If you are asked to name two of the more dramatic supercars of the past two years, undoubtedly, the Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren MP4-12C would feature in most people’s reckoning. They represent the pinnacle of design and performance. Each also costs a fortune to obtain, and it seems unlikely you’ll bump into another on the drive towards the Hamptons. Yet California styling specialist, Vorsteiner, felt there would be sufficient demand for parts that would make these cars stand out much more.

While many people would be happy enough just to drive one of these monsters, Peter Nam, together with his Southern California design and production team, decided to attempt what might appear to be the impossible: to provide the McLaren MP4-12C and Lamborghini Aventador a bit more attitude!

Style

As being the 1990s proved, anybody can screw up an absolutely nice car with a perfectly horrendous wing. Yet Vorsteiner is incorporated in the business for the long haul and isn’t about to ruin its carefully developed reputation with anything quite so tacky.

Starting with CSL-style upgrades for the E46 M3, Vorsteiner has grown steadily, gaining headlines with its widebody E92 M3 and more recently branching out into Porsche, other and MercedesSo that you can really understand what the Lamborghini owner needed, Peter purchased an Aventador LP700-4 as a company car and immersed himself within its splendor. He was determined to maintain his OEM approach – an expression usually used on intelligently modified VWs, but equally applicable here. Besides its bolder widebody conversion, Vorsteiner has grown to be synonymous with subtle, discreet add-ons that enhance the stock car rather than disguise it under a mass of spoilers.

Having a desire for perfection and as a sign that utilizing the Aventador was far from easy, the conversion would take almost a year to finish to Peter’s very high standards. And when you first see it, the carbon fiber additions don’t instantly jump out, yet you’re still drawn to the vehicle. It simply encourages you to take a closer look, together with the additions revealing themselves slowly as your eyes pass along the entire body. This is a difficult feat to execute because it’s easy to underplay nobody and everything notices all of your hard work. Equally, it’s very simple to go too far and ruin the vehicle you determine out to improve.

Nero

Aware that Lamborghini and McLaren should never be his company’s butter and bread, Peter established Vorsteiner Nero as a banner under which exclusive lines for Ferrari, Bentley and Rolls-Royce will also exist. They will be low volume products, created to the identical high standards but separate from BMW,Audi and Mercedes, etc.

One of the reasons the Lamborghini took so long to create was that his team of designers was busy with other projects simultaneously. They worked on our Jaguar XFR project, as an example (EC 10/13) as well as the F10 BMW 5 Series and F12/13 6 Series, the latestWhile the Lamborghini was digitally scanned and the styling developed in CAD software, running wind tunnel programs to examine aerodynamic stability and efficiency, the McLaren approach was old school. The British sports car would have its new components modeled in clay after 3D renderings had established the look they wanted.

Clay modeling is labor intensive, requiring highly skilled designers. Even though it can be a longer process, it’s possible to visualize the progress and adapt it rapidly. Vorsteiner’s facility has a modeling studio with several vehicle lifts, special lighting, temperature control and big stocks in the expensive clay. And while it required a significant investment, they have allowed the corporation to further hone its craft to the point where it’s turning out stunners such as these.

MP4-VX

The Vorsteiner conversion for your McLaren looks relatively straightforward but don’t be deceived. It actually includes replacement carbon fiber front and back bumpers, fitted to the original mounting points. This allowed significant changes to be made without either part giving the impression of an add-on.

It was first seen on our Facebook and website pages once we attended the car’s unveiling. The parts were made from dry carbon fiber pre-autoclaved and preg to ensure structural integrity and a high quality finish. The front bumper has revised ducting and new vents on the side, as well as a separate spoiler to improveWith the rear, the new bumper again has extra vents to evacuate heat from the engine and exhaust. It also has two pronounced tunnels from the rear diffuser to further aid airflow.

The last carbon fiber additions were the four-piece side skirt blades. These sit at the bottom in thecomponent of the Vorsteiner conversion was its wheels. In this case it used the one-piece forged VS-110 in 20×9 front and 21×13 rear, which will accept the OE 255/30 and 355/25 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

The organization added a stainless steel sports exhaust system from AWE Tuning in an effort to unleash a little extra power and more of the V8 engine’s aural potential, like a final flourish.1 year in design and production resulted in one of the stars of this year’s SEMA Show. Displayed within the Pirelli booth, the Vorsteiner Aventador-V LP740-4 was a bold statement but it really was uttered in the same hushed tones as the McLaren so as to not attract unwanted attention.

And like the MP4, the Lambo was enhanced rather than transformed, created by a team that clearly dealt withWhere the two cars differ is that the Aventador parts are intended entirely in 3D after its bodywork had been scanned. Before having them milled on a five-axis CNC rapid prototyping machine, the designers would produce and test parts within the computer. These parts could then be physically fitted and refined in the software as necessary until the final components were ready. These were then molded and the final carbon fiber pieces were produced in-house.

The resulting body kit is comprehensive, and includes details such as the active carbon rear wing that works well with the Lamborghini’s onboard electronics and won’t trigger a stern warning light when fitted. It might be raised or lowered as stock and Vorsteiner assured us they tested it to 180mph to verify its functionality.

The two-piece wing isn’t simply fitted to the factory item but replaces it. The legs retract fully into the decklid so its operation is exactlyyou will find left and right splitters that channel air under the stock bumper. They have floating winglets about the outer edges that rise towards the bumper to create a sporty profile.

An optional lower lip spoiler can connect the splitters, giving them additional support. It protrudes 5mm further forward and will be able to take the impact of any light scuffs. However, the designers were cognizant to maintain as much ground clearance as possible to protect yourself from problems to begin with.

The shape of the splitter winglets is repeated on the side skirt blades, both front and rear. They rise towards wheels but the blades remain unobtrusive during the car to prevent unnecessary clutter.

The final part of the body kit is the carbon rear diffuser that replaces the factory item and fits for the original bumper. It’s reinforced with kevlar to cope with high temperatures from your exhaust and adds another flourish towards the rear with thisYou don’t have to stop there because Vorsteiner also has an Exterior Carbon Package to replace the OE black trim in the car, however. The pieces include a carbon fiber Center Splitter for that front bumper, replacing the black piece on the stock car. There are four carbon grille frames for the front and rear, as well as the side vent trim and hood trims with the windshield. Though they don’t serve any aerodynamic function, these pieces bring more carbon to the party, enriching the ability.

And it doesn’t have to stop there. If you choose, have the graphic stripes seen on this car, which are available today from Vorsteiner, you can. Applied over the decklid, hood and roof, it’s another option for that Aventador owner.

The conversion wouldn’t be complete without Vorsteiner’s wheels. In this case the car sits on 20×9 front and 21×13 rear VSE-005 forged, directional wheels. These people were fitted with 225/30 and 335With the new software resulting in an extra 40hp and 35 lb-ft torque, hence 740hp.., the reason this car was named the LP740-4 was because it also boasts a Hex Flash.

So while we don’t have driving impressions of either car, we wished to bring you the background on these American-built conversions that have successfully tackled two of the world’s finest automobiles, creating spectacular machines we can easily drool over and aspire to. However, Peter assures us this isn’t the only direction he’s taking Vorsteiner, and promised styling to the B8 Audi S4 since the next project for his SoCal company.As the polished and premium photos from our latest Vorsteiner MP4 and Aventador-12C April 2014 cover shoot are seen above as a result of Alex Bernstein, we’ve also added the behind-the-scenes (BTS) shots sniped while assisting at the closed course. Below you will find those pictures.

For all those wondering, this shoot happened at the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Center) training course in Los Angeles. The beautiful cover photo occurred on the wet course part of the facility as the roadway frames happened around the adjacent road course. The facility is rentable as well as the staff was supremely accommodating.

It’s been over 20 years since the introduction of Acura’s 2nd generation Integra, and even though it was a wildly popular platform to modify during its era, you simply don’t see lots of well-maintained versions any more. The same as the CRX and 4th gen Civic, which helped spark the Honda movement in the beginning, the years have unabashedly taken their toll and the result is far more weathered and neglected examples on the streets these days. Fortunately there is a band of enthusiasts committed to preserving and improving these early ’90s icons that undoubtedly played a serious role inside the very community you’re included in today. One of those particular hard-core enthusiasts is Dustin McQueary, owner and builderIn order to buy this Integra, while Dustin was still attending senior high school, he asked his grandparents for a loan. I loved the way it looked and it was fun to drive. Already lowered and armed with a B20 heart, the Integra was more than enough to maintain the student smiling on his drive to and from school, although he adds, I didn’t know much about Hondas. That smile faded away rather quickly as he was directed to the California State Referee, a trip that meant the two.0L would need to be removed to make room for an original LS engine. The swap isn’t a significant ordeal and Dustin wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, but what happened next not only put a stop to his engine transplant procedure, it almost put a stop to Dustin. He recalls, Throughout the swap I came down with a severe illness along with my brush with death. During my hospital stay, my brother and dad labored on the car for me personally so when I recovered, I could possibly drive it. Eventually he made a complete recovery and was out of the right and hospital back into the garage to complete the swap that his family had helped out with. While wrenching on his Integra and gaining some practical experience, Dustin got the itch to complete more to his car. And while he admits that building a car on a high school graduation student’s budget wasn’t easy, the focus toward the project was a key element in keeping him out from typical teenage trouble. I got more serious with building it and got a set of Enkei RPF1s and stripped out of the rearend of the car. I used my welding skills to fab an X-bar and lower tie bar. I accumulated more mods through the years including building the suspension and mild motor mods.

Dustin found his way to the track for a little bit of road racing, as the DA continued to develop. Also taxing as his LS engine committed suicide during the session at Willow Springs, although the thrill of hot weekend and laps fun was addictive. Down but not out, a complete ’96 spec ITR engine and transmission was installed and purchasedbeing a teen, then going through an existence threatening illness, learning about the car first hand, and eventually burning with an engine in the track, Dustin felt a sentimental bond with the car and chosen to retire from track days and essentially start once again with the project. He adds, I tore it down, re-shaved the bay, and made my very own engine harness. I polished mytransmission and header, fuel rail, master cylinder, plus some other pieces by hand. Happy with the progress of the engine bay appearance, the car was sent off and away to Revolution Autobody in Vallejo for a fresh coat of your factory Jasper hue. The downtime wasn’t wasted; Dustin refurbished numerous his old parts, sent his Sprinthart’s off to powdercoating, sourced a completely new set of wheel stickers and ordered a variety of new parts in anticipation of the cars return. Got the car back from paint and spent no time putting her back together again with all new OEM Honda parts. The vehicle was almost done when my brother’s friend’s daughter put an excellent-sized dent in the front driver fender from my jack handle. Back to Revolution it went and Dustin grew restless, due to the fact that he had planned to attend the legendary Nisei Showoff event and meet up with the photographer to shoot his magazine feature. He adds, after many late nights plus some all-nighters, I got the car all buttoned approximately make its showing. It had been one of the biggest payoffs I’ve ever endured, seeing a thing that I put my heart into drive down the road all finished. The car has truly tested my patience and has been one thing in my life that I’m so proud of.

Pickup trucks continue to be one of the most popular vehicles on the roads, particularly among male drivers, but why is that?
Here are a few of the top reasons why men just can’t resist a pickup truck like the RAM 4500 or similar.

• They are so darned nice on the inside. Back in the “good old days” pickup truck interiors were all vinyl bench seats, hand cranked windows and just maybe if you were really lucky a radio which you couldn’t actually hear because of the deafening sound of the truck trundling along the road. These days it’s a very different story – check out some of the interiors at www.ocramtruckcenter.com. The exteriors are pretty awesome too. Truck drivers can now drive along in the lap of air conditioned luxury with up to five passengers transported in comfort.

They are soft on the inside but incredibly tough on the outside. Pickup trucks are still your best bet if you have to tackle the most difficult terrains. Even if you don’t live on a ranch and haul cattle on a daily basis they are still perfect for off-roading weekend adventures. You can drive to your favorite camp site, no matter how remote – or ski resort through the snow drifts and have plenty of room for your equipment in the back.
• They are great for towing; whatever you want to tow you’ll get the job done with a pickup truck. Men never really do outgrow their love for “”boys toys”” so whether you want to tow a speed boat, a race car or a dune buggy you need a pickup truck. How else are you going to transport your toys along the public roads? You certainly can’t drive them to wherever you want to go for fun.
• You can throw whatever you like in the back without being restricted by cabin height . . . and it doesn’t really matter how dirty it is either. Pickup trucks are great for families allowing you to throw your kids bicycles in the back or big kids’ dirt bikes for a desert adventure. They are also great for camping gear, skiing gear and lots of different types of sports gear. Dirt is no problem at all . . . you can simply hose down the back which is more than can be said for an enclosed SUV.
• They are real attention grabbers – probably more than any other type of vehicle. Some men buy vehicles with the hopes that they will get looked at by the girls and other men just want to make everybody stare – trucks can certainly fit both criteria. It doesn’t really matter whether you live in the country or the heart of the city, an oversized pickup truck will attract lots of attention.
• Pickup trucks can also turn you into a local hero when the occasion arises and help you to gain Good Samaritan points. What could be more perfect to help out a neighbor who has got stuck in the snow? You can also haul around saplings for the local community projects, jungle gyms to the park for the local kids to enjoy or anything else which is heavy, large, dirty or all three in the community. When you have a truck you quickly become the “go to guy” – okay, it’s not always fun but it usually results in something like a six-pack which makes it worth the effort.

These are just a few good reasons why it pays to drive a pickup truck and when you think about it, there’s little wonder that they are so popular.

Like plenty of drag racers, Canadian Mark Gentile got his start on the street. I have to give credit to myJames and boy, who took me for my first blast in a B18C5 swapped EG Honda Civic hatch many, a long time ago. When we pulled out on the road and he permit it to hang First through Fourth, my life was changed and would never be the same again, lol. In the winter months of 2006 I acquired a 1990 Integra, as well as time or money I had was invested in that car. It was my daily driver that started with a stock B18A motor that lasted a couple months until a compact t3 turbo found its way underneath the hood (shout out to my boy Matt, who gave meabout the turbo crackpipe was all it took for Mark to swap in a boosted B16, combined with a t3/t4 LS/VTEC setup, and then straight back to a stock block B18A with a Garrett t3/67mm snail, lumpy Crower 404 cams, and a 14-psi Crome tune that made 380 whp. This car was my introduction to learning about forced induction, as Mark place it. It saw every bootleg option to go turbo utilizing the stock ECU – FMU, check valves on the MAP sensor, and Prelude injectors that made black smoke pour out the exhaust. Happy times! But being 18 to 19 yrs old with a mid 11-second street Honda is a potential recipe for disaster, especially when sportbikes pull up next to you on the highway. Or another boosted Honda. Or even a Camaro. I’m just thankful those days have come and gone withoutplenty of living into those first couple of years of Honda hooning, in 2008 making the surprisingly mature decision (for the 20-year old hooked on boost) to obtain off the street, sell his Integra, and make the 1990 Honda Civic hatchback shell he’d bought from a friend a year earlier. Why the fourth-gen? As Mark explained, My neighbor used to have this beautiful black cherry EF slammed on Rota Circuit 8’s by using a JDM SIR front bumper. Seeing that gangster little car sitting so pretty made me say to myself, ‘one day I’ll create a Civic as cool as his.’ Besides, the track is obviously loaded withEGs and EKs, and DCs, therefore it only made sense if you ask me to be different and choose an EF.

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, although the cost of being different turned out to be steeper than Mark anticipated I can’t even begin to total the amount of time I’ve spent on this car. It basically ended up being being a full restoration. If there was rust, it had to be removed. It was if it can be sandblasted and repainted. Whether it was broken and couldn’t be replaced, it was repaired. Well you will get the point if it could be bought brand new from the dealer. The rocker and quarter panel replacements were a whole lot work, I’ve sworn never to do that to myself againthe age of the Honda Civic and refreshing it to like-new standards were a few of the many challenges Mark faced while transforming his car into a 24.5-inch Mickey Thompson tire roaster. The most significant challenge with this car was trying to fit 20 pounds of stuff into a 5 pound engine bay. I spent hours and hourssitting and staring, and visualizing. Because off the shelf doesn’t exist, the other downside to building an EF is race parts availability. I had to fabricate a variety of custom one-off pieces, plus I have this weird obsession with figuring things out on my own. Basically If I do fail, there are many points to be learned in doing so.”, i don’t really like to bother people, so I’ll attempt to make it happen until I fail, and also”ago therefore far it’s stood the test of your time extremely well, as has his custom 3-piece frontend having its trademark Universal Spinners blood splattered velocity stack poking out of the Honda Civic nose. The frontend of the car is something that I’m thrilled with. At the time, a 3-piece frontend had not been available for the EF, thus i had no choice but to make my very own. The front fenders were spun from steel (thanks Dad) and took me 14 days to finish. It absolutely was a very painstaking, meticulous job but was worth it once I got the automobile back from the paint shop.

When Mark started this build, his goal was to go mid- to high 10’s. Then, on his first outing within the Honda Civic, back in 2009, it went 10.44 @ 137 mph while making only 565 whp. That’s when he realized he had to change his goal from 10’s to 9’s. The built LS/VTEC, featuring Darton sleeves, Eagle rods, and Wiseco 10: 1 pistons, now spins the Magnus Motorsports Dynojet for the tune of 760 whp and 470 whp at 34 psi on VP Q16. Proving the effectiveness of a Magnus tune and Mark’s ability to put it to the ground can be a best ET of 9.68 @ 157mph at Toronto Motorsports Park in September, which makes it the fastest ’88-’91 era hatch north of theHe’s actually thinking about going in the opposite direction, even though you might expect a guy like Mark to keep chasing the carrot by setting his sights on a sub 9-second pass. To be honest, I’m really considering the possibility of putting a stock B-series in the car and putting it back on the street. Besides, the cage and necessary safety equipment, it’s still a stock, uncut 1990 Civic with working headlights, brake lights, turn signals, windshield wipers, and complete front trim. The carpeting remains intact, and then in true Canadian fashion, the heater core and blower motor are set for winter.

, though don’t let his talk of returning to street-spec fool you into thinking he’s gone soft I would desire to make it to Honda Day at Etown again [where HT head honcho Rodrez spotted it], as Mark use it. We possessed a fantastic time last year, plus we’ll do as much racing up here as our work schedule permits.

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2015 Audi A3 Sedan Details:

Appears to beInnovativememory cardwith everything it touches seeming to make to gold. Audi North America’s President, Scott Keogh, explained that the company has reached $1.57-million sales worldwide two years ahead of schedule, and this it turned a $7-billion profit last year. Not bad for a company that almost disappeared from The United States at some time…

In the US, Audi finally cracked 150,000 sales last year as the brand continues to grow in stature. And even though it expects to maintain its trajectory, the Premium A segment is predicted to offer the greatest potential. In fact, the business foresees a 400% growth, so Audi dreamed of being prepared.

While the outgoing A3 Sportback possessed a loyal following, the company needed a sedan to conquer the US market. So that’s whatever we got – the first Audi ever designed specifically for US customers and one we predict will do exceptionally well.At first sight, the Audi A3 Sedan is a handsome vehicle. It’s perfectly proportioned, with taut lines and wheels pushed into each corner. The same wheelbase and height, as a the B5 Audi A4, although and while it seems like a mini-A4, it’s actually 2.5 longer and 9 wider. How’s that for progress!

We’ll start to see the sedan for sale in 290hp S3 trim later this year, which puts the A3 models somewhat within the shade, as another first. We’re confident the S3’s price will make the normal models much more attractive.., however.

The structure of the A3 comprises a mixture of steel, ultra-high strength steel plus some aluminium, with panels for example the hood created from the latter. This contributed a 100 lb weight saving over the outgoing Sportback. And once combined with more power and torque, the results are impressive. It’s both quicker (-60mph in 5.8sec) and more economical (24/33/27mpg) than the older model.

Refinement has additionally been improved, without audible rattles or creaks. engine and Wind noise have also beenwe had been surprised at how well the A3 2.0T quattro handled for a car without Sports suspension and on all-season Continental tires. Apparently, a lot of development went into finding the correct rubber and they also really held on like a summer tire.

Despite tackling some demanding rural roads at high-speed, the car exhibited very little body roll, yet absorbed road imperfections with aplomb. It absolutely was a masterclass in suspension design and was matched with extremely effective brakes which were easy to modulate and well matched for the performance.

Restricted to only the six-speed S tronic dual-clutch auto, gear changes were crisp and the 2.0T model we drove was only provided by a very capable quattro AWD system (the cheaper 1.8T only gets FWD). This obviously contributed to the complete chassis balance, keeping the ability transfer civilized at all times. And although it’s not just a light car at 3362 lb, the 220hp for your use was also delivered with good manners, the engine remaining composed as opposed to raucous, even under heavy acceleration.

2015 audi a3 sedan steering wheelSteering Wheel 14

Mechanically, the A3 Sedan 2.0Tq excelled but this wasn’t even its party piece. A lot more impressive was the suite of infotainment options that elevate the Audi to an alternative segment.

We spoke in depth to Mathias Halliger, head of MMI architecture, who explained the direction they had shrunk the items in ten separate units into a single control box, encapsulating the radio, amplifier, GPS, DVD player, internet, hard disk, satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, even and USB the rearview camera input.

He demonstrated the new Google Earth system that overlays road maps onto the internet images so it functions more efficiently for navigation. He also introduced the new photo navigation feature that allows you to capture an image from Google Earth Street View and save it for your address book for future journeys. Alternatively, somebody can send you a picturethe info between the A3 and your phone, allowing you to also import music and possibly movies in the future…

And let’s not forget the optional Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows up to four devices to use the web through the vehicle, allowing even more web access to local businesses, etc.

The option we predict can become almost standard issue around the A3 Sedan is the Bang & Olufsen sound system, however. Usually reserved for luxury vehicles, the B&O engineers spent 200 hours fine-tuning the placement of 14 loudspeakers. These are generally powered with a 15-channel (the sub gets two channels), 705 watt amplifier. The MMI touchpad allows you to select from the different surround sound settings and even adjust the sound stage to accommodatedescribed as neutral, together with the engineers preferring to reproduce the sound as the artist recorded it. You can fine-tune it to suit your taste, playing music from either CD, DVD, SD card, phone cable, Bluetooth streaming or from the harddrive. Priced at only $850, this should be the bargain of the century when you hear the quality.

The A3 Sedan’s interior is much more minimalist than before, featuring large, round vents and under – dash heater controls. Furthermore, it has a pop-up, 11mm thin screen that disappears when not in use, unlike the current BMWs. It’s a simpler design that doesn’t overwhelm, yet packs in a huge selection of controls. It’s just another area where the car scores highly, making it an awesome package for driving enthusiasts.

The Audi A3 Sedan 1.2 and 8T.0T arrived in dealer showrooms this spring. They’ll be followed by the S3, A3 Cabriolet and TDI in the summer. Also expect the e-tron version in 2015, and there’s apparently a sports utility vehicle in the mix as well…

Whether it’s been a year or a decade since you bought a new car, there’s a good chance that the technology in a brand new vehicle can seem a little intimidating when you haven’t used it before. Luckily, innovation is easy with Nissan. Nissan always stays a step ahead of the competition when it comes to technology in vehicles but they make intuitive, user friendly cars that are easy to work with and have helpful employees at all their locations who can help make the jump into a new car as smooth as possible for you.

Nissan is always the industry leader in incorporating new safety products into their vehicles. With NissanConnect, you can plug your GPS into your own stereo system in the car to make driving easier and working your GPS completely hands free. SnugKids lets you pick the type of restraint that’s right for each child in your family. You’ll know for sure whether your child is ready for a seat belt or still needs to be in an approved car seat. The company is also working to have self-driving vehicles on the road within the decade. The current technologies are already available in new cars at Nissan Temecula. You can learn more about the vehicles they can be found in and how they work at metronissanredlands.com. The friendly, expert staffs of any Nissan dealers are also glad to walk you through setting up the new technology in your vehicle and helping you learn to use it too. The goal is to use technology to keep drivers as safe as possible, so learning to use and feeling comfortable with the innovations is of the utmost importance. Let us help you get a state of the art, technologically advanced, new car for your family.

Inspiration comes in many forms; sometimes the most unexpected and unassuming occurrence can change the course of our lives. Who would have imagined that a trip to the movie theater could have this sort of positive effect on someone’s life? Surely the then 11-year-old Kevin Yeung didn’t expect his entire outlook on life being changed when he first laid eyes on Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto racing on the big screen in 2001. Yes, the film The Fast and also the Furious opened Kevin’s eyes to the wonderful world of cars. Say what you will about the movie-how unrealistic it was or the level of negative attention it delivered to the underground automotive community-but once you’re done, take a deep breath, take a step back, and consider what that film has given us automotive enthusiasts today. This film sparked the interest of countless children, who went on to get innovators,writers and fabricators, and builders of amazing cars, such as the ’70 Datsun 240Z before youProbably the most beautiful areas of youth may be the seemingly endless imagination that so often withers away as the years go by. Actual life replaces fantasy, and creativity is all too frequently displaced by survival necessities. Unlike people who saw the aforementioned film being an adult, who likely shrugged it off being a dramatization from the life these were already living, Kevin’s imagination allowed for the wonder and excitement of a car-centered lifestyle to manifest itself within his mind. Upon returning home, Kevin realized little else could bring him the joy that he had experienced while immersed in the world of cars. Being much too young to possess or drive an actual car, he turned to the next ideal thing: video games. While playing games for example Need for Speed, the adolescent realized that what he enjoyed most about cars was the ability to modify them. He understood that all cars leave the factory virtually identical, but there are ways to make one his, to create a artwork while everybody else drove around in blank canvases.

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In senior high school, while most teenage boys were concerning themselves with sports and girls, Kevin was passionate about cars. From reading about them to enjoying them virtually through video games and racing simulators, he could not, nor did he want to, put this passion on hold due to a trivial little detail like the lack of ability to own one. Realizing that thinking or stating that he loved cars was getting him nowhere near owning one, he took action. Kevin discussed his thoughts regarding his parents and together they came up with a strategy. Kevin could start working whilst in high school and save for his own car-with one catch. If his grades suffered at all the deal was off, although his parents would support his passion by helping him buy a car. Absolutely no way was Kevin giving up this chance.

His dream was finally within reach, and a path toward that dream was visible. He understood that this could be no walk in the park; finding a job as a teenager is difficult enough as it is. The odd hours that a secondary school student is offered to work are enough to scare away many potential employers. Luckily, a restaurant gave him a chancea couple of years, Kevin washed dishes and worked his way as much as being a waiter, all the while keeping a close tab on his grades. As he finally accumulated enough cash to consider some cars, his and he parents started shopping. A four-door car was the principle criterion, as a two-door sports vehicle would be financial suicide considering Kevin’s age. Research was done and many cars were seen until they decided on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX-quite possibly the ideal car when considering the criterion. Kevin enjoyed this car for the next few years, tinkered and tweaked with it while driving it daily. It was actually then, at the age of 19, that Kevin was introduced to the world of Wangan Midnight, the story of a young man, Akio Asakura, and his strange but beautiful relationship with an S30 Z, the Devil Z. Inside the story, Asakura, a highway racing aficionado, finds a wrecked S30 in a junkyard and purchases it only to find out how the previous registered owner’s name is the same as his very own. He restores the car to the original glory, meeting many skilled and interesting characters on the way, but most of the story involves the relationship between man and machine. Kevin was hooked; he watched the animated series, read the graphic novel, and enjoyed the video game. Yet again he found that printed words, moving pictures, and virtual reality were not enough; he needed to feel itlittle bit of information available about the legendary Z car into his brain. Since he studied, he saved. As he had finally saved enough to start searching for the foundation of his new project, he searched. Much time were allocated to eBay and Craigslist until he had his next project narrowed as a result of a red Z located a little over an hour away. Buying a new car can be an incredibly exciting experience, Kevin arranged for a lift to see the car around the outskirts of San Diego, as we have all experienced. Once the car was visible, he spoke to the owner and examined the details, remembering to keep his cool and never do anything impulsive. The interior wasn’t in the best condition, but an L28 sat underhood, breathing through two SU carbs. The body looked straight and the owner assured him that it was rust free. He drove it home that day. Once Kevin had his very own S30 sitting in his garage, he continued to analyze and save. He knew he wanted a turbocharged powerplant and also the allure of Godzilla’s heart, the RB26DETT, was irresistible. Several months passed before Kevin had enough money to start out on the car, deciding to get acquainted with it as much as possible before sourcing a powerplant, he started on the bodywork. The first thing on his to-do list was to strip the car of their paint, which had been fortunate, while he made a heart-breaking discovery on that day. The car had rust-a lot of it. The firewall, floorpan and framerails were rotted.

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Making the best of the situation, Kevin patched in the rust as best because he could and sold the automobile. He saw that he needed some time to consider his next move and vowed to step away from cars for a while. During this hiatus, he took a getaway to Hong Kong to check out family and friends, setting up a deal with his girlfriend that he or she would not do anything car related-a promise that he almost kept. One morning, he found himself awake way too early and, without much else to do, hopped on the computer. Muscle memory took over and eBay.com was typed into the browser, followed by 240Z in the search bar. He wasn’t expecting much, just browsing, cruising along in cyberspace-until the moment his heart stopped. It was actually fate and he knew it immediately. Before him, flanked by the blue glow of his computer monitor, had been a listing to get a pristine pearl white 240Z. The listing was including a full description and detailed photos. He knew that he or she had not been able to create himself to spend his Devil Z fund on whatever else, and it was sitting quietly in his checking account. An email was sent to the seller, which was answered promptly. He was a bodyman by trade; he had restored the automobile at his shop, using the car down to bare metal to inspect for rust (there was none) prior to being straightened out completely and resprayed in a coat of Lexus Starfire Pearl. The only real modification completed to the car was a set of Epsilon Mesh wheels. Kevin knew he had found the main one. There was only one problem: He was scheduled to be out of the country for an additionalthe vendor agreed to accept a PayPal deposit to support the S30 until Kevin could look at it. When Kevin saw the 240Z the first time in person, he already knew everything there is to know about it. The seller had answered all of Kevin’s questions during the past month. It was the perfect chassis with a tired drivetrain-exactly what he wanted. With the profit his bank account, Kevin wasted no time ordering parts. A fiberglass air dam and 432 replica spoiler were purchased from MSA, and 15×9.15×10 and 5.5 Equip 03s were ordered from Work to fill in the ZG flares. Left the body intact underneath, rendering them useless, although the previous owner had installed the flares. Kevin took it upon himself to reinstall the flares properly-post paint, cutting, and welding the pristine body extremely carefully. A set of Techno Toy Tuning coilovers brings the Toyo R888-wrapped Equips within the confines of the wheel arches while providing proper damping and gratification-oriented spring rates, transforming the Z from a boat into a proper sports vehicle. The original drivetrain was old and tired, and with a lack of excitement as mentioned. He knew there seemed to be only one way this car was to become his very own Devil Z, though kevin considered the tried-and-true SR20DET, the insanely powerful and uncommon 2JZ.quite easy: an L28 pulled from the 280ZX, fitted with triple 44mm sidedraft Mikuni carburetors, and a T3/T4 turbo. Having the turbo to give all six intake portsevenly and however, was the key issue. Again Kevin decide to take a page from Asakura’s handbook, and the search was on for any period-correct plenum, though many solutions were considered. Six months time into his search, Kevin finally got in contact with a gentleman building his own turbo L-series S30. In his possession were two HKS surge tanks. Kevin made a deal on one of the rare pieces, and it was on its way-the final part of an amazing engine build. Once the engine was put together, wired up and fired up for the first time, yet another issue arose: tuning the three sidedraft carburetors. Having a stranger put the final touches on his masterpiece felt wrong, though kevin could have, needless to say, simply towed the car to some shop to achieve the carburetors synced and tuned. The then 21-year-old hopped onto his computer and, once again, started researching the dark art of tuning a completely mechanical fuel injection system. He looked up everything he can find, and asked questions to more capable Z owners to attain the answers that weren’t published. Equipped with every bit of information available on the subject, Kevin set off to get his car running the way he wanted. Experimentation is normally said to be the very best teacher, and also this was the only way Kevin was willing to learn. In the spirit of Asakura and the Devil Z, Kevin took the vehicle not to a dyno, but to the open road. Armed with a flat head screwdriver, he made adjustments until the air/fuel ratio would be to his liking and the car ran just like a dream.

Very often, cars are judged at face value. Few individuals look into perhaps what is the most important aspect of a car build: why the car was built and why it became the beautiful piece of art that it is. The reasons why a male devotes his life into a craft could be much more intriguing than seeing his creation, as the creation is simply a by-product of the passion inside.

The Honda Fit isn’t exactly sporty, was never an enormous tuning phenomenon here in the united states and most people we know who own one probably imagine it’s cute. But all over the world, the Fit has a different perception. It’s a best-selling car in Japan and other people of most ages and genders drive it. The Fit’s been used in a handful of racing scenarios too-JDM tuners for example J’s Spoon and Racing have built time attack cars while within the States, Honda has supported B-spec racing. They’re very practical and affordable for everyday use,. That is while the number of people modifying Honda Fits is small, the sweetness behind these cars.featuring its third-generation Fit and we had the opportunity to take one out for a day in San Diego County. They’ve been telling us it’s the world’s best functional compact-we’d have to agree as it’s easy to drive around town and the cargo space and legroom alone within this tiny car is remarkable. The number of features that come standard might also surprise you. We don’t expect so that it is groundbreaking, but prepare to be surprised as Honda has some top tuners bringing modified Fits to SEMA this year, so far as tuning-wise. Word on the street is Bisimoto will be building one-expect a great deal of horsepower! However if you’re honestly thinking about gettin’ Fit, we’ve outlined seven important main reasons why this car might Fit your everyday lifestyle:

2015 honda fit steering wheelcan you pick up for your price that’s as functional, reliable and cool simply because this?

2. Fuel Economy. Most Honda Fit buyers worry about fuel economy over power. The new Fit has better numbers than the previous gen thanks to a redesigned head with larger valves. The ECU is also modified to retard timing at low speeds and a lot morefeatures of the Fit. The height of the car is the same as the outgoing model and it’s only .3 wider. Cabin storage and legroom are bigger. Should pack a surfboard? No trouble!

4. Design. It’s actually a tad smaller, though when we first saw the latest Fit, it almost looked bigger than the older model. A more edgy elements and design like the front-grille and headlights make your car look bigger and wider than it actually is.

5. Powertrain. Nothing to throw a party about however the new Honda Fit is up 13hp and 8 lb-ft of torque from the outgoing model as a result of larger diameter valves, raised compression and much more. It’s peppy around town and never completely gutless on the highway. People tell me I drive similar to a madman sometimes, although i needed no problem passing cars.

6. Shift. The new CVT tranny in the Fit is improved and can be fun to get. It’s responsive and accelerates linearly. We don’t mind the optional paddle shifters, either. To the manual, a six-speed is now available instead of a five from your outgoing model.

7. Interior. We drove many of its competitors-the Honda Fit doesn’t feel as cheap. The auto is still relatively quiet and contains a higher build quality than the rest. We dig the design of the dash, speedo and tach. Feature-wise, the typical rearview and optional lane-watch cameras are extremely helpful. Also standard is a 5 monitor on the base model while higher trim levels obtain a 7 one. Don’t want to spend on the nav? Honda’s made it super easy to connect your iPhone to itscomes with an aggressive body kit, carbon rearexhaust and wing, upgraded brake pads and bucket seats. Pretty sick, nevertheless it ain’t cheap. Especially in order to get a hold of the parts here!

Having to be a grown-up can be depressing. We have spent our entire youth building up the skills and experience necessary to have a real job, an adult car and a real home. Just because you are grown up now doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything fun. Try these three things when your age is getting your down.

1. Retro Gaming System

While a lot of people have the latest gaming consoles, retro gaming consoles are making a comeback and are worth quite a lot of money now in their own right. There are entire stores that only sell those throwback games and consoles such as the NES or the Sega Genesis. For less than a modern console, you can get that system that you mastered as a kid, along with all of the games that your mom wouldn’t buy you.

2. A Car That Represents Your Personality

Your grown up car doesn’t have to be one with no fun or style. With the Fiat 500 Abarth, sold by fiat long beach, you can have a sporty car that will really make the neighbors and your friends jealous. This car boasts great gas mileage and a budget-friendly price tag, meaning that you can really being to enjoy your commute without emptying your wallet. Find out how you can schedule a test drive at www.ocfiat.com.

3. A Grown-Up, Yet Fun Hobby

Being a grown up doesn’t mean that you have to give up fun hobbies. Don’t settle for just golf, find something that really speaks to you, such as learning how to home brew beer or cook. Bring out your creative side by finding that hobby that you always wanted to explore. Remember that you don’t have to get anyone’s permission to do fun things, so find what speaks to you.

It’s difficult to imagine an automotive landscape without a BMW 2002 to kick-start the compact sports-sedan movement. BMW’s New Class (or Neue Klasse, in the event you sprechen sie Deutsch) arrived after a decade of expensive cars nobody bought (just like the 507 sports vehicle) and microcars that offered little profit margin (like the licensed Isetta). The New Class was BMW’s best a solution to survival; it arrived in 1962 being a 1,500cc sedan with unit-body construction, fully independent suspension featuring MacPherson struts in front plus a semi-trailing-arm arrangement in the rear, front disc brakes along with a SOHC inline Four. It had been proof that you may have fun without having to sacrifice passenger room or quality. (Fuel injection arrived as being an option in 1972, a complete decade before most car companies thought about getting out of carburetors altogether.) Put it all together and therefore sounds like a rather modern specification, but remember, BMW did this when TVs were white and black, Kennedy was still president and WWII was only a little more distant for them than 9/11 is designed for us.upgrades and models followed slowly as BMW climbed out from its financial hole on the success of the brand new Class. Various two-doors followed, as did a 1,990cc variant of BMW’s M10 engine; the 2002 model, launched in 1966, sold nearly 850,000 copies alone worldwide over the following decade, out of more than 1.2 million New Class BMWs. The 2002 put BMW on the map and instantly had become the world prototype for a small, quality-built, technologically-advanced small sedan. For example the ’73 Turbo, (Datsun’s 510 sedan is an excellent case in point.) 2002s were even available with turbocharged two-liter Fours before. It was Europe’s first turbocharged production car (beating even Saab and Porsche to the punch), good for 170hp from its KKK turbo. So, seeing a blown Four under the hood of a BMW 2002 isn’t unusual. Visiting a Honda engine under that reverse-opening hood, however, is surely anwith the turn in the millennium, Honda gave us the F20C: all-aluminum construction, 11.7: 1 compression, 51-degree valve angle, heat-treated and surface-carburized forged alloy crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons with short skirts, the engine’s five main bearings incorporated into one particular girdle for strength, an 8,300rpm peak along with ainto a car that’s some 700 pounds lighter, as a 2002 is when compared to Honda; suddenly that power gets a lot snappier. Mount a turbo onto the hard-working F20C and suddenly you’re in another stratosphere. With ten pounds of boost, stock internals, stock compression, a stock Honda 6-speed trans and simply a handful of tweaks, like larger throttle bodies, fuel rails, injectors as well as an AEM computer, owner Max Polishchuk (who also owns CAtuned Motorsports, a BMW-friendly shop in Sacramento, CA), claims 404 horsepower at the wheels. And we’re not done, he informs us. Do the math: that’s near enough to five pounds per horsepower for our liking.

But…why a Honda F20C? BMW makes a good amount of good engines; witness the late-’80s M3’s S14 inline Four, or better yet the S65 V8 seen in the last generation of M3s. The answer is straightforward enough: We have loved BMWs for some time, Max informs us. Even as kids. But we have now built Hondas and have had many S2000s. We joked for years about stuffing one into a classic car. The BMW S14 is a great classic racing motor but a second hand motor needing a rebuild is right around $3,000. Rebuild parts are very expensive, and a typical rebuild consumes about 40 hours. Mount up the parts and labor and it also comes out beingout of your S2000 makes 404whp!

Curiously, the holdup is with the rear, which is currently a stock 3.91-open-geared early ’80s BMW 320i rear that bolts right into the 2002. We’ve had it up to 500 horsepower, Max says, but the differential was gone after 10 passes. We are along the way of machining out the internal case diameter to accept heavy-duty internals in the E30 [the 1982-1994 generation of 3-series BMW]. That should handle well above 650hp.

Have sold a greater number abroad, to Canada, the UK and Germany, although it’s such an interesting idea that CAtuned sells a conversion kit with custom-fabricated mounts; they’ve performed three of these operations in-house, including theirs. Fitting the six-speed Honda ‘box required a newly-fabricated transmission tunnel. And any time you’re going to start cutting up a unit-body floor, a lot more than tripling the horsepower it absolutely was designed to harness, it’s always a good idea to reinforce things here and there. The subframes were solid, but we did add some support in several spots. There’s a custom strut bar done like a race cage from the trunk; batteryreally a minimalist creation. The front brakes have 11-inch rotors and Wilwood four-piston calipers now, because there’s absolutely no way the stock rotors could handle that type of power in a panic, but the rear brakes remain drums to the moment. The interior has improved steering and seating (and shifting, obviously, thanks to the new transmission), nevertheless the stereo is a straightforward Pioneer in-dash CD player with Kicker speakers. Those American park-bench bumpers happen to be brought even closer to the body compared to the thin stock chrome Euro bumpers ever were, nevertheless the red paint is deliberately unfinished; the wheels look massive, yet are only 15 inches in diameter (stock wheels and tires on US-spec 2002s were 13-inchers! ). Coilovers and sway bars on the stock chassis architecture will be the basis for the suspension. Using the hood down, the slammed stance and larger rolling stock are the only indications that it isn’t grandpa’s Bimmer.