DUB Magazine Issue 63 by DUB Publishing Inc.

DWIGHT HOWARD | CHIP FOOSE PLATINUM MOTORSPORTS

Ryan Friedlinghaus

WEST COAST CUSTOMS RISE of a CULTURAL ICON

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DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 NOV/DEC 2009 CONTENTS

DWIGHT HOWARD

PLATINUM MOTORSPORT

14 17

INTAKE DUB DAILY

• LANCIA POWERBOAT • BANG ANG & OLUFSEN COLLABORATIONS ARTIN WITH AUDI AND ASTON MARTIN

34 DRIVEN EN 5 FACTORY 56 CTORY TUNED • CHIP FOOSE E

• AWARD-WINNING D-WINNING CELICA

20 FRESH

• GRILLES TO CHANGE UP YOUR CAR’S EXTERIOR LOOK OK • DETAILING.COM’S WHEEL L AND TIRE GUIDE

26 VOLUME

• SECURITY SYSTEMS TO KEEP P YOUR CAR SAFE. • RADAR DETECTION SYSTEMS S TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT.

32 GREEN STREETS

• HONDA CR-Z COMING TO AMERICA • BMW X6 HYBRID MOST POWERFUL GAS-ELECTRIC VEHICLE

2 BREAKDOWN 62 • BAER BRAKES

66 NEW RIDES DES

• 2010 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG G • NEXT GEN 4-DOORS

EDITOR’S NOTES The automotive industry has changed over the years, but one thing that remains constant is the auto enthusiast’s passion for the scene. For The Game Changer issue, we had the opportunity to feature some influential figures who’ve left their unique imprints on car culture’s past and are currently forging its future. For Driven, we sat down with multi-faceted automotive icon Chip Foose to find out how he garnered such success, what it was like working with the legendary Boyd Coddington and some insight into his overall passion for all things automotive. While NBA star Dwight Howard might not be an influential figure in the automotive world, he definitely is redefining the way the center position is played. As both a throwback to the iconic NBA centers of the past and a prototype for what’s to come, Howard is also foregoing the prototypical SUV and pushing the limits in his massive tank-like Knight XV from Conquest Vehicles.

Ten years strong with no signs of letting up and only room for expansion and growth, brothers George and Jack Keshishyan of Platinum Motorsport have taken their shop well beyond their initial modest expectations. They’ve expanded the “Platinum Lifestyle” to include an array of other businesses and are taking the brand overseas to satisfy their increasing international following.

Check out how Ryan Friedlinghaus’ passion for cars and $5,000.00 has led West Coast Customs to become one of the most recognizable custom car shops on the planet. With a new season of “Street Customs,” expansion shops all over the world, a clothing line, tattoo shops and building “modern day hot rods,” Ryan and West Coast Customs is again changing the game for others to follow. And lastly, who buys a car to make it ﬁt around their wheels? Topo does. We caught up with the elusive metal crafter to interrogate him on the methods to his widebody mastery and to preview his JW Motorsportscommissioned widebody Camaro, which is our ﬁrst solo car cover ever! Enjoy Issue 63!

DUB MAGAZINE & EVENTS STAFF Kristie Bertucci | Features Editor / Copy Editor | kristie@dubpublishing.com Kiani Tran-Boutros | Human Resources/Accounting Director | kiani@dubpublishing.com Jeanette Palmerin | Office Administrator | jeanette@dubpublishing.com Mike Shaughnessy | mike@dubpublishing.com Sean Dowd | sean@dubpublishing.com Walter Segovia | walter@dubpublishing.com Ryan Dobkin Manuel Oros Edwin Quiroz Victor Herrera TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS Andrew “Old Skol” Canales Tim Slayton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joseph Bieker / Jae Bueno / Kevin Ou Michael Fiore / Jason Stansberry / Marco Patiño James Tantillo / Patrick Daly CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nick Halili / Dick DeLoach / Deanne DeLuna

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Keep the letters coming! Hit us up via email at intake@dubmagazine.com or through snail mail at: DUB PO Box 91754 City of Industry, CA 91745-1819 Attn: INTAKE

INTAKE@DUBMAGAZINE.COM

TOMMY’S SHOW-WORTHY IMPALA Tommy’s ’68 Impala is a pretty dope lowrider, and I would never have pictured him owning one, but I can see why he doesn’t want or need anything else. If I owned it, it would definitely not be my everyday car and would only come out on special occasions. A beauty like that needs to be shown off and not driven all the time. But then again, Tommy always does things his way. The good life! Todd F. Via e-mail We totally agree with you, Todd, that Tommy’s Impala is a beautiful ride, but have to disagree with you on the not driving it part. Like a fine woman, it needs to be shown off to the world, no matter if it’s a special event or occasion. Tommy had his fair share of rides and now he’s in a different stage in his life and the Impala reflects that perfectly.

SMELL THE GOOD LIFE

JASON ELLIS: KING OF BADASS I listen to Jason Ellis’ show on Sirius all the damn time and was stoked to see you guys had featured him in Issue 62. He’s so badass that I bet you had to censor some of his interview. It’s hard to believe that at his age, he’s still down to try whatever. I liked how he was real about liking to be hit in the head and how he’s trying to do as many things before he dies. I think everybody should live by those words! Paul L. Via e-mail Actually, we didn’t have to censor much, Paul, and yes, he’s one badass dude! We hope we have the tenacity to do all the things he does when we hit his age. However, we’re not too fond of getting hit in the head like he does. He’s taking the airwaves by storm that we bet in a couple of years, he’ll end up being the king of media like he plans. His mantra is probably the reason why he’s so fearless and determined, which isn’t a bad way to live!

SILVER STAR DREAMS I’m a huge fan of MMA and am always wearing tees from TapouT and Silver Star, which is why I picked up Issue 62 to read about how the Silver Star Company came about. It’s amazing to hear how small brands can turn into million-dollar companies practically overnight! The ﬁghters he sponsors are deﬁnitely my top faves and so are the shirt designs. You guys need to feature more MMA! How ’bout getting Dana White, Rampage or Fedor in the magazine? Fabian Y. Via e-mail

I’m not usually down with body sprays, but TAG Signature Series scents are kind of cool I have to admit. I’ve smelled all three and am really feelin’ Dyrdek’s “Make Moves” scent. It’s good to see that they’re still giving back to some of the proceeds to various charities. It always pays to give back, which is why these three are so successful in their careers. Jacob C. Via e-mail We’re with you, Jacob. We’re not usually into body sprays either, but had to give it up to the TAG peeps for making scents that are actually wearable. All the guys at the office also have their favorite scent. So far, it’s a tie between Carmelo’s and Rob’s. It’s a shame that all three can’t win so that they can each donate to their charities, huh?

14 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

MMA is definitely causing a stir in the fashion world with its many MMAinspired companies and Silver Star just happens to be one of the most successful, but it definitely didn’t happen overnight. Luke has been in the game for several years and has worked hard to get to where he’s at. Their clothes are also really unique, which could be one reason why they’ve become so popular with both fighters and MMA fans. We’re fans of their fighters, too, and we definitely are working on more MMA features in the upcoming issues so stay tuned!

FREE!

NEW ERA X D20 COLLECTION FITTED IF WE PUBLISH YOUR LETTER! WRITE TO : INTAKE@DUBMAGAZINE.COM *PLASE SPECIFY CIFY YOUR HAT SIZE.

LANCIA POWERBOAT WWW.LANCIA.COM

Auto companies are now jumping in the water, taking on aquatic endeavors. There’s the Porsche Design Royal Falcon Fleet RFF135 Catamaran and now a Lancia Powerboat can be added to the list. This company, known for a long line of solid performing race cars and rally racing, was joined by several other top notch Italian firms: Sacs, who produces luxury RIBs (rigid inflatables); Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) who builds “best in class” engines; Martini, a regular partner of Lancia in the field of racing; and top boat designer Christian Grande. Equipped with two 1120 -horsepower diesel engines from FPT, the Lancia Powerboat cruises open waters between 15 and 45 knots with a top end of 55 knots (63 mph). Martini Racing graphics add a nice touch and actually make the powerboat look faster. It can hold up to 11 people and sleep two inside the luxury cabin. The deck

has four sunbathing mattresses in rows of two, side by side, and a special bathing platform. Rows of LEDs are located under the transom and front windscreen similar to modern Lancia car lights. There are no perimeter handrails so to keep the

lines of the boat clean. Inside the cockpit there is a retractable roof that allows open top motoring and a fold-away LCD TV and fully-equipped galley. The boat even features a minimalistic bathroom with an LCD-lighted shower.

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND RAPIDE WWW.BANG-OLUFSEN.COM

At the 2009 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Bang & Olufsen announced that its collaboration with Audi will now see all Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 cars quipped with the Bang & Olufsen Sound System. The acclaimed Bang & Olufsen Sound System has been tuned speciﬁcally for the thrill of open-top driving. Even with the top down, the specially tuned sound system continues to deliver clean, crisp, natural and precise playback. Additionally, with the introduction of Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Rapide designed for the new four-door Aston Martin Rapide sports car, Bang & Olufsen is now represented in all Aston Martin models available on the market. All Rapide cars will leave the factory equipped with the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Rapide system.

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 17

Forget about driving around with a plain, stock grille and add a bit of style to your ride with an aftermarket grille that’ll make your front fascia pop!

TIARRA OFF ROAD GRILLES

E&G 2010 MUSTANG GT CLASSIC “Q” STYLE GRILLE

T-REX CHALLENGER PHANTOM BILLET GRILLE

WWW.TIARRALUXURYGRILLES.COM | (702) 222-9229

WWW.EGCLASSIC.COM | (800) 394-2774

WWW.TREXBILLET.COM | (951) 270-5388

Tiarra Luxury Grilles,a division of Iced Out Emz, has just released its newest line in Off Road Grilles. T.O.R.S (Tiarra Off Road Series) is 100% handcrafted and made in the U.S. Customers can choose from either chrome or powder coat ﬁnish. Grilles are available for new models of Dodge Ram’s 1500 and 2500; all of Ford’s F-Series; and the Chevy Silverado.

The new E&G Classic “Q” Style grille (part 1049 0185 110Q), made from mirror stainless steel, encompasses the new Mustang “black chrome Pony” emblem. The “Q” Style is a welcomed change from the black plastic found on the factory OEM grille and front fascia. As a new twist to “Q” Style theme, the 2010 Mustang GT “Q” will be offered in their unique “Black Ice” ﬁnish.

T-Rex Grilles pushes old school to the next level with the introduction of the Phantom Billet grille for the Challenger. With easy bolt-on installation and an industry-leading warranty, T-Rex’s new Phantom Billet grille is the best bang for your buck to give your Challenger an even more classic look. Each grille is made from high-quality billet aluminum and hand crafted here in the USA!

ASANTI 2009 BMW 750I GRILLE WWW.ASANTIGRILLES.COM | (800) 833-9700

Utilizing only the highest quality grade 304 stainless steel frames and ﬁnely woven, doublecrimped mesh, the Asanti grille for the 2009 BMW 750i comes with the front upper and lower grille and replaces the factory one with easy bolt-on installation. Each body styling kit can be individually customized to the owners speciﬁcations with options such as chrome, polished, powder coated and color matched mesh or frame.

20 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

FRESH

THE HOTTEST AUTOMOTIVE GEAR

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

ASANTI LUXURY FORGED WHEELS ASA

PHONE: 800.833.9700 // SITE: WWW.ASANTIWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: AF162 AF Sizes: Siz TBA T Finishes: F All chrome standard A Optional colors available

AXIOM FORGED AXIO

PHONE: 305.477.5850 // SITE: WWW.AXIOMWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: AX-Multi AX Sizes: Siz 19, 20, 21 19 Finishes: F Custom ﬁnishes C

BLAQUE DIAMOND BLAQ

PHONE: 818.897.4177 // SITE: WWW.BLAQUEDIAMOND.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Spyder Sp Sizes: Siz 19, 20, 22, 24 19 Finishes: F Custom ﬁnishes C

COR FORGED

PHONE: 305.477.5850 // SITE: WWW.CORWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Lladro Lla Sizes: Siz 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 20 Finishes: F Custom ﬁnishes C

DIABLO WHEELS DIAB

PHONE: 626.813.2500 // SITE: WWW.DIABLOUSA.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Angel An Sizes: Siz 20, 22 20 Finishes: F Chrome with black inserts C Custom colors available

DONZ FORGED SERIES DON

PHONE: 888.DON.1888 // SITE: WWW.DONZWHEELZ.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Gallo Ga Siz Sizes: All sizes available A Finishes: F C Custom ﬁnishes

DROPSTARS DRO

PHONE: 800.959.1969 // SITE: WWW.DROPSTARS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: DS09 DS Sizes: Siz 18-24 18 Finishes: F All chrome, custom ﬁnishes A black with machine ﬁnish

22 DUB MAG NOV/DEC 2009

FRESH

THE HOTTEST AUTOMOTIVE GEAR

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

DUB WHEELS

PHONE: 562.630.5848 // SITE: WWW.SUPERBUYTIRES.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Proxy 2 Pro Sizes: 22-30 Siz Finishes: Fi Custom paint C Custom graphics C

NUTEK WHEELS NUT

PHONE: 714.921.5272 // SITE: WWW.NUTEKWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Series 530 Se Sizes: Siz 19, 20, 22, 24 19 Finishes: F Custom ﬁnishes C

RUFF RACING RUF

PHONE: 954.735.3335 // SITE: WWW.STATUSWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: R941 Lip Lock R9 Sizes: Siz 20 Finishes: F Black with removeable chrome lip insert Chrome with removeable black lip insert

SAF FORGED WHEELS

PHONE: 909.937.3377 // SITE: WWW.SAFFORGED.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Allure All Sizes: Siz 19, 20, 22, 24, 26 19 Finishes: F Chrome, brushed, polished, custom powder C coat or paint ﬁnishes available

SAVINI FORGED WHEELS SAVI

PHONE: 866.779.4646 // SITE: WWW.SAVINIFORGED.COM PHONE

Nam Name: SV 29s Sizes: 19, 20, 22, 24 Siz Finishes: Fi Diamond chrome D ccustom ﬁnishes

TIS W WHEELS

PHONE: 800.959.1969 // SITE: WWW.TISWHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: TIS16 TIS Siz Sizes: 18-24 18 Finishes: F A All chrome, Custom ﬁnishes Black with machine ﬁnish

VCT WHEELS

PHONE: 877.943.3575 // SITE: WWW.VCT-WHEELS.COM PHONE

Nam Name: Abruzzi Ab Sizes: Siz 20, 22, 24 20 Finishes: F Chrome with black inserts C

NOV/DEC 2009

DUB MAG 23

FRESH

THE HOTTEST O A AUTOMOTIVE UTTOMOTIVE GEAR

1 The Invo® is an ultra-high performance street tire that delivers an optimal balance of wet performance, dry performance, ride comfort and reﬁnement. State-of-the-art computer engineering software and specialized digital testing equipment were used to produce an exceptionally quiet tread pattern that reduces perceived pa pattern attern noise.

The Invo® is non-directional so that owners can rotate tires on staggered ﬁtments. This freedom of rotation reduces abnormal wear for a smooth, quiet ride throughout the life of the tire. The Invo® is an ideal balance of performance and ride comfort. It is the perfect complement to your luxury performance vehicle.

NITTO INVO NITT

PHONE: 800.961.0081 // SITE: WWW.INVOTIRE.COM PHONE

Per Performance Rating: W, Y UTQG Treadwear: W: 260, Y: 220 UT Traction: AA Tra Temperature: A Te Fitment: Exotic sports cars F aand luxury touring vehicles Sizes: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24

Give your chrome wheels an eyepopping, mirror-like shine in minutes using Meguiar’s Hot Rims Chrome Polish.

Don’t let dull, dirty rims ruin the look of your ride. After cleaning your wheels, apply a protective layer of RimWax to repel brake dust and reduce dust buildup by as much as 75%.

Find the best products for your wheels and more at www.detailing.com

SERIES BY

C3-RS915

C3-RS1100

When you thought it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better,

STRAP ONE ON and GET STARTED! 800.262.2527 www.autopageusa.com

C3-RS730

KEEPING YOUR RIDE SAFE AND SECURE IS EASY WITH ONE OF THESE SECURITY SYSTEMS THAT WILL PUT YOUR MIND AT EASE WHEREVER YOU GO.

ZENESIS ELECTRONICS ZN502 WWW.ZENESISALARMS.COM

The ZN302 is a 2-way LED confirmation system designed by an awardwinning design firm, with unique styling and state-of-the-art technolgoy. The system boasts a LED and audible confirmation upon remote start from 3,000 ft. away (open range), temperature sensors, a turbo timer, zone bypass and dual polarities/RS232 data port for easy installation. The LED can also indicate battery life and also provide status info of your vehicle. If the alarm is triggered, the system will page the driver with blinking RED LED and audio. Best of all, the new model comes standard with the popular Z-PASS TOUCH, Z-MATIC Intelligent Turbo Timer and Z-SYNC. MSRP is $299.

AUTO PAGE HEAVY METAL SERIES WWW.AUTOPAGEUSA.COM

Auot Page introduces three new Heavy Metal Series alarms, featuring High-Tech chrome metal face and smart-looking leather strap for the key ring. Top of the line C3-RS1100 OLED (left) is a 6-channel alarm with remote car starter and 2-way SST full color OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) remote transmitter with up to 1-mile range. The C3-RS1100 retails for $699 and comes with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery with USB wall charger. The C3-RS915 (middle) incorporates many of the same features as the C3-RS1100 utilizing a 2-way rechargeable paging transceiver with selectable 7-color LCD screen and is $599. The C3-RS730LCD (right) features a host of new innovations like the new LCD screen transceiver with 50% more viewing space and a new 7-color selectable backlighting. Two-way paging transceiver uses AM frequency bands for transmitting and receiving at 433.9 megahertz and retails for $499.

CLIFFORD RESPONDER HD WWW.CLIFFORD.COM

The winner of the “Innovations Award” at CES ‘09, the Clifford Responder HD is Clifford’s most advanced color remote, using 900 MHz Spread Spectrum Technology (SST) and operates within a one-mile range. It includes a band new user interface that utilizes Clifford’s patented Menu Wheel for the ﬁrst time, along with a mini-USB charging port. The OLED display panel on the Clifford Responder HD color remote is 20% larger than any previous Clifford LCD panel keychain remote. The intended use and user value of Clifford Responder HD constitute nothing less than a new higher level of connection between drivers and the safeety of their vehicles. MSRP is $799.

CODE ALARM CA-650 WWW.CODE-ALARM.COM

The CA650 is a long-range vehicle security, remote start and keyless entry system from Code Alarm that comes with: one 2-way 433MHz LCD Display 5-button command confirming metal transmitter and one 1-way 433MHz 4-button metal transmitter. This unit will accept up to four remote controls and features a glass-mounted antenna with built-in red LED light and valet switch, 125Db weatherproof siren, dual stage magnetic shock sensor, on board relay for flashing parking lights, trunk release, start confirmation parking lights and progressive car find. Some additional features include quick stop mode, 24-hour time start mode, cold temp start mode, alarm clock mode, parking meter count down timer, is both hybrid and diesal vehicle compatible for remote start, comes with up to $2,500 theft protection guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty. MSRP is $449.99.

VIPER 5901 RESPONDER LC3 WWW.VIPER.COM

JUL / /AUG DEC2009 2009 26 18 DUB MAG NOV

Viper’s 5901 Responder LC3 lets you command and monitor your vehicle like never before, with Priority icons – simple and prioritized for easy use - plus clear text labels on the large LCD screen. With the Priority User Interface, the ﬁve buttons control 24 functions on two cars at once! And with the Priority Icon Map, the most important icons reside in the center of the large LCD screen, three times larger than the less-critical icons positioned on the edges of the screen. The onboard lithium-ion rechargeable battery with mini-USB recharging makes for greater lasting power. It’s deﬁnitely one of the most sophisticated one-mile-range LCD remotes on the market that also has the slimmest display! MSRP is $599.99.

* Radar detectors are legal in many cities and states in the United States. DUB Publishing encourages consumers to check their state tions before purchasing one. regulations

AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN A “STICKY SITUATION” WITH ONE OF THESE RADAR DETECTION SYSTEMS THAT’LL SAVE YOU UNWANTED TICKETS AND LOADS OF CASH IN THE LONG RUN.

BELTRONICS GX65 WWW.BELTRONICS.COM

Beltronics Professional Series GX65 delivers the best long-range warning on all radar bands including X, K, Superwide Ka, Ku and instant-on POP. Multiple front and rear laser sensors provide 360-degree laser protection, including the widest ﬁeld of view. It’s powered technology provides permanent relief from false alarms, including automatic door openers, motion sensors and other radar-based sensors. And, it comes preloaded with thousands of red light and ﬁxed position speed camera locations throughout North America. MSRP is $469.95.

COBRA ELECTRONICS XRS 9960G WWW.COBRA.COM

If you’re looking for total protection then Cobra’s XRS 9960G provides it, as well as a peace of mind with Super-Xtreme Range Superheterodyne Technology, detecting all 15 radar/laser bands with its super-fast lock-on detection circuitry. The unit provides extra detection range and the best possible advance warning to even the fastest of POP mode radar guns. The unit comes with a GPS Locator and Lifetime Subscription to AURA Database to alert you to veriﬁed Speed and Red Light Camera locations, dangerous intersections, and reported Speed Trap locations for the entire United States and Canada. Other notable features include: an exclusive full-color ExtremeBright DataGraﬁx II Display, 8-point electronic compass, Voice Alert, car battery voltage display/low car battery warning and more. MSRP is $389.95

ROCKY MOUNTAIN RADAR RMR-C475 WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINRADAR.COM

Rocky Mountain’s RMR-C475 features a new blue backlit dot matrix LCD display that allows for easy reading, alerts you to all radar bands and offers 360-degree laser detection. It also provides the beneﬁt of undetectability by alerting you to the presence of VG-2 and VG-3 signals, aka radar detector detectors, and incorporates Safety Alert and Safety Warning System detection. Even better? An on-board radar/laser scrambler for some real peace of mind. Voice Alert with Intelli-Voice voice synthesis keeps you aware while you keep your eyes on the road. Plus it’s bilingual--select between English/Spanish. It also features an improved windshield mount bracket with three suction cups. The windshield mounting bracket and straight power cord are included. MSRP is $279.96

WHISTLER XTR-695SE WWW.WHISTLERGROUP.COM

The new XTR-695SE combines Whistler’s high-performance features with reliable protection against all commonly used radar bands, including X, K, laser, and Pop Mode. The 695SE’s Ka Max mode offers even more added protection against this commonly used radar band. You can also set the XTR-695SE to ignore false alarms that occur every day in the same spot on your commute, and you can choose between three city modes to reduce false alarms in populated areas. Twin top-mounted LEDs blink to alert you to the presence of laser, radar, or SWS signals in the vicinity. Also, selectable voice alerts relate Safety Warning System messages conﬁrm which feature you’ve selected, and tell you which type of radar or laser you’re encountering. MSRP is $269.95.

ESCORT PASSPORT 9500IX WWW.ESCORTRADAR.COM

B MAG JUL NOV/ /AUG DEC2009 2009 9 28 18 DUB

ESCORT’s Passport 9500ix GPS Enabled Radar Detector is their most advanced radar and laser detector that features GPS technology and preloaded database of known red light and speed camera locations. You can also download updates, back up your data, and stay on top of new threats directly from their website. The Passport 9500ix also includes a new automatic way of eliminating false alarms called “AutoLearn” that utilizes their patented GPS technology to identify and eliminate false alarms automatically while you drive using artiﬁcial intelligence. Now, the only alerts you will get are the ones that really count! It comes complete with comprehensive owner’s manual, quick-release windshield mount, coiled SmartCord, quick reference card and an ESCORT travel case. MSRP is $499.95.

BOOTH #45041

HONDA CR-Z CONFIRMED FOR U.S. AND JAPAN IN 2010

Honda’s next hybrid, the CR-Z, will be hitting the U.S. in late-2010, but it will ﬁrst make its way to Japan in February 2010. The CR-Z is an aggressive, sporty coupe that Honda hopes to price signiﬁcantly below all other

hybrid offerings. Though the Insight has not been doing as well as Honda had hoped, they are still committed to low-cost hybrid vehicles and the CR-Z (and hopefully a hybrid Fit) will be a big part of that.

MERCEDES-BENZ BLUEZERO E-CELL PLUS

Mercedes-Benz today has again detailed one member of their modularly constructed electric car family– the Mercedes BlueZERO

E-CELL PLUS. Based on the BlueZERO E-CELL (one of the models unveiled late last year that’s driven only by a battery-powered electric drive), the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS features the same battery powered electric motor but adds a compact 50kW three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. As a result, the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS boasts an operating range of up to 360 miles, whereas the BlueZERO E-CELL notes an operating range of 124 miles.

BMW X6 HYBRID TO BE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL GAS-ELECTRIC VEHICLE

SEL HYBRIDS AND DIESEL NEY CARS SAVE YOU MONEY

BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 promises to be the most powerful hybrid vehicle ever offered for sale with 480 horsepower and 575 lb.-ft. of torque from its twin electric motors and 4.4-liter V8 engine combined. The ActiveHybrid X6 accelerates from standstill to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds, while returning a 20-percent fuel mileage improvement over the standard X6 with its twin-turbo V8. To set the hybrid apart from its standard sibling, BMW will also

If you think buying a hybrid or diesell car is too expensive for your wallet and don’t want to wait to see the payoffs, according to a new study byy IntelliChoice.com, you start saving money as soon as you drive it off the lot. IntelliChoice.com took a look at the numbers for 51 hybrid and clean diesel vehicles on the market in 2009 and compared them to the statistics for gasoline versions. The results provide an overall cost of ownership. And the verdict? Thirty-four of the

feature the new fuel-saver with a power dome hood to clear the power electronics module and a bespoke metallic blue hue.

FORD WILL BUILD PLUG-INS WITH SMART GRID TECH Electric Vehicles and the Smart Grid are two of the biggest pieces of the next generation of environmental technology, and Ford will be combining the two in its new plugins they plan on building. Ford promised to have an electric transit van in 2010, an electric Focus in 2011 and a mass-produced plug-in hybrid in 2012, and all will now feature this Smart Grid technology that will communicate with the electric company via advanced electric meters while the vehicle is charging. The electric company will tell your car to stop charging if demand is too high, or to charge quickly if the price is low. It’s even possible

32 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

that, during times of peak demand, you’ll be able to sell the electric company’s power back to it at a hugely inﬂated price.

51 h b id or clean l di l h hybrids diesels have a lower overall cost than their gasoline counterparts (if you take out the current government tax credits, that number does drop to 23, but still). Also, should gas prices get to a $4 per gallon price, 41 of the clean vehicles are more cost efficient than the gasoline versions.

PHOTOS: MARCO PATIÑO

he Southern California designer, Chip Foose, has achieved tremendous success in a relatively short period of time. At only 46, he’s already become a legend in the hot-rod world and isn’t showing signs of slowing down. His prize-winning creations, which can take up to six years to build by hand, typically cost those who crave a Foose-designed vehicle more than $1 million. As a deﬁnite “Game Changer,” Chip Foose talks about his inspirations, his journey to success and why he’s afraid of failure. How old were you when you became interested in cars? I think probably still in the womb [laughs]. I think I heard the engine from the inside. My father built cars and I remember from a young age, like when I was three years old, I would sit next to my dad—he’s quite a talented artist as well—and copy what he was drawing. Then he worked for a shop that built cars for studios. I remember as a kid going around and seeing all that stuff. As long as I can remember, I’ve been around cool cars. Besides your father being a major factor in your love of cars, is there any other outside inﬂuences? Well, when I was seven years old, I started going to his job. And I’d like to say I was helping my dad, but I know I destroyed a lot of stuff. He started working with a designer who’s name was Alex Tremulus, and he had designed the “Tucker” that vehicle that was supposed to go into production. I remember looking at his drawings and he taught me about the Art Center College of Design and I knew from then on that’s where I wanted to go and ended up doing.

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Can you detail the journey it took to become such a notable person within the industry? Working with my father ﬁrst. He’s an extremely talented designer that never went to get a formal degree in it. He can just look at something and just really know how to work with it. I picked a lot of that up from him, especially my sensitivity to design and color. I think working with him was a great base. When I went to work at another company called Asha Corporation, I learned a lot about working with different cars. Other highlighted points would be graduating from the Art Center College of Design and working with Boyd Coddington. Then I was forced to go on my own in 1998 when Coddington went bankrupt, and I’ve been on my own ever since. What would you say was the turning point of your career? I would say what really changed it while working at Boyd’s I met a lot of people, not just employees but also customers like Ron Whiteside, Wes Rydell, Chuck Svatos and Ken Reister, whom are probably the four major customers who helped make Foose Design who we are today. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do these projects. When I was building these cars and winning these shows, that drew the attention of the studios and they wanted to do a TV show based on cars. So Bud Bultman waked in here one day and said he wanted to ﬁlm the next car we were building and go to a show and I said, ‘No, you got 11 months before we go to the next show, but what I can do is call Ford Motor Company and see if they want to donate a vehicle that we can build on TV to take to SEMA, and when we did that show is when everything started to explode. I kept pitching to him that I wanted to build real cars for real people, similar to “Monster Garage,” but make something for somebody and make it an ultimate gift and came up with the idea of “Overhaulin” in 2002. That was a fun ride. A lot of work, but really did pay off. When you make somebody’s dream become a reality, there’s not a better or more natural high in the world.

When approaching a new project, how do you first start off, is there a certain approach you take each time or is it different all the time? Well, I approach each project in a different way. When I’m talking to a person who comes in, I like to meet their wives first because I want to see what type of woman she is and what her tastes are. Because I know that I’m not only building it for me, but I need to make her happy. If she’s not happy, she thinks he wasted his money. This was one of the projects I used to give when I taught at the Art Center College of Design is have them draw their dream car, just a quick sketch. Then I’d have them think of their dream woman and draw your dream car that you’ll need to get your dream woman. And it’s a completely different car. That’s the way I always approach projects. What was it like working with famed legend Boyd Coddington and what did you learn while working with him? When I worked at my dad’s shop, a project would come in and we took it from start to finish. When I went to Boyd’s shop, he had certain people who only did certain things on the car. When you’re doing a car from start to finish it takes a lot of time, but when a person is in charge of only one thing, you can get things done a lot quicker. That’s what I learned from Boyd. Another thing is Boyd let talented craftsmen do their job, and he wouldn’t really get involved in it. He’d let them do their job. He was a great businessman and knew how to put a team together. What led you to want to open your own company, and how was it initially different from when you worked for someone else? Well I would have stayed with Boyd forever. I absolutely loved what I was doing there. When Hot Rods by Boyd and Boyd Wheels when bankrupt in ’98, I was kind of left standing without a job. My last day at work, my wife picked me up and she handed me a brown paper bag that had a little T-shirt on it that said “I Love Daddy” on it. I hadn’t gotten paid for my last seven weeks at Boyd’s, my wife was pregnant and I had $700 in the bank and our house payment was due. I went looking for jobs, but there wasn’t anything available right away. I started doing freelance work and that’s how it started. What motivates you to keep on creating such unforgettable works of automotive art? Passion for what I do. What would motivate me from taking a break to sleep on “Overhaulin” was fear of failure. I didn’t want to fail. We had a deadline and a film crew there. Only one car of 87 went over the allotted days we had. I was heartbroken because I felt I let everybody down, but it must be one of the best we did. Having been in the industry so long, how have you seen it change and grow to become what it is now? There are so many more people involved in this industry. When I first started out with my father, there wasn’t an industry where you can pick up a magazine, find the parts that you needed and make a phone call and it’ll get shipped right to your door. I remember walking around in wrecking yards for hours, trying to find the part that I wanted or needed. It is so accessible to build a car and that’s how I’ve seen this industry grow and grow. Over the years, you’ve won many awards. Which one(s) have meant the most to you and why? The ones that mean that most for me are the ones that we win for our customers. When a customer comes in and they want us to build a car so that they can win a show, you don’t want them to go there without the best. If you know your customer really wants to win, they you need to make sure you give them the best. What we’re competing for is an opinion and when judges decide that your car is the best is really hard. I treat every single piece on a car as if it were a piece of artwork, no matter how small it is. Last year, you were also given a special DUB award at SEMA, while not as prestigious as others, what did you think of the award? Actually, I was very blown away and very honored. I think Myles is a great guy and talented guy. It’s not all about DUB; he’s promoting the industry. Having achieved so much already, what is there left for you to do? I’ve got a lot of ideas in my head that I haven’t gotten a chance to build. I would love to have enough money in the bank to build whatever I wanted to. What advice to do you have for those looking to follow in your footsteps? Follow their heart and do what they truly believe is what they want to do. CHIP FOOSE WWW.CHIPFOOSE.COM

READ MORE ON CHIP FOOSE AT DUBMAG.NET

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superman’s tank WORDS: NICK HALILI PHOTOS: THE WD CORP. PHOTOGRAPHY

“W

e’ve never had a guy this tall who could jump like this. This guy is ﬂat out scary!” When someone describes a basketball player in such reverential tones, you know he is something special. But when the person saying it is hoops legend Charles Barkley, and the player being described is NBA superstar Dwight Howard, there is no choice but to admit you are witnessing a performance that no other big-man in history could ever accomplish. And at that point, in the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, the 6-foot-11-inch

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Orlando Magic center had not even unleashed his signature dunk, draped in the iconic red “S” and cape from the legendary comic book hero, which would compel NBA fans worldwide to refer to him as “Superman.” But unlike the movie franchise featuring the DC Comics superhero, D. Howard’s sequels after that fabled All-Star Game weekend were even better. Later that year, alongside fellow NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, he helped bring USA basketball back to its former glory by winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing

Olympics. “Representing the United States was like a dream come true,” he says. “It was bigger than just playing basketball for me. I was playing for my whole country. We worked on that goal for four years of trying to win the gold medal; and to see our team from day one to the gold medal was a great journey.” Dwight followed up those achievements with a third-act that was arguably his most impressive feat thus far, as he led the Magic to its ﬁrst NBA Finals appearance in almost 15 years. “Playing on the big stage in the Finals. That is amazing! People don’t understand

it. It’s like a totally different world because the whole world is watching!” Howard is both a throwback to the historic NBA centers of old and a prototype for a whole new kind of big-man. “I’ve always wanted to be Wilt Chamberlain,” he admits. “He’s like my all-time favorite basketball player.” Unlike many of the current NBA big men, who rely on ﬁnesse moves and perimeter shooting, Dwight— much like The Big Dipper (Chamberlain) once did—thrives in the paint, throwing down dunks and gobbling up rebounds by the dozens. The

The interior of Howard’s Knight XV looks looks like the inside of a tank with a custom-made steering wheel, custom dash, external communication system, Alpine entertainment system (14 speakers totalling 2,500 watts) and a Flir PathFindIR vehicle thermal night vision camera system (front and rear) with rear back-up camera. Comfort wan’t comprised with an extra spacious extended interior setting, leather seats handcrafted in Andrew Muirhead luxury leather, Wilton Wool luxury carpeting and an Ultrasuede interior ﬁnish throughout the beast.

NOV / DEC 2009

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reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year has also made it a habit of instilling fear in opposing players who even think of going to the hole for a dunk or lay up. However, he is strikingly different from many of the classic big-men because he is blessed with the athleticism and leaping ability of a guard, which he has continued to put on display on the big stage since forgoing college to jump straight to the pros. It’s difficult to fathom that as a 15-year-old high schooler, Howard possessed none of these qualities. He was shorter than many of his peers and had only modest leaping ability. “Back when I was growing up, they said I had an old man’s game. Before I had the hops, I used to never dunk. I always used the glass.” But then he did something not even the comic book Superman can do. “I went from 5’8” to 6’3” to 6’9” in one year. I would go to church and people would say, ‘Yo, are you on stilts? ’Cause last Sunday, you wasn’t this tall!’ ” Right in the middle of that growth spurt, he broke his leg and was in a cast for six weeks, but responded to that injury more like the X-Men’s Wolverine than the Man of Steel. “It was crazy. After I broke my leg, when I was in the cast, I grew two inches, and when I got out of the cast, I was jumping out of the gym!” But even after that growth spurt, he wasn’t yet ready to embrace his newfound physical gifts and become a dominant big-man. “I actually played point guard and I wanted to be like Magic [Johnson], a 6-foot-10-inch point guard. Eleventh grade is really when I became a power forward and center. But even then, I was one of the secondary point guards on the team.” These days, everything D. Howard does is larger than life, from his Herculean achievements on the basketball court to the newest toy in his collection off the court. Sure, lots of star athletes and hip-hop moguls drive around in

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Being a playful guy off the court, Howard opted to have a retractable 26-inch Sony bravia ﬂat screen TV added in the rear cabin, complete with a satellite dish and XBox 360 with wireless controls so he and his friends can get their gaming on while on the go.

big Hummers. But Dwight has topped them all with the gargantuan, military-inspired Knight XV from Conquest Vehicles, which William Maizlin, president of Conquest says, “makes the Hummer look like a baby.” “I like having cars that nobody else has,” Howard says. “When I ﬁrst saw it in the Dupont Registry, I was like, ‘I gotta have it!’” After being shown that ﬁrst picture of the Knight XV by celebrity vehicle broker Andre

Hunter, Dwight’s right-hand man when it comes to getting the latest and greatest in automobiles, the young center knew this ride ﬁt him to a T. Just as Howard’s game on the court is power personiﬁed, the Knight XV exudes strength, from its fully armored bulletproof all-black exterior to its enormous, practically airplane-sized 40-inch tires. “You see pictures of big Bull Mastiffs, or Cane Corsos, or Pitbulls, the car just looks like a

THE $500,000-KNIGHT XV FEATURES A 6.8-LITER, V10 TWIN TURBO ENGINE WITH E-85 ETHANOL CONVERSION SYSTEM THAT BOASTS 550 HORSEPOWER AND 580 LB.FT. OF TORQUE, MAKING IT ONE MEANCING MACHINE ON THE ROAD.

guard dog—like it’s made to guard you. A lot of people say I’m a beast on the floor. This car is a beast on the road. It demands attention.” Built on the Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis and sporting a 6.8-liter V-10, Dwight’s Knight XV was customized with a twin-turbocharger system that puts down more than 550 horsepower, while being able to run either on E-85 Ethanol or premium gas. Equipped with custom-made15 ½-inch front brake rotors with 12-piston billet calipers, Maizlin touts the Knight as having “the largest and most powerful braking system in the world.” Howard had his KniMght’s interior customized to fit his fun-loving personality just as its rugged exterior parallels his physical playing style. Originally a six-seater with limostyle, face-to-face seating behind the driver and side passenger, he had two of those removed in favor of a 26-inch retractable flat-screen TV hooked up to an Xbox 360, where Dwight and his friends can play his favorite games such as Grand Theft Auto and Madden NFL. When describing how much bigger it is on the inside than any other car he’s ever seen, Howard says, “You can look at pictures all you want, but it’s a different story when you’re actually in the car.” Its

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dashboard resembles the high-tech control panel of some top-secret U.S. army tank more than it does a street-driven automobile, complete with front and rear infrared cameras to see at night and during extreme weather—although the odds of Howard encountering a snowstorm in Orlando are somewhat slim. “I’m a big kid at heart. I always gotta have fun. But when it’s time to step on the ﬂoor, that’s when I turn into an animal. It’s just like this car.” As perfect a match as Dwight Howard and his Knight XV are, fans that happen to see him on the road may be left with a lingering question. After gawking at the sight of the superstar and his new whip in jaw-dropping disbelief, many will stop and think: Wait a minute! Did I just see Superman driving around in the Batmobile?! Riding on Knight XV 20-inch polished rims forged from 6061 aluminum and Mickey Thompson 40-inch Baja tires, custom-made 15 1/2-inch front brake Rotors with 12-piston billet calipers were added, making this the most powerful stopping system in the world.

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n the game Chess, the king is the most important piece on the board, and the last king standing wins. To take the game, one must have a better strategy, patience and ability to make the right move at the right time. George and Jack Keshishyan of Platinum Motorsport are celebrating 10 years in the industry, a tenure due to a solid strategy, patience and making the right moves at the right time. Be a student of the game. Starting Platinum Motorsport while still in high school (George had just graduated while Jack was still in his sophomore year) as a way to stay out of trouble and the streets, the brothers were no strangers to the business. “Our father has been in the automotive industry business for more than 30 years, as far as a regular mechanic servicing and repairs, and we turned his old shop into Platinum Motorsport’s main location and started focusing on more of a higher-end market,” Jack says. “It has been 10 years now, and we have since then expanded our company in many ways and have made Platinum Motorsport a lifestyle brand in the high-end market.” Know your competition. “Honestly, I put this out there with no disrespect to anybody, but we really, at this point, don’t feel as if there is competition for us,” says George. “What we offer and what we do is completely different from anybody out there. I can’t say that four or ﬁve years ago that there wasn’t competition—there was quite a bit more shops at that time—but in today’s marketplace, I don’t really see us having anyone to compete with in our part of the market.” “This isn’t a hobby for us, it’s what we do, live and breathe day in and day out,” Jack comments. “It’s something where we’ve taken fashion, nightlife, cars and mixed it and made it into a lifestyle. We just feel it’s not just a regular ‘mom and pop’ automotive thing.” Observe and plan several moves ahead. Besides being one of the most notable and trendsetting shops in the nation, the Brothers have also expanded the business to include various entities

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“HONESTLY, I PUT THIS OUT THERE WITH NO DISRESPECT TO ANYBODY, BUT WE REALLY, AT THIS POINT, DON’T FEEL AS IF THERE IS COMPETITION FOR US — GEORGE NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 47

that fit with their unique lifestyle market and their equally unique clientele. “There was a high demand that led to the creation of Worldwide Rent-A-Car segment,” says Sam Telikyan, Platinum Motorsport’s Marketing Director and Managing Director for the Worldwide brands. “Clients would come and drop off their cars at the collision center for repair and would obviously need a replacement car in the meantime. And these cars would typically be S550 Mercedes-Benzes and Bentleys, to Ferraris and Lamborghinis. At the same time, high-profile clients, such as artists, athletes and celebrities, started coming to us to borrow vehicles while in town, so it made sense to create this part of the business” Offering luxury and exotic rentals, Worldwide Rent-A-Car also gave way to Worldwide Picture Cars, which lends out their prestigious rides (as well as unique others like fire trucks, boats, ice cream trucks and more) to movies, music videos and commercials. Three recently added services include Worldwide Executive Protection that offers personal security, Worldwide Limousines and Chauffeurs and Worldwide Concierge which provides clients with everything they need to make their stay in L.A. a truly VIP experience. “As our business grew, we felt that there were areas we could cover instead of outsourcing, which is not about being greedy, but actually about being able to provide clients the service they need, exactly when they need it,” George says about their new Worldwide segments. “Whether it’s a rental car, chauffeur service or protection, it still falls under our automotive lifestyle.” While the Brothers treat all their segments of the business with the same passion and energy as the next, George explains that the exotic rentals, chauffeur services have taken off really well. “Another one we feel is going to be huge is Worldwide Executive Protection,” he adds. “One client can use several of our services,” Sam describes. “A client comes in from the airport so they’ll use our limo services. They’ll then want a rental car to drive around town in. If they’re new to L.A. or don’t want the hassles of setting up dinner or club reservations, they can use our concierge services and we’ll set everything up for them. If it’s a high-profile client, they might want security around them and opt for our protection services. We’re thinking outside of the box, not just about cars.”

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“There were a lot of negative things happening when we ﬁrst started the business, and we didn’t want to get caught up in any of it.” — Jack

“We aren’t afraid to take exotic and luxury cars and make them even better.” — George

Be open and ready for change, but always stay focused on the goal. While all these new Worldwide segments greater expands Platinum Motorsport’s reputation and lifestyle services, Jack admits that none of this was originally planned when they first sought out to start the shop. “I can’t stand here and lie and say, ‘These were our expectations from day one…’ because there weren’t any,” he says. “It was a way to keep us focused and positive. There were a lot of negative things happening when we first started the business, and we didn’t want to get caught up in any of it. Luckily, we have a great father who guided us in the right direction and gave us a great work ethic. One thing has just lead to another. I don’t think any of us had an idea of it growing into such a beast, which is what we call it. Knowing that our father came to this country to live the American Dream, and here we are doing it and making it better; it gives us the motivation to achieve bigger and better things.” “But, we’ve always had high goals at the same time,” George chimes in. “We’ve always strived to get to the next step. We’re never satisfied with what we have—which, again, isn’t about money or greed, just about setting a staple and having a passion for what we do. We love what we do, so we’re going to make sure to put 150 percent into it.” Be passionate about the game. That hard work and passion has lead to the Keshishyan Brothers’ success throughout their 10-year tenure in the difficult business of customizing high-end vehicles. They have become the go-to source for many celebrities, athletes, musicians and other notable clients. An even more telling and true testament of their success is the mere fact that a significant amount of vehicles are shipped to them from all over the country and world to receive the Platinum Motorsport treatment. “If you look at our track record, whether it’s the first to paint cars matte black out there, we’re on top because we’re trendsetters. We aren’t afraid to take exotic and luxury cars and make them even better,” George says. “For example, take Jermaine Dupri. He has three cars we have done that are all white with black accents throughout, but they’re also slightly different in styling cues in very subtle ways. This guy has such a passion for cars that he sends them from Atlanta to here for us to work on them. He understands the detail we put behind our work, which is just the type of detail he wants in his vehicles. “Andrew Bynum from the Lakers has another awesome collection. This dude is car crazy ’cause he has a fleet of, maybe, 15 cars and each one either has a turbo or supercharger in them. None of them are stock. He always has custom kits and wild paint jobs on them. He pays

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attention to a lot of details that a normal customer wouldn’t pay attention to and is very involved in the entire customization process. It’s great working with someone so enthusiastic about his cars.” “When we do something new, the marketplace has followed. What we do is cater to those unique styles and tastes our customers have. We never try to duplicate cars, either, since everyone wants to be different.” Sometimes not making a move is the best move. Success leads to growth, and one would have guessed that Platinum Motorsport locations would be in many major cities…but not in the U.S. “The reason we feel we’ve been so successful is because we’ve been so hands-on with our business,” George explains. “My brother and I don’t have to be involved in the day-to-day business operations, but we choose to be. We’ve never had any investors, either, since we want to know about all that’s happening. Our style would not work for most companies, but it works for us.” Make moves wisely. However, one expansion possibility currently in the works would be a Platinum Motorsport opening in Saudi Arabia within the next couple of years. “A good friend and client of ours who is a high-ranking prince asked us to branch out because of the high demand and lack of quality shops,” George says. “He wants to ﬂy my brother and I out there very soon to go look at a few locations. The idea there is going to be, honestly without over exaggerating, way bigger than the image that’s out here. We’re talking about a race track out there, a TV show and those types of things.”

PLATINUM MOTORSPORT WWW.PLATINUMMOTORSPORT.COM WORLD WIDE WWW.WORLDWIDERAC.COM JOE B PHOTOGRAPHY WWW.JOEBPHOTO.NET

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Work smart and hard, but balance is key. While the Brothers’ hard work has definitely more than paid off in their last 10 years, George and Jack can now “play” a bit and what better playground than L.A.! “It’s a party scene; we like to have good dinners at hotspots with friends, visit clubs and lounges and have Sunday BBQs with friends,” Jacks says about their “fun time” and admits to using some of their own services like the limo and security offerings. “It’s not about showing off. We just want to have a good time with no distractions. We do get recognized a bit and it is very flattering, but we’re very humble about it and don’t let it get the best of us.” Their hard work and success has also afforded them the luxury of driving around down in some quite impressive vehicles of their own. Their shared fleet of rides include a 2010 Range Rover, Rolls-Royce Phantom, BMW 7-Series and a Lambo Murciélago, to name a few. “Owning a Lamborghini has always been a dream to me since I was a kid and didn’t have much money,” Jack says. “Growing up I knew it would take a lot of undivided hard work and I was able to make this dream come true with those intentions in mind at the age of 24.” With a solid decade under their belts, George and Jack are poised to embark on another successful 10 years. They continue to solidify Platinum Motorsport’s reputation for being the best through a solid strategy, patience and by making the right moves. Just as in the game of Chess, there are many players but only a few true masters. Checkmate.

PHOTOS: JASON STANSBERRY

ost car enthusiasts grow up loving the culture, having been influenced by the scene at an early age. It took Peter Colello his freshmen year at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, to discover his love of car customization. After he first laid eyes on a 2002 Toyota Celica GT, he wanted it as a daily driver. “I had no intentions of hooking it up,” the 24-yearold Colello reveals. After doing a few small mods here and there, he took it to his first car show (a local one near his hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) and a whole new world opened up after he won “Best of Show” with the Celica. “I was hooked! I wanted to be the best, which is what drove me to keet going with it.” And the best is what his Celica has now become. Putting it down in teh show scene for eight years, Colello’s Celica has taken home numerous awards from car shows, been featured in various publications and has more than a quarter of a million dollars invested in it. With too many awards to count, winning DUB’s “Best Tour Vehicle” and NCCA’s “Most Consistent Vehicle” in 2007 stands out as most meaningful in Colello’s car show career. “To win two major judging specifications in the same year really says a lot about the caliber of the car,” he adds. The Celica also won 15 “Best of Shows” and 103 specialty awards in 2007. Besides leaping to the top in car show competitions, the Celica has also helped Colello launch his own business, Mummbles Marketing, as a way to help him obtain sponsors. “When I’d

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EXTERIOR • Custom wide body (sides) • APR GT-300 front & rear bumper • Motorized/reversed hinged carbon fiber hood • Nissan 350Z headlight conversion • Lexus IS300 taillight conversion • Roof scoop (fully functional to cool amplifiers) • APR carbon fiber front & rear splitters • APR carbon fiber wing • Shaved door handles w/door poppers • Shaved antenna, sun roof, rain gutters • Shaved 3rd brake light, rear wiper, license plate • Fiberglass cowl along windshield w/(5) Lanzar monitors • Custom rear mirrors with cameras & monitors • Custom 2-tone Sherwin Williams paint scheme • Sparco gas lid • Chrome-dipped door strickers WHEELS/TIRES • 19”x 8.5” ABG Forged custom wheels (front) • 19” x 10” ABG Forged custom wheels (rear) • Falken FK452 tires- 225/35R19 (front), 265/30R19 (rear) UNDERCARRIAGE/SUSPENSION • Shaved and color-matched undercarriage • Shaved and color-matched wheel wells • Custom 3-pc. front 15” drilled rotor w/engraved MM • Custom 8-piston front calipers chromed w/name engraved • Custom 3pc. rear 14” drilled rotor w/engraved MM

• • • • • •

Custom 6 piston rear calipers chromed w/name engraved GTS complete rear break conversion Hotchkis camber link kit Stainless steel brake lines Airrunner suspension kit- (2) 1 gal. air tanks, braided hard lines, polished ﬁttings Every part of undercarriage is polished/chromed

ENGINE/EXHAUST • 1.8 L 1ZZ engine • CP pistons compression 9:1 • Forged rods • Darton sleeved cylinder head • Crower springs & retainers • Full race port by Danstoy • Crower cams FUEL INJECTION/FUEL MANAGEMENT • RC Engineering 750 cc racing injectors • Custom stainless steel braided lines & AN ﬁttings • Custom fuel cell by Danstoy • Electromotive TEC3 full stand alone ECU wired by Danstoy • Aeromotive high horsepower fuel pump • Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator INTAKE • 44mm black top individual throttle bodies • Custom aluminum intake manifold by Danstoy • Custom aluminum air-box by Danstoy

NITROUS • Nitrous Express direct port system • Nitrous Express N-ter cooler sprayer • Custom bent NX lines & fittings MISC. • Shaved engine bay • APR flex bar • Custom aluminum power steering reservoir by Danstoy • Custom brake master cylinder cover • Custom alternator bracket • 6-puck action clutch with a TRD-LSD limited slip • Custom fiberglass headlight covers • • • • • • • • •

Turbo kit by Danstoy Precision Turbo: 60-1 compressor, turbine stage 2 0.63 A/R housing Custom stainless steel equal length headers Custom stainless steel down-pipe Custom lower exhaust pipe with Magnaﬂow tip Wiggins anodized clamps (2) Custom intercooler piping Greddy blow-off valve Tial waste-gate.

INTERIOR • Full fiberglass interior w/carbon fiber inserts • Custom plexy/carbon fiber/fiberglass steering wheel with controls for deck • GlowShift Gauges: air pressure, vac/boost pressure, water temp, fuel pressure, oil temp, oil pressure, trans temp, air/fuel ration, voltmeters, fuel level • GlowShift Tachometers: ultra-shift light, standard tac, programmable speedometers • Viair Air runner Gauges: air pressure guage (front & back)

call various manufactures for part sponsorship, they’d always ask who you were with and I’d have nothing to say. I couldn’t talk to the people in marketing because I didn’t have anything official to back me up,” he says. “I came up with my marketing company to get my foot in the door.” But Mummbles Marketing isn’t a one-man show; Colello’s mother helps out with every detail, from the sponsorships to the transportation of the Celica to shows. “My mom and I are a one-two combo. Without her, none of this would be possible. Everybody that knows me, knows her, too.” Taking about ﬁve years to build with an initial $40K to get it started, the Celica has put Colello’s name on the customizing map and helped him become one of the three designers chosen to modify a Scion xB for 2009 SEMA. “We have 10 weeks to build it,” he explains. “Nothing I ever build will ever come close to the Celica. This Scion project is more street-oriented, while the Celica is just over the top and ridiculous.” VISIT DUBMAG.NET FOR A Q&A WITH PETER COLELLO

INTERIOR cont’d ass sun visor armature with (2) 7” • Custom fiberglass meras monitors & cameras op e-brake & Ractive boot • Momo pit-stop hawk shift knob & Ractive boot • Momo Tomahawk erglass seat w/suede seating • Custom fiberglass • Mercedes carpet & painted fiberglass, Project Mu oters pedals/footers xpress- purge/intercooler system enclosed • Nitrous Expresstom fiberglass case surrounded by 5 capacitors in a custom • Custom fiberglass/carbon fiber doors with carbon fiber handles & inserts om carbon fiber insert for Mac keyboard • Custom tom stainless gas springs • Custom ome plated trunk latch and stricker • Chrome

58 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

STEREO/ICE • Lanzar CD/DVD/MP3 headunit • (2) Lanzar 6.5” two-way coaxial speakers • (2) 6.5” component systems • (4) 15” Lanzar subwoofers (w/ fishman grill covers) • (2) Lanzar 1600 watt amplifiers (mounted on roof) • (2) Lanzar 800 watt amplifiers (mounted from roof) • 20” Sharp monitor (motorized out of back) • 15” Elo touchscreen for Mac (custom mounted in dash) • (2) 9” Pyle monitor (custom mounted in doors) • (5) 7” Pyle monitors (mounted in cowl) • (2) 7” Pyle monitors (mounted in side mirrors w/camera) • (2) 7” Pyle monitors (mounted in roof w/ camera) • (2) 6.5” JVC monitors (mounted at back window) • (5) Lanzar DVD players (custom mounted on hatch) • (3) Pyle cameras Mac Mini co • computer w/wireless keyboard (hooked touchscree up to Elo touchscreen) • PlayStation 2 (custom moun mounted from roof) • (5) 1 Farad mobile spec capacitors • (2) Digital Fused distribution blocks

BOOTH #45041

BAER PUTS THE BRAKES ON A ROUSH MUSTANG IT’S NOT HOW FAST YOU GO THAT COUNTS… IT’S HOW FAST YOU STOP!

WORDS: DICK DeLOACH PHOTOS: JAMES TANTILLO | REVISIONAUTOMEDIA.COM

ne of the most respected names in performance brakes is Baer Brake Systems (Phoenix, Arizona). In 1986 founder Hal Baer established Baer Racing, Inc. Originally, the business provided race preparation and fabrication services between seasons and race dates. But as popularity and demand for its brake systems grew, Baer was forced to look into expanding business to put its brakes into production for the masses. Hal’s technical and analytical skills, coupled with a keen ability to spot people with strong, diverse talents and assemble them into a cohesive team, has always been one of Baer Racing’s greatest strengths. To that end, following the 1993 race season, Hal partnered with Todd Gartshore and Robert Sommers to form Baer Brake Systems. “At Baer, brakes are our only business. Being singularly focused allows us to design, test and constantly improve our systems,” Gartshore says. “This singular focus leaves us better prepared to deliver proper brake systems and products than companies that offer everything from exhaust systems to body styling packages.” “Our complete system approach, along with dedicated, knowledgeable and readily available technical support, clearly sets us apart from the competition,” he adds. “We work tirelessly in an effort to set the standard by which all other performance-brake manufacturers will be judged, because as racers and enthusiasts, Baer is driven to win.” Today Baer offers a complete line of performance brake products, from the new DecelaRotor line, offering entry-level enthusiasts direct OE ﬁt performance rotors, to the family of race and road-going systems engineered and manufactured entirely by Baer. To see just how simple Baer brakes are to install, and more importantly,

62 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

BAER’S 6S MONOBLOCK CALIPER AND 14-INCH VENTED, SLOTTED AND CROSSDRILLED ROTORS (LEFT) LOOK GOOD AND WORK CONSIDERABLY BETTER THAN THE STOCK BRAKES.

how well they work, Gartshore informed us that Bill Lindsay, owner of Stage3 Motorsports (the Phoenix area’s largest independent Roush Performance official dealer; others are associated with Ford dealers only), was about to install Baer brakes on his 2007 Roush Mustang GT, equipped with Roush Trak Pak 18x10-inch wheels. Lindsay chose the Baer Claw EXTREME-PLUS 14-inch diameter system. The system features Baer “6S” MonoBlocks, machined entirely from one piece of forged 2618 alloy to provide maximum strength at temperature. Stainless, staggered bore pistons (sizes appropriate to maintain OE hydraulic balance and ABS compatibility) are ﬁt with road-going dust and

THIS ’07 ROUSH MUSTANG GT FROM STAGE3 MOTORSPORTS GOT A SET OF BETTER BINDERS FROM BAER.

weather seals. DecelaPad hi-friction ceramic road (not track) pads are standard. Radial mount hardware is custom-made for Baer by ARP. D.O.T. legal stainless steel braided hoses are included and, in addition to the patent pending VeriSlide bracket, the rear system features a 1-piece park brake shoe inside the rotor hat. Calipers are available in red (standard), black or silver, at no additional cost; additional “custom” colors are available including, Competition Yellow Polished Aluminum, Vista Blue, and Arizona Copper (which were chosen for this project). Gartshore says this new kit solves a problem inherent on late-model Mustangs. “The C-clip axle is stock on Mustangs and means that the wheel bearing is in the housing, not pressed onto the axle and is retained in the rear-end housing by a C-clip at the end of the axle found inside the differential carrier,” he says. “This arrangement allows for a slight inward and outward end play and is made worse when the limited slip is activated, again pushing the axles outward. When this occurs the axle in turn moves the rotor. With the OE single piston, which pushes from only one side and floats back and forth with these axle movements, the brake pedal remains firm and consistent.” “With an opposed piston caliper from Baer—or any other brake company—each time the axle/rotor moves even a couple-thousandths, it bumps the pad and in turn the pad pushes the caliper pistons in. The displaced fluid must then be pushed back into the caliper before the pad can touch the rotor, causing a completely and dramatically inconsistent pedal height. The condition, known as ‘pad knock back,’ can quickly turn spirited driving into a ‘thrilling experience;’ not always a good thing.” As a solution, Baer has applied for International Patents on its VeriSlide system, which delivers CPT (Constant Pedal Technology). “Like most elegant solutions, the VeriSlide is quite simple,” he says. “By sliding the radial mounting bracket on two stainless pins the caliper follows the movement of the axle/rotor assembly and knock back is thus accommodated.” After the brakes were installed and properly “seated,” using Baer’s break-in guidelines, we took the Mustang to Bob Bondurant’s high performance driver training facility, located in Phoenix adjacent to Firebird International Raceway, and the car was tested again. Stopping distances, times (and even G-forces) had already been established with the stock brakes by performing a series of panic stops from 60-0, 70-0 and 100-0. The same tests were repeated after the Baer brakes were installed—and the results were impressive. Average stopping distance/time from 60-0 with stock brakes: 142.42 feet/4.25 seconds; average stopping distance/time with Baer brakes: 109.89 feet/3.28 seconds. Average stopping distance/time from 70-0 with stock brakes: 189.15 feet/4.44 seconds; average stopping distance/time with Baer brakes: 169.94 feet/3.99 seconds. Average stopping distance/time from 100-0 with stock brakes: 423.25 feet/5.78 seconds; average stopping distance/time with Baer brakes: 316.92 feet/4.33 seconds.

HIGH-SPEED DRIVING TESTS ON THE ROAD COURSE WERE ALSO CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE BRAKING CONTROL UNDER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 63

BEFORE AND AFTER BRAKE DISTANCE AND TIME TESTS (FROM 60-0, 70-0 AND 100-0) WERE PERFORMED AND RECORDED USING STRICT GUIDELINES AT BOB BONDURANTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SCHOOL OF HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING IN PHOENIX.

STEP BY STEP

1. With the car up on a lift, Lindsay first removed the stock front calipers and rotors from the hubs. 2. Next he installed the radial mounts for the new Baer calipers. 3. Then the two-piece Baer rotors were fitted to the hubs. 4. Lindsay then bolted the new MonoBlock calipers to the radial mounting bracket and attached the new Baer steel-braided brake lines. 5. The new Baer front brakes, with optional Arizona Copper finished calipers, fill the wheel

BAER BRAKE 602-233-1411 WWW.BAER.COM

64 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

STAGE3 MOTORSPORTS 623-434-5277 WWW.STAGE3MOTORSPORTS.COM

openings much better then the old brakes. 6. The rear brakes were installed using the same procedures as the front. (Note: On this, and most late-model Mustangs, the factory C-clips inside the differential must also be removed. This procedure is best done by a professional mechanic.) 7. The finished Baer rear brakes are as aggressive as the fronts for maximum brake control and dramatically reduced stopping distances. FOR VIDEO ON THE INSTALL AND TRACK COVERAGE, GO TO WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/DUB

BOB BONDURANT SCHOOL OF HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING 800-842-7223 WWW.BONDURANT.COM

throwback to the legendary 300 SL Gullwing from the ’50s, the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a beauty in all aspects of design and a beast in the area of performance. Besides it’s iconic gull-wing doors, other hallmark features include the large three-pointed Mercedes-Benz emblem centrally positioned within the wide radiator grill, and the design elements reminiscent of the 300 SL. For the ﬁrst time, Mercedes-Benz and AMG produced a car with an aluminum chassis designed speciﬁcally for the SLS, allowing for a lighter weight and an almost perfect front-to-rear weight distribution of 48-to-52%. Packing a front/mid-mounted 6.3-liter AMG V8 with 563 horsepower, the car is projected to sprint from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 197 mph. The driver has a choice of four different driving

66 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

modes which include Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus, Manual and the high performance “RACESTART’ function. The SLS AMG will be available in nine exclusive paint finishes including the “AMG ALU-BEAM” silver which includes a process that makes the paint shine like liquid metal. Two matt finishes, “Designo Magno Allanite Grey” and “AMG Magno Sylvanite Grey” will also be available to offset the luxurious shine of the “AMG ALU-BEAM” and make available the option for sporty silky matt shades of grey. Packed with an arsenal of advanced performance components and a bevy of luxurious amenities both on the exterior and the interior, the SLS AMG exudes the definition of a super sports car. It is projected to arrive in the spring of 2010 at an estimated price of around $250,000.00.

NEXT GEN ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST AVAILABILITY: Early-2010 FACT: Compared to the Phantom, the Ghost is slightly smaller in stature, features a steel monocoque chassis, advanced suspension system with Dynamic Stability Control and Anti-Roll Stabilisation for superior handling, and over one hundred more horsepower. ENGINE/POWER: 6.6L V12 twin turbo / 563bhp PRICE: Estimated at $255,000

ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE AVAILABILITY: Late-2010 to early-2011 FACT: It’s Aston Martin’s ﬁrst regular-production four-door in more than 25 years. The Rapide name is derived from Lagonda Rapide, which was a saloon car built by British car manufacturer Lagonda, which became part of Aston Martin. ENGINE/POWER: 6.0L V12/ 470bhp PRICE: Estimated at $250,000

70 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO AVAILABILITY: October 2009 FACT: It’s Nurburging’s fastest four-door production car, running the 12.9mile circuit in Germany’s Eifel Mountains in 7:56, which is three seconds faster than last year’s record setting Cadillac CTS-V. ENGINE/POWER: 4.8L V8 twin turbo / 500hp PRICE: Estimated at $132,000

BENTLEY MULSANNE AVAILABILITY: Mid-2010 FACT: The ﬁrst 2011 Bentley Mulsanne to be produced was sold for $550,000 at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it made its world debut. It takes its name from the famous Mulsanne Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans where Bentley won on six occasions. ENGINE/POWER: 6.75L twin turbo/ 505bhp PRICE: Estimated at $300,000

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 71

35 Advanced Automotive Concepts 33 Nitto Tire www.invotire.com www.aacstyle.com 43 AKA Motoring 31 Petrol Wheels www.petrolwheels.com www.akamotoringus.com 25 Auto Page USA 53 Pitfall Kennels www.pitfallkennels.com www.autopageusa.com 15 Baer Brakes 73 R Series www.rsinnovates.com www.baer.com 59 Black Ice 60-61 Rimﬁnancing ew3.rimﬁnancing.com www.blackicealloys.net 30 Borla Exhaust 4-5 SAF Forged www.safforged.com www.borla.com 57 Chaser Aerodynamics 21 Savini Forged www.saviniforged.com www.lambodoors.com 19 COR Wheels 69 SES Trims www.sestrims.com www.corwheels.com 55 D’Vinci 41 Sony Xplod www.sony.com/xplod www.dvinciusa.com 65 Dakota Digital 67 SuperBuy Tires www.superbuytires.com www.dakotadigital.com/db 2-3 Donz Wheels 36-37 T-Rex www.trexbillet.com www.donzwheelz.com 10-11 Forgiato Wheels 16 Tag Body Spray www.tagbodyspray.com www.forgiato.com 54 Galpin Auto Sports 49 Triple Cs www.triplecs305.com www.galpinautosports.com 13 Hankook Tires 18 Universal Air Suspension www.universalairsuspension.com www.hankooktireusa.com 27 Icedoutemz 45 VCT Wheels www.vct-wheels.com www.icedoutemz.com 44 L.A. Auto Show 6-7 Vellano Forged www.vellanowheels.com www.laautoshow.com 72 McGard 29 Verde Wheels www.verdecustomwheels.com www.mcgard.com 9 Mono Leggera 68 West Coast Customs www.westcoastcustoms.com www.monoleggera.com 24 MGP Caliper Covers 51 Zoe Wheels www.zoewheels.com www.calipercovers.com

DUB Magazine is all over the web. Visit our sites for even more DUB content and friend us up on your favorite social network. Also follow us on Twitter to stay in touch with everything happening at DUB!

A GLIMPSE INTO ISSUE 64

68 Absolute Audio www.absoluteusa.com 59 Air Runner Suspension www.airrunnersystems.com 20 Air Zenith www.air-zenith.com 11 Asanti Black www.asantiblack.com 13 Asanti Wheels www.asantiwheels.com 15 Blaque Diamond www.blaquediamond.com 48 Branew www.branew.jp 49 Continental Tire www.continentaltire.com 22 Detail Pro Wipes www.whitewallwipes.com 38-39 Diablo Wheels www.diablousa.com 29 Dolce Wheels www.dolcewheels.com 53 Dropstars Wheels www.dropstars.com 62 DUB Edition By Pilot www.dubedition.com 23 Gazario Wheels www.gazariowheels.net 40-41 Gianna Wheels www.giannawheels.com 6-7 Giovanna Wheels www.wtwcorp.com 73 Greed/MOB Wheels www.greedwheeels.com www.mobwheels.com 17 Hipnotic Wheels www.hipnoticwheels.com 74 Hollywood Bulldogs www.hollywoodbulldogs.com

Website: dubmagazine.com

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Official Store: dubshop.com

Blog: dubdaily.com

Facebook Fan Group: facebook.com/dubmagazine

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Social Network: dubpages.com

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/dub

69 ICCE Wheels www.iccewheels.com 9,12 Lexani Wheels www.lexani.com 30-31 Lorenzo Wheels (Wheel Pros) www.lorenzowheels.com 19 Pirelli Tires www.us.pirelli.com 63 Rotora Brakes www.rotora.com 27 Silver Star Casting Company www.buysilverstar.com 57 Skin Industries www.skinindustries.com 61 Smart Wax www.smartwax.com 25 Status Wheels www.statuswheels.com 37 Steel Rubber Products www.steelerubber.com 47 Strada Wheels www.stradawheels.com 4-5 Tapout www.tapout.com 51 TIS Wheels www.tiswheels.com 55 TIS/Dropstars Offroad Wheels www.tiswheels.com www.dropstars.com 67 Toyo Tires www.toyotires.com 45 Universal Car Lifts www.universalcarlifts.com 2-3 Vossen Wheels www.vossenwheels.com

Twitter: twitter.com/dubmagazine

RICK ROSS SNOOP DOGG DUB SHOW MIAMI D-DAY + MORE

DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 NOV/DEC 2009 CONTENTS

THE WIDEBODY KING

WEST COAST CUSTOMS

NEXT LEVEL

50 ON LOCATION

TASTE

58 ON LOCATION

• LOGITECH SQUEEZEBOX RADIO • MOTOROLA CLIQ • CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2

• TRIPLE CS • AUDIO PUSH • HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

• TARGA TROPHY • CALABASAS EXOTIC CAR RUN • CARLISLE STYLE & PERFORMANCE

• DUB SHOWS: CHICAGO, ATLANTA, SAN JOSE

DUB REPORT 63 It’s that time again…and we’re not talking about the holiday season. It’s time for us to look back at the 2009 DUB Show Tour and think ahead to next year’s tour in terms of making it even better than before. But before we do that, we’ve provided you all that went down at our Chicago, Atlanta and San Jose shows, which were a great way to wind down the tour. We still you owe you everything that happened at the Miami stop, as well as the return of D-Day in L.A. (which you’ll get next issue). In case you’re wondering what’s the story behind D-Day, back in the early days of DUB, before we started doing the nationwide tours, we held our outdoor festival called “D-Day” and decided to bring it back on October 18 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino, CA. To sum up the show in one word would be DAMN! The streets were hyped about the event months before it went down, which made us start thinking about doing a few more outdoor events for next year’s Tour, which amplifying the whole “DUB Show” experience for everyone. Since 2010 marks our tenth year of producing one of the nation’s most anticipated tours, we want to change things up. While speciﬁc details are still being ﬁnalized, we can tell you that we’ve added a more cities to the Tour, changed up the classes for the competition, such as new lowriding classes and are lowering ticket prices. Stay on the lookout for new info on next year’s Tour on www.dubshowtour.com! Many thanks to our sponsors who made the 2009 DUB Show Tour an amazing success.

Company Information DUB Magazine® is now published 6 times per year. Subscriptions are now $20.00 for 6 issues. DUB® is the Original Automotive Lifestyles Magazine™ and is published by DUB Publishing, Inc. in the City of Industry, CA. DUB® Magazine was established in the year 2000. To place an ad in DUB Magazine, please contact the Ad Sales department at (626) 336-3821 The 8th annual DUB Show Tour Custom Auto Show & Concert features the nation’s best custom cars and also features an all-star line-up of performers. For more information, visit www.dubshowtour.com DUB® is also a design, marketing and promotions team, responsible for the development and marketing of many licensed automotive goods, collectibles, and apparel, as well as our sponsor’s key products. Contact: marketing@dubmagazine.com

Get the word out and get free stuff! For more info, email: john@dubpublihsing.com Bring on the Letters! We’re now accepting letters to DUB Magazine. Send your rants or raves to intake@dubmagazine.com. Your letter may end up in an issue of DUB!

National & International Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Company Promotional Printing: Smart Levels: (800) 465-1746 www.smartlevels.com

* All locations are subject to change. Make sure you check with dubshowtour.com often to stay informed on the tour’s happenings. Also, friend us up on Myspace.com/dub and Facebook/dubmagazine

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission. This book is purchased with the understanding that the information presented is from many varied sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher, as to accuracy or completeness.

©Copyright 2009 DUB Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • PRINTED IN THE USA “DUB” (ISSN 1536-3562) is published bi-monthly (6 times annually) by DUB Publishing, Inc., 16815 E. Johnson Drive, City of Industry, CA 91745-2417. Subscription rate is $20.00 for 6 issues. Periodical Postage is paid at City of Industry, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DUB, P.O. Box 469065, Escondido, CA 92046-9095.

Event Contacts

Sponsorship & Event Planning Myles Kovacs: (626) 336-3821 myles@dubpublishing.com Car Show Planning/Media Information John Ramos: (626) 336-3821 john@dubpublishing.com Vendor Booths: (626) 336-3821 John Ramos john@dubpublishing.com Jeanette Palmerin jeanette@dubpublishing.com Victor Herrera victor@dubpublishing.com All Other Inquiries info@dubpublishing: (626) 336-3821

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR PUBLISHER: SEGA DEVELOPER: REBELLION PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC | WWW.SEGA.COM

Experience distinctly new and thrilling first-person shooter gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freya’s Prospect. You can choose to play as the Marine, Predator or Alien, or play all sides off against each other in a series of unique 3-way online modes and go tooth-to-claw-topulse rifle in the reinvention of one of multiplayer gaming’s defining moments. As the Marine, you’ll

experience a claustrophobic and terrifying experience where light is your friend, but there’s never enough. As the Predator, you will stalk from the shadows and from above, passing athletically through the treetops to ambush your victims. Finally, as the most deadly species in the universe, the Alien offers you the chance to play as the very stuff of nightmares - the monster in the dark swarming forward with countless others, jaws like a steel trap and claws like blades.

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION DEVELOPER: INFINITY WARD | PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC | WWW.MODERNWARFARE2.INFINITYWARD.COM

As the sixth installment of the Call of Duty series, and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, part 2 continues along the same storyline. The ﬁrst-person shooter game is set several years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4. The radical Russian Ultranationalist organization has returned to prominence under the leadership

14 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

of Vladimir Makarov, a former associate of Imran Zakhaev with his own ambitions. Makarov has publicized Zakhaev’s death as an act of martyrdom to garner support for his cause, enabling him to build a strong power base in Russia over the years. Fearful of Makarov’s growing inﬂuence, the global community established Task Force

141 to counter the threat posed by the resurgent Ultranationalists. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will feature a cooperative mode, Special Ops, which which consists of independent missions similar in design to the “Mile High Club” epilogue mission from Call of Duty 4. These missions will take place in a variety of locations from the

campaign mode, but are related to story of the campaign itself. Special Ops supports cooperative play for up to two players, and can be played alone, in split-screen locally with another player, or online with another player. It includes such scenarios as a snowmobile race, a battle alongside U.S. Navy Seals, and fending off a wave of 50 enemies at once.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY PUBLISHER: ELECTRONIC ARTS DEVELOPER: EA MONTREAL PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3 | WWW.WWW.ARMYOFTWO.COM

The sequel to the 2008 multiplatinum co-op shooter sees the return of the ultimate two-man private military team, Salem and Rios. Trapped in the middle of Shanghai as it falls under attack, the two must work as a team to survive relentless enemy assaults and escape the city collapsing around them. Army of Two: The 40th Day features a more robust

and redesigned multiplayer thirdperson shooter experience with four unique multiplayer modes, including “Extraction”that pits a team of four players against a series of unique enemy waves as they move from point to point in the ruined city. Players must strategize as a uniﬁed team to combat the different forces of the 40th Day Initiative while trying to get out alive.

MURAMASA: THE DEMON BLADE PUBLISHER: IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPER: VANILLAWARE PLATFORM: Wii | WWW.MURAMASATHEDEMONBLADE.COM

The action role playing game follows the story of a fugitive who has lost his memory, including that of a crime that he committed and Momohime, a lithe female ronin possessed by a dark spirit. Gameplay allows players to use the Wii Remote, the Classic controller and the GameCube controller. The game allows players to use two different characters and features three difficulty levels. Graphically the game is similar to Odin Sphere, retaining the same hand-drawn 2D

16 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

art style, though inspiration was drawn from Japanese mythology and culture rather than Norse mythology. The game will have more than 20 different stages. The game can be played in three modes: Muso, Shura, and Shigurui. Muso Mode focuses on character leveling as opposed to action, whereas Shura Mode is more action-based, recommended for skilled players. Shigurui Mode is only available after a player clears the game in Shura Mode.

01.

02. 04.

03.

01. MOTOROLA CLIQ WITH MOTOBLUR

02. LOGITECH SQUEEZEBOX RADIO

03. SONOS CR200 MUSIC SYSTEM

04. SCANDYNA SMALLPODSPEAKERS

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WWW.LOGITECH.COM

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The new Motorola CLIQ with MOTOBLUR is the first Androidpowered device from the company, and the first to feature the innovative MOTOBLUR solution, which is an innovative solution that manages and integrates communications – from work e-mail to social networking activity – on your CLIQ. Updates to contacts, posts, messages, photos and more are streamed together and synced from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail and personal e-mail. As a 3G-capable smartphone, it features a slideout QWERTY keyboard and a full 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen display. The CLIQ is designed to keep the conversation moving, enabling fast messaging on the fly and easy navigation through MOTOBLUR’s streams and widgets. MSRP TBA.

Don’t limit how you listen to music with Logitech’s Squeezebox Radio that allows you to listen to your favorite Internet radio stations or your personal music collection anywhere. Packing a 3/4-inch high-deﬁnition tweeter and 3-inch long-throw woofer, this Wi-Fi-enabled radio lets you listen to a wide variety of Internet music sources, including Pandora and Last.fm, as well as your own music, and features a 2.4-inch color display, Facebook integration for recommending songs, an auxiliary input, automatic brightness adjustment, and a built-in alarm clock with battery backup. Set up is a snap so that you can start listening to music within minutes. MSRP is $200.

Sonos is a wireless way to have different music in every room of the house, from the bedroom to the backyard to the garage, all at the same time (or the same song throughout), using a sleek, hand held touchscreen controller. You can also use your iPhone/iPod Touch with the free iPhone application. Music comes right out of the box with Pandora, Last.FM and 25,000 free Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts with touchscreen simplicity. No need to re-wire your home or complicated set up, just the best music system for every room in your house. MSRP is $349.

Scandyna’s curvaceous speakers offer unique aesthetics and quality sound in a mini package that would go great on a desktop or tucked neatly into a bookshelf. The stacked bulb shape of the speakers reduces reverberating sound waves inside the speaker case, diminishing distortion and improving the depth and deﬁnition of the sound quality. The mini speakers can also be used as part of a bigger stereo system or entertainment setup. They are also available in a variety of colors, including white, black, silver, blue, red and yellow. MSRP is $599.

18 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

ith the biggest boss in the game by your side, people are going to take notice. Already a musical staple within the hip-hop scene, Rick Ross is taking his career to a whole other level with his Carole City Cartel. Known as Triple Cs, Rick Ross along with Gunplay, Torch and Young Breed, are ready to take the streets by storm with their debut album, Custom Cars & Cycles, set to drop this fall. As individuals, each member is a talented lyricist, but as a collective, Triple Cs is a force to be reckoned with. Gunplay and Torch both go way back with The Boss, and appeared on Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; debut album, Port of Miami, as well as his 2008 sophomore effort, Trilla, but are now ready to show the world and the streets what their made of. Young Breed is relatively new to the crew, but has already found a niche for himself among the three rap veterans with his hardcore lyrics and notoriety in the underground mixtape scene.

PHOTOS: THE WD CORP PHOTOGRAPHY

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 21

PHOTOS: ROGER ERICKSON

homeboys; we’re also performers in our own right. He’s given us the opportunity by putting this album out and giving us a spring board.” After Custom Cars & Cycles, Gunplay will be gearing up for his solo project and is currently heading up his own Don Logan Inc. company. “I’m in my own lane and doing my own thing,” he describes. “I want to set my mark in this industry; want my own lane in music.”

GUNPLAY Known for his I-don’t-give-a-f*ck attitude, Gunplay met Ross back in his teen years. “We both had the same dream of becoming an artist and being rich and famous,” he says. “A couple of years down the road, we met up with Torch and really formed Triple Cs; been history ever since. I know if Ross made it, I sure as Hell can,” he asserts. “I think about the past to keep me grounded to keep me going for the future, and I think about the past when we used be stayin’ in $25 roach motels a week at a time in each city to just get it up and now there’s all this money, cars, jewelry and respect, it makes me sit there and think a million dollars is only an arms reach away. It’s the only thing that keeps me motivated to know I’m almost there.” Taking about 10 years to make it where he’s at now, Gunplay wouldn’t have it any other way. “I know that even though it took this long to get here, I still learned a lot. I wouldn’t want no overnight success because you wouldn’t know how to appreciate a dollar.” Excited to ﬁnally drop the Triple C’s album, Gunplay says fans should expect a lot of street music. “We’re looking for a lot of street love on the album to really show that we aren’t just Rick Ross’

TORCH Originally from the Bronx, Torch moved out to Carol City, Florida after his mom sent him down there to keep him out of trouble. But trouble followed, which is how he hooked up with Ross and Gunplay. “They were the ones that really showed me how things work down there,” he describes. “They helped stir me away from getting into more trouble. They took me under their wings, not just as a rapper, but as a brother.” While rapping is now his life, being a lyricist didn’t always turn him on. In fact, it was never his goal. “It kind of just happened. After Ross dropped his ﬁrst album, I saw how you can be successful with rap. You always see it, but you never think it can really happen for you until it comes close to home.” Perfecting his rap skills with Ross and Gunplay, Torch learned to have determination and focus, which are what he says are the two biggest things to have when making it in this

industry. “Ross is one of the most determined and hard working dudes you can ever come across, and you got to emulate the great.” Torch also learned that having the right people in your corner will help lead to success, something he already has with his Triple Cs crew. Claiming to be “The NEW New York” of the crew, Torch explains that they recorded more than 150 songs for the debut album. “We recorded every type of song you can possibly think of. We have every category covered. Whatever doesn’t make this albums will turn up on our solo ones for sure.” With side projects like his own NY-based label, model/management company Specialiysts Entertainment, and film company, Torch is definitely making moves in and out of Triple Cs. “Ultimately, The future is, like, sky’s the limit,” he says. “You gonna have four different artists coming out with four different major albums from the same crew. Usually it’s just one person on the forefront where everybody else is just dumb dudes. There’s no flaws in the armor of Triple Cs. I’m lookin’ forward to seeing how everything plays out.”

YOUNG BREED At 21, Young Breed is somewhat like the baby of the crew. “I’m a different breed, so I’m puttin’ on for the young generation. Speaking from their point of view and what separates me is my style and versatility a.k.a swag! I’m history in the making.” Freestyling since he was nine, he recorded his ﬁrst song at the age of 12. “I’ve been grindin’ and learnin’ in this game ever since.” Looking up to Piccolo, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross and more as inspiration when he was younger, Young Breed ended up signing with Ross to become Triple C’s fourth member after collaborating and working with the guys, opening up their shows and putting out underground mixtapes. “I’m living proof that grindin’ pays off!” Being the youngest, Young Breed is learning from some of hip-hop’s best. “I’ve learned so much from each of those guys, so to sum it all up, the best thing that I’ve learned is to keep it real and that you can get caught up real quick if you aren’t focused,” he explains. “Working with Ross gives me an advantage over other artists ’cause I’m surrounded by a hit maker and a super team in general.”After Custom Cars & Cycles hits the streets, expect to hear more from Young Breed as he aims to continue being a young, Black entrepreneur, working hard and grinding to make a name for himself and even own his own record label one day.

16 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

“Teach Me How To Jerk” PHOTOS: MEENO COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE

ushing the limits to musical trends, Audio Push is jerking their way up the ladder of success with their hit single “Teach Me How To Jerk.” Consisting of the duo Oktane (19) and PriceTag (18), the skinny-jeans-wearing rappers straight from the Inland Empire, CA ﬁrst attracted a buzz on MySpace and are now signed to Interscope Records. As they get ready to drop their debut album, Audio Push gives us the lowdown on their music, style and how the industry is being driven by a youth-lead musical revolution. ON THE THEIR CONNECTION: Pricetag: “We’ve known each other since I was in sixth grade and Oktane was in seventh grade. We were always around music and dancing. When I was in sixth grade, krump dancing was fresh and everybody was doing the krump thing; that’s how we really met.” ON THEIR MUSIC: Oktane: “I don’t know why people have this perspective that if you aren’t an old rapper or somebody that’s been doing it then you don’t got it. We’re deﬁnitely out to prove that people can make good music regardless of their age. You guys are going to see the longevity of Audio Push.”

ON THEIR STYLE: Oktane: “We have people wondering what our foxtails are, which are tails we have on the back of our pants. We have them in all kinds of colors. It’s what separates us from a lot of different people’s style that may look like ours.”

STYLE CREDITS Oktane: Cardigan by Charles & 1/2 urbanoutﬁtters.com Jeans by Levi Skinnies levi.com | Shoes Nike Jordan 5 nike.com | Pricetag: Corduroy Jeans by American Apparel americanapparel.net | Button-down shirt by Hawkings McGill urbanoutﬁtters.com | Cardigan by Steven Alan stevenalan.com | Shoes Vans vans.com

24 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

(L) OKTANE (R) PRICETAG

ON THEIR NAME: Pricetag: “We were thinking, ‘Okay, we just don’t make rap music, don’t make just R&B or any of that. We make audio.’ That’s the new genre we’ll probably end up starting because we make so much different genres of music that you can’t put us in one box. Our sound is audio because audio is sound, audio is music, and we feel we are music.”

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26 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE You’ve worked hard all year and now it’s time to treat yourself to some indulgences this holiday season because if you don’t, then who will?

ARKEG WWW.DRINKNGAME.COM

Booze and games in one complete package, where do we sign up! A must for every man’s game room, the Arkeg is a video game arcade complete with a built-in beer keg, which features 69 (gotta love the number) preloaded games for endless (and possibly) drunk fun that’ll set you back a mere $4,000...but can you really put a price on gaming bliss?

PREDATOR POOL TABLE WWW.HURRICANEBILLIARDS.COM

Playing pool on The Predator pool table is more than just a game; it’s an experience. Built by Hurricane Custom Billiards, The Predator is unlike any pool table you’ve ever seen (but then again, all HCB tables are). Like its name, The Predator is almost too scary to play on with a striking, aggressive 8-foot table that features a combination of wood, metal and glass components. You can also customize it with an internal sound system, etched names or team logos in the rails or accent lighting option. The price on this bad boy is a bit scary too—$43,200 as shown.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND WWW.HOLLYWOODBULLDOGS.COM | WWW.PITFALLKENNELS.COM

A real man shouldn’t be seen with a tiny dog, but one of these Pitfall Kennels’ American Pit Bull Terriers or Hollywood Bulldogs’ English Bulldogs will do just ﬁne. Known for their rare and prestigious blue pit (and owner Big Boi from Outkast), Pitfall Kennels has quite an impressive clientele list such as 50Cent and Serena Williams. While Hollywood Bulldogs are known by Rob Dyrdek’s two famous canine showmates, Beefy and Meaty, on his MTV show “Fantasy Factory.” Whichever breed you like most, these two breeders turnout impressive litters all the time.

THE ULTIMATE RV FROM DUNKEL INDUSTRIES WWW.DUNKELINDUSTRIES.COM

28 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

If you’re an avid fan of off-road adventures, this will deﬁnitely send your heart racing. For a mere $650,000, the 2010 Dunkel Industries luxury RV built from a ford chassis offers everything you need for outdoor festivities, but with style. It’s literally beauty and the beast under one roof. With a cargo bed large enough to hold a full size car and room on the top for dirtbikes. You gain the freedom to travel at your pace, unrestricted from towing a trailer that limits your speed. A military grade 4x4 system made by Fabco makes their truck claw at the ground when normal RVs would be spinning their wheels. A custom wood, leather and Fiberglass interior makes rest and nourishment comfortable and easy.

WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: JAE BUENO

any know of his work, but few know the man behind the widebody phenomenon. More of a behind-the-scenes-guy, Topo (a nickname given to him when he was a boy that means gopher in Spanish), is taking center stage with his latest widebody Camaro. Dressed as if he’d been hard at work, the first thing out of Topo’s mouth was an apology for being late the day of the interview at the one-car garage he rents behind a barber shop in Paramount, CA. He immediately goes on to explain that he had just finished dropping off the Camaro at the paint shop so to meet our deadline. “I was working on the car all weekend,” he says, ushering us into his garage where another Camaro was already parked. “Man, I felt the pressure on this one. I’ve had a lot of deadlines, but they were all personal. If I didn’t have it ready on time, I didn’t let anyone down. But with this job, I didn’t want to let DUB down. I pushed to get it done on time.” What normally takes anywhere from two to three weeks, depending on the car, Topo had to get the Camaro ready in half that time. At first glance, his workspace looks like a regular garage with tools spread around, tires in the corner and a workbench in the back, but this is more than a garage to Topo; it’s where the widebody master creates his metal works of art. The Camaro sitting in the driveway belongs to Forgiato Wheels, and Topo was getting ready to dissect its rear to give it his widebody touch, which is what he’s become known for after he first fabricated his own Charger. Last year, he really got people’s attention with his widebody Challengers and this year, he’s going hard with the widebody Camaros. “I worked on four Camaros for this year’s SEMA,” he says. “I’m looking forward to seeing what type of response they get from people. I think the one that’s on the cover (that will be in the DUB LIVE! area) will get the most attention. There’ll probably be lots of Camaros with interior work, paint jobs, rims, but mine will have a totally different look to it.” Topo first thought of conquering the Camaro when a shop owner from Riverside approached him as soon as they came out earlier this year. Busy working on a Challenger, Topo turned him down, but readily changed his mind when he stopped by a Chevy dealership to scope out the car. When he finally got it in his garage, he knew he was up for a challenge. “Every car is different and I thought I could do what I did to the Challenger to the Camaro,” he says. “But the way the body lines are on the Camaro made it difficult to do. The thing about the Camaro is that you can’t put wide wheels with a big lip because of the Brembo brakes. I kept looking at the car, wondering how I was gonna cut it. I cut the quarter panels thinking it was gonna be the same deal as the Challenger, but when I cut them and went to put it back on, it was like night and day. It had me scratching my head a few times, but I figured it out.” Learning from past mistakes, Topo won’t be putting out any online videos on the Camaro build for copycats to steal either. With a few more Camaros lined up, Topo already has his sights on his next project: a 2010 Mustang. While approaching each car with a different widebody look, one thing that all of his creations have in common is the

way he wants them all to look as if they were naturally styled that way. “I build everything to look like it just drove off the dealer’s lot,” he says. “I’m all about being different, but having a clean look to it. I’m not about stick-on body kits, either.” Besides a Mustang, Topo also sees some luxury and exotic vehicles down the line “I’m not scared to cut or do anything, no matter the type of car. If someone brings it, I’ll do it. The thing with exotics is that they are made with carbon ﬁber instead of metal, but I’m not scared to try it.” Topo’s unique skills are praised by many, yet he doesn’t believe so. “I know the whole widebody thing has been done before, but I’m pushing it more, where each one of my cars is different.” Despite not having a Website, any business cards or a big-name shop to back him up, Topo is quickly becoming a sought after customizer. He credits his success to knowing and being around the right people. “It’s all word of mouth pretty much in terms of clients,” he says, also crediting his presence on forums for new business, which he has plenty being booked solid for the next three months. “I know that this isn’t that big, but the rent isn’t that much and it’s more of a low-key spot,” he explains. “Right now, a lot of people are losing

THE WIDEBODY KING 32 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

their businesses and it’s hard out there. I learned that the bigger shop you have the more you’re gonna store. You can only work on so many cars at a time, so that’s why I ﬁgured just to go ahead and take what I can work on and not what I’m gonna store.” Once a car goes out, he immediately has another one ready to come in. When he was doing his Challengers last year, a lot of people criticized Topo for working at home. Although he shuns the haters, he’d like to set the record straight. “Not too many know that I actually worked out of a shop then,” he explains. “Too many people were coming over to the shop and I wanted to get work done, so I ended up doing them at the house. At home nobody bugged me, and I was able to ﬁnish the cars a lot faster. I used to have a spot at Bowtie Connection [in Artesia, CA], which I’d always do my cars at, but if I would have done those Challengers there, who knows how long it would have taken to do. I would like to get a bigger place, but with the times right now, I’m kind of glad I didn’t. Friends tell me I’m in a good spot right now since I don’t have a big overhead.” Despite being known for his widebody cars, not many know that Topo

Topo cut the Camaro’s quarter panels and brought them out 4 inches to ﬁt 26-inch Asanti AF159 wheels with 295/25R26 Falken tires.

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 33

“I’M NOT SCARED TO CUT OR DO ANYTHING, NO MATTER THE TYPE OF CAR.”

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NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 35

actually got his start in the lowrider scene back in the mid-to late-’90s, when he emerged with his impressive ’95 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham lowrider that he converted into a two-door (it was originally a four-door). While growing up, a neighborhood friend took Topo under his wings and introduced him to the scene by taking him along to a couple of shows and allowing Topo to help out as he wrenched on a few lowriders. “When people ask if anybody in my family influenced my passion for cars, I laugh because I’m the only one,” he explains. “My passion for cars stems from just me. When I was younger, I’d always build model cars and my neighbor really did it for me with his lowriders.” With a mentality to create a different type of lowrider, rather than making a name for himself, Topo noticed how GM had neglected to create a two-door big-body Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham and jumped on the idea to create his own. “I had always been around lowriders, and I didn’t want what everybody else had,” he explains. “I wanted it to have the factory look as much as possible, but be different than anything else out there.” Brainstorming how to take a four-door down to a two-door took a considerable amount of time for him, since none of it had ever been done before to his knowledge. He had to figure out the smallest things, like body moldings, the length of the doors and the door panels. When it was all said and done, Topo’s two-door lowrider quickly became the talk of the town and his customization and fabricating business began to take off from there. However, what people really don’t know is that before Topo took on the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, he really didn’t have much knowledge of building cars on his own. “I got a hold of the guy who I used to help when I was younger to help me on the car,” he admits. “I learned a lot from working on that car. A lot of people liked it and asked me to do one for them and that’s where I started fabricating cars.” Topo also learns a lot from watching shows like “Overhaulin.” “ I like to see what they build and how they do it; you can really learn a lot.” He also credits legendary car builders like Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington as inspirations. As Topo’s first noteworthy customization job, one would think he’d

have kept the car as a token of nostalgia to what established his career, but it actually sold even before he was done working on it. “I never really got attached to any of the cars I’ve done,” he says. “I’ll do them, and if someone likes it, I’ll sell it since I can build a new one if I want. If I know I couldn’t get my hands on another car like it, I’d hold it, but I know I can do more so I’d rather sell them.” Currently, Topo only drives one car, his 2008 Dodge Charger STR8 SuperBee Edition, which he not only widened the rear, but also made the front end a bit fuller. Topo decided to shift his attention to newer rides once the new Chargers came out. “I’ve always liked lowriders, but you can only really drive them on the weekends and can’t really take them out on regular days. One day Ish from West Coast Customs came by the house with his Magnum so that I could put a Charger front end on it. Once I did that, I wanted a Charger, and that’s what pushed my whole shift toward those type of cars.” It was his widebody 2006 Charger that would eventually lead to his newfound fame and vital role in the return of the widebody style. “I had seen the Charger and thought the exterior lines looked too straight,” he says. “When I got it, I wanted the widest wheels I could get. I was told that they weren’t going to fit, but I told the sales person that I was gonna make the car fit the wheels. I didn’t want the Charger to have the wheels sticking out two or three inches and knew that the look I wanted would result in me cutting the quarter panels and extending them out. I always want the cars to look as if it came from the dealer or a big-named builder. I don’t design first, either; I just look at it and start working. The Charger got a lot of attention and that’s how my widebody look started.” With tons of newfound recognition and even more to come after his Camaros are unveiled at SEMA, Topo isn’t letting the success go to his head. “Success hasn’t changed me. People come up and talk to me all the time, praising my work. I don’t act like I’m different or better than anybody; I’m just a person who is building cars because I love it. I’m not trying to get fame out of this. Hopefully, my name gets out there a bit more so that one day people will remember me for building some badass cars and being a great fabricator.”

TOPO MAFIACUSTOMS@GMAIL.COM

Topo would like to thank Jorge Sanchez from JW Motorsports for letting him build his ﬁrst Challenger last year.

ASANTI WWW.ASANTIWHEELS.COM FALKEN WWW.FALKENTIRE.COM

JW MOTORSPORTS 17119 BELLFLOWER BLVD, BELLFLOWER, CA 90706 (562) 866-1761

Stay tuned for the second installment of Topo’s 2010 Camaro build that will be feature the complete build!

If you’d like to see more stories like this in a future issue of DUB, let us know at intake@dubmagazine.com!

36 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

verybody knows or has heard of West Coast Customs regardless if they are an industry insider or just a fan of the brand. As one of the first shops to embrace reality TV with “Pimp My Ride” on MTV, WCC emerged from CEO and owner Ryan Friedlinghaus’ passion for cars and $5,000 of start-up money his grandfather loaned him in 1993. Fast forward to 2009 and WCC is now a worldwide commodity, with six locations across the globe, three seasons into its “Street Customs” show and a reputation no one can beat! With more than 15 years in the industry, Ryan is looking to dominate the scene and expand the WCC brand with a new lifestyle section of the company, tons of new builds and more shops to come in 2010. WCC’s Customization Game As trendsetters, Ryan and his WCC crew are pushing their new school/old school conversions for 2010. “We call them the ‘modern day hot rods,’” he says. “It’s where we take an old body and we put it on top of a brand new chassis. So we’ll take a ’68 GTO and will buy a 2007 GTO and put the older body on the newer one, so it basically looks like an old school car from the outside, but the inside is all brand new and modern.” Ryan noticed how his clients really liked older cars, but didn’t want to put up with the hassles of them breaking down, being worn down on the inside or the troubles of having to track down the old school they wanted. The first one he did was for actor Gary Dourdan on “CSI,” with the idea first originating in a concept meeting. Ryan explains that he wanted the shop to do an original custom project. “We blew away his idea with our final product!” he says. “With the success of that project, WCC has again started yet another trend that not many shops can step to. A lot of people like older cars; I think it’s because you can only do so much to the newer ones.”

42 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

For those looking for this new modern day hot rod, Ryan and his crew will take care of everything. “All the client needs to do is tell us what car they’re interested in and we’ll go and ﬁnd the old school and its modern version.” No matter what type of build you want, clients should expect a six month waiting list, and that’s with the shop being able to do anywhere from four to six builds at a time. And don’t think you have to be a celebrity to get some work done at WCC either. “About 50 percent of our clients are celebs, with the other 50 usually a mix between high rollers and avid automotive enthusiasts who want custom, one-of-a-kind builds, as well as show-stopping corporate event vehicles,” he says. “We don’t discriminate among clients. If we have the time to build it, we’ll take anything, really.”

West Coast Customs’ ﬁrst new school/old school conversion combined a ’67 Chevelle body on a 2006 Corvette C6 platform.

from here in the States, which gives me lots of ideas and stuff.” Being on top always has its downfalls, with haters being one of them…but Ryan isn’t sweating the negative stuff. “Haters will always be there and you can’t shake them off. If we didn’t have haters, then we wouldn’t be doing something right. There’s no time for negativity in these tough times we’re in.” Despite the slow economy, Ryan and WCC are surviving the economic storm, but have definitely been affected by its downturn. “Everybody thinks we’re these big millionaires with a big shop and a TV show, so we’re not affected by the economy, but we’ve taken a hit,” he describes. “It just makes us realize what to be happy about—we still have the shop, everybody is still employed here and we still have customers, but it’s definitely not the way it used to be.” Because more people are being careful on what they spend their money on, Ryan has noticed that customers are no longer going for the big, flashy look, but keeping it simple and clean in terms of their modification requests. WCC’s “Street Customs” All of Ryans new school/old school conversions will be seen on his TLC reality show, “Street Customs,” along with all the other builds he and his crew take on. Not satisfied with the image the shop built on “Pimp My Ride,” Ryan wanted to do the new series to show America everyday life in his shop. “Other shows like ours are just focused about giving back, while ours is more real ’cause it’s a real customer, whether it’s a celeb or a guy NOV / DEC 2009

WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: KEVIN OU/MICHAEL FIORE OF LOYALTY CREATIVE AND WEST COAST CUSTOMS

Putting in 16-hour days, six days a week, Ryan practically lives at the shop in Corona, CA, but all his hard work and time hasn’t been in vain. As one of the world’s top customizers, WCC doesn’t look to any other shops for ideas since it’s usually the other way around. As a shop that does everything in house (he has a crew of 28 staff members that he likes to think of as a family more than employees), WCC’s advantage over other shops is that all the builds are carefully looked after from start to ﬁnish, so there’s no comprising the quality of work that goes into the cars, Ryan comments. “Another advantage is that I go overseas a lot and get to see ﬁrsthand all the new stuff in Europe and around the world. Cars are different over there

DUB MAG 43

who wants to build a car, and we take it from start to finish.” Ryan and his WCC crew have also done philanthropic vehicles that were shown in the first season, but the show’s primary goal is to provide fans with an insider’s look into how celebrity and high-profile cars are built, from the clients’ ideas all the way to them driving out of the parking lot with their new West Coast Custom original. With each episode depicting the entire process that goes into a build, Ryan saw the show evolve into providing people how-tos. “People out in the Midwest and all over the world want to be like us and go into their garages and build cars,” he says. “It’s cool to give them something useful they can use when working on their own rides.” With a huge following, Ryan hopes to take the show as many seasons as it can go. “A lot of people love it. They can relate to the show since it’s the everyday life of being in the shop.” Besides filming the day-to-day business of his shop in Corona, Ryan also has a German “Street Customs” that chronicles his journey as he sets up shop in Berlin, Germany than can be seen both over there and here in the States. “So far, we’ve had a good response on the first few episodes.” WCC’s Celebrity Clientele Expect to see tons of celebrity builds on the new season of “Street Customs,” like Sylvester Stallone’s three ’55 Ford F-100 trucks WCC is building for his new movie Expendables, Christian Audiger’s Cadillac Hearse, Paris Hilton’s pink Bentley and a Chevy Nomad for NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace, to name a few. Ryan also built a taco truck for Chronic Tacos, a mobile ticket booth for the Dodgers and a Mercedes-Benz van for Vans complete with a half pipe inside with a glass dome roof. “We just did a new-to-old conversion GTO for Rock Star Energy, which is one of the best ones we did so far ’cause we learned how to perfect them,” Ryan mentions. Having worked with so many celebrities, Ryan still credits anything Shaq brings him as the most outrageous ones he’s done. “He always comes to me with crazy stuff. He recently brought me a Mercedes-Benz S-Class that he wanted to have turned into a convertible with a retractable roof. It took eight months to build and I just finished it. It’s so far one of the hardest projects I’ve done in a while ’cause we had to build everything from scratch.” WCC’s Expansions In conjunction to Ryan’s Berlin expansion shop, he has franchised the brand to other parts of the world, including Dubai, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Tokyo, Mexico City and Moscow (along with the Berlin and Corona location).

Rock Star Energy’s new-to-old conversion GTO.

44 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

Ryan and the WCC crew built three 1955 Ford F-100 trucks for Sylvester Stallone’s new movie Expendables, which you can see in an upcoming episode of “Street Customs.”

“The more and more I visited these countries, the more I realized how much people really loved and wanted to have a piece of West Coast Customs,” he explains. “I figured as long as I could find a good partner who’s also a good person, then I’d be able to open up different shops all over the world.” While all locations are franchised out, Ryan still places rules and regulations to have each shop look the same and feel the same to give it the authenticity of the original West Coast Customs. “The first thing we do is to make sure they financially can set up and make a handbook as far as the look and the feel,” he says. “I help them with the look and the layout, and then they send their two main guys that will be running the shop to spend time with us to learn the ropes to get the feel of how we do things.” Ryan actually kept the Berlin shop for himself, flying there once a month for the last year to film the German version of the show. “Germany was one of the first places I ever went to when I went out of the country and we have a really big following in Europe,” he says. “The respect is there and people love us and treat us like we’re gods over there so I figured if there was one I wanted to keep for myself it was that one. I’m really hands-on with the operations and setup.” Ryan later wants to open shops in Canada, Australia and South Africa.

West Coast Custom is a worldwide entity with expansion shops in Berlin and Dubai, to name a few.

Expect to see a lifestyle brand from WCC in 2010, too. “We’re working on a WCC clothing line and building the side brand called Wrench Clothing. I want to build a work line of clothing for guys who work in the shop that’ll include work boots, gloves, safety glasses and more. Basically stuff they’d wear in the shop. We’re also going to open up a couple of tattoo shops, where we’ll also display artwork and stuff called Custom Ink’d.” With so many things in the works for 2010, Ryan and his West Coast Customs family are more than ready to ring in the new year with endless possibilities. “The sky’s the limit for us right now…we’re getting ready for total world domination!” Make sure to catch the season premiere of “Street Customs” on TLC starting back up on October 29 at 10 p.m. and every Thursday night after that! WWW.WESTCOASTCUSTOMS.COM • WWW.WRENCHCLOTHING.COM WWW.CUSTOMINKED.COM • WWW.LOYALTYCREATIVE.COM

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PHOTOS: RYAN SIU

Triple T arga Trophy launched its first r this year, Crown Road Rally Series earlier overs another lo car rt spo and ic exot g win allo n road. Comprised opportunity to take to the ope l Crown Road Triple the s, race of three separate rally on Maay 30, then nty Cou ge Oran in ted star y Rall on June 21 and ended ventured down to San Diego 19 (think along the ber tem Sep with a bang in L.A. n to all makes Ope 0). lines of the Gumball 300 icipaants had to part , cars ialty spec and ic exot of ossible to rank po as ly rate accu as t even finish each ent awarded eve each and , cars highest out of 100 0,000 in prizes $100 prizes and trophies (more than hers. n finish up for grabs) for the top seve 0 drivers, as 60 saw t even the of leg The last ara Zoo B Barb ta San the to e they explored a rout he Roosevelt to th and then made their way back mony and rem d cere award Hotel, where they enjoyed an nd expa will s es seri ’s year t Nex y. lavish after part Targga on e mor or Fo ! time rst fi outside of Cali for the atrophy.com Trophy, please visit www.targ

LA WINNERS i RS4 1. Malcolm Medina – Aud anne Transsyberia 2. Valli Khan – Porche Cay R8 i 3. Adam Roth – Aud 4. Josh Conely – BMW M5 M5 5. Elliott Grossman – BMW esis 6. Jeff Glucker- Hyundai Gen M5 7. Wick Zimmerman – BMW

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS 1. Malcolm Medina – RS4 M5/Nissan GTR 2. Elliott Grossman BMW X STI WR aru Sub 3. Joe Callian –

50 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

n an early Sunday morning, more than 200 exotic car owners lined up at Calabasas Luxury Motorcars to run through the canyons of Malibu and PCH to raise funds for the CHP’s 11-99 Foundation. “We sponsored the event for two reasons,” says AC from Forgiato Wheels. “The main reason is that we loved the cause. All donations and funds are used to support the families of CHP officers, who lost their lives in the service of sworn duty. The second reason is because it was a perfect ﬁt. Our wheels are custom-built for luxury and exotic cars.” AC drove his back Lamborghini Murciélago on 20-inch Forgiato Vizzo wheels at the run. It was an invitation-only event and is one of the largest single gathering of super exotic cars for the purpose of a charitable event. Some notable exotics that were spotted at the event included a Pagani Zonda C12S, two Ferrari Enzos, a Bugatti and even a DeLorean. Topo rolled through with his widebody Charger to chase the run and his newest widebody Camaro which he built for Forgiato Wheels.

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ow in its fourth year, the 2009 Carlisle Performance and Style show lived up to its billing as the “hottest, loudest, most tricked-out” event for custom car enthusiasts on the East Coast. The weekend event featured more than 1,500 cars, trucks, SUVs and everything in between! Besides all the rides, guests got to see BMX stunt shows, dB bass drags, a video game tournament, drifting exhibitions, the highly anticipated Miss Carlisle Beauty contest and the ever-popular burnout competition. DUB was also on deck, showcasing a few West Coast vehicles, along with the show-stopping Galpin Auto Sports’ Scythe. For more on the Performance and Style event and other Carlisle productions, check out www.carlisleevents.com.

PHOTOS: CARLISLE EVENTS, WALTER S.

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PHOTOS: PATRICK DALY

hi-City was more than ready to experience this year’s Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour, as seen through the massive array of customized rides and bikes that packed the McCormick Place Convention Center on Saturday, August 1. More than 16,000 car culture fans showed up ready to feast their eyes on some of the city’s best in the car game. Autowerks killed it with their ﬂeet of exotic rides, while Desperado’s Northside Choppers brought out their best in custom bikes that have been featured in various TV shows and bike

magazines. Our Tribute to Lowriding display is always a crowd favorite, but our bike showcase really got people excited. When time came to get the concert stage started, just about everybody in attendance ﬂocked to check out performances by J-LP, $wag, Playaz Circle, Chicago’s own Twista and Ludacris. Chi-Town’s Finest Breakers (CTFB) also entertained the crowd. They are the youngest group of professional break dancers in the Chicago area, consisting of 11 year old B-boy Lil’ Ozone, 8 year old B-Girl Spinderalla, 8 year old B-boy Lil’ Turbo and 6 year old B-boy Crazzy Legz.

Monster E ne Evelyn Her rgy’s very own nandez.

1. Two-tone GT HAUS Nissan GTR. 2. Autowerks keeping it classic. 3. Chicago packed the house at McCormick Place. 4. The all-new 2010 DUB Edition Ford Taurus SHO. 5. Ludacris giving back to his hometown. 6. Chi-Town’s very own Twista was in the building 7. Playaz Circle reppin’ in The Windy City all the way from A-Town. 5.

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VISIT DUBMAGAZINE.COM FOR MORE SHOW PHOTOS & VIDEO

BEST IN SHOW WINNERS 1ST PLACE ($2000): PAUL TOLSEN - TEAM EST 2ND PLACE ($1000): EFRAIN ROBLES 3RD PLACE ($500): JOHNNY MATNEY 1ST PLACE: SHOCKWAVE CLUB 2ND PLACE: POSITIVE FORCE CLUB 3RD PLACE: TEAM EST LOWRIDER 1ST ($1000): ED SALDANA - ROLLERZ ONLY LOWRIDER 2ND ($500): JOHN HERNANDEZ - IL. STATE LOW-LIFE LOWRIDER 3RD ($250): ROBERT TOVAR - EL BARRIO C.C. MOTORCYCLE 1ST PLACE ($1000): RANDY KEBLAR - GATOR CUSTOMS MOTORCYCLE 2ND PLACE ($500): MARVIN HESTER MOTORCYCLE 3RD PLACE ($250): RANDY KEBLAR - GATOR CUSTOMS DUB VEHICLE SOUND SYSTEM: TOOFE - SHOWTIME AUDIO DRESSED DUB VEHICLE ON PIRELLI TIRES: TOOFE - SHOWTIME AUDIO SPORT-COMPACT SOUND SYSTEM: ADAM CUTLER SPORT-COMPACT DRESSED ON PIRELLI TIRES: DANNY MCBRIDE - AUTOART RETAIL SHOP BOOTH: AUTOWERKS RETAIL SHOP VEHICLE: AUTO ART CELEBRITY CAR: PAT WILLIAMS - MINNESOTA VIKINGS 4-DOOR: JESUS ARREDANDO - J & S SOUNDS 2-DOOR: EFRAIN ROBLES CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: GREG LEVANT LUXURY SPORTS CAR: ANTHONY - SHOCKWAVE LUXURY: RON DURCHIN - AUTO WERKS 4X4 TRUCK: MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ - STREET LEGAL AUDIO BEST SUV WILD: ERNESTO SILVA - DREAM TOYZ SUV WILD: ERNESTO SILVA - DREAM TOYZ SUV MILD: SIXTO ROBLES - TEAM EST FULLSIZE TRUCK: MIKE MURANDO - J & S SOUNDS MINITRUCK/SUV: ANTHONY - SHOCKWAVE FULL SIZE CAR WILD: FRANCISCO RAMIREZ - ILLSTATE BIG BODYS FULL SIZE CAR MILD: RON DURBIN - AUTOWERKS EXOTIC: RON DURBIN - AUTOWERKS MERCEDES: RON DURBIN - AUTOWERKS OLD SCHOOL: CORY THOMAS - TEAM EST LEXUS: MARIA TITOVA - TEAM EST BEST BMW: LARRY CHACHKO - AUTO ART BEST CHEVY: MARCOS BERRERA - OLD SCHOOL MEMBERS ONLY FORD: CORY THOMAS - TEAM EST SCION: CHRIS GOSDAN - OBSESSIVE CUSTOMS CHRYSLER: VICTOR SERRANO DODGE: PATRICK TAYLOR - SHOCKWAVE DOMESTIC WILD: ADAM CUTLER DOMESTIC MILD: TEDDY NIOTIS IMPORT WILD: CHRIS HILL - AUTOWERKS IMPORT MILD: DAVID EARNISSE - TEAM EST UNDERCARRIAGE: ED SALDANA - ROLLERZ ONLY PAINTED GRAPHICS: KYLE SCHAEFER ENGINE: RON DURCHIN - AUTO WERKS INTERIOR: BROTHERS UPHOLSTERY - JESUS ARREDANDO - J&S SOUNDS PAINT: ROBERT TOVAR DISPLAY: FELIPE TORRES

1. Fans were glued to the XBOX 360 gaming consoles all day. 2. Excalibur Motors displayed in true fashion, with sick cars and wheel displays. 3. A special B-boy tribute to Michael Jackson by Chi-Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest Breakers. 3.

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rdinaire Producer extrao

Bangladesh.

he ATL was in full effect and on top of its car game when DUB touched down on Saturday, August 15 for the ninth stop of the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour. Held at the Georgia International Convention Center, A-Town really came out to support the show, as more than 13,000 visitors packed every inch of the Convention Center to experience the nation’s biggest and best car show and concert. The concert line-up was one of the best thus far for the year. With 13 artists in attendance, the performances had to start earlier than usual just to ﬁt them all in! Performing their bangin’ hit singles included: MC Magic, Bakatown Youngin, Hell Raza, Amore, Fatigue, $wag, Small World, Young Dose, Gorilla Zoe, 2 Pistols, Lil Scrappy, Playaz Circle and ATL’s own Ludacris, who ended the show with an hour-long set! The Shop Boys also jumped on stage for a bit, while notable names who stopped by for a bit included, Pacman Jones, Slim from 112, producer extraordinaire Bangladesh and Jim Jones also took to the mic for as a special guest. Midwest customs came through with an impressive ﬂeet of custom rides that really turned heads. Those who showed up early were treated to a free haircut at the Boost Mobile Barber Shop and received cool freebies, while others got their drink on at the Monster Energy Lounge. TAG was also passing out free cans of its new Signature Scent Series collaboration with Ludacris.

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BEST IN SHOW WINNERS 1ST PLACE ($2000): PETER COLLELO 2ND PLACE ($1000): JEFF GREGORY – GB CUSTOMS 3RD PLACE ($500): GERARDO BANDA JR CLUB 1ST PLACE: OBSESSIONS C.C. CLUB 2ND PLACE: TRITON CLUB 3RD PLACE: NOKTURNAL LOWRIDER 1ST ($1000): ARTURO REYES - OBSESSION C.C. LOWRIDER 2ND ($500): KEITH WITNER - OBSESSION C.C. LOWRIDER 3RD ($250): TOMMY GARCIA - OBSESSION C.C. MOTORCYCLE 1ST PLACE : RODERICK MC CULLOUGH MOTORCYCLE 2ND PLACE : CYCLE INNOVATIONS DUB VEHICLE SOUND SYSTEM: WAYNE JACKSON ULTIMATE AUDIO DRESSED DUB VEHICLE ON PIRELLI TIRES: DEREK DOBSON - CRAZY CREW SPORT-COMPACT SOUND SYSTEM: JEFF GREGORY - GB CUSTOMS SPORT-COMPACT DRESSED ON PIRELLI TIRES: MARK - STUNT WORLD RETAIL SHOP BOOTH: MIDWEST CUSTOMS RETAIL SHOP VEHICLE: SPADE CREATIONS CELEBRITY CAR: RYAN DAVIS 4-DOOR: ANDREW TYRONE COOLEY

2-DOOR: GERARDO BANDA JR CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: RODERICK MC CULLOUGH LUXURY SPORTS CAR: MARK - STUNT WORLD LUXURY: GUCCI MAN’S PHANTOM - SO ICE ENT. 4X4 TRUCK: CLAY NEIL SUV WILD: JAKE KING - MIDWEST CUSTOMS SUV MILD: DEREK JACOBS FULLSIZE TRUCK: DANIEL FARMER - ACROPHOBIA MINITRUCK/SUV: JUSTIN WARD - NOKTURNAL FULL SIZE CAR WILD: D – SECRET SOCIETY AUTO GROUP FULL SIZE CAR MILD: KENT HAMID – KENT AUTOMOTIVE EXOTIC: DEXTER NEIL MERCEDES: HASAN ROBERTSON - ULTIMATE AUDIO OLD SCHOOL: DAMON MILLER LEXUS: MARK NAYLOR - ELITE BMW: KENT HAMID - KENT AUTOMOTIVE CHEVY: DARRYL TAYLOR - MIDWEST CUSTOMS FORD: ANGEL LOZANO - PRIMEXAMPLZ SCION: JESSE OLIVE - ELITE CHRYSLER: ERNEST TARANGO DODGE: KENT HAMID - KENT AUTOMOTIVE DOMESTIC WILD: LEE LEE - MIDWEST CUSTOMS DOMESTIC MILD: TOMMY PIKE - SOUND SENSATIONS

Backsta ge with G and Jim orilla Zo Jones. e

1. Luda reppin’ for DTP in the “A.” 2. Brand new color-matched Camaro. 3. TAG Body Spray Girls with Ludacris for the “Get Yours” scent. 4. The one and only GAS Scythe.

IMPORT WILD: JEREMY & DANYA BARROW - ELITE IMPORT MILD: BRANDON GRIFFIN - DRIVEWAY DREAMS UNDERCARRIAGE: PETER COLLELO PAINTED GRAPHICS: D & D CUSTOMS ENGINE: WAYNE JACKSON - ULTIMATE AUDIO INTERIOR: ABRAM ELAM - ULTIMATE AUDIO PAINT: MARCUS WHITE - ULTIMATE AUDIO DISPLAY: JEREMY & DANYA BARROW - ELITE

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 65

1. & 2. Pete Collelo claiming his prize with the show-stopping Celica. 3. Cartunes coming through with the allnew Camaro. 4. DTP family in true Atlanta fashion.

66 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

Paul Wall flossin’ E xpensive

orthern Cali got its car culture ﬁll on Saturday, September 5, 2009 when the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour touched down on San Jose. Held at the San Jose Convention Center, guests feasted their eyes on a variety of customized cars, bikes, trucks and everything in between! Those that got to the show early were able to get a free haircut at Boost Mobile Barber Shop inside their booth. Matt Hotch, back-to-back Grand

Champion winner of Discovery Channel’s “Biker Build-Off,” was on hand, showing off some of his best creations. Dethrone Royalty’s booth showcased their new styles of MMA clothing and fans got to meet MMA ﬁghter Josh Koscheck. The concert stage line-up featured big names that were banging out the hits like Lee Majors, D-LO, Erk the Jerk, Laroo, Traxamillion, Yukmouth, E-40 and Paul Wall. The crowd went wild when the Bay’s own E-40 hopped on stage and killed it with his fresh tunes.

BEST IN SHOW WINNERS 1ST PLACE ($2000): SCOOBY - NOKTURNAL 2ND PLACE ($1000): RICK - SWIFT 3RD PLACE ($500): STACY LOWERY CLUB 1ST PLACE: NOKTURNAL CLUB 2ND PLACE: SWIFT CLUB 3RD PLACE: DOWN TO CLOWN LOWRIDER 1ST ($1000): AMADO ESPINOZA - UCE LOWRIDER 2ND ($500): DANNY TORRES - UCE LOWRIDER 3RD ($250): BRUDDAH JOE - UCE MOTORCYCLE 1ST PLACE : ANGEL SILVA MOTORCYCLE 2ND PLACE : BRIAN FRANK - BIG BOY PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLE 3RD PLACE ($250): BRIAN FRANK - BIG BOY PERFORMANCE DUB VEHICLE SOUND SYSTEM: JAY LIGHTNER DRESSED DUB VEHICLE ON PIRELLI TIRES: BRITNEY SOLEDAD - 599 CUSTOMZ SPORT-COMPACT SOUND SYSTEM: STACY LOWERY RETAIL SHOP BOOTH: CAR AUDIO EXPRESS

70 DUB MAG NOV / DEC 2009

Taste.

VISIT DUBMAGAZINE.COM FOR MORE SHOW PHOTOS & VIDEO RETAIL SHOP VEHICLE: KAR TUNZ LAMBO 4-DOOR: NOKTURNAL ALTIMA 2-DOOR: ERNESTO GONZALES - NOKTURNAL CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: WAYNE BLACKHAM NOKTURNAL LUXURY SPORTS CAR: CHRISTOPHER SEALOCK LUXURY: EUROPROJEKTZ 4X4 TRUCK: NICK GERMANO - IMPERIOUZ SUV WILD: RICK - SWIFT SUV MILD: DANNY MORALES - NOKTURNAL FULLSIZE TRUCK: JESSE SAUCEDO - SOCIOS MINITRUCK/SUV: IVAN OCHOA - NOKTURNAL FULL SIZE CAR WILD: JULIAN SEPULVEDA 559 KUSTOMZ FULL SIZE CAR MILD: PETER TAPIA - 559 KUSTOMZ EXOTIC: TERRELL NIEVERA MERCEDES: LALO ARREALA - EUROPROJECTZ OLD SCHOOL: PEDRO PALOS LEXUS: EFRAIN GARCIA - NOKTURNAL

BMW: JOHN KIM CHEVY: HECTOR ESQUIVAL - NOKTURNAL FORD: AUGUSTIN - NOKYURNAL SCION: NICK GARCIA - NOKTURNAL CHRYSLER: MATHEW GOMEZ DODGE: JAY LIGHTNER DOMESTIC WILD: TOBY KATZ DOMESTIC MILD: CARLOS CIENFUEGAS IMPORT WILD: NOKTURNAL ALTIMA BEST IMPORT MILD: OSCAR SALDANA - NOKTURNAL BEST UNDERCARRIAGE: SCOOBY - NOKTURNAL BEST PAINTED GRAPHICS: JAIME MURGUIA NOKTURNAL BEST ENGINE: JUAN PALOS BEST INTERIOR: JESSE CUARA - 559 CUSTOMS BEST PAINT: JESSE CUARA - 559 CUSTOMS BEST DISPLAY: ANGEL SILVA

mic. th on the

Yuckmou 2.

1. E40 keeping the Bay Area hella hyphy. 2. 2010 DUB Edition Ford Taurus SHO for Budlight. 3. The murdered-out GAS X Air Force X-1 Challenger Supercar.

NOV / DEC 2009

DUB MAG 71

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