2013-10-07

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

 

 

 

 

Show more