Drift Tengoku — September 2004 · Page 29

As you know, the Drift Tengoku Cefiro uses an RB25DET with increased boost. It made 310 horsepower at last month’s power check, so it is running fairly well. Familiarity helps, but even without huge power, the balance makes it reassuring to drive.

There were no problems from turns 1 through 5. I watched the tire smoke in the mirror; there was a reasonable amount, and I could get on the throttle early. It is a good car.

If I had one complaint, I would like to shift a little earlier at turn 1. Then I would like to enter the infield at an angle, flat out, with smoke pouring out from around turn 2. You might think that Neovas would be too much for an RB25 running increased boost, but with the right car balance… [Continues in the next block.]

…it is surprisingly manageable. I even ran 255-width tires in D1 last year. So, I tested HKS’s GT-RS in a four-door R34 Skyline.

Apart from the turbo, there are no power upgrades beyond a metal head gasket, and the car has not been lightened. Like the Cefiro it has an RB25DET, but this is the NEO6 with variable valve timing. How would that combination work?

Hearing that it made over 400 horsepower brought D1 driver Nomura to mind: rev-limiter noise and clouds of smoke! Entry speed is clearly higher. Earlier upshifts let you stay on the throttle longer.

On the straight, this turbo was fast. Boost arrives at 4,000 rpm, and the acceleration and pull after that are completely different. You can turn the car sideways much earlier entering the chicane.

Where the Drift Tengoku Cefiro struggles to sustain the drift, this car does it easily. Good acceleration really gets you motivated. Drifting is about the excitement, too!

Carrying that momentum into the final corner, I found myself shifting into third about 10 meters earlier. Entry speeds rise and you can stay on the throttle longer, opening up more advanced drifting. Honestly, though, low-rpm torque is weak.

Strong boost starts at 4,000 rpm, so a mistake with the throttle could leave you unable to recover quickly. HKS says combining the turbo with cams would improve this considerably, but its NEO6 cams were not finished yet. Are there cams for the regular RB25?

I want those too! My conclusion: this turbo suits intermediate to advanced drivers. Beginners should find the stock turbo sufficient.

More power means faster entries and makes slowing down harder. But when you start wishing for more power, an upgrade opens up your entry angles: shallow and fast, or deep with more smoke. The weak low end should be manageable once you can drive near the rev limiter.

“The HKS engineers listened carefully to my opinions. This turbo was developed for people who find the GT2530 insufficient, so it is understandable that it favors higher rpm. They said the slightly smaller GT2530kai would suit someone who prioritizes low-speed response. I wanted to test that one too. I am always available…” says the Samurai. His precise comments seem to have won over the HKS staff. Could he be…? Just kidding.