The sport of Drifting is catching on like wildfire the world over, and that’s not exactly surprising considering it carries the most entertainment value of any motorsport out there. Even F1 has become mundane with cars lapping continuously in a “follow the leader” fashion for two hours. There isn’t much in the form of action, except when spectacular crashes happen, sending carbon fiber shrapnel everywhere. Not exactly safe, but it’s action nonetheless. Yes, aerodynamics make it difficult to overtake blah blah blah.
Drifting brings together the most exciting aspects of our favorite forms of racing in an exciting showcase. What could be better than watching massive horsepower cars going sideways, door to door with each other at breakneck speeds with smoke bellowing out their arches? Okay, well, participating would be better, but not all of us have the type of skill and precision needed to pull off some of these stunts. Of course, some may, so learning a bit about the best vehicles to take out onto the track is important.
The recipe for a great drift car is a generic affair with the following characteristics at the fore: RWD (Duh!), good chassis balance, engine tuneabilty, a limited slip differential, and obviously accessible tuning parts to make the aforementioned a reality. In the list below, you will find a short description on what unique attributes each of the cars bring to drifting, and hopefully will give you a better understanding of the sport and what building a good drift car requires.
Hopefully this will get you swatting bugs with your side windows in no time. Proceed with caution though, as this is a highly addictive adrenalin rush waiting to happen.
Hit the jump to see the list.
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If anybody knows anything about lightweight sports cars, Mazda does. As the creator of one of history’s most popular lightweight sports car – the MX-5 Miata – Mazda understands the objective of building a car that takes into account weight and efficiency better than anybody else. After all, for a speedster like the MX-5, it only weighed 2,300 pounds in its first generation.
It is through their understanding of this principle that Mazda was able to transfer their understanding about the intricacies of the MX-5 to build the vehicle that they’re entering into the 2010 LA Design Challenge – the MX-0.
Taking into account the theme of this year’s LA Design Challenge of emphasizing the need for minimizing the use of the planet’s resources while building a car that’s efficient, lightweight – no more than 1,000 lbs – comfortable, and safe without sacrificing the design elements that would make it attractive to consumers, Mazda is basing the MX-0 on the ideology of the MX-5, albeit using parts that are lighter and simpler than the ones found in the Miata, all while not compromising the car’s overall performance.
Mazda is envisioning the MX-0 as a vehicle that is powered by high-torque electric motors with an off-the-charts power-to-weight ration, resulting in a vehicle that comes with unrivaled power and balance, able to fly off the block and perform seamless cornering. A vehicle, suffice to say, that isn’t so much used for driving as it is for flying.
Through the low volume use of energy and minimal use of raw materials to power it, the MX-0 figures to be a car that’s made for the future, a future that puts great importance on sustainable, inexpensive composites with clean-running powertrains, resulting in a car that’s not only good for the masses, but even better for the environment.
Press Release after the jump.
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It was a very fruitful week in Las Vegas at the SEMA show and although there were numerous vehicles shown, only a few really stood out. After a few days of deliberation, each one of us at TopSpeed picked our favorite special edition, as we all had issues agreeing on what was best.
The SEMA show is one of the most popular automotive events in the world. It can attract more than 100,000 visitors from over 100 countries in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. The displays are segmented into 12 sections and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 2,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components.
While we love tools and what not, we go for the cars. These tuned beauties remind us of The Fast and the Furious, although some of the cars shown are neither fast nor furious. We’ve already had one winner, as the Chevrolet Camaro was named the Hottest Car, but do we agree?
Hit the jump to keep reading.
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We like anniversaries at TopSpeed, mostly because we get to see some really impressive special editions of stock vehicles. Yet, as is life, there are some that are just a waste of road space. These machines take a good car and paint it with a unique color, add some badges, and charge a massive sum for the whole kit. That’s like celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary at a Burger King with a fancy upper level.
The Mazda MX-5 Super20 doesn’t have this issue. Not to mention the fact that the normal MX-5 was one hell of a machine. Ever since it was launched it has sold by the millions and become the quintessential British roadster, despite the fact it’s not even built in the UK.
So, what does the MX-5 Super20 offer that the normal version doesn’t. Well, we have put together a preview of this anniversary addition below.
Hit the jump to read on.
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Although the Mazda RX-8 has passed on and will be replaced in the near future, we still find it to be one of the most interesting vehicles on the road. Sure, it might not be the best to drive, as it takes a whole new approach to get it to go fast, but it looks great and it’s pretty fast as the higher rev range.
Mazda may be killing off the RX-8 due to the motor not meeting the new emissions regulations and the fact that it hasn’t really sold the way the company had hoped, but it’s not gone yet. And Mazda is ensuring that the RX-8 will be remembered as it has presented everyone at SEMA with the RX-8 Grand-Am GT. This version of the Mazda RX-8 has just completed its 2010 racing season and did extremely well, walking away with six out of the 12 races.
Hit the jump for this winning Mazda Grand Am GT RX-8’s specifications.
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