Event>> Formula D Long Beach Set-up Day

Man that Mike Garret guy is really fast!…. I'm just starting to write my Thursday report and he's already finished his…. well I have a good excuse, I was out at a film production meeting this evening.

We're pulling out all the stops with a big HD video production this weekend, and have brought out some big guns to shoot the drifting action in collaboration with the Need for Speed mothership…. More will be revealed in due course… All I can say is that drift film-making is about to be taken to a whole new level!

Arriving at a Formula D event is a bit like coming home to me… I really enjoy being part of this community; it's open, friendly and full of fantastic people… and that's not mentioning the cars! This was my first view of Calvin Wan's new drift S15. It's an absolutely stunning machine. He has done well to add to the lineage of this important chassis.

Next to emerge from the Falken trailer was the new Discount Tire Lexus IS350…. It certainly looks the part.

Check out the mesh rear side windows. Interesting solution….

And here's Tyler McQuarrie's new Z33 Convertible… I'm told this car is just as radical as any of the new cars debuting this weekend.

Speedhunters represent!!!

Tyler seems to be quite happy with the new car, although said there is still some development work to do on the suspension setup.

Chris Forsberg came by to have a look… No doubt he wanted to see the Speedhunters stickers too?

Meanwhile Ross Petty had a group of people around his new Garage Boso S15.

They all seemed to be admiring the engine.

I can see why they were so transfixed…. Look at that valve cover! Now that is pure art!

I was also well pleased to see that Ross and indeed all the cars on the grid are rocking NFS Shift logos… Very cool. Now I just need to sort him out with a Speedhunters logo too!

We'll do a full feature on Ross' new toy very soon…

In talking to Ross about the ideas behind the car, I think he's done a great job to infuse the true spirit of drift culture into its DNA… no joke….

I was surprised to see a second Garage Boso car… the S14 on the left… didn't know that they were building this car….

Ross tells me they plan to develop it into a crazy Time Attack machine.

Check out the powerplant….

Yup…. a Rotary…. For a second I thought I was in New Zealand again!

I also had a look at the new Gardella Racing Solstice.

Again we have another great example of refined racecar engineering.

I had a chat with Gary Gardella about the Solstice… he is feeling quite bullish about the potential of his team's new machine.

He wouldn't tell me how much power the car is running… but said it should be one of the highest powered cars on the grid. That's a serious claim… but I don't doubt him.

Perhaps this combo is a dark horse for the championship? Stay hungry Ryan! Perhaps 2009 is your year!

Here's another new car: Kyle Moham's new RX8…. interesting rear flip-ups. DTM Style?

JR's new Mustang is the business. I really like how it looks almost subtle, especially compared to a lot of the other new cars. However, under its carbon fiber skin is one of the most radical chassis builds on the grid.

There is classiness to this high tech pony car. I'm impressed.

A few of the Need for Speed game and marketing team members are at the event this weekend to soke up the atmosphere. I brought some of them by to look at John Russakoff's AE86 to explain a bit about the cult of the Hachi. He's doing well to represent this religious movement.

This picture warms my soul…… ahhhhh……. Just sooooo goooodddd….

I'm filled with anticipation as to how former D1GP Champion, Katsuhiro Ueo is going to do in the Driftspeed S15. He was absolutely incredible at the Red Bull event in this car… let's see if he can outperform all the big budget builds with his deep skills and experience.

Speaking of big budget builds, I was invited to take some pictures of Samuel Hubinette's new Challenger on the drift circuit…. The car looks pretty sharp out of the lights of SEMA and onto the race track. In terms of style, I think it would be more aesthetically pleasing as a pony car, without the wing… but you know, performance is beauty right?

It doe look quite unreal in broad daylight…. almost like a 3D rendered car…

Samuel Hubinette tells me that the car will debut in New Jersey…. He also mentioned the red wheels won't be used….  BTW I know a few of you didn't like this car when we first presented at
SEMA last year, but perhaps we should wait to see it running on track
before we give a full assessment. It looked pretty wild and aggressive today in the flesh.

My day ended with a quick run up to Shelby, to pick up the Need for Speed Terlingua aka: My Muse.… I am in love with this car!…. It's just sooo much fun to drive… I almost want to take it out for a spin around the block tonight….

Ok time for some sleep, it's an early start tomorrow.

:Rod

 Formula D Long Beach 09 Coverage on Speedhunters

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1

This certainly looks to be a competitive line-up. Also, that first photo looks completely unreal!!!

(as in not-real)

2

that challenger looks really imposing, kind of like looking at a battleship

3

I was really looking forward to seeing the Callenger run this weekend. Let's hope the guys on the Mopar team have time to test it before Atl. Rod thanks for the great coverage.

4

No Gen Coupe from RMR? I think the Challenger would look good with a better set of wheels with the right poke.

5

Looks like an amazing line up. That looks like a RED camera in the second pic!?! That must mean you are filming in super-duper high-res (2k/4k)? Amazing!

6

when i first saw the challenger at the top at the page, i thought it was fate. like a computer made image.

7

Can anyone tell me what those wheels on the S15 are? They look suspiciously like SSR Dori Doris... are they?

8

Yea the first one look fact but have to be one great Desktop picture in hight res.

9

Man! Anyone know how much they chopped the Challengers' roof? Seems pretty drastic.

10

Yep that tri-tone s15 looks AWESOME....can we get a wallpaper or a feature on it?

11

The garage boso cars look good, but I guess I'm the only one who's not really feeling the rasta theme...

12

Does anyone have news as to why Ueo had firefighters on him? (via a pic @ everything drift). Heat exhaustion, or something? I guess I have to wait for the next post...?

13

The rotary powered S14 = pure win.

That challenger is a joke, though. I can't believe they actually went with the fruit boots. haha

I'm not digging many of these cars at all, I'm starting to dislike Formula D even more.

=/

14

man that challenger is ugly...lol.



like, what is it....its slammed with huge wheels..so is it DUB?



then it has a ricey wing, is it tuner?



and it has a chopped roof...is it a rod?



bumper rollers FTW! lmao.



worst car in FD.

15

Kiaora just got hooked on this sit a few weeks back, phat site love everything about it man. Im from New Zealand so cheers for showing some of our drift scene ay.

Just one thing, why did that rotary S14 remind of of New Zealand? I know we love our tangas but we don't have any rotary S14's?

16

is that a lexan roof panel on the falken 350l? and when did GR build two soltices?

17

Ross Petty's S15 is gorgeous in every sense of the word. At first I thought the rasta-style paint would be lame but I immediately fell in love with the graphics. The Oni on the hood is so evil looking and hands down my favorite graphic I've seen on a car. The engine bay is cleaner than a dentist's tools and the rasta fade on the cover is pristine. This car belongs at SEMA for sure.



Of course now I want Petty to wrap the car in pillows so nothing happens to it. Or maybe he can drive it inside a gigantic plastic hamster wheel.

18

OH!!! I get it...thats the rendering of the challenger for the new need for speed game haha. Nice subtle hints Rod.

19

that challenger could be so much sweeter

20

Shoulda grabbed a shot of John R's engine bay... not quite the standard AE86 fair under there.

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