Hello everyone and welcome to the latest update on the D-Mac S1.

This car will also now be launching Group-D, which is our new company based on providing drift-specific suspension parts and other essentials to the drift community. So, here she is in all her satin glory, a big change from the proposed livery at the start of the project.

That seems like such a long time ago now, but with this being the first self-funded and most involved project we have taken on to date, it’s a bit of a labour of love. The finish line is definitely in sight, but it’s already the realisation of a dream to me to see the car in its livery and have it sitting at the workshop looking so good. Although building the car backwards is not ideal in my opinion.

And by backwards, I mean to have the exterior finished and all the vinyl done, but no engine and an unfinished interior.

And here is the interior, so far. We have the NASCAR-inspired steering column installed and the interior is primed and ready for colour; the pedal box having being removed at this stage for modification. You can see the factory steel doors are fitted, but the finished car should have carbon doors for weight reduction.

I told Paddy to give me a chance to clean it up but he will snap anything that moves. Wheel fitment on point here!

Speaking of wheels, I am very fortunate to have the support of Work Wheels Japan. They rushed through these Meister S1Rs just in time for the recent Autosport International show. Wilwood has also helped us out with brakes and I’m going to run these 4-piston Dynapro calipers for my hydraulic handbrake which will give amazing feel and braking power.

Work really nailed the colour combo on the S1Rs, with matte gunmetal centres and matte brushed barrels. The brushed barrel effect was something I always wanted to try and I think they work well on a satin-finished car.

Paddy got hugely sidetracked and somewhat (Somewhat? Very. – PMcG) excited about my new daily driver S2 Avant. It is nice to have the five-cylinder roar every day and no need for a radio.

I always wanted an S1 and never thought that I would have one. Initially I was worried about retaining the long wheelbase and how the custom quarters would look, but now I’m very happy that I did. I think that the proportions are much better than the short wheelbase car; it just works so much better.

I never had any doubts about the front though; this has to be one of the meanest and most famous chiseled noses of any car in motorsport history. The brutal ’80s aero just gives the car so much presence.

Only the best for this girl; I can’t wait to get it out on track and to play with the KW 3-ways.

By this time we had the front ‘swords’ (black aero devices on the front fenders) and the top spoiler element fitted. The swords make such a difference to the look of the car and break up the stripes nicely, which themselves are a homage to the original Audi Sport livery, but given a drift car twist when they come down the sides. I don’t think making a replica – as in the white and yellow Group B livery – would have worked nearly as well.

Here’s a better look at the extended S1 quarters which were made by cutting a pair of replica S1 rear fenders and adding the 11-inches required for the extra wheelbase length, before cleaning, painting, lacquering and moulding them to produce new single-piece panels. They are the only two in the world (as far as we know) for the rear-wheel drive, long wheelbase car.

The reservoir for the KW suspension was temporarily mounted here for AIS. We will make some nice mounts and finalise their mounting position after paint.

Something that most people love is the ‘?’ after the vinyl ‘quattro’ badging. The car isn’t a quattro in the technical sense, but I wanted ‘Audi’ and ‘quattro’ on the boot door and thought that this would be a nice touch, while letting people know that there are no front driveshafts.

We used modern Audi hexagonal plastic mesh in the rear radiator vents and rear quarter vents, which I think turned out really good. I usually hate mesh in bumpers and intakes, but this look is much more professional.

The Sparco Drifting LF seats really look the part and don’t weigh much at all. In fact, the car itself feels light as a feather, so it will be very interesting to get it on the scales when finished.

I decided to set the headlights back further than they should be to give the front more depth, and we also removed the pockets in the front bumper for the indicator lenses for improved sideways airflow. I have moved the front wheel forward to lengthen the wheelbase further, and to create some caster in the suspension as the Audi has little to none in stock form.

Also, you can see we continued the 3-inch stripe on the lower front air dam down onto the side skirts. I was always going for more of a GT car look with this build, and I think this is a vital part of that. The long wheelbase and original ‘UR’ roof line completes the look perfectly, while polycarbonate windows will replace the glass windows currently fitted closer to completion date. I am also toying with the idea of making a diffuser in the rear, although they can be such a pain to design and create.

That’s it for the latest update on the D-Mac S1 – I hope you guys like the new livery and final look. Once again, I must give a big thank you to all our project partners as without them this would not be a reality. The next update should be more technical stuff like engine, drivetrain, suspension and wiring.

Before I go though, I thought you might like to check out a couple of customer projects we have going on at the moment.

On the lift, we have a customer’s AE86 which is the first one in the country with the new Impulse over-fenders. This car is in for an engine rebuild and to tidy up any unsatisfactory parts of the car. It’s great to have customers like this who want everything done right and let you spend the time needed on the project.

In the fabrication section we have this Rocket Bunny MX-5. I’m not a Mazda MX-5/Miata/Roadster guy, but this is going to be one of the coolest MX-5s anywhere in the world when it’s finished. We’re installing a dry-sumped and bridge-ported 13B on throttle bodies running a Haltech Elite 550 ECU, and it’ll be rolling on Work Meister S1 wheels. It’s a pretty damn cool street car! Maybe Paddy can come back and shoot this? (I don’t have to, it lives near me – PMcG) 

Alongside the MX-5 we have some more Mazda goodness in the shape of this FC3S RX-7 that we are building for a friend in the Middle East. It’s going pure JDM style with a BN Sports Blister body-kit.

Under the bonnet is a bridge-ported 13B-REW from an FD3S, or more specifically, the very same engine that was used in my Need for Speed AE86. The plan is to de-tune it to a more reliable 420-450hp.

The rotary engine is so small it allows you to package everything so nicely. We’ve used a Skyline R32 radiator and have fabricated all the brackets and tube work to suit; the radiator support tube is bent upwards close to the bonnet so it can’t be seen through the recesses in the body-kit where the headlights were. We also made a custom steering kit for much more steering angle.

Again, this will be powered by a Haltech Elite 550. We have converted the car from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, but with no USDM dash available to us we have made an alloy panel to fit over the dash bar.

At the bottom left you can see the electric power steering pump which we mounted in the engine bay as they are quite loud. We mounted the reservoir by the brake and clutch reservoirs.

Providing the boost is a Garrett GTX3582, which is the perfect size for the 13B. You can also just about see the Turbosmart 60mm wastegate with the boost control solenoid mounted close by.

I was trying to get everything presentable but Paddy just kept clicking away. He never lets you tidy stuff!

We have a D-Mac handbrake fitted with an alloy plate to strengthen the tunnel, and a RaceQuip gaiter which makes a much tidier job of the gear lever compared to the original setup which was never supposed to be seen.

To complete the dash we have this pod unit which will house the Racepak display and all the switches needed to make life easier, such as lights, wipers and a power steering on/off. I think Paddy should do a full feature on this too when it’s done. What do you think?

So that’s what we have going on here at the moment in the Emerald Isle. It always amazes me the cars that come out of this small country and we are just glad to be a part of that. Hopefully Paddy can check back with us again soon.

Darren McNamara
Facebook: darrenmcnamara86
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Instagram: dmac86official
Twitter: dmac86

Photos by Paddy McGrath
Instagram: pmcgphotos
Twitter: pmcgphotos
Facebook: Paddy McGrath
paddy@speedhunters.com