About a year ago, while back in Manila I had a chance to hangout with some of the Subaru Society members and one of those was Carlo the owner of this sick Sti.

At the time of this photo Carlo had the following mods:
Custom front lip
Advan wheels
S203 wing
Damd steering wheel- I love this steering wheel.
invidia exhaust…
KW coilovers
Goodridge brakelines
Rear diffuser
Rear exhaust trim
Sti shift knob
Sti flexible strut bar
Pipercross drop in filter
STI pedals
Greddy turbo timer
Perrin shorty antenna

I cannot wait to see what else Carlo has added to this car when I go back in April. To see more photos of this car visit www.blog.michaelkalbo.com

Cheers
Michael KALBO

Yes, we’ve featured this before. Yes, it’s had its publicity both here and abroad. Yes, it’s still one of the cleanest and dopest stanced Civics on this side of the planet. That’s why we’re showing it to you again. Looking awesome by being neat, clean, and simple is something we’ll never tire of. So cheers to Omar’s Neatcrew Honda Civic Orthia Facelift.

Related Stuff:
- See more coverage of the cars from the 2012 PornFest.
- See more custom cars from Stance Pilipinas.
- See more customized and tuned Honda Civics here.

And then we enter Intex Osaka. On the main hall was a whole-day concert on stage with different shows. It was surprising to see how crowded the venue was, considering its huge proportions.

Entering Hall 2 (Hall 1 was the foodcourt), we were greeted by an Alpina B3 GT3 right at the entrance.

3-liter straight six, twin turbo, 408hp. The monster 6-pot calipers hide behind the familiar set of Alpina Classic forged alloy wheels.

The thing gives Porsches a run for their money.

Akrapovic, of motorcycle exhaust fame, made the titanium exhaust system for the Alpina B3 GT3.

Alpina is making only 99 of these 3-series-on-crack, and I’m pretty sure that they’ll all be sold out in a jiffy.

Afterwards, we moved to the Subaru exhibit right across from the BMW section. Moving through the hordes of auto-otaku, we saw a Subaru concept car, the Advanced Tourer concept, which appears to be the next Legacy.

I doubt that the semi-gullwing doors will make it into production.

The Subaru section also featured the GT300 Legacy, which won 2 class wins in the Super GT series.

Sure, there was a Super GT race car on display. But the most crowded Subaru display was this:

The highly anticipated offspring from Toyota and Subaru: The BRZ. Nearly identical to its Toyota 86 twin, it grabs just as much attention.

The BRZ and 86 are about to revive the low-cost, high-performance auto segment; which saw a long drought of cheaper performance cars with the death of names like the Nissan Silvia, Honda S2000, Toyota MR-S, and so on.

Loads more automotive goodness on Part 3!

In case you missed Part 1 <– see it here!

The AE92 Toyota Corolla marked the Corolla’s departure from the rear-wheel-drive layout, and the introduction of the front-wheel-drive Corolla. Now I don’t want to start a debate around here as to which platform is better – FWD or RWD, as each layout has both their advantages and disadvantages. But either way, the AE92 Corolla has still managed to make its mark in our local car tuning culture.

Take a look at this stanced AE92 Toyota Corolla. I just love the way it has been set up. Takata green mesh wheels with polished lip wrapped with low profile rubber tucked under the fenders of the clean white paint looks awesome. It’s very rare to find a good combination of green wheels on a white car, unless it’s dressed in racing livery. But here, it’s such a stunning combination.

The bumpers have been replaced with JDM versions, and the black chin, fog lights, wagon face, roof/bike rack, and tintless windows all combine to give it a Euro-inspired look. Plus the hood scoop teases you to think that there’s probably some forced induction sitting in the engine bay. I love the complete package. Is it Euro? Is it JDM? Probably neither. This is PhDM! And I’d have to say, this is probably the best, if not one of the best looking AE92′s around. Do you agree?

Related Stuff:
- See more coverage of cars from the 2012 PornFest.
- See more Stance Pilipinas cars here.
- See more customized Toyota Corollas here.

Roberto Minosa reporting live from Intex Osaka. Brought to you by Custom Pinoy Rides and Team A Motorsports.

The moment we stepped off the tram, we knew we were going some place epic. It was practically a car show along the road. It felt like every car nut in Osaka was going to the Motor Show.

A bone-stock NSX was in line for the parking area of Intex Osaka.

An S2000 was also in line. All-stock performance cars like these are becoming a rarity even here in Japan.

Here’s something we don’t see everyday: a pristine Alfa Romeo Giulia.

American cars are a bit of a novelty for the Japanese.

Just two cool cars moving along.

We also saw this cool Type-R themed Odyssey. It’s got the stance, the looks, and seats seven.

And here’s the venue: a behemoth of a structure, with five halls each the size of an aircraft hangar.

You can see how the Japanese take their cars seriously. This is the queue to the ticket booth.

Let’s go inside Intex on Part Two! (Coming Soon!)

The Subaru Impreza WRX is known as one of the most desired tuner cars from the land of the rising sun – Japan. With a 2.5L turbocharged engine in a compact body the size of your grandma’s Honda Civic, to the uninitiated, it’s like a wolf in sheep’s clothing… a ninja amongst a mass of humans.

Just like a Ninja, this WRX is equipped with a plethora of concealed weapons used to conquer the track. Sure, it show a handsome, well groomed persona on the outside (thanks in part to the spectacular Rota G-Force wheels), but on the inside, it’s a different story. This car has been modified where it counts.

We were lucky to have photographed Aurick’s Impreza just after he gave it a thorough workout during the 2012 PornFest, before it sped off into the darkness to reign terror through the night. And we have the red apocalyptic sunset in the background for effect.

Read on to find out what modifications have been done to Aurick Go‘s Subaru Impreza WRX, turning it into the Ninja Impreza that it is today…

Specifications

Subaru Impreza WRX

Engine
ECU Reflash
AGR Exhaust Full Turbo back custom exhaust
Sard Vacuum Hoses

Brakes and Suspension
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Project Mu Slotted Rotors Front
Endless MX72 Front Brake Pads
Hawk HPS Rear Brake Pads
BC Racing V1 Coilovers

Wheels and Tires
Rota G-Force 18×8.5 +38
Nitto NT555 235/40/18

Aesthetics
STI CF Wing
Juran Rubber Chin
Red Tint Tail lamp Overlay
Yellow Tint Fog lamp Overlay

Interior
STI 5MT Duracon Shift Knob
Defi-link Advance CR Boost Gauge
Defi-link Advance Controller
Napolex Broadway 300mm Blue Lens Convex Mirror

Aurick’s Shoutout:
“I’d like to thank my parents first of all for supporting me with my hobby (even if andami laging sira or glitches sa oto, they’re very understanding of the nature of my hobby) the fact that they let me go out and drive at motorsports events means a lot to me. I’d also like to thank all my friends at ACE for influencing me throughout the build my car. Lastly i’d like to give credit to Migs Herrera, Andrew Dy and the whole crew at Speedy Fix for maintaining and keeping my car running despite all the hard runs I put it through.”

Related Stuff:
- See more coverage of the 2012 PornFest.
- See more customized and tuned Subaru Imprezas here.
- See more cars equipped with Rota Wheels here.

The Chaser was a luxurious mid-size sedan produced by Toyota since 1977. The first generation Chaser, same as our featured car for today, was famous for being one of the quietest cars on the road during its time.

But the car you see on today’s feature is no longer the same as when it first rolled out of Toyota’s assembly plant. It looks similar, somewhat, but its attitude is no longer the same. Gone is the goody-two-shoes daddy-o aura of the original car. It now sits lower to the ground, with aftermarket wheels, and awesome fitment. Totally Shakotan!

It also sports one of those passenger train grab handles or tsurikawa dangling below the rear bumper, reminiscent of rebellious Japanese culture where they used to illegally take those grab handles from local trains and hang them under the rear bumpers to show-off their bad boy attitude.

Shakotan is a car tuning culture in Japan that has been around since the 1970′s. Shako means “ground clearance” and Tan means “short“. So Shakotan cars are those which have short ground clearance. Just like the Toyota Chaser you see here today. Sometimes, Shakotan cars can be seen with overfenders and sometimes even huge spoilers. Though this car doesn’t sport that, who cares. It’s neat, stylish, and slammed. The tsurikawa is there to show and accentuate the ride height.

So seeing this old school classic luxury car rolling on today’s streets, Shakotan style, is a sight to behold.

Check out the rear view below…

Photos taken during the 2012 PornFest at FTI, Taguig, during the round-up of cars from Stance Pilipinas.

Related Stuff:
- See more cars from Stance Pilipinas here.
- See more coverage of the 2012 PornFest.
- More customized and tuned old school cars here.

Rounding up the stanced cars together before closing off the PornFest. Close up photos of these cars coming soon!

Photo by Philip Aragones

The Mazda RX-7 FD is considered to be a legend not only amongst other JDM vehicles, but also compared to all other sports cars in the world. It is considered to be one of the finest handling and best balanced cars of all time, thanks to its low center of gravity and 50:50 weight distribution.

It has received tons of accolades from motoring journalists all over the world. Wikipedia says:

The FD RX-7 was Motor Trend‘s Import Car of the Year. When Playboy magazine first reviewed the FD RX-7 in 1993, they tested it in the same issue as the [then] new Dodge Viper. In that issue, Playboy declared the RX-7 to be the better of the two cars. It went on to win Playboy‘s Car of the Year for 1993. The FD RX-7 also made Car and Driver magazine’s Ten Best list for 1993 through 1995, for every year in which it was sold state-side. June, 2007 Road&Track magazine proclaimed “The ace in Mazda’s sleeve is the RX-7, a car once touted as the purest, most exhilarating sports car in the world.

Because of this, owners of Mazda RX-7 FD’s consider their cars to be keepers.

Chepe Feliciano is one of those lucky FD owners. He took this white Mazda RX-7 FD3S and turned into an even more competent machine best suited for what he loves doing – going on togue runs, and long trips. Hence, the car has been setup to be used as a togue car and a touring car for out of town trips.

We met up with Chepe over the weekend during the 2012 PornFest, where he brought his RX-7 with him for some gymkhana action. After giving the car a workout, it was ready give us a sexy pose in front of our camera just upon sundown.

Read on to see the full specs and mods that Chepe has done to turn his RX-7 into the togue and touring car machine that it is today…

Specifications

1999 Mazda RX-7 FD3S
Original 2-Rotor Twin-Turbo 13B-REW
Cusco Coilovers
Cusco Strut Bar
Endless CCR Brake Pads
Edelbrock Stainless Brake Lines
Polished Twin Air Filters and Intercooler Pipes
HKS Grounding Kit
Custom 3-inch Exhaust
18×9.5 on all Wheels
Carbon Hood
Carbon Chin
Carbon Wing
Dori Dori Side Skirts

Photo taken by Philip Aragones during the 2012 PornFest.

Related Stuff:
- See more coverage and cars from the PornFest here.
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Photos from BenSopra.com

Judging from the massive number of pageviews we received from the GReddy 35RX Nissan GT-R cracks 333kph Fuji Speedway Top Speed Challenge video posted yesterday, it seems there was a good amount of interest about the said vehicle. On the video, we talked about what the folks at GReddy had done to make the car go quick as hell. Now, we’ll talk about the body kit and aerodynamics built around the car.

See, if the F1 cars managed to reach 310kph on Fuji Speedway, while the GReddy 35RX Nissan GT-R managed 333kph, then there must be something about the aerodynamics of the car that made it possible. Yes, the Ben Sopra Nissan GT-R Widebody Aero Kit isn’t just for show. A lot of research, development, and testing was done to the body kit to allow the car to run beyond the speeds it was meant for.

DSport Magazine caught up with Tarzan Yamada during one of the previous testing sessions of the prototype versions of the Ben Sopra body kit. Here’s what they had to say:

“The previous aero parts caused instability above 200MPH. With the boost set to 1.8 bar, Tarzan managed a best of 327KPH (203MPH). Gone was the shuddering and instability from the previous aero but drag had also increased. The result was shy of the 330+ KPH realized before. However, the data would be useful in optimizing the aero before the boost is raised to 2.0 bar (which delivers an additional 100 horsepower) for its future record-setting attempt.”

Now, it seems they have already perfected the design, as it was already officially launched in the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon held last January 13, 2012.

Let us take you through a tour around the Ben Sopra Nissan R35 GT-R Widebody Aero Kit as we show you the nitty-gritty details and the science behind the body kit. Check it out…

The body kit sports a one-piece tilting front clip. Notice shape of the wheel well behind the wheel. It is designed to vent the high-pressure air that builds up because of the scoop shape of a normal wheel well, and vent some of the heat coming from the front brakes. Also notice the small diffusers at the tips of the front splitter, right before the front wheels, designed to smooth the airflow right before the front wheels, so that the air doesn’t have to make a quick 90 degree turn going up and around the top part of the wheel, before it exits the vents behind the front wheel.

The side view gives you a look of the massive overfenders. It also shows the extent of the modifications done to alter the body of the Nissan GT-R. To put it in plain words, once you install the Ben Sopra body kit, there’s no turning back. The wide body kit extends the width of the car by 4 inches. Check out the side skirts and side splitters. See the hole behind the rear wheel? I’d say it’s there for a reason – cooling the rear brakes.

The most prominent part of the rear is a cantilever-mounted rear wing, located as high and far back as possible so that clean air flows into the rear wing in a straight direction, so it becomes efficient in generating downforce. The rear bumper also mimicks design of the vents behind the front wheels, and there is a diffuser under the rear bumper, designed to suck the air from underneath, causing the car to be sucked towards the ground, greatly influencing how the car behaves in the corners.

Heres’ how the car looks like in white, with custom graphics and livery on it. Awesome don’t you think?

So how much does it cost to get a body kit like this? Well, reportedly, it will cost around $45,000 or close to 2 Million Pesos. Add the cost to get the engine tuned via GReddy generating 1250hp, and you’ve got yourself a car that will make Bugatti Veyron owners nervous… if or when a Veyron would come to the Philippines.

In case you missed the Ben Sopra equipped GReddy 35RX Nissan GT-R cracks 333kph Fuji Speedway Top Speed Challenge video, watch it now!

Related Stuff:
- See more customized and tuned Nissan GT-R’s here.
- See more custom body kits here.
- Watch more awesome action videos here.