Eric’s BRZ: The NA Rocketship

I want to start this feature by saying I never like to play favorites when I go to a drift event. I remember when I first started going to events back in 2013 and would be excited to see anything and talk to anyone. I still carry that mindset with me to any event I go to, even after being a regular for many years. That being said, Eric Wilhelm and this BRZ are for sure in my ‘Top 8’ for grassroots driving. Watching this car develop over the better part of 5 years has been a staple aspect of any Clubloose 2 event I attend. Eric is always looking to improve as a driver and improve on this chassis to keep up with teammates running cars with nearly double the power at times.

Truth be told I am a massive fan of the FRS/BRZ/GT86 platform and am historically drawn to NA cars. This build checks a lot of boxes for me and with its 2022 refresh, it is a dream machine in my eyes. Having a background in squeezing the most out of underpowered NA cars, Eric is the ultimate pilot for this vehicle. I’m very glad we had a chance to get some photos of this prior to the season beginning. Shooting close to home in Pittsburgh is always a treat as well. Hope you all enjoy this feature. We will for sure see more of this car in some upcoming event recaps.

Background:

This was the first BRZ we got at the dealer I work at. When the person that ordered it didn’t pick it up, I jumped on it. Considering I started drifting in an AE86, it was a natural fit for me. After about a year of street driving it and wrecking it, I knew that it would become my next drift car. So the transformation started. In my heart I knew I wanted to pay homage to my original 86. So a light and naturally aspirated car was what was in order. After several different setups…and crashes, it’s become (with the help of some great friends) the car you see today.
Eric Wilhelm