Issue 94 March 2013 AED 25
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The end of an era, and a start of a new one!
March of 2013 is a crucial month for us at Top Performance and a mini jubilee too! First of all, it marks the eighth anniversary of our magazine and it also happens to be our last printed issue, as we make the switch to digital format. Yes, the time has finally come, and the April issue will be making history as our first digital magazine.
As much as we are going to miss our first baby, the printed version, we're looking to the future and are so excited about going digital. The new format will broaden our reach, multiply our readership and give us the flexibility we never had with traditional media. Best of all, the magazine will be offered at no cost, making it accessible to everyone here in the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East and beyond.
So, without further ado, I invite you all to check us out online. Come 1st of April 2013, Top Performance will be available to both read on- line at www.performancemag.net or to download to a device of your choice. Let us have your feedback and help us make your favourite magazine even better.
[email protected] See you on the other side!
OUR TEAM CONTACT US INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AGENTS
Chief Editor K. M. Khalifa Business address: Europe: MediaTel Werbe-/PR-Agentur GmbH & Co. KG Top Performance Magazine Haldenweg 2, D-72505 Krauchenwies, Germany Editorial Zlatko Mulabegovic Tel: (+49) 7576 9616-12 Fax: (+49) 7576 9616-38 P.O. Box 215783, Dubai, U.A.E., www.mediatel.biz Nitish Ramanujam Tel: +971 4 3585349, Fax: +971 4 3546938
Contributors Stephen Bijoux Advertising & marketing China: Hangzhou JR Exhibition Co, .Ltd Tel: +86-571-28803067, Fax: +86-571-28035956 Dan Mermelstein [email protected] [email protected] www.jrexpo.com Mike Davies Comments and suggestions David Parkins [email protected] Peter De Vido Taiwan: Infotrade Media Co., Ltd. Tel: +886-4-23132189 EXT 203, Fax:+886-4-23133239 Editorial & contents [email protected] Information Systems Ranjith Babu [email protected] Technical Australia: SOON Marketing P/L Business Development Zlatko Mulabegovic [email protected] Po Box 198, Crafers, South Australia, 5152 Australia Tel: +61 417171730 Fax: +61 8 8390 1815 Design & Digital Thishan Dissanayake [email protected] www.soonmarketing.com.au Top Performance Magazine is published by West Side Publishing, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photography Zlatko Mulabegovic Middle East: Spellbound ME Nitish Ramanujam All efforts are taken to provide accurate information, P.O. Box 12022, Dubai, U.A.E., Tel: +971 4 3412228, Thishan Dissanayake therefore the publisher will not be held responsible for Fax: +971 4 3412229, [email protected] www.spellboundme.com Ahmad Al Shishtawi the accuracy of information supplied by third parties, or the consequences of performing any of the modifications Sameer Arshad contained in the magazine. All vehicle modifications Darren Rycroft should be performed by a qualified automotive technician in compliance with relevant regulations and laws.
www.performancemag.net
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4 Tuning News Hottest tuner cars and gear
12 Tokyo Express
18 Big in Japan 12 24 King Of The Mountain
30 Wide Load
36 Forza Induction
40 Mine’s R35 GT-R
44 Fortune Favors The Brave
48 Club 1000 36 52 The Return Of The Devil
56 Poker Face
60 The Red Dragon Dynasty
64 The Daddy
44 68 Test Drive It's a coupe thing, as we belt two new Hyundais and a Honda Accord
76 News Latest industry news
68 80 Ducati 1098R "Flashback" Exquisite custom Ducati from Mr. Martini
82 SSC Shakey #67 Shaw Speed & Custom build a sweet H-D for racer Shane Byrne
84 News Latest motorcycling news
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www.performancemag.net tuning news 4 located southeastofHouston,Texas, using at EllingtonAirport(alsousedbyNASA) The accelerationrunswereconducted age was13.63seconds. 0-300km/haver The resultingtwo-way while encounteringa6mphheadwind. second runwasmadein14.08seconds 13.18 secondswitha4mphtailwind.The ness rules.Thefirstrunwascompletedin certify thenumbersasrequiredbyGuin system. VBoxofficialswereonhandto datalogging by aVBox3iGPS-based directions withinonehourandvalidated an averageoftworunsmadeinopposite World Records.Theaccelerationtimewas new recordholderaccordingtoGuinness seconds, thusestablishingthevehicleasa erated from0-300km/hinjust13.63 street-legal Venom GTsupercaraccel revealed that,earlyinJanuary2013,its Hennessey Performance Engineeringhas Hennessey VenomGTSetsNewWorldRecord! top performance - - - by theKoenigsegg AgeraR that required 0-200 mphrecordwaspreviousheld seconds asverifiedbyVBoxGPS.The record of0-200milesperhourin14.51 GT alsosetanewunofficialacceleration made inkilometersperhour, theVenom Although Guinnessonlyrecognizesruns curb weight. horsepower pereachkilogramofvehicle GT deliversapower-to-weightratioof1 therear-wheel-driveVenom1,244 kg, and 1,566Nmoftorque.Weighing just Venom GTproduces1,244horsepower fed bytwinPrecisionturbochargers,the seats. Powered bya7.0-litreV8engine andbespokeleather/Alcantara tioning, stereo,aircondi replete withhigh-end pumpfuel,andafullinterior 93-octane Pilot SportCupDOT-approved radialtires, street-legal carthatmakesuseofMichelin the seventhproductionVenom GT-a - months forcompletion. is custombuilttoorderandrequiressix and notincludingoptions.Eachvehicle costs $1.2millionUSDollarsplusshipping one ofthemostexclusive.TheVenom GT ating productioncarintheworld,it'salso Venom GTisnotonlythefastestacceler duction runalreadybeingsold.Thus,the 29 Venom GTs, ofthepro withone-third Hennessey onlyplanstobuildatotalof onds slowerthantheVenom GT. 7.7sec ran 0-200mphin22.2seconds- system) power throughanall-wheel-drive enginechanneling bocharged 16-cylinder a 1,200horsepower8.0-litre,quad-tur Bugatti Veyron SuperSport(poweredby than theVenom GT. Bycomparison,the 3.17secondsslower 17.68 secondstime- www.hennesseyperformance.com - ! - - -
tuning news 6 system togetherwithavalvecontrol exhaust upgrade, itcomeswithahigh-end compressor kit,while,fortheStage3 driven compressor, isjoinedbyapure is operatedbymeansofamechanically versions. Stageoneoftheupgrade,which kit, dubbedMC700,andcomesintwo come upwitha"Stage2"supercharger Merc, theguysatMCCHIP-DKR have To ekeoutmorepowerfromthemighty and 1.8TFSI,whichwillalsomakethe are currentlybeingdeveloped,a1.6TDI from 320to360Nm.Two furtherengines against theregular150hp.Itstorqueisup iesel, meanwhile,nowhas170hpas from 200to250Nm.The2-litreturbod dard 122hp.Torque hasbeenincreased TFSI nowmakes160hp,upfromitsstan "New Generation",theeconomical1.4 roadworthiness. ThankstoABTPOWER sively testedfortheirdependabilityand Two upgradeshavealreadybeenconclu top performance CODENAME MC700| ABT showsoffthenewAudiAS3Sportback - - - ing in706hpand793Nmoftorque. cats andfurtherenhancedsoftware,result Finally, theStage4upgradeseessports 650Nm to770Nm. 680hp, withtorquerisingfromthestock whole set-up.Power jumpsfrom571hpto the performanceandefficiencyof haust Systemsandsignificantlyenhances system. ThelattercomesfromCapristoEx exhaust andtherearspoiler, makethis The rearskirtset,withitstypical4-pipe line withthefenderinsertsandsideskirts. spoiler lipandtheABTgrillearefullyin at thesametimeelegant.Thelargefront comes acrossasassertive,powerfuland from ABTisalsoreflectedinitsdesign-it The dynamismoftheAudiA3Sportback pleasurable andsensiblewayofdriving. and ecologicallycreditablecarforaboth new ABTAS3Sportbackaneconomically SLS AMGpoweredbymcchip-dkr.com - - red accents. complete mattgreyfoilcomplementedby chassis. Topping offtheperformanceisa of theAMGRIDECONTROLsports all comfortanddynamicdrivingfeatures both axlesuptoaspecifiedlevel,retaining lets youraisetheSLSAMGasrequiredon cally controlled)manufacturedbyKW, chassis(hydrauli orHLS4-sports DDC- wheels, availablein18and19inches. The tweakedAudirollsonDRalloy abilities. flex brakelinesmakeforidealstopping huge 345mmdiscsandmatchingsteel- by 35mm.TheABTbrakesystemwithits chassis springsthatlowerthecar'sbody pact. Handlingisupgradedbymeansof compact carappearevenmorecom www.mcchip-dkr.com www.abt-sportsline.de - - ! !
8 top performance
BRABUS UNVEILS THE INSANE 800 WIDESTAR tuning news
The BRABUS 800 engine conversion un- a sound management system courtesy of a tronically to 250km/h. Without the limiter, leashes the power reserves inherent in the butterfly valve in the exhaust. the high-performance off-roader would be 6.0-litre V12 Biturbo engine. The exhaust capable of reaching a speed of 270km/h. manifolds custom-designed for the G 65 The BRABUS 800 engine produces 800hp AMG with integrated turbine housings and at a low 5,500 rpm and an even more im- The widened wheel wells can be filled high-performance turbochargers optimize pressive peak torque of 1,420Nm, already with a choice of three "Platinum Edition" throttle response and produce a higher on tap from 2,100 rpm. In the vehicle, 11Jx23 wheels; in addition to the popular boost pressure than the production turbos. peak torque is limited electronically to Monoblock E evo and Monoblock F "Plati- Four water-to-air intercoolers arranged un- 1,100 Nm. num Edition" designs, there is now also the der the BRABUS carbon-fiber hood scoop Monoblock R "Platinum Edition" forged ensure lower charge-air temperatures. In combination with the seven-speed wheel. It is fitted with high-performance automatic transmission and permanent tires in size 305/35 R 23 from either Con- On the exhaust side there is a BRABUS all-wheel drive system, the BRABUS 800 tinental, Pirelli or YOKOHAMA. stainless-steel high-performance exhaust WIDESTAR accelerates to 100km/h in 4.2 system with free-flow metal catalysts and seconds. The top speed is limited elec- www.brabus.com !
10 top performance tuning news
G-POWER "RS" Aero Programme for BMW M3
The G-POWER aerodynamic program "RS" ic downforce and thus provides for even has been preceded by extensive CAD - efficient, distinctive, elegant – enables faster cornering speeds. engineering and intensive test driving on the up to 720hp strong G-POWER M3 to road and track. In the end, G-POWER achieve its performance potential on the G-POWER’s roots have their origin in has created an aerodynamic package for road and, at the same time, provides for a motorsports. Already in the early eighties, the BMW M3 that comprises of a front weight reduction. G-POWER tuned BMW models were spoiler, bonnet, boot lid and a rear wing. competing for top positions in their The G-POWER aerodynamic program Sometimes less is more. For example, in respective categories. Today, G-POWER is "RS" is manufactured from strong yet light regards to a car's weight. Because less still active in motorsports and competing carbon fibre in a gas-proof autoclave. This weight improves the performance of the in series like the Spezial-Tourenwagen- method of manufacturing meets the OEM BMW M3 and so provides more driving Trophy (STT) and the DMV Touring Car standards of the automobile industry and pleasure. With the G-POWER aerody- Championship (DMV TCC). ensures perfect fitting. In doing so, it has namic program "RS", which is completely been possible to achieve a weight reduc- fabricated from carbon fibre, one can The G-POWER aerodynamic program tion of approx. 2.6kg for the bonnet and make the BMW M3 lighter and therefore "RS" has been designed based on the approx. 8.1 kg for the boot lid. faster. At the same time, the G-POWER knowledge gained from G-POWER’s "RS" carbon parts increase the aerodynam- motorsports activities. The product launch www.g-power.de !
12 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 Tokyo Express 13
This 850hp street fighter, a refugee from the Tokyo street wars, has found a new home on the Arabian shores. Adapting to a new environ- ment is not easy, and so far it has made more enemies than friends!
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Built for the track and raced on the street, fitted. Additional front and rear strut bars fuel system would make a Le Mans racer this fine example of Japanese tuning found and reinforcements help to further stiffen green with envy. Three Bosch high-output its way to the land of plenty and landed in a the body and prevent the shell from twisting fuel pumps draw the fuel from an ATL FIA Dubai showroom late last year. Before they under the enormous loads. approved race-spec tank with an external even managed to affix a price tag on it, our surge tank and an air collection tank. On its man Farook was there with the dough. While Engine way to the engine, the fuel is cooled through he was at it, our dude also bought a 1,000 And the load comes courtesy of a 3.0-litre an external Setrab cooler and then fed into hp Skyline GT-R R33 from the "Endless Drag 2JZ-GTE engine tuned banzai-style, with an the engine through 12 injectors. An in-line fuel Racing Team", bringing the number of ponies array of mechanical and electronic goodies pressure regulator ensures correct pressures in his stable to a hefty 3,000! His daily drive that take the engine output to a stratospheric at all times and at a variety of loads. The air/ is a modified Beetle Turbo and he also owns 850hp, and propel the Supra to a top speed of fuel mixture makes its way to the combus- a very fast Skyline GT-R R34. Life is a b***h, 320km/h. The air is collected through a cus- tion chambers via a modified intake manifold isn't it? tom cold-air box directing the flow towards and a fully modified top end. Polished and a Blitz cone air filter and routed via custom ported head and intake manifold, upgraded Chassis piping into a humongous Trust/Greddy T88H- camshafts with higher lift and duration, per- Revolfe SA, a renowned Japanese tuning 34D high-flow turbo, sitting on a custom built formance valves, valve springs and retainers house, built this Supra from the ground up. Greddy exhaust manifold. make for a bulletproof valvetrain and enable The car was stripped to the bare shell and the engine to breathe in more air and fuel. a custom eight-point roll cage was installed The T88 is renowned for monstrous to comply with the Japanese safety require- horsepower and torque outputs, very high A Greddy blow-off valve takes care of the ments for race tracks and to improve chassis boost and an overall good reliability. The extra pressure in the system while the burnt rigidity. The front end of the roll cage was compressed air is then cooled through a gases are expelled through a custom fabri- routed through the dashboard and fitted so three-core intercooler and sucked in by an cated 3" exhaust system and an adjustable seamlessly that it looks as if it was factory oversized throttle body. The state-of-the-art wastegate that exits right under the passen- 15
Abflug aero kit comprises of front and rear bumpers, fenders and side skirts. The carbon fiber hood, weighing only a quarter of the original item, is joined by an Abflug carbon fibre rear diffuser, carbon fibre canards, racing mirrors and an F1 Type-R wing.
ger door. A lightweight titanium bullet muffler controller is used for pressure adjustment Transmission & drivetrain attempts to contain the thunder-like sound of and fine tuning for optimum boost required in The transmission consists of a 6-speed this monster, which it fails to do, emitting a drag racing or at the track. During our testing short-throw Getrag gearbox, mated to an roar that can be heard blocks away. session, we set the boost to 1.8 bar while the OS Giken triple plate racing clutch and a daily driving setup is a more friendly 1.4 bar. lightweight flywheel, while the differential The engine and fuel management comes All of the above is monitored through a num- is stuffed with a quality LSD. The stopping courtesy of an HKS F-Con Pro teamed with ber of gauges installed in the main cluster, power is a good match for the powerful a controller for the additional six injectors. side panel and passenger side dashboard. engine, racing AP calipers and cross-drilled The F-Con Pro is programmed to drive all 12 The F-Con Pro, turbo timer and three GReddy ventilated discs combined with competition injectors in real time, enabling extra fuel to gauges are neatly integrated into the panel of pads and steel braided brake lines bring this be injected by the secondary setup at higher the passenger side airbag, with the gauges rather porky Supra to a halt even from the rpm and increased boost levels. An HKS boost angled towards the driver. highest speeds, and show no signs of fade or
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The 3.0-litre 2JZ-GTE motor belts out a staggering 850hp, thanks to numerous mechanical and electronic bits under the hood, including a monster Trust/Greddy T88H-34D high-flow turbo. The interior boasts Recaro sport seats and lots of Auto Meter gauges.
overheat even when put through the paces of the fuel system at the flick of the key and most doing 300 and then hard on the brakes, at the racetrack. Lightweight 17" Volk TE37 the engine coming to life with a deafening the next roundabout is dangerously close. We rims wrapped with sticky Yokohama NEOVA roar from the unmuffled exhaust system, the need a much longer stretch of straight road, rubber do a great job keeping this beast on aural experience sends shivers down your this car is damn fast! the road. spine. The whole car vibrates at idle, you feel like being aboard a transatlantic cruiser. Blip Straight line stability is excellent; even when Handling is taken care of by TEIN race coil- the throttle and you're rewarded with an even the speedo is reading over 300km/h there's overs, fully adjustable for stiffness, rebound louder noise and the hiss from the blow-off no drama, the car is very composed. The and ride height. They bring the very much valve. Showtime! downforce generated by the aero kit literally needed stability. glues the Supra to the road, it actually feels Driving impressions like it could handle even higher speeds. Exterior We take off from the industrial area heading The body styling is very racy and functional, for the highway and very soon we're the Out on the twisties, it's a different story. The consisting of Abflug bumpers, fenders and center of attention wherever we turn, the Supra handles well, though the ride is harsh side skirts. The carbon fiber hood is only a loud exhaust note announcing our presence and can be a handful on bumpy roads. One quarter of the weight of the original item, and even before we arrive there. Once the engine thing is ruled out while cornering, and that's helps suck the hot air out from the engine reaches its working temperature, it's testing full throttle, as once the turbo spools up, the bay. The picture is completed by an Abflug time. Rolling in first gear, I floor it and the rear surge of power could result in a massive carbon fibre rear diffuser, carbon fibre ca- tyres struggle for grip, the tail sliding left and powerslide, ultimately spinning it around. nards, racing mirrors and an F1 Type-R wing, right like being on ice, I have to slightly coun- It's very easy to get this car to slide, smoky resulting in a very aggressive but clean and ter-steer all the time. We hit the 8,500rpm doughnuts require no effort, in seconds you'll purposeful styling. red line and shift to second, full throttle and be covered by thick smoke. So, unless you're the tail goes again, virtually impossible to a Japanese drift champion, don't try that at At the wheel keep it going straight without adjusting with home! The seating position is excellent, even for the throttle and steering. Whoa, third gear taller drivers, as you'll be sitting quite low in and the tires are still spinning!! Fourth gear Future plans a Recaro competition seat and strapped by a and it feels like a jet taking-off, a glance on On the way back, Farooq smiles, he's got four-point racing harness. The working area the speedo, we're doing 260! Shift to fifth news for us. This engine is soon to be consists of a Personal sport steering wheel and I have to brake, that roundabout is not replaced by an even more powerful unit; fully and an additional Auto Meter RPM gauge so far anymore. Steady through the corners stroked, bulletproof bottom end, with a big inserted into the main cluster. Starting this in second and then mash the throttle again, turbo and advanced electronics with even powerhouse is a ceremony in itself, the whine massive powerslide, third, fourth, fifth - al- more ponies.
18 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 19 BIG IN JAPAN You’re revving your EVO at the traffic lights, impatiently waiting for the lights to go green. What would you do if you found out that the car next to you does the quarter mile in 9 seconds without nitrous? Take the mobile, call your mama and take off as slow as you can - this Skyline eats little EVOs for breakfast.
Our man Farook, the dude who also owns the red Supra featured in our first issue, is back with a bang, this time with an even meaner ride - a 1,117 horsepower Nissan Skyline GT-R R33! He was lucky enough to come across both the cars in one showroom, and guess what? He bought both of them. I don’t approve of the concentration of that many ponies in one hand, I’m more in favor of an even distribution of horsepower amongst the motoring population, something like a motor- ing communism, where everyone will get their portion of horsepower according to their grade and merits. That day will come…
Back in the day, this fab example of Japanese drag racing used to run as the works racing vehicle for Endless, the premier brakes and suspension manufacturer from Saku City near Tokyo. Since Japanese drag rules do not allow nylon slicks, the Endless GT 33R used to storm the strip in the 9s on drag radials. Without nitrous. Lots of trick tuning went into preparing this car in order to ensure maxi- mum traction with the allowed tyres.
At the heart of the project is the legendary RB26 engine stroked out to 2.7 litres. The air is fed to the engine without filters, directly into the turbos and routed through custom piping into a double-entry, 4-core intercooler. Cooled air is then force-fed to the Endless custom intake manifold through an oversized, 100mm throttle body and mixed with fuel brought in through a Greddy fuel rail and
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humongous 1,000 cc injectors. The custom custom exhaust manifolds and are big enough fuel system consists of two Bosch fuel pumps to suck in small children walking past the and a fuel collector tank. Custom oversized car. When they start spinning, they generate piping replaces standard fuel lines from the the brutal force required to propel this rather pumps in the trunk all the way to the engine heavy car to amazing quartermile times. bay. A Nismo fuel pressure regulator ensures constant fuel pressure in the system at any A highly modified engine like the one found rpm range and load. inside Farook’s Skyline is usually well protected from overheating, detonation, Internally, the highest quality components extra boost and fuel or oil starvation. A large were installed in order to achieve high aluminium radiator and a low temperature power and reliability under boost. HKS forged thermostat ensure proper water tempera- pistons and connecting rods were utilized in tures at all times. On the other side, a Greddy combination with a counter balanced crank- oil cooler keeps engine oil temperatures in shaft, while an HKS metal gasket ensures check and the sculpted racing oil pan ensures proper sealing between the block and the no oil splashing during hard acceleration or head at 2.1 bar of boost used in competition. braking. Boost is adjusted through a Blitz Dual The oil pan is a large one, good enough for SBC boost controller and extra pressure is 8 litres of engine oil. The head is a tuning released through adjustable HKS twin racing masterpiece in itself, fully ported and polished wastegate valves. Exhaust gases exit spectac- for maximum flow and efficiency. Endless ularly through an Endless unmuffled exhaust engineers installed Apex high-lift camshafts system, generating a noise so deep and so with 290 degrees on the intake and 280 on racy that we're not sure it is road legal. the exhaust side. HKS adjustable cam gears enable fine-tuning on the dyno for extracting A Trust 6-speed sequential gearbox is one maximum power by playing with the timing. of the secrets of this car’s amazing perfor- Performance valve springs and titanium mance, robust enough to handle the torque May 2005 saw this R33 race at the Umm Al retainers are lighter and stronger than the generated by the RB and good for lightning Qawain drag complex, where it recorded low stock items they replace, and ensure safe quick shifts. Endless installed a 4-plate clutch 10 second passes on drag radials, without any revving all the way up to 10,000rpm. The two system and a lightweight flywheel, both previous testing or tuning. huge HKS GT3240 turbos are mounted on produced by Japanese specialists OS Giken. 21
The pedal feel isn’t exactly recommended for Dubai’s traffic jams, but on the drag strips, engages instantly and doesn’t slip when launching hard. To ensure maximum traction and limit wheelspin, Endless spent a lot of time testing and setting up the differentials. The details of the tuning are not released to the public, but the results are awesome, and traction on drag radials is nothing short of amazing, with the three diffs working hard to sense the wheels with most traction and reroute the power to them.
As you would expect, lots of electronics are employed to tune, run and monitor a race car like this. The “mainframe” behind the Skyline’s powerplant is a programmable HKS F-Con VPro computer, tuned to run the engine with all the right parameters programmed to deliver this kind of power. A Blitz Dual SBC The two HKS GT3240 turbos are joined by Boost Controller is used to set the correct a large aluminium radiator, a low tempera- boost for different applications and a Blitz ture thermostat and a Greddy oil cooler. turbo timer ensures enough cooling time for Boost is adjusted through a Blitz Dual SBC the big turbos after turning the ignition key boost controller and extra pressure is re- off. Several Greddy gauges installed across leased through adjustable HKS twin racing wastegate valves. the dashboard help the driver keep an eye on vital information.
The suspension setup for drag racing is dif- ferent from the one required for track racing as it needs to ensure proper weight transfer at launch in order to load the axle that needs most traction. Endless equipped their racing Skyline with the HKS Drag Damper suspen- sion and also installed a drag racing must have, a line lock. This device temporarily blocks the desired brakes and enables the
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A Blitz Dual SBC Boost Controller is used to set the correct boost for different applications, while a Blitz turbo timer ensures enough cooling time for the big turbos after switching off the ignition. Oh yea, there are several Greddy gauges in there too.
driver to conduct the burnout required to heat drag complex and recorded low 10 second high speeds. In the fast corners it just sliced up the tyres prior to the launch. After the passes on drag radials, without any previous through without a mention of body roll or un- burnout, the same device restores previous testing or tuning. dersteer. Oversteer was available on tap, and brake settings. The Endless Skyline is also plenty of it for that matter. All we had to do is equipped with a Cusco roll cage and front and On the street, this car feels very fast and too floor the throttle, but wouldn’t dare to wake rear strut bars, for increased chassis. The rough for every day driving. Its sequential up the monster in the middle of a 120km/h braking power is proportional to the power, gearbox, 4-plate clutch, trick diffs and drag corner. Once the big turbos spool and the courtesy of project Mu slotted discs, race suspension don’t make it very easy to live power kicks in, you need more than three pads, steel braided brake lines and DOT5 rac- with. But once you floor the throttle and highway lanes to contain this beast. ing brake fluid. experience its brutal acceleration and deafen- ing exhaust note, all the above issues start Farook hails from Bahrain and his ultimate Considering the above setup, one can’t help fading away and you find yourself wishing plan is to take his Skyline and Supra back concluding that the Endless Skyline isn’t this test drive never ended. Charging hard on home and have a go on the increasingly exactly a street ride. It was built for the strip the highway, the Skyline performed like a jet popular Bahrain International Circuit’s drag and there it belongs. In the month of May fighter, rapid acceleration and deceleration, strip. 2005, it was raced at the Umm Al Qawain solid like a rock, firm and 100% composed at
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KING OF THE MOUNTAIN 25
You bet your life this clean white Skyline the big blower spools and starts sending the modified turbo vehicles equipped with MoTeC started feeling homesick when we took it car sideways with every blip of the throttle! programmable computers. As we all know for a spin up on Jabeel Hafeet, the highest the MoTeC is a good starting point for any mountain peak in the United Arab Emirates. This clean and unassuming Nissan Skyline serious tuning project and its various models It certainly remembered all those moonlit GTR 33R is a perfect example of a so-called have a range of tuning capabilities that allow nights spent drifting and racing up and down sleeper. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, a plain- extraction of maximum horsepower from any the hills around Osaka, sprinting to the top for looking fast car with misleading looks, often given setup. Abdulla is a self styled and highly the so important street honors. Memories of marked as easy prey. Yeah right! Challenge talented MoTeC tuner with a very good feel for long gone friends from street, the yellow JUN him and he’ll run circles around you, humiliate Japanese turbo monsters; he’s helped scores EVO, the Signal Auto Silvia, the HKS Supra …. your Ferrari or your Lambo. of local enthusiasts prepare their jewels for both the street and the strip. But now’s no time to whine about the past, Abdulla is more known within the U.A.E. tun- we’re charging through the twisty roads ing circles for his custom ECU mapping capa- Most of his time and talent go into working of Jabel Hafeet, trying to harness Abdulla’s bilities rather than for his sleeper Skyline. He on client’s cars, which usually leaves him mighty GTR 32R, keep in it on the road when is one of the local experts in mapping highly with no time and energy to put some serious
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effort into tuning his own cars. Currently he’s Abdulla chose the MoTeC M600 as the brain Waste gasses have an easy way out through working on a number of projects, including a of his project, opting for this model based on an unrestricted 3” GReddy stainless steel wide body turbo Honda for drag racing and the various tuning options and the possibility exhaust system that sports a huge rear a few secret ones. Since business is getting to custom tailor the program for his particular muffler with a 120mm single tip. Needless to in the way of his personal pleasure, Abdulla application and setup. Usually tuners do not say that the rear view is more revealing and decided to slow down on the customer side resort to such high-end computers for mild intimidating than the other sides of Abdulla’s and dedicate some time to his own vehicles. applications and you can rest assured that Skyline, since you’ll be looking at meaty rear Abdulla’s got enough hardware under his tires, a huge muffler and the 3” piping under First on the priority list was to complete the hood to keep the MoTeC busy, frenetically pro- the car. The message is clear, do not mess work on his immaculate snow-white GTR 32R cessing power producing information. Lift the with this one! and get it up to speed. He decided to leave the hood and you’ll discover a neat and purpose- exterior more or less stock which helps avoid ful engine bay, no decoration, no hype, only Cooling is another crucial issue in ensuring getting the wrong attention and tricks other selected tuning items that promise nothing faultless and efficient running of the modified drivers into thinking that this is a mildly modi- but high boost and power output. The bottom RB26, especially in a climate like ours; the fied or even stock Skyline. The only visual end of this RB26 engine is left unchanged, temperature recorded on the day of our photo clues to its potential are the big JDM style having a reputation of being able to run shoot reached 45 degrees Celsius! Abdulla wheels, a GTR 34 rear wing and the oversized boosts in excess of 1.5 bar without experi- built a bulletproof cooling system consisting GReddy exhaust. Abdulla’s Skyline sports encing any problems. An HKS metal gasket of a really fat, 3-core aluminum radiator, a the stunning and lightweight 18” Meister replaced the stock one and Abdulla currently GReddy intercooler, a modified oil pump and S2R WORK wheels fitted with Bridgestone’s runs 1.6 bar on this setup. Since ingesting a GReddy oil cooler. The result is awesome, sticky Potenza RE71 tires sized 265/35 ZR18. air at atmospheric levels of pressure is not we kept on charging up Jabel Hafeet, mostly The rear wing is so well blended and fitted an option, a huge GReddy T78 turbo is put in in 2nd and 3rd gear at full load, but amaz- that it looks like an OEM item. The GReddy in- charge of compressing the air that’s inhaled ingly enough the water and oil temperatures tercooler was painted matt black for reduced through a pair of Airinx foam filter intakes. never exceeded the prescribed limits. All the visibility, with only the piping being visible The intake manifold is modified and converted generated power is translated into motion via through the lower air ducts on the front bum- to a single throttle body, using an Infinity Q45 a heavy duty, double plate OS Giken clutch. per. The paint job is a special mix pearl white, 80mm piece. The comprehensive turbo kit We never experienced any slippage and the although it appears almost like a shade of the also includes an adjustable wastegate valve, a pedal action was reasonably comfortable original white paint. A perfect sleeper! custom exhaust manifold and a 3” downpipe. even for street use; during real action the 27
system made for quick engagement and efficient power transfer at every shift, at any given load.
Now then, fitting bolt-ons alone does result in power gains but the real tuning trick in pre- paring well performing street or track cars is in the mapping. Abdulla applied his magic in extracting every possible horsepower from this engine by dialing the right data into the fully programmable MoTeC M600. When asked about the fine-tuning mapping secrets he smiled in a way that made any further questions unnecessary. Guess we’ll never find out … A setup like this needs much more fuel than the stock system can supply, thus a high-capacity Having taken care of the powerplant and its aftermarket fuel pump, a SARD fuel pressure regulator and 720cc injectors. Fuel is supplied via brain, Abdulla then focused his efforts on im- custom fuel lines to the GReddy high-flow fuel rail proving the handling and stopping of his Sky- and the oversized injectors. line. He was well aware of the fact that the power output of the modified engine required the stopping power to be upgraded to handle the extra ponies. Cross-drilled discs and sport pads replaced the original items providing a fade-free and more powerful braking action. HKS adjustable coilovers were installed to keep any unwanted body movements at bay. The extensive trashing and hard cornering up and down Jabel Hafeet revealed a great han- dling provess, thanks to an excellent original chassis and a stiff suspension now greatly improved with the aftermarket coilovers. They also provide the menacing low stance of Abdulla’s GTR, making the body sit so low on the sleek 18” WORK wheels.
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As for the interior, the original RHD layout to its redline so quickly that there’s barely any impressive from the outside, with the deep was converted to LHD. Boost, water tempera- time to enjoy the in-gear action. But the real exhaust growl bouncing and echoing between ture and oil pressure gauges were installed fun started once we hit the steep mountain the rock walls. This GTR is earth shattering, enabling the driver to keep an eye on vital road; a perfectly flat surface, wide enough a true aural and visual delight, a scary sight information. Abdulla also installed a MOMO for tarmac-ripping action was the stage for on the steep mountain roads and in your rear steering wheel, GReddy Profec S-Type boost the second part of our test. Abdulla knows wiew mirror. controller and an APEXi turbo timer. the roads so well that he throws the Skyline into the blind corners at high speed making Supercar drivers beware! If a plain looking The driving experience was exhilarating, with me reach for the handle more than once. The Skyline sides you on the road, save yourself Abdulla acting as our demo driver for the day. rear-biased AWD drivetrain, combined with a the embarrassment, don’t bother downshift- The sprints between the traffic lights were powerful engine made for spectacular power ing. Better yet pretend that you have an mind-boggling, with the tires struggling for slides in second gear, making us look like the urgent call to make and cruise in the slow traction in straight line in first, second and Japanese kings of mountain drifting. And it all lane till you see the big GReddy rear muffler third gears. Once the big turbo overcomes looked so smooth and easy, with on-demand disappear in the distance. the minimal low rpm lag, all hell breaks loose! tail slides and burnouts easily available by The boost gauge is hitting 1.6 bar and all I can simply flooring the loud pedal. Best of all, see is shift, shift, shift, as the engine sprints the whole lot looked and sounded even more
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WIDE LOAD 31
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It might be a matter of coincidence, but I’m popular tuning platforms ever. In stock form first screening of the movie gave him six starting to identify a clear pattern: Ali likes the turbocharged engine was pumping out sleepless nights and made him decide to buy them WIDE! We’re talking about cars here, of an impressive 320 horsepower and was one a Supra the following day. Luckily, help was course, despite the inevitable hint. His electric of the most reliable powerplants ever built. at hand courtesy of his friend and experi- blue Tundra featured in our October issue Thanks to its reputation for being able to take enced tuner Mohammed Bin Fahad, who and this stunning wide-body Supra leave me lots of boost even with a stock bottom end, had previously worked with SP Engineering with no doubt that Ali is in full support of the the 2JZ six-cylinder engine found its way into and who owns two highly modified Supras. “Wider is better” theory. I must agree that a number of unlikely cars like the Nissan Sil- They quickly sourced the car and started in terms of on-road presence a low and wide via, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX7 and even some contemplating the upgrades, since leaving the vehicle has all the right ingredients; an in- European cars! The Supra stirred a proper car stock was not an option. timidating ground-hugging stance, very wide tuners’ war with the likes of Top Secret, JUN, rims and tires and an aggressive, almost AB Flug, SP Engineering, Esprit and Titan Although the power upgrades on this car are “don’t mess with me” type of attitude to it. competing to build the best street and track far from mild, the body steals the limelight. Ali This bright Supra is definitely one of them! upgrade packages for this model. researched the various available options and opted for the awesome Top Secret GT3000 Since its launch in the early nineties, the MKIV Ali Thani, a.k.a. “Ali Diablo” is one of the many wide body kit. The various body panels are Toyota Supra has become one of the most victims of the Fast & Furious syndrome. The work of art and give the car such a menacing 33
stance, which makes it easier to swallow its and rear lights received a coat of transparent TD06-20G turbines and a custom exhaust hefty price tag. This is by far one of the crazi- black paint for that shady effect. The visual manifold that replace the stock items. An est and most aggressive body kits for the effect is simply arresting. The bright body HKS twin foam filter air intake is in charge of 93-98 Supra. The kit was sourced from the colour even further exacerbates the width sucking as much cold air as possible into the US and professionally installed by the team and the carbon fiber elements provide a tasty system; the compressed air then gets cooled of Fast Service Center; the whole process contrast to the sea of yellow/orange paint. running through the massive TRUST double took exactly 8 weeks and lots of patience in intercooler kit and then forced into the engine painstakingly blending the numerous body And the abuse comes courtesy of the modi- through the large throttle body. Since the in- parts. Ali topped it all up with a vented Top fied 2JZ engine and Ali’s heavy right foot. The take of air and fuel has to be in the prescribed Secret carbon fiber hood and sleek carbon modified engine provides the right amount proportion, the additional fuelling needs are fiber mirrors. The massive Top Secret GT2 of kick and Ali is not saving it for the future, programmed into the computer and delivered carbon fiber wing fitted at the rear completed enjoying every pound of torque on a daily ba- by an upgraded fuel system. Ali’s Supra fea- the racecar picture. And, as if the whole lot sis. The main power upgrade is the compre- tures an external surge tank, twin Bosch high wasn’t aggressive enough, both the front hensive GReddy twin turbo kit featuring two capacity fuel pumps, an HKS high-flow fuel
Accompanying the widebody kit and mad wing are sexy 19” RAYS Volk GTC rims; 10.5" wide at the rear and 9.5" wide in front. They are wrapped in ultra low-profile and extremely sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tires, front 255/35 ZR19 and rear 285/30 ZR19.
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Engine bay boasts a chrome polished intake manifold, gold plated engine cover, GReddy oil catch tank and colour-coded plastic bits. Most parts were ordered from SP Engineering in the US, with all engine mods performed at the Future Generation workshop.
Dash panels get a layer of the body paint and the rest is all covered in black leather with bright yellow stitching; same goes for the door panels and the rear seat area. SPARCO Torino reclinable sport seats are joined by DEFI blacked-out gauges.
rail and gigantic, 1,000cc Denso fuel injectors. owner decided to upgrade the clutch with a Ali’s yellow rocket can be regularly seen A SARD fuel pressure regulator keeps an eye heavy duty one from OS Giken. The result is cruising the streets of Dubai with a group of on the pressure in the system at all times. a much firmer clutch pedal action and most other tuned Supras. They are very active in HKS 272 camshafts provide the right amount importantly instantaneous engagement. upgrading their cars and participating in vari- of duration and lift to fully exploit the potential ous motor shows and modified car events. of the 2JZ engine, especially on the top end The brain behind such a high-end system is Ali’s quite happy with where he is right now, when the beast starts screaming. A 1.6mm the tried and tested MoTeC M600, employed especially with the stunning exterior. What GReddy metal head gasket was fitted to to achieve the right engine parameters and needs more work is the engine; he has big provide the right compression ratio required extract every possible pony from the mighty plans for upgrading and bulletproofing the in order to run higher than stock boost levels engine. Other installed electronics include an bottom end in order to be able to handle the on a stock bottom end. Ali also installed a HKS turbo timer and the DEFI LINK control pounding from a T88 turbo. All the current GReddy Type C wastegate that can be adjust- unit for the very special blacked-out gauges. valvetrain components will be replaced by ed according to boost levels to fine tune the performance products and the MoTeC M600 setup and keep it safe from excessive boost. A stock Supra handles exceedingly well, but a is to be replaced by the new M800. On the list Exhaust gases exit through a 2.7” downpipe highly modified one requires major upgrades of other future upgrades are also the cooling and an HKS Drager 3” exhaust system, giving to ensure proper handling at higher speeds system, transmission, drivetrain and brakes, the Supra the signature deep exhaust note and cornering forces. Ali’s vehicle is equipped which should make this widebodied Supra a that can be heard from far away. Since the with TEIN coilovers that are adjustable for real street monster capable of laying down stock clutch wouldn’t be able to cope with the height and compression/rebound on the rubber in most gears and hitting speeds in newly found power and would easily slip, the same knob. excess of 300km/h.
36 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 Forza Induction When Mohammed Ben Sulayem tells you "this is a fast car", then you know for a fact that this is a damn fast car. Not easily impressed by just any super- car or claimed horsepower outputs, Mohammed keeps a special place in his heart for the bright red Ferrari F40, a car that makes even his heart beat faster.
When Mohammed Ben Sulayem tells you actually wraps around a racecar-like chassis. The punch comes from a longitudinally "this is a fast car", then you know for a Technology was not neglected and it actually mounted twin-turbo2.9 liter V8 engine, fact that this is a damn fast car. Not easily helped achieve the right figures; a completely featuring a light alloy block, a turbo-friendly impressed by just any supercar or claimed new generation of tires gave the F40 a low, compression ratio of 7.7:1, four valves per horsepower outputs, Mohammed keeps a super-wide stance and lightweight composite cylinder, twin overhead camshafts, two special place in his heart for the bright red materials and new construction methods integrated Weber-Marelli injection-ignition Ferrari F40, a car that makes even his heart helped shed a substantial 135 kg. Out went systems and two Behr intercoolers. The two beat faster. the 288 GTO's surprisingly plush trim and standard IHI turbochargers were capable of generous equipment levels in favor of the generating 1.1 bars of boost and the power Almost two decades ago Ferrari launched the spartan, stripped look of the racer. Instead of output was rated at 478bhp - at the time Pininfarina designed F40, the first production the 288's ventilated leather seats it had thinly the highest offered in a road car. The chassis car in the world to break the magic 200 mph padded, high-backed racing-style bucket consists of a composite central section with barrier. To put it in plain words, the F40 was seats and contrary to the carpets and suede steel tubular space frames on either end to the fastest road car ever built, even overshad- Alcantara trim found in the GTO, the F40 had support the suspension and offers a good owing the likes of the high-tech Porsche 959. naked Kevlar and carbonfibre. Each door balance between light weight and rigidity. The The car was developed using the 288 GTO weighed just 1.5kg and there were no electric setup was said to be good for at least 700 hp. as a base, via the 288 Evoluzione. Massive windows, central locking, not even proper Suspension is by race bred double wishbones scoops and wings dominate in the wedgy door handles, just Mini-style cord pulls. all-round, helped by coil springs over damp- Pininfarina design and the functional body ers and an anti-roll bar fore and aft. Stopping 37
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power comes from gigantic 13-inch discs, the stock car forever, even if the car in ques- designed and manufactured by BSP that were ventilated and cross-drilled, nestling in 10-inch tion is the infamous F40. As the time passed capable of supplying enough cooled air for the wide front and 13-inch wide rear wheels shod and miles at the wheel of the car piled up, he larger turbos. with massive Pirelli tyres. discovered a number of weaknesses in the build and design of the car, things that had to The complete exhaust system had to be No matter how impressive the spec sheets be addressed in order to increase the driving reconstructed to suit the upgraded Garret may be, the performance figures ultimately pleasure and feel, the fastest road car in the turbochargers, starting from the exhaust say it all. The dash from world was not fast enough! manifolds through to a system built using 0-100 km/h takes a bike-like time of 3.5 sec- rebuildable carbon fiber mufflers. The waste- onds and the F40 sprints from 0-100 mph in Since there's no such thing as "enough gate has been internally modified to achieve only 8.8 seconds; top speed is a still respect- horsepower", Ben Sulayem Performance 2.0 Bar of boost and the wastegate dump able 202 mph or 324 km/h. For Mohammed (BSP) worked on improving the performance pipe can be clearly seen running between the it was love at first sight and an absolute must both by means of mechanical and electronics 2 mufflers. have. Few months later he took possession of upgrades. The original IHI turbos were one his F40; that was the beginning of a 17 year of the bottle necks with a maximum boost The original eight throttle bodies were re- long and never ending affair. of only 1.1 bar and were replaced by Garret moved and dual Bosch Motorsport electronic GT30 ball bearing units sitting on custom- throttles were installed; fuelling is now cour- Now then, we cannot expect a driver of Mo- ized exhaust manifolds, capable of generat- tesy of sixteen 440cc injectors and two Bosch hammed's caliber to take too long to master ing almost double the boost. The standard Motorsport fuel pumps. The original ECUs the F40 and be thrilled by the performance of intercoolers got replaced by custom units and electronics were scrapped in favor of a 39
modern MoTeC M800 standalone engine man- build the suspension for this car, featuring ex- agement that was programmed to deliver a ternal canisters and multiple adjustability; the high power output combined with everyday trick setup can be adjusted for compression, usability and drivability. BSP also installed rebound, high speed rebound and, of course, eight ignition coils and completely rewired height. Only now the car feels completely the engine with custom Motorsport style in control plus allows the required range of wiring. This Ferrari is also the first car in the adjustability for fine tuning of the setup. world to run a full MoTeC CAN (Controller Area Network) "Drive By Wire" with idle speed A decade and a half after the purchase, this control. (read more in the side bar). After the Ferrari F40 is even more of a beast now, mapping and dyno tuning the engine now having been upgraded in almost every aspect pumps out over 800 HP and the car is tuned of its performance, starting from an 800+ to be driven both in daily traffic or at the race- hp engine with unique engine management, track, depending on the requirements. racing suspension and many other improve- ments. The car is now more streetable than In order to improve the handling to suit ever, despite its massive power and the Mohammed's driving style, Ben Sulayem Per- owner enjoys taking it for a spin more often formance asked Rieger Suspension to custom than you'd expect. Can't blame him!
The original IHI turbos were replaced by Garret GT30 ball bearing units sitting on custom exhaust manifolds, with the standard intercoolers also being ditched in favour of BSP custom units.
The custom Rieger Suspension fea- tures external canisters and multiple adjustability; the trick setup can be adjusted for compression, rebound, high speed rebound and height.
www.performancemag.net 40 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 Mine’s R35 GT-R The very first UAE-tuned Nissan GT-R rocks Abu Dhabi
The Tokyo Auto Salon is the place where top Japanese tuners showcase their most sophisticated gear, and the concentration of high quality tuner rides is such that only The renowned Japanese tuners the top crop manage to really stand out. Mine’s all-new (at the time) R35 GT-R was one beat the competition to become the such ride. Displayed next to its predecessor, a white BNR 34, the new car was one of the show stoppers of the Salon, if not THE show stopper. Those in the know where world’s first company to modify already up to date with the news that Mine’s car was the first one to be equipped with a the overtly complex new Nissan modified VX-ROM and coilover suspension, a feat achieved for the first time in the world GT-R. Top Performance brings you by the engineers of the Kanagawa-based company. By the time the Auto Salon opened an Abu Dhabi-based GT-R with a its doors in January 2008, the car was already running 1-minute flat laps at Tsukuba. The following month, during the celebrations of HKS’s 35th anniversary, Eiji “Tarzan” slew of Mine’s modifications. Yamada was let loose on the track with the demo car and clocked a respectable 1:52 minutes lap time at Fuji Speedway.. By Zlatko Mulabegovic Photography by Sameer Arshad A chat with Niikura-san, the president of the company and the engineer who developed the upgrades for the new car, revealed the complexity of the operation, mainly due to the fact that the new Nissan GT-R was not designed to be a tuner friendly car. Niikura 41
claimed that even the mighty NISMO did not have a solution for an Performance who are better known for great tuning and custom work upgraded ECU at the time when Mine’s was already testing theirs on a on Jeeps and Dodges. But yes, Abdulla Za’abi reached me during my racetrack; that’s real pioneering work! holiday and offered me a dream story – to feature a GT-R from Abu Dhabi modified using nothing but Mine’s parts! Bingo, this car is cover GT-R lands in the UAE story material! Right after returning to Dubai, arrangements were At the beginning of the summer, the UAE got struck by the GT-R fever, made for the feature and the last missing bit was the Mine’s VX-ROM as the first cars were due to arrive in June. Lots of speculations on that was being delivered as I’m typing these very words. the specs, performance, prices and delivery dates kept interest high amongst enthusiasts around here. When the first batch finally reached Since we all know that the first GT-Rs got delivered to VVIPs and mem- our shores, pictures started to emerge on local car forums, with details bers of ruling families, you guess by now that the name of the proud of the the cars parked in unknown warehouses, still without plates and owner of this car will not be published, but we thank him anyway for awaiting delivery. In July, Top Performance got an exclusive regional the opportunity to feature his awesome car in Top Performance. We drive of the new GT-R at Dubai Autodrome, which helped get a better also have to congratulate him on the excellent choice of parts, since picture on the car’s capabilities, but that was a standard car and we’d Mine’s are recognized as top notch GT-R tuners and are well respected love to get our hands on a modified R35. Say no more! in tuning circles worldwide.
Mine’s comes to Abu Dhabi Excitement was mounting as we parked outside Extreme Performance I’d never think that such a call would come from our friends at Extreme in Musaffah, knowing that the first modified GT-R in the country is right
White GT-R left largely stock with the exception of few targeted power and styling upgrades from the renowned Japanese tuning house of Mine’s.
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behind that blue sliding door. Our old friend Abdulla Al Za’abi, the owner breathing helps provide the required amount of air, as dictated by of Extreme and the man behind this project greeted us with a massive the modified VX-Rom ECU. On the warmer side and downstream the grin on his face, knowing that we’ll be blown off by the sheer presence system, the standard catalyzer was replaced with Mine’s Super Cata- of this car, not to mention its performance. The installed carbon lip, lyzer, consisting of two 70mm pipes and ensuring higher flows while scoops and rear wing do not alter the original design of the car, they retaining legal emission levels. Finally, the original exhaust system is just make it appear more aggressive and even more aerodynamically now sitting in the storage while a brand new Silence-VX Pro Titan II rear efficient. The owner decided to retain the standard wheels and suspen- muffler ensures higher flows and provides a sharper than stock -ex sion for time being, so to an inexperienced onlooker this car might haust note, especially under more load; at idle speeds the exhaust note appear almost stock. is absolutely unobtrusive and sounds 100 per cent legal. The finishing of this product is titanium, and the icing on the cake are the two pairs What is not stock is well hidden under the hood and shots of the of 120mm exhaust tips, each featuring flame treatment finish. Another engine bay will not reveal any visible modifications. On the cold side advantage of the titanium muffler is the reduction of weight on the rear of things, Extreme installed Mine’s VX air filter, a drop-in replacement axle, which contributes towards improved performance and stability. unit designed to improve filtering and reduce air turbulence. Improved 43
Subtle Mine’s graphics one of the few clues to the modifications of this close to stock looking Nissan GT-R. Gorgeous interior left untouched for the moment.
To fully exploit the installed modifications and unleash the potential of And that is exactly how the car felt during a short test drive; docile and the 3.8-liter twin turbo engine, Mine’s developed their own upgraded composed in traffic, responsive and fast when required. The installed ECU, the infamous VX-ROM. The Japanese tuners were the first ones modifications have not changed the nature of the GT-R, they have only to crack the overly complex GT-R brain and have managed to improve enhanced its performance, one that you’d feel only when the right upon a number of originally programmed parameters. Firstly, they pedal is pushed all the way down. This is great news, a Nissan GT-R altered the electronic throttle data, then removed the speed limiter and with Mine’s modifications is still the versatile supercar it was designed improved the fuel mapping, as well as the injection/ignition timing pa- to be, albeit with a little boost in performance. rameters. Mine’s never intended to enter the horsepower race though, therefore their VX-ROM brings improved performance, yet it retains the We have no official horsepower figures following the installation of the intended level of emissions and even the original immobilizer function performance products, but one can definitely feel the improved throttle is not altered. In a nutshell, the data has been changed to increase response and acceleration. Mine’s themselves stated that they are not performance and response whilst still maintaining the drivability and after crazy power outputs, their aim was to develop products that give reliability offered by the factory ECU. the owner usable power, which they have broadly achieved. Mission accomplished!
www.performancemag.net 44 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 Fortune favors the brave We discover the first ever Mazda RX-7 in the Middle East to wear the flamboyant Veilside Fortune styl- ing kit, as seen in the Tokyo Drift motion picture and now gracing the streets of Dubai.
by Zlatko Mulabegovic Photo by Sameer Arshad
Remember the black and orange wide body tomotive art by any criteria. The Veilside RX-7 What platform? Veilside Mazda RX7 from the acclaimed Tokyo Fortune is easily one of the best creations to The hero of our story has been wanting badly Drift movie? Of course you do, cars like that ever come out of Japan. Besides the obvious to own an RX-7 for a long time now and no one first of all easily stand out from the wide body kit, the RX-7 Fortune featured an sacrifice was too high in order to finally put predominantly riced-out star cars and are HKS T04Z single-turbo conversion kit, front his hands on one. He’s searched high and low, bound to be embedded in the fans’ memories mount intercooler, Veilside Teardrop titanium on and off-line until he closed in on a suitable for a long time. I refreshed mine last January exhaust, Rotora big brake kit, A'PEXi coilovers, car. Why the Mazda RX-7? Well, Mohammed when I saw the car in flash at the Tokyo Auto 19" VeilSide Evolution 5 wheels wrapped with wanted to own a highly attractive sports car, Salon, a truly stunning creation, a piece of au- Toyo Proxes tires and Veilside D1R seats. unique, desirable and not so easy to come 45
across. In a city like Dubai were luxury and tribute to the car and keep the 13b engine. He sport cars are more widespread than proper conducted some testing prior to the body kit public transportation, it has become a chal- installation, and it turn out the engine was lenge to decide the way forward with the impressive, great to drive and run with. available budget in mind. Getting the parts Uniqueness does not appear to be in fashion Mohammed’s RX-7 was purchased from an these days, but Mohammed was firm on American website called Speedforsale.com, his decision, to purchase one of the most where several similarly good cars are still abandoned cars in his country, the legend- available. The chosen Mazda RX-7 was a 1993 ary Mazda RX-7. Even before parting with the FD3S model from Swansea in Massachusetts, cash, the Fortune kit was selected in order and the car already featured a number of to bring the so much wanted uniqueness as good modifications that would have costed it was going to be the first such car in the a small fortune if purchased separately. Middle East.. With most required parts already installed, You might remember this car from the Mohammed turned his attention towards Why a Rotary engine? third installment of ‘The Fast and the the styling and wheels, picking the sexy The local fans of the RX-7 have been known Furious’ movie series. Amazing body kit is I-Forged chrome wheels from a US retailer. to easily take the decision to part with the complemented by gorgeous 19-inch rims. The front ones were sized at 19x9 while the legendary engine and swap something easier rear wheels were the super wide 20x12 deep to work on, like the Supra’s 2JZ GT-E that’s dish rollers. widely available and much easier to modify. Due to a general lack of knowledge in the field Another order was placed directly from Japan of the rotary engines and their complexity, and included the aforementioned VeilSide they have been widely ignored and never Wide Body Kit, VeilSide Racing Seats (includ- caught up with the tuning crowd. This is why ing the seats mount and the racing seat the rotary engines never got the deserved belts), VeilSide Manual Shift Knob, VeilSide recognition in this region, which truly is a Manual three set pedals, VeilSide Attack Model shame as they are known to produce gener- Steering Wheel, and of course the VeilSide ous amounts of horsepower and torque from Body Kit Labels. The parts were ordered in small displacement engines. August 2007 and were delivered at the end of January of this year, one month after receiv- As a true fan of the Veilside RX-7 Fortune ing the Mazda RX-7 form the U.S. Party time! Model, Mohammed felt he had to pay full
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Power of the rebuilt rotary engine gets upped to over 400hp, thanks to a single IHI A’PEXi turbo and other extensive modifications.
The engine mods The assembly The engine was rebuilt using great performance parts, and it sports Fast Car Service Center in Dubai worked on the fitting and finishing of an Apexi FC Command manage system to dial in the right map. The the body kit, a job executed to perfection. These people have done an standard engine was modified with the addition of an IHI Apexi Single excellent job on more complicated projects such as a Supra Top Secret Turbo, the main injectors are the primary 550cc and are supported by wide body kit, and Mohammed’s car is a routine job to them. The kind a set of 1600cc secondary injectors. The high flow GReady manifold of body leveling that they've done on the VeilSide car was accurate, and elbow, 3 row front mount intercooler and a 3 inch Apexi down pipe with they took their time to create a master piece. Mohammed reckons that a custom cat back exhaust system ensure higher than stock flows in such work couldn’t have be done somewhere else in Dubai, and even and out the engine. The Fuel system runs with braided steel fuel lines, if there were other equally good body shops, he would not trust just a high flow Walbrow 255lb fuel pump and is adjusted by an SX fuel anyone to work on his dream machine. The two tone paint was chosen regulator. The horse power of the project car is estimated to be above carefully to represent two of Mohammed’s favorite colors (he must be 400 hp as the previous owner claimed. The standard transmission is an AC Milan fan!), and he never thought a day would come to have them beefed up by the addition of an ACT street/strip clutch. Everything else together on one hot car and one classy looking piece of art. on this car was more or less bone stock with the exception of the TEIN adjustable coilovers, HKS Blow off valve and the Koyo steel radiator. Fast Car Service Center have also have done some carbon fiber cover- ing job on the plastic interior of the RX-7 for a more sophisticated finish 47
This is where the owner does business. Sat in spectacular D1R seats, and looking out over an array of instruments, Mohammed gets all the vital info he needs to know to keep the Fortune RX-7 in combat mode.
and Mohammed has topped that up with an the Tuned Car Category, despite that it was After the Supra Combat was displayed at array of Veilside parts, including bright red the first time the company had ever partici- the TAS, VeilSide received a mountain of bucket seats, steering wheel, shift knob and pated in the event. Soon after, Yokomaku's letters from visitors who said they had been much more. firm won trophies in the Dress Up Car and inspired by the car. The Supra Combat was Complete Car Categories as well. Soon after, so successful that people started purchas- So time for Mohammed to sit back and enjoy Veilside originated the combat series, which ing Supras just so that they could transform the fruits of his labour. Now that he owns his sparked many other companies into a new them to Combat mode, and the number of dream car dressed up in his dream styling kit, era of aero-styling. models in the Combat series thus started it is now time to live the dream. His car is now to grow. In July of 1995, VeilSide received completed and even registered, so expect to At an exhibition in Los Angeles, Yokomaku Ministry of Transportation authorization for see her on the roads of Jumeirah with the saw the "Batmobile" from the '60s series all the Combat's aero parts, so the car could proud and happy owner enjoying the head "Batman". According to Yokomaku-san, "In Ja- then pass official inspection. This was a first turning effect of his new creation. pan, people think that superheroes are some- in the aftermarket performance industry. At thing for kids, but in the States I saw adults this point the customizing industry as a whole About Veilside looking at the Batmobile with keen interest." shifted towards the legal turning point that The VeilSide showroom sits nearby the Tsku- As Yokomaku courageously experimented Yokomaku had aimed for. ba Circuit on the outskirts of Tokyo. VeilSide. with new ideas influenced by old favorites, Co., Ltd. was established in September 1990 the creation of the striking Combat model Today, VeilSide's style, design, dedication to by Yokomaku Hiranao. The name is derived came to be. At first, even the VeilSide staff precision and detail help keep the company from Yokomaku's name, "maku" meaning was surprised. "But they just stared without atop the styling ladder without forgetting their veil, "yoko" meaning side. backing off, and the more they looked, the roots – the performance tuning. In trying to more they liked it," says Yokomaku. The diversify and conquer new grounds, they In the period directly following VeilSide's es- Supra Combat was exhibited at the TAS '94 have recently released new styling kits for tablishment, the company's focus in the early and was the object of much discussion during European exotic cars, marking another grand days was geared towards pure performance the deliberations for the custom car contest. chapter in the company’s rich history. tuning. At the 1991 Tokyo Auto Salon's custom In the end the judges awarded it for the Grand car contest, VeilSide won the Grand Prize in Prize in the Complete Car Category.
www.performancemag.net 48 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 CLUB 1000 The kings of SRT8 have done it again! Extreme Performance’s legendary and long time in-the- works Jeep Cherokee SRT8 turbo has been tuned to cross into four figure power and torque outputs. Zlatko Mulabegovic buckles up and hangs on for his life in a memorable tire-shred- ding and tarmac ripping experience!
by Zlatko Mulabegovic
Those of you following our magazine might remember Top Performance featuring the mad turbocharged and intercooled sleeper Cherokee SRT8 back in 2007. Built and tuned by Extreme Performance, the undisputed kings of anything HEMI, the car constituted a fabulously streetable and meek-looking undercover monster, a total sleeper on the surface and a fire-breathing machine under- neath. Four years in the works and things are starting to get a little extreme, what else.
Let’s step back and look at the development of this project, masterminded and initiated by Abdulla Al Za’abi, a.k.a. the King of HEMI in this part of the world. At the time, Extreme Performance already had built a reputation as a leader in tuning the SRT8 engines, fitting them into Wranglers and then they flexed their muscle again on the HEMI-powered Cherokee that got fitted with the first turbo kit on this platform, another first for the Middle East. With a tightly packed engine bay and no sufficient space for the custom head- ers and turbo, Abdulla decided to place the ball-bearing Garrett T4 right before the rear axle. Extreme developed the comprehensive kit and tested it in the middle of the summer, ensuring its suitability for street use and ev- eryday driving. Installed and tuned, the turbo kit pushed the power output up to a hefty 650 49
horsepower and gave the big SUV Corvette chasing capabilities.
Fast forward to 2010, and I have to admit that I have completely forgotten about the Cherokee, although I remember Abdulla going on about prepping this car for drag events. I must have taken the whole story lightly and was knocked off my feet when faced with the latest developments on this platform. Extreme Performance has done it again and you’ll have to read below for the shocking Extreme developed a mandrel-bent custom details. stainless steel exhaust system and the piping required to place the turbo right before the As it transpires from the above, Mr Za’abi rear axle. took the drag challenge seriously and set his targets high, or should I say extremely high! I mean, what do you call a 1,000 engine and custom spec pistons with a compression horsepower target? Ludacris!! ratio of 9.5:1. On top of that, Extreme fitted two custom Stage-3 race-prepared cylinder Now then, you don’t jump from 650 to 1,000 heads, CNC-ported and fitted with forged one- horsepower by increasing the boost or fitting piece custom push rods, SRT8 lifters, dual a larger turbo, you need to start from scratch, valve springs, custom valves and the Extreme which calls for a totally new engine project. Spec Custom grind 426 Turbo Camshafts. After thorough research, Abdulla opted to buy The intake manifold was ported and polished a fully-built 7-liter 426 short block, featuring to increase the volume and velocity of the billet main caps, Millen oil pumps, a K1 crank mixture.
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The car is equipped with water methanol injection, which helps reduce the temperature of the intake charge, reduces knock and enables running more aggressive settings.
The electronics on this engine are kept fairly simple, with a handheld Diablo Sport Tuner in charge of tuning, the TurboSmart boost con- troller and the MSD fuel pump booster. Abdulla tuned the Cherokee on his DynoPack with two tunes set at 10 and 15psi respectively.
The next question one has to ask is how the standard transmission will be able to handle four-figure horsepower outputs and mon- strous torque? Not well, I am afraid, it is likely Once assembled, the engine was ready for only part that gives the game away on this to crack under pressure! With this in mind, the installation of the turbo kit, which is based otherwise stock looking Cherokee. Dual TIAL the transmission of the project SUV was up- on a humongous GT45R ball-bearing turbo Sport blow-off valves see the excessive boost graded to better handle the immense torque paired with a TIAL 60mm wastegate. Extreme off into the atmosphere, preserving the health transferred to the AWD system. Extreme be- developed a mandrel-bent custom stainless of the engine and intimidating other drivers fitted their Cherokee with upgraded clutches, steel exhaust system and the piping required in the street. The fueling system is duly valve bodies, oil lines and are using race-spec to place the turbo right before the rear axle. upgraded to deliver the required amounts to transmission oil for good measure. According The custom 3.5 core front mount intercooler the thirsty engine and the upgrades consist of to Abdulla, this setup should be capable of features custom piping and is visually the 800cc injectors and twin Walbro fuel pumps. transferring up to 1,000 crank horsepower 51
The fully-built short block, featuring billet main caps, Millen oil pumps, a K1 crank and custom spec pistons, is joined by custom Stage-3 race-prepped cylinder heads with custom push rods, SRT8 lifters, dual valve springs, custom valves and Extreme-Spec custom grind 426 Turbo Camshafts.
to the wheels without slipping or breaking in is sure to shock you and slow your reactions the process. And, before we forget, the restyl- down. This Cherokee accelerates as hard as ing of the interior needs a worthy mention, the fastest supercars and, by sitting this high since Abdulla decided to add some color and up, you don’t get to see the road through the class to the somewhat dull Cherokee interior, windshield when the nose of the car lifts up covering the seats and most panels in quality at launch. The g-force experience leaves you leather and significantly lifting the cabin feel. breathless, while the aural delights provided by the engine, wastegate and exhaust only At the wheel enhance the way you perceive that accelera- How does a 1,000 horsepower car feel to tion. Mad all-wheel burnouts are as easy as drive? The turbocharged Cherokee SRT8 abc, thanks to the brutal torque and, if you surely feels smooth and easy to drive in decide to let only the rear wheels do the everyday traffic, getting off the line with work, there you have a machine that can do no effort, overtaking any given car without extra long burnouts. sweating it out and isn’t even loud for a vehicle that powerful. Of course, at every Another day, another project, and Extreme blip of the throttle you get the hint to its real Performance put the cherry on the cake in potential, but is otherwise docile and perfectly this extensive long-term project. Four figure drivable, even in stop-and-go traffic, espe- power outputs and perfect drivability are cially on the 10psi tune. achieved through a mix of quality hardware and tuning expertise second to none, the Should you decide to unleash the power, may one that brought them the unofficial “Kings we recommend that you do it in a safe place of Hemi” title. Do watch this space for more, and with an experienced driver? The reason because the list of crazy projects signed by is very simple, once the humongous GT45R Extreme is far from over and we do have a turbo starts spooling, the tidal wave of power surprise double feature coming soon to the and torque will set all four tyres ablaze and pages of Top Performance. propel the car forward with such alacrity that
www.performancemag.net 52 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 THE RETURN OF THE DEVIL A long three years after a feature in Top Performance magazine, acclaimed Kuwaiti drag racer and tuner Bader Deshtti returns to the Emirates with yet another drag Honda Civic, only this time we’re talk- ing serious power. I mean SERIOUS!
by Zlatko Mulabegovic
Not very long ago, I received a call from interest as the first street Honda to break itching for a new race car that would enable Kuwait and on the line was a guy called Bader the 10 second barrier. Following the sale of him to compete in the Street classes. Well who claimed to have just the right car for a the blue devil, but still firmly stuck on Civics connected as he was, he finally sourced a feature in Top Performance. “It’s a drag racer, and drag racing, Bader decided to purchase a new car from Laskey Racing, the Anaheim- a Civic EG turbo capable of sub-10 second full-fledged Hot Rod-class Civic that featured based drag racing experts. An immaculate runs, would you be interested?” Bader asked a one-piece front end, a wheelie bar, was and well-built white EG was literally begging politely. Would I be interested? Damn right I extremely lightweight and was powered by a to be picked up and Bader succumbed to the would be, bring her on! fully-built H22A engine. temptation.
The blue Civic dragster generated lots of Fast forward to 2008 and Bader was still The Laskey Racing Civic was professionally 53
prepared and already clocked a best time of installed, bringing the compression ratio to a 10.1 seconds before being shipped to Kuwait, high 9.7:1. The ported and polished B16A head where it received a number of upgrades that received a complete Brian Crower valvetrain, saw a cool 715 whp and an astonishing 9.6 including Stage II camshafts and adjustable seconds on the quarter mile. Improving your Skunk2 cam gears. With the motor sorted ETs at the sub-10 second level is no easy out, Bader concentrated on the power making feat, and since Bader felt that he pretty much parts, starting with a turbo replacement and maxed out the capabilities of the GT40 and the his choice fell on the massive Borg Warner stock transmission, time had come for some S400 blower capable of making over 1,000hp. radical changes in all departments. On the intake side, the motor retains the Starting from the block, new 85mm bore 75mm BDL throttle body and the Edelbrock CP pistons paired with Pauter rods were Victor-X intake manifold. In line with the up-
The stock white shell gets a new hood, Spoon front lip, duck-tail roof spoiler and rear-view mirrors, all made from carbon fibre. Running on 13x10 Spinwerx drag wheels at the front, wearing M&H slicks, the Civic is equipped with Omni Power drag coilovers, polyurethane suspension bushings, Full Race Pro traction bar, lightweight BLOX rear lower control arms and Skunk2 camber kits.
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grades, the fuel system has been souped up roof spoiler and carbon side mirrors. The car to feed 2200cc injectors sitting on a BDL fuel runs on 13x10 front Spinwerx drag wheels rail. The system also includes an SX fuel pres- wrapped in M&H slicks, with 15x3.5 skinnies sure regulator and custom oversized fittings, at the back. A spare set of Bogart wheels while at the rear, Bader installed a fuel sump is also available when wider tyres need to paired with an Aeromotive A 1000 fuel pump. be used up front. The stripped race interior The humongous turbo sits on a Full Race features a Sparco EVO seat and race harness exhaust manifold, with the massive downpipe as well as a custom-built roll cage and Sparco featuring twin 44mm TIAL wastegates. harness bar. A Momo steering wheel, shift light, boost gauge and Greddy monitor are the While Quaife’s slippy diff was retained, the only other additions to the cabin. stock 'box was replaced with a PPG 4-1 transmission featuring dog engagement and On the suspension side, the white dragster is a Type C Competition 2-plate clutch took over equipped with Omni Power drag coilovers. All from the Exedy setup. Also, the Hondata S200 yielded an unbelievable 897.5 horsepower at of the soft suspension bushings have been ECU was dumped in favour of the S300 model 39psi of boost. replaced by Energy Suspension polyurethane with the boost-by-gear option that allows units, while a Full Race Pro traction bar, inputting the desired boost for each gear. On the outside, the white shell is totally stock lightweight BLOX rear lower control arms Bader conducted all of the preparation work with only the addition of a carbon fiber hood, and Skunk2 camber kits complete the setup. and tuning himself and the latest dyno runs a Spoon front lip, a carbon fiber duck-tail 55
As highly tuned as it was, Bader was itching to eke even more performance out of the Laskey Racing Civic's B18C block. New 85mm bore CP pistons were mated to Pauter rods, bring the compression ratio to a high 9.7:1. The GT40 turbo was swapped with Borg Warner's huge S400 - capable of belting out over 1000 hp!
The ported and polished B16A head recieved a Brian Crower valvetrain along with Stage II cams and Skunk2 cam gears. While the 75mm BDL throttle body and Edelbrock Victor-X intake manifold is retained, upgrades include 2200cc fuel injectors, BDL fuel rail, Aeromotive A 1000 fuel pump and more. The massive downpipe that exits from the Full Race exhaust manifold features twin 44mm Tial wastegates.
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Poker Face UAE’s new drag racing star Fadi Tammour builds the ultimate sleeper, a street trim Lumina SS capable of nine second quarter mile times. Top Performance feels the power!
by Zlatko Mulabegovic
True sleepers are usually deadly cars with of his time in the Al Numairy Performance with its performance. It was love at first sight not a single visual hint to their potential, lethal workshop, working on his Lumina or modify- with the Lumina SS Coupe, as our dude was and ready to sting, yet totally meek, true ing clients’ cars. Fadi is neither a professional totally taken in by the sporty shape, bright wolves in disguise. Fadi Tammour’s Lumina nor a seasoned racer, yet he manages perfect red paint job and the large displacement V8 is one of those cars, a 2004 SS model, reaction times, wins in both street cars and engine. the sporty one with two doors, riding on Super Comp dragsters, plus is a very quick standard wheels and very unassuming on learner. He isn’t a professional car tuner The tuning process was mild at first and Fadi the outside. Peel the bright red skin and you’ll either, but he prepared his street racer all by was still learning the ropes, installing parts get shocked by the sheer level of modifica- himself, mostly by trial and error, experiment- and testing, trying to identify the best mods tion hidden beneath, thus the mighty punch ing with setups and steadily working his way for his engine. Towards the end of 2006, delivered by its supercharged engine. up. things started to get serious. One mod lead to another and before you know it, there was no Originally from Syria, Fadi has been living When the itch for high performance hit him, stone left unturned in creating a drag beast in the UAE for a couple of years, working Fadi already had a plan in mind, and that was with street legal looks. What started as a in a jewellery store and spending the rest to modify a muscle car until he was satisfied stock Lumina has, over four years, morphed 57
into a fire-breathing dragster pushing 965 swallowed, the air hits the custom piping rwhp, which is close to 1,200 engine horse- en route to a large, front mount intercooler power, a mad figure by anyone’s standards. and gets sucked into the engine through an This is achieved at 26 psi of boost and is as oversized FAST throttle body. Exhaust fumes much as the current rear tyres can handle, are expelled through an aftermarket exhaust It's all stealth on the outside, the red beast but the engine can run up to 32 psi with a dif- system, and for race days a straight-through simply waiting to make mincemeat out of ferent supercharger pulley combo installed. pipe exiting under the driver door is installed. some hapless supercar. Few subtle details like the custom intake, scooped bonnet or At the heart of the build is a 7-litre iron With the engine built, Fadi turned his focus the lowered stance point towards more than just a mere commuter. block paired with FAST race heads and a towards the supporting systems. Adequate FAST intake manifold. Everything has been fueling is guaranteed by a complex setup built with well over 30 psi of boost in mind, fitted in the boot of the car, featuring twin including heavy duty hardware that can Aeromotive fuel pumps, a race fuel cell, a fuel take all the pounding once the Vortech V7 pressure regulator, oversized injectors, FAST Next on the list was to provide adequate cool- supercharger starts pumping mixture into the fuel rails and custom fuel lines. Also installed ing, one of the key issues in building a reliable engine. Air comes into the engine through a is a methanol injection system that’s fully high-end race car. Fadi spare no expenses custom-built cold air system that draws fresh programmable from the cockpit and helps and went to great lengths in ensuring that all air from the intake in the front bumper. Once run higher boost levels without detonation. fluids used in and around his engine are run-
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The 7-litre block is mated to FAST race heads, intake manifold and a Vortech su- percharger. At 26psi, the SS belts out a mad 965 rwhp and guess what? The engine can generate up to 32 psi!
ning cool and contributing towards ultimate ings by polyurethane ones and the owner wide in the rear and skinnies up front. performance, rather than hampering it. To also installed thicker sway bars and added Secondly, the cat-back exhaust system gets this end, a huge radiator was fitted in addition strut bars. Brakes are upgraded too at all replaced by a straight pipe and Fadi dials in to an electric water pump, a supercharger four corners, with slotted discs and race pads double of the boost he runs on the street cooling system, an engine oil cooler, power providing the stopping power. A big brake where even 13 psi are enough to light up the steering oil cooler, the transmission oil cooler kit was on the list, but could not be installed rear tyres in any gear, at any speed. And, and an array of custom pipes, catch tanks on the small drag wheels, forcing the use of although built for the strip, thanks to its ad- and what not! standard size parts. justable suspension, the Lumina handles like a track car, cornering with poise and being In line with the monster motor and monstrous And four years later, we have a mighty sleep- great fun to drive on twisty roads. power outputs, the matching FLT automatic er, a stock looking Lumina SS that can run transmission Level 5 was fitted, made to sub-10 second runs all day long. With regards The car is under constant development and handle 1,000 hp on a rather heavy drag car. A to streetability and reliability, the car even re- Fadi is still looking to upgrade few aspects of limited slip differential sends the power to the tains its standard interior trim, complete with its performance, especially to improve trac- wheel with more grip, while the standard ax- a fully working air conditioner, leather power tion, one of the burning issues. Although the les and CV joints have been replaced by heavy seats and no hints to its potential other than Lumina could be holding a world record as a duty ones good for up to 1,500 ponies. The a few gauges. Fadi usually drives from Dubai 9-second street car running on pump fuel, its same goes for the drive shaft, completing the to Yas, races all night, changes the tyres and proud owner is never satisfied and is aiming picture of a thoroughly fortified transmission drives back home without any issues. even higher, researching setups and products, setup, reliable and ready for strip battles. contemplating new upgrades and always The bright red dragster has many faces as hoping to better his times. The standard suspension is replaced by Fadi has a number of setups for the car. In adjustable coilovers, the mushy rubber bush- race guise, the Lumina wears drag wheels, 59 ANNIVERSARY EDITION ANNIVERSARY
www.performancemag.net 60 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 The Red Dragon Dynasty
Certified car nut and running high-octane fuel in his bloodstream, Marwan’s pumped-up red rockets have been featured in the magazine quite a few times. This time, he returns with yet another project of staggering propor- tions and impeccable detailing, all based on a humble Japanese sports coupe. Try not to stare!
By Zlatko Mulabegovic Photo by Thishan Dissanayake, Zlatko Mulabegovic
Regular readers of Top Performance will on Red Dragon 4 with his 500 hp Mazda RX-7. the folks at King of Kustoms in Al Qusais. remember Marwan as an absolute petrolhead Unfortunately, he had to scrap the idea as The kit replaces every panel on the entire car who’s turned up in some fantastic creations that project never took off, and he eventually except for the doors and windshield frame. over the years. For the uninitiated, the man’s settled on a red, bone-stock, 2003 Toyota And get this, it's seven inches wider in front been featured in our magazine first with a MR2 Spyder that arrived at the port by the and a staggering 14 inches wider in the rear! stunning red Veilside Nissan 350Z, followed end of April, ready to be picked up. With The headlights are bespoke custom-made for by a semi-cooked version of this very same enough money to buy a brand new Corvette the kit, while the rears are replica Porsche Toyota. The MR2 Spyder keeps in line with and thousands of combined man-hours put 911 lights. Marwan’s philosophy of painting his cars red in at various workshops, Red Dragon 5 was and sporting a huge dose of performance and finally completed on 2 October 2011. Almost the whole of next year saw various styling upgrades. And as we’ll see, there is a parts of the MR2 being modified right here in bit more in this case as well. The body kit alone is a made-to-order Dubai. Quite understandably, Marwan wasn't 31-piece set that costs a cool AED 25,000, and too bothered about making the car ultra fast The idea for the “Red Dragon 5” project one that can be installed only by a few select due to reliability and maintenance issues in started in February 2010, a time when garages. As such, work on this delicious red this hot part of the world. So a basic Monkey Marwan was actually supposed to start work MR2 Spyder was professionally handled by Wrench Racing turbo kit with all the associ- 61
ated cooling and safety parts was installed increased cooling. The exhaust side of things FC and an HKS Type-1 turbo timer, along with by Panda Performance. The Garrett GT28RS is overseen by an MWR 2.5” turbo-back ex- an AEM 52mm wideband A/F ratio digital snail is accompanied by a stainless steel haust, MWR hi-flow cat, MWR 2.5” aluminium EUGO Controller and a number of 52mm TIG-welded turbo manifold, 2.5” mandrel- intercooler piping, OBX T05 stainless steel gauges from ProSport, including ones for bent exhaust including stainless downpipe quad exhaust tips (custom with flex section, Simota high-flow air filter, installed by Fox Exhaust) GReddy Type RS BOV, Blox Racing Manual and an exhaust heat wrap. Boost Controller and a lot more goodies to pump out roughly 100 extra horsepower to Handling the newly found the stock 1.8-litre four-pot, which recorded power is an ACT HDSS a healthy 196 rwhp at Panda Performance’s clutch, Speed Source Mustang Dyno. stainless steel clutch line and Ralco RZ short-throw Keeping things breezy is a Koyo Racing Ra- shifter. Mind controlling the diator, along with an MWR oil cooler kit, MWR hardware is an Apexi Power Moroso oil pan, Toyota TRD 170F thermostat FC EMS + Commander, FC and removed rear engine rain-cover for DataLogit for Apexi Power
Looking like mini Porsche Carrera GT, the little Toyota MR-S sports a 31-piece bodykit and lots of carbon fibre goodies. The staggered rims, sized 18x8.5 at the front and 19x10 at the rear, wear 225/40 and 275/35 high- performance Nitto rubber.
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boost, oil pressure, oil temperature and water The topless MR2’s cabin sports black leather ers, a 10-inch subwoofer and crossovers from temperature. with red stitching on the seats, dash and the former, and amplifiers from the latter’s doors, along with a smattering of custom red stable. All pumped up, Marwan’s pride rolls on Alcantara suede. “Red Dragon” embroidery 3-piece custom rims from Image Wheels, and motifs on the door inserts and headrests All the hard work, research, money and sized 18 x 8.5JJ at the front and 19 x 10JJ at the serve to further highlight the thought process time it took to transform the MR-S into what rear, and come wrapped in 225/40 ZR18 and behind the project, while a red Isotta Vigarano it is now is exactly what Marwan set out to 275/35 ZR19 Nitto 555 rubber. Peeking from steering wheel and chromed shift knob, cus- achieve in the first place. Tuning aspirants behind the wheels are RotorsOnline front and tom black SS dials and billet aluminium knobs take note, he’s just converted an average rear discs, grabbed by yellow, Brembo-looka- turn up the coolness quotient even higher. low-cost Japanese sports coupe into a car like calipers and Covina semi-metallic pads. Aural pleasure is provided by a Kenwood that looks like it is worth a million Dirhams. If Handling chores are taken care of by a Tein DNX7340BTM double-DIN DVD head unit that only gawkers knew this is merely a 30,000 SS coilover kit, along with CHE strut braces is joined by a a variety of components from dirham Toyota! and sway bars. Hertz and JL Audio, including speakers, tweet-
Garrett GT28RS turbocharg- er is joined by a mandrel- bent exhaust, high-flow air filter, GReddy Type RS BOV and other bits to push out 100 additional horsepower.
The exquisitely detailed cabin is covered in leather and Alcantara, and set off with a comprehensive Ken- wood sound system. 63
www.performancemag.net 64 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8 THE DADDY! Dubai-based G-Force Performance builds a 1,035 rwhp monster Camaro powered by a NASCAR-spec LSX engine. One year in the making and three engines later, the mighty coupe is now ready to hit the strip.
By Zlatko Mulabegovic Photo by Thishan Dissanayake, Zlatko Mulabegovic
Ever since its launch in 2010, the current sporting stuff like supercharger kits, serious G-Force Performance workshop in Dubai, Chevrolet Camaro has been the darling of engine work, trick exhaust systems, upgrad- where a bright red 1,035 rwhp Camaro was tuners around the world, inspiring the design ed transmissions, adjustable suspension and being prepped for our photo shoot. Yes, you and production of a myriad performance and big brake kits, yet we’ve never come across a read that right, over one thousand ponies on styling parts, creating a huge following and project so impressive to be recognized as “the the rear wheels or close to twelve hundred reaching unexpected popularity. Over the past daddy” of them all. horsepower on the engine! “It must be a two years, we’ve witnessed the build of many twin-turbo setup or a large displacement fast and great-looking Camaros down here, That was the case until we walked into the forged block with a supercharger running 65
The modded Camaro boasts GM’s high-rise wing, a carbon fibre roof and RK Sport ZO6- style front fenders, along with a graphics stripe kit, dual colour headlight halo kit, new side markers and LS7 badging. The rims are 20” matt black Camaro SS alloys, wrapped in ultra sticky Nitto drag rubber.
mad boost” I was thinking while driving to Al aspirated engines - NASCAR - and that’s injectors and 102mm throttle body, along with Aweer. Boy, was I wrong! exactly what our dude had in mind. upgraded fuel lines and rails. Kooks long tube headers and a stainless steel race exhaust The early stages of the project saw G-Force The next stage for the bright red Camaro was system are joined by a pulley and tensioner work on upgrading the performance of the nothing less than the 1,035 rwhp NASCAR- system, high-volume oil pump, methanol in- original engine, and took the usual route with spec race engine. The fully forged 427 CID jection system, aluminium radiator, upgraded a supercharger kit, headers, exhaust system LSX engine was sourced and arrived to Dubai timing chain, race wires and spark plugs. and a tune. Lots of experimenting quickly ready to be dropped in, complete with an ECU The tranny has been upgraded to handle up resulted in the demise of the stock engine, and tune. In essence, the hand-built motor is to 1,400 hp, thanks to the installation of a calling for a fully-built engine to be sourced based around the LSX block, high-flow perfor- Rossler performance gearbox, a heavy-duty from the US. The second motor was a more mance LSX cylinder heads and a FAST ported Yank torque converter and Extreme Duty rear serious affair and lasted way longer than its LSX intake manifold. The engine is packed axles. predecessor, yet the owner of the car was with NASCAR-spec internals and valvetrain aiming much higher and forced induction was components, fully blueprinted and balanced, Suspension upgrades started with the instal- not an option. Well, only one thing springs to ready to strike. The fueling system features lation of Eibach coilovers and sway bars, with mind when it comes to high-output naturally an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump kit, 1000cc the owner beefing up the whole undercar-
www.performancemag.net 66 TOP PERFORMANCE - BEST OF 8
riage with a number of specialist parts to More stiffening came courtesy of the custom graphics stripe kit, dual colour headlight halo turn his Camaro into the ultimate track toy. six-point drag roll cage, and the racy theme kit, new side markers and LS7 badging. The list of goodies includes chassis braces of the cabin was extended with the addition of and a BMR Level 3 handling kit that consists two Sparco NASCAR bucket seats, Grant Rac- One year in the making, and packing a mighty of tubular sway bars, end links, total bushing ing steering wheel, Hurst Comp shifter and a punch, the car is scheduled to be tested at kit, subframe connectors and driveshaft set of custom gauges. the Yas Marina Circuit drag strip where the tunnel brace. Lightweight BMR lower control 1,035 rwhp engine can be put to good use in arms replace the stamped steel OEM units On the outside, the hood and trunk were chasing low quarter mile times. Rumour has while solid bushings replace the mushy rub- replaced by carbon fibre items, followed by a it that the car was sold before leaving the ber items. The braking system was beefed Ground Effects carbon fibre aero kit. The proj- tuning shop and that the owner is already up with the installation of a Brembo GT big ect car features GM’s high-rise wing, a carbon contemplating his second 1,000 hp Camaro. brake kit, comprising of six-pot calipers up fibre roof, RK Sport ZO6-style front fenders Judging by the extent of the first project and front and four-pots in the rear, clamping on and rolls on 20” matt black rims wrapped the lessons learnt on it, the new car should be zinc-plated high carbon slotted discs. in Nitto drag rubber. Small touches include a nothing short of spectacular!
The NASCAR-spec race engine is joined by a race exhaust system and a heavy-duty Rossler performance gearbox. How does 1,035 rwhp sound?
The inside is treated to a pair of Sparco NASCAR buckets, six-point drag roll cage, Grant Racing steering wheel, Hurst Comp shifter and more. 67
www.performancemag.net 68 HYUNDAI VELOSTER & GENESIS COUPE test drive 69
S(E)OUL SISTERS We get behind the wheel of Hyundai’s sporty coupes, one a radically-styled, playful little front-driver and the other a V6-engined rear-driver that intends to take the fight to the Infiniti G37 by Nitish Ramanujam
www.topautomag.net 70 test drive
Hyundai Veloster Apparently inspired by sports bikes, the side door, a conventionally hinged unit With the Korean car maker intent on Veloster features black A-pillars that (albeit with a hidden handle) that provides taking its game to the big boys, we’ve give the glass a motorcycle helmet visor safe and ready access to the surprisingly seen quantum leaps in quality, design appearance. The front is dominated by spacious rear seats. The styling might not and technology over the years. Sit inside a slightly tweaked version of Hyundai’s sig- be everyone’s cuppa, but trust me, you a present-day Accent, Sonata or Genesis nature hexagonal grille, wraparound lights wouldn’t mistake one for a Mini. and, without the benefit of branding, you’d and fake plastic bonnet scoop detailing, think this could have come from any of while the rear receives a distinctive glass Inside, the motorcycle theme continues, the big Japanese manufacturers. Maybe hatch, centrally-mounted dual exhaust with Hyundai specifically pointing out even better. Even on the design front, I tips and a black lower fascia. Topping off the tailpipe-inspired HVAC vents, bike personally think Hyundai are striving to be the rather organic shape and flared wheel seat-inspired floor console and generous more adventurous than their counterparts arches of our “Vitamin C” tester (which sprinkling of metallic accents. Our car was from the Land of the Rising Sun. And the means orange in Hyundai-speak) were pretty well-equipped as well, with a push- best example of that has to be the, erm, 18” alloy rims with painted inserts. And button starter, sunroof, big LCD screen and Veloster three-door coupe. then there is the additional passenger- multiple audio connectivity options. 71
Quick Spec
Engine : 1591cc inline-4
Layout : Front engine/FWD
Power : 132hp @ 6300rpm
Torque : 163Nm @ 4850rpm
Transmission : 6-speed automatic
The 1.6-litre motor is gutless, while the steering is overly assisted and short on feedback. Price: From AED 67,900 - 76,900 The exterior is very funky though, and should soon get a peppy turbo-ed mill to sort out the underpower issues.
And what powers all this rad-ness, you Suspension duties are taken care of by but we found it overly assisted and offer- ask? Unfortunately, it’s just a 1.6-litre McPherson struts at the front, along with ing little feedback, though accurate. NA motor that belts out a meagre 132 coil springs, gas shock absorbers and a horsepower. Then again, the Veloster tips 24mm diameter front stabilizer, with the The Veloster boasts extrovert styling and the scales at around 1300kg, which is rear getting a lightweight V-torsion beam, a moderately fun driving experience, only not much, but it’s the motor that fails to as well as an integrated 23mm stabilizer let down by that weedy engine and dull deliver. As the revs rise, it gets pretty much bar and monotube shock absorbers. The steering. Think of it as a funky economy coarse too, and the only saving grace here ride is pleasantly firm, body roll is well car, and you won’t be disappointed. Or is the smooth-shifting six-speed automatic contained and there is good grip from the else, wait for the newly announced 200hp transmission. front rubber. That said, the electric power Veloster Turbo. steering is a bit of a let-down; Hyundai claims it has been specifically sport-tuned,
www.topautomag.net 72 test drive
Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 in our demo car’s luscious ‘Tsukuba Red’ Weighing in the region of 1600 kilos, the You might remember the Tiburon, a me- paint. The aggressive fascia, grille and svelte two-door hits 100km/h in five- diocre front-wheel drive compact coupe headlights with LED daytime running lights and-odd seconds, going on all the way that was Hyundai’s early attempt at infus- make for a menacing visage, only slightly to an electronically limited top speed of ing ‘sportiness’ into the brand. Introduced let down by those fake plastic vents on the 240km/h. While the Lambda V6 intake sys- in 1996, the two-door soldiered on till as bonnet. Sitting pretty on 18” wheels, the tem now employs an intake sound induc- late as 2008, finally being killed off to make taut and muscular exterior flows into a be- tion pipe into the cabin to ensure better way for the Genesis Coupe. Hyundai insists winged rear sporting dual exhaust tips and aural character, we think the soundtrack is that the new model is not at all a succes- LED lights. Inside, the quality of materials a bit uninspiring. sor to its rather awkward predecessor, but sees a jump, and there are quite a number a brand new model that incorporates new of convenience features and, geeky stuff, The V6 comes mated to an eight-speed ideologies and values. Indeed it is. like the centre stack-mounted gauges for automatic, developed in-house, and acceleration, torque and oil temperature. specifically tuned to match the engine’s The car has received pretty good reviews unique power and torque curve charac- since its introduction in 2008, and now Under the hood is a 3.8-litre V6 that dishes teristics. While the race amongst manufac- we have here the significantly redesigned out 348hp, which is not more than just the turers for the maximum number of ratios 2013 model with us. It looks stunning to previous Genesis Coupe, but also higher doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon, I say the least, especially when swathed than even the Infiniti G37 and BMW 335i. think the Genesis Coupe would have been 73
Quick Spec
Engine : 3778cc V6
Layout : Front engine/RWD
Power : 348hp @ 6400rpm
Torque : 400Nm @ 5100rpm
Transmission : 8-speed automatic
The 348hp V6 makes for brisk progress, but is let down by the rather confused 8-speed Price: AED 123,000 auto 'box. Nicely kitted interior, plenty of grip and a weighty steering make for a reasonably fun driving experience. better off using a traditional five- or even a meaty affair too, decently weighted and Overall, the Genesis Coupe is a very nice six-speed automatic, as the current one allowing for accurate turn-in. This is nicely sports car and represents good value was caught off-guard a number of times complemented by the 56:44 front-to-rear for money. It looks stunning, goes and during spirited driving. It’s pretty much weight distribution and well-controlled grips well, and has a very contemporary inconspicuous when cruising, no doubt, ride. A MacPherson strut dual-link suspen- interior. There are, of course, a few things with that bit of confusion setting in only sion at the front and a five-link rear setup we would like to see improved, like the when you start attacking the twisties, and make for grippy handling, with 23mm and transmission, a rortier exhaust note and when you try to swap cogs manually via 19mm front and rear stabilizer bars help in then some. All it needs is a little bit more the paddles, noticeable delays in shifting reducing body roll. Our tester also came polishing to be a winner. And that’s saying further dampen the mood. fitted with high-performance Brembo something, especially when coming from brakes that were effective in repeatedly a car maker that never used to make true The hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering has scrubbing down high speeds. sports cars. Kudos Hyundai! been recalibrated for better feel, and it’s
www.topautomag.net 74 2013 HONDA ACCORD COUPE test drive
THE ALL-ROUNDER Sharper and more stylish, Honda's new two-door attempts to lure younger buyers with pace, space and grace.
Honda revealed the Accord Coupe of the passenger side through the i-MID Concept at the 2012 North American display. International Auto Show in Detroit, with the production models - both sedan and As in previous generations, two petrol coupe - rolling off the line in September engines are available on the two-door, 2012. The Middle East saw the new, ninth- including a new Earth Dreams 2.4-litre generation Hondas arrive in January 2013, 4-cylinder and a new Earth Dreams 3.5-li- sporting crisper design and increased tre V6 with revised VTEC + VCM func- standard features across the range. tions. The base 173hp 4-cylinder engine is coupled to an efficient 5-speed automatic The changes on the outside are pretty with the spacing of the 18x8J rims; wish it transmission, while our V6 tester, making significant, resulting in a sharper and were a bit further out, sitting flush with the 276hp and 340Nm of torque, came mated more stylish design that looks all the more wheel wells. to a sweet-shifting 6-speed auto ‘box. better in our car’s luscious Still Night Pearl paint. Honda changed the front bumper Following the exterior redesign, the cabin On the road, the new coupe offers a and grille, redesigned the rear lights and has been substantially upgraded with bet- smoother and quieter ride over its prede- introduced new five-spoke wheels, giving ter materials and layout. Available features cessor, thanks to a MacPherson strut front the coupe a more sophisticated look and include handsfree Bluetooth telephony, suspension and a steel and aluminium a more aggressive stance. LED daytime USB/iPod integration and rear-view cam- front subframe, along with standard Active running lights are standard throughout, era. And the highlight? It has to be the Noise Control and Active Sound Control with the four-door also getting standard Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display, to counteract engine noise. Electric power LED taillights. The only beef we have is which provides an expanded rear view steering replaces the hydraulic assist of the 75
As good as the new Accord Coupe looks, the interior is also a very nice place to be in, thanks to quality materials and a very ergonomic layout. Camera on the passenger side rear-view mirror projects images from ur blind spot when indicating to change lanes. previous Accord; it’s accurate and weighty, enjoyable one, be it around town or out but somehow doesn’t offer the feedback on open roads. A trip to Hatta via some Quick Spec of the older unit. You get steering wheel really curvy two-lane roads highlighted mounted paddle shifters, giving you some the performance aspects of the coupe, as Engine : 3471cc V6 “manual” fun when attacking the twisties. well as the refinement of the cabin. The Layout : Front engine / FWD handling is a good compromise of grip We love the new grown-up Accord experi- and comfort, yet the new Accord Coupe Power : 276hp @ 6200rpm ence, which impressed us by a blend of does not like tight corners and starts feel- Torque : 340Nm @ 4900rpm refinement, performance and frugality of ing nose-heavy when pushed hard. This Transmission : 6-speed automatic the VCM engines. The new build quality car is best driven at 7/10, which lets you makes the new Accord feel nothing short enjoy the combination of performance Price: 130, 999 AED of a quality European car, thanks to the and refinement without having to work the use of new materials, better design and steering too hard or dig too deep into the Vehicle Courtesy: Honda Middle East assembly. The driving experience is a truly power reserves of the V6.
www.topautomag.net 76 Aston Martin Rapide S More power. More beauty. Same soul. news increases too, up from 600Nm to 620Nm at 5,000rpm. This performance increase lets the Rapide S shave 0.3 seconds off its 0-100km/h time, which drops from 5.2 seconds to just 4.9 seconds. Top speed climbs to 306km/h.
The V12 boasts race car tech – develop- ments derived directly from Aston Martin Racing’s successful WEC GT campaign – to The stunning new Aston Martin Rapide S is matched at the back by a striking new maximise both performance and efficiency. has made its debut with even more luxury rear deck profile which includes a more The new AM11 engine thus boasts fully and power on offer in its quintessentially pronounced boot lid 'flip'. CNC machined combustion chambers and elegant four-door silhouette. lighter, hollow, cam shafts. As befits the Changes under the new Rapide’s skin are more sporting nature of new Rapide S the Still instantly recognisable as an Aston comprehensive, with a version of the new car benefits from the latest Gen4 itera- Martin, the new Rapide S boasts an AM11 6.0-litre NA V12 - which sits 19mm tion of Aston Martin’s hi-tech Adaptive imposing and assertive new face, created lower - delivering increased power and Damping System. The system now offers by the striking new grille. Imbuing the new improved in-gear acceleration. Power is in- three distinct settings: ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and car with an even more sporting, forceful creased by 81hp, from 477hp at 6,000rpm ‘Track’, with the character of each being demeanour, the revised front end design to 558hp at 6,750rpm. Peak torque tailored to the nature of Rapide S. 77
www.topautomag.net 78
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT rumbles in! news
Enhancements for the 2014 model year For 2014, owners get three additional Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT include an all- gears from their transmission, an all- new, fully electronic eight-speed automatic new 8HP70 eight-speed automatic. Fully transmission that delivers improved fuel electronic, it features on-the-fly shift- economy, significantly improved towing map changing. For an even sportier, the capacity, hardware and software revisions transmission can be manually shifted using that further heighten the muscular SUV's steering-wheel paddle shifters. The new fun-to-drive factor during both daily com- transmission is mated to the proven and mutes and spirited driving. powerful 6.4-litre HEMI V8 delivering 470 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 630Nm of Outside, the new model sports styling torque at 4,300rpm. that is even more aggressive. Design enhancements for 2014 include a new Also new for 2014 is a launch control signature LED character lamp treatment, a system that mimics a professional driver’s brawnier grille, a one-touch liftgate and a inputs to optimize Grand Cherokee SRT’s new rear spoiler. Inside, Grand Cherokee performance by bringing engine, trans- SRT customers are treated to a new 8.4" mission, driveline, stability control, and touchscreen that displays a wealth of SRT- suspension in line for a textbook launch. exclusive Performance Pages data, a new Braking is taken care of by red-painted, launch control button, and a redesigned Brembo six-piston callipers at the front SRT-exclusive steering wheel. and four-piston rear calipers, and vented rotors at all four corners. 79
www.topautomag.net FEATURE
DUCATI 1098R "FLASHBACK" MR. MARTINI
When you look at the Mr. Martini Ducati are blended in perfect harmony with a very In this first version, the front light comes Flash Back you have the impression of go- high notion of performance. from a Harley Fat Boy and the lateral ing back through time. A very special jump fairings (made of carbon) increases the in the past. The past line is combined to The most particular aspect of this project rebellious nature of the special. an advanced and exasperated technique. is that the bike can move from a concept- style “cafe racer” to an “endurance bike” On the other hand, the faired version is The objective of this creation, born from with a simple setting system of bike fairing. inspired by the beautiful shapes of 60/70 the base of a Ducati 1098 R, was to mix years bikes and Mr. Martini builds (always a concept of super performance bike with Mr. Martini, the creator of the fairing put in carbon) the central windscreen that aesthetic elements and finishes from the on naked bikes, presents the Flash Back integrate the two lateral fairings still on the past. The shapes and colors lead to relive to the motorcycle show EICMA in Milan in naked version. with melancholy the classic lines, but they 2011 after 300 hours of hard work.
80 MARCH 2013 The rear seat has been specially designed to accommodate the craft seat (coated in Connolly leather taken from 1959 MG car) and to install the tailpipes designed by Nicola and made unique by Zard Exhaust. Also by Zard are made exhaust manifolds used for the 1098 Superbike. The work is complete with BST carbon rims 7 races.
The bike frame is painted in a camel color and this choice comes from a sample of the 60 colored Fiat car.
In order to facilitate the operation of “transformation faired / naked”, was settled under the tailpipes a camera (with monitor on the dashboard) to eliminate rear-view mirrors. Brilliant idea!
This bike is so close to perfection. The choice of colours for the frame and the seat, the fully custom ZARD exhaust mufflers, the racing elements of the 1098, it's all combined togeter into an eclectic motorcycling piece of art.
MARCH 2013 81 FEATURE BMW S1000RR SHANE "SHAKEY" BYRNE #67 | SHAW SPEED & CUSTOM
Shaw Speed & Custom adds another bike tion. The bike was stripped in the Sussex The handlebars and risers were replaced to their portfolio of custom motorcycles based workshop of Shaw Harley-Davidson to give a very clean front end look, this with after being commissioned by Motor- with their Speed & Custom team getting the use of the new Performance Machine cycle Racing Legend and British Super into all the detailing after meeting with the Headlight to give the bike a fresh look bike champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne prolific racer, and identifying all areas where and also complimented with Performance often known as Shakey, who is a British the bike could have changes large or small Machine Master cylinder and switch gear motorcycle road racer. He is a three-time to make it personal, makes less always more. champion of the British Superbike Cham- pionship (2003, 2008 and 2012), a race winner in the Superbike World Champion- After complete breakdown, the bike was A huge front brake rotor with Performance ship and a former competitor in MotoGP. mocked up to make sure the flow worked Machine caliper also give the bike more with changes such as an extended oil tank braking muscle, and great stance. fabricated in house with the famous 67 The bike needed to reflect both Shakeys added in metal to give a unique three-di- style and also show his individualism with a mensional metal effect. The front end was With the new custom painted frame the younger style and some cool paint detail- also changed with the slimmer FX style opportunity to create a cleaner built bike ing to show his World famous and winning and again stripped, so the legs could be was allowed with relocation of some elec- number 67. Nitraded and fork triple tree custom paint- trical components and the ability to reroute ed to match the frame colour changes, wiring to give a simpler looking build, with with also an RSD Fork brace replacing the the replacement of parts, such as the Ro- The bike is built around his Harley-David- original front fender. land Sands Gas Tank, seat and seat pan son FLS Softail Slim, which like all Softails and rear fender which has also had the acts as a great canvas for customisa- Speed & Custom touch with a new rear
82 MARCH 2013 spoiler which will house the stop and tail lights plus the licence plate. Also RSD Nostalgia chrome engine covers, clarity timer and transmission covers, and air TECHNICAL SPEC breather with Performance machine adding to the list with their Open Primary, brake rotors and calipers, brake and clutch levers and switch gear, the wheels Bike FLS Harley-Davidson Slim Engine 103 tuned used are the spectacular Boss Contrast Cut wheels with the rear end going to Frame Stock 240mm using the Phatail kit again by PM, with a 21 inch in the front wrapped Transmission Stock with Avon rubber. Wheels Performance Machine Contrast cut Boss Front wheel 21 Rear wheel 18 A new front engine guard made in the Speed Shops fab room and added by Sprocket PM Boss anodising in black, with front and rear suspension lowered for a low and mean Brake calipers Performance Machine look, a moto gadget speedo was fitted to allow the bar area to look cleaner, Brake rotors Performance Machine once again the bike is another repeat of the Speed & Custom shops motos Open Primary Performance Machine of "detail, detail and more detail" and adds to their 60-plus portfolio of custom Rear End performance machine Phatail kit bike builds, all based on stock Harley-Davidson models. Seat and seat Pan Roland Sands Design Engine covers Roland Sands Design Nostalgia chrome Cam Cover Roland Sands Design Clarity cover chrome Being the premier dealer in the UK, the Speed Shop has given added interest Transmission cover Roland Sands Design Contrast Cut to the dealership, and now the UK-based shop has a client list with countries Handlebars Bitwell such as Angola, Beruit, Paris, Rome, Milan and Monaco, Australia and Russia Grips Roland Sands Design on it. Building bikes that are both individual and really rideable is Team Principal Speedo Mototgadget Steve Willis' goal: "We listen, understand and get to know our customers the Master cylinder Performance machine best we can, because the detail is in the understanding of who owns the bike, Switch gear Performance machine the use, the look and their own vision. If you get this, then the build is so much Forward Controls performance machine Contrast cut easier, especially with the talent that we are lucky enough to have in our team Gas Tank Roland Sands Design in the workshops at Shaw Harley-Davidson. We hope this bike is another suc- Gas Cap Roland Sands Design Oil tank Original H-D cess both in the build and the delivery of expectation for Shakey." Air Breather Roland Sands Design Engine Guard Shaw Speed & Custom Tyres Avon Rear spoiler Shaw Speed & Custom
The original headers are ‘heat wrapped’, and accompanied by custom-made con- necting pipes and mufflers, with the "CRW" logo displayed on each side of the latter. While the front mudguard is shortened by six inches, the entire tail section was built from scratch.
MARCH 2013 83 NEWS Rea and Haslam start SBK season in Australia
Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam have left tion and electronics issues around the the flag. After a slower start to race two, Phillip Island in Australia with a solid points 4.445km Phillip Island circuit to bring their the 29-year-old British rider finished 10th. haul following the opening round of the CBR1000RR Fireblades home for four 2013 World Superbike championship. The points finishes. Jonathan Rea finished eighth in both 22- two races were won by Sylvain Guintoli lap outings, scoring a total of 16 points, and Eugene Laverty. In race one, Haslam had a good start from despite issues with electronics and tyres the third row of the grid and was battling and leaves Phillip Island tied for sixth place In warm and dry conditions, the new for a podium finish for 18 laps before tyre in overall points standings. The next round Pata Honda duo fought tyre degrada- problems dropped him back to seventh at is in Aragon, Spain, from 12-14 April.
Ducati Riding Experience returns to Abu Dhabi
Following the success of the Ducati Riding Experi- ence in Abu Dhabi back in November, Ducati’s prestigious riding school returned to the spectacular Yas Marina circuit. The event presented an exclusive Master Racing course aboard a fleet of the Italian manufacturer’s 1199 Panigale S Superbikes and offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience in one of world’s most luxurious racing environments.
Intended for experienced track riders, the course was hosted at the Yas Marina facility from 24-25 February, 2013 and offered the unique opportunity of riding the famous Formula 1 venue during the evening, under the circuit’s impressive floodlight system. Lucky participants used Ducati’s innovative and high-tech Superbike on the very same circuit that it was originally launched on early in 2012, and learnt valuable track-craft from highly experienced and awarded instructors.
84 MARCH 2013 2013 Hypermotard models soon to arrive in Ducati stores
Following their highly anticipated unveiling at the Milan International Motorcycle Show in November, the brand new Hypermotard models are now in production and ready to be delivered to Ducati stores around the world.
Brand new from the ground up, both mod- els introduce the new 110hp Ducati 821cc Testastretta 11° engine in a new Trellis frame equipped with top-of-the range chassis com- ponents. The Hypermotard and Hypermotard SP use sharp and sleek styling to maintain an essential dirt-bike look, while enabling agile performance with excellent ergonomics. The Ducati Safety Pack, consisting of latest gen- eration, three-level ABS and eight-level Ducati Traction Control, fully integrate with three Ride-by-Wire engine maps to provide Ducati’s highly versatile Riding Modes at the touch of a button. The Hypermotard and Hypermotard SP will start arrive into Ducati stores from March onwards.
MARCH 2013 85 WHAT'S HOT Furygan's new gloves TomTom'S new Rider for adverse weather device for motorbikes
TomTom introduceD a brand new version of its TomTom Rider, a portable navigation device created especially for bikers. Bikers can easily create and then upload their personalised routes direct to their TomTom Rider device. By download- ing Tyre interactive software, bikers can search, create and edit their own routes on a PC. In addition, TomTom Rider includes a feature that feeds audio instructions directly to the user’s helmet via Bluetooth, meaning riders can fully concentrate on the road ahead. The device also includes the introduction of a new 4.3" glove- friendly screen, which responds instantly to touch and is designed for riding in any weather conditions, including rain or bright sunlight. www.tomtom.com/rider
Sony Mobile launches new Xperia Z
The Land D30 is a classic leather gauntlet glove with an external Sony Mobile Communications launched its much-awaited new anti-shock metacarpal protector constructed from D30, an flagship Android smartphone, XperiaTM Z in the Middle East. intelligent material that locks itself at the time of impact, provid- The new XperiaTM Z boasts a range of unparalleled features, ing maximum protection. It features a waterproof and breathable including a 5" Full HD 1080p Reality Display, Snapdragon S4 insert as well as the Furygan Dual Lining. Pro quad-core processor, the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 and a 13 megapixel fast-capture camera. It also includes Battery STAMINA Aggressive and sporty in style with external hard-shell protection Mode that can improve standby duration by four times or more on the knuckles and leather and foam reinforcement on the palm, by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the Land Pro Evo is the ultimate in cold weather protection. It the screen is off and restoring them when the screen is on. features a waterproof and breathable insert, Furygan Dual Lining, comfort reinforcements on the top of the palm and stretch panels on the fingers for added comfort.
For those on a lower budget, the Opale is the ideal choice, as it comes with external metacarpal shell protection, doubled layered leather and additional foam on areas exposed to abrasion. Fea- tures comfort reinforcement on the top of the palm and stretch panels on the fingers, as well as cuff and wrist adjusters.
www.furygan.com www.sony-mea.com
86 MARCH 2013
WHAT'S HOT MeisterSinger F 800 GT by AC Schnitzer TD watch
Schnitzer mirror widening kit. The foresight and Perfect control and smart determination of an styling come from the adjust- ardent German MG able AC Schnitzer brake and enthusiast, Ernst clutch levers. Made of high Graaf, have resulted strength aerospace alu- in a unique trio of minium, they are adjustable quality timepieces, 6 ways in a wide range and the design of which provide a perfect grip even for echoes the distinc- small hands. tive shape and struc- ture of a 1950s MG For road use, there is the TD radiator grille. new AC Schnitzer STEALTH silencer, which gives the AC The watches feature top quality Swiss Schnitzer F 800 GT the final movements housed in stainless steel visual and acoustic touch on cases that are water resistant to a depth of 65mm higher, 40mm nearer and 30mm the road. AC Schnitzer Performance air 5 bar. The dials are protected by hardened wider - those are the changes you make filters which work particularly well with the mineral glass and the Cordovan straps are with the AC Schnitzer Superbike Handle- AC Schnitzer STEALTH silencer, complete crafted from smooth horse leather. bar Kit. An interesting solution to the lack the range. of "rearward view" is provided by the AC www.ac-schnitzer.de www.mg-watch.com
88 MARCH 2013
Issue 94 March 2013 AED 25