After a two year hiatus Nobuteru (No One Better) Taniguchi will be returning to D1 GP this season, for a limited number of events, with his first being held April 26th and 27th. NOB will be piloting HKS’ revamped twin Altezza’s (IS220z and IS220R) which now push out 600ps via a GT3037S turbine and 2.2 liter stroker kit.

We wish NOB the best of luck in the upcoming season but we sure do miss seeing him behind the wheel of the RS2 Hyper Silvia…

[source]
HKS Japan
No One Better

For the 2007 SEMA show Troy Sumitomo and his staff of auto artists at Five Axis were commissioned by Toyota to build three concept vehicles. The flagship build was this no-holds-barred reinterpretation of Lexus’ newly released IS-F.

The new “F” series marks a huge landmark in the luxury carmakers long list of accolades. Lexus wanted to produce and in-house vehicle that built upon the traditional foundation it is renown for but also be able to compete with the world’s top luxury sport sedans. The outcome was a reworked IS that was outfitted with 8-speed paddle shifting transmission which is strapped to a quad-cam aluminum 5.0 Liter V8 that pushes out 416 hp and 371 lb-ft and propels this rear-wheel demon to 60 mph in a blistering 4.6 seconds. 6-piston Brembo front brakes, 19-inch factory wheels, braced chassis points, reworked aerodynamics and the “F” badging differentiate this model from its tamed brethren.

With an outstanding platform to begin with, Five Axis was called upon to make it even better. Not having to worry about the production and civility of a mass marketed vehicle Troy was able to reach deep within his artistic imagination to create a vehicle Lexus could only dream of.

With concepts of military inspired stealth fighter jets streaking through his mind Troy and his team quickly went to work on the IS-F. From concept, planning, to final production, everything is carefully overseen and engineered in the 22,000 sq-ft Huntington Beach location Five Axis currently resides in. Starting with the exterior, Five Axis completely resculpted the factory skin with a wider stance that protrudes an additional 3 inches on each side and a body line that flows and twists to give it a sleeker appearance. The outcome not only looks fast when standing still but performs just as well at a factory limited top speed of 170 mph. One-off aero mirrors with built-in cameras send live video feed to the navigation screen sitting in the dash. The entire body was covered in a satin matte color with bronze accents to keep in line with its top secret test car look. 20 inch Five Axis wheels in a satin bronze finish add visual depth, aggressiveness and fill the gaping wells under the massive over fenders. Yokohama tires, Tein suspension, and gargantuan Brembo calipers attached to floating brake rotors round out the suspension and brake modifications.

Stepping inside the satin clad armor Five Axis choose to rewrap the factory seats with alcantara materials woven with leather and stainless steel mesh. The final product is pure genius and continues on with the technological theme.

Burning the candle on both ends, Troy’s team was not able to delve into the 5.0-liter monster as hoped due to the time constraints of SEMA. They did however produce a custom dual exhaust, which replaces the love it, or hate it factory quad tips. The newly engineered exhaust is mated to a new diffuser and is seamlessly integrated into the back end of the vehicle.

With just enough time for the dust to settle, this vehicle has been taken on a whirlwind of press junkets and promises to be back in the hands of its creator for stage two of its progression. Troy has mentioned that they will try and exploit the factory tuned V8 to match the sinister good looks. If the aerodynamics of the body has any inclination of what’s in-store for under the hood, you can bet the farm that this thing will decimate any bourgeois European snob sedan before they even knew what hit them.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the chance to post anything - I was asked to post anything that would be relevant to the Industry. Doing what I do, you hear alot of Industry gossip - so I’ll be here to post some juicy morsels of gossip along with some wheel fitment information that I hope you can find useful in your endeavors to outfit your ride with some sick wheelage.

Today I had a conversation with a customer that wanted to know the differences between different wheel technologies and I know that the different wheel manufacturing techniques are not properly explained in the marketplace - I’m sure many of you guys have heard about some proprietary technologies that different manufacturers possess - I’ll take some time right now to talk about some interesting technologies that different companies utilize.

First we have casting - most aluminum wheels are manufactured using this technique - There are of course many different grades of casting - but the basic idea is to heat material to a molten state and then let it form in a mold using gravity or pressure for the wheel to take its shape. I’ll get into the specifics in a later post -

Then we have forging - there are also different ways and levels of forging wheels and I’ll explain the differences again later -

Today we will describe SSR’s (Speed Star Wheel) SSF (Semi Solid Forging) process. The SSF process is a process where the material of choice is heated to a semi-solid state - think malleability like play dough - where the material is not quite in liquid form, but heated to where the material is soft. Then the product is forced into a form through the use of high pressure through injection into a mold or also compression. The point of SSF is to provide for industrial manufacturing that would produce a product that is stronger and lighter than techniques used in conventional casting. The difference between a SSF product and a cast product is that there will be less porosity in the final product - such as air pockets which results in a more dense product which can also be lighter.

Since these products are forced into a mold, the ability to design more complicated shapes is still possible.

This process was developed and patented independently from a SSR acquired the license to apply this technique to wheel manufacturing. SSF manufactured wheels are lighter and stronger than typical cast wheels and can be sold at a good value compared to many wheels. Think of this as an in between from casting to true forging.

The most famous example of SSR’s SSF wheel would be the Type C that has been sold for several wheels. Some of you old school wheel junkies may remember the SSR Integral A2 which is a clean 5 spoke from back in the day.

Eventually in all my posts after I’m done, I hope that all of you can understand the different techniques in wheel manufacturing, understand the differences in why wheels are priced all over the place and make an informed decision in your wheel purchase. I will also post profiles of as many wheel companies as possible so you guys get an idea of their background and abilities. I want to use this to expose as much truth in an industry that is huge but has many secrets that our readers should know about….

Thanks!

Ed-

If you’re an avid JTuned reader there is no doubt that you have noticed the lack of new content over the past few months. Those that have ordered from our store over the past few months will have also noticed that it took FOREVER to receive your items. We would like to sincerely apologize to all our readers for our lack of updates, correspondence, and general “public” negligence to anything JTuned related. The primary cause for all of this is simply trying to do too much with too little.

Like many of you we are an overly ambitious bunch when it comes to our hobbies and passions. In this case we ended up neglecting our readership in hopes to develop the next version of JTuned (which conceptually is super exciting!). But, the project scope basically exploded on us as we found it difficult to squeeze enough time out of our busy schedules to properly dedicate to the new version.

That being said, the decision was made to rewind our minds a little and take smaller steps towards success. So first, we have JTuned Wire which essentially will allow our contributors to keep providing you great content on a consistent basis. There is a lot going on within this industry that needs to be properly expressed.

Coming up next is the JTuned Parts Bible. We’re super stoked on this new site feature which is pretty much self-explanatory and we’ll keep the details to ourselves until its launch. That way it’s more exciting.

Parts Bible Screenshots

We appreciate your continued support of JTuned!

For this latest feature car we searched far and wide and found Najeeb Faridi from Farmingville, New York. You might be wondering where the hell Farmingville is, well, it’s about an hour and some change away from the big apple.

Naj started off in the Honda scene just like so many before him. Although most choose the Civic or Integra platform, Naj found himself purchasing a 2000 Honda Accord V6 which was decked out from front to back for show purposes. Just a few short years later, Naj was in search of a new platform. Due to unfortunate circumstances his beloved Accord had been totaled in an accident. After sampling the ‘04 Acura TSX and ‘04 Mitsubishi EVO 8, Naj finally determined that the EVO 9 MR was best suited for him.

With quite a few years of experience under his belt, Naj went straight to work on this beast. Starting with the exterior and working his way into the suspension, interior, engine, and multimedia his build is an all-around well-balanced machine.

As you can tell from the images, Naj knew exactly what he wanted to do, how he wanted to do it, and the proper ways of execution in getting it done.

Ings+1 front and sides were matched with a JDM Spec EVO 9 rear bumper to give the body a seamless appearance. EVO 8 headlamps and EVO 7 taillights were mixed and matched for a cleaner appearance and carbon fiber accents were tastefully implemented with the addition of a wing, hood, and rear diffuser.

A set of Time Attack Volk Racing CE28N’s wrapped in Advan A-048’s were mounted and balances function along with form. Naj relentlessly continued to work on the suspension to ensure the proper handling when ripping on his bigger displacement opponents. Thicker sway and strut bars were installed as well as Tanabe lowering springs to keep this monster planted to the gravel.

Inside the cabin you’ll find a variety of lights, sounds, and colors. Red Recaro Pole Position buckets fit like a glove and hold the driver and passenger snuggly. Defi, HKS, and Apex’I gauges monitor all that’s going on in the engine bay and produce enough neon lights to make Las Vegas feel self-conscious. Find yourself bored or lost in this bad boy? Direct your attention to the Pioneer Avic D3 Navi/DVD player stored inside the dash as it is sure to cure any and all A.D.D symptoms. Alpine and JL Audio were called upon to provide the best in vocal and instrumental clarity.

Now that we’ve talked about the inside, the outside, and even under the car, let’s get down to the nitty gritty which is the sole reason why we love to push our counterparts beyond the legal speed limit. The first thing you might notice when you glance under the hood is the vibrant Titanium Gradient ARC spark plug cover. A full Auto Motorsports ball bearing turbo kit replaces the factory boost producer to allow this all-wheeler to enter hyperspace with ease. Naj swapped out a Walbro fuel pump and Precision injectors to match the insane amount of air now funneled through his engine. A TurboXS Intercooler and Greddy catback exhaust system round out the system. An APS blow off valve relieves any pent up pressure that is built in the Fujita intercooler pipes and an HKS Circle Earth Grounding System accompanied by a DLI-2 Ignition Amplifier round out the engine mods.

I have a feeling this won’t be the last we hear of Naj. From what we hear he has some pretty major things lined up for the very near future. If this is just the beginning I can’t even imagine what he has in store for round two.

Lexus today unveiled F-Sport, its first-ever performance accessory line available for the IS 250, and the IS 350. The line was premiered at the 2007 Special Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, where the appearance marked the division’s first official participation at the show, attended by more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries showcasing the latest in automotive products, electronics, and aftermarket accessories.

“The Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 sport sedans are specifically geared for the performance-minded customer,” said Brian Bolain, Lexus national interactive and automotive events manager. “The F-Sport performance accessory line helps to further realize each owner’s desire to personalize their car’s performance to best match their needs.”

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It took Subaru long enough but when they finally brought their beloved WRX stateside, it spawned a following larger than the Atkins diet. A flat four, turbocharged, AWD beast that has nabbed three straight Manufacturer’s Championships in the WRC (World Rally Champion) back in the mid-90’s was now available for purchase. Mitsubishi was quick to follow bringing in their Evolution VIII, but once again Subaru took the leap and released their deadly STi version. Take the already potent WRX chassis, let those crazy engineers who run the Subaru Tecnica International division have their way with it and out comes a factory built racecar.

When Philip Klotz was in the market for a new vehicle, he wanted the most bang for his buck. Three stacks of high society later and Philip was a proud owner of a shiny new silver Suby. Owning a few SR20DET powered platforms Klotz was no stranger to turbocharged brawn and knew that a few more enhancements could be made with the proper tuning parts and a few trips to the ATM.

The striking posture of this already sleek GDB body has been further enhanced by a full Charge Speed Ver. 1 aero kit, Seibon carbon hood and trunk, and topped off with a carbon wing from APR. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Suby cars stemming from the aggressive GC8’s but the newest incarnation of the Impreza family has to be my favorite body-style yet. Covered in one of the hottest kits out for this car, and you have a neck breaking show stopper that looks as good as it performs. Sticking with the rally heritage, silver Volk Racing CE28N’s in 18inch form are housed at each corner. The CE’s are one of the lightest forged wheel that Volk makes and look absolutely stunning on Philip’s ride. Talk about form and function! JIC coilovers lower this baby to a gravel ready two inches and match the Hotchkis sways and Cusco stut braces to a tee.

Being a stripped down race car for the masses, a simple necessity like a radio is an option in this car but also allows the owner to choose which in car electronics he would like to go with. Al & Ed’s in Laverne, CA. installed the Alpine head unit and specifically matched some Eclipse speakers to fill the cabin with tunes other than the exhaust rumble or spool of the turbine. STi pedals and Blitz gauges round off the interior mods and allow the driver to concentrate on what’s most important – enjoying the beauty of all wheel drive.

The STi’s 2.5 liter flat four pushes out a remarkable 300 horsepower with an equally impressive 300 ft/lbs of tire melting torque. An Injen race division intake swallows unrestricted cold air and an Invidia cat-less downpipe matches perfectly with their stainless exhaust manifolds and cat back N1 exhaust system. A Blitz BOV makes sure the snail doesn’t receive any of the 14.5psi of pressure back into its housings. Air is now cycled through with much more efficiency and makes the drivability of this thoroughbred much more enjoyable.

This silver steed is still in its infancy and Philip has many more mods lined up for his factory racer. Subaru has done an awesome job in listening to the tuning market here in the US and has significantly pushed the boundaries of the AWD movement. The STi is the pinnacle of Subaru’s racing lineage and this beautiful vehicle is a testament to their Motorsports background.

When Nissan unveiled its newest incarnation of its prestigious Z car, fans were completely floored. An all new aluminum V6 was specifically engineered for the grandest Z car yet and generates a whopping 287 horsepower with 274 ft/lbs of torque. Combined with an optimal weight distribution of 53/47 and a coefficient of drag lower than .30 (Cd) helps make this Japanese super car extremely stable and easily controllable during high speed runs. It didn’t take long before tuners worldwide got their hands on these beauties to push the envelope even further.

Enter Street Concepts in Huntington Beach, CA, a long time customizing shop and all around show car builder. Once they laid eyes on the sleek new lines of the Z ideas started brewing and a purchase was made soon after. Street Concepts has built award winning show vehicles for the likes of Kenwood USA, Oakley, Toyo Tires, and Mazda just to name a few. Putting this venerable chassis in their well educated hands has transformed this silver bullet into the twin turbo terror you see before you.

With the desire of building a formidable street car that wasn’t just all show, a quick call to Greddy was made and one of their newly developed twin turbo kits was delivered in a matter of days. Utilizing two TD05H-18G’s help fill the combustion chamber with enough pressurized air while the preprogrammed E-Manage piggy back fuel system combines for the perfect fuel mixture. The Greddy kit was a breeze to install and comes with everything (down to the last washer and bolt) for a hassle free installation. A Greddy Type 23 front mount intercooler peeks through the Veilside front bumper to alert all civilians of what lurks beneath. A minuscule 5lbs of boost is all that’s needed to push the rollers to an outstanding 420 RWHP.

With the performance side under wraps, exterior modifications were next on the list. Veilside is known for their unique and groundbreaking designs and Mr. Yokumaku released an arsenal of aero pieces for this new steed. Street Concepts was quick to snatch up a Version 1 kit an adding a Version 3 rear spoiler. A carbon hood helps lighten things up a bit and was painted to match the gleaming silver exterior. 19×8.5 and 19×10 RH EVO wheels are housed under the massive carriage and wrapped with the stickest of sticky Toyo rubber. Tein coilovers lower this Z over 3 inches and Eibach sways help lessen body roll.

Street Concepts has been in the customizing market for sometime now and knew that massive interior improvements needed to be made to bring this vehicle up to par for the show circuit. Suede and carbon upholstery fill the cabin with Katskin reworked seats pampering the driver and passenger. A MOMO tiller replaces the stock unit and Greddy gauges alert the driver of all vehicles conditions. A Kenwood DVD headunit is housed in a custom made center console right above the other Kenwood monitor which serves as the navigation display. Kenwood speakers and amplifiers are wired in unison with Schoshe wiring products and the outcome produces more decibels than the Projekt Revolution Tour.

If an all around street bruiser is what you’re looking for, the competent team at Street Concepts should be your first (and only) call. With a customer list that looks more like the advertising index of a major magazine, you now know why these major manufacturers entrust their vehicles with these super builders.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one street/track vehicle at an obtainable price, the Honda S2000 has to be at the top of your list. Built in Tochigi Japan, the same factory that produces the almighty NSX, this purpose built roadster has the sexy smooth lines of a well sculpted rocket, the footwork of an Olympian, and is fueled by the heart of a lion which (at one time) produced the most natural aspirated horsepower per displacement of any other production vehicle on the market.

The proud owner of this insane 00’ Honda S2000 is none other than Andy Jiang. Off the lot the S2k comes very well appointed. Besides a hardtop and some miscellaneous factory aero parts, there isn’t really much else you can buy as an optional accessory. Looking into the aftermarket realm, a plethora of parts exist for this venerable chassis and Andy has called upon only the finest tuning parts to build his topless turbo.

Andy took this mini F1 racer and completely transformed it into a sleek turbocharged terror. Factory paint? Bah! A new hue of blue was laid onto the aluminum panels to distinguish it from other S2K’s out there. C-West aero parts were used not only because it’s probably the cleanest of all kits available but because the functionality at high speeds. A trick Top Secret vented carbon bonnet graces the front end with an APR carbon splitter that round off the composite weave department. Tein coilovers, Cusco carbon strut braces, and Comptech sways definitely help this little go-cart push the G’s to the point of unconsciousness. To further enhance the aesthetics and grip, SSR Type-C wheels wrapped in Bridgestone S03 rubber are mounted all around.

The 120hp per liter is what sets this vehicle apart from the rest but wasn’t good enough for Mr. Jiang. He chose the cream of the crop ball bearing turbocharger from HKS to fulfill his forced induction needs. A GT2835 snail mated to a custom manifold help produce a whopping 295 horsepower to the wheels! Air gets consumed through an HKS Super Mega Flow passing through the custom HKS front mount intercooler pushing out all defecation through the dual HKS Hi Power exhaust. A Blitz BOV and Greddy boost controller makes sure that the perfect PSI is reached in a safe and timely manner. This specifically designed kit is a work of art but when accented by the Koyo Aluminum Radiator, Cusco catch can, and match painted valve cover it makes me wonder if a hood should even be mounted to cover such a beautiful sight.

The mystic blue hue is carried out within the interior with two matching Sparco Rev’s racing seats, harnesses, and suede helm. HKS and Greddy gauges fill the cabin with a Panasonic monitor custom molded into the dash for visual stimulation.

The purity of this roadster has never been duplicated by any other manufacturer and sets the standard in two-seat topless transportation. With a minor update in 2004, Honda has again raised the bar by stroking the motor to a 2.2 liter torque monger. Andy has taken this masterpiece and turned the game upside down. Shoving air into all four cylinders through an ingenious and efficient ball bearing turbocharger takes a whole bunch of money and engineering but the outcome is pure euphoria.

When Honda introduced their 7th generation Civic Si (AKA EP Civic) in the Fall of 2001, the public didn’t exactly greet it with open arms. Many criticized the styling, and sub-par performance of the totally redesigned Civic. And while the Europeans and the Japanese (of course) got to romp around in Civic Type R’s equipped with better everything than it’s U.S. counterpart we were stuck with a lot full of boring Si’s that dealers had a hard time selling.

Of course Aldrich Gatpayat of Pomona, CA paid no attention to the nay sayers judging by his 02 Civic Si. At first glance, this soft spoken soul resembles the main character in the movie; “Better Luck Tomorrow”. Then you begin to wonder if this mild mannerism Aldrich displays is all just a guise, and instead deep within him he knows how to do very bad things with a baseball bat and uses big SAT words. Anyhow, Gatpayat is no stranger to Hondas, he has owned a few that have turned a lot of heads in the Honda community. So when the new Si was said to be released, his interest was piqued. After selling his Gold ‘99 Civic hatch also known as “Gold Rush EK” to the Honda-Tech.com community, Gatpayat was in the market for something affordable, reliable, sporty, and definitely Honda. “I loved the Euro look of the EP. Then it became a passion to have an EP that was different then the rest. It wasn’t about having the most JDM parts, it was about having an EP that was clean and that I would stand out.” Gatpayat explained.

Since the Si wasn’t as popular as the automaker hoped. The dealers were giving out massive discounts just to push out the rest of their inventory stock, this gave Aldrich the perfect opportunity to purchase the Si and since he was an employee of a Honda dealership it wasn’t too hard picking the one he wanted from the lot. Once the buildup began, Aldrich had begun to realize that no after-market tuner really had anything for the EP yet. Instead he started by rummaging through the Civic Type R parts bin looking for anything that could help dissuade the mini-van look of the Civic. Front and rear Civic Type R bumpers were sourced and installed along with all the aero pieces that comes on the Si’s Japanese counterpart. Now the plain-jane look has given way to the aggressive euro styling that has made the 7th generation CTR so popular half a world away. Japanese-spec CTR headlights were fitted along with a Phillips HID kit. A VIS carbon hood modeled after Mugen’s was installed along with a VIS trick carbon rear hatch. Spoon Sports style race mirrors, genuine Mugen front grille and the exterior is topped off with the CTR’s signature British flag emblem.

A 5 lug conversion from an RSX replace the 4 lug and is outfitted with a set of 17 in. bronze Work Emotion CR’s. Koni adjustable dampers and Ground control coilovers drop the car. Various bars and suspension pieces round out the rest of the handling side, including a 22mm rear CTR sway bar, J’s racing pillar brace, and a Carbing lower tie bar.

The engine mods are mild, just like Aldrich’s attitude. A DC sports header, Spoon drop-in filter, Megan Racing hi-flow cat, and an A’pexi World sport exhaust system make up the bolt on performance mods. An RSX Type-S 6 speed transmission was also installed.

An EP with this color paint isn’t something you see everyday, and which I might add is quite refreshing. Honda owners may recognize the color as one of their own, and of course Gatpayat wouldn’t have it any other way. The Galapagos green metallic is a factory color from the Honda Element sprayed professionally by M.O.B. Works Auto body of Orange County, CA.

Inside, a Momo tuner steering wheel is installed in place of the factory unit and is attached to a Mugen steering boss, and a CTR 6 speed shift knob replaces the 5 speed one. The well designed sporty interior is spruced up with Honda’s own accessory Carbon fiber trim kit, and an S2000 engine start button was installed by Gatpayat because he’s too lazy to turn the key to start the car. In the trunk resides a JL Audio 8 inch sub enclosed in a wedge box powered by a Kicker amp for when Aldrich bumps his Korean Gangsta rap CD’s that he borrows from our very own Fred Chang who is also a Korean Gangsta.

In my opinion Aldrich Gatpayat’s EP is up in the ranks among the other hot 7th gens that are out today. And this little EP most defiantly stands out in the crowd.