KW automotive » KW welcomes Michael Essa and his Formula D BMW 350R drift car into the KW motorsports family

KW welcomes Michael Essa and his Formula D BMW 350R drift car into the KW motorsports family ( 03.16.2010 )

The instant Michael Essa got behind the racing wheel at 17 he knew it was where he wanted to be. From that moment on he has focused on the machine and the track, building a solid foundation to create a legacy in global motorsports. Essa opened Tech Trix Motorsports in Anaheim,California in the Spring of 2001.

But Essa’s not just another aspiring drift monkey off the streets. In addition to owning Tech Trix Motorsports and competing in the Formula Drift series, Essa also supplies custom fabrication, specialized maintenance, optimization and management of privately owned Porsche racecars. He and his expert team maintain an average of 20 cars annually and are significant players on the P.O.C. and P.C.A. circuits.

He has held positions as Crew Chief and Lead Tech Inspector building and developing his talent from the ground up. Essa not only worships racing but supports the community by offering driving instruction for both Porsche racers and drift drivers. He can be found most weekends at a racetrack perfecting his own driving skills and surveying the track.

Following his initial succes in Formula D Proam and Formula D in his V8 LS powered Tech Trix Motorsports 1987 Mazda RX-7 (FC), Essa saw it was time to step up with something more competitive and original. Teaming up with GSR Autosports, Essa and his crew committed to building a new and unique drift competition car. Using a 2008 BMW 335i coupe as a platform, Essa would apply all the skills and knowledge acquired with his Mazda into the first European platform to compete in US professional drifting.

While the original twin turbo inline-six engine already has plenty of tuning potential, Essa decided on the uniqueness and reliability of the vaunted V10 found in BMW’s M5 and M6 supercars. In terms of horsepower, this engine would be an easy match for most turbocharged or domestically powered V8 competitors. The drawback is the low torque numbers. This would require a compelety different driving style and far more skill in the drifting arena.

Follow along with Michael Essa and the GSR Autosport team as they build and prep this brand new 335i for the 2010 Season Formula Drift competition.

You can also read about it online at

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/05/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r-part-i-we-help-build-a-formula-drift-r/

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/gsr-autosport-bmw-350r/