By Jeremy Allan Glover

When you think of classic Japanese supercars, one of the first ones that come to mind is the Acura NSX. It has styling that to this day looks modern… and with a mid-engine rear-wheel drive platform, it has just the right kind of amazing set-up that screams: I’m gonna tear up this track!

When Eric of RickDesign set out to build his own supercar, he decided to base it on this incredible platform. His idea was to create an NSX that looked completely different, but it had to have a modern supercar feel to it.

The first step of the process was the design stage. The entire car was drawn out by Eric himself with all of the aspects he had envisioned such a car should have. He took some visual cues from a variety of top models such as Koenigsegg, Ferrari and Saleen (to name but a few) and thus armed, the classic NSX went from being relatively tame…. to completely extreme …and Eric’s dream car started to really take shape. Every body panel except for the roof was removed and reworked by hand. This was no off-the-shelf body kit. This was a total car build, where, over the course of six months, each new custom-made body panel was fit and finished to make it look as if it came out of a factory.

One of the unique aspects of this car is its use of features borrowed from other vehicles. The head lights are actually from a Mazda MX-5, and the tail lights came off of a Lotus Elise. This new supercar was now nine inches wider and a half-foot shorter than what the NSX used to be. It was also now topped off with a stunning matte yellow paint job that was specially mixed for this project.

With the much sought-after looks taken care of, it was now time to focus the attention on all of the other details that make a supercar….well, super. For the handling aspect of it, the NSX was sprung on a Standard Suspension R5 coil-over kit that would ultimately allow it to hug the twisties with a grip akin to that of a gorilla not wanting to part with its first food in three weeks, while at the same time, giving it that low-slung look every supercar should have. This new set up will now connect to the ground on some custom HRE 595R wheels running 19-inches in the rear and 18-inches in the front Michelin Pilot rubber. The crazy speeds that this beast will be churning out will be well scrubbed off using a 14-inch big brake kit supplied by Standard Suspension.

With so much detail already put into the car, it was time to talk engine. A Paxton supercharger was mounted onto the engine along with some low-compression pistons, 750cc injectors and a few other go-fast goodies that make this car push out 525 hp, which is more like the power a car like this should possess. The sound this thing makes now is crazy; with the whistle from the supercharger combined with the deep resonating exhaust note coming from the cd sport exhaust….just wild!

It is pretty amazing to see what kind of car can be produced with the right kind of love and attention to detail, not to mention a lot of hard work. This car may not be for the purists who feel that an NSX should be left untouched, but either way, there is no denying this car is a masterpiece.

This NSX has been to a number of car shows including one of the biggest of them all, SEMA, in the Standard Suspension booth at last year’s show. But this is no trailer queen. This car does get driven and driven hard, which in my mind, makes it that much more impressive.

Congratulations to the guys at RickDesign for pulling it off. Eric now has his supercar.

Story and photos by Jeremy Allan Glover

The Mitsubishi Evolution cars have always been known as hard core …and pretty much street rally cars. Since the Evo 1, they have been much sought-after impressive cars that give a crazy bang for your buck. They have been in dog fights with the Subaru STi since they were first launched, but sadly the Evo was not available in Canada up until a few years ago. When Gary B found out that the Evo 9s were now legal to bring here, he started his search to find one. He got his silver Evo 9 from California (a long way from his home in Quebec), and that’s when the fun began.

From the moment he got his car, Gary had a goal – to have a 500-horsepower street-legal car that he could drive everyday to work and also be able to take to the track, beat on it and then drive it back home without having the worry of something letting go. Gary wasn’t about to start ordering parts off eBay to jerry-rig on to it to obtain what he wanted. No, instead, he brought his car to Boivier Mitsubishi to have the engine built up by Max and Simon Losier, two guys that are used to building rally cars.

The engine started out as the stock 2.2 and then had most of the best upgrade parts thrown at it, such as a Forced Performance RED Turbocharger that’s been ported and coated, along with a ported and coated exhaust manifold. ARC, Brian Crower and ARP are but a few of the parts manufacturers participating on what is a fairly long list of engine mods done to this car. The whole set up is controlled by a Vi-Pec standalone ECU system that was precision-tuned by Sebastien Guay from Precision EFI to put down an impressive 498 wheel hp….maybe not 500 but close enough!! Since Gary wanted his car to be street legal, the stock exhaust was kept on the car to keep the noise down. The only problem is a 500-whp engine does not like pushing its 28 pounds of boost through a stock exhaust. The solution was to have a dumb pipe or, as I call it, a loud pipe. Using a QTP Exhaust Cut Out and remote switch meant that as soon as it’s pressed, the car gets loud. Violently loud, thanks to directing all of that rumble straight out of the Bushur Racing 3 inch Downpipe.

It’s great having that much power but if you can’t put it to the ground reliably, then it’s not worth anything. Gary knew that and didn’t want to risk having his drivetrain blowing up on him under all that power. So he sent it out to John Sheperd for a full drivetrain overhaul. A Sheptrans Stage 2 transmission was installed, one that is fully customized using parts from a few different generations of Evos in order to make the ultimate Evo transmission. Along with the tranny, a Sheptrans transfer case and upgraded rear diff were installed to make sure it would be bulletproof, with an Exedy twin-disc clutch mated to the assembly.

The car is lowered on a set of D2 Coilovers sitting on some Volk/Rays TE37 SL 18×9.5 +22 wheels wrapped in Nitto Invo tires. Behind the wheels you can see the Brembo brakes with DBA rotors that ably bring them 500 horses to a stop. Both exterior and interior of the car are also far from stock, but in a more subtle way. A handful of carbon fibre parts from RexSpeed and Silent Edition Customs can be spotted if you look in the right places. A Seibon carbon hood and an OEM JDM rear bumper were added to complete the look.

The Evo’s rally heritage ensures impressive performance, but when you factor in being AWD with four doors and a decent trunk, they also figure as being quite practical. This one pushes the practical factor to the limits by having as much power as it does while still being able to be driven on the street as if it was stock (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Gary had a plan in mind and stuck to it and as a result, he’s built one of the nicest and fastest Evos in Canada.

Photos and text: Jeremy Allan Glover

Honda S2000s are a popular choice for somebody looking for a RWD Japanese car. They are fun to drive and like most Hondas, the aftermarket part support is endless. The S2000’s are pretty fast stock… but when you run your own tuning/dyno shop, a stock S2000 just would not do it for the guys at JS-Tuned. If you’re going to build a car that represents a shop, it has to be over the top.

The biggest transformation of this car is in the crazy engine set-up. Starting out with the stock F20c engine (a high-revving 2.0L), a long list of parts were installed to beef up the engine so that it would be reliable when the big Precision 6262 turbocharger was installed. With that done and all tuned up…this baby now dyno tests putting out an insane 565 whp. Remember, that is out of a 2.0 engine! Putting down that much power, the drivetrain also needed to be modified in order to not self-destruct when the boost kicks in. A few of the added parts include a differential donated out of a 350z with a Nismo LSD, strengthened axles, and a Bully Stage 4 clutch to connect it all. This car is now a beast and sounds absolutely amazing when on boost.

The exterior of this car is also on point with the crazy engine. Nothing too crazy…but with just enough nice parts added, this beast now sports a new sleek look. One of the nicest features on the car that makes it stand out from the rest is the Mugen hard top and Mugen front lip. Today’s style is to have your car as low as possible with a wheel/tire set that combine to offer that perfect stance.  The 18 x 9.5 front and custom-made 18 x 11.5 rear DAI Autobahn wheels wrapped in BGF KDW rubber really make that happen. Slammed with a Standard Suspension R5 coilover kit, this is now one sick low and wide-looking ride.

What’s nice about this car is that it’s not just a showpiece for the shop. This car gets driven… and driven hard. It’s a car that’s gonna see all kinds of K’s logged on the challenging ‘uneven’ roads of Quebec, be driven to the drag strip and raced all day, and then brought to the drift track to have some more fun sliding it around the curves. Did I mention it is driven hard?

Car: Honda S2000 AP1 Turbo from JS-TUNED

F20c 4 cyl STOCK motor

565whp & 409wtq @ 24.5PSI

3mm head gasket by Inline Pro

ARP head studs

Custom vented valve cover

Aluminum catch can

JS-tuned front-mount v-band manifold

Precision 6262 turbocharger

Synapse Engineering 50mm wastegate

Stainless 2.5″ intercooler piping

Vibrant couplings and clamps

Yonaka intercooler 26x9x3

HKS ssqv v3 blowoff valve

Three-bar map sensor

Yonaka radiator

Mishimoto diverter plate

Password JDM fender bolts

Relocated battery (trunk)

Relocated fusebox

Custom aluminum turbo heat shield

Three-inch turbo back exhaust in stainless double tip

Intercooler cryo2 spray bar

AEM electronic boost controller

Injector Dynamic 1000cc injectors

Walboro 255lph fuel pump

AP1 S2000 6-speed transmission

CVtech rebuilt driveshaft

Custom JS-tuned differential upgrade 350z/g35

Two-way Nismo LSD

Upgraded 600hp axles

Bully Stage 4 clutch kit

Mugen front lip

Mugen hardtop

Seibon carbon fibre hood OEM style

AP2 headlights

AP2 front bumper

OEM Honda sidestrikes

J’s racing rear diffuser

Muse-style rear wing

DAI autobahn wheels 18×9.5 front, 18×11.5 rear (custom)

BFGoodrich KDW flame thread tires

MT slick 26x10x15, for drag racing

STD R5 coilover suspension

Neuspeed swaybar kit, front and back

Brembo upgraded discs

Hawk HP Plus pads

Password JDM rear license plate bolts

Custom HID upgrade from S.O.S. HID

Alpine head unit

Sony Explode 1200wt amp

Sony Explode 12″ subwoofer

Alpine rear speakers (custom)

Alpine front components and mids

AP2 radio cover

Red/black interior

Grand Prix white paint

Auxiliary radio control system.

Future mods: wide body over fenders by Spoon, roll cage, AEM water meth kit, upgraded transmission, and some race gas for the track.

Thanks go to….

JS-TUNED

CSM Autosport

Racing Piping

Carroserie 445

Auto Jag Plus

HAS Auto

JAG Imaging

WaxBoX

Story and Photos by Giancarlo Pawelec (AutoMotoFoto)

With the introduction of the first Nissan GT-R in 1969 at the 15^th annual Tokyo Motor Show, the gears were set in motion for what could easily be called the most cult-followed performance vehicle in history. Originally, Nissan’s GT-R (designation PGC10) was a four-door sedan marketed as a fun daily driver until the more sportier coupe version (designation KPGC10) debuted a couple of years later. To the surprise of many and similar to the Shelby Cobra legend of European exotics hunted down on the track, the GT-R has again struck fear amongst higher priced supercars.

The lucky owner of this reincarnated and sinister-looking GT-R is Jeff Waye of Massachusetts, USA. Like many enthusiasts during their selection process for a daily driver, a few key points had to be met. These must-haves included reliability, fair price point, appearance, and ultimately the smile left on one’s face after a spirited drive – also known as performance. Without much hesitation, Waye quickly snatched up a 2009 Nissan GT-R (R35) and after a few weeks of daily use, handed it off to Scott McIver of Kaizen Tuning LLC in Acton, Massachusetts for what would be a tasteful tweak of the already amazing V6 twin-turbo Godzilla.

The first order of business dealt with the exterior as it is sometimes labeled bland compared to previous generations. Without much thought, Waye threw down the American green and possibly his arm for some of the most rare parts out of any aerodynamics catalogue. All factory skirts were swapped in favour of carbon fibre pieces from Zele Japan. Further Zele carbon pieces include the hood scoops and front grill. Seeing as the exterior theme consisted of carbon weave and the OEM gunmetal paint, Waye continued his shopping list with an Esprit Japan rear spoiler and nose duct. The final carbon product to go on the GT-R was the AMS Performance full carbon fibre roof replacement which is said to be one of two ever produced and provides a nine-pound  savings, both form and function in one!

As if these exterior tweaks weren’t enough, Waye converted all lights to LED and installed a Rexspeed air duct system that feeds air directly into the side coolers and brake passages. The final touch was something that even the Kaizen Tuning team didn’t expect. Waye had the entire vehicle re-sprayed with a custom flat seal grey paint giving it a completely new appearance and a menacing one at that.

Now that the look-fast goods were installed, it was time for the Kaizen Tuning LLC team to do what they do best – make this GT-R scream with power! In order to extract much power from the already amazing VH38DETT engine, Kaizen Tuning ordered parts that would remove any restriction from airflow. A much larger intercooler from Forge replaced the smaller stock unit and, mated to larger piping from Harman Motive, allows the 3.8-litre to get a cooler charge. The next to-do came in the way of bumping boost levels with a set of Forge Motorsports actuators, six Injector Dynamics 1000cc fuel injectors, a pair of Go Fast Bits blow-off valves, and an HKS EVC boost controller. Releasing the hot gases from the power-bumped twin-turbo engine is a combination of Harman Motive downpipes and mid-pipes (both of which have been ceramic coated) that feed into an HKS Legamax exhaust. The unique burble exhaust note from the exhaust piping and muffler is truly something to drool over due to its reasonable sound level during regular throttle input and race-screaming music when wide open. Like with any engine modification, tuning is of the essence. Forged Performance chose to use the tried, tested and true AccessPort from COBB Tuning that resulted in an astonishing 540 AWHP @ 6,800rpm and 512 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800rpm. That is nearly a 100-wheel-horsepower gain from the factory benchmark, and it is still daily driven!

With great power comes great control, or rather the need for it. The factory suspension setup from Nissan is quite possibly one of the best from any manufacturer, allowing it to sprint from 0-60mph in 3.2-seconds with launch control, and hit 0.96G on the skid pad. Waye kept things simple with the advice of Kaizen Tuning so as not to mess up the computerized suspension controls of Godzilla. As such, a set of Swift springs replaced the stock units providing for a slightly lower stance. Stiffening any lateral movements on the two-ton mammoth were a set of Stillen swaybars found at front and rear while Whiteline suspension endlinks finished the job. For the rollers, Waye, unlike many, kept the factory-tuned (yes, tuned) wheels from Nissan that were engineered by Rays Japan (makers of Volk Racing, Gram Lights, and other high-end track-spec rims) only to paint them a custom black and replace the lug nuts with titanium pieces from Titek.

After all the modifications were completed and the crew at Kaizen Tuning LLC waved goodbye to Jeff Waye as he got into his refreshed Nissan GT-R, the question remains: did the slight tweaks take an already incredible car to new heights? Truth is, unless you drive it yourself, one will never know. What is known is that with the carbon fibre additions on the exterior, massaged power plant and stiffened suspension, this GT-R can easily get medieval on any of its supercar rivals including the fancy European exotics. With the addition of another 100-horsepower and the all-wheel drive, it is without a doubt that any prancing Italian horse or bull could ever keep up to this modern-day Japanese legend and look good doing so!

Owner: Jeff Waye (GOTZIRA)

Location: Wayland, MA, USA

Vehicle: 2009 Nissan GT-R (R35)

Horsepower: 540 AWHP @ 6,800 rpm

Torque: 512 ft-lbs @ 4,800rpm

Dyno Type: Mustang Dyno

Dyno Sheet Included (Yes / No?): N/A

Club / Team Affiliation: Kaizen Tuning LLC

Exterior

- AMS Performance Carbon Roof

- Zele Carbon Side Skirts

- Zele Carbon Rear Skirt

- Zele Bumper

- Zele Carbon Hood Scoops

- Zele Carbon Grill

- Esprit Carbon Wing

- Esprit Carbon Nose Ducting

- Custom Flat Seal Grey Paint

- 3M Flat Clear Film

- Rexpeed Side Ducts

- Rexpeed Side Emblems

- Custom LED Lighting

Interior

- Factory OEM GT-R R35 Interior

In Car Entertainment

- Factory BOSE Audio System

Wheels / Tires / Brakes / Suspension

- Custom Painted OEM GT-R R35 Wheels

- Titek Titanium Lugnuts

- Swift Springs

- Stillen Front Swaybars

- Stillen Rear Swaybars

- Whiteline Suspension Endlinks

Engine

- HKS Legamax Exhaust with Custom Ceramic Coating

- Harman Motive Midpipe with Custom Ceramic Coating

- Harman Motive Downpipes with Custom Ceramic Coating

- Forged Motorsports Actuators

- Harman Motive Intercooler Piping

- Forge Front Mount Intercooler

- Forge Washer Bottle

- Injector Dynamics 1,000cc Fuel Injectors

- HKS EVC Boost Controller

- COBB Tuning AccessPort Custom Tuned by Forged Performance

- Forge Overflow Tank

- (2) Go Fast Bits Blow-Off Valves

Sponsors

- Kaizen Tuning LLC.

Special Thanks

- Scott McIver and Chris Luciano at Kaizen Tuning LLC, Sharif and Ryan at Forged Performance

Future Modifications

- Forged Performance upgraded turbochargers and fuel system

HPA Motorsports builds something special out of the only VW Scirocco to hit our shores

Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of HPA Motorsports

When you think of “Supercar Killers,” the Mitsubishi Evolution and Subaru WRX STi inevitably come to mind. And as potent as these cars are with high-strained turbocharged engines and active AWD, they are limited by the regulations of the rallying championships that they have been specifically designed to dominate. Therefore, while they will put up a heroic fight, to actually put one of these cars head-to-head against the likes of, say, a Lamborghini Gallardo, may not be a sound choice. However, Marcel Horn, the top man at Surrey-based HPA Motorsports, has done just that with his latest creation, a fire-breathing twin-turbocharged VR6-powered AWD Volkswagen Scirocco.

While it may be exotic just to see this car here in Canada, the Scirocco is technically nothing more than a handsome, squished and stretched version of the VW Golf that returned to the European market three years ago. Unfortunately, the Scirocco has yet to make it here to Canada, but Horn, with special connections inside Volkswagen, managed to gain access to a Scirocco body and get it into the country after much bureaucratic hoop jumping. This special build would be a halo project to commemorate the company’s 20^th year of building mental VW and Audi vehicles.

Following the Scirocco since the Iroc Concept, Horn knew the car would be ripe for massive performance modifications. HPA’s fame stems from a unique project they created many years back when they managed to shove a VR6 engine and AWD system into the reintroduced Beetle. And if that wasn’t enough, they went ahead and twin turboed the vehicle, just to make sure it was taken seriously. Since then, HPA has become specialists at building special edition turbo VR6 AWD vehicles such as the R32 Golfs, TTs and other manic road terrorists from Wolfsburg or Ingolstadt.

Horn learned that the Scirocco would never be built with AWD or a V6, which, with their unique experience and the car’s Euro-only design, gave them the chance to build something that’s never been done. In fact, this is a one-of-a-kind car, the only Scirocco in North America and one of two other turbo VR6 AWD Sciroccos built by the company in the world.

The project as a whole took 14 months of planning, communications, logistics and of course lots of paperwork, to get the shell and additional pieces into the country. A donor vehicle was acquired with the suitable 3.2L VR6 drivetrain, complete with DSG gearbox and AWD system that HPA began to swap over. However, not before they did some special tweaking, of course. With its vast knowledge of the drivetrain, HPA has a warehouse full of proprietary goodies to get the most out of both the hard and software.

First was HPA’s own FT565 Turbo kit consisting of two Garrett GT28RS turbos with custom housings and HPA’s own intake manifold and twin intercoolers connected to both ends via silicon hosing. Coupled to that, they added a water-methanol injection system and custom-tuned the ECM so all the bits were communicating clearly. With the gearbox, HPA added its Stage-3 DSG clutches as well as giving the gearbox electronic brain the special treatment as well. After a week spent on the in-house Superflow AWD dyno, the crew was able to eek out an amazing 565 hp.

However, this car ain’t just about going fast in a straight line, so HPA put a fair amount of development into the handling side. Working out a mathematical equation that took into account the car’s extra girth, width, wheelbase, and pitch and yaw balance tendencies, HPA came up with a set of damper and spring settings to optimally dial into a set of KW Suspension R32 Golf coilover housings, complete with pillow ball mounts and an HLS hydraulic lift system.

Big speed requires big brakes, and the Scirocco is well-endowed with a setup that would have a Porsche blushing in shame. Again, right off HPA’s shelves is a standard kit featuring massive eight-piston calipers clamping down on equally impressive 365-mm discs, front and rear. To wrap those big brakes, HPA called on long-time partner BBS, who suggested the CM, a wheel only available in Europe and used for Porsche fitments. Amazingly, skimmed with 265-mm wide tires on the rear, the wheels fit without rubbing any sheet metal, something unheard of in the VW/Audi world as the best most can manage is 235-mm.

Esthetically, the car wears Rieger front and rear bumpers and side skirts, stylishly incorporating both Audi R8 and Ferrari Scuderia accents to help make the Scirocco just that little bit more exotic. However, HPA has gone much farther than just bolting on some aftermarket bling. To make the AWD system and fuel and water tanks fit, a fair bit of cutting and welding was also called upon in the rear. Like the Ford Mustang, VW has made its vehicles very similar over the years with interchangeable parts, so HPA didn’t have to change any major bracing or framing, only reworking the sheet metal to allow the proper clearances for the additional hardware.

With the project completed, the Scirocco was packed up and shipped down to California for testing by Road & Track Magazine, which happened to have a Mercedes AMG SLS also in attendance for testing purposes. During 0-60 mph testing, the test driver couldn’t believe the car’s capability, pulling three straight 3.2-second 0-60 pulls and a quarter-mile time of 11.4 seconds at 122.7 mph, beating the SLS. As staff members were now clamouring to get a ride in the car, the Scirocco then put the SLS to shame once again through the slalom with a 72 mph run to the AMG’s 71 mph result.

After testing with Road & Track, Horn packed up the car and moved on to Texas for the Texas Mile. Upon arrival, a flock of cell phones all of a sudden shot up and began to close in on the trailer like seagulls on a piece of errant bread crust when the Scirocco saw first light. In a parking lot full of half-million-dollar Bugattis and Lamborghinis, it was the lowly VW that struck the crowd into awe. Despite the exotic company that HPA’s creation was in, it was the Scirocco that was the most exotic of them all. It’s a car that everyone there knew what it was, but never get the chance to see in real life. Couple that with the show the car was about to put on, which only made it that much more special.

The first round of cars down the mile, saw the big boys have a go. The 1,500-1,600 hp twin-turbo, methanol-injected Ferrari and Lamborghini 250-mph machines lit the strip on fire, but the more standard vehicles were having a harder time. A Gallardo was struggling to pop off a 160-mph run, finally cracking the mark on its last run when the Scirocco went out and laid down a 170 mph pass right out of the box, so to speak.

Now obviously, beating up on standard exotics with a highly modified vehicle may not be altogether fair, but the fact that HPA has taken what is essentially a timid four-banger, and turned it into a full fledged supercar, is testament to HPA’s specialized experience with the VW brand and its own professionalism. The Scirocco has the full package – brakes, power, grip, 0-60 and handling. As such, it is one of the most significant vehicles of HPA’s existence, which is saying a lot as the company has several high-quality cars, such as a Golf R32 it built five years ago that won several top awards at SEMA and was even featured in the Grand Turismo 4 video game franchise.

So as a final warning, supercars and exotics beware; there is a killer that roams the streets. And while it may wear the thin disguise of a compact hatch, it is fully capable and prepared to make a fool out of you. The HPA Scirocco is a car more worthy than any other of the designation of Supercar Killer.

Quick Facts:

2010 Volkswagen Scirocco

HPA FT565 Twin-Turbo 3.2L VR6 Engine

GT28RS-based turbos with proprietary housings

Twin competition air-to-air intercoolers

Quad Bypass stainless steel exhaust

HPA Stage 3 DSG clutches and software

Water-methanol injection

Haldex all-wheel drive system

Switchable rear differential

Rieger Body styling package

8-piston calipers, 365-mm front & 335-mm rear discs

KW Clubsport 3-way adjustable coilovers

Integrated heads-up display

Story and Photos – Amee Reehal

Arguably, nothing instills more anxiety in the hearts of grown men than the fear of the unknown – you know, unholy spirits and diabolical sorcerers. Well, whether you believe in this stuff or not, watching Linda Blair’s contorted body flailing down the stairs and spewing green bile or playing your old Iron Maiden record backwards (Number of the Beast, we know you own a copy) to the sound of demonic poetry, is just plain freaky. When it comes to fear, it really boils down to all things mischievous, evil, and morally objectionable, always lurking, personified in one form or another.

In Montreal, fear roars through the eerie tunnels of the Ville-Marie expressway and scours the old, cobblestone road of de la Commune, embodied as Avo Aboulian’s intimidating 2002 Corvette Z06 – a ride so fierce it keeps Lamborghinis up at night.

Montreal is a beautiful city: old charm with contemporary style, the closest you’ll get to Europe without having to cross the Atlantic. Particularly charismatic is the inner district of Old Montreal. Once a little French settlement along the St. Lawrence River, Old Montreal today is as vivacious as ever, but now a lot spookier, retaining its cobblestone pathways and Gargoyle-infested 17th-century buildings alongside old fortifications that once surrounded the town. Down the road sits the gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral replicating the original in Paris, and what would a creepy town be without a clock tower. Our menacing Z06 could not find a better place to call home, clock tower and all.

The premise behind this build is familiar, the same story you’ve heard many times before but will never get sick of. Guy buys car-guy gets spanked by another car-guy buys new car, tunes it, and spanks everyone. The tale of retribution and pride, and Avo Aboulian is no exception. He had no quarrels back in the day with his 2001 BMW 330ci, willing to compromise power for styling. That quickly changed when his uncle’s 2002 M5 proved otherwise, leading Avo to sell his Bimmer (and his soul), for a new Z06 coupe in April of 2002. Shortly after, he gets beat again, this time by a friend’s four-cylinder Nissan Silvia with an SR20DET transplant. Ouch. The events that followed thereafter led to this tale of demonic proportions, a vicious Corvette Z06 transformation, unprecedented and not for the faint of heart.

When asked why he chose this particular car, Avo states, “What appealed to me was all it had to offer as a stock muscle car.” In fact, when the Z06 moniker was re-introduced in 2001, following a long hiatus since its initial introduction back in 1963, it was considered a very well-balanced sports coupe, one that was ruthless on the track and equally exhilarating on the drive there. Although the ’01 Z06 broke ground in areas of reduced maintenance costs, reduced noise and weight, and overall refinement, to name a few, GM engineers wasted no time on further improvements for 2002, so Avo got in at a good time. They included 20 extra ponies, now 405 via a 5.7-litre V8, 15 lb-ft of extra torque thus producing 400 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm with redesigned clutch driven discs, enhanced performance with wider manual gearbox ratios, reduced weight with aluminum not forged wheels, and so on. Frankly, all pale in comparison to Avo’s own debauchery, which begins under the hood.

The adrenaline for this beast is pumped by a roots-type intercooled Magnuson supercharger system with a Lingenfelter computer tuning setup. “The supercharger came with a 6 psi setting,” Avo explains, “but with the 8.2 psi setting with the Lingenfelter I can definitely feel the difference, a much more aggressive tuning setup now.” The 100-shot web nitrous system provides that punch on the track while an MTI blower ensures power on demand when stalking the streets. The ported throttle body and upgraded fuel pump and injectors contribute mayhem. “When I nail the throttle, the tires light up!” Avo says.

He opted for the Kooks 1 7/8-inch long-tube headers paired with a three-inch off-road Kooks x-pipe. Breathing assembly includes a Vararam forced-air intake system adding about 30 additional horsepower, growling through a Billy Boat off-road exhaust, replacing the stock titanium exhaust system that GM claims is the first for any production vehicle. Growling is an understatement, as I watched peoples’ reactions along the busy street of St. Laurent; it is more like an apocalyptic roar from Hell. And as we ripped through long stretches of tunnel during rush hour, the look on the innocent faces of minivan dads who were simply getting home to see their families is another story.

If it’s not the roar that instills fear, it’s definitely the way it looks, whether it’s lurking in the shadows or resting along the busy curb. Avo’s friends at Automotion got things started. “We started the project consisting of a custom widebody including modified rocker panels, quarter panels, and rear fascia—all this to house the new Davin three-piece wheels I ordered which protruded over three inches from the fenders,” Avo explains, all this to accommodate a desired five-inch outer lip on a 22-inch rear wheel. The front lower fascia was custom molded for the 20-inch rollers, with an added custom air inlet. Lending it that wicket flair were Euro taillights, a rear-mounted camera, and a Specter Werkes non-popup HID headlight conversion. Avo repainted his car, from an angelic silver scheme to a deep, darker Candy Apple Red over a charcoal basecoat.

The Beast rolls on Davin Speed 2 three-piece forged aluminum wheels, 20×8.5 wrapped in Pirelli Zero Nero 255/30-20 up front and 22×12 with 335/25-22 in the rear, all next to Baer Eradispeed two-piece cross-drilled rotors and braided brake hoses. Bilstein shocks and Specter Werkes sway bars added in, while the stock full-leaf springs were replaced by Specter Werkes coilovers. “Adding the full coilover setup really made a difference,” Avo explains; “it’s more like a drag racing setup now that shifts all the way to the rear, and with the 335 rear wheels gripping hard the car really takes off, feels like an AWD.”

Following Corvette’s mantra of a proper, well-balanced sports coupe, Avo didn’t stop at power or handling; he followed through in its entirety, including in-car entertainment (I.C.E.) and a stunning interior. He replaced the stock Z06 interior, including black leather-trimmed seats with Z06 embroidered into the head restraints, with a full custom leather and suede interior with the embroidery of his own hi-end aftermarket shop, Toyz Autoart, all completed by Automobilia with material from Rudsak. The I.C.E. is extensive and done by Qualitech Audio, including an Alpine 310 DVD player and a 6.5-inch Clarion display for the rear-camera, an Audison six-channel VRX6 420 amplifier and Audison power distributor and capacitor, hi-end Hertz component speakers and two Hertz 10-inch subwoofers, XM Satellite Radio, voice activated Alpine navigation system, and of course, an iPod interface.

This is L&E’s first full-featured Corvette Z06. Without a doubt, there are plenty of impressive C5-generation Corvettes out there, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one as stunning as this one. Unleashed just last year in October at Sport Compact Performance 6 in Montreal (Canada’s largest aftermarket show, three days at the Olympic Stadium), Avo claimed NCCA’s top honours in the ProElite class, and has been making an impact ever since.

So when you choose to visit Montreal, to indulge in poutine and smoked sandwiches in Old Montreal, be forewarned of the Z0666; while you may never actually see it, you’ll most definitely hear it.

Story & Photos by Amee Reehal

Loyalty is nothing new to the world of tuning. Whether this entails choosing your parts, hiring a shop, joining a club, even picking up your girl on the way to the show, loyalty in some shape or form is often the greatest common denominator. But perhaps the greatest sign of allegiance is sticking to the same auto manufacturer, project after project. The plethora of aftermarket magazines devoted to a single auto maker, a single platform for that matter, is a true testament to this.

Inevitably, technologies and part suppliers will change, car clubs and shops will fold, and your girl will leave you (sorry to break the news). But car manufacturers? They aren’t likely going anywhere anytime soon. And while some may venture into something different for their next build, others like Darren Law of Calgary wouldn’t dream of it. He’s a Honda guy, and that’s just the way it is.

Darren’s first car was a black spray-painted 1977 Honda Civic with chopped springs. He then graduated to a 1978 Civic, a 1983 Civic, then to a 1988 Honda CRX. From there, a Prelude, another two Civics, and finally this white DC2-R you see before you. He attests “I have always been into Hondas and planning on another Honda after the Type-R is gone.” We won’t argue with that.

When a friend was selling his 1998 DC2-R, Darren wasted no time and snatched it up. While the car came with a decent list of mods already, primarily styling such as a Spoon Sports carbon front lip and Ganador mirrors, the first order of business was to increase power. So with the help of the team at Speedtech Racing Development (STRD) in Calgary, a fully-built B18C-5 was swapped for a K20A. “The power is relatively close to the B18C-5 while offering stock motor reliability for daily driving yet still working well at the track,” Darren explains. The engine swap proved to be the most difficult install coupled with the added pressure to get the car finished on time for the upcoming national shows.

The original T1R catback exhaust was upgraded to a T1R 70mm RS system and the D1R headers will replace the DC brand once they arrive, both creating better airflow and increased power. Without compromising performance and the overall JDM flavour, the DC-5 (Acura RSX) Koyo radiator which Darren installed for a more ‘show’ look was quickly restored back to the Tabata fitting. In addition, the J’s Racing two-way LSD and J’s Racing Hyper Single clutch kit were chosen for their on-and-off track functionality.

The JDM D2C-R came with the styling Darren was attracted to in the first place, but there was no way he would leave it at that. “I couldn’t have a car look the same, so I added the J’s Racing 3D GT wing and carbon canards, a VIS carbon trunk, and some graphics for the show,” he explains. A Spoon Sports S2000 rear diffuser was later added. “I was searching for a diffuser I liked but couldn’t find one. Then I saw a Honda EK with an S2000 Spoon diffuser which looked really cool. So I ordered one and the boys at STRD made it work with my Type-R.” Other exterior fittings include Azect side skirts, an OEM rear valence, and an OEM JDM DS2 HID headlight setup.

The suspension and footwork were also enhanced, beginning with the stopping assembly. The existing Spoon brakes were replaced with a Spoon Monoblock S2000 brake upgrade, paired with Spoon rotors front and rear, and Seido-ya brake pads. This impacted the offset with the Mugen MF wheels currently on the car, so these were replaced with a set of Takata Green Volk Racing CE28N rollers wrapped in Falken RT615 rubber. T1R titanium wheel nuts and Goodridge stainless steel lines were also thrown into the mix. In true JDM fashion, the DC2-R was tightened up with a J’s Racing tower bar and C-pillar bar, a Spoon rear tower bar, Do-Luck rear cross bar, and a Cusco rear sway bar.

The interior was already well-equipped, but changes were in order, of course. The JDM Recaro seats weren’t cutting it in the sharp corners, so Darren opted for a set of Bride seats with Takata harnesses providing the extra security. Nic Chow, the previous owner of this DC2-R and a good friend of Darren’s who actually consulted on the car’s rebirth, suggested they install a Stack ST8130 race meter – very slick instrumentation that replaces most gauges with a single display, providing an extremely clean look without compromising vital information.

So they paid a visit to Ben Leung of A&J Racing in Richmond, BC, arguably the JDM Mecca of North America, to get their hands on the unit and have it properly installed just in time for an upcoming show in Seattle, Washington. The interior also includes a Mugen FG360 steering wheel with a Momo hub, Mugen pedals, an Alex quick release, a JDM rear bench, a Cusco roll cage and carbon reinforcement bars, a Spoon titanium shift knob, and a ZOOM carbon rear view mirror, just to name a few.

Sure, adding I.C.E. doesn’t exactly contribute to weight reduction, but Darren enjoys a bit of music when he’s driving and we can’t blame him for that. So he installed some of the best Alpine gear he could find. Consisting of an in-dash TV, a Type-X 10-inch subwoofer enclosed in a custom box and powered by an MRD-M501 mono amplifier, Type-X 4-gauge wire kit and farad cap, and a four-channel amplifier. Additional electronics include a Defi VSD II HUD for a little extra information, a Luxor LED interior lamp, and a Hondata K-Pro keeping the ECU in check.

While loyalty is certainly a prevalent force, it isn’t a prerequisite when it comes time to begin a project; perhaps passion is a better way to put it. The aftermarket industry is evolving and we’ll all be there for the ride, our ideals and preferences changing along the way. Whether we decide to build a Japanese platform today and USDM tomorrow, the fundamentals of tuning won’t change. Neither will devotion and passion, regardless of the choices we make. The work STRD has done to build this clean and classic JDM Type-R pays homage to being loyal, but more importantly, remaining passionate.

Story by Budd Stanley, photos courtesy of MBRP

In the world of motorsport, the rulebook often dictates a fairly predictable field of vehicles to compete on the most equal of terms possible. However, this often means that the field is made up of vehicles very similar in design. NASCAR has four different cars that are all identical, and the WRC, DTM and V8 Supercars only have two different cars in each. However, every now and then, an exception to the rules breaks with tradition to shake things up and add interest to the predictable. Tyrrell brought the six-wheeler to Formula 1, Volvo proved a station wagon can be competitive in British Touring Car, and Porsche proved that a 911 could outrun a Land Rover in the dunes of Dakar.

Well, in the Nissan Silvia/240SX-swamped sport of drifting, MBRP has thrown a monkey wrench into the gears of drifting conformity, choosing to build a truck for drifting, rather than a car. MBRP started out with a 2007 Colorado Z71 regular cab short box, but the standard five-cylinder mill would not do, so GM sent over an LS7 crate motor as well as a T-56 six-speed gearbox to provide more sideways motivation. Of course, an LS7 is a particularly potent bit of kit; however, an LS7 with an ATI Procharger supercharger forcing air into the combustion chamber at 22 psi is better, and all told, 1,100 hp is on tap.

A massive amount of bodywork and painting was coordinated by Xtreme Customs. It then went to Hitman Hotrods for caging and as well, the frame was modified to allow for an extremely low ride height. Hitman also fabricated Sprint Cup-style suspension arms with AFCO coilovers and a full floating 9-inch diff fitted with Moser Axles and an Eaton Detroit True Trac differential. Reel Driveline created two different drivelines for the truck to handle different motorsport activities. Street Scene and Reflexxion were brought onboard and put in charge of matching the truck’s cosmetics to its new aggressive nature.

Aeromotive plumbed the very large fuel lines needed to feed the engine with precious fuel. Other contributors include Autometer taking care of keeping the driver informed of the truck’s goings on. Forgeline built two sets of wheels to mount Nitto tires for drifting and Mickey Thompsons for drag duties. Optima batteries provide the charge, Cobra supplied the seating, while Vintage Air keeps the truck comfortably cool when not racing. Of course, MBRP isn’t to be outdone, showcasing its own products with a custom exhaust and manifold directing the gases to the rear.

After two years of design and construction, MBRP is looking to show that this truck will not only be a competent drifter, but could also hold its own as a road course racer, and with the power it’s putting down, the drag strip will most likely also get terrorized by the Colorado. It truly has become a “Jack of all Trades.” As such, MBRP will be using the truck in several display drifting events as well as several other races such as the Silver State Classic.

Story and photos by Budd Stanley

We here in Canada have had very little exposure to the Scion brand. In short, Scion has been a very successful and ingenious form of platform engineering that sees Toyota products given funky new body designs and sold for an extremely competitive price.

When the sport compact aftermarket modification culture was flourishing back in the ‘90s, it was low-cost Civics, Golfs and Corollas that garnered a huge amount of attention, due to the low starting cost, and the availability of parts. Since then, the industry has evolved to the point that high-end European luxury vehicles are the cars of choice for today’s show car builders. Nearly the entire industry has turned its back on the budget tuner. However, Scion has smartly marketed its low-cost vehicles as “blank canvasses,” encouraging owners to personalize their vehicles, and supplying them with the tools to do so.

With Scion making the move across the 49th parallel, Richmond dealership, OpenRoad Scion, commissioned a show car to kick off the Canadian Scion revolution in fitting style.

The Scion culture is one of outlandish styling and fashion with a good amount of acoustic and visual stimulus mixed in for good measure. And so, OpenRoad teamed up with 360 Fabrication of Abbotsford, British Columbia, to build the first of what will certainly be a long line of personalized Scions. Code named O-Zilla, an xB was procured for the project and the team at 360 Fabrication quickly descended on it with cutters in hand.

It wasn’t long before the xB’s roof was sheered off and a mass of aftermarket parts began to flow into the shop. The focus of the car was definitely aimed at entertainment, as three 42-inch television screens would be clustered into a pneumatic lifting roof entertainment package. In support of the on-screen entertainment is a floor-mounted sub box with seven amplifiers, and six waterproof boat speakers for all-weather applications. If that’s not enough, a double Stanton turntable, mounted on a sliding rig, exits out the rear hatch for a DJ to work their magic. The 360 sound department ensures that the car is capable of having the cops called from two blocks away.

However, there is no missing the outward appearances of this extremely wide compact. Huge amounts of fibreglass have been used to extend the xB’s width by a foot with massive fender flares and rockers hiding 20-inch wheels wrapped in 275/25ZR20 Nittos, perfect for fitting a massive TRD big brake kit, something very necessary for all the added weight put into the back of the little Scion. In fact, TRD aftermarket parts can be found all over this car; from the sports exhaust, to struts, to custom dash panels, everything in the catalog has been utilized. Of course, the roof received a 3-inch chopping, Lambo scissor doors were added to the front, and a custom snake and alligator scale paint theme was custom-created by the 360 paint department using the latest in BASF paints.

The scaled surface theme continues on inside the xB. While the rear of the car is packed tight with all the onboard entertainment equipment when mobile, great attention has been given to the two seats still left in the car. Race-inspired buckets were re-upholstered with alligator-simulated leather with the O-Zilla logo embroidered in. Custom floor mats were added, while body-coloured panels accentuate the interior nicely.

The O-Zilla is an impressive build that sets the bar very high for those to follow, and captures the spirit of the Scion culture. O-Zilla will be in full tour mode, making appearances at several events throughout the year as well as being on display at OpenRoad Scion.

Text and Photos by Jeremy Allan Glover

The Ford Mustang is arguably one of the most popular muscle cars out there. Almost every generation of the car has its own huge following, and with the insane number of companies that make aftermarket parts for them, it’s easy to make them fast for not too much money… making the ‘bang for the buck’ value of these machines one of the reasons why they are so popular.

This beautiful 1995 Mustang owned by Alex P. of Montreal is a prime example of how you can build a crazy car without busting the bank. This car started life as a V6 automatic. It wasn’t long before Alex realized that the V6 was not really up to where he wanted it to be in the power department, and so he started wrenching on the car himself, tweaking it a bit by changing gears, pulleys and adding little things to try and help out. Sadly, his efforts did not help much, so a nitrous oxide system was installed. That did improve the go of the car, but the need to refill the bottle constantly was a bit of a hassle, so Alex finally came around and realized that he needed to go for a 5.0L engine swap.

With the new powerplant in the car, things were looking a lot better for this Stang, but Alex was not done yet with the heart of his car. With some savvy internet searching, he started finding a lot of parts to add onto his engine. A few of the engine mods were a Paxton SN89 supercharger, Diablosport performance chip, Ford Motorsport polished tall valve covers, Cobra 65mm throttle body and polished intake with a 1-inch spacer, Walbo 255 high-flow fuel pump and a Vortech FMU. With all the go-fast goodies this engine received, it needed a good set of pipes to let it all out and make it scream, so a set of Flowmaster 40-series mufflers were installed…and boy, does it scream!

Now with a lot more power than the original V6 engine, the stock automatic transmission was not coping too well, so next on the list was a manual transmission swap. After more searching around online, a five-speed tranny out of a ’92 Mustang was found and swapped in. Since Alex was going though the trouble of the swap, he was not just going to put in a stock wimpy clutch, so a nice beefy Centerforce clutch and a B&M short shift kit were installed. Since this pony started off as a V6, there was no limited-slip diff, so thanks to eBay, Alex found a T-locker assembly. He was able to install it right into his stock differential and that helped to make sure that all the power he has was going to both rear wheels.

After adding both a new engine and transmission, it was time for some interior work. A full leather interior out of an ’03 Mustang GT was found and deposited in. To help keep an eye on the vitals of the engine, Autometer boost and air/fuel gauges were added.

On the entertainment side of things, this Mustang does not fall short, either. A JVC 3d stereo system with JVC 12-disc changer pushes out tunes to two 12-inch JBL subwoofers powered by a Memphis amp. As a special touch, Alex had some cool billet parts custom-machined for his car by his brother Mark, including brackets, wheel spacers, pulleys, and my favourite – the knob of death…a custom knob that is so pointy and sharp, you could slice a piece of paper with it….

Wanting his car to look as mean as it could, Alex painted and installed a Saleen body kit and a Cervini ram air hood. The combo really gives this car a muscled look. If you look closely enough through the ram air vents on the hood, you can see the supercharger sticking out a bit, so the hood is also very functional in keeping it all at a cool temp. This car has the look and the power, but Alex also improved the stance and ride of the car with some BBK lowering springs riding on 17-inch Cobra R mags wrapped in Falken F451 rubber. On the braking side, Alex did a Mach 1 brake conversion with 13-inch rotors and dual-piston calipers, so now the car can actually come to a stop after having some fun with the power….always a good idea.

This Mustang has it all, but Alex is still not 100 percent finished with it yet. An 8.8-inch differential and an engine tuner, among others, are on the list of things he still wants to do. This is a great example of how, with some serious searching online (and a lot of work), you can transform something that’s somewhat ordinary… into something truly extraordinary!