Like Car, Like Driver
Joon “Gentle” Maeng may look like just another young driver on the Formula Drift circuit, but don’t let his appearance fool you. He has been through many ups and downs, and a number of cars too. This year brings a new beginning and a fresh start for the South Korean. His personal Lucas Oil / Mav TV sponsorships were renewed, and he is now joined by Nexen Tires to take on the competition. He is also now managing his own program with the help of Road Race Engineering.
Joon Maeng’s Formula Drift Nissan S13 is running a Seibon Carbon hood and hatch.
Reliability is key to success in the unforgiving world of drifting, and Joon’s latest Nissan S13 chassis has been conceived from the ground up with that in mind.
Maeng’s team knew that to play with the big boys, a basic four-cylinder engine wouldn’t cut it so they went a different direction: swapping a Brodix 8.2-liter LSX V8 into the front of the sport coupe and tuning it to put out a whopping 800 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque. The power is managed through a dog box transmission and ACT clutch and flywheel, transferring into a brand new Weir Performance rear end.
Joon Maeng’s Formula Drift Nissan S13 is running a Seibon Carbon hood and hatch.
The exterior is unlike any you’ve seen before. No, we didn’t misprint images in this article, you’re seeing it correctly – like the Dark Knight villain, there are two sides to this drift machine. Painted by Sam’s Auto Land, the driver side of the car features a red Lucas Oil stripe set, while the passenger side is predominantly white and blue for Mav TV.
Under the two-tone paint scheme, Seibon carbon fiber body panels keep things lightweight, and the hood was chopped to make room for the crazy Holley manifold. Formula Drift cars are required to have working headlights for the night events, and this S13 features lazy eye-style covers with lights suitable for a Johnny Five robot. In the rear, an APR wing finishes off the look.
Joon Maeng’s Formula Drift Nissan S13 is running a Seibon Carbon hood and hatch.
Drift cars can’t just look good on the surface these days, they also need a kick-ass stance to fit the bill. Enter FEAL’s 411 drift-spec suspension, a fully adjustable shock and spring set to help manage everything from camber to ride height. The coil-overs and custom Bink Industries sway bars let Maeng dial in just the right firmness for each track. Drift cred? Yeah, this S13 has got that.
Joon Maeng’s Formula Drift Nissan S13 is running a Seibon Carbon hood and hatch.
Ask fans about Maeng, and the same phrase is offered up without reservation: ‘He is the nicest guy in drifting.’ A genuine fan of his supporters, Maeng stays late after each event to sign autographs for anyone and everyone that stops by his pit. But competitors know they can’t be off guard by his kindness, and nice guys don’t always finish last. Like his Lucas Oil Mav TV Nissan S13, there are two sides to Maeng’s personality, and one of them takes drifting very seriously. His passion shows in each run, so be sure to check him out as the Formula Drift series makes its way across the U.S. this year.
Essentials
Vehicle: Nissan 240SX (S13)
Driver: Joon Woo Maeng
Team: Lucas Oil Mav TV Nexen Tire
Engine: 8.2L LSX V8
Horsepower: 800 hp
Torque: 750 lb-ft
Engine Modifications
Brodix 8.2L (498 ci) LSX all-aluminum V8 engine (assembled and tuned by Westech Performance)
Brodix cylinder heads
JE pistons
Holley Performance (EFI Hi Ram intake manifold, fuel rails)
K&N intake filter
Meziere Enterprises electronic water pump
Aeromotive A1000 fuel cell/pump system
Sikky LSX swap motor mounts (CNC-machined billet aluminum)
Lucas engine oils
Exterior
Sam’s Auto Land (paint and body)
Seibon Carbon carbon fiber body panels- hood and trunk
Spyder Auto taillights
APR Performance carbon fiber rear wing
Interior
Road Race Engineering roll cage
Sparco (Rev Grp Tech race seats, 6-point harness, steering wheel)
Autometer tachometer
APEX’i (oil pressure gauge, water pressure gauge, EL meter control unit)
Exhaust
JBA Performance wrapped headers
Road Race customer 2-1 exhaust
Drivetrain
Dog Box transmission with custom gear ratios
ACT clutch and flywheel
Weir Performance rear end
Chassis / Suspension
Powered by Max steering arms
FEAL 441 Drift Spec coil-overs
Custom Bink Industries sway bars
Wheels / Tires / Brakes
Varrstoen ES2 wheels – 17-in. (f), 18-in. (r)
Nexen N9000 tires – 265/40 ZR17 (f), 275/35 ZR18 (r)
Nissan brakes (four-piston calipers (f))
Wilwood brake components (f/r)
Sponsors
Lucas Oil, Mav TV, Nexen Tire, Road Race Engineering, S-Empire, Nexus Visuals, Sam’s Auto Land, Aeromotive, Holley Performance, LS Auto, Enjuku Racing, Brodix, ACT, JE Pistons, Westech Performance, APR Performance, JBA, SPARCO, Varrstoen Wheels, Seibon Carbon, Rockett Fuel, Meziere, FEAL Suspension, Powered By Max, K&Nt.
Read PASMAG’s full article here: http://www.pasmag.com/features/rides/3266-like-car-like-driver-joon-maengs-fd-nissan-240sx-s13