Bolt-on Inspiration: Breaking Down Larry Chen’s “Daily Drifter” GR86
Famed automotive and Formula Drift photographer Larry Chen revealed his latest project at SEMA 2022 last month: a “daily drifter” 2022 Toyota GR86, which was on display at the automaker’s booth in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Inspired by the professional drift cars operated by the likes of Fred Aasbo, Ken Gushi and Ryan Tuerck, Chen’s goal with this MagnaFlow-equipped bolt-on build was to keep the upgrades as approachable as possible and within a reasonable budget.
The results speak for themselves. The car certainly looks the part thanks to the addition several performance-oriented carbon fiber touches, including a front splitter lip, rear wing, side skirts and rear valence from HKS, as well as a Seibon hood. These drift-ready components compliment the GR86’s white Motegi Racing MR154 Battle wheels wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN NEOVA AD09 tires.
This daily drifter’s eye-catching LED lighting was made possible by Gino at Vaderwerks and carries on to the car’s interior, where Sparco EVO QRT racing seats, Sparco six-point harnesses and a Studio RSR four-point roll cage further emphasize the vehicle’s track-ready sensibilities. The interior’s pièce de résistance has to be the steering wheel though, which Vivid Racing custom designed to featured TRD’s racing hues while retaining the stock airbag.
More Than Just Looks
All of these upgrades hint at the car’s legit performance cred, which becomes all the more apparent once you take a look under the hood and see it’s HKS GT2 Supercharger Pro ZD8 kit, intercooler and CSF aluminum radiator. A Toyota GR strut tower brace, front fender support structure braces and door jamb braces all serve to increase the vehicle’s structural rigidity. These enhancements pair nicely with the HPS silicone hoses, as well as the HKS dry carbon fiber engine and fuse box covers.
The bolt-on performance boosts don’t stop there, continuing underneath the car, where its supercharged 2.4L I-4 works in concert with a MagnaFlow NEO Series Performance Exhaust System (#19595) to boost output to about 300 horsepower. Chen loves the system’s high quality, racing-bred V-band clamps that allow it to be quickly and easily removed as necessary.
Further mechanical enhancements include a StopTech Big Brake kit, ST XTA Plus 3 coilovers from ST Suspensions, adjustable sway bar links, a GK Tech steering angle kit, front and rear adjustable control arms from SPL Parts and an OS Giken Super Lock 1.5-way differential.
All told, this daily drifter GR86 is quite the track toy to behold, and even more impressive once you consider that all the components are available off the shelf. The result? A legitimate drift car that can also transport you home from the track (albeit likely on a different set of tires).
Interested in a more in-depth look at the build courtesy of the builder himself? Check out Larry Chen’s video breakdown for a closer look at this bolt-on beauty. Interested in seeing more awesome builds like this one? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on our latest collaborations.
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