japanese performance april 2015 uk

ALSO INSIDE...

BEATTHE BEST3 WAYS TOBEAT A SUPRATWIN TURBO’S1/4 MILE TIMEFOR LESS

FROM RUSSIA WITH SHOVE1200BHP LITCHFIELD-TUNED GT-RFD3S+2JZ-GTE=ONE EPIC RIDEMAZDA RX-7 GETS A SUPRA HEART

ENGINE FIRE TURNS DAILY DRIVER INTO TRACK STARFROMTHEFLAMES

WIDE ARCHED AND READY FOR BATTLE THESEEVO AND IMPREZA WAGONS PROVE THATPERFORMANCE CAN ALSO BE PRACTICAL

...WELL, ALMOST!

WAGON

No.171 www.chpltd.comAPRIL ’15 £4.50

April cover FINAL.qxd:jap 2/27/15 10:27 AM

002-003JAP170 1/29/15 5:41 PM

002JAP170 1/29/15 4:17 PM Page 2

http://bit.ly/1EG65CV

A life less ordinary

5www.japaneseperformancemagazine.co.uk

when it comes to modifying and tuning cars, thereare few models out there that can top the MitsubishiEvo and Subaru Impreza in terms of sheer

numbers. There’s just something about each car’s inherentstyling and abilities – and let’s not forget rally hewn heritage– that makes them an almost irresistible proposition to tune.Maybe it’s the four-wheel drive transmission, or the tuneableengines. Maybe it’s the hardcore styling, that begs to bemade even harder. Whatever it is, you can bet your bottomdollar that, if you see one of Subaru or Mitsubishi’s finest,be it on the road, track, at a show – or even just in the carpark at Tesco – it’ll be far from standard. And that’s great.Why not modify a car that rewards your efforts with suchresults? But that said, if you take a closer look at themajority of tuned cars out there, Subaru and Mitsubishiincluded, you’ll likely find that very few are of the estate (orwagon if you prefer) variety. They often have the sameraucous engines and transmissions, but for some reason,their abundance of booty sees them left out in the cold. Butno more... Well, not if Jap Performance Parts has anythingto do with it! They provided the ‘boot’-iful cover stars for thisissue, an Impreza and Evo wagon both with more junk intheir trunk than Kylie, J-Lo and Kim Kardashian put together.Check them out for yourself on page 18. They’re certainlyanything but ordinary, that’s for sure.

Another car in this issue that steers away from themundane is the FD RX-7 of Westly Yacinthe, who risked thewrath of the rotary fraternity by swapping his 13B for a1038bhp 2JZ-GTE motor from a Toyota Supra. It’s a boldmove, but one that we think pays off in spades! See foryourself on page 62.

But probably the craziest and blatantly off-the-wallcreation we’ve heard of lately actually comes from Nissanitself, or Nismo to be precise. Nissan’s tuning arm has comeup with a completely new concept to contend this year’sWorld Endurance Championship, and it’s more bonkersthan you can imagine. Essentially a 1250bhp front-wheeldrive hybrid, with a V6 twin turbo direct injection enginepowering the front wheels with a KERS harvesting electricmotor joining in the fun at the rear when necessary, it’s aproject that’s breaking new ground in racecar technology.Read all about it in our news section on page 12.

And it’s this kind of pushing the boundaries of what ispossible on the race track that leads to the trickle-downeffect that directly improves the cars that we drive every day.We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this kind ofperformance tuning, but with Nissan and Honda (with its F1program and the new hybrid NSX) enjoying a technologicalrebirth, we know it’s going to be anything but ordinary.

DANSHERWOOD

ed pageFINALch.qxp:JP 2/26/15 3:00 PM Page 5

006JAP168 11/28/14 4:25 PM Page 6


WHAT’SIN +

SUBSCRIBESee page 97 for great money-saving deals or visit:www.japaneseperformancemagazine.co.uk

FEATURES18ESTATE OF THE UNION

Big power Evo and Impreza wagons prove that performance can be practical

28AUTOSPORT 2015The UK’s show season kicks off with the annual Autosport International show

32THE BEST OR NOTHINGRussian businessman’s Litchfield-tuned 1200bhp Nissan GT-R is his daily driver!

40EVOLUTIONOF THE SPECIESWith DoLuck arches and a 525bhp motor this Evo is at the top of the food chain

48FAST LEARNERSWho’d have thought that the humble Suzuki Swift Sport would be a ’Ring king?

54OUT OF THE BOXFrom ashes to the asphalt of the Time Attack grid, this FD2 Civic is a FWD hero

62FIGHTING TALKWe wouldn’t pick a fight with this 1038bhp Supra-engined Mazda RX-7

69BRAKINGWITH TRADITIONFrom the film set to the F1 paddock, we get the inside info on Tarox brakes

73BEAT IT ON A BUDGETThree ways to beat a Toyota Supra twin turbo’s quarter mile time for less...

on the cover

on the cover

on the cover

on the cover

62

40

32

APRILCONTENTSFINALch.qxp:JP 2/26/15 3:08 PM Page 7

008JAP171 2/26/15 3:52 PM Page 8


WHAT’SIN +

REGULARS12NEWS

Nissan’s shock FWD LeMans racer; JP’s favourite FWD feature cars; Mazdato headline Goodwood FOS; latest Honda Civic Type R info; Mada wins iceracing trophy; Zen Performance under new management; Honda F1 news;Toyota Sprint Series dates confirmed; Revolution online suspension store

83JAPSTUFFAliant ultralight race batteries; Autobright luxury detailing spray; Knight Racercarbon GT-R paddle shifters; Linea Corsa wheels; Ring Automotive batterycharger; Toyo R888R tyre; Forge universal intercooler; Whifbitz Supra turbos

86 THE GARAGENow Project Rotary’s suspension is sorted it’s time to move on to thestoppers, which have seen a dramatic upgrade to a full TarOx big brake kitwith six-pot calipers! Project Lexus is taking two steps forward and one stepback as a leaking radiator is fixed but the coilovers have to go. ProjectWagon is on the mend with a shiny new hybrid turbo from Turbo Technics.Project White Stuff feels the pressure with a trick, new, Forge blow-off valve

86

81

12

Editor Dan SherwoodTel: 01480 [email protected]

Studio Manager Peter Simpson

Designer Joel Mitchell

Group Advertisement ManagerJames [email protected]: 01883 731152; Fax: 01883 740361

Ad ProductionLiam Wilson Tel: 01883 731152;Fax: 01883 [email protected]

CHPublications Ltd 1 The Alma Building,Brewerstreet Dairy Business Park,Brewer Street, Bletchingley, Surrey RH1 4QPTel: 01883 731150; Fax: 01883 740361;[email protected]

Administration Allie Burns, Sandra HousehamAccounts Bev BrownSubscriptions Debi [email protected]

Websitewww.japaneseperformancemagazine.co.uk

Managing Director Clive Househam

Worldwide retail distributionFor worldwide newsstand availability queriescontact Phil Sait, CHP Distribution Manager,Seymour Distribution Ltd.Tel: 020 7429 4000Email: [email protected]

Printed in EnglandGarnett Dickinson Print Ltd;Tel: 01709 768000

© CHPublications Ltd, 2015ISSN 1467779

While every care is taken in compilingJapanese Performance, the publisherscannot be held responsible for any effectsarising therefrom

Japanese Performance is always available at

Don’t Miss Out

Your local newsagent toorder this magazine

APRILCONTENTSFINALch.qxp:JP 2/26/15 3:08 PM Page 9

EUROPE’S PREMIER

JAPANESE

PERFORMANCE

PARTS SUPPLIER

AUTHORISED

EUROPEAN

DISTRIBUTORS

010JAP171 2/26/15 3:56 PM Page 10

SUMOPOWER.COM

[email protected]

TEL +44 (0) 1945 479125

FACEBOOK.COM/SUMOPOWER

@SUMO_POWER

WORLDWIDE DELIVERY AVAILABLE

TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME

MORE STOCK ARRIVING MARCH

GO TO SUMOPOWER.COM FOR CURRENT STOCK & SPECIAL OFFERS

010JAP171 2/26/15 3:56 PM Page 11

12 www.japaneseperformancemagazine.co.uk

+PLANET JAP

NISSAN'S SHOCKLE MANS RACER!NISSAN IS ENTERING LMP1 WITH THE BIG BOYS, AND ITSCAR COULDN'T BE MORE DIFFERENT FROM ITS RIVALS...

NEWS-FINALch.qxd:JP 2/26/15 2:34 PM Page 12


THREE OF OUR FAVOURITEFRONT-WHEEL DRIVE JPFEATURE CARS...

A STEALTH BOMBER ONWHEELS, DAVE KENT’S PRECISEAPPROACH CREATED A HOMEBUILT CAR THAT FLEW BELOWTHE RADAR BUT PACKED 400BHP FIREPOWER THANKS TO A

HOLSET H1C TURBOCHARGED B-SERIES ENGINE

GLENN ROBSON TURNED HIS BACK ON FRENCH CARS TO BUILDONE OF THE FASTEST ROAD-LEGAL FWD DRAG CARS IN THE UK.COMPOSITE PANELS, 15IN SLICKS AND A GARRETT GT42 TURBO

ARE SOME OF THE SPEC HIGHLIGHTS

A STRIPPED-OUT RACER THEME DEVELOPED NATURALLY INGEOFF WINGARD'S 9,500RPM CIVIC ON INDIVIDUAL THROTTLEBODIES. IT WON BEST INTERIOR AT LAST YEAR’S EHM PARTS

MIMMS BLUEWATERMEET, TOO

Ben Bowlby is a name weshould all know. He is the geniusbehind Nissan's odd-lookingDeltaWing and Zeod RCconcepts and now he'sdesigned this, the Nismo GT-RLM Nismo. A front-engined,front-wheel drive car set tocompete at the top of the WorldEndurance Championship inLMP1-H against Audi, Porsche,or perhaps most importantly,World Champions Toyota. It'ssaid to have 1,250-1,500bhp, anengine in the front and front-wheel drive! What's going on?

Traditionally, LMP1 cars havebeen mid-engined and rear-wheel drive, with petrol powergiving way to diesels, with theirhuge torque output and betterfuel economy allowing lots oftime to be saved in pit stops.Then along came the hybridcars, using electric motors toboost their performance, and it’shere that the GT-R LM Nismocan be fully understood.

At the front is a 3.0-litre V6twin-turbo direct-injection enginethat produces around 500bhp.However, this is attached to aKERS system that harvests thekinetic energy and turns it intoelectricity for electric motorsdriving the rear. Bowlby ishoping to use the maximumamount of energy recoveryallowable in the WEC regs, an 8MJ KERS system. It's risky froma reliability point of view,relatively heavy, expensive anddifficult to create. You certainlycan't just buy one off the shelf.

With this hybrid systemworking effectively, the rearwheels should see around750bhp or more. And at thatpoint the car becomes a four-wheel drive 1,250bhp+ monster!The fact Ben Bowlby has saidthis is his most aggressive andexperimental design yet issomething to get excited about.The DeltaWing was pretty much

the opposite of conventionanyway! It's also worth giving theWEC a pat on the back forproducing regulations openenough to allow such a uniquecar to compete.

‘This is innovation thatexcites,’ said Shoichi Miyatani,President of NISMO. ‘Our recordat Le Mans is third place overall,so we have unfinished businessthere. We want to win.’ Two GT-RLM Nismos will compete in theWorld Endurance Championshipwhich begins at Silverstone onApril 12th. At Le Mans, thesecars will be numbered #22 and#23, where they will be joinedby a third car (#21).

Nissan have announced thedriver line-up for one of the carsalready. It includes reigningSuper GT500 Champion TsugioMatsuda, who won the title in the#23 Motul Autech GT-R.Alongside two LMP2 driversstepping up to LMP1-H:Frenchman Oivier Pla and BritHarry Tincknell. 23-year-oldHarry has been described as‘the sensation of the EuropeanLe Mans Series in 2014’, havingwon the LMP2 class on his firstattempt at the Le Mans 24 hoursand also finished as runner-up inthe European Le Mans Series.He will race in the full 2015 FIAWorld Endurance Championshipseason with Nissan.

It's a mind-blowing concept.Cars with engines in the fronthave long been considered onlygood enough for the GTEclasses at best. Let alone onethat only guarantees power tothe front wheels! LMP1-H carsare known for having issues withtheir KERS systems. It'sexperimental technology and ifthey suffer any kind of failure, thedrivers will only have a 500bhpfront-wheel drive car to competewith. Good on Bowlby and welldone Nissan and NISMO. Thisreally is innovation that excites!



NEWS +

MARCH15TH – TRACKDAY, BLYTON PARK,WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK17TH – TRACKDAY, SPAFRANCORCHAMPS,WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK18TH – TRACKDAY, SPAFRANCORCHAMPS,WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK19TH – TRACKDAY, BRANDS HATCHINDY, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM20TH – TRACKDAY, CADWELL PARK,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM20TH – TRACKDAY, CROFT (105DB),WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK21ST – TRACKDAY, CROFT (88DB),WWW.JAVELINTRACKDAYS.CO.UK21ST – SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL,SANTA POD, WWW.RWYB.COM22ND – THE FAST SHOW, SANTAPOD, WWW.RWYB.COM25TH – DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG,SANTA POD, WWW.DWYB.CO.UK28TH – TRACKDAY, BEDFORDAUTODROME GT,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM28TH – RUNWHAT YA BRUNG,SANTA POD, WWW.RWYB.COM28TH-29TH – ET BRACKETGAMBLERS (SEASONOPENINGPUBLIC TRACKWEEKEND),SHAKESPEARE COUNTY RACEWAY,WWW.SHAKESPEARECOUNTYRACEWAY.COM30TH – TRACKDAY, SNETTERTON300, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM

APRIL1ST – TRACKDAY, BRANDS HATCH

INDY, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM2ND – PRO PEAK PERFORMANCETEST & TUNE DAY, SANTA POD(FESTIVAL OF POWER RACERSONLY)3RD-5TH – FESTIVAL OF POWER,SANTA POD4TH – TRACKDAY, BEDFORDAUTODROME SEN,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM4TH – HOW FAST? BEDFORDAUTODROME,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM6TH – DRIFTING, SNETTERTON 100,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM7TH – TRACKDAY, CADWELL PARK,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM8TH – TRACKDAY, OULTON PARK,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM8TH – TRACKDAY, SNETTERTON300, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM8TH – TRACK EVENING,SNETTERTON 300,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM8TH – SUMMERWEDNESDAYSTRACK EVENING, BRANDS HATCHINDY, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM11TH – RUNWHAT YA BRUNG,SANTA POD, WWW.RWYB.COM13TH – TRACKDAY, BRANDS HATCHINDY, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM13TH – TRACK EVENING, BRANDSHATCH INDY,WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM15TH – SUMMERWEDNESDAYSTRACK EVENING, SNETTERTON300, WWW.MSVTRACKDAYS.COM15TH – DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG,SANTA POD, WWW.DWYB.CO.UK

HELPING YOU PLAN WHERE TOGO, WHAT TO SEE AND WHATTO DO…

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

EVENT PREVIEW

NEW HONDA CIVIC TYPE-RCAPABLE OF 167MPH!It seems the rumours are true. The new Civic Type-R will setnew standards for hot hatch top speeds, bordering on 170mph!This is thanks to the 2.0-litre direct-injection turbochargedengine but brings a whole load of new challenges to the table.At that speed aero really matters, which is why Honda hasreleased details on how it’s engineered its new car to be stableand keep you in control. A series of vents, grilles, spoilers andskirts combine to enhance downforce and minimise drag, alldesigned through a combination of Computational FluidDynamics and wind tunnel testing. Honda claims the undersideof the new Type-R is almost completely flat, aiding airflow underthe vehicle and combining with a rear diffuser to optimisedownforce – effectively 'sucking' the car to the road. The largerear wing is said to be functional rather than just eye-catching,thanks notably to the structure of its airofoil section. The aerohas also been designed to help cool the hot turbo engine,which will be a big help once you start tuning. To help bring themadness to a halt, the new Type-R will have a high performanceBrembo brake package developed specifically for the car; four-pots and 350mm drilled discs at the front, partially covered by19in alloy wheels. A Championship White Type-R wasscheduled to make its debut at the Geneva motor show andHonda claims it has already had over 100 confirmed ordersbased on photographs alone. We want to drive one now!

WEDNESDAY 8TH APRILSUMMER WEDNESDAYSBRANDS HATCHWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SUMMERWEDNESDAYSThroughout the summer, Motorsport Vision and Kleers are teamingup to offer a series of free track meets, with the opportunity to payfor track time on the same evening. Brands Hatch is the venue onthe first Wednesday of every month, Snetterton on the secondWednesday. Last year these became so popular that people criedout for track time, too. Which is why you can now buy track timeon the Motorsport Vision website. Hopefully we're in for a long, hotsummer and a free meet with some track action to enjoy everymonth is definitely something to look forward to.



An affordable first step into motorsport for Toyota enthusiasts, theToyota Sprint Series offers unrivalled smiles-per-pound for anyonewanting to do a bit of competitive driving. There are loads ofclasses, including some specialist classes for GT86 owners, toensure you're up against cars and drivers of a similar standard. Ateach round, drivers get two sighting laps and two practice laps,before recording up to eight timed runs to see who's the fastest.The Toyota Sprint Series also has the addition of Cadwell Park asthe final round this year, so it should be an exciting conclusion tothe season. Entry cost is just £139 per round. At that price, you'veno excuse not to get involved.Round 1 March 29th Snetterton 100Round 2 April 26th Blyton OuterRound 3 June 21st WoodbridgeRound 4 August 16th Croft CircuitRound 5 September 27th Blyton EasternRound 6 November 7th Cadwell Parkwww.toyotasprint.com

2015TOYOTA SPRINTSERIES IS GO!

MAZDA WINSANDROS TROPHYIce racing is bonkers! Cars slide backwards into corners, often withlevels of contact to rival BTCC. It's great fun to watch. FrenchmanJean-Philippe Dayraut recently won the famous Andros Trophy IceRacing Championship with four wins and two second places. Heimpressed everyone in his Mazda3, beating ex-Formula One driverOlivier Panis to the title by just a single point. Dayraut's Mazda3features a space-frame tubular chassis, mid-mounted 3.0-litre V6engine and a six-speed sequential gearbox, so it's a bit quickerthan your average grocery-getter! The Andros Trophy has been ahighlight of the French motorsport scene since 1990, uniquelybringing four-wheeled action to the Alpine winter sports scene.Mazda fought off competition from the Toyota Auris, Renault Clio,Citroën DS3 and Dacia Lodgy to claim the title.

MAZDA TO HEADLINE 2015 GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEEDThis year Mazda will launch three new models. To celebrate, theJapanese brand will be the Central Feature Marque at the 2015Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking centre stage at arguably theworld's most prestigious motoring festival. Racing legends of thepast will mix with displays and demonstrations of the currentMazda range. That means an opportunity to see the quad-rotor

1991 787B Le Mans winner in action, which has got to be worththe entry fee on its own. It will also be a chance to see the newMX-5, Mazda2 and CX-3. The general theme for this year is 'Flat-out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge'. The Goodwood Festival ofSpeed takes place on the 26th, 27th and 28th of June. We'reexcited to see what Mazda and Goodwood has in store.



NEWS +

LEXUS GO WILD!There's something in the water at Lexus these days. We don't know whatthey've been drinking, but we'd like some. The latest hot version from theluxury car brand is the GS-F, a four-door saloon with a thumping 470bhp5.0-litre V8 that was scheduled to make its debut at the Geneva motorshow, flanked by a couple of hot concept cars including the LF-C2. The2+2 open-top roadster apparently highlights some styling themes thatwill form part of a new styling direction for Lexus. We like!

REVOLUTION MOTORSTORE LAUNCHSUSPENSION E-CATALOGUEFor over a year, Revolution Motorstore has been building the world's biggestdedicated online suspension and chassis catalogue, with over 42,000 products!Each one features images, full specifications and reliable pricing information.You can search for suspension upgrades in several ways. After entering yourvehicle details, you can search via your favourite brand, manufacturer orthrough broader categories such as alignment, anti-roll bars, bushes, coilovers,strut braces, wheel spacers, etc. The list is seemingly endless. You can evenbook your car in for fitting at Revolution's on-site workshop, arrange delivery ofparts or click-and-collect at the touch of a button. Eibach, Bilstein, KW,Whiteline, Tein, Powerflex, H&R, ST – it's all here. Revolution claims to ensurecustomers are treated to the UK's best possible prices, and is proud its websiteis simple to navigate with transparent costs, so there are no nasty surprisescome checkout. The guys at Revolution are so confident that their suspensionprices are the best in the UK, they will happily beat any like-for-like quote.You can't argue with that! www.revolution247.com or call 0845 002 3009

TOYOTA WANNAGO RACINGIn addition to their continued FIA WECcampaign, Toyota has announced two cool-looking racers based on its road cars. The first isa big announcement; in 2017 Toyota will returnto the World Rally Championship in a Yaris-based car developed by Toyota Motorsport(TMG) – see right. While in Japan, several RC-Fracers will compete in the Super GT500 class –see left. There's something about a fully aero-equipped racer like this that makes you want toget in and drive the wheels off it. Each Super GTRC-F will be powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinderRI4AG direct-injection petrol turbo engine.

Q. HELLO! WHO ARE YOU ANDWHATDO YOU DO?A. HELLO! MY NAME IS CHRISGERAGHTY, I AM THE OWNER OF TARMAC SPORTZ. I AM FAIRLYHANDS-ONWITHMOST ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS, FROM SALESTO PURCHASING. I TRY TO FIND NICHE PRODUCTS AND BRINGTHEM TO THE UKMARKET AND I GET A BUZZ FROM SEEINGOUR PRODUCTS FITTED TO CUSTOMERS’ CARS. I LOVEMOTORSPORT, DRIFTING AND THE CARMODDING AND TUNINGSCENE, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST I AM A CAR ENTHUSIAST

Q. WHAT PRODUCTS OR SERVICES DOES TARMAC SPORTZOFFER?A. TARMAC SPORTZ OFFERS EVERYTHING FROM EXHAUSTS ANDBODYKITS TOWHEELS, SUSPENSION AND SUPERCHARGERPACKAGES. WE SPECIALISE IN JAPANESE SPORTS CARS SUCH ASTHE NISSAN 350Z, 370Z, HONDA S2000, SUBARU IMPREZASAND THE SUBARU BRZ/TOYOTA GT86. WE SELL THE FULL RANGEOF PARTS FROM THE LIKES OF COBRA SPORT, RALLY ARMOR,BC COILOVERS, ZUNSPORT AND COMPETITION CLUTCH, SOWECOVER AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF VEHICLES. WE’VE ALSO HAD ABIG PUSH OVER THEWINTER TO GET ASMANY NEW PRODUCTSON THE SITE AS POSSIBLE, SUCH AS JAPAN RACINGWHEELS,FORGESTARWHEELS, AEROKIT AND A HUGE RANGE OF PARTSFOR THE NEWER-MODEL SUBARUWRX STI

Q. WHERE IN THE COUNTRY ARE YOU BASED?A. WE’RE BASED IN DERBY. AT PRESENTWE SPECIALISE INMAILORDER. WE ARE NOT A PHYSICAL SHOP YET, BUTWE AREWORKINGON IT!

Q. WHEN DID YOU START TARMAC SPORTZ AND HOWDID ITHAPPEN?A. I STARTED TARMAC SPORTZ BACK IN 2010WHEN I OWNEDMY FIRST NISSAN 350Z. AT THE TIME, THEREWAS NOT A VASTRANGE OF PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THE 350Z IN THE UK.I OWNED A COURIER BUSINESS AT THIS POINT SO I USEDMYCONTACTS, IMPORTING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TOSTART BRINGING PARTS INTO THE UK FROM THE USA ANDCANADA. AT FIRST IT WASMORE OF A HOBBY TO FEEDMYADDICTION FOR RARE CAR PARTS, AND THAT OF A FEWOTHER350Z UK FORUMMEMBERS, BUT IT SOON ENDED UP TAKINGOVERMY LIFE ANDGROWING INTOWHAT IT IS NOW

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THIS YEAR?A. WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND HIT ASMANY SHOWS ANDEVENTS AS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A STANDOFCUSTOMER CARS PLANNED FOR JAPFEST AT CASTLE COMBE,SHOWCASING SOME OF THE BEST BRANDS AVAILABLE. PLUSWEWILL BE FOLLOWINGOUR SPONSORED BRITISH DRIFTCHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER IAN ‘BIZZ’ PHILIPS AND THE BOYS ATTHE Z-LABS DRIFT TEAM THROUGHOUT THE 2015 SEASON

Q. IF MONEYWAS NOOBJECT, WHAT CARWOULD YOU DRIVE?A. A NISMO R35 GT-R IS ALL I WANT. YOU CAN KEEP YOURMILLION POUND SUPERCARS, THE GT-R IS THE ONE FORME!

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF TARMACSPORTZ?A. OUR PLANS ARE TO EXPAND. I HAVE BEEN ACTIVELYLOOKING AT NEWUNITS WITH ENOUGH SPACE TO PUT INSOME RAMPS AND EVENTUALLY A DYNO, BUT THATWILL ALLTAKE TIME

Q. CANWE FOLLOW TARMAC SPORTZ ON SOCIALMEDIA?A. YES OF COURSE! YOU CAN FIND US BY SEARCHING ‘TARMACSPORTZ’ ON BOTH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME CHRIS, IT'S APPRECIATED

CHRISGERAGHTY

5 MINUTES WITH...


THE WORLD LEADER IN PERFORMANCE COOLING PRODUCTS™

017JAP171 2/26/15 3:40 PM Page 17

The rivalry between theMitsubishi Evo and SubaruWRX is legendary.

However, these two aren'tfighting amongst themselves.This pair of shooting brakes aregunning for new opposition.Bonded by their exaggeratedproportions, they're ready to putthis rivalry aside to take onanyone who says estate carscan't be fast. Or good looking.

Each car has been built for adifferent puropse, but there is acommon thread. Both have

been shaped in some way byJap Performance Parts inCrawley. JPP has been dealingin the best used parts fromJapan since 2003 so reallyknow their stuff.

We followed the build up ofJPP owner Sajid Moghal's Evowagon in the Garage section ofJapanese Performance eachmonth, but none of us had seenit in the metal. So when photosof an awesome WRX wagon hitthe office too, we immediatelyhit the road armed with a

camera and a load ofquestions.

Opening the door to JapPerformance Parts is like beingtransported to Japan. Threejaw-dropping demo carsimmediately hit you in the face,surrounded by all manner oftuning parts, neatly arranged inglass cabinets. Brakes,exhausts, gauges, clutches –everything you could ever want.The room is furnished with rarewheels pulled off genuine JDMracers. And this is just the

reception! The actual partsstores are a whole other level ofmind-blowing. A brief tour laterand we’re left stunned by therange of both new and usedparts here, and how neatlyeverything is organised andlabelled. This place, as theysay, is ‘proper’.

The quality of the cars theseguys have built says everything.An uber-wide Subaru Imprezadrift car with a Nissan RB25engine swap, Sajid's beautiful1975 TA27 Toyota Celica with


ESTATE OFTHE UNIONHAS MODIFYING BECOME TOO PREDICTABLE?THIS PAIR OF EYE-CATCHING ESTATE CARS PUTASIDE THEIR BADGE RIVALRY TO PROVE IT'S STILLPOSSIBLE TO BREAK NEW GROUND IN 2015

WORDS: DAN GOODYER PICS: DAN SHERWOOD

WAGONSFINALNEWNEWch.qxd:JP 2/26/15 12:24 PM Page 18

http://bit.ly/1GULkWQ


BEAMS 3SGE power and Saj'sEvo wagon – a car we've seenin plenty of photos, but thiswide-arched, elongated beaststill smacks you in the facewhen you see it in the metal forthe first time. It's just so... big!

But as different as they are,each one of JPP’s projectsreflects the 'no-compromise'approach of this knowledgeableand passionate company.

Impreza owner Alix hasjoined us here, too. He's veryfamiliar with the place, with

many of the parts on hisimmaculate WRX wagon havingbeen sourced here. In fact,much of the heavy work wascarried out here, too, includinga six-speed gearbox conversionand the fitment of his extra widearches. The first question wewant to ask both guys isobvious: with so many Evo andWRX saloons available, why didyou feel the desire to modify anestate in the first place?

‘Why an estate?’ laughs Saj.‘Well it started when I had a go

in the Toyota Sprint Series. Afew of the guys at JPP competeand they kept pestering me tohave a go. Avi drives an Evo VIRS, his brother Vit a modifiedGlanza and Ivo a Toyota Starlet.Eventually I gave in and joinedthem in an Evo VII RS we hadimported and I ended upbeating all of them.’ What didthey all say about yourperformance, we ask. ‘Theysaid they let the boss win!’ helaughs. ‘The thing is, I enjoyedevery second of it. More than I

expected. I realised that in the12 years of building thebusiness, I haven't had any realfun behind the wheel myself. SoI decided to build somethingthat I could drive, but it wasn'tgoing to be an ordinary Evo…’

Saj continues: ‘This car wasoriginally bought for parts. Weimport a container of cars onceevery six weeks from Japan,each with fifteen or sixteen carsin them. We always buy throughgovernment auctions, as itguarantees the cars’ mileages.



‘I WONDEREDWHY NO-ONE HAD EVER BUILT ACRAZY EVOWAGON’

OVERNIGHT PARTS FROM CRAWLEYTHAT FAMOUS QUOTE FROM THEFAST & THE FURIOUS IS BASED IN

REALITY. GETTING NEW PARTSDELIVERED FAST MATTERS. THAT'S

WHY JAP PERFORMANCE PARTS HASINVESTED HEAVILY IN HOLDING LOTSOF STOCK, INCLUDING LOTS OF HKS

PRODUCTS. SAJ ADDS: ‘LOTS OFTRADERS DON'T HOLD STOCK, SOYOU HAVE TOWAIT FOR THEM TO

GET IT DELIVERED TO THEM, BEFORETHEY CAN DELIVER TO YOU. WE HAVE

EVERYTHING HERE AND A 5PMCOLLECTION EVERY DAYMEANS

EVERYTHING IS READY TO PROVIDENEXT-DAY DELIVERY

WWW.JAPPERFORMANCEPARTS.CO.UK(01293) 520090



Anyway, the Wagon came in acontainer one week and I lookedat it and wondered why no-onehad ever built a crazy Evo wagon.I couldn't think of a good reasonnot to, so that's what we did.’

They started with the reararches. ‘We knew the main impactof the bodywork would come fromfitting wide arches,’ adds Saj. ‘Welooked in Japan at a range of 'kitsbut the majority had bolt-on reararches and vented front wings,which have been done before. Wewanted something along the linesof an Impreza 22B, which has wideblended arches.’

Eventually Saj came acrossphotos on the Carbon Goodieswebsite of an Evo VIII with an ACRbodykit. He wasn't keen on theentire kit but used a set of thearches for the base of hiswidebody conversion. The frontarches went straight on butrequired Saj to widen the OE frontbumper by heating up the plastic.The rears were a lot more work.Saj cut out around 50mm of reararch, bending and welding a newlip in place. The door sectionslined up perfectly because it's onlythe top half of the rear doors thatdiffer between the estate andsaloon models. However, the rearquarters are obviously verydifferent. So Saj has done a greatjob of blending them in usingfibreglass. He cut along the swageline and has swept the curve of thearch into the rear light cluster oneach side. The result, after beingdrenched in a flawless lick ofRenault Flame Red pearl paint byAustec Racing, looks like it wasdesigned specifically for the estatein the first place.

Another key aspect of this buildis the interior. ‘We strippedeverything out of the interior and itweighed 160kg.’ Saj explains.‘We also went to the trouble ofstripping the sound-deadening,which is a pain to do but saved usanother 10kg. Ultimately, this is acar for myself to have some fun in,as well as my Dad Afzal. Weweren't building a racecar to astrict set of regs, so we couldpretty much do what we wanted.We agreed on going for fourbucket seats, mainly because wecould. It's something different andhas the bonus of allowing peopleto strap in safely if we do givepassenger rides. The biggestproblem with this wasn't the seatsthemselves, but the rollcage.’

The front section was easy. Sajbought a 10-point Safety 21 ’cageand the front slotted right in.However, no-one makes a ’cagefor an Evo wagon, so he createdone using an Evo X ’cage that theyhad in stock as a base. The inside


of the Evo wagon is now a veryinteresting place to be. Strippedout, with gauges and lots of thingsgoing on. The neatly-relocatedheater dials on the passenger sideof the dash is a nice touch,bringing more important switchescloser to hand.Under the bonnet, Saj decided

to build the engine in-house. A 2.3-litre forged engine was specified,with lots of HKS parts. Saj didn'twant to use Mitsubishi's MIVECsystem, so the Evo IX engine wasreplaced with a donor from an EvoVII. ‘It doesn't sound like an Evo,’Saj comments, ‘It's hard todescribe, but it's higher-pitchedand more urgent sounding.’ He'snot wrong. But then it wouldn't beright for this car to sound like anyordinary Evo, because it's the polaropposite of ordinary. In the case ofthe pearl red and white monster,different is definitely good.‘I saw the four seats inside Saj's

car and immediately knew I wantedto do the same,’ explains WRXwagon owner Alix. The 42-year-oldworks in retail, often putting innight shifts in order to fund hisspeed addiction. ‘It looked reallydifferent, but it also suited mysituation. I'm a married man withtwo kids, so four bucket seatsmeans we can all strap in andenjoy the car properly, and be safe,too. Plus it looks interesting, ofcourse. It's the first thing peoplemention when they look inside.’When Alix popped into Jap

Performance Parts just over a yearago, he had no idea the profoundeffect it would have on his car. Orhis bank balance! Alix was directedJPP's way by Impreza specialistBrent of Southern MotorDevelopments. Drooling over thework Saj had carried out to theEvo, Alix was inspired to go evenfurther with his own car than heever imagined.After buying his Version 5 WRX

wagon in December 2013, Alix'sfirst visit to Jap Performance Partswas for a simple service. Lookingaround the parts on offer though,Alix quickly found himself deep inconversation with Saj aboutpossible tuning routes for his car.Soon after, Alix returned for the six-speed gearbox conversion. Sajrecommended a ’box from an STiVersion 7, including the hubs anddriveshafts, too. ‘This was forstrength as much as the extragear,’ explains Alix, who was nowregularly in conversation with bothSaj and Brent about the project.‘It was actually Brent who

recommended upgrading the ’boxin preparation for more power, andSaj suggested the STi Version 7bits,’ Alix explains. ‘While lookingonline for Subaru specialists I



023JAP171 2/26/15 3:48 PM Page 23


TECHSPECJPP EVO IX WAGONENGINE4G63T engine from Evo VII, HKS2.3-litre stroker kit featuring HKScrankshaft, HKS con-rods, HKS 86mmpistons, HKS 1.2mm head gasket, HKScamshafts, HKS valve springs, HKSadjustable cam pulleys, HKS Kevlarcam belt and clear cover, HKS 4G63Super engine oil, HKS Hybrid sportsoil filter, HKS Super Fire Iridium sparkplugs, crank and clutch dynamicallybalanced, balancer shafts removed,MoTeC M800 ECU, Magnus intake,larger throttle body, HKS fuel rail,Injector Dynamics 1,000cc fuelinjectors, Ross Sport GT30 turbo kitwith external wastegate, manifold,elbow and downpipe, Ganador titaniumexhaust system, K&N air filter, 3barmap sensor, Aeromotive fuel pressureregulator, larger in-tank fuel pump,Cusco oil catch tank, Evo VI rallyradiator with twin slim fans, modifiedHKS Evo X intercooler, HKS bov

TRANSMISSION5-speed Evo VII RS gearbox, OEM EvoIX transfer box, Exedy twin-plate clutchand flywheel

BRAKESAlcon 6-pot (front) and 4-pot (rear)brakes from James Kaye's Evo X racecar, Ralliart brake lines, rear brakesmodified for hydro handbrake

SUSPENSIONTein Gymkhana Master coilovers withremote reservoirs from Evo VII RS,Cusco triangulated rear strut brace,Sprint alignment by AP Tuning

WHEELS & TYRES9x18in ET15 Team Dynamics alloywheels painted bronze, 265/35/18 ToyoR888 tyres, 25mm spacers all round

INTERIORFully stripped interior including sound-deadening, 4x Bride Zeta II bucketseats, Takata 3in front harnesses and2in rear harnesses, 10-point CuscoSafety 21 front rollcage, modified Evo Xrear rollcage, flocked dashboard,4x Defi gauges and controller, TeinEDFC controller, relocated heatercontrols, dash-mounted switches forhigh/low boost, anti-lag and launchcontrol, wiring loom relocated totransmission tunnel

EXTERIORModified OE front bumper, modifiedCarbon Goodies ACR Evo VIII widearches, carbon side skirt extensions,roof scoop, red lens MR blackheadlights, Vertex rear diffuser, DAMDrear splitters, Renault Flame Red andwhite pearl respray

THANKSMasaya Yumeda at HKS Europe,everyone at Jap Performance Parts,especially Simon Edwards

found lots of good feedbackabout SMD. So I would ask Sajand Brent their opinions onvarious things I wanted to do tothe car. Having access topeople with real-worldexperience of these parts was amassive help. All the majordecisions about the car havegone through them, althoughthe ideas were generally mine inthe first place. I haven't justthrown my chequebook at

them. It's important to me that Iunderstand every part that goeson the car.’

So what is it about estatecars that Alix likes? ‘For a startthey're more practical,especially with a family… butthey're also better looking tome. They're boxy but alsosleeker, to my eye. It's a weirdcontradiction.’ Alix's wagon hasbeen given a far moreaggressive look, particularly at

the rear with that suspensionrake revealing wide 245-sectiontyres to anyone following. Thewide arches are from an HRCAuto Solutions bodykit sourcedthrough JPP. Saj fitted much ofthe 'kit himself before handing itover to local bodyshopAutobody Solutions.

Like many of us, Alixstumbled across problemsthroughout the build: ‘I'm notkeen on plastic dashboards

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITSIT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE EVOWAS BUILT BY JAP PERFORMANCEPARTS. ALL THE KEY MODS WERECARRIED OUT THERE INCLUDINGTHE ENGINE AND BODYWORK.HOWEVER, SAJ ISN'T AFRAID TOASK SPECIALIST FRIENDS FORTHEIR HELP WHEN REQUIRED.SUCH AS THE SHORTER GEARRATIOS CHOSEN BY ROSS SPORT,OR THE SUSPENSION GEOMETRYSET BY AP TUNING, BOTH OFWHOM HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCESPRINTING AND RACING EVOS ATTHE HIGHEST LEVEL



‘ESTATES ARE MOREPRACTICAL, BUT ALSO

BETTER LOOKING’

because they crack and fade.They also cast reflections onthe windscreen, so I had thetop of the dash flocked in darkgrey. Except it came out beigefirst time around! So thatneeded re-doing in black. WhenI finally got a set of the wheels Iwanted, they didn't clear thebrakes so needed spacers.Then I was told I couldn't havea rear rollcage withoutremoving the rear seats, so I've

had to make do with a chassisbrace instead. It's all part of thefun of modifying a car to yourown set of specifications, Iguess,’ he smiles.

One area Alix didn't haveissues with was under thebonnet. After collecting therelevant parts from JapPerformance Parts over thecourse of six months, Alix drovehis car to Brent at SMD, wherethe engine was treated to a full

performance makeover. Thepower-giving parts included aceramic-coated VF30 turbo andSyms equal-length headers,HKS exhaust, Walbro fuel pumpand an STi top-mountedintercooler. While a catalogue ofsupporting parts, such as a Junoil pump, Roger ClarkMotorsport water pump,GReddy cambelt and braidedturbo lines, ensured reliability.

With the engine work carried

out in Newhaven, Alix then hada four-hour drive at 50mph allthe way up to Northamptonshireto get the car mapped. Hewanted the best man for thejob, so the trip to mappinggenius Paul Blamire at ZENPerformance was well worth it.Alix adds: ‘It was an interestingjourney to say the least! I droveup there with my brother Adamat a snail’s pace. Paul spentmost of the day live mapping



TECHSPECIMPEZA WRX VER.5 WAGON

ENGINE

EJ20 2.0-litre boxer turbo 4-cylinder

engine, live mapped by Paul Blamire,

VF30 turbo with ceramic-coated turbine

housing, Syms ceramic-coated

equal-length headers, HKS downpipe

and full stainless steel exhaust system,

lightened crank pulleys, Mishimoto

alloy radiator, STi top-mounted

intercooler, K&N air filter, Walbro 255l/h

fuel pump, Jun oil pump, Samco

hoses, Samco turbo intake pipe,

Roger Clark Motorsport water pump

and auxiliary belts, GReddy cambelt,

braided turbo lines, Forge header tank

Power: Est. 340bhp

TRANSMISSION

6-speed STi Version 7 gearbox, HKS

clutch and lightened flywheel, STi v7

rear differential, STi v7 propshaft, STi

v7 linkage, Sti v7 rear hubs and

driveshafts

BRAKES

Brembos calipers and discs up front

and on rear, braided brake lines

SUSPENSION

BC Racing adjustable coilovers,

Whiteline anti-roll bars front and rear,

Whiteline drop links, Whiteline anti-lift

kit, Hardrace rear arms, Cusco front

underbrace, Cusco rear strut brace

WHEELS & TYRES

9.75x18in XXR 530 alloy wheels in

matt black, 245/40/18 Uniroyal

Rainsport tyres

INTERIOR

Sparco Pro2000 bucket seats front

and rear, Sparco four-point harnesses,

Sparco steering wheel mounted on

snap-off boss, flocked dashboard with

carbon-fibre effect dash inserts, boost

gauge, HKS turbo timer

EXTERIOR

HRC Autosolutions 22B-style bodykit,

carbon-fibre bonnet, Halo projector

headlights, bodywork and respray by

Autobody Solutions

THANKS

Brent at Southern Motor

Developments, Saj at Jap Performance

Parts, Simon at Autobody Solutions,

Paul Blamire at ZEN Performance, my

fiancee Sophie

the car on the road. When I putmy foot down for the first timeafter he had finished, I wasshocked. There was loads morepower than before, but it justdrove so much nicer. It was like anew car! As you can imagine, thereturn journey was a fair bitquicker and more fun!’Both Alix’s Impreza and Saj’s

Evo show what can be done withsome imagination and the rightattitude. Both owners have futureplans, too. For Alix, the futureholds more engine work. Thetransmission is in place to cope

with it, but the car will likely neverbe raced. This is his pride and joy,something to put a smile on hisface at the weekends. He doesn'twant to risk undoing all his hardwork, and who can blame him?Alix's immaculate Impreza isdefinitely on the 'fast-road' side ofthe performance coin.While Saj's is the complete

opposite. A car built purely formotorsport use, with huge brakesand several years of pent-upfrustration waiting to be unleashedon the asphalt. Saj tested the carat a Toyota Sprint Series event at

Rockingham a few months ago.He won his class. So the car isdefinitely capable, and Saj isclearly no slouch behind thewheel, either. Although you getthe impression this isn't the end ofthe modifying road for the Evo...‘I reckon with another 60 or 70horsepower it would be acomplete animal,’ grins Saj. Soif you’re at a trackday and see aflash of red and white loominglarge in your mirrors, you’dbetter move out of the way, asthis is one wagon that’s definitelyon the warpath! JP


K C VW

027JAP171 2/26/15 3:54 PM Page 27

THE BRITISH DRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP STAND WAS A CHANCE TO GET UP-CLOSEAND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE STARS OF THE SERIES, WITHOUTGETTING A LUNGFUL OF ACRID TYRE SMOKE. JP’S FAVOURITES INCLUDED THEOLD-SCHOOL CELICA FROM HUXLEY MOTORSPORT AS WELL AS THESENSATIONAL LOOKING YELLOW AND BLACK LEXUS OF WAYNE KEEBER


AutosportInternational isalways a rude

awakening for theautomotive aftermarket.After weeks windingdown to the Christmasbreak, no sooner is theChristmas dinnerdigested than everythinggoes bananas again inpreparation for one of the

biggest shows on thecalendar. Held annually atBirmingham’s NEC(National ExhibitionCentre), AutosportInternational is the placeto be to kick off your NewYear. Whether you’re intochecking out the latesttuner and motorsportlaunches, engineeringtechnology, freshest new

products, old and newrace cars of every shapeand size, being blownaway by the petrol-fuelledantics in the Live ActionArena, or just droolingover the Lycra-cladbodies of the promo-girlsthat litter the isles,Autosport has somethingfor every petrolhead toget their kicks. As much a

show for the traders as itis for the public,Autosport is a chance fordeals to be done or evento have a cheeky peekat the competition! Withthe show opening topress and trade on theThursday and Friday andthen to the public at theweekend, it’s a four-daybhp bonanza that really

blows away thecobwebs and gets us allfocused on the tuningyear ahead. But if youdidn’t make it down tothe NEC, or you werestill feeling the effects oftoo much ushering-in ofthe New Year, then letJapanese Performancefill you in on whatyou missed!

AUTOSPORT 2015STARTING AS WE MEAN TO GO ON, THE AWESOME

AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL IS THE OPENING EVENT INTHE AUTOMOTIVE SHOW CALENDAR AND JP WAS

THERE TO CHECK OUT THE ACTION…WORDS & PICS: DAN SHERWOOD

autosportFINALch.qxd:JP 2/26/15 12:41 PM Page 28

ANOTHER CAR THATWAS GREAT TO SEE IN DETAIL WAS THELATEST EVO VI TIME ATTACKMONSTER FROMDOVER-BASED SVAIMPORTS. SITUATED ON THE TIME ATTACK STAND, SVA’S EVO ISONE OF THEMOST POWERFUL AND TECHNOLOGICALLYADVANCED CARS TO EVER COMPETE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.COMING THIRD IN THE 2014 SEASON, IT’S A SAFE BET THAT IT’LLAT LEAST BE ON THE PODIUM THIS SEASON TOO


THE NANKANG BRANDHAS BEEN REALLY GATHERING PACE OF LATE WITH AN EXCELLENTRANGE OFWELL-PRICED BUT EVEN BETTER PERFORMING TYRES FOR BOTH ROAD AND TRACKUSE. ALWAYS A BIG PRESENCE AT AUTOSPORT, THE NANKANG STAND FEATURED A HOST OF THEIRFINEST RUBBER OFFERINGS ASWELL AS SOME SERIOUSLY SEXYMOTORS TOO, INCLUDING THETRACK-PREPARED FN2 CIVIC TYPE R FROM TEGIWA IMPORTS. TEGIWA RUN THE CAR IN THEPOPULAR CIVIC CUP CHAMPIONSHIP OFWHICH NANKANG IS AMAJOR SPONSOR. IT’S A SUPERCOMPETITIVE SERIES, WHERE ALL CIVICS AREWELCOME, HOWEVER, THE TEGIWA CAR IS ONEOF ONLY A COUPLE OF FN2 CARS COMPETING. WHETHER IT WILL BE A FRONT RUNNER LIKETHE COMPANY’S PREVIOUS CRX AND EP3 CONTENDERS IS YET TO BE SEEN, BUT IT DOESMEANTHE COMPANY CAN TRY OUT AND TEST A LOADOF COOL NEW FN2-BASEDMODS BEFOREOFFERING THEM TO THEIR CUSTOMERS

ON THE NANKANG STANDWAS THE SATS SUPRA DRIVEN BYMARK ‘BUFF’ LUNEY. A DRIFT CAR BY TRADE, THE FULL CARBON-FIBRE RIDOX-KITTED SUPER COUPE PACKS OVER 1000BHPUNDER ITS BONNET ANDWAS SPORTING SOME EVENWIDERARCHES AT THE SHOW. IN A SURPRISING TWIST, THE TEAMTOLD US THEY ARE CONSIDERING RUNNING THE CAR IN THETOYOTA SPRINT SERIES THIS YEAR ASWELL AS THE BRITISHDRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP, SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOWTHE CAR STACKS UP, AND ALSO IF MARK LUNEY IS AS GOODDRIVING FORWARDS AS HE IS SIDEWAYS!



ANOTHER TYREMANUFACTURER THAT HASMADE BIGWAVES INTHE SCENE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS MAXXIS, AND JUST ASLAST YEAR, THEIR STANDWAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THESHOW. WITH EVERYTHING FROM THEIR LATEST RUBBER ONDISPLAY, TO SOME OF THE BEST PROMO EYE-CANDY OF THESHOW, IT ATTRACTEDWIDE-EYED VISITORS ALL DAY – WEIRDLY,SOME PEOPLE EVEN HAD AQUICK PEEK AT THE CARS! KNOWNBEST FOR THEIR HEAVY INVOLVEMENT IN THE DRIFT SCENE, ITWAS NO SURPRISE TO SEE SOME SIDEWAYS SLIDERS ON THESTAND INCLUDING THE UNVEILING OF TEAM JAPSPEED’SLATEST STEED. DRIVEN BY TYRE-SHREDDING CROONER SHANELYNCH, THE NEW CAR IS A HEAVILY RE-ENGINEERED NISSAN370ZWITH TWIN TURBOS AND FEATURING THEMOTHER OFALL STEERING LOCK. IT’S A PLATFORM THAT’S NOT BEEN TRIEDOVER HERE IN THE UK, BUT THE JAPSPEED BOYS HAVE HIGHHOPES FOR THEIR NEW Z-SLED!

AND FINALLY, JUST TO PROVE THAT IT’S NOT JUST US AND JAPPERFORMANCE PARTS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OBSESSEDWITHWAGONSAT THEMOMENT, WE JUST HAD TOHAVE ANOSEY AROUNDMATTNEAL’S LATEST BTCC CAR. BASEDON THE CIVIC TOURER, IT’S GOT TO BEONEOF THEMOST BONKERS SHOOTING BRAKES AROUND.WE LOVE IT!

AND SPEAKINGOF RALLY LEGENDS, THEREWAS ALSO PETTERSOLBERG KNOCKING ABOUT THE SHOW, EVEN TRYING HIS HAND AS AKWIK-FIT FITTER BY HAVING A GO AT THE ALCATEL ONE TOUCHWHEELCHANGE CHALLENGE, WHERE COMPETITORSWERE TIMED IN ANATTEMPT TO CHANGE AMK1MR2WHEEL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.WE’RE NOT SURE HOWHE GOT ON, BUT I’M SURE HE’S NOT LOOKINGFOR A CAREER CHANGE AS A TYRE TECHNICIAN JUST YET

NEW CARS ARE ONLY HALF THE STORY AT AUTOSPORT, AS YOU CANGET JUST AS BIG AKICK FROM CHECKINGOUT THEMORE OLD-SCHOOL ALTERNATIVES. CARS SUCH AS COLINMCRAE’S CHAMPIONSHIPWINNING SUBARU IMPREZA ALWAYS GET THE BLOOD PUMPING,AS DO SOME OF THE OLD ‘90S BTCC CARS SUCH AS THE KALIBER-LIVERIED HONDA ACCORD– CHECK OUT THAT REARWHEEL TUCK!

ANOTHER JAW-DROPPING ADDITION TO THE SHOWWAS TO BE FOUND IN THE SHAPE OFTURISMO UK’S NEW AVALANCHE GT CONVERSION. NOT THAT YOU’D KNOW IT FROM FIRSTGLANCE, BUT THE CONVERSION IS ACTUALLY BASED ON THE HUMBLE THIRD GENERATIONTOYOTAMR2. WITH STYLING CUES HEAVILY BASED ON THE PORSCHE CARRERA GT, WITH HINTSOF GERMANUBER-TUNER GEMBALLA THROWN IN FOR GOODMEASURE, IT REALLY IS ASTUNNING THING TO LOOK AT. WHEREASMR2S HAVE LONG BEEN THE AWKWARDUNDERPINNINGS OF SOME POORLY CONCEIVED FERRARI 355 CONVERSIONS, THIS MOREGERMANIC APPROACH SEEMS TO BE PRETTY BANGON THEMONEY IF YOU ASK US. AS A FULLYBOLT-ON SOLUTION IT ALSO PROMISES TO BE ONE OF THE EASIEST CONVERSIONS TO FIT TOO.PRICES ARE YET TO BE RELEASED, BUTWE’RE PRETTY SURE IT AIN’T GONNA BE CHEAP!

AFTER A FEW YEARS’ABSENCE FROM THE SHOW ITWAS GREAT TO SEEJAPANESE TYRE GIANT TOYOBACK AT AUTOSPORT, ANDWITH A BRANDNEW TRACKTYRE TO BOOT! THE PROXESR888R IS THE NEXT STEP ONFROM THE HUGELY SUCCESS-FUL R888. LIKE ITS ICONICBROTHER RUBBER, THER888R IS ALSO ROAD LEGAL.YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT INMORE DETAIL IN OUR JAP-STUFF SECTIONON PAGE 81


033JAP170 1/29/15 5:37 PM Page 3


THE BESTOR NOTHINGIT MAY BE THE STRAPLINE OF A WELL-KNOWNGERMAN CAR COMPANY, BUT IT ALSO HAPPENSTO APPLY RATHER WELL TO THIS LATEST LITCHFIELDCUSTOMER BUILD TOO. WE CATCH UP WITH THEGLOUCESTERSHIRE UBER-TUNERS AS THEY UNVEILTHEIR LATEST 1200BHP MEISTERWERK

WORDS PAUL COWLAND PHOTOS CHRIS WALLBANK

GTR-1ch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:38 PM Page 32

As anyone who has everspeed-dated will know;there’s real truth in the

phrase, ‘like attracts like’.Although the old adage of‘opposites attract’ may work forthe odd random pairing, mostpeople tend to gravitatetowards others that think andact in a similar way – andnowhere is this maxim moretrue than in the world of tuning.Don’t believe us? Then can youimagine a discerning, anally

retentive detail freak leavingtheir pride and joy with aspecialist that displays none ofthose qualities? No, me neither.

As the diametric opposite ofthat example, Litchfield sits veryhappily at the top table ofglobal tuners, not only for itstrademark Subaru and GT-Rconversions, but also for itssterling work on some of thenicest – and rarest – supercarsto be housed in Europe.Building a reputation like this

doesn’t come easy, and inLitchfield’s case, it has takenfounder Iain Litchfield and hiswife Jenny, along with adedicated technical team, over17-years to garner and retaintheir exclusive clientele, mainlyby a refusal to ever entertain theaverage, creating conversionsand vehicles that have pushedfar beyond the parameters everimagined by the vehicle’soriginal creators.

This single mindedness and

dogged pursuit of perfectionhasn’t just brought themaccolades and trophies (whichit has by the way… lots) but,more importantly, it hasendeared them to customers ofa certain persuasion. Those thatwish to build the very bestmachine commercially available– where price comes a solidfourth after quality, executionand efficacy. This stunningwhite GT-R, owned by aRussian gentleman who would



rather remain anonymous forthe time being, is the perfectexample of the case in point.

‘This client was very typicalof many of our customers,’smiles Iain. ‘He came to us witha very clear remit of creating acar with big power that stillretained all of its GT creaturecomforts and functionality.Many of our customers refuseto compromise with their builds.They want a stunningly quickcar, but not at the expense ofthe driving experience. It’s noteasy to achieve, but with carefulpreparation, and the rightchoice of components, it’ssomething we’ve becomesomewhat adept at delivering.’

The car had already beenspecified with the Varis bodymods – which we will revisitlater on – but what truly makesthis car remarkable is thedrivetrain. Beneath thatperfectly formed carbon-fibre

bonnet are some 1200rampaging horses. Angry whenthey're wanted, and docile andtraffic-friendly when they’re not.But just how do you make aGT-R engine do that?

The answer comes bymentioning that, really, thereisn’t an awful lot of GT-R engineleft in this car. Sure, thearchitecture is still the same,but almost every keycomponent has been re-imagined and re-engineered insome way. Let’s start with thedisplacement; this one almostjoins the muscle car ranks witha hefty 4.6-litre capacity.Running under the evidentlytitled VR46 nomenclature, this isa long way from what thefactory had in mind. Theconversion starts with a freshVR38 block of course, but thenLitchfield’s engineerscompletely refashion both oiland waterways before the block

is completely restrengthened.This work is done by Capricorn– yes, the very sameengineering concern thatconsults to many majormanufacturers and blue-chiprace teams – right up to thevery highest level – and wasinstrumental in much of the pre-production testing of the factoryGT-R over at the Nürburgring.Once the block has had its F1-level massage, it heads backto the Litchfield workshops forline boring.

The next stage in thisincredible engine is the intakesystem. The standard plenumsmay be fine for the standardengine, but on this car, theysimply wouldn’t be able tomatch the aerobic capacity ofthe engine. Litchfield’s cleverand somewhat surgical solutionis to open up the standard partsbefore completely reworkingtheir internals to deliver greater

flow. Once flawlessly fusedback together – and thentastefully finished in a ‘factoryfresh’ crackle finish – you’dnever know that the Litchfieldteam had been at work.

‘Material and componentchoice is crucial on an engineof this spec,’ Iain continues.‘We believe that a high-horsepower motor can be madeto be almost as reliable as afactory unit, as long as it’s builtwith carefully selectedupgrades.’ Proving his point arethe beautifully finished Inconelmanifolds, flawlessly Zircotec-coated to minimise heattransfer. It’s not just what’s fittedof course, but how it’s testedtoo. All of these parts haveundergone the kind of flowtesting usually only reserved forthe rarefied air of the F1paddock. But then this is typicalof Litchfield’s approach to everyengineering problem. ‘When


‘AT 1200BHP THISGT-R HAS WAY MORE

FIREPOWER THANMOST RACECARS –

EVEN FORMULA ONE!’



STATISTICSMAX POWER: 1,200HP@ 7,200RPM (1.7BAR), MAX TORQUE: 850LB/FT @ 3,800RPM (1.5BAR),PEAK BOOST: 1.8BAR (26.5PSI), WEIGHT: 1,650KG, LAUNCH RPM: 3,600RPM,SHIFT RPM: 7,600RPM, REDLINE: 7,900RPM, FUEL: SHELL V-POWER 99RON

we’re testing, we always striveto use the best solutioncommercially available,’ Iainintones seriously. ‘Naturally, it’susually in the sphere of F1, butluckily we have a few friendsthere that look after us, so itmeans we can put all of ourcomponents through thosevery same processes. It’s notcheap, but it does giveincredibly effective results.’Another example of this

‘trickle-down’ thinking comesin the form of the gasketmaterial. Rather than the usuallaser-cut steel, or stampedalternative, the gasket materialthat Litchfield uses on theseengines features a gas-typeseal which expands whenheated, giving an impervioussealing surface between theblock and the head. Overkill?Possibly, but when youremember that this car has agreater power output thanmost racecars, it’s notsurprising to see that level oftechnology at play.From an engineering

perspective, everything on thiscar has been tailored. Take theturbos for example; even thehighly desirable Garrett GT30Runits were re-worked with TiALhousings and a brace of 76mmcustom compressor wheels.Litchfield’s own customintercooler, allied to a Forgetransmission cooler take careof controlling excess heat witha great degree of success,while Litchfield also massivelyover-engineered the fuellingsystem too, including thecomically named ‘Battleship’fuel pump conversion, whichprovides more than enoughsuper unleaded from tankto injectors.When you stop to examine

the numbers, you can see whyit’s all needed though;1,200bhp is available from aboost of 1.7bar (25psi) and atonly 7,200rpm. That’s the ‘11’setting, however, so there’salso a mere 918bhp availableat 1.1bar (16psi) in case youwant to sit back and takethings easy on the run intowork… Either way, that’s goingto sup some gas along the way!Coping with all of this is a

gearbox and transmissionpackage that sees almostevery component beinguprated. Inside the Nissan GR6dual-clutch transmission aDodson Motorsport six-speedgear set (standard gearing withoverdrive 6th) powers througha Dodson Motorsport clutchpack, with standard final drive.The front diff is aLitchfield/Quaife item, while the


centre unit also receives asizeable makeover to keep it allhanging together.

Despite its hard-wonreputation for GT-R engine-building, many forget thatLitchfield has also beenpushing the boundaries ofsuspension development too,working with the originalcreators of the Nissan’s chassiscomponents in order toproduce something that notonly integrates with the factorydamper control systems, butoffers a great degree morebody control in the process.The resultant solution,engineered at factory level withboth Bilstein and Eibach hasbecome the tuning-scenebenchmark for this car now,with literally hundreds of carshaving been upgraded tobenefit from it. Needless to say,this car has the whole kit. Thislevel of engineering does revealmuch about the Litchfieldmodus operandi. If you can’t

find the part you need for yourconversion in the aftermarket –simply go to the appropriateOEM supplier and develop itfurther yourself. A greatexample of how Litchfieldinnovates, rather than imitates,to keep pushing its packagesforward.

Although best engineeringpractise is only ever really onetrue course, when it comes toaesthetics, Litchfield is keen tolet customers choose their ownpath to perfection. In thisinstance, the gentlemanconcerned clearly went heavyon the mouse clicks whilstbrowsing the Varis website –with the end result looking allthe better for it. The frontbumper, lip and side skirts alllook fantastic, and are perfectlyaugmented by the 2015-specOEM rear lights and AMScarbon-fibre roof, which picksup a couple of light-and-shadestyling cues from the originalpanels. Tying these new parts

together well are the 20in ADV.1wheels, which balance a clearlymore aggressive appearance,but without looking like overkill.A tough trick to pull off, but onethat works well here. Behindthese rims sit a suitably-upratedbrace of 400mm Alcon brakes,allied to Litchfield’s ownbespoke ducts to direct asmuch cold air their way aspossible – useful when you’retrying to slow this heavyweight1650kg machine fromsignificant three-figure speeds.

Although the chassis CVmight very well scream‘racecar’, when it comes to theinterior, it’s all very civilised,with a clear hat-tip to theowner’s desire to create a trulyversatile GT machine. A factorysteering wheel sits front andcentre of the pilot, leaving all ofits party tricks in place, but withthe added bonus of anAlcantara covering for betterpurchase. Notice also how thegear paddle selectors areextended for easier reachduring those track-day wheeltwirling moments, too.

As for the rest of it, it’sthe full-weight (and thereforefull comfort and refinement)factory interior still in situ,complete with all of the originalsound deadening and top-flightBose stereo to make forcosseting progress.

Sitting in this thing at speedis eerie; it’s almost too civilised.You simply don’t expect thismuch power and weight tomake such unflusteredprogress on a tight back road. Ittruly is a masterpiece cocktail of

parts and performance; tickingevery single box in one car.

We’ve driven and writtenabout a lot of Litchfield GT-Rconversions now, each andevery one being very different,reflecting the nature andpersonality of its owner andtheir tastes and desires. What iscommon on all of these cars,however, is how each one isvery much greater than the sumof its parts. Read the specsheet, and you can’t help butbe impressed; these cars arebuilt with literally the best ofeverything. What that ‘TopTrumps’ list can’t tell you,however, is just how well eachpart works together. It isultimately this level ofengineering homogeneity thatmakes this car so good,because although every line ofthat spec sheet screams‘animal’, the reality is anythingbut. Sure, this is a car that canalmost jump the space-timecontinuum and rearrangecrucial body parts in theprocess, but day-to-day, it stillretains the credentials thatmake the GT-R such a capableshowroom machine.

Creating a conversion likethis is never easy – or cheap,for that matter – but when theresulting car looks and drivesas well as this, then you realisethat as long as there areenthusiasts looking to acquirethe very best vehicle available –and there are talented teamslike Litchfield to help them toachieve it, then the future of theNissan tuning scene looks veryhealthy indeed. JP


‘AT SPEED THE GT-R PUTS THEAWESOME VARIS AERO KIT

TO GOOD USE’


www.japaneseperformancemagazine.co.uk

TECHSPECENGINE:4.6-litre, VR46 V6 Litchfield Red Topengine, oil and water pathmodification, complete blockmachining with replacement liners,liners Niksil coated, block work byCapricorn (UK), line bored in-house atLitchfield, Litchfield/Capricorn pistonswith custom crown design,Litchfield/Arrow connecting rods,super-finished/balanced custom crank,Litchfield Sport camshafts, Litchfieldcustom springs with larger valves,custom head gasket, standard Nissanhead studs, ARP main studs, Litchfieldlarge intake manifold, Litchfield airintake kit, ASNU 1,100cc injectors,Litchfield ‘Battleship’ fuel pumpconversion, Syvecs Motorsport S8ECU, Nissan standard ignition system,NGK Racing plugs, Litchfield Inconelmanifold with Zircotec coating,Litchfield 102mm exhaust system,46mm external dump valves, ForgeMotorsport blow-off valves, Litchfieldlarge race core intercooler, Litchfieldblue-printed oil pump and oil cooler,standard fuel cell, Garrett GT30Rbased turbos, 76mm customcompressor wheels, TiAL turbinehousings, Akrapovi carbon tailpipetrims

TRANSMISSIONNissan GR6 dual-clutch transmission,Dodson Motorsport six-speed gear set(standard gearing with overdrive 6th),Dodson Motorsport clutch pack,standard final drive, Litchfield/Quaifefront diff, Litchfield modified centre diff,standard Nissan rear LSD, ForgeMotorsport transmission cooler,standard driveshafts

SUSPENSIONLitchfield/Bilstein dampers,Litchfield/Eibach springs, Litchfieldcustom anti-roll bar,

BRAKESAlcon Superkit CNC brake calipers,Alcon 400mm rotors (fronts), Pagidpads, Alcon brake lines, Litchfieldbrake cooling ducts

WHEELS/TYRES10x20in ADV.1 wheels with MichelinPilot Cup2 tyres

EXTERIORVaris Front bumper, lip and grille,carbon-fibre GT bonnet, Varis sideskirts, AMS carbon-fibre roof, carbon-fibre boot lid, Aeromotive Active rearspoiler, MY2015 GT-R rear lenses

INTERIORQuick-release Litchfield Alcantara steer-ing wheel with longer custom gearselectors, Toucan digital display

THANKSwww.litchfieldmotors.com

37


�� +6+&��81(�� +6+&��81(��

�� HONDA • TOYOTA • MAZDA • MITSUBISHI • SUBARU • NISSAN • LEXUS

!

We share the passion!Call our Sales Team Today

��

��#052��/(��401��5/+/)��*01• Modern easy to find premises• Established for over 45 years• Fully equipped on-site workshop• Easy access of the M6 (J16)• Large parking facilities• Passionate staff• Fast mail order• 1st class customer service• Excellent product availability• Competitive prices

� �$+-��2'(2��(4$+-��5/+/)��*01�� !02,3*01��+44+/)��(26+&(�� (26+&+/)��(1$+23��5/+/)

A

Please phone if your car is not

listed, as only a smallrange of our parts

are listed

ABP have developed a full range of tuning parts for the FN2 Civic Type R using our own development car. Testing on the Nurburgring we offer exclusive suspension, brake and performance parts that guarantee to bring your Type R alive! Who said the EP3 was better…..

�"� ��MILLTEK SPORT ABP exclusive cat-back stainless steel exhaust system..........................................................................£499.00These exclusive to ABP Milltek systems are quite simply a must have. Superb fit, beautiful quality, amazing soundtrack and good power gains.MILLTEK SPORT 3” round tailpipe trims .............................................................................................................(pair) £125.00PIPER Stainless Steel Race exhaust manifold & stainless de-cat pipe.............................................................................£630.00PIPER Stainless Steel Race exhaust manifold & 200CEL Sports Cat .............................................................................. £770.00O2 simulator (removes ECU light with race manifold fitted) ...............................................................................................£70.50PIPER Stainless steel cat-back exhaust system.............................................................................................................£520.00HKS Sport Muffler cat-back exhaust system (3” tailpipes & HKS trims)..........................................................................£862.00

*FITTING AVAILABLE ON ALL PRODUCTS / UK & WORLDWIDE DELIVERY SERVICE* ��

K&N Sports air filter replacement element (lifetime warranty) ........................................................................................£41.00K&N Apollo closed box air filter induction kit ..............................................................................................................£158.00AEM Short Ram air induction kit (polished or red alloy intake pipe) ................................................................................£169.00POWERTEC Stainless steel air filter kit (including heat shield).........................................................................................£149.00PIPERCROSS Sports air filter kit (including heat shield)..................................................................................................£145.00HKS Racing Suction Kit (includes alloy intake pipe)........................................................................................................£365.00

��EIBACH ABP Exclusive -30mm lowering spring kit .......................................................................................................£150.00These are the very best springs you can buy for the FN2. Offering the ultimate in looks, handling, reduced roll and better ride qualitythere really are no downsides. Please call for fully fitted prices.EIBACH Pro-Kit -15mm lowering spring kit .................................................................................................................£159.00All the advantages of our -30mm kits but with less lowering!EIBACH Front adjustable camber bolts (essential on lowered cars)....................................................................................£25.00EIBACH Rear camber & toe shims (to get the very best handling) ............................................................................(each) £8.50KW Variant 1 coil-over suspension kit (fully adjustable ride height) ................................................................................£879.00KW Variant 2 coil-over suspension kit (fully adjustable height & rebound)....................................................................£1,069.00KW Variant 3 coil-over suspension kit (fully adjustable height, bump & rebound) ..........................................................£1,379.00TEIN S-Tech lowering spring kit (Front -15mm Rear -20mm)..........................................................................................£228.00TEIN Superstreet coil over kit with upper mounts (adjustable height & damping) .........................................................£1,080.00EIBACH 15mm ProSpacer kit (improves looks, steering feel & high speed stability) ...........................................................£108.00ABP Stage 1 Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (including camber bolts) .................................................................£135.00This set up in ABP’s workshop improves the FN2 massively. Improving turn in, reducing under-steer and offering greatly improved feel & handling. A MUST HAVE MODIFICATION. ABP Stage 2 Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (including bolts & rear shims) ........................................................£224.00As above but stage 2 also includes removing the rear hubs, fitting correct camber & toe shims (included in price) and setting both front and rear geometry to fast road spec.

�� STOPTECH Fast Road Front brake pads .................................................................................................................(set) £49.00STOPTECH Front Sport Stop Grooved brake discs ...............................................................................................(pair) £190.00STOPTECH Rear Sport Stop Grooved brake discs ................................................................................................(pair) £145.00 POWERSLOT Front 350mm Big-disc conversion kit.......................................................................................................£355.00Kit uses original caliper and offers superior looks & braking with excellent 350mm discs. Kit comes complete with 350mm discs, caliper relocation brackets and fitting kit.STOPTECH Touring 300mm 4-POT Brake conversion kit* .............................................................................................£995.00 These new budget 300mm kits use a unique directional veined 300mm grooved disc with the ST41 4-pot calliper. Kit comes completewith discs, calipers, pads, hoses and fitting kit. This kit looks great and performs even better!STOPTECH BBK 328mm Brake caliper conversion kit* ..............................................................................................£1,450.00The legendary Stoptech Big Brake Kit is simply awesome in every way. Using 2-piece 328mm discs and ST40 4-pot calipers the performance on offer from this kit is unreal. Essential for ultra fast road or serious track use. Kit comes complete with 2-piece 328mm discs, alloy bells, calipers, pads, hoses and fitting kit. Choice of Black or Red calipers*EIBACH 15mm Pro-Spacer kit (required to fit Stoptech brake kits behind OE Honda wheels).............................................£108.00FERODO DS2500 Front high performance brake pads ...................................................................................................£99.50FERODO DS2500 Rear high performance brake pads ....................................................................................................£92.50EBC Red Ceramic Front high performance brake pads ...................................................................................................£87.00EBC Red Ceramic Rear high performance brake pads ....................................................................................................£54.00EBC Turbo Groove drilled & grooved front brake discs ......................................................................................(pair) £245.00TAROX G88 40-Groove high performance front brake discs ..............................................................................(pair) £217.00GOODRIDGE Stainless steel 6-line brake hose kit (including distribution blocks) .............................................................£175.00MOTUL RBF600 High performance brake fluid (1/2 LT) ................................................................................................£15.50FOLIATEC Caliper paint kit (various colours)....................................................................................................................£24.90

*FITTING AVAILABLE ON ALL PRODUCTS / UK & WORLDWIDE DELIVERY SERVICE*��

HKS IRIDIUM spark plugs (set 4)..................................................................................................................................£82.00PIAA Headlight bulb upgrade kits (Set of 6 bulbs - sidelight, dip & main beam) .......................................................from £95.00YOKOHAMA 225/40X18 PARADA Spec 2 tyre.............................................................................................................£125.00YOKOHAMA 225/40X18 ADVAN NEOVA ADO8 tyre (ultimate track day tyre)...............................................................£169.00YOKOHAMA 225/35X19 Advan Sport OE tyre ............................................................................................................£215.00

�� #��ABP offer a full range of servicing to HONDA specification which will not affect the manufacturer’s warranty. 12 month / 12,500 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour ..............................................................£119.0024 month / 25,000 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour...............................................................£198.4036 month / 37,500 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour...............................................................£154.0048 month / 50,000 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour...............................................................£198.4060 month / 62,500 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour...............................................................£119.0072 month / 75,000 mile service to HONDA spec including all parts & Labour...............................................................£385.00All of our services include MOTUL fully synthetic oil, Honda oil & air filters & NGK spark plugs. Cars are serviced to exact HONDA specification and service books are stamped maintaining the warranty. If cars are fitted with performance air filters above prices will be reduced accordingly.

ABP purchased an EP3 Type R back in 2001 with the sole aim of developing a full range of tuning parts. We offer exclusive ranges of suspension, brake and performance parts that we believe are the very best available. 10 years on the EP3 is still a great car and more affordable than ever so with a few choice mods the tuning world is your oyster…

�"� ��PIPER ABP exclusive Single-box cat-back stainless steel exhaust system.......................................................................£349.00These exclusive to ABP Piper single silencer systems are quite simply a must have. Superb fit, beautiful quality, amazing soundtrack and good power gains. System has a 6x4” oval tailpipe.PIPER Twin-box cat-back stainless steel exhaust system As above but with 2 silencers – same power with less sound! .......£399.00PIPER Stainless Steel Race exhaust manifold & stainless de-cat pipe.............................................................................£498.00PIPER Stainless Steel Race exhaust manifold & 200CEL Sports Cat .............................................................................. £678.00

**Independent rolling road tests show an incredible increase of +22BHP using a PIPER manifold, de-cat and exhaust system on the EP3 Type R!**

DC SPORTS Stainless steel SCS cat-back exhaust system (4” round tip)..........................................................................£430.00DC SPORTS Stainless steel SHORTY exhaust manifold (uses original cat) ........................................................................£375.00DC SPORTS Stainless steel RACE exhaust manifold (removes catalyst) ............................................................................£395.00All DC Sports items are beautifully crafted in polished stainless steel and offer fantastic looks and power gains. The SCS system comes with a removable silencing baffle ideal for track days.O2 simulator (removes ECU light with race manifold fitted) ...............................................................................................£70.50HKS Hi Power 409 cat-back exhaust system (120mm angled tailpipe)...........................................................................£471.90 Stunning JAP style exhaust system with removable silencing baffle and polished 120mm tailpipeSUPERSPRINT Stainless Steel straight through B-pipe...................................................................................................£204.00ENERGY SUSPENSION Up-rated engine mount insert bush kit.........................................................................................£26.00Essential when using any modified exhaust manifold. These also aid traction & prevent wheel hop.

*FITTING AVAILABLE ON ALL PRODUCTS / UK & WORLDWIDE DELIVERY SERVICE* ��

K&N Sports air filter replacement element (lifetime warranty) ........................................................................................£49.00K&N 57i Air filter kit .................................................................................................................................................£109.00K&N Typhoon air filter induction kit (wrinkle red finish intake pipe) ...............................................................................£150.00AEM CAI Cold Air Induction kit (filter relocated behind front bumper) +15BHP .................................................................£245.00 AEM V2 Air Filter Induction kit (Unique dual plenum intake pipe) +18BHP......................................................................£265.00PIPERCROSS VENOM Sports air filter kit (fully enclosed air box system) ..........................................................................£175.00

Intake kits make a massive difference to the EP3 Type R offering anything up-to +18BHP power gains. Choosing the right combination of exhaust system and filter kit can add up-to +25 BHP power improvements!

��EIBACH ABP Exclusive -30mm lowering spring kit .......................................................................................................£150.00These are the very best springs you can buy for the EP3. Offering the ultimate in looks, handling, reduced roll and better ride qualitythere really are no downsides.EIBACH Pro-Kit -15mm lowering spring kit - All the advantages of our -30mm kits but with less lowering! .........................£159.00EIBACH Front adjustable camber bolts (essential on lowered cars)....................................................................................£25.00EIBACH Rear fully adjustable camber arms (to get the very best handling)............................................................(pair) £135.00BILSTEIN B4 Shock absorber kit (front & rear shocks) ........................................................................................(set 4) £385.00BILSTEIN B8 Sports up-rated shock absorber kit (front & rear shocks) ................................................................(set 4) £655.00BILSTEIN are arguably the Worlds best shock absorbers, developed on the Nurburgring they offer fantastic chassis control without theextremes of coil-over set-ups. Simply the best real World suspension solution.TEIN S-Tech lowering spring kit -20mm.......................................................................................................................£228.00TEIN BASIC coil over suspension kit (adjustable height only) ..........................................................................................£708.00TEIN Superstreet coil over kit (adjustable height & damping) .........................................................................................£804.00TEIN Superstreet coil over kit with upper mounts (adjustable height & damping) .........................................................£1,080.00EIBACH 15mm ProSpacer kit (improves looks, steering feel & high speed stability) ...........................................................£108.00JDM Rear Anti Roll Bar (including bushes)....................................................................................................................£102.50E-TECH front polished alloy strut brace .........................................................................................................................£87.50E-TECH front wide-bar lightweight alloy strut brace .....................................................................................................£170.00ABP Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (including front camber bolts) ......................................................................£155.00This set up in ABP’s workshop improves the EP3 massively. Improving turn in, reducing under-steer and offering greatly improved feel & handling. A MUST HAVE MODIFICATION.

*FITTING AVAILABLE ON ALL PRODUCTS / UK & WORLDWIDE DELIVERY SERVICE*��

STOPTECH Fast Road Front brake pads (set)..................................................................................................................£49.00STOPTECH Fast Road Rear brake pads (set) ..................................................................................................................£38.00STOPTECH Front Sport Stop Grooved brake discs (pair)................................................................................................£190.00STOPTECH Rear Sport Stop Grooved brake discs (pair).................................................................................................£140.00 POWERSLOT Front 350mm Big-disc conversion kit.......................................................................................................£355.00Kit uses original caliper and offers superior looks & braking with excellent 350mm discs. Kit comes complete with 350mm discs, caliper relocation brackets and fitting kit.STOPTECH Touring 300mm 4-POT Brake conversion kit* .............................................................................................£995.00 These new budget 300mm kits use a unique directional veined 300mm grooved disc with the ST41 4-pot calliper. Kit comes completewith discs, calipers, pads, hoses and fitting kit. This kit looks great and performs even better!EIBACH 15mm Pro-Spacer kit*(required to fit Touring kit behind OE Honda wheels) .........................................................£108.00STOPTECH BBK 328mm Brake caliper conversion kit ................................................................................................£1,450.00The legendary Stoptech Big Brake Kit is simply awesome in every way. Using 2-piece 328mm discs and ST40 4-pot calipers the performance on offer from this kit is unreal. Essential for ultra fast road or serious track use. Kit comes complete with 2-piece 328mmdiscs, alloy bells, calipers, pads, hoses and fitting kit. This kit fits behind the original Honda 17” alloy. Choice of Red or Black calipers.FERODO DS2500 Front high performance brake pads ...................................................................................................£99.50FERODO DS2500 Rear high performance brake pads ....................................................................................................£91.50EBC Red Ceramic Front high performance brake pads ...................................................................................................£87.00EBC Red Ceramic Rear high performance brake pads ....................................................................................................£58.00EBC Turbo Groove drilled & grooved front brake discs ......................................................................................(pair) £245.00TAROX G88 40-Groove high performance front brake discs ..............................................................................(pair) £217.00GOODRIDGE Stainless steel 4-line brake hose kit (zinc plated unions) .......................................................................... £62.00MOTUL RBF600 High performance brake fluid (1/2 LT) ................................................................................................£15.50FOLIATEC Caliper paint kit (various colours) ..................................................................................................................£24.90

��HKS IRIDIUM spark plugs (set 4)..................................................................................................................................£82.00NEUSPEED Short Shift gear lever kit ............................................................................................................................£95.00EXEDY OE 3-piece Clutch kit - Fitting service available.................................................................................................£195.00PIAA Headlight bulb upgrade kits (Set of 4 bulbs - sidelight, dip/main beam) ..........................................................from £65.00PIAA Silicone front wiper blade kit (pair of silicone wiper blades) .....................................................................................£43.00YOKOHAMA 215/40X17 PARADA Spec 2 tyre...............................................................................................................£92.00YOKOHAMA 215/40x17 ADVAN NEOVA ADO8 tyre (ultimate track day tyre) .................................................................£156.00ABP recommend changing the original 205/45x17 tyres to the better 215/40x17 size. Wider, slightly lower profile these tyres offerimproved handling, grip, feel and they’re cheaper! SERVICING - See FN2 Listing

��

�

Z (inc. heat shield) ...............................................................................................................£315.00Subaru Impreza inc. STi (2001 on) ........................................................................................................£169.00V2 Dual Plenum Air Intake KitsHonda S2000......................................................................................................................................£275.00Honda Civic Type R EP3 & DC5 Integra....................................................................................................£265.00

ABP are official importers UK importers of DC Sports products direct from the USA. Products include ceramic coated & stainless steel exhaust manifolds and stainless steel exhaust systems.DC Sports Exhaust ManifoldsHonda Civic Type R EP3 Stainless Steel Race manifold - (These fully polished manifolds also remove the catalyst) ..........................................................................£395.00Nissan 350Z Ceramic Coated tubular sports manifolds (pair) ......................................................................£475.00 Mitsubishi EVO 5-9 Large Bore Stainless Steel Race Manifold .....................................................................£399.00DC Sports SCS Stainless Steel Exhaust SystemsHonda Integra Type R DC2 .....................................................................................................................£399.00Honda Integra Type R DC5 .....................................................................................................................£430.00Honda Civic Type R EP3 (inc. removable baffle) ........................................................................................£430.00Mitsubishi EVO 7, 8 & 9 .......................................................................................................................£449.00Nissan 350Z (Sounds like a 911 Race car!) ............................................................................................£699.00Subaru Impreza (2002 on) inc. STi & WRX.............................................................................................£425.00

*FITTING AVAILABLE ON ALL PRODUCTS / UK & WORLDWIDE DELIVERY SERVICE*

��

040-041JAP155 31/10/13 09:54

!�� Our fully equipped modern workshop allows us to carry out a fullrange of servicing, maintenance & performance modifications in-house. Staffed by fully qualified enthusiastic technicians trained to thehighest standards we are able to skilfully fit, set-up, tune and optimiseany modifications to get the best out of your car – This is our passion! From regular manufacturer spec servicing, MOTtesting, performance tuning & chassis development to full on track day preparation we can offer the complete service.

ABP’s workshop carries Cheshire County Council Trading Standards approval assuring you of the highestquality and 1st class customer service. ABP achieved Trading Standards first perfect 100% mysteryshop result in August 2010.

ABP were awarded CAT magazines coveted title of National Garage of the Year in both 2010 and 2011. An award we all take very seriously and testament to our very high standards.

• Performance Parts Installation• Manufacturer Spec Servicing• Suspension Fitting Specialists• Wheel alignment & Suspension Geometry• Maintenance & Repairs• MOT Testing Station• Customer Supplied Parts Fitted• Clutch fitting• Cam / Timing Belts Replaced• Fully Skilled & Experienced Staff• Trading Standards Approved• National CAT Garage of the Year 2010 & 2011

We offer a full servicing & Maintenance service to our customers. ABP Service all cars to manufacturerspecification therefore maintaining warranties & correct service history!The advantages our service gives you over & above the dealers (or stealers!) are:• Enthusiastic passionate staff • All makes / models worked on • Guaranteed level of personal service • No problems with imports • Full range of services including modifications • One-Stop tuning shop• Competitive Labour pricesFull range of servicing / maintenance available including timing belts, clutches, brakes, suspension & steering work.Please phone with your exact requirements and we will be happy to advise and give competitive prices.

• Vague Steering? • Steering wheel miss-aligned?• Excessive or uneven tyre wear?• General poor handling?

Lots of Japanese cars have fully adjustable wheel alignment, castor adjustment & camber adjustment both front and rear.Manufacturer’s geometry specifications allow for very generous tolerances which can lead to poor handling, excessive tyrewear, vague steering feel and even reduced MPG! ABP can ‘blueprint’ your suspension geometry settings allowing you to benefit from maximum steering response &improved grip along with improved tyre life and increased economy. We have the latest computerised 4-wheel alignmentequipment and are able to optimise the geometry settings on your car.

ABP can also offer unique FAST ROAD settings for many cars offering improved handling and turn in by introducing moreextreme alignment practices. We can also set your geometry up to your own individual spec for track use or drifting etc.

Please phone for exact prices on your car & prepare to feel the differences immediately.ExamplesFull suspension 4-wheel alignment check and report (no adjustment) ...................................................................£55.00 Front Wheel Alignment check & adjust.........................................................................................................from £35.00Front & Rear Wheel Alignment check & reset ...............................................................................................from £75.00Subaru Impreza Turbo / STi / WRX & Mitsubishi EVO 5-10 .................................................................................£135.00Check and reset front & rear Wheel Alignment & Camber angles to Fast Road specHONDA S2000 Check and reset front & rear Wheel Alignment; Camber and Castor angles to Fast Road or Honda spec...£140.00Honda Civic Type R EP3 ABP Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (Including front camber bolts) .........................£155.00This set up includes supplying & fitting adjustable front camber bolts, reset the front & rear Wheel Alignment & Camber angles toABP Fast Road spec. These improve the EP3 massively. Improving turn in, reducing under-steer and offering greatly improved feel& handling and reduced tyre wear!Honda Civic Type R FN2 ABP Stage 1 Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (Including camber bolts) ....................£135.00This set up includes supplying & fitting adjustable front camber bolts, reset the front Wheel Alignment & Camber angles to ABP Fast Roadspec. These improve the FN2 massively. Improving turn in, reducing under-steer and offering greatly improved feel & handling.Honda Civic Type R FN2 ABP Stage 2 Fast Road suspension geometry set-up (Including bolts & rear shim kit) ........£224.00As above but stage 2 also includes removing the rear hubs, fitting correct camber & toe shims (included in price) and setting bothfront and rear geometry to fast road spec.

ABP can provide various levels of suspension tuning for all Japanese vehicles. We offer a full fitting service on over 7manufacturers lowering spring options, numerous sports shock absorbers and many complete adjustable suspension kitsincluding fully adjustable coil-over kits.Spring kits available from EIBACH, TEIN, SPAX, H&R, GMAX, KW and PiShock Absorbers available from KONI, BILSTEIN, KW, SPAX and EIBACH Suspension kits available from EIBACH, KONI, BILSTEIN, TEIN, KW, H&R, SPAX & GMAXLowering spring kits supplied & fitted ........... ............................................................................................from £295.00Sports suspension kits supplied & fitted ....................................................................................................from £445.00Fully adjustable coil-over suspension kits supplied & fitted ........................................................................from £820.00

Phone ABP for a price on either lowering or making your car ‘Really Handle!’

ABP can fit all of the parts that we sell and we are also happy to fit customer provided parts in our workshop.

Here are some general fitting prices for our workshop:

Please phone ABP’s workshop on 01270 567177 for accurate prices on fitting parts toyour car or to arrange a workshop booking time.

Sports exhaust systems fitting .......................from £55.00Performance air filter induction kits fitting .....from £55.00Brake discs & pads fitting ..............................from £82.50Big Brake conversion kits fitting ..................from £110.00Suspension kit fitting ..................................from £165.00

Wheel alignment checks ...............................from £55.00Timing / Cam belts fitting..............................from £82.50Clutch kits fitting ........................................from £165.00Pre / Post Track day check-over ....................from £55.00

ALL CARS CATERED FOR – PLEASE CALLAll labour prices do not allow for seized, broken or damaged components on your car.

EIBACH produce the Worlds finest springs with qualitysecond to none. Not only do they improve the looks ofthe car but they also offer better handling withimproved ride quality. ABP offer the full range ofEIBACH suspension products available includinglowering spring kits, suspension kits, alignmentproducts and wheel spacer kits. PLEASE CALL

Bilstein produce a massive range of shockabsorbers and suspension kits for Japanesecars including B4 replacement dampers, B6 & B8 sports shock absorbers and fullyadjustable coil over suspension kits. All Bilstein development work is carried out on the legendary Nurburgring.

ABP can supply and fit the full range of HKS tuningproducts from Japan. HKS offer some of the finestquality tuning parts available in the World. Productsavailable include sports air filter kits, sequential dumpvalve kits, iridium spark plugs, exhaust systems,intercoolers, boost controllers, suspension, cams,electronics and more. PLEASE CALL

K&N were the original sports air filter manufacturer andoffer the largest choice for Japanese cars. They makesports air filters for every car including the majority ofF1 and WRC teams. • Replacement elements from £29.00• 57i induction kits from £64.00• Typhoon induction kits from £135.00

ABP stock the full range of PIAA products including bulbs,silicon wiper blades, lamps and vision products. PIAAproduce a massive range of lighting products to suit allapplications and they are used extensively in motorsportthroughout the World. Don’t confuse PIAA bulbs with thecheaper brands out there as PIAA are THE BEST.

• LED Sidelight bulbs from £24.50 • Headlightbulbs from £35.00 • Silicon wipers from £21.50

We stock a large range of high performance tyres tosuit all needs. We recommend Yokohama tyres forunrivalled performance. For ultimate performanceyou may want to consider the amazing YokohamaAdvan AD08 which offers unbelievable grip for fastroad or track day use. ABP offer excellent prices onYokohama Parada tyres in all sizes. PLEASE CALLFOR BEST PRICES ON YOKOHAMA TYRES

We offer the full range of TEIN suspension to suit allneeds & budgets. TEIN offer kits to suit road, track day,drift or competition use. Choose from a lowering springkit to a fully adjustable coil over kit with adjustablealloy top mounts. Kits available for Honda, Lexus,Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru & Toyota.

• Lowering Springs from £155 • Coil-Over Kits from £660

Tarox G88 40-Groove brake discs offer awesomebraking performance under the most extremeconditions. Unique heat treatment process’ makesthese one of the strongest discs available. Fullrange of uprated brake discs, brake pads and bigcaliper conversion kits available for mostJapanese cars. PLEASE CALL

Fast Road brake pads from £49.00G88 40 Groove brake discs from £159.00TAROX big brake caliper kits from £1,250

ABP offer the full range of FERODO high performancebrake pads. The DS2500 range is ideally suited toextreme road use and is an ideal track day pad.Massive range available to suit all popular Japanesehigh performance cars. Other compounds are availablefor more extreme track use or full race applications.• Honda Civic Type R EP3 & FN2 Front DS2500 Brake pads £99.50

• Honda Civic Type R EP3 & FN2 Rear DS2500 Brake pads £91.50 PLEASE CALL

PLEASE CALL TODAY FOR PRICES/INFORMATION ON ALL THE ABOVE PRODUCTS

EBC offer a massive choice of braking products to suit all cars andall drivers’ requirements. Fast road, Track day or race use.

Full range of EBC braking products stocked including:GREENSTUFF brake pads for road use from £28.00 setREDSTUFF Ceramic brake pads for fast road use from £46.00 setYELLOWSTUFF brake pads ideal for track-day use from £65.00 setTURBOGROOVE grooved & drilled brake discs from £140.00 pair

PLEASE CALL

SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

WHEEL ALIGNMENT & SUSPENSION GEOMETRY

SUSPENSION AND LOWERING

FITTING PRICES

ABP Motorsport416 Newcastle Road, Shavington,

Crewe, Cheshire CW2 5EBFax 01270 568177

[email protected]

A51Chester

Nantwich

Weston

Shavington

B5071Keele

Birmingham

Manchester

CheshireCheese

TheHorseshoe

TheElephant

WhiteLion

WhiteHart

BroughtonArms

ThePeacock

M6

M6

B5071

Crewe

Alsager

J16

Shavington Bypass

ESSO

PHONE TODAY FOR NEXT DAY DELIVERY* or WHY NOT CALL INTO OUR SHOWROOM TOCOLLECT OR LET US FIT THE PARTS FOR YOU IN OUR FULLY EQUIPPED ON-SITE WORKSHOP

* Orders must be placed before noon and are only available on stock items (excluding Sunday).

Please phone for postage prices on your order

NEXT DAY DELIVERY

Opening HoursMon-Fri 8.30am - 6.00pmSat 9.00am - 3.00pm

How to find us

Orders can be placed by phone with a credit/debit card for immediatedespatch. Postal orders and cash are also acceptable.

At ABP full security checks are made to ensure the validity of the creditcard holder. All attempted credit card frauds are reported to the police.

~ EXPORT ORDER ARE WELCOME ~

We reserve the right to change prices in accordance with certain manufacturers. Rightsof cancellation details supplied. Prices are correct at time of going to press. E&OE.

~ ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT ~

777�$%1.040231024�&0�5,

��

ABP are an official UK importer of STOPTECH brakes and offer the full range of high performancebrake pads, brake discs and the AWESOME caliper conversion kits. Used extensively in TimeAttack series cars these kits are reputed to be the best available. Full range of 4 & 6 pot kitsavailable for most Japanese cars please call for prices to make your car STOP!STOPTECH high performance brake pads ...........................................................................................from £38EVO 5-9 & Impreza STi FRONT & REAR brake pad set ..................................................................................£118STOPTECH High performance grooved brake discs .............................................................................from £140Mitsubishi EVO 5-9 Front grooved brake discs...............................................................................................£225Mitsubishi EVO 5-9 Rear grooved brake discs................................................................................................£195Honda Civic Type R FRONT & REAR grooved brake disc kit..............................................................................£330STOPTECH Big Brake Caliper conversion kits......................................................................................from £995Honda Civic Type R EP3 & FN2 Touring kit (300mm).....................................................................................£995Honda Civic Type R EP3 & FN2 (4-pot 328mm) .........................................................................................£1,450Mitsubishi EVO 7-10 (4-pot & 6-pot kits) ..........................................................................................from £1,550Nissan Skyline R32, 33, 34 (4-pot & 6-pot kits) ...............................................................................from £1,550Full range available for Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru & Toyota

AEM offer the very best intake kits for your Japanese car. AEM lead the way in air filter technology and now usethe revolutionary DRYFLOW filter units. ABP are an official AEM importer dealing directly with the manufacturer!

• Massive Range stocked • Excellent power gains • Call for pricesCold Air Intake KitsHonda Integra Type R DC2 .....................................................................................................................£269.00Honda Integra Type R DC5 .....................................................................................................................£255.00Subaru Impreza inc. STi (2001 on) ........................................................................................................£262.00Subaru Impreza Inc STi (2008 on) +30BHP ...........................................................................................£255.00Mazda MX5 (2006 on) ........................................................................................................................£275.00Mitsubishi EVO 10 +16BHP...................................................................................................................£275.00Short Ram Intake KitsMitsubishi EVO 7, 8, 9 (inc. heat shield) .................................................................................................£235.00Nissan 350Z (inc. heat shield) ...............................................................................................................£315.00Subaru Impreza inc. STi (2001 on) ........................................................................................................£169.00V2 Dual Plenum Air Intake KitsHonda S2000......................................................................................................................................£275.00Honda Civic Type R EP3 & DC5 Integra....................................................................................................£265.00



��

Z (inc. heat shield) ...............................................................................................................£315.00Subaru Impreza inc. STi (2001 on) ........................................................................................................£169.00V2 Dual Plenum Air Intake KitsHonda S2000......................................................................................................................................£275.00Honda Civic Type R EP3 & DC5 Integra....................................................................................................£265.00



��

040-041JAP155 31/10/13 09:54


WIDE EVOFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 1:00 PM Page 40


EVOLUTIONOF THESPECIES

WE LOVE A GOOD LANCER, AND KELVINHSIU’S WIDE-BODY EVO IX MR IS THE

LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF MODIFIEDMITSUBISHIS FROM ACROSS THE POND

TO FIND ITSELF IN THE SPOTLIGHT...

Some say that theMitsubishi LancerEvolution is the greatest

performance saloon evermanufactured. Indeed, since1992, petrolheads have beencontinually bowled over bysuccessive incarnations of thisfabulous four-wheeler. Ofcourse, much of the model’sreputation stems from the factthat its factory form is theepitome of the spirited fast-roadracer that has a foot plantedfirmly in reality, but it’s fair tosay that the Evo’s status as abona fide classic has beenforged by enthusiasts whoconstantly strive to transformtheir own special editionLancers into lightning bolts thatrattle the senses.

As readers of JapanesePerformance will know,however, pushing the envelopeis a pursuit that doesn’t comecheap. Granted, there are cost-efficient ways of achieving yourautomotive goals – particularlyif you can undertake the lion’sshare of the required labour

without relying on a third party– but more often than not,willing participants in this gameof pony-chasing andtrendsetting will have to digdeep. And in some cases, likeKelvin Hsiu’s, really deep.

‘I reckon I’ve spent ahundred grand on my car,’sighs Los Angeles resident,Kelvin, the 36-year-old owner ofthe stunning Evo IX MRdisplayed on the pages beforeyou. ‘I used to be quitereserved when it came toshelling out on my motors, butthat all changed when a frienddragged me to a tuningexhibition in 2009. I wasamazed at what I saw, and Iwas immediately bitten by themodifying bug!’ he smiles.

Up until that point, Kelvinhad enjoyed six years ofpiloting a near-factoryspecification Evo VII, but hewas encouraged to buy a low-mileage IX after seeing thehuge array of tuning parts thatwere at his disposal. ‘To behonest, I attended the show


because I was bored. Little didI know that it would prove tobe such a huge turning pointin my life, and one that wouldsee me entertaining ideas ofbuilding a track-ready Evo!’he laughs.

Before applying anyperformance upgrades to hisnew ride, Kelvin put pen topaper and began to sketch anumber of conceptualdrawings that would illustratehis desire for a lairy Lancerboasting a range of aggressiveaesthetic alterations. ‘I’m asales manager at DTMAutobody in El Monte,’ heexplains. ‘The company isrecognised for producing ahuge number of cars withcustom paintwork and widebody kits. Needless to say, Iwas well placed when it cameto planning my Evo’smakeover, and the sketches


DRESSED TO THE NINESTHE LANCER EVOLUTION IX MRKEPT MANY OF THE POPULARFEATURES OF ITS PREDECESSOR,THE EVOLUTION VIII MR. THESEMODEL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDEDBILSTEIN DAMPERS, A SIX-SPEEDMANUAL GEARBOX, A ROOFTOPVORTEX GENERATOR, BBS FORGEDALLOY WHEELS, HIDS, ADDITIONALINTERIOR GAUGES,COMMEMORATIVE BADGES AND ALIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM ROOF.RECARO BUCKET SEATS, BREMBOBRAKES AND A MOMO STEERINGWHEEL CONTINUED TO BE OFFEREDAS STANDARD EQUIPMENT,MAKING THE EVO IX ONE OF THEMOST IMPRESSIVE MOTORSPORT-INSPIRED PRODUCTION SALOONSEVER AVAILABLE TO BUY FROMA DEALERSHIP


http://bit.ly/1FGjIHF

helped to convey my wishes tothe talented guys in the firm’sbody shop,’ he says.

Before long, a Do-Luck widebody kit comprising bulkybumpers, wide wings, sideskirts, enlarged rear quarterpanels and a range of splitterswas delivered to the DTMworkshop. The wings featureintake vents that providefunction as well as form – acarefully considered purchasethat Kelvin hoped would helphim at the racing circuit. To thatend, carbon-fibre winglets, aC-West vented carbon-fibrebonnet, Craft Square carbon-fibre wing mirrors, a Voltex rearwing and ARC inner wheel archliner vents were added to theparts pile in the hope ofreducing the IX’s body weightand delivering much-neededdownforce while increasingairflow to the car’s two-litre,

turbocharged engine.One of the hardest parts of

any comprehensive automotivebuild project can be theprocess of choosing a new coatof colour for your revitalisedpride and joy. A lapse injudgement can be a costlymistake to make, but there wasno such problem for Kelvin – hismind was made up following anencounter with a particularlyeye-catching LamborghiniMurcielago. ‘The Lambo wascovered in a factory battleshipgrey known as ‘Grigio Telesto’.I’d never seen a colour like it,and I was stunned by the factthat it appeared to be a superbsolid shade before it explodedinto an awe-inspiring metallichue when caught by sunshine.I ran back to the guys at DTMand told them in no uncertainterms that I wanted my restyledEvo to be painted in the exact

same colour!’ he grins.Even with the outlandish

body kit, the wicked wing andthe fantastic new topcoat sittingpretty, it’s the car’s 18in VolkRacing TE37 SL six-spokes thatgenerate the most excitementamong its admirers. ‘I opted topaint them in a startling shadeof red that has more in commonwith the workhorses of the localfire department than it doeswith the racers I see at thetrack,’ admits Kelvin. It’scertainly a bold choice, yet thestriking rims suit theLamborghini-inspired paintworkperfectly, and the racy red hasbeen carried over as an accentthat decorates various items ofexterior trim.

There’s no denying that thisis a Lancer that looks great, butwhat of its under-bonnetanatomy? Enter Khiem Tran, theowner of Californian tuning

outfit, KTMotoring. It wasKhiem’s team that modifiedKelvin’s car’s 4G63 lump so thatit would produce a strong525bhp under load. A widevariety of parts were ordered forthe job, not least of all


‘THE WIDE ARCH DO-LUCKBODYKIT OFFERS FUNCTION

ASWELL AS FORM’

KITTED OUTDESPITE THE FACT THAT ITSNAME BRINGS TOMIND IMAGESOF GERMAN TOURING CARS, DTMAUTOBODY IS LOCATED IN ELMONTE, CALIFORNIA (A SHORTDRIVE FROMDOWNTOWN LOSANGELES), AND IT HAS BEENKNOWN FOR THE PREPARATIONOF CUSTOM BODYWORK SINCE THECOMPANYWAS ESTABLISHED IN2005. MANY OF DTM’S CREATIONSHAVE BEEN SHOWCASED INMODIFIEDMOTORMAGAZINES,AND IT REGULARLY EXHIBITS ATCAR SHOWS ANDMOTORSPORTEVENTS INCLUDING SEMA,FORMULA DRIFT AND AUTOCON.JUDGING BY THE STANDARDOFKELVIN’S EVO, IT COMES AS NOSURPRISE TO US TO LEARN THATTHE FIRMHAS BEEN DESCRIBEDAS ‘THE UNDISPUTED EXPERTS INBODY KIT FITTING ANDPAINTING’


performance enhancingcomponents that included HKS280 camshafts and timing gear,an HKS GT11-7460Rturbocharger, a wide coreintercooler, uprated boostpipework, 1000cc RC fuelinjectors, a Walbro fuel pump, aNuke Performance fuel surgetank, Forge Motorsport alloyfluid reservoirs, an ARC radiator,a Race Pro tubular manifoldand a Trust downpipe mated toan enlarged exhaust system.

KTMotoring’s head tuner,Phillip Allsup, applied a custom

map to the new nuts and bolts,and Kelvin added a heap ofanodised parts that add awelcome sparkle to hismagnificent Mitsubishi’s enginebay. It’s a busy yet unclutteredarea, helped along by a batteryrelocated to the car’s bootspace. The rear luggage area isalso inhabited by a turret-clinging strut bar, indicating thatthis Evo’s factory suspensionsystem has been modified tosuit the demands of the pokeypowerplant. ‘I bought a set ofKW coilovers, adjustable top

mounts, a Progress rear anti-rollbar, ARC strut braces and aCusco chassis plating kit,’continues Kelvin. ‘The car’shandling has been drasticallyimproved since the installationof these parts, and its stiff rideand sharp cornering is ideal fora day at the races!’ he laughs.

Whether Kelvin is attackingthe asphalt or hitting thehighway, spending time in thiseffervescent Evo is an absolutepleasure thanks to the figure-hugging Recaro bucket seatsthat provide something along


‘I’VE BUILT THE CAR TOBE ABLE TO WITHSTAND

A LOT OF ABUSE!’

LUCK OF THE DRAWWHEN KELVIN SKETCHED HIS IDEASFOR A WIDE-BODIED EVO IX, HISCOLLEAGUES AT DTM AUTOBODYRECOGNISED DO-LUCK AS THE ‘GOTO’ GUYS TO PROVIDE THEM WITHA SUITABLE BODY KIT. OFFERINGFUNCTION AS WELL AS FORM, THEWIDE ARCHES, BUMPERS AND SIDESKIRTS THAT MAKE UP THEMAJORITY OF A DO-LUCK STYLINGPACKAGE ARE POPULAR THEWORLD OVER, AND THE COMPANYMANUFACTURES KITS FORNISSANS, TOYOTAS, SUBARUS ANDHONDAS, AS WELL AS THE MIGHTYMITSUBISHI LANCER EVO. CHECK‘EM OUT AT WWW.DO-LUCK.CO.UKOR VISITWWW.SUMOPOWER.COM/BRAND/DO-LUCK FOR PURCHASE OPTIONSAND PRICES



TECHSPECENGINE1997cc 4G63 DOHC 16-valve, KTMotoring custom map, HKS 280camshafts and timing gear, HKS drivebelt, ARC titanium valve cover, 1000ccRC fuel injectors, Walbro 255 fuelpump, Nuke Performance fuel surgetank, ARC wide core intercooler andupper intercooler pipe, ForgeMotorsport alloy header tank, ARCradiator and coolant cap, ARC upperand lower radiator pipework, STMradiator brackets and polished ACDreservoir, Forge Motorsport alloy powersteering reservoir, ARC oil cooler andoil cap, Taylor battery relocation kit,Optima Red Top 8010 battery, HKSGT11-7460R turbocharger, ARC intake,Race Pro tubular exhaust manifold,Invidia o2 sensor housing, A-SpecTitanium test pipe, Trust downpipe,ARC titanium cat-back exhaust

PERFORMANCE525bhp

TRANSMISSIONStrengthened and rebuilt factorysix-speed gearbox, uprated clutch,factory differentials

SUSPENSIONKW Clubsport coilovers, adjustable topmounts, Progress rear anti-roll bar,ARC front and rear strut braces, ARCboot strut bar, Cusco chassis bracing

BRAKESAlcon Monobloc six-piston (front) andfour-piston (rear) calipers with 355mm(front) and 330mm (rear) discs, FerodoDS3000 pads

WHEELS & TYRES10.5x18-inch Volk TE37 SL Super Lapwheels painted fire engine red, ET15offset, Toyo Proxes 888 295/30/18tyres, Go Tuning titanium lug nuts

EXTERIORFull respray in Lamborghini GrigioTelesto paint, Do-Luck wide body kit(comprising front bumper, wide wings,side skirts, skirt splitters, wide rearquarter panels, bumper splitters),carbon-fibre front canards, Voltex Type7 GT Evo VII rear wing, C-Westcarbon-fibre bonnet, Craft Squarepolarised carbon-fibre door mirrors,JDM Evo VIII MR front and rear lights,ARC Windmaster inner wheel arch linervents, Unlimited Work titaniumbonnet stay

INTERIORRecaro RS-G ASM Limited IS-11bucket seats, Bride lower seat rails,Carbing rear seat deletion panel,Okyuma Dash six-point rollcage, OMPTommi Mäkinen Ralliart edition steeringwheel, Top Secret quick releasesteering wheel kit, Works Bell steeringwheel hub, ARC polished gear knob,Rallliart carbon-fibre gear shifter panel,Ralliart gauge cluster, Gruppe-S 60mmgauge bezel, Defi gauges (oiltemperature, oil pressure, boost),Zeitronix air/fuel ratio meter, Blitzelectronic boost controller, HKS turbotimer, Pioneer AVH P6300BT headunitwith integrated satnav system

the lines of creature comfortwhile holding him firmly in placeas he plants his foot firmly tothe floor. An Okyuma six-pointrollcage surrounds him withsafety while adding even morestrength to the car’s chassis, anOMP Tommi Mäkinen steeringwheel, a modified dashboardand a carbon-fibre gear shiftersurround deliver a race-readyfeel to the cockpit, while Defigauges, a Blitz boost controllerand a Zeitronix air/fuel ratiometer provide valuable engineoperating information andpower control in a cabin thatboasts a Carbing rear seatdeletion panel.As you would expect, the

car’s stopping power has beenbeefed-up by a big brake kit. In

this instance, Alcon six-pots,355mm discs and Ferodo padsdo the job, but it’s top endspeed that’s at the forefront ofKelvin’s mind whenever heheads to his local racing circuit.That said, he did stop at theworld-renowned SEMA show inLas Vegas following aninvitation to display his Evoalongside others that havepassed through DTMAutobody’s workshop doors.‘I built the car to withstand a

lot of abuse at the mercy of mylead foot,’ he confirms. ‘I didn’tintend to give it a breakfollowing completion of theproject, but I was happy to taketime out when I was asked toexhibit the car at what isundoubtedly one of my

favourite automotive events.Rest assured, I was back at thetrack as soon as the doors tothe show were closed!’ he sayswith a wry smile.We like the cut of Kelvin’s

jib, and it goes to show that theexcellent Lancer Evolution isjust as capable of captivatingthe imagination of a petrolheadtoday as it ever has beenduring its colourful two-decadelong production run. Thatshouldn’t come as a surprise toJapanese Performance readers,and we look forward tofeaturing many more modifiedexamples of the megaMitsubishi in forthcomingeditions of the magazine. In themeantime, Mr Hsiu, we saluteyou, and your awesome Evo! JP


CITYHEAT

The

scie

nce

offr

icti

onw

ww

.apr

acin

g.co

m

If you appreciate control, style and performance, ourcaliper, disc and brake kit upgrades are designed for you.

We draw on our race pedigree to reduce brake systemweight, improve track day durability and provide precisecontrol with no fade. Braking confidence guaranteed.

Upgrade to AP Racing brakes and clutches for ultimate control.

T: +44 (0) 24 7663 9595 E: [email protected]

Experience ultimate control in the urban playground.

ROAD CAR

043JAP159 3/3/14 15:26 Page 43


Fit Polybush for precisesteering and a controlled ride

at all speeds.

Fit Polybush for consistentsteering geometry.

Tighten up your suspension byfitting Polybush’s 7BA to yourJapanese performance car.

Want to reduce understeer? Fit 7ATto your front wishbone for optimumgeometry during hard cornering.

LIFETIMEWARRANTY

UKMANUFACTURER

TIGWELDED

T304STAINLESS STEEL

39 Years Experience in Designing Sports Exhausts

Cutting Edge Engineering Technology

T304 Stainless Steel & TIG Welded Systems

Driving Performance… …in Exhaust Technology

+44 (0) 114 244 7123cobrasport.com

047JAP171 2/26/15 4:49 PM Page 47


FASTLEARNERS

THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE MOST POWER OR BEABLE TO DO THE BIGGEST SKIDS, BUT THESE SWIFTSARE UNDOUBTEDLY VERY GOOD FOR DOING ONETHING IN: LEARNING AND ENJOYING THE MOST

CHALLENGING RACE CIRCUIT IN THE WORLDWORDS MATT ZOLLO PICTURES IGOR VUCINIC

SWIFTSFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:55 PM Page 48

You don’t have to havebig power to have big fun.Of course, that’s not

something that will come asnews to most of you living inEngland, what with thecrammed road network that wehave. In fact, combined with astifling 70mph motorway limit,average speed cameras and arapidly dwindling number ofnational speed limit roads, thephrase is probably morerelevant to us Brits than tothe population of almost anyother country.But there is one place where

it is more relevant. And that is inthe public car park of theNürburgring Nordschleife, themost dangerous andchallenging race circuit in theworld (possibly a bit dramatic,

but also probably quite true),where track rookies queue upamongst hundreds of localexperts, keen to sample thisinfamous track for the first time.

That is exactly where thesecars come in, owned byNürburgring car rental companyRent4Ring. After all, what’s thepoint in loads of power if youdon’t even know when or whereyou should use it? Or, morecrucially, when or where youshouldn’t use it. Unless you’rechasing a lap time that the Swiftsimply won’t be able to beat, orhave done enough laps thatyou need to take things to thenext level, these cars are thebest and most suitable to hustlearound this mental 12.9-milerace circuit in the mountains.And, crucially, that goes for

experienced drivers as much astrack newbies.‘The Swifts are so much fun;

people really do miss out bygoing for something faster,’says Rent4Ring man (andBridge2Gantry website owner)Dale Lomas. ‘They’re wastingtheir money renting stuff likeM3s and 911s sometimes,because they’d be having morefun in a Swift.’Rent4Ring co-owner, Fredy

Lienhard, agrees, and still loveslapping in the Swift despite vastexperience of the circuit in farfaster cars. His enthusiasm forthe Swifts is obvious –particularly when you’re sat inthe passenger seat of one whilehe’s doing a lap in it...The company has a whole

fleet of Swifts on its books,



offered in two states of tune:Stage 1 and Stage 2. They drivequite differently to one another,but, as we found out on theNürburgring F1 GP circuit (theNordschleife unfortunately notavailable at the time), they alsohave the same friendly, fun, up-for-it character.

The white Stage 1 car is veryclose to being completelystock. It even looks and feelsstandard when you’re sat in it:standard Sport seats, seatbeltsand interior trim, with only a half’cage hiding behind the seats

hinting at any track pretentions.The reason for this is that someRent4Ring customers havenever even been on a racetrack before, let alone one aschallenging and at times busyas the ’Ring, so the experienceis intimidating enough withoutthe added unfamiliarity of beingpinned low down into a tinybucket seat by some chunkyrace harnesses.

Being pretty much standardmeans the Stage 1 is very easyto just jump into and drive fast.Eibach springs and Federal595-RSR tyres mean it doesn’ttie itself in knots or cook itsrubber after only a few bends,but it still closely resembles astandard Swift in the way ithandles. That means stability,composure and, of course, anESP safety net (just as in theStage 2 car), so you’re neverworried about what it’s going todo despite it being a nimble,fun little thing.

And it’s quick and capableenough that you rarely wantmore. There’s loads of grip fromthe Federals (modest195/50/15s), so even when youthink you’re nibbling at theirlimit they still have a little inreserve should the corner dosomething you’re not expecting,and the standard brakes aremore than adequate thanks toEndless pads (TÜV approved,which is vital for modified cars

in Germany), competition fluidand braided hoses; the samesetup as on Stage 2 cars.

The revvy little 1.6 is perfecttoo, allowing you to hang ontogears rather than forcing youinto grappling with the gearlever at an inopportunemoment. And while there’s notmuch grunt low down, that isactually a good thing as itmeans you can properly stompon the throttle early in a bend


‘THE STAGE ONECARS ARE VERYEASY TO JUMP

INTO ANDDRIVE FAST’

WEAR ‘N’ TEARILLUSTRATING HOWHARDY THESWIFTS ARE, THIS IS THE AVERAGECONSUMPTIONOF A SWIFT OVERITS TWO-YEAR LIFE WITHRENT4RING: TWO CLUTCHES, 27FRONT BRAKE PADS, THREE BRAKEFLUID FLUSHES, 52 SETS OF TOYO888 TYRES AND ABOUT 8385LITRES OF 98-OCTANE FUEL.YET IT NEVER BROKE DOWNAND,BEFORE IT WAS RETIRED, IT WASDYNO’D AT 133BHP, HAVING BEENREVVED TO A HIGHOF 8,761RPMONONE (CACK-HANDED)OCCASION. NOT BAD GOING!



without ploughing wide orgetting flung about by a wildbout of torque steer.

As Dale says, when drivingthis car you should feel...nothing. As in, it’s so easy todrive that you don’t really thinkabout it: ‘The Stage 1 car isreally for the beginner who justwants to experience the trackand doesn’t care about howfast they’re doing it’. Although,just for the hell of it, we time mylaps and a 2:54.9secs on mythird and final flying lap is theresult. No idea how that stacksup. ‘Not all that impressively’ isprobably the answer.

The orange Stage 2 carbenefits from far more track-orientated components and amore uncompromising setup.‘We do this because we’reenthusiasts and love our cars,and this is how we would havethe Swifts if they were our own,’explains Dale.

Obviously it feels more

serious from the moment youjump in. There are now Recarobucket seats and OMP four-point harnesses, and aWiechers full rollcage thatdefinitely makes its presencefelt. The sense of occasiongoes up a notch, and you fullyappreciate why the companydoesn’t want to make all theSwifts feel this extreme.

The Stage 2 continues to setitself apart the instant you getgoing. It feels perkier than theStage 1, thanks to a custom-made single-exit rear silencerand a K&N panel filter, though alot of this is probably due to thefact that it simply sounds a lotfaster. Then there’s the changein feel and noise from the moreextreme Toyo R888 rubber, aglassier feedback given untilthey’ve warmed up and awhine emitted right from the off.You also feel the car movingaround much more, at firstassuming this is because the

tyres are cold.It’s not. Thanks to very trick

Ohlins DFV Road and Trackcoilovers and a host of custommodifications to the stockcomponents to tweak thegeometry more to their liking,the Rent4Ring team have setthe car up as a properlyfocussed track tool. It is nowway more mobile at the rear,which you can bring into play totighten a line or help with turnin, and you can plant your footeven earlier in a turn – like, atthe apex-early – such is the gripand stability at the front axle. Itfeels way more nimble, too,despite weighing the same(what goes out in seats, returnsin rollcage).

Instead of just having fun inthe car there is a bit ofseriousness to proceedings, asyou have more to think aboutand more options to choosefrom to get around a cornerneatly but quickly. When you do

THE NUMBERSWHEN RENT4RING REPLACED ITSOLD ZC31S SPORTSWITH THENEWER ZC32SS, IT TOOK THEOPPORTUNITY TOWORKOUTWHAT THE ORIGINAL CARSWENTTHROUGH. THE TYPICAL SWIFT DID2,800 LAPS OF THE ‘RING,AMOUNTING TOOVER 36,000MILES AND 600 HOURS OF HARDTRACK USE, WITH 168,000 GEARCHANGES AND 180MILLIONENGINE REVOLUTIONS, ALL IN THEHANDS OF 457 DIFFERENTDRIVERS. PHEW!

PRICESSTAGE 1: FROM 129€ (ONE HOURDURING THE EVENING) TO 349€(FULL DAY) FOR UP TO TWODRIVERS. STAGE 2: FROM 199€(TWOHOURS) TO 399€ (FULL DAY)FOR UP TO TWODRIVERS.CONSIDERING IT MEANS YOU’RENOT RISKING YOUR OWN PRIDEAND JOY, AND YOU DON’T HAVETOWORRY ABOUTWEAR ANDTEAR EITHER, WE’D SAY THAT’SDECENT VALUE FORMONEY


get it right the improvement inspeed is startling, and only mysecond flying lap is a 2:51.4.A bit of rain on the last twocorners of the third lap meantwe weren’t going to go anyquicker, but I was already asecond down at that point.Almost five seconds a lap justwith a more focussed chassisand more grippy tyres.Something to think about ifyou’re in the process of buildinga similar track car.There was a whole heap

more time to be had as well, butmore familiarisation of the Stage2’s handling would be needed(and more skill would help too,obviously). To prove how muchquicker it can be, the fastestNordschleife lap Fredy has

managed in the Stage 2 Swift is8min 35sec from bridge togantry, while the Stage 1 onlyjust gets under the nine minutemark. Which is still bloody goodgoing, it must be said.Even on the far less

challenging GP circuit thesecars were an absolute blast andwould have kept me entertainedall day. On the Nordschleife, Iwould be more than happy withthe Stage 1 car for days anddays, and only once I knewwhich way the track went for thewhole 13 miles would I thinkabout moving onto the Stage 2.That car gives you a whole

new facet of the lapping tomaster, as well as moving thingsup another level or two in theexcitement stakes, and you

wouldn’t need anything morepowerful or challenging untilyou’d done so many laps thatyou were overtaking thePorsches and BMWs anyway.134bhp doesn’t get any morefun, so you really don’t needany more power. A Suzuki Swifttrack car suddenly seems like avery good idea indeed... JP


TECHSPECENGINEStandard 1.6-litre, 4-cyl, 16v(Stage 2 has custom-made rear boxand K&N panel filter)

TRANSMISSIONStandard six-speed manual gearbox

SUSPENSIONStandard shocks with Eibach Pro30mm lowering springs (Stage 2 hasOhlins DFV Road and Track coiloversand custom modifications for bespokegeometry)

BRAKESEndless brake pads, competition fluidand braided hoses

WHEELS & TYRES7x15in Motec alloys with Federal 595-RSR tyres (Stage 2 has 7x15in Motecalloys with 195/50/15 Toyo R888 tyres)

BODYStandard

INTERIORStandard except for a Wiechers halfrollcage (Stage 2 has Wiechers fullrollcage, Recaro bucket seats andOMP harnesses)

RENT4RINGWeb: www.rent4ring.deEmail: [email protected]: +49 160 1740386(English speaking)

SUSPENSIONYOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHYTHE SWIFTS RUN SUCH A HIGH RIDEHEIGHT, CONSIDERING THATTHEY’RE TRACK CARS. IT’S ALL TODO WITH USABILITY FORBEGINNERS, AND THE UNIQUEDEMANDS OF THE CIRCUIT. THEREARE A LOT OF BIG SUSPENSIONCOMPRESSIONS DURING THE LAP,AND THE ABILITY TO RIDE CURBS ISALSO IMPORTANT, SO PLENTY OFSUSPENSION TRAVEL IS REQUIREDAS WELL AS LOTS OF CLEARANCEFOR THE SUMP



OUT OFTHE BOX

FROM THE SEMA SHOW TO SETTING THE PACE ATGLOBAL TIME ATTACK’S SUPER LAP BATTLE EVENT, KENSUEN HAS DONE MORE WITH HIS EX-DAILY DRIVER INONE MONTH THAN MOST MANAGE IN A LIFETIME

WORDS: ALEX GRANT PICS: FLYPHOTOS

TA CIVICFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:57 PM Page 54

Amild Californian autumnwind kicks up a swirl ofdust over Buttonwillow’s

sunbaked Tarmac, andsomewhere in the distancethere’s an aggressive bark ofon-cam VTEC that’s gettinglouder. At the wheel, owner KenSuen is out to take a class winat the 2014 Global Time AttackSuper Lap Battle, and he’s nothanging about.

To be honest, he could beforgiven for taking it slowly. Theflash of red, the FA5 Civic

Saloon he’s pedalling, startedout as his daily driver, and anunder-bonnet failure in 2013caused a fire that torched halfthe interior and put it out ofaction for the start of 2014.BigRed, as the Honda is bestknown, had a rough year.

But it’s looking up. Webumped into Ken and the Civicat the SEMA show just a coupleof weeks before our shoot andwithout scarred paintwork orcharred interior it would be easyto assume it’s a pampered



showcar rather than competitiveracer. Good going for somethingthat started out as a daily drive.

Ken rolls back into the pitsand sheds his bright red helmetbefore stepping out for abreather. So, how exactly didthis make the transition fromstreet to Super Lap?

‘I got hooked on circuitdriving back in 2011,’ he says.‘I’d had the car for three yearsby then, just using it as a dailybeater on wheels and coilovers.

But I took it to an open trackdayin 2011 then, in 2012, I startedcompeting in Time Attack. It’sjust grown from there really.’

But that’s an evolution thathe hasn’t made any simpler.Now in its third Time Attackseason, and even after acatastrophic engine fire, Kenhas so far resisted any sort offorced induction to shaveseconds off its lap times.

Instead, the Civic’s latestengine setup is a hybrid

K24/K20 built by Honda andAcura specialist Sportcar Motionand tuned by California’sChurch Automotive, where itmade an impressive 330bhpand 230lb ft at the wheels on itslast rolling road session. That’senough for the Honda to punchwell above its weight.

‘Naturally aspirated is aHonda thing – to me it’s just somuch better. I prefer the quickthrottle response and the highrevving character, plus I have

fewer heat issues and there’sless need to worry,’ he explains.

Front-wheel drive is alsounusual, and a challenge evenin a grid as diverse as TimeAttack, but it’s something Ken isjust as committed to. But headmits he’s had a good lead,with advice from Loi Song ofSportcar Motion to help get themost out of what’s often seen asthe ‘wrong’ driven wheels.

‘Sportcar Motion has somuch knowledge on front-wheel


‘I’VE RESISTED GOING FORFORCED INDUCTION TOSHAVE OFF LAP TIME’



STREET CLASSWHILE IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE ANEASY ENTRY POINT TO GLOBALTIME ATTACK, THE RULES FORSTREET CLASS ARE TOUGH TO MEETWHILE STAYING COMPETITIVE. THECHASSIS AND FLOORPAN ARE NOTALLOWED TO BE MODIFIED ANDCARS MUST USE STANDARD FUEL,ROAD TYRES AND STILL HAVE ACATALYTIC CONVERTER IF IT WASFITTED AT THE FACTORY. CARS AREALSO LIMITED TO FOUR CANARDS,SMALL DIFFUSERS AND A WINGLOWER THAN THE ROOFLINE TOENTER, AND MUST HAVE MOST OFTHE INTERIOR WITH GLASSWINDOWS


drive Hondas, all I have to do islisten,’ he laughs. ‘Which isprobably the hardest thing formost people to do, but whenyou meet someone that has thatamount of knowledge, why gothrough all the trial and error?

‘It amazed me how fast theycould get a front-wheel drive cararound the track – it’s easilyable to beat, or at least keep upwith, four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive cars.’

But when the engine went upin smoke last year, theunplanned rebuild meant thatKen was able to re-think someof the work that had gone intothe car beforehand and get it

ready to set new records.Version two is a very differentmachine as a result.

Ken walks us through ahandful of old phone camerapics, taken almost exactly a yearago, to show just how muchwas rebuilt. Scorched andpropped up on axle stands,nothing of the old front end wascarried forward, and with thecharred interior removed, Garyfrom Design Craft Fabricationswas able to strengthen the shellwith a rollcage and front-endbracing for the huge frontsplitter – an item designed byKen himself.

Wrapped around the

strengthened engine bay is apair of Feel’s wings, suppliedthrough ZestJDM, and a MugenRR bumper flanked by Voltexcanards for extra downforce.The bonnet is a custom-builtitem, made by Ken SuenRacing, which uses a modifiedNSX-R vent to aid cooling byallowing air from the splitter toescape after it has made its waythrough the bay. Another ofKen’s own items, a wild reardiffuser, and a Type-4 carbon-fibre wing take care of rear-enddownforce, the latter beingmounted directly to the chassisto give it extra strength andefficiency as it eliminates the


K20/K24 ENGINEA POPULAR SWAP ACROSS THEPOND, THIS PAIRS THE HEAD OFTHE 2.0-LITRE K20 ENGINE FITTEDTO THE CIVIC AND INTEGRA TYPER, WITH THE 2.4-LITRE BLOCKFROM THE US-SPEC ACCORD ORCR-V. IT’S A BEST OF BOTH WORLDSENGINE, RESULTING IN LARGERCAPACITY BUT WITHOUT MOVINGTO THE ECONOMY-FOCUSED VTECSETUP USED IN NON-SPORTINGHONDAS, AND PRODUCESAROUND 240-250BHP



TECHSPECENGINE:K20/K24 engine built by SportcarMotion, Golden Eagle sleeved K24A2block, 13.3:1 compression JE pistons,ported K20 cylinder head, Drag CartelStage 4 camshafts, Supertech valves,RC Injectors 550cc injectors, KSR 3.5inintake with K&N air filter, Hybrid Racinghoses

TRANSMISSION:Competition Clutch uprated clutch

SUSPENSION:JRZ RS Pro coilovers, Godspeed rearcamber arms, AEM front strut bar

BRAKES:Front TL Type-S Brembo brakes,Project Mu Club Racer front andrear pads

WHEELS AND TYRES:9.5x17in ET13 (front) and 8.5x17in ET24(rear) Volk Racing CE28RT wheels,255/40/17 (front) and 225/45/17 (rear)Hankook Ventus RS-3 tyres

EXTERIOR:Feel’s front fenders modified by KSR,Mugen RR front bumper, Voltexcanards, Type-4 wing chassis-mountedby Design Craft Fabrication, Ken SuenRacing NSX-R bonnet vent, Ken SuenRacing front splitter and rear diffuser

INTERIOR:Full rollcage by Design CraftFabrication, Stack gauges, suedePersonal steering wheel, Bride fixedbucket seat

THANKS:Godspeed Project, Sportcar Motion,RC Injectors, E-auto, Berk’sTechnology, PlatteForme AG, GoldenEagle Rods, Torco Oil, Hankook Tires,Competition Clutch, Torco Oil, RCInjector, HybridRacing, Hasport, DTMAutobody, Stack Limited,CT-Engineering

potential flexing that canhappen with body-panel-mounted aero parts.

One of the restrictions of theclass includes the need to runan interior, which meant Kenhad to replace the dashboardand door cards that weredamaged in the fire, this timecutting them to fit around thenew rollcage. This might not bea daily driver any more, but Kenreckons you could still enjoy itas a fast road car between tripsto the track.

‘I’ve had a few setbacks, butnothing that would stop mecompletely,’ he says. ‘Being ontrack is the only place where Ican clear my mind and just

focus on setting the fastesttimes. Nothing else bothers me.’

That’s clearly an addictionthat is taking hold. If thetransformation over the lastyear, or even the move fromroad car in the last three years,is impressive, then it’s 2015where this will really start flyingthe flag for front-wheel drive inTime Attack.

‘The goal is to shave anotherthree seconds off my lap timesin the street class, then moveup to limited class,’ he says,closing the bonnet on the still-baking engine bay. ‘But I’m sadto say I will have to go forcedinduction to keep up with thebig boys when that happens.

BigRed will have a full K20engine with a Jackson Racingsupercharger for next season,and hopefully some newrecords to set.’

In the meantime, the Civichas earned its keep. A fortnightafter the SEMA show and justover a year after it almostburned out completely, Ken’stwo-wheeled antics scored apersonal best and a front-wheeldrive street class win atButtonwillow with a 1min 55.602second lap time. Alreadyquicker than many forcedinduction entrants with powergoing to the back wheels,BigRed is sizing up for animpressive 2015. JP

‘THE MUGEN RR FRONTBUMPER IS FLANKEDBY VOLTEX CANNARDS’



060JAP171 2/26/15 4:17 PM Page 60

061JAP171 2/26/15 3:44 PM Page 61

Westly Yacinthe isn’tlooking for a fight whenhe says that the Toyota

Supra’s 2JZ-GTE engine issuperior in every way toMazda’s 13B-REW rotary, hesees it simply as fact.

‘The 2JZ is everything I wantand need it to be – powerful,aggressive, and, mostimportantly, reliable,’ he says.‘You can’t always put thosethree requirements in the samesentence as the word rotary.’

Now, although Westly isn’tpurposely looking to cause

trouble, that doesn’t mean thatat least one rotary die-hardwouldn’t mind popping him onthe chin for the sort ofautomotive sacrilege he’sseemingly committed. Criticismhe hasn’t managed to escapefollowing the swap of theimposing Supra engine into his1993 RX-7 – a transplant that isevery bit as complicated as itsounds and every bit asrewarding as you think it is.

The engine conversiontranscends a simplified box-fullo’ mounts, brackets, and


WHEN WESTLY YACINTHE DROPPED A 2JZ-GTE UNDERTHE BONNET OF HIS BRUISING PURPLE/BLACK RX-7,HE KNEW IT WOULD PROVOKE THE ROTARYFAITHFUL… HE JUST DIDN’T CARE!WORDS: AARON BONK PICS: GARRETT WADE

FIGHTINGTALK

RX7-2FINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:47 PM Page 62

hardware, and instead requires arefabricated subframe andrelocated steering system that,according to Westly, had to becarefully modified so as not todisrupt the Mazda’s excellentweight distribution. As such, theengine was positioned as lowand as far back as was possiblein an effort to retain the car’s50/50 weight balance so that,despite the 1,038bhp it churnsout, it still handles the way thatMazda intended – which, withthe help of the TEIN Super Streetcoilovers and Pettit Racing rearlaunch suspension kit, is to saypretty damn brilliantly.

The quadruple-digit powerfigure starts with a single-turboconversion based upon a Borg

Warner S475 that’s strapped tothe inline-six by a customexhaust manifold and feedsboost through four-inchintercooler piping before beingchilled by a Race Parts Solutionsfront-mounted intercooler. Thisvast amount of cooled charge isthen fed to the cylinders, each ofwhich house strengthened JEpistons and BC connecting rods.A MagnaFuel 750 fuel pump andfuel pressure regulator, customrear fuel sump, Aeromotive fuelfilters, custom fuel rail and a setof Bosch 1,600cc/min. fuelinjectors then supply theveritable Tsunami of high octanefuel that’s required in order forthe 2JZ to pump out over 1000ponies. The motor itself is also

beefed up with a set of ARP mainand head studs, to eliminate thelikelihood of the head liftingunder high boost. Cam timing istaken care of by a set of HKS280° camshafts driven by TitanMotorsports adjustable camshaftgears. The head itself has beenported and polished and featuresBC dual valve springs andtitanium valve retainers, essentialto allow it to efficiently flow theamount of air needed for suchbig power figures.

On the exhaust side of theequation, the spent gases exit viaa GReddy Titanium tip which isconnected to a one-off customexhaust system, which is as youwould expect considering therareity of the FD+2JZ

combination.And if the monstrous motor

can’t summon up enough gruntto satisfy its power-hungry owner,then Westly has seen fit to installa Pro-Flow nitrous bottle withNos purge and nitrous solenoids,to give the lump an extra shot ofperformance at the top end, aswell as aiding the spooling of theenlarged blower.

But in the scheme of thisbuild, making such monumentalpower is the easy part...

Since the six-cylinder 2JZ-GTE’s introduction in 1991,engine builders and tuners havepushed its limits, even eclipsingthe 2,000bhp mark, so Westly’s‘paltry’ 1038bhp is comparativelysmall fry. The RX-7’s rear




differential – through which all ofthat power and torque istransferred – however, is anentirely different story. Westlyannihilated three of them as itturns out, along with a pair ofaxles and a driveshaft beforeconverting to a Ford MustangCobra layout. Although he isn’tthe only one who knows howstrong Ford’s 8.8in differential is,which made sourcing one achallenge. ‘Retrofitting it to theFD chassis is nowhere near asdifficult as you’d expect it to bethanks to Samberg PerformanceFabrication, who specialise inthe conversion,’ Westly explains.Samberg, whose primary line ofwork focuses on Chevrolet LSXengine swaps for the third-

‘OVER THE YEARS,TUNERS HAVE PUSHEDTHE 2JZ TO THE LIMIT’

2J INTO FD DOES GO!FITTING THE SUPRA’S

TURBOCHARGED STRAIGHT-SIXINTO THE SPACE ORIGINALLY

DESIGNED FOR A COMPACT TWIN-ROTOR WANKEL IS NO EASY TASK

AND, TO ALLOW THE RX-7 TORETAIN ITS EXCELLENT WEIGHT

DISTRIBUTION AND HANDLING,WESTLY HAD TO RE-FABRICATE THE

SUBFRAME AND RELOCATE THEFACTORY STEERING SYSTEM. THIS

THEN ALLOWED THE NEW LUMP TOSIT AS LOW AND FAR BACK AS

POSSIBLE, TO OPTIMISETHE MAZDA’S HANDLING


generation RX-7 – an altogetherdifferent form of RX-7 blasphemy– was called upon for its bolt-upCobra conversion kit that allowsMazda heretics like Westly totake advantage of the tougherrear-end and put a stop todriveline failures once and for all.Also, in order to ensure that theSupra’s gearbox didn’t meet thesame fate, he reached out to off-roading Toyota transmissionspecialist Marlin Crawler todisassemble and rebuild theR154 ’box to how they saw fitalong with a matching heavyduty Competition Clutch twin-puck clutch.

Obviously, with so muchpower at the disposal of his rightboot, Westly has done the

sensible thing and fitted a fullcomplement of uprated stoppersto ensure the Mazda stays shinyside up at all times. The upgradeof choice came in the form of aWilwood master cylinder thatsupplies a huge StopTech big-brake kit at the front and aRacing Brake brake kit at therear, both fitted with Hawk HP+pads and StopTech STR 660fluid that flows through steel-braided lines. An ASDMotorsports hydraulic handbrakehas also been spec’d to giveWestly an edge when it comes togetting his drift game on.

Westly calls his RX-7 hiseveryday car and, despite the1,000-plus-bhp, he isn’t joking...

‘I wanted something that I




TECHSPECENGINE:2JZ-GTE engine, JE pistons, BC con-necting rods, ARP main and headstuds, HKS 280° camshafts, BC dualvalve springs and titanium valve retain-ers, ported and polished cylinder head,Titan Motorsports adjustable camshaftgears and billet timing belt tensioner,MagnaFuel 750 fuel pump and fuelpressure regulator, custom rear fuelsump, Aeromotive fuel filters, customfuel rail, Bosch 1,600 cc/min. fuel injec-tors, Borg Warner S475 turbocharger,custom exhaust manifold, customexhaust system, Greddy Ti-C exhausttip, TiAL MV-R wastegate, Race Partssolutions front-mount intercooler andfour-inch intercooler piping, nitrousPro-Flow nitrous bottle, ZEX bottlewarmer, Nos purge and nitrous sole-noids, Auto Meter nitrous gauge, cus-tom purge/ intercooler spray bar sys-tem, A’PEXi AVC-R boost controller,AEM series 2 engine management anddigital wideband controller, customrelay board, switch panel and powerdistribution

TRANSMISSION:Marlin Crawler-built R154 Supra trans-mission, custom shifter extension,Driftmotion short shifter, CompetitionClutch twin-puck clutch, Ford Cobra8.8in rear differential, SambergPerformance differential mounting kit,Driveshaft Shop driveshafts

SUSPENSION:TEIN Super Street coilovers, PettitRacing rear launch suspension kit

BRAKES:StopTech big-brake kit (front), RacingBrake brake kit (rear), Hawk HP+ pads(rear), StopTech STR 660 fluid, steel-braided lines, ASD Motorsportshydraulic emergency brake, Wilwoodmaster cylinder, deleted ABS system

WHEELS & TYRES:(front) 9.5x18in (ET+6) and (rear)10.5x18in (ET+22) Veilside AndrewRacing V wheels, with 225/40/18 (front)and 265/35/18 (rear) Achilles ATRsport tyres

EXTERIOR:Veilside Combat II aero kit, REAmemiya sleek headlight kit and car-bon-fibre GT spoiler, customblack/midnight-purple paint

INTERIOR:Race Shop roll-bar and harnessbar, Corbeau Forza seats, Takata har-nesses, Veilside carbon-fibre steeringwheel and gauge cluster, NRG quick-release steering wheel hub, Prosportgauge pods, Seibon carbon-fibre doorpanels, Pioneer DVD navigation sys-tem, DB 10in subwoofer, Whelenrear amber light

THANKS:Steady Performance and repair, LincolnAuto Body and NP Auto Care, RaceParts solutions, Pettit Racing, MarkSnellman, Aaron Messmer and BenBradner of Bradner High Performance,and Anthony ‘The Tyre Guy’.www.aemelectronics.com, tein.com

could drive daily, drift, drag andeven hard parked,’ he says. ‘Tobuild a car that was capable ofwhatever I felt like doing on anygiven day – car shows, trackdaysand the occasional whooping ofsupercars’ asses on the highway.’But this FD isn’t just aboutbreaking off £200K pieces ofItalian machinery. The SoutheastFlorida native and decades-oldJapanese sports car fan admitsthat the mid-1990s is where hisautomotive soft spot lies – asentiment that led to the car’salmost ostentatious VeilSide tome.Pursuing what he calls an ‘old-school JDM theme,’ Westly hand-picked what he could from theVeilSide catalogue, including itsgauge cluster, steering wheel, the,

now-discontinued 9.5x18in frontand 10.5x18in rear Andrew RacingV wheels and the company’s dulyarchetypal Combat II aero kit. Allthat’s stopping the VeilSidepattern from being complete is apair of seats, of which he’sdiligently on the hunt for, but arecurrently being replaced with apair of Corbeau Forza seats andTakata harnesses.

Patience, and what he callsa ‘do-it-right-or-don’t-do-it-at-all’attitude, are both convictions thatWestly says are more markedwithin himself now than they werebefore beginning the RX build justa year and a half ago. Of learningto wait, he says: ‘I saved up for theparts that I wanted. With some ofthem being rarer than others, I

had to either wait for them to popup or do some serious sweet-talking to someone who hadthem.’ But perhaps more thananything, Westly’s learned to dealwith his detractors – those who, forreasons unknown, aren’t terriblyhappy to see a Toyota millcrammed into the front-end of aMazda. ‘The hardest lesson Ilearned is that people will alwayshave their own opinions – that thevision that you put togetherdoesn’t always match what theywanted you to do,’ he says.‘Personally, I basically just lost faithin the rotary. I went through threeof them in six months. I’m sick ofjustifying why I decided to go withthe 2JZ to rotary heads. Can’t weall just get along?’ JP

‘WESTLY CALLSTHIS HIS

EVERYDAYCAR, EVENWITH OVER1000BHP!’

THE GOLDEN AGETHE 1990SWERE TRULY A GREAT TIME TO BE A PETROLHEAD,

ESPECIALLY ONE THATWAS INTO JAPANESE CARS. AROUND THISTIME, THE JAPANESE SCENEWAS REALLY STARTING TO BLOSSOM

AND VEILSIDE WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE BUSINESS,CREATING SOME OF THEMOST INCREDIBLE ANDOUTRAGEOUSKITS TO BE SEEN ON THE STREETS. WESTLY IS A SELF CONFESSED

‘90S ADDICT, AND HAS STYLED HIS RX-7 ONHIS HERO CARS THATHE USED TOWORSHIP BACK IN THE DAY. HIS RX-7MAY BE

22-YEARS OLD ANDWEARINGWHATMANYWOULD CONSIDER TOBE A DATED KIT, BUT COMBINEDWITH THATMONSTER OF A

MOTOR, WESTLY WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHERWAY...AND NEITHERWOULDWE!


039JAP168 11/28/14 3:05 PM Page 39


Discovering how a company founder beganhis or her career often tells you everythingyou need to know about the DNA of the

firm that they run. A banker or accountant?Usually means that their business runs on soundfinancial footings. A manager of some sort?Usually makes for slick and efficient operations.But a stunt driver? Yeah! That’s more like it… Ithink we’d all like to work for a company startedby somebody that thinks that driving a car on twowheels is a sensible way to pay their mortgage.Doesn’t sound all that corporate, does it?

But that’s how the story begins for the Italianbrake manufacturer Tarox. Wind the clock back tothe 1960s and a dashing young chap calledGianni Taroni was making quite a name forhimself on the circuits and film sets of Italy.Clearly a talented wheelman, Gianni balanced ahectic schedule between racing and paid stuntwork, filming many TV adverts for Italian carmakers and ad agencies. Demanding much ofevery car that he drove, it didn’t take him long torealise that the brakes of many of the cars he wasbeing asked to drive clearly weren’t up to the job.When a particular stunt kept frying the factorybrakes again and again – he decided to dosomething about it – and the germ of the ideathat would eventually become Tarox was born.

Gianni had originally begun experimentingwith rudimentary friction materials from a veryearly age. While still in short trousers, in his firstworkshop, he refined a compressor-based brakesystem very similar to today’s ABS. Later on,knowing what his stunt cars needed, he quicklymastered the art and started to create trulyeffective stoppers that out-performed even thevery best OEM brakes. Pretty soon, his racingmates and fellow stunt performers were queuing

up to persuade him to make a set or two for them– and when this trickle became a flood, the ‘Tar’in Taroni became the ‘Tar’ in Tarox – and our storytruly begins. Early incarnations of the new Taroxbrand endured extreme testing with ex-Ferraridriver Gian Carlo Baghetti, who entered a RallyRaid with Gianni from Cape North to Cape Townin an Alfetta, quickly followed by the Milano-Calcutta event with an Alfa Sud, and then Terrade Fuego – Alska in a Fiat 131. With creditableresults in all events, the young Taroni knew thathe was on the right track.

Founded in 1976, the fledgling companyquickly gained a reputation for superbcraftsmanship, backed by good-old fashionedcustomer service. Creating effective solutionsfrom day one soon put them on the radarof F1 teams, seeing them land theirfirst contract a few years later.1979 saw the first Tarox F1victory with the Ligier team,followed by outrightchampionship victory amere three years laterwith Keke Rosberg inhis Williams.

BRAKINGWITH TRADITION

WITH ROOTS THAT SPAN BACK OVER FOUR DECADESAND EXPERIENCE RIGHT UP TO F1 LEVEL, ITALIAN

BRAKE COMPANY TAROX HAS ‘BEEN THERE’ ANDMOST DEFINITELY ‘DONE THAT’. BUT HOW DOES IT

DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE ITS DISTINCTIVEPRODUCTS? WE WENT TO ITALY TO FIND OUT MORE

THE TECHNOLOGY IN TAROXBRAKES HAS BEEN GLEANED FROMYEARS AT THE FOREFRONT OF TOPFLIGHT MOTORSPORT. EVENWINNING F1 TEAMS HAVE USEDTHE ITALIAN COMPANY’S SUPERSTOPPERS, AND IF THEY’RE GOODENOUGH FOR THEM...

WORDS PAUL COWLAND PICS TAROX

+TECH TAROX TUNER PROFILE

BRAKESFINALch.qxd:JP 2/26/15 11:52 AM Page 69

To achieve such greatness so early on in thecompany’s history was to set the futureengineering benchmark for what was to follow.

Although the firm had clearly earned its stripesin the most demanding arena of motorsport, theburgeoning team soon turned its attention to theblossoming road car market. After creating thefirst grooved motorsport discs in the early ’80s,this technology was soon ‘trickled down’ to theroad range, creating some epic designs like the‘Sport Japan’ – a design still popular today.

1992 saw the firm’s first six-pot caliper kit andby 1995 Tarox had outgrown its original premises,moving to an impressive 2,000 square metrefacility in the picturesque town of Osnago in Italy.Situated perfectly between the Monza circuit fortrack testing and the very same Lake Comoroads oft-favoured by James Bond movie locationscouts for their tortuous turns, Tarox quicklybegan investing heavily in state of the art designand manufacturing software and machinery toallow then to produce simply stunning calipers –as well as developing a unique two-stagefinishing process for all of their discs.

The innovations kept on coming. The first 10-pot caliper, then the first 16-pot! The team were

on a roll! Ever with an eye on quality, first full TUVapproval was gained, quickly followed byISO9001 accreditation. The Italians may have areputation for being a laid back bunch, but theTaronis approached the engineering process witha steely determination and what can only bedescribed as Germanic efficiency. More recently,Tarox has become one of very few brakecompanies to gain the rigorous ABE accreditationtoo, confirming their place as one of the leadingglobal brake manufacturers.

Obviously, all of this growth wasn’t possiblewith just the original team. Over the years Taroxhas grown to encompass offices in Germany,Japan and the UK, employing dozens ofdedicated staff. Charmingly – and neatlyconforming to our UK perception of Italianbusiness – the firm is still very much familyowned. Gianni is sadly no longer with us, butnow his daughter Valeria runs the show on a day-to-day basis with her father’s eye for detail andquality very much at the fore. Despite thecompany’s present size and £2m stock-holding,the ethos and atmosphere is still very muchhow it was when Gianni opened the doorsback in the late 1970s.


TECH +

EVERY TAROX DISC IS HEWN FROMA SOLID BILLET IN A TWO-STAGEFINISHING PROCESS. IT’S ONE OFTHE MANY REASONS THAT TAROXBRAKES WORK SO WELL ON TRACK

FIT FOR PURPOSE, TAROX BRAKESCOME IN A HOST OF DESIGNSFROM DIMPLED AND GROOVED,TO SLOTTED, DRILLED AND FULLCARBON CERAMIC MEANING THATEVEN THE MOST DEMANDINGROAD OR RACE APPLICATIONSCAN BE CATERED FOR


http://bit.ly/1NgiDp9


The process of developing new brake fitmentsis still very ‘organic’, with the look and feel of theconversion being just as important as the qualityof the engineering and the efficacy of theretardation. Whenever a new model is identifiedas being important, an example is always bought,hired or borrowed and brought to the factory for afull shakedown consisting measuring the OEMsetup and recording its efficiency (or otherwise)on a wide range of surfaces and conditionsincluding Monza, obviously, as well as Fiat’s lowadherence track at Balocco and the more ‘real-life’ setting of the Lake Como roads. Once backat the factory, the design team then starts withdirect OEM replacement sets, creating the toolingfor the pad material as well as programming theCNC machinery to produce the discs. EveryTarox disc is hewn from a solid billet in a two-stage finishing process. It’s one of the manyreasons that Tarox brakes work so well on track.After this, an exhaustive set of gruelling ‘lab’tests, including an industrial sized dynamometerand various stress-testing machines analyse thebrakes’ capabilities to ensure that everythingperforms precisely to specification.

After that, the team are left to go mad,

developing the larger brake conversions or,where appropriate, motorsport kits for key tunermodels and one make series. In all cases, theattention to detail is just as fastidious andeverything is shaken down and tested at Monzaor Balocco and overseen by Valeria before it’ssigned off and added to the range. This personalapproach to quality control has led Tarox tobecome the ‘go to’ people for many race teamsand supercar manufacturers looking for lowvolume, high performance solutions. CountKoenigsegg, Saker Sports Cars and Donkervoortas just three big names that make up the pastand present client book of this capableengineering firm.

So what does the future hold for Tarox? Well, itseems that recently, the firm is very much lookingback to its enviable motorsport heritage andcreating road car applications from racecartechnology. Tarox continues to push theboundaries of manufacturing, safety and qualityfor racers and trackday enthusiasts who refuse tocompromise on braking performance. So, if youfeel the need to get your track weapon stoppingas well as a Koenigsegg, or a Saker… you knowwhere to go! JP

ALL TAROX DISCS AND CALIPERSARE PUT THROUGHGRUELLING‘LAB’ TESTS TO ENSURE THAT THEYMEET THE DEMANDINGSPECIFICATIONS SET FROM THEFACTORY. THIS INCLUDESRUNNING THE BRAKE KITS UNTILTHEY ARE RED HOT ON ANINDUSTRIAL DYNAMOMETER(PICTURED) TO A HOST OF STRESSTESTINGMACHINES TO TESTTOUGHNESS AND LONGEVITY –IT’S A HARD LIFE BEING A SET OFTAROX BRAKES!

CONTACTSTAROXWWW.TAROX.CO.UK01706 222872

TAROX TUNER PROFILE



072JAP171 2/26/15 5:00 PM Page 72


IN THE THIRD PART OF OUR ‘BEAT THE TOP 5’ SERIES WE SET OUT TOBEAT TOYOTA’S LEGENDARY TWIN TURBO SUPRA OVER THE QUARTERMILE. OUR THREE CONTENDERS MUST BETTER THE MK4 SUPRA’S 13.3-

SECOND QUARTER-MILE TIME – FOR AS LITTLE OUTLAY AS POSSIBLE

Toyota’s Supra Twin Turbo – designedat a time when Japanese performancecars ruled the world – delivers genuine

supercar performance. With anything from280bhp to 326bhp on tap straight from thefactory, a manual Mk4 Supra Twin Turbo willstorm to sixty in less than five seconds andpress rapidly on to a limited 155mph topspeed. Take the limiter off and we’re talking170mph plus. And the automatic version isn’tmuch slower either.

With Toyota’s super-durable 2JZ-GTE

twin-turbo straight-six motor as its heart thestanding quarter is dispatched in around13.3 seconds – a seriously quick time evenby today’s standards. And the July 1997-onmodels also come with VVTi heads tomaximise the engine’s potential – a hardtarget to beat then.

Launched in Japan in 1992 the UKmodels claimed 326bhp as standard, as wellas a sumptuous spec including a limited-slipdiff, a large rear spoiler, cruise control,heated front seats and leather trim. And

although UK imports ceased in 1996, JDMproduction continued until 2002 – so thereare plenty of decent imports around from aslittle as £8500.

In terms of rival starter cars and potentialmodifications, the possibilities are almostendless. But after considering a whole heapof different options, and chewing them overwith the UK’s top tuning houses, we’ve siftedout three of the best starting points – and themost cost-effective modifications – to enableus to beat the legendary Supra Twin Turbo.

OURTARGET?

TO BEAT THE TOYOTA

SUPRA TWIN TURBO’S13.3-SECOND

QUARTER-MILE TIME

WORDS: GUY BAKER PICTURES: DAN SHERWOOD

THREE WAYSTOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBO

SUPRA BEATERFINALchch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:50 PM Page 73

Mitsubishi’s epic LancerEvo, in almost anyincarnation, is an

obvious contender for thischallenge, but whilst the earliestEvos can be extremely cheap,they aren’t quite as quick or asreadily tuned as the latermodels, with the Evo V andEvo VI offering the bestcompromise betweenaffordability and ease of tuning.A budget of £7000 upwards willbuy either model, but there aremore Evo VIs for sale in the UKright now, with factory-speccars making the quarter mile inaround 13.5 seconds – just acouple of tenths down on ourSupra target.

Official UK examples didn’tarrive until January 1999, and

these GSR versions, whichwere prepared by Ralliart UK,claimed a better spec than thestripped out RS and RSXmodels – which also lackedAYC. However, these cheaperEvos, which were used as thebasis for rally cars, did possessa closer-ratio gearbox designedfor maximum accelerationrather than top speed. So anRS or RSX model might actuallyprove a better starting point forthis challenge.

But whichever Evo VI modelyou start with, the Mitsubishi’sclever AYC system assuresastonishing levels of grip andbody control, whilst factory-fitBrembo brakes will stop yousafely, even after repeated high-speed quarter-mile runs.


CONTENDER NO. 1

MITSUBISHILANCER EVO VI(1999 TO 2000)

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO VI BUYING TIPS• CHECK FOR RUST INSIDE THE BOOT-LID, ALONG THE SILLS, AROUND THE

SUSPENSIONMOUNTS, INNERWINGS, REAR ARCH EXTENSIONS,CHASSIS LEGS AND AROUND THE PETROL TANK

• UNLESS YOU ARE 100% CONFIDENT THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN EXPERTLYREMAPPEDWALK AWAY – A FULL ENGINE REBUILD COULD SET YOUBACK £5000.

• REGULAR SERVICING IS ESSENTIAL, WITH FULLY SYNTHETIC OIL ANDAYC FLUID NEEDING CHANGING EVERY 4500MILES, BRAKE FLUID EVERY18,000MILES AND SPARK PLUGS AND TIMING BELTS EVERY 45,000MILES

• LOWOR EXCESSIVE BOOSTMAY BE DUE TO A RUSTYWASTEGATEACTUATOR AND COOLING SYSTEM EXPANSION TANKS CANOVERFLOWWHEN HOT – SO CHECK THE LEVEL

• YOU’LL NEED A NEW SEAT BASE FRAME IF THE RECLINE ADJUSTMENTIS SLIPPINGON THE RECARO SEATS

• CLUTCHESWEAR QUICKLYWHILST FRONT HELICAL LSD BOLT FAILURECAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO CORRECT.

• LOOKOUT FORWORNGEARBOX OUTPUT SHAFT BEARINGS

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO VI GSR SPECENGINE 1997CCMAX POWER 280BHP@ 6,500RPMMAX TORQUE 274LB FT @ 3,000RPMTRANSMISSION 5-SPEEDMANUALWEIGHT 1360KGMAX SPEED 150MPH0-60MPH 4.4 SECONDS

COST TO BEAT A TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBOTYPICAL COST TO BUY: £6,995 (1999 EVO VI, 61KMILES)ESTIMATED COST OFMODIFICATIONS: £800 (+£700 EXHAUSTIF NOT ALREADY FITTED)TOTAL COST TO BEAT A TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBO: £7,800


With a standard Evo VI so closeto the target 13.3 second quarter-mile time you won’t need to domuch in terms of modifications tobeat a Supra. And that is greatnews in terms of the budgetrequired. According to JamieLumley, Director at Evo expertsEvotune Ltd, a typical stage 1setup should be sufficient to dothe trick: ‘You would need anaftermarket induction kit – likethose on offer from K&N or HKS,along with a decat exhaust pipeand a full cat-back exhaust

system.’ HKS and Blitz arepopular choices with Evo VIowners, but most Evo VIs willalready have had somethingsimilar fitted – so buy right andyou won’t need to get thisdone. To ensure that the 4G63Tengine receives sufficient fuelyou’ll need to fit an uprated fuelpump – Walbro’s 255l/h pumpis the most commonly used –and a three-port boost solenoidis recommended to control theboost though the ECU. ‘Thisgives a more stable boost curve

than the stock solenoid,’ Jamieexplains.

Once this little lot is fitted allthat remains is to have the car’sECU remapped by an expert.Make sure the mapper youchoose has a proven record ofsuccess with Evos – sadly thereare one or two cowboys outthere, and a new engine will setyou back thousands. You willneed to spend around £500 to£700 on this and – with your EvoVI now running safely at around1.5 bar of boost – you can expect

to be pumping out in the regionof 350bhp and perhaps 360lb ftof torque.

This should be enough toput a stock Supra Twin Turbo toshame on the strip and,assuming you bought an Evo VIalready packing an aftermarketexhaust, your total spend onmodifications should only bearound £800. Add that to the£7000 required to buy a decentcar and you’ve beaten theSupra for a total outlay in theregion of £7800.


USEFUL CONTACTS• WWW.LANCERREGISTER.COM• WWW.LANCER-EVO.NET• WWW.EVOTUNE.CO.UK• WWW.NR-AUTOSPORT.COM• WWW.NORRISDESIGNS.COM• WWW.JAPPERFORMANCEPARTS.CO.UK• WWW.APTUNING.CO.UK• WWW.INDIGO-GT.COM

STAGE 1 REMAP



Toyota’s Nineties rear-drivecoupe is perhaps the idealstarting point for this

challenge. Fast, cheap, reliableand easy to tune, its 2.0-litreturbo engine delivers between225bhp and 245bhp instandard tune. Factor in theMR2’s low 1270kg kerb weightand we’re talking 14.5-secondquarter-miles before a penny isspent on modifications. Yet theprice tag for an MR2 Turbo canbe as little as £2000.

At this end of the markethowever the car will need someserious TLC, so we’drecommend spending close to£4000 on an absolute minter –which will still leave plenty inthe budget for mods.Turbo models were only

ever available as Japaneseimports, but many standardparts are shared in commonwith the normally-aspirated UK

MR2 and turbocharged CelicaGT-Four.Launched in October 1989

the original 225bhpturbocharged GT versionemploys the 3S-GTE enginefrom the Celica GT-4 rally car,which eventually produced245bhp from late 1993.Available as a coupe or a

T-Bar Targa-top (with removableglass roof panels), GT-badgedcars came with plenty of toys,with a five-speed manualtransmission as standard(there was also a four-speedauto option).Successive revisions

followed, with a new GT-Sversion added to the range inRevision 2 (Rev 2), and the finalRev 5 models boasted a largerrear spoiler. The wet-weatherhandling on earlier Turbos canbe a bit lively, with Rev 3-onmodels more controllable.

CONTENDER NO. 2

TOYOTAMR2 TURBO(1989-1999)

TOYOTAMR2 TURBO BUYING TIPS• A FULL SERVICE HISTORY SHOWING SERVICES EVERY 6000MILES SINCEARRIVAL IN THE UK IS ESSENTIAL. TURBOS SHOULD SPOOL UPSMOOTHLY, WITH A STEADY IDLE THAT STAYS BELOW1000RPMONCEWARMEDUP

• LOOK FOR CHIPPED RADIATORS AND CHECK THE CYLINDER HEADGASKETFOR ANY SIGNSOF LEAKS AND THEOIL CAP FOR SIGNSOF CREAMYDEPOSITS THAT COULD INDICATE THAT IT’S ON ITSWAYOUT

• JDM TOYOTA ENGINE COOLANT SHOULD BE EITHER BLUE-GREENORDARK RED IN COLOUR

• ANY SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST IS BADNEWS ANDDISTRIBUTOR ROTORCAPS COMMONLYGO, CAUSINGOBVIOUSMISFIRES

• CHECK THE BODY CLOSELY FOR ANY SIGNSOF RUST – ESPECIALLY THETOPOF REARWHEEL ARCHES, AROUND THE DOORS, THE BOOT AND THESUNROOFOR T-BAR PANELS

• USE A HOSE OR A CARWASH TO CHECK SUNROOFS OR T-BAR ROOFPANELS FOR LEAKS ANDMAKE SURE THE POP-UPHEADLAMPSWORKPROPERLY

• WATCHOUT FORWARPEDDISCS AND SEIZED CALIPERS ANDHANDBRAKES

TOYOTAMR2 TURBO SPECENGINE 1998CC 4CYLMAX POWER 225BHP AT 6000RPMMAX TORQUE 224LB FT AT 3200RPMTRANSMISSION 5-SPEEDMANUALWEIGHT 1270KGMAX SPEED 152MPH0-60MPH 5.7SEC

COST TO BEAT A TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBOTYPICAL COST TOBUY: £3,995 (1996GTS TURBO, 52KMILES)ESTIMATED COSTOFMODIFICATIONS: £2200 (£2000 IFCHARGE COOLERNOT INCLUDED)TOTAL COST TOBEAT A TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBO: £6,200

OURCHOICE!



To get an MR2 Turbo down to13.3 seconds over the quartermile requires around 300 to320bhp, but the good news isthat this is readily attained withsimple stage 1 tuning. The car’s3S-GTE engine is good for asmuch as 300bhp without anyinternal modifications, but fittinga Celica GT4 charge-cooler –the mid-engine setup means afront mount intercooler is farfrom simple – is a sensibleprecaution.

According to Dan at Toyotatuning gurus Fensport this issimply realised: ‘We wouldrecommend fitting a Blitz SUSinduction kit, along with the

Blitz Nur Spec R exhaust, andthen adding an electronic boostcontroller, which would seepower and torque increasedramatically.’ According toowners something around 1.1bar is a recommended safeboost limit with standard engineinternals.

‘These three items alonewould see power approaching300bhp,’ Dan explains, whichshould be just enough to beatthe 13.3-second Supra target –all for as little as £2000including fitting.

Add in a secondhand GT4charge cooler for around £100plus fitting, and our total budget

– for buying and tuning an MR2Turbo to the requiredperformance – is just £6200.And remember, you could do itfor a lot less outlay by buying astarter car in need of somefettling.

If you wish to tune an MR2much further, however,remapping the original ECUisn’t possible, so you wouldneed to budget for fitting aUniChip piggyback ECU andhaving it properly mapped.You’ll also need an uprated fuelpump and bigger injectors. Onearly car you will also need toreplace the air-flow meter with aMass Air Flow sensor.

USEFUL CONTACTS• WWW.MKIVSUPRA.NET• WWW.MKIVSUPRAOWNERSCLUB.COM•WWW.FENSPORT.CO.UK•WWW.GARAGEWHIFBITZ.CO.UK•WWW.THOR-RACING.CO.UK

BOOST CONTROLLER



Our third contender issomething of a hiddenJapanese performance

gem. With Nissan’s legendaryR33 GT-R grabbing the majorityof the public’s attention,relatively few buyers are awareof the single-turbo GTS-tmodel’s strengths. Boasting a2.5-litre single-turbo RB25motor, compared to the 2.6-litretwin-turbo RB26 of the GT-R,this JDM-only model also lacksthe sophisticated four-wheeldrive system but is lighter – andboasts rear-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering and can betuned in much the same wayas the GT-R.

The R33 Skyline GTS Turbo(or GTS-25t Type M as it’sofficially known) provides247bhp in factory trim, with a6.1-second 0-60mph time, yet itcosts just a fraction of the costof a four-wheel drive Skyline

GT-R. Decent examples startat around the £5000 mark andmost come with a limited-slipdifferential.

The standing quarter isdispatched in 14.4 seconds,but with loads of differentimports carrying the Skylinebadge, make sure your carreally is a single turbo GTS –not just a normally aspiratedversion. And steer clear of anycars that already have seriouspower tweaks. Better to buy apretty standard example andthen sort out the tuningyourself.

You can choose between afive-speed manual and a slowerfour-speed auto, and thecomplete service record shouldshow oil changes every 5000miles. In standard tune theseengines can last for 150k-milesplus, but must always be runon super-unleaded.

CONTENDER NO. 3

NISSAN SKYLINEGTS-25T (R33)(1993 TO 1998)

NISSAN SKYLINE GTS 25T BUYING TIPS• YOUR GTS-25T SHOULD POSSESS A FULL SERVICE HISTORY – SERVICESARE EVERY 5000MILES (IGNORE THE OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION FOR ALONGER PERIOD) WITH A NEW TIMING BELT ANDWATER PUMPNEEDEDEVERY FIVE YEARS

• THE BRAKES HAVE TOWORK HARD SO CHECK THE PADS AND DISCSCAREFULLY – WARPED AND CRACKED BRAKE DISCS ARE QUITE COMMONANDWATCH OUT FORWARPED EXHAUSTMANIFOLDS

• INSPECT THEWHOLE CAR CLOSELY FOR RUST – ESPECIALLY THE REARWHEEL ARCHES, BOOT LID, INNERWINGS AND UNDER THE BODY

• GEARBOXES ARE VERY RELIABLE BUT ANY REPAIRSWILL BE PRICEY –WALK AWAY IF THERE ARE ANY CLUNKS FROM THE TRANSMISSION

• CHECK THEWINDSCREEN FOR CHIPS AND CRACKS – A NEWONE COULDSET YOU BACK £600

• CHECK THE SPARK PLUGS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO PREVENT THEM FROMGETTING STUCK SOLID IN THE ALLOY HEAD

• REPAIRS TO THE FOUR-WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM, WHICH IS NORMALLYVERY DEPENDABLE, TEND TO BE EXPENSIVE

NISSAN SKYLINE GTS-25T SPECENGINE 2498CCMAX POWER 247BHP AT 6400RPMMAX TORQUE 218LB FT AT 4800RPMTRANSMISSION 5-SPEEDMANUALWEIGHT 1360KGMAX SPEED 143MPH0-60MPH 6.1 SECONDS

COST TO BEAT A TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBOTYPICAL COST TOBUY: £4,995 (1994NISSANSKYLINEGTS-25T,83KMILES)ESTIMATEDCOSTOFMODIFICATIONS: £3,000TOTAL COST TOBEATA TOYOTA SUPRA TWIN TURBO: £8,000



Power-wise you’ll need to takeyour GTS-25t to around 330bhpto beat the Supra’s 13.3-secondquarter, but that’s actuallypossible without any need tomodify the factory turbo,according to Mike Jones atSkyline GTS specialists TuningDevelopments. ‘Firstly you’llneed to address airflow, with adecent air intake, followed by aturbo-back exhaust system anda front-mounted intercooler,Mike explains. ‘After that youcan consider adding a qualityboost controller, along with a

remap.’ A popular route withthe R33 GTS-T is the A’PEXiPower FC, ‘But as Nistune don'toffer a direct fit board for thismodel, your best choice is toemploy a Z32 ECU instead,’Mike suggests.

Before remapping you’d alsobe wise to fit an uprated fuelpump – a Walbro 255l/h unit willdo fine – uprated spark plugsand an AFM from a Z32 – toallow greater airflow. You couldalso fit uprated injectors toreduce the risk of fuelling issues.A budget of around £3000

should suffice, taking the totalspend require to buy and tuneyour GTS to around £8000.

With proper mapping thestock turbo can safely be tunedto around 330bhp, enough tosee off that factory Supra over aquarter mile. But those seekingto increase engine output anyfurther will need to budget for ahybrid or replacement turbo. The2.5-litre straight-six’s singleturbocharger is fed cool air froma small side-mounted intercooler,so fitting a larger front-mounteditem is also advisable.

USEFUL CONTACTS•WWW.GTR.CO.UK•WWW.SKYLINE-OWNERS-CLUB.COM•WWW.TUNINGDEVELOPMENTS.CO.UK•WWW.ABBEYMOTORSPORT.CO.UK•WWW.MIDDLEHURST.CO.UK

STOCK TURBO

THREEWAYSTOBEATAMITSUBISHI EVOXTO100MPHANDBACK!

NEXTMONTH


080JAP171 2/26/15 4:05 PM Page 80


JAPSTUFF +BRINGING YOU THE HOTTEST NEW PRODUCTS ON THE JAPANESE TUNING SCENEEvery month we bring you the latestand greatest products on the Japanesetuning scene. We always showcase a'Red Hot' product at the front of thesection and also highlight the ‘must-have’

products at either end of thebudgetary scale.This way you can decide whether to

save your pennies to afford the 'BigSpender' or simply splash a little spare

pocket change on the more affordable'Chump Change' product. We hope youenjoy the section but, as usual, if there'sanything you think we can do better, thenplease let us know. Until then... enjoy!

REDHOTPRODUCT

Readers who like to test their cars at the racing circuitwill be interested to hear about Aliant’s ‘X Series’ rangeof lightweight automotive batteries. Capable of startinga car of up to two-litres in displacement, each unitweighs just 1.6kg, which represents a massive weightsaving over a conventional car battery. Furthermore, allAliant batteries make use of the latest in lithiumtechnology, allowing them to crank over a significantampage while occupying a tiny footprint.

Environmentally-friendly liquid-free contents, a swiftthirty minute recharge time, a five-year life expectancyand an incredibly slow self-discharge make thesebatteries an exciting prospect for those wanting alightweight, reliable starting solution, and Aliant tells usthat each of its products can be sold with a suitablebattery brace. It’s time to power up and take charge!Price: From £215Contact: www.rallydesign.co.uk or call 01227 792 792

ALIANT ULTRALIGHTRACE BATTERIES

JAPSTUFFFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:41 PM Page 81

KNIGHT RACER CARBONPADDLE SHIFTERS FORNISSAN R35 GT-RKnight Racer’s carbon-fibre paddle shifters for the R35 GT-Roffer a claimed 40% greater surface contact area than thestandard Nissan equivalents (approximately 30mm of extralength at the top and 25mm at the bottom of each paddle).This increase in size should enable drivers to shift throughgears at a faster pace than previously experienced, and therevised design will deliver a welcome improvement to theappearance of an R35’s cabin. Subtle ‘plus’ and ‘minus’icons are printed on each paddle, with black or whitegraphics available to choose from. CNC-machinedaluminium connector joints provide confidence in thequality of this neat upgrade, and each pair of paddle shiftershas been designed to match the contours of the GT-R’sfactory steering wheel.Price: £395 per pairContact: www.knightracer.com or call 01908 379118


JAPSTUFF +

82

CHUMP CHANGESPECIAL OFFER50% OFF RRP!AUTOBRITE DIRECT‘CAR CAREENTHUSIASTS’LUXURYDETAILING SPRAYLast month, we brought youdetails of Autobrite Direct’s‘Car Care Enthusiasts’ specialedition carnauba wax.Producing a wet, glossy finishfor all paint types and colours,the special blend has provedto be a big hit with detailingenthusiasts and car cleaningprofessionals alike. With potsof the chocolatey-lime productflying off shelves, theStaffordshire company is nowoffering a luxury detailing spraythat has been designed as theperfect partner for the wickedwax. Simply spritz each panelwith a couple of sprays (afterthe wax has been removed)and buff to reveal an improvedgloss and shine to yourpaintwork. CCE DetailingSpray can also be used as aquick detailer for paint, glass,alloy, chrome and plastics,providing a special finish toalmost every hard surface thatit comes into contact with. Andas if you needed any furtherconvincing, Autobrite Directare currently offering this superspray at a massivelydiscounted price. Shine on!Price: Special offer price of£7.50 per 500ml bottle for alimited time only (regular price£15.00)Contact:www.autobritedirect.co.uk orcall 01782 623819

LINEA CORSE LC818WHEELSThe task of picking a new set of wheels for your ride isn’t always as easy as it sounds. After all,your search will yield nothing but disappointment if the rim of your dreams is supplied with everypossible offset and PCD combination except the one that suits your pride and joy! Fortunately, the19in Linea Corse LC818 has been manufactured in a multitude of fitments to ensure that a hugenumber of Japanese vehicles are catered for. Widths range between 8.5 and 11-inches, withoffsets of ET20 through ET45. A heavily concaved profile suits the larger rims, and we’re reliablyinformed that the LC818’s stunning gunmetal finish has just been joined by a ‘hyper silver’ variant.Prices start at a reasonable £200 per wheel, and a full range of sizes can be viewed at theRotashop website.Price: From £200 per wheelContact: www.rotashop.co.uk or call 0844 557 1080



POWERFLEX MANUALSTEERING RACKMOUNTING KIT FORMK1 MAZDA MX-5Removing the Mk1 Mazda MX-5’s power-assisted steering rack and replacing it with amanual version is a popular modificationamong owners of the revered roadster.Conveniently, the work presents the perfectopportunity to replace tired OE rack mountswith purple polyurethane parts fromPowerflex.Comprising frontand rear bushes,this cool kitimproves the overallfeel and precision ofthe MX-5’s steeringabilities while vastlyreducing movementbetween parts. Thecompany’s ‘BlackSeries’ rack bushesare available forMk1s that spendmost of their timetearing up the track, but road users will findwhat they’re looking for by asking theirPowerflex dealer for part number PFF36-108.Price: £26.34 per kitContact: www.powerflex.co.ukor call 01895 460033

TOYO R888R ULTRAHIGH PERFORMANCE TYRESJapanese tyre manufacturer, Toyo Tires, announced the UK launch of its hotlyanticipated road-legal track tyre, the Proxes R888R, at the recent AutosportInternational show held at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre. This new tyre willreplace the much-celebrated Proxes R888, and it offers an improved design over thatof its predecessor; increased dry grip, sustained performance over multiple laps andheat cycles, fast warm up and a rayon ‘super-high’ ply (on some sizes) are just someof its key features. The latter – combined with steel side plies – delivers precisesteering feedback and response to the driver which, in turn, should help to improvelap times. Extensive testing of the R888R has produced positive results, withBTCC driver, Tom Onslow-Cole, filling the hot seat in a wide range of sports and clubrace cars while the tyre was benchmarked against the outgoing R888. The outcomewas more than encouraging, prompting excitement from the various motorsportteams and enthusiasts who were in attendance at the NEC. Expect to see plentyof race-ready rides wearing this radical rubber at a racing circuit near you in thenot-too-distant future!Price: TBCContact: Visit www.toyo.co.uk to find your nearest Toyo dealer

RING AUTOMOTIVE RSC605MULTI-STAGE BATTERYCHARGERAdvanced technology concerning vehicle electrics has placed anincreased demand on the performance of car batteries. It is,therefore, advisable to keep your vehicle’s battery in tip-top condition at all times, particularly if you’re inpossession of a project car that sees little actionunless the roads are dry and the sun is shining(something of a rarity at the time of writing!). Inresponse to these concerns, Ring Automotive haslaunched the RSC605 fully automatic multi-stage‘SmartCharger’. Featuring LED indicators thatshow specific charge values, a rubber outercasing for protection and grip, polarityprotection, fully insulated clips and a host ofsettings to suit both standard and‘start/stop’ vehicles, this 12-volt unit willprolong battery life thanks to animpressive seven-stage charge cycleand the addition of a trickle functionaimed at cars that spend the majorityof their time sat still. On sale at asmidge under sixty notes, the RSC605won’t break the bank, and it couldprove to be a cost-efficient purchasewhen compared to the price of replacinga neglected battery.Price: £59.99Contact: www.ringautomotive.co.uk or call0113 231 0266

GOLD PLUGMAGNETIC SUMPDRAIN PLUGSSwarf, wear particles and other unsavouryelements can often be found floating aroundthe sumps of performance vehicles.Unsurprisingly, the regurgitation ofpotentially damaging materials is the lastthing that any tuned powerplant needs!American engineering outfit, Gold Plug, iswell aware of this fact, and it has produced amagnetic sump plug that attracts offendingfloaters and prevents them from re-enteringan engine’s lubrication system. Constructedfrom a heat-resistant, 303-gradestainless steel bodythat houses what isclaimed to be thestrongest N45SHNeodymium magnetavailable, it iscapable of attractingany particle missed by the engine’s oil filter.There are, of course, plenty of magneticsump drain plugs already available on theaftermarket, but Gold Plug reckons thatnone match the quality of its own. Fitmentsfor masses of Hondas, Subarus, Hyundaisand Toyotas are available to choose from,and a handy video demonstrating how theplug works can be found by visiting:http://youtu.be/nnU_zBw65XMPrice: £12.99Contact: www.oldhallperformance.comor call 02476 717100


Forge Motorsport is constantly adding to its line-up of awesome aftermarket tuningcomponents, and the Gloucestershire firm has now bolstered its back catalogue ofdesirable parts with a range of hand-finished, universal intercoolers. The extensiveselection of styles, sizes and end-tank designs makes this forced induction heatmanagement solution the perfect choice for tuners, car-builders or racing teams who ownvehicles that are not specifically catered for by the company’s existing selection ofbespoke intercoolers. Almost every configuration is available off-the-shelf (along with arange of alloy bends and silicone hoses), but Forge is also able to create customintercooler designs following receipt of customer drawings, sketches or descriptions.Now, that is cool! Give ’em a call to discuss your requirements.Price: From £186.54Contact: www.forgemotorsport.co.uk or call 01452 380999


JAPSTUFF +

BIG SPENDERGARAGE WHIFBITZ BORG WARNEREFR TURBO KITS FOR 2JZ ENGINESGarage Whifbitz has been selling a hugely popular turbo conversion kit for Toyota’s 2JZSupra engine for some time. This month, however, the kit has been further enhanced bythe availability of a range of Borg Warner EFR turbochargers. The EFR 8374 EWG isarguably the pick of the bunch, in part due to its satisfyingly fast spool and an ability toreach up to 620bhp on pump fuel (that’s about 700bhp with E85!). EFRs can be boughtwith internal wastegates, and they have a blow-off valve and boost control solenoid builtinto them – all of which helps to drive down the cost of your high-horsepower 2JZ build.As ever, 0% finance is available from Whifbitz, and a comprehensive list of turbo optionscan be found at the company’s website.Price: From £2702.15Contact: www.garagewhifbitz.co.uk or call 01291 420500

TITAN MOTORSPORTSTRANSMISSION BRACEFOR NISSAN R35 GT-RIF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOME GT-R JOYFROMACROSS THE POND, THEN YOU’LL BEPLEASED TO HEAR THAT FLORIDA TUNER,TITANMOTORSPORTS, HASMANUFACTURED AGR6 TRANSMISSION BRACE FOR THE R35 INRESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS THAT OWNERS OFTHE LEGENDARY NISSAN HAVE REGISTEREDAFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE GEARBOXCASINGOF THEIR CARS HAS FLEXED UNDERHEAVY LOAD. THE TITAN SOLUTION IS LASERCUT FROMA COMBINATIONOF¼-INCH AND½-INCH STEEL, TIGWELDED IN A STRUCTURALJIG AND THEN POWDERCOATED. ITINCORPORATES MULTIPLE POINTS OFCONTACTWITH THE GR6’S FACTORY CASTINGS(IN ORDER TO REDUCE TORSIONAL FLEXUNDER LOAD), AND IT INCLUDES SOLIDMOUNTS THAT REPLACE THE OE RUBBERS.INSTALLATION REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THECAR’S GEARBOX, BUT IT’S A JOB THAT CAN BECOMPLETED IN A FEWHOURS AND REQUIRESNO PERMANENTMODIFICATION TO THEVEHICLE’S CHASSIS. OVERSEAS SHIPPINGFROM THE USA IS NO PROBLEM, AND TITANWELCOMES ENQUIRIES FROMGT-R OWNERSBASED IN BLIGHTY.PRICE: £395CONTACT: WWW.TITANMOTORSPORTS.COMOR CALL 00 1 407 277 8423 (GMT+5 HOURS)

FORGE MOTORSPORTUNIVERSAL INTERCOOLER



Hundreds of proven race winning Sport Compact

piston designs available to fit any engine combination.

All drawing on over 35 years of winning

performance! Ross can custom design and

manufacture pistons for any application!

FACEBOOK.COM/ROSSPISTONS

HIGHPERFORM

ANCEPISTONS

WWW.ROSSPISTONS.COM | 310.536.0100

1420

NOTSSIPSSOR.WW.WWWWWW 000010.6336553.013|MOC.SN

085JAP171 2/26/15 4:32 PM Page 85

Brakes are important. No,scratch that, they’re downrightessential, so it’s worth devotinga decent part of your tuningbudget towards a set of suitablestoppers. New cars have thebenefit of all the latest

technology and developmentwhen it comes to braking, andin some cases can be prettygood as stock. Take the RX-8for example, which has a morethan adequate setup from thefactory for the majority of

situations, however, likeanything in life, things canalways be improved and aswe’re planning on upping theRenesis motor’s power potential– and get in some time on thetrack – we felt that it was only

right to invest in some seriousstopping power to match. Betterperforming brakes mean youcan stop quicker, whichtranslates to later on the track,which allows you to trim laptime at each corner. It alsomeans that when you’re goingat full chat on the road, you canrein it all in much quicker if youneed to and stay safe.

With all these points inmind, we contacted Italianbraking gurus Tarox, to seewhat they had to offer for themighty Mazda.

A family-run company thathas been trading since the ’60s,Tarox make some of the bestbrakes on the market with all

86

THEGARAGE +


PROJECT ROTARYSTOP. COLLABORATEAND LISTEN...... JAP IS BACK WITH A BRAND NEW INVENTION. WELL, IT’S NOTREALLY NEW, AS BRAKES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AGES, BUT IT ISA NEW UPGRADE, SO CHECK OUT OUR NEW TAROX STOPPERS

BEFORE AND AFTER: THE ORIGINAL DISCS AND CALIPERS ARE A GOOD SIZE ONTHE RX-8 (323MM) BUT WERE VERY RUSTY WHERE THE CAR HAD NOT MOVED

RX8 ProjectFINALNEWchnew.qxd:JP 2/26/15 2:51 PM Page 86


discs and brake kits finishedand assembled by handensuring only the highestquality components getdelivered to customers. Lookingat the range for the RX-8, it wasclear that there was a simpledisc and pad upgrade to behad, or the much sexier andhigher performing big brake kit.Seeing as the RX-8 factorycalipers were looking a littleworse for wear and would needat best reconditioning, or atworst replacing, it seemedlogical to go for the full Sportbig brake kit as it containseverything needed to replacethe front braking systemincluding larger 330mm two-piece grooved discs with fast

road pads, six-pot billetcalipers, billet caliper spacerbrakets and steel braided brakehoses. At a cool £1978.80 forthe kit, it’s far from a budgetoption, but when you considerthe task that brakes have to doon a regular basis, it reallydoesn’t pay to skimp, especiallyif you are planning furtherpower upgrades in the future.There’s also the small point ofthem looking damn sexy behindyour rims too, which is a niceside-effect for sure.

With Tarox producingcalipers with up to 16-pots, youmay wonder why we optedfor the smaller six-potitems? Well, it comesdown to necessity really.Even if we addedforced induction tothe Renesis lump

further down the line, the meatysix-pot kit would still be morethan man enough to haul theRX up to a standstill, especiallyas it will be spending more timeon the road than the track. Sowith the kit arriving at Group BMotorsport HQ in Deeside, theexperienced guys got straightto work.

Stripping out the Mazda’sfatory front brakes was fairlystraightforward, except for a fewcorroded

nuts which needed soaking inWD-40 for a few minutes beforeremoval. The larger discs andcalipers look so much betterthan the factory items andshould provide loads morestopping power to boot. The

kit is designed to fitbehind the factory

18in rims, but nextmonth we’ll berevealing theRX-8’s newrolling stock,so staytuned!

CONTACTSGroup B Motorsportwww.silverstoneautosport.co.uk01244 822327Whitelinewww.whiteline.com.auTaroxwww.tarox.co.uk

THE ORIGINAL CALIPERSWERE RUSTY ANDNEEDING SOMEWD-40 TO LOOSEN THE NUTS

PRICE LIST:TAROX SPORT BRAKE KIT£1978.80

TAROX BRAKESITALIAN BRAKE COMPANY TAROX STARTEDWHEN ITS FOUNDER, WHOWAS A STUNT DRIVER ATTHE TIME, NEEDED BETTER BRAKES TO PULL OFF THESTUNTS HEWAS PERFORMING. HIS SOLUTIONWASTO BUILD HIS OWN, AND THE COMPANY HAS BEENDOING SO EVER SINCE, INCLUDING SUPPLYINGFORMULA ONE TEAMS AND CRAZY SUPERCARMANUFACTURERS SUCH AS KOENIGSEGG ANDDONKERVOORT

RX8 ProjectFINALNEWchnew.qxd:JP 2/26/15 2:52 PM Page 87

THE BOXER ENGINE’S FACTORY DV CAN LEAK WHEN BOOST RISES

Having spent a wonderful firstmonth with the STI, I have beenrelishing every moment that Ican get to spend behind thewheel. As someone who hasbeen driving Impreza, WRX andSTI models for over 20-yearsnow, there’s something verycomforting in piloting thatfamiliar combination of grip andgrunt, combined with thatwonderful flat-four burble thatmakes me feel very much at

home in the seat.Although the MY12 STI is

very much a case of ‘businessas usual’ from this enthusiast’spoint of view, I did find myselfmissing an essential part of mySubaru soundtrack as I wasblatting through the countrylanes; an atmo dump valve! Tomy mind, there’s nothing likethat ‘perrrtisssh’ sneezebetween gear changes to giveyou the full Colin McRae

experience.I’ve always fitted Forge

valves to all of my otherSubarus, so that choice waseasy. They look superb, they fitlike OEM – and they alwayswork perfectly. Since I fitted mylast valve, however, thecompany had added aninnovative new twist to the kit –and invited me down to itsGloucestershire HQ to have alook while it was fitted. It

sounded a lot more fun than medoing it, that’s for sure!

Forge Motorsport has longbeen associated with clever,ground breaking innovations,but the company’s latest designis one of the smartest ideas toappear on the automotiveaftermarket for quite some time;the Intake PressureCompensation Valve (IPCV) –an idea so ingenious that thecompany has patented it!

Put simply, this engineeringmarvel prevents boost lossacross the components of anyturbocharged, forced inductioncar, it allows any specification ofdump or diverter valve to workperfectly, regardless of engineboost levels, and it ensuresperfect operation for any

88

THEGARAGE +

PROJECT WHITE STUFF


RELEASING THE PRESSURETHAT ESSENTIAL QUESTION; JUST WHAT IS THE FIRSTMODIFICATION TO UNDERTAKE ON YOUR LATEST PROJECTCAR? THIS MONTH PAUL COWLAND IS PRETTY SURE WHAT HISSHOULD BE – AND ENDS UP MAKING A QUICK VISIT TOTUNING SCENE LEGENDS FORGE TO GET IT FITTED

PROJECT STiFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:44 PM Page 88


FORGE’S SHINY NEW IPCV WORKS AT ALL BOOST PRESSURES

NOT ONLY DOES THE NEW VALVE FUTURE PROOF THE BOOST SYSTEM, IT ALSO LOOKS AND SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN THE FACTORY ITEM

diverter valve, irrespective of thespring or diaphragm rate withinit. To be honest, some of thescience behind it is quiteintense, but luckily, Forge’sDom explained it to me inlayman’s terms as he did asuperb job of fitting the kit whileI snapped away.

The IPCV allows an equal orgreater pressure on the top sideof the piston or diaphragm of aDV, allowing it to make a betterseal onto its seat. This preventsthe DV opening on high boost,load or rpm, and prevents theneed for a stronger spring inthe DV as the boost pressure isincreased, which has alwaysbeen the case up until now. Byallowing the fitment of a weakerspring in the DV, significantly

faster valve response isassured, thanks to lessresistance to the vacuumoperation when the unit opensto vent boost. This can help in-gear acceleration times, engineresponsiveness and even theintegrity and longevity of theturbocharger itself.

Normally the boost feed tothe top of the DV would havebeen through the restriction ofthe throttle body and inletmanifold, so typically is of alower value than the boost levelon the underside of the DV –due to pressure drops inherentin any system. However, theIPCV is able to swap between apositive pressure feed duringboost and a vacuum on idlingand low engine speeds. This

state of change is clearlyevident to the ECU of thevehicle, meaning that the DVwill open and close as would beexpected by the ECU, but thevalve will behave moreconsistently than wouldnormally be the case.

So what does this actuallymean? Well, put simply, nomatter what boost setting I runin the future, I shouldn’t nowneed to keep upping the springas I would have had to before.All great news in future-proofingthe motor as the mods roll in.

Best of all, the under-bonnetarea looks so much nicer nowthe coarse casting of the oldunit has been replaced by thenew precision CNC-milledbeauty of the new parts – and

as for the soundtrack. Well, it’slike being back in my old 22Bagain! Or it will be when I getsome of that restriction out ofthe exhaust system and reallyunlock that Subaru sound!

The IPCV isn’t just a Subarumod of course – it fits anyturbocharged car, so it’s wellworth having a look at if yourJap ride is of the forcedinduction persuasion. Havingspent a couple of hundredmiles with my setup now, I can’trecommend it highly enough…

Until next time…

THANKS &CONTACTSForgewww.forgemotorsport.co.uk

PROJECT STiFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:45 PM Page 89


So the turbo was removedfrom Project Wagon andadded to the never endinglist of problems. Remember,

we only had a bearing goand the engine neverexploded, so why all thedamage? What we’ve

dicovered is that even asmall problem might as wellhave been total destructionas, no matter how small youthink the problem is, theseengines are getting old andthey almost all require a fullrebuild. Last month weshowed you the used turbothat was removed from thewagon. The old turbo (seenabove in a stripped state)was feeling a little sorry foritself and the shaft wasdeemed to have too muchplay. To remedy the

problem, the turbo was sentoff to Turbo Technics forthem to work their magic.The result is that the turbois back and has been

transformed into the beautybelow, which is now a TD0520G turbo and should boostour engine to anywherebetween 340 and 380bhp!

THEGARAGE +

TURBO TIME!PROJECT WRX

TURBO TECHNICS TO THE RESCUE!THE FLOPPY TURBO IS NOW A SUPERHYBRID TD05 CAPABLE OF UP TO380BHP. AWESOME!

THE NICE SHINY TURBOBACK FROM TURBOTECHNICS SHOULD GIVEUS GREAT STREET POWER

CONTACTSTORQUE DEVELOPMENTSINTERNATIONAL PLC0800 107 3250 tdi-plc.comAUTOMOTIVE RACINGPRODUCTSYou can contact Nigel Atkinsonin the UK via arp-bolts.comJE PISTONSjepistons.com +31 252 687713

GO FAST BITSgfb.com.auACL RACE SERIESaclperformance.com.auTURBO TECHNICSturbotechnics.com01604 705050MISHIMOTOmishimoto.co.uk01562 512501

Project WRX turboFINALch.qxd:JP 2/26/15 2:38 PM Page 90

http://bit.ly/1xgPoAG

091JAP171 2/27/15 1:57 PM Page 91

OLD RADIATOR WAS LEAKING COOLANT

THE SILVER ROTAS GOT TREATED TO A NEW COAT OF GLOSS BLACK READY FOR THE SUMMER

The IS200 had startedrunning a little strangeover the last few months.Once up to temperature, ifyou stopped the car thentried to restart the engine,it wasn’t happy at all. Thetemperature gauge wentup on one occasion butnot others. Checking thewater level showed it to below, so we tried topping itup and the car workedperfectly again. However,on further inspection wefound loads of air in thesystem. We sorted this byrunning the engine withthe water cap off and filledit back up with coolant.There were no visible signsof water leaking anywhere,but after a month or so, thelevels were out again.Flicking through the historyof the car we saw an MOThad a note about theradiator having a slightleak. So, a quick look onthe Internet and we founda direct replacement fromAdvanced Radiators –coming in at under £70with free delivery, we gotone ordered straight away.

For the fitting, weheaded to Japanesespecialists Eurospec. Onceup on a ramp the guysnoticed the corner of theold rad was wet and it hada leak. With the old rad outit was a simple job toremove the fans, and boltback to the new one.Sliding back into positionand filled with coolant thecar was happy again.

92

THEGARAGE +


CONTACTSEuro Specwww.euro-spec2000.co.ukPremier Wheel Repairspremierwheelrepairs.comTel: 01737 551105Email: [email protected] Radiatorswww.adrad.co.ukTel: 0191 267 3312Email: [email protected]

OVER THE LAST FEWMONTHS YOU’LL HAVESEENWE’VE BEENTRYING TO GET THEIS200 NICE AND LOW,BUT TURNS OUTWE’VEFAILED. THE RIDEWITHTHE COILOVERS JUSTWASN’T GREAT, EVENWHEN RAISED RIGHT UPWEWEREN’T HAPPY.THIS IS USED AS A DAILYDRIVERWHERE SOMESORT OF COMFORT ISESSENTIAL. WE OPTED TONOT QUITE GO BACK TOSTANDARD, BUT INSTEADUSED THE EIBACH PROSPRINGSWE’D FITTEDPREVIOUSLY. THE RIDE ISCERTAINLY FIRMER THANSTANDARD, BUT THEHANDLING IS SPOT ONAND AGOOD BITLOWER.ANOTHER PRETTY

SIMPLE JOB FOR THEBOYS AT EUROSPEC,ESPECIALLYCONSIDERING THESUSPENSION HAS BEENOFF NUMEROUS TIMESIN THE LAST FEWMONTHS. BIG THANKSTO THE GUYS FORSORTING IT... AGAIN!

WHILE THE ROTAS AREOFF FOR THE WINTERBREAK, WE THOUGHT AREFRESH WOULD BE AGREAT IDEA. ENTRUSTED-TO PREMIER WHEELS INREDHILL THE 18INGTR-DS ARE NOW EVENMORE AWESOME.

PROJECTLEXUS

HEATINGISSUES ANDRIDE QUALITYHEADACHES

BOILING POINT!ONE STEPFORWARD, TWOSTEPS BACK

IS200 RADFINALch.qxd:JP 2/25/15 12:40 PM Page 92

“We trustthem with ours”

MODIFIED CAR?Be correctly insured, it doesn’t cost as much as you’d think

LEADING THEWAY FORJAPANESEPERFORMANCECARS FOR OVER20YEARS

MARKET LEADERIN SPECIALIST ANDPERFORMANCECAR INSURANCE

COMPETITIVE QUOTES FOR

PERFORMANCEMODIFIEDTRACK COVERYOUNG DRIVERS 23+LIMITED MILEAGECLUB DISCOUNTS

Insurance as it should be - you are a person not a policy number!

or standard of course

keithmichaels.co.uk0800 542 2141 / 0208 329 1150

CALL USNOWFORAFRIENDLYNO NONSENSEQUOTE

Japanese Performance Magazine Project car

insurance for specialist japanese cars

Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority01275 792270call us on

quality car insurance at the most competitive price

� all types of performance cars including grey imports�subaru impreza specialists � we look after our customers

� great value � breakdown cover also available

093JAP171.e$S 2/26/15 4:24 PM Page 93

MAZDA RX8 231PS BRAND NEW ENGINE,rebuilt new engine still under warranty, work carriedout by well known Mazda Rotary specialist, receiptsfor over £2,000, year’s MoT, runs sweet with noproblems, service history, refurbished alloysholographic, sat nav, DVD, CD, e/w, air con, ESP, anyinspection welcome, contact me for full spec,£3,350. Email: [email protected] (East Sussex).J171/011

MITSUBISHI COLT RALLIART, 16” Gunmetalalloy wheels, 2 keys, 3 door, ABS, Active Stability andtraction control, air conditioning, alarm, airbag SRScurtain, aluminium pedals, black cloth interior,central locking, Chilli Red, colour coded doorhandles, cruise control, driver’s airbags, electric frontanti-trapping windows with one-touch open/close,electric operated wing mirrors, engine immobiliser,folding rear seats, £5,300. Tel: 07568 571870. Email:[email protected] (Tyne & Wear). J171/003

EVO 7, 380bhp, engine by Power Engineering,standard car except 380bhp, HKS exhaust and othersubtle mods, £5,400. Tel: 07881 335483. Email:[email protected]. J171/012

94

+CLASSIFIEDS

www.japaneseperformancemag.co.uk

ADVERTISE HERE FOR FRE

E

ON THE PAGE AND ONLIN

E

www.sumopower.com+44 (0) 1945 479 125



NISSAN

MITSUBISHI

MAZDAHONDA

RX7, £10,000, engine rebuilt by WGT less than ayear ago, 500bhp over 400 T, 12 months’ tax andMoT, very very quick car, not an everyday car. Tel:01902 883937. J171/021

HONDA INTEGRA TYPE R DC05, 2002,mileage 78,500 miles, MOT August ‘15, C specbody kit, Champion White, red Recarosreupholstered, 2 ltr, AEM cold air induction kitwith full 5” custom exhaust, EMP performance,tinted windows, upgraded Brembo brakes, 18”alloys with Avon low profiles, smart car, sale dueto travelling overseas, price £8,500. Tel: 020 89544359 (Harrow). J171/010

ALMERA GTI 2.0 SR20DE, only genuineJDM/Nismo parts used, only 62K miles!! Full Nissanservice history, few months MoT, good tyres, newpads, excellent condition, feels very tight, £1,195.Tel: 07900 212336 (Watford). J171/009

MAZDA RX8 (231), 2006, 231bhp, VelocityRed, 6 speed manual, fully loaded, two toneleather interior, 52K miles, service history, MoTSept 2014, tax Feb 2014, FSH, locatedBetchworth, £2,550. Tel: 07506 014568. Email:[email protected] (Surrey). J171/022

VERY SPECIAL S2000 VGS JDM SPECTYPE-V, 2001, huge aftermarket upgrades toengine, brakes, suspension, bodywork etc (fulllist/pics on request), private plate and Cocoongaraging unit included in price, £9,250. Tel:07732 497976. Email: miketurner6@ sky.com(Cheshire). J171/008

SKYLINE GTR 33, 1998, 545bhp enginerebuilt 3 years ago, parked for 2 and half years,very quick, year’s MoT, owned since 1,000 miles,needs little body attention, £10,500. Tel: 07973296628. Email: [email protected](London). J171/007

TOYOTA

Jap class 171.qxp 25/2/15 13:34 Page 94

TOYOTA STARLET SR, 1998, mint condition, withmassive regret, here’s my Toyota Starlet SR! Inabsolutely gorgeous condition! 205 Black, genuine67K miles, 11 months’ MOT, just had a full serviceincluding cambelt and 4 new tyres, full service history,stacks of paperwork, completely original withSpeedline alloys in perfect condition, original Ttespoiler and rare Tte exhaust, car is becoming rare, only300 left, please contact, £1,750. Tel: 07885 280969.Email: [email protected] (Leics). J171/002TOYOTA MR2, silver, good condition with goodservice history, ten months’ MoT and six months’ tax,new car reason for selling, £1,600. Tel: 07766015997. Email: [email protected] (Norfolk).J171/013

TOYOTA CELICA (MK7) VVTI full leatherinterior in black and grey, airbag type, comes withheated front seats, leather door cards, rear parcelshelf, centre console, in stunning condition, no wearon bolsters, buyer collects, no time wasters please,£750. Tel: 0121 293 4307 between 6.30pm and 9pmonly. Email: [email protected] (West Midlands).J171/014SUBARU IMPREZA 17/7 JJ (55) Enkei wheels insilver, good condition with Bridgestone 215/45/R17tyres, £280. Tel: +44 7986 242129. Email:[email protected] (Cleveland). J171/015

TWO 235/35 ZR 19 Continental ContiSportContact3s (91Y XL FR), brand new, £180 the pair (collectonly). Tel: 07850 654911 (Surrey, close M25).J171/016

CIVIC TYPE R MOD for sale, BMC induction kitfits EP3 Civic Type R, 10bhp+ improvement andquicker RPM especially with modified exhaust, easyto fit, good cond, buyer collects! £50. Tel: 01908366804. Email: [email protected] (Bucks).J171/017S2000 CARBON FIBRE Siebon bootlid fitted withcarbon fibre fully adjustable GT rear wing(removable), paid £800 second hand, never used,wing alone is £1,100 new, £450. Tel: 07952 973473.Email: [email protected] (Silverstone). J171/018S2000 TODA 2.2 LITRE crankshaft and Todasteel conrods, 30% increase in torque on na engine,supercharged Wossner pistons giving 10.5compression with Toda parts, £1,800 may split. Tel:07952 973473. Email: [email protected](Silverstone). J171/019

TOYOTA COROLLA 1.6 GT COUPE/GTI,looking to buy any Corolla GT/GTI Coupe twin cam,any age or condition, high mileage, MOT failures, nonrunners/needing tlc welcome, genuine enthusiastbuyer. Tel: 07999 250260 (West Yorks). J171/020

YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR PRIVATE ADVERT AT: www.japaneseperformancemag.co.ukOR YOU CAN EMAIL: [email protected]

PRIVATE ADVERTS ARE FREE! YOU MAY INCLUDE A PHOTOGRAPH AND UP TO 400 CHARACTERS OF TEXT.Copy can be submitted online or by email, fax (+44 (0)1883 740361) or post, with remittance

if applicable, to: JP Private Classifieds, CHP, 1 The Alma Building, Brewerstreet Dairy Business Park,Brewer Street, Bletchingley, Surrey RH1 4QP, United Kingdom. Don’t forget your contact details!

Deadline for inclusion in the May issue is 19th March (June issue deadline 23rd April).

MISCELLANEOUS

WANTED

95www.japaneseperformancemag.co.uk



PARTS

EVO 7-8 CARBON FIBRE EXHAUST HEATSHIELD, pre P-reg, carbon fibre exhaust trimmade in UK by the no.1 Evo carbon partscompany WRS Racing, who make parts forRalliart, bought but never fitted as sold car beforeI got around to it, perfect fit, cost me £110 inc post,sell £55 inc UK post, I am working shifts so pleaseemail: [email protected] (London). J171/001

ADVERTISEMENT INDEX

ABP Motorsport 38, 39

Adrian Flux 96

BC Racing (Apex) 2, 3, 100

AP Racing 46

BDC (Japspeed) 91

CobraSport 47

Competition Clutch 61

Co-ord Sport 72

D2 (Apex) 31

EBC Brakes 6

EP Racing 60

Japfest 80

Jap Performance Parts 23

Japspeed 68

Keith Michaels 93

Knight Racer 72

KSport (Apex) 98

Mark Richard Insurance 93

Mishimoto Automotive 17

Ohlins (Apex) 99

Polybush 47

Rare Rims 85

Rent 4 Ring GmbH 53

Ross Racing Pistons 85

Scooby Clinic 8

Sky Insurance 96

Sumo Power 10, 11

Tegiwa Imports 4

TGM Sport Racing 85

Toyo Tires 27

TTS Performance 60

TOYOTA YARIS 1.3 VVT-i COLOURCOLLECTION, 3dr, 55 plate, 5-speed manual,metallic silver, only 16,500 miles, 1 owner fromnew, factory standard car, immobiliser, CD player,central locking, electric windows, power steering,folding rear seats, child seat points (ISOFIXsystem), new battery, tax and MoT till 30.9.14, fullservice history, excellent condition, £4,000 ono.Tel: 07437 408657 (West Midlands). J171/006

NISSAN GTR PRESS BOOK, NurburgringLap 17.04.2008, also features and specs pages,unmarked pages, as new condition, £4. Tel:07989 951895. J171/005

NISSAN PULSAR GTi-R bonnet, comes withall bonnet vents and genuine factory part and invery good condition, buyer collects, no offers orno time wasters please, £145. Tel: 07879 215057.Email: [email protected] (Birmingham).J171/004

Jap class 171.qxp 26/2/15 14:42 Page 95


OF EXCELLENCEYEARS

096JAP171 2/26/15 4:26 PM Page 96

ALSO INSIDE...

THE UNUSUAL SUSPECT

700BHP TIME ATTACK LEGACY

THE AMERICAN WAY

V8 ENGINED MAZDA RX-8

DRIFT FANBUILDS THE

ULTIMATE COROLLA TRIBUTE

ROCKNROLLA

REDMEET GOLI

ATH. A COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWO TUNING HEAVYWEIGHTS, TH

IS GT-R

PACKS OVER 1200BHP

AND ENOUGH MUSCLE TOTOPPLE GLO

BAL TIME ATTACK’S ELI

TE.

DAVID’S GONNA NEED MORE THA

N A SLINGSHOTTHIS TIME..

.

No.170 www.chpltd.comMARCH ’15 £4.50

BEAT

THE BEST

THREE WA

YS TO

BEATA NI

SSAN

GT-R’S TO

P

SPEED FO

R

LESS

No.169 www.chpltd.comFEBRUARY ’15 £4.50

ALSO INSIDE...

BALLISTIC MISSILE

NATO GREEN MX-5 ROAD RACER

THE REAL DEALVARIS-KITTED TOYOTA GT86

TAKING A DIFFERENT PATH

AIR RIDE DECKED IMPREZA

SUPER CLEAN DC2 INTEGRA PACKS 365BHP TURBO POWER

TURBO TEG

STEPHEN ‘BAGGSY’ BIAGIONI IS SETTO TERRORISE EUROPE’S DRIFT SCENE

WITH HIS FIENDISHLY EVIL500BHP NISSAN S13

BEAT THE

ICONS PT.1

THREE WAYS TO

BEAT A SUBARU

STI’S 0-60

SPRINT

DRIFT

ALSO INSIDE...

BEATTHE BEST3 WAYS TOBEAT A SUPRTWIN TURBO’1/4 MILE TIMEFOR LESS

FROM RUSSIA WITH SHOVE1200BHP LITCHFIELD-TUNED GT-RFD3S+2JZ-GTE=ONE EPIC RIDEMAZDA RX-7 GETS A SUPRA HEART

ENGINE FIRE TURNS DAILY DRIVER INTO TRACK STARFROMTHEFLAMES

WIDE ARCHED AND READY FOR BATTLE THESEEVO AND IMPREZA WAGONS PROVE THATPERFORMANCE CAN ALSO BE PRACTICAL

...WELL, ALMOST!

WAGON

No.171 www.chpltd.comAPRIL ’15 £4.50

SUBSCRIBE& SAVE!PAYJUST£2.96*PER ISSUE INSTEADOFTHE£4.50NEWSSTANDPRICEGUARANTEE RECEIVING YOUR COPY OFJAPANESE PERFORMANCE EVERY MONTH,DELIVERED DIRECT FROM THE PRINTER TO YOURDOOR - BEFORE IT APPEARS IN THE SHOPS!

*BASED ON TWO-YEAR UK SUBSCRIPTION

12 ISSUES 24 ISSUES

UK £43.00 £71.00EUROPE £63.00 £100.00REST OF WORLD £75.00 £125.00

A digital subscription toJapanese Performance

is the perfect way totreat yourself!

e. [email protected]. 01883 731150w. JAPANESEPERFORMANCEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Available via Apple Newsstand,iTunes, Google Play for Android

market or www.pocketmags.comLatest Issue & Back Issues just £2.99 each

Subscribe for one year or six monthsDownload to your iPad, iPhone, Android

device, Mac, PC or Kindle Fire


may issue on sale9th april 2015

fn2 type r civic cup racer / big power street and strip skylineblown mazda mx-5 / wide arched evo X / pocket rocket starlet

beat an evo x on a budget / and much more...

Aprilnext monthFINALch.qxp:jp 2/26/15 11:49 AM Page 97

098JAP170 1/29/15 5:43 PM Page 2

http://bit.ly/1HFuyOW

100JAP169 12/18/14 11:25 AM Page 100

100JAP170 1/29/15 5:47 PM Page 2

japanese performance april 2015 uk

Automotive

pm page 3002jap170

tuning cars

subaru impreza

cars inherentstyling

themajority of tuned

impreza wagons

aproject thats

track starfromtheflameswide