I've always found it interesting to discover what professional drivers like to keep in their own garage. Especially drifters. I believe that if some of the best drivers in the business pick a specific car then it's obviously for a very good reason. For example, Keiichi Tsuchiya owns a late-generation Honda NSX-R. If anyone has ever had the pleasure of driving this amazing machine, then it's obvious why the great master himself has one. So it was with great anticipation that I went to see this very special Nissan S15 Silvia Spec-R. Talking with the T&E chaps at a recent D1 round in Japan, I discovered they had just began putting the finishing touches to Nobuteru Taniguchi's very own streetcar. Sporting the new Vertex LanG Body Kit, this deep red S15 is certainly a looker. Nob loves his Nissan drift cars, and in addition to this car he has a stunning candy-red 180SX, which he often drives to racing events.
Being an HKS team driver, Nob has outfitted his S15 with parts from the Fuji based company. The engine tuning has been done to guarantee a decent amount of power, but also to keep the car nice and easy for street driving. However, if Nob is in the mood to get the Silvia a bit sideways, there's more than enough grunt there to guarantee smoky slides whenever, and wherever. All the tuning revolves around a GT-RS turbine kit, which features a GT28 compressor and a built-in actuator-controlled wastegate. The engine itself has been left standard and feeds the turbine through the Auto Produce BOSS stainless steel manifold. The gasses are expelled via a BOSS outlet and front pipe while the HKS titanium Hyper muffler takes care of generating that typical 4-cylinder burble. The circa 380 PS are generated with the use of mild HKS cams which allow a good spread of torque through the engine's operating range. Power is transferred to the Nismo gearbox through an ORC single plate clutch and on to the Nismo SSS LSD, which lowers the final drive to 4.1. Cooling mods are always a must so HKS has supplied the intercooler and piping kit, while the engine oil is kept at working temperature with the use of a Blitz cooler. A Yashio Factory big-core radiator is the final touch, which comes with the popular "Okachan" digital water temperature meter. A Garage Defend radiator panel as well as the marble effect finish on the engine cover completes the modifications under the bonnet.
Obviously for Nob the interior is as important as the rest of the car, after all this is where the driver spends all his time. So in went the obligatory Bride racing seats, and, to top things off, the rest of the interior has been upholstered in fabric sporting the Bride logo. This, in Japan, is as cool as interiors get; and the fit and finish is top notch. The drifter-style Nardi wheel is coupled to a quick-release boss for that extra touch of safety. The center console is done up in carbon, and houses the Alpine double-DIN LCD unit as well as a custom fitted secondary head unit. The navigation screen is controlled by the passenger side mounted HDD unit, and keeps up to date with latest traffic information. This gadget has become a must for anyone driving around Tokyo. A Blitz boost gauge sits in the factory A-pillar mounted housing while the Nismo dash replaces the silly 180km/h standard item.
Moving to the body of the car: With the new T&E Vertex LanG kit, this ride sports extremely smooth lines and an unmistakably drifter-style look. Composed of front/rear bumpers and side skirts it sells for 165,900, and is without doubt one of the best made body kits I've come across. Fit and finish is on par with the factory parts while the T&E boys have done an amazing job with the deep red paint job. Optional items on Nob's S15 include: two front canards; headlight brows; and a rear low lip spoiler. Also, the front light clusters have been painted with a similar marble-effect finish as the engine, albeit in red. You might notice some curious looking holes in the front fenders - these will actually show the vertical-lift door mechanism once it gets fitted. For now, it just gives a peek at the stiffening bars that have been added to the front section of the chassis. The car hugs the ground thanks to the HKS Hyper Max Pro suspension kit; and the massive 19-inch Advan Model T-6s certainly add to the effect. All suspension arms have been replaced with JIC adjustable items while some additional stiffening has been done with a Do-Luck rear cross bar which sits right behind the front seats. Hard to miss behind the massive wheels are the equally oversized Project brakes. The front rotors are grabbed by 6-pot calipers, while the rear rotors use recently launched 2-pot calipers.
This Silvia is almost too clean and perfect looking to drift, but, because we're sure Nob has no problem keeping it on the black, rest assured it's in safe hands. After visiting this beauty of a Nissan, we realize that Nobuteru Taniguchi certainly has the dream life: HKS team driver by day, and sick T&E S15 Silvia pilot by night.
Max Power380 hp using 1.25 kg/cm2
EngineHKS GT-RS turbineBOSS exhaust manifoldBOSS turbo outletBOSS front pipeHKS Hyper exhaustHKS intercooler and pipingHKS Super Power Flow intakeHKS camshafts (256 in & ex)HKS strengthened valve springsHKS turbo actuatorHKS EVC boost controllerNismo 550cc injectorsR33 GT-R fuel pumpZ32 air flow meterBlitz oil coolerYashio Factory radiator and swirl potYashio Factory ECU
TransmissionORC single plate clutchHKS 5-speed dog-engagement gearboxNismo SSS LSD (final 4.1)
Suspension & BrakesHKS Hyper Max Pro suspension kit10 kg/mm springs (front), 7 kg/mm springs (rear)JIC adjustable tie rodsJIC adjustable stabilizers (front & rear)JIC rear upper armJIC rear toe control armDo-Luck rear cross-barDo-Luck tension barProject 6-pot front calipers with 355 mm slotted rotorsProject 2-pot rear calipers with 345 mm slotted rotorsProject pads front & rear
Wheels & Tires19" Yokohama Advan AVS Model T-6Yokohama AVS Sport 235/35/19 (front & rear)
ExteriorVertex LanG 4-piece body kit: front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, aero front fendersVertex LanG Front gurneysVertex LanG Rear boot spoilerVertex LanG Front light browsFront light marble-paint reflectorCraft Square TC-F Type carbon mirrorsLED tail lightsBellof HID front lights
InteriorNardi 3-spoke steering wheelNismo boss plus quick release systemNismo instrumentsNismo shift knobYashio Factory digital water meterBlitz A-pillar mounted turbo pressure gaugeBride racing seatsFull Bride interior trimKaro matsCustom carbon center consoleCustom mounted Alpine 2-DIN LCD screenCustom mounted Alpine main head unitDash mounted Alpine HDD navigation uni