JUN GT-R At TAS

JUN’s been a big name at Tokyo Auto Salon for over a decade now. They’ve always got something up their sleeves and this year is no exception.

Yes folks, another BenSopra kitted GT-R has come among us. It’s been no secret on A Class that I absolute despise this kit in every way. Don’t take that out of context however. I have loads of respect for Miura-san and everything he’s been doing in the tuning industry lately.

Like Top Secret, JUN was always known to produce their own aero parts. They made what is probably my all time favorite bumper for the GDA Impreza. Yet in 2013 we’re seeing less of a variety of products from these shops. Maybe it’s a return to doing what they’re truly good at and in the case of JUN, it’s all about power.

They offer any number of options and different levels of tuning for the GT-R’s VR38. This is an example of the same 4L motor that’s in their demo car.

Regardless of BenSopra kits and Top Secret making less original parts, it’s really good to see how many shops are still working with the GT-R. This car’s been around for 5 years now and the following is just as strong, if not more so. It’s popularity in the tuning industry gives Nissan another reason to keep making it, which is something many have questioned in 2012.

Photos courtesy of CarWatch.

Garage Sale, Car Blogs & Team Orange

I’m doing a bit of a garage sale, to get rid of some used WRX parts. The list of things I’m selling can be found here. I’ve gotten a tone of flakers and low ballers, in the 2 weeks this post has been up. If you’re not seriously interested, please don’t waste your time sending e-mails. All of the parts are for local pickup, but I am willing to ship certain items domestically.

I’ve been kind of bummed to see how many car blogs have fallen off the map this year. Unfortunately, for every good blog that has shut it’s doors, a new fitment/stance blog has emerged. Why do we need so many fitment blogs? There will be a point, where there are no cars left to feature. The cross posting, on these flavor of the month blogs, is already bad enough. Instead of wasting time looking at people’s wheels, do yourself a favor and head over to Axis of Oversteer. It’s one of the few blogs I still actually read and focuses heavily on motor sports. Their Formula 1 banter is particularly entertaining and beats half witted car features any day.

I won’t leave things without a photo. A little engine bay porn from the folks at Team Orange.

Some people could look at certain cars all day long. I definitely have my favorites. But I could also stare at these JUN engine bays, on the Team Orange drift cars, all day long. I had the chance to see one in person, at D1GP USA a few years ago and it was a thing of beauty. I hope my WRX looks like this someday.

Throwback Thursdays and Spanish Grand Prix predictions tomorrow.

Hyper Meeting 2003

If there’s one event in Japan where you’re likely to find the best from Subaru and Mitsubishi, it has to be Hyper Meeting.

Hyper Meeting has been going on since 2002 and is a mainstay for tuning shops, wanting to showcase their latest offerings, for the Impreza and Evolution models. Tsukuba Circuit plays host and features vendor booths, drifting demos and time attack events, for both privateers and tuning shops a like. As with most things Subaru-related on A Class, we’re going to take a trip down memory lane. Lets be honest, things where just better back in the day; in this case 2003.

While rally builds tend to be more popular in Europe, Japan has also been known to keep the tradition alive. WRC replicas are a common sight at Hyper Meeting and L’AUNSPORT is well known, for their WRC-style body kits. I say style very loosely because the word tends to refer to cheap replicas, but that isn’t the case here. L’AUNSPORT are some of the best in the business and offer full carbon aero kits for the entire Impreza lineup. Naturally the bugeye looks the best in WRC trim.

A GDB WRC replica and the C-West GDA demo car. I’ve never been a fan of the C-West headlight covers or that front grill, but the bumper has grown on me over the years.

Engine bay from the BOZZ Speed GDB, easily one of my favorite Imprezas ever. To the right is the Toyama K-One Spec-C Impreza. The car was primarily used for Gymkhana.

The long forgotten Aqua GDB. Unfortunately Aqua is no longer around; another casualty in the war against knock offs. Prova however, is still alive and well. Above is their Super Taikyu front bumper, on the shop’s GDB demo car.

Engine bays of the Stillway GDB and the Shinonome Super Autobacs BE5 Legacy.

It’s impossible to have a conversation about Imprezas and Time Attack, without mentioning Zero/Sports. Next to JUN they’re probably the most well known of all the Japanese Subaru tuners. They’ve been a fixture at Hyper Meeting since the beginning. Their BTZ201 GDA hit the track, while a demo car displaying their latest front bumper (circa 2003), stays at the booth. The bumper would eventually be fitted to Zero/Sports’ BTZ301-R; a car which would end up having a slew of mechanical problems, including a blown transmission at Tsukuba Super Battle.

For me, the greatest GDA of them all. JUN’s Super Lemon Impreza, the brainchild of Mr. Koyama himself. My long standing obsession with this car runs deep. It’s considered one of the greats and not just by Subaru standards. I believe the car’s best time around Tsukuba was 56:59.5, which put it in the same territory as the Cyber Evo and some of the more recent RX-7s. I believe the car was sold to a private owner and last I heard, it was being stored in a shipping container in the Caribbean. Maybe one day it will resurface because that’s a terrible fate, for such an important car.

This year’s Hyper Meeting is being held in a little over 2 weeks, on April 8. I’m excited to see the turnout, but can almost guarantee none of the cars above will be in attendance. While most of the focus will be on Imprezas and Evos, I’ve got a feeling a few BRZs may turn up as well.

Roll Call

Most definitely Hyper Meeting at Tsukuba Circuit. This is a great photo.

From front to back: JUN GRB STi, C-SER GRB STi, Bozz Speed Evo IX, Original Runduce Evo X, Original Runduce GRB STi, Car Station Marche GRB STi, Prova GRB STi, Zero/Sports CZS Type-Z Impreza, Sunline Racing Evo X.

I had a hard time figuring out that last car. I had seen the front bumper a few times, but couldn’t remember who made it. After some searching this morning, I discovered it’s the Syms GRB STi. Still though, 9 out of 10 ain’t bad!

HARD

Lately, all the cars I seem to be drawn to are on race tracks. This one is no exception.

This 2002 WRX from Switzerland is a thing of beauty. It’s sort of how I would imagine my dream bugeye (give or take a few things). The JUN front bumper is a great touch, as is the STi rear end swap. Great to look at and fun to drive. What more could you ask for?

Photo courtesy of ACLightAddicted.

GT-R’s Of Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Part I

There are so many GT-R’s at Tokyo Auto Salon this year. With VIP and hybrid tuning reigning supreme, it’s nice to see that people are still thinking about going fast. There are far more GT-R’s at the show than I’m going to post, but these are some of the ones that stood out to me.

Endless was there showcasing their latest braking technology for the GT-R, including the Mono 6 calipers with the insane 430mm E-Slit rotors, designed specifically for the car. A number of shops have been involved with the building of the Endless demo GT-R, including HKS and MCR.

I know the politics behind it, but I just don’t understand why anyone would put Seibon products on their car. I’m sure their presence on all the Kansai Service demo cars is all some people need to think it’s legit. It’s not people, don’t be fooled. It’s a shame because this is a really clean car Kansai Service has put together.

After not bothering to show up last year, Top Secret is back with not one, but two new GT-R’s. I’m really digging the new Top Secret aero. It’s a little over the top in some aspects, but that’s what makes Top Secret so great!

Smokey also brought out the shop’s 700HP BB700. The side profile of this car, with all the new aero is just menacing.

JUN was also on hand with their new GT-R test subject. The company is using the car to develop a range of new engine components and aero pieces. It looks great in Hyper Lemon Yellow.

I’m going to be posting up a few more of my favorite GT-R’s from Tokyo Auto Salon later on.

Photos courtesy of Car Watch.

Random JUN Steez

It’s been a couple weeks since I posted a picture of the JUN Super Lemon Impreza.

It’s just over a month until Tokyo Auto Salon. Should be the year of the hybrids.

JUN’s Holy Grail

More than any other iteration of the Impreza, I think the bugeye has gotten better with age. When it was first released, many people were put off by the car’s unique looks. I’ve come across a number of sources claiming the car was never a popular looker with the Japanese audience. It gained fast fame in the United States for being the first turbo model of the Impreza on our shores. I’ve heard all kinds of characterizations about the appearance, even critics going so far as to compare it with the Dodge Neon. It’s only now, nearly 10 years later that people are beginning to appreciate the car’s looks and it has certainly matured with time. Now a bugeye in good condition can be a very sought-after car. I think from a tuning perspective, the car was always brushed aside for the lack of good aero options. It does indeed come from an era where spocom and HIN ruled the industry. I guess you could say it’s the most “ricer” of the Impreza family. On the contrary, there are quite a few great aero looks for the car. One of which is the holy grail of front bumpers for the GDA, produced by JUN Auto.

While most GDA owners (myself included) tend to settle for run-of-the-mill front lips produced by Prodrive and STi, some have invested the patience and money into owning one of JUN’s very rare front bumpers. While it’s still “available” today, each bumper is made to order and production can involve wait times of up to a year. It takes a special kind of enthusiast to go to the trouble of owning a JUN bumper.

It’s a beautiful piece of engineering. It enhances the looks of the car by adding some substance to the front end. I’ve always felt the OEM bumper for the GDA was a bit finicky. It looks good in some cases, but it was always lacking. The massive air ducts on the front and sides of the JUN bumper allude to the racing pedigree of the design. It was originally produced for JUN’s famed Super Lemon WRX, one of the fastest Subarus (even today) to lap Tsukuba Circuit.  While the track version of the GDA included an additional front splitter and canards, the shop’s street version is essentially the same one used on the Super Lemon.

It’s always been a dream of mine to run a JUN bumper on my own car and try to recreate the same front splitter and canard setup seen on the Super Lemon above. The additional aero pieces were never sold by JUN, but recreating theme isn’t out of the realm of possibility. This bumper represents everything that is great about all cars. Each and every car has some sort of highly sought-after part that only a few owners can claim ownership of. With the Evo, it seems to be a genuine Ralliart front lip and for the bugeye Impreza, it’s the JUN front bumper.

Chin Strap

JUN sells the front bumper but I don’t think it looks nearly as good without this insane front lip and canard setup. I wish Advan still made the RG, they’re just so clean!

Facelift

Last week my WRX was involved in an accident. I was in stop and go traffic on the 10 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. A woman in a 2007 Honda Civic broke hard to avoid hitting the car in front of her and I subsequently rear ended her. The damage to her car was very minor, only some paint scratches. However, my WRX suffered a lot worse. My front bumper was torn off the car on the right side, my front lip was cracked, my horn doesn’t work anymore, and my intercooler and hood latch were completely bent. Right now I’m trying to figure out what to do with the damages. The hood latch and intercooler mounting brackets are all replaceable and it’s possible that my bumper may be salvaged. Although it’s looking like I’ll still need a new one. Since my front lip is also cracked I’ll need one of those as well. I was tossing around some ideas for a new look for the car and I was wondering if I could get some of your opinions?

This is what my WRX currently looks like. I’ve been running a replica V1 STi front lip for over 2 years. The fitment and build quality are horrid so I’m not too sad that its broken. I basically got it for free and only had to pay to have it painted. I’m excited about getting something that’s of better quality and fitment. Right now I’m thinking of a couple different options.

The first option is pretty obvious. Get an authentic V1 STi front lip. The problem is these are very hard to find and although I do have connections through working at Bulletproof, it’s going to be very expensive. I still think the V1 front lip is one of the best looks ever for the bugeye Impreza though.

Option number 2 is the V2 STi front lip. It’s pretty similar to the V1 with the addition of the duel air vents on either side of the lip. This is one of the most popular choices out there. That’s one of the things that’s keeping me away from wanting one though. I’d like to keep my WRX fairly unique even though it’s becoming pretty difficult these days.

I’ve been thinking a lot about option number 3, the Prodrive front lip. I’ve always thought the Prodrive lip was very classy looking. I also like how it doesn’t sit as low as the STi front lips do. Over the 2 years I owned my replica V1 lip, I’ve scraped and shredded it on more driveways and speed bumps than I can remember. Now that I’m commuting to LA everyday I need something that I won’t always be paranoid about destroying. One of the drawbacks with the Prodrive lip is that it’s also a very common choice for bugeye owners.

My last option is something completely different, the Varis carbon front lip. I can get an amazing deal on one of these lips through my job and it actually turns out to be much cheaper than all of the other options. It’s also the only one with carbon accents. The Varis lip is extremely uncommon. I’ve never seen a bugeye in the US running one of these front lips which makes the idea very enticing to me. My biggest fear about this lip is that it’ll scrape more than any of my other options. It’s also extremely flashy compared to the other choices. I love my JDM but I really want to keep my WRX as clean as possible.

Another idea I was considering is just forgoing the OEM bumper and lip all together and getting a JUN front bumper. I don’t think I’m going this route for 2 reasons. First off I think it looks kind of ricer by today’s standards. Unfortunately most of the aero available for the bugeye looks pretty ricer, I guess that’s the car showing it’s age. Secondly, the price of this bumper is ungodly. I have no idea why it’s so expensive, even with my discount!

So those are my current options, I’d love to get some opinions from you guys, especially my fellow Subaru owners. Luckily my car is still totally drivable, but I am looking to get this done pretty soon.