For those keen followers of the Japspeed blog (and those who turned up at BDC Round 1) you’ll have noticed Shane’s V8 twin-turbo S15 sporting a whole new livery and new Rota GTR-D wheels. But over the winter period this S15 has undergone much bigger tweaks than just cosmestic – in fact, the entire car has been completely overhauled to give Shane another shot at the BDC title this year.
Rollcage – the first big change was the rollcage. Throughout 2010 Shane found himself often banging the cage while competing, so Peter @ Fabricage custom built a tighter-fitting cage to eliminate this. In particular, Peter made the a-pillar and roof bars much tighter giving more head clearance without compromising safety. The dash board was also removed, tidied and re-fitted while the cage was being fitted.
Engine – despite producing over 500bhp and 500lb-ft of torque, the VH45DETT engine was nowhere near performing 100% and spent most of the 2010 season with an intermittent headgasket problem! Not bad considering it only produces 250bhp in n/a format. For 2011 to engine needed a refresh, and once the engine was out and apart we were pleasantly surprised how well everything held together, so a gasket and bearing refresh was undertaken along with a spot of tidying and a lick of paint.
Additionally, the custom turbo manifolds were ceramic coated at the same time to keep engine temperatures down – a must for any serious drift car. You can see below the sheer amount of piping for the turbo and radiator setup, the less temperature under the bonnet the better for cooling, inlet temperatures and overall improved efficiency.
Gearbox – this was the biggest change for 2011 – the switch to the Quaife QBE69G 6-speed sequential. With the engine refreshed and mapped producing over 600lb-ft of torque the old gearbox was a serious weak spot. The QBE69G is not only rated to 750bhp but it’s sequential shifter ensures no more missed gears! It’s a seriously impressive piece of kit with an integral oil pump on the box itself to produce maximum lubrication over sustained use. There’s also a digital display in the dash so Shane knows what gear he’s in at all times!
Overall the S15 has undergone some serious changes with the main focus on reliability. After finishing 4th last year Shane’s aiming for the championship in 2011, and after qualifying 8th and taking out Simon Perry in the top 16 at Round 1 fault-free we know he’s more than capable!
