It was once considered sacrilegious to swap a V8 into an S-chassis, but people have seen the light. Cheap, plentiful, and with 6.2 liters of displacement, the LS3 is a perfect fit for drifting, and far cheaper than an SR20 which is comparable in power. Plus, there’s no turbo lag, fewer heat issues, and a mile-wide powerband that makes shifting purely optional.

While times have changed and the idea of a Chevrolet V8 sitting in the engine bay of a Japanese Nissan might not seem as outrageous as it once did, the fact that this particular hodgepodge drifter was made by a group of avid Italians will have some people scratching their heads.

It only takes a cam, an exhaust, fuel and a tune to get 600 horses out of this LS3. The nitrous is the icing on the cake…

Italian speed shop Brill Steel has an interest in taking budget Silvias and turning them into raucous, mega-powerful monsters – and this one in focus is just a “practice” car. Their more elaborate builds include a carbon S14.5 that boasts 900 horsepower and weighs a mere 2,200 pounds, and has bewitched legions of domestic and import fans alike.

While this little zenki S14 isn’t what you might call a head-turner, it still puts down some impressive numbers and moves with a gracefulness the cars are known for. With 630 horsepower and enough torque to comfortably ripple the asphalt underneath, there no wanting for more grunt. What’s more impressive is the way a relatively understated car commands such a presence. With modest overfenders, a gurney flap, and a carbon, louvered hood, this S14 looks like a grassroots machine built without pretension.

Pink accents do make it stand out, but in the world of drifting, this S14 is modest. Photo credit: Stefano Bozzeti

It’s an awesome little package that doesn’t need clutch kicks to get the rear wheels spinning – just 600 ponies, an endless wave of torque, a lightened chassis, and a very committed driver do the trick. It’s not the top-of-the-line, nor is it traditional, but it demonstrates how simple ingredients put together in the right measures equates to an awesome amount of performance.