Once a year, way off in the outskirts of Georgia, there comes a time where the state’s finest are on center stage, the weather is miserable with a chance of tragedy and the skid racin’ and tire shreddin’ is turned up to full. Of course, I’m talking about the one and only Formula Drift: Atlanta – the rowdiest and quite possibly most-anticipated round of the season. And along with such, every year comes the Fatlace-produced car show, which this year has become known as Offset Kings.
Chop it up to the weather – as this event has been rained out for the past five consecutive years – or maybe even the well-fueled audience, but for some reason the car show aspect has never enjoyed a massive turnout at the Atlanta round. And that said, you’ll normally end up finding the most impressive builds tucked away in the masses of parking lots, rather than the designed show space itself.
Who knows why. It could very well be something as simple as space constraints, as Road Atlanta only provides a small strip of tarmac for the show. Or maybe it’s a sign that the stance movement has never really taken priority over functionality on the Eastern seaboard?
For whatever reason, the designated lot still receives a great amount of foot traffic, and I’m pretty sure the local chiropractic office would have definitely had their hands full with call in appointments due to broken necks, despite the fact that that only about 19 and a half cars were officially entered in the Offset Kings event.
But just because there was only a small selection of cars, by no means does that mean there wasn’t anything of interest in sight. Take this Rocket Bunny kitted ZN6 for example – it’s fulfilling the Offset Kings name nicely on an aggressively-fitted set of Work VS-XXs.
Or this homegrown 74′ Datsun 620 pick-up. I wasn’t totally sold on the rear fender treatment, but it’s a creative step towards innovation that I feel we should all be able to appreciate.
And if you’re into S-chassis, the show certainly had no shortage. Just check out this S13 rocking a flawless, Koguchi Power GT-1 aero kit and a clean set of RAYS Volk Racing TE37s.
Just as the rain started to come down on cue, ‘Godzzra’ himself came stomping through all the way from Virginia with a fresh set of Ben Sopra extensions.
Spaceships on Bankhead
But just as with any show, no matter the size, venue or genre, there’s always a few cars that are bound to increase your heart rate. Like this 74′ Mercedes-Benz 240D. With an air lift system in the trunk, 300,000km on the odometer and an all-but-perfect paint job, this 240D has coolness in spades.
In fact, it was so cool that Larry and I both knew right off the bat that this was our chosen Offset Kings #FeatureThis winner.
Yet as much I want to continue jotting down all the radical character this build has, I’ll have to bite my tounge and ask you to wait until the full feature drops next week.
Speaking of things on air, this (Audi) Suzuka Grey Lexus LS400 from Super Star Customs was also easily one of the main attractions of the show.
Using a Universal Air Suspension system, the frame was brought down to earth on a set of custom-barreled SSR Professor SP3 wheels – 19×10.5-inch -40 offset and 19×11.5-inch -45 offset front and rear respectively.
Furthermore, the body was shaved and outfitted with a customised Sports Line lip kit from Wald, to authenticate the bippu theme as much as possible.
Believe it or not, quality VIP builds of this nature tend to be few and far between on this side of the US, and if it wasn’t for that aforementioned old school Benz, this heavy hitter undoubtedly would’ve been our chosen winner of the show. Just check out that fitment!
All Natural
While air setups are continuing to become more and more popular in our industry as a whole, it’s still hard to deny the folks diving into the lowered lifestyle the natural way – like this static Miata finished in Nissan’s Brickyard Red.
Maybe it’s due to state laws and height requirements, or even the quality of the roads, but I feel it’s rare that you’d ever see a daily driver hovering this low above the ground on the West Coast. Though I’m sure it’s something that will be debated in the comments section…
But that’s what makes Miatas so cool in my book. Heights like these are not only easily attainable with the chassis, but you can drive with them as well. And when you fill the wheel wells with three-piece 15-inch Image IFX wheels like our owner did here, it becomes a true recipe for success.
And how about the classic woodgrain Nardi wheel and matching shift knob to tie it all together? Simplicity at its finest…
Now, I’ve definitely seen more than a few slammed Miatas in my day, but I’ll be honest and admit that I was actually so dumbfounded that this was the owners true daily, that I had to be a fan boy and pop the question, ‘How do you do it?’ Holding back a smirk, he simply replied with, “Sparks fly” – and left it at that. What a champ!
Though the show wasn’t graced with the glorious SoCal weather that Mike experienced during Long Beach’s Offset Kings show, there was still enough variety, randomness and attention to detail to keep even the most seasoned viewers occupied throughout the Formula Drift half time break.
I’ll be looking forward to what Miami has to offer as I’ll be traveling down south for Formula Drift’s third round towards the end of the month. But in the meantime keep an eye out for the #FeatureThis Benz story – you won’t be disappointed…
Matthew Jones
Instagram: matthewjonesphoto
matt@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
That blue type X isn't exactly type X..... even cooler
GT-1 Motorsports Break Ito kit!!! my fav
KING O THE SOUTH...
leave that for texas.
word to pimp c.
@MichaelC good eye! came here just to say this.
haha "godzrra"
LOL that 240D Benz has Romanian license plate, the one's that are valid only 1 month, the time needed for you to fully register the car and be granted with black letters on license plate. So funny
That Merc is defs the winner! They sit so well!
The wheels on the Miata are "Schmidt Modern Line" replicas....!!! I didn't know that even Schmidt Tuner Wheels are getting copied.....
I used to check Speedhunters every day to get my dose of racecar inspiration. I love engine swaps, diy turbocharging and quality fabrication. The way Speedhunters has evolved into STANCEHUNTERS makes me sad. I will propably check it out during the gatebil coverage but you have lost one loyal follower. When stance is a natural consequence of improving cornering speed I am all in. But when cars can hardly drive in order to be hip, I have no respect for the builder because to me he is an idiot. Its been fun, but this is not for me anymore.
Regards Jonas Maurstad
Merc ftw again!
jonas maurstad I am 100% agree. I actually know the kid with the miata that is being "featured" in the 3rd chapter and it in no way has anything to do with speed. It's a stock 1.6l and the kid spends all of his time slowing down to 5mph to go over a crack in the road. What a fucking waste.
@Jeong Yikes, Good catch guys!
unfortunately they can only cover what the car world provides and sadly this it what it has turned into it is not the speedhunter staff's fault. -optionrej6
spdhntr jonas maurstad Just because his automotive desires are different than yours doesn't make him an idiot. He wants to be low and look cool; you want to be as fast and functional as possible (I'm assuming). Who's to say which ideology is more "right" or "correct"? At the very least, you both enjoy automotive culture in some form, and I'd rather appreciate common ground than turn my nose up at whatever differences there may be. And that, I believe, is the very purpose of Speedhunters in the first place. Not the outright pursuit of speed itself, but the pursuit of automotive culture in all of its wonderfully varied iterations.
Peace and love to all the homies
Big Pooky spdhntr jonas maurstad Neither is correct, to each his own. But when a site is called "SPEEDhunters" there is an inherent flaw. Regardless what anyone says, SH has clearly made a shift towards more and more stance, to envelope "car culture at large". If that is their motto, it's time for a name change.
Get it together SH. Get back to your roots.
Nice coverage, !
question though, the wheels on the bleu Subary?? (3th picture)
midgeman Big Pooky spdhntr jonas maurstad Hi guys, I appreciate your concern but I think you are over reacting, which of course I would
Please allow me to explain, I am directly responsible as Editor In Chief and the buck must stop with me. Firstly we always try to keep an even spread of content, but this is based on the production team, who all have their own areas of interest and speciality. I know you'll understand that, second up we have a couple of show based partners such as Wekfest and Offset Kings, which is part of Formula D. It just so happens in the last few weeks these guys have been the most active on our radar, so yes, maybe the stance content is heavier than usual. But a new direction? No, there are plenty of places to find this great content such as Stanceworks, Stancenation etc. These guys however are very active in the car culture world and represent us too, I know, who would have thought that some people don't know what Speedhunters is? Yup, just a few billion left to enlighten
I think sometimes it's easy to forget the volume of material we present to you here on Speedhunters, with roughly 80 separate items a month if you particularly dislike one genre, then you'll maybe see it a couple of times. But that might be in the space of a week or two, which obviously blips on your radar.
What I would say is that if you look carefully at the movement you so dislike, you'll see a massive shift, performance is far more prevalent and suspension systems have massively advanced over the last few years. So what we're seeing is a whole new raft of cars which have 'stance' plus 'fitment' plus the go to match. Look at our own RTR Mustang for example.
I liken it to standing in front of a magazine rack, we encompass a fairly wide spectrum of car culture, so naturally there will be some areas you don't gel with. However right now on the front page there is a Pikes Peak hill climb car, an historic Porsche getting sideways in the snow, 1000s of hp in some FD engines bays, a Renault 5 rally car, one inspiring road trip and talk of another... Plus your 'stance' articles. So is it really that bad? No.
Right, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have to pack some spare underwear and go collect this Caterham... Then burn some super unleaded as I drive 2500 miles in the next week. You will of course be able to read all about here right here on Speedhunters.
Take care out there, it's a nasty world
Speedhunters_Bryn midgeman Big Pooky spdhntr jonas maurstad
Overreacting? We'll see.
Don't make excuses. The reason this month has been disappointing isn't solely because of the "stance" related articles. This "film theme" is basically just sharing links to vimeo and youtube. Anyone can do that. If it was SH original content it'd be completely different, but it's not as far as I'm aware. The Renault and Super 86 have become the exceptions, not the norm. And the only reason I look at FD content is for Larry's photography. I'm sure I'll get some hate for this comment, but maybe my tastes are changing as I'm getting older. Who knows...
The currents trends are a far cry from the SH I originally fell in love with. Sure, I understand the need to evolve, but don't forget who you are.
I'm looking forward to the Caterham article. Please turn things around and prove me wrong.
I drove a ground scrapping miatas for years( before the whole camber thing however) and it was always a blast, thing is that a miata, much like a civic, is a disposable car. There hugely fun and arnt worth there weight in scrap. So cheers, beat on um until they die and then buy another. Driving around at 5 mph tho is a "fucking waste" to quote you
The wheels on the Subaru are Rotiform TMB it looks like, complete with their default brushed centercap. Simple, classic, good feeling of motion in the design.
where's the coverage from FD ATL ?
Between the Panda 86 with the wicked rear diffuser, the 3
beautiful Vettes from MTI, various Evo's and STi's, as well as a wide-body Audi
R8, every one of the cars competing in the Global Time Attack event looked,
sounded and performed better than every single car at this show.
Maybe next time instead of wasting the talents of a good
photographer on yet another stupid static show, Speedhunters will highlight an
event put on by the only national-level time attack organization in the US?
FunctionFirst They aren't partners with them, so not worth the time, obviously.
Came to see more pics of the GT-R, leaving very disappointed. I'm all for individuality but stance is stupid and always will be, I really, REALLY, hope it dies off quickly.
midgeman Speedhunters_Bryn Big Pooky spdhntr jonas maurstad Don't like it? Don't read it. You're not contractually obliged to anyways. What the lot of you haters are saying is actually, frankly, killing this love we all share. It's the diversity that makes the car scene what it is. If everyone wanted to "go fast hurr durr speed speed vroom pow" and nobody wanted to lower their cars, people will still complain about there not being enough diversity.
So guys, we car guys are already a dying breed, and this hate isn't getting us anywhere. Please, no more hate, just appreciate.
Do this for the wheels.
Peace, and I wish you all the best in your lives.
FunctionFirst I try to cover GTA as much as I can, and I competed in the final round last year. On top of that I followed GTA for the whole year in 2011.
To be honest, we were just stretched a little thin as it was. Maybe later in the year when I have more time I can cover more time attack events.
Larry Chen FunctionFirst I totally understand the predicament you have Larry, you're the official photographer for the giant circus that is FD, and I can only imagine that you're as skinny as you are because of the amount of running around you do at each event - hard work for sure.
I guess from a content point of view, I don't understand how 19 mostly sub-standard cars sitting in a small lot above the pits is more interesting than 35+, mostly well-built track cars that weren't sitting in a random off-lot, but instead racing around one of the East coast's most scenic tracks, if not one of the most scenic in the country. In addition, a simple walk around the parking lot at Atlanta will provide a better car show than the meager offering provided by Offset Kings.
It's funny that you should mention GTA in 2011, as your coverage of those events are what drew me to this site in the first place. As for GTA and time attack in general, I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea and doesn't get as many clicks as static show articles, but it's disappointing knowing that every year I can count on DDC's coverage of Battle Evome and share in the passion that the Japanese have for their time attack events, but can't say the same for my own country.
That same passion exists here, and there are several American-version Under Suzuki's, but no coverage means no one will know how dedicated and awesome guys like Professional Awesome - and all the other tuners/privateers in time attack - are.
I can only assume that this coverage was due to a contractual obligation, but good god does it feel like this event was a missed opportunity. I swear, if this was Irwindale and not Atlanta, the coverage of this event would be completely different.
Take my criticisms as you will - and I'm sure I don't know the logistics of SH, but from where I'm sitting there were missed opportunities in Atlanta.
Hoonigan_RB Their car their style.
I don't understand why people feel the need to come into the comments section and bitch about how they don't like something.
Speedhunters features so many different styles, you can find something for ALMOST anyone..Seriously what is with people calling it "Stancehunters?" Wow, so sometimes they show cars that you're not into..Go read about supercars, rally cars, muscle cars, low riders, or whatever the fuck you're into then, it's all here..don't even try to say it's not..
One last thing...if you don't respect someone because they didn't build a car how you like it then YOU are the idiot.