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 Lexus IS200 isn’t really known for raw performance but more for being a midrange luxury sedan. However its JDM counterpart, the Toyota Altezza is a whole different story. Being inspired by this, the owner Keith Haw started out with putting TRD parts in his car. These included mostly aesthetic modifications like the bodykit and interior parts.

However, Keith soon found his car too boring and added a Nitrous system to add some juice to his ride. Too much juice boosted sent his stock engine to motor heaven, which fueled his quest for his hybrid project which was supposed to be a 3SG-E engine from an Altezza. But seeing the need for more speed, he later chanced upon a twin turbo 1JZ-GTE engine from a Toyota Supra MK3 at a surplus yard.

The engine was then brought to eRL motorworks for the transplant which took months and a lot of engineering. Soon more parts went under the hood, twin Turbonetics T3 turbines, custom plumbings, manifold, a hybrid intercooler, HKS SQV, and finished off with a RAY’s Gramlights 57 Dragon Muffler.

For the footwork, a set of RAY’s 19-inch Gramlights 57F Pro wheels wrapped with Dunlop tires was the weapon of choice. Stiff-stuff consist of TEIN Super Street Coilovers, and a Cusco strut bar. Additional stopping power is provided by TRD brake pads and TRD stainless steel brake lines.

Inside the car, a pair of Bride XAX2 bucket seats, a TRD instrument panel and a mixture of other TRD and Pivot accessories can be found. For monitoring, a set of DEFI Black Face Gauges and a VFD Basis Heads-up Display were used. For entertainment, it was a combination of Peerless and JL Audio custom installed by Francis Tan.

The IS200 being a heavy car, a little dieting was required. The steel hood and trunk were replaced with light and durable carbon fiber ones. To complement the L-Tuned bodykits, additional carbon fiber diffusers and cannards were installed on the front bumper, while a carbon fiber TRD rear spoiler was also installed. The side mirrors were also replaced with carbon fiber Ganador side mirrors.

This is certainly not very much of Lexus anymore and you’ll see it tearing up the streets quite often with plenty of power to boot.

Engine: 1JZ-GTE Engine, Turbonetics T3 Twin Turbines, Custom Turbo Pipings and Exhaust System, RAYS Gramlights 57 Dragon Muffler, Hybrid Intercooler, Greddy E-Manage Ultimate, HKS Super SQV Blow-off Valve, HKS Earth Circle Ground Wires, Pivot Raizin Volt Stabilizer, Walbro High Flow Fuel Pump, TRD Thermostat, TRD Radiator Cap, TRD Oil Cap, Carbing Oil Catch Tank, Carbon Fiber Radiator Cooling Plate
Suspension: TEIN Super Street Coilovers, TRD Racing Brake Pads, TRD Stainless Steel Brake Lines, Carbon Fiber-Aluminum Front Tower Bar, Cusco Rear Tower Bar
Interior: Bride XAX2 Bucket Seats, Pivot Type M Shift Lamp, Pivot Engine Starter Button, TRD Instrument Panel, TRD Steering Wheel, TRD Shift Knob, TRD Floor Mats, Apex-i Pencil-type Turbo Timer, DEFI VSD Basis Heads-up Display, DEFI BF Gauges (Boost, Oil Temp, Oil Press, Water Temp, EGT, Fuel Pressure), Pioneer 9350 CD Radio, Peerless Speakers, JL Audio W7 Subwoofer, JL Audio 300/2 Amplifier, JL Audio 500/1 Amplifier
Exterior: Carbon Fiber Hood, Carbon Fiber Trunk, Carbon Fiber Canards and Diffuser, L-Tuned Body Kit, Carbon Fiber TRD Rear Spoiler, Ganador Carbon Fiber Aero Mirror, Carbon Fiber B Pillar, Toyota Altezza Headlights, Toyota Altezza Taillights, Daylight Demon Eyes, GT HID Xenon Lamps, JDM Short Antenna
Wheels: 19x8 RAYS Gramlights 57F Pro, RAYS Aluminum Racing Lugnuts, Dunlop LM702 tires

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The Honda Fit or Jazz as it is locally known, has been enjoying its share of customization, modification or whatever the owners like to call what they do to their cars. But the problem is, they all seem to look alike. And most have left out what it takes to make their cars look clean.

The small car offers an almost limitless possibilities to modify. When the owner found out about the Spoon modified version, he got inspired and wanted one for himself. First off was to throw away the generic Jazz badge and stick on a JDM Fit badge.

Then came the healthy dose of JDM parts mostly from Spoon, starting with a little diet. A carbon fiber hood and rear wing was in order to remove excess weight and give the car an aggressive appeal. The messy looking stock roof antenna was also replaced to a Spoon antenna. A pair of Cusco tow hooks was installed to add some orange JDM flavor to the exterior.

Under the hood, the oil filler cap and radiator caps were replaced with Spoon ones and a pair of reservoir covers were installed to complete the aesthetics. For performance, the Spoon N1 tail silencer was the weapon of choice coupled with the midpipe. Since Spoon didn’t have an open-type air cleaner, an HKS Super Power Flow intake was used.

Realizing that he had to make his car look different from the rest, a set of 16-inch Spoon SW388 wheels were in order to give the car a really agressive stance and a wider track. Also helping with the footwork is a set of Tein Type Street adjustable coilvers. A Spoon strut tower bar was also installed to reduce body roll.

Inside the car, the most noticeable would be the pair of blue Recaro seats from a special edition DC5 Integra Type-R was installed. Additional instrumentation is provided by three DEFI black face units. Safety was still a concern, so the stock SRS equipped unit stays for the meantime.

You might wonder how this car even got here being modified so little. Less is more in many cases, and this is definitely the answer to what made this car get featured here. Flashy paint and an overly done exterior don’t always make your car look good. Most of the time, a subtle treatment is all it takes to make your car all that.

Engine: HKS Super Power Flow Intake Kit, Spoon Type N1 Tail Silencer, Spoon Midpipe, Spoon oil filler and radiator cap
Suspension: Spoon front tower bar, TEIN Type-Street Coilovers
Interior: Recaro special edition blue DC-5 front seats, Spoon Shift Knob, DEFI Black Face Gauges
Exterior: Spoon carbon fiber hood, Spoon carbon fiber wing, Spoon short antenna, Vision APR side mirrors, Cusco tow hooks
Wheels: 16x7 Spoon SW388 wheels, Dunlop LM702 205/45R16 tires

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