Ae86 – Gripshiftslide

Reviewed :: New-look Toyota 86

Grant — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 06:10:50 +0000

When Toyota invited us to take an extended test drive of the new-look 86 we jumped at the chance! Being a huge fan of the original car and its re-birthed version in 2012 this was a perfect opportunity to see how the car had been improved.

Having driven the previous 86 before we knew what to expect from the car but had things changed? The new-look 86 definitely looks more aggressive. We had 5 days to test and run the car through its paces from taking it to get groceries to spirited driving runs through the hills.

From the outside you can see they have given the front a new treatment; with all round LED lights in the fog lamps, headlights, taillights and an all new indicator position that sits just above the updated front bar.

What you may not notice at first are the small details that have been updated. From the new aluminium spoiler with its flat grey two tone finish to the little logos etched into the side of the headlights. Even the small side vents have been changed in favor of a more sleek look.

The improvements in style and handling are the most evident changes although some interesting features have been added like hill start assist and a built in lap timer.

When you look even closer you will notice the fine detail that has gone into the all new LED taillights that really help the car to stand out. You can see it has taken influences from after market taillights like the very popular Buddy Club LED taillight.

One of the more modern features they have added to the all new look 86 is its new multi information display that is integrated into the existing gauge setup. It’s great to see Toyota putting some effort into bringing more information to the driver. The multi function display lets you see oil and water temp and even battery voltage.

To make things more exciting Toyota has introduced a new button into the cabin. This ‘Track Mode’ button turns half of the stability control system off so you can really enjoy the car in its rawest form as it was intended.

Although everyone is begging for a factory turbo version of the 86 Toyota has instead brought out an even more refined version of the hugely successful 86. It’s widely rumored that Toyota is saving the turbo for a Supra rebirth.

The GTS manual gets a new cast aluminium manifold, polished valve stems, and cam journal plus a slightly revamped air intake which has added a whole lot more low down torque off the line! Enough to throw your shopping around the boot especially if you launch it at the lights.

Unfortunately the automatic version does not get the altered engine and retains the same engine as the previous version of the 86.

Honey I shrunk the kids… I mean steering wheel! Toyota has decided to decrease the size of the steering wheel to an impressive 362mm which make this the smallest production steering wheel in all of Toyota’s vehicles. The only thing that I didn’t like was the entertainment system. Although it was quick to recognize Bluetooth and continue podcasts; it’s cumbersome controls and GPS were old fashioned.

Everything has had a revamp including the wheels! These new-look 17-inch metallic alloys with fancy machine-cut highlights give the car a much needed aggressive look.

The newly added extra welding to the back end of the car helps stiffen the car up and improve response along with the quick steering rack. The car feels super tight and sharp during cornering especially if the car gets a bit tail happy. The quick rack, smaller steering wheel, and stiffer front suspension all combine to give the driver more control when things do go wrong.

Having driven the previous model I’ve noticed that the sound of the all-new 86 is a lot more aggressive and it revs more freely than the previous models! The quick revving nature of engine makes the gear ratios feel shorter which intern makes you feel as though you are going much faster.

So what else have they added? Steering wheel controls have been added on GTS models for that added bit of luxury. Plus a fancy new Grand Luxe’ trim on the instrument panel and door trims that looks and feels like fancy flocking out of a rally car.

After driving this car for a week I really started enjoying the car even more each day. Comfy for the daily commute, yet fun like a gokart, though the suburban sprawl or a thump in the hills.

I really like the newly tuned suspension. It’s soft, yet firm and responsive. It feels almost like coilovers on their soft setting. The new suspension set up really makes the car a joy to drive especially over speed humps.

Overall they have pulled together the best elements of the 86. Toyota further improved the car by making it look more bold but kept an elegant take on balance and performance.
All in all this is one of the best 86s ever produced and the 2017 new-look 86 is a true pleasure to drive. Not only does it put a smile on your face every time you drive it but it makes you realize exactly why the Toyota 86 is such a popular car in Australia. Thanks to Toyota Australia for giving us the opportunity to test and review one of their very special cars.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

#T86RS :: Sydney 500 – Last race of the season

Grant — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 11:13:02 +0000

The Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS) had its debut earlier this year and with the end of the year closing in fast it was time for the final races in the 86 Racing series for 2016.

GSS was lucky enough to be invited as a special guest of Toyota’s and get a sneaky lap around the Sydney 500 track in the 86 driven by a talented V8 Supercar driver just before the Sydney 500 was about to start.

The first thing that struck me about the track layout was its long straights that lead into small sharp corners. The Sydney 500 is basically a street course made out of concrete barriers placed around the outer perimeter of the Olympic park facility in Sydney which once held the Sydney 2000 Olympic games.

The track is fast and tight! A great circuit for the Toyota 86 Racing Series! Bringing the action closer with less margin for error while creating super close racing. This track is easy with one car but once you add 20+ cars fighting it out for the top position that’s when things get interesting.

Combining the old with the new this 86 was freshly wrapped in a classic Peter Wiliamson livery to commemorate the great history of Toyota and its racing pedigree. Toyota has been supporting Australian Motorsport since the first cars raced at Bathurst and what better way to celebrate then to put some of Peter Williamson’s famous cars on show for all the spectators at the Sydney 500. Having my own childhood memories of watching Bathurst with some of these very cars it was a great pleasure to see them up close and not behind a TV screen!

You can’t have close, competitive racing without damage; the tyre marks on the door of this 86 show exactly how close these guys are getting whilst jostling for position.

If you are a motorsport buff you will know the legendary story of this RA23 Celica and the famed axe incident at the 1981 Bathurst 1000! So great to see this piece of history in person along with many other class winning cars that Peter Williamson drove.

The 86 of Jonathon Webb was wearing the very same livery as this Peter Williamson Celica as a special tribute for the last round of the first season of the Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS).

There were plenty of things to see at the Sydney 500 including the Touring Car Masters which brings together the glory days of the Australian touring cars and an impressive line up of muscle cars.

The Sydney 500 together with Toyota Australia brings legendary drivers like Glenn Seton, Alex Davison and others to guest drive in the Toyota 86 Racing Series! One of the best things about the 86 Racing Series is the mix of old and young drivers! The mix of experience and inexperience makes for a great racing dynamic.

The Touring Car Masters event was filled with action and drama including Rusty French in the Prom Am Class blowing a power steering line just as he crossed the finish line!

There were plenty of local and international celebs doing TV spots. Kate Peck was busy interviewing an ex pro skateboarder who had made the trip all the way from America just for the Sydney 500!

The V8 Supercars were the main attraction at the Sydney 500 with the crowds eager to see the cars and big name drivers.

The street course of the Sydney 500 is rather tight and to secure a good lap time around the track most drivers nearly have to hop all the curves around the circuit.

From the pit walk along the main straight you can see how packed this event really was. Lets hope that some kids amongst the crowd catch a glimpse of the Toyota Racing Series and forge their very own way into motorsport because of this great racing series by Toyota.

“Don’t adjust your screen!” This is not some type of down hill skier that has gotten lost! It is a member of a V8 Supercar pit crew wearing head to toe safety gear.

Here you can see the mix of personality and seriousness it takes to compete in the Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS). With a concentrated look and a silly helmet you too can become a driver!

What a mess! On the first lap going into the first corner this happens… Race 2 of the weekend was abandoned with so many young and eager drivers on a tight course something was bound to happen. That’s racing! You win some and you lose some.

Exciting to watch for fans of racing but not so exciting for the teams that have to fix the damage! Racing is not cheap but this is actually one of Australia’s best entry points for up-and-coming drivers with a confirmed prize pool of $125,000.

In Race 2 there were more casualties, including Damon Strongman, who had a bit of a front end wall slap causing some damage to his steering which left him stranded on the finish line.

Guest driver Jonathon Webb; who is known for winning the Bathurst 1000 with Will Davison in 2016, was taking the drive seriously with plenty of pre-race prep before the last race of the day.

William Brown was well out in front in Race 3 and by keeping clear of the carnage and having a trouble free race he was able to easily take the win. He has been one of the most outstanding drivers in the competition running head to head with David Sieders on the overall leader board for the series.

It was a hard day at the office for some drivers with the amount of cars damaged in this round whilst also being the end of the entire first season of the Toyota 86 Racing Series.

William Brown took out the round victory at the Sydney 500 earning himself the special Peter Williamson Trophy.
The lead to an overall win for the entire Toyota Racing 86 Racing Series championship earning himself a cool $50,000 at the ripe old age of 18! He also picked up the wind for the Australian Formula 4 championship!
The Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS) is back again in 2017 and we cannot wait to see more door to door racing action from these up and coming drivers.
Confirmed racing dates (T86RS) 2017:
– (April 21–23) Phillip Island SuperSprint,
– (July 7–9) Townsville 400
– (August 18–20) Sydney SuperSprint
– (October 5–8) Bathurst 1000
– (November TBC) Newcastle 500
More info at Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS)
Thanks for reading ,
Grant

Japan Day 2 :: Daikoku Futo PA

Grant — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 09:32:31 +0000

After 36 hours in Japan we finally hit up some car action at none other than Daikoku Futo PA! This tiny car park in the middle of a man made island in the Yokohama harbor is a thing of legend. If you’re into Japanese cars chances are you’ve seen more than a few photos from this location. Here car owners from different walks of life all gather and soak up the experience that is Daikoku Futo any night of the week and during the day on weekends.

Staying in Yokohama meant the parking area was just 15 minutes from our hotel. So hurried back after dinner and set off on our adventure.

The very first sight we were greeted by as we drove down the long spiraling off ramp into the parking area. This ‘Tron’ looking BMW convertible that had light glowing from everywhere. We parked up and ran around like kids in a candy store.

I can’t explain the ‘fizzy’ feeling you get standing in this spot at night… The cars, the orange light and the sound of engines revving is just unlike any car meet at home. The scale of the freeway ramps that circle you create this theater filled with the sounds of cars entering and leaving the car park. It really is just massive!!

The amount of cars even on a quiet night like this was staggering, cars were coming and going all the time. It was impossible to keep up when shooting on a tripod.

These three where all friends.

We loved this bumper-less Crown. It was also refreshing to see a modified Crown after the sea of Japanese Taxi’s getting around Tokyo!

The wheels were on the smaller side for a car of this size bit it still looked great all together.

Our second night in Japan and we were already treated to the sight of a Hako Skyline.

It was beautiful!!

This matte green air-cooled Porsche was a very cool sight amongst all the domestic cars.

There was a small army of MX-5’s out in force.

I’ve only ever seen one or two cool looking MX-5’s together at home so it was awesome to see more than 5 at the same place.

This little dark green one was rocking some wide wheels on the rear. Photos don’t do it justice!

Our favorite MX-5 had to be this BN Sports kitted black number. The level of dish was high with this one!

There was a few Honda’s out and about too.

This little blue EG Civic was sitting stupidly low, it looked awesome from every angle.

The greatest Civic Type R in our eyes… The EK9. These things are just pure awesome!

Another Type R on the same TE 37 wheels.

Over in the corner some local bosozoku bikers were meeting and revving their bikes. When I got closer I realised they were playing songs. They had each made up their own song and began reciting them one after another simply using their engines.

This was one of the coolest aspects of the parking area, getting up close to these amazing machines/people I’ve heard so much about.

Old Suzuki’s and Honda’s seemed the bikes of choice and they all had their own personal touches.

Our personal favorite of the entire night had to be Kazuki’s flawless 86.

The subtle red glitter in the paintwork was beautiful. We were digging the mismatched wheels. Work Equips up front.

TE37V in the rear.

This is seriously one very cool street driven hachiroku!!

Not to far away we found some very nice looking Infiniti’s.

This FX was dropped on it’s airbag suspension while it was parked and had heaps of top end audio gear inside. The roof racks had a very cool flower wrap on them too.

The G-Series sedan was sitting low on a set of 3SDM 0.08 wheels.

These wheels looked the business gleaming away under the street lights.

As it turns out the Toyota Prius is one of the most modified cars in Japan, seriously every second one we saw had blacked out taillights, wheels and an exhaust. This one was a little bit different and certainly had a bigger budget then most sitting pretty atop a set of fifteen52 Tarmac wheels. This thing looked killer.

From big budget to low budget this ‘diy’ Legacy wagon would look at home at most grass root race events. The matte black paint and custom front splitter design along with the rear wing made for a menacing looking street car.

One of the few Supra’s we saw, this was definitely the more wild looking of the bunch. Check out the rear diffuser setup!!

The car park fell quiet for a short time, the silence was quickly interrupted by the unique burble of this Porsche arriving. The sound stuck out like a chip packet being opened in a church.

One for the rotary fans. This spotless white FD RX-7 was certainly worthy of a few photos.

The body kit seemed like a simple lip kit at first but became all the more extreme when you got closer. The rear diffuser alone was a work of carbon art!

A late and brief attendee was this Evo wagon, such a shame we don’t see more of these in Australia. I’ve only ever seen one in real life before this.

This Scion XB was pushing the camber out on the rear wheels, lots of character here. mismatched panels, rusted bonnet and stone chips galore. This was cool!

This tiny Suzuki Alto was just tucking these 14″ mesh wheels in the rear.

It had some patched up fender damage on the front from running so low around Tokyo’s streets.

Later in the evening another cool 86 arrived, this time a coupe!!

In the infamous two tonne black & white combination and on a set of Watanabe wheels… Perfect!

It doesn’t get much cooler than this, sitting behind an idling Toyota Sprinter in Yokohama.

There was truck loads of Toyota’s by this point. Check out the crazy fitment on this Crown.

This Chaser was in pristine condition and funnily enough had the loudest sub woofer I’ve heard on the street. It was ridiculous!!

It had a nice amount of dish too!

One of the toughest looking cars of the night had to be this black Nissan Cima.

The big chunky wheels set it off perfectly.

It’s hard to describe this car without using the word “gangster”…

Even more Toyota Crowns!! They’re literally everywhere here! We were about ready to call it a night before the police did it for us After a few too many cars got a bit loose when leaving the car park.

Then this arrived… The hero car of the night. a sky blue liberty Walk R35 GT-R.

The huge over fenders of the rocket bunny kit perfectly covered the massive rear wheels.

This thing was big!!

Seeing a car like this here in Japan was really a special moment for me, I stood still just enjoying it not even touching my camera for a few minutes before I felt the pain in my feet that comes from a 15 hour day of walking none stop.
So that was that we called it a night and headed back to our hotel.
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

Toyota :: Festival of 86 '14

Grant — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 11:36:30 +0000

How many of you have purchased a new car and been invited to a yearly event to celebrate that new car? Never. Well that’s what happens when you purchase a car from Toyota Australia! Now we hear you, they don’t make this sort of song and dance about every Toyota that rolls off the showroom floor right? Well the mighty Toyota 86 is no ordinary car.
The 86 is inspired directly by the cult classic AE86 Corolla, that first appeared in 1983. This original car truly captured fans both extreme and casual with it’s nimble handling, RWD configuration and lightweight body. 30 years ago it broke free from the shackles of the ‘Corolla’ family name and was celebrated the world over. Production ended in 1987 and the Corolla then became the economy FWD hatchback we know today.
Toyota rekindled this flame and brought us the 86! Like the original, we see RWD return along with a very well constructed chassis with enough power to move it around a corner or three.
Now in it’s second year of production, it was time to celebrate and that means one massive party called Festival of 86!!

Toyota quickly discovered that good looking/handling cars come and go and fans do too unless you acknowledge and support them as a community. Toyota Australia are still finding their feet when it comes to a car like the 86, but everything we’ve seen them put their time and money into has been head and shoulders over the other manufactures in this country. With events like the Festival of the 86 to supporting one of Australia’s best drifters and letting them take an angle grinder to their creation, Toyota have well and truly helped cement the 86 as a ‘must have’ car for enthusiasts young and old.

This years Festival of 86 was again held in Sydney, but this time with the stunning backdrop of the White Bay Cruise Terminal. Don’t be fooled, Toyota weren’t in it just to push their latest product as the venue was littered with classic AE86’s everywhere!

You can’t look to the future without acknowledging your past, and when the past looks this good, who can blame you?!

86 owners were invited from all over the country to show off their pride and joy.

We love hunting out all the little touches owners have been adding to their cars, making the 86 a blank canvas for all tuners and enthusiasts alike.

This is the absolute picture perfect example of the original hatchback. Two tone paint, Watanabe wheels and JDM pop up headlights.

Who doesn’t love this face?

While the 86’s filled up outside, we headed indoors for all of Toyota’s displays and a visit from some special guests.

Between us and the doors, we found Sydney based Tunehouse Racing’s 86. Fresh from the World Time Attack Challenge, this car not only looks great but goes like a Zyrtec! This was the fastest 86 with a lap time of 1:42.8530 in the club sprint class.

Inside 86 owners gathered for some words from some of Australia’s top level drivers about their own experiences with the Toyota 86.

Neil Bates and Beau Yates are no strangers to high performance Toyota’s, Neil has won countless rally championships behind the wheel of various Toyota’s including both Corolla’s and the Celica GT-Four.
Neil drives around town in his own personal turbo charged 86 featuring the same two tone white/black paint made famous from the Japanese anime Initial D.

Beau is known for not only his skills drifting, but also his meticulously built and maintained drift AE86. His original car was built with backing from TRD and featured a 3 litre beams motor.
Flash forward and Beau is now competing in a ground up drift built turbo 86 with support from Toyota Australia. Beau has spent the last 12 months tuning and perfecting the car and has been very competitive in recent months.

The man behind the car, for the second year in a row Toyota Australia flew Tetsuya Tada in from Japan. Tada San is the chief engineer responsible for building the car we all know as the 86.
He loves meeting the fans and seeing how people have taken his creation and adapted, changed and of course enjoyed it!!

After queuing up for a chance to meet the man himself we began checking out all the high quality builds inside. Garage 88’s 86 is the perfect blend of performance and street car.

Beau’s purpose built drift car, it’s hard to believe this was just a stock standard car fresh off the showroom floor a little over a year ago.

The engine bay is filled with custom built goodies from the team at Hypertune – the same team helped build Beau’s original 86 so it was a no-brainer to get them on board for his new project.

A lot of 86’s have been given the Rocket Bunny treatment but not many pull it off as well as Beau’s drift car. The huge rear arches sit so well against the angry looking taillights and we just love that rear wing!

Our favourite street 86 of the event? This black number on Work XSA-04C wheels was beautifully executed! The duckbill wing and lip kit flows perfectly with the factory lines in black.

We were really blown away to see what the festival had become since the first event last year, check out our coverage here.

Motivational 86. We’re always fans of what the team from Cars For Hope do. If you’ve ever suffered from depression you’re not alone, jump on their site and connect with people who have fought the same battles.
http://carsforhope.com.au/

Back out in the sun we enjoyed our last walk through the car park, taking in all the Toyota goodness that was on display.

It’s great to see a retro racer untouched from 30 years ago. There’s something so nostalgic about old race car livery and all the brand logos.

Panda’s as far as the eye can see!

The coupe is quite the rare sight here in Australia. We were fortunate enough to receive the hatchback as a locally delivered model.

We have to admit the smooth looks of the Trueno pop up headlights are our favourite of the original 86’s.

More Watanbe’s!!! This is definitely the wheel of choice amongst AE86 owners.

New 86 owners seem to opt for anything from the Rays or Work Wheels catalouge, that’s not a bad thing at all!

It’s not all about super lows, this white 86 was flexing it’s muscles atop a set of Ray TE37’s wrapped in some super sticky rubber!!

Some owners really got into the festival!

Everywhere we looked we spotted a new lip kit or spoiler but we have not idea how owners keep up with it all. There’s literally too much to choose from!!

What a show! We were wrapped to once again be invited back by Toyota to enjoy the festivities of the 86’s 2nd birthday.
The 86 has proved it won’t be disappearing anytime soon with the this much support from fans, tuners and of course the manufacture! We can’t wait to see what Toyota have up their sleeve for updates and new models on the horizon.
Thanks for reading and till next year, happy Birthday 86! #festivalof86
– Gwyn.
Photos courtesy of Roberto Mocchetti | Full Motion Photography

From The Vault :: 86 Mega Meet

Grant — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 11:37:16 +0000

Here at GSS we attend A LOT of events around our full time jobs and sometimes life can get in the way for our two man team. So we will be bringing you a series of posts titled “From The Vault”. Each post will be an event or feature we’ve been meaning to post up but just never found the time.

Our first entry in the series, is from the very first Mega Meet of the 86 Club of Australia. It was held at Sandown Raceway Melbourne late last year. Coincidence has it, this week we’ll be celebrating the 86’s second birthday with Toyota Australia and the #festival of 86, keep your eyes peeled for that later this week…

Toyota fans from around the state flocked to the racetrack for a show & shine event run by the 86 Club and Pedders Racing, to celebrate the 86’s first birthday.
We attended a special event hosted by Toyota Australia a month earlier and enjoyed throwing the little coupe around a closed track. See it here.

We arrived bright and early to catch a quick briefing for all the attendees.

This wasn’t just a static show, the 86 club had organised a parade lap around the racetrack. All the drivers had to be to aware of the strict noise restrictions at this particular course.

With the clock ticking away, the cars lined up on the dummy grid ready for a 9am start.

With the noise limits in place, Matt Russell’s drift AE86 could not be started so it was pushed into place on the dummy grid.

With all the cars in position it was time for a few photos.

With so many 86’s to fit in the one photo some people needed some extra height.

There were smiles all round that morning – it is great to see such an active car club these days. A big thank you goes out to all the sponsors. Shannons Nationals, Pedders Racing, Import Monster and Martini Racing.

Already we were picking out a few favorites in the crowd, the Martini Racing 86 looked great covered in Charge Speed goodies. It’s crazy to think this car was completely stock on a show room floor just months earlier.

Pedders Racing brought down their race 86 to take part in the parade lap.

Once the clock hit 9am all the cars started up and took off, and while it was just a parade lap there was still plenty of spirited driving down the straight.

The Charge Speed kit looked even better flying down the straight.

After the lap the cars were arranged for the show.

Wheels and lip kits seem to be the first modification for most 86 owners and we spotted so many different lip kits. It’s nice to see the tuner market alive and well again.

It’s still hard to go past the original 86, the mighty little hatchback has really pushed the limits of being a classed as a “cult” car. It’s popularity worldwide is unbelievable now.

Definitely not what you think of when someone mentions a Toyota Corolla. This Tureno was an instant favorite of ours.

We found a few 86’s adorning some carbon accessories.

It’s not just lip kits, there was even a Rocket Bunny kitted GT86. This is the most extreme kit available so far, with huge fender flares and pot rivets as far as the eye can see.

Matt’s Russell’s drift car proved to be a crowd favorite. We loved the 80’s decals that have been added to make the little hatch more appealing for mainstream drift competitions.

Inside Matt’s office, simple but effective. Nardi wheel, seats and some sheet metal. Perfect!

Some of the boys explaining the difference between cars and women.

One of the most popular wheel choice among 86 owners, TE37 SL edition. These things are everywhere!

Some times it’s best to keep it as simple as possible. Bone stock dropped on a set of SSR MS1. An absolutely beautiful combo on the little white Toyota.

Orders from dealerships are still taking months to fulfill and it’s easy to see why when they look this good. We think the old saying about hotcakes will be changed to “They sell like 86’s!!”.

While everyone was busy getting their sausage sizzle on at the BBQ, we hand picked a few cars for some detailed shots.

First up – the Martini Racing 86. Wearing a full Charge Speed wide body kit and sporting some AP racing brakes and an Amuse exhaust too.

The club had local model Amanda stop by for some of the photos.

We couldn’t complain and began snapping away.

She had a lot of fun climbing in and out of all the bucket seats that’s for sure.

Cheeky… Smile!

We’ve seen plenty of examples of the Toyota Factory Aero Kit but none sit as well as this white GTS model.

Something about the slightly off white makes this factory kit work so well here.

Watch out boys, Miss 86 is showing you how it’s done! Simple lip kit and smoked fog lights do wonders to contrast the red paint.

XXR 527 wheels work quite well here and wheel nuts match the burnt titanium tip of the HKS exhaust poking out from behind the rear bumper.

Historic AE86 racer, check out that build number!!! The petrol filler in the boot wing is a very cool touch too.

Everything exactly as it raced more than 20 years ago. All untouched.

Plenty of scaffolding in the back to keep things safe.

This two-tone Trueno had our necks snapping when it rolled in. We loved everything about this period correct combo.

Single bride seat because who cares about passengers?!

The perfect amount of flare thanks to the body kit and the yellowish carbon bonnet sits nicely against the grey paint.

Up close and personal with Matt Russell’s drift machine.

The engine is of course absolute blasphemy… A Nissan SR20DET. Seeing how competitive this little underdog is out on the track, we couldn’t care less about the Frankenstein engine/car combo.

Everything about the styling screams “Back to the eighty’s”. Shockworks have jumped on board as major sponsor and you should check them out for your coilover needs. These guys are engineering wizards when it comes to comfort and performance!

Our favorite colour on 86’s both old and new. White!!

Initial D fan boys here… Akina, touge and tofu.

Amanda found a spare hat in this car and helped herself to it.

Some of the best club merch we’ve seen. Get on it!

Two good reasons to buy a Toyota 86… Cool merchandise and club meets.

Our pick of the entire event? This metallic red AE86!

Gorgeous from every angle and painstakingly maintained… This is a very loved car!!

Some of the Pedders family, proud as punch in the middle of their car show.

Here’s two of the event organisers with Amanda, showing not only that they can get a bunch of cars together for a show but they can also work it in front of the camera too!
Hats off to the great people behind this community, showing all other groups how it’s done.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed looking back at this day and can’t wait to unlock some more stories from the vault for you all soon.
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.
P.S. If you want to check out the next mega meet it’s happening in Melbourne again on the 7th of December. Follow the link for more details. Click here.

Drift challange Australia Rnd#1 :: video > Raleigh Raceway

Grant — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 07:17:54 +0000

DCA Round#1 – Raleigh raceway from grip shift slide on Vimeo.

The very first every round of (Drift Challenge Australia) was full of amazing cars and top level drivers.
Held at Raleigh Raceway on a go kart track, Australia top drivers battled as though they were in japan.

Calder Park :: Roadking Chassis Round 2 VicDrift Championship

Grant — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 05:27:13 +0000

The second round of the VicDrift Roadking Chassis championship was underway and it was clear that things were going to get pretty serious. Some of the biggest names in VicDrift had arrived to continue their fight for the championship. The small crowd quickly grabbed a seat and settled in for what would be one of the best drift competitions since Formula Drift visited Australia.

Drift Squid had made the long trip to Calder Park from South Australia to lay down some skids. Last time he was in town for a Vic Drift event his handbrake destroyed itself but this time the car was good to go and ready for battle.

Jakes pilot chair looks inviting and when you glance in, it is hard to ignore all the coloured buttons that are just begging to be pressed.

The Toyota Cressida is not normally known as a drift weapon, but this rig is more than just a luxurious ride.

This car has seen its fair share of battles and if zip ties could tell stories, then I’m sure that all these ones would have a yarn or two to tell.

The little Onevia with its’ big brothers the R33’s. No one knew that this Onevia was capable of mixing it with the big boys and it sure made the judges take notice.

It’s great to see Warrick’s MX5 frequenting a few events recently.

Ever wondered what tyres look like after a few laps at Calder Park? Well this is it! You can see that the tyre has been worn down right to the ply cords. Depending on the car, most tyres don’t last more than 5 hard laps on the rough surface known as Calder Park.

Adam was really killing it with massive amounts of smoke and angle and the crowd was loving the action! Running with no front bar for maximum air, Adam’s Onevia was screaming like a wild octane fueled banshee.

It’s great to see support from sponsors while the sport of Drift is still finding its feet. With 1,800 fans through the gates over the two days already, who knows what potential numbers the events could draw in if there was even more sponsorship.

Peter’s R33 was cutting lap after lap of drift perfection, he made it look so effortless!

The LS1 equipped R31 driven by Jason had been preforming well all day until he took a passenger for a ride and took a bit too much speed down the straight and ended up just slightly off the track.

From the stands the crowd does not get to see the start line or how a battle is often won or lost by a bad start. Often the more powerful car will fang it down the straight and leave the less powerful car behind causing the underpowered car to drive straight through corners to catch up to the lead car.

The VicDrift safety crew were on high alert! By midday there had been several red flags and even one small car fire that was quickly put out by the Calder Park track safety crew.

While hanging it all out, the Cressida’s boot became dislodged and every wild swing of the steering wheel would cause it to open! The crowd cheered as he went past but the boot problem was soon fixed before Chris’ next lap much to the crowds dismay.

Throwing it right at the apex was Peter in his Lookout Drift Racing R33, the car is so low that the ripple strip nearly claimed his front bar.

Another standout performance was Lachlan’s powerful R32. He had some great snap initiations and held strong angle through the main corners. Pleasing the judges is one thing but making the crowd and also the judges happy is the hardest thing. Luckily Lachlan could achieve both.

Making epic smoke was no problem for this beast! With the sound echoing off Calder’s sidewalls, people knew this car was more than just a boosted R32.

The mighty LS7 truly had to be close to the most powerful car of the day. With a smoke trail that seemed to never end and the air filled with tyre remnants, there was no stopping this incredible machine.

Drift Squid was at it again, showing the crowd what a professional drifter can do on a track like this! There is never a shortage of speed with Jake and his trusty steed.

The crowd surged forwards to see the top 16 battle, but many of the crowd disagreed with the choices of the judges! With the advent of Formula drift visiting Australia earlier this year things have gotten more technical. The judges had stipulated strict guidelines during the morning briefing and not every driver had listened!

A slight wall tap saw this s13 a little worse for ware but luckily there was no major damage to the car and it continued to drift up until it was knocked out in the final rounds.

Talk about David and Goliath, Matt Russell and his little 86 were up against many high powered V8’s. With what seemed an impossible task ahead Matt buckled up for what would be some of the best battles of the day and the whole crowd was cheering on this under-powered underdog in his tofu mobile.

Who said four door saloons cant drift as well as coupes? This wild R32 was getting door to door with heaps of cars and managed to impress everybody with his proximity and control.

Jasons’ R31 just keeps getting better and better. He had many super close battles over the weekend. Jason is one to watch especially since he will be making an appearance at WTAC this year!

The judges wanted to see hard throws and lots on angle early whilst holding that deep angle the whole way through the corner. Too many cars were still scandoing and only getting real angle as the approached the inner apex of the corner.

Michael Prosenik is the man of the hour! He has been winning everything lately and for good reason! Prosenik has mad skill and adapts well to what judges want to see. Being able to change his style or standard approach to the course enables him to maximise his chances for points. Drift is changing within Australia and just throwing a car around a corner sideways with no form or reason will not win you competitions!

After a day fully packed with drift the winner was finally announced! Prosenik worked his magic again and secured first place at Roadking Chassis Round 2 while also being on top of the championship after two rounds.
TOP 5
1. Michael Prosenik
2. Matt Russell
3. Lachlan White
4. Jason Ferron
5. Khudar El Haouli

No VicDrift day is complete without an expression session! It gives drivers who have been knocked out of the competition another chance to slay some tyres and wow the crowd!
Round 3 of Roadking Chassis is coming soon and the action is only going to get better with many teams furiously working on their cars to improve suspension setups and increase horsepower.
So until then we hope you have enjoyed our wrap up of Round 2.
Thanks for reading,
-Grant

All Stars Melbourne :: Gripshiftslide Meet

Grant — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:22:50 +0000

Just over two weeks ago we received a phone call from the Sydney All Stars crew saying they would be coming to Melbourne and we should host a big meet up!
With the excitement of co-hosting a big meet with our pals from over the border, we got busy making calls and had a location booked with just a week until the date when of course – disaster struck!
Our first venue had double booked us so and we needed to either cancel altogether or relocate! So it was back to the phone to find an alternative, that was when we called up the ever faithful Caribbean Market in Melbourne’s east. After our last very successful event there, they were more than happy to have us back with just a weeks notice!!

The next step was to invite some friends of Gripshiftslide.com.
Our regulars on the day included Saint Side Shop, Ilovedrift.com, JDMparts.rupewrecht.com and of course we lined up our mate Luke on the decks for the four hour straight set!!
Yep, the day was set to be a hit with the only question mark being the always unpredictable Melbourne weather.

Arriving at the markets around 9:30am, we started setting up and getting everything ready before the big 12pm start. For once it looked as though the weather would be on our side too!
Saint Side Shop and Ilovedrift.com arrived soon after bringing a bunch of cool gear to display, like Cats’ Sileighty drift car and one of Saint Side’s cutom BMX’s.

Dan from JDMparts.rupewrecht.com was all smiles after he had all his amazing wheels on display. This is a dangerous guy to invite to an event because every time we spend way too much time contemplating buying wheels from him! Go away Dan!!!

Our interstate guests arrived a little later after having a big night on the town. They brought along the All Stars Maloo Ute for the journey down from Sydney and had many of the local guys and girls drooling over it all day!

The first car to arrive was this clean black R34 with a twin brother in Bayside blue and so of course by now the excitement was kicking in already… This was going to be a very good day!!

Within minutes little groups started pouring in. This MX-5 was quick to steal our attention from the rest of the group. The bright red roadster looked so good against the green grass!

By now things were really up and running with a constant stream of cars crawling in and we do mean crawling, unfortunately we weren’t advised we were going to need our own volunteers to direct the traffic so we had to improvise a little.
Our friend Paul took charge and was the main man telling everyone where to park and did a killer job – so a massive thank you goes out to Paul for doing way more than he should have!

Thanks to the teams efforts the main area was looking great, it was jam packed with all sorts of rad cars… from this super aggressive looking Golf

To the loudest car on the day by far, this immaculate black SS Camaro!

Not far from the Camaro was this crazy XY drift car, yep drift car! We’ve been hearing a bit about this build and we’re very excited to get to see the finished result at a drift day really soon.

Even with the main area full, more and more cars kept arriving and the cars began spilling out into another grassy area and soon there were practically two shows running simultaneously.
We loved the sight of this crisp white Hachi Roku rolling in.

Speaking of AE86’s, we couldn’t stay away from this tidy red example on Impul Hoshino’s. As the sun started fading behind the clouds the paintwork really came alive!

Justin’s S2000 was looking good with it’s new shoes, white on white is always a good idea!

We don’t know if the owner of this actually came over from SA but this S12 was so straight and looked great with some slightly aggressive fitting wheels.

It seems our fan base has been infiltrated by Toyota Chaser owners as there was at least 10 at the meet. With examples this good, we weren’t complaining!!

Another big group at the meet had to be the E30 Squad. These boys live and breath everything Bavarian Motor Works, but more specifically the now legendary E30 model.

From the clean and straight.

To those sporting a host of accessories from the M series catalog.

If we had to pick one that captured our hearts it would probably be this one with a great wheel choice and a race inspired interior with a single Sparco seat and an after market steering wheel.

While directing traffic I broke my neck checking out this FC Rx7.

After it had parked I was pulled in by the little details the owner had added around the headlights.

Yep, that’s a black and white manga comic wrapped around the plastics!

It seemed we were treated to a heap of cool older Evo’s.

We counted four Evo 6’s hiding around the place!

Is Melbourne the home of modified Toyota Camry’s?? This very new model Camry was stealing a few looks from passers by and maybe at first people were wondering what type of car it in fact was. The new model is sporting some pretty mean looking headlights!

Another car still in it’s infancy as a modifiers choice of blank canvas, the Honda Jazz. This is something we could get used to seeing a lot more of!!

Jono from Zeroclearance.net’s S13 was looking very dope with a brand new wing and some super wide steelies, sitting beneath the rear guards are wheels measuring a staggering 15×10 with 0 offset!!

Local female drifter and GSS favourite is Esther and her sparkly Sileighty. The obscenely bright pink gram lights always grab peoples attention whether it’s sliding at the track or parking hard at one of our meets, it is clear to see that people love this car.

Or maybe it’s just the numberplate’s?

With cars coming and going all day it was hard to keep track but we think this was the only R35 GT-R in Melbourne that wasn’t on display at the PSRA- Performance Motorshow. (More on that show later!)

We were also very lucky to be graced with two Honda NSX’s!! This is the pinnacle for Honda fan boys. The faces of onlookers as this drove in to find a parking spot was priceless!

We always like to help out a good cause so we let our friends Matt and Simon come along and run a raffle next to our stand, the boys have entered a Mystery Box Rally to help raise funds for cancer research.
We will be keeping you guys up to date with ways you can help out and even bring you some of the action while the boys are driving the pants of their mystery rally car.

At the end of the day the raffle was drawn by yours truly and a lucky winner walked away with a mystery box of their own full to the brim with $$$ worth of Martini Racing products and Redline gearbox oil and heap of other cool stuff like some GSS merch!!
To stay up to date with the boys and their journey follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/choongaandsimmomysterybox

Niel from Primal Garage brought out his poster worthy 180SX and a very clean customers car…

This is one of the latest cars to roll out of the Primal Garage workshop and the wheel choice was spot on for the new Toyota 86. We think this car needs to have a few more photos taken at a later date.

This old school ghetto blaster was actually tuned in and pumping tunes at a whopping 4watts RMS off the roof of the car… What car??

A rat-rod commodore of course!! This car was actually a big hit and it’s charm seemed to win over a few people.

We also got a visit from a monster truck! Not really but when you park a massive Chevrolet Z71 next to the kind of cars we normally see at a meet like this, there is quite a staggering difference in size!

The Corolla wagon we fell in love with at 100MM was kind enough to show up for the afternoon and park in front of our stalls for us to enjoy looking at it as the event started to wind down.

The 612 Autoworks boys managed to convince Charlie to bring down his brand new toy, a Datsun C210 Skyline. This thing is bad ass and until that afternoon I didn’t even know I wanted one and now it’s all I can think about!

Also this happened… Two DMC Delorean’s!! The two parked up side-by-side and enjoyed a mini photo shoot at the end of the day with a dozen cameras on them at one time. It was a very unique sight and sadly something I might not get to see again.

As 4 o’clock struck we waved off our interstate guests and began packing up the stalls and cleaning up some of the litter left behind.
Given the amount of people that attended the place was looking great and thankfully the markets didn’t mind the disturbance of one of Melbourne’s biggest meets happening right next door to them.
We really can’t thank all those that attended and more importantly helped out with the massive task of setting up and keeping on top of the traffic and then packing it all up at the end of the day again, but you know who you are.
We have some big plans and a west side meet coming very soon! Stay tuned Melbourne and thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

Kebabhunters :: Kebabbox Meet

Grant — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:57:38 +0000

It was a Thursday evening and the great kebab night was upon us, Facebook was abuzz and the organizer had promised that this kebab joint was the shiiit!
With the loud sounds of growling stomachs and the rumble of some of Melbourne’s finest modified cars, it was sure to be a good night.

With similar styling to the Mitsubishi Sigma of the late 70’s this Nissan Skyline sedan was one of the stand out cars on the night. The sound of this car was unreal!

Which car group loves kebabs the most? That’s easy! The Toyota kids love ’em the most with nearly the whole car park full with some great looking Toyota’s.

The e-famous 260c, its hard not to take photos of this old beauty.
Now Heath’s wagon is siting very low on a new suspension set up.

A few tough looking KE70 Corolla’s turned up and were hungry for meat!

An unlikely and rarer now car, This Holden Torana was in great condition and really stood out.

Hiding up the back was this nice S13, surprisingly enough it didn’t have any signs of drift damage!

This was a great spot for a meet, there was heaps of parking only downside was the lighting… It needed more!

By request I took a photo of this VN with VE SSV wheels, normally you do not see too many commodores on GSS because we are JDM obsessed.
We’ll actually we’re just a fan of things that aren’t in considered mainstream, F1 Racing, V8’s and Justin Beiber.

You may have seen this R32 in action in one of our earlier posts from the SAU Deca day, So you know this is no hard parker!

This little corolla has a fully striped rear interior and monster rear strut brace bringing the weight down around the 900kg mark. Equipped with a 4age small port and you have a serious package.

You may recognize this car from our ‘We Heart Cars Competition’ Justin and his little red Corolla took out first place and won a host of goodies from our friends.
Justin will be fitting an LSD very soon so he can get his times around Winton down into the 1:40 mark.

We had to sneak another shot of Heath’s 260 Wagon, if you have ever been to one of the JDM style Tuning end of month meets, you will know this car! Forever under development and always looking good!

This is what I miss with new cars these days, character! Just look at this cool back lit speedo!

Its awesome to see that Heath has left the am radio in its spot instead of butchering the car up and chucking a neon red CD/MP3 player in it’s place..

Hold up!.. Another Commodore!! What is a kebab meet without a VL! Checkout the gangster IC piping, sometimes you just have to go around things to make it all work.

Great kebabs and a good bunch of blokes made this kebab meet a success!!
This should definitely become a regular thing, we would like to see more kebahunting!
Thanks for looking,
-Grant

Shockworks : BBQ

Grant — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:57:16 +0000

Recently local suspension experts Shockworks Australia put on a feast in the hills for customers and friends to have a friendly chat and show of their handy work, they also brought along a few demo cars to see how their products stack up against the competition.
When free food is on offer and a few rides are up for grabs its hard to resist! So the whole GSS crew trekked up to the hills to check out the view and fine cars on show.

Matt Russel went to huge efforts to bring his well know wreck ’em AE86 up to Olinda, fully caged and setup for drift, this car is a regular at many of Australia’s drift comps recently competing in Tasmania and Melbourne rounds of the ADGP series.

A crowd soon gathered to admire this drift weapons setup! at home in the engine bay is a Nissan SR20DET, just our kind of Frankenstein swap!

Only the bare essentials are needed inside, no 5 stack dvd player or gps units in sight!

From this angle you can see the similarities between the older Toyota’s…

The owner of this AE86 went to great lengths to make everything look factory finished under the hood.
With some mild tuning and supporting mods it has a nice healthy delivery of power hiding beneath all the factory intakes…
The grand prize here is the rare OEM Airbox setup!

Is this a specialist tofu delivery vehicle perched on top of a hill? looking right at home in Hatchiroku territory.

Chris’s Corona is one tough looking Toyota! It sits nice and flat to the ground on Shockworks coil overs of course!

The Star shark wheels look the goods too!

Chris knows all about fitment and finding those hard to find parts, since the BBQ Chris has fitted some electric JDM fender mirrors!!!

If your a fan of Initial D then you”ll know what this sticker is all about, this KE70 is totally at home in these hills.

A now rare wagon! it was great to see one in such good condition with a great set of wheels to match.

No paint on front bar… because race car! (This Chaser has attended a few of the recent DECA days)

Probably the best looking 4 door saloon going around, the Toyota chaser is big car with big power!

You may have seen Harley’s JZX100 Chaser on GSS before and this is for good reason… We love it!!

86’s were out in force thanks to www.ae86drivingclub.com.au for rallying the troops!

The SSR mesh wheels seem to be very popular, this because they look so god damn good on an older rig!

This car and its owner are said to be the god father of the Hachiroku in Victoria, just checkout the homemade fiberglass bonnet!

Nice colour choice! and great rims to match

The test ride vehicle may sit high, this is for good reason. The Shockworks coilovers are set at the most optimum setting for smoothest ride and handling. Hella flush isn’t everything it often leads to hella smash and hella no-functional!
But rest assured… they go low, very low!

Check out these ultra rare wheels on the Mikey’s S15 of Team Tuffcore fame. Mikey is a real ‘wheel slut’ with lower standards than most… he likes the wheels that others reject, only kidding Mikey we love you and all your tri-spoke wheels you are hiding a way for the day they’re popular again…

Is it a truck or ute?? We see a smoke stack with a hat!
Word on the street is that it is rb20 powered!

The entire GSS team enjoyed the BBQ amongst some fine cars and great people!
After a ride in one of the demo cars we were very impressed to say the least, the stock standard S13 (with no other handling mods) performed brilliantly even on the softest settings, it was put to the test with some quick flicks of the steering wheel.
On soft it was still super responsive and on the hardest setting it managed to navigate a dirt road with ease! No bolts rattled loose anywhere!!
Check out the website and see why they’re fast becoming a household name among local drivers/drifters and racers.
http://www.shockworks.com.au/
Thanks for reading,
Team GSS.