Professional drift car builds have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, with everyone eager to outdo each other every season with more extreme fabrication, unique engine swaps and trick suspension work. The Japspeed RB25 powered S15 was a trailblazer for the British drifting scene when it made its competitive debut in 2010 with Danny Eyles behind the wheel but it’s now 2014; a lot has changed in those four years and the combination of an S-body Nissan and an RB powerplant could almost be called run-of-the-mill. However, as Team Japspeed’s very own Shane O’Sullivan so aplty proved during this season’s Maxxis British Drift Championship, there’s a reason why this setup is so popular: it’s proven, reliable and competitive.

Compared to the majority of cars on the Super Pro grid at the BDC ((let alone the other Team Japspeed cars) the RBS15 is incredibly simple. The majority of the parts used are available either from our own product catalogue or those of our sponsors, with very few custom parts or one-offs used throughout. The front suspension setup consists of our highly popular Adjustable Front Lower Arms paired with our new Super Lock Tension Rods – both items that you fill find on hundreds of S-bodies around Europe and further afield. Paired with a set of Geomaster hubs the setup provides excellent lock and control on the limit, while dampening duties are handled by the same set of Daiyama coilovers that the car made its debut on back in 2010. The original D2 big brake setup also still remains with the brake fluid being fed by a set of braided lines from HEL.

The rear features a similarly basic setup with our Japspeed Camber, Toe, Traction and Adjustable Rear Lower arms all present. These are all mounted to the subframe that is secured by a set of our Solid Subframe Bushes while the other ends are bolted up to another pair of Geomaster hubs.

Keeping the S15 in check is another pair of D2 brakes hooked up to the hydraulic handbrake setup.

Moving onto the engine bay and things are a bit more serious! The RB received a full rebuild with forged internals along with a custom inlet manifold from our friends at TDP in Ireland in preperation for the 2014 season. Tubbed arches are commonplace on even the most basic grassroots drift cars these days due them allowing for added clearance when on full lock, so it’s no surprise to see them on our S15. The original slam panel has also been removed and replaced with a tubular setup which will help to prevent serious damage to the car in a heavy front impact., while also helping to simplify the car’s overall construction in the process.

Boost is provided by an Owen Developments GTX3076…

…while Samco silicone hoses feature throughout to take care of the aforementioned boost along with handling the coolant and breather setups.

Keeping the coolant temps under control is one of our Universal 100mm Radiators – a favourite with drifters around Europe for serious competition car builds.

The interior remains as sparse as ever with a dash of colour thanks to the beautiful pair of Corbeau bucket seats sitting either side of the shifter for the Quaife sequential box setup.

And there you have it! With Shane O’Sullivan behind the wheel the car has been an unstoppable force throughout 2014. Thanks to Sully’s wild yet incredibly precise driving style he secured more BDC podium finishes than any other Super Pro driver (four out of six events) along with back-to-back victories at Rounds 3 and 4. The car will be on the receiving end of an overhaul over the coming months to ensure it remains as reliable as ever but, in terms of specification, not much will be being changed at all. Why fix what’s not broken!?