When I turned the ripe old age of-pause, for a moment of silence-30, a stark realization hit me. Well, several really, but all of them centered around one thing: Personal life goals. Specifically, me not hitting them, nor the likelihood of any of them coming to fruition. Hooking up with Jessica Alba? More likely to get hooked up to an IV. Flying into outer space? Unless Southwest's itinerary to Vegas entails crossing the Karman Line, it is very doubtful.

But as a car guy, there was one bitter pill harder to swallow than any untapped feminine or astrodynamic virtue: I am not going to be a race car driver. Like Kobe never picking up a basketball, I was actually concerned that I was letting my untapped god-given abilities to drive go to waste. Delusions of grandeur? I had it supersized. It was only after my first on-track experience that my world came crashing down. I was like the guy in The Crying Game, only a lot less sausagey and a whole lot more spinning out.

Yet, despite the lack of natural skills, I trudged on. With sheer will and determination I believed that one day I would become great. Or at the very least, be in the quicker half of a run group during track days. Practice would be my newfound friend. But as it so happens, practice runs in the same clique as time, and time unfortunately, is a mortal enemy of work. Any dreams of living the good life of a race car driver have long since been dashed and I have to rely on technologically advanced cars like the new '08 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X to make me feel like half a man around the road course.

Before you Evo purists go on about the lack of a 4G63 in the X, a word of caution: Move on. Yes, the 4G is tried and true and makes a boatload of power, but it's 20 years old. The reinforced aluminum 2.0L 4B11 in the new Evo is lighter than the previous motor and now utilizes dual, as in intake and exhaust, MIVEC variable valve timing. A timing chain replaces the belt and the new powerplant features a weight-saving direct-acting valvetrain in lieu of rocker arms. At stock boost, the turbocharged 4B11 puts out 291 hp (at 6,500 rpm) and 300 lb-ft of torque (at 4,400 rpm), an increase of 5 hp and 11 lb-ft of torque over the IX.

Available in a five-speed manual in the GSR trim or an automated manual six speed Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) in the MR, it is the latter of the two that makes even the feeblest of drivers, cough, me, cough, feel like Superman. The Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) including Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC), Active Stability Control (ASC) and Sport ABS brakes is the acronym-laden, technological equivalent of Clark Kent tossing his glasses and three-piece suit. You become an instant track superhero,clobbering apexes like they were two-bit crooks.

Although heavier than the Evo IX; a wider track, longer wheelbase and stiffer chassis, combined with Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, two-piece brake rotors, and forged BBS wheels on the MR, and you'll swear that you could leap tall buildings in a single bound-or at the very least leap the competition. With three different modes (Normal, Sport and S-Sport), flip the automatic Twin-Clutch to Ssport mode and it behaves redline happy, holding it in gear during open throttleand rev-match downshifts during deceleration. For control freaks, the MR offers fixed magnesium shifter paddles, but I found the transmission to behave so precise that you'd think you were a Jedi blipping gears with your mind.

Take all the technology in the world, but if the car looks wack-as in say, the Pontiac Aztek-it does not matter. It has to look as it performs. And the X looks something pure evil and downright predatory. With its angled headlights and open vents, from the front it looks like the Evo X is grimacing, baring its intercooled teeth. The Yokohama Advan-wrapped forged BBS wheels and blistered front and rear quarter panels give it a hunched, ready-to-pounce look. My only complaint is that the stock exhaust note is too subtle for something that looks this bloodthirsty. Nothing a bolt-on exhaust can't fix. Growl.

The interior of the Evo X is modestly improved from the IX; it looks better designed,taking cues from Euros, but the material feels, for a lack of a better word, plastic-y. The Recaro front seats however, are one hundred percent rad. Comfortable and snug-it's amazing they managed to squeeze side airbags in them.

Overall the Evo is a great car; scratch that, an awesome car. For a machine this sexy and fast, unlike your ex, it's very forgiving-particularly in the MR trim. The problem for modifications is that the Twin-Clutch will be an ECU enigma for quite some time. With time tuners will be able to crack it, but till then there's always the five-speed GSR. Transmission conundrums aside, I'll take either. Thanks to the engineers at Mitsubishi, I got a taste of what could've been.

'08 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XMSRP: estimated $33k (GSR); estimated $37k (MR)

Engine: 2.0L, 16-valve DOHC, MIVEC four-cylinder

Power Rating: 291 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 300 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

Configuration: Four-wheel drive

Transmission: Five-speed manual (GSR); six-speed TC-SST (MR)

Curb Wieght: 3,517 pounds (GSR); 3,594 pounds (MR)

Suspension: Four-wheel sport-tuned independent suspension

Wheels: 18x8.5 Enkei cast alloy (GSR); 18x8.5 forged BBS wheels (MR)

Tires: 245/40R-18 Yokohama Advan

Brakes: Front: Ventilated disc with four-piston caliper (GSR), Ventilated two-piece rotor with fourpistoncaliper (MR)

Rear: Ventilated disc with two-piston caliper

Fuel Economy: Estimated EPA 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway (GSR); 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway (MR)

Drive Impression: As a manual transmission guy, I'm uncomfortable to admit how much I enjoyed the Twin-Clutch in the MR. Don't get me wrong, the five-speed in the GSR is dope, but pushing the car around the track, the MR performs damn-near flawlessly.

Tunability: Right now, because of the new 4B11 engine, this is where the car would score low. While few JDM companies (i.e. HKS) have already developed some parts for the Evo X, the aftermarket will have to R&D from scratch. But for modification purposes, stick with the GSR for now. The MR will take some time to crack.

Few things stand the test of time. Something once hot, scrubbed by the scathing sands of time, quickly turns not. Brigitte Nielsen for one, Britney Spears another (no, we'd rather not hit you one more time).

Cars are particularly susceptible to the woes of age. while they don't wrinkle, gain weight or suffer through custody battles, models -the four-wheel kind-do become dated. My S13 240Sx, for example: Pop-up headlights, a sharp nose and angular lines don't exactly scream Internet age. The third generation Mazda Rx-7, however, is a rare exception.

Yes, the Fd3S comes equipped with the was-cool-in-the-early-'90s pop-up illumination, but take a mere glance at the sultry curves of the Mazda and I ask, beg, and implore you to find a car today that has sexier lines. The MILF of the automobile world, this is one car that looks hotter today than it did yesterday; a fact that Richmond, va. resident Terry Awad appreciates.

An automotive fiend with a particular craving for boost, Terry's been through some impressive cars: An E39 bMw M5, a Lotus Elise, a JDM righthand drive Toyota Soarer (Lexus SC for the Japanese inept), five Mazda Miatas, a Mitsubishi Evo and a turbocharged honda S2000. And those are just some of his exes. Terry still owns an R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R and a trackprepped Evo 8. Jealous? All those cars are minor compared to his baby, a '93 Mazda Rx-7.

"The Fd3S Rx-7 came out when I was in high school," said Terry. "I remember the day it first appeared at my Mazda dealer. I was both stunned and obsessed with the car. All of the older guys at the time bought them and I used to watch them street race against the domestic guys and win. I vowed that one day I would own an Fd and it would be badass. For a while I thought about buying a Supra because of its superior power plant, but in my opinion, it never will be as sexy as the Fd." we agree.

While Terry thought his Mazda was hot stock, he knew he could make her hotter. Think Adriana Lima post victoria's Secret. And like any good lingerie model, the Fd chassis was first stripped bare-all the way down to the metal-so that dream works Customs out in virginia beach, va., could properly media blast and prep it for the multi-stage house of kolor kobalt blue paint with a Rosetta Red Pearl finish. The lengthy process took four months and involved spraying the entire chassis, new bumper, R1 lip and Feed side skirts and the installation of LEd turn signals and Japanese-spec '99 taillights. A custom cut 3M clear bra was applied by Roadblock Protective Systems to protect the new paint.

With the exterior looking shiny and new, Terry went to sprucing up the cabin, reupholstering the more than decadeold interior with new leather and swapping in a suede Nardi Classico steering wheel and hub, C's short shifter kit and an ARC titanium shift knob. A'PExi instrumentation, including a PowerFC Commander and a blitz SbC-id boost controller, gave the early-'90s vehicle a digital makeover.

Afterwards, Terry focused on getting the Rx-7 to rolling chassis status so that it would be readily transportable. Terry had the stock struts replaced with koni Sport shocks, h&R springs and Ground Control coilovers, he also upgraded the brakes with brembo rotors tied to Goodrich brake lines. A Cusco strut tower bar was installed and Terry had Tri-Point adjust the suspension and corner balance the rotary-powered machine. To get the Mazda finally rolling, literally, work Meisters (18x9 front +38 offset; 18x10 rear +38 offset)- custom painted to rival-make volk Mag blue specifications, a shade darker than the chassis, were wrapped on dunlop direzza tires (225/45-18 front; 245/40-18 rear) and capped with light blue work aluminum lug nuts.

Semi-mobile, it was off to PF Supercars, where Ray Wilson met the task of getting the rotary running. Needing a rebuild, the 13b motor was pulled apart and the seals were replaced with fresh stock units and the housings ported to a mild street spec before being reassembled. A GT35R turbo kit from A-Spec Tuning, complete with A-Spec Tuning manifold and downpipe, TiAL 44mm wastegate, hkS Super-Sequential blow-off valve and Rotary Extreme v-mount intercooler replaced the overly complicated oE sequential setup. bye-bye rat's nest. with the motor and turbo system in place, wilson focused on the details; installing items like a freer-flowing GReddy throttle-body elbow, k&N filter, kakimoto Racing midpipe and Racing beat dual-tip exhaust, and spark-amplifying hkS Twin Power ignition, Magnecor spark plug wires, odyssey PC680 battery and NGk Iridium plugs. Fuel delivery was increased with kGParts Fuel System injectors (1,600/550cc), a secondary fuel rail, stainless lines, an Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator and two fuel pumps off a Toyota Supra. with the rotary firing, Wilson dropped in an Exedy clutch and tuned the buffed 13b with an APEx'i PowerFC squeezing 423 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque out of the tiny 1.3L; good for a 11.9 second run at 119 mph on the quarter-mile. Not too shabby for an old girl, eh?

"In the past I've built many hardcore vehicles for mountain/track driving. with the Fd, wanted to showcase something beautiful and unique while retaining comfort and daily drive-ability with such amenities like A/C, heat and comfy seats." Reliable and more importantly, actually driven on the streets, Terry's rotary is a purring MILF, one we'd take home over a haggard pop princess any day. Gimme more, in this case means one with more age.

Tweaks
Output 423 hp, 309 lb-ft; 11.9 second quarter mile at 119 mph trap speed

Engine
Garrett GT35R turbo; APEx'i PowerFC; TiAL wastegate; hkS Super-Sequential blow-off valve, Twin-Power ignition; Rotary Extreme v-mount intercooler; A-spec manifold, up-pipe, downpipe; custom ceramic coated intercooler piping; PF Supercars mild street port; Toyota Supra fuel pumps (x2); kG Parts fuel system (550/1,600cc injectors); Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator; upgraded secondary fuel rail; Magnecor spark plug wires; k&N intake; GReddy intake manifold; Racing beat exhaust; kakimoto Race midpipe; NGk spark plugs; odyssey PC680 battery

Drivetrain
C's short throw shift; Exedy dual plate clutch; Mazdaspeed flywheel; Cusco LSD

Suspension
koni shocks; Mazdaspeed anti-roll bar

Wheels/Tires
work Meister rims (front: 18x9 +38 offset; rear: 18x10 +38 offset)

Brakes
Brembo rotors; Project Mu brake pads; Goodridge brake lines; dunlop direzza tires (225/45-18 front; 245/40-18 rear)

Exterior
House of Kolors Kandy Cobalt Blue with Rosetta Red Pearl; R1 front lip; Led turn signals; Feed side skirts; JDM '99 taillights; Catz head lamps

Interior
Nardi 330mm Classico steering wheel, hub; bell works billet spacer; C's short shifter kit; APEx'i PowerFC Commander (in cradle); blitz SbC-id boost controller; ARC titanium shift knob; updated interior panels

In 1973, Tadashi Okuyama followed his lifelong dream and opened his own company in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan. Rightfully naming his company Okuyama Co., Ltd., Tadashi- san ran his business as a motorsports team and manufacturer, catering to the hardcore Japanese race enthusiasts of that era. Heavily involved in the motorsports scene, Tadashi was considered a perfectionist by those who knew him well: He never settled for less than the best when it came to building and prepping customers vehicles. "it didn't take me long to fully understand the chassis physics of a race car, whether it was for rally racing or road racing. Any car that wants to compete and win in any category must be well balanced and possess a wellprepared chassis," Tadashi said.

With a soft spoken voice, he described in detail how Japanese automotive manufacturers took a more cost effective route and built JDM vehicles using a unibody construction-a design that was great for the average commuter but less than ideal for the avid racer. Using data and years of collective research gathered from owning their own motorsports team, Team Okuyama, the once small and unknown company, quickly grew in popularity among motorsport competitors and manufacturers as the go-to guys. The knowledge obtained from competing in Japanese domestic motorsport competitions, such as the Japan national Dirt Trial Championship and Japan's gymkhana series, enabled Okuyama to develop and manufacture many of the products they sell today.

While the Okuyama facility's specialty consists of full chassis prep, which includes stitch welding, competition rollcage designs and custom competition chassis fabrication, Tadashi noticed a growing demand from a different sort of customer-the ones who drove their vehicles on the streets. "We began tinkering with the idea of developing products for street enthusiasts who wanted to improve their vehicles' handling and chassis rigidity without having to stitch-weld or add in a full rollcage. We researched the aftermarket industry and found only a handful of manufacturers that made any sort of chassis braces or strut tower bars, and even then, their designs were often crude and hardly functional," said Tadashi.

The idea was tossed around for months, but with such a strong demand from friends and customers, Tadashi made the final call and decided to go forward with expanding the Okuyama name, titling one of the two subdivisions which catered to street driven cars: Carbing. The second division under the branding, Dash, sold and developed parts specifically made for competition motorsports specializing in rally.

Within the past year, Okuyama has begun expanding their product line inside the U.S. Okuyama-san along with Carbing have already taken numerous overseas flights to the mainland, setting up base camp at the Tein USA facility (exclusive distributors) to R&D and fabricate products for USDM vehicles to ensure proper fitment. Today, we find a slew of Carbing performance products such as tower bars, lower arm bars, cooling panels, under panels, tanks, reservoirs and rollcages on many of the popular import vehicles. "As one of the market's leading manufacturers, we uphold two important keywords, 'high performance' and 'high quality', as an axis of our motto," said Tadashi, "we will never stop our R&D activities as we aim to deliver even more advanced products that live up to all expectations of the Okuyama name."

I still remember the first time that I raced one of the four Nissan Skylines I've owned. It was my white R33 fitted with a Nismo exhaust and Ray's wheels; it flew past the competitors with lightning speed around the short bends of Deep Forest Raceway. I beat all of them with minutes to spare despite the fact I drove it with an automatic transmission; there wasn't even a scratch or dent on my car. I washed it afterwards, took a practice lap around Apricot Hill, parked it in my garage and called it a night. Granted, this all took place within the safe confines of the virtual world, but it was a fond memory, nonetheless, placed deep inside my mind because it was also the first time I played Gran Turismo nearly 10 years ago on the original PlayStation.

I'm sure we all have memories about this racing game, the emotions we felt sitting behind the steering wheels of Japanese cars, some of which we owned but most of the time wished we owned, much less had ever seen before. It was the game that revolutionized video games, and more importantly, the real-life tuner industry. It set off an unbridled yearning to modify, collect and own the cars we played. And it's all owed to the godly hands of Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi.

Every year at the SEMA Show, Kazunori hands down the Gran Turismo Awards, which honor the best customized vehicles in various categories, including Hot Rod, Domestic, and of course, Japanese Import. The grand prize is Best in Show, which immortalizes a vehicle in a future Gran Turismo video game for everyone to drool over and drive. GReddy's '07 Nissan 350Z, which is laid across these pages, didn't win that coveted award but it did place First in the Japanese Import category, and in our book, that's reason enough to place it on the cover. After all, there has to be a reason why it was picked to win the award, competing with a pool of the best tuner vehicles in the country.

Perhaps it was chosen because it's arguably one of the cleanest Z33s to pound the pavements thus far. Or maybe it's the mob of GReddy's quality products placed underhood that makes it oh-so-fresh. But really what sets it apart from the rest of the group is the main source of power resting comfortably in the engine bay, the first twinturbo production kit ever made for the new VQ35HR V-6 engine that can potentially push this car upwards of 700 hp. This TD05H-18G twin-turbo kit can be bolted on and is sold with all the necessary parts like manifold, downpipe adapter, piping hardware and heatshields. GReddy designs their turbos with substantial room at their efficiency ranges, giving the tuner the option to increase power levels. They base their engineering on completely stock engines, so they provide instant horsepower gains while maintaining drivability. This concept bodes well for the VQ35HR engine, which is still fairly new in terms of manufacturing aftermarket products.

The VQ35HR is an updated version of the 350's previous powerplant with a stronger block, a higher rev limit and compression ratio, a twin ram-air intake, and variable exhaust camshaft timing. It boasts a stock 306 hp and has a broader range of usable torque, with 90 percent of its 268 lb-ft coming from the 2,000 to 7,000 rpm range. Nissan says the HR in the engine's moniker stands for "high response" and "high revolution," both of which are fitting for the 350Z's sporty feel and for the dozens of aftermarket companies vying to be the first to completely modify the engine.

With only eight weeks before its grand unveiling at the SEmA Show, GReddy worked nonstop to build on this next evolution of the VQ engine. They learned all the new details that came with the engine and the '07 Nissan 350Z, including placement and tuning differences. "This is just the beginning and sort of a setup before we move onto the '09 Nissan GTR and the next evolution of VR38 engines," said mike Chung, planning manager at GReddy. So if this 350Z is merely a start, a GReddy-built GT-R is certain to be a sure-shot hit.

Aside from the massive twin turbos with cast manifold and Type-T wastegates headlining the main stage, GReddy also planted a Type 29 Spec-R front mounted intercooler kit and Airinx AY-mB air intakes to provide efficient air flow circulation. They installed a 70mm turbo Ti-C exhaust system to remove the unwanted air and let their e-manage Ultimate ECU to govern the inner workings of the engine. The internals of the sturdier block include GReddy pistons, connecting rods and piston rings, while GReddy camshafts and L iridium spark plugs take control above; all of which help the bolt-on turbo kit work fluidly within the system. "All the products we develop for this vehicle should make their way to becoming bolt-on products," explained mike. "Once all the hard work of prototyping and tuning is done, production can begin to offer proven products at affordable prices."

GReddy products do not end in the engine bay. The widebody kit is courtesy of GReddy's GRacer over fender SPL model, which is flared close to the factory settings but built slightly more aggressive to fit the wheels and create a meaner stance. It's a seven-piece body kit originally planned to be a custom one-off, but Greddy decided to place it in production because of the popu-larity it garnered at the SEMA show. Painted in OEM Pikes Peak White and covered in Greddy D1 original graphics by Vinyl mayhem, the widebody kit also comes with a rear wing that sits low on the trunk and protrudes enough to collect the proverbial double takes.

Under the chassis is a set of 20-inch Rays Engineering Gram Light wheels, 9.5 inches wide in the front and 10.5 inches in the rear, wrapped in gummy Nitto Invo tires and around GReddy 380mm and 330mm rotors. Gold Volk Racing GT-Fs are used on the track.

Inside the cabin is a pair of blue Bride seats, the Gias model on the driver side and the Stradia on the passenger, matched with Bride Low max rear seats, which complement the overall scheme of blue and white.

Though this complete setup would be perfect to be a special model in Gran Turismo, GReddy is just proud to be the Japanese Import winner of the Gran Turismo Awards. To them, there's nothing like being picked by Yamauchi, the man who fueled the tuning fire that engulfs our lives on a daily basis. It's a feat that GReddy will show off in 2008 and use as inspiration to build the much-anticipated Nissan GT-R, which they hope will fare so well at next year's event. Seeing that they did so well with the '07 350Z, the chance of winning Best in Show doesn't seem so far fetched.

Tweaks
Output 450 whp 700 plus expected at next tune

Engine
GReddy (pistons and rings, rods, camshafts, valves, valve springs, intake manifold, oil pan) cast turbo manifold, TD05H-18G (x2), Type-T wastegate, E-manage Ultimate, PRofec-B Spec2 boost controller, GREx 13-row oil cooler with thermostat, aluminum radiator with pipe kit, radiator hoses, aluminum diversion panels, Type-29 spec-R HG intercooler, aluminum intercooler piping, dual Airinx AY-mB intakes, Turbo Ti-C 70mm dual exhaust, Five Axis dry carbon engine cover

Drivetrain
OS Giken LSD, clutch

Suspension
GReddy Type-S suspension kit

Wheels/Tires
R57-GT Gram Lights rims (20x9.5 front; 20x10.5 rear); Nitto Invo tires (225/30/20 front; 285/30/20 rear). Gold Volk racing GT-F wheels for the track.

Brakes
GReddy 380mm rotor with 8-piston (front), 330mm rotor with 4-piston kit (rear); GReddy/ Earl's stainless lines

Exterior
GReddy Over-Fender SPL body kit (front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts, over fenders, rear wing); OEm Pike's Peak White paint; Greddy D1 vinyl graphics

Interior
GReddy SuperLight shift knob; Bride Gias (driver) and Stradia (passenger) seats; Bride Lox max rear seats

Electronics
GReddy 60mm SmI with data-link

Without a doubt, this issue of Super Street is the one that I personally have been waiting a long time to do. What you are about to see is a collection of the cars that helped and continues to shape the import scene as we know it. Ask anyone and they'll say that my roots lie deep in a Honda. A black '91 Si was my first ride, my first real love, which taught me the basics of how to work on and modify a car for cheap. In high school, that hatchback was my dream car-compact size, but had enough room in the back to make out with girls (that backseat might as well have been a motel room with all those friends who used it as a spot to deflower themselves) and man, did it look great slammed (still does) on SSR Super Fins. I later went through a JDM EG and a semi-retro DA before I gave them up to do a SR20'd 240, but still, I never lost that love for the H-badge.

It has been nearly seven years since the last time I owned a set of keys to a Honda, and I'm happy to say that I'm getting back into one-a '90 Civic Si, to be exact-and I'm going to build it the way I wish I could've built it back when I was 17, except now I actually have the money to do it the right way, instead of shortcutting things. I'm going to do a few basic mods, which you can read about in issue six of Project Car, but once it comes over here, I'm going to prove that my VTEC'nique is still in full effect. I can't go into what exactly just yet, but if it's anything like my 240, then you know it's going to be sick.

So, Honda fans, behold; there's something for everyone one of you in here: old school builds, a cover car that I feel represents the epitome of the JDM Honda scene, a first look into an engine build that both we and Bisimoto are about to take on, the cat who really coined the term "JDM" and a new Honda craze that's going to take you and the country by surprise. In fact, it's already big in Japan and guys like Stephan Papadakis, Shawn Hillier and Dr. Charles are doing crazy things with them. But what I'm most happy about this issue is that I finally got my chance to meet the drag racers (who, I might add, were very hard to track down) whom I looked up to the most when I first got into Hondas; they're legendary heroes of a time long past who deserve the props that they never received. It was truly an honor, and they've helped to make such a long lasting impression on my car life-thanks, guys.
Jonathan Wong
jdmwong@superstreetonline.com