Monthly Archives: February 2013

Rally xD Makes an Appearance on Car and Driver!

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Yes, yes. Another post about one of the best built FWD race cars. NO, AGAIN, THAT IS NOT AN OXYMORON. FWD race cars can be pretty damn fast.

You gotta hand it to these guys- this year’s Rally America competition Scion xD is quite amazing. As I stated in my previous post, it may look very similar to the previous cars, aesthetically speaking. But, when you get to the finer details of this car, that is when MINDS GET BLOWN.

By the time you’ve read this, the Rally xD will have already completed its maiden voyage at Sno*Drift in Michigan and 100AW in Missouri. Results which you can find on

http://www.rally-america.com/

Again, aesthetically, it isn’t a far cry from how it’s looked in previous seasons. Love the new Baja Designs lights fitted into the bumper!

I’m not sure if Andrew Comrie-Picard’s legs got longer over the off-season, but that seat is pushed back pretty far… You can see where the B-Pillar is  in reference to the seat, just at the bottom right of the pic.

Looks like driver and co-driver have extra security sitting right inside of the B-Pillar section. That, in conjunction with the fabricated safety cage makes for an extra safe section of the car to be seated in.

Catalytic converter mounted as far rearward as allowed.

How blinding?!

Check out Car and Driver’s article on the Rally xD online

http://blog.caranddriver.com/scion-shows-off-latest-xd-rally-car-for-rally-america/

For starters, they continue to use quality products from quality aftermarket manufacturers. We’re quite flattered to be considered one of those manufacturers!

Sponsors this year are (in no specific order)

Sparco

TEIN

RAYS Wheels

GReddy

Motul

Brembo

Baja Designs

TRD

Exedy

KAAZ

RÄZO

and of course Scion Racing!

I’m sure I missed a few key sponsors, unintentionally. Please forgive me. I’m just really glad that TEIN can be a part of a great team. We feel they’ve helped to represent us very well!

Anyway, keep track of these guys on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@RallyxD).

You can also track their progress during this year’s Rally America series at the following link

http://www.rally-america.com/

Another Win for the Rally xD Team!!!

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Congratulations to the Rally xD Team for another win. Their victory in the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood makes it two in a row! They took first place in the 2wd class clocking an excellent lead over second place with a commanding 2 mins and 14 second gap. We tip our hats to you and keep up the great work, guys.

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More information on this event can be found at Rally America

As well as on Rally xD’s Facebook page

TEIN TECH CALL ON CANIBEAT

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Hey everyone. This had actually slipped by me a few months back, so I wanted to highlight it. The owner, Cass Farrell, had actually contacted us regarding his coilover kit on his 2010 Acura TL looking for a way to drop the vehicle just a bit more. With that being said and I being a slam head I helped him locate some replacement front springs which may work for him. He called once more asking for me, thanking me for the advise and that the spring worked out awesomely on his car and was now looking to get the rears in a shorter length for more adjustment. Once again, I looked into it for him locating a spring part number he could use, and he thanked me for the helpful assistance.

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A few weeks had gone by when he call up asking for me. He wanted to thank me for the suggestions I had given him for both the front and rear spring changes. His car now sits with just a bit lower of a stance and looks amazing. Even before I could ask for photos he forwarded me over a link to Canibeat with photos of his car. I went ahead and checked the link out and was surprised. The only reason I say surprised is that this particular TL was not exactly the best looking Acura had released (this was also mentioned in the feature), but this one changed my mind. Of course only if modded.

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I tip my hat to Cass Farrell for definitely changing up this TL, bringing together the a bit of boring luxury with the insane aggressive street stance to make a work of art.

For details of Cass’s TL and for more photos check out http://www.canibeat.com/2012/10/deal-with-it-cass-farrells-2010-acura-tl-advance/ .

Congrats to Ken Suen of Sportcar Motion!

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Redline Time Attack had their season opener this past weekend (February 16th & 17th). As always, teams that compete in other Time Attack series such as Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle, find their way into this series to best their times.

Sportcar Motion’s Ken Suen, owner and driver of the FA5 Civic Si lovingly referred to as “Big Red” was out for blood. Last time we covered this car during last November’s Super Lap Battle season finale, mechanical issues prevented him from doing any better that 2 minutes around Buttonwillow’s 13CW road course.

With some new front aero work, as well as a new powerplant, Ken was sure to make this event count. And that he did!

Under the Street FF class, Ken was able to stop the timer at an amazing 1:58.921! Yes, Street Class, Front-wheel drive! Super fast, and most importantly, the new record to beat!

Ken Suen (Custom) (Custom)

We’re glad to report that Ken continues to use an out-of-the-box Mono Flex setup for his car. We’ll see if any changes need to be made as he continues to cut his lap times down. SCM Big Red 2 (Custom)

Once again, congratulations to Ken Suen and the team at Sportcar Motion for yet another memorable run for victory!

A Hit or Miss Situation

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During December 2012 we received a call from Bruce. He is the owner of  DeDona Tint & Sound, Inc. in Greensboro, NC. He had spoken to us during SEMA week and was interested in purchasing our Street Advance coilover kit. Now, the kit he was interested in is manufactured for the 2006-2012 Lexus Gs430. However, he wanted the kit for his 2008 GS460. We told him it may not fit, as there could be discrepancies in the vehicle weight , mounting points, etc. Plus, we have not tested that particular model.  Basically, it would be a hit or miss at his own discretion.  Nevertheless, he was determined and confident the kit would fit.

Flash forward to a month from December and Bruce calls confirming fitment. Now from our standpoint, we still can’t guarantee the fitment to consumers. Again, because our R&D team has not physically done the testing. He detailed to me that minor modifications had been done, and that the mounting points were identical to those of  the GS430.  He loves the drop, and ride quality all around. I was impressed and glad to hear that he was satisfied with our product as a TEIN customer and automotive enthusiast.

If you’re considering a aftermarket suspension for your GS460, I would recommend you give them a call to touch base on what exactly was done to make the kit work. Below is an image of this simple yet stunning 2008 Lexus GS 460.

http://dedona.com/

TEIN Polyurethane Bushings

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TEIN is releasing bushings? That’s right! TEIN has released its own brand of Polyurethane bushings!

Of course, as most folks already know, polyurethane bushings share the characteristics of both plastic and rubber. The TEIN bushings are more durable and superior than standard rubber bushings, able to withstand harsher temperatures (-50 degrees to 120 degress C), have a higher tear strength with a  resistance to oils, solvents, and chemicals sometimes encountered in the automotive industry, and an inner collar which is thicker that OE adding strength along with rust prevention with the zinc-coating.

The TEIN bushing’s design offers a self-lubricating formula in the polyurethane along with full-floating technology which minimizes friction in the control arm’s range of motion, allowing for smooth rotation rather than a firm jerky feel felt with standard bushings. These bushings have been rigorously tested in both simulated and real world conditions use in WRC events through out the world.

Check out the video attached below which demonstrates the difference between a standard bushing and our bushing line. The bushing are unfortunately limited to only three applications, Subaru STI 08+, Subaru BRZ 12+, and Toyota 86/ Scion FR-S. For further info please visit http://tein.co.jp/e/products/bushes/index.html .

[vsw id=”Yj23sWqbim0″ source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

TEIN Super Racing Review by CounterSpace Garage

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As exciting as the launch has been for the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, we were all expecting the aftermarket to blow up with many great parts for these two cars (that share the same platform, in case you didn’t know!). And while that may hold true, what has also become apparent is the lack of information available to the public regarding these parts.

CounterSpace Garage has stepped into this vehicle segment to provide fans of the FR-S and BRZ the most up-to-date information, as well as unbiased product reviews as the parts become available.

CounterSpace Garage comprises of two guys, David Leung and Mike Kang. Both are avid track enthusiasts and operate their own shop catering to the Honda S2000 market, and of course the FR-S/BRZ market.  Check out their site when you have a chance.

http://counterspacegarage.com/

They approached us last year regarding suspension for their Subaru BRZ. As it sits, it is a relatively stock vehicle. The only aftermarket parts they had on the car at the time were a Berk Technologies Axle-Back Exhaust and Enkei RPF1’s sized 17×8 +45 offset with Hankook Ventus RS3’s sized 224/45. They later added an AP Racing front Big Brake Kit.  But that was it.
As luck would have it, we had just received some TEIN Super Racing dampers directly from TEIN Japan. It was a great opportunity to get feedback directly from the BRZ owners.

They had recently put up a post on ft86club.com on their review of our suspension.

(http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?p=651485)

We must say that we are quite impressed in how their review went, and we really appreciate their praise for our product! And, to be fair, they’re no slouches when it comes to track driving duties.

They weren’t able to complete all their testing, however. They still have a set of Maxxis Victra RC1’s  on Wedsport TC105N’s sized 17×9 +35 to try out, as well as some optional spring rates for the Super Racing dampers. We definitely look forward to that review.

Below are some pictures taken from their ft86club.com post

Below is a video of their lap record for Streets of Willow

Here’s some information regarding our Super Racing dampers for the FR-S/BRZ

Super Racing Damper kit-

DSQ54-81LS1

msrp $3650

*Kit includes

-Four dampers (2 front strut, steel bodied; 2 rear shock absorbers, aluminum bodied)

-Pillowball Upper Mounts (2 front camber/caster adjustable; 2 rear offset)

-Camber adjustable front lower brackets

-Helper Springs for rear

These are 2-way adjustable dampers. Front struts are inverted with compression adjustment on top and rebound adjustment on the underside. Rears include external reservoir with adjustment knob for compression, while rebound is on the top of the piston shaft.  16×16 way damping resolution for compression and rebound. Compatible with our EDFC (and soon-to-be-released EDFC Active).

Springs are sold separately, giving the end-user the opportunity to tune the suspension to their preference. Recommended is our 10kg/mm front and 12kg/mm rear.

msrp for springs is $140/pair

Spring part numbers (recommended rates)-

RS100-F1140 (10kg ft springs)

RS120-E1150 (12kg rr springs)

 

Optional springs (special order from Japan)-

RS090-F1140 (9kg ft springs)

RS100-E1150 (10kg rr springs)

RS120-F1135 (12kg ft springs)

RS140-E1150 (14kg rr springs)

These Super Racing dampers are now available through any of our authorized TEIN dealers! In fact, I believe CounterSpace Garage has a special going on for these…..