(Wrightwood, CA) – As 2025 wraps up and many things come to a close, professional drift driver Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis is already focusing on what lies ahead. Known for his expertise behind the wheel of a Nissan 240SX chassis since 2011, Bakchis has announced that he will be building and competing in a new Subaru BRZ for the 2026 Formula Drift season. An exclusive interview with Bakchis, who is also the founder and president of Feal Suspension, Inc., revealed that the build is already well underway. He explains more in the following interview:
- Why did you choose a Subaru BRZ as the next platform?
- Bakchis: This actually goes back to my introduction into automotive motorsports. My introduction into motorsports was rally, and Subaru was at the forefront at that time. I was drawn to Subaru because of my passion for high performance street cars and how involved they were in motorsports back then. When I started manufacturing coilovers at Feal Suspension, our very first application was for the Subaru Impreza and then we quickly added a lot of other Subaru models including the BRZ. I remember being so excited to measure the new BRZ and create a suspension package for it. Now fast forward several years and I look at cars with an even finer toothed comb. I vetted every RWD chassis and I think the BRZ has an appropriate wheelbase, is much lighter than other modern RWD cars, has tons of aftermarket support, and I think it looks really good.
- You have been competing in Formula Drift since 2011. Why switch things up now?
- Bakchis: To be honest, I’ve been itching to build a new drift car from a modern chassis for a couple of years now. However, for four years my focus was on serving multiple drivers on the Feal Suspension Race Team, but now my focus has shifted more on suspension product development and my own driving program. So this is the perfect opportunity to focus on developing a new chassis. This past year I started working with Subimods, which is a very motivated and passionate brand. Seeing how passionate they are in the Subaru market reminded me of my own passion when I started in motorsports. It made sense that this is the chassis I should consider.
- You are known as somewhat of an expert with the 240SX chassis. What made you choose something more modern?
- Bakchis: I want to build a high performance drift car based off of a modern chassis. I think these newer chassis have a higher level of rigidity which I think may have a higher potential to be competitive. The unibody is structurally sound with more bracing, and the rigid unibody has decades of technological advancements over an older chassis. I also like the styling of current cars with modern body lines and a newer style. Some companies don’t serve the 240SX platform since it is no longer on the market and I simply don’t want to miss out on all of the cool aftermarket support that is available for a modern chassis.
- How do you think this new build will showcase your different interests and abilities such as car building, suspension expertise, and precision driving?
- Bakchis: I feel like I’ve learned to make the 240SX chassis so much better than when I first started. For example, I worked with Wisefab to create a front steer “Odi edition” angle kit that uses a BMW steering rack for the 240SX chassis, and that was a fun and fruitful exercise for me. I want to tap into everything I’ve learned and make the BRZ, which already appears to be a great chassis out of the box, work even better. The wheelbase, rigidity of the chassis, and weight distribution are different than the 240SX. I’m very excited to experience these different driving dynamics and fine tune everything to my liking. The icing on the cake is that I actually get to drive it.
- How can fans follow the build?
- Bakchis: The build is currently ongoing and fans can watch the car come together on a video series dedicated to the build on the Feal Suspension X Odi Bakchis YouTube channel. The first episode will be uploaded this week.This eagerly awaited build can be seen in the upcoming video series mentioned by Bakchis. Bakchis also reassured fans that he will continue to showcase his multiple 240SX chassis as these are still active on track and in the race shop. With so much dedication already put into the new BRZ, 2026 promises to be a new and exciting chapter for Bakchis and the Feal Suspension Race Team.
