Cars

HUGE 2008 ON CARDS FOR AUSSIE RACING CARS
20 DECEMBER 2007

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The 2008 Aussie Racing Cars Series will once again thrill crowds right across Australia with the release of the 2008 calendar.

Not only will the popular category be racing at the same events as the V8 Supercars, including the ING Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, but Channel 7 has committed to broadcasting races, including some live during the V8 Supercar telecasts.

Foxtel will continue to broadcast Aussie racing Cars in 2008 with shows being repeated more often to take the high speed action to more viewers.

Another unique and exciting addition the arrangement with Civic Video which will see each round included as part of their monthly new release rentals. This will take Aussie Racing Cars to more viewers who may not have been exposed to motor racing before.

Scene: Gymkhana Usa; El Toro Air Force Base, Irvine, Ca

writer: James K Anna
photographer: James K Anna
The list of watershed events in this scene is short but sweet-the first import drag race; the first Hot Import Nights; the first US D1; and most importantly, the eruption of Nads’ first moob (the left one in case you were wondering). Will the inaugural Gymkhana USA event join this hallowed list or will it be cast asunder in the annals of history much like the dropping of Nads’ right tittie? In other words, will gymkhana be the next big thing, or just the next thing?

For those of you without the proclivity for obscure YouTubage, gymkhana is essentially autocross on steroids. At first glance, a gymkhana and an autocross course may look identical, with cones strewn about a parking lot or other such paved area. However, the gymkhana course kicks things up a notch with even tighter turns sometimes requiring competitors to complete figure eights, slide into parking boxes, or reverse through specially marked gates. Because of such automotive acrobatics, gymkhana is also known as car rodeo, but we think a more appropriate comparison would be to ballet or figure skating given how the cars rotate on their axis and glide gracefully from forward to backward, threading nimbly through the cones. But then figure skating is not the manliest pursuit (Chazz Michael Michaels not withstanding) and at least rodeo riders don’t have to wear tights. Whatever your favored comparison, gymkhana is much more technical than your average autocross.

Southern California’s El Toro field-deep in the heart of Real Housewives country-was the site of this kickoff event. The Christmas tree start and a pair of mirrored courses gave everything a ProSolo feel, albeit without the ProSolo pressure as the entire day had a relaxed grassroots vibe to it. There was also a wide variety of cars like an old school air-cooled bug, a C5 Corvette Z06 and just about everything in between. A large contingent of drifters came out, with 240s and Hachi’s being the most prevalent, as well as a surprising amount of subcompact rides with more than a few Fits and even a Yaris hatch dancing delicately between the cones.

Because a great gymkhanaist (gymkhanaer?) should be able to make their car pirouette around the pylons, those of the drifting ilk are seemingly genetically engineered for such antics. D1 great Toshiki Yoshioka as well as Dai Yoshihara, Stephane Verdier and Wes Hamachi all oversteered their way around the gymkhana course. Alex Pfeiffer went minimalist with his turbo 4AG-powered Lotus Super Seven and Chris Forsberg may not have been fastest in his Titan V-8-infused Z33, but he looked perfect enough as every one of his passes was punctuated with plenty of opposite lock and even more tire smoke. Rally rockstar and DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block even took time from his globetrotting schedule to whip the Crawford Performance STI Time Attacker through the gymkhana cone field. Ken’s 54.18 was one of the fastest of the day. Many of the pros dipped beneath the 55-second mark and Verdier’s 50.98 was nothing short of amazing. But what of the Super Street bunch? Nads cone-crushed Project STI to a pathetic 58.78 and Rikdaddy’s NT (for no time) was only because our SRT4’s Sprinter van-like turning radius wouldn’t allow him even one clean lap. Well, at least we have our health… Okay, Ricky has his health, Nads is lucky he can still go to the bathroom unassisted.

Pundits may argue that gymkhana is no more than a “style” of autocross doomed to the same fringe status. We say, who cares if this motorsport never rivals that of drifting and Time Attack, it’s exciting to watch and requires little effort to participate. Besides, if gymkhana doesn’t go big it just means more sessions for us.

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A NEAR-DEATH SKYDIVING ACCIDENT LEAD STEPHANIE EGGUM FROM ONE PARACHUTE TO ANOTHER

writer: Tyrone Rodriguez
photographer: Henry Z. Dekuyper
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I’ve been trying to teach my fiancee how to drive a stick forever. She constantly whines and bitches, saying, “It’s too difficult,” or the famous cop-out: “I’m nervous!” But my favorite line has been: “What’s the far-left pedal for again?” While Yoko can’t seem to grasp the manual selection of gears, Stephanie Eggum is jumping out of planes and hitting triple-digit speeds down the 1320.

Stephanie’s drag racing career contains some unconventional originals. Back in 2001 Eggum, then 20, was knee-deep in skydive certification. About a dozen solo-dives into the program, something went wrong-way wrong. On a routine jump, Stephanie’s chute deployed incorrectly. “I remember looking up and seeing it was all tangled,” she said. “In a split-second, you remember what they tell you to do [in the classes]. I remember trying to regain control, but I just got whipped to the side.” Only two of the ten cells in the canopy were able to open up. Unable to control the chute, Eggum lost her grip and began to spin viciously, so fast that she was knocked out. After plummeting at speeds between 70-80 mph, she hit the ground unconscious. That could very well be the reason why she’s alive today; sounds horrible, but it’s not that bad, considering that terminal velocity is 120 mph. She was able to literally walk away from the fall with only a severe concussion.

A 14,000 foot fall isn’t something most people walk away from, but Stephanie did. And coincidentally, it sparked her interest for drag racing. Within two years, she went from parachutes at 14,000 with a speed of 120 mph, to chutes on the strip with a trap speed of 185. So says Stephanie, “I had been living in Chicago at the time, working as a hair colorist. After the accident, I moved back home to recover and needed a car to get around. That’s when I got the Civic. One thing led to another, and I started going to a local track. The next year (in ‘03), I raced the entire NOPI season. I went from having a parachute on top of me to one behind me. It was either racing or trying to get a pilot’s license. I have a fascination with speed and flying. . .it’s an obsession. “

But based on Stephanie’s workout routine, you’d think she’d be more comfortable as an extreme athlete than a drag racer. She goes to the gym six days a week for cardio and weights, and works with a trainer to strengthen her lower body; she wants to get into RWD. “For me personally, I need to do it because I was in an accident,” she said. “I started out to strengthen my car. With the spool and 28-inch s****s, it’s impossible to turn the damn thing.”

The person is always more interesting than the car. Yeah, cars are cool; they’re amazing. But there’s always a story behind a car. Stephanie is one example. She’s doing what she loves, even if it means giving up a few creature comforts along the way: “This is my last year racing Hot Rod. We’re going to sell the car this year. From here going faster, it’s either Pro Front or getting into RWD. Pro Front is an exciting class, but with the money it costs to build a car, that’s as fast as you can go in a FWD. Unless I join a team, I’m not looking into getting into pro-front wheel drive.”

She has the pedigree to move on from her FWD experiences. Stop getting the pages sticky and bear with me for a moment. Pretend that Stephanie Eggum isn’t smokin’ hot, or at least stop ogling for a moment so you can appreciate some of her past work. In ‘06, Stephanie won the NHRA World Finals and took second in the Hot Rod points Championship. Her Civic also won “Best Racecar” of SEMA IAS. Oh, did we mention that while Stephan Papadakis might have the distinction of placing the first Honda in the 7s (with a RWD Honda), Eggum was the first to do it with a front-wheel drive Honda.Doing some quick math, Stephanie and I quickly learn how expensive drag racing really is. “Once you get to Sport Front Wheel Drive, you’re shelling out boatloads of money,” she said. “When you get to the pro levels, you love what you do and have a love for the sport, but also you have to pay your bills. We spend $100,000 a year just racing.” Averaging out each pass at about 8 seconds, with a total of 120 passes a year (including practice, qualifying and races), that works out to be $104.16 per second of driving or $6,250 per minute of driving. That’s way more expensive that Carter’s phone *** addiction. But for someone with success already in the record books, Stephanie remains realistic, but still optimistic: “It’s hard to enjoy your success racing because you’re terrified of not racing the next year. I’m scared s—-less of going back to doing hair. [I’ll be in] Funny Car 10 years from now. 100-percent without a doubt, I can’t see driving anything but Funny Car. For whatever reason, I want to get behind a dragster. “

Do You Know Import Tuner Roots? Get Set For A Lesson You’ll Never Forget

writer: Greg Yamamoto
photographer: Scott Dukes

Before off-the-shelf speed parts, the Honda craze of the late ’80s and early ’90s, and before there was anything remotely termed “JDM,” there existed a small group of third generation (Sansei) Japanese-Americans living within the Los Angeles area. These JAs embraced the hot-rod culture, albeit with a twist, and were the forefathers for the import movement. They built Mazda RX-3s, Datsun 510s, Capris, and yes, Toyota Celicas (before they went wrong-wheel drive). They attended get-togethers and carnivals like Nisei Week in Downtown LA or OCBC in Orange County, and car clubs like Paradise Creations, Street Wave, and Shoreline ruled the streets. They built everything, from good ol’ American iron to some really fast “imports.” Everything our scene is today can be traced back to these guys.

Brian Karasawa is one of these pioneers. Growing up in Long Beach, Brian was introduced to the car culture by his older cousins who built muscle cars. However, by the time he was old enough to drive, he and his friends’ interests had turned to something a little different; they wanted to do what was hot in Japan. Crazy racing teams in the motherland were making power with Corollas, RX-3s and Skylines! Back in the day, hot-rodding Japanese “econo boxes” was unheard of in the U.S., but these guys wanted something with their own identity. Something that would be “underground” before underground would ever be considered cool, and fixed up in a way that reflected a mixture of American hot rod and Japanese “aji” (flavor).

Brian immediately caught the bug with his first car, a ‘77 RA24 Celica coupe. Since he was a student on a tight budget, and because bolt-on parts were not available, he made the most of his car. He cut the springs, welded on a too-loud exhaust, slapped on some 13×7 Hayashi Command 700s and headed for the local street races, cruises, or hot house parties. Over the years, he and his club, Shoreline Racing, gained recognition as having some of the fastest cars. Like most car clubs of that era, they were hassled by the cops for the cars they drove (sound familiar?), but overall enjoyed the car culture they created without even knowing it.

Fast forward to the present, where Brian caught the bug again and, once again, heard the calling to build. He knew he would never touch a newer Honda or Nissan; instead, he wanted something that had soul and reminded him of his roots-something that represented the epitome of what it meant to have a JA-style car in the ’80s. Call this an era project, a car not meant to have coilover suspension or a fuel-injected engine, or even power steering. Not one to toss parts out, Brian rummaged through old boxes he had in storage and found that he still had a set of 44mm sidedraft Mikuni carbs, a 20R Mikuni manifold, a TRD (read: Doug Thorley) header, a 4.3 rear end and a brand new Tilton flywheel. The game, as they say, was on. After hearing a rumor that a friend of a friend had an “old Toyota” sitting in the backyard, Brian drove out and saw a diamond in the rough: a ‘77 liftback in bad need of restoration and customization. Undeterred, Brian set out on what would later become nothing less than a labor of love.

After yanking the engine and doing his own body prep work, Brian sent the chassis to Kono’s Autobody & Paint in Bellflower, where Brian Kono removed the rust, replaced entire panels, smoothed/shaved/filled the body, and laid down the House of Kolor Sunset Pearl paint. Meanwhile, Brian and his buddy Ken Takenaka began the buildup of a 20R/22R hybrid. This was an excellent way to make more power back in the day, and you did this by taking a 22R block and mating it to a 20R head for its flow characteristics. Brian sent the head out to Rich Kemph Cylinder Heads in San Pedro, where they ported, polished, and installed custom swirled valves, a custom rocker assembly, and ARP studs. Having the head off was the perfect excuse for Brian and Ken to bore the old short block out to 92mm, install Arias pistons (11 to 1 compression) and have the crank balanced. Once the head was returned and mated to the block, Brian installed an Isky 288/480 cam, the dual 44 Mikuni sidedrafts, his Tilton flywheel, a Toyota truck clutch and the infamous “Tri-Y” TRD header.

Once the chassis was safely at home, Brian dropped the power plant in and set out to recreate the ’80s look. The easy-to-find items, like five-panel Wink mirror, paint-matched Vitaloni Tornado side mirrors, amber sidemarkers, and Tom’s corner lenses, were bolted in place and the painful task of finding era-correct parts began-ultimately a chore in itself. Koji and Terry Yamaguchi of the Japanese Classic Car Show were instrumental in hooking Brian up with the “smiley” bumpers and other crazed enthusiasts, like Restored.jp for the “Banana” taillights (Inata-san, in a selfless act, gave them to him for the cost of shipping), and Joji Luz from ToyGarage.com. The old-school enthusiasts at Cabe Toyota also helped out in tracking down miscellaneous hard-to-find parts like weather-stripping and miscellaneous moldings (these guys know their stuff). The entire interior is era correct with a simple setup of Formuling France steering wheel and completely restored carpet, headliner, panels, and seats done by Wahl’s Upholstery in Los Alamitos. No crazy 20-something gauges, no flip-up DVD navigation, and no fiberglass molded dashboard here. The last touches were to cut the coils (yes, CUT the coils), bolt on refinished Hayashi Racing Command 500’s (14×7) wrapped in Toyo Proxes rubber, and have an exhaust system made to look like they did in the ’80s. A Magnaflow muffler with simple “pencil” tip was welded up and installed.

When we saw the completed project at this last Toyotafest in Long Beach we were completely impressed and felt like teenagers scoping out a ride from our glory days (More your days than mine -Rik). This car is perfect in its re-creation of an era, of its trueness to the JA style, and a testament to the builder’s vision.

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Evasive Motorsports Shows Us That It Takes More Than A Fast Engine To Become One Of The Fastest Racecars On The Time Attack Circuit

writer: Jonathan Wong
photographer: Wesley Allison

One hundred and ten degrees: it’s an over-whelming amount of dry and very intense heat that no soul should ever have to endure-but hey, that’s Willow Springs for you. There’s virtually no shade to escape under and even after the sun drops, temps still read well into the 90s. The Evasive Evo looks more at home in this type of environment, though, on a race track, far from the city where it belongs. The heat is but a mere afterthought.

As a contender in the Limited class, Evasive (headed by Mike Chang and Tony Kwan) is doing something quite remarkable; they’re a smaller operation that’s doing big things: going fast without a budget dedicated strictly towards power. What’s their secret? Maintaining a well-balanced chassis. As Mike explains, “What makes this car a little bit more special is that we’re still running a stock motor and it’s proven to be pretty competitive to the other cars in our class that are running 500-600hp engines. We concentrate on the overall balance of the car; aerodynamics and suspension without having to produce high horsepower out of our engine.”

To do this, Evasive went a minimal route, sticking to premium grade Japanese bolt-ons and internals to produce a mild 429 horses. “We’re an online retailer, not a tuning shop,” says Mike, adding, “We can’t say that we’re tuners of a high caliber, but we do want to show that Japanese parts work great for a Time Attack car. All the cars here are built with American made parts, but since we cater to the JDM market, we want to stay true to the JDM theme. American companies tend to look down on the JDM parts by saying, ‘Oh, it’s overpriced and they don’t work.’ Our parts are spe*****zed bolt-ons that you can build a fast car with.” Although the bottom end retains its stock form, the cylinder has some work done to it with a set of Cosworth camshafts and a fortified valvetrain consisting of JUN titanium retainers and valve springs to accommodate the lift of the beefier camshafts. The factory turbo was upgraded to HKS status with a GT3037 ball-bearing unit with other turbo goods from HKS, such as a Type-R blow-off valve, wastegate and GT intercooler. A much needed Voltex oil cooler is here as well, keeping oil temps low as the Evo sees a heavy amount of track time. SP Engineering handled the responsibility of tuning the HKS V-Pro and did a good job of maximizing its power output with such few parts.

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Speed Machine Performance Shows The World The RX-8 Doesn’t Suck

writer: Tyrone Rodriguez
photographer: Wesley Allison
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Comparing the RX-8 to the legendary RX-7 is likened to comparing Megan Fox with Jamie Foxx. It’s enough to make Nads’ back hair turn even whiter. It was some marketing guy’s “great” idea turned rotary purist’s worst nightmare. The lack of a turbocharger on the Renesis engine equates to a SLOW 8. You may want to think twice about using that word around Dave Gibson of Speed Machine Performance, though. The 619 wheel hp and 530 lb-ft of torque at 26psi he helped to produce out of the Falken Mazda RX-8 is anything but slow.

Based in Vista, CA, Speed Machine focuses on building nearly-invincible rotary motors. Drift fans may also know that this RX-8 isn’t the first time Gibson and Falken have crossed paths. They began their motorsports partnership with the last-generation RX-7, driven by Tony Angelo-built from scratch in less than 12 days-and the 8 is the natural progression of the rotary project. While the 7 was already rock solid, Dave and the crew felt the project didn’t have the time they would have liked to devote. Falken’s main man, Nick Fousekis, is infinitely confident in Gibson’s abilities: “I knew Dave was going to do it. Aside from hiccups in first year builds, I know that it’s only a matter of time before [the RX-8] is a contender and really hard to beat. It’s just getting over that hurdle.”

Work on the 8 began in late ‘06, with preparation of the engine and chassis. While Dave worked on the 13B and his team did their magic on the chassis, parts that would eventually make their way onto the RX-8 started to trickle in and litter the shop. And by parts, we mean two of everything, literally. Falken and Speed Machine took no chances and spared no expense to make this car as competitive as possible. We’ll put it into perspective for you: If someone walked in off the street and asked Speed Machine to build this same exact RX-8, it’d cost in excess of $250,000. That’s not a number we came up through arcane magic; that’s a number quoted from Dave. A quarter million dollars, more than the combined salary of the entire Super Street staff over the course of 10 years. Just the amount of Wiggins clamps on the car cost in the range of a few grand.

Six digits was enough to build the sickest, wildest, meanest, most powerful twin-turbo 13B we’ve ever experienced, outputting roughly 476 horses per liter. Speed Machine accomplished this incredible feat with a 13B, but not the usual kind you’d expect. Dave sourced a JDM Cosmo rotary, chosen for its improved breathing potential. The motor was torn apart only to be streetported, cryo-treated and designed to produce instant response, the widest powerband and most power possible out of a twin-turbo two-rotor.

But power alone won’t make much of a drift car; all those ponies need to reach the turf. That’s why the Cosmo motor was mated to a cryo-treated RX-7 transmission with the pricy OS Giken gear set. It may be rough at times, but the FD tranny is nearly bulletproof and capable of handling the 600+ hp. The gear seat isn’t the only thing from OS Giken either; the twin-plate clutch and two-way locking differential are both OS, too. Nearly every stock suspension part was also removed with aftermarket parts like Tein MonoFlex coilovers, Speed Machine fully-adjustable rear arms, a modified and spaced steering rack and a fully-custom modified Mazdaspeed Power Plant Frame. Dave won’t even let us see the latter; it’s just that good.

After hearing Dave talk about the 8 for only a few minutes, it’s immediately apparent he’s proud of the work done. He just knows how much he and his team killed themselves to finish the car. If Dr. Felix were still alive, he would adjust his glasses and marvel at how much Speed Machine squeezed out of the rotary. And he’d probably say something like, “Dieses ist die Scheisse!”

writer: Justin Kaehler
photographer: Courtesy of Mitsubishi

The Evo vs. WRX STI battle is the Ford vs. Chevy of the new millennium. School kids, internet racers and guys that actually know how to drive all love to debate the merits of these rally-bred AWD turbocharged sedans, and something tells us that people will still be having these heated discussions well into the future. Just like the Yank tanks your (grand)fathers drooled over, the Evo and STI offer incredibly high levels of performance at a price that even a Source Interlink employee can afford.

The next salvo in this battle has been fired, and early indications show that Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution X will be crowned the new favorite ride of the Super Street faithful. While Subaru has gone and given its new WRX the *** appeal of a new Corolla, Mitsubishi toughened up its already attractive Lancer and delivered an aggressive-looking, shark-nosed ride that still turns heads without the need to resort to freakishly large boy-racer wings. Yes, the Evo X still has a somewhat large wing, blistered fenders and a host of hood scoops, but each and every one of these features is functional and serves a real, measurable, performance-enhancing purpose.

That gaping gunmetal maw and center hood-mounted NACA duct work overtime to bring cool air to the new 4B11 T/C engine-the first all-new engine in the Evolution’s history. This new Evo motor puts out 295 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque and is lighter, cleaner and more powerful than its 4G63 predecessor. This engine was designed with weight distribution in mind, too. It uses an aluminum block, which yields a 27 lb. weight savings over the old motor, and the exhaust manifold now sits at the rear of the engine to further improve the car’s overall weight balance.

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Power gets to the ground via a five-speed manual transmission or the optional six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST). While most enthusiasts will latch onto the manual car, the TC-SST version is actually pretty damn good. There are three computer-controlled shift modes here: Normal, Sport and Super Sport (S-Sport). Normal and Sport are pretty self-explanatory; S-Sport mode is a redline-loving, hard-shifting map designed for track use only. Those that don’t like having a computer controlling the shifting can always opt to swap cogs via the Evo X’s magnesium paddle shifters.

Both transmissions benefit from the addition of Mitsubishi’s new Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. This S-AWC system uses a combination of traction-enhancing technologies-an Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC) rear differential, Active Stability Control (ASC) and sport ABS brakes-not only to keep the sedan glued to the road, but going in the direction you want it to. Turn the driving assists off, and the Evo’s non-computer-controlled technology still works to keep the Evo’s line tried and true on the track. The regular new Lancer is already 56-percent stiffer than the last-gen Evo 9, and this basic chassis has been beefed up even more to compensate for the Evo X’s enhanced performance capabilities. The suspension consists of a MacPherson inverted strut front and multi-link rear.

Mitsubishi has made a concerted effort to give the Evo X’s interior a more upscale feel. As awesome as the pre-X Evos are, they have been cursed with some of the cheapest interiors in the biz. The Evo Xs we drove were RHD Japanese pre-production units, and we feel it would be unfair to make a declarative statement regarding the car’s cockpit. That said, the pre-production Evo X does feel a lot nicer inside when compared to the Evos of old. It’s still not as nice as, say, a Civic inside, but it’s a marked improvement nonetheless.

writer: Roel F. Concepcion
photographer: Scott Dukes

It’s rare to be in the presence of a legend. Most of the time, we only recognize its importance after the fact, after it’s long gone, when we can only talk about it and wish we would’ve been there to grasp it personally. Thankfully, in the automotive world, being close to a legend is easy to realize, simply by having the right amount of money, luck, and time. Take, for example, legendary cars like the Toyota Corolla AE86 and the Datsun 510. These two cars are often restored and retrospectively appreciated years after they rolled out of the production line. One such car that should be added to this short list is the Datsun 240Z, an old-school favorite that started the entire Z craze.

The Datsun 240Z, available from the 1970 through the 1978 model year, was offered in a three-door hatchback body style and better known in Japan as the Fairlady Z. Yutaka Katayama, better known as Mr. K and the Father of the Z, was the idealist who brought the 240Z to the U.S. in 1970, when it immediately attracted the masses with its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, 2.4L SOHC inline six-cylinder engine, and of course, the stylish “240″ badge placed on the B-pillar quarter panel. It was a hit with the American public, making it difficult to find at local dealerships, especially with its relatively cheap price tag. It was marked to sell for $3,526, while its direct competitors like the Corvette and Volvo 1800E were priced at $5,000 and $4,500 respectively. Its successors include the 280Z, 300ZX and most recently, the 350Z.

Its rich history as the foundation of an entire culture is what attracted Shaw Takahashi to purchase this 1972 Nissan 240Z. “I love these classic cars,” Shaw explained. “I don’t like the way they build Japanese cars today. They don’t build them with heart like they used to back then.” Shaw would know the automotive climate back in ‘72 and maybe beyond firsthand because he’s probably older than your father and perhaps even older than your grandfather. At 58 years old, Shaw is what the gangstas call “O.G.” or veterano, which means he was in the game from the start. He worked as a mechanical engineer for NGK spark plugs before starting his own company in Torrance, CA. As a young ***** in Japan, he rally raced professionally, long before the advent of drifting. Despite all of his experience, he lives his life with the heart and mindset of a young tuner. All he wants to do is fix up vintage cars and race them on the streets and tracks.

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writer: Scott Garpot
photographer: Scott Garpot

That’s right, son!” Hot Import Nights comes back to the city where it all began-Los Angeles. Ask anyone about the automotive tuning and modification scene and the first thing they think of is the west coast-Los Angeles to be precise. I would guess you could also thank the Fast and the Furious movies for that too. The automotive scene and Los Angeles go together like peanut better and jelly, fat kid and cake, and import models and photographers. [Yes, I’m talking about myself.] Chrome, neon lights, mirrors, ice, bling and hotties are what you can typically see at any Hot Import Nights-and The Los Angeles Convention Center wasn’t short on any of these. One of the finest things about going to an HIN show in Los Angeles is that the best of the best comes out to show off what they got-that’s including the cars and the models. The show had something for everyone’s tastes-from iced out to riced out. If for some reason that doesn’t get your taste buds wet, then the booty shakin’ on the main stage will.

The day of HIN Los Angeles started with phone calls to all our friends-we had to make sure that our peeps in the industry were going to be in attendance. Actually, we just wanted to see which models were working at which booths. We needed some company for the several hours during the show. We arrived right at 5 p.m. and the line of cars waiting to get into the parking structure had already wrapped around the block. We would recommend anyone interested in attending the show to arrive slightly before the doors open, because the line was ridiculous. As we entered through the doors into the Convention Center we were greeted with a gust of cool A/C-a much needed refresher from the blistering triple digit weather outside. It wouldn’t be called HOT IMPORT NIGHTS for no reason.

The show featured an array of different tuning styled automobiles. There were a few clean JDM and Drift spec cars, but when we talk about cars at a HIN show, it’s all about going over the top. The Scion xB seems to be the car of choice to “trick out,” much like how the Civic EG(s) were back in the mid-’90s. It’s not just about the exterior appearance with sick paint jobs, slammed suspensions, under neon glow kits and chromed wheels, but also the interior. Installing video game systems into your car isn’t a new thing, but now with Nintendo Wii video, gaming in your ride just got a lot more interesting. We wouldn’t recommend trying to play the Wii while driving, though, for obvious reasons.

There were also quite a few different on-stage performers at the show, along with appearances by models. Headlining on the main stage for HIN LA was hip hop artist Eve; on the other side of the Convention Center was the Boost Mobile stage, which featured acts like Seattle’s own On-Fire Entertainment, an MC throw down and a B-boy and B-girl dance off hosted by extreme BMX rider Rick Thorne. Adult film actress and entrepreneur Tera Patrick was present, signing autographs and taking photos with fans. Unfortunately we couldn’t get close enough to get any good photos because some guy wouldn’t let us cross the velvet ropes… WTF?! No biggie; we just cruised around saying “hi” to our favorite models-Melissa Reign at the Babe Blvd booth, go-go Queen Jeri Lee (a.k.a. Mama Lee), Lisa Kim Fleming and all the other girls of HIN.

Hot Import Nights Los Angeles was everything you would expect from any other HIN city stop, but it’s always something special when it comes back home.

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Just who the hell do the people at Sunline R think they are? Never heard of ‘em? We didn’t expect you to. Sunline’s an Okayama-based shop, and we’re willing to bet that you haven’t heard of that city, either. Near the Osaka end of the country, Okayama is home to a crapload of amazing tuners you’ll never hear of and drifters you’ll never see on American soil. Sunline R is one of those tuners. And like other tuners, Sunline R focuses on one make, and in this case, it’s Nissan. Some of the other demo cars from Sunline are the Silvia Street Version (no relation to the Super Street Version), Sunline FairLady Z33, R32, R34 and Sunline Cefiro. The company’s Silvia S15 SPL is the road racing track-counterpart to its Silvia S15 Street version. You’ve seen enough last-generation Silvia models to know when to be impressed.

Now is one of those times.
On December 8, ‘05, the Sunline R Silvia SPL destroyed Tsukuba Circuit, posting a best lap time of 0′57″291. That’s within four seconds of the record set by the all-carbon HKS Lancer Evolution-not bad for a car that probably weighs a few hundred pounds more. To be fair, Sunline also put in considerable effort to reduce the weight of the Silvia chassis. However, unlike the HKS Evo, the major parts of the unibody are steel, with its only removable parts made of carbon.

Sunline’s expertise comes from building cars and designing parts. The company spe*****zes in anything from the usual stuff like aluminum radiators, catch-cans, and aero parts, but it also takes things a few steps further with fancier stuff like Sunline R suspension parts and even dog gear transmissions for the Silvia.

The Silvia SPL isn’t an SPL for nothing. It carries a killer punch in the form of Tomei’s 2.2 liter engine kit. The kit consists of Tomei forged piston, forged H-section connecting rods, and forged fully-counterbalanced crankshaft; this last piece is where all the money goes. But Sunline R went further to set the SPL apart from its Street Version. With the bottom end completely fresh and ready for battle, SPL didn’t intend on leaving the head alone. Tomei INEX 260 degree Procams replace the stock camshafts, along with Tomei PBB valve guides and Sunline R’s Headtune.
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