WE ARE BACK — Honda Accord Project PT1

“Unfortunately, the Civic Type R was moved on. Why? Well, you’ll just need to have a read to find out! The big question is; what’s next?”

From the outside looking in I can understand my car situation can come across a bit scattered. Mostly because I wasn’t able to create content here for a few years, so it got a bit patchy as to what vehicle I was running and modifying at the time. I just recently introduced the Type R to you all too, but at that time, it was already for sale after nearly two years of ownership.

It was a very difficult decision to sell the Honda Civic Type R. It was a dream car for me and one that I never thought I would own. I have no regrets about the purchase of that car and I wouldn’t change how things played out for a second. It was an incredibly capable machine out of the box and with the upgrades we did to it, it was looking very promising on track in terms of lap times.

However, something was missing — something I couldn’t ignore for much longer. The Civic was great, but my true automotive passion lies in restoring, modifying, and bringing cars back to life and improving upon their performance. And, at home in the shed. The FK8 was a car so new, and with such low mileage that I just didn’t want to pull it apart myself for fear of breaking a sensor, or part that I couldn’t just find at the local wrecker like most of my projects. It was so new that it just needed cleaning. It’s the painting of rocker covers, polishing of bolts, and reviving of old nuggets that truly lights my automotive fire — I needed change.

With the Civic up for sale, I thought long and hard about potential options to replace it with. I knew the replacement needed to be MUCH cheaper, have tuning potential, have parts readily available, and be just rough enough that I could be put to the test by reviving it. And ideally, it would be naturally aspirated. I’m not competing for lap times (only against myself), so something capable of staying cool and churning out as many laps as possible was a must.

I thought about R56 Mini Coopers initially, Volkswagen Golfs, older Civics, Integras and Accords, Subaru WRXs (this was before I wanted NA only), and so many more. I had spreadsheets weighing up the options and it would literally keep me up at night, as I planned countless builds in my head and how they’d play out from start to finish. What are parts like to source? How reliable are they?

After the Civic sold I ended up narrowing my focus to Honda Integra DC5s, Civic EP3s, and Accord Euro Rs — and the Accord platform came out on top. I love sedans, so the Accord came out trumps.

What is it?
The vehicle I purchased is a 2005 Honda Accord Euro R (CL7). It has a naturally aspirated K20 engine with a six-speed gearbox. It has been tuned with KTuner software, and a few other engine mods (specs at the bottom of the article). But best of all, it’s already certified on coilover suspension which is a huge pain in the ass here in New Zealand. So, a big tick! When I purchased the Accord a couple of weeks ago, it was fitted with factory Evo X wheels, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres. I soon found some Advan RZ wheels and some second-hand Hankook Z221 semi-slicks. They’re all fitted up now, so enjoy those photos!

I scored some second hand Advan RZ wheels in 18x9-inch (+35P)

What’s the plan for it?
The Accord Euro R will be a project that I build to be fun on the road and track with friends. It will exist in my life to be an outlet of fun and to test my skills in restoring and modifying a track-focused toy. I plan on assessing the car, completing maintenance, and then tackling paint correction and performance upgrades (already started as you can see. This is the result of two days of polishing!). We will be doing initial baseline dyno runs with the team at Torque Performance, dialing in the alignment, and making sure it’s safe to send on the track.

I have ordered Endless brake pads, with Mike from Prosport Auto ensuring we’ve got the correct compound for our use. It feels as though the engine mounts are on the way out, so that will need to be addressed before we hit the track, too.

I must say, it’s such a nice feeling being back in an older car that has some quirks and issues. The Civic was just too nice to send on the track. And, how good are naturally-aspirated sedans? I am dreaming of an angry K24 setup, with a closer final drive kit, and individual throttles..

I will keep you all up to date with the build and any future updates. Would you guys be interested in seeing a Youtube walk around? I hate being on camera, but I feel it would be a nice progression for TimeattackR. If you own an Accord or K-Series Honda, I would love to hear from you on the must do upgrades I should be looking into for track days. Thanks for reading!

Year/make/model: 2005 Honda Accord Euro R (CL7)
Engine: K20A, 2000cc four-cylinder, PLM headers, three-inch stainless steek exhaust system, AdrenalinR mufflers, J’s Racing carbon filter box, pod filter
Driveline: Six-speed manual, Exedy HD clutch
Interior: Factory
Exterior: Mugen grill, Mugen rear duckbill spoiler, replica J’s Racing carbon fibre bonnet, Flow Designs skirt kit, Mugen weather shields
Wheels/tyres: 18x9-inch (+35P) Advan RZ, 235/40R18 Hankook Z221 (Soft)
Suspension: BC BR Series coilovers, Hardrace front and rear camber arms, J’s Racing strut brace, Hardrace sway bars
Brakes: DC5 front Brembo calipers, S2000 front discs, Project Mu brake lines
Power: Roughly 140kW at the wheels
Fuel type: 98 octane
Tuner: KTuner software

WATCH OUR INTRO YOUTUBE VIDEO!

StreetattackR: NEW SETUP ALERT! Rodney goes ITB

“It’s something I have wanted for so long. Finally, the big header, ITB-setup is now complete and driving! Check it out!”

I cannot begin to tell you just how long I have wanted a four-cylinder-powered, rear-wheel-drive, naturally-aspirated, high-revving machine with big headers and individual throttle-bodies. Finally, the dream setup is complete and I am so incredibly happy with how it turned out.

It has been a while since I have updated everyone on my project; Rodney. So, I will go back a few months pre-lockdown and fill you in on the finer details. The setup you will read about is something I have wanted for this car for a long time. The Altezza is heavy; it still has the sound deadening, full interior, and air-conditioning. On the track, it’s still a heap of fun, and the stock Beams engine is satisfying to rev out. However, I was yearning for just that little bit more.

I had always planned to have Brendan Dunker of Niteparts build me a set of headers. His work is second to none, and I was in love with the design of his bespoke headers. I asked for a quote and waited. Beginning the ITB build was no quick process.

I purchased the required Link ECU nearly nine months ago now. Then, I collected parts such as the AE111 OEM throttle bodies, the SQ Engineering 3SGE to AE111 adapter plate through NSTParts, and plenty of other smaller items.

Before the Altezza went to Brendan to have the headers built, I thought it best to have some maintenance work done at the workshop where I work. At first glance, it looked as though it needed a front-main seal to combat a leak I had. Upon closer inspection, it was leaking everywhere. It was at this moment, things spiraled out of control.

“Let’s just pull the engine out,” Joseph Hirst at NSTechnical told me, as he explained it would be much easier to replace all of the seals on the engine. Great advice, it turned out, as when we pulled the sump off to check the bearings, they had definitely seen better days.

With the engine out, it was sent away to be measured. New ACL Race Series main and big-end bearings were then fitted. It also received new crank seals, new Hardrace engine mounts, we had the lightweight flywheel machined and the team cleaned the engine bay. With the engine away, they had some spare time with the car, so I had them install TRD diff and caster bushes, and replace a bent rear toe arm. Oh, and they had the front Supra discs machined too.

With the engine out, it was best to remove the manifolds to save Brendan some time. The engine was put back in the hole, filled up with run-in oil, and loaded onto a trailer bound for Niteparts where it would stay for a few weeks. There were a few hurdles to overcome during this time too, with a couple of sensors failing, slowing the process down.

However, I got the phone call I had been waiting so long for — the car was ready to collect! A friend of mine and I ripped down, and I heard it for the first time. Brendan also fabricated a 2.25-inch steel mandrel-bent exhaust system with two mufflers and a nice low-key stainless tip.

What a noise! I couldn’t say thank you quick enough (sorry Brendan!) and I was off on the maiden voyage. The first time I revved it over 7000RPM, I burst out into hysterical laughter. I simply could not believe the sound coming from this engine. Taking it all the way to the 8000RPM rev-limit is pure nirvana. I will never forget that drive home.

Fast forward a few weeks (sorry I have been super busy!) and I finally had the chance to drop the run-in oil and replace it with some quality Motul oil. And, here we are. I have wanted to get those photos done for a very, very long time. I still want to tidy things up from this point, like the strut-brace mounts that are now redundant. But, for the most part I am one incredibly happy lad.

For the money, I could have doubled this power with a turbocharger. It would have been much better for the street and would have made street-driving a breeze. But, that isn’t what this car is about. I had to complete my ‘touring car’ appearance, feel, and sound — and I am so glad I did.

I just want to give a MASSIVE shout out to everyone involved in this project. Joseph and the team at NSTechnical, Brendan at Niteparts and everyone else — THANK YOU!

StreetattackR: Hi-Power Performance 650kW R34 GT-R

“Wanna go for a ride? Hell yes! We jump in Ethan Lowe’s 650kW R34 GT-R. Built by his performance GT-R shop – Hi-Power Performance – Ethan’s latest machine definitely is the perfect shop car”

Lately, the content has been slow on TimeattackR.com — I apologize. I’ve had some huge curve balls thrown at me in the last few months. And, I have been busy creating content for NZ Performance Car Magazine. What I have decided, is that I am going to mix things up a bit with a blog-style approach, to some of the content I have been producing to keep you in the loop — after they’ve been in print of course.

A couple of months ago, I was mowing the lawns. I’ve got a new place and they needed to be done. Interesting. At around 5pm, I was mid-mow and noticed the lighting was perfect outside for a photoshoot — I knew at that point, there would most likely be a killer sunset. “Hey bro, what are you up too? Are you keen to take some photos of the GT-R?” I text Ethan Lowe, of Hi-Power Performance. Ethan is a great friend and customer of mine. I deal with him daily through my Performance Parts Manager role at NSTParts and the GT-R is always something I have been meaning to take a closer look at. Ethan was heading back from the beach, so he asked for a few minutes to get the GT-R ready and we met around 7pm in the industrial park just behind Millwater, Silverdale.

Choosing a spot here was fairly easy. I wanted the background to be as far away as possible. If it all possible, I wanted the ground to slope away, exaggerating that fact even more. All while having the sun setting behind the car. Now, I am no sunset photo expert. In fact, this is only my second sunset shoot. But, what I learned in my first shoot, was that I needed to seriously underexpose the images in order to maintain the detail of the setting sun and it’s colouring.

Thankfully, with modern camera tech and low F-stop lenses, I am able to bring out darker shadow areas post-edit, without losing too much quality. I could overlay images of different exposures in photoshoot, but that is way too much admin and this shoot, funnily enough, was meant to just be for a laugh. But, it did end up going into NZPC as a 7-page feature — rad! For this shoot, I made use of my Canon 5D MKIV, Sigma 85mm F1.4, Sigma 14mm F1.8, Canon 70-200mm F2.8 and Canon 50mm F1.4. I shot this hand-held.

It has to be said, I think this is most likely the best GT-R in New Zealand. The build quality is second to none. It’s an R34 – the people’s favourite – and it has HUGE power. All while maintaining the OEM Getrag six-speed gearbox. At the time of this shoot, the 2.8-litre HKS-stroked engine was boosted by a Precision 6466 turbo. The idle is ridiculous, with the Tomei 280-degree Pro camshafts flexing incredibly hard.

With the sun still shining, I photographed the GT-R from the front. To let the natural light illuminate the body of the vehicle. Being a white vehicle, any light source available can be used to bring out the detail on the body. If it was a black car, it would be a different story.

With warm, glowy front-shots done, I photographed the interior while there was still light. The interior is somewhat mildly done, with the factory seats and interior still intact. However, the dead giveaway in this cockpit is the Haltech IC7 dash, mounted in front of the standard cluster.

The engine bay to me is damn-near perfect. The red wrinkle-coated cam covers, the painted intercooler piping and the use of Plazmaclamps throughout really had me weak at the knees. I can’t help but think the turbo looks a little small in the bay, but Ethan has already taken that off and replaced it was a much bigger unit (more on that another time!).

With the sun about to drop below the horizon line, I had Ethan rotate the GT-R in a front-on three-quarter position (a classic right?). I framed the car how I wanted and switched between two lenses, to achieve different perspectives; the 85mm F1.4 and the 70-200mm F2.8. The 85mm is incredibly sharp and capable in low-light situations and creates a unique perspective, not commonly used in automotive photography.

However, seeing as this might have ended up in print, I needed to be aware that only the front-end will be in focus as the F1.4 lens has a very shallow depth of field. With enough light around, I made the switch to the 70-200mm F2.8. Even at F2.8, it still captures a large amount of the car in focus at 200mm. It’s interesting to see the shots after one another. It was the following shot, that was chosen as the opening shot for the NZPC feature. The Canon lens, still proving it’s might over the much juicier, Instagram friendly 85mm F1.4 lens.

After dark, it was time to head out just to see how potent 600kW feels like on the street. I definitely was not ready for just how much I would be slammed back into the seat! It was unreal — what a feeling! Ethan has since installed a much larger Precision turbo and the GT-R now makes over 800kW at the wheels. He also tells us an Albins sequential transmission is on the way, ready to be installed after lockdown.

All I can say is, thanks for the experience, Ethan! Definitely one to remember. Featuring GT-Rs sure has become something I frequent often now. Good company? I think so! I will be checking out this GT-R once again soon, so I will keep you posted. What do you think? More of these blog-style behind the scenes articles? Let me know! If you want to purchase the issue of NZPC this was featured in, check it out here.

StreetattackR: at last! Rodney gets a Sunday drive

“With the way life has been lately, I haven’t had a chance to work on Rodney, let alone drive him. However, the stars aligned, I got a few things finished and hit the road”

At long last! Some free time arose, I snatched it and ran for the hills. Rodney, my 2004 Toyota Altezza has been somewhat neglected lately, sitting dust-covered in my downstairs garage. A pile at work mounded though and there were a few cheeky upgrades I wanted to install. Before any of this could happen, though, the Altezza was well overdue for a detailing session. I kicked it in the guts, snow-foamed, rinsed, cleaned and coated it. Then, pushed it back in the garage.

After a long wait, our Nardi shipment landed at work. And, with this order was my Nardi-produced Personal Grinta steering wheel, measuring 330mm and wrapped in suede, stitched together with yellow thread. Honestly, I never have seen anything so gorgeous in my life!

nother interior you will no doubt spot is the addition of a Recaro SPG-N fixed-back seat. I have wanted a Recaro SPG for longer than I can remember, so when this leather with red stitching SPG came up for sale on my local community page, I jumped on after minutes of it being posted for sale. I didn’t care too much about the size, as the price was crazy. However, I was surprised to find it fits me perfectly. To me, the interior is now just how I like it.

The next issue to tackle was my braking. Over the year I have had the brake kit on, I have noticed the braking has gotten progressively worse. After some thought, I thought it may be a similar issue I had with my Subaru, Rex. With pads not up to the task of the abuse, I had managed to glaze the pad right over itself and, I had done the same with Rodney.

After discussion with William Au-Yeung of PZ Tuning (yeah, that guy!) he recommended I try the DTC Hawk range. After talking about the driving I do, he thought I should give the DTC50 a try. So, in they went and god damn, the bite and overall braking is phenomenal! I cannot wait to get them out onto the track.

Alright, everything is done. The wheel is on, pads in, and a few little things tidied up. I got invited down to a drift event to witness the debut of a good friend’s new project, so I made my way down State Highway one, exited off at Hampton Downs and ended up outside the Toyota New Zealand racing facility. Now dubbed ‘GR’ after the release of the new Supra, the colours matched my theme perfectly; red and black.

I couldn’t help but enjoy shooting the Altezza outside this facility. Inside, purpose-built race cars are built with mega budgets. Outside, my Altezza was parked — a car built with the sole purpose of being affordable fun. Maybe one day, you never know where you will end up in life. All I can hope for is that I have a shed some day half as big, with a hoist. Then I will be happy.

StreetattackR: Suhail Khan's dream DC2R

“There’s nothing quite like a clean DC2. They’re a dime a dozen these days, but Suhail Khan is out there waving the B-series DC2R flag with pride in his immaculately-presented Type R”

A HUGE thank you must go out to the very talented Archee Lal for making this feature happen. She has a serious photographic skillset and we’re proud to have her contribute on TimeattackR.com. Enjoy! — René

Hey Suhail, we’re a huge fan of your street DC2. When and how did you first acquire the Integra?
I purchased this thing back in 2015. I was still in high school about to finish my final year. There's a bit of a story behind this; I’ve followed this car and its sales path for a while. I was browsing the infamous NZHondas.com forum one day – as I did every day – just looking at things for sale and I stumbled across this car when it was initially for sale. His car was super clean — not even a ding to be seen. It had been taken care of on levels which can’t be explained. I bookmarked that page and everyday I’d open it and stare at it before it was eventually sold.

The new owner then posted it up for sale on NZHondas again. His reason for sale was, “it's too low for my driveway”. It wasn’t up for long. I think maybe a couple weeks before it was sold to the person I purchased it off. At this point I’m obsessed with this car — I dubbed it Snow White because it was Championship white on new white Enkei RP02’s. Trust me they were WHITE. I message the owner, made small talk when I could and a few days into chatting I ‘accidentally’ arranged a viewing. As soon as I arrived, I knew I was going to own the car. I went for a ride and I was sold. I arranged a proper time for pick up with my old man and I’ve never had a larger smile on my face like that night upon collection.

Whose Honda is your biggest inspiration?
I’ve always loved the Integra chassis for the way they look mainly. The DC2 was always my favourite chassis and to be honest my dream car.

My family have always been into cars. My uncles were the main drivers to me owning the Integra. One of them whom we call Chief (Shafin) built and owned a K20 DC2R back around 2007. I’d confidently say this was one of the first ever K-swaps in little old New Zealand and he is very well known for that car. The plate was FQTRBO — a bit of a reminisce to my number plate.

My cousin had numerous DC5R’s over the course of me being in high school and I knew I wanted the DC2R and my other cousin would own an EK9R.

After driving the Integra I just felt at home; the handling of Honda’s poster car was more than what I could have ever imagined. Everyone has their own opinion on Hondas as the internet knows, but you can’t beat on it until you drive one.

What build is your biggest inspiration?
I don't specifically have a single build which would be my biggest inspiration because at that point I feel like I'm trying to mimic someone else's car which is something that wouldn't suit me. I definitely have taken a few leaves out of a few books to get the car where I am today and I'm still changing the car to suit me. To name a couple; Reggie C Mah (@reggiecmah), Ryan from Rywire (@rywire_motorsports_electronics), Chief, Tim Chai, Kieran Munro, Beggz, and Justin Pillay. So as you can see just to name a few of my inspirations.

Each car has their own unique aspect which I love.

What have you done to the Honda since owning it?
Well since owning it I’ve done a few things, to be fair not much. With cosmetics I’ve been through a few phases. I had the complete stock DC2R look, I’ve had the Spoon style lip with the optional side skirts and rear end caps and now I’m onto Mugen. I currently only have the front bumper on, but the side skirts will hopefully be on soon to complete the exterior or this phase.

Suspension wise I’m currently running BC BR Series coilovers and Hardrace camber arms. Nothing too extreme yet, but a good base to branch off from. The engine is still stock, it has had an OEM rebuild done with the basic bolt ons; intake, exhaust and a bit of a turn on the dizzy. It’s a really basic reliable set up that gives me no issues which I owe to Ajay from Brian Payne Motors.

What is next on the cards for the Honda?
Next is definitely a bit more power; when you have friends with over 400kW cars you get left behind rather quickly. After that is more suspension work, although it is fine as is, but Fortune Auto coilovers would be nicer and to get the car dialed in. It’s easy to drive a car fast on the track, but if it’s not the way you like it what’s the point of doing it?

Do you plan to do any circuit work?
Yes definitely, I’ve done a couple track days and I love being on the track. I’ve learnt a lot and I've made a few changes since then and I’m eager to see how the car would perform the next time I attend. I’d love to do NZ Super Lap, but with University it proves to be a tad difficult.

What's the most fun you can have in the Honda?
Everyone would say its being on track and I do agree but, I find it really fun passing turbo cars. Look = priceless.

Are you a B-series or K-series fan?
Everyone on the internet knows I love the B series engine and I will run it till I no longer can. The VTEC crossover of the B-series is unbeatable and every Honda head knows that but, you cant beat the power the K-series can make when in the right hands. I’ve heard a few people saying B will die soon and K will take over — I disagree with that. The B series will live on forever.

Will the Honda ever be finished?
Well.. I’d like to think some day it’ll get to a point where I wont do anything to it but that day is quite far away.

What has been the best and worst thing about owning this car?
The best thing about owning this car would be the smile it brings when I drive it. As cliché as that sounds, it really is the car I’ve always wanted and I don’t regret any of it. The worst thing would probably be how much money I spent on engine oil!

StreetattackR: project Rodney gets a new wing TOCA style!

“I have wanted to build a BTCC/JTCC touring-style car for some time now, and the latest addition to project Rodney was the icing on the cake!”

Ever since I was a wee boy, I have loved touring car racing. There’s something about the ultra-fast, uber-slammed hyper-sedans that get me going — big NA grunt, centre-lock wheels, and those gorgeous rear wing elements. Which, brings me to this article. Yes, finally, my BTCC/JTCC-style wing has landed, has been painted, and fitted.

I searched all around New Zealand for a wing like this, and it was evident that it was not something I was going to find. After broadening my search overseas, I found a business in Australia who specialises in fibreglass aero and wings. I could have purchased a more exotic carbon-fibre piece out of Europe somewhere, but hey, Project Rodney is meant to be a budget project after all…

After a few emails back and forward, I placed my order for the fibreglass unit you see before you now. It arrived from Australia in a matter of days, so I sent it off to my local painter to be colour-matched to the Altezza paint code and waited a week before I could install it.

Surprisingly, it was really easy to install onto the Altezza boot. The Fibreglass Factory installed steel plates into the wing stays with tapped M8 bolt holes. I simply drilled holes in my boot, installed some soft black foam tape for it to sit on, and bolted it down. Instantly, the look of the car changed dramatically. However, it was evident the rear end ride height was way too high to pull the look off.

After 30 minutes with the C-spanners, the Cusco coilovers were lowered down 15mm in the rear, giving a much more even look. Wowee, I was excited. So excited, that I grabbed the camera, a pal, and a lens so I could take some finished shots.

This Altezza has been an incredibly satisfying project. It has been easy, parts have been a breeze to find, and best of all; it’s fun! Last week I managed to score an HKS F-Con ECU too, so it may have a few more kW within the next year. The question though; turbo or naturally aspirated? I am in two minds. I do miss boost.

The noises, the torque, and the driveability on the street. I have, however, had dreams of ITBs and ginormous headers with an angry cam setup. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal setup for the street. And, currently, it’s my daily driver. Comment your thoughts below, if you have some — I would love another opinion.

Come September 28, I will be fanging my way around Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at the North Shore Toyota Parts annual track day. Before then I need to change the fluids, install my Cusco front sway bar, Laile Beatrush shifter bush, and fit my Laile Beatrush aluminium undertray. More updates then!

StreetattackReview: S2000 review; modified vs stock!

“When given the chance to pedal a near-on factory S2000 and a modified example, you’re damn right we’re grabbing the keys! Welcome to TimeattackR’s first ever car review”

I always find it funny how the world works. Take this review you’re about to read for example; yesterday, I was scrolling the never-ending depths of Facebook, where I found myself gazing upon a clean Honda S2000 posted by a friend of mine, Jon-Paul. Alongside the image, was a caption, which read, “If you haven't driven an S2000 yet..... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?” Well, I had never driven an S2000, so simply replied, “Me, let's do this!” A cheeky Facebook message later, and we’re organising the time I would be collected from home to be driven to Auckland’s eastern suburbs where there would be not one, but two Honda S2000s waiting to be driven.

JP’s friend owns a business named MRN Wholesalers and it just so happened that he personally owns an S2000 which has been tastefully modified and currently has for sale a near-on factory example. It would prove to be the perfect comparison for a first-time S2000 experience.

Upon arriving, JP and I were greeted by the blue modified S2000, which features external reservoir Bilstein coilovers, Volk CE28n wheels, Dunlop Z1 semi-slicks, ASM headers, high-flow intake, bracing, and wide-body front guards. Not overly modified, but would prove to be a good comparison against the silver example, which featured a factory drivetrain and Tein Super Street suspension.

Lurking in the MRN Wholesaler’s garage was an FD2 Civic Type R in black and a K20AR-swapped DC2 Integra Type R which produces 165kW at the front wheels and features a Spoon gearbox. To say I was in Honda heaven would be an understatement. Anyway, time was getting on and I was itching to get behind the wheel.

To start off the right way, I would be driving the stock example first before progressing to the modified platform. Our destination would be Hunua Falls, some 45-minutes from our current destination which would feature a wide variety of touge-worthy roads, long country straights, and beaches.

After shoehorning my camera bag onto the passenger seat, we were off. Initial thoughts were that the steering wheel felt incredibly low and without adjustment, I thought would be in the way during the drive. The clutch – somewhat different to my Exedy Hyper Single race clutch in my car – took some getting used to, with an incredibly short throw compared to other cars I have driven. The gearbox shifter throw was incredibly short and direct, but classic to Honda, was incredibly satisfying.

To my surprise, the Honda’s F20C engine provided ample mid-range grunt to get around town and in no time at all, we were out of the suburbs and into the action going toe-to-toe, slowly working into the platform. As speed increased, it felt as though the steering feel became heavier with an incredibly connected feel to what the front and rear wheels were doing.

The perfectly-balanced chassis had exceptional turn-in, mid-corner grip, and predictable oversteer when pushed harder than the tyres allowed. Then, as if hit in the head with a bees nest, the F20C buzzed angrily as the RPMs exceed 6000 and propelled at an exponential rate towards the 9000RPM rev-limit, then again and again as I worked my way through the gears. So, this is why people buy these — these angry little fuc*$rs!

Soon after, we switched cars. After becoming somewhat attached to ‘my’ S2000, I was reluctant to give the modified example a decent shot — how could you beat what I just experienced? As I soon found out, an angrier exhaust tone, gnarlier induction noises, stiffer shocks, much gripper tyres, and race-brakes would prove a far superior combination, in some ways.

Without effort, the modified blue example would be on the tail of the silver factory example. The upgrades, although subtle, transform the chassis into a nimble, grip-heavy machine that soaks up speed leaving you somewhat senseless, wanting more — more than the laws of New Zealand’s roads allow. In the silver machine, however, the limit was found much earlier, giving you a greater sensation of, well, badassery — leaving you feeling like the son of Ricky Bobby.

One thing I forgot about and I am sure you have too, is the steering wheel height; what I thought was going to be a problem wasn’t. Honda knows best, apparently. Another important thing to note was the serious lack of fuel we used. We weren’t beating on these Hondas too hard, but it was nearly two hours of spirited driving and we both used around a quarter of a tank of 98-octane. An extremely important factor to consider with fuel prices being where they are in New Zealand.

After pulling in the drive to the MRN Wholesalers HQ, I had myself seriously pondering which one I would prefer. The conclusion, I think at least, would be the near-factory example. It did need better tyres, however, the predictable handling, the smooth ride, and just-loud-enough engine provided ample entertainment and even more so than the modified example on the street. Get them side-by-side on the circuit though, and I would be jumping into the modified example for sure.

TimeattackR: touring ST Hitec — GT-R heaven

“The TimeattackR team dropped in to see our good friends at ST Hitec — we certainly weren’t disappointed!”

Iain Clegg and the ST Hitec team have supported TimeattackR since its conception, and for that reason, we’ll be supporting them for as long as we’re around. What we haven’t done, though, is do a cheeky workshop tour to show you what they’re all about. One quiet Saturday on the way to the race track, we stormed the gates with our cameras in hand.

Before you enter ST Hitec, you’re met with beautiful performance cars. This gorgeous widebody single-turbo RX-7 sits next to a stealth white Nissan Skyline GT-R, which gives you an idea of the kind of machinery to expect when you make it indoors.

It’s safe to say ST Hitec is pumping at the moment. Every square inch of usable space is being used, with more RB-powered Nissans than you can poke a stick at. Employee and car builder Ben Gainfort was busy working away on his silver R32 GT-R in preparation for a wheel alignment — even the staff here are GT-R mad!

With a quick walk upstairs to the customer waiting area, you’ll notice an array of Japanese car magazines, DVDs, and memorabilia from years gone by. No doubt collected from previous owner Soichi Tate, who started ST Hitec. For the trainspotters out there, you’ll notice a TimeattackR photograph on the wall of Iain’s previous award-winning and record-breaking R35 GT-R.

ST Hitec has their fair share of awards too, and for good reason. Owner Iain is determined to push the extreme nature of ST Hitec, and he does it well. Currently, he is busy completing a tube-framed carbon fibre bodied R35 GT-R that will be running a billet block good for 3000hp. The cool thing is that it's being built for drag racing first, then GT racing… get your head around that!

Spin around, and you’ll notice the beautiful scenery laid out behind you in the workshop. Every hoist is occupied this time of year, and there’s a neat variety of machinery. Yes, you’ve got muscle, but more importantly, you’ve got GT-Rs everywhere. ST Hitec cater for all shapes and sizes too, with some making north of 600kW with ease, and others more humble road-going cruisers packing near on stock power levels.

In this shot, you might spot Faizal Ramzan and Ben working on his stunning silver R34 GT-R, which at the time of this shoot, had its new turbo setup covered before its unveiling. On pump gas, it now puts out just over 1000hp.

As we were making our way through the workshop, another tuning company by the name of Autech was busy strapping this N14 Pulsar GTi onto the dyno. With a front-mounted intercooler, I was curious to know more, and after a quick discussion with the passionate owner, I found out it was running a forged SR20VET engine that they were hoping to make 300kW with that day. Cool!

When we next catch up with Iain, we’ll be photographing his carbon R35 for a feature and we cannot wait. If you like this workshop visit, let us know as we are thinking of doing more. For now, enjoy this gallery!

StreetattackR: René's Subaru WRX STi streeter

“It has been a while since I have posted about the WRX, so here’s a quick photoshoot of my tough streeter”

It's always weird photographing your own car for any sort of 'feature', whether it's on your own website or not. It's been a while though, so I thought I would update you all on how it's currently looking.

I've replaced the side bumper vent that went missing at its last tracking outing, and it has had a serious waxing, in the hope that I might gain a bit of top-end speed come circuit time (actually, it just looks nice!). Largely, the vehicle remains the same.

I found out at the last track day that the Project Mu B-Spec pads weren't up to scratch, and I've had a couple of engine check lights for good measure (thanks, HKS high-flow cat). Everything is sorted now though, and it's running better than ever.

Iain Clegg of ST Hitec keeps nudging me to get it tuned properly, by means of ECUTEK software, so that may be on the cards should I keep it.

After chatting with Leon Scott about my brake issues, he was kind enough to donate a few sets of much higher temp pads to try out, so once they're in I will update on how they work; I think I will give the Project Mu 999 pads a crack first! The Subaru is still for sale though, as I am keen on getting into something much cheaper (think cheap Honda etc) to thrash around the track. Simply put, this thing is just far too nice to ruin by turning it into a race car. If you know of anyone interested, you can see the listing here.

Thanks for looking guys! If you think you've got some good ideas for a track car that's affordable, throw them into the comments below. Cheers!

StreetattackR: the home-built Supra Streeter that could

“In a series dominated by grass-roots style racing, Matt Gray has achieved a great deal with so little, and here’s how”

When we first met Matthew Gray, it wasn’t at the race circuit, but rather a JZ-powered car meet a few whiskers north of Auckland. At the time, his single turbo JZA80 Supra impressed with its flurry of whooshing noises, but it wasn’t until Matt entered the Prowear NZ Superlap series here in New Zealand that things got serious. Initially, Matt’s 2JZ-GTE engine was untuned with a high-mounted Turbonetics Billet T64 turbo, but as with most of the vehicle, in the hope for a more reliable street package, it all got a serious tuning, but not to the extent you’re expecting.

When you first walk around Matt’s somewhat red Supra, you don’t get a sense of the kind of lap times it’s capable of. It doesn’t have a front splitter, it’s still got some stock interior, it’s rolling around on budget Westlake Sport RS semi-slicks, the original front, and rear calipers remain (just with high-temp pads), and the only real suspension upgrade is a set of HSD coilovers.

What it does have though, is a 500hp at the wheels 2JZ-GTE engine, a talented wheelman, and the reliability to cut lap, after lap, after lap. During the 2017 Prowear NZ Superlap Series final shootout, Matt managed a lightning fast 1:12.269 — far quicker than anybody thought possible on Westlake tyres. Just weeks before at the fourth round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series, Matt ran a rapid 1:41.20-lap time, winning him the round outright by a whopping three-seconds.

It hasn’t all been easy though, and believe it or not, the biggest issue has come from the OEM-equipped R154 manual transmission. Matt has modified the gearbox with a custom breather setup which also adds a larger oil capacity to prevent overheating.

At the end of the last NZ Superlap season, Matt told us he wouldn’t be competing again in the Supra. It looks as though the bug has seriously bitten though, as Matt has been purchasing parts for the Supra in preparation for next season. With some big changes coming, we’re excited to see what the time attack Supra on a budget can achieve, as thus far, it has been incredible.

Engine: 2JZ-GTE (3000cc in-line six-cylinder DOHC) HDI tube and fin intercooler, Turbonetics billet T64 turbo, 45mm Turbosmart Hypergate, GReddy Type R BOV, Walbro 450lph in-tank fuel pump, six Sard 800cc injectors, 3-inch exhaust system, Fenix radiator, 25-row and 15-row oil coolers, Link G4+ plug-in ECU, Innovate MTX wideband sensor
Driveline: JZX110 R154 gearbox with breather mod to hold more oil, Tilton triple-plate clutch, Tilton billet flywheel, TRD 2-way LSD
Braking: (F) factory four-piston calipers, Znoelli slotted discs, Project Mu 999 pads (R) factory
Suspension: HSD coilovers
Wheels and Tyres: 18-inch Enkei RPF1 wheels, Westlake Sport RS
Body: Sard GT wing mounts with custom uprights and generic 1.7-metre carbon wing, modified front bumper ducts
Interior: Oil temperature, oil pressure, water temperature, and boost gauges, Racepro driver's seat, deep-dish steering wheel
Performance: 374kW (502hp) at the wheels on 24psi of boost using E85
Driver/owner: Matt Gray
Age: 28
Build time: on-going
Length of ownership: 7 years
Thanks: Nick and the team at North Shore Toyota Parts, David from Tune Technic, and all of my mates who have helped out over the years

StreetattackR: show-clean DC2 street fighter

“Just wow — when we check out Elliot Osborne’s DC2 streeter, we weren’t expecting this…”

When you’re looking for an affordable platform to build upon, nothing beats a Honda. With high-revving four-cylinder naturally-aspirated engines, they’re excessively reliable, and there’s nothing more entertaining than mashing the throttle, and enjoying the audible crack of a VTEC engine and taking it to the rev-limiter, which is usually well in excess of 8000rpm. Such traits would bring Elliot Osborne, a 26-year old New Zealander, into owning another. Elliot’s Honda lineage didn’t start there though, nor did his motorsport background or vehicle building skills. Rather for Elliot, this project has been an accumulation of a life-long passion for racing surrounded by family.

“When I was younger as far back as age two, my father Jeff and a couple of his friends decided to buy a kart and take up kartsport as a bit of fun. After a year or so of karting, dad decided to buy a TQ midget and compete at Western Springs Speedway,” Elliot continues, “By this point, my older brother Mitch turned five, and dad got him into kartsport in what is now a vintage, but back then a ‘midget’. A vital decision by Jeff would spiral his two sons into a lifelong passion of racing, Elliot told us, “It became hard to juggle both himself and Mitch in a kart and then speedway, so dad stepped out of the kart and focused on running Mitch for the day then himself at night.”

At the very green age of four and a half, Elliot was thrown onto the tarmac in Mitch’s over-sized karting gear and kart, which only lasted a very stressful half lap, before the helmet fell down over his hard-focussing vision, resulting in a, “...very bent kart and one very unhappy Elliot,” he told us. After having another crack at eight years old in a much faster kart raced by Mitch, Elliot decided racing wasn’t for him and took up ice hockey instead. Successfully too, having represented New Zealand multiple times. Fast forward another five years, and Elliot gave it one last crack with a new-found confidence for speed and soon dominated local racing circles, getting some impressive results.

After modifying an EK Civic, which Elliot tells us turned out rough due to his lack of building skills early on, he settled on a Nissan Silvia S14, which he molded into one of the cleanest street/track examples we’ve seen to date. It also managed to net a feature in New Zealand’s one and only NZ Performance Car magazine. True reliability and NA-purity was calling though, and Elliot sold up his impeccable S-chassis build in the hope to resurrect his Honda ties.

“I was looking for something cheap and nasty I could hate fuck and not care what happened to it. That progressed into something that had a Type R B18CR engine in it, to save me a potential engine swap,” Elliot told us. A cheeky Facebook Honda buy/swap/sell page hunt later and he stumbled upon a DC2 Type R for a fair price, with some essential track day goodies already fitted.

Unfortunately, this newly-acquired state didn’t last long, as a rapid two weeks later it was stripped in the garage awaiting a roll cage. With that complete, Elliot was unhappy with its sorry and somewhat manky state, so took it into his place of work to receive a professional going over.

The result is something quite astonishing. From afar, you’ll see a bog-standard Championship white DC2R, but up close, well, it’s on its own level of clean. Inside and out, you could literally eat your baked potato off it. And, the addition of a custom front-splitter which provides a platform for much-needed additions such as the brake ducting, and side skirt extensions and a rear diffuser aid in the race car look, without screaming it out.

The only area that hasn’t received a new coating of Honda’s famous white, is the engine bay, as Elliot explains, “With 215,000kms on the engine, I am simply waiting for it to retire. When it does, I’ll pull the engine, and look into my options there.” We feel as though he’ll be waiting sometime though, as the 135.8kW at the wheels B18CR is running extremely strong, with the addition of 98-spec DC2R heat-wrapped headers, a carbon fibre intake, a baffled sump, and a custom tune utilising an OBD1 conversion loom and Neptune ECU software.

With a well-sorted and reliable engine package, Elliot sold the already-fitted Bilstein shock and spring combo, and Prelude two-piston brake kit to be replaced by a much beefier setup. Wilwood Superlite four-piston calipers bite down hard with Hawk race pads into matching Hawk 310mm two-piece front rotors. The shocks, replaced with K-Sport Version RR racing coilover units.

Inside the cabin, Elliot’s only creature comforts are the limited edition Buddy Club seats, as AC, power steering, and ABS have been removed for a mechanically pure driving experience. “What I have learned over the years is you can’t have the best of both worlds; race cars are horrid road cars and road cars are terrible race cars. So, if you want to do one properly then take your pick,” Elliot continues, “I built this car to remain for the most part road legal, but also to compete in the production race series and endurance events. With endurance racing, keeping everything cool is the most important aspect to me, so the oil cooler, large radiator, big brakes, and ducting along with the baffled sump tick all the boxes to keep me out there.”

It’s incredible what Elliot has achieved with his Integra this year. It’s gone from a well-worn track day thrasher to an Integra people crowd around when it leaves the shed thanks to Elliot’s fastidious nature. Even before the shoot, Elliot ensured the Integra was show-clean.

With numerous test days out of the way, Elliot is dead-set on laying down some respectable lap times in his streeter, so we’ll keep you posted. Elliot’s build is proof you can build something competitive right at home in the shed with the right know how and passion — nice work mate!

Vehicle: 1996 Honda Integra Type R (DC2)
Engine: B18CR, carbom fibre intake, 98-spec DC2R headers, alloy radiator, baffled sump, OBD1 ECU conversion, Neptune ECU, Thermostatic oil plate, oil cooler, AdrenalineR resonator, 2.5-inch exhaust system
Driveline: S4C gearbox, M Factory 4.9 final drive, rebuilt axles, billet engine mounts
Braking: (F) Wilwood Superlite four-piston front calipers, Hawk race pads, Hawk 310mm two-piece front rotors, MRP aluminium rotor hats (R) ZNoelli rotors, Znoelli high-temp pads, Motul fluid throughout
Suspension: K Sport Version RR coilovers, Ultra Racing strut braces, rear camber arms, Blox front camber arms, Skunk2 rear lower control arms
Wheels and Tyres: Street: 17x8-inch Wedsport TC005 wheels wrapped in Nankang semis (track) 17x8-inch Koya SF02 wrapped in Hankook slicks
Body: J’s Racing bumper ducts, front splitter, 98-spec rear bumper, rear end caps, optioned side skirts, gurney flap, roof visor
Interior: Sequential 16-LED shift light, Buddy Club P1 limited edition seats, A’PEXi RSM, Nolathane shifter bushes
Performance: 138.5kW at the wheels

StreetattackR: Barry Manon’s MRP Performance 450kW 9A-GTE monster

“With a build history longer than most, it’s a real treat for TimeattackR.com to look into one of the most heavily modified Toyota Levins in the world. After conquering drag racing, it was time for Barry to set his targets on time attack racing.”

There aren’t many of us out there who early on, began a bond with a certain manufacturer right from the outset, never venturing from their chosen brand, or in this particular case, a certain chassis code within a brand. For Barry Manon of MRP Performance Ltd, the Toyota Levin AE92 is that chosen chassis, which back in the early 2000s were extremely potent packages thanks to their low weight, and powerful, easily upgraded 4A-GZE engines. Barry’s third and current example didn’t stay 1600cc for long though, as in 2006 he upgraded the engine using a 7A block bringing the engine capacity up to 1800cc.

The new-found capacity worked extremely well with a large frame turbo, and in no time at all the Levin was producing a staggering for the time 330kW at the wheels. “At this power, it was used as a daily driver to get to uni,” Barry went on to tell us, “We then took it to the drags and on its first outing it ran an 11.7-second quarter mile. From there we modified a few things to get the car to hook up better and we ran a 10.8-second pass.”

What you might not know about Barry, is that as long as there have been cars on the roads, Barry’s family has been racing them on the circuit. Barry’s grandfather Shack Manon used to race Mini Coopers back in the ‘60s, competing with Kiwi greats such as Jim Richards. At one point Shack even teamed up with the legendary Kenny Smith in an endurance race. This passion flowed on, hurtling Barry’s father Bruce into a world of motorsport and in no time at all, he began racing and tinkering.

It was during the ‘70s and the ‘80s that Bruce really got into motor racing, taking on the infamous TransAm class New Zealand had on offer at the time. With hardly any restrictions, much like the NZ Superlap Series and the current GTRNZ series, Bruce began to stray from the norm by building a turbocharged Ford Escort which according to Barry, was quite the eye-opener back in the day.

Growing up around hardcore racing and modifying it was only natural for Barry to progress and grow in a similar manner. After completing a bachelor in engineering mechatronics, Barry founded his very own business MRP Performance Ltd to produce high-performance components for Levins and the 4AGE series of engines.

This need to push the envelope steered Barry toward time attack style racing which didn’t exist in New Zealand until 2007. After competing in the very first Superlap event at Pukekohe, Barry was hooked and ever since then the Levin has been a dedicated street time attack machine, driving to 99-percent of rounds.

In 2008 Barry won Superlap outright after driving to and from the circuit, four hours from his home at the now-named Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. “Then from 2014 we decided more power, better suspension and aero was needed in order to keep up with the current trend of racing. So a heap of mods were done so we could enter and compete at the top of its class in the Superlap events,” Barry explained. With stiff competition, it would take a couple of seasons for Barry to once again dominate the pack, but only because horsepower numbers began to climb dramatically. Enter the billet ages…

In its current guise, Barry’s Levin features more billet components than anything we’ve ever seen. And, it has been a process of eliminating weak components as they break during testing. Still using a 7A block, the Levin now runs a custom MRP Ltd ‘9AGTE’ stroker kit, bringing capacity a touch lower than 2000cc. To strengthen the bottom end a billet MRP crank girdle has been used, alongside a Toda oil pump, and an MRP baffled race sump.

Up top, the factory 16-valve head is no longer. In its place is a 20V blacktop head that has been CNC-ported, with custom MRP cams that make the most of the variable cam-timing. The upgraded head, cams, and bottom end now spool a hefty Turbonetics turbo which is managed by twin 38mm TiAL external wastegates. After deciding to switch to E85 (as many have) Barry made the move to twin Bosch 044 fuel pumps, 1650cc Xspurt injectors, and an AEM E85 lift pump to handle the 28psi of boost pressure the Turbonetics pumps out on its highest boost setting. The result? On high boost; 450kW at the wheels.

“Reliability plus better design to allow for high HP numbers is the reason I chose billet components. If we want to keep up with the Evos and Skylines we have to make reliable power. Since there is no one else in the world making billet stroker components for our engine type we decided to design this and make it available worldwide,” Barry told us, after we queried the numerous billet components.

So, how does one get 450kW to the ground through a front-wheel-drive Toyota gearbox? Why billet components of course — the factory E52 gearbox is no longer factory after breaking several components with the power increase. A Tilton twin-plate clutch and MRP billet steel flywheel take care of clamping pressure and custom billet driveshafts get dealt the full 450kW thanks to the Kaaz LSD.

To keep this hyper Levin on the ground, a combination of Fortune Auto 510 series coilovers matched with Swift springs were used with gigantic 18x10-inch Enkei RPF1s up front and 17x9-inch RPF1s on the rear. Not able to skimp on tyres with this much power, the 10-inch fronts are paired with 295/30R18 Hankook Z221 front tyres and the rears are shod in 255/40R17s. At the final round of Superlap, Barry struggled to get heat into the rears which are a common problem in front-wheel drive cars. With a bit more wing angle, Barry managed to get more heat into them and ran a personal best at Hampton Downs Raceway with a 1:08.8.

The braking package on the MRP Levin is more than up to the task of attacking New Zealand’s wide range of circuits. Afco four-piston Superlite calipers have been installed up front paired with 330mm Nashin two-piece floating race rotors. And Hawk DTC60 pads.

“Getting the tune right has been the hardest thing for us lately. E85 with our engine type takes a bit of time to tune correctly. It's something we have to outsource for others to do for us so it's hard for me to have any control over it. Everything else mechanical wise I look after so I know what's going on and how I want these parts to work,” Barry continues, “If I had to start again with this build, I probably would have stripped the body right down, lighten everything and had a full cage done at the beginning.” We can’t wait to see what Barry brings us next season. Knowing him, it’ll be faster than ever, and it’ll have even more billet components than ever before. With the pace he’s now travelling at, we hope he comes back with a full roll cage too!

Engine: 1900cc 9AGTE, 7AGE block, MRP stroker kit, MRP billet crank girdle, Toda oil pump, MRP Baffled race sump, 20-valve ‘Blacktop’ CNC ported head, Kelford cams, custom MRP two-piece intake plenum, 20-valve ITBs, Turbonetics turbo (62mm compressor, 62mm turbine wheel and twin-scroll housing), twin 38mm TiAL external wastegates, 50mm TiAL BOV, twin Bosch 044 fuel pumps, AEM E85 lift pump, custom surge tank, M&W CDI, Magnecor leads, Denso spark plugs, Evo wasted spark coils, 3.5-inch stainless steel exhaust system, HDI GT2 intercooler, 2.5-inch intercooler pipes, Setrab oil cooler, Audi radiator with swirl pot, Autronic SMC ECU, Peterson external oil pressure relief valve
Driveline: E52 five-speed Levin gearbox, Tilton twin-plate clutch, MRP billet steel flywheel, Kaaz LSD, custom billet driveshafts
Suspension: Fortune Auto 510 series coilovers, Swift springs, MRP roll centre adjusters
Braking: Afco four-piston Superlite calipers, 330mm Nashin two-piece floating rotors, Hawk DTC60 pads, braided brake lines
Wheels and Tyres: (F) 18x10-inch Enkei RPF1, 295/30R18 Hankook Z221 (R) 17x9-inch Enkei RPF1, 255/40R17 Hankook Z221
Body: Metallic blue paint job, custom carbon fibre front splitter, custom side skirts, APR carbon fibre GT250 rear wing, 75mm and 50mm flares
Interior: Border bucket seat, deep dish 350mm steering wheel, Autometer gauges, half cage
Performance: 450kW at the wheels on high boost
Thanks: Fortune Auto, ST Hitec, M-Spec, Edgell Automotive, Millers Oils, Manon Butler Motors, Carl Robertson, Chris Burrett, and my wife & kids

StreetattackR: Andy Brooking’s street driven 750HP R32 GT-R

“With a 750HP Tomei 2.8-litre under the bonnet, Andy Brooking’s R32 GT-R is one serious track car. And yes, it’s street legal! ”

We all know street cars don’t come much tougher than an R32 GT-R. Throw some extra boost down their throats, some wide wheels and tyres, and some lower shocks and springs, and you’ve got a staunch, yet extremely capable street car. Add forged, stroked internals though, and you’ve got an R32 GT-R that can pick up the milk on the weekend dairy run, and scare the big players in our New Zealand’s local time attack series, NZ Superlap.

We’ve known Andy for a wee while now, but we’ve never had the time to crawl over his R32 GT-R, as to be honest, it’s just too busy cutting laps around the numerous circuits we’ve spotted it at. Whether it be Pukekohe Park Race, Hampton Downs Raceway, The Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, or Manfeild, Andy’s R32 is right at home and driven to each one on it’s own power. With a strong love for GT-Rs since Andy was 16 years old, one of his own was always on the cards, however, it wasn’t just the legendary status of the successful platform that drew him in, he explains, “ The technology of their day, looks, and performance drew me in, but mostly the sound.”

After first purchasing this particular GT-R a few whiskers past the turn of the millennium, Andy started modifying it how most of us would; an exhaust, intercooler kit, and en ECU reflash by good friend of Andy’s, Robin at Torque Performance, netted decent figures for the time, however in 2003 the engine broke it’s oil pump. “Soichi Tate of ST Hitec sourced the parts needed for a forged 2.6-litre engine, and with the help of Joe Kyle of Joe’s Mechanical, we built the motor which Soichi then tuned on an A’PEXi Power FC ECU,” Andy tells us.

With a car just over a decade old, Andy was soon turning heads, and the aforementioned upgrades and tuned netted a massive 378kW at the hubs, propelling the GT-R down the quarter mile in 11.1-seconds. However, as adrenalin pumping as drag racing is, Andy soon became bored of drag racing, he says, “I became bored of drag racing primarily due to the stopages from weather and oil downs. I was also ejected from Meremere Dragway before running a 10-second pass. I did however return in 2016 with Soichi, and run a 10.9-second pass at 213kph which was with a more power 450kW tune.”

Having raced several different performance vehicles in the late ‘90s, including a few Hondas and a Nissan Silvia, Andy has always had a love affair with the twists and turns of New Zealand’s circuits. After being invited to a track day in 2004 at the longer 1.3km Taupo circuit, Andy was hooked. So much so, that Andy began hiring his favourite circuit annually for GT-R and Supra owners, which is a highlight of the year for numerous enthusiasts around the country.

“I was an admirer of Scott Kreyl’s Mitsubishi Evolution and Barry Manon’s AE92 Levin at the first Superlap competitions, but I knew my car was not capable of doing that well, so I never intended to compete,” Andy continues, “In 2016 several friends were in the current competition, enjoying great comradery, and I entered the final round at Hampton Downs Raceway. I really enjoyed the event and testing the car, while putting myself under the microscope. Since then, I have taken part in this 2016/2017 series and enjoyed trying to foot it with the best in the local scene with a car that despite its many years of development, is one of the oldest competing and running at what I would call road car ride height and alignment settings with a manual transmission. It’s challenging to get these times from an old car, even with 750hp+ — it still needs to go around corners and stop!”

Currently, Andy’s R32 is at a happy medium, now running a Tomei 2.8-litre stroker kit and twin HKS 2530 Kai turbos outputting 530kW, however there’re some plans on the cards to improve response and performance. A single turbo kit is the plan from this point, but Andy is currently toying with the idea of building something circuit specific. With a passion for touring, putting on tamer tyres and spoilers to enjoy the open road, we think that might be a good idea before things get wildly out of hand.

Whatever Andy decides, with a love for Japanese performance products, high-powered RBs, and the race track, it’ll no doubt be entertaining. All the best Andy, we’ll see you at the NZ Superlap Final round!

Engine: RB26DETT, Tomei 2.8-litre stroker kit, N1 86.5mm bore, Nismo bearings, head ported to Group A specs, Naprec valves, Tomei Pro Cams, lifters, springs, guides and Ti retainers, Nismo GT intake manifold, Trust 115mm twin entry intercooler, HKS/Blitz induction kit, Slater fabrication piping, twin HKS 2530 Kai turbos, HKS internal wastegates, ARC BOVs x2, 1400cc injectors, HKS fuel rail, twin Aeromotive 340lph main pumps, Sard surge tank, Nismo lift pump, HKS DLi, Splitfire coils, NGK Iridium race plugs, twin HPI 70mm dump pipes, RS*R 70x2 - 85mm ex-mag front pipe, Tomei 90mm Ti exhaust, Tabata 45mm radiator, Auto Staff frost plug delete kit, Sard swirl pot, Nismo thermostat, Trust oil cooler, Link G4+, Dtech Motorsport trigger kit, Continental Flex fuel sensor, Dtech Motorsport boost controller, Trust sump, ATi race damper
Driveline: BNR34 Getrag six-speed gearbox, Nismo G-Max II twin-plate clutch, Nismo chromoly flywheel, Nismo GT Pro TT rear diff, Nismo GT LSD front 1.5-way diff, BNR32 4.11 final-drive
Suspension: HKS Racing remote reservoir coilovers, HKS racing springs, Fujimura Ti strut brace, NAMS camber arms and castor. Cusco front sway bar
Braking: Brembo F50 front calipers, Biot 370mm front rotors, PMU 999 pads, APP lines, V36 330mm rear rotors, PMU 999 pads, Auto Select master cylinder
Wheels and Tyres: Rays TE37 SL 18x11 (+15) Advan A050 295/30R18 Medium Compound
Body: KH2 Gunmetal paint, Trust front bumper, First rear diffuser, custom front diffuser, Nismo Group A side skirts, Trust end caps, Sard Fuji GT wing, Do Luck bonnet duct
Interior: Bride Brix driver's seat, Superior Auto seat covers, OMP Steering wheel, OEM 300kph Speedo, Omori oil temp, pressure and voltage gauges, Blitz boost gauge, Blitz fuel pressure, Cage Fx half cage
Performance: 525kw at the hubs (1.75bar of boost with an E35 mix)
Thanks: Soichi Tate, Joe Kyle, Taylor Automotive, Tony Satherley, Dave Heerdegen, my wife Michelle and friends who have helped along the way

StreetattackR: Logan Foster's gravel-munching streeter

Sometimes it's refreshing looking at a super clean factory vehicle. It can be a bone stock high-performance Euro, or in this case, Logan Foster's 2012 Mitsubishi Evo X. A tough street car capable of extraordinary things, Logan wanted an Evo X to stand out from the rest of the V–IXs out there. With a 221kW 4B11T engine from the factory, they're no slouch and paired with a tough five-speed gearbox, you have a reliable package capable of quick lap times, or just a few cheeky street pulls. Our favourite addition to Logan's Evo are the wheels.

The 18x9.5-inch Volk Rays ZE40 wheels are wrapped in drool-worthy (for the street anyway) Dunlop Z1 tyres measuring a bull-dog-like 265/35R18. Instead of the usual on-circuit photo shoot, or pit arena shoot, we opted to photograph Logan's Evo on the gravel (sorry for getting it dusty mate!).

We've just been told Logan has purchased an Exedy Hyper Single clutch, so perhaps there are some engine upgrades on the horizon! What's your favourite generation Evo? Old-school, or the newer more modern equivalents?

StreetattackR: BYP Racing Mazda RX-7 K20A turbo

Simply put, there are some moments in your life when you are just blown away. Something, someone, or an idea, might hit you in the face with utter disbelief to keep you feeling human. It’s a common phenomenon that doesn’t seem to happen too often these days in the automotive scene. Mainstream motorsport gets duller by the year, show cars that were once big in the wow factor are slowly dying off and tried and true combinations take place over trial and error.

During a pit walk at Phillip Island during the Topstage Composites Vic Time Attack Challenge, that moment of disbelief hit me so hard in the face, I nearly dropped my camera, coffee, and doughnut. I think not for the fact of what I was seeing, but for the fact that it was almost so sacrilege, I thought never in my life would I see it completed.

The disbelief in question was the sight of this particular Mazda RX-7 FD sitting among a stable of BYP Racing Hondas. That in itself should have been the giveaway that I was looking at no ordinary Mazda RX-7, but rather one that BYP Racing had cooked up in their deep dark lair, west of Sydney.

Yes, that’s right. This Mazda RX-7 was built by BYP Racing. Why is this so significant you’re wondering? Well, BYP Racing are a Honda tuning workshop and haven’t been known to dabble in the Wankel tuning world… So instead, a plan was hatched to install a K20A engine into this particular example, that is owned by Adrian Pazman.

A client of BYP Racing, Adrian is not new to the Honda tuning world, having owned a very potent B16A turbo Honda Civic, that makes its way around Wakefield Park in 1:05.4. With the proof evident that Hondas can cop a beating, but having owned Mazda RX-7s in the past, the team at BYP Racing pitched the idea of a K20A-swapped RX-7 when Adrian was ready to move into another rear-wheel drive platform. It had the reliability box ticked, wouldn’t upset the weight balance a great deal, however, an N/A K20A engine wouldn’t be enough, so from the get-go, a turbo setup was also planned.

An RX-7 was purchased that had a damaged engine, and the BYP Racing team set to work immediately fixing the issue so that the engine could be sold as an engine conversion package. In the meantime, a factory K20A engine had its valvetrain upgraded to handle boost and in it went bolted to an S2000 gearbox for the initial dummy fit. Things at this stage were extremely promising as everything lined up surprisingly well. Oh, and the RX-7 received a nickname, too — Rhonda.

Daniel from Impossible Fabrication was enlisted to tackle everything that required a welder. Engine mounts, gearbox, manifolds, and more were made by him and the workmanship is excellent. To get the K20A working in a rear-wheel drive configuration the factory manifold had to be mated to an S2000 unit as to have it forward facing. After that, Daniel fabricated a K20A turbo manifold for the application, mounted the Garrett GTX3076R turbo and downpipe. Considerable modification had to be carried out to the factory Mazda subframe too, which required new mounts for the K20A engine. Mated to the custom and now high-temp coated turbo manifold is a Precision 46mm external wastegate that would soon be plumbed into the exhaust system, complete with V-band clamp for easy removal.

Fabrication didn’t stop there as you can imagine and when it came to mounting the front-mounted intercooler the team decided that for this application a V-mounted unit would work best. Rob from Speedfab produced a beautiful and well thought out setup that has minimal charge piping. Custom ducting was made for the aluminium radiator, along with custom aluminum radiator piping to aid in the hunt for reliability. Another touch you can’t see under the vehicle is the custom made three-inch titanium exhaust system. There’s one muffler and plenty of lobster-back welds — it sounds as good as it looks and the entire system only weighs 4kg in total!

Once everything was in place, plumbed in and coated in matching black heat paint and wrinkle coating for a more factory-like appearance, the team had it strapped to a dyno for its initial run and check. On the stock bottom end, and with wastegate pressure of only 16–17psi, it produced a stonking 310kW at the rear wheels tuned with a Hondata Kpro ECU. Now in its current guise, power is up at around 330kW.

Handling wise, the BYP team installed a set of GAB SS coilovers and Cusco front and rear sway bars. Braking has been taken care of with a Brembo Evo X upgrade kit, which includes a set of two-piece 355mm discs. For the street and initial testing, Adrian decided on a set of 19-inch Advan RZ wheels wrapped in Federal RSRR tyres to complete the combo.

Inside the cabin, things have been kept fairly minimal with the addition of a Buddy Club fixed back racing seat, Nardi steering wheel, Type R gear knob, and an AIM MXl2 gauge cluster. We can’t get over how awesome Rhonda has become over a very short period of time, and we’re excited to see how it develops with further testing. Once again the BYP Racing team have done a fantastic job with a wild, unique, yet fairly simple time attack combination. Sorry rotary owners, in this application the K20A has our vote!

StreetattackR: Khan Mackesy’s 280kW Mazda MPS

“It wouldn’t be everybody’s first choice for a time attack vehicle, but Khan Mackesy proves it has what it takes to scare the majority”

When we first met Khan Mackesy, we were stunned to see that he’d turned up to the first round of the Prowear NZ Superlap series in a Mazda MPS. We were even more stunned, when we started to see that the lap times he was getting around Hampton Downs Raceway were on par with an R34 GT-R in attendance — we had to know more.

If you walk around the vehicle, you might spot that it has semi-slick tyres, upgraded brakes, and well, that’s about it. In its first guise, it looked so factory that we thought the timing board was faulty. Maybe we’d find something under the bonnet that would hint at the serious pace this hot-hatch was running at.

Again, stunned. All we could spot was an aftermarket top-mount intercooler. No upgraded turbo, no fancy bits, it was all as the factory intended. After a brief discussion with Khan, he was quick to point out that yes, the engine was internally stock, as was the turbo. What it did have though, was a very potent tune loaded onto it thanks to the Cobb Accessport. Cobb Accessports are clever little units that plug into the vehicle's diagnostic port. A base tune can be downloaded from a tuner anywhere in the world, loaded to the Accessport, and installed into the vehicle's ECU. From there, the owner of the vehicle such as Khan, will road test the vehicle, taking part in several third gear pulls to collect data, which is then sent back to the tuner overseas, so he can make the final power adjustments. There’s several maps too, so if you want to race with E85 over the weekend, then switch maps, fill her up, and you’re good to go.

Now though, Khan has come a long way with the MPS; the turbo is now a BNR S3 upgrade, which sits on top of a CPE turbo manifold. Boost is cooled by the same upgraded top-mount intercooler, but now exhaust gasses exit via the Corksport downpipe and Corksport three-inch race pipe. Engine upgrades? No problem! Khan simply downloaded a new base tune, had it fine tuned, and now the Mazda MPS produces a stonking 280kW at the wheels on 23psi of boost with E85. All of this, on factory internals.

Don’t go thinking the driveline is seriously trick either. All the factory manual gearbox was given was some high quality Motul oil, and a Sure Motorsports short-shift plate. More than enough we’re told, to take on the abuse of track use.

For a long time, Khan was competing on the factory struts, but this changed when a set of RS*R coilovers came available, which have improved handling significantly. The coilovers, alongside a Whiteline rear sway bar, Corksport camber arms, and an AutoExe chassis support kit, help the Mazda MPS stick it to the big guys.

Like most of us, Khan has been on a big budget throughout the Superlap season, so tyre choice has come down to value for money. You won’t go finding expensive Advan, or Nitto tyres on this hatch, but you will find the tried and proven Achilles 123 semi-slicks on 18-inch Volk SE37k wheels, or Toyo R888s on factory Mazda RX-8 wheels. The Mazda stops as good as it turns and goes too, with DBA 4000 series rotors up front, custom rear slotted rotors, and Endless race pads all round.

Inside the cabin, you’ll notice that the MPS is not yet caged, and for good reason too. This is, and always will be Khan’s road car, so he’d like to keep it that way. All you’ll find is stripped rear interior, a NZKW fixed-back drivers seat, and a Sure Motorsports gear knob.

Khan’s MPS is a true street time attack vehicle that does it’s duty during the week, yet has the power, grip, and handling to take on the competition come the weekends. This is a build we’ll keep a close eye on, but for now, we think Khan is ready to dial in the setup, and make the most of the current upgrades.

Vehicle: 2007 Mazda 3 MPS
Engine: L3 2.3-litre, PD tuned (E85 mix), BNR S3 turbo upgrade, HTP 3.5-inch Intake with AEM pod filter, Streetunit top-mounted intercooler, Corksport downpipe, Corksport fuel pump internals, Corksport three-inch race pipe, Corksport catch-can, Corksport EBCS, Autoexe inlet pipe, Cobb Accessport v3
Driveline: Sure motorsports short shift plate, Motul type 2 lsd oil
Suspension: Whiteline rear sway bar, RS-R coilovers, Corksport camber arms, Corksport sway bar links, Autoexe front chassis support bar, Autoexe rear chassis support bar, White Widow front engine mount bar set, Torque solutions rear engine mount
Brakes: DBA 4000 series front rotors, Endless front pads, custom slotted rear rotors, custom relined rear race pads, Hell braided brake lines, Motul 600 brake fluid
Interior: NZKW race seat, Sure shift knob, rear interior removed
Exterior: Factory
Wheels/tyres: Volk SE37k 18-inch wheels, Achilles 123s semi slicks, RX8 rims for track with TOYO R888 semi slicks
Power: 280kW at the wheels on 23psi of boost on E85

StreetattackR: An R33 GT-R built to punish tarmac

“With over 500kW at the wheels on pump fuel, Ashnil Kumar’s R33 GT-R is one of the most potent road-going R33s we’ve come across”

The TimeattackR.com team have known Ashnil Kumar for a couple of years now. He’s one of those characters too hard to nail down, as he’s always up to something. We met Ashnil back when he owned a very potent Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, that with over 400kW at the wheels proved to be a potent street and drag weapon; regularly running mid 10-second passes down the quarter mile. After receiving a message from Ashnil regarding a purchase he was about to make in Japan, we knew that things were about to get a whole lot more serious.

Unfortunately, in New Zealand, you can’t run consecutive 10-second passes unless your vehicle is fitted with a roll cage. And, as this was Ashnil’s streeter, he wasn’t too keen on adding one. Instead, change was on the cards, as Ashnil decided he wanted something nobody else had in New Zealand, he explains; “I contacted my good friend Charlie from NZ Import services/R Parts. I told him I wanted to import the ultimate R33. Something capable of running a 9-second pass.” Ashnil’s R32 was sold, and the search began.

The hunt for the ultimate R33 didn’t take long though, as Charlie found what Ashnil was looking for at Global Auto Japan, one of Japan’s leading GT-R exporters. It ticked all the boxes; it was powerful, had the driveline to match, and was in extremely good condition despite it’s age. The best part though, it was packing a stroked RB26 engine, with a Trust T88 turbo, OS Giken gearset, and a serious brake upgrade. Not only was this GT-R built for straight-line speed, it had the goods to stop and go too.

With help from Soichi Tate of ST Hitec, Ashnil was able to get a deal on the R33 GT-R and the money was wired to Japan — the painful wait for delivery began. With several sleepless nights at the start of the shipment, Ashnil even went as far as finding an app that told him exactly where the ship that was carrying his weapon was. It’s safe to say, that the day the R33 landed on New Zealand shores, that he was waiting.

The day after it landed, the R33 was delivered by truck to Ashnil’s home with Charlie arriving soon after to ensure that Ashnil had got what he paid for. After it all checked out ok, the pair trailered the R33 down to ST Hitec to strap it down on the dyno and see what figures it could pump out. On pump gas, with the boost controller off, the R33 produced a huge 470kW at the wheels on 25psi of boost. With a good tickle of the tune for New Zealand’s local 98 pump fuel, Soichi managed to extract a massive 510kW from it.

Being the curious type, not long after certification and inspection, Ashnil had the R33 on the dyno once again, as he was curious to see what it would produce on race fuel. This time, Soichi had the T88 inducing a massive 30.5psi of boost, and power rose to 578kW at the wheels. Playing things safe, Soichi backed things off so the RB was now only producing 558kW — more than a handful we’re told by Ashnil.

Now, to see what the R33 could do, Ashnil took it along to the Night Speed Drag Wars at Meremere Raceway, 30-minutes south of Auckland. After severe damage to the gearbox occurred, Ashnil was not able to see what the R33 could do this time around, however the next time the R33 went to the drag strip things got a little more interesting. With a rolling launch in first, followed by a soft second gear pull, the GT-R ran an 11.5-second pass at 137mph. The trap speed alone proves the potential the GT-R holds, which is deep into the 10s.

Like most of us, things get in the way of our racing plans, as Ashnil is now focussing on buying his first home, the GT-R has been put on the back burner. When the time comes though, Ashnil wants to get the R33 GT-R out onto the circuit, where he thinks the suspension, brakes, and engine will all come together and show him what it can really do.

Vehicle: Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33)
Engine: RB26DETT N1 block, JUN crank 2.7-litre, Tomei H-beam Rods, Tomei 87mm forged pistons, Jun racing oil pump, extended sump with baffle plates, Nismo metal headgasket, Jun 280-degree cams with 11.5mm lift, Naprec head work valves, springs and valve guides, GReddy racing engine balancer, Tomei cam gears, 1000cc PWR injectors, port and polished head, port matched intake manifold, Trust/GReddy T88 34-D turbo kit, Trust/GReddy turbo manifold, Trust Type R 50mm external wastegate, 3.75-inch Trust TR Power Evolution II exhaust, Advance black alternator, HKS intake and air filter, Nismo twin intake fuel pumps, Tomei racing fuel rail, Sard fuel pressure regulator, Trust 100mm three-layer intercooler, Trust intercooler piping kit, KOYO aluminium 50mm radiator, ORC power steering reservoir
Gearbox: OS Giken three-speed gear-set, 4.3 final-drive, OS Giken triple-plate clutch, Cusco front and rear LSD DIFF
Suspension: TEIN cruising master harmonic coilovers, TEIN front adjustable castor rods, URAS rear cross member, Cusco HICAS cancellation rod
Brakes: Factory four-piston Brembos, 340mm Project MU SCR Pro front brake rotors, Project MU SCR rear rotors, Project MU braided brake lines, Hurst line lock kit
Wheels and tyres: Volk TE37 18x10.5-inch (15p), 265/35R18 semi slicks
Electronic: Nismo 320kph gauge cluster, HKS F-con V Pro ECU, Blitz Dual SBC ID boost controller, A/F and boost gauges, HKS turbo timer, Alpine USB headunit
Interior: Recaro SR3 Specialised Cockpit reclining seats, MOMO JET steering wheel, Nismo gearknob
Exterior: N1 front bumper duct, D-Speed Aero Bonnet, AS carbon canard ,AS carbon Rear wing flap
Power: 578kW at the wheels