Those accustomed to early-2000s Japanese drifting will undoubtedly know who Atsushi Kuroi is. For those who don’t, consider this a very important history lesson. It’s at all times difficult to summarise someone’s achievements without discounting their importance in history. Nonetheless, I’ll try to tell the story Kuroi-san deserves.
Atsushi Kuroi was greater than just your average D1GP competitor – he’s also known as a pioneer of drifting. Possibly it’s a results of Kuroi-san’s outlandish driving, incredible automotive styling, unique engine decisions or the ever-present combination of the three. Running a tuning shop called River Side in Osaka, Kuroi-san became well-respected off-track too.
Debuting as a privateer driver within the 2001 D1 Grand Prix championship, Kuroi-san competed with minimal external support until the 2003 season when a partnership with Toyo Tires was formed. He competed until 2008, achieving several podium finishes, including an outright victory at Fuji Speedway in 2007.
What these results don’t reflect is Kuroi-san’s unmatched style and love for drifting as a hobby and a sport. Despite not dominating Japan’s pro drift competition, Kuroi was incredibly well respected amongst his peers and continues to be considered a drifting legend within the Kansai region and beyond. Tragically, he passed away in 2010 from injuries sustained in a bike accident.
The lack of Kuroi-san touched the local and international drifting community. At D1GP’s 2010 season opener at Odaiba in Tokyo, a message book was unnoticed in his memorial stand for people to sign and leave a number of words. The primary entry was left by Kuroi-san’s Toyo Tires teammate Masato Kawabata.
This blue Nissan ‘Onevia’ (RPS13 180SX front on a PS13 Silvia) is the ultimate iteration of varied S13 chassis that Kuroi drifted throughout the years.
As mentioned earlier, Kuroi-san was well-known for his unique engine decisions, originally competing with an RB26 in his yellow Onevia. This automotive isn’t any exception, featuring a fully-built Toyota 2JZ-GTE with an enormous Trust T78 turbocharger hanging off the side of it.
Turbo lag? Don’t worry about that – the inline-six is nitrous oxide equipped, helping the turbo spool as fast as possible. On the time, this was quite a sophisticated setup for a D1GP automotive.
Up front is a custom-engraved Koyorad radiator and accompanying water sprayers. Remember, this automotive was developed well before rear-mounted radiators entered the professional drift scene. Sending the ability to the Nissan’s rear wheels is a 6-speed sequential transmission.
The inside actually tells some stories as well. It has all the pieces you would like and nothing you don’t, starting with a 6-point roll cage and a pair of Bride Zeta III bucket seats with HPI harnesses. All crucial engine telemetry is displayed via an array of Defi gauges, an A’PEXi Power FC’s FC Commander hand controller, and the gear position indicator for the sequential transmission.
The outside screams ‘2000s drift machine’, a mode near my heart. So many individuals attempt to duplicate this look nowadays, so it’s incredibly cool to see a automotive that has remained relatively unchanged since its final form in 2009.
I imagine the Onevia includes a ‘Streamline’ body kit by Origin Labo but I’m pleased to be corrected as that’s only a mildly educated guess. A mixture of under panels and canards finish off the aggressive look, together with a GT-style rear wing synonymous with early D1GP cars.
Because the proverbial cherry on top, the Onevia sits surprisingly low on a spectacular set of early Work Emotion XD9 wheels in a black chrome finish.
If you start listing modifications on a automotive like this, you quickly realise the simplicity of it. As an alternative of being merely a sum of its parts, it’s the execution that makes it so good. Mix that with the relatively subtle presence of battle scars, and it’s clear that the looks goes deeper than surface level. It’s concerning the aura it exudes, something only a number of cars can achieve.
I got to drive this automotive a really short distance at Ebisu Circuit, and it’s an experience I’ll always remember. As a bit of drifting history, I can only hope that it continues to be cherished by the brand new owner.
We remember and have fun Atsushi Kuroi as a mode king and one in every of the forefathers of drifting as we comprehend it today.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
