It’s rare that I find a nicely executed GV Impreza. There just seems to be far less of the newer generations on the road.
The WRX seems to have the right idea though.
There’s yet to be single generation of the Impreza that Enkei RPF1s don’t look good on.
Photo courtesy of Brendan Bannister.
It’s early Monday morning in Japan and this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon has officially come to an end. Here’s a sampling of all the rest of the cars present at Makuhari Messe.
As always Nissan had a very big presence at this year’s show. While the GT-R remains the king, Silvas and Skylines have not been forgotten.
TAS needs more builds like this fantastic 180SX from SPIRIT Rei.
It’s hard to go wrong with a white R32 on Advans. Funny enough it’s the simple builds that stand out most at TAS.
Phoenix’s Power had the GT-R well represented at the show including this lime green example on BBS LMs.
Next door to Phoenix’s Power was Top Secret. They also showed up with a few different GT-Rs as well as their Rocket Bunny kitted 86.
This year could be the biggest ever turnout for imports, both European and American at TAS. Ferrari had a large presence as did Porsche and BMW amongst others.
The Ferrari F40 was given a very nice display this year. The Japanese have always been obsessed with European cars and as exotics get older and become cheaper, we’re going to see a lot more tuners working with them.
Despite strong showings from Nissan and Toyota, Mitsubishi didn’t fare as well in 2013. The Evo X is now 5 years old and it’s beginning to show. It’s disappointing to see a car which once littered the show floor at TAS, suffer the same fate as its Subaru rival. With Mitsuibshi moving towards EV production, the CZ4A may be the last of the great tuner cars from the brand.
Varis continues to dominate the market. I’m disappointed that Voltex never created their own Evo X wide body kit to compete.
Unsurprisingly, Toyotas dominated the show in 2013. The 86 is the new darling of the Japanese tuning industry, massively overshadowing its sibling the BRZ.
A JZX100 with strange lights inside of the wheels. This was a trend seen on a number of cars at TAS.
Original Runduce was present with their 86 demo car kitted in Varis aero. This car just looks so good and is probably my favorite 86.
After all these years, the Mazda RX-7 continues to be one of the very best looking Japanese cars.
Last but not least there’s Subaru. As with every year, I was disappointed in the turnout for Imprezas. While the STi fights to remain relevant, the tuning industry seems to be moving on. I blame Subaru for not giving the car the AYC and extra 30-50 horsepower it so deserves.
D Language came out with a very large booth featuring their STi, Evo and 86 demo cars.
Blitz was also on hand with a GVB STi showing off some of their latest electronics and performance parts, including this 6-pot brake kit.
Despite filing for bankruptcy in 2012, Zero/Sports was on hand with a GVB STi. They’re hardly the dominant force they once were at TAS.
I’ll end with this truly awesome looking wide body GVB STi from Varis. This kit has kind of gone under the radar with all the attention on the 86.
That about does it for TAS coverage on A Class. If anything else exciting comes my way, I’ll be sure to post it. Overall I’m disappointed by this year’s show. There’s a real lack of variety right now in the Japanese tuning industry. I suppose it’s been a long time coming. With major players like Honda, Mitsubishi and Mazda failing to produce exciting cars like they once did, the industry has been forced to rely on Nissan and Toyota. Subaru can be happy with their role in the 86 and their own BRZ but as the Impreza continues to get heavier and slower, we may see another great fall by the wayside. On the bright side, the amazing reception the 86 has gotten has shown other manufacturers what’s possible. Hopefully in the next few years we’ll see more of the affordable, fun cars the Japanese automotive industry so desperately needs.
Photos courtesy of GTNET.
To the untrained eye this GVB hatch would appear stock. I spy all kinds of goodies. I love subdued builds like this one. It’s as if it came from the factory that way.
Is it just me or are grey/silver cars starting to look really good lately? Maybe it’s because everyone is so crazed over white.
Photo courtesy of rsutton198.
It’s been taking me a while to warm up to the GVB. Even though Subaru made the right decision and went back to a sedan, I think the GDB is a superior looking car. However, Varis is making a compelling argument for the current model.
With the exception of their recent GRB widebody kit, they nail it every time. Varis really does produce some of the industry’s best aero products and this kit is no exception. The front bumper and canards add an aggressiveness this car so desperately needs. The Prodrive GC-014i is also a great looking and underrated wheel.
Photo courtesy of Varis.
A couple weeks ago, I said that I’ve been continually impressed, by some of the cars coming out of Canada lately. Jason’s GVB STi is one such car. This thing is money.
The GVB hasn’t proven to be as popular with the tuning scene, as some of the past iterations of the Impreza. I can’t see why, as the car has plenty of potential.
The Voltex wing fits the rear perfectly.
No matter which Impreza you’re looking at, the rear corner is always the car’s best angle. White on white is a tough combination to pull off properly, he’s done it.
Lots of great things going on in Canada right now. Hopefully Jason doesn’t mind me using his photos and make sure to visit his Flickr, for more shots of his STi.
Photos courtesy of Jason Hoang.
C-SER is the Impreza tuning division of Yashio Factory, one of Japan’s premier Silvia shops. The company’s owner Mr. Okamura is well known throughout the tuning community for his outgoing personality and flamboyant style.
Okachan gained an interest in Subarus after purchasing a GRB STi as his daily driver. Taking advantage of his experience with Yashio Factory, the STi eventually became a testbed for new parts, including suspension and exhaust components. From there C-SER evolved into it’s own unique brand, specializing in the Impreza GRB and GVB models.
Only Okachan would be able to pull off a lime green STi.
This car has seen many different looks over the last few years. It was originally black on black, with Advan RG-D wheels. Currently it’s taken on more of a demo car look, appearing in both Option and Hot Version DVD’s. The car’s most recent outing was at Tsukuba Super Battle, where it recorded a lap time of 1’01″925.
The C-SER Impreza is currently fitted with the sporty Advan TC-III, wrapped in Neova AD08 rubber. To the left is a glimpse of the company’s newest piece, the Urban Titan Muffler, a quad-tip titanium exhaust weighing around 15 lbs.
Enjoying the circuit life is the tuning philosophy behind this car. Okachan’s goal was to create the ultimate street car; one that could run a blistering lap around the track, without sacrificing comfort and quietness. Although, something tells me that new titanium exhaust is pretty loud.
The C-SER Impreza is equipped with a host of HKS products including their front mount intercooler and a GT2835 turbine. The carbon turbo inlet hose is an original C-SER piece. The whole thing was tuned by Okachan on C-SER’s EcuTek.
If I’m honest, the appearance of this car is pretty ghastly. That lime green paint is for the birds. I’d almost prefer to see it in Yashio Factory pink. At least that color would be relevant to STi.
With that said, it’s very exciting to see another player in the Subaru market and even better that it’s someone like Mr. Okamura. He’s personality and flashiness is what the scene needs right now. I hope that C-SER continues to produce new parts for the Impreza. Maybe if we’re lucky they’ll even start making stuff for the GDB! The quality seems pretty good, although I’ve never seen the parts on any car but Okachan’s.
Photos courtesy of C-SER & Yokohama.
Here’s more of the HKS Kansai Service GVB. This time it’s holding it down at Tokyo Auto Salon.
The car is sporting a few changes, including a new wing, wheels and a quad-tip exhaust.
Tokyo Auto Salon is officially over, but there’s still tons of coverage pouring in, as everyone empties out their SD cards.
Photos courtesy of Car Watch.
For whatever reason, there seems to be a real lack of GVB demo cars in Japan. Look around the paddocks of any lap battle or meet and you’re unlikely to find many. The GRB is still fairly new and that could explain the lack of interest. I suspect the real reason has something to do with the GT-R. As far as AWD platforms are concerned, the R35 is king and will probably remain as such. Japan has also seen a growing interest in European tuning and that’s definitely had an impact on the domestics.
Despite this, HKS Kansai Service has been involved with Imprezas since the beginning and they’ve not stopped with the latest iteration.
I’ve been hunting this car down for ages. It first came to my attention at Hyper Meeting a couple years ago.
All the usual areas have been upgraded with the latest and greatest from HKS. Kansai Service also produces their own original parts, including my all time favorite rear diffuser and the carbon intake box above.
As with all the HKS demo cars, Yokohama has taken care of the wheels and tires: 19×8.5 Advan RZ-DF’s and Neova AD08′s.
You may have noticed, I’ve avoided a rather obvious problem from the first photo. It’s a problem that has been plaguing all HKS Kansai Service demo cars, in recent years.
The global economy is still bad, I’m preaching to the choir. It’s had a major effect on the Japanese aftermarket industry, I’m still preaching. This has caused a lot of companies to cut costs on manufacturing, including moving production to places like mainland China. Some say despite being made in China, the quality hasn’t changed. Others would disagree. You may be wondering where I’m going with this and what it has to do with the HKS Kansai Service GVB.
The bad economy and cheaper manufacturing processes, have opened the floodgates for a slew of knockoff brands. Many of which are slowly eating away at the Japanese aftermarket industry, forcing shops to close their doors. The ones that are still weathering the storm, have had to reduce their line up of products. This could be another reason why we see so few GVB Impreza demo cars. It’s just too expensive to create new parts for every make and model that are released. Brands like Seibon have flourished in this climate, made their way to Japan and hopped into bed with companies like Rays Engineering. If you know anything about Rays, then you know they basically run the industry. This is a big reason why we’ve been seeing Seibon products, on HKS Kansai Service demo cars. It’s certainly not because Seibon has ever created something original and of quality. Money talks and you may be reminded of a certain Seibon Edition of the Volk TE37, from a few years ago.
Of course, I don’t know the entire story and that’s why I can’t really go any further with it. The most important thing to note is, where else are you going to get this kind of in depth coverage? Only on A Class can a car feature turn into a rant about the industry.
Photos courtesy of Yokohama.
I rarely see GVB STi’s on the street and I’ve never seen a modified one, in person. It’s probably a sign of the times, also the fact that the newer STi’s are getting a lot more subdued. The GRB turned out to be a huge hit, so why are people ignoring it’s predecessor?
This is more like it. It may be hard to tell from the picture, but this GVB is running a set of matte black Advan RG-D’s with 265′s. A very nice combination because the fitment is on point. The STi V-Limited front lip also adds a bit of flavor. The GVB really is a great looking car and shouldn’t be ignored.
Photo courtesy of scotheocelot.
It’s just after dawn. The sun isn’t visible, but the sky is bathed in shades of pink and gray. A blanket of fog on the surrounding mountains begins to recede, as the light of day grows. It reveals a single stretch of perfectly paved tarmac, so smooth it’s texture is barely visible. The sharp white and yellow lines of the road are a stark contrast to the forest that surrounds it. The silence of dawn is broken by a rumble in the distance. Startled, a flock of crows takes to the sky as it grows nearer. Tires squeal and from around a bend, a vehicle emerges. The driver accelerates hard and is quickly on the brakes again; the exhaust crackles, as he downshifts approaching the next turn. The driver likes spending his early morning hours on these roads. They’re open and calm, the right kind of place for collecting data. With each turn he gains more feedback on his designs, learns more about the handling of the beast he controls.
That’s how I envision Varis testing their latest designs. Their workshop has been described as a mystical place, high in the mountains for Japan. It’s out of reach, close to the roads with which their cars were born. Their pieces not only represent the highest levels of quality and functionality, but have contributed heavily to the fashions and styling trends of exterior tuning in the industry.
It’s always very exciting to see new aero for any car. It’s particularly exciting when that aero is made by Varis and it’s for an Impreza.
I’ve been closely following the progress of this design on Varis’ blog for the last couple of months. They’re one of the first manufacturers to design any substantial aero pieces for the GVB Impreza and the results speak for themselves.
What started as a cooling bonnet, quickly evolved into a full kit for every side of the car.
I consider this the Stage 1 kit because the design has retained the car’s factory front and rear bumpers. Over the next year or so I’ll be expecting to see Stage 2, a more heavily developed areo kit, designed for circuit driving. That should have new bumpers and more serious downforce. In years past the street kit has been a good indicator of where the company is heading with their designs. Varis never disappoints and this is currently the best look for the GVB Impreza.
Something else to look out for may be another possible collaboration with Original Runduce. For the GRB, Varis developed a unique areo kit for Runduce’s demo car. I’m excited to see that things are moving in the right direction. A lot of shops are struggling right now and we’ve seen many close their doors. Happily, Varis doesn’t seem to be one of them.
Photos courtesy of Varis.
