NSW – Gripshiftslide

Shell V Power :: Ferrari Press Day

Grant — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 07:23:23 +0000

A couple of weeks ago it seemed like just another slow day at the office until we received a phone call from our friends at Shell Australia. Last time we got one of these calls, we were invited to check out Shell’s role with the Ferrari Formula 1 team at the Melbourne Grand Prix.
Our quick phone conversation became a blur and I had to wait for an email to hit our inbox before it really sank in… “Hi guys we’re releasing a new formula of the V Power fuel and would like you to come to Sydney and experience it first hand behind the wheel of a Ferrari on the coast of NSW!”
Needless to say, we said yes without even having to think about it and jumped on a plane to Sydney!

After a quick flight from Melbourne, I arrived to the familiar faces of Matyas from Downshift and Luke from Full Boost. We checked into our rooms at the hotel and found something for dinner before calling it an early night.

I spent most of the night editing some more WTAC content to the soothing sounds of the nearby waves crashing into the sand that came in through the open door.

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I sprung out of bed bright and early and dashed down to the lobby to find these gorgeous bright red Ferrari’s awaiting us.

Was this real life? I had to pinch myself as I took in all the incredible details of the 458 Italia.

Every inch of this car was simply a masterpiece. Not a single bolt was the way it was simply because ‘that would do’, no every bolt was carefully selected and crafted to make this car every boys’ dream.

The interior was all about precision and excitement. All the controls were placed in the center of the steering wheel akin to its’ F1 brother. This is definitely a ‘drivers’ car!

Everywhere I looked I found the name or horse imprinted around the car… the engine, boot, seats and side steps. They’re very proud of their creations and it’s easy to see why after only just a short drive!

A few metres away was the other star of the show, another bright red thoroughbred, only this one had a folding metal roof. It was of course a California!

Next to the 458 this is a much bigger car with the hulking long bonnet housing Ferrari’s first front mounted V8. It was also one of the first to use direct injection technology, which we soon learned that the new V-Power fuel had been specially formulated with this tech in mind.

The California is just as striking as the 458, with beautiful round taillights streaming up into the body and four exhaust tips poking out through the rear bumper.

Further down the driveway was the now older brother, a beautiful F430 Spider. Despite the age of the car compared to its successors, we were actually pretty excited to drive it!
It wasn’t time for our drive yet though, so we headed indoors to hear about the new fuel.

Inside we were greeted by Dr Alex Cantlay, one of the Senior Scientists from Shell. Over the last 10 years Alex has been developing and improving fuels for Shell in the UK and is now based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

After a slideshow covering the new generation of V Power fuel, we were treated to a first hand demonstration of the benefits the new formula provides over inferior fuels.

Dr Alex Cantlay showed us two valves, one had a build up of fuel and the other almost perfectly clean. When set alight with a flame or the combustion inside the engine the dirty valve stays alight for a lot longer.
When tuning and running a high performance engine a short and controlled flame is much more desirable and helps increase responsiveness.
Aside from the higher octane we’ve come to love from V Power, the new formula contains powerful detergents that help keep the engine components clean. There has also been a vast improvement over the old formula thanks to 25% more friction modifiers, these play a vital role in helping to lubricate the pistons as they travel, helping to improve the response of the engine.
After just 60 days of use the new V Power can make improvements to nearly any engine!

After our time with Dr Cantlay it was time to sign our lives away for our scenic drive with the three bright red Ferraris out front, reading our disclaimer forms my heart sank…
“You must be at least 30 years of age to drive”.
With the air quickly escaping my lungs my shoulders fell back into my seat… it hit me! I wasn’t going to be able to drive these gorgeous exotic sports cars.

After fighting back the tears, Matyas agreed to be my driver for the day (he got twice the seat time of anyone else that day!).
He also agreed to not have any fun in any way, shape of form whilst driving that day.

Not 10 meters down the road, I learned that Matyas cannot be trusted! And with every press of the accelerator, he was quickly grinning like school boy in a candy shop!

Soon the sadness faded as I became aware of my surroundings… I was sitting shotgun in an amazing piece of machinery blasting along the beautiful NSW coastline on a Monday morning!!

The drive consisted of nearly every type of road imaginable, tight and twisting mountain roads, motorways, coastal roads and even the odd residential neighborhood street.

Our pace car for the day was an Alfa Romeo Giulietta and we all agreed it was a rather striking little hatch back!

It was hard to notice anything else on the road thanks to the amazing symphony of noises coming form the back of our 458.
Matyas backed it into first, then hammered through the gears utilising all 560 horses in the boot yelling “YESSS, OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!”

During our drive we pulled into a Shell service station for a quick refuel and car swap, the faces from all the Monday morning commuters was priceless.
You could see each person trying to work out what each of these six young men smiling from ear to ear holding the keys to these exquisite beauties did for a day job.

We hit the road again heading back into the hills.

We eventually came to a stop next to a field of horses and a mind blowing view through the nearby valley and coastline.

This was certainly the highpoint of our day, three beautiful cars, the peace and quiet of a country road and some roadside refreshments. This is certainly the life!

Next we jumped in the F430, it was rough in comparison to its’ younger siblings but we enjoyed it!

The sound from every shift of the gears was pure ecstasy to our ears!!

Everywhere I looked I was reminded of the theater and excitement that is driving a Ferrari! With vents everywhere, hand stitching on all the leather and of course those sounds and vibrations!!

Our friends looked like they were enjoying the Cali nearly as much as we did!

Our last stop for the day was right next to the water on our way back into town.

This made for some of our favourite shots of the day.

After our final stop we headed home to the hotel for one of the best lunches I have ever had!

To finish off our perfect day, Shell had booked out the local Seabreeze restaurant where we ate some truly amazing food! I couldn’t choose which dessert to get so I got all four!

I would like to thank Shell Australia for another incredible opportunity and an amazing day!
If you would like to enjoy some new V Power fuel for free then enter Shell’s photo competition.
Simply tweet a picture of your car with the hashtag ‘#ShellVPower’ and @Shell_Australia between the 4th of November and the 8th of December.
Shell will be choosing ten winners a week to receive a $100 Coles Express gift card!
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.

Hankook :: NSW Time Attack 2013

Grant — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:12:41 +0000

It seems Australia is fast becoming the time attack capital of the world with so many ground breaking builds, passionate people and of course some truly great businesses supporting the scene.

The most recent race was the second leg of the Hankook Tyre Time Attack series, teams from all over Australia made their way to Wakefield Park Raceway, NSW for two days of flat out, foot to the floor racing against the clock!

Some of the countries highest profile cars were out to set some blisteringly low lap times, the BYP DC Integra is proof that knowledge is greater than money.
The BYP boys have built one of the most reliable and quickest cars around and it took out the number 1 spot at the last round of this series in Victoria!

Another serious Honda build also from Sydney is the newly completed JDM Yard DC5, this is an all out no expense spared build with strong focus on simple additions to the motor and plenty of aero mods.
The car still retains a naturally aspirated engine and is everything a die hard Honda fan would come to expect from a workshop such as JDM Yard!

After the odd Honda, Skyline or Subaru the rest of the field was of course littered with Mitsubishi Evo’s!!
The mighty AWD sedan is still one of the most potent packages to come out of the land of the rising sun, out of the Evo’s competing. Over 10 years separated the oldest from the newest model!
Proving they got it right back then and haven’t messed with it’s success since!!

Performance doesn’t come cheap, every car was packed full of the latest and best tech and gadgets. Check out the Haltech dash!!

Friends of GSS and all round cool guys, the Road Track Rally crew made the drive up from Vic with their very well put together street class Evo.

The team has been fine tuning and tweaking their Evo in preparation for the upcoming World Time Attack in October, Entering again in the club sprint class we hope to see the boys finish on the podium once again.

Now this was an interesting sight, a bright yellow Evo 6… We were in love!

Hiding behind the number plate was this very sneaky Billion cold air intake!! Also you can just see the edge of an oil cooler in a very snazzy anodized blue to keep the colour scheme going.

Out on track the little yellow Evo almost lifted a rear wheel flying flat out through the corner!!

As the BYP Integra was heading out you could see the determination in Benny’s eyes as he prepared himself for maximum attack, with cold conditions and wet weather setting in the early sessions were the ones to make count before things got wet!

After the first session the boys ran a respectable 1:02.7, still a few seconds shy off their best time around Wakefield there was still plenty of room for improvement. Weather permitting of course!!

JDM Yard were off to a good start with at least four turbocharged Evo’s still a few seconds behind them, their N/A Integra was well under the 1:10 mark and was consistently getting quicker!

Behind the wheel of the JDM Yard DC5 was of course Adam Casmiri who has helped pilot the car through some very quick lap times this year, the car is set to go under the knife again before WTAC.
No time attack car is ever really complete or finished, it seems even over just the course of a race day each cars goes through significant changes. Just as a golfer changes his clubs time attack cars go through different size tyres, damper settings and even minor aero adjustments.

It’s amazing how quickly the aero game has stepped up in Australia over the last two years, the Integrity signs Evo 7 has a setup that would have been consider over the top and very extreme just a few years ago.
Now nearly every car has had a wing/fin added to pretty much every panel to help lower those lap times, to the untrained eye it might look like a case of ‘more means quicker times” but each individual piece of aero has been painstakingly tested to ensure it is making a difference and improving the handling of the car at high speeds.

Chasing down the Evo’s was one very well put together Skyline from Victoria, John “Richo” Richardson has been taking his love of speed to the track for years!

His once very standard GTS-T R33 has taken on a heap of enhancements which have helped propel John to some super quick lap times, his Skyline is definitely not to be underestimated.
The heavy AWD system on a GT-R isn’t needed to drop those lap times, John constantly proves that with the right driver a nice RWD setup can do very, very well.

Between all the Evo’s we did enjoy the occasional fly by from Kieran and his 350Z, while not the most popular car to be using at a time attack event the car held it’s own with a very respectable 1:09.1!!

The only Mitsubishi out on track with only two wheels pulling it along, this tiny 1.5L FWD Ralliart Colt managed some very quick times amongst it’s peers. Nearly breaking into the 1:10 mark and below!!
It certainly made for a great show lifting it’s leg like a small dog about to do some business!

After two sessions it was time for many cars to come back in for a quick check up, oil change…

… And even some fresh tyres, this 350Z made full use of it’s sticky Hankook Ventus R-S3’s.

Showing the Evo’s that Subaru still has some pretty quick chassis was of course the big green hulk… The Autotech Engineering WRX.

Armed with some seriously wide tyres, huge Project Mu breaks and one massive wing, we were excited to see Bruce Banner transform into the angry hulk and SMASH those lap times!

Jason Naidoo proved that expensive aero and big budget builds will never be a replacement for an experienced driver…

Jason steered the subtler looking Xtreme Motorsports Evo 8 through a stupid quick time of 1:03.8!!

Hamish’s Ev0 8 was probably the most ‘streetable’ car in the club sprint class, despite the cars stock standard appearance it’s still good for a flat 1:08 lap time.
We wouldn’t mind driving something that quick to the shops for some milk in the morning!

The oldest car competing during the weekend was Owen’s 1977 Toyota Celica, after a long weekend the car smashed out a 1:10.5!!

The fastest Subaru on track, The Ultimate Tunes 99′ WRX. Jason wrestled with the pro class car all weekend and so close to cracking the sub one minute mark!!
The team finished on a lap of just 1:00.2!!!!!!

Even in factory form any Lotus is a force to be reckoned with out on the track, after Southern Motor Works tinkered with this Exige the volume had certainly been turned up to 11!!
Driver John secured 3rd in the open class with speedy lap of just 1:01.8!

Even though drivers were racing against the clock and not each other, there was plenty of overtaking happening given the short layout of Wakefield.

So how did the Hulk go? Jason scored 2nd place in open class just .2 of a second in front of the bright orange Lotus, the final lap was a not too shabby 1:01.6!

Adam and the JDM Yard Integra missed out on a podium finish, landing them in 6th place with a lap of 1:04.2.
With WTAC in the team’s sights the car has already been pulled down after this event in preparation, we can’t wait to see how this N/A Honda goes against the worlds best!

We’re happy to report that Darrin and the RTR Evo X finished in 3rd in the club sprint class with a 1:04.7!

The number one car for the weekend was Rick Bates in the Vsport/GoPro Evo X, Rick was the only driver who managed to break the one minute barrier… Not once, but twice!!
The final lap that scored him the win overall and for the pro class was an astonishing 59.9790!!

We’re wrapped that more and more is happening each year on the Australia time attack calendar, with support from companies like Hankook the future is very bright for all time attack racing enthusiasts.
Bring on WTAC and then bring on 2014!!
For the full results check out the Wakefield website.
http://www.wakefieldpark.com.au/bates-blistering-59-second-lap-win-nsw-time-attack.html
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.
All photos courtesy of Robert Mocchetti | Full Motion Photography

WTAC :: Best In Show

Grant — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:31:47 +0000

The World Time Attack Challenge is one of the largest events of it’s kind and happens to have so much going on it needs several post for us just to give you a glimpse of what you may have missed.
In the skid pan area of Eastern Creek Raceway some of Sydney’s best street cars came out to strut their stuff on the final day of the WTAC.

From full blown magazine cars with custom airbrushing to mad street cars like this tough little Toyota Corona, this exactly the kind of thing we love to see.
This would have looked right at home in version of Mad Max!

Built to Order brought some truly awe inspiring cars with them, from this hoping Lincoln Town car…

To this mold breaking EG Civic hatch, with some interesting colour choices and some of the best attention to detail we have ever seen.

Have you ever been beating at the lights by a Honda with pink wheels?
You might be surprised when you pull up next to this little Civic, BuiltToOrder.co didn’t just pay attention to the outside when building this car.
They threw in a K20 engine for good measure too!

There was also another EG Civic with a slightly simpler approach but still just as much of a head turner!
With a paint job in a light cola brown and some wicked little 15″ wheels this car looked mean.

Another Honda with it’s ‘A’ game on, this newer EK hatch had some very impressive BBS RS wheels.
Off the shelf simply would not do so the owner had the wheels re-barreled to 15 x 8 +12.3 specs.
Not exactly front wheel drive friendly offset there!

The show and shine section offered everything from VIP styled cars to full blown dragsters.

The recurring theme was attention to wheels, so not surprising at all that the Built to Order boys had wheels on nearly every single car!

This MX5 got a lot of looks, it’s been a long time since we have seen one of these roadsters in any colour other than red!

These Corolla’s were hiding in the pack, big fan of the over fenders on the white one!!

This white S15 pushed the boundaries of dished rear wheels, the sticker on the window really hit the nail “I got 99 problems, but fitment ain’t one.”

The MR2 is a true underdog amongst Japanese ‘tuner’ cars, with some Ferrari like styling and a mid mount engine it’s always ticked some boxes for the boy racers but never really appealed to the masses.
This SW20 model on Work Meister’s is a more then a step in the right direction, the aggressive body kit and wheel choice breath some fresh air into the early 90’s coupe.

Purple wheels get all the bitc… ah hmm er, ladies.

Bronze Volk CE28’s and the blue details make this Silvia a winner, the number plates are epic too!

This tiny van was unlike anything else at the show, the Suzuki Carry Van’s engine had been replaced by a completely electric motor thanks to some extensive and clever work by Mark Taylor from Sydney AEVA.

Oliver’s S15 has become quite the internet sensation after having being shown on speedhunters and a few other blogs, the car did not disappoint us in the flesh at all!

There was also a touch of euro in the mix, this classic VW was a perfect blend of old and new styles with influences from the current trends…

Like the sticker bombed details around the tail lights and wider wheels finished the older bug of nicely!

Tessa whyte’s yellow R34 had a crowd of photographers around it at nearly all times, the car caused quite the stir moving from the pits to the show and shine area.

While it is not the main attraction of the event it really is nice to see that it got a lot more attention this year and the cars on display were all extremely unique or had an impeccable level of detail when it came to modifying them.
The crowd seemed to be a lot more involved with a lot more spectators taking a break from the deafening race cars to come by and check out some of Sydney’s street scene.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for a few more WTAC related posts still coming.
– Gwyn.
Photos : Brendan Dutton | SB Captures

The-Lowdown Presents :: Showcased

Grant — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:44:04 +0000

Last weekend New South Wales stepped it’s car game up and smashed the ball right out of the court!
The-Lowdown.com hosted it’s first ever car show, aiming to break the boarders of the online based medium and put on a car show like no other.

The event was named “Showcased” which suited it perfectly with many new builds being displayed and a few cars that have completely reinvented them selves since they last saw the public eye.

Crowds and cars alike traveled near and far, the Queensland contingent of photographers from Streetkarnage and Downshiftaus brought a few exciting cars down with them.

Charlie’s infamous MX5, now track spec with one very aggressive looking wing and certainly one of the most intricate looking exhaust systems we have ever seen!

Sydney’s famous Accord Euro, dropped on a set of very exclusive VIP Modular VX310 wheels with a ‘Dubai Gold Face’ finish, the car is now bagged to prevent ruining the expensive wheels on NSW’s less than fantastic roads.

The Stancework crew and Team Agentz from Melbourne invaded the show and brought with them some of best cars the state has to offer.
No trailer queens here, these cars drove up! :S

Seemingly from pictures sent across the oceans this heavily US inspired EK Civic crossed over through our computer monitors and into real life…
This engine bay was amazing!
K20 swap with shaved and tucked everything. No washer was unturned, binned and replaced!

JDM Yard unveiled their newly finished track spec DC5 Integra with a few years behind the build it was sure not to disappoint!

The Zen Garage boys don’t just sit around and look at cool cars online… They build them too!
Sergio’s S15 is a work of art, with so many nice examples these days it is very hard to stand out. Well done!!

One of the stars of the show was this C10 Skyline, they don’t get much more classic than this!
Manufactured from 1968 to 1972 these things are rare in Japan let alone across the globe in Australia!

With such bold lines it is definitely a thing of beauty, worlds apart in styling from the same era Toyota’s and Honda’s it is a very special car!

But wait, what’s this?!
There was another Hakosuka and a GT-R too!
Hands down the best car show on the calendar!!

From old to new… It’s truly amazing to see the same name continued on 50 years later, now worlds apart with electronic gadgetry and sheer size compared to the old C10.
They both share the same sense of something special, not just metal slapped together the right way in a factory… They have a soul!
Easily one of the only cars from Japan to have this unique quality, there are literally 100’s of cars from this wonderful country that hold a special place in peoples hearts but none have reached as wide an audience as the Nissan Skyline!

Must buy Zen…. T… Shirt…

Rising sun feature painted on the underside of my bonnet… Check!
Rising sun cape… Check! Let’s go party!!

Some people will see this car as pretty pointless and almost a waste, the Evo was designed to be a true champion on all surfaces, a feat of automotive engineering and electronic aids…
Now it’s time for the nerd to scrub up, whack on a leather jacket and pick up some chicks (or at least some car geeks).

NSW’s own Mathew Everingham and his chariot of choice, when he is not shooting cool cars he is driving one!

The show was all done and dusted in just one day, on one rooftop car park by one busy bunch of guys, with some support from sponsors the show was a massive success and hopefully a sign of things to come!
We would like to thank SB Captures for their awesome shots from the event and helping us bring you some of the best cars this country has to offer.
The official winners are as follows ::
SHOWCASED TROPHY AWARD WINNERS:

- Japanese Performance: Jason, Entrant 126, Bodyform Nissan S15 Silvia, BPROOF
- European Class: Aaron Vumbaca, Entrant 184, BMW M3, 00343
- Perfect Fitment: Chookie, Entrant 108, Built To Order Lexus GS300, BO55GS
- #1 Car Club: Stanceworks Australia
- Border Crossers: Street Karnage
- People’s Choice: Albert Nghiem, Entrant 102, Cars For Hope Honda Integra DC2R, NR11CH
- Best in Show: Nathan Ross, Entrant 037, TRD JZ80 Supra

Meguiars 3M Winners:

Stephen Blake, Entrant 088, Corona
Reece, Entrant 080, Agentz Toyota Camry
Hendra Parulian, Entrant 027, J Racing Subaru WRX
Mohammad DubDub, Entrant 104, JDMYard Honda Civic