PASMAG - 120 - Feb/Mar

FORMULA D'S MIKE ESSA: FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP

INSIDE SUPER-SIZED 2 0 1 3

SEMA SHOW

COVERAGE

PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

INSIDEJOB A LOOK INTO THE STUNNING

JOB DESIGN LEXUS LS 460L

Display Until 03/31/14 R10760 PM40069655

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 10

FEB / MAR 2014 - $5.99

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ON THE TEST BENCH

SACRED VEIL

VEILSIDE FORTUNE FD RX-7

ARIKA SATO JAPANESE DELIGHT

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NEW

PLUS 100 MORE PRODUCT LINES!

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Choose your direction.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014

CONTENTS COVER CAR

046

THE GODFATHER

OF VIP

2008 LEXUS LS 460L

ESSENTIALS

FEATURES

074 SOUND ADVICE

WITH GARRY SPRINGGAY Don’t just hear. Listen.

110 KONIG WHEELS CALENDAR Molly Truong

032

SACRED VEIL

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MIKE ESSA’S RISE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

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THE GOLDEN RULE

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RECORD BREAKER

1993 Veilside Fortune FD3S

102 ARIKA SATO COVER MODEL

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1992 Honda Civic Si

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014

CONTENTS

020 CONNECTED

092 CLARION

NZ503 Navigation Receiver

094 ORION

EVENT

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE

EVENTS

056

058

108

IMPORT FACE-OFF: TUCSON, AZ

SPOCOM 'SHUKAI': SAN JOSE, CA

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080

086

JVC KS-AX3205D AMPLIFIER REVIEW

KENWOOD XR900-5 AMPLIFIER REVIEW

PIONEER DJ ART MIX: LOS ANGELES, CA

HCCA High Efficienc Midrange Speakers

098 BELTRONICS

STiR Plus Radar and Laser Detector

POWERPAGE

096 MSD ATOMIC EFI ORION

Atomic LS Fuel/ECU Rails

GEAR

TEST REPORTS

FOCAL PS 165 FX COMPONENT SPEAKER REVIEW

014 HOT NEW PRODUCTS

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» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lee Bailie PRODUCTION EDITOR Richard Robles ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jordan Lenssen TECHNICAL EDITOR Garry Springgay EDITORIAL INTERN Micky Slinger

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MOTORSPORTS EDITOR JACOB LEVETON FEATURE EDITORS ERIC EIKENBERRY ROBERT KOCHIS ADAM ZILLIN PHOTOGRAPHERS PHILLIP AWAD STEVE BITANGA KEVIN CHOI ICON MEDIA PAUL NGUYEN GIDEON PEREZ CLIFF WALLACE

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

DIRECTOR, SALES & MARKETING Matthew Adolfo DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES Justin Hasan SENIOR SALES MANAGER Erickson Obiacoro AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Randi Bentia

ADMINISTRATION

DIRECTOR, CIRCULATION & RETAIL MARKETING Craig Sweetman FINANCE MANAGER Michelle Forsyth DIGITAL COORDINATOR Patrick Lagowski

PRODUCT TESTING

COGENT AUDIO LABS - www.cogentaudiolabs.com 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.

Performance Auto & Sound Phone: (416) 922-7526 Fax: (416) 964-1836 Toll Free: (866) 737-8805 www.pasmag.com • pas@pasmag.com

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SEMA Member

12/19/2013 5:38 PM

SEE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING

EXPERIENCE A NEW REALITY WITH THE PIONEER AUGMENTED REALITY APP 1. TO DOWNLOAD APP TEXT “PIONEER” TO 27126 2. POINT YOUR SMARTPHONE AT THE DASHBOARD 3. SEE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING

For more information, visit pioneerelectronics.com/AR Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc. PIONEER and the PIONEER logo are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation. ©2013 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

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CADENCE

S3 12” SUBWOOFER

$558 (USD) | CadenceSound.com | 1-800-477-2328

The new Cadence S3 12-inch subwoofers are high power handling, high output, built to blast and designed to compete. Featuring a 3-inch voice coil and heat pump cooling motor structure, the S3 is rated to handle 1,200 watts RMS. The cast aluminum basket design uses a carbon and glass fiber rein orced non-pressed cone, spaced dual spiders and double stitched foam surround to ensure superior durability and control at its rated power and beyond. Available in Dual 2 ohm and dual 4 ohm configurations

ORACLE LIGHTING

LED ILLUMINATED LED WHEEL RINGS $199.99 | OracleLights.com

GO PUCK

BATTERY CHARGER GOPUCK.com

We live in a digital age and rely heavily on our digital devices. But what happens when our smartphone, tablet, camera or GPS loses power and leaves you scrambling for a solution? The GO PUCK charges your devices fast, with charging from zero to 100% in as little as 15 minutes!

ROCKFORD FOSGATE POWER T400X4AD AMPLIFIER

$499.99 (USD) | RockfordFosgate.com | 1-800-669-9899

The Power T400X4AD is an ultra-compact 400 Watt 4-channel amplifier engineered with ockford’s proprietary high efficienc Class-AD technology. Features fl xible vehicle integration through speaker level or RCA level inputs, multi-impedance constant power, input/output clip detection, top-mounted controls and dual fan forced induction cooling. Perfect for hybrid, electric, or small cars, trucks, motorcycles and side-by-side UTVs.

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These "Tron" inspired wheel rings were under wraps while construction, fi ment, and durability was highly scrutinized by the ORACLE Lighting R&D Team.

Designed to fit around the bra e rotors of your vehicle, the ring illuminates the barrel of the rim with the high-grade ORACLE LED Flex Strip. Perfect if you are looking for a head turning mod with just enough sophistication and flai .

ARLON GRAPHICS

ULTIMATE PREMIUMPLUS SERIES 2600LX Arlon.com | 1-800-232-7161

Arlon Graphics new Ultimate PremiumPlus Series 2600LX is an ultra-conformable cast automotive restyling color change film that is offered in ultra-gloss, pearlescent and flat mat e finishes. Series 2600LX includes Au omotive-X technology that offers easy, bubble free installation to give the vehicle a smooth paint-like finish. The new Series 2600LX pr vides the easiest solution to customize a vehicle body color with ease.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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PARROT

ASTEROID SMART

$599.99 (CAD) | $649.99 (USD) | Parrot.com

Parrot ASTEROID Smart is a complete in-car infotainment solution that helps you stay connected while driving safely. Enjoy voice control and hands-free calling, navigation, apps, internet connectivity and music and video sources including iPhone/iPod, USB, SD card, Bluetooth streaming or line-in. Android-powered yet suitable for use with all cell phones.

MEMPHIS CAR AUDIO SPECIAL APPLICATION SUBWOOFERS MemphisCarAudio.com

The new Memphis Car Audio Special Application Subwoofers give you the Memphis bass you demand in the tightest of spaces. Measuring less than 4 inches in depth, this slim sub has FAT sound! Available in 10 and 12 inches with single and dual voice coils, both sizes boast true 250/500 W power handling. Memphis listened to their dealer’s needs and provided them with a special application sub that can tackle even the most difficult of install

INCRIMINATOR AUDIO IA20.1 AMPLIFIER

$1,029.99 | IncriminatorAudio.com | (256) 417-6658

The 2013 IA20.1 is the third generation 2,400 watt RMS Class D amplifie . It can be used for both the hardcore daily driver and a series competitor as it is 19 volts stable. These amplifie s come out of the box with the ability to be strapped, with Mirror Technology so you can match output and crossover settings from every unit by the master with an infini e number of mirror amps.

SYLVANIA ZEVO LED FOG DRL

$299.99/set (USD) | Sylvania.com/auto | 1-800-729-3777

The Sylvania ZEVO Fog DRL is the industry’s fi st high performance fog light with a unique “C” shaped light guide, offering a modern LED look while delivering street-legal OEM performance both day and night. The crisp white LED provides sleek style and automatically adjusts to day or night conditions, with no extra controls or switches, simply by sensing when the headlights are on. The Fog DRL is fully sealed and tested to withstand extensive weather and washing.

AUDISON AP 8.9 BIT

Audison.eu

The AP8.9 bit amplifier was designed y the Audison R&D department to achieve maximum sound quality in OEM integration applications. The powerful management software proves the ability to acquire the bit Drive presets, which the Audison team has fine-tuned specifically or your car. Thanks to the innovative power supply stage, a power of 520 W total can be achieved in an extremely compact case. The non-amplifiable 9th channel can be used to drive a subwoofer via the mono AP1 D amplifie .

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XSTATIC

BATCAP X4000 BATTERY

$499 (USD) | xstaticbatcap@yahoo.com | (334) 692-4650

Xstatic is excited to announce their new and improved model 4000 BatCap Battery.

This Massive, nearly 80 lb battery has undergone a 15% increase and is now rated at 115 amp hours with heavy duty flag erminals and dual handles. This long life battery is also maintenance free and non-spillable. L 13" X W 6.75" X H 8.5".

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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KICKER

QS-SERIES MATCHED COMPONENT SYSTEMS $549.95 (USD) | Kicker.com

The QS-Series Component Systems reach an entirely new level of optimal audio with stunning midrange drivers, tonally precise tweeters and a superior crossover network that come together to create a musical fusion unlike any other on the road. Two system packs are available with cutting-edge woofers that utilize a three-layer Tri-Tech cone. Each system pack comes equipped with high-performance, 30 mm tweeters with multiple mounting options and bi-amplification-capable cross vers.

CLARION NX404 RECEIVER Clarion.com

The NX404 double-DIN CD/DVD navigation receiver features industry leading iGO primo navigation that includes 11 Million POI and 3D roads, buildings and landmarks in an easy-to-use package. Dual rear USB ports include full control for iPod and iPhone. Audio files including MP3, WMA, OGG and FLAC as well as AVI, MPG, MP4 and MKV video files (up o 1280x720 resolution) are also playable. An HDMI port on the rear lets you connect your smartphone or a media player. For info on additional features, visit your Clarion dealer or Clarion.com.

DD AUDIO

BC6.5 COMPONENT SPEAKERS

$300/pair (USD) | DDaudio.com

DD Audio is known for bass, but the introduction of the BC6.5 component set proves they’re more than just a subwoofer company.

Based on DD’s popular A-Series components, the 6.5-inch driver is optimized to produce a wide bandwidth of silky smooth mid range, while the black anodized aluminum 30 mm dome tweeter handles high frequencies with sonic excellence. Complete with a bi-ampable passive crossover network, the BC6.5 components are sure to please.

AUDIOPIPE Q12 SUBWOOFER audiopipe.com

The new Audiopipe Q12 subwoofer features a sealed chamber between the big cap and the cone body, which allows for a more controlled linear motion under high power with minimal distortion. The newly-developed surround – Edge extension technology with butyl rubber – provides maximum fl xibility under extreme excursion with the advantage of greater cone surface.

Among the Q12’s other features is a highly-engineered, oversized pipe-style basket which makes for a comfortable housing for precise linear motor movement.

Curved, mesh pipe vents permit maximum cooling of the oversized 3-inch layer voice coil and provide added dust protection.

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WHITELINE SUSPENSION KLC140/180 SERIES

$149.90 USD | www.whitelineus.com

Whiteline is a leader in suspension components including Bushing Kits, Sway Bars, and accessories such as mounts and end-links.

Increase sway bar effectiveness with Whiteline’s heavy duty adjustable end-links. Whiteline provides sway bar end-links for hundreds of vehicles worldwide with links varying from 60mm all the way to 335mm lengths. Whiteline has the most complete range of heavy duty adjustable Sway Bar End-Links to help improve roll resistance and all around grip levels.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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SPEAKERS • SUBWOOFERS • AMPLIFIERS • SOUND DEADENING • ACCESSORIES

D U O L HIS AOMW ERICAN BASS

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10 SERIES OF SUBS IN EVERY PRICE RANGE

American Bass’s award-winning products have become favorites in the SPL competition world and the latest additions have more than enough bass for just about anyone.

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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5 SERIES OF AMPS IN EVERY PRICE RANGE

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SPEAKERS

American Bass Full-Range speakers range from 3.5” up to 6x9” sizes. Midrange speakers with woven poly cones utilize fully-independent tweeters to give your music just what it deserves, which is unequaled clarity and depth.

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CES BOOTH

#2237

NORTH HALL

12/16/2013 5:31 PM

November

05-08 2013

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE LAS VEGAS, NV LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC EIKENBERRY

E

ach year several hundred thousand people from around the globe descend upon the Las Vegas Convention Center to attend the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (SEMA) Show. They swamp the busy crosswalks on Paradise Road and floo in from the endless stream of taxis and buses from either end of the wide central parking lot, itself filled with displa s like “Ford Out Front” and a makeshift track for drifting and other such hooliganism.

The accents from around the world are incredible; a true mixing pot all drawn to the cars and their accessories. If it is made for a car, it is available at this show, period. Hidden amongst the South Hall's truck and 4x4 dis-

[ 1 ] Forgiato widebody Corvette Stingray [ 2 ] Just another hectic day at SEMA [ 3 ] Pristine 1939 Bugatti Type 57C [ 4 ] Falken-equipped Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

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plays was a pretty white late-60s Camaro...with twin 427 V8s strapped together in Mad Max style by a very robust-looking junction box. It's this sort of madness that leaves you in shock at the sheer audacity at the thought that one 427 cubic inch engine might not be enough.

The lower floor of the South Hall is dedica ed to the wheel and tire companies. Acres of rubber wrapped around semi-precious metals (and some carbon fiber oo) mounted on exotic vehicles. Here we find our Liberty Walk stunners; Nitto has its Ferrari 458, Toyo has a R35 GT-R, iForged has an E92 M3, and Forgiato is featuring a Lamborghini Murcilago. Toyo bookended its display with a hot pink RAUH-Welt 930 with brushed satin-lip wheels. Ferdinand Porsche's 4

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crowning design achievement lives on 50 years after its introduction.

AirLift has a matte red Liberty Walk E92 M3, while the Vortech booth displays a supercharged E92 M3 with an incredible LB Performance body kit. GoPro dropped an all-carbon fiber Italian-made agani Huayra on a faux wood floor with a barricade around it o keep journalists like us from drooling all over it. We snuck in a quick lick all the same. H&R Springs has what appears to be a surf green Porsche 911 RS, but is probably based on a later C2/ C4 design with massive Rotiform “Fuchs” style multi-piece wheels. That vibrant color might look best on a 1950s Fender Stratocaster but we won't quibble about its use on a classic Porsche. Someone with heaps and heaps of taste built this one.

We ran across Formula Drift drivers Fredrick Aasbo at Torco Oils, Joon Maeng

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE [ 1 ] Up close with Forgeline [ 2 ] Liberty Walk E92 M3 [ 3 ] H&R Springs Porsche 911 RS [ 4 ] Philips Xenon HID display [ 5 ] A little downtime at the Eneos booth [ 6 ] One of the many Arc Audio cars [ 7 ] Pink gorilla drops by XS Power [ 8 ] KW booth [ 9 ] GReddy x Scion Racing FR-S [ 10 ] Pagani Huayra [ 11 ] AMSOIL Super Team TORC Series Pro Truck

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wandering around and Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his entourage strolling towards a meeting.

Corey Hosford was spotted lurking around fellow Z car pilot Chris Forsberg's 370Z, while Ken Gushi is talking suspension with the guys at KW Suspensions. Speaking of Gushi, his new 2JZ (Supra)-powered Scion FR-S broke cover at the Scion Builder's Challenge display.

Among its many cool features is an ATI Super Dampner as the crank pulley, a GReddy T88 turbo, Titan adjustable timing gears, Takata seats and harnesses, Wilwood brakes, a GReddy intercooler and oil cooler and blue LED backlit Scion emblems nose and tail. The Gran Turismo folks like it enough to award it “Best Asian Import.” If it runs half as well as it looks, it's going to be a beast! Falken Tire had Dai Yoshihara's 2014 Subaru BRZ mounted

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on a tilted display but watchful eyes could see the machine had yet to be fit ed with an engine. A little birdie told us we should expect an LS7 (Corvette) in there by the time the season opens in Long Beach. Falken also has its season-ending, event-winning Porsche GT3 right up front, with its two 2013 trophies sitting on the roof. Winning any modern endurance race is a major event and, for a tire company that is allowed to design and run its own tires in the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship, it's a very big deal indeed.

One off-beat trend is the appearance of several well-appointed box-shaped delivery vans. Magnafl w has a rat rod-styled van out front of Central Hall. Another is fully polished and featured pin-up art reminiscent of a 1940s figh er aircraft. Folks, a fully polished aluminum box van is a blinding piece in the late afternoon sun. The Tootsie's Speed Shop

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE [ 1 ] Spec clutch display [ 2 ] Dai Yoshihara's 2014 Subaru BRZ [ 3 ] Oracle Lighting Aston Martin [ 4 ] StopTech booth [ 5 ] Lotsa TSW wheels [ 6 ] Garrett's tricked out VW Golf [ 7 ] Escort Ferrari 458 Italia [ 8 ] Zeitronix Mitsubishi Evo [ 9 ] Ringbrothers 1964 Fairlane Afterburner [ 10 ] Cusco differentials [ 11 ] Aeromotive Stealth Fuel System

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Chevrolet pickup truck stole our hearts (a tough thing to do at this show) with its combination of faultless exterior, lacquered wood bed, (which hides the fully polished AccuAir system), and custom-yet-subdued interior.

This truck isn't just built; it is a labor of love all the way around. The deep dish oversized matte gold-finished s eelies with chrome Chevrolet “hub caps” capture the truck's vibe perfectly. In eye-catching glossy orange paint, it is a stunner.

Ringbrothers Afterburner dominates the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction booth. It would dominate anywhere you place it. Please take note, we're not knocking anyone else's build but nothing approaches the level of a Ringbrothers automobile. You just cannot beat these guys at this game. Nothing on any car they build is stock. Not even the bolts, the molding or the engines – nothing! They only make two

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commercially-available products, and those are hood hinges for domestic hot rods. On the far side of the hall near the Dynamat display, there's an all-carbon fiber '65 Mustang wid body fastback in process. It was labeled the “RS Chassis by Roadster Shop,” and we have to admit we have no idea what that means other than “we want one.” Even the rear bumper and the inserts in the rear tri-bar tail lamps are made from carbon fibe . Its monster V8 engine carries the largest Whipple supercharger we've ever seen. God only knows what this car will produce once it's finished, but e're certain that the Toyo Invo tires will still be sorely outmatched by the monumental thrust.

Mazda is showing an interesting concept vehicle in the Grand Hallway. Built by the engineering school at Clemson University, the Deep Orange 3 is paradoxically finishe in gloss silver. If our schools can produce

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE [ 1 ] K&N intake display [ 2 ] AppTronics SmartNav 5 [ 3 ] Vortech Supercharger [ 4 ] Various Dynamat products greet passersby [ 5 ] Mazda Deep Orange 3 Concept [ 6 ] Sam Schmidt Motorsports Lucas Oil Indy Car [ 7 ] Sylvania SilverStar zXe Subaru BRZ [ 8 ] KONI LG Motorsports Corvette Stingray [ 9 ] Injen BMW 328i [ 10 ] Ringbrothers carbon fiber 1965 Mustang widebody fastback [ 11 ] Wilwood brakes

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designs like this, the future looks great for the American automotive industry. There was plenty of innovation inside the halls too, with AppTronics displaying its touch-screen rear view mirror-based SmartNav 5. It's a heads-up display for a rearview camera, GPS navigation system by iGO Primo, DVR recorder and smartphone integration through Bluetooth.

With a fi e-inch display, we'll never look at rear view mirrors the same way!

Lots of new Corvettes are on site – boatloads of them. Someone please tell the Transformers producers that they all cannot be 'Vettes in the next film because that' how technical and sharp-edged they appear to be. Straight from a movie set and looking very sinister; KONI has one from LG Motorsports and it just looks evil in charcoal black with gloss black wheels. Darth Vader, your TIE figh er upgrade has arrived.

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In PASMAG's corner of the show, the 2013 Tuner Battlegrounds competition is being settled in front of the Central Hall. The Top Four arrive and one is declared champion based on your votes.

Salik's Scion xA took the fi st-ever TBG victory with 59% of the votes over Tyler Pflanz' super-black Supra. As always, we could not do this without our readers, and we're looking forward to the next crop of wild rides.

We even find a little time o drop by the AAPEX show going on at the Sands Convention Center, and wander around in amazement at the OEM-quality vendors hawking their wares there. In one row, Clint Bowyer's NASCAR Sprint Cup car stares us in the face. At the Simoniz car products booth we stumble across a tiny Datsun BRE 510 toy race car (early '70s vintage), in its original package, in the middle

SEMA 2013 THE PILGRIMAGE [ 1 ] Tuner Battlegrounds finalists [ 2 ] Tyler Pflanz's 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo [ 3 ] Frank Daniels' 2010 Chevy Camaro SS [ 4 ] Winner Salik Zaki and his championship trophy [ 5 ] Luigi Arroyo's 2008 Honda S2000 [ 6 ] Salik's TBG- winning 2005 Scion xA [ 7 ] The four finalists [ 8 ] Redline Oil booth [ 9 ] LED Post booth [ 10 ] KICKER 1950 Studebaker Champion [ 11 ] Rebirth Vaydor G35 EV [ 12 ] Traxxas ladies pose for a quick snap [ 13 ] 2014 Honda Civic Si gets the HPD treatment

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of a display case. The roots of some of these companies go way back to the 1950s and ‘60s, and we're just the latest generation to put our stamp on the current trends.

To sum up the experience in a single word, “insanity” comes to mind. There are just so many products on display that you could walk the SEMA show every day for a month and continually see new items. It never gets old, it never gets boring, and if they reopen the show floor again omorrow morning at 9 A.M. sharp, we would be there yet again, tired legs, hoarse voices and all. This is our pilgrimage, our Mecca, and we are fanatics.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/thesemashow2013

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[ 1 ] Smilin' Pioneer ladies [ 2 ] Lexus IS 350 [ 3 ] Exedy clutches [ 4 ] KICKER performance display [ 5 ] TNT Autobody BMW M3 [ 6 ] Hornblasters.com gals get their pose on [ 7 ] Konig Wheels display [ 8 ] The Liberty Walk Nissan GT-R is a real eye-catcher in the Toyo Tires booth [ 9 ] Vaughn Gittin Jr. thrills fans in his Formula D Ford Mustang [ 10 ] R's Tuning R35 Nissan GT-R [ 11 ] Bulletproof Automotive FR-S Concept One [ 12 ] Mazda6 GX race car from the former Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series

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VEIL STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM ZILLIN

IS IT TOO MUCH OF A STRETCH TO SUGGEST THAT OF ALL THE CARS FROM THE FAST AND FURIOUS MOVIES, HAN’S VEILSIDE FORTUNE FD RX-7 FROM THE THIRD INSTALLMENT, TOKYO DRIFT, RANKS AS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE FROM THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE?

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ure, Toretto’s Charger and O’Connor’s Skyline are right up there, but Yokomaku-san’s Veilside FD kit was so far ahead of its time, so out there from every angle that it nearly shocked everyone who laid eyes on it. And to think it’s been almost 10 years since it first appeared... In my eyes, the Fortune FD kit is still as wild as ever, but somewhat more

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palatable now that it has aged. But it still divides opinion just as it always has. This is a curious feature for the readers of PASMAG because it’s not so much a throwback as it is a current look into how this car and its lines are still completely relevant in today’s tuning circles. Perhaps it’s the Hollywood factor that keeps it in people’s minds. It probably has something to do with the

laid back charm of Han’s character that makes him and his car endearing to audiences across the world; even more so now after that scene.

I like to think it goes a little deeper than that.

For instance, it might surprise you to learn that these kits are still being made for both domestic and international clients. And from what Veilside tells me, demand is still strong.

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THE OWNER AND I TALK FOR A WHILE BUT THEN ANOTHER GENTLEMAN APPROACHES ME AND WANTS TO KNOW WHY I AM SO INTERESTED IN THE CAR. NATURALLY, THE MOVIE COMES UP DURING THE DISCUSSION AND THEN WITH A SMILE, THE GENT REACHES INTO HIS WALLET AND HANDS ME HIS CARD. VEILSIDE.

I find these facts to be truly amazing. The point is further driven home when a rather strange occurrence takes place on a Saturday night Wangan session at Tatsumi Parking Area. In rolls a car that instantly commands my attention, and like a tractor beam from the Death Star, I am inexorably pulled toward the sinister looking machine, camera at the ready.

The owner and I talk for a while but then another gentleman approaches me and wants to know why I am so interested in the car. Naturally, the movie comes up during the discussion and then with a smile, the gent reaches into his wallet and hands me his card. Veilside. We both just grin knowingly at each other. Tsuboi-san and I kept in touch after that and the feature

you see here is the result of those discussions. I am very fortunate on this particular day because not only am I able to feature this FD, but among the other 12 Veilside cars present, there are four other Fortune FD RX-7s! The sting in the tail came when I discovered this very car is actually prototype number two for all Veilside Fortune FD kits ever created, making this a truly special and unique car.

Created in 2005 for the Tokyo Auto Salon, the dominating aspect of this RX-7 is its bodywork.

Made entirely from reinforced fiberglass, it is a complex and all-encompassing work of automotive art. Comprised of almost 20 individual pieces and costing in the vicinity of $15,000, it’s a complicated and elaborate set of parts that needs a skilled set of hands to get just right. If you look closely at this particular build, you’ll notice that every panel has been aligned beautifully.

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VEIL The kit itself is aggressive from every angle and is comprised of one-piece front bumper and rear diffuser assemblies along with an ou rageous rear wing, vented hood and rear hatch, front and rear fenders with accompanying front and rear fender panels, door mirrors, and door panels. The package is further accentuated by unique triple lamp headlights that really set it all off.

Painted using a two-tone effect of glossy black and Galaxy Blue, the Zenki 1993 vintage RX-7 still carries an air of freshness about it.

That might have something to do with the fact it has travelled less than 5,000 kilometers since being completely overhauled in 2005. Some might complain about an icon like this having travelled only a few hundred kilometers each year over the past eight, but owner Hitomi-san is intent on preserving the pristine condition of what he considers to be a desirable collector’s item. That’s not to say it doesn’t come out on special occasions, like this day for example.

Before diving inside, let’s take a look at the mechanical side of things. It’s not a powerhouse by any means, but has received some important upgrades to balance out its powerful looks. The 13B was overhauled in 2005 and given a fresh side porting, with the twin-turbo setup being retained and built on with HKS racing suction intake pods. Packing a total of 360 hp and 400Nm of torque at 7,800 rpm and 8,000 rpm respectively, with an extra 60 hp and 100Nm coming courtesy of a shot of nitrous from the

SOME MIGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT AN ICON LIKE THIS HAVING TRAVELLED ONLY A FEW HUNDRED KILOMETERS EACH YEAR OVER THE PAST EIGHT, BUT OWNER HITOMI-SAN IS INTENT ON PRESERVING THE PRISTINE CONDITION OF WHAT HE CONSIDERS TO BE A DESIRABLE COLLECTOR’S ITEM. NX canister nestled between the front buckets, Hitomi’s FD presents a well-rounded level of performance tuning. Ancillary support for the engine includes increased boost that pumps through an HKS V-mount set up utilizing an HKS triple core intercooler and original Veilside single core radiator. Exhaust gasses are pushed out through a straight pipe titanium 3-inch system, exiting in a Veilside titanium muffl . Regulating fuel, air and exhaust gasses is an old-school APEXi V-Pro management unit.

Handling the delivery is a robust drivetrain consisting of an OS Giken triple-plate clutch, pressure plate and lightened flywheel assembl which sends the power through to an HKS twoway mechanical differential. All this mechanical goodness is suspended by HKS HyperMax ad34

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justable dampers wound to 18 lb spring rates on the front, followed by 22 lbs in the rear. For me, the standout highlight for this car is not actually the bodykit, but the wheels attached to the hubs.

The Veilside PL-VII fi e-spoke forged aluminum rims are real gems and perfectly suited for this particular application. Created by Veilside in 2011, the three-piece, PL-VIIs are a recent addition for Hitomi and he decided to go for 245/30 tires in 20 x 9J with a +4 offset at the front and a huge 295/25 in 22 x 11.5J with a massive -34 offset at the rear and wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza rubber.

It might sound like a mismatch but one look at the car and you can see it works. They fill th bulging Fortune FD arches beautifully and don’t appear to overpower the visual presence or mechanical ability of the rest of the build. The PLVIIs almost dwarf the Endless six-pot calipers and ventilated 355 mm rotor arrangement up front. You might be wondering how it rides with a set-up like this but the truth is, it’s actually

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very competent and thanks to the Roberta cups attached to the tops of the HyperMax dampers, it’s fl xible, depending on surface conditions and steepness of incline.

It takes quite a while to really soak up the external aesthetic presence of a Fortune FD kit so you better take a breath before opening the door. Inside, it’s just as heavily customized, featuring some classic Alpine ICE nestled into custom fittings, cus om leather, inlaid stitching, dashes of carbon fiber mi ed with kevlar and, of course, that massive NX nitrous bottle.

Keeping with the theme, Veilside goes with a black and blue interior color scheme that is accentuated by a number of custom Veilside upgrades including the steering wheel, type 2 shift knob, aluminum pedals and special Veilside dash meters. Hitomi and willing passengers strap into Veilside’s premium carbon/kevlar leather-bound buckets mounted on custom rails. Inside, both have access to a number of Alpine in-car entertainment accessories including a unique Veilside passenger pod containing an Alpine TV and DVD player. Tunes coming from Hitomi’s Alpine HDD-equipped head unit are magnified through t o, 5/4/3 channel MRVF450 Alpine amplifie s and thump through three 12 inch Alpine Type R subwoofers. All this is built into custom rear parcel and rear passenger inserts, wrapped in premium leather of a similar color to the paint. The effect is amazing and the fit and finish is st class.

THE PL-VII’S ALMOST DWARF THE ENDLESS SIX-POT CALIPERS AND VENTILATED 355 MM ROTOR ARRANGEMENT UP FRONT.

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VEIL

WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE ONE IN THE FLESH, CHANCES ARE YOUR MOUTH IS GOING TO FALL OPEN WITH YOUR EYES FORCING YOUR NECK TO TURN TO FOLLOW IT AS IT GOES PAST, REGARDLESS OF THE OPINION THAT IS SURE TO FOLLOW THE SHOCK AND AWE. Reflecting on its individual components, Hitomi’s Fortune FD is a bit overwhelming. Fortune FDs just are. All things considered these are very complicated builds, but when you actually see one in the flesh, chances are your mouth is going to fall open, with your eyes forcing your neck to follow as it goes past, regardless of the opinion that is sure to follow the shock and awe. It happens to me time and time again, so you would have to be a pretty jaded enthusiast not to follow suit. The fact remains, Yokomakusan’s design is quickly turning into a timeless and iconic classic where Japanese aftermarket tuners are concerned, and The Fast and Furious franchise hasn’t done the international reach of Veilside any harm at all. It has aged exceptionally well and still looks as cutting edge as it did back in 2005. If anything, the Fortune FD kit is like a bottle of wine that has gotten better with age. It’s just a shame Han is not around to sample a glass of Veilside’s finest in 2013.

ESSENTIALS › 1993 VEILSIDE FORTUNE FD3S DRIVER: Hitomi-san BUILT BY: Veilside Japan ENGINE: Twin-Turbocharged 13B rotary HORSEPOWER: 360 hp TORQUE: 300 lb-ft ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Overhauled with side porting HKS Racing Suction pods APEXi V-Pro engine management HKS V-mount triple core intercooler Veilside original single core radiator NX nitrous injection system EXHAUST Veilside (titanium 3-in. straight pipe system, titanium muffler) DRIVETRAIN 6-speed manual OS Giken (triple-plate clutch, flywheel, pressure plate) HKS mechanical 2-way differential CHASSIS / SUSPENSION HKS HiperMax adjustable dampers Roberta cup strut tops WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Veilside PL-VII wheels - 20x9 +4 (f), 22x11.5 -34 (r) Bridgestone Potenza tires - 245/30R20 (f), 295/25R22 (r) Endless Brakes (four-piston calipers, 14-in. slotted rotors (f), two-piston calipers, rotors (r), NS pads) EXTERIOR Complete Veilside Fortune FD kit (19 pieces) INTERIOR Complete custom interior re-trimmed in leather and alacantara (dash, head liner, door trims, center console, rear seats, lower center console, door handles, rear seats, trunk lining) Veilside (Type 2 shift knob, steering wheel, carbon/ kevlar seats and side brackets, instrument cluster, aluminum pedals) AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS Alpine (TV unit and DVD player mounted in custom Veilside dash pod, HDD center unit, MRV-F450 amplifiers (x2), 12-in. Type R subwoofers (x3) mounted in custom trunk insert and rear seat arrangement) For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/SacredVeilside

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11-03-21 1:03 PM

MIKE ESSA’S RISE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB LEVETON

A

s Mike Essa stood atop the fina podium of the 2013 Formula D season and accepted his trophy as the season champion, he made history in more ways than one. Essa is the eighth different champion in Formula D’s 10 year existence, and overcame a blown motor in the final e ent and a hard charge from Chris Forsberg to claim the title by a mere 17.5 points. In doing so, Essa became the fi st driver to earn their license via Formula D’s ProAm system to win a championship, climbing the ladder all the way from competing on a local level to collecting the biggest hardware in the series in six short years.

Essa built his fi st FC RX-7 as a personal toy and outlet to get away from the grind of fabricating and working on Porsche Cup cars.

A simple Chevy LS6 powerplant from a 2003 Z06 Corvette powered the FC, while all the fabrication work was done by Essa in his spare time. After a few test-and-tune days, Essa began to enter local ProAm drifting competitions as a means to improve his drifting skill, not just to compete for the purpose of earning

I REALLY WASN’T EXPECTING THE CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SEASON. I WAS JUST HOPING TO GET MY FIRST CAREER PODIUM, AND BUILD ON LAST YEAR’S RESULT." - MIKE ESSA 40

a Formula D license. A successful 2008 ProAm season via the Just Drift series in Southern California led to an invite to the special ProAm invitational event at the Red Bull Drifting World Championships that November. Essa finished third and earned a professional license.

The 2009 Formula D rookie class was a strong one, including such names as Matt Waldin, Matt Powers, Dennis Mertzanis, Brian Wilkerson, and eventual rookie of the year Eric O’Sullivan. Essa made a Top Eight in Las Vegas and qualified or Top 32 tandem in fi e of the six events he entered, missing the New Jersey round due to a lack of funding. Essa finished the season 24th overall, with title sponsorship support from DTC Performance, a local tire shop in Socal, and Maxxis tires.

In 2010, Essa moved to a new chassis, an E92 BMW he built himself to promote the GSR

Autosports shop he had just opened with a business partner. At the time, little research had been conducted on the twin-turbo 3.0L motor from the 335i, and other options didn’t have the torque needed for drifting, so Essa made an unconventional choice and selected a S85 V10 motor out of the M5. Many compared the sound of the motor to an F1 car, and the car defini ely turned heads in the pits.

Essa found success early, hitting a careerbest top-4 finish in Atlanta that ould stand as his career best entering the 2013 season.

He struggled to get out of the Top 32 round the rest of the season, however, finishing 30th overall. While the car was torquey and sounded awesome, it hit a horsepower limit that would require substantial investment to overcome, and power gains were harder to find due o its weight. Essa finished the 2010 season y entering the fi st-ever Gymkhana Grid event at Irwindale Speedway, but the weight of the car made it relatively uncompetitive outside of the burnout competition.

The 2011 season saw yet another new chassis, this time a BMW Z4 Roadster mated to a lightweight and powerful S54 6-cylinder motor that has a plethora of existing research about how to make reliable

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MIKE ESSA’S RISE TO THE

2013

END OF SEASON

CHAMPIONSHIP

AWARDS

Each year, a Formula D series champion is crowned and much of the spotlight centers around the highest mark of achievement in the series. With 224 different tandem battles occurring in a Formula D season, not including the many ‘One More Time’ battles, the driver who earns the most points after all of that carnage has defini ely achieved something worth remembering. However, with 49 drivers making at least one Top 32 round, and another 14 making at least one qualifying pass, there are many other levels of accomplishment happening each season.

Formula D hands out several awards at their year-end awards banquet, and here are some highlights including those that may fly under the radar. horsepower. Essa started the season by earning a Top Eight finish in the final hurrah or the E92 chassis at a demo in Abu Dhabi before piloting the Z4 to a Top Eight finish in as Vegas and a 17th place finish in the championship. The ne chassis proved to have more power in a lighter chassis to meet the rising level of competition in Formula D at the time.

In 2012, Essa added a hardtop to the Z4 in an attempt to keep smoke out of the cabin. Returning to Atlanta, Essa earned a Q1 qualifying position and a Top Eight overall finish, pr ving the car was plenty competitive for the series. Essa duplicated that result with another Top Eight finish in egas to earn 12th place in the fina championship standings.

Entering the 2013 season, Essa introduced his third chassis in four years and was merely looking to better his 12th place finish and clai his fi st Formula D podium. However, after a fourth-place result in the second event of the season in Atlanta (matching his career-best finish from 2010), a championship wasn’t e en on the radar. But with three podiums in the next four events, including a fi st career event win in Palm Beach and a second event win in Texas, winning the title became more attainable.

Regardless, the goal for the team remained to improve the chassis and build the team for a future stab at the championship.

Approaching the final e ent of the season, Essa held a healthy 15.5 point lead over Forsberg and held his destiny in his own hands.

As the leader in the points, Essa had the fi st qualifying run of the day on Friday, and set the standard with a 96.6 point run which would stand up as the top position. Forsberg could only muster an 89.8 point run, which left him in the 8th qualifying position and netted another 42

nine points for Forsberg to overcome. A simple Top 32 tandem win would nearly guarantee the championship for Essa. Forsberg would have to finish either first or second to snatch the title back. However, disaster struck on the fi st run of the Top 32 battle for Essa in his run with Luke Pakula after a catastrophic engine failure looked to end his day and possibly his championship hopes.

In an incredible twist of fate, Essa’s opponent also experienced mechanical failure and was unable to continue. Since Essa was the higher qualifie , he was given the round win. Forsberg would eventually lose to defending champion Daigo Saito in the Top Eight, ending his day and championship hopes, and giving it to Essa in the process. This was the fi st championship for Yokohama Tire since its return to Formula D last season, and the second consecutive won by a turbocharged car after Saito’s victory in 2012.

“I really wasn’t expecting the championship this season” said Essa after the win. “I was just hoping to get my fi st career podium, and build on last year’s result. The team worked hard, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

For 2014, Essa plans to keep the same chassis and work on a more robust motor program. The expired engine is the same block that was in the previous car during the 2012 season and had a substantial amount of time on it. As a driver who started on the outside in ProAm, the rise to the top has been a slow but methodical one, and has given hope to many current and future ProAm drivers that a championship is not beyond the realm of possibility.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/fdwinnermikeessa

2013 TIRE CUP Hankook Tire For the fi st time ever, Formula D tallied the points from the top two drivers for each tire brand at each round and counted those towards a separate tire championship. This season, Hankook Tire amassed 1,055.5 points to take the win on the backs of Chris Forsberg, Fredric Aasbo, and Tyler McQuarrie. By comparison, Falken Tire finished in second with 1,00 points, and Achilles Tire finished in thir with 973.25 points. In all, Hankook worked with 12 drivers in the series, (Forsberg, Aasbo, McQuarrie, Grunewald, George, Gushi, Aono, Angelo, Jones, Castro, Rydquist, and Hosford), but only the top two finishe s at each event had their points counted towards this championship.

Points Contributors for Hankook Tire Forsberg (LB, ATL, PB, NJ, SEA, TX, IRW) Aasbo (LB, ATL, PB, NJ, SEA, TX) McQuarrie (IRW)

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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10/31/2013 11:55 AM

2013 MANUFACTURER CUP Lexus

2013 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Mats Baribeau

TOP QUALIFIER Vaughn Gittin Jr.

In addition to the Tire Championship, Formula D also created a Manufacturer’s Championship which was tabulated in a similar way. For the purpose of this competition, cars are allowed to have engine swaps from the same manufacturer, but cannot be from a different manufacturer.

Cars which do not have qualifying engine configurations or this cup will still earn points towards the championship and the tire cup. At the end of the season, Lexus wins with 975.5 points led by Daigo Saito, Pat Mordaunt and Robbie Nishida.

Nissan is second with 912.5 points, while Ford (906 points), Scion (866.5 points), and BMW (846 points) round out the top fi e positions.

One of the most hotly-contested awards was the Rookie of the Year title, which went all the way down to the final round.

With 108 points, highlighted by a fifth place qualifier ort in Palm Beach and a Top 16 appearance in Texas, Mats Baribeau piloted his imported Toyota Mark II to the title. Baribeau missed both the Long Beach event and the Seattle event due to schedule conflic s with the Drift Mania series he competes in, making him only the second rookie of the year to win the award without attending every event (Aasbo accomplished the feat in 2010). Baribeau is the fi st Canadian driver to win the award, which should give hope to fellow Canadian drivers for coming seasons.

Based on the average qualifying position, Vaughn Gittin Jr. won this award fairly handily.

Despite Justin Pawlak earning two top qualifier position and Fredric Aasbo earning a Q1 and two Q2s, Gittin earned this award largely by never qualifying lower than 11th. Gittin Jr’s qualifying efforts were topped by a Q1 qualification in exas, Q2 at Irwindale, Q4 in Seattle, and Q6 in Long Beach. Overall, Vaughn Gittin Jr. earned a total of 39 championship points for his qualifying efforts. If it weren’t for a penalty due to an illegal suspension part which cost him 30 championship points after Seattle, Gittin Jr. would have finished third verall.

Points Contributors for Lexus Saito (LB, ATL, PB, NJ, IRW) Mordaunt (LB, SEA, TX) Nishida (ATL, PB, NJ, SEA, TX)

ACE OF THE YEAR (MOST TANDEM WINS) Chris Forsberg Amassing an incredible 22 tandem wins, Chris Forsberg found himself battling for the podium hardware. With one event win and four total podiums, Forsberg won more than three times as many tandem battles as he lost all season. As one of the ironmen of Formula D who has yet to miss any of the 67 events in the 10-year history of the sanctioning body, Forsberg has proven that he has the experience to compete at the highest level and came very close to winning his second career championship.

S

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MOST IMPROVED DRIVER Darren McNamara

FAN VOTED CAR OF THE YEAR Danny George’s Miata

FAN VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR Frederic Aasbo

BEST PERSONAL STYLE Matt Powers

Based on the final champio ship standings, Darren McNamara went from his worst career performance in 2012 (25th) to a respectable eighth place finish i 2013. The 2012 season was a chaotic one for DMac. After totalling his Saturn Sky in Long Beach, he drove an unfamiliar left-hand drive 350Z coupe before finally m ving into the refreshed Nissan S15. His crew also changed in mid-season from the Autosport Dynamics crew he worked with for several years to the SPD Metalworks team that also runs Dai Yoshihara’s team. In 2013, he was in a fresh new chassis built specifically or him. The consistency both in chassis and crew appears to have worked as he posted a top 10 result for the fift time in his seven-season Formula D career.

Formula D fans were given the opportunity to vote for the car of the year and driver of the year in the weeks leading up to the Season Finale at Irwindale. Danny George’s Miata won the automotive side of the popularity contest.

He plastered the faces of fans who donated to his cause all over his race car, and even found several of his fellow competitors contributing to his team’s efforts as a sign of appreciation for the unique approach. George earned his fi st Top 16 appearance of his career in New Jersey, a feat he reproduced in Texas to finish a caree -best 20th overall on the season in his sophomore effort. George’s bright-orange ‘digital camo’ wrap was brightened by orange STR Wheels midway through the season, a partnership rumored to be growing in 2014.

The other half of the popularity contest went to Frederic Aasbo, whose profile was li ely boosted by his presence on three continents.

Along with competing in Formula D, Aasbo was a regular in both the Formula D Asia series as well as several events in Scandanavia, the most notable being the Gatebil festival. Aasbo’s partnership with the Toyota and Scion brands has allowed him to pilot three very distinctly different vehicles on each continent – a 2JZ-powered Toyota GT86 (FR-S in North America) in Europe, a NASCAR V8 TRD-powered Toyota GT86 in Formula D Asia, and the 2AZ-powered RWD Scion tC in Formula D. Aasbo has become one of the busiest drivers in the series, and the fan vote is likely a refle tion of that.

Matt Powers has always carried his own style and flai , but this season he stepped it up with his tuxedo racing suit from Alpinestars. Powers also debuted a new car livery this season, designed

by Norcal-based fashion brand Fatlace, which turns heads and continues to build on Powers’ contribution of style to the sport of drifting. Fatlace also released a t-shirt and sticker based on the livery, which can be purchased from its website and in stores in Los Angeles and Orange County.

2013

END OF SEASON AWARDS

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10/24/2013 11:33 10:28 AM 12/18/2013

THE

GODFATHER OF

VIP

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STORY BY ROBERT KOCHIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILLIP AWAD

ith its radical styling and kick-ass customizations, the Lexus LS 460L on these pages took Japan by storm before doing the same here in North America at the 2013 SEMA Show. After being purchased in 2011, this 2008 limousine model was exported from the United States to Japan to be completely transformed into a show piece for Job Design. Its owner, Takakuni Jo, invested more than $100,000 to design and assemble his own body kit – a ton of money, in my opinion – before the car was shipped back Stateside to make an appearance at the SEMA Show in Vegas.

We managed to catch up with Takakuni-san and our friends at Platinum VIP, the exclusive authorized distributor for Job Design in the U.S., before this ultimate VIP car was shipped back to Japan just weeks after the show. And, to help spread the word and prove his dedication to his craft, Jo even drove the car around Southern California unregistered, uninsured and fully aware that his masterpiece risked being seized or crushed if he were to be pulled over by the cops. Pretty ballsy considering cars of this type get pulled over all the time in So-Cal. Southern California may be the birth place of the original “show off” car show series and the melting pot of car culture, but it is also the worst place to own a modifie vehicle. The state has the strictest emission laws, octane does not normally surpass 91 and you can fail smog and receive a state referee ticket just by having a cold air

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intake installed. In fact, the police hide out at gas stations to stop modified ca s and ticket them as they're returning home from one of the state’s many car shows. And, if you are caught street racing, the standard is to be jailed and your car seized and crushed in front of you when you are released. None of this scared Jo. In fact, it made him want to showcase his car even more!

This feature isn’t so much about the build, but rather Jo the person and the name he has made for himself over the years. Jo originally started working in construction when he was 15. He was always building things, and just loved to work with his hands.

Naturally, just like almost everyone else that likes to build things, he became fascinated with cars and began to teach himself how to modify them. Jo was never taught by anyone, he is all trial and error. He is responsible for all of his designs and the work that accompanies them.

When he got his driver’s license, he began to tinker with his fi st car and was instantly hooked. After a few

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builds with various Toyota chassis, such as the 147 and the 161, he was already becoming recognized – his fi st magazine feature in VIP CAR was more than 18 years ago! Almost two decades later he is still building magazine-quality and car show-winning builds. I personally don’t know many others who can make that claim.

Every build not only advanced his style, but also his knowledge and talent until finall , in 2002, he was awarded the highest award in Japan: fi st place Dress Up. A staggering seven-foot-tall trophy that signifie he had built the best car in Japan. The winner was chosen in a tournament style face-off (much li e

AFTER A FEW BUILDS WITH VARIOUS TOYOTA CHASSIS, SUCH AS THE 147 AND THE 161, HE WAS ALREADY BECOMING RECOGNIZED – HIS FIRST MAGAZINE FEATURE IN VIP CAR WAS MORE THAN 18 YEARS AGO!

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Takakuni Jo behind the wheel of his latest creation.

THIS AGGRESSIVE YET BEAUTIFUL WORLD PREMIER 10 KIT TAKES THE LS 460 AND MORPHS IT INTO SOMETHING THAT ONE CAN ONLY DREAM OF.

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PASMAG's popular Tuner Battlegrounds competition) between different areas of Japan. Imagine if Wekfest or Hot Import Nights took their Best of Show winners from each event and put them up against each other in front of judges and fans to vote for the ultimate car of the year.

His 2JZ-swapped UCF21 is proclaimed as the Best Car in Japan to date, so it was only natural for Jo to turn his hobby into a career.

The name Job Design does not come from the text book definition of organizing and delegating tasks to various workers to carry out the job at hand.” J-Blood was the original name that Takakuni-san had in mind for his brand, but realized that Jo-Blood sounded better and was more memorable. The reason for the blood was the amount of devotion and love he puts into his work, he says that with all of his work he literally puts his blood into it. The fit and finish of his k s prove this, and his craftsmanship ranks at the top in Japan. In 2003, Jo-Blood was shortened to Job and Design was added to signify his aero line designs.

In this issue, what you are seeing is the World Premier 10 kit, which signifies the 10 year anniversary of Job Design. This aggressive, yet beautiful, kit takes the LS 460 and morphs it into something that one can only dream of. In today’s world with so many replicas and strictly business-minded people, it is rare to find someone as dedica ed to their craft as Jo. To put your blood into your work is to fully dedicate yourself to it.

Jo wanted to showcase his 10-year anniversary kit to the world, and what better company to partner with than Platinum VIP? The Irwindale, Calif.-based company is regarded by many as the top VIP shop in the U.S. With that 50

WHEN YOU PURCHASE AUTHENTIC PRODUCTS FROM AUTHORIZED RETAILERS OR DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER, YOU SUPPORT THE WORK OF THESE GREAT ARTISTS. YOU ARE NOT JUST BUYING A PRODUCT; YOU ARE PURCHASING THEIR PASSION AND DEDICATION.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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KW clubspor t ”When it comes to suspension, performance and adjustability are at the top of my list. I’ve found the Clubsport’s, the ideal coilover where I can adjust the setup, to the way I drive. Whether I’m carving some canyon roads or putting down a few hot laps at the local track. These coilovers are the perfect setup for my personal cars.”

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sort of reputation, it's no surprise that it is the exclusive authorized American distributor for Job Design. Platinum VIP, led by Kennedy Nguyen, displays the same love and dedication for his work as Jo does.

Sadly, these two are part of what is becoming a dying breed. eBay has virtually killed off retail margins or smaller tuner shops because it has enabled sellers to move products at or near cost due to a lack of overhead. Knock-offs and replicas of high-end products that are lacking in quality, but cost half as much as the originals, also plague the market. The days of a product with “blood” in it are numbered. Also, bargain-minded consumers are eating into the profi s of shop owners, who sometimes struggle to cover their expenses as they put in long hours to complete their work.

Given the tough economic climate, it is truly a blessing to still have craftsmen such as Kei Miura of TRA Kyoto, Akira Nakai of Rauh-welt Begriff, and Takakuni Jo of Job Design. These artists design for the love of the craft, not just to make money. Jo puts his blood into each of his designs. When you purchase authentic products from authorized retailers or direct from the manufacturer, you support the work of these great artists. You are not just buying a product; you are purchasing their passion and dedication.

And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? When you put everything, including your blood, into a product what you end up with is something that is hard to put a price on: authenticity.

ESSENTIALS › 2008 LEXUS LS 460L OWNER: Takakuni Jo CLUB AFFILIATION: Job Design ENGINE: Toyota 1UR-FSE 4.6L ENGINE MODIFICATIONS AEM air intake EXHAUST Job Design (custom exhaust system, exhaust tips) DRIVETRAIN Exedy triple plate clutch and flywheel CHASSIS / SUSPENSION UAS Hybrid Kit custom suspension system (f/r) T-Demand (urethane bushings, front strut bar, rear strut bar, front control arms, rear control arms, camber kit) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Work Equip E05 custom wheels – 22x10.5 + 0 offset (f), 22x12.5 + 3 offset (r) Nitto Invo tires – 245/30R22 (f), 295/25R22 (r) CSD (16-piston brake calipers (f), 8-piston brake calipers (r), ceramic brake pads) Slotted and drilled 430mm 2-piece rotors Braided brake lines

EXTERIOR Job Design (World Premium 10th Anniversary Edition: front bumper, rear bumper, spoiler) Custom fabricated (wide body, fender vents, rear quarter panels) 2013 Lexus LS460 (grill, headlights, taillights) 310 Motor Garage Job Design red custom paint color INTERIOR L-Tide (custom red suede shift boot, custom red suede steering wheel, custom red leather/ white perforated leather/suede Job Design custom embroidered seats, red carpet, custom embroidered floor mats ) Custom (headliner, full dash wrap, arm rests, doors) AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS Rockford Fosgate (equalizers, processors, crossovers, line driver, sub amps, mid bass amps, high frequency amps, rear fill amps, subwoofers (x2), mid bass speakers (x4), tweeters (x6), front fuse holder, main power wire (0-gauge), distribution blocks, capacitors (x4)) iPad custom-mounted trunk monitor Full custom trunk setup by Respect, Japan Sealed subwoofer enclosure (infinite baffle, aperiodic, sealed, vented, bandpass) Optima Yellow Top battery

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/Godfather

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» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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T

he Old Union Bank in downtown Los Angeles played house to the annual Pioneer DJ Art Mix event this passed October. Against the backdrop of the Los Angeles Art Walk, which draws 10 to 15 thousand people annually, custom-designed art pieces using Pioneer's CDJ-2000nexus multi player as the canvas were auctioned off o support the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

All proceeds went toward improving music education and programs in public schools across the U.S. Bids started at only $500, and conSTORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILLIP AWAD sidering the Pioneer (WITH NOTES FROM SHAUN KEENAN) CDJ-2000nexus Professional Multi Player retails for more than two-grand, many brought in much more than a sale price.

Each artist put their unique spin on their respective projects. Some pieces had tongues and finge s such as Dada Life’s submission, while others had signatures from the likes of Crystal Hefner and Kaskade. Others were tricked out with lights, wood, splash paint, movie themes, water guns, neon colors, cartoon characters and much more.

Many of the pieces were still functional, however others were so over the top that the artistic outcome meant they could no longer function.

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Pioneer DJ Art Mix

The crowd favorite seemed to be the Scorpion project created by Five Axis. It was built in a Steampunk style using only recycled car parts; gauges, springs, wires, air fil ers, center caps and more. The Scorpion also features LED backlighting as well as a linear cable drive to actuate the up and down motion of the body in relation to the legs. One crew member stated, “This is what we do,” claiming it wasn’t too difficult o put together once the idea had been set.

Every piece of the Five Axis Scorpion is hand cut and painted with a perfect patina. The guys at Five Axis used their 15-minute breaks throughout the day to make progress on the art piece, working around their busy schedules until it was done. The Scorpion was created so that regardless of the viewing angle, there is always something interesting to look at. Each section has something unique.

It was a great opportunity for people to see a new take on DJ culture by incorporating art on the music equipment that creates art itself.

Highlighting live performances, Pioneer’s turn table progression, and memorabilia from many of the world's most renowned DJs (not to mention all the proceeds to the Save the Music Foundation), PASMAG can safely say the Pioneer DJ Art Mix event was a huge success! We can hardly wait for next year's event!

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/pioneerdjart

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Import Face-Off OCT. 20, 2013

TUCSON, AZ SOUTHWESTERN INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLIFF WALLACE

RACE WINNERS

FWD

BY SPEC C LU TC H ES A N D FLYW HE E L S

WINNER: Javier Loarca - 9.425 sec. @ 160.84 mph RUNNER UP: Jarom Schmidt - 9.949 sec. @ 146.97 mph

FORCED INDUCTION PRO

BY MOTOV I C I T Y D I ST RI B U T IO N

WINNER: Navid Pajoufor - 8.492 sec. @ 183.24 mph RUNNER UP: Joe Sawyer - 8.415 sec. @ 182.28 mph

FORCED INDUCTION SPORT

BY D EATSC H W ERKS

WINNER: Kevin Schumacher - 10.226 sec. @ 134.73 mph RUNNER UP: Raul Gonzalez - 12.015 sec. @ 135.80 mph

ALL MOTOR SPORT

BY I N S A N E SH A F TS

WINNER: Charlie McDade - 13.349 sec. @ 99.99 mph RUNNER UP: Alejandro Tovar - 15.323 sec. @ 91.56 mph

OUTLAW

BY T H EF OAT.CO M

WINNER: Matt McDonald - 14.097 sec. @ 91.17 mph RUNNER UP: Jose Feliciano For additional photos and event results pasmag.com/ifotucsonazoct2013

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BEST OF SHOW: Tomas Flores (Buick Regal) BEST CIVIC: John Emery BEST CIVIC 2ND PLACE: Michael Blancke BEST OTHER HONDA: Hector Alvarez (S2000) BEST ACURA: Ahmed Salfab (Integra) BEST ACURA 2ND PLACE: Alex Harbart (RSX) BEST MITSUBISHI: CarstarKustoms (Eclipse) BEST NISSAN: Jeff Little (Da sun 510) BEST TOYOTA: Supra Human (Supra) BEST SCION: JR Burns (tC) BEST MAZDA: Lina Rodriguez (RX8) BEST SUBARU: Jesse Moya (WRX) BEST SUBARU 2nd Place: Rob Baskley (WRX) BEST KOREAN: Bobby Shultz (Hyundai Genesis) BEST KOREAN 2ND PLACE: Cesar Garcia (Hyundai Genesis) BEST OTHER IMPORT: CarstarKustoms (Smart Car) BEST DOMESTIC SPORT COMPACT: Jesus Castro (Chevrolet Cobalt) BEST DOMESTIC CAR: Ernesto Fernandez (Chevrolet Chevelle) BEST EURO: Brandon Guerra (VW Golf R32) BEST FEMALE ENTRY: Samantha Navarro (Honda Civic) BEST LUXURY: Martin Herrera (Infiniti G35 BEST EXOTIC: Nicholas Holvey (Nissan Skyline) BEST LOWRIDER: James Dudderar (Nissan Frontier) BEST IMPORT TRUCK/SUV: Cesar Hernandez (Nissan Titan) BEST DOMESTIC TRUCK/SUV: Ramses Perez (Chevrolet Silverado) BEST BIKE: Alejandro Leon (Harley Davidson) BEST STANCE: Marius Krakowiak (BMW M3) BEST DISPLAY: Bobby Crawford (Chevrolet Impala) BEST INTERIOR: Erick Chevy (Chevrolet Tahoe) BEST ICE: Tomas Flores (Buick Regal) BEST PAINT: Chavo (Dodge Charger) BEST ENGINE BAY: Michael Gonzales (Honda Civic) JUDGES CHOICE: James Rasmussen (Honda Civic Wagon) BEST CLUB PARTICIPATION: Team Swift BEST CLUB REPRESENTATION: Team Swift

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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THE GOLDEN RULE

HE WHO HAS THE SKILLS, MAKES THE RULES STORY BY ERIC EIKENBERRY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ICON MEDIA

I

t has often been said, “If you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself.” We’ve heard it so frequently in the modified car arena that it’s become second nature, a truism which should have been carved in stone and handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but most owners simply can’t do it all themselves.

Most people lack the necessary skills, temperament or even the time to thoroughly refinish a Honda Civic from top to bottom. Some people are lucky if they manage to fix a cup of coffee without injuring themselves. If we are to judge a man by his Civic then Brian Camacho is not one of those people. Camacho’s 1992 Civic Si entered his possession almost by accident.

He and a friend were on a parts run to pick up a carbon fiber hatch when he spotted this shell at the seller’s house. It hadn’t been listed yet and for only $500, Camacho towed it home the next day. Just one day later, he’d already stripped the shell bare and work on the custom cage began.

There are only two items he did not build himself.

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The fi st is the eight-point roll cage made to fi the full interior, built by Jesse Hanna of JSFAB. This wasn’t Camacho’s fi st Honda product. His fi st EG coupe was stolen in 2009 and since then he’s owned a succession of Civics and Integras, culminating with an Integra GSR with a self-built B20B engine he’s been using in his rides for the past few years. Once the hatch came home, the GSR was the fi st casualty, with the shell sold to buy more gear for the EG.

TWO WEEKS AND A FUN DYNO SESSION LATER, CAMACHO’S TIMING MAP FIX PRODUCED A WHOPPING 507 HORSEPOWER AND 370 POUNDS-FEET OF TORQUE.

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THE GOLDEN RULE 1992 HONDA CIVIC SI After Hanna finished the cage, Camacho quickly reassembled the interior with Bride Gias Low Max seats and added some drag slicks and skinnies to all four corners. He also installed a big Precision Turbo 6262, TiAL wastegate and blow-off valve, and an appropriately large front-mounted intercooler under the hood. His goal was to track the Civic at Import Face-Off Las Vegas in May 2012, but an incorrect computer map kept him on the sidelines. Two weeks and a fun dyno session later, Camacho’s timing map fix produced a whopping 507 horsepower and 370 pounds-feet of torque. One simply does not do such things on a stock B20B bottom end; the resulting thrown rod was inevitable. “I didn’t care, I just wanted to make it to IFO.” It was at this point that the Civic began to look like the golden-hued

CAMACHO’S 1992 CIVIC SI ENTERED HIS POSSESSION ALMOST BY ACCIDENT. HE AND A FRIEND WERE ON A PARTS RUN TO PICK UP A CARBON FIBER HATCH WHEN HE SPOTTED THIS SHELL AT THE SELLER’S HOUSE. IT HADN’T BEEN LISTED YET AND FOR ONLY FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, CAMACHO TOWED IT HOME THE NEXT DAY. gladiator pictured in these photos. For the second time, Camacho tore it all the way down to the bare shell and handed it back to JSFAB for A and B-pillar gusset plates. Extraneous holes in the engine bay were filled with sheet metal, shaved down, and smoothed out. “Next door was a body shop and I hated doing body work and wanted the exterior to come out clean so I handed [the shell over to them].” The problem was mostly solved except the primer in the engine bay refused to dry. Camacho stripped the engine bay, resprayed the primer himself and proceeded to prime the interior and cage too. Next up is the paint application: Lemon Quartz Gold Pearl.

While waiting on the body work, Camacho purchased an Energy Suspension master bushing kit and proceeded to work his way through every bushing on the car, including the worn out urethane ones in his Blox rear lower control arms.

With front and rear Skunk2 camber adjustable arms, a Skunk2 rear tie bar, a JDM SiR front sway 62

bar, and a Ground Control coil-over sleeve system on Koni Yellow shocks, Camacho’s Civic handles far better than the day it rolled off the showroom floor. He also sourced and installed front and rear ‘96 Integra Type-R spindles, calipers, rotors and braided stainless steel brake lines from Marissa’s Hoses. Going to the 4x114mm pattern means new wheels. A beautiful set of Sprint Hart CP-Rs now fill the Civic’s wheel wells.

Though they’re only 15x6.5-inch, the +10 offset gives his Civic a very wide stance without the use of spacers. The wheels are wrapped with BF Goodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 tires which Camacho describes as being both comfortable and grippy. After the turbo-induced rod failure, he picked up a JDM H22A1 (Prelude) engine and went to town. He had Baker Cylinder Heads perform a stage three port and polish, adding half-millimeter oversized valves, springs, and Titanium retainers from Supertech under JDM Type-S cams. He cinched it to the stock bottom

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THE GOLDEN RULE 1992 HONDA CIVIC SI end with the ever-popular ARP head studs then added DSM Turbo 450cc injectors and a BDL Bronze fuel rail. A Walbro fuel pump capable of 255 liters per hour provides more than enough fuel to keep his mild build happy and he’s using Hondata’s ever-popular S200 P28 ECU to control the maps. A 3-inch AEM cold air intake mated to a Blox 70mm throttle body ensures sufficient airfl w while a stainless steel 4-2-1 header blasts the hot gases back to a JSFAB 2.5 to 3-inch mandrel-bent exhaust system. Camacho even installed a Cherry Bomb 2.5-inch glass pack resonator to deepen the tone in lieu of the typical oversized muffle and rear tip. All of the wire and hose tucking in the engine bay was completed

by Camacho, along with the assembly of the car, though he does admit his friends came by to help out from time to time. One unusual touch is the large Fluidampr harmonic balancer in place of the OEM crank pulley, which requires additional room on the driver’s side frame rail for clearance.

The adapter kit for the H2B swap is made by Quarter Sports Drag, and allows Camacho to run a B-series transmission for better gearing and acceleration. He’s also using a Quarter Sports Drag’s alternator relocation kit for a cleaner look that also adds a bit more room behind the engine. Since he converted to a manual steering rack, there is no need for a power steering pump

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or AC components, which were discarded long ago. This is a very back-to-basics machine built to simply put the power on the ground. He even eliminated the vacuum-powered brake booster with the Rywire-Wilwood delete kit. Please take note of the tucked brake lines. If you’ve taken your entire car apart twice, why not? The 5-speed transmission comes from an Integra GS-R and was augmented with GearSpeed carbon synchros and a Type-R limited slip differential. Shifting is actuated by a Skunk2 short shifter rowing a JDM Type R linkage. Spinning the B-series transmission is a Competition Clutch 12-pound flywheel and a Stage 4 six-puck clutch. After all of his effort and out-of-pocket expenses, Camacho finally obtained a few sponsorships from Mishimoto, AEM, Password:JDM, and is polishing his new paint with Meguiar’s products.

Camacho credits much of his recent show success to being a member of Team Hybrid. “I joined Team Hybrid in April 2013 towards the end of my build. Showing [my car] with [Team]

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12/20/2013 11:41 AMPM 12/16/13 4:09

THE GOLDEN RULE 1992 HONDA CIVIC SI

Camancho Civic.indd 6

THE ADAPTER KIT FOR THE H2B SWAP IS MADE BY QUARTER SPORTS DRAG, AND ALLOWS CAMACHO TO RUN A B-SERIES TRANSMISSION FOR BETTER GEARING AND ACCELERATION. HE’S ALSO USING A QUARTER SPORTS DRAG’S ALTERNATOR RELOCATION KIT FOR A CLEANER LOOK THAT ALSO ADDS A BIT MORE ROOM BEHIND THE ENGINE.

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ESSENTIALS › 1992 HONDA CIVIC SI OWNER: Brian Camacho CLUB AFFILIATION: Team Hybrid LOCATION: Las Vegas, NV ENGINE: Honda H22A1 2.2L HORSEPOWER: 220 hp TORQUE: 170 lb-ft

Hybrid or alone at different events, with the help of Founder/ President of Hybrid, James Lin, has been a great and amazing experience. Everything I knew about going to shows and being a part of the car scene has stepped up for me since I joined Team Hybrid.” Since its completion, Camacho’s Civic has accumulated an impressive array of show hardware, capturing Best Honda at SPOCOM Anaheim, Best Civic at Extreme Autofest San Diego, Best Honda at EOS Las Vegas, Best of Show, Best Honda, and Best Engine Bay at the Freeway Series in Pasadena. In spite of that, he’s immeasurably modest, and views himself as someone who’s lucky to be able to overcome all of the construction challenges of the last four years and emerge on the other side with a properly finished machine. It goes to show that DIY doesn’t have to mean duct tape and wire ties. Hard work and smart decisions can still pay big dividends. If that advice isn’t golden, we don’t know what is.

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ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Stage 3 port and polish Supertech (valve springs, titanium retainers, 0.5mm oversized valves) AEM (3-in. cold air intake, wideband gauge) Blox 70mm throttle body BDL (Bronze fuel rail, fuel pressure regulator) Walbro 255lph fuel pump Honda JDM H22 type-S camshaft DSM Turbo 450cc Blue Top injectors NGK BKR7E-11 spark plugs MSD 8.5mm ignition wires ARP head studs Mishimoto fan shroud Password: JDM (oil cap, carbon cooling plate, distribution cover, spark plug cover) Hondata S300 P28 ECU Fluidampr harmonic balancer EXHAUST JSFAB custom 2.5-in. to 3-in. mandrel bent exhaust Stainless steel 4-2-1 header Cherry Bomb glass pack resonator DRIVETRAIN Competition Clutch (Stage 4 six-puck clutch, 12 lb flywheel) JDM Integra (GSR 5-speed transmission, Integra Type-R LSD, Integra Type-R shift linkage) GearSpeed carbon synchro springs Braided clutch lines Skunk2 short shifter

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION Koni Yellow shocks (f/r) Ground Control coilover system Honda SIR front sway bar Suspension Master bushings Megan Racing rear control arms Energy Suspension rear control arm bushings Skunk2 (tie bar, camber kit) ETD Racing traction bar WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Sprint Hart CP-R wheels – 15x7 + 10 offset (f), 15x7 + 10 offset (r) BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 tires – 195/50R15 (f), 195/50R15 (r) Marissa’s Hoses steel braided brake lines Rywire brake booster delete Wilwood brake calipers Type-R ’96 spec brake conversion EXTERIOR Seibon Carbon (front lip, trunk lid) Wings West side skirts Back Yard Special carbon fiber wing JDM SIR (headlights, rear mudguards, thin side moldings) Clear Vision corner lights APR carbon fiber side mirrors Xenon HID kit INTERIOR Password: JDM shift knob JDM Type-R (steering wheel, shift boot, UKDM SIR cluster) Bride Gias Low Max seats Takata harnesses JSFAB full 8-point roll cage with custom gussets SPONSORS BFGoodrich, Meguiar’s, Mishimoto, AEM Induction Systems, JSFAB, Password: JDM, Energy Suspension, MSTR Watches For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/GoldenRule

12/20/2013 11:41 AM 2013-09-16 10:59 AM

RECORD BREAKER

MATTHEW MCCONNELL’S INCREDIBLE 1,000 HORSEPOWER MITSUBISHI EVO X IS A REALITY STORY BY MICKY SLINGER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN CHOI

A

thousand is a lot of anything; a thousand pounds, a thousand dollars, a thousand people… you get the idea. A thousand horsepower is not only a ton, but it’s a pretty legendary and impressive figure in the au omotive world. Matthew McConnell and his Mitsubishi Evo X are aiming to go above and beyond that figure o break the most horsepower squeezed out of an Evolution X, ever. Usually though, when you build a car to be a thousand pony plus demon, you dump all of your money into the engine and dyno away until you’re happy (or broke). McConnell has built a car that isn’t only a bullet, but is comfy to sit in and can probably bust an ear drum or two.

What is a project without a hiccup? When you are building a car, especially in a case like this, you’re expecting to run into a few troubles here and there that can be overcome and turned into little anecdotes you tell once you finally get o show it off. McConnell’s super-Evo didn’t have just a few hiccups: it had a fit, passed out, and didn’t wa e up for a while, repeatedly.

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12/19/2013 2:36 PM

“Shortly after buying it, Artisan Performance sponsored it back in 2009,” said McConnell. “I needed more power than the kit was making. They recommended shipping the car for a full build.” The projected timeline for a full motor build and a custom turbo kit was anywhere from six to eight weeks, which McConnell accepted. At the end of it, he’d have a roaring, Ferrari-eating beast in his garage and that thought would carry him through those weeks of waiting. Unfortunately for him and the Evo, however, the drama was just beginning.

“After about three months of lies, there was a falling out at the shop which left the sponsoring party without a job,” recalled McConnell. “The owner wouldn’t honor the build sponsorship and said the car would have to follow him.” The Evolution was one of six or seven cars that needed to be transferred to the new shop in order for the build to be completed. McConnell thought this was the end and that the car would be completed in just a few more weeks, but three months pass and “he gets fired again ” PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND «

Matt Camo Evo X 15.10 v2.indd 2

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12/19/2013 2:37 PM

1000HP AN EVO WITHOUT A TURBO ISN’T AN EVO AT ALL, SO A PRECISION TURBO PT6766 IS UTILIZED TO MAKE SOME MONSTROUS GAINS. "

RECORD BREAKER 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION

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Apparently the company was unaware that the car was a sponsored build and did not have the budget for it. “Once again, I’m fighting o release the car.”

At this point, McConnell gets a much needed stroke of luck. Fazeli Mitsubishi took the car to go over the motor, while the Evo received sponsorship from Extreme Turbo Systems. ETS

shipped a full kit over to Fazeli for install and the car was finally running. The vo then took a trip to AMS Performance where the crew was excited to see the power made on pump gas and couldn’t wait to see the figures produced onc they switched over to a race fuel system. At this point, unfortunately, another pothole shows up on the road to Mitsubishi glory: the Evo came up short on power. When it fell short, shoulders were shrugged since AMS didn’t build the motor.

“After what was supposed to be six to eight weeks and fi e thousand dollars, it ended up being seventeen months, four shops, and $33,000,” said McConnell. The motor was pulled and it was found that the wrist pin on the fi st cylinder was bent. This problem brought another long year of tinkering and toiling in machine shops and plenty more frustration, but at the end of that tunnel stood the newly reborn Evo X, ready to start touring with Amsoil and breaking some records.

Now, you may be wondering what goes into a record-breaking Mitsubishi. McConnell kept the already-phenomenal 4B11 Mitsubishi 4-cylinder as his canvas and then went to work. The four-banger is rocking Ferrea 1mm oversized race valves, Kelford springs, as well as Kelford 278 cams and a 214-C camshaft. JE asymmetrical pistons and Manley Performance Turbo Tuff connecting rods eep the Evo’s heart beating under a Cosworth gasket while an AMS fuel rail and Injector Dynamics injectors provide them with enough juice. An AEM Series 2 EMS manages the scene from under the hood, Okada Projects plasma coils are used to rival the ignition of a rocket, and a Mishimoto X-Line radiator takes on some of the cooling role.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

Matt Camo Evo X 15.10 v2.indd 3

12/19/2013 2:37 PM

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10/24/2013 9:52 AM

An Evo without a turbo isn’t an Evo at all, so a Precision Turbo PT6766 is utilized to make some nasty gains. A TiAL blow-off alve and 44mm wastegate play essential parts of the set up, while an ETS 4 inch core intercooler keeps everything frosty.

A 4-inch ETS intake pipe is topped with an Amsoil fil er to suck in all the air this monster needs and a full turbo-back ETS exhaust blows everything out the back end. Apparently, just a turbo isn’t enough so McConnell opted to wet direct port two Nitrous Express bottles.

As mentioned before, this beast doesn’t only blow you away from the outside; it can also rock you from the inside. While you’re 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION secured in the Recaro seats and viewing the custom gauge pods, your symphony of choice is provided courtesy of Memphis Audio. Two 8-inch MCC8 mid bass speakers, four 6.5-inch MCC6 mid range speakers, and two 10-inch M5 subwoofers will play the theme to McConnell’s victory dance. This is all backed by an MCX11100 amp and three Memphis 1 Farad capacitors and displayed on a Pioneer AVIC-Z150BH head unit.

Did we mention that this thing also looks kickass? The skirts, lip, diffuse , fenders, hood, and spoiler are all Seibon carbon. The Urban digital wrap and black grills were tastefully done by Metro Restyling. To keep everything rolling the Evo X employs a set of 19-inch Forgestar F-14 wheels wrapped in 275/30/19 Nitto NT-05 tires on all four corners, and relies on Brembos to bring it to a stop.

The Evo X is currently under the care of the boys at PSI PROformance who are sleeving the block and fabricating away to break the world record. The dyno results are pending, but we already know this demon is a winner. A thousand is a lot by any means, but this Evo X has been through the ringer and is ready to take on all comers.

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ESSENTIALS › 2008 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION DRIVER: Matthew McConnell BUILT BY: PSI PROformance and Street Works Automotive Tuning HORSEPOWER: 1,000 hp ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Ferrea 1mm oversized race valves and guides Kelford (278 cams, 214-C camshaft, and springs) Precision Turbo PT6766 turbocharger TiAL blow-off valve and wastegate ETS 4 -in. core intercooler and 4-in. intake Amsoil air filter Mishimoto (X-Line radiator, fan shroud, and electric fans) Nitrous Express nitrous system JE Asymmetrical pistons and rings Manley Turbo Tuff “I” beam connecting rods Cosworth head gasket HKS Race sparkplugs AEM Series 2 Engine Management System Okada Projects Plasma Ignition Coils Injector Dynamics ID2000 injectors EXHAUST ETS (turbo-back exhaust, race pipe, and V2 exhaust tip) DRIVETRAIN Exedy triple plate clutch and flywheel CHASSIS / SUSPENSION Tein shocks and springs (F) and (R) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES Forgestar F-14 Wheels – 19 x 10 (F), 19 x 10 (R) Nitto NT-05 Tires – 275/30R19 (F), 275/30R19 (R) Brembo calipers - four piston (F), two piston calipers (R) Amsoil DOT4 brake fluid

LOCATION: Chalfont, PA ENGINE: Mitsubishi 4B11 2.0L TORQUE: 850 lb-ft

EXTERIOR Seibon Carbon (side skirts, front lip, rear diffuser, fenders, vented hood, and spoiler) HID 6K headlights and fog lights Urban Digital Camo Wrap and black grills by Metro Restyling INTERIOR Custom (console for AEM stand alone, custom gauge pods by Auto Express) Urban Digital Camo wrapped trim by Metro Restyling Recaro gray and black suede seats Auto Meter (boost, EGT, wideband, fuel pressure, oil pressure, and nitrous pressure gauges) AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS Memphis Audio (MCX1-1100 sub amp, MCX4-75 (2) mid-bass amps, M5 10-in. (2) subwoofers, MCC8 8-in. (2) mid-bass, MCC6 6.5-in. (4) midrange, front fuse holder, main power wire, 4 gauge distribution blocks, 1 Farad (3) capacitors) Kinetic (1400 battery (under the hood), 1800 battery) Pioneer AVIC-Z150BH head unit Custom fibreglass subwoofer enclosure SPONSORS Amsoil, Extreme Turbo Systems, PSI PROformance, Seibon, Nitrous Express, Auto Meter, AEM Electronics, Okada Projects, Nitto Tires, Mishimoto, Memphis Audio, Compustar, Metrorestyling.com Forgestar, JE Pistons, Exedy Clutches, Mothers Polishes, Street Works Automotive Tuning, Xquizit Customs For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/RecordBreaker

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

Matt Camo Evo X 15.10 v2.indd 4

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BV9386NV | BLUETOOTH®-ENABLED | BUILT-IN NAVIGATION DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM RECEIVER

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SOUNDADVICE

> WITH GARRY SPRINGGAY

LISTEN. DON’T JUST HEAR. A

few weeks ago, some friends and I were sitting in the garage, playing music. Not on the stereo, but with guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. At the urging of someone’s wife or daughter, we were trying to lay a few tracks for our friends and family as a Christmas gift.

We did take after take, but were never completely happy with the result. Since I was the only one with any experience behind a mixing console, the guys looked to me to “fix it ” We swapped some mics around, hung a couple of blankets to reduce resonances, and eventually had a tape that could be listened to (if you really wanted to). It was certainly not great, but we worked hard at getting it to sound the way we thought it should.

This whole exercise led to stories of how songs are mixed, what gear is used, and how multi-tracking changed the way music was recorded forever.

Producers work for weeks on a single track (Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody took three weeks and four separate studios), and guys like Phil Ramone could hear things that others didn’t; he knew just what gear to use for a specifi sound. The point of this is that recordings require many very talented people and a lot of effort. So that got me wondering...

Do you ever stop to think how much of today’s digitally formatted, compressed, and manipulated music actually differs from the original sound? We take live sound and record it as millions of tiny pieces of data in analog-to-digital recording. Then we reverse the process to get all those bits back together correctly.

Afterwards, we decide to even out the levels by getting rid of all the very quiet stuff, and make the loud stuff less loud (this is called amplitude compression).

While we’re at it, we get rid of all the “unnecessary” bits that we don’t think anyone will hear, so we can make the file si e smaller (perceptual coding).

At the end of it, we’re told this sounds exactly like the original. Guess what? It really doesn’t. But this

WE HAVE GIVEN UP THE QUALITY, AND INDEED THE WHOLE MUSICAL EXPERIENCE, FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE. SHAME ON US ALL. "

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also means I can have 10,000 songs that sound similar to the originals in my pocket. To make matters worse, it seems like far too many people have accepted that the sound from the speaker in their phone, laptop or ear buds is all they need.

We have given up the quality, and indeed the whole musical experience, for the sake of convenience.

Shame on us all.

I'm aware that compressed music formats and tiny ear buds have their place, like when you are working out, or too busy to devote the proper amount of attention to the listening experience. Then that stuff is fin But do yourself a favor and find out what ou are missing if this is the only way you ever hear it. Experience the music as it was intended.

I encourage every person who reads this column to spend just one hour this month, simply sitting in front of a real stereo system to listen to non-MP3, non-AAC music. You don’t need a $10,000 audiophile system – just a home setup with a modest amplifie , a CD player, a decent pair of bookshelf speakers and hopefully, a subwoofer (I doubt many of you still have a turntable and a stack of vinyl, but if possible, listen to a vinyl record sometime. It will amaze you if you listen closely).

When you are set up, play the CD, close your eyes, sit back and just allow yourself to listen to the music.

Don’t sing along. Don’t play air guitar. Don’t talk.

Just sit and really listen to the music. Focus on the sounds and the individual instruments. Listen to the snap of the snare drum, the way the strings resonate on the bass guitar. Hear the kick drum batter hitting the drum head an instant before the drum sound? Is that strumming coming from an acoustic guitar, or an electric? Listen to the individual voices. Separate each player’s contribution to the song, close your eyes and imagine the band there in your living room.

You will be amazed.

Even if you have heard a song a million times on your MP3 player, do this a few times and you’ll be astounded by what you’ve missed. You’ll want to go back and listen to your whole music collection again – and it won’t be from your MP3 library. It may even change the type of music you enjoy when you actually sit down to listen to the music, just as it was intended.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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12/18/2013 5:45 PM

CREATING EMOTIONS Designed by Robert Zeff exclusively for ARC Audio

THE DEBUT OF THE NEWEST GENERATION OF XDI AMPLIFIERS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE OUT OF THE BOX THINKING IT TAKES TO CREATE THE NEXT “BIG THING” IN CAR AUDIO. The concept of having raw power, reliable performance and sonic purity combined into a single affordable amplifier design for many was a only seen as a dream. Well it’s time to make that become to reality. With a simple and yet creative concept of designing a new full range digital amplifier line ARC Audio has taken a technical and creative direction to innovating a new approach to “Quality” and “Hi-End” without any of the compromises found in today’s full range digital amplifier designs.

WWW.ARCAUDIO.COM 4719 GREEN LEAF CIRCLE #4, MODESTO, CA 95356, TEL: 209.543.8706 FAX: 209.543.9269

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JVC

KS-AX3205D AMPLIFIER REVIEW

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

W

ith bold new styling and a chassis that’s 10% smaller than last year’s amp, the new DRVN series of amps from JVC are all about performance and great value. One of the best values they offer comes in the form of the fi e-channel KS-AX3205D. With a fi e-channel amplifie , you maximize power delivery while taking up a minimum amount of space. Rated at 50 x4 +200 x1 at four ohms, or 65x4+300x1 at two ohms, the compact amp packs a serious punch. And thanks to the high efficien y of the Class D topology, the amp runs cool and draws a minimal amount of current.

The KS-AX3205D has a suggested retail price of just $299.95, making it one of the better values out there in terms of watts per dollar. mobile.jvc.com mobile.jvc.ca

facebook.com/JVCMobileEntertainment

@JVC_USA

youtube.comJVCAmerica

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youtube.com/JVCCanada

FEATURES The KS-AX3205D is designed to work great as an OEM upgrade amplifie , or as the cornerstone in a full-on aftermarket system. For example, the amplifier can be dri en with high or low level inputs, and there is a switch to provide fi e channels of output with just front and rear input signals.

The front and rear channels can be configured or full-range operation, or you can use the built-in high pass crossovers which are variable from 50 Hz to 200 Hz to properly drive your full-range speakers.

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TECHNICAL DATA The following power measurements have been obtained using industry standard methods. (1 kHZ @ 1.0% THD+N - Battery voltages shown +/- 0.2 V) Manufacturers Rated Power

Actual Measured Power @ 1.0% THD+N @ 12.6 V Battery

Actual Measured Power @ 1.0% THD+N @ 14.4 V Battery

50x4 + 200x1 @ 4 Ω 65x4 + 300x1 @ 2 Ω

43x4 + 172x1 @ 4 Ω 65x4 + 268x1 @ 2 Ω

58x4 + 216x1 @ 4 Ω 87x4 + 344x1 @ 2 Ω

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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SHIFT To the next level of performance.

Tried-and-true mobile entertainment built by those who love live music.

The new CompR™ 10-inch Subwoofer (4 Ohm) matches perfectly with our new KX400.1 400-watt Mono Amplifier for exceptional bass.

Buy them together online at www.kicker.com, or visit your nearest Authorized KICKER Dealer.

KICKER is distributed in Canada by Gem-Sen. www.gemsen.com www.kicker.com

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REVIEW

JVC KS-AX3205D Amplifier

The subwoofer channel also has a variable crossover frequency of the same range, as well as a Bass EQ function that can provide up to 18 dB of boost at 50 Hz. Perhaps best of all, these features all housed in one chassis measuring just over thirteen inches long, seven inches wide and two inches tall.

From a layout perspective, the JVC engineers properly located all the low-level signal circuitry on one end of the amp, far away as possible from the noise-generating power supply and output sections. This means that all of the input connections and signal controls are found on one end, and all the power and speaker connections are located on the opposite end of the amp.

Power and speaker terminals are of the nickel-plated barrier strip type, but the power terminals are large and sturdy enough to accept full-size crimp on spade terminals for eight gauge wire. The amp is fused with a pair of 30A ATC fuses.

Inside, a clean PCB layout and good attention to detail in the manufacturing process are evident. Parts are straight and well soldered, and high-mass parts like capacitors and the toroid are also secured with high-temperature adhesives. The PCB itself is a quality double-sided affair, and surface mount parts are used extensively throughout the amp.

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LISTENING My favorite part of any evaluation is the listening session.

For this session, I connected the front channels of the KSAX3205D to a pair of very high quality component speakers, and the subwoofer channel was connected to my reference 12” woofer in a sealed enclosure. To fully tax the power supply but not skew my listening with additional speakers, I connected the rear full range channels to my load bank, set for 4 ohms.

Adjusting the front channels to 40Hz high pass, and the subwoofer channel to about 80Hz low pass, I sat down to play some tunes. The fi st thing I noticed was unlike so many others these days, this amp turns on and off absolutely silently, like a welldesigned amp should. Within a few minutes, I knew I was going to like this amp. The full-range channels provided noise-free, articulate signal to my component speakers, and the amplifier produced an exceptional stereo image. The subwoofer channel easily drove the single 12” woofer to its limits with no unwanted noise or unwelcome muddiness I sometimes hear with Class D amps. I could turn the amp up to very loud levels, and the amp showed no signs of stress or lack of power. That is, as long as I left

the bass EQ basically flat. With so much available boost, it would be fairly easy to overdrive the subwoofer channel if you got carried away. This is a good example of a case where more isn’t necessarily better. Used in moderation, the bass EQ is great and does the job as intended. Just don’t crank it up to max.

I sat and listened for the better part of three hours, playing everything from Abba to ZZ Top. I won’t bore you by palavering on the details of each song, but instead I’ll sum it up like this: from a sonic perspective, the JVC is a really good sounding little amplifie . It has low noise for a multi-

channel design, combined with all of the power one might need for a serious system, all conveniently wrapped up in a high efficien , compact single chassis.

PERFORMANCE/BENCH MEASUREMENTS On the test bench, the JVC measured well, as expected from its sonic performance. The amp delivered power levels in excess of the advertised power, which I have found is usually the case with amplifie s that use the CEA2006 rating and logo. Signalto-noise performance was very competitive with amps of a similar design and, of course, overall power efficiency was also hig

TECHNICAL DATA The following power measurements have been obtained using industry standard methods (1 kHz @ 1.0% THD+N – Battery voltages shown +/- 0.2 V).

Signal to Noise Ratio referenced to 2 V output (CEA-2006A) (1 W @ 4 Ω) Signal to Noise Ratio referenced to full output THD+N at rated 4 ohm power Maximum Efficiency at full 4 ohm power per ch.

Maximum Efficiency at full 2 ohm power per ch.

Idle Current Input Sensitivity Maximum Current @ full power, lowest rated impedance Frequency Response (-3dB) High Pass Crossover Low Pass Crossover Subsonic Filter Bass EQ boost

Main Ch -80.1 dBA Sub Ch -68.0 dBA Main Ch -97.7 dBA Sub Ch - 91.3 dBA Main 0.028% Sub 0.20% 79.2% 73.0% 1.4A 216mV- 5.6V 65.8A <10Hz – 32.8kHz 50Hz – 200Hz -12dB/Oct 50Hz – 200Hz -12dB/Oct N/A 0 to +18dB @ 50Hz

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

JVC KS-AX3205D.indd 2

12/19/2013 11:59 AM

Crossover Range - Frequency Response

Sub CH Crossover - Frequency Response

Bass EQ - Frequency Response

Crosstalk vs Frequency

LED Replacement Bulbs

Amplifier Max Flat - Frequency Response

LED Modules & Tubes

2 OHM Power vs THD

Daytime Running Lights

IT SOUNDS GOOD, HAS A DECENT SELECTION OF FEATURES, GOOD INSTALLATION FLEXIBILITY AND CAN SERVE AS THE ONLY AMPLIFIER YOU’LL EVER NEED."

LED Halo / Angel Eyes

4 OHM Power vs. THD

CONCLUSION After listening to the amp, and then measuring it on the test bench, I’d give the JVC KS-AX3205D two thumbs up. It appears to be well made and should be reliable.

It sounds good, has a decent selection of features, good installation fl xibility and can serve as the only amplifier ou’ll ever need. Couple that goodness with a modest price, and you have an amp that screams value.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/JVCKSAX3205D

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JVC KS-AX3205D.indd 3

12/19/2013 11:59 AM

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KENWOOD

XR900-5 Amplifier

REVIEW

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

A

t the uppermost level of Kenwood’s amplifier lineup is the e celon “Reference-Fit” series. In that list, perhaps the most impressive amp is the fi e-channel XR900-5. Rated for a maximum total power of 900 watts into 2 ohms, but only measuring 10.3 x 6.7 x 2 inches, it’s amazing to think this one amp can drive an entire system. kenwood.ca

FEATURES The eXcelon XR900-5 is designed to be the only amplifier ou’ll need, while fittin almost anywhere you have small amount of space. The all Class D amplifier include basic features such as variable high-pass crossovers for the four main channels and of course, a complimentary variable low-pass crossover for the sub channel.

In addition, a bass EQ control provides up to 18 dB of boost at 40 Hz. Connections are made via screw terminals on the top of the amp that are hidden by a removable brushed aluminum panel. The amp accepts up to 10-gauge speaker cable and 4-gauge power cable. Four-gauge cable will be required because at full power, the eXcelon XR900-5 needs all of the current possible to pass through its three 40A ATC fuses. Thanks to Class D efficien , the vast majority of the power consumed by the amp is converted to audio, but with 900 watts on tap, a built-in cooling fan keep the thermals under control.

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@Kenwoodcanada

youtube.com/kenwoodusa

LISTENING Always my favorite part of the evaluation, I connect the Kenwood amp to my listening room system. After setting just the gain to properly match the output from my preamp (I use about 10 dB of gain overlap for those of you who care about such things), I leave the main channels in all-pass mode, set the subwoofer for about 80 Hz, the EQ flat, an settle in for some listening.

Driving a pair of ultra high-end 6.5inch component speakers in custom cabinets, the XR900-5 sounds nice and transparent, with no apparent sonic signature of its own. This is precisely what a good amplifier should do – simpl amplify the signal without adding any noise or alteration of the music. I listen to a few favorite tracks including the complex and detailed A Day in Tunisia

by Spies, and Ride of the Valkyries by The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Both of these tracks sound very lifelike, with

plenty of energy and a good sense of “air” that comes with these amazing older Telarc recordings. Don Dorsey’s synthesizer work and Neil Peart's drum solo (The Rhythm Method) prove the eXcelon amp has good control of the loudspeakers. Even at high volumes the sound is tight and accurate; the dry decay of Dorsey’s synthesizer being reproduced faithfully and no unwanted ringing or overhang in Peart’s astoundingly-good drum work.

The stereo image is very good and as I mentioned, the sense of space I heard makes things almost three dimensional. This was particularly evident during Mannheim Steamrollers “Dancing Flames,” where I actually opened my eyes and looked around at one point. I listened to it at fairly high levels for a period of time and when I disconnected it, I noted the chassis was quite warm. But yes, it sounds pretty good.

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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12/19/2013 11:47 AM

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REVIEW

2 OHM POWER vs THD 100Hz 14.4V Batt

KENWOOD XR900-5 Amplifier

TECHNICAL DATA The following power measurements were obtained using industry standard methods. (100 HZ @ 1.0% THD+N - Battery voltages shown +/- 0.2 V)

MEASURED PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS Manufacturers Rated Power 60 x 4 + 400 x 1 @ 4 Ω 75 x 4 + 600 x 1 @ 2 Ω Actual Measured Power @ 1.0% THD+N @ 12.6 V Battery 62 x 4 + 409 x 1 @ 4 Ω 80 x 4 + 508 x 1 @ 2 Ω Actual Measured Power @ 1.0% THD+N @ 14.4V Battery 81 x 4 + 502 x 1 @ 4 Ω 93 x 4 + 701 x 1 @ 2 Ω

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-78.8 dBA Signal to Noise Ratio referenced to 2 V output.

-76.8 dBA Main (CEA-2006A) (1 W @ 4 ohms) Sub -97.9 dBA Signal to Noise Ratio referenced to full output.

-103.8 Main Sub 0.01% THD+N at rated 4 ohm power 0.34% Main Sub Maximum Efficiency at full 4 ohm power 73.9% per ch.

Maximum Efficiency at full 2 ohm power 62.4% per ch.

2.2 A Idle Current 240 mV- 5.5 V Input Sensitivity Maximum Current @ full power, lowest 119.4 A rated impedance <10 Hz – 31.0 kHz Frequency Response (-3 dB) 55 Hz – 200 Hz High Pass Crossover -12 dB/Oct 55 Hz – 200 Hz Low Pass Crossover -24 dB/Oct None Subsonic Filter 0 to +18 dB Bass EQ boost 40 Hz

ON THE BENCH The next morning and it's bench-testing time to see what sort of specifications I can wring out o the XR900-5. Overall, the amplifier pr ves to meet or exceed each of the published specifications, bu there are one or two minor niggles that I think are worth mentioning.

First, the warm chassis I experienced during my listening session is repeated on the bench, where I managed to get the amplifier d wnright hot. The XR900-5 has two different methods of thermal control. The fi st is of course the fan, which does a good job of pulling hot air out of the amp and drawing cool air in on the opposite side – but it can’t keep up. To remedy this, the second method is a clever scheme that reduces the output power of the amp as you are listening to it, without having to shut the

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REVIEW

KENWOOD XR900-5 Amplifier

amp completely down. This happens quite imperceptibly, and most people will never even know it’s happening. But the power reduction occurs quite soon if you drive the amp near its power limits, and even sooner if you are using 2-ohm loads.

The second niggle is the lack of a subsonic fil er. This is not an inexpensive amplifier and I belie e for the money, this feature should have been included – particularly when you consider that most Kenwood woofers are quite compatible with vented enclosures.

The amp also lacks any sort of input signal steering, and must be used with three pairs of RCA inputs. It’s also sans any remote level control for the woofer channel. I suppose the omission of these two features could be explained by assuming such a high-end amp will also be driven by a high-end source unit, with three pairs of pre-outs and a separate volume control for the subwoofer output.

MAX FLAT - FREQUENCY RESPONSE

TR Kenwood eXcelon XR900-5 v2.indd 3 Absolute ads.indd 2

CONCLUSION Overall, the Kenwood eXcelon XR900-5 amplifier is ell built and packs prodigious power into a very tidy package. It sounds good, has a great two-year warranty, and can be a simple, oneamplifier solution or an entire system. It is a great choice for anyone who wants an unobtrusive yet high-performance audio system for the occasional loud song, rather than headbanging at wide-open-volume all the time – a refined amplifier or refine tastes, perhaps. Drive it with a head unit worthy of its performance, put your woofer in a sealed enclosure, and you could have a system to enjoy for many years.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/KenwoodXR900-5

CROSSOVER RANGE - FREQUENCY RESPONSE

BASS EQ - FREQUENCY RESPONSE

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FOCAL

PS 165 FX Component Speaker REVIEW

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

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hen it comes to designing and manufacturing a truly good sounding loudspeaker, there is as much art in the process as there is science. No company understands this better than Focal. This is a company that is known for building some of the best-sounding home and car speakers for the past three decades, so they know a few things when it comes to building loudspeakers.

There are a few key concepts that Focal understands very well, like keeping the moving diaphragm of the loudspeaker low in mass so that it can accelerate and stop quickly. It must also be very rigid so that it functions well as a piston and does not deform when moving or changing direction. And lastly, it must be well damped to prevent unwanted coloration of the sound.

OrcaDesign.com

twitter.com/FocalAmerica

Adhering to these concepts is more difficult because ea of these properties contradicts one another in several ways.

For example, stiffness generally means more ma erial and therefore more mass - not good for accuracy. Low mass is also difficult o damp properly, so sound coloration occurs.

FEATURES In an effort to resolve these issues without resorting to ultra-expensive space age materials, the engineers at Focal developed a “sandwich” technique of cone manufacturing

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Focal-America.com

youtube.com/FocalAmerica

facebook.com/FocalAmerica instagram.com/FocalAmerica

MEASURED TECH SPECS Power Handling Crossover, Woofer Crossover, Tweeter Frequency Range Sensitivity Nominal Impedance

80 watts RMS -12 dB per octave -12 dB per octave 55-28000 Hz 87.3 dB/SPL @ 1 W/1 M 4 ohms

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P r em i u m O EM 2-OHM The Perfect Mix Of Power, Fit & Size Available now at car audio retailers (check www.powerbassusa.com/dealers for a dealer near you)

www.powerbassusa.com ©2014 PowerBass USA Inc.

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REVIEW

FOCAL PS 165 FX Component Speaker System FREQUENCY RESPONSE (showing tweeter and mid attenuation)

Focal PS 165FX -3dB Freq Resp

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that enables them to combine modern composites with natural materials. While thin skins of fiberglass pr ve to be the optimum material for rigidity, a lightweight yet strong and well-damped material is required for the core of the sandwich. Focal went looking for a material consisting of non-woven fibe s that could be formed into a cone by an automated stamping process to keep costs down.

The best material available happens to be a common crop in France – flax. Flax i also used for linseed and flax oils, but in thi case, the real focus is on the plant’s naturally straight and strong fibe s. One of the oldest textile fibe s I LISTEN LONG ENOUGH THAT I'VE known to man, fla ACTUALLY LOST TRACK OF TIME. has been used to WHEN I FINALLY HAVE MY NOTES make fabrics and paper for many cenCOMPLETE, I REALIZE I’VE BEEN turies. It is very low AUDITIONING THESE SPEAKERS FOR in mass (thanks to OVER FOUR HOURS! AFTER ALL THAT, a hollow center) and YOU HAVE TO KNOW THESE ARE FAIRLY its cellular structure provides excellent EXTRAORDINARY SPEAKERS. natural damping. In addition to its low mass and natural damping, flax is also ery strong, with a Young’s modulus of 60GPa similar to Kevlar fiber or aluminum The Focal engineers were so impressed with the potential that flax will be used i many of the brand's finest loudspea ers in the future, for both car and home audio lines.

My fi st experience with flax cone spea ers is a set of Performance Expert Series PS 165 FX components, which have a list price of $599.

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The 6.5-inch midrange obviously utilizes the breakthrough technology flax con augmented with a butyl rubber surround and specially-shaped phase plug. Focal goes to great lengths to discourage thieves, to the point of actually engraving the speaker serial number right on the inner edge of the surround where it attaches to the cone.

The midrange driver is built on a nice cast aluminum basket and the moving assembly is driven by a 1.25-inch voice coil, powered by a 3.6-inch ferrite motor. Flat spade type electrical connections are integrated into the basket and are solidly mounted. The motor assembly features chrome plated top and bottom plates. The whole driver has a high end look and feel.

The PS 165 FX tweeter is equipped with an aluminum/magnesium alloy inverted dome and PORON urethane suspension for long life and reliability. The tweeter comes with flush-style mounting cups or angle surface mount pods.

The crossover modules included in the kit are fairly typical in size, but they include the ability to bi-amp the system and use highquality components inside. You won’t fin any iron core inductors or electrolytic caps here - only air core inductors, mounted correctly to prevent magnetic interference, and polystyrene capacitors. There are two available adjustments in the crossover: a switch that changes the level of the tweeter by 3 dB, and another that has a similar effect on the upper midrange. These adjustments are designed to provide optimum system performance across a wide range of mounting locations. As an added luxury, the outer

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REVIEW

FOCAL PS 165 FX Component Speaker

surface of the housing is coated in a very nice soft touch material.

LISTENING I mount these speakers in my listening room baffles and s down to evaluate my fi st flax con loudspeakers. I’ll admit that before I began, I was skeptical about the system. I have been less than enamored with a few high-end Focal systems in the past few years, and it seemed to me like they’d lost their way in car audio. Plus, I’ve never been a real fan of metal dome tweeters.

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The fi st track I play is Anders Osborne’s Trippin’ in Montana. This is a very good recording, with plenty of subtle but interesting detail. The Focal PS 165 FX components sound spectacular. Good enough in fact to make me play the song twice. Suitably impressed, I move on to some other favorite tracks that can quickly

reveal a loudspeaker’s shortcomings.

I listen to acoustic piano and guitar, solo horns, very revealing female vocals, and rich harmonies. Regardless of the tracks I choose, the Focals do a superb job of reproducing the music with very little coloration. I note too, that these speakers don’t mind playing loud; they don't sacrifice an sonic excellence as the volume goes up. And as far as the metal dome tweeters go? Somehow even recordings that tend to be on the sibilant side sound better on this system.

I listen, then listen some more.

I listen long enough that I've actually lost track of time. When I finally ha e my notes complete, I realize I’ve been auditioning these speakers for over four hours! After all that, you have to know these are fairly extraordinary speakers. I’ve heard many home bookshelf systems that would not outperform this new Focal system.

Folks, the flax fiber orks.

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TR Untitled-2 Orca - Focal 1 PS165FX v2.indd 3

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@reikkenergie

12/18/2013 10/30/2013 10:44 11:02 AM

IF YOU ARE A SERIOUS LISTENER, WHEN YOU HEAR THESE YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY AND THEN SOME." System Impedance Response

CONCLUSION I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when I fi st read about the use of flax fiber as a cone m erial, but the PS 165 FX system has made me a believer.

The system is as accurate and natural sounding as other systems I’ve tested at almost twice the price.

Sure, $600 is a lot of money for a pair of car speakers, but if you are a serious listener, when you hear these you’ll understand why they are worth every penny and then some.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/FocalPS165FX

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Clarion NZ503 Navigation Receiver

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

clarion.com facebook.com/ClarionUSA @ClarionUSA

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with the flick o a finger or y simply touching the screen. A variety of background wallpapers can be selected or you can download your own. When the screen is closed, the edge contains a 12-digit LCD display for basic information. Theft prevention comes in the form of a four-digit access code that must be entered if the unit’s battery has been removed.

The navigation section of the receiver stores its mapping data on a 4GB Micro SD card cleverly hidden in the side edge of the LCD screen. The mapping data provides coverage for all 50 states, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. The software provides turn-by-turn visual and spoken guidance, lane guidance (where available) and maps can be updated by visiting a Clarion portal site on the Internet.

Bluetooth functionality is built into the NZ503 for hands-free calls and audio streaming from your smartphone. When streaming audio, the head unit controls can be used for basic functions such as track selection and fast forward/rewind. The unit comes complete with a microphone integrated into the front panel. An optional remotemounted microphone is also available.

Of course, the NZ503 is also fully compatible with the iPod/iPhone, and video playback is also supported if you purchase

f you are a regular PASMAG reader, you’ve probably read all the reviews we’ve done featuring high-end double DIN DVD/Navigation units. But what if you’re driving a car that won’t accept a double DIN chassis and you still want all the goodies?

Well, here’s some good news. The folks at Clarion have developed a cool new headunit that fi s perfectly in your single DIN dash opening, yet still provides you with a full 7-inch motorized touchscreen. Now you can enjoy the same size screen and convenience features that all your double DIN friends have been flaunting. The Clario product that accomplishes this feat is the NZ503. It has a retail price of $999, putting it roughly in the same price range as double DIN products.

When it comes to standard features, the Clarion NZ503 is fairly well-equipped, boasting all the usual accoutrements of a $1,000 DVD/Nav unit. Included is the 7-inch TFT touchscreen that motorizes smoothly out of the top half of the chassis, 2D or 3D navigation by TeleAtlas, built-in Parrot Bluetooth, Pandora compatibility, front and rear entertainment zones, and a true highperformance audio section.

For maximum readability, the motorized screen can be adjusted to one of fi e angles, the last being saved to memory so it will be retained even after powering off.

The screen is a high-resolution (800x400 px) unit that incorporates menu selections

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the optional connector cable. This feature provides access to many popular music apps such as iHeartRadio, Slacker and Rhapsody and video sources including YouTube and Netflix iPhone users can also take advantage of the Pandora Internet radio app (included) to create new stations, use the thumbs up/ down function and skip songs. For those living in metropolitan areas, an optional HD Radio tuner module is available. Ditto for XM/Sirius satellite radio – simply connect the optional tuner, and you’re good to go with your valid subscription.

All that sounds pretty cool, but I’ve been saving the best for last. You see, in addition to all of those cool features and functions, the audio section of the NZ503 is pretty terrific oo. A built-in amplifier is ra ed at 19 watts per channel, and the three pairs of pre-outs are ready to provide over 5 volts of clean output to your amplifie s! Couple that with a powerful DSP that includes high and low pass crossovers, a three-band parametric EQ, and Magna Bass EX, and you have a serious audio source at your disposal. The unit also comes with an IR remote control, and can be connected to your car’s steering wheel controls via an aftermarket adapter.

Check out one of these high performance units at a Clarion dealer near you, and tell ‘em Garry from PASMAG sent ya.

For more, visit pasmag.com/ClarionNZ503

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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Orion HCCA High Efficiency Midrange Speakers

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

orioncaraudio.com facebook.com/orion.car.audio @orioncaraudio

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omeone once said, “louder is always better.” For our readers who adhere to that credo (we know who you are), Orion has developed a special line of midrange drivers just for you.

These high efficiency dr ers are designed to provide the user with more SPL per watt than a traditional coaxial or component system, while at the same time, handle far more power than a normal coax or component speaker. The HCCA high-efficiency midrange dr ers are available in sizes ranging from 6 to 10 inches, in either 8 or 4 ohm impedances.

Designed from the ground up to be as efficient as possible an sound good while they’re at it, these midrange speakers are for anyone who simply wants louder playback while maintaining fidelit .

They are not sold with tweeters (as they already have a fairly high frequency cutoff), but they could easily be added o the system. In fact, you might want to take a look at the Orion HCCA TN-1 bullet tweeters, which are about the only ones I can think of that could keep up with these midranges.

The midrange drivers are built on rugged cast aluminum baskets, with four fi ed-location mounting holes. The cones are formed from pressed pulp fiber or very low mass and good sound. Surrounds are

the corrugated fabric type, used to reduce moving mass and retain maximum efficien . In the center of each cone is a very nice machined aluminum phase plug, which gives these speakers a true “professional” appearance. The lower side of the moving assembly is centered and damped by a linear poly-cotton spider, which also integrates the high current flat braided tinsel leads. The ruggedly moun ed electrical terminals are spring loaded and will accept up to 10-gauge wire.

The voice coil diameters range from a hefty 2 inches on the 6.5inch units, to a massive 3-inch coil on the 10-inch drivers. All of the high efficiency midrange dr ers utilize copper windings on Kapton formers for very high power handling, with continuous ratings from 450 to 700 watts depending on the driver size. In addition, the entire speaker is driven by an ultra high performance neodymium motor for maximum Bl product and output.

The Orion HCCA High Efficiency Midrange Spe ers are sold with a one-year warranty when purchased and installed by an authorized Orion dealer.

So if your conventional speakers just aren’t loud enough, or if turning your vehicle’s stereo into a portable DJ system appeals to you, head down to your local Orion dealer and check these out for yourself.

For more, visit pasmag.com/orionhccacompmids

HCCA MIDRANGE SPECIFICATIONS POWER DESCRIPTION SIZE RMS POWER WATTS NOMINAL POWER WATTS MAX MUSIC POWER WATTS IMPEDANCE VOICE COIL EFFICIENCY

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HCCA654NHP 6.50” 450 900 1800 4Ω 2.0” 98.8

HCCA84NHP 8.0” 650 1300 2600 4Ω 2.5” 102.8

HCCA104NHP HCCA658NHP 10” 6.50” 700 450 1400 900 2800 1800 4Ω 8Ω 3.0” 2.0” 103.9 99.1

HCCA88NHP 8.0” 650 1300 2600 8Ω 2.5” 102.9

HCCA108NHP 10” 700 1400 2800 8Ω 3.0” 103.9

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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POWERPAGE

MSD Atomic EFI Atomic LS Fuel/ECU Rails

Swap your LS wi th less mess

MSDignition.com facebook.com/MSDperformance @MSDignition youtube.comMSDvideosdotcom

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he GM LS is a legendary engine in a multitude of applications, from hot rodding to sports car racing, muscle cars and drifting. Its diminutive size and raw power makes it one of the most sought-after engines for conversions, and for anyone who's ever completed an engine swap, it can lead to its fair share of headaches.

The Atomic LS from MSD is designed to make your engine swap easier than ever by eliminating the bulky ECU and complex wiring configurations that come with the job. Instead, the Atomic LS incorporates all of the electronics right into the fuel rail. Bolting the EFI/ECU directly onto the engine in plain sight drastically reduces the wiring of an LS fuel-injection system, giving your engine a clean look that is easily serviceable.

The aluminum fuel rails house all the EFI electronics necessary, while the interior diameter of each rail is equivalent to a -8AN line to feed enough fuel for virtually any engine - even nitrous or forced injection up to 1,000 horsepower. The result is a highperformance EFI that is more installer- and

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user-friendly, without any drawbacks of traditional systems.

The ECU communicates via MSD's proprietary, patent-pending CAN-Bus technology, connecting the system using the same factory connectors as the engine block. Each bank of the Atomic LS has only the necessary connectors for each side; the crank sensor circuit even recognizes whether the engine is a 24- or 58-tooth trigger wheel, resulting in one less programming step!

In fact, the system is so well-designed that a computer isn't necessary at all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Atomic LS/ECU rail kit is completely selflearning. Using the handheld programmer, you can easily program the ECU for different temperatures for up to two cooling fans, advance or delay ignition timing by

10 degrees over the factory setting, select a rev-limit through fuel feed or ignition cutoff, adjust air-ratio targets, WB02, or even nitrous inputs. When the engine is setup for optimal performance, you can either unplug the unit or keep it connected for real-time readouts of each item. With or without programming experience, tuning a swapped LS engine has never been easier.

The Atomic LS/ECU fuel rail is the perfect complement for anyone searching for an easy install, a show-winning engine build or even motorsport teams that want to reduce wire buildup. As a testament to its durability, Formula Drift driver Nikolay Konstantinov uses the very same system on his 480 horsepower Nissan S13 240SX/LS2 engine.

Whatever the application, there is an Atomic LS/ECU rail kit for you. Each model is designed to operate with a specific engine intake manifold (i.e. LS2 or LS7 platform) and has an optional coil cover accessory to customize your system even further.

For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/MSDAtomicEFI

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BELTRONICS

STiR Plus Radar and Laser Detector

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

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beltronics.com

'm a firm eliever in using top quality radar detectors in all my vehicles, and over the years these devices have paid for themselves many times over. Only once did I receive a 'performance reward' from the local gendarme while using a good detector. On that occasion, I was travelling three miles per hour over the limit and chose to ignore a laser warning thinking I was well within the usual leeway most offi ers afford. Nope. I was cited for going 78 mph in a 75 zone. If that’s not a classic example of tickets used solely for revenue generation, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, I’ve learned my lesson, and now I use only the highest performance radar and laser detection I can find. And than s to innovative features like exclusive “ESCORT Live!” connectivity, my choice of detectors is almost exclusively something made by Beltronics, which also build Escort/Passport branded products.

The latest (and I believe greatest) performer in their lineup is the new STiR Plus. The STiR Plus is an installed highperformance stealth defense system. The unit is designed to be completely hidden or blended into your interior using six separate components: a display module that is less than 2 inches wide (yet still easy to read), a similarly sized control module, an interface breakout box to provide the connection ports for all the pieces and, of course, the

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weather and waterproof radar module itself.

Also included is an amplified spea er and a dual color hidden Alert LED. The system is designed to make it disappear in your interior, without compromising on the performance or functionality of the product.

Speaking of functionality, this one has it all. You get full coverage for X, K, Ka Radar, and Laser. But most importantly, an all-new Ka frequency programming feature allows on or off moni oring for all Ka radar bands. This excellent feature allows each segment in the Ka band to be turned on or off individ ally. The result is increased range and faster alerts because the unit isn’t forced to scan every possible frequency. If you are unsure which bands can be safely turned off in our area, a convenient “tech mode” displays the frequencies the police are using. Once you

discover these frequencies, the others can be safely disabled. Thanks to this feature your Ka alerts will occur sooner and, when they do, you’ll know it’s a real threat.

The STiR Plus also provides an advanced GPS function which is extremely effective at false alert learning. False alert locations are stored in memory, which is incredibly effective at reducing false alarms. The unit I tested learned several regular falses that I get on my daily commute in only two trips.

For even better coverage and security, you can even connect the STiR Plus to your Windows-based computer and download the latest updated information from the DEFENDER database, such as photo speed camera alerts and even firmware upda es.

If these devices are frowned upon in your location, rest assured that Beltronics

» PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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THE BELTRONICS STiR PLUS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE BEST PERFORMING RADAR AND LASER DEFENSE SYSTEM I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF USING. " patented TotalShield technology makes the STiR Plus 100% invisible to all radar detectors around the world. That means the VG2, VG4, all forms of Stalcar and Spectre and yes, even the OPP’s Spectre up yonder in Canada.

I completed a temporary installation of the system in my truck in a couple of hours, mounting the detector head just under my front bumper low and in the center, and my trusted Passport SRX right below the head.

The connections to the interface box made things very simple and all the components simply plug in. Since I’m pretty familiar with high-performance radar products, I am astounded at how much better the STiR Plus is compared to my Passport SRX. Not only did I receive earlier warnings, but I am also surprised at how much better the STiR Plus is at picking up signals from behind me. The audio ramp-up worked very well, providing excellent auditory information to let me know how strong (close) the threat was. LiDAR signal warnings seemed instan-

taneous, and the sound the unit makes for a LiDAR alert lets you know whether or not it’s time to stand on the brakes. Granted, the SRX is a bit dated, but the overall performance difference the STiR brings is amazing. At least twice, the STiR bested the alert from my SRX by at least two seconds.

Guess which one is now going to find a permanent home in my truck?

The Beltronics STiR Plus is without question the best performing radar and laser defense system I have ever had the pleasure of using. Granted, this level of performance and stealth doesn’t come cheap, as the STiR Plus has a suggested retail price of $1,299.95. But that still makes it about 400 bucks cheaper than the Passport 9500ci, which comes with laser shifters that some folks won’t ever need. But more importantly, the 9500ci does not include the very important ability to program which Ka bands you need to monitor, a standard feature on the STiR. Considering I still get far more Ka band alerts than LiDAR alerts, I believe the band programmability is more useful than the jammers. But if you want the maximum protection possible, the STiR is compatible with front and rear blockers.

If you are looking for what is arguably the very best radar/laser defense system available, and you want or need a product that is designed to accommodate a stealth-type install, quit looking right now and go get a Beltronics STiR Plus. You can thank me later – and you will.

For more information on all Beltronics products, check them out online at www.beltronics.com.

For more, visit pasmag.com/BeltronicsSTiRPlus

www.ZT-2.com sales@ZT-2.com (310) 328 1234 QUALITY FIRST !

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE BITANGA (WWW.STEVEBITANGA.COM) GIDEON PEREZ (WWW.GIDEONPEREZ.COM)

HAIR & MAKEUP BY VALERIE JC (WWW.ICONIMAGE.COM) WARDROBE BY ACQUA COUTURE SWIMWEAR (WWW.ACQUACOUTURE.COM) STALKER INFO ARIKASATO.COM /ARIKASATO @ARIKASATO /ARIKASATO

BIRTH DATE

MAY 26 Location

BEVERLY HILLS

CALIFORNIA

ZODIAC SIGN

GEMINI

HEIGHT: 5’5”

WEIGHT: 110 LBS.

Measurements

32C | 24 | 33

ETHNICITY

JAPANESE HOMETOWN

Torrance, CA

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ARIKA SATO

the

INTERVIEW WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I AM ORIGINALLY FROM TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA AND LIVED THERE UNTIL I WAS 18.

AFTER THAT I WENT TO UCSD IN SAN DIEGO AND USC FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL, WHERE I LIVED IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, WHICH I LOVED! NOW I LIVE IN BEVERLY HILLS - IT’S A LITTLE BIT MORE RELAXED BUT GORGEOUS! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AS A MODEL? I HAVE NO IDEA! MAYBE MY WARDROBE BECAUSE I LOVE FASHION AND STYLING! I ALSO LOVE DOING MY MAKEUP. PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME FOR FASHION AND BEAUTY ADVICE, SO THAT’S WHAT INSPIRED ME TO MAKE MY “MODEL TIPS” YOUTUBE VIDEO SERIES. I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL BUT WITH THE TIPS AND TRICKS I’VE

LEARNED OVER THE YEARS, I ENJOY TEACHING THE GIRLS THAT ARE WILLING TO LEARN! DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS... NERDY, HAPPY AND GLAMOROUS! (LOL) I AM A HUGE NERD BECAUSE I LOVE COMPUTERS, GAMES AND TOYS. I AM SO HAPPY AND APPRECIATIVE ABOUT EVERY MOMENT IN LIFE, AND I LIVE FOR BEAUTY AND FASHION. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MODELING HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR? I HAVE BEEN ON COVERS OF SOME WELL KNOWN MAGAZINES AND HOSTED FOR SPIKE TV AND MAXIM’S GEAR GIRL. I LOVED BEING ON MTV

AND ALSO BEING A PART OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CALENDAR. I HAVE ALSO HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN MUSIC VIDEOS AND TV SHOWS ON FX, HBO, E! AND MORE. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES. I AM ALSO APPRECIATIVE OF THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE I HAVE MET ON THESE SHOOTS. DOES YOUR PERSONALITY MATCH YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? A GEMINI CAN GET ALONG WITH ANYONE. THEY FIND WAYS TO ADAPT TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND I CAN REALLY DO THAT – WHETHER IT'S A NIGHTCLUB OR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY! GEMINIS ARE ALSO GREAT MULTITASKERS – I WAS MODELING/ ACTING AND PRODUCING YOUTUBE VIDEOS WHILE EARNING MY MASTER'S DEGREE AT USC... NOT BAD RIGHT?☺

104 » PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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ARIKA SATO WHAT IS THE STRANGEST PHOTO SHOOT YOU’VE DONE? I DON’T KNOW ABOUT PHOTO SHOOTS, BUT I DO STRANGE VIDEO SHOOTS ALL THE TIME! I HAVE SOME PRETTY CREATIVE VIDEOS ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, INCLUDING A HORROR MOVIE CALLED “ARIKA’S BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE” WHERE I DREAM I AM IN A HORROR MOVIE WITH TONS OF FAMOUS MONSTERS - IT WAS FUN TO SHOOT AND KINDA SCARY! I ALSO HAVE A GRAND THEFT AUTO-TYPE VIDEO WHERE I AM THIS CRAZY LADY WHO STEALS THINGS! A LOT OF VIDEOS ON MY CHANNEL ARE STRANGE BUT THEY ARE A TON OF FUN. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? SUSHI! I AM JAPANESE SO I EAT ALL OF THE EXOTIC SUSHI. ☺ WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR? AN ASTON MARTIN CONVERTIBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE FAST AND SEXY. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR TURNONS? SMART GUYS AND EDUCATED GUYS - I GUESS NERDS! (HAHA) NERDY IS HOT.

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HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PICKUP LINES? IF A PICK-UP LINE WORKS, THEN THAT'S AMAZING. I DEFINITELY DON’T THINK IT’S A DEAL-BREAKER, BECAUSE IF YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ANYWAYS! ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW WILD ARE YOU IN THE BEDROOM? I THINK I'M SHY! I THINK I CAN BE A ONE BUT ALSO A 10. IT DEPENDS HOW AMAZING MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER IS! WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED? A BIG, FLUFFY, FUZZY ONESIE... NOT! A TANK TOP AND BOOTY SHORTS. I LIKE TO FEEL MY SOFT SHEETS...

HAVE YOU POSED IN THE NUDE? NEVER! ONLY ON MY PHONE, BUT THOSE GET DELETED. ;) WHO ARE YOUR HEROES IN REAL-LIFE? MY PARENTS. THEY HAVE SAVED ME FROM SO MANY SITUATIONS WHEN I WAS STUCK OR DOWN, SO THEY ARE DEFINITELY MY BATMAN AND CATWOMAN!

12/18/2013 4:44 PM

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR TURN-ONS?

SMART GUYS AND EDUCATED GUYS I GUESS NERDS! (HAHA) NERDY IS HOT. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY? TO HAVE A CLONE. SOMETIMES I WANT TO BE AT TWO PLACES AT ONCE, SO TO HAVE A CLONE WOULD BE SPECTACULAR! DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOUT OUTS? MY FAMILY - MY MOM, DAD, GRANDMA AND MY BIG BRO! A BIG THANKS TO ALL MY AMAZING FANS, YOU GUYS ARE MY FRIENDS AND I THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME FROM THE BEGINNING. ALSO A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY BEST FRIEND ERIKA, WHO HAS BEEN WITH ME SINCE DAY ONE AND MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION! AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A BIG HUG TO THE OTHER AMAZING MODELS OUT THERE! LOVE YOU ALL! <3 For additional photos, visit pasmag.com/ArikaSato

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A photography major student approached me when I was waitressing and asked if I would be her model for a project.

I thought I was too short to ever be a model. So, I jumped on her offer immediately. I then saw a Prestigious Models ad, winged it, applied and got accepted!

ETHNICITY: VIETNAMESE ZODIAC: LIBRA CAR: 1992 ACURA NSX

What gets you in the mood?

Ooh, light strokes along my neck and back and those teaser kisses where your lips are barely even touching.

Sadly, another turn-on includes watching a guy "beast" at a game.

MOLLY.TRUONG @MARI_FOREST MOMARI_EST

Superpower:

I'd like to teleport because I’m, more often than not, tardy but I’d prefer speedyflying powers because I love traveling and I’d like to be able to soak in the scenery.

Either way, they’re both time and cost-efficient, which would come in handy with rising gas prices.

110 » PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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AD INDEX Absolute USA Inc. ................................................................................... 81 American Bass ......................................................................................... 19 Arc Audio Inc . .......................................................................................... 75 Audiomobile ............................................................................................. 57 Audiopipe ................................................................................................... 83 Audison ....................................................................................................... 54 Batcap by Xstatic ................................................................................. 108 BLITZ - Option Auto Salon . .............................................................. 41 Boss Audio Systems . ............................................................................ 73 Caché Audio .............................................................................................. 84 Cerwin-Vega Mobile .............................................................................. 15 Clarion .......................................................................................................... 21 CTEK Power USA . ................................................................................. 64 DashCommand ..................................................................................... 109 DD Audio .................................................................................................... 63 Diamond Audio ..................................................................................... 105 Drifz Wheels ............................................................................................. 61 Dynamat ...................................................................................................... 12 EBC Brakes ................................................................................................ 39 Eibach Springs - Option Auto Salon .......................................... 101 Eneos . ........................................................................................................... 29 Enjuku Racing Parts, LLC. .............................................................. 109 EXEDY Globalparts Corporation .................................................... 3 Focal - ORCA Design & Manufacturing Corp. ....................... 85 Formula Drift 10th Anniversary Book . .................................... 114 FUSION Electronics USA .................................................................. 93 Garrett by Honeywell ........................................................................... 2 GO PUCK .................................................................................................. 103 Icon Media, Inc. ..................................................................................... 106 Incriminator Audio ............................................................................... 89 Injen Technology ............................................................................... 4, 82 Installer Institute .................................................................................. 111 iSimple ......................................................................................................... 43 JL Audio ...................................................................................................... 59

JRP - Johnston Research & Performance ................................... 5 KICKER ........................................................................................................77 Knukonceptz.com .................................................................................. 91 Kumho Tires ................................................................................................ 9 KW automotive North America Inc. . .......................................... 51 Lightning Audio ..................................................................................... 95 Lucas Oil Products, Inc. ...................................................................... 23 Lumens High Performance Lighting ......................................... 99 McGard ......................................................................................................... 11 MediaFlair . ................................................................................................. 71 Memphis Car Audio ............................................................................. 97 Niche Road Wheels . ............................................................................. 37 ORACLE Lighting INC . ...................................................................... 25 Orion High Performance Car Audio ............................................ 17 Philips Electronics ................................................................................ 65 PIAA Corporation . ................................................................................ 45 Pioneer Electronics Inc. ...................................................................... 13 Powerbass .................................................................................................. 87 Raceland USA ........................................................................................... 31 Racing Beat ............................................................................................... 38 Reikken ........................................................................................................ 90 Rockford Fosgate ................................................................................... 53 Sony Corporation of America . ...................................................... 116 SPC Performance . ............................................................................... 107 Spec Inc ....................................................................................................... 67 ST Suspensions....................................................................................... 113 Stoptech - Motovicity .......................................................................... 35 Super Bright LEDs Inc. ....................................................................... 79 Tein - Option Auto Salon ................................................................... 27 TSW Wheels ............................................................................................. 115 Turbo Kits .................................................................................................. 44 Vossen Wheels ............................................................................................ 6 Whiteline US . ........................................................................................... 66 Zeitronix Inc. ......................................................................................... 100

112 » PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND

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