Almost a year ago details started leaking from Japspeed about their 2010 contender for the 2010 British Drift Championship. 2009 Championship winner Steve Biagioni had won the championship in an S-body Nissan but his ride for the 2010 season was going to be a little different.
Japspeed were building (at the time) the UK's first rear-wheel drive drift Impreza.
The base of the car is a 2001 'bug-eye' Subaru Impreza. Japspeed then fitted a Hawk-eye front end conversion and wide arch body and Charge Speed bumpers.
Sitting on 18" bright orange Gram Lights the car really did stand out in the paddock as something a little special.
Power wise the car was running a EJ25 STI motor with an LM480 twin scroll turbo producing more than enough power for the job in hand. 2010 was always going to be a development year for Japspeed and the drift STI Subaru and as the season progressed and the niggles and glitches were worked out, Steve Biagioni started showing what the car was capable of .
With the EJ25 expiring at the end of the season the car was stripped back down so everything learned from 2010 could be put in to practice for 2011. Out came the EJ25 to be replaced with a Toyota 1JZ with around 550hp…
… All running through a Nissan R33 GT-R rear end.
While looks wise the car remains pretty much the same, underneath the pretty skin it's a totally different beast. Crazy engine conversions are becoming more common place within UK drifting, keep 'em coming I say!
Ross
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Hopefully a successful year for the car coming up. The new engine is pretty well proved in the drift-circuit so fingers crossed!
That's one mad ass Impreza :O Would love to see it live ! Probably also a good sound cuz of the 1JZ ;D
not the 1st scooby - what about dan gould's from few yrs ago - http://thebritishdriftchampionship.com/driver/index.asp?l=2&profile=100#
Bug-Eye STI with a hawk eye conv., Toyota 1JZ-GTE w/ 550ps, all running through an R33 rear end? I think i'm in love...
WHERE TO CORPORATE DRIVE from the original ?!?!?!?!?!
1JZ IMPREZZA - Cooool !
but SXE10+JZ better
That's one sexy drifter.
Hahaha in the second last pic I think that guy is checking out the chick.
Hella nuts!!
Don't they use a "long-nose" R160 or R180 diff in STIs? How did they get a "short-nose" R200 diff to work right? Any chance of seeing how the rear diff is mounted?
That's not a chargespeed kit it looks like an ABW kit
oh wow, i need a tutorial on this.
Best Subaru EVER !
No engine details, pics, specs??!!
i bet this car would be unreal to slide in
This thing is pretty dang rad. It's just a shame that it has to be plastered with tons of sponsor logos. It would be a lot cooler with a real paint job.
Very cool indeed.
wow, its kinda hard to say whether this is right or wrong, i had to think for ages and ages whether i love it or hate it as i believe in keeping true to the cars manufacturer, but i have to say. in the end i love this thing! that is some insane workmanship to put all those cross bred bits together into one poor subi.
This isnt a Subaru. Its RWD, with a 1JZ. It doesnt even have an R200 rear end! Its a GT-R rear end! The only thing left Subaru on this car is the part numbers on the headlights and tailights.
Damn!!!!!! can't believe i got beat to this i thought of putting a 2JZ and making it awd though into a impreza wagon but i appluad for its bad ass ness
You were shooting it for Speedhunters and they wouldn't properly open the hood for you? I feel slighted after being so excited by the title.
Toybaru!