When the owner of this stunning Corolla wanted to build a light and agile street/track car, he spared no expense in backing up the whole effort. After all, it was supposed to deliver a high level of performance in a car show-worthy package. Quite difficult and very costly, but based on the outcome and the mods that it currently boasts of and the numerous car show awards which it has already garnered. This show worthy and track ready Corolla has perfectly accomplished what the owner wanted.

The fun starts once you pop the hood where a very detailed, 20-valve, 4AGE, “blacktop” engine resides between its fender wells. Prepped and rebuilt by well-known Toyota specialist engine builder Fil Gulfin of Gulfspeed, he utilized stouter aftermarket parts like forged pistons, cams, cam gears, valve springs, and a metal head gasket to keep the engine bullet-proof at sustained high rpm’s. Just like most normally aspirated engine set ups that are squeezed for every ounce of performance, they have resorted to oversized forged pistons and the 20-valve cylinder head has been fully massaged. These are just some of the important mods to undertake when building a high performance N/A engine. Forged pistons offer durability and increased displacement, while proper cylinder head work optimizes the flow of the intake and exhaust charge. Together these are vital steps in making the engine put out more power. The factory ECU was then replaced in favor of an aftermarket unit from MINE’s and a Greddy E-manage piggyback ECU. Doing so enables the engine to be dialed in with a custom setting that lets it operate under a more aggressive fuel and ignition signal as compared with the conservatively programmed stock ECU. In addition, this lets the engine make full use of the different engine mods to make even more power.

Since this is a dedicated track/street car, suspending this lightweight runner is a set of TEIN Mono-Flex coil-over dampers along with an Electronic Damping Force Controller (EDFC). What’s great about Tein’s EDFC is that it permits on-board damper setting changes to suit varying road/track conditions. Excess body roll is further limited by thicker TRD anti-roll bars and strut bars at the fore and aft. In keeping with the show theme, it rolls on a multi-spoked ARD Monoblock 17-inch wheels shod with the requisite and super sticky Advan AD08 tires. Apart from the unique Euro-2 front fascia, the Corolla’s exterior lines remains stock with the exception of a subtle body skirt and a front chin spoiler. This is quite a refreshing sight among the hordes of builds that have numerous custom body panels.

Inside, the JDM-themed interior is further stressed with the best aftermarket performance parts that Japan has to offer, like the Bride bucket seats, Defi gauges, Nardi steering wheel and lots more, leaving enough space for a complete audio/video system to boot. Overall, this is one well-built Corolla that’s a done deal for it has literally everything you could want or think of putting in, plus so much more.

Engine Mods
TODA cams, cam gears, valve springs, head gasket, and timing belt. Forged pistons, Exedy lightened flywheel, ACT 6 pack clutch, Greddy oil cooler, TRD plug wires,
Cold air intake, Cusco oil catch can, Fuel pressure regulator, MINE’s ECU, Greddy E-Manage (ultimate) 140 wHP (dyno’d)

Suspension/Brake Mods
TEIN Mono-Flex coil-over dampers with EDFC, TRD anti-roll bars, TRD strut bar, DBA (slotted/cross-drilled) big brake upgrade,

Interior Mods
BRIDE bucket seats and custom door panel upholstery, Defi gauges, Nardi steering wheel,

Wheels/Tires
17-inch ARD Monoblock Wheels
Advan Neova AD08

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The 370Z came about when Nissan thought of refining the already alluring 350Z and looked for aspects that could be improved upon. Thankfully, it now sports more power, better handling and even blips the throttle for you during down shifts. Seriously, I mean what’s not to like about the 370Z? Well, if you’re a performance enthusiast this only serves as a starting point towards more dyno-busting power and awesome looks.

Under the hood the 370Z is powered by an all-aluminum, 3.7-liter, V6 engine (VQ37VHR). The N/A engine comes with Nissan’s Variable Valve and Lift Control and produces 332 bhp. Closer inspection on this particular engine will reveal an aftermarket intake system from HKS. Taking advantage of the VQ engine’s twin intake system, HKS developed their own dual open element HKS racing suction kit. The kit comes with lightweight dual aluminum suction pipes that allow more air to flow more smoothly. More importantly it comes with HKS’ high-flowing wet 2-layer dual density polyurethane filter element and Super Funnel for the absolute in performance. Next up on the mods list is a Powerhouse Amuse titanium exhaust. I’m sure most of you know who this company is and what they’re capable of making. Just think of them as Japanese exotica and you get the idea. Being made from titanium means its very, very light. How light? Well, the stock unit roughly weighs 46lbs while the Amuse unit weighs a scant 13.6lbs! As for the bling factor, the burnt blue color on the ends of the muffler housing and on the exhaust tips really look cool. Performance-wise the intake and the exhaust mod should probably add more than fifteen or even more horses at the wheel and plus ten or more clicks on the torque.

On the outside, this 370Z looks unlike any other out there as it has an Amuse Vestito body kit to boast of. Aside from performance products, Amuse has also been known to produce well-designed body kits and this one stands as one of their best work so far. From the subtle splitters that ride on the edges of the front bumper to the flowing side skirts as well as the rear bumper treatment, it really screams JDM Tuner. Finishing off the exterior mods is a rear wing that’s also made by Powerhouse Amuse. Those particular about stance should probably take notice of how this 370Z sits as it has been equipped with lowering springs from Tanabe that lower it by an inch or two. This brought even closer the massive black finished CE28 wheels from Volk racing that’s wearing Bridgestone Potenza rubber for a neat stance. Overall, with all its subtle yet costly and effective mods this 370Z is righteously far from stock and should also be aptly named Vestito for in Italian it means ‘well dressed’ or suit and this is definitely one well-dressed 370Z!

Engine Mods:
HKS Racing Suction Air Filters
Powerhouse Amuse Titanium Exhaust

Suspension Mods
Tanabe lowering springs

Exterior Mods
Amuse Vestito Body Kit
Amuse Rear Wing

Wheels
RAYS Volk Racing CE28N

Tires
Bridgestone Potenza

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For some people plain good is not enough. This Honda Civic EG hatchback started out as a clean fully restored car spec’d to resemble a JDM EG6 SiR. However, Rex Tan wasn’t satisfied with just a clean looking car, he wanted it be different. So began his EG project, the shell was sent to FM Garage for a showcar finish using PPG paint tinted to the color of Vanilla White.

With its minimalist color, the car isn’t a total screamer from the outside. The parts were more for lightening the car and adding a bit of a color contrast. Spoon Sports carbon fiber racing mirrors replaced the heavy stock side mirrors. A lightweight carbon fiber hood and rear bumper diffuser was especially custom made by Stage21, and the CF details were finished off with the Backyard Special front lip and rear wing.

Under the hood, this car is a totally different monster; the B16A engine that originally resided here was evicted in favor of a fully built K20/K24 Frankenstein engine complete with a plethora of go-fast parts put together by engine builder Bong Hilario of H3 Autoworks. The longblock is mated to an Xcessive intake manifold mated with an 80mm throttle body and BPI velocity stack, which breathes out to an SSR header with a 3-inch custom exhaust. It was mapped with a Hondata K-Pro ECU to the tune of 276 wheel horsepower and 190 lbs-ft of torque with a rev limit of 9,500 rpm with E85 fuel on the Autoplus Dynojet. All this is mated to a 5.1-final ratio DC5 Type-R 6-speed transmission with an Exedy Hyper-Single Clutch. The engine and transmission is lubricated exclusive with Motul 300V, Motul Gear FF and cooled with Motul MoCool in the Dynamics aluminum radiator.

Keeping the car on the ground are race-spec Dynamics coilovers, Skunk2 rear lower control arms, ASR rear subframe, and a Fullrace traction bar. To make suspension tweaking easier, Skunk2 front and rear camber kits were installed for adjusting from race to show set-ups. The car rolls on 16″x7″ Rays Engineering Volk Racing TE-37 with 205/45R16 Yokohama Advan Neova AD-08 tires.

Inside the car are leftovers of the former EG6 restoration which include full JDM sidings and flat folding rear seats, and more functional styling parts, which start off with a pair Bride Stradia carbon-kevlar seats mounted on Bride super-low seat rails; a rare Mugen FG360 steering wheel, Mugen sports pedals, and Mugen aluminum shift knob paired with the K-Tuned billet shifter. Monitoring is done via a standalone Innovate wideband O2 sensor, and Defi Link Black-Face oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel pressure meters.

Vanilla may be the most common ice cream flavor, this Vanilla-colored EG hatchback may look normal to the untrained eye, but is far beyond the common examples you’ll see on the road. This car has the show and packs a lot of go.

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During the seventies, Hiroyuki Hasegawa, and his partner Mr. Kitagawa decided to start an aftermarket tuning company. Together with a capital infusion from Sigma Automotive Co. they started tuning engines and producing high performance parts. (Hence the name “HKS”). Aside from their popular turbocharger kits, mufflers and high end coilover’s, HKS is also well known for their electronic products like standalone ECU’s turbo timers and electronic boost controllers.

In today’s tuning scene its no secret that performance plus electronics equals more power. Case in point here is this tuned EVO-X that showcases how much additional horses can be attained by simply using electronic products from HKS. More particularly the HKS F-Con V-Pro, which is a stand-alone, fully programmable ECU. While this can be considered as a major mod due to its hefty cost and the fact that it has to be dyno-tuned. Keep in mind that this is still a bolt-on part with no internal mods required. According to HKS, “the HKS F-CON V Pro is a feature-loaded standalone engine management system that connects as easily as a “piggy-back” fuel and timing controller”. While it may sound simple enough, but what it really does is introduce a whole new ignition and fueling map based on the mods made. As such, the engine will be more responsive to throttle inputs and raise torque curves at the bottom to mid-rpm levels.

So just how much additional horses did it come up with? Thanks to Tommy Teng of DTM/Autotechnika who did the ECU tweaking on his Dynapack dyno, this EVO-X now pumps out an impressive 344whp (250whp stock baseline) and a gut-pulling 339 ft/lbs of torque. Another advantage to having a stand-alone ECU like this HKS unit is that it allows the tuner to dial-in a whole new set of parameters should additional engine mods are to be done in the future like aftermarket performance cams, injectors, pistons and stuff.

On the outside, its hard not to notice the aggressive looking, time-attack inspired body kit. This is from the popular bespoke body kit maker in Japan called Varis.

To be used for their own time attack EVO-X, Varis developed a special lightweight series of carbon body parts to help not only give a more purposeful look to the exterior but also generate higher levels of front and rear down force. The end result is a multi-piece body kit, which consists of the hood, front fenders, front & rear bumpers and side skirts. Aside from serving its aesthetic purpose, it also enables the car to shed a lot of unwanted weight. Now no tuned car would be complete without bits of carbon fiber and this one has it in the form of canards and the requisite rear wing. The 19-inch black colored CE28 wheels from Volk Racing also lends a lot of character to the overall look and stance of the car. Sticky Yokohama Advan sport tires keep it firmly planted on the road. Footwork is achieved through a set of TEIN Flex coil over with EDFC while Brembo calipers and discs provide stopping power. Combining attainable high horsepower levels with serious tuner aesthetic stuff is quite the norm for today’s tuner car. Thanks to companies like HKS and Varis, EVO owners can get the best Japanese technology straight onto their cars.

Engine: HKS racing Suction Filter Reloaded, HKS blow off valve, HKS Hi-Power Twin Exhaust, HKS F-Con V-Pro Electronic Management System, HKS CAMP 2 HKS EVC 6 Boost Controller
Suspension: Tein Flex Coilovers with EDFC
Interior: Recaro SR bucket seats, Momo steering wheel
Exterior: Varis '09 Version body kit, Varis carbon fiber rear wing
Wheels: Volk Racing CE28N Wheels (19-inch), Advan Sport tires (275/30ZR19)

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Right off the bat, the current Nissan GT-R makes no pretensions regarding what it can do on the track. In fact it has proven itself to be one of the fastest production cars around any racetrack. This actually comes as no surprise for Nissan engineers loaded it with state of the art technology. With over four hundred plus horses from a twin turbo V-6 engine and a “Nurburgring-tuned” suspension, it’s no slouch. Why they loaded it to the hilt stems from Nissan’s mantra that they should do everything they can to make it extremely fast and handle exceptionally.

Just like previous GT-R models that have been modified by various Japanese high performance tuners, it didn’t take long for the current GT-R to enter the aftermarket-tuning scene. As we all know this is a realm where the possibilities, as they say are endless. As such, we have Dolf Santiago’s tuned GT-R from Emperor Motorsports. His shop needs no intro at all as it specializes in selling hardcore aftermarket performance parts and accessories from Japan. In addition, it also offers periodic maintenance services on high performance cars. But what makes it even greater now is the fact that it’s the authorized dealer of HKS parts and lubricants in the Philippines.

Going back to Dolf’s highly tuned GT-R, occupying the top spot on its list of mods is the HKS GT800 kit. Aside from its very hefty price tag, this advanced turbo kit is not a simple bolt-on kit. For starters, the whole engine must be removed to facilitate the mods. Before advancing to the GT800 kit, it needs the components found on the GT600 kit. It’s really so advanced that HKS does not offer any warranty as to what can happen to the engine. The said kit comes with a comprehensive list of equipment that includes, Special GTII Turbines, Heat Resistant Cast Exhaust Manifolds, GTII (50mm) Wastegates and aluminum piping’s. According to HKS, the GT800 Turbo Kit with “Symmetrical Twin Turbo Layout” combined with other HKS performance products has the potential to increase the R-35′s engine performance to 800+ horsepower”. Local tuning guru Tommy Teng of DTM/Autotechnika was responsible for pulling out the motor while Dolf flew in Lester Wong of HKS Singapore who dialed-in the HKS F-Con V-Pro ECU. Another notable and very audible mod is the HKS Superior R-Spec exhaust system. Being the high-end model of the HKS exhaust systems, it’s made of full titanium and very, very lightweight. Hearing it howl through the titanium tips during high rpm throttle bursts as the GT-R goes through the gears is nothing short of spectacular and addicting.

After more ECU tweaking on the DTM/Autotechnika Dynapack Dyno, Tommy Teng was able to extract over 700 plus horses at the wheel and 600+ lb-ft of torque. Despite not being able to reach the 800+ target, this is just due to the lack of internal mods such as forged pistons and heavy-duty con rods. Overall, this is certainly a considerable figure and feat, given that a stock GT-R is already rated at 480 horses. As compared to the explosive power burst of let’s say a tuned EVO or an STi, Dolf comments that the GT-R’s power delivery is more consistent whether in the low, mid or high rpm levels. While I can truly attest to that, but what really got my attention was the linear and neck-pulling acceleration of this beast that really pushes your back hard on the bucket seat. Despite its hefty weight, the addition of stiffer aftermarket lowering springs from Mine’s limits the amount of body roll together with wide Bridgestone rubber. With a well-designed silhouette, Dolf simply added slight exterior touches. A Zele front lip spoiler and a carbon fiber hood is all that’s needed to assert its performance factor. With all the mods done to it, Dolf’s R-35 certainly lives up to its predecessors in all aspects of tuning.

Engine: HKS GT800 kit (Special GTII Turbines, Heat Resistant Cast Exhaust Manifolds, GTII (50mm) Wastegates, Aluminum pipes, HKS racing suction air filter, HKS Superior Spec R Exhaust system, HKS F-Con V-Pro, HKS EVC Electronic Boost Controller
Suspension: Mine's lowering coil springs
Interior: Bride limited edition Cuga seats
Exterior: Zele front lip spoiler, Varis carbon fiber hood
Wheels: Prodrive GC05K 20-inch wheels, Bridgestone Potenza RE070R tires F- 255/40ZRF R-285/35ZRF20

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The Hunt for Horses – Part 1

DTM, or Design Technik Motorsports is the performance arm of local motor shop Autotechnika. Headed by tuner Tommy Teng, DTM specializes in modifying European makes, mostly those hailing from Deutschland. Armed with up-to-date automotive technology and a pool of tuning capabilities thanks to its extensive partners here and abroad, DTM does one thing pretty clear: make that bloody car of yours go faster.

As far as European cars go, it’s hard to get any better than BMWs. The task becomes even harder when they come with an M-badge. For this installment of Autoindustriya’s Tuned, we take a look at DTM’s Project M6. Can DTM improve upon Bavarian greatness? Let’s find out…

The BMW M6 comes packed with what we all look for in a car. Power. Power. And more power! Who cares about leg room or trunk space when you’re baby’s motivated by the M-division built 5 liter V-10? This 40-valve dual overhead beast-of-an-engine spits out a hair-raising 507 hp and 520 lb-ft, enough muscle to propel such a heavy car from rest to 100 kmh in a brief 4.6 secs.

Customary with all aftermarket tuners, DTM saw obvious room for improvement. Since the owner of this Bimmer can’t seem to get enough of a good thing, DTM supplied the commodity it deals best… power!

Part 1 of project M6 is all about extracting more push from the V10 mill. Tommy of DTM gives a very succinct game plan, “We don’t want to mess around with what the factory intended this car to be, a luxury GT-cruiser. Our goal is to simply enhance what this car does best, and that’s hitting high velocities in as little time possible.”

In the hunt for greater horses, better breathing is essential. First on the go-fast list was a Gruppe-M Ram Air System. The pair of bigger lungs allows the 5.0 naturally-aspirated engine to draw huge gulps of oxygen upon every application of the throttle. It’s also designed to channel in cooler air that results to more explosive combustion. The Gruppe M intake kit is comprised of two conical air filters and proprietary carbon fiber housing for each piece. The carbon bits are beauties any racing fan will appreciate, as they sit so prominently in the engine bay. Pop that hood, flash the exotic looking hardware perched on both sides, and show onlookers that your machine’s packing some heat!

Caution to the DIYs out there, this job isn’t as simple as it looks. Contrary to the intake systems found in smaller engines, the M6′s procedure required the entire front bumper to be taken out. Only then could the stock pieces be swapped for the Gruppe M, as this kit also comes with larger plumbing all throughout. It was worth all the trouble though as the finished product just speaks for itself.

Inhale. Exhale. With more air coming in, naturally you want more air coming out. Step 2 in the modification process was revising the flow of spent gases. Eliminating unwanted backpressure is a sure way to gaining more performance, so a less restrictive exhaust system from Supersprint was procured. DTM went with the entire gamut the Italian brand offered consisting of the exhaust manifold, front pipe with a metallic catalytic converter on both sides, and center “X” pipes that lead to the dual round rear exhaust pipes. All this bent tubing doesn’t come cheap mind you, as the whole package racked up close to half a million in Philippine currency. Before you blurt out expletives, the exhaust system does showcase pretty extensive engineering. The headers alone look like the ones you see in Formula-1 with numerous bending pieces molding into a single chamber. Remember, we’re dealing with a 10 cylinder. “The manifold reminds me of something out of the Alien movie, it looks freakishly out of the ordinary. I wanted to hang it on my office wall like a piece of art,” expressed Tommy.

Getting all of the parts installed was quite a challenge as the tight confines beneath the engine meant a lot of precision was needed. When all was done though, the Supersprint exhaust endowed the M6 with a whole new set of vocals. It was like someone had pissed it off, and all of a sudden the Bimmer had an angrier tone. Racy but not obnoxious, the new exhaust lends the M6 with a sense of subdued aggression. You get the feeling a storm is bottled up somewhere, just waiting on that right foot to unleash it, but until it does, a calm baritone idle is enough hint of its might.

DTM is one of the few tuning houses locally that can tinker with a vehicle’s ECU, or what you would call the car’s electronic brain. Flash tuning is its forte, and the M6 had its circuitry reconfigured for more power. It’s wasn’t like normal projects though since squeezing that last bit of juice from an M-motor is truly a challenge in itself. M-engines have optimized tolerances already in stock form, which is testament to BMW’s standards. “This is probably the most difficult vehicle I’ve done so far,” shares Tommy who had to reach deep in his bag of tricks to further extend the gains out of the tuning. Though he doesn’t want to disclose specifics on what he exactly worked on (it’s a trade secret), part of what he adjusted involved improving the air-fuel mixture and the timing. Tommy claims that flash tuning by DTM allows you to enjoy results tailor-fit to your car, compared to an ECU program acquired from abroad. Things like fuel quality and ambient temperature specific to local conditions affect the engine’s performance, so gains claimed by the programmer abroad may not necessarily reflect gains once tested locally.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, and the results are hard to argue with. Project M6 was baseline dyno’d at 336 whp. With the Gruppe M intake installed, power went up to 352 hp at the wheels (increase of 16 whp). With the M6 enjoying the new Supersprint exhaust system and the Gruppe M intake, the dyno registered 375 whp ( a further increase of 25 whp). Finally with the flash tuning and the bolt-on parts completed, Project M6 pulled 396 whp (increase of 21 whp), for a total of 60 whp gained from a naturally aspirated M-engine.

Is this the culmination of the hunt for more horses? What’s next for Project M6? We never said forced induction was out of the question. Or perhaps some handling enhancements? Catch us next time for Part 2 of DTM’s Project M6…

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Very much a part of today’s pop culture, the new MINI Cooper enjoys cult status among car fans and non-car fans alike. With the nostalgia for the cute little cruiser echoed by this modern iteration, the new MINI Cooper, much like the New Beetle, is living proof that classics can indeed be reinvented.

So popular is this new version that its appeal crosses genders, making it lovable not just for hardcore Cooper loyalists but also for casual motorists who simply want to look cool in it. Which begs me to ask the question, has the new MINI Cooper been relegated to new-age chick-car status? Can it be? Has this cunning two-door devolved into a modern day girlie ride?

One look at the MINI Cooper S GP puts all those questions to rest. Look at it. Take a minute. In fact, take two. Now you know what I mean? This is what the new MINI Cooper S should have looked like from day 1.

Purposeful. Muscular. Distinguished. The MINI Cooper S GP is not ashamed to look the part of the most powerful Cooper ever produced. The attention grabbing exterior is spearheaded by the handsome lightweight 18-inch wheels, finished in black to create some aesthetic contrast with the metallic blue-grey paint. As a limited edition model, the Cooper S GP only comes in this color. The ride height has been lowered by 10mm, rendering the sports-coupe with a very taut stance. The front bumper has been reworked for better visual impact and aerodynamics, with a black mesh insert and side slats thrown into the design. If the standard MINIi Cooper S seems to be smiling at a standstill, the GP on the other hand wears a mean scowl. Over at the rear, a touring car-esque wing gives it increased downforce at high speed, not to mention a true track toy persona.

The play on colors is also a huge attraction in this car, and one of the methods employed by MINI is installing red side mirrors into all of the 2000 units that came out of Oxford. The roof is also made different by painting it silver, and on the side, one can appreciate the model number of the unit as it is loudly embossed, affirming the car’s rarity.

But what really makes the MINI Cooper S GP special is the substance beneath the form. Under the bonnet is the same supercharged 1.6 inline-4 found in the garden variety Cooper S. However, the Brits (or is it the Germans since BMW was really behind this) squeezed more power from the motor by tinkering with the intercooler and the engine settings. What you get is a stouter mill that makes an advertised 218 hp at the flywheel, significantly more than the 170 hp on the normal variant. The added grunt is paired with a leaner body, as the GP is about 50 kg lighter than its portlier sibling. The pounds are shed mainly by tossing the rear seats, and in place is a rear strut bar that tightens up the chassis. The aforementioned rims also contribute to less pounds.

Being the specialist when it comes to European makes, Design Technik Motorsports (DTM), headed by Tommy Teng, worked on making the Cooper GP an even wilder animal. Baseline testing the MINI, Tommy found that in stock form, it made a healthy 167 hp and 151 lb-ft at the wheels (Remember, wheel hp figures are always lower than the manufacturer quoted flywheel numbers). Working first on the exhaust system, DTM glued in a handsome set of Supersprint pipes from the exhaust manifold, center pipe, and all the way to the racing muffler. Result? A car that sounds more at home in a track than in the street. The GP lets out a wild shriek when gunned, and really is not for the faint of heart. But if waking up the neighbors pleases you, look no further. Since the car makes use of a supercharger, making more power meant de-loading the blower with unnecessary stress. This is why a lighter supercharger pulley was installed. The mod yields a 15% decreased load on the charger, and when paired with DTM’s flash tuning program, allows the motor to unleash its true potential. With the new modifications in place, DTM’s work on the ECU optimizes the engine for improved real-world performance. The special John Cooper Works painted red calipers have been reinforced with the use of Hawk Performance brake pads, and steel braided brake lines allow fluid to be coursed uninterruptedly.

After all the wrenching was done, the Dynapack Dynamometer registered a notable increase of 28 hp and 23 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, with the official figures being 194 whp and 174 lb-ft respectively.

Puttering around town, it’s obvious the MINI Cooper GP, now with its improved repertoire, is unhappy being driven so politely. Entering a wider piece of road, we uncork the blown beauty and it rips at the tarmac angrily. MINI Coopers were never meant to wow with their muscle, but the GP defies that ethos and temps you to plant the throttle even deeper. It’s in the corners though where the GP is best enjoyed, as intimate connection between car and driver is exemplified. Non-existent body roll means you can lean faster and tighter into turns, perfect for timed laps in the track. What amazed me the most though wasn’t the go-kart like reflexes, as this was to be expected. Rather, it was the pliant ride that the GP returned, making it utterly livable for everyday motoring. No kidney shattering ride here folks. Now only if that muffler could drop the decibel count a bit…its just way too loud for everyday use.

The Mini Cooper GP. Exciting at its core, and even when tuned for higher thrills, remains a docile two-seater for Manila’s less than ideal roads. Too bad they only made a couple of thousand of these… since this is what every MINI Cooper S should be like!

Engine: Supersprint exhaust system, DTM ECU reflash
Suspension: John Cooper Works tuned suspension, John Cooper Works brakes, Hawk Performance brake pads, stainless steel brake lines

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A classic Mini gets a large dose of VTEC Power

The Classic Mini originally came with a 34 bhp, 848 cc engine which was increased to 997, 998, 1071 and 1275 cc that boosted its power output up to 55 bhp in stock form. While it may not sound much as compared to today’s subcompacts that pack in more power, but if you factor in the Mini’s power to weight ratio, this will prove just how nimble it really is. Engine-wise, while those stock performance figures may sound just fine to the purist. But in the tuner world where anything is possible for the sake of increased performance, there’s only one solution to gain maximum performance from the lightweight Mini. This can only be achieved by shoehorning a modern, high revving engine onto the tight confines of the Mini as our featured Mini built by Autoplus and Motor Pro attests to. This build is no walk in the park as it makes use of a specialized subframe conversion kit in order to accommodate a B-Series Honda engine onto its platform that’s also enhanced with goodies such as: race-oriented dual-pot disc brakes, wider wheels, and adjustable suspension. These mods are a must in order to achieve every-day reliability with a strong emphasis in terms of all-around performance.

Once the conversion kit arrived, Autoplus sportzentrium was given the task of putting it together. Aside from the subframe kit, the swap also necessitated a one piece, fiberglass, tilt front end because the hood and the front fenders must be stretched forward four inches to accommodate the Honda engine and radiator. The longer front end is not noticeable until you’re told it’s there, so it doesn’t alter the original looks of the Mini. The exterior is made even more muscular with the wider wheel arches, where Motor Pro autoclinique was tasked to massage the body as they sprayed it with an impeccable dark metallic blue paint finish set against a contrasting white colored roof using DuPont automotive refinishes.

The specialized conversion kit may be responsible for the swap, but it’s what’s nestled in between the subframe that truly makes this hybrid Mini a screamer. A stock B18 Honda already puts out a decent amount of power, but when you employ the services of renowned race engine builder/engineer Francisco “Pacho” Blanco, to blueprint/build the engine. Better make sure that your brakes and suspension are up to the task. The stout Honda bottom end was rebuilt using the stock pistons, crank, and rods together with aftermarket bearings and fasteners. High Performance cylinder head work is one of Mr. Blanco’s specialties, and this one features his Stage 2 porting job that’s accomplished with the aid of Autoplus’ Superflow flowbench that accurately measures the amount of airflow in each chamber. Orchestrating the Type-R valvetrain is a pair of Spoon camshafts with a 2-degree advance on the intake side and a 1-degree advance on the exhaust side to achieve a more favorable powerband according to Mr. Blanco. The rev limit is set at 9800rpm, while the VTEC kicks in at 5200 rpm. Together with the stock ECU, this mill has been dyno tuned by Francisco Blanco to put out 190 wheel horsepower. As is the case with all tuners, we all know that there’s plenty more where that came from. Most especially when your engine builder recently happened to motivate an Evo5 with 813 wheel horsepower and 623 lb-ft of torque that enabled it to post an unbelievable quarter-mile time of 9.6 seconds. Chances are that this Mini will just keep on getting faster and faster as it truly epitomizes the ultimate pocket rocket.

Engine: Honda B18C5 1.8-liter DOHC VTEC Rebuilt and blueprinted by Francisco “Pacho” Blanco, Spoon camshafts, cam gears, valve springs, and retainers, Type-R valves, Autoplus Stage 2 headworks, PAD 65mm throttle body, HKS Super Power Flow Air filter, Autoplus custom stainless steel exhaust system, Spoon 4-1 exhaust header, modified intake manifold, aluminum radiator.
Suspension: Front subframe conversion, Adjustable front suspension, Bilstein dampers, custom rollcage, Superbrake disc brake conversion kit (Dual-pot calipers with 8.4” Rotors), Braided Steel Brake Lines, Wilwood race pedals and Tilton master cylinders.
Interior: Autometer “Classic Style” gauges, 4-point roll cage, Billet aluminum door handles and window risers, Air-con kit, McIntosh MX406 head unit, McIntosh MC420M (4CH) Power Amplifier, Pioneer TS0690R 3-way rear speakers (6x9”), Focal Polyglass front speaker set
Exterior: Fiberglass, one piece, tilt front end kit with Dzus fasteners, Fiberglass wheel arches and front spoiler, Mini Style fog lamps (4pcs), John Cooper emblems and union jack flag decal, Courtesy light, Custom DuPont automotive refinish by Motor Pro autoclinique
Wheels: MWS alloys 13x7”, Yokohama A539 tires 175/50/R13

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Two doors. Two turbos. One awesome ride. This could very well be the devil in white.

Straight out of the box, the BMW 335i is a pretty capable vehicle sporting the German automaker’s newly designed powerplant. For those wondering, it’s really not a 3.5 liter as the model designation might suggest, but rather a 3.0 liter in-line six fitted with a pair of slugs. An all-new aluminum construction allowed for a higher compression ratio, which when coupled with the benefits of twin-turbocharging, yields easily accessible power throughout the rev range.

But stock can get boring at some point…so let the modifications begin!

With the car’s inherent crisp lines, the best way to further accentuate the coupe’s sexiness is to swap the original rollers for bigger shoes. Enter the impressive 20-inch DPE rims. Proving to be a popular choice for European-car owners, this brand exudes class and sportiness perfect for discerning enthusiasts. Measuring 20×8.5 up front and 20×10 in the back, the 5 spoke wheels are constructed out of forged aluminum ensuring lightness and strength. The eye-catching rims are wrapped in Falken 452 tires sized 245/30/20 (F) and 285/25/20 [R].

Going with a racy yet understated look, the car’s new appearance is miles apart from stock. Quickly noticeable is the use of carbon fiber, starting with the Vorsteiner Power Dome hood and lip spoiler. The kidney grille has also been blacked out to get that sporty touch. Over at the other side, the entire rear bumper was swapped with a new M-tech piece, while the rear diffuser was replaced with one made of carbon fiber. Completing the aesthetic make-over are little bits taken from its M3 brother, namely the side-mirrors and the ducktail lip spoiler in the back.

A car that’s all show without go? No sir. Unlike the slew of Bimmers with impressive looks but with anemic stock 1.8 liters, this one is quite different.

With a manufacturer rating of 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, this car gains more muscle with an aftermarket intake kit from Gruppe M. Beneath the bonnet, the new intake looks pretty impressive with its carbon fiber housing. Helping expel spent gases better are the Supersprint downpipe and center pipe, which are truly effective mods since turbocharged mills react positively to less restrictive exhausts. Rounding out the exhaust upgrade is the Eisenmann muffler, with four pipes no less! A PROcede V2 piggyback unit alters the factory ECU settings for enhanced output. As a pre-cautionary tool, an HKS blow-off valve was thrown in to help prevent compressor surge.

This Bimmer can carve corners too. It’s kitted with KW variant 2 coilovers, designed to allow not only ride height adjustment but rebound damping as well. This makes it perfect for the occasional track sessions where the owner can simply dial a bit more firmness for sharper handling, then revert back to a softer ride for everyday use. To help handle the stress of white knuckle motoring, Hawk performance brake pads were employed to resist fade.

The fun doesn’t stop there though, as this 335i is also a drop-top. It’s got a three piece fixed roof that tucks in neatly in just 22 seconds. First to be done by BMW in this application, the fixed roof provides a stiffer chassis all together, not to mention a more silent cabin at speed. With the roof down, one can get a nice look at the red upholstery that’s a welcome change from the sea of black found in most BeeEms. Hamann bits have also been fitted inside such as in the handbrake and foot pedals.

Over-all, this tuning effort takes an already impressive vehicle and bumps up the testosterone level way up. It looks fast. It can go even faster. The only thing left is a wide open road to let this thing loose and hear that wonderful exhaust note gnarl!

Engine: Gruppe M Air Intake, Supersprint Section 1 and 2 Exhaust Pipes, Eisenmann Quad Exhaust Muffler, HKS Super SQV Blowoff Valve, Procede V2 ECU
Suspension: KW V2 Coilovers, H&R Front and Rear Anti Roll Bars, Hawk Performance Brakepads
Interior: Hamann Pedals, Hamann Footrest, Hamann Handbrake Lever, M5 Shiftknob
Exterior: Vorsteiner Power Dome Carbon Fiber Hood, Vorsteiner Front Lip Spoiler, Hamann Side Skirts, M-technik Rear Bumper, Rear Bumper Carbon Fiber Diffuser, M3 Rear Spoiler, M3 Side Mirrors, Bi-Xenon Headlamps
Wheels: 20 x8.5 DPE LS5 Front Wheels, 20 x10 DPE LS5 Rear Wheels, 245/35R20 Falken FK-452 Front Tires, 285/30R20 Falken FK-452 Rear Tires

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When the Nissan 350Z was first introduced in 2002, it quickly became an instant hit. The combination of its striking good looks, adequate 3.5 liter V6 engine, and very competent chassis drew praises from the automotive world. With the demise of the inline six engines due to emissions, tuners also found a new market with the V6 engine of the 350Z.

This particular 350Z is a special 35th Anniversary Edition that Nissan built to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the debut of the Datsun 240Z. It has a slightly more powerful engine than normal Z’s, with other changes mostly with aesthetics.

The owner of this yellow example certainly wasted no time in upgrading an already potent car. On the engine side, a Blitz exhaust manifold is partnered with an Espelir JGT500 exhaust system to produce a sound that rumbles at idle, but screams up top. Additional modifications to the VQ35 engine include Skunk 2 high rise plenum spacer, HKS oil cooler, ARC Titanium Radiator Cooling Plate, as well as a custom titanium airbox built by the people at Autoplus Sportzentrium in Mandaluyong.

The 350Z already has very good handling as attested to by different publications. But to make this Z handle even better, a set of Tein Type Flex coilovers was added. Since the car already came with Brembo brakes, only a set of Project Mu brake pads were added to make stopping distances a little bit shorter.

With an already gorgeous car, some aesthetic modifications were added including Mine’s Carbon Fiber front lip, Mine’s carbon fiber air inlet, Nismo carbon fiber B pillar garnish, as well as a menacing Esprit carbon fiber rear wing.

With the Z’s already wide stock body and RWD platform, nothing less but the biggest and lightest wheels will do. In this regard, a set of staggered 19 inch Volk Racing TE37 wheels were used; they measure 8.5 inches up front and 9.5 at the back. These are paired with 265/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Front Tires and 285/30R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Rear Tires.

On the street, the car rides like a dream. The suspension is firm but very compliant even in rough roads. It is on the track that this machine really stands out. Body roll is kept to a minimum while the torque of the engine ensures adequate power going out of corners, even in low rpms.

Engine: Blitz Exhaust Manifold, Espelir JGT500 Exhuast System, Blitz Air Filter, Skunk2 High Rise Plenum Spacer, HKS Oil Cooler, ARC Titanium Radiator Cooling Plate, Autoplus Titanium Airbox
Suspension: TEIN Type Flex Coilovers, Brembo Brakes, Project Mu Brakepads
Interior: NISMO GT Shift Knob
Exterior: MINE's Carbon Fiber Front Lip, MINE's Carbon Fiber Air Inlet, Esprit Carbon Fiber Rear Wing, NISMO Carbon Fiber B Pillar Garnish
Wheels: 19 x8.5 Volk Racing TE-37 Front Wheels, 19 x9.5 Volk Racing TE-37 Rear Wheels, 265/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Front Tires, 285/30R19 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Rear Tires

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