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WIDEBODY, THE OLDSCHOOL WAY

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Light is bold Make a statement day and night Add SYLVANIA ZEVO™ LED DRL Pipe or Pixel and you’re adding style, performance and safety. They’re a fast and easy way to give your car a leading edge. Facebook.com/SylvaniaAutomotive Twitter.com/Sylvania Youtube.com/SylvaniaLight

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info@mdaudio.net For dealers inquires: www.orioncaraudio.com | T: (305) 593.8361 | F: (305) 593.8413 | Toll free: 1-855.475.6048 Miami, FL - USA @orioncaraudiooï¬&#x192;cial facebook.com/orion.car.audio | twitter.com/OrionCarAudio

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66 BRING ON THE RAD VAUGHN GITTIN JR’S MUSTANG RTR SPEC 5 CONCEPT

FEATURES

Out of this Weld Widebody Weld FR-S

Legends Series Builder & Innovator Neil Tjin

Tjin Edition Honda Fit Champion at SEMA

Kenny Moen’s Frankstein Silvia Drifter

Formula Drift 2014 Awards Banquet

COLUMNS

Sound Advice Q&A Amp Costs & Sound Engineering

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GYMKHANA 7 HOONICORN RTR

DECEMBER // JANUARY 2015

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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Performance Auto & Sound Magazine (ISSN # 1710-1573) is published 10 times a year by Performance Auto & Sound Inc. 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (10 issues) Canada and USA: $24.99 (20 issues) Canada and USA: $34.99 (30 issues) Canada and USA: $42.99 Toll Free: 1 (888) 564-SUBS [7827] Email: subs@pasmag.com www.pasmag.com/subscribe

GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO Tim Rutledge PUBLISHERS Blake Breslin & Perry Breslin FOUNDER & SR. VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Frank Spezzano

EDITORIAL

GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Shaun Keenan SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Lenssen ASSOCIATE EDITOR Micky Slinger TECHNICAL EDITOR Garry Springgay

CONTRIBUTORS

Phillip Awad Bedroom Door Studios Mike Blabac Larry Chen Icon Media Jacob Leveton

Gene Tjin Neil Tjin Pierre Wikberg Ron Zaras Adam Zillin

ART & PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Queue Gonzalez PRODUCTION & SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Dinglasan SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Edward Shintani SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Beltijar GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mike Chan

SALES & MARKETING

SENIOR DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Matthew Adolfo DIRECTOR, SALES & MARKETING Justin Hasan AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Randi Bentia SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Rex Cawagas

A D M I N I ST R AT I O N

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Craig Sweetman DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES Richard Robles CLIENT SERVICES Anna Brown DIGITAL COORDINATOR Patrick Lagowski

Performance Auto & Sound Magazine welcomes unsolicited contributions including stories (typewritten), photos, club news, events, etc. (Forward to PAS, 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada) Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40069655 PAP Registration #10760

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NIAGARA FALLS, NY AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. U.S.P.S. # 022-608 U.S. OFFICE OF PUBLICATION: 2421 Hyde Park Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY, 14305 U.S. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Performance Auto & Sound, Box 1082, Niagara Falls, NY, 14304 Exclusive distribution by: Coast-to-Coast Newsstand Service Ltd. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list, please write to us at the address below and include your mailing label. For any subscription inquiries, including change of address, call 1 (888) 564-SUBS.

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ISSUE PREVIEW

ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?

e sure hope so, because we’ve been riding a wave of awesome since SEMA, and it’s about to come crashing onto the shores with this issue. In all seriousness, we haven’t had two vehicles with such esteemed reputations don the cover of PASMAG like this in a while, and it’s truly thanks to the camps of Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Mr. Ken Block for helping us so generously along the way. As you can tell, Mustangs are all the rage these days (or “All the Rad,” as the RTR (Ready to Rock) folk would say), and we couldn’t think of a tribute more fitting for Ford’s storied pony car than having the Hoonicorn RTR and Mustang RTR Spec 5 Concept grace our pages. It also doesn’t hurt that they are the biggest deals to break the Internet since Black Friday (and perhaps, Kim Kardashian, depending on who you speak to). We were lucky enough to get up close and very personal with JR’s Spec 5 Concept at the SEMA show, and while its wheels will burn holes in your retinas, it’s a concept that’s built to test out the latest RTR parts to fit onto a Mustang of your very own. Having driven the new 2015, if you’re looking for a new ride, it’s definitely worth checking out, either in V8, V6 or turbocharged inline-four spec. Or, perhaps you should take the next step and look at the Mustang RTR Spec 2, modeled after the Spec 5. After all, it is available at select Ford dealers worldwide. We also take a completely different look at the Hoonicorn RTR that Ken Block thrashed around L.A. in Gymkhana 7, going behind the build and asking the questions that are on everyone’s minds. Why 4WD? How is that even possible? What does that fancy bronze Hoonigan handbrake actually do? You’ll be surprised at the work that went into it. The exterior is deadly, but what’s underneath is so much more.

Following that are our favorite SEMA highlights, complemented by the second-annual Tuner Battlegrounds: Battle for SEMA, which featured a pristine carbon fiber 370Z and a classic '93 Supra in a U.S. vs. Canada headto-head battle that went down to the wire. The bodywork of Liberty Walk, RWB and Rocket Bunny took over the SEMA floor, but here, we also look at another widebody builder that still has that old-school flare, featuring the flawless work of the Weld FR-S. On the drift front, Formula D held their annual awards banquet, and we look at what happened behind the closed doors of the event that closed out an incredible 2014 season. Kenny Moen’s S14.5 is one beast that we wanted to get more info on, so this Frankenstein gets the feature treatment courtesy of the human Encyclopedia Driftannica, Jacob Leveton. What would an issue of PASMAG be without some tasteful audio reviews? Well, Garry Springgay tackles five new products, and he answers reader’s questions on amp pricing and what it takes to become an audio tester/ engineer. From personal experience, it’s an extremely cool gig that’s very rewarding. His advice is invaluable as always, and if you ever have a pointed question for him or any of our staff, feel free to email us at letters@ pasmag.com. Thanks again for picking us up, remember to treat your valentine, and enjoy the read!

JORDAN LENSSEN PASMAG SENIOR EDITOR

C O N N E C T MAKING IT EASIER TO STALK US THAN EVER BEFORE!

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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PASMAG

2014-12-19 3:03 PM

Wirez Marine Amplifiers kits, Power and Speaker Wire features tinned conductors for corrosion resistance. The amp kits include 25 feet of Power and Ground Wire, a marine fuse and fuse holder and all the terminals you will need.

Install a new level of quiet with Wirez Premium Sound Deadening. The new sound deadening features our world-renkowned butyl base layer and thick aluminum layer, but features a new black finish to make your installs look even better!

Wirez new 18 gauge EIA standard color speaker wire features our M2 jacket and a tracer stripe on both sides of the wire for easy installation. The new 14 gauge primary wire shares all the same easy-to-use features of our 18 gauge wire.

Wirez isn’t just another accessory company. We are car and mobile electronics enthusiasts. We don’t just sell car audio systems, we install them too. This means, we know what people want when it comes to making an audio system perform to its fullest. Every Wirez product was thoughtfully designed to ensure each and every feature increases performance and reliability. From our Signature Series T2T Interconnects with the best noise rejection in the industry to our solid brass power distribution blocks with Grip Tip Set screws - everything makes your system sound better. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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SOUND ADVICE

WITH GARRY SPRINGGAY

IN THE HOT SEAT Real world questions, from readers like you! Have a car audio related question? Send it to us at letters@pasmag.com!

Q: Hi, I’m a regular reader of the magazine and I have this question that no one can answer, so I thought I’d ask you and finally find out once and for all. Why is it that some amplifiers are so much more expensive than others, for the same power? I can buy a 5,000 watt amp from anywhere between $600 to over $3,000. Why? What makes some so much more money than others? Ethan F. – Lower Mainland, BC A: Hi Ethan, thanks for reading the magazine and thanks for your excellent question. There are many reasons that products cost vastly different amounts. The cost of a car audio amplifier has dozens of variables; from where it’s made, the quantities produced, the quality of the components used, how it’s engineered, included features, actual power, and the list goes on. To use your example, while I can’t say that spending $3,000 on an amp guarantees you 5,000 watts, I can completely guarantee you there are no new amps anywhere near that kind of power for $600. That said, whenever you’re analyzing prices on audio gear, there’s no free lunch. In the car audio industry, there are some brands that are rather less scrupulous than others and vastly exaggerate their power numbers. I recently tested such an amplifier, and although it was advertised at 2,500 watts, it struggled to develop 1,000. The best advice I can give you here is to buy an amplifier brand that is well-known and trusted, from a good dealer who will assist you if you need help with anything, including a warranty claim in the future. There are dozens of good brands and dealers out there. If a high quality amplifier is what you’re looking for, avoid the brands found in flea markets and in the classified section of the newspaper.

Facebook: garry.springgay Website: cogentaudiolabs.com

Q: I’m looking for information on how to become an audio tester. Can you explain what you mean by critical listening, and how do you know what to listen for? Do you have to really concentrate or do you need a special room? Do you need training, and if so, where do you go for it? Judy L. – via email A: Hi Judy, it’s always great to hear from a female reader. By “audio tester” and the rest of your questions, I assume you mean someone who evaluates the sound of stereo systems. I clarify this because the listening portion is only a fraction of actual audio testing from an engineer’s perspective. You don’t need a special room or any abnormal concentration skills. When it comes to evaluating the sonic characteristics of any audio system, probably the most critical requirement is knowing how to listen. This is a skill acquired over time. Usually that means listening to well-recorded material over and over, and learning how to pick out certain characteristics in the music. For example, there are approximately 50 songs I always use for my evaluations. I have chosen them for specific characteristics, and their ability to make problems more obvious. Over the years, I have probably heard some of these songs 20,000 times. You get to the point where you have every musical note and every pitch and timbre memorized. It really helps to know what things are supposed to sound like, which also comes from a lot of experience. For example, in a live performance, a skilled listener can tell you what brand of acoustic guitar is being played. They know the difference in the sounds of a French horn from a tenor sax, or can instantly tell a Les Paul guitar from a Stratocaster. Really skilled listeners can even tell you what brand of strings are on the guitar. I know a lady who can tell the brand and vintage of a grand piano simply by hearing three chords, because she tunes them for a living. This kind of skill comes only with experience, and thousands of hours of listening. To my knowledge, there are no schools or classes you can take to learn how to listen. You simply have to love music enough that you do it for the fun of it. (Editor’s note: Judy, while there are no schools to teach you “how” to listen, there are schools that teach audio engineering, which will introduce you to audio frequencies, mixing and studio equipment, which may help you in your search. Have a look to see if there are any reputable audio schools in your area (they may be few and far between), or look at internships at local recording studios. You may have to start as a coffee runner, but nobody ever said the road to the top was easy!)

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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HONDA CIVIC TYPE-R WILL WE GET ONE?

THE INTERNET IS DROOLING and they want more. Honda has released teaser after teaser of their new Civic Type-R, and now they’ve unveiled another concept in Paris at the auto show. With orders now open for the new hothatched Civic overseas, those of us in North America are left asking, “What about us?” There are a few theories on this; one of which stating that we won’t ever see a performance version of the Civic here because of what’s called “fleet wide fuel economy.” Bringing over a turbocharged model and introducing it to a fleet of fuel conscious commuters isn’t going to help Honda’s average fuel consumption, and could actually result in fines should it go over the limit. Two more rumors have come out, the first being that Honda will forgo the Euro version to give us our own Type-R instead. The 2.0L turbo engine from overseas could be plunked into the current-gen Civie with some Type-R upgrades. The second is that a reworked version of the CR-Z platform could be the home for the Type-R heart. What do you think? Could it happen? Would you settle for a different version of the Type-R? Or do you think this is all just smoke? Let us know at letters@pasmag.com.

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2015 BUYERS GU I D E : PRNMAG.COM

YOU’VE GOT A SEXY OLD CHASSIS. Who cares about newer models? Yours is the best that’s ever been and (insert manufacturer you believe has lost their way) probably won’t ever get back to making a car this good. But being old still has its share of quirks: rattles, creaks, and maybe even a memorized ritual to start her up. Instead of pouring more cash in, make that one worthy investment that many classic car sticklers are doing. Grab a current-gen engine and make it fit! RX-7s with LS and F20C engines, Datsuns with VQs, SRs and RBs, Rabbits with VR6s. Shall we go on? Get that ‘70s, ‘80s or ‘90s platform and slap some newmillennium power in there!

2014-12-05 6:23 PM

LOOKING FOR A NEW WHIP? Everything you’ll need is in the pages of our sister publication, Ignition Luxury & Performance Magazine's New Car Buyers Guide (available in Canada only). Whether you’re budgeting for an FR-S or spending big on a GT-R, you can compare specifications and pricing to other cars in the same segment to see if you’re making the best choice. If you’re looking for the best deal and peace of mind, make sure you check out the informative articles on buying new cars in today’s market. It’s sure to take some of the stress out of taking the plunge into a new ride. We’ve also tested the leaders in 15 different categories that will compete for Canadian Car of the Year, so you can see the best of the best. For those who really enjoy their toys, we’ve also included guides for motorcycles and track cars, making for our most comprehensive vehicle list to date. BOOSTED AND BLOWN UPDATES

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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BY MICKY SLINGER & JORDAN LENSSEN

SEMA

It’s the place where personalities flock and the car crazies want to be. From mind-blowing builds to achievements in technical execution, the world’s largest automotive aftermarket gathering drops on Las Vegas for four days each year to show the best in motoring innovation and evolution. This year, PASMAG took to the floor once again,

in a unique position as both exhibitor and media member. From coordinators to writers, photographers and models, PASMAG was there to dive into the newest and hottest products, speak to the reps and celebrities, and bring the best blog and print coverage to you, our amazing community. Where to start? Well, it was Slinger’s (check the byline) and my first adventure to the

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big show – and while we were briefed beforehand, nothing could have prepared us for what was in store. With 60,000 domestic and international buyers, 2,000 new products and 12 different show areas, it was the biggest event in years – and rightfully so. We’re seeing more trends and greater advances in technology than ever before. We landed late Sunday night, ahead of the private preview on

Monday, before the show went full swing Tuesday. Equipped with our target list of contacts, it was cameras in one hand and pens in the other to jot it all down. The Beastie Boys say there’s no sleep ‘til Brooklyn, and there was no talk of leaving Sin City any time soon. So, without further ado, here are the highlights from the blur of an amazing week that was... - JL

BEST NEW PRODUCT

BREMBO CARBONCERAMIC DISCS

MUSTANG’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

IT’S MONDAY MORNING. We wake up and leave the hotel, ready for day one – before the show is officially open. We don't even make it to the conference center when we’re struck with a herd of Mustangs sitting in a lot across the street. There are models from every generation: ‘64.5s all the way up to brand new S550s. There’s even an ’89 Saleen SSC, and one of the nicest Mustang IIs – a rebuild, no less – we’ve ever seen. In all, there are over 150 cars from across the US that span the lot. Hosted by Ford, it was an incredible intro to SEMA – and it isn’t even an official part of the show! When we got inside, Ford had a massive display of Mustangs, to coincide with the showstopping Hoonicorn RTR and Mustang RTR Spec 5 Concept. It was a fitting tribute to the 2015 Mustang, which was also crowned SEMA’s “Car of the Show.” – JL

Brembo’s new CCM-R CarbonCeramic brake disc and pad technology had everyone in awe during their presentation. It’s gotten to the point where each disc is a work of art, and together with its famed calipers (LeFerrari version shown), Brembo announced its latest technologies will now be offered on the Nissan GT-R (R35) as original equipment. The company says it will save 25 lbs. on the front axle and 31 on the rear, which means even more potent speed, both in acceleration and braking. Exotic, yes, but it also shows the new technology heights the brake manufacturer is making, which will undoubtedly trickle down throughout its lineup. - JL

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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PASMAG

2014-12-18 5:22 PM

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www.assuredauto.ca Assured Auto 16.10.indd 1

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THE LATEST TRENDS, FULL THROTTLE

FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

RIDING ALONG IN THE MUSTANG RTR SPEC 5 CONCEPT & F-150 ULTIMATE FUN HAVER

AS SOON AS YOU POKE YOUR HEAD outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center, no matter where you were, you could hear and smell burning rubber. It was awesome. All that screeching and smoking was courtesy of Ford Out Front, where they drifted F-150s, SVT Raptors, and Mustangs of any shape and size around the track area they had set up. I really, really wanted to get in on that. I was also super jealous that Mr. Lenssen had already gotten a ride in Gittin’s Spec 5 Concept the day before. Jordan, sick of my whining, asked me to “just go ask him, dude.” So I did. And even though he was probably sick of seeing my face for the seven-millionth time in two days and had many better things to do, JR hooked me up real good, and I actually got a spin in both the widebody drift ‘Stang AND the F-150 Ultimate Fun Haver. What was the experience like? Well, after being tossed around like a ragdoll in the Spec 5 and then having the air suspension blow on the F-150 after being hooned so hard, you could say I sounded like a giddy schoolgirl. For a few days. Footage coming. - MS

GRAN TURISMO AWARDS

FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

ARGUABLY THE BEST PARTY OF THE WEEK, industry magnates touched down at Drai’s Nightclub for an evening of awards and killer music, courtesy of punk-rock legends Social Distortion. Celeb sightings from the PASMAG crew included Kei Muira, Porsche driver Patrick Long testing the simulator, Kenny Tran, Fredric Aasbo, and Danny George, who we ran into earlier that day to discuss some exciting 2015 plans. Sitting at the GoPro booth throughout the week, the “Rampage” Camaro (pictured, above) built by Roadster Shop took the GT Award for Best in Show, and after seeing it up close, it’s obvious why. It has the perfect amount of old school flare, sports car looks, and modern widebody elements that make it easy on the eyes. Underneath, the 750 horses push from the LS7 motor through a sideways-mounted transmission(!) because the car sits so low, and everything is built for a full-on track assault. We can’t wait to give this a test in the virtual world. - JL

OF COURSE, GRAN TURISMO GURU, KAZUNORI YAMAUCHI, WAS ON HAND TO AWARD FINALISTS FROM FIVE CATEGORIES TO GO ON TO COMPETE FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS HONOR OF BEING FEATURED IN GRAN TURISMO. HERE ARE THE WINNERS FROM EACH CATEGORY: Best Truck/SUV: 1952 HPI Customs Chevy Pickup Best Asian Import: Garrett / GReddy Nissan GT-R (R35) Best European Import: 2013 HPA VW Golf Best Hot Rod: 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air Best American Domestic: 1970 Chevrolet “Rampage” Camaro

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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PASMAG

2014-12-18 5:22 PM

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HONDA’S PROJECT FITS IF YOU FOLLOW HONDA on social media in some capacity, you know about their Project Fit challenge for SEMA. Plastered on Facebook and promoted by each builder, it even took over the company's Tumblr blog (hondaloves.tumblr. com #ProjectFit). You couldn’t escape it - and why would you want to? These little Fits drew quite the crowd on the show floor. MAD Industries went for the tried-andtrue combination of black and gold. The windows were even tinted to match the wheels, which was a cool touch. The best thing about the build wasn’t actually the Fit though; it was the Honda Grom that matched. The little guy even fit in the trunk with room to spare! Spoon Sports USA brought its “Super Taikyu” to play. Developed with endurance racing in mind, the Fit carried an entire parts catalogue of Spoon goodies with the right amount of JDM touches, and its signature blue and yellow color scheme.

Bisimoto did what he does best and built it better than the OEM engineers. His Fit puts out 151 horsepower, thanks to special coatings, aerospace oil and highflow exhaust. That’s almost 40 more horses squeezed out of this little guy! Kontrabrands took their Honda Fit and gave it a taste of the enthusiast lifestyle. This all-around street performer featured tasteful upgrades inside and out to help make it look and sound great. You could probably see something like this rolling down your street soon.

BEST NEW PRODUCT

Kenny Vinces went about his Fit to make it show-worthy wherever it ends up. A custom audio setup, nitrous system, and custom headlights, lip and fenders round out this stanced Fit. There are some cues to follow here for sure! The Tjin Edition Fit came away from this competition with a win, but to find out more, you’re just going to have to read the story a little later in this issue! - MS FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

RTR BY HRE WHEELS With products coming out of our ears, HRE’s presentation of its new RTR Series wheels, developed alongside long-time partner Vaughn Gittin Jr. really stood out. Made exclusively for the Mustang are two products: the flow-formed, monoblock RTR Tech Mesh, and the three-piece, ultra lightweight and high-performance Tech 7, donned by the Mustang RTR Spec 5 Concept which graces this cover. Custom sizing and centerlock options are available, and both come with a lifetime structural warranty. After the presentation, Gittin said the partnership with HRE will also see “three additional wheels,” available very soon from AmericanMuscle.com. - JL

BOOSTED AND BLOWN UPDATES

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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PASMAG

2014-12-18 5:23 PM

Slick.

The new TW1 10TW1 300 W, 4 ohm

12TW1 300 W, 4 ohm

• Patented Thin-Line woofer technology • Tiny enclosure requirements! • Cast-alloy, space-saving frame design • Steel mesh grille included with each driver From the leader in thin woofer technology Also available in pre-built PowerWedge™ and MicroSub™ systems.

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HYUNDAI BUILD-OFF FIVE CURTAINS DRAPED over five mystery cars. Media clamoring over each other to get the shot. I hadn’t had my coffee yet. Tensions were high. ARK Peformance built up an accumulation of SKUs from their catalogue. If I were in the market for a Sonata, I’d probably send it right over. Great sounding and great looking exhaust, killer custom forged wheels, classy wide fenders, and a supercharger under the hood. Good call. Bisimoto showed off what he had done, and everyone shut right up when he said he had tuned the 2.4-liter inline-four to 708 ponies. Aside from rebuilding the whole engine, the usual Bisimoto decal wrap was in place and – I can’t believe I’m saying this – the Sonata looked mean as hell. Blood Type Racing took on the Genesis Coupe chassis and didn’t disappoint either. Somehow, they

got Rocket Bunny’s Kei Miura to design a kit for the Genesis. Does that guy sleep? They also set out to produce 1,000 horsepower. Well, congrats, lads – you did it! This thing is a neck-snapper for sure. John Pangilinan took his Sonata and it checked all the boxes. Performance? Yup. Custom steel bodywork? Yes, sir. Mobile electronics? All over the place. JP’s Sonata was an extension of his and his crew’s personality and lifestyle. Toca Marketing group took the luxurious Genesis Sedan and gave it an ‘80s action hero name of “Steel Phoenix.” Everything just worked. Custom fenders up front give some aggressiveness to the low-slung street scraper. A twinturbo set up and VIP-style interior round everything out. Classy. GET THE FULL PICTURE

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WIDEBODIES OF SEMA FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

WHERE DO WE BEGIN? The Liberty Walks, Rocket Bunnys and RWBs seemed like they were taking over. Kato-san’s kits had a massive presence at the show, from the R1 Concepts GT-R to the Forgiato Aventador, a Forgestar M3, and an array of "free walkers" at the DUB booth, including Kato’s GC111 Skyline and J.J. Dubec’s GT-R from our sideways "Godzilla" issue. The lovely 458 you see above was also a stunner, until during SEMA: Ignited, it was struck from behind by a Jeep, tearing apart the rear spoiler, trunk and subsequent bodywork. Any other builder who suffered this type of damage to his car would have likely lost his mind, but Kato walked

around, had a look and laughed, even shooting a few photos with the car and those involved. Talk about cool. The Bunnys could be found throughout the show as well, from an RX-7 and S15 outside the TBG booth, to the brand-new RC F kit that drew thousands of onlookers as it sat beside the RC Super GT version at the Lexus booth. Each of these rightfully had people’s jaws dropping to the floor, but the most surprising build of all might have been RWB’s ENEOS VW Bug. The orange sprite was a collaboration between drift pioneer Tanner Foust – who drives a Bug in Global RallyCross – and RWB founder Akira Nakai, who

has extensive experience building generations of custom widebody Porsche 911s. “Many Porsche owners like the Beetle,” Nakai said in a press release. “The Beetle is a very good car and it looks like a Porsche a little bit. It is similar, but a Beetle is not a Porsche, so we made a completely new design for this Beetle.” The “RWBeetle” sits eight inches wider than stock, and while Foust has no further plans confirmed with the car at the time of writing, the duo says further performance mods are in the works. Does this mean we’ll see

RWB venturing further into Beetle territory? Unless there’s a shortage of 911 owners wanting work any time soon, we think not. – JL

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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SCION TUNER CHALLENGE THREE SCION FR-Ss, THREE TEAMS with free reign, fan voted, and facing off at SEMA. Sounds like the perfect storm, no? The second-running of the Tuner Challenge took the momentum generated by the tC last year and put it into the FR-S, each with a distinctly different highlights. It was street/ track vs. IMSA racer throwback vs. Mine’s-built tuner, all with meticulous attention to styling and detail under the hood. In the end, it was the 300-horsepower Cosworth-supercharged yellow, orange, red and white FR-S built by Keith Charvonia for Speedhunters that took the title in front of a live SEMA crowd. But not before Kerry King of Slayer layed down some riffs out of the back of a custom airbrushed, ampequipped Scion “Slayer tC.” Paired with a ‘70s-throwback xB, it made for one of the hottest booths on the showroom floor. – JL

BEST NEW PRODUCT

ESCORT PASSPORT MAX2 RADAR DETECTOR Being one of the 10 or so people who were at the press conference, I was able to ask more than a few questions about Escort’s follow-up to their award-winning Passport system. Ron Gividen, Escort’s PR/Media Director, while being the best presenter I saw all week, made me desperately wish that these things were legal in Canada. Not only does the PASSPORT Max2 identify actual radar signals (not garage door openers), it also let’s you know where those pesky red light and speed cameras are with some warning. There’s also a nice bit of tech in there called “ESCORT Live.” This app is updated with data received from actual users, so you know where the threats are even further down the road. As a man who’s had more than a few speeding tickets, I’m jealous you get to use these, my American friends. Very jealous. - MS

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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SPEAKERS • SUBWOOFERS • AMPLIFIERS • SOUND DEADENING • ACCESSORIES

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10 SERIES OF SUBS IN EVERY PRICE RANGE

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MIDRANGES

Midrange is the most important element of sound since this is where most of music’s tone comes from. American Bass manufacture a variety of midrange speakers to suit anyone’s needs. Our 5” to 6.5” mids will carry sound as the original recording’s audio engineer intended, and reproduce more of what car enthusiasts need.

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NORTH HALL

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01 PASMAG model Tracy Nova with

TUNER BATTLEGROUNDS BATTLE FOR SEMA 2: INTERNATIONAL SHOWDOWN! S O C I A L

M E D I A

U P D A T E S

SIXTY-FOUR COMPETITORS, OVER 65,000 VOTES from more than 55,000 voters during 39 days, and it all came down to the International Showdown in Las Vegas at SEMA 2014. Representing Team Canada was Anthony De Guzman and his Toyota Supra, while Team USA had Moses Awad and his all-carbon 370Z. It was Supra vs. Z. Performance vs. style. 2JZ vs. VQ. It could be described as many things, but the passion and intensity from these combatants was something that had to be seen to be believed. They were bolting on parts, getting on-the-spot detailing and grabbing as many voters as they could, right down to the last minute. This TBG showdown was the fiercest to date, and we won't soon forget the drama and the great times. Congratulations to Anthony and his Supra for bringing the trophy to the Great White North!

Chris De Guzman, Anthony's twin brother.

02 PASMAG’s Randi Bentia (right) announces the TBG champion on the final day of SEMA. (L to R: Moses Awad, Tracy Nova, Tiffany Mikayla).

03 Champion Anthony De Guzman hands out a Tuner Battlegrounds T-shirt to a fan during the showdown at SEMA.

04 The final two competitors of Tuner Battlegrounds 2: Moses Awad (Nissan 370Z) vs. Anthony De Guzman (Toyota Supra). Style vs. Performance. Team USA vs. Team Canada. Nissan vs. Toyota!

05 A 720 hp Boost Logic stage 3 single turbo kit helped propel Anthony and his Supra to the TBG winner’s circle. 06 Cartunes of Atlanta supplied Moses' 370Z with an impeccable custom JL Audio installation.

STAGE 6 VOTING TOTALS 42.04% 57.96% OF THE POPULAR VOTE

MOSES AWAD

OF THE POPULAR VOTE

ANTHONY DE GUZMAN

5 THE LATEST TRENDS, FULL THROTTLE

FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

Trending - TBG.indd 1

PASMAG

2014-12-18 6:01 PM

Drive Smarter

Avoid tickets with a little help from your friends

Join the ticket protection network responsible for over 17 million saves With the ESCORT Live® app on your smartphone, your connection with other drivers puts you in control. Live Winner of Car and Driver’s 10 alerts warn you of speed traps in Best Technology Advances advance. Intelligent GPS data shows your speed in comparison to the posted speed. Get the ultimate Live alert network at Google Play or the App Store today.

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EscortRadar.com

Facebook.com/DriveSmarter

2014-05-20 9:59 AM

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01 The sponsor decals on Mosesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 370 match the

custom Niche Road Wheels perfectly.

02 Two sets of custom Niche Road Wheels were special-delivered and installed just in time for the SEMA show.

03 Upon receiving news that he made it to the finals, Anthony called on his friend at Wayfab Creative to work on a custom car audio Hertzpowered trunk setup.

04 Moses arranged a custom wide-body carbon fender kit by Carbon Signal for his 370Z. It was shipped express from Dubai!

05 Custom McGard lug nuts were provided to each of the competitors. 06 With 57.96% of the popular vote, the fans selected Anthony De Guzman and his '93 Toyota Supra as the champion of Tuner Battlegrounds: 2014 Battle for SEMA. (L to R: Tiffany Mikayla, Anthony De Guzman, Chris De Guzman, Tracy Nova)

AM -17 10:33

BY THE NUMBERS

COMPETITORS

55,663 VOTERS

65,689 VOTES

2014-10

dd 2

Cover.in

DAYS OF VOTING

IMPORTS

DOMESTICS

13 CANADA

EUROPEAN

51 USA

EXOTIC

NUMBER OF TUNER BATTLEGROUNDS

LIVE EVENTS:

6 FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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Lifestyle Hoonigan Gymkhana Seven Bandana $9.95 | hoonigan.com This is it. The Gym7 bandana. Ken Block wore the same one around his face while tearing up L.A., and now you can do the same while hooning (responsibly) on the streets of your own stomping grounds. Features the new Huck Skull logo, Hoonigan censor bar and Death Cheetah print border.

Mustang RTR All the Rad T-Shirt

Mustang RTR Blue Logo T-Shirt

$ 2 5 | m u s t a n g - r t r. m y s h o p i f y. c o m

What more needs to be said? All the rad, all the time. The newest tee from Vaughn Gittin Jr's RTR brand says it plain and simple. Available in S to XXL, it’s 100% cotton too, so you’ll stay cool, no matter how rad things get.

One of the hottest Mustang builders around, this RTR tee shows your support with just enough edge to keep you on the right side of awesome. Black with grey highlights and RTR blue, it’s 100% cotton and available in sizes S to XXL.

Hoonigan Huck Skull Pullover Hoodie $56.95 | hoonigan.com Get your piece of Gymkhana 7 and stay cozy, too. This hoodie features the new Ken Block Huck Skull logo in gray, printed onto some snazzy hooded fleece. Hoon in comfort.

Garrett One Nation Under Boost T-Shirt

Garrett Run GTX T-Shirt

$ 24 . 9 9 | g a r re t tg e a r. c o m

$29.99 | garrettgear.com

The leader in turbocharging has stepped up to the clothing arena, showing its support for the turbo community. Available with American, Japanese and Australian flags, represent you and your ride in style.

Run DMC, or Run GTX? Whatever, they’re both awesome! Wear this tee and make sure everyone knows exactly what you're rocking under your hood.

Racetrack Style Car Bottle Openers $13.50 | stores.racetrackstyle.com Stylish and built to last - just like your ride. These bottle openers are cut out of 12-gauge brushed stainless steel for great weight and feel. Approximately four-inches in length, choose from 15 manufacturers, including BMW, Ford, VW and Porsche, and be the envy of all your friends.

PASMAG

Lifestyle Guide v2.indd 1

King Apparel Regal Crewneck Sweater $110.28 | king-apparel.com King Apparel’s crewneck sweaters use the finest 300 gram-per-meter brushed-back cotton/poly fabric and heavyweight ribbing on the collar, waist and cuffs. This sweater features grey embroidery and camouflage nylon under-sleeve paneling.

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

2014-12-18 4:48 PM

The signal processor for all those, who are only satisfied with the best! The new HELIX DSP PRO raises the bar to a new level, not only in terms of sound quality. Due to the implementation of the latest generation of ultra-fast Audio DSPs with enormous 64 Bit resolution, this device provides more calculating power than every other signal processor available on the market today. In addition, it is the first of its kind which performs the full signal path with a sampling rate of 96 kHz, resulting in an extended audio bandwidth up to more than 40 kHz.

HEC Modules As if that were not enough - the new HELIX Extension Card Slot, simply called “HEC”, makes this device extremely flexible and versatile. It allows, by using optional HEC modules, to extend the functionality of the DSP PRO: Bluetooth audio streaming with aptX® Codec support An additional optical digital input An additional optical output No doubt - the HELIX DSP PRO will make the dreams come true - even of the most ambitious sound enthusiasts - that´s a safe bet! In Canada contact TRENDS ELECTRONICS INTL. - www.trendsinc.com In the USA contact ROCKFORD CORPORATION - www.rockfordcorp.com

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A little bit of something for everyone. No matter what your style or wallet size, these Hot New Products are sure to tickle your fancy somewhere. Go ahead and get window shopping. 1. MTX 7512-22 Subwoofer

4. D2 Racing Air Struts

The MTX 7512-22 subwoofer delivers exceptional bass output and sound quality, satisfying the needs of both SPL and SQ enthusiasts alike. This heavy-hitting subwoofer can handle up to 1,500 watts (peak power) and incorporates engineered features designed to keep it playing louder and longer. ($449.95 | mtx.com)

2. CEC Wheels c26 The handcrafted, two-piece forged c26 is a directional wheel featuring a semi-split, 10-spoke design and is part of CEC’s “Made in Germany” collection. Offering dynamic directional styling with a deep inset machined lip, the c26 allows for a wide variety of customizing options. Offered in 20 to 22 inches with multiple center profiles. OEM tire pressure sensor and center cap compatible. (Starting from $1,899 | cecwheels.com)

3. Reikken PPB12000 Portable Power Box This compact power pack contains a 12,000-mAh battery with a 2.1-amp USB output to rapidly charge any mobile device. The Portable Power Box has a built-in LED flashlight with a strobe and S.O.S. function for emergencies. It also includes jumper cables, a wall charger for home, and a 12-volt charger to charge on the go. (Contact for pricing | reikken.com)

D2 Racing Air Struts allow adjustments through both the lower mount and inflatable air bag portion. Each monotube air shock features a 36-way adjustable damping internal shock for fine-tuning ride quality and response. D2 Racing Air Struts come with a one-year warranty. ($3,050 | d2racing. com)

5. Grip Royal Royal Base Sport Perforated black leather with red stitching on black spokes. Base series wheels have a 50mm mounting depth, but with the increased grip size, they measure almost the same as any other Grip Royal wheel. The Royal Base Sport is 350 mm in diameter with a 70-mm PCD 6-bolt pattern. Black hardware and allen key are included for installation. ($160 | griproyal. com)

6. Thinkware X500 Dash Cam The Thinkware X500 takes the stress out of the daily commute. The advanced, high-quality dash cam acts as a reliable witness in the case of an incident, while helping prevent incidents, too. The high-quality Sony Exmor CMOS sensor records at 1080p, and the Safety Camera Alert and Forward Collision Warning provides the peace of mind you deserve. (Contact for pricing | thinkware.com)

PASMAG

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9. 7. Wirez Premium Sound Deadening 2.

Wirez Premium Sound Deadening features an ultraadhesive butyl base layer and thick aluminum top layer that installers love and praise. A new black finish with silver Wirez logos helps conceal the deadening material around speaker grille openings for an improved look. Available in 2- (SDSK), 12- (SDDK), 20- (SDTK) and 70- (SDBKB) square-foot sizes. (Contact for pricing | gotwirez.com)

8. Illusion Audio C3CX Point Source Speaker The C3CX has smooth and extended off-axis frequency response, making every listening position a great experience. The speaker is 41 mm and can easily be mounted in the A-pillar for the most optimal sound image. A full size, bi-ampable crossover is also included for added adjustability. ($699 | illusionaudio-america.com)

9. Pioneer Electronics GM-D1004 Ampliﬁer 7. 10.

Pioneer’s new micro amplifier, the GM-D1004, is big on producing quality sound. The extremely compact 4-channel amp measures only 7 inches (W) x 1.5 inches (H) x 2.6 inches (D) to fit in exceptionally small areas. It also features speaker level inputs and signal sensing power management to simplify integration into both aftermarket and OEM entertainment systems. ($150 | pioneerelectronics.com/car)

10. Tein Street Advance Coilovers Tein’s Street Advance coilovers provide ride height adjustment, as well as 16-way damping adjustment with Advance Needle technology. This gives drivers the ability to custom tune their suspension for custom ride height, driving comfort and performance level. (From $690 | tein.com)

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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13. DD Audio SW2508 Subwoofer 11. Exedy Hyper Series Accessory Kits Exedy Hyper Accessory Kits give you everything you need to install your Exedy Hyper clutch kit in one convenient package. Each kit includes bearings, an alignment tool, and all additional accessories required for the installation. Available for most applications. (Contact for pricing | exedyusa.com)

12. Truhart Sport Shocks & Lowering Springs Truhart Sport Shocks have a shorter piston/body and are performance valved with NOK oil seals. They match up perfectly to Truhart’s Lowering Springs, which lower your vehicle from 1.5 to 2.5 inches, depending on the application. Shock and springs are protected by a lifetime warranty. (From $340 | truhartusa.com)

The SW2508 is loaded with performance-based ESP features, making it the most technologically advanced subwoofer in its class. Its custom "Sframe," V-ROM surround, “True Size” CFB cone and 7.5-inch tuned composite spider system combine for a groundbreaking 8-inch subwoofer you have to hear to believe. With the performance of a larger-diameter woofer, it’s able to maximize acoustic energy in space-constrained applications. ($439 | ddaudio.com)

15. WP Pro Nissan GT-R R35 Ceramic Brake System WP Pro’s ceramic braking system includes 4 rotor assemblies, forged alloy hats, caliper spacers and Pagid RSC1 pads. These ceramics don’t overheat and last up to 10 times longer than other ceramic offerings. The biggest benefit is that the rotors can be refinished up to three times at $900 each, extending their life and saving you thousands. ($18,000 | wpprobrakes.com)

11.

14. Vossen VLE-1 The VLE-1 is the first in a limitededition series of wheels by Vossen. Only 400 20-inch sets will be produced in Gloss Graphite and Metallic Silver finishes, with individually-numbered center caps. This directional wheel requires four molds and employs a low pressure casting process for light weight and high strength over traditional designs. ($2,600 | vossenwheels.com)

12.

EXCEEDS FACTORY SPECS • ESTER-BASED FULL SYNTHETIC • 1200 PPM OF ZINC

• LONGER DRAIN INTERVALS • LOWER OIL TEMPS

800.624.7958 | REDLINEOIL.COM

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TEST REPORT

Helix DSP Pro

For an expanded version of this test report, go to pasmag.com/testreports/HelixDSPPRO

Signal Processor Review When it comes to properly tuning a serious car audio system, many experts believe that the basic crossover and EQ adjustments found on today’s head units and amplifiers are woefully inadequate. For serious tuning, you need serious equipment, and that’s exactly what the DSP PRO from Helix is. Helix audio gear is designed and manufactured in Germany by Audiotec-Fischer, so you know the engineering has been done with Teutonic thoroughness. The DSP PRO is the top-of-theline Helix processor, incorporating the latest generation of highspeed audio processing with a sampling rate of 96 kHz. The DSP PRO comes with eight channels of input and 10 channel outs. Each channel can be independently configured using the latest software downloaded from the Audiotec-Fischer website. The high performance processor has a suggested retail price of $999.95 USD, and is available through authorized Brax and Helix dealers.

TECH

SPECS

PASMAG

When it comes to tuning your system, there isn’t much the DSP PRO can’t do. From independent channel configuration, nearly infinite adjustable high- and lowpass crossovers, various crossover alignments and even a custom user-made alignment. The unit also offers extensive equalization, level control for each channel, and digital signal delay. The ability to connect an optional microphone (MTK1), and included RTA function will be a huge plus for many car audio competitors. The software is logically laid out and very intuitive. I have absolutely no problems connecting and controlling the processor, thanks in part to a well-written and informative owner’s manual. I also appreciate being able to make adjustments and save the file with whatever name I choose, which makes it easy to go back and select specific settings.

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

can also select high-pass and low-pass together to create your own custom bandpass crossovers. And I do mean custom. You have an almost infinite set of frequencies to choose from (as the adjustment range covers 20 Hz to over 20 kHz) in very small increments. Once the frequency is decided, you can select the crossover alignment you prefer: Butterworth, Bessel, Chebychev, Linkwitz-Riley, or create your own user-defined alignment!

In addition to the full range setting, there are seven available crossover slopes, from -6 dB per octave, all the way to -42 dB per octave - in 6 dB increments.

Equalizer Settings What an EQ this is! At first blush, it looks like a standard 31-band EQ, but on closer examination, there are some pretty cool (and very useful) functions. The standard 31-band frequencies are shown on the sliders in the control panel. You

AUDIO INPUT TO OUTPUT ROUTING PANEL This clever I/O panel allows you to configure the each of the output channels and the inputs via a simple drag-and-drop menu. After you have the input signals routed to your chosen output configuration, all that’s left is tuning! This is where the fun starts, because of the vast tuning potential built into the Helix DSP PRO.

Crossover Settings The DSP PRO provides the ability to select all-pass, high-pass or low-pass for any channel, and you

Frequency response (+/- 3.0 dB)

<10 Hz – 44.7 kHz

Signal to Noise Ratio (ref to 1 V out)

-92.9 dBA

THD+N (ref 1 V out, @ 1 kHz)

0.012%

Output impedance

80 ohms

Input signal range

2.6 V – 20 Vrms

Maximum Output Voltage - Any output (unclipped)

4.0 Vrms

DSP PRO MAIN INTERFACE PANEL On the main control panel, you’ll find the typical controls used to configure the 10 output channels, keeping in mind that each of the independent channels can be configured in almost any imaginable way: as left, right or center, and either full range, tweeter, mid, or woofer.

Windows-based PC Win98, XP, Vista and Windows 7 compatible

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CAN YOUR RADIO

DO THIS?

MADE WITH ANDROID, MADE FOR AUTOMOTIVE Get the ergonomic feel of physical buttons and a rotary volume control. Swipe and press on the 6.2-inch touch screen and the Android operating system comes alive. The DVA6 combines all controls via an intuitive user interface and places it at your fingertip. Customize your experience by placing your driver-centric apps and widgets where you want them. If you ever change your phone, your stored information at Google Services will follow you, providing the ultimate convenience and entertainment in your car.

In Canada contact Erikson Consumer

WWW.ERIKSONCONSUMER.COM

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TEST REPORT

Helix DSP Pro

Signal Processor Review

For more test reports, download the PASMAG+ tablet app for free from the App Store.

SIGNAL DELAY AND PHASE CONTROL PANEL

Additional Features In the case of connecting to an OEM-type source unit, there are eight channels of high-level inputs, and the device turn-on is automatically enabled with a signal sensing circuit. To aid in system building, a remote output connection is provided to supply a turn-on signal for amplifiers. For those who prefer an all-digital signal path, a built-in SPDIF input is also provided, and is also controlled via the software.

On the Bench

Conclusion The Helix DSP PRO is a very competent, very powerful tuning tool. Make no mistake; if you don’t have a clue what you’re doing, you can get into some serious trouble with this much control. However, even for moderately experienced users, thanks to an intuitive control panel design, it's a breeze to connect and manipulate, with very little instruction needed. Adding to that is the ease of downloading and installing the software, and simple USB connectivity to the computer. This alone puts it at an advantage over some of the overly complex, and less-thanintuitive products in this category. Anyone who likes to tune a system will appreciate and enjoy the DSP PRO. The more serious you are about tuning, the closer this piece of gear will be to the top of your must have list.

+5 +4.5 +4 +3.5 +3 +2.5 +2 +1.5 +1 +0.5 -0 -0.5 -1 -1.5 -2 -2.5 -3

-4

helixhifi.com/audiotec-fischer.de

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braxhelixusa

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CROSSOVER TYPE ADJUSTMENT

Frequency Response

CROSSOVER SLOPE ADJUSTMENT

Frequency Response

-0

-2

-4

-6

-8 -10

-8

-12

-10

-14

-12

-16

-14

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-24 -26 -28

-22 -24

-30

-26

-32

-28

-34

-30

-36

-40 20

-32 -34 50

100

200

500

PASMAG

Frequency Response

+5.5

-3.5

-38

WIDEBAND - FREQUENCY RESPONSE +6

dBr

Okay, you’ve got the crossovers set and the EQ pretty much dialed in. Now it’s time to start fiddling with the staging and imaging. With the Helix DSP PRO, you can adjust the amount of delay on any of the channels individually for the perfect image placement. To make things simpler, you can make the adjustments using either distance or time increments, whichever is easier. Regardless of which way you do it, you can delay the signal in 0.01-millisecond (0.14-in.) steps, all the way up to a delay totaling over 200 inches! Each channel also has a zero to 180-degree phase adjustment and a handy mute button for turning off certain channels while making your adjustments.

RTA FUNCTION SCREEN

dBr

Signal Delay and Phase

On the test bench, the Helix DSP PRO proves to be a very accurate and very high performance processor. Thanks to the high, 96 kHz sampling rate used, the processor is flat to over 40 kHz! Inter-channel gain tracking is close to perfect, signal-to-noise is excellent at almost -93 dBA, and crosstalk also measures better than most amplifiers are even capable of. The unit has a maximum useable output voltage of 4.0 Vrms and a low output impedance of 80 ohms. Thanks to the high- or low-level inputs, it works well with virtually any aftermarket source unit or OEM radio.

dBr

can actually adjust the exact frequency of each of the sliders up or down to any frequency you choose. For example, the 1,000 Hz slider can be set to adjust to any specific frequency between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Cool, huh? There’s more. Once you have a frequency selected, you can choose the boost or cut (from +6 dB to -15 dB), then select the Q of the boost or cut that you want with the available Q settings from a wide bandwidth of 0.5 to an incredibly tight 15! To aid in tuning comprehension, a simulation of the resulting response curve is shown on the screen, so you know exactly what’s going on at all times. If you can’t EQ your system with this baby, well, I guarantee you someone can, and maybe they should be doing your tuning.

10k

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TEST REPORT

MTX 7512-22 Subwoofer Review BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

If you’ve been into car audio for more than about 15 minutes, you know the name MTX. Long known for rugged and reliable high performance products, MTX has been the choice of SPL champions, sound quality tweaks and everyone in between. This time we’re taking a look at the MTX 7512-22, which is a nononsense 75 Series “super woofer” designed to handle all sorts of abuse, and sound good doing it. The 7512-22 is a 12-inch, dual two-ohm voice coil design, rated at 750 watts continuous, with an MSRP of $449.95 USD.

Features The 7512-22 is built around a high-strength cast aluminum basket, and implements high end features such as an “Inverted Apex Surround,” MTX’s “Dual Thermal Management” and a “Radial Ribbed T-Yoke.”

Power Handling

750 W continuous

QUICK

Frequency Range

34 - 300 Hz

SPECS

Driver Sensitivity

85.5 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W

Nominal Impedance

Dual 2 ohm coils

TECH

What does all that mean? Well, the special surround design increases the effective surface area, which allows the woofer to displace more air. That translates to better output and higher SPL for a given amount of power. The dual thermal management moniker comes from the use of special air vents below the spider plateau which provide cool air to reach the voice coil. In addition to this technique, the woofer's T-yoke, or pole piece, is ribbed to increase surface area and decrease internal heat buildup. To aid in woofer control, the 7512-22 employs a three-layer, poly-cotton “foam sandwich” progressive spider with integrated tinsel leads. Other significant components include a pressed paper cone covered with a full diameter inverted glass fiber dustcap, and a 2.5-inch aluminum former where the four-layer aluminum voice coil is wound.

PASMAG

Wiring connections are accomplished via spring-loaded nickel-plated terminals, which will accept up to 10 gauge cable. The woofer comes with a close cell foam mounting gasket to provide a good seal to the enclosure baffle, and has a mounting depth of approximately 7.4 inches. However, because there is no vented pole piece, the enclosure depth can be only slightly deeper than the required mounting depth.

Listening I've had the pleasure of reviewing and listening to a lot of MTX woofers over the last 20 years, and my expectations going into the listening session are pretty high. Reading the manual, I decide to

mount the woofer in a 1.25-cubic foot sealed enclosure. With everything mounted and connected to my reference system, I do a bit of experimenting with crossover settings and decide on a 100 Hz filter at -24 dB per octave. In the sealed enclosure, the performance of the 7512-22 certainly doesn't disappoint. The very bottom of the audible register is easily apparent, as evidence by easily reproducing the subdued kick drum in Livingston Taylor’s Grandma’s Hands. This is a listening test I perform frequently, as many woofers do not reproduce these extremely low frequencies at normally audible levels. Switching to some well recorded rock and roll, I play Dire Straits’ Heavy Fuel and

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TEST REPORT MEASURED

WOOFER DATA

MTX 7512-22

COILS IN PARALLEL

ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

Subwoofer Review Marc Cohen’s Walking in Memphis. The bass on both tracks sounds clean and natural, with good timbre and very little overhang. The plucked bass sounds fat and round as it should. Bass heavy tracks like the Pussycat Dolls Don’t Cha and Yello’s Oh Yeah are reproduced with convincing authority, and the MTX woofer shows no signs of stress or bottoming, even though my amp is driving it at the full rated power. I'm not testing the woofer in a vented enclosure, simply because the recommended volume of 2.3 cubic feet is significantly larger than the biggest 12-inch vented enclosure I have on hand. Suffice to say, I expect the woofer to exhibit the usual increase in output in a vented box, as well as the typical steeper low end cutoff.

0.94 Ohm Electrical voice coil resistance at DC

0.538 mH Frequency independent part of voice coil inductance

0.838 mH Para-inductance of voice coil

3.29 Ohm Electrical resistance due to eddy current losses 4179 µF Electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Cmes Lces

5.17 mH Electrical inductance representing driver compliance

Res

5.91 Ohm Resistance due to mechanical losses

34.2 Hz Driver resonance frequency

MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

Mms

219.613 g Mechanical mass of driver diaphragm assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

204.558 g Mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

8.894 kg/s Mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Cms

0.098 mm/N Mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

10.16 N/mm Mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

7.250 N/A Force factor (bl product)

LOSS FACTORS

Qtp

0.733 Total q-factor considering all losses

Qms

5.310 Mechanical q-factor of driver in free air considering RMS only

Qes

0.842 Electrical q-factor of driver in free air considering RE only

Qts

0.727 Total q-factor considering RE and RMS only

OTHER PARAMETERS

Vas

Conclusion After putting the MTX 7512-22 woofer through its paces, it's obvious that it is more than capable of upholding the brand’s proud tradition of high performance and reliability. The woofer sounds really good, and handles just about anything you want to throw at it without breaking a sweat. If you’re looking for a woofer that can play loud when needed and sound good the rest of the time, you will want to check out the MTX 75 Series woofers. For more information on these and all MTX products, visit them online at mtx.com.

44.008 l Equivalent air volume of suspension

0.202 % Reference efficiency (2 pi-radiation using RE)

85.24 dB Characteristic sound pressure level (SPL @ 1 M for 1 W @ RE)

Lnom

85.53 dB Nominal sensitivity (SPL @ 1 M for 1 W @ ZN)

562.00 cm2 Diaphragm area

EBP

40.6 Efficiency bandwidth product

mtx.com

@mtxinstagram

mtxrocks

@mtxaudio

MAGNITUDE OF ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE Z (f)

SPL VS. FREQUENCY

Free Air Impedance

System Frequency Response – Scaled to 1 W / 1 M 20

87 14

dBSPL

For an expanded version of this test report, go to pasmag.com/testreports/ MTX751222

Ohm

69 6

60 2

For more test reports, download the PASMAG+ tablet app for free from the App Store.

PASMAG

100

200

500

100

200

500

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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TEST REPORT

Alpine SWT-10S2

Woofer Review Although many of our readers lean toward high-performance, sports-oriented vehicles, a lot of us also enjoy having a truck for hauling parts, towing other toys and simply for daily driving when the weather sucks. Of course, we all need good audio in our trucks as well, but sometimes struggle with a lack of space for a good subwoofer system. That’s where the SWT series of woofers from Alpine comes in. The SWT-10S2 and SWT-10S4 10-inch woofers are designed to install and provide great bass performance in very small spaces. As you may have already deduced from the model numbers, the woofer is available in either two- or four-ohm single coil versions. The woofers are rated to handle up to 350 watts of continuous power, and sell for $269 in Canada, and around $230 in the US.

Features The Alpine SWT woofers are shallow-mount woofers, requiring only 4.2 inches of mounting depth,

heavy gauge stamped steel basket, supporting a 4.27-lb. ferrite motor covered with a rubber boot. The magnetic energy drives a fourlayer, 2.5-inch EISV copper coil, wound on an aluminum former. The coil assembly is located and suspended by a progressive type Nomex spider, which includes woven tinsel leads for improved reliability and elimination of lead slap under high excursion conditions. This mechanism drives a pressed pulp/Kevlar cone, anchored to the outer basket diameter with Alpine's patented multi-roll High Amplitude Multi Roll (HAMR) profile polyurethane foam surround. The HAMR profile is all new on this woofer, as is the polyurethane foam as the surround material. These changes provide improvements in damping cone edge reflections, increased sensitivity and reduced mass. X-max (one direction) is 11 mm, giving this woofer almost one full inch of excursion capability. It's a good looking unit, using a smooth inverted dust cap and a well-executed gasket system that

Power Handling

350 W RMS

QUICK

Frequency Range

30 Hz – 400 Hz

SPECS

Sensitivity

87 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W (1.414 V @ 2 ohms)

Nominal Impedance

2 ohm coil

TECH

thanks to the “Airflow” bottom plate design that requires zero clearance between the woofer and the inside of the enclosure. To accomplish this, a series of five wide slots are cast into the bottom plate, surrounding the rear vent opening of the woofer and permitting air to flow through, even when mounted with no clearance. Such a shallow mounting depth also means that the woofer can fit under the seats of many trucks, thus retaining maximum cargo space. According to Alpine, the woofer can be used in either sealed or vented enclosures, with the vented style being preferred if room is available. Acceptable sealed enclosure volumes range from 0.35 to 0.8 cubic feet, with the optimal being around 0.47 cubic feet. The recommended vented enclosures range from 0.75 to 1.24 cubic feet, with the latter being optimum. When using a vented design, Alpine suggests tuning the enclosure to approximately 31 Hz. The SWT-10S2 is built in a

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

PASMAG

Alpine_SWT10S2_v1.indd 1

includes a concealed mounting system. The typical nickel-plated springloaded speaker terminals will accept eight-gauge cables.

Listening Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, you should never judge a woofer system by the space it requires. I evaluate this woofer in the recommended 1.24-cubic foot vented enclosure, and I'm immediately impressed with its performance. Delivering deep, authoritative bass, the shallow Alpine quickly proves its mettle. Whether you like 50 Cent or Bach, Brooks & Dunn or Nirvana, this system provides you with a clean, very musical bottom end. The bass output from the system is surprisingly good and has a natural timbre. Kick drum and tympani are well defined with nice attack and definition of the stick striking the drum head. Low notes from an acoustic bass sound clean and retain the instruments' natural tone and resonance.

FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

2014-12-19 2:53 PM

COILS IN SERIES

ThieleSmall Parameters (Klippel Analyzer)

COILS IN PARALLEL

ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

Conclusion The Alpine SWT-10S2 woofer is a great choice for a great sounding woofer that can work in restricted space applications. Its flexibility in shallow applications, overall musicality and great low frequency output make it worth every penny. Go find one at your local Alpine dealer and hear it for yourself!

On the Bench On the test bench, I fire up my trusty Klippel analyzer and measure the woofer parameters. My numbers are a bit different than the published specs in the manual, but that might be attributed to their sample undergoing a more extensive break-in than my schedule allowed. In any case, the performance of the woofer is certainly excellent in the recommended enclosure, so custom enclosure designs won’t be required. Simply use

1.69

0.897

1.377

3.61

Ohm Electrical voice coil resistance at DC mH Frequency independent part of voice coil inductance mH Para-inductance of voice coil Ohm Electrical resistance due to eddy current losses

Cmes

1684

µF Electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Lces

13.18

mH Electrical inductance representing driver compliance

Res

15.25

33.8

Ohm Resistance due to mechanical losses Hz Driver resonance frequency

MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

the factories suggested designs and you’ll be pleased.

Overall, the Alpine system simply works and, given its size, the sonic performance is formidable. Only when it's pushed well beyond its 350 watt power rating do I get it to complain, but only minimally. Nice job, fellas.

Mms

142.017 g

Mechanical mass of driver diaphragm assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

135.241 g

Mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

5.528

kg/s Mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Cms

0.156

mm/N Mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

6.40

N/mm Mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

9.182

N/A Force factor (Bl product)

LOSS FACTORS

Qtp

0.551

Total Q-factor considering all losses

Qms

5.451

Mechanical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Rms only

Qes

0.605

Electrical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Re only

Qts

0.545

Total Q-factor considering Re and Rms only

OTHER PARAMETERS For an expanded version of this test report, go to pasmag.com/testreports/ AlpineSWT10S2

Vas

24.107

0.148

% Reference efficiency (2 pi-radiation using Re)

83.89 84.61

dB Characteristic sound pressure level (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Re) dB Nominal sensitivity (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Zn)

Lnom

For more test reports, download the PASMAG+ tablet app for free from the App Store.

l Equivalent air volume of suspension

330.06

cm2 Diaphragm area

alpine-canada.com

AlpineCAN

@AlpineCAN

MAGNITUDE OF ELECTRIC IMPEDENCE Z (f)

SPL VS. FREQ 20

Woofer Free-Air Impedance

Nearfield SPL Response – 1.24ft3 Vented

Measured (Free air)

90 87

81 78

Ohm

dBSPL

10 75 72

6 66

63 60

2 57 54

100

Frequency (Hz)

200

500

100

200

500

Frequency (Hz)

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TEST REPORT

Kenwood XR-1800P

Component Speaker Review For the last year or so, people “in the know” have been raving about the performance and value of Kenwood’s Excelon Series XR-1800P component loudspeaker system. Designed for audiophiles on a budget (or simply anyone who’s looking for great value in a speaker system), the XR-1800Ps have been getting rave reviews from experienced testers all around the world. We thought it was about time to find out what all the fuss is about for ourselves, so with a quick call from our head office to Kenwood Canada, a set was on its way to me in Arizona.

Midrange and Tweeter The Kenwood system was clearly designed with the “bigger is better” theory in mind, as the midrange/woofer is a 7-inch (180 mm) unit, and the system’s tweeter measures 1.2 inches (30 mm). However, it’s really not all about size with this system. The materials used were selected very carefully and after a significant amount of testing. For example,

MEASURED

TECH SPECS

PASMAG

the material used for the cone of the woofer is formed from an advanced blend of hemp, glass fiber and traditional paper, and then coated with acrylic polymer paint. The result is a lighter and stiffer cone than polypropylene, while sounding better than carbon fiber. Similar research was done on the tweeter, resulting in the use of a polyester fabric material for the dome, with a special coating used for damping. For the propeller heads out there who want more details, the woofer is powered by a 330-gram (11.6 oz.) ferrite motor, which is vented to eliminate pressure behind the dustcap. The electrical signal is sent through braided copper tinsel leads to a twolayer copper voice coil wound on a Kapton former. The woofer uses a non-uniform thickness rubber surround and a linear spider to control driver compliance. The steel basket is covered with a black powder coat. The large tweeter uses a neodymium magnet with a threaded mounting post, with

surface mount angled housings included in the set. Helping set the XR-1800Ps apart from their competition are special mounting brackets that allow the system to be used in a variety of different sized mounting holes. One set of brackets accommodates GM and Toyota mounts, while another set allows installation in Dodge-type 6x9 mounting holes - a very handy, and saving grace for those who don’t have the ability to build custom speaker baffles. When I'm hooking the system up, I note that it does not include any speaker wire, which is no big deal for me or a pro installer. But for the DIY crowd, it sure would be nice to include some crimp-on terminals for the two different sized spade lugs on the woofer, and some butt connectors for the tweeter.

Crossover The included crossovers for the system are fairly basic, with second order filters for both drivers. The

Power Handling

110 W RMS

Frequency Range

57 - 20,000 Hz

Crossover, Woofer

-12 dB per octave

Sensitivity

85.6 dB/SPL @ 1 W / 1 M

Crossover, Tweeter

-12 dB per octave

Nominal Impedance

4 ohms

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

network provides three selections for tweeter output level, with jumper terminals properly marked as 0 dB, -2 db and -4 dB (thanks for not using the silly + XdB markings, Kenwood). The wires for the tweeter are already attached, but are only about six inches long, so be prepared to extend them.

Listening It’s an early morning and I mount the Kenwood system in my listening room baffles, get everything connected and pour myself a strong cup of coffee. Armed with a dozen or so of my favorite evaluation discs, I begin what turns out to be a very enjoyable and extended listening session. The first track I play is Just Can’t Stop Lovin You by David Benoit. This is a complex track and very good for finding limitations in a system’s mid and upper midrange. No problems here. The Kenwood system sounds better than I expect.

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A MILLION AND ONE WAYS INSTALLED OUTCOME...

MORE WORLDWIDE SOUND QUALITY CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER CAR AUDIO MANUFACTURER

W W W . A R C A U D I O . C O M AM PLI F I E RS

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SP EA K ERS

SUBWOOFERS

PROCESSORS

MOTORCYCLE AUD IO

2014-08-12 11:33 AM

TEST REPORT

Kenwood XR-1800P

Component Speaker Review SYSTEM FREQUENCY RESPONSE (showing tweeter attenuation) Kenwood XR-1800P -2dB.tbs

dB (Mic Reference)

Moving onto other telling tracks from Dave Grusin, Jennifer Warnes and Don Dorsey, I realize why this system has been getting those rave reviews. For the price ($319.99 CAD), it blows me away. The sonic performance of the Kenwood XR-1800P is equal or better than systems I’ve listened to which cost double the price. My only complaint - and it’s a fairly minor one - is that these tweeters really work best if you can keep them totally on-axis. It makes a very big difference with this system, so that’s something to remember when installing yours.

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either high-end car speakers or really decent home bookshelf speakers. In a nice cabinet, these might actually blow away some respected home speaker offerings. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way that a system this unassuming has any right to sound as good as it does, yet somehow, it does. Take your favorite music down to your local Kenwood dealer, audition them, then try to leave without buying them. Good luck.

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With the tweeters aligned with my ears, this is an exceptionally good system. From the low, mid-bass frequencies to the top of the scale, the system is smooth, detailed and articulate. I'm playing a ton of different music during the one hour listening session (that accidentally turns into three), and I can tell you for a fact, regardless of whether you prefer Beethoven, Black Sabbath or Brooks & Dunn, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll really enjoy these speakers.

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Conclusion Because I test and review literally hundreds of products every year, I tend to be a bit jaded when I hear someone rave about a new piece of gear. But every so often, the product getting the raves really deserves them, and that's the case with the Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P component speakers. If I had listened to these blindfolded, I would have guessed they were

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TEST REPORT

HERTZ Mille MLK 1650.3

Component Speaker Review Since the introduction of the series some 15 years ago, the Hertz Mille loudspeakers have been directed as a reference series for enthusiasts. Developed by a dedicated team with a passion for music, each new iteration of the line has been designed to outperform its predecessor. In this review, we’ll have a look at (and a serious listen to) the Hertz Mille 1650.3 component set. The system has a suggested retail price of $1,299.99 CDN.

Midrange and Tweeter As I unpack the system, I note very high-quality construction, from the tweeters with their cast housings, to the large and complex crossover networks (which to be fair, are actually a lot smaller than the previous design). The midrange driver looks brilliant, with a classy full coverage cone/ dust cap and machined brightwork around the circumference of the cast aluminum basket. There has been plenty of attention paid to the basket detail on all the Mille

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series drivers; from the external aluminum alloy cylinder to the driver’s central pole piece and the maximum air gap between the three basket spokes – nothing has been left to chance in an effort to build a great sounding speaker. Even the alloy material itself has been tweaked in an effort to reduce mechanical resonance between 800 and 1,300 Hz. The goal of the MLK 1650.3 system is to provide a wide bandwidth output with a natural timbre. To achieve this goal, FEA simulations (Finite Element Analysis) was performed on the midrange woofer and tweeter, followed by extensive in-vehicle listening sessions to achieve the design team’s desired results. When the engineering work was completed, a new surround-tobasket attachment system was created, called “Boundary Free Surround.” The method of attaching the surround meant a larger cone surface, which we all know moves more air. The surround itself is manufactured from pure

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IIR butyl rubber for excellent mechanical and thermal stability. The “V-cone” profile was also a product of the FEA analysis. Hertz discovered that this shape resists deformation during excursion and aids in maximizing the production of acoustic pressure, as well as providing better off-axis response. A 36-mm copper-clad aluminum voice coil drives the moving mass of the midrange woofer. The coil material and the polyamide former were chosen for a combination of low mass and high power handling. The mid/woofer is powered by a high density neodymium magnet with a low carbon content CNC-machined plate, leading to maximum magnetic permeability. The ML 280.3 tweeter is also powered using a neodymium motor, optimized from countless hours of FEA simulations. The rear of the tweeter housing includes a chamber that is specially designed to reduce resonance to only 900 Hz, for a very wide extension in low frequency cut-off. The tweeter

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

is unusual in that it’s mounted in a CNC-machined, acoustically inert die-cast housing, including a non-removable cast aluminum face plate. The dome measures 28 mm and is formed from Tetolon fiber. Inside the tweeter is an esoteric copper shorting ring on the top pole piece, creating an anti-inductive effect and extending the upper frequency response by reducing typical inductance. The wiring is pre-attached to the tweeter, thus avoiding fragile terminal connections.

Crossover The MLCX 2 TW.3 crossover is a pretty interesting piece of engineering. In addition to the use of bi-metallic polyester dielectric capacitors and air core inductors, this crossover provides more adjustability and tuning capability than any other I’ve tested in quite a while. Through the implementation of high quality, low-resistance switches, there are no less than five different adjustments

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head screws, and the cover hides the crossover's mounting points for added security.

available to the user. There are switches for a mid contour and a high contour. There is also a switch for a high-boost setting, as well as a three-position tweeter level switch. Each of these built-in tuning aids allows a good installer to compensate for in-vehicle speaker positioning (or less-thanoptimal placement). There are recommended starting points listed in the owner’s manual, but it’s always good to experiment. If that wasn’t enough, another switch allows the speaker system to be bi-amped. By driving the midrange and tweeter using their own dedicated amplifier channels, sound quality can be increased even further. Connections are made via sturdy set screw connectors that accept up to 10-gauge cable. Each of the switches and connectors are clearly marked and simple to use. The crossover top is secured in place using machine thread hex

Listening As always, I listen to the equipment before measuring it. This eliminates any of my test data from influencing my opinion of the product’s sonic performance. I mount the Hertz Mille MLK 1650.3 system in my listening room baffles and connect the crossovers to my reference amplifier. I’m not using the bi-amp mode, because I feel that most people will use the crossovers in a more traditional manner, so that’s what I’m doing as well. For my initial listening, I use the suggested crossover settings for a “display board” type of setup. This configuration has the mid contour turned off, the high contour on, the high boost off and the tweeter level set to the center position. I begin with a few very familiar

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tunes, and after a bit of listening I think the system sounds very smooth and warm, but I decide I’d like a bit more high frequency output. After increasing the output of the tweeters, the top end is better defined, but still very smooth and polite without any hint of harshness or sibilance. A few more tunes have me adding in the high boost and turning on the mid contour to reduce the mid output. These adjustments really wake up the top end, and now I’m genuinely enjoying the system. The bass response from the woofers is lower than expected, with exceptional clarity and definition. Bass guitar and drum work is reproduced with a natural timber and resonance. This same incredible bass output might also be contributing to my one complaint – a small amount of “chestiness” or “thickness” to the upper midrange – mostly evident on female vocals and acoustic guitar. I spend a couple of hours listening to a vast array of music and make a whole page of notes. These are very small nits I’m picking here, and the sound of a speaker system is a very individual preference. When my session is over, I conclude that the Hertz Mille system is a very smooth, warm sounding speaker system

that has no glaring flaws. While the system does nothing wrong, at the end of the day it does leave me wanting for ‘less chest’ and a little more brilliance and sparkle in the top end. Personal preferences like this are exactly why I encourage everyone to audition products for themselves before buying, because what left me a bit “wanting,” could be perfect for you.

Conclusion The Hertz Mille MLK 1650.3 component speaker system is a seriously well-engineered and wellbuilt piece of kit. The drivers have been meticulously engineered for a very high sound-quality target, and the crossover network provides a vast range of adjustability. When installed and set up correctly, this system is an excellent choice for a high end audio system. Don’t just take my word for it though – go audition it for yourself at a Hertz dealer near you!

For an expanded version of this test report, go to pasmag.com/testreports/HertzMilleMLK16503 For more test reports, download the PASMAG+ tablet app for free from the App Store.

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OUT OF THIS WELD STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM ZILLIN

GOING OG ON WIDEBODIES

tsushi Ito is one of those Japanese tuners who flips the bird at conformity and the status quo. His brand, Weld Techniques Factory, has been around for a long time now and Ito has carved out a nice little slice of tuning stardom, not only through his exploits in D1 with pro driver Koichi Yamashita and their fire-breathing MKII Toyota, but also through custom tuning circles with cars like the FR-S you see in this magazine. I met Ito previously on a number of occasions, most notably at the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year, but I had not yet been to visit the shop in Yokohama. It was at the Auto Salon, though, where I first got to lay eyes on the extreme FR-S he had presented under the Work Wheels banner. There are a couple of very good reasons why Ito chose an FR-S instead over the more traditional (and arguably, easier to build) route of an 86 or BR-Z. First, there are only a handful of Scion FR-S chassis in Japan, so the exclusivity factor is high, but second, and more importantly, Ito is a big fan of USDM machines rolling Japanese streets. In one corner of the factory, he showed me around a scruffy looking left-hand-drive Honda Prelude that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d imported from the States. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think much of it until he lifted the bonnet to reveal a glistening, chrome encrusted jewel of a stroked 2.2-liter VTEC that redlines at 9, 000rpm.

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It was a valuable insight into the way Ito thinks. Not “judging a book by its cover” is definitely important to remember here, because Ito displays an intense obsession toward the looks, power and presentation of not only a car’s engine, but also its entire appearance and mechanical construct. Any of his builds will undoubtedly prove that to anybody who sees them. The Weld FR-S was no different when that delicious and vibrant candy apple covered bonnet was lifted for some shots. I’d seen it before, of course, but this event was no less amazing. This FA20 has more chrome than Google! The engine was stripped down to its most basic components, with Ito deciding to take the unusual approach of adding individual throttle bodies with shortened trumpets to increase engine response. It’s a beautiful and striking way to present the engine, a total change of direction from the turbo and supercharger crowd. And while Ito could easily have attached a blower or a snail, his philosophy was simple: “I wanted to keep it naturally aspirated because the FR-S was naturally aspirated from the factory.” Ahh, there’s the purist in him speaking. It’s not a powerful engine by any means, and carries a little over 220 horsepower with the changes, but its bottom end response has been improved thanks to the ITBs, remapped ECU, and custom complete titanium exhaust system exiting in a set of titanium Amuse mufflers. One small touch that incidentally also reflects a big part of the Weld brand is the 1/10th scale Work XSA04C RC car wheel attached to the intake assembly. If you are into remote controlled cars, you should also check out Ito’s RC brand, “Overdose.” You’d be forgiven for thinking that the body is modeled on a Rocket Bunny kit. Ito is at great pains to point out “…it’s not Rocket Bunny! This is me!” And so it is - the front and rear over-fenders are full sheet metal steel, painstakingly handcrafted over a six-month 62

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period using a wire subframe as the template. It’s a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Ito showed me some Japanese magazines that had featured the car while it was being built and I couldn’t help but be amazed at the level of detail that had gone into it. To my eyes, the body mods were perfectly symmetrical I couldn’t find a single blemish or measurement out of shape. This was just another indicator of Ito’s obsession with perfection. With the bodywork prepped, the FR-S was sent to Nishino Body Repairs, where it was finished in this gorgeous metallic candy apple paint. It's been applied to show subtle shifts in hue as you walk around the car; most noticeable in the way the color shifts on those wide rear hips. It’s a beautiful looking thing. Aesthetic changes extend to a carbon fiber Voltex “swan neck” GT wing - a design element that has found its way onto the leading contenders of the Super GT500 class GT-

Rs and Lexus RC-Fs because of the downforce it provides. One neat touch that keeps the huge wing in place and reduces flex, is a sheet of carbon fiber that has been molded to the inside of the boot lid. More Voltex parts include the rear under diffuser and front under spoiler with custom curled valances. If you look very closely, you will see where Ito has added a crease in the corners of the front bumper that stretch from the fender and around/underneath the corner lamp assemblies. It’s all in the details with this machine. No doubt you’ve also marveled at the wheels and are wondering what they are. Together with Work Japan, Ito consulted on the design of these very special forged alloys. The XSA04Cs suit the car perfectly and naturally. To suit the theme of the build, they came polished. They measure 225/35 R19 on the front and a beefy 275/30 R19 at the rear. All four

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ESSENTIALS

2013 SCION FR-S

OWNER: Atsushi Ito LOCATION: Yokohama, Japan ENGINE: Toyota/Subaru FA20 I-4 Boxer 2.0L HORSEPOWER: 220 HP ENGINE MODIFICATIONS ∫ Ported cylinder heads ∫ Weld (cross intake manifold, fuel rails) ∫ Toyota (AE111 4A-GE throttle bodies, JZX100 1JZ 380 cc injectors) ∫ Trust (spark plugs, Vi-Pec ECU) EXHAUST SYSTEM ∫ Trust exhaust manifold ∫ Power House Amuse titanium exhaust system

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When I started going to Battle of the Imports drag races in 1994, everyone thought a 13-second quarter mile was the limit of front wheel drive capability.”

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corners wear the latest super sticky Yokohama Advan AD08 R rubber. One of the most interesting details about the build for me are the brakes. I think it’s a bit overkill to have a six-pot front and four-pot rear setup for a car with only 220 horsepower, but the fact that Ito got everything fully customized according to his tastes before application, was impressive. The two-piece ventilated rotors have been engraved with Weld’s signature tribal designs, front and rear. Notably, the calipers at the front are also specially engraved with the new design and are top-of-theline monoblock Project Mu items. The front caliper, pad and rotor assembly alone will set you back an eye-watering $25,000 MYR (approximately $7,500 USD). The whole package rides on super stiff JIC Magic suspension units that are wound to 12 kg on the front and 18 kg at the rear to compensate for the low height the car runs - a setting that greatly minimizes fender contact to the occasional bump or scrape. Ito in-

sisted that the car be daily driven; a car that can be used regardless of where his mood takes him, and it's been set up accordingly. This is definitely no trailer queen. Inside, there are only a handful of modifications worth noting, which include the Sparco semibuckets and chunky Sparco wheel. Everything else is pretty much as Scion intended off the production line. As impressive as all of this amazing customization is, Ito still isn’t finished. Keeping with his purist-minded philosophies, the engine will be pulled again to be bored and stroked to 2.2 liters of naturally-aspirated fury. Among many other things on the build list are high-compression pistons, a custom billet crankshaft, extensive porting and polishing of the intake and exhaust ports, and a prototype Amuse titanium exhaust design that will premier on this FR-S. One thing is for certain; Weld does not do things by halves. The overriding impression from my time

DRIVETRAIN ∫ ATS (clutch, LSD) WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES ∫ Work XSA 04C wheels – 19x10.5 (f), 19x11.5 (r) ∫ Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08R – 225/35 R19 (f), 275/30 R19 (r) ∫ Project Mu brakes - 6-piston monoblock front calipers, 4-piston rear calipers, brake pads, braided brake lines, brake fluid ∫ Weld “tribal-slit” 2-pc. floating rotors – 380 mm (f), 355 mm (r) CHASSIS/SUSPENSION ∫ JIC adjustable suspension kit EXTERIOR ∫ Weld x Nishino Body Repair custom widebody ∫ Voltex carbon fiber swanneck wing ∫ House of Kolor Candy Apple paint INTERIOR ∫ Sparco (seats, steering wheel)

with this car and Ito-san was that, if you dig deep enough, you can discover that tuning culture in Japan is still as deep as it is wide, and it is populated by passionate tuners like Atsushi Ito, who will stop at nothing until they have expressed their utopian ideals through the creations they conjure. The Weld FR-S is a master class in the combination of oldschool craftsmanship combined with cutting edge design, all wrapped in an almost edible looking skin. Beauty, at least with this car, is most definitely not skin deep.

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VA U G H N G I T T I N J R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S 2 0 1 5 M U S TA N G R T R S P E C 5 C O N C E P T STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN LENSSEN

he 2015 Mustang has been all the rage since being officially launched in September, 2014. The bolder lines, standard selectable drive modes, all-new 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four and fully-independent rear suspension have made this the ultimate muscle car for the 21st century. Being a previous Mustang owner and having test driven the 2015 2.3-liter and, more extensively, the GT Performance Package in California late last year, I can easily vouch that this is a Mustang like no other. Up until the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine sitting in a hotter 2015, save for the off-chance of hopping into the soon-to-beannounced 2015 Shelby GT350, which was coincidentally developed just miles down the road from the strip. But once PASMAG hit the SEMA floor on day one, conversation was in full swing to get up close with the weapon that Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR team were hiding underneath the covers at their display in the Ford out Front corral.

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Available at select Ford dealers worldwide as a custom order or off-the-lot purchase, the 2015 Mustang RTR Spec 1 includes the following appearance/aero upgrades: ∫ RTR chin spoiler ∫ RTR rear spoiler ∫ RTR rear diffuser with side splitters ∫ RTR rocker splitters ∫ RTR upper grill with integrated lighting ∫ RTR lower grill

The 2015 Mustang RTR Spec 2 includes the Spec 1 aero package, plus the following performance modifications: ∫ Adjustable dampers ∫ Adjustable sway bars ∫ Lowering springs ∫ RTR-exclusive exhaust system by Magnaflow ∫ RTR custom engine tune ∫ Optional Ford Racing/Roush supercharger ∫ Optional Recaro seats ∫ Optional Takata x RTR harnesses

“We can’t tell you what it is quite yet,” one of Gittin’s crew members said as we asked about the bright green wheels and bodywork flexing underneath the tight RTR-badged car cover. Just as luck would have it, Gittin and one of his media assistants were walking towards us as we were moving over to take a look at his latest customer project, the 2015 Mustang RTR Spec 2. “Mind telling us a little about this car, Vaughn?” I asked as our editorial team made our face-toface introductions. “The Spec 2 is really exciting for us,” he said. “We've taken this amazing car from Ford and added a very unique, aggressively-styled appearance and performance modification package to make it one of the most diverse Mustangs I could have ever imagined. It is a blast on the street and the track, whether you're blasting hot laps, drifting, or drag racing.”

[The car] serves as a test bed and development platform for the appearance products that we’re offering, but more importantly, the performance products.” Vaughn Gittin Jr.

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Still undergoing final prototyping on two aspects at SEMA (the front splitter and side profile decal), Gittin explained that RTR will be offering the 2015 Mustang in two versions: the Spec 1 and Spec 2. Both cars are available as either custom order or off-the-lot purchases at select Ford dealers worldwide, and include a front grille with integrated lighting, a matching lower grill and chin splitter, side rocker splitters, and a rear diffuser/splitter setup with an aggressive trunk-mounted aluminum spoiler, not unlike the one found on the Spec 5 Concept we were soon to get up close with. Each of the parts was developed to work painted or unpainted, and installs easily, thanks to the team’s development work. The Spec 2 package takes that appearance pack and bolsters it with custom tuned, 2015-Mustang specific adjustable dampers and sway bars, lowering springs, an exclusive tuned and RTR-badged exhaust system by Magnaflow, and custom engine tune. Customers wanting to burn rubber like Gittin can opt for a Ford Racing/Roush supercharger, Recaro race seats and Takata x RTR harnesses.

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To round out both packages, RTR has put its emblem on a new line of HRE Tech 7 forged three-pieces – the same as those ready to fry rubber on Gittin’s secret toy. Fast forward a few hours and Gittin takes to the streets of Vegas for the shoot you see here. Riding shotgun with him is a thrill, to say the very least, and the next day, the Spec 5 Concept is set to make its public debut, burning rubber alongside Ryan Tuerk in the Spec 2 in front of a live SEMA crowd. There’s no need or space for windows in the Spec 5’s wafer-thin, caged doors, which means that all 450-horses are blaring through in the cockpit, which has essentially been stripped down to Formula D spec plus a right-hand seat for a few lucky passengers. His Bosch DDU 7 displays full telemetry

readouts and some special surprises from Ray Shake at MA Motorsports, including a “Stay on Target” mode straight from the X-Wing in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. When asked about plans of creating something similar for his next North American drifter, JR smiles and shouts, “Maybe!” Wow, is this thing loud. The Ford 5.0-liter catapulting this lightweight rocket is the Aluminator XS engine, Ford Racing’s most powerful Coyote-based crate engine ever. Complete with Manley connecting rods, ARP bolts and Mahle forged pistons, the high-compression engine is harnessed in and connected to a Ford Racing close-ratio, short-shift 6-speed box and a completely customized rear end. When Gittin took possession of the car, it was an empty chassis and body, waiting for Mustang RTR, MA Motorsports and ASD Motorsports to work When asked about the their magic. Being a fresh, plans of creating something similar bare-bones 2015 model for his next North American drifter, JR and needing to build a car with parts that essentially smiles and shouts, “Maybe!” weren’t available yet, it meant a sharp development curve to produce parts in time for SEMA. “The rear end that we used is a Driveshaft Shop nine-inch conversion for the new IRS,” Gittin says. “We also used the beefy Driveshaft Shop axles that come with that conversion as well. That’s how we were able to get the gear ratio we wanted, because nobody was making gears yet for the new ‘Super 8.8’ [diff].” It was essentially the new ring and pinion that required the diff switch, but one that made all the difference in the world. “That engine loves screaming to the moon,” he says, “so we put the 4.56 in it and that’s the gear ratio that performs the best for what we’re doing with our drivetrain.” That’s immediately evident when he pulls out in front of an F-150 outside the SEMA gates and we’re past it before I can even gasp for air. Shifts feel quick and punchy with the Exedy Stage 2 clutch, which Gittin says he didn’t want to over-beef to a bigger kit (along with the rest of the car), because the primary purpose of the Spec 5 is to use it as a platform for RTR’s growing array of performance parts. “[The car] serves as a test bed and development platform for the appearance products that

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WE WILL BE AT CES FIND US IN BOOTH #325 NORTH HALL

For dealers inquires: www.orioncaraudio.com | info@mdaudio.net T: (305) 593.8361 | F: (305) 593.8413 | Toll free: 1-855.475.6048 Miami, FL - USA @orioncaraudiooï¬&#x192;cial facebook.com/orion.car.audio | twtitter.com/OrionCarAudio

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By the time you're reading this, 2015 Mustang owners will be privy to the same widebody pieces found on the Spec 5 Concept, either in carbon or fiberglass.” we’re offering, but more importantly, the performance products,” Gittin says. “It’s not quite competition-spec for what we do – we need 850 to 900 horsepower for competition – but this makes 450 wheel [horsepower] and it’s super reliable, which is the most important thing.” “Eventually, it’ll be the car that I tour around and do demos in, and likely it will have a full livery on it and we’ll have all of the parts on it, and I’ll beat the shit out of it and make sure everything works and takes a beating as it should prior to going out on the market.” What he’s talking about, more specifically, is the RTR Tactical Performance product line which, on top of the appearance and aero parts, includes a full line of suspension components and control arms, a total of five Mustang-only RTR wheels by HRE (three flow-formed and two forged specimens), and a custom-tuned, axle-

back exhaust by Magnaflow, custom etched with the RTR logo – with more coming. By the time you’re reading this (or soon after), 2015 Mustang owners will also be privy to the same widebody body pieces found on the Spec 5 Concept, either in carbon fiber or fiberglass. “The widebody will be available through Mustang RTR, and just like all of our parts, will be available through AmericanMuscle.com. Everything from the [Spec 5] will be available.” That’s on top of RTR’s already-long list of accessories available for the previousgen pony. The Spec 5 Concept and new Mustang RTR are a solid stamp on the full-fledged effort to bring a fresh perspective to the Mustang. It’s an all-new car worthy of the honor, Ford is on board, it looks and performs impeccably, and the project is being led by one of drifting’s – and the Mustang’s – greatest advocates. Great. All we needed was another excuse to get one.

ESSENTIALS

2015 MUSTANG RTR SPEC 5 CONCEPT

OWNER: Vaughn Gittin Jr. BUILT BY: Mustang RTR, MA Motorsports, ASD Motorsports ENGINE: Ford Racing 5.0L Aluminator XS V8 HORSEPOWER: 450 whp ENGINE MODIFICATIONS ∫ Ford Racing (aluminum radiator, control pack) ∫ American Racing headers ∫ Bosch 044 fuel pump ∫ K&N (air filter, oil filter) DRIVETRAIN ∫ Ford Racing close-ratio 6-speed transmission ∫ Exedy Stage 2 clutch ∫ Driveshaft Shop (aluminum driveshaft, axles, 9-in. conversion w/ 4:56 gears ∫ Revolution Automotive custom tune EXHAUST SYSTEM ∫ Magnaflow custom racing muffler CHASSIS ∫ ASD Motorsports custom front lower control arms ∫ Custom coilovers WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∫ Nitto NT05 tires ∫ RTR by HRE Tech 7 3-piece wheels - 20x10 (front), 20x11 (rear) ∫ Ford Racing Brembo six-piston big brake kit (front) EXTERIOR ∫ RTR (Spec 5 wide flare panels (50 mm front, 75 mm rear), chin spoiler w/ carbon splitter, upper grill with integrated lighting, lower grill, rocker splitters, rear diffuser, rear spoiler w/ gurney lip, composite hood, fenders, doors, rear decklid) ∫ 3M 1080 Matte Silver film wrap by Speedesign INTERIOR ∫ Bosch DDU7 Motorsports display ∫ Recaro Racing seats ∫ ASD Motorsports handbrake ∫ Takata Racing harnesses

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HOONICORN RTR INSIDE THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

STORY BY MICKY SLINGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE BLABAC, LARRY CHEN, PIERRE WIKBERG, RON ZARAS

NOVEMBER 17, 2014 WAS A FATEFUL DAY FOR EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET.

Everything just stopped. People arguing on car forums shut up. Gossipers dropped mags flaunting Kim Kardashianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greasy butt. People everywhere clammed up, sat down, and watched what seemed like a maniacal Steve McQueen in a cyborg Mustang take on the

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streets of L.A. and make them his own. Gymkhana Seven was here. While Kardashian set out to break the Internet with her ass, Ken Block brought it all together with engineering dreams, a mythical creature and gobs of tire smoke. As soon as silence ensued, it dissipated quickly afterward. Instead of disagreeing on the right use of memes though, there were

burning questions that needed to be answered. “How is that Mustang 4WD?” “How much of it is actually ’65 Mustang?” “Why is the engine moved so far back?” “When is Gymkhana Eight going to be released?” It turns out that you opened the right book because we have all those questions – and more – answered right here. Except for that last one. Really, dude? Too soon.

Let’s start the dissection, shall we? Once you’ve sneaked a peek under the hood, you should start hyperventilating by way of pure excitement because of just how beautiful it is under there. Meaty wires and manifold pipes snake themselves up to the ITB’d Roush Yates V8, which pushes 845 horses. This heart does not flutter, it shakes like a tremor and bellows like a pissed off Unicorn. What? You don’t know. They could totally sound like that.

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HOONICORN RTR

Once the effect of that ginormous engine has worn off, you’ll then notice that it’s pretty much pushed up against the glass. That V8 is at its limits within that bay and cannot be moved farther back – at all. It’s just not a thing. Derek Dauncey, the Team Director of Hoonigan Racing Division let me pick his brain about the Hoonicorn’s majesty and told us why having the engine pressed against Block’s knees was so necessary. “We benefitted from a better weight balance, which is really important for a car that’s 16-feet long, so it can turn quickly at low speeds,” says Dauncey. “We did not want a big fight with understeering, and the front-to-rear balance worked out really well there.” If you have a keen eye, you may also see that the differential and driveshafts are in front of the engine. While this is an impressive feat, it wasn’t just to garner dropped jaws; there was literally nowhere else it could go. “With the SADEV four-wheel drive transmission, it was difficult to get the large front differential in a location with enough clearance to clear the engine pulleys, belts and oil and water pipes, and still allow a workable angle for the driveshafts to not neck out on bumps or full drop,” Dauncey says. The SADEV transmission is a pretty big deal. The French company supplies drivetrains

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and transmissions to teams in World Rallycross and Rally Raid competition (Ken Block included), and not much else can compare, so it’s a no-brainer that they have been Hoonigan Racing’s technical partner since Gymkhana Four (The Hollywood Megamercial). In a mid-season upgrade on Ken’s Fiesta this year, he switched to SADEV’s new SC-9024/170 four-wheel drive transaxle unit. The Hoonigans were so impressed by the stellar unit that they opted for the same one to drive their four-legged Mustang. After SADEV likely nodded like a bunch of bobble heads, the entire unit was laid out for the Hoonicorn, and modified to handle the V8 power. “We changed the specification of the gears due to the instant torque from the normally-aspirated engine,” Dauncey says. “A two-piece bell housing was produced to mate the transmission to the engine. It was important to be able to change the clutch assembly quickly overnight, as it is under extreme loads. The clutch was changed twice during filming.” The front and rear diffs are SADEV SP-03 units (the same ones used on Ken’s Fiesta), which are driven by made-to-measure propshafts for the monstrous Mustang. While all that SADEV magic is fine and dandy, the coolest thing the Frenchmen engineered has to be the drift stick. Yes, the handbrake is

awesome in its bold “HOONIGAN” font and matte bronze goodness and all, but what happens when it’s pulled is actually amazing. “We need to be able to lock the rear wheels to be able to perform tight hairpin turns,” explains Dauncey. “There is a disconnect unit, which requires a set hydraulic pressure to release the propshafts and driveline. When the system operates, the front wheels turn freely and the rear wheels are locked. When the handbrake is released, the four-wheel drive is reintroduced right away.” Those of you who are race fans will obviously be salivating over the in-board suspension. The fact that it’s done up in double wishbones all around might make you a little too excited. It's a combined effort that makes the ride and handling as unique as the Hoonicorn itself. “We have always run a slightly stiffer spring on the rear with the Fiesta,” says Dauncey. “The Hoonicorn follows a similar path, but still requires an amount of weight transfer forward under braking to make sure it has positive turn-in, and then allow for oversteer with the use of the throttle." “The wishbones are fully adjustable on all three points via rose joints,” Dauncey continues. “We wanted everything to be bespoke on the car and manufacturing our own wishbone

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THE BUILD That V8 is at its limits within that bay and cannot be moved farther back

- at all.”

designs allowed us to make sure we had full control of the uprights and their movement, as it is critical to control the geometry and angle of the driveshafts when running 845 horsepower.” Even the tires on the Hoonicorn are custom built to spec. Block and crew tested out Pirelli’s new Trofeo R tires, which actually provided too much grip for hooning. Pirelli took this info and made a harder set of tires with stiffer sidewalls. The compound is even specially formulated to produce more tire smoke. To put a cherry on top, the custom Hoonicorn Trofeos are stamped with Ken’s name and a specification code, both of which are likely burnt off 0.2 seconds after they’re mounted. After all of these engineering and fabrication marvels, you’re probably still wondering, “Why a '65 Mustang?” Simple: Ken Block thinks they’re awesome and wanted to make one look like a Mad Max car and drift it around the streets of L.A. It was always the plan.

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HOONICORN RTR

ESSENTIALS

HOONICORN RTR

DRIVER: Ken Block BUILT BY: ASD Motorsports, Mustang RTR, Hoonigan Racing ENGINE: Ford / Roush Yates 6.7L V8 HORSEPOWER: 845 HP TORQUE: 720 LB-FT ENGINE MODIFICATIONS ∫ Individual throttle bodies ∫ Motec (M130 engine management, sensors, PDM30 distribution module) ∫ RaceGrade (wiring, sensors) EXHAUST SYSTEM ∫ ASD Motorsports custom dual sideexit exhaust system

The handbrake is awesome in its bold “HOONIGAN” font and matte bronze goodness and all, but what happens when it’s pulled is actually amazing.”

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“When we start a project, Ken always seems to know what the end product will look like, hence why he wanted the Mustang as the base,” says Dauncey. “The low roof and wide stance offered a great base to the build and allowed us to make use of the car’s wide track to fit the driveline in, and still allow the 10.5-inch wide Fifteen52 wheels.” Truth be told, the unsuspecting '65 Mustang was actually an Ebay find, which was fondly nicknamed “The Unicorn” right before it was torn apart and rebuilt into a killing machine. The listing probably said something along the lines of, “Looking for a home where it will be cared for and nurtured.” Oops. After the body was dropped onto the custom box-tube chassis and each panel was hand-beaten to

take the beastly shape, “Just how much of the original is left?” you may be asking. “The roof and roof pillars,” Dauncey says bluntly. “Not much else, really. It’s a completely new build.” Although this build carried the parody of Kardashian’s #BreakTheInternet hashtag, the #HandbrakeTheInternet 'Stang didn’t really break anything, aside from some tire belts and a few Mustang purist’s hearts. Mr. Block just got everyone on the interwebs to shut up and listen, and that’s pretty close to world peace. Who knew all it would take was a chain-smoking mythical Hoonicorn?

DRIVETRAIN ∫ SADEV (SC90-24/170 6-speed 4WD transmission w/ custom gearing, hydraulic e-brake system, SP-03 differentials (f/r)) ∫ Quarter Master 7.25in. triple-plate clutch SUSPENSION ∫ ASD Motorsports custom (in-board cantilever JRi dampers, double wishbones, suspension mounts) ∫ Eibach springs WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∫ Fifteen52 R40 wheels – 18x10.5 (f/r) ∫ Pirelli Trofeo R tires, custom Ken Block compound – 295/30 R18 (f/r) ∫ ASD Motorsports brakes – custom rotor hats, thin brake calipers EXTERIOR ∫ 1965 Ford Mustang widebody designed by Ken Block, RTR & Hoonigan Racing ∫ ASD Motorsports custom box tube chassis ∫ RTR carbon fiber body panels INTERIOR ∫ ASD Motorsports custom (roll-cage, door bars) ∫ Recaro racing seats ∫ Hoonigan custom handbrake handle ∫ Auto Meter/Hoonigan custom gauges ∫ Sparco 5-point harnesses ∫ Motec C125 color display logger ∫ Tilton 600-Series floor-mount pedals

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TUNING

LEGENDS:

N E I L TJ I N

O F TJ I N E D I T I O N STORY BY MICKY SLINGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ICON MEDIA, GENE TJIN, JACOB LEVETON, PHILLIP AWAD, SHAUN KEENAN & COURTESY OF NEIL TJIN

6IX Bisi Ezerioha & Neil Tjin

pecial edition, limited edition, collector’s edition – these are all terms that can be used in just about any enthusiast circle to signify something that sticks out from the average and everyday. Auto enthusiasts can add one more to their repertoire: Tjin Edition. Of all the vehicles at SEMA, show goers always seem to point out which vehicles Neil Tjin and his crew have applied their super clean design language to. So, how exactly does one come to build an average of six standout SEMA vehicles a year, plus have his own tour that does almost 40 stops all over the States? Somehow Neil was able to sit still for a while to chat with us, and we got some great answers to those questions and more. How did it all begin? When did you start thinking “Hey you know what? I want do something with cars”? Acura Legend. I went a little bit more into the It started in the mid ’90s. I was in high school, bling stuff; put some chrome MHT splits on it. wasn’t really into cars all that much. I was more I graduated high school, got into college and into sports. In '95, I bought an Eagle Vision and it was able to sell the Legend and lease my first was the first car at my high school with 17-inch car, which was my Acura 3.2 TL. That is the car wheels. I bought TSW Stealths, the five-spoke that put us on the map. It’s the one that we wheel. It wasn’t lowered; it was just wheels and painted yellow, had VeilSide parts, a roll cage, tires on a big four-door sedan. People were like, M3 mirrors and a Saleen wing. It just started “Oh, what are 17s?” as a hobby for us. We liked having a nice car. I got into cars and met my wife around the Even now, 18 years later, we’re all about havsame time in '95. I saved up, bought that first ing a nice car than anything else. car and then I was able to save up for a used 80

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What came before Tjin Edition? Before Tjin Edition, our team was named All Star. We just started going to shows. There were no trailers in the '90s. We drove to Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey – we drove all over the East Coast and people started recognizing. That’s when brands like Toyo and Meguiar’s took notice. We had stuff that wasn’t even in the States yet. We were rocking Advan, Bomex and VeilSide in the mid to late '90s. My TL was featured in a bunch of magazines, which was unheard of in the '90s as an East Coast car. Then we got job offers working in the industry. I was the Marketing Director at Toucan Industries back in the day. That started my love of marketing and working with other people and sending out products. That opened the door to get into SEMA. My wife’s Accord was one of the first East Coast show cars taken to SEMA in '99. That was a huge accomplishment for us. Bomex shipped Mei’s car from Florida to Vegas, so that gave us a foot in at SEMA, and we’ve been going since then. When did you make the move from Florida to Cali? How did that impact your journey? In 2003, I moved to California with my wife. My brother followed there a year later. I was offered a position at HCI (Hot Compacts & Imports Magazine). They were looking for an editor, and so I was their editor for roughly eight years. Moving to California changed everything. Just before I moved, I met the marketing department at Scion and we got a tC in late 2002. It was one of the first tCs to hit the States, and that was my first OEM build. We actually built the car in Florida and shipped it out for SEMA in 2003. In 2006, we started working with GM and Honda. In 2010, we started working for Ford. It went from there. I started to work for myself. I had kids and I was into car building, so that’s when I started Tjin Edition. We had the Road Show in conjunction with Turtle Wax from 2005 to 2009. It wasn’t as full-scale as it is now.

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It wasn’t called the Tjin Edition Roadshow back then, correct? No, when it started in '05/'06, it was called the “Get Waxed Tour.” Then in '07 it became the Tjin Edition Roadshow, but the first three years were still infancy years. In 2010, it hit full stride. This will be our 10th year on the road with the tour. Last year we started West Coast, a second tour, so we have the West Coast tour, which does about 15 to 20 events, and we have the National tour, that does 20-plus events.

You can always tell a Tjin Edition from other builds. What’s your design philosophy or signature style? Our style is pretty clean. One thing you’ll notice is solid colors. We’ve done some metallics, but we’ve always stepped outside the box with color. The two widebodies we did this year were metal because we have a metal fabricator, but we’ve always gone really clean and simple. We used to do a lot of Bomex, we’ve done some VeilSide and then we went away from body kits for a while to very simple lip kits. It all plays a factor. Like I said, in the beginning, it was about loud and bright. When the OEM builds started in 2006, it came down to more solid monotone colors, and then always cool wheels. The two biggest things with us are paint and wheels. I think that makes or breaks a car. I think we’ve painted probably 100 cars in the last 11 years. I don’t think I’ve ever owned an unpainted car.

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Before the car is shipped off to SEMA, what’s the process in designing a Tjin Edition vehicle? On the way home from SEMA, we were already thinking about next year. I want to build a new Mustang next year, so I studied every Mustang, inside and out. It’s basically my homework; see what’s been done and hasn’t been done. Then I go to my family and the team and we talk about ideas, what color wasn’t there, what wheels weren’t used, what suspension wasn’t used, etc. Then you put up a proposal together for Ford, you pitch your design. There were no raspberry ones. There was nothing that really stood out with lightweight racing wheels. There was nothing with polished brakes. So, we’ll put that together and, if Ford likes it, we’ll sit with the Ford design team if we’re fortunate PASmag_Feb_MarIssue.pdf 1 12/19/14 4:20 PM enough to be chosen to build a car for them.

What’s your favorite build to date? Probably my G8, which I had in 2008. It was supercharged, had Corvette brakes, one-lug wheels and air suspension. I regret selling it. I didn’t get to drive it much because it was on tour. It had a Vortech-supercharged 560-horsepower V8. It only had like 700 miles. It was on tour for 16 months and by the end I got an offer to sell it. So, I’d have to say that and the F-150 are my favorites.

Which accomplishments are you most proud of? I’ve been pretty lucky. I was a SEMA Person of the Year in 2005, which was wild because I was so young in my career. That, or the other big thing would be design. We’ve won four GM Design Awards, four Ford Design Awards and a couple Mothers Design Awards.

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How did your partnership with UTI come into play? In 2009, my green Camaro won the Best of Show GM award. We met UTI at the L.A. Auto Show. They used my green car and liked it, so we started talking. I just formed a relationship with Ford that year and I was like, “Hey, maybe I can get you a dollar car.” I’d never done that before with Ford, but UTI put a proposal together for the Fiesta ST that we ended up building for Ford in 2010. Their marketing director, Mark, and I put together a really good sweepstakes program. We’ve done bike sweepstakes before with Michael Jordan, but I’ve never done a car sweepstakes. We put the Fiesta on tour with us and got really

good numbers for the sweepstakes program. We’ve done a Mustang, a Fiesta, a Tacoma, and the Focus. What are your favorite shows to visit when you are on the on the Roadshow tour? We do a lot, but I would say the Wekfest shows are really good. We do New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco, and L.A. NUROTAG has been really good. They do a show in Miami, up and down the East Coast and out here as well. The fun ones are the meets. We do the Torque Meet show with UTI on the UTI campuses, and we do Orlando - which is my old stomping ground, Chicago and Arizona. Those three are really cool because they’re more of a meet, and you get to interact with students.

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Do you have any mentors, idols or inspirations that drove you to build cars? There are many people who have helped us. We are very fortunate. My wife Mei, who I have been with for 19 years. My brother Gene, who has been by my side since the first day we started playing with cars. My dad, for giving us the opportunity to start our own company at 16, Star Performance. And we have a really good team locally, led by Adam Carpenter from Unique Fabrication and Denny Huang from Huang Duang Enterprise. With these guys who help us get the job done, we never miss a deadline.

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to break into the world of automotive customization building and all that good stuff? The biggest thing I tell people is: do it for yourself. This industry is opinion-based. Be up front because everyone knows everyone. It might not seem like it because it’s such a big industry. Just stay honest. It takes time, it takes money and it takes some lucky breaks. Talk to people and do your homework, like I still do. It’s been 18 years and I still do my homework. Go to SEMA, study, meet people, talk to people, be yourself and, at the end of the day, just build what you like. Who cares what others think? You’re not going to please everybody.

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Those are three of our favorites, but we do so many.

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TIGHT FIT BY MICKY SLINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENE TJIN & HONDA

A FAMILY AFFAIR W ITH CUSTOM FLARE

ESSENTIALS

2015 “KYLIE TJIN EDITION” HONDA FIT EX OWNER: Neil Tjin BUILT BY: Tjin Edition, Unique Fabrication, L&R Autobody ENGINE: 1.5L L15A I-4 HORSEPOWER: 108 hp ENGINE MODIFICATIONS ∫ Optima battery EXHAUST SYSTEM ∫ Bisimoto pulse chamber WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∫ iForged wheels – 18x8 -23 et w/ 4-in. lip (f), 18x8 -35 et w/ 5-in. lip (r) ∫ Falken FK435 tires – 215/35 R18 (f/r) ∫ Baer brakes – Hot Pink Kylie Tjin Edition 6-piston front calipers, 355 mm brake discs ∫ Unique Fabrication (custom brackets, brake lines)

ith the 2015 Honda Fit being so new and not having the aftermarket support of a seasoned chassis, most SEMA exhibitors kept their Fits fairly safe. If you wanted to see what could really be done with these little guys, you had to head over to Honda’s corner of the show. All lined up, six in a row, were the crazy creations of the builders who had been chosen by Honda. Shining in a pale green paint and crouched on its bosozoku-like haunches was Tjin Edition’s rendition of the Japanese commute-it-all, which came away with the Performance Project Fan Favorite Fit award. Try saying that five times fast. With over a decade of tight deadline experience, six weeks to build a showstopper is the usual for Tjin Edition. Reaching out to his list of trusty partners, Tjin sourced a first-of-its-kind air suspension from AirREX, custom brakes from Baer, wheels built to spec from iForged, and fiberglass fender flares. Everything was quickly on its way to be bolted up. However, it turns out that great minds think alike. “We found out someone else – some of the other builders – were doing [the fender flares],” explains Tjin. “We wanted to go a different, more unique route.” Luckily, metal mastermind Josh Freeman stepped up to the plate. It was decided that Freeman would give the Fit a custom, all-metal widebody. Unfortunately, this daring move soon gave way to another issue.

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SUSPENSION ∫ AirREX (air suspension, air management) EXTERIOR ∫ Custom all-metal fender flares by Josh Freeman ∫ Axalta custom paint by L&R Auto Body ∫ Coplus (headlights, fog lights, front lip) ∫ Honda JDM red emblems ∫ Webasto sunroof ∫ Bisimoto tow hook ∫ DIK LED taillights INTERIOR ∫ Katzkin (seats (f/r), door panels, center console) ∫ SoCal Elite 94Fifty basketball and sporting equipment

“Getting wheels built in time for the flares never happens,” Tjin says bluntly. “We ended up using my brother’s Fiesta ST wheels and worked off of spacers, estimates, and measurements.” They got incredibly lucky, and the fit on the Fit was deadon, which Tjin credits to the cooperation and flexibility of all parties involved. Amongst all of the drama and deadlines, Tjin Edition has always been about family. Since his daughter got her hot pink brakes and name on the car, Tjin showed support for his son’s budding basketball career by installing some game day essentials, as well as audio in the cavernous trunk. “In the rear, we actually fit an amp, we fit a sub, we fit two shoe racks, bracelet holders, and the three floating basketballs,” Tjin says proudly. The Tjin Edition Fit is scheduled to make an appearance at Osaka Auto Messe and Tokyo Auto Salon, and then come back to be added to the Roadshow and tour the States. It was all hands on deck to get this Fit finished for show, which is fitting, because this Fit is all-in.

MOBILE ELECTRONICS ∫ Scosche (Magic Mount, audio wiring) ∫ Sony (subwoofer, amplifier, mid-range speakers, high-range speakers) SPONSORS ∫ AirREX, Baer, Coplus, Sony, Gurnade, Katzkin, Optima, Viair, SoCal Elite, Axalta, Bisimoto, iForged, Falken, Webasto, Wheel Warehouse, Royal Purple, Meguiars, UTI, Escort, GlowShift Gauges, LEDGlow

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FAST KENNY STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB LEVETON

K E N NY M O E N’ S ACHI L L E S T I RE S 1 4

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ince his entry into Formula Drift in 2011, “Fast” Kenny Moen has been good, but his old drift chassis kept him from being great. Driving the exact same Nissan 350Z chassis that took Tanner Foust to a pair of backto-back championships, the car just wasn’t as competitive as when it was originally built. Despite being underpowered and under-engineered compared to the state-of-the-art drifters that started to enter the series over the last few years, Moen earned a trio of top-eight finishes and was a driver that even the top competitors in the sport hated to see on their side of the bracket. Entering the 2014 season, Moen got connected with the same Bridges Racing team that won the championship in 2012 with Daigo Saito and a plan was hatched to build a newer, more competitive car.

The machine you see here was built by Faruk Kugay and his team at Limitless Motorsports in Northern California. A clean S14 chassis was sourced as a starting point, and the build started shortly after the end of the 2013 season. Kugay and his team got to work, stripping the car down and fitting the roll cage, including door intrusion bars. The interior was gutted to the extent that only a pair of Sparco Corsa seats, Sparco five-point harnesses and a gutted stock dash was flocked to reduce glare remain. A set of Prosport gauges sit where the original gauge cluster sat, with a small LED screen that shows which gear the transmission is currently in. The gear indicator is important, as the Sellholm sequential transmission doesn’t use the traditional H-pattern. A hydraulic e-brake handle sits close to the shifter, but otherwise, the majority of the interior is clean and stripped. This car is vastly different from your average S14 under the hood. With the power wars in full swing, Kugay and Moen decided to utilize the 2JZGTE engine out of the Toyota Supra instead of any Nissan or Chevrolet V8 options. Moen has owned several Supras previously, and is familiar with the powerband and associated horsepower it delivers.

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ESSENTIALS 1997 NISSAN S14

OWNER: Kenneth Moen BUILT BY: Bridges Racing / Limitless Motorsports ENGINE: Toyota 2JZGTE 3.0L I-6 HORSEPOWER: 740 HP ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Garrett (GTX40 turbocharger, intercooler) ∫ HPS hoses ∫ Tial 44 mm wastegate ∫ Nitrous Express nitrous system ∫ Nuke Performance (fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator, surge tank, fuel filter) ∫ Deatschwerks (DW300 X3 fuel pump, fuel injectors) ∫ Brian Crower (camshafts, cam gears, springs, retainers) ∫ Bosch spark plugs ∫ Audi S3 ignition coils ∫ Autronic SM3 ECU ∫ Eagle connecting rods ∫ CP pistons ∫ ARP hardware EXHAUST SYSTEM ∫ Limitless Motorsports custom exhaust system DRIVETRAIN ∫ Clutchmasters (clutch, flywheel) ∫ Sellholm sequential transmission ∫ Nissan Skyline axles ∫ BMW 210 welded differential WHEELS/TIRES/BRAKES ∫ NS Wheels M01 wheels – 17x8 (f), 18x9.5 (r) ∫ Achilles 123S tires – 235/45 R17 (f), 275/40 R18 (r) ∫ Achilles ATR Sport2 tires – 235/45 R17 (f), 275/40 R18 (r) ∫ Nissan Skyline brake calipers ∫ Custom braided stainless brake lines SUSPENSION ∫ Feal coilovers ∫ Swift custom springs ∫ Wisefab suspension kit (f/r) EXTERIOR ∫ ings (front bumper, side skirts) ∫ BN Sports modified front fenders ∫ Get Nuts Labs rear fenders ∫ Seibon Carbon (hood, trunk) ∫ Rocket Bunny spoiler ∫ Venom smoked lens taillights ∫ Bodywork by Kenneth Moen ∫ Livery designed by Magnus Bekkengen

Before the engine was dropped in, a set of CP pistons and Eagle connecting rods were used to freshen the bottom end, while ARP studs paired the block with the head. Brian Crower cams and cam gears handle the intake and exhaust valves. The OEM intake manifold, throttle body and gaskets do a great job showing just how advanced the 2JZ was when it was introduced in the early ’90s. Fuel is provided via a Deatschwerks DW300 X3 fuel pump and a slew of Nuke Performance parts, including the fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator, surge tank, and fuel filter. Boost is handled by a Garrett GTX40 turbocharger and Tial 44 mm wastegate, which helps make nearly 750 horsepower from the motor. That power is pushed through a Clutchmasters clutch and flywheel to a welded BMW 210 differential. The suspension plays an equal part in getting power to the ground, and to this end, Moen teamed up with fellow Formula D driver Odi Bakchis’s company, Feal Suspension, to help with the setup. Each corner is held up by a set of Feal’s trademark 441 coilovers with custom valving and custom Swift springs. All steering arms have been replaced with Wisefab parts to provide over 60 degrees of steering angle at full lock. OEM Nissan Skyline calipers provide the stopping power in the front and rear with stainless steel brake lines to help prevent brake fade. Traction is directed through the NS Wheels M01 wheels, wrapped with Achilles 123s or ATR Sport 2 tires,

depending on the track. Surprisingly, Moen doesn’t run any sway bars because he prefers the car to be softer. Several drivers have said that Moen is one of the faster guys on the grid, especially given the horsepower, so the suspension setup seems to have worked out in his favor. The body kit is a mish-mash of different manufacturers, all sourced from BadAssParts. Up front is an ings bumper with modified BN Sports fenders and a Seibon carbon hood. The side skirts are also from ings, with Get Nuts Labs rear overfenders and a chopped OEM bumper to round out the rear. If you recognize the rear spoiler as a Rocket Bunny, you’ve clearly noticed the Japanese brand seems to be on every car this year. Moen asked Magnus Bekkengen to design the Achilles Radial livery, and then Moen did the bodywork and paint himself as he paints cars for a living in his native Norway. The 2014 season was a career-best for Moen – it began with his first-ever Formula D podium in Long Beach, and saw a second top-four finish in Miami just two events later. Unfortunately, the second half of the season was a bit rougher on Moen and his team, but he managed to finish the season strong in sixth place. His plans for 2015 are well underway, and we’ve heard the car will be similar, save for a few reliability upgrades. Considering his great results in 2014, it's not such a bad idea.

INTERIOR ∫ Flocked dash ∫ Prosport gauges ∫ Sellholm shift knob ∫ Sparco (steering wheel, seats, harnesses) ∫ Limitless Motorsports rollcage

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COMPETITION Jacob's Drift

Facebook: /JacobLevetonDrift Website: www.jacobphoto.com

2014 CHAMPION

BEST QUALIFYING DRIVE

CHRIS FORSBERG

FORMULA DRIFT AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Forsberg’s second championship is his most notable accomplishment (alongside his 2009 title), and adding to that, he also earned Best Qualifying Driver for 2014. Put simply, his championship would not have been possible without the points he earned from qualifying. Amazingly, Forsberg qualified first or second at three out of the seven rounds of competition, and never qualified outside of the top 10. Forsberg’s 2014

was highlighted by becoming the first driver to finish on the podium at five consecutive events. He only finished outside the top four at the season finale in Irwindale, where he came in a humble fifth place. This season marks the third time in the last four seasons that Forsberg has finished in the top three of the final points standings, so there’s no doubt he’ll be an early favorite for the 2015 season.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB LEVETON

Formula Drift’s 11th season of competition was the most exciting to date, with the championship coming down to the final tandem battle at the final event. Daigo Saito’s elimination of Fredric Aasbo in the finale clinched Chris Forsberg’s second career championship, but all three drivers earned awards at the annual Formula D awards banquet. As Formula D launches a world championship for their 12th season in 2015, we take a quick look back at some of the highlights from the 2014 season.

PRO 2 CHAMPION

2014 RUNNER UP

ACE OF THE YEAR Most Tandem Victories

FAN FAVORITE DRIVER

FREDRIC AASBO Despite coming second in the championship, Aasbo was one of the most decorated drivers at the FD awards banquet. Since his rookie season in 2010, Aasbo has continually improved on his overall championship standing, progressing from 13th in his rookie-of-the-year season to second in 2014. Most impressively, Aasbo won 25 of the 30 tandem battles he faced in FD

competition, for an 83 percent winning rate. His biggest accomplishment of the season was earning his first event win in New Jersey, which he repeated just two events later in Texas. Word in the pits is Aasbo will be back in his Scion tC for the 2015 season, with an improved engine package that should be pushing the limits of 1,000 horsepower from just four cylinders.

DAN SAVAGE Dan Savage first emerged as a serious contender in the Pro 2 series when he piloted his Sikky Manufacturing RX-8 to a second-place qualifying effort and overall event win at the second round in Seattle. Overall consistency and a top qualifying spot at Irwindale helped Savage claim the first-ever championship in Pro 2.

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SPIRIT OF DRIFTING AWARD MOST IMPROVED DRIVER

FAN FAVORITE CAR

FORREST WANG Forrest Wang was another driver to have a breakout season in 2014. Building on his first career podium at the season finale in Irwindale in 2013, Wang strung together three top qualifying runs (including bests at the final two events in Texas and Irwindale) and two podiums (again, at Texas and Irwindale), taking strong momentum into the 2015 season. More impressive is that the Spirit of Drifting award is voted on by his fellow drivers, while the Fan Favorite award is voted on by the fans. He's gained a lot of respect from both sides of the fence, and rightfully so.

DEAN KEARNEY As the only Dodge Viper in professional drift competition globally, Dean Kearney has faced plenty of challenges. After years of trials and tribulations, Kearney earned the first podium of his Formula Drift career in Seattle with a second-place finish, then repeated that effort at the Canadian exhibition round just a few weeks later. Overall, Kearney was the most improved driver based on the final standings, moving up from 29th in 2013 to eighth in 2014. He is another driver who is said to be back in the same chassis for 2015, with a few upgrades to help put the V10's 1,000-plus horsepower to the ground more effectively.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

GEOFF STONEBACK At the start of the season, the 2014 rookie roster didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appear to have any standout names. Six of the previous seven ROTY winners came from international series, and without any major international competitors, the 2014 award seemed up for grabs. Stoneback rose from the pack to take control early in the season after being the only rookie to qualify at the first two events, and ended the season qualifying at six of the seven stops, including a top-eight appearance in Miami. Stoneback also was in contention for the inaugural Pro 2 championship up until the final round at Irwindale, showing that he could be quite the competitor in the coming years.

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

DAIGO SAITO @ IRWINDALE This award is designated for the driver who qualified lowest, yet finished the highest on the season. Coincidentally, this award also mirrors Daigo Saitoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season as a whole. After getting knocked out in the top 32 round at the first event of the season and failing to qualify in Miami for the first time in his Formula Drift career (and again in Seattle), Saito looked to have written 2014 off completely. At Irwindale, Saito crashed on his first qualifying run and appeared on the verge of not qualifying again, before squeaking into the competition in 29th position. That was all Saito needed as he went on to win the event - his third consecutive victory at Irwindale. Amazingly, no driver has defeated Saito at Irwindale in tandem competition since he entered Formula Drift as a rookie in 2012.

OEM CHAMPIONSHIP

TIRE CHAMPIONSHIP

HANKOOK TIRE For the second consecutive season, Hankook Tire claimed the tire championship, with four drivers contributing to the effort. Aasbo and Forsberg's constant battle for the championship put Hankook in good position for the tire fight. Hankook drivers took home 11 of the possible 21 podium trophies on the season, including three event wins and five top qualifier awards. Forsberg, Aasbo, Tyler McQuarrie, and Forrest Wang all contributed points to Hankook's prestigious award.

SCION

After finishing fourth in the OEM Championship race in 2013, Scion had a tremendous rebound season in 2014, earning the overall OEM Championship title. With four different drivers on the grid driving RWD Scions, the brand, once known only for their FWD cars, has now become a powerhouse on the FD circuit. Fredric Aasbo, Ken Gushi, and Ryan Tuerck all contributed points towards this championship, one that should be highly coveted by the manufacturer. Aasbo also earned the first event win for Scion and brought home four event trophies in total (two wins and two second-place finishes), and finished second overall in the championship chase.

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SU M T W TH F S SU M T W TH F S SU M T W TH F S SU M T W TH F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

INTERFORM FINISHES: GRAPHITE WITH MACHINED FACE SIZES: 18X8, 19X8.5, 19X9.5, 20X8.5, 20X9.5 (FLOW FORMED)

KONIGWHEELS.COM

BEAR DELLINGER

AU DRA ODEN / BEDROOM DOOR STU DIOS (WWW.BEDROOMDOORSTU DIOS .COM)

LOCATION: GEORGIA, USA HEIGHT: 5'6" ETHNICITY: FILIPINO / CAUCASIAN ZODIAC: SAGITTARIUS CAR: 1997 NISSAN 240SX / 2003 NISSAN 350Z / 1989 NISSAN 240SX DREAM CAR: LaFERRARI

TELL US ABOUT THE CARS YOU DRIVE. I own three Nissans: a 1997 Nissan 240SX SR20DET, 2003 Nissan 350Z VQ35DET and a 1989 Nissan 240SX RB20DET. The ’97 240SX is my favorite. When I first got into the car scene, I immediately fell in love with drifting, so of course, I bought my own drift car to get into it. I drifted my 240SX on and off for about a year until I got my ’89 240SX, which I currently play with now. The '97 has an SR20 with a Garrett T28, and on low boost she pushes 240 rear wheel horsepower.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING PHOTOSHOOT STORIES? At nearly every shoot, I ask to drive [the car] I am shooting with. Most of the time they think I am joking, until I give them the “bearstare!” Modeling is my job, but cars are my passion.

B3ARDELLINGER @BEARDELLINGER

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@BEARDELLINGER B3ARDELLINGER.COM

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D IR ECTORY

SHOP LISTINGS

EVENT LISTINGS

3 Z E R O 3 M OT O R S P O R T S

EUROLINE PERFORMANCE

KMD TUNING

A B S O L U T E AU T O M OT I V E

E U R OT E C H M OT O R S P O R T S

L I G H T S P E E D I N N O VAT I O N S

ACHTUNING

E U R OT E C H P E R F O R M A N C E G R O U P

L I N D E N V W M OT O R S P O R T S

Wheat Ridge, CO www.3zero3motorsports.com (303) 456-8383

Durham, NC www.absoluteautomotive.com (919) 403-7575 Redmond, WA www.achtuning.com (877) 722-4886

Mississauga, ON www.eurolineperformance.com (905) 822-3876 Mahwah, NJ www.eurotechms.com (201) 529-1860

Marietta, GA www.eurotechatlanta.com (770) 977-1090

AMS PERFORMANCE

E VA N S T U N I N G

Chicago, IL www.amsperformance.com (847) 709-0530

Mount Bethel, PA www.evans-tuning.com (866) 975-TUNE

Saddle Brook, NJ www.kmdtuning.com (201) 773-9171 Red Deer, AB www.lightspeedinnovations.com (866) 958-4732

Roselle, NJ www.lindenvw.com/LindenVWMotorsports (908) 868-6586

M A J E ST I C M OT O R S P O R T S

AU T O M OT I V E P E R F O R M A N C E T U N I N G

E XC E L E R AT E P E R F O R M A N C E

M OT O R S P O R T S AU T H O R I T Y

A Z E V E D O M OT O R S P O R T S

FORCED AIR TECHNOLOGIES RACING

N E M E S I S AU T O S P O R T

Linden, NJ www.azevedomotorsports.com (908) 925-3157

B I S H O P C U ST O M S

Branford, CT www.excelerateperformance.com (203) 483-6100 Phoenix, AZ www.forcedairtechnologies.com (602) 993-3288

F O R G E M OT O R S P O R T

Signal Hill, CA www.bishop-customs.com (562) 270-6969

Orlando, FL www.forgemotorsport.com (407) 447-5363

Signal Hill, CA www.mazdatrix.com (562) 426- 4460 Conway, AR www.MSAStore.com (501) 327-MODS

Centerville, DE www.nemesisautosport.com (302) 299-9200

NEXTMOD

Markham, ON www.nextmod.com (416) 800-9139

B I S I M OT O E N G I N E E R I N G

FORGED PERFORMANCE

N I SS A N R A C E S H O P

B O O ST L O G I C

GOODSPEED PERFORMANCE LAB

N V AU T O

BOOST THEORY AUTOMOTIVE AND PERFORMANCE INC.

G S M OT O R S P O R T S

OPTION JDM

B U L L E T P R O O F AU T O M OT I V E

G ST M OT O R S P O R T S

P FA F F T U N I N G

BUSCHUR RACING

H PA M OT O R S P O R T S

P R L M OT O R S P O R T S , L L C

C A R B OX I N D U ST R I E S

HYBRID RACING

P U R E M OT O R S P O R T

CY R I O U S G A R A G E W O R KS

I N D U K T I O N M OT O R S P O R T S

R A L LYS P O R T D I R E C T

DIX PERFORMANCE

I N N O VAT I V E T U N I N G

R A N Z M OT O R S P O R T S

DBC TUNING

INTENSE POWER

S M A R T S E RV I C E

Ontario, CA www.bisimoto.com (888) 922-6686

Austin, Tx www.boostlogic.com (512) 371-9960

Scottsdale, AZ www.goodspeedperformance.com (480) 747-6150

Mississauga, ON www.boosttheory.com (905) 232-3444

Hawthorne, CA www.bulletproofautomotive.com (213) 745-6954 Wakeman, OH www.buschurracing.com (440) 839-1900

Edmonton, AB www.dixperformancenorth.com (800) 661-9327

Pharr, TX www.deepsouthtuning.com (956) 225-6899

Hayward, CA www.gstmotorsports.com (510) 264-9049

Baton Rouge, LA www.hybrid-racing.com (225) 932-9588

Mississauga, ON www.cyriousgarageworks.com (905) 403-9888

DEEP SOUTH TUNING

Irving, TX www.gsmotorsportsshop.com (214) 334-4762

Langley, BC www.hpamotorsports.com (604) 888-7274

Thornhill, ON www.carboxindustries.com (647) 403-4211

San Antonio, TX www.dbctuning.com (210) 399-1172

Marietta, GA www.forgerdperformance.com (770) 792-0202

Severn, MD www.4induktion.com (410) 684-3900

Buffalo, NY www.innovativetuning.com (716) 873-7360 Tucson, AZ www.intensepower.com (480) 635-8888

I N V I S I O N AU T O I M P O R T S Edmonton, AB www.iaimports.com (780) 433-9699

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KINGS PERFORMANCE

Orlando, FL www.kingsperformance.com (407) 900-3318

National (USA) www.redlinetimeattack.com

USACI

National (USA) www.soundoff.org

T U N E R E VO L U T I O N

Philadelphia, PA, USA www.tuner-evolution.com

USDRIFT

National (USA) www.usdrift.com

W E K F E ST

Houston, TX, USA www.wekfest.net

SPRING 2015 CHINA NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER

BEIJING, P.R. CHINA allintuningchina.com

San Diego, CA www.purems.com (866) 397-5487

Draper, UT www.rallysportdirect.com (888) 257-2559

South El Monte, CA www.ranzmotorsports.com (626) 448-8693

WEBSITE LISTINGS C A N I B E AT

www.canibeat.com

E V E RY T H I N G D R I F T. CO M www.everythingdrift.com

Mukilteo, WA www.smart-service.com (206) 417-0880

SLAMMED SOCIETY

SNAIL PERFORMANCE

www.hoonigan.com

www.fatlace.com

HOONIGAN

Rocklin, CA www.snailperformance.com (602) 743-7555

J Y U R O KU M E D I A L E G I T S U P P LY CO .

SPEED ELEMENT

Scottsdale, AZ www.dynocomp.com (480) 596-0500

National (USA) www.mecacaraudio.com

Export, PA www.PRLMotorsports.com (724) 325-6300

KAIZEN TUNING

DY N O - CO M P

National (USA) www.importfaceoff.net

Woodbridge, ON www.pfafftuning.com (905) 907-1001

D T M AU T O B O DY

Boxborough, MA www.kaizentuning.com (978) 266-9900

I M P O R T FA C E - O F F

Thornhill, ON www.optionjdm.com (905) 305-6316

SP ENGINEERING

El Monte, CA www.dtmautobody.com (626) 448-0903

Atlantic City, NJ, USA www.importexpo.ca

Hamilton, ON www.nvauto.ca (905) 667-8828

J OT E C H M OT O R S P O R T S Garland, TX www.jotechracing.com (972) 494-2100

IMPORT EXPO

Fontana, CA www.nissanraceshop.com (866) 350-1005

D E F CO N R AC I N G

Toronto, ON www.defconracing.com (416) 803-3589

National (USA) www.globaltimeattack.com

R E D L I N E T I M E AT TA C K

M A Z DAT R I X

Lebanon, PA www.aptuning.com (717) 272-0916

G L O B A L T I M E AT TA C K

MECA

E VA S I V E M OT O R S P O R T S Santa Fe Springs, CA www.evasivemotorsports.com (626) 336-3406

National (USA) www.formulad.com

Hubert, NC www.majesticmotorsports.net (910) 219-4217

A Q M OT O R S P O R T S

Torrance, CA www.aqmotorsports.com (310) 539-9010

FORMULA DRIFT

Industry, CA www.sp-power.com (626) 333-5398

www.jyuroku.com

www.legitsupplyco.ca

MONTREAL RACING

www.montrealracing.com

San Jose, CA www.speedelement.com (408) 573-8899

M OT O R M AV E N S

S P E E D F O R S A L E M OT O R S P O R T S

www.sntrl.com

Alpharetta, GA www.speedforsale.com (770) 777-4774

www.motormavens.com

SNTRL

SPEEDHUNTERS

www.speedhunters.com

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AD INDEX ACT - Motovicity .........................................................28

Helix .................................................................................. 39

Orion High Performance Car Audio ........... 12, 71

AAMP of America .......................................................14

Injen Technology ........................................................ 20

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Arc Audio Inc ................................................................ 55

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Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. ..........................100

Audiopipe ........................................................................57

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Pyle Audio Inc. ..............................................................26

Axe Alloy Wheels ........................................................10

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ST Suspensions ............................................................14

Design Engineering, Inc. ........................................ 97

Lucas Oil Products, Inc. .............................................8

Tein - Options Auto Salon .......................................11

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Lumens High Performance Lighting .................6

TEIN USA, Inc. ..............................................................63

Escort Inc. ........................................................................36

McGard .............................................................................91

TSW Wheels .....................................................................9

EXEDY Globalparts Corporation ...................... 69

MOSCONI US - ORCA Design

Wirez .................................................................................. 18

Focal - ORCA Design

& Manufacturing Corp. ........................................87

& Manufacturing Corp. ................................. 47, 95

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Niche Road Wheels ......................................................4

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FEBRUARY // MARCH 2015

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©2014 Mitek Corporation. All rights reserved. MTX and Feel the Thunder are trademarks of Mitek Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners and no endorsement is implied.

Return of the SuperWoofer

• 3-Way Thermal Management Reduces Distortion • Spider Plateau Venting Mechanically Targets Cooler Air at the Voice Coil • Integrated T-Yoke Heat Sink • Integrated Voice Coil Heat Sink • 4" High Temperature Aluminum Voice Coil

MTX005077 RevA 12/14

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• High Efficiency Glass Fiber Cone Maximizes Sensitivity • Cast Aluminum Basket • Inverted Apex Surround Increases Surface Diameter for Higher Volume Displacement mtx.com

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Compatible Models

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AppRadio® 4

pioneerelectronics.com/CarPlay Apple CarPlay is an integrated feature of iOS 7.1 or newer for iPhone® 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 users. The Pioneer CD-IU52 connectivity cable or the Apple Lightning cable is required and sold separately. *Caution: Read the operation manual and all instructions and cautions before use. Become familiar with any applicable state and local laws. Pay attention to the road, limit glances to the device, and do not use any feature if it cannot be operated safely and legally in your location and driving conditions. Distracted driving may result in serious injury, including death. Apple, CarPlay and the CarPlay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Pioneer and the Pioneer logo are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation. © 2014 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

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