Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 Pt. 1

Tokyo Auto Salon has brought through some amazing looking cars over years, from the more elegant to the far out weird and wild and this year is no exception. The event was held in January so I'm a little late to the occasion but as they say better late then never.

Here are a few favourites of mine as well as some must-see's.
-Enjoy

Kicking us off was this amazing Datsun pickup slammed on Work Equips but instead of housing a petrol slurping engine in the bay, it had a Toyota Prius Hybrid motor! I absolutely love this ute, it has an amazing stance that is to die for.

As you can see a lot of work went into this old Datsun, with custom fabrication spewing from the seams. The simple colour and perfect wheels combination with ridiculous camber make this car a real show winner for me. Style and economy all wrapped into one.

Next up was this Anime-clad Nissan Silvia S13. Now what I really like about this S13 is the fact that it is relatively stock standard with the exception of a subtle bodykit and fluro pink Gram lights.

The S13 chassis has fantastic lines from factory and the kit of this particular example really compliments them. That and the fluro wheels makes this one a cool ride in my books.

Another sure fire winner for me was this immaculate Toyota Trueno AE86 with the brilliant white paint with black accents, another simple yet stunning japanese favourite among so many others. This particular 86 looked to be sporting a 20V blacktop 4A-GE with ITB's, although I'm not positive on this.

The wheels on this car were stunning, the perfect sizing, offset and dish for the 86, the finishing touch on a perfect example.

 Datsun 240z

Here are a few more rides from the enormous turnout, unfortunately I can't include everything! I may do another feature to include more later!

-Enjoy!

Unknown 

 Toyota Celsior

Nissan Fuga 

Audi Sedan 

Honda NSX 

Honda EG Civic Hatch

Photo's courtesy of Car Scoop, Cheers!

- Chris V

Supercar Status

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640

Pagani Zonda R

We all have a favourite supercar, one we would buy first if we won a heck of a lot of money. I have a few favourites such as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 and the Pagani Zonda R but one car sits above the others; it may not be as fast but it's all I'd ever want in a car; The Lexus LFA.

Lexus LFA

Now you may be thinking 'A Lexus over a Lamborghini or a Ferrari or a Pagani??, why?'. Well that's hard to explain, there is just something about the LFA that appeals to me so much more than the rest. It could be the high revving 4.8-litre V10 engine equipped with dual VVT-i, pushing 412kW at 8,700 RPM and 480 N.m of torque at 6,800 RPM, an engine that can rev from idle to redline in 0.6 seconds. Or it could be the lightweight chassis consisting of a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer center monocoque with aluminum front and rear subframes, saving 100kg over an equivalent aluminium design. 

Maybe it's just the fact that this machine is amazing, mixing lightweight design, high revving V10 power and excellent exterior aerodynamics and interior styling to create what I think is the most exciting addition to the Supercar world for a while. Whatever the reason, all I know is that I want one.

Lexus made a Nürburgring Edition of their LFA, featuring an extra 10 horsepower from its V10 engine, bringing total horsepower to 562, a re-calibrated transmission with gear shifts made faster by 0.05 seconds, a front splitter, stiffer and more adjustable suspension, lightweight alloy wheels coated in track rubber, aerodynamic canards at the sides of the front bumper, and a large fixed rear wing; what a package indeed.

The only unfortunate part of this car is the price, at US$375,000 ($460,000 NZD) 
for the base model before fee's, it's an expensive buy. For an extra US$70,000 you can have the 
Nürburgring Edition.. ouch. Either way If I had the money (plus a heck of a lot more) I'd jump at the chance to own this modern marvel.

- Enjoy, Peace.

- Photo's courtesy of Lexus and Nick Schultz, Cheers.

- Chris V

 

A drop of VW love..

Today I feel like something a little different, and while Golf GTI's aren't exactly a subtle addition to the current trends in the auto world, the older models don't tend to show through as much as they deserve. This MKII Golf GTi looks amazing slammed with Weitec XS coilovers on BBS RM rims, 15x8 ET14 front, 15x8.5 ET-8 rear. The GTi is another car where simplicity makes the look, and this GTi proves it.

Oettinger is a performance company from Germany who specialize in Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda. This Scirocco has had the full Oettinger treatment with uprated suspension, bigger brakes and of course, more power. Power output increased 30HP over the standard 2.0 TSI model to 240HP, giving this hot hatch a huge punch. I personally dig the Scirocco over the MKV Golf, the shape is a little 'fresher' and it has a nice wide body, lots of room for wide wheels! Once they become a little more affordable I hope to see a lot more getting the performance treatment as well as lowww..

Here's a few more VW's I thought were pretty damn cool..

You gotta love the Volkswagen.

- Enjoy, Peace.

- Photo's courtesy of Speedhunters and Autoblog, Cheers.

- Chris V

Car's I'd kill to own.. Pt.1

Whether you adore it or despise it, Mike Burroughs' E28 BMW is a work of art. This car has had a rough life but the latest news is that he's making a come back. When I first heard about this car I fell in love; the rough exterior with the 'shark nose' graphics along with the enormous drop makes this BMW one amazing ride.

Rusty is rolling on 17x9 -10 and 17x11 -10 24k Gold Plated magnesium Ronal Racing splits.. and they are GORGEOUS. For these reasons and more, Rusty Slammington makes it into the list of car's I'd kill to own.

Next on the list is Yuta Akaishi's slammed 240z. Just like Rusty, Yuta's 240z sports the rusted 'rough-house' exterior that is just so damn appealing. Everything about this car makes my brain explode; it's amazing. The 240z is lowered on Honda Integra adjustable suspension allowing it to be slammed this low. The wheels on this 240 are Hayashi Racing 505s with 15x11 -30 in the rear and 15x10 -10 on the front, giving it a very aggressive stance when paired with the roughly installed flares.





Yuta's 240 has since had a makeover and now replicates a japanese fighter plane, badass. The cars essence still exists thankfully as it still sports the rough exterior, super low stance and very deep dish wheels, this time in gold over the black. Flawless style, I crave this car.

AE86's are on almost everyones want list, but this 86 is hiding a little secret; a secret to the tune of 360kW+. This AE86 in particular is owned by Hugo Mclean, a quite successful drifter here in NZ. The car is fitted with a BN sports kit as well as DMAX wide body front and J-Blood wide body rear guards. This hachi is rolling on my all time favourite wheel, the Work Meister S1 in 16x8.5 -6 and 16x9.5 -16. 

The power behind this awesome drifter is an F20C from an S2000, strapped with a GT3076r turbo! This is an awesome engine, running all this power on stock internals with uprated 1000cc injectors. The power is put through a stock S2000 6 speed box right down to the rears. This AE86 is one amazing machine, although unfortunately it is being parted out at the moment (but the whole lot if available with the right offer), If only I had the money!

Lastly in this stint of killer wants is the Fatlace S14 240sx owned by Mark Arcenal himself. I absolutely adore this S14 and one day hope that my own S14 will somewhat resemble this awesome machine. The car runs a fully built 450hp SR20DET which tickles me in all the right ways. The sharp looks are thanks to a combination of Rocket Bunny and Supermade bodykits, two of my favourites, especially the Rocket Bunny 

spoiler. 

HKS Hipermax D coil overs give this ride the edge on the drift course, they are set up perfectly making sliding an easy task. Power is put down through J Line SDMSL2 in 18x9.5 -10 front and 18x9.5 -35 rear, giving this S14 the perfect stance. I can only wish to own such an amazing Silvia but it's early days for me, who knows what the future holds.

This car has had a renovation too and now sports black Work Meisters (18x10 -7f / 18x11.5 -13r) and a BN sports kit. Thankfully it still has that amazing Rocket Bunny spoiler! Still the pinnacle of cool in my books.

Photo's courtesy of Speedhunters and StanceWorks.

- Enjoy, Peace.

-Chris V

Hellaflush 8 Coverage

As you may or may not have known, Fatlace held their Hellaflush 8 Meet on Venice Beach, CA on Saturday 21st of May. I'm a huge fan of these events as there is such a large variety of makes and models in full flare.
The coverage has been somewhat lacking thus far, but here is what I thought was the best of the turnout on the day.

As usual at these types of events, the 350z plays a huge part in the scene. Some are right on the mark, while others are the essence of undriveable. The three examples in this photo fall close to the 'right on the mark' category, definitely with the 18/19 staggered Work XD9s on that silver number.

Now this Onevia is a real beaut, the simplicity behind the styling works so well. The wheels look to be Work Meister S1 3pc, my all time favourite, an opinion shared by many. The dark purple paint looks amazing in contrast with the black Meisters, a truly amazing car. Simple.

As of late I have become a huge fan of the Miata styling in the US, and this example is no exception. The white on black is an awesome look and those turquoise wheel nuts break it up perfectly, along with the matching stickers. I would happily drive this around here in New Zealand and be-rid of the awful stigma they tend to have; if the roading allowed it.

Another big love of mine is the Honda S2000. A year or so back I was so anti-Honda, with their FWD orientated operation, but mostly how they were treated on my home turf; chrome, clear lights, tacky wings etc. I am slowly finding a soft spot in my heart for them, mostly for the S2000. RWD, 2L VTEC, gorgeous lines, convertible (yeah I'm diggin' that too), all you would expect from a Honda sports car. Love it.

I'll leave you now with something a little out of the norm, a chalk surface bumper and hood; quite neat really. Wouldn't do it personally but its something unique and would make a great talking point with anyone!

Ah well that's it for me, here are a few more snaps of some quality rides from Hellaflush 8, Venice Beach.

- Enjoy,
  Peace

Photo's courtesy of Slammed Society, Visionmarks, Kimihiro-Kun and a other few fellow Flickr users, Cheers!

- Chris V