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2JZ-Powered Lexus RC F Drift Car Is a 1,200 HP Smoke Machine

It's funny how sometimes you need to replace a V8 engine with a straight-six if you want more power, but when that six-cylinder is the legendary 2JZ, it all starts to make sense.
Ahmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift Car 9 photos
Photo: Lexus
Ahmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift CarAhmad Daham's 1200 hp Lexus RC F Drift Car
Off the factory floor, the Lexus RC F has a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 467 hp and 391 lb-ft (530 Nm) of torque. The Japanese manufacturer describes the RC F as "shaped for the track," and while that may be an overstatement, it does offer a "Track Edition" version complete with a Torsen limited-slip differential and a sizeable rear wing.

When you're the five-time Middle East drift champion, however, you're never going to use a stock car. That's why Ahmad Daham had the power output of his RC F pushed to 844 hp, making it the most powerful version of this model in the world. But that was one year ago.

Now, Ahmad teamed up with Al-Futtaim Lexus, the Lexus distributor in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the mother company itself to bring his drift car to the next level. How? By adding power and slashing weight. Those two conditions meant the V8 was now surplus to requirements, so it had to make room for Toyota's iconic 2JZ straight-six.

The engine came together with two turbochargers that help boost the output to the colossal 1,200 hp announced in the title. Not only is it lighter and more powerful, but the 2JZ is also a lot easier to work with and make adjustments on the fly during competitions. With a maximum torque of 1,079 lb-ft (1,461 Nm), those rear tires have no chance but spin out of control whenever Ahmad steps on the accelerator pedal.

But this one of a kind Lexus RC F isn't just powerful, but also light. It weighs 2,755 pounds (1,250 kg), which is over 1,100 pounds (500 kg) less than the standard version of the model. The savings were achieved by replacing the stock panels with ultra-light carbon-kevlar replicas, but unsprung mass was also targeted by replacing the wheels, brakes, as well as some suspension elements.

We could probably keep talking about Ahmad's new Lexus RC-F, but it wouldn't be worth a second of the clip that was released together with the announcement. The Middle Eastern champion seems to enjoy nothing more than drifting the back of this unique (and very expensive) Lexus millimeters away from the guardrails for no apparent reason.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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