ARTHUR LEE S15
Another car to debut at round two of the National Championship at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon was Arthur Lee’s much-anticipated RB28DET-powered S15 after its two-year build. We have followed this car’s build progress for some time as it took shape at DKM Fabrication, and the finished product certainly doesn’t disappoint. The parts list for this car would fill eight pages of this magazine if we went into extreme detail, but we will leave that for the main feature in a few issues’ time. Still, we must draw attention to the fit and finish DKM achieved — the detail is amazing.
Arthur, who splits his time between New Zealand and China, started the project when he approached DKM with the idea of building a street car that was also capable of competing. But as the build progressed, so his knowledge of the extreme and often unique requirements of building a competitive yet reliable drifter increased. The result was the S15 you see here.
The powerhouse at the centre of it all is a built RB26DET with an HKS 2800cc stroker kit and a Tomei head with HKS cams. The boost side of the equation is handled by a Garrett GTX82R turbo with a Sinco manifold and stainless exhaust. The intake manifold is a Hypertune unit, with large single throttle body.
The electronics package is second to none, with a full Mil-Spec loom, MoTeC PDM, MoTeC C187 dash, and MoTeC ECU. There are full data logging capabilities and flat shifting for the Samsonas six-speed sequential, the first of its kind in D1NZ.
The RB produces around 597kW ( 800hp) on pump gas, chosen as Arthur prefers to keep the car on a maintenance-free fuel given how much time he spends out of the country.
The driveline is as bulletproof as the engine it backs, with an HKS triple-plate clutch, along with a carbon-fibre driveshaft, Winters 267mm Quick Change diff, and axles from The Driveshaft Shop in the USA. The rear subframe is a Sikky item, while up front it’s a mix of TDP and Parts Shop Max items.
Arthur is no stranger to drifting, having competed in China, but he plans to run the S15 here in D1NZ for a season or two before shipping it home.
The car showed huge potential on its first outing, although he was taking it easy to feel out the chassis. Expect this S15 to be a real contender once both chassis and driver are dialled.