Rockstar AEM Scion tC

Converting the front wheel drive chassis into a drift car is no easy feat. The Rockstar tC features a custom widebody exterior with plenty of bracing under the skin to handle the additional sideways stresses associated with drifting. Something the Toyota engineers never dreamed of.

In order to break the rear tires loose on demand Tanner will be constantly shocking the drivetrain, so a bulletproof solution is needed. The 358 cubic inch V8 is connected to a G-Force 5 speed sequential transmission with an ACT performance clutch sandwiched in between. Because of Mr. Papadakis’s relation to the American Engine Management company, the electronics are taken care of thanks to an AEM engine management system. However drifting is not all about brute power, once the tC is sideways it takes a delicate balance to keep the car on the edge without causing it to spin out of control. So the suspension is made up of the meticulous combination of Tokico shocks, Eibach springs and a Wilwood big brake setup.

The team is already off to a great start coming in third at their first competition in the new car, especially considering they only came in behind a championship winning Viper and the same Solstice that earned the winner the freshman award for 2008.

Engine and suspension photos courtesy of Max Fonts.