2011 FALKEN TIRE Cars Testing at ASD

[ASD Team]

We just wrapped up the first day of testing for the 4 ASD built Falken Tire Formula D cars in Charlotte NC. Here is a sneak peak of the cars. More pictures, details and video to follow shortly as we finish up our testing later this week!



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[Bebop]

The sky looks amazing!

The mustangs look like mustangs.

But I gotta say the Z looks horrendous, ride height looks higher then stock, sunken wheels. Drifting is a weird sport in this day and age. At least it works I guess.

One thing I'm really curious about, I see they are displaying new visor and number decals. Are the cars already teched, if so does FD staff fly someone out to look over them? If not are they getting checked the weekend of long beach? Or does FD take your honest word for their scrutiny?

[ASD Team]

A Formula D official was flown in and paid for by Falken (fee per car and travel) to tech the cars prior to Long Beach since we are outside of the 400 mile radius for the annual tech held by Formula D.

[Ckmatsu]

gotta love the new amuse kit Z and custom roof Sky. where's Dai's s13? still being rebuilt?

[D1 DRIFTER]

Dai's car is currently being finished up at SPD metal works in Anaheim California.

[ASD Team]

Bebop:

Tried to get the Z lower, but the FD rulebook now doesn't allow modified subframe locations for suspension pick-up points. Up until now, Tyler's Z was running under the pre #129 VID provision and could still use the revised pick-up locations. But this being a new car, and with 2010 being the last year of that transition, we had to go back to OEM locations on the chassis.

Although we can essentially do the same thing with the new suspension upright rule, those new front and rear 350Z uprights are still under development at ASD and continuing suspension geometry simulations in our CAD and SIM software.

So unfortunately, we can't lower the car any further... yet. Any lower for now, and the distance between the CG and roll centers when they go dynamic in drift goes all to whack with the components currently on the car, and the car gets a LOT slower.
Due to differing suspension geometry and CG heights between different makes and models, some cars see bigger performance disadvantages with lower ride heights than others. The 350Z is one chassis that doesn't like being too low with close to stock suspension geometry, when attempting to build a FD competitive car. Even a Coupe to convertible 350Z changes this scenario.

I agree with you though that the car would look better lower than it currently is, and just wanted to let you and everyone else know we are working on it.

Function over form, for now, until we develop the correct components to improve the geometry issues, because we must be competitive first. FD is too competitive to give up that big of a performance compromise.

I'm sure I'll hear "but so and so's 350Z runs lower ride height and it still works fine". When I see "so and so's" 350Z outrun Tyler's car in competition, I'll take notice, and admit I've been outsmarted

Brand new competitive drift cars are always a work in progress. There are only so many months in the off season, and in this past offseason ASD engineered and built three brand new FD cars, and completed an engine configuration change in another - along with the suspension updates that created. It looks like despite of that, we're still one of the first teams out testing their brand new cars for 2011.

A lot of work in a few months, so there's still a few things we're working on - 350Z ride height being one of them

Hope that explains to everyone the OEM ride height, and the steps we're taking to make the car look even better by being lower, but still be competitive.

[Brock White]

The Z needs to be lower. So and so's car is way lower. LOL j/k. I'm absolutely loving the Sky.

[my 1 88 u]

Bebop:

Tried to get the Z lower, but the FD rulebook now doesn't allow modified subframe locations for suspension pick-up points. Up until now, Tyler's Z was running under the pre #129 VID provision and could still use the revised pick-up locations. But this being a new car, and with 2010 being the last year of that transition, we had to go back to OEM locations on the chassis.

Although we can essentially do the same thing with the new suspension upright rule, those new front and rear 350Z uprights are still under development at ASD and continuing suspension geometry simulations in our CAD and SIM software.

So unfortunately, we can't lower the car any further... yet. Any lower for now, and the distance between the CG and roll centers when they go dynamic in drift goes all to whack with the components currently on the car, and the car gets a LOT slower.
Due to differing suspension geometry and CG heights between different makes and models, some cars see bigger performance disadvantages with lower ride heights than others. The 350Z is one chassis that doesn't like being too low with close to stock suspension geometry, when attempting to build a FD competitive car. Even a Coupe to convertible 350Z changes this scenario.

I agree with you though that the car would look better lower than it currently is, and just wanted to let you and everyone else know we are working on it.

Function over form, for now, until we develop the correct components to improve the geometry issues, because we must be competitive first. FD is too competitive to give up that big of a performance compromise.

I'm sure I'll hear "but so and so's 350Z runs lower ride height and it still works fine". When I see "so and so's" 350Z outrun Tyler's car in competition, I'll take notice, and admit I've been outsmarted

Brand new competitive drift cars are always a work in progress. There are only so many months in the off season, and in this past offseason ASD engineered and built three brand new FD cars, and completed an engine configuration change in another - along with the suspension updates that created. It looks like despite of that, we're still one of the first teams out testing their brand new cars for 2011.

A lot of work in a few months, so there's still a few things we're working on - 350Z ride height being one of them

Hope that explains to everyone the OEM ride height, and the steps we're taking to make the car look even better by being lower, but still be competitive.

What tire sizes are each car going to be sliding on?