http://Banzaimagazine.com/ View our latest magazine issue and more en-uk Thu, 17 May 2012 09:37:32 GMT Thu, 17 May 2012 09:37:32 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Banzai Magazine
Unity Media Plc 60 http://www.banzaimagazine.com/images/common/rss-image.gif http://www.banzaimagazine.com http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/5/17/Issue-128---June-2012 THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILYIt was acceptable in the Eighties, but 70bhp really doesn't cut it in the modern world. So a Type-R-powered second-gen Civic is a different proposition entirely JOLLY GOOD IDEASubaru meets Hulk in Simon Roe’s jolly green monster of an Impreza, an awesome 800bhp weapon touting a twin-turbo’d SVX flat six! RISING SUNDERLANDWe explore the current Nissan range – the biggest-selling cars of which are built right here in the UK – and tell you our picks of the bunch BANGERS AND SMASHWe investigate the banger racing scene to discover why Japanese cars of all shapes and sizes – including the rare ones – have made such an impact IF A JOB’S WORTH DOING…Bought as a non-runner accompanied by a few boxes of bits, Dale Hunt's R33 GTS-t has steadily been transformed into an immaculate wide-arched machine that's almost too good to use as a drift car BROTHERS IN ARMSWe put our thinking caps on and predict what the tuning scene might produce shortly after the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 hit the showrooms FLASH PLAYERWhat improvements can the Hondata FlashPro unit achieve on standard and modified FN2 Honda Civic Type Rs? We shadow Guy Chamberlain of CPL Racing as he fits one to a customer’s car EXCITING STUFFJapan’s ‘other’ essential modified annual car show keeps it real with plenty of owner cars, crazy teams and mental paint jobs BESIDE THE TEESSIDEThe new BDC season kicked off in fine style at Teesside with incredible builds, phenomenal driving and the mother of all hailstorms NINTH LIFEDesigned exclusively for the demanding European market, we find out whether the new Civic is a worthy celebration of 40 years of Honda’s family hatch THE CALL OF THE WILDUS reader Colin Masterson tells us in his own words how he elevated this 1987 Silvia from humble college runabout into one of the few RB26-powered S12s in the world http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/5/17/Issue-128---June-2012 Thu, 17 May 2012 09:37:32 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/4/19/Issue-127---May-2012 OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONEWith its track-spec chassis, potent 1.5 turbo powerplant and searing yellow exterior, this Glanza V performs double duty as circuit toy and company demonstrator. TINY TEMPERThink that a 1.0-litre Yaris only deserves to stay townbound? Not so, according to TRD, which produced a limited run of race-prepared motorsport models. We get the lowdown on the only example in the UK. CRAZY IS AS CRAZY DOESWe take a look at a special project from this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon – the solar-powered Toyota 2000GT SEV. BRAKE… FOR LOVECarbon ceramic brakes are often supplied as standard in high-end performance cars, but do you need to own an LFA or SpecV to benefit from their increased performance? THE PURR-SONAL TOUCHWhen Chris Purr’s band secured a record contract, the prime recipient of that good fortune turned out to be his Civic, which has been transformed into a ‘Frankenstein’ track day monster. THE SAME… BUT DIFFERENTTwo mates, two drift-spec S13s, and two similar but different takes on the same iconic platform. COMPACT CHARMSDoes the compact new XV have the charm and ability to become Subaru’s bestseller? PIKE’S PEAKWe track down Nissan’s quartet of rare retro spin-offs, some of the most curious cars to emerge from a mainstream manufacturer in the past quarter century. STREET SMART, SHOW SAVVYIt may have the looks of a trailer queen but beneath the skin of this wide-bodied Lexus Soarer is a daily commuter with the beating heart of a 600bhp Supra. BLIMEY OH RILEY!Single-handedly, Steven Riley has built himself what could be the ultimate Civic Type-R – a bad-to-the-bone track car with B18C power and a mission to conquer the ’Ring. http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/4/19/Issue-127---May-2012 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:52:42 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/3/15/Issue-126---April-2012 WHITE LIGHTNINGForget any negative perceptions of the MX-5 – Adam Allen believes the iconic sports car is great. But with a 250bhp shot of turbo power, it’s even better. THOSE THREE WORDS…Are said too much, according to Snow Patrol. But when you’re chasing cars in the new Swift Sport you’ll be saying them to the steering wheel. BUILT TO LASTWhat better way to celebrate Japanese car manufacturing in Britain than to take a UK-built car from Land’s End to John o’Groats via all three manufacturing facilities… but all on one tank of fuel. KOGUCHI FANBOYBuilt to a template laid down by influential S-body tuner Yoshinori Koguchi, Jeevs Sidhu’s car is one of the classiest, all-bases-covered S13s we’ve ever seen. TEA TOTALVince Knight has transformed his Civic Hawaii into a lightweight, K20-powered track day toy and washed it down with a good splash of, er… green tea. GODZILLA: TAMEDThe R35 Suspension Kit from Litchfield Imports has the potential to be a global best seller. But how did this relatively small British firm improve on a setup many felt couldn’t be bettered? PRECIOUS MOMENTSWe jump in the radical Scooby Clinic fettled Impreza of Danny Precious to find a car and driver fully equipped to tackle the 2012 Nippon Challenge. TALKING HEADWe meet up with Darren James, managing director of Subaru UK, to talk about Subaru’s customer focus, its pride in boxer engines and, of course, the forthcoming BRZ. TROUBLE IN DYSTOPIACould the Mitsubishi Delica be the ultimate urban survival vehicle? If Bruce Holder’s L300 is anything to go by, we reckon it’s about time we started building http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/3/15/Issue-126---April-2012 Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:06:42 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/2/16/Issue-125---March-2012 ORIGINAL THINKINGWe catch up with the car that’s got everybody talking – Mike McGuinness’ slammed, ’bagged and extensively upholstered Impreza coupé SHOCK TACTICSIt may have started life producing window fittings but since then Bilstein has become one of the world’s most highly respected damper manufacturers. We chart its history and what it can offer the Japanese car driver today OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVEReader David Haswell tells us why he switched from Daihatsu to Honda and how he became obsessed with Mugen parts for his stunning Civic Type R CAR OF THE YEAR 2011Who have you voted for to win our coveted Car of the Year award? Find out here! TOKYO SHOWBIZAfter desperately trying to inject some sexiness into hybrids for the past couple of years, this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon suddenly felt more alive and vibrant as the aftermarket got its first taste of the scene-revitalising Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT 86 ORGANISED MADNESSWe take a closer look at the manufacturer-backed tuner cars of SEMA 2011 and find a collection of cars that prove being given free reign to modify generates some mad ideas CHARGED TO ASSAULTWe jump in the Micra DIG-S to find out how Nissan is using supercharging to improve power, economy and emissions in the new HR12DDR engine BRUM BRRRRM!There are few reasons why we’d voluntarily head out on a bitterly cold day in January, but this one makes the list; Autosport is the biggest motorsport show of the year and undoubtedly one of the best in the world WHAT LIES BENEATH…A 70-series Starlet converted to the rear-wheel drive format of the earlier EP60 isn’t all that unusual, but believe us when we tell you that this is not your usual RWD conversion...   http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/2/16/Issue-125---March-2012 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:11:08 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/1/19/Issue-124---February-2012 ACCORDING TO KIMClean, understated and aggressively stanced, Kim Syroit’s Accord proves that Euro styling and Japanese cars can be a match made in heaven REBEL ALLIANCETake one quirky crossover, add a shot of all-conquering supercar and what do you get? The slightly insane and over-hyphenated Juke-R super-crossover HOT FUSSCalling all MPS owners: BBR now produces a three-stage tuning package for the 2.3-litre DISI. We try the mid-range 320bhp setup in a Mazda3 MPS THE CABLE GUYJohn McBrien’s stripped-out, Integra-powered Civic mixes the Honda scene’s hottest engine conversion with a home-grown approach to building a track car – all achieved with a little help from his friends LEARN DIRECTClear the jargon-polluted air around ECU technology and learn to map yourself with TDI’s new foundation course in automotive electronic systems SCENE CITYSEMA in Las Vegas still celebrates the good oldfashioned tuning scene, so sit back and enjoy the second and final part of our coverage of this annual mega-show SEPARATION ANXIETYReader Dylan Leff reveals how a ’70s Toyota can win over the most dedicated of BMW enthusiasts, and why he can’t live without it any longer VENOMOUS SNAKEApparently holding the accolade of Finland’s fastest street-spec Supra, Matti Kauppilä’s Toyota packs serious horsepower, drag suspension and supercar tyres. Watch out: this Snakeskin green monster bites! HIS DARK MATERIALSWarren Hoey has tuned his last-of-the-line 3000GT VR4 into a 630bhp celebration of Mitsubishi’s supercar flagship http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2012/1/19/Issue-124---February-2012 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:19 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/12/15/Issue-123---January-2012 FIRST WORDSWelcome to our first issue of 2012; and though I’m typing these words in late November, I still can’t believe that the past year has flashed by so quickly. For the Japanese still recovering from the terrible Tohoku earthquake that occurred back in March, 2011 will likely be viewed as a year to forget. So it is with great relief that we find the Japanese car industry enjoying some renewed zest as the New Year sees the final launch of the much-hyped and frequently delayed Toyota/Subaru rear-wheel drive coupe collaboration. Smartphone-obsessed members of Generation Y may not care much for cars (apparently, they take up time that could be better spent sending text messages) but for the rest of who prefer to interact with people and objects in real-life, these siblings could be the biggest things to hit our scene in living memory. Created from the outset to be modified and individualised, even components such as the ECU were apparently designed to be easily remapped by tuners, while the rest of the car focuses on light weight, a low centre of gravity, responsive handling and driving fun. Which is precisely what enthusiasts having been crying out for since the demise of almost every sports car in our marketplace. Maybe the realisation has just dawned that not all of us want to penny-pinch our way from A to B in a personality-free mobility system. You can be sure that most of the pre-production Toyota GT 86 cars briefly test-driven by Japanese journalists during the recent Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at Fuji Speedway are now in the hands of tuners, who will be rushing parts through development for the forthcoming Tokyo Auto Salon. Do not underestimate the importance of these cars within the aftermarket, because I think they could single-handedly turn it around. I just hope Toyota and Subaru can find it in their hearts to price the cars in such a way that normal people can afford to buy one. Joe Clifford, Editor FEATURES THE THRIFT STORE RACERFrom 30th Anniversary minter to stripped-out, turbocharged nutter, Matthew Solly’s 300+bhp Civic Type R is a lesson in bargain sourcing and elbow grease MILLENNIUM FALKENOne third of Team Falken UK, Paul Cheshire left behind his S-body roots for 2011 and climbed behind the wheel of a 600bhp V35 Skyline TWIN PEAKSIt’s a battle of the giants as we give Subaru’s two halo performance cars a back-to-back comparison SCENE CITYThe SEMA show in Las Vegas still celebrates the good old-fashioned tuning scene, so sit back and enjoy part one of our two-part coverage of this annual mega-show. BANZAI CAR OF THE YEARTwenty-two of the finest UK cars featured during 2011. Who wins? You decide… and win a year’s free subscription in the process BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTERCustom-made from top to bottom, Mark Biggers’ sleek new R32 Skyline GT-R racer looks the business whether on paper or in the flesh, and has potential race winner written all over it LAST ACTION HEROThe Civic Type R is dead. Long live the Civic Type R Mugen 2.2, the triumphant exit for the FN2 and the incredible K20 engine HOT PURSUITSunny weather, a laidback vibe and scores of VIP themed rides made Lexus Pursuit in LA the biggest and most spectacular event in the Lexus scene SHAKOTAN SLAMMERIf this is what ‘Broken Britain’ is all about then count us in. We catch up with Mark Finnegan and his awesome but downright ludicrous RB30-engined shakotan Skyline EAST COAST CUSTOMEast Coast meets Far East as New Yorker David Emig realises his unwavering vision of a hardcore JDM-style street-tuned Impreza WRX STI   http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/12/15/Issue-123---January-2012 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:21:18 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/11/16/Issue-122---December-2011 SECRET SOCIETYOwning any Top Secret demo car would be special but this Skyline is extra-special, a true legend within a legend. Smokey’s Drag R II is here and about to get a whole lot busier... PERFORMANCE-RELATED PLAYFinancing each stage of a project with your annual bonus might not be the quickest route to building the perfect Supra, but for Marc Smith it’s provided plenty of time to contemplate his next move FLAT PHWOAR!Subaru has always been an engineering-led manufacturer, and its new third-generation FB-series engine marks the culmination of boxer technology MEAN GENESWhen doubling-up is no laughing matter: We get serious with the 860bhp Switzer Performance Innnovations P800 Nissan GT-R DOUBLE ENTENDREIt may be a show car but it’s no trailer queen. Ryan Der’s B18-powered Civic was built to clean up in the concours arena as well as on track, and it’s been devastatingly effective so far THE FINAL RECKONINGWith all three championship categories still up for the taking, everybody pulled out all the stops for the final round of the BDC. STREET TOUGHFrom the special stages to the harsh and critical environment of the street, Greer Sport Racing’s genuine WRC-bodied Impreza STi shows us the future of road-going rally reps KNIGHT OF THE ROTARY TABLEFD3 meets SE3 in this stunning Knight Sports RX-8, a Macau GP winner with 500bhp of 13B-REW rotary WHERE’D EVERYONE GO?JapShow Finale closed out the show season but it was a quiet event. Which got us wondering if the show calendar is getting to a point where quantity is hurting quality SAMURAI WARRIORSamurai warrior or eco warrior? We get exclusive access to the Fortune Motorsports Samurai gold CR-Z and discover it’s a bit of both RETRO RARITIESLaid-back and inclusive: If you run a Jap classic then Southern California’s annual Japanese Classic Car http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/11/16/Issue-122---December-2011 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:52:44 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/10/20/Issue-121---November-2011 Engine conversions tend to have a catalysing effect on people. There are some who believe that cars should never stray from what the manufacturer intended, as differences in weight or output might upset the balance engineered into areas such as the brakes and suspension. Others are fiercely loyal to one particular marque, feeling that any replacement engine should only ever come from the same family, or at the very least the same manufacturer. Personally, I love the practice of switching powerplants as it is usually a reliable and cost-effective way of introducing more grunt. I don’t really care if cross-pollination is involved but my preference is to see a Japanese engine in a Japanese car. Of course I can understand the reasons why people choose to install LS1 crate engines, for example, yet I can’t help but think that the fitment of a big Yank V8 is a blunt instrument approach that jars with the rest of our tuning scene. It’s not as if there aren’t any alternatives; both Nissan and Toyota make three individual families of V8 engines.All of which begs the question: What do you think of our cover car – an iconic AE86 fitted with an S2000 engine? Is it sacrilege to mix and match like this, or is it one of the best cars we’ve ever featured? I’m as big a fan of the AE86 as it’s possible to get (I miss my one terribly) yet I’m definitely sat in the latter category. Yes, it may seem unorthodox but there are conversion mounts available in the aftermarket to simplify the procedure, and these wouldn’t have been produced if it were not seen as a good idea. I can also appreciate that it’s a canny move on the part of owner Steve Wong to endow the car with some high revving, naturally aspirated firepower that amplifies rather than alters the Hachi-Roku’s addictive personality. Think how much it would have cost Steve to try and tune the original 4A-GE engine to anywhere near the output of a standard and utterly bulletproof F20C. Never mind expensive, it’s probably downright impossible. The Toyota engine thrives on revs but it’s pretty much spent by 7000rpm, the point when the Honda four-pot is just getting into its stride. And I love the use of the S2000 instrument cluster within the Corolla binnacle as the glowing digital display smacks of the Eighties. Technology and engineering has come on in leaps and bounds since many of the scene-defining cars we love were launched, so perhaps the most charmingly perfect car for these times is a classic with a modern, reliable – and much more powerful – engine. Sourcing an entire drivetrain might cost what appears to be a fortune but balanced against the incremental costs of tuning it can actually work out to be cheaper in the long run. Joe Clifford, Editor ALL BECAUSE THE LADY LOVES…With its discreet Cadbury theme, smoothed body and poke, Jo Fenton's Suzuki treads where few Swift owners dare – right into the heart of the stance movement THIRD BASEYou may be wowed by its new technology and safety features but is the new third generation Yaris significantly better than its predecessor? BELOW THE RADARThere have been many flying Finns through the decades but few have ever ventured as far under the radar as Sami Haataja and his stealthy Civic KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESESWith a stroked ‘5S-GTE’ hybrid powering all four wheels of this sixth-gen Celica, Tuning Developments is readying itself for an assault on Time Attack. We found out how this Toyota specialist aims to make its mark on one of the UK's fastest and fiercest motorsport disciplines GIVEN AN AASBOWe arrive at Silverstone for the penultimate round of the BDC, together with some stiff competition from a couple of well-known Formula-D drivers WONG WAY RIDEIt may be unorthodox to install a Honda S2000 engine into an AE86 but Steve Wong’s show-stopping Corolla screamer proves there’s nothing remotely wrong with the end result WICK 'N' MIX The sound of wastegate chatter on the horizon and smell of burning sausages can only mean one thing: JAE 2011... A TALE OF TWO TUNERSLong-time reader David Ledingham tells us about his turbocharged Motegi edition Prelude, and his obsession with power inspired by… er, tractors. PAST HISTORYAlvin Harris has finally found his dream car in the wedge-shaped form of an old NISMO Z31 project with a chequered past TAKE IT TO THE STREETSNot your regular urban runabout, JUN Auto’s Street Spec GRB Impreza is a 350bhp weapon that retains everyday usability. And it could be yours! DAYDREAM BELIEVERMany dream of turning their hobby into a successful career, but the reality can quickly become a nightmare. Jason Cini is living the dream and this track-focused Integra is his latest company project.   http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/10/20/Issue-121---November-2011 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:32:35 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/9/15/Issue-120---October-2011 ENDURANCE TRAININGSetup for European road rallies, this Roadster provides an attainable recipe for fun-focussed, open-top thrills. POSTOPERATIVE BLUES?James Inglis has built an FTO with the power to match its looks – equipping it with a VR-4 twin-turbo firecracker. BREATHE EASY?What happens when a turbocharger fails? In concert with Subaru dealer Bulldog Twyford, we find out by restoring the lungs to a high-mileage WRX. THE WIZARD OF NOSPatrick Ng restored and modified his Corolla using genuine period parts. This required both patience and some well-connected friends! KNOCK, KNOCK...Things are really heating up in the Maxxis British Drift Championship. The latest round meant a trip across the border to the awesome Knockhill Circuit in Scotland. THE SECOND COMINGAfter a lacklustre launch at Rockingham in 2010, Japfest 2 was back with a new venue. But would it be enough to put this relative newcomer firmly on the map? GET DOWN ON ITFrom roof-chopped show car to a cross-generation racer, Car Service Hiro’s Impreza is a cut ‘below’ the rest. THE OPPOSITE NUMBERMugen brought over its latest creation from Japan – the CR-Z Mugen RR. THE WORLD IS WATCHING…Since the end of the World Time Attack in 2010 we’ve been waiting with bated breath for its return. Who’d be the world’s fastest this year? TERRA FIRMA FLIERHaving switched from offshore powerboats to drag racing in the UK’s most modified Pro Street Supra, Stuart Williams has gone from zero to quarter-mile hero. http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/9/15/Issue-120---October-2011 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:32:16 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/8/18/Issue-119---September-2011 WHEELER DEALERThis immaculate WRX STI of Jon Mathers is sitting higher up the Time Attack leaderboard than any rookie should in his first season. But then this is no ordinary STI…and Mathers is no ordinary newbie. BESIDE THE TEESSIDEBalmy weather and non-stop action banished memories of the BDC’s previous visits to the Teesside Autodrome THE KYOTO PROTOCOLIs there a difference between a car being well equipped and equipped well? TRA-Kyoto’s mysterious proprietor, Kei Miura, puts forward a case for the latter with this scene-defining fourth-gen Civic FLUSH WITH SUCCESSIf you were unsure that the Hellaflush movement was expanding, the eighth annual meeting in LA dispelled all doubts 10 YEARS YOUNGERAn all-over chemical peel might sound like an expensive spa treatment but for an aging project car it is a wise move. We find out how dipping and coating can wind the clock back for even the tattiest motors MOCK THE WEAKBought unseen from Japan, this hardcore Skyline drifter needed to be put in intensive care before it came out fighting ON THE QTAfter the 'standing room only' mania of Japfest last month, JapShow was quietly busy as the show carousel hit Santa Pod for the first time in 2011 ALL PLAID OUTWild paint, slammed on widened steels and with a plaid bonnet, this Yaris sets a funky template for a welcome new entrant to the stance scene A BIT OF ROUGHNissan’s modern muscle car receives a few tweaks to smooth off some of its rough edges. But does it go far enough? KING OF THE HILLAlready six-time overall winner of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, you'd think that 'Monster' Tajima would have nothing left to prove. The timing clock says differently, though – could the ten-minute barrier be broken? SEARCH AND RESCUEFor over a decade Joe Mirabile has spent almost every weekend working on his pride-and-joy RX-7, gathering parts from far and wide to build a carbon fibre wide-bodied and 750bhp triple-rotor monster http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/8/18/Issue-119---September-2011 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:31:49 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/7/21/Issue-118---August-2011 DECKED OUTProving it can look good whatever current styling dictates, Rich McKee's decked S2000 demonstrates that, nowadays, less is definitely more GUILT-FREE PLEASUREWe step behind the wheel of the supercharged Honda CR-Z Mugen to find out whether hot hybrids are the enthusiast's car of the future BUSH PUKKA TRIALHow do you improve the efficiency of your tyres, brakes, suspension and powertrain? Simple. Uprate the bushes on your car. We team up with SuperPro and Thor Racing to show you how… SCOTTISH POWERIn yet another show of force, Scottish enthusiasts turned up in their hundreds for our annual Thrash at Crail Raceway JUST CALL ME SiRInspired by a Japanese street racer ethos and influenced by the builds carried out by Stateside Honda-philes, Adam Wellings has put together a timeless and period-correct Civic SiR tribute PREPARATION IS EVERYTHINGMeticulous attention to detail has elevated this fourth gen Prelude from one of the world's best to something bordering on legendary ATOM BOMBBritish and Japanese engineering excellence collide head on with spectacular results in the ultra-exclusive 275bhp Ariel Atom Mugen THE RESURRECTION MANWillie Hartley has resurrected this Eunos Roadster from vandalised wreck to a turbocharged show-winner. It’s home brewing at its most tempting SKY IS THE LIMITWe explain Mazda’s new Skyactiv technology, an umbrella term for its eco-friendly and convention-defying strategy for all next-generation vehicles POSH FROCKCreating a JDM-style wide-body VIP Aristo right here in the UK has been an uphill struggle but owner Lam Duong has been pushing hard to go posh http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/7/21/Issue-118---August-2011 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:05:42 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/6/16/Issue-117---July-2011 CAPPUCCINO TO GOWhat does a Cappuccino owner do when a superbike engine conversion feels insufficient? Devise a completely new, all-Suzuki setup up and then give it some boost! ARENA TOUR (ROUND TWO)How would the British drivers stand up to the attack of Remmo Niezen, one of the world’s best drifters as he joins the BDC for round two? MOVIN' ON UPGoing from road car to race car and moving from Time Attack's club classes to the Pro competition along the way, Duncan Graham's BC Racing Impreza keeps heading in one direction – towards the top ACTION-REACTIONAfter listening to early criticisms, Honda has re-launched the Insight Hybrid with revisions to the chassis. But is it now fault-free? TIFFANY CHARMSWith a colour scheme inspired by Tiffany & Co, Euro-style body tweaks and a stance that pushes the boundaries of physics, is it any wonder this Scion xB is an Internet sensation? ACTIV LIFESTYLEMazda is beginning to reveal its Skyactiv eco strategy and, true to form, it contains more than a few unconventional solutions THE WEATHER MANNobody listens out for favourable weather reports any closer than Tony Swartz. His location means this supercharged S2000 rarely gets an airing, but when it does it’s out for thrills KINGS OF THE CASTLEA capacity crowd, uninterrupted sunshine and countless new builds made Japfest 2011 the perfect start to our show season. Well, except for the traffic! PHOENIX RISINGNot one to let the small matter of a burnt-out project car derail his long-term plans, Neil Ryan has regrouped brought to life its spiritual successor – a cleanly styled CJ Colt with Lancer turbo power SILVER SERVICEWalking the enviable line between a specialist and authorised Subaru outfit, Silverstone Autosport could provide a blueprint for the future of the tuning and service industry BAKER’S COMPLETEReader Chris Baker talks us through his first major project, a race/rally inspired Micra with a street tough NISMO twist MIDDLE CLASS HEROESThese two Indonesian fanatics have turned their Nissan Cefiros, the traditional salaryman’s express, into a pair of hardcore drifters http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/6/16/Issue-117---July-2011 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:07:22 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/5/19/Issue-116---June-2011 BASE DESIRESBen Barnes’ K20-powered Civic DX proves that a humble beginning with a base model is no hindrance in the quest for greatness. LAUNCH CONTROLSideways junkies are once again able to get their fix of smoke and noise as the British Drift Championship kicks off for another season of competition. BACK IN BLACKAfter a year spent in Time Attack’s Club Pro class, driver Paul Doyle is back for 2011 to compete for the Pro class Time Attack honours in the KSport Subaru Impreza. AIN’T NO STOPPING HIM NOWAfter making a tentative toe-dip into modifying his Swift Sport, Matt Holmes has now opened the floodgates by commissioning a lovely new Rotrex supercharger conversion from tuner TTS Performance. SPACE EFFICIENCYThe Jazz is Honda’s best-selling car but is the addition of a hybrid variant a worthwhile one? SHORT-ARSE SYNDROMEMazda’s fourth ever entry into Britcar is its most intriguing – a featherweight MX5 with a rip-snorting MZR/Cosworth engine. NO COMPROMISEWith a distinctive hue, pumped-up wide-body and the pick of JDM tuning parts, Soo Jin Park shows us how to make an Evo IX that is both individual and highly desirable. POINT TO PROVENSubaru dealers are raising their game and encouraging owners to return to the fold with some very tempting deals, official tuning and accessory ranges and, of course, expert service. ROTARY EMOTIONWe remember Mazda’s pioneering efforts with the rotary engine and reunite three super-rare milestones in that motoring heritage – two versions of the Cosmo Sport and a Luce Coupé. THE ASIAN NETWORKWhat do you do when you want a GT-R but there isn’t one to be found in the entire country? Well, Indonesian enthusiast, Willy Cahyadi, had this very problem. His solution? To pool resources and make his own from a Skyline GTS-t. http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/5/19/Issue-116---June-2011 Thu, 19 May 2011 12:08:26 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/4/21/Issue-115---May-2011 LEARNING THE HARD WAYWe speak to ex-Veedub fan Will Burton about his switch to Subaru and his unique hard-slammed and rear-wheel drive Impreza WRX project. DEEP AND MEANINGFULDon’t disregard this R34 as just another fairly normal big horsepower RB26 build. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find an N1 block with a 3.0-litre OS Giken stroker kit, custom dry sump system and a whopping great T88 turbo. IZZY WIZZY, LET'S GET BISI When Honda needed a CR-Z tuner car that would push the envelope, it beat a path to the door of Bisimoto Engineering. In only two months, Bisi Ezerioha came up with the goods – a 533bhp street-legal hybrid that makes us want to go and hug a tree. THE FÜNF FAKTORMazda's original roadster delivers fun by the bucketload, but Ralf Bauer discovered a way to inject even more fun into his Fünf – a tidy turbo conversion. I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL…A Japanese supercar with soul? Compared to Martin Montague’s clinical back catalogue, this exhilarating Fairlady Z pulls at his heartstrings like no other. Now is that because he’s built it himself or because the engine is capable of handling 1200bhp? VIVE LA (QUIET) REVOLUTIONAs the only full hybrid in the compact premium market, we find out if the new Lexus CT200h is set to clean up in terms of sales and emissions. SAMURAI WARRIORBuilding a weekend warrior suitable for both track and street is a balancing act but even more so when the law doesn't like it. That hasn't stopped Belgian Honda-mentalist Hans Goossens though... WAY OF LIFEWe explore the current Suzuki range and whether the manufacturer’s ‘Live Large, Drive Small’ way of life is as appealing as it sounds. ONE TRACK MINDBecoming rarer day-by-day, this Evo I has been built with one reason in mind – track day adventures – and it’s certainly fit for purpose. EIGHT BALLERProving the old theory that there ain’t no replacement for displacement, Thor Racing’s Altezza development mule offers an eight-cylinder soundtrack and four litres of tarmac-thumping goodness. http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/4/21/Issue-115---May-2011 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:29:42 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/3/17/Issue-114---April-2011 QUE SERA, SERARare on UK roads, Toyota’s concept-inspired Sera coupé raises eyebrows just by opening its doors, but owner Gavin Mycock has also found another way – with a turbocharged engine conversion HUMBLE BEGINNINGS‘Sk8ers’ wouldn’t normally be seen dead driving anything uncool – and Christian Roskjaer is no exception. We meet the man who’s saved a humble Micra from living out its days in the hands of a pensioner TOKYO POP (PART TWO)Avoid the sharp, icy Tokyo winds and just sit back with a cip of tea and enjoy the second part of our coverage of the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon! GROUND LEVELMatthew Peter’s 1JZ-powered MX83 Toyota Cressida has come a very long way from its pensioner image. It now sticks out like a sore thumb and wags its tail with the slightest provocation THE SLEEKER CELICADavid Coates demonstrates how to get the best out of the seventh-gen Celica with his style-focused approach to this last-of-the-line sports car SMALL WONDERSmall and beautiful: We get behind the wheel of a pristine Suzuki SC100 GX ‘Whizzkid’, the first passenger car Suzuki ever brought to the UK THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESSWhat happens when the world’s biggest car dealer throws a party? We descend on the annual Lexus Pursuit at Toyota Motor Speedway to find out THE COLD WARIt was the cold war all over again as Mazda invited 120 drivers from 26 countries to a frozen lake in Sweden for an icy blast in race-prepared MX-5s THE JURO’S OUT!Top-spec kit levels allied to base model pricing, the new Mitsubishi Lancer Juro special edition hits the VFM meter hard. We answer the question on everyones’ lips: is it still money well spent? GREY MATTERMost Supras nowadays are either pampered show cars or outrageously fast drag monsters. Yet this example is neither. It’s a smooth, super-fast street racer with a look that’ll scare a Veyron http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/3/17/Issue-114---April-2011 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:07:22 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/2/17/Issue-113---March-2011 Compound interestTwo is better than one, right? Nissan certainly thought so when it released the March Superturbo back in 1989, making history in the process. That's why we've been under the bonnet of Barry Egan's example of this cult classicAssimilate the borgWith 100 years of automotive experience and decades of experience providing leading commercial, OE and racing turbo solutions, BorgWarner is launching an assault on the performance aftermarket. Prepare to be blown away by its new EFR rangeCar of the year winnersWe’ve counted the votes and can reveal the 2010 Banzai Car of the YearTokyo pop (part one)If you didn’t feel like wedging yourself into an economy-class seat and dealing with the nine-hour time difference to get to Japan, and even if you were there but the shuffling crowds made it feel like peak hour on the Yamanote Line, take a big comfortable seat, stretch out and enjoy the first part of our two-part coverage of the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon!A class actStorming to an impressive class title in 2010's Toyota Sprint Series, the TM Developments Starlet is a little car that made a big impression on the competition in its first year. Here's how the TMD crew accomplished itThe high-rise sportscar?Is the pioneering Infiniti EX the SUV that all coupes want to be when they grow up? We test the new 3.0-litre diesel to find out…Northern lightStyle meets substance in this incredible 350Z, a lightweight weapon with more dry carbon than an F1 grid and a tweaked twin-turbo arsenal that will soon make it the car to beat in Scandinavian Time Attack Generation gamesTwo decades after its launch, BBR has breathed new life into and remarketed the famous Mazda MX-5 BBR Turbo conversion. We give it a go, alongside the BBR-Cosworth supercharger package for the Mk3Support from aboveWe take a closer look at the manufacturer-backed tuner cars of SEMA 2010 and discover that they’re far more on the pulse than you’d imagineThe lights go green!What does the motorsport fraternity get up to during the off season? It heads to Autosport International, of course, so we went down to see what things are in store for 2011Fab fourth?Now in its fourth generation, we find out if the new Micra, Nissan’s first global product, will be as welcomed in Derby as it is in DelhiA racer’s for life, not just weekendsWe meet the man who’s brave enough to drive a classic first-gen ex-race Toyota Celica on his 90-mile daily commute. This is hardcore… http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/2/17/Issue-113---March-2011 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:40:22 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/1/20/Issue-112---February-2011 Optimal controlIs there a better drift car than the S15 Silvia? Aldin Turcinhodzic puts forward his low weight, bulletproof and 450bhp Spec-R as the optimal weaponContemporary thinkingBy looking to a contemporary of the less popular E100-shape Corolla, Dara Burke has given power and potential to this often overlooked Toyota hatchScene city (part two)No hybrids for this second and final instalment of our SEMA show coverage, just plenty of manufacturers getting into track preparation, newcomers to the Japanese car turbo market, and oodles of retro wheels re-entering productionFrom zero to heroTwo cars and three turbo setups down the line, Jamie Price now has the record-breaking Supra he’s proud of. We track the build of a once-standard car that now needs a substantial footprint to harness its immense outputTeam americaSubaru has got out of rallying, right? Wrong! In the States, this icon of the rally world battles on under the banner of Subaru Rally Team USA. Here's how it got on in 2010...Radical thinkingCould this be the most radical Impreza in the history of the model? We unearth a 579bhp STI with twin-scroll low-mount turbo, reverse-mount billet intake manifold, and the tidiest engine bay you’ll ever seeVintage bintageWe speak to Scott King, owner and restorer of not one but two super-rare Honda S600s, and find out why it is difficult but not impossible to source parts for obsolete modelsThe right stuffMark Biggers notched up his debut race win in August last year on a track he’d only seen the night before. A few hours later he secured his second victory. Either Mark is a superb driver or his R32 Skyline GT-R is a bit special. Maybe it’s actually bothSpoiled brat?With Tamiya’s R/C Subaru BRAT as inspiration, Tim Starling’s built himself a 320bhp Impreza-powered life-size toyClassic rocksThere was a lot of California dreaming going on as we paid a visit to the annual Japanese Classic Car ShowDouble dragonWe head to Taiwan to sample two Arma Speed supercharger conversions that could soon be making headway in the UK http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2011/1/20/Issue-112---February-2011 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:54:45 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2010/12/16/Issue-111---January-2011   Vee for victoryAlan McCord’s S15 Silvia drift car is equipped with 770bhp of supercharged V8 muscle. The battle is over and the time for war has arrivedEndurance trainingAftermarket race parts with official manufacturer backing? Yep, that’s right. We put Jota Sport’s range of motorsport upgrades for the MX-5 through the ultimate testShell shockerUnearthing a brand-new EG Civic shell is one thing. Turning it into a rip-snorting, MSA-approved rally car is another thing entirely Scene city (Part one)The SEMA show in Las Vegas still celebrates the good old-fashioned tuning scene. Sit back and enjoy part one of our two-part coverageStreet toughIs it a sports car, a SUV, or a bit of both? We get tough on the streets and put the genre defying Nissan Juke to the testWe meet… Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ TajimaWe chat with the man-mountain behind Monster Sport, Suzuki Sport and the world’s fastest ascension of Pike’s Peak, Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ TajimaWide fittingsFrom WRC- to Time Attack-style kits, and now with an added dose of cult Japanese-style aero, ABW Design is the company to call if you want to give your car a wide fittingBanzai car of the yearTwenty-two of the finest cars featured throughout 2010. Who wins? You decide… and win a year’s free subscrition in the processSize doesn’t matterThe Nisei Week Showoff might not be the biggest import car show in the US but it is recognised as one of the best for top quality modified J-TinThe generation gameWith the appearance of a late model R34, the heart of an R33 and the skeleton of an R32, Finnish enthusiast Juuso Kantola has somehow rolled three generations of Skyline into one GT-R     I took a week out of my normal schedule this month to visit the SEMA show in Las Vegas, USA. You can read part one of my two-part coverage on p56-62 of this issue. Although a trade-only event, I think it is the one aftermarket tuning and styling show that can hold a candle to the influential Tokyo Auto Salon. SEMA is probably the larger of the two in terms of floor space (walk along every aisle and you'll travel the equivalent distance of a marathon) but the Japanese event attracts around twice the number of visitors. So I guess each of them can lay legitimate claim to being the biggest of their kind in the world. Not surprisingly, you'll see a lot more Japanese cars in Tokyo, yet because of the habit of domestic consumers changing their cars frequently, the focus is usually biased towards new machines and, more recently, hybrids. I've never received that same impression of the SEMA show, feeling like the no-holds-barred craziness of its host city has a clear influence on the extravagance of the display cars. Yes, the conspicuous consumption of Americans sometimes has its advantages. Las Vegas is a surreal place – amazing and appalling in equal measure. Everything revolves around gambling, from the amount of accommodation linked to mega-casinos (no other city in the world has got more than 100,000 hotel rooms, yet Vegas has over 130,000) to the fact that two-thirds of the city's revenue comes from slot machines. Seeing rows upon rows of people sat feeding these slot machines in a near state of trance made me realise exactly why Vegas recently received the designation of America's dumbest city. Moving to a more countrywide impression, it appears that Americans have very short-term memories. It wasn't long ago that fuel prices in the States increased beyond a comfortable threshold and small car sales were booming. Now that fuel has returned to a more normal (i.e cheap) level, muscle cars are back in fashion and it's the big cars and trucks that are once again selling in huge numbers. It didn't take a genius to work out that the three primary tuner cars of the SEMA show this year were the new Chevrolet Camaro, Jeep Wrangler and pick-ups from the Ford F-series range. I was also shocked to see an immense input from Chinese manufacturers, with more wheel, tyre and electronics companies than I could count. With regards to Japanese car content from the major manufacturers, some truly sterling efforts were put in by Mazda, Lexus and Scion, while Toyota appeared to sit back on its laurels with a stand bizarrely placed within the 4x4 section. Full credit, on the other hand, has to go to Honda and its CR-Z, a car that, against all the odds for a nation full of super-sized vehicles, seems to hold huge appeal both among tuners and on the street. I saw three standard examples buzzing along the road on the short bus-ride from the airport to my hotel. And when influential Honda tuners such as Bisimoto Engineering are already extracting upwards of 500bhp from its 1.5-litre engine – with the IMA hybrid system still in place, I hasten to add – the future of tuning these hybrids appears to be brighter than anybody had given them credit for. It appears that even within the US, you don't have to be an eco slave to drive a hybrid. You can also be an eco warrior.Joe Clifford, Editor http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2010/12/16/Issue-111---January-2011 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:56:02 GMT http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2010/12/1/Issue-110---December-2010 Shuttle launchForget any Popemobile references, meet three Shuttles that have added a cool new – and super-practical – dimension to the fourth-gen Civic scene The curtain fallsWould JapShow Finale close out the 2010 show season with a bang or a fizzle? Jazz hands This K20-powered Honda Jazz proves you can downsize and upsize at the same time Cyber force When the Redbrick Racing Cyber Evo broke cover earlier this year it took the Time Attack scene by storm. We get the definitive story on this one-of-a-kind Mitsubishi Given the boot The Impreza’s been given the boot, in more ways than one. Meet the new WRX STI saloon, a car that hands the Impreza back its mojo Reward scheme Is it possible to downsize and become more eco-friendly without losing the thrill of driving a rewarding car? We think so, with the new Suzuki Swift Brandi snaps Ryan Ramnarain’s Supra-powered and Brandi-painted Lexus IS300 is a 3.4-litre show-winner that’s as smooth as it is four-figure formidable Jap performance parts Do cash-strapped times mean that your project car build has to be put on hold? Not if you check out the wares of West Sussex-based Jap Performance Parts Extracurricular activity What do you get when two mates build a dedicated drag car? Nine seconds of screaming rotary madness in a mid-Eighties Datsun pick-up Estate agents Nissan never made a Skyline estate but we’ve collected together two generations of custom GT-R-fronted Stageas that prove the manufacturer missed a trick Compact charm With more modified Japanese cars than you can shake a stick at and a large dose of window dressing to boot, SpoCom is the place to be for US fans of the Japanese sports compact     We’ve got two ends of the spending spectrum on this month’s cover. I’m proud of the fact that we often champion the cheaper end of the market, though I must qualify that statement by stressing that we never feature any old tat. The budget builds seen in the magazine usually arise through clever, often lateral, thinking and plenty of skilled labour on the part of the owner. That is certainly the case with Steve Usher, owner of the wide-bodied 180SX seen on page one. Totting up his spend on a mental calculator and taking into account the Soarer he partexchanged to fund its purchase, Steve’s current expenditure on this Nissan sits at just under £4000. That is incredibly good value for what I think is one of the best-looking and hardestcharging S13s in the UK. Admittedly, Steve is a dab hand at engineering and has a machine shop’s worth of lathes and tools in his garage, all of which he put to good use creating (or at least modifying) most of the car’s chassis components. Having bodywork supremo Wayne Huffer, the brains and brawn behind the Wagon Maker body kit, as best friend was also of considerable assistance in elevating the project to cover car status. Most S13s these days are battle-scarred and trashed, often wearing a hotchpotch of dented body panels in a multitude of colours, all held together with cable ties and stickers. So isn’t it refreshing to find an example that’s clean, fresh and perfectly executed, yet also built to handle more than its fair share of drift madness? I think so. I’ve admired this wide-body conversion since its all-steel debut back in issue 47. Its gestation into perfectly formed fibreglass production reality has taken longer than Wayne and Steve imagined but it’s been worth the wait and I hope it will prove to be a runaway success. I love Steve’s colour choice (inspired by a Pizza Express takeaway box, incidentally), as I do the striking accents across the roof and roll-cage. There’s also only one sticker on the whole car; I’ll leave you to figure out who’s won pride of place. As for Redbrick Racing’s awesome Mitsubishi – a car that can rightly be called the UK’s Cyber Evo – the talent that’s gone into this build has been far from cheap. We’re not allowed to reveal exactly how much, so let’s just say that it falls into a box marked ‘significant’. There’s more WRC, F1, BTCC, DTM and Rally Raid technology in this build than anything we’ve ever seen before. The spec sheet, for instance, came written on three pages of A4 paper printed with a font size that needed a magnifying glass to read properly. We felt it only right that a car of this quality deserved a studio shoot to fully appreciate the incredible standard of build. Besides that, it was horrible outside and we didn’t want to get cold! Joe Clifford, Editor   http://www.banzaimagazine.com/magazines/index.cfm/2010/12/1/Issue-110---December-2010 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:57:17 GMT