track time.

This event was much larger than I had ever expected. With cars from one end of the park to the other there was plenty of variety. Melbourne Car Meets early success indicates exactly how eager the car community are to show off their cars.

The EG Civic is one of the best Civics made. It is small light and rigid. The EG is often used as a good base for FWD time attack / track cars. They also make a fantastic daily especially if they are running a b16a under the hood. Love the JDM look with crystal headlights and amber indicators.

While we are on the subject of great Hondas; how about the S2000? They are everywhere now! Even Mighty Car Mods have one now! This one is looking sharp with its BBS style rims and red highlights.

Mmmmm ..polished lip! With more reflections than the mirror room in Enter The Dragon, these rims are distinctive. Yes that’s right this is the work of Primal Garage! One of the best car stylists from Melbourne.

Like seeing an incredibly beautiful girl you can’t help but stare. The car that put Primal Garage on the map belongs to the one and only Neil Gray. Truly one of the sexiest 180sx’s in Australia!

From behind the fence several wild beasts were pacing up and down while the unsuspecting crowd drooled over cars. A gang of giant evil mutant chickens sat only 20 metres away from the car show just waiting for their chance to strike.

Black on white is always a good combo especially with a set of Work Meisters. Not only do they balance out the large footprint of the FD RX7 but they are also very classy.

The Honda Accord Euro has gone through waves of popularity over the years and it seems it’s making a comeback. With sharp edges just like Global Knives these Euros have the right proportion of straight lines and curved panels.

They look great slightly stanced and dropped. This owner has gone for a balance of black and silver on white which really makes this car stand out. There were a lot of euros in attendance and all of them had their own individual style.

The new Lancers are growing on me, especially Evo styled Lancers. With larger side skirts, Evo bonnet and a nice set of wheels this Lancer was a real head turner.

This Lancer had undergone a huge re-trim with custom captain chairs and interior highlights. This car had entered into show car territory. Even the rear seat had be luxuriously rebuilt with Mercedes like comfort.

Love it or hate it people love to sticker their wheels to show off their offset. Does it ruin the look of the car? I don’t think so. It adds that personal touch to the car.

The Ke70 Corolla has gone up in price in the last few years. However, smart kids know that if you stalk the streets enough you find an old person with one in amazing condition for the right price. With a tucked rear wheel and what looks like chopped springs this little Ke would of been scrubbing and bouncing all the way to the event.

One of the best Honda’s ever build, the NSX is a car you don’t often see but when you do you make sure you have a good look. As the number plates suggests this car is truly unique.

With a custom MH Design Wide Body Kit and a set of shinny Volk GTC wheels this is one beautiful NSX. The customisation does not end there with a crazy professional audio setup by Pac Audio and a custom red leather interior.

Talking about beautiful cars this Nissan Z was spectacular with flares, a great set of wheels and f1 style mirrors.

This was one evil looking Subaru with black on black and some small red highlights and a sinister smile.

There is always a car that rolls in and steals the show and this was it. The two tone S13 was so low it was removing grass as it drove into the park. With Diamond Racing up front and Speed Star MK2s at the back this ride was in its own league.

Once it parked people slowly gravitated towards it like a moth to a flame. There was something intoxicating about this s13; was it the the fact that this car wasn’t bagged? How did the car make it to this event without being stopped by the po po? We will never know but for this reason I think the crowd had mutual respect for this car.

Our friends at Zenki Wear were in attendance with two very nice Toyota 86s siting either side of their stall. If you have never heard of Zenki wear your missing out! If you like Japanese cars and t-shirts then you will love Zenki wear.

This is such a distinctive car. Not only does it look great but this livery design is simple and effective. The sumods boys were at the event
with a great selection of parts that they import and sell. It’s good to see groups like this getting together to make aftermarket parts more available in Australia.

Melbourne needs more car meets and events in general. With this type of response for a new car group it shows how passionate the modified car community really is. A trouble free event with many awesome cars and great people. Melbourne Car Meets are doing everything right and we can’t wait to see what they organise next.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

ARC Rally Victoria :: Lardner Park

Grant — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:06:01 +0000

It was that time of year again when the Bosch Australia Rally Championship rolls into town, this year bringing with it some new cars, like this FWD Mazda 2. With upcoming changes about to hit the Australian rally world next year, this was to be the last time we would see the 4wd warriors battle it out because of the move towards the two wheel drive formula.

The new rally formula is more focused on the 2wd category, but this is going to make the competition more interesting!
These integrated jack stands make it far safer to work under the car but not all of the teams had such a luxury.

Back on four wheels and ready to go! Gerald and Barkley were excited to get on the stage.

I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest of ION into the VIP tent and let me tell you, once I was inside I didn’t waste any time. I found the nearest food source and started grazing. The VIP tent was fully set up, complete with plasma screens and some very impressive footage being displayed. The ION Cameras were impressing everyone with their crisp picture and detailed sound straight off the camera’s with no editing or processing!

With so many Mitsubishi Evo’s around it was great to see some Subaru’s offering up some stiff competition even if it was only in the looks department.

Claiming the best view on the hill was Penhall and Middleton’s Subaru WRX. The view must have inspired them to drive faster, as they were managing to keep with the top four VRC leaders over the course of the rally.

Pedder and Ryan’s car receiving some attention before it was scheduled to get on track, if only the crew had attached a turbo, living in Evens and Westons shadow cannot be easy.

After scrutineering, the cars were able to get on the public road and drive to the stage. It was common to see many of the rally cars on the road while driving to the spectator view points. This was interesting because many of them would go pretty hard on the road almost as if there were competing in a tarmac stage!

I do wonder if the guys who are scrutineers are also parking inspectors? These guys would mark the tyre with serious speed.

This is the first time I have seen an import LHD M3 and damn, I want one! This thing was fully legit with a nice set of BBS rims to match.

The classic rally car series is one of the best things to happen to rally in 2012 and this Datsun 1600 is just one example of the calibre of cars within this series.

It’s a bit hard to see but this car is sporting some little aero components, that is something I haven’t really seen on many rally cars.

Pulling sideways and trying to not go off the track after this jump was challenging, however this wrx took it all in its’ stride. If you look closely you can see the little ION Air Pro’s doing it’s thing on the roof. It was great to be able to see what the driver and passenger were experiencing around the track.

If you have ever been to a rally event before you will know about flying rocks but of course the danger is all part of the fun!

The long straight on the special stage soon followed into a sharp 90 degree turn which almost caught out a few of the drivers.

Nissan’s are not only used for drift but this photo shows it is hard to stop an S14 going sideways whether it is on dirt or tarmac.

One of the great things about rally is how close you can get to the action when you have a media pass! Unfortunately I didn’t get time to apply for one and had to shoot from the fence. This keen media personality from 7tune got nice and close to the action.

Classic rally cars are probably my favorite class in rally to date and it is crazy to see cars that where dominating on the track back in the eighty’s, getting back on the track and going hard as ever.

This little Ford Fiesta was going off tap! Not that you can see from this photo but he lost half his front bar in the forest stage!

This photo totally reminds me of playing Colin Mcrae on Playstation and the Australian forest stages, where it was easy to get out of control on the dirt if you hit a corner to hot.

It was great to catch some rally action, it is a shame that big rally events like this really only come once or twice a year to Victoria. It would be good to see more grass roots rally action much like the Excel rally series. This was the last event on the Bosch ARC Rally calender and Eli Evans / Michael Boaden have taken out the series in there maiden debut, talk about a good preformance!
For full results: > click here <
And if you would like learn more about ION Cameras shoot and share
Thanks for looking,
Grant.