For their 10th anniversary, the Final Bout team decided to attempt something quite ambitious by bringing two drift teams over from Japan to compete in Final Bout 7. A total of eight cars were placed in containers and shipped over, specifically for this event. One of those teams, Lien Sense, ended up garnering a lot of my attention.

Lien Sense is both the name of their team and their Fukuoka-based shop. A 'one-stop shop' of sorts, they cover all the bases, from tuning, bodywork, and painting to vinyl production. They’re even in the process of opening a restaurant. With the cost of drifting in Japan skyrocketing over the last decade, being able to generate income as a business catering to that community can definitely be advantageous.

Takuho Tominaga’s (@13l.ien) car was my personal favorite of the three. Not because it’s better than the other two, but because I’ll always prefer the Silvia over the 180SX, and the Trust TD06 turbo is a hill I’m willing to die on.

Ganadors seem to get all the attention, but in my opinion, you can’t beat Craft Square mirrors. The show-quality engine bay was impressive as well. I can personally attest to the crazy amount of work it takes to weld in tubs, grind the welds down, and then sand and smooth everything out like this. The removable upper radiator support is something everyone should consider doing, as it makes pulling the motor a breeze.

I’m not sure what’s going on internally, but the SR20 is definitely built, as it’s making 590PS at 1.6 bar. That’s probably double the power requirements of USAIR.

This was my first time seeing the new Origin Drift Line aero kit in person. I have to say, it might be my favorite kit for an S13 now. Hopefully, we’ll see all the Racing Line kits that explode get replaced by these. The staggered 17/18 Work VS-KF setup was the cherry on top. I got so used to seeing this setup back in the day that I can’t stand the way 18” VS-KFs look up front. It reminds me of Fukuda’s S14 from Crazy Night.

Kent Tsuroka’s (@k.tsuruoka.0109) 180SX is similar in build to Tominaga’s Silvia. It was also sporting the new Origin Drift Line kit and staggered VS-KFs. However, while the Silvia had a tubbed and shaved engine bay, the 180SX definitely looked more OEM (minus the cut-out inner fenders, of course).

Tsuroka also opted for a more modern ball-bearing turbo, a Garrett GT3037 52T. At 1.3 bar of boost, it’s making 450 HP—again, more than enough power for USAIR. I’ve owned plenty of SR cars in my day, but never with such high output. I’ve always felt like 375 HP was the sweet spot in terms of power and reliability. However, I’ve also always had stock bottom ends.

All the Lien Sense cars had the typical Japanese half-gutted interiors. It’s funny—I’ve had cars with and without carpet, and I much prefer drifting one with no carpet or sound deadening. It’s loud and obnoxious inside, but there’s something fun about knowing the only thing separating you from the track is 26-gauge Nissan sheet metal.

Clear tails aren’t something you see every day. I don’t think they’d work on most cars, but these two are so wild that they can pull them off. I’m not sure who made these, but if you’re looking for a set, Project Mayhem (@prjktmayhem_kenji) makes and sells them. Also, why can’t all aero makers design over fenders that actually extend all the way to the tails, trunk, window, and door lines? Even if they overshot, it would be so easy to shave them back to line up perfectly during installation. Sorry, rant over.

Rounding out the Lien Sense cars was Sayaka Shimoda’s (@sayaka419) 180SX. I’m not sure if it’s going to get the full livery and black fade treatment like the other two, but as it stands, it’s a great-looking car with a good mix of aero. The front bumper is definitely PS Duce, and the side skirts and rear bumper probably are as well. The fenders are from Origin, along with their Drift Line lip kit. The bonnet looks to be Yahoo Auctions SPL.

Sayaka is sponsored by Valino, which is why her 180SX is running their N820S wheels, which actually look pretty decent. It’s also a 17/18 staggered setup like the other two Lien Sense cars.

Her 180SX, while not as fast as the other two, was running a Greddy T518Z, which is essentially an internally gated TD05-18G with a T25 flange. At 1.3 bar, it was making a healthy 380 HP, and seeing her on track, it was clearly enough power for USAIR

If you aren’t already familiar with Sayaka, she’s a professional driver with an impressive resume that includes D1 Ladies League, D1 Street Legal, and D1 Grand Prix, where she competes in the Mercury S15. In addition, she’s also the Public Relations Manager for D1. She has a great YouTube channel as well. Click here to check it out.

The Lien Sense Silvia and 180SXs reminded me a lot of the cars I used to drive with back in the day. From their styling to their stance, they ticked all the boxes. Obviously, they’re more advanced in terms of tuning, safety, and steering angle, but that’s all part of the evolution of drifting. Check them out on the web at www.liensense.com. Stay tuned as I have plenty more Final Bout 7 coverage to come.