Car Spotlight>> Nascar Inspired S15

I've been holding off on this spotlight for a couple of reasons, let alone the fact I know this car will seriously divide opinions. Maybe the Nascar inspired graphics mightened be to everyones taste or the fact the Rota haters will be out in force but if I can just please get you to look past these details, there is a pretty amazing car here. 

The wing may be huge and unsightly … 

… but it works. By connecting the wing directly to the chassis, the car is provided with an effective aerodynamic solution rather than just one for show. 

What lies within the trunk is art itself – fuel pumps and a fuel cell along with a swirl pot and chassis bracing decorate the painted interior. (It's clear the car is still a work in progress which explains why the piping isn't yet completed)

The car is running Rota GTRs on all four corners. 

Gone is the original SR20 motor and its place a more than capable RB26 with all the right parts dotted throughout the bay – HKS, Tomei, Greddy etc. 

I don't think I've ever seen an exhaust heat wrapped this far back. My only deduction is that because of its immediate proximity to the fuel cell, it will help keep the fuel cool as the heat wrap will prevent the exhaust heating the fuel?

I'm looking forward to seeing this car on-track in the near future …

-

Paddy McGrath

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1

I think it looks fantastic myself.

2

LOVEE IT. It's so different!=].

3

thats so wrong in so many ways

4

Paddy don't apologize for cars all the time. If you think we'll feel that bad, then don't feature the car! I agree the Rotas are odd but the NASCAR theme actually kinda works.

5

love the paint, hate the pink trunk. I mean they seriously painted the plastic bits in the trunk pink!



also, you spend so much on paint and fueling and you roll around on rotas? i understand rotas when your broke and you cant afford anything but when you drop thousands upon thousands on a car and then rock rotas?



anyway I can dig it :)

it looks sweet in the first shot!

6

Sorry I also wanted to ask - Who's car is this? Driver? Where was this taken?

7

it was never a nascar themed RB26 problem people have. its a nascar v8 engined japanese car most seem to have the problem with, not the styling of the nascar graphics.



some like Rota cause they are cheep. some like a quality wheel and can afford it. but when it comes to drifting why should it matter so much? these are being built to be beaten up on hard, not to look pretty with status parts for pretty magazine features. even though i think the car looks great.

8

At least it doesn't have an LS-based engine.

9

So many haters.... People have trouble accepting that Rotas look just as good as their wheels, and that people who buy Rotas can actually afford to track rather than hardpark.

10

although i can appreciate whats been turned out here, i can't see where the 'amazement factor' is in this car - i do like it, but i can't say i'm amazed by anything in particular! - and whats wrong with these wheels are they common or cheap or what? - yeah, let me see what this car and driver can do on the track, in the thick of it! - nice one Paddy!

11

Nathan, You will see far more "real wheels" then "knockoffs" at the track. The VAST majority of Rota owners have never even spectated at a track let alone driven.

12

So much time and effort... and ROTAs?! WTF?!

13

i hate to love it, but love it do. personally i think it'd be a little cooler if they went full nascar and threw a v8 in it. if your gonna do something this extreme, go all out.

14

look more like Rota P45R to me...

15

A tribute to the worst of American racing built with the lowest quality Chinese made parts available. Sam Walton would be so proud.

16

nice but the spolier is an overkill!

17

this has to be the rebecca black of s15's

18

i love the haters on here...they all probly drive pos civics and accords...listen people...this build is beyond any of your level of mechanics...to sit here and complain about ROTA'S and a painted trunk lmao...get over your fukin selves....this ride is awesome, done right and "different", lord knows how much criticism you gotta take to actually think outside the box...the rb26 sets this car off

19

Love the car- but why oh why would you spend all that money and then get rotas?

20

Ahahaha, Jonathan. Yes. Anyone who does anything different gets criticized these days, it's not all about the scene and what is cool and new, it's about expressing yourself and doing what you want, because it's YOUR car. Personally, I think it's fun making people wine, because they can say whatever they want, but it's your canvas, why do they even care. He probably get's the Rota's for free, hence the decals.

21

I'd love to know how much power that RB26 is actually putting out before I pass judgement on the spoiler, though I would like to think that they are putting a good amount of power for them to bolt the wing directly to the chassis.



and I personally think the paint looks rather good on the Silvia body, I don't think it would look that good on a boxier looking car like a Skyline.



as for the wheel issue, who cares what they are rolling. if they look good than they are good for me. sometimes people hate just to hate.



and to the person who said "its a tribute to the worst of American racing". I may not be a NASCAR fan, but it still takes skill and talent to drive a car at 200mph that weighs a lot, with 40-50 other cars around you. Oh and I believe its one of the most popular forms of motorsport, second to only F1. Also if its the worst American racing, why do more and more foreign drivers joining the sport? Jaun Pablo Montoya, Patrick Carpentier, Dario Franchitti, Marcos Ambrose, Jaque Villeneuve, Raikkonen. All of them are former champions in other forms of racing, with Villeneuve, Ambrose and Raikkonen both former champions in their series, Villeneuve and Raikkonen in F1 and Ambrose is Aussie V8 Supercars. Pretty sure Franchitti is a former Indy Car champion and Indy 500 winner.

22

This is pretty bad ass actually.

23

Different but I like this verry much!

24

pretty amazing species crossing of JDM & Nascar.....well executed..

25

There are worse wheels out there than Rota, I really cant understand understand all the hate.



Leigh, I'm sure that's the case at the track days you have attended, but I have been to just as many where Rota were the norm on $50k track beasts. Instead of a complete set of BBS wheels and tires, one could have 2 sets of Rotas with different tire combinations. Look at track days in Japan, almost EVERYONE runs Rotas in Japan. No ones wrong here, I just cant get wrap my head around Rota hate.

26

0.o OMG I want that soooooo bad.

27

You can afford an RB26DETT swap and all that tuning kit but can't afford decent rims? Shame.

28

unique for sure, haters gon hate

29

I like the car. Dont really get the point of showing off the piping when its not done yet, but it looks good

30

I think is cool...! unique. Now let see a nascar car drifting ;)

31

Plenty of great car here, but, NASCAR inspired=undesired.

32

That's awesome - and I BET it will help bring a whole new audience to the sport :) simply for the livery - serial guys!

34

WOW what a ugly car......seriously,you spend all that money on quality parts and then you skimp on crap wheels and slap on a hideous livery.WHY?......oh right,you have no sense

35

Looks very clean and well built. I'm not gonna lie and say that I like the graphics, although it is very original! But yeah, nice and clean build. BANG TIDY!

36

Nice, really different and i love it!

37

Interesting, I can't say I dislike it as it does seem to be a well thought out and soon to be well executed build but what's it for? Competition? if so in what Discipline? With that rear wing I can't see it being a drift car. Limited FR time Attack? or some other ProAm event? in any case if this thing is built for competition, the Rotas make way more sense. how much easier must it be to get Rota sponsorship than Volk Racing, Rays, Work, Enkei or SSR? and hey, with those huge vinyls all over the place, at least you can't beat it down for posing. It's not pretending it's running on TE37's they even left the wheel Emblems on.

38

If your busy hating on what wheels people are running then you clearly have never stepped foot on a track. Its how you drive not what you run

39

WTF ROTAS????



Way to enforce the knockoff companies with a sponsorship. Unbelievable. I rarely hate on any cars, but it IS damaging to the companies who make the originals...



Any arguments about "oh well you can have spares, or they'll get messed up on track etc" is pointless. L00k at home much money was put into this build. Real TE37s would be a drop in the bucket.

40

Looks awesome. And I don't understand the Rota hate, why exactly do people dislike them? Are they overly cheap? Or common? Or badly made? Or something, because it certainly has nothing to do with the looks because tbh I love the way most Rota rims look.



And the fact is, there is no point hating on it; would you rather it was stock? No? Then shut up.

41

Needs more boom tubes

42

It looks more like Valentino Rossi inspired, but whatever.....

43

sso is it actually going to be used in nascar type races, if not, what else?

i'd like to see this thing in action



very cool unique execution of a silvia... the rb looks beautiful in there :)

44

I think some massive steel wheels with widened barrels painted gloss black with BF Goodrich Radial T/As and yellow lettering would look better.

45

who cares if they have cheap wheels and nascar graphic. It's an original idea, maybe not the rotas, but wheels are wheels no matter how expensive or exclusive they are. J SUS. That said, I dig the car.

46

I love the car, its kinda making fun of American NASCAR's showing how much better it looks on a japanese car & motor etc. Job well done, who doesn't like an s15?

47

i have rotas on my s14

17x9 +12 rota grids in bronze on all four corners

i drift on them

they look great

they have never given me a problem

soooooooo i dont see whats wrong with rota

48

Wheels are what ruin the look for me, and not just because they`re Rotas.

Something bigger with a silver face and polished lips would look good and I`m not saying that just because of the stereotypical love for deep dish wheels some people have.



Classic CCWs maybe.

49

Feature on James Deane's Low Brain Drifters PS13 please. See that car popping up everywhere :)

50

Are you guys seriously complaining about Rotas and a pink trunk? Get over yourselves its a different and unique car why hate on someone for doing something else.

51

NASCAR graphics FTW. We need to understand that all this elitism is ruining our hobby of tuning imports. Shunning cars because they have an old style or not the right stance only further alienates us from people who have slightly different tastes. If you don't like something about a car, talk about what you do like and keep your negative opinions to yourself!

52

not really a car spotlight is it. lacking real info.

car is quite low in the front yet quite high at the rear.

53

@Vult-r



The shame is that you call wheels, rims.

54

oh cool the hater section.....id so rock those awesome ROTAS for drifting. while you hardpark and polish your 4k TE37s in a 90hp basket he he. good work in progress.

55

it's so ridiculously awesome

56

ROTA?!?!?! you gotta be fucking kidding me?!??! WHY????

57

i guess im sorta new to the car stuff here and i absolutely love it, but whats up with everyone hating on Rota. I honestly don't know a thing about them other than they're rims and they're usually under jdm's

58

The car is looks pretty good and seems like its a good functional machine that will be even better when its finished. As for the Rotas... I'm still a sucker for originality and good ol' R&D but I if someone decides to buy such wheels its really his choice. After all its not my car (but I wish it were).

59

get tha 48 out and the car is just bad ass

60

Considering there are so many posts about these Rota items, I'll add my thoughts. When I first read the word Rota in the comments, I thought they were talking about the tyres, as in, why not run more expensive (grippier) tyres. Then I realised you're all talking about wheels,..If you're talking about a racecar (i.e. one designed to go fast and handle well), then weight, stiffness, and fatigue are what counts. Looks don't matter. People here seem to worry about engines/power, but spend your money on slicks and you'll go around corners faster.



Onto the wing: I don't know a lot about aero/suspension, but attaching the wing to the chassis is the minimum. What else is the point? If the rules allow, they should be fed into uprights, to put forces into the tyres; otherwise you load the springs, and I don't know what that does to your kinematic design.

61

I did some work for the guy who owns this car. He's got a massive workshop, build thread here:

http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drift-car-projects-builds/135061-project-s15-rb27.html



His place is insane, plus he used to drive a Nascar, until he crashed at 150mph and actually died on the way to hospital. The remains of the car are in his yard, with a complete LS, I can't understand why he didn't use that engine!

62

Its something different which is cool. It would be good to know what kinda competition its being built for.

Everyone wondering why people hate on Rotas, this is why:

Attack - Rays Gram Lights 57

Auto X - SSR Type X

Battle - Advan AVS T5

Beat - Mugen CF-48

Bella - Voltec MS

Boost - Advan RG II

Circuit 10 - Mugen MF10

Circuit 8 - Mugen MF8

D2 - SSR Professor SP1/Work Meister

Fighter - Volk CE28/CE28N

Fighter10 - Volk CE28/CE28N

Flashback - Work Equip 03

Flight - Hart CP-F Tune-R

Formula - BBS RE

G-Force - Advan RS

GK-R - Enkei NT03+M

GR-A - Prodrive GC-10

Grid - Volk TE37

Grid 2 - low offset Volk TE37

Group N - Mugen RNR

GT-3 - GAB Sports

HM3 - Advan SA3R

IK-F - Volk TE37 - larger sizes

IK-R - Volk TE37 - larger sizes

J-MAG - Mugen M7

J-SPL - Work RSZ-R

MGM - Mugen XJ

MSR - Work Ewing RS-Beta

Optimus - Gram Lights 57Optimise

Option - RAYS Gram Lights 57G

P1 - Work Emotion

P45F - Nismo LM

P45R - Nismo LM/Uras NS-01

PDC - Work Nezart

RB - Panasport FS

Real Lite - Gram Lights 57Maximum

RMS - Advan RG I

R-Spec - Honda Integra Type R '98 Spec

Scuderia - BBS FI

SDR - Prodrive PF7/GC07

SDX - Mugen GP

Slipstream - Spoon SW388/Desmond Regamaster

Speed 5 - SSR Firenze

Spectrum - Volk RE30

Subzero - Racing Hart CP-035

SVN - Volk Racing RE30

Tarmac - Prodrive GC010

TFR - TRD

Torque - Work Emotion CR Kai

Track R - Sprint Hart CP-R

Vector - Work Emotion XT7

WTC - 5Zigen ZR+520

Zero Plus - Work Equip 01

63

who cares if they are rota's. i bet half of you guys bagging them drive camy's

64

saw Rota's on all four corners and lost all intrest :-I Such a waste..

65

@Contyjoe

Thats the best comment on this thread.



The reason why people have problems with ROTA is their copy cat designs. Simple.

It's not because they're cheap, common, badly made or any other reasons. We have no problems with cast wheel companies providing affordable wheels for the masses, but when the company in question is blatantly ripping off other companies designs - that becomes the problem. It's not just ROTA either. There hundreds of companies out there producing knock offs. When the OPs first paragraph brands people 'ROTA haters' for supporting Genuine goods is rediculous. The whole 'hater' culture is lame. If people don't like something deal with it. It's called an opinion.

66

Sick! So sick I just puked all over my tablet.

67

The car is dope. People are failing to realize that Rota though they have many a wheel tbay resembles more expensive rim company products, this company is well respected everywhere else but america. Land of the free ( home of haters). Rota's have proven to be a staple in our car culture. So whether you like to hate em or like to rock em, they are very muched liked.

68

As a Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports fan, I can't agree one bit on the graphics, but the S15 as an S15 is awesome.

69

To me it appears the car is sponsored by Rota, therefore he runs them. Would they be his first choice?! We might never know, I think with his contract (if he signed one?!) that he will be a positive brand ambassador for them, as he is required with sponsorship and not get involved in the forum debate. I don't like them but thats my opinion, each to their own.

70

Gooooood grief! thats my car. can i have some free speed hunter stickers?

71

I like the way this car looks, it would logical if he had Japanese wheels there, but his sponsor is Driftworks and they sell ROTA wheels, so it makes sense. And when wheel gets damaged, hey it's just a rota, so who cares.



@classy1sd: I am sorry but you are wrong, love and hate relationship with rota is the same in most of the world. Personally I don't hate them, but I would respect them much more if they came up with design of wheels they sell.

72

To all those people having a go at the Rota rims, have a think about this. How many people can afford brand new brand-name rims? A lot of people simply can't, or because they're planning to track the car and scratch them up anyway, choose to buy second hand. Does the original company get your money when you buy brand name wheels second hand? No. Does any of your money go into their R&D (the argument so many use)? No.

I get that Rota are making money off other peoples designs, fair call, but that's true of everything not just the automotive industry.

Back on topic, i love this car, and with RB26 power under the bonnet, i bet this thing is a screamer. Would love to see it in action.

73

I love this car, because this guy went with something he loves and did i hope one day i can make my dream car! Ps who cares of they're rotas this car is so sick i wouldnt care if it had steelies!

74

Honestly, the car looks great, because it's original. How can there even be haters? The whole point of aftermarket car culture is to be able to build something that you like that's a reflection of you. It's about doing what you want. The reason there are so many aftermarket companies and tuning styles is so that you can build your car how you want to build it. People who hate, you honestly can't be called enthusiasts, because you fail to understand this. If you don't like something about a car. here's the wonderful thing, you don't have to build yours like that. All you haters do is clog forums all day with complaints about someone who is actually out there doing what they love.

75

just to bring you key board bashers up to speed!

RB27 TRUST STROKER KIT

ONE OFF DRY SUMP PAN (made in house)

TITAN 3 STAGE OIL PUMP

ATI CRANK DAMPNER

ARP HEAD STUD KIT, MAIN'S STUD KIT AND ROD BOLTS

COSWORTH HEAD GASKET

HKS CAM PULLEYS

KUU INTAKE AND 100mm THROTTLE BODY

GREDDY T67

CYLINDER HEAD OIL DRAIN KIT

HKS TWIN PLATE PUSH TYPE CLUTCH

GREDDY OIL COOLER AND FILTER RELOCATOR

HOWE RADIATOR

TOMMIE TWIN ENTRY FUEL RAIL

HKS F-CON V-PRO GOLD

650.cc INJECTORS

3X BOSCH 044

ATL FUEL CELL

SARD SWIRLL POT

DRIFT WORKS GEO 2 FRONT HUBS & RACK SPACERS

THE LIST GO'S ON AND ON!!!!!

OH, I FORGOT! ROTA'S! MORE THAN ONE SET!!!

MUPPETS!!!!haha



76

rotas are sexy, s15s are sexy, nascar sucks, this car has the potential to be awesome without the nascar stuff....

77

When you buy used, you give money back to the original owner and they will most likely buy another style of original wheels, which I see all the time. People I know, buy original wheels for the quality and lighter weight, to support the company and styles they prefer, and because originals hold their value better than fakes. So you think the original owner will use the money from the sale to now cheap-out and get lower quality heavier Rotas? Do you think the money will ever get to the original designer/company if you reward a thief for stealing a design?

And for those saying “not everyone can afford original wheels”… it’s not an excuse. Put the car hobby on hold for 4-5 years, go to college, learn as much as you can, and graduate with a useful degree. Original companies have to pay engineers to design, so once you’re earning a professional salary the price for real Japanese parts is actually a bargain considering the quality you get.

78

I get your point ra21benj, i do, but not every person that sells their brand name rims goes out and buys new ones again (written off cars, putting originals back on to sell the car etc). My point is simply that in terms of who is getting your money, how is buying Rota's any worse than purchasing second hand wheels?

Like i said though, this idea of knock-off parts is not one limited to Rota so I do not understand the torrent of hate. How many people go out and buy brand name body kits? I can guarantee the majority of cars down my way run knock off 'genuine-style' kits, as do a lot of the cars featured here, yet I have never seen a single complaint. Same principle, just so much less obvious.

79

How in the hell is this ORIGINAL!

Just look at the Works 9 top chopped S15 from years ago...



Also about the Rota hate, I personally don't like that brand for ripping off other brands designs (and they just did a rip off of Hayashi Sakura wheels), but if I was to be sponsored by them I'd just deal with it, its less money spent if you got wheels for free.



By the way Nathan :

"Look at track days in Japan almost EVERYONE runs ROTA in Japan"



Gotta say that one made me laugh!

80

Love this (besides the wheels)!

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