,
 |
| The FR-S uses a custom modified rear sub-frame that is attached with 0 compliance aluminum bushings. This rear frame isn't moving unless you smash it into the wall. It also means that it won't squirm as it loads from side to side while drifting. |
 |
| Yes, those are Tony Angelo special Stance coilovers. The dampers are custom made by Stance for him. They feature 2-way custom pro setup pistons with digressive valving. Swift Springs are used with varying rates about which Tony tells us, “I'm not telling you.” |
 |
| Roll control is handled by Speedway Engineering Speedway bars, so yes, the same stuff you'd get if you were going to go oval track racing. Good stuff, though, and changing the bar is quick; unbolt the arms from the bar, unlock the collar, and slide the old out and put in the new. The Stance rear lower arms are pretty trick and something I didn't notice until just now. They feature three different locating holes for the bottom of the rear damper. If you have been following Mike Kojima's suspension articles, you'll know that this effects how the springs act on the car by changing the motion ratio of the dampers. The closer to the wheel, the more the ratio shifts towards 1:1 and the further from the wheel the lower the ratio. With a lower ratio (away from 1:1), the springs will act softer and vice versa with a higher ratio. To put it very simply, it's leverage. |
 |
| Ah, the heart of the car, the 2AZ-FE. This is the same engine from Tony's tC and the specifications are all still the same: 88.5mm bore and 102mm stroke with a BC crank. The CP pistons, BC H-beam BC625+ rods and Cometic MLS head gasket give it a 10:1 compression ratio. The MLS Head Gasket is a three-layer setup with Viton coated and embossed spring steel outer layers with a steel inner. That inner layer is what gives the gasket its support and thickness while the outer embossments allow for a proper seal around the oil and coolant passages. |
 |
Remember when I mentioned that special accelerator pedal? Well, here is why; the pedal isn't attached to the engine by a cable. Well, it is a cable but not how you'd typically think of it. It's “throttle by wire” and actually allows Tony to heel-toe quicker, not use a blow-off valve, and do some more trick stuff. According to Tony, “We are using drive-by-wire and are just doing it for simplicity. It can be used to do things like anti-lag which we plan on experimenting with.” Like I said, trick stuff. I also had to ask, 'why run the 2AZ-FE again? Why not build the boxer engine?' Tony responded, “We had a really good experience with the 2AZ-FE engine. It's a killer motor, makes reliable power, we had it well sorted, and we had spares.” The V8 wasn't an option, either. “I wasn't interested in going the V8 route since I wanted to keep with the theme of the car of lightweight, 4 cylinder power. If we had more time, we would have considered developing the stock 2.0 motor.” |
