Mike Essa's 'Baby Bear' E46 Drift Car
Mike Essa has played out a real life
version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears when it comes to his BMW Formula
Drift cars. His first E92 chassis had a very long 108-inch wheel base, was very
heavy, and had a suspension geometry that wasn't very optimal for drifting.
Moving to a smaller and lighter ZLI chassis reduced 10 inches from the wheel
base and several hundred pounds from the chassis, but the nearly-square chassis
design made the car snappy in transitions. Essa hopes this ELI6 will be the
best of both worlds; with the wheelbase an inch shorter than the E92, the
suspension of the DI and the weight somewhere in the middle. Baby Bear would be
proud!
2004
BMW M3 E46 - White hot
Under the hood, this car is very similar to
the ZLI of the last few seasons. The familiar S5LI motor is right at home in
the ELIE M3; reinforced with Carillo rods and CP Pistons it is otherwise mostly
stock. The Garrett GTX3582R turbocharger hangs off of a top-mount Doc Race
twin-scroll turbo manifold (new this season] for more accurate throttle
response compared to last year's low-mount, single-scroll setup. A Synapse
blow-off valve clears the air between each shift, while a CSF radiator keeps
the motor cool.
The true magic of drifting happens in the
wheel and suspension components. Esse has partnered with Bilstein this season
to gain technical assistance from the renowned suspension provider, pairing the
Bilstein motorsports dampers with Wisefab suspension arms to gain nearly 70
degrees of steering angle. This allows Essa to enter corners almost backwards,
particularly at tracks like Road Atlanta, where he himself is known for his
crazy, physics-defying drifts.
2004
BMW M3 E46 side
"Since the suspension geometry on the
ELIE is essentially the same as the Z. a lot of the notes we have from the past
two seasons of drifting in the ZLI still carry over," Essa says. This will
make the learning curve much easier for the new chassis.
Power is pushed to the rear wheels through
a Clutchmasters twin-disc clutch and four-speed NASCAR-style dog box
transmission. Thorough Concepts aluminum driveshaft, quick-change rear end and
Driveshaft Shop axles. Forgestar CF5 wheels powder coated in GSR Autosports
orange and Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 tires connect the car to the tarmac.
2004
BMW M3 E46 back
As with all competition drift cars, a
hefty, custom-built roll cage keeps the driver safe. Essa uses Sparco EVD seats
and Sparco five-point harnesses, with a suede OMP steering wheel for responsive
steering input. Hydraulic Wilwood pedals control the Wilwood brakes at each
corner with a custom e-brake handle for the rear hydraulic calipers for fine
adjustments mid-drift. All engine controls are displayed on the same Pectel Pi
Omega dash display that Essa has used on all three of his BMW drift cars.
Power
is pushed to the rear wheels through a Clutchmasters twin-disc clutch and
four-speed NASCAR-style dog box transmission
Essa is off to a hot start for the 2013
season. A strong qualifying effort and Top 16 finish in Long Beach was capped
with a win at the Motegi Super Drift challenge at the Long Beach Grand Prix a
week later, and a career-tying best fourth place finish in Atlanta. Essa may
have chosen a less common chassis to drift, but there's no doubting this car is
fully-capable of competing with the best drivers in Formula Drift.
