Viewing: japanese drifting dinosaurs.. (rx7/s15)

**lsvag** · 10-12-2011, 01:06 PM

what is it about these cars that make them such ideal drift cars ? especially the s15.. i dont think i've ever seen one NOT drifting... i saw one parked and even that was parked at an angle with opposite lock. lol..

**turbonutter69** · 11-12-2011, 01:27 PM

Balance and the fact that they will drift more or less out of the box.

**SLEEPER** · 11-12-2011, 02:07 PM

Plus they are both light and the engines can be tuned to oblivion (an rb 26 will slot straight in an S15)

**lsvag** · 12-12-2011, 10:20 AM

but the s2000 is light too, and its well balanced...

**MasterAuron** · 12-12-2011, 11:07 AM

Not that balanced, have you seen how many are cat c or cat d haha. Not easy or cheap to get power from either. You do see them drifting now and again, and turbocharged mx-5's.

***Prince*** · 12-12-2011, 03:47 PM

RWD + power = drifting. Dont' forget though that a lot of drift cars are specially set up to do it.

**MasterAuron** · 12-12-2011, 05:25 PM

Very true, good cars have engines moved back, extreme suspension geometry etc etc

**SLEEPER** · 12-12-2011, 06:37 PM

No one drifts seriously in a convertable

Other than the obvious safety issue the cars lose all stuctural strenght without the top.

**MasterAuron** · 12-12-2011, 06:44 PM

Wrong, see loads. Have vids on this very phone of semi-pros in convertibles doing it. Cars don't lose all structural strength with no roof saying that is silly or shall I ask Ferrari or all the lads that track their s2000's why their cars handle so awfully without a roof lol.

***Prince*** · 12-12-2011, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterAuron

Wrong, see loads. Have vids on this very phone of semi-pros in convertibles doing it. Cars don't lose all structural strength with no roof saying that is silly or shall I ask Ferrari or all the lads that track their s2000's why their cars handle so awfully without a roof lol.

x2

Usually, the 'vert will just weigh a little more due to being strengthened.

**SLEEPER** · 13-12-2011, 01:35 AM

Fair enough saying lose all structural strenght was going to far but it certainly is true than they lose some .

By serious drifting I mean professionals not people on the streets who think they can drift .
You will not see many (if any) convertables in proffessional drifting - that is competitions on tracks with regulations and scruteneering.

Playing about on the roads or doing donuts on you tube doesnt count as serious.

And I didnt say convertables dont/cant handle I said serious drifters dont use them . Mind you there are very few convertables that handle as well as their fixed head version.

**MasterAuron** · 13-12-2011, 08:21 AM

Well you said they lose all structural strength which would imply they handle badly. Once again I've seen convertibles in professional drifting, and its perfectly legal. Some competitions require a hard top fitted, but its still a convertible essentially.

**lsvag** · 13-12-2011, 05:05 PM

i was watching some japanese motor show and there were tuners that had set up their almost stock cars into drift/time attack cars .. meaning they only drifted when pushed hard but they were fully controlled drifts.. the only mods they did were adjustable coilovers, lsd, engine boost was increased. the s15 and rx7 with similar mods were eating the corners whether be it gripping or drifting,... the s2000 did look twitchy when pushed, but it was very quick gripping, even more so than the s15 and rx7... so the s2000 chassis strength shouldn't be a problem because of its X-bone thing and the fact it was quicker than the rx7/s15 when it was required while weighing pretty much the same as them.

i was also looking at a website containing pictures of an rx8 before and after it was prepared for drifting... HUGE chunks of the chassis were taken out to prepare it for drifting :S... doesn't that mean less chassis strength?? a roll cage was added but why make the chassis weaker in the first place ??

**MasterAuron** · 13-12-2011, 05:24 PM

Chunks of the chassis where? Post the pictures up if you can. With a comprehensive enough roll cage or space frame much of the chassis can become mostly cosmetic tbh!

**SLEEPER** · 13-12-2011, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterAuron

Well you said they lose all structural strength which would imply they handle badly. Once again I've seen convertibles in professional drifting, and its perfectly legal. Some competitions require a hard top fitted, but its still a convertible essentially.

As I said what I wrote was wrong and Im fine with being corrected ( especially as i do have a tendancy to do this myself)

I didnt write what I meant the post should have read .....

usually convertables lose some structural strenght

**lsvag** · 14-12-2011, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterAuron

Chunks of the chassis where? Post the pictures up if you can. With a comprehensive enough roll cage or space frame much of the chassis can become mostly cosmetic tbh!

http://www.mazdatrix.com/RX8-Chassis-Comparison.htm

**SLEEPER** · 14-12-2011, 10:45 AM

certainly the car will be stronger with a proper roll cage over standard panels some of which I expect were not structural anyway

I suppose the thinking was with the roll cage fully welded in the extra weight could be offsett by losing panels that were not needed.

It does looks more like removal of body panels than cutting the main chassis (but Im not a mazda expert)

**MasterAuron** · 14-12-2011, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLEEPER

As I said what I wrote was wrong and Im fine with being corrected ( especially as i do have a tendancy to do this myself)

I didnt write what I meant the post should have read .....

usually convertables lose some structural strenght

I know pal, I'm just saying that's why I initially mentioned the handling thing. Will look at the rx8 when I'm on the laptop and not the phone.