If you were to ask a drifting enthusiast which FD3S RX-7 was the most iconic in America there is a very, very good chance that the response would be the “Breaking FD”. That, of course, being a reference to Derek Bianski’s iconic, bright-blue RX-7. A founding member of Team Breaking, Derek has been one of the driving forces behind the style his team has become renown for and his RX-7, and it’s evolution, is the epitome of that style.

Let’s be real here. Although they are fast and nimble out of the box, the FD RX-7 can be a problematic choice for a drift car. They’re expensive to buy (especially now), and the 13BREW motor is difficult to maintain and takes specialized knowledge to upgrade and tune. Whether it is true or not, they have a reputation for being unreliable, which is why the rotary is so often dumped in favor of the LS or a JZ series motor.

Despite these challenges, Derek has stuck with his rotary and put in the effort to maintain it correctly. In return it has proved to be extremely reliable and served him well over nearly a decade of regular drifting. In fact, it was still running when it was pulled last year in favor of a brand new 13BREW from Mazda.

The motor wasn’t the only major change though. The exterior received a full refresh last year as well, and made a debut at Final Bout Gallery. However, it wasn’t until earlier this year that the new look was completed, and all the diffusers and canards went on.

For this feature, I met up with Derek in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. We drove around the city center looking an interesting location to shoot his car. Following it around was a fun experience. Heads snapped when it drove by and pedestrians frequently pointed at it excitedly. I’m sure the most of them had no idea they were looking at a Mazda drift car and not some exotic European sportscar.

Hell, if I wasn’t already familiar with Breaking I would have thought it was set up for Time Attack and not drifting. An RE Amemiya AD Facer front bumper, AD-GT side skirts, fenders, diffusers and wing are not something you’d expect to see on an FD that’s going to thrown around a drift track.

The metallic blue and luminous yellow is Breaking’s signature color combo and it continues in the FDs new look. As someone that is into design myself, I really appreciated the logo layout. It’s real easy to go too far with such bright and in-your-face colors and Derek managed to keep things classy.

Let’s stop for a second and talk about this wheel and tire combo. At this point, it’s nearly impossible to do something unique when it comes to choosing wheels. Not only did Derek manage to set himself apart by running a set of 17/18 staggered OG Advan Model 6, he had them powder coated luminous yellow and wrapped them in Advan Neova AD08 with no stretch.

The last time I saw the FD was at Final Bout Gallery. While it looked great, Derek hadn’t had a chance to install the front splitter and matching canards, and they make quite a difference. The front end looked “naked” without them. It’s sitting nice and low on a set of HKS Hipermax Performer coilovers and increased steering angle is provided by PBM knuckles and S14 tie rods.

I can also appreciate the decision to not run a typical vented style hood. Instead, he’s running a more unique FEED style hood from Shine Auto.

Under the hood the biggest change is, of course, the replacement of the Pineapple Racing built motor that had served Derek reliably for a decade with a brand new 13BREW from Mazda. He plans on refreshing the original motor on the side to use as a spare.

The FD is still running an A’PEXi RX6 turbocharger, which may not be as efficient as a modern GTX or EFR, but it’s a tank that will just keep going. I can appreciate this as I like to run old Trust turbos myself. The V-Mount intercooler/radiator setup is from RF-Werks and Derek just switch his engine management from a Power FC to a Haltech unit. The drivetrain consists of a Cusco 2-way LSD, Banzai Racing differential and transmission bracing, and a 6-puck organic spring clutch.

Inside the FD is combination of street and track. There’s a full interior, which is probably worth a fortune now, along with a 6-point dash-through welded in roll cage with door bars. You’ll also find a Nardi steering wheel, RE Amemiya shift knob, full bucket racing seat and a hydraulic side brake. Derek also mentioned he has an AIM digital dash, but he hasn’t had a chance to fit it yet.

It’s safe to say that Derek has built one of the most stylish FDs in the country, and I’m looking forward to seeing it on the track. I should also mention that his brother, and Breaking teammate, Drake decided to join the club and recently completed and FD build himself, which I featured recently. I’m looking forward to getting the opportunity to shoot both of them together.

Follow @breakingbianski on Instagram to follow his adventures and while you’re there follow me @run.matsuo. Stay tuned as I’m going to be chasing all my favorite US drift cars for blog features.