SportCar Motion ITR

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TEIN Authorized dealer Sportcar Motion was just out testing their newest Time Attack machine, a US Integra Type R. Loi, Renzo, and the guys at SportCar Motion have been posting up pics of the build and TEIN is proud to be a vehicle sponsor. It has been modified to compete in the Redline Time Attack  and Super Lap Battle series. SportCar Motion went with the TEIN SRC dampers which have worked well for them in the past. They are the same model used on the competition EG6 which still holds the lap record in SLB Limited FF class competition.

Power comes from a built K24/K20 NA motor and puts out ~300WHP.

Large canards, front splitter and Voltex wing keep the car planted.

Like any good competition team the SportCar Motion crew have been putting in many hours of testing time to dial in the car. We are looking forward to the coming season as we hope to help setup the suspension so drivers Tim Kuo and Renzo Marsano can break records.

Both SportCar Motion FF cars use Super Racing Coilovers straight out of the box. As the vehicle evolves we can change internal components to alter any area of the damping force curve to improve the suspension’s performance. This is a service we offer to all our sponsored teams and anyone using TEIN coilovers but only the sponsored teams get to try our new “secret” parts. 😉

Overhaul Packing Recommendations

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Alright future TEIN service customers,  just wanted to let everyone know about packing products which are being sent in for services to either TEIN East or West facilities. I’m one of the main staff members that checks in overhaul repairs and have came across some poorly packed packages.  I would like to give everyone a few tips which could save you some headaches and money.

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TIP #1 BOX SIZE and PACKING MATERIAL – Be careful with the box size and packing materials used to avoid any damaged product or package refusal. Be wary of the freight companies because once the package leaves your hands to when it arrives in ours we dont know what the package has gone through.

The product received here in this picture was a bit heavier then what the box could handle.

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TIP #2 DO NOT COMPRESS THE DAMPER – Never try to use any type of hard wire cable or custom metal bracket to compress and hold in the piston rod of the damper to fit into a smaller size box as this could break  free and tear through the box possibly create damage on the piston rod or any other pieces included in the package. Times are tough but not tough enough that you cant get a bigger box or pay the differnce in costs for using a bigger box.

This package arrived open as shown in the photo. Because it was packed with newspaper it didn’t offer any cushioning or padding which burst through the box.  When asked “What happened to the box?” the delivery driver claimed, ” That’s the way we got it.”  This is a perfect example of a package that would be refused as we cannot know what was supposed to be in the box.

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TIP #3 PROPER PACKING MATERIALS – Extra cardboard for more cushion or padding on top, bottom and all four sides is recommended. Packing peanuts, bubble wrap and foam packing are always good packing materials that can be used (Note: Newspaper is not a great choice of packing material).

The ends of the box where the piston rod rest is a great area to place extra padding or cardboard

Bubble wrapping is a great way to add some more protection. Sending only what is needed for inspection or service will save money on shipping and reduce the chances for damage or loss during shipping.

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TIP #4 USE A SUITABLE BOX – Be sure prior to packing and sending out the repairs the box can handle the weight of the product being sent in. The boxes usually have a box certification detail marked at the bottom of the box with maximum weight, size limit, bursting test, etc….

Be careful with any boxes that may not provide those specifications as they may not be able to take the weight. Use these packing recommendations and you should be in great shape.

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I hope you use my tips because I would hate to call and tell you that we did not receive all the parts you sent in or worst case that your package was refused.

TEIN Sponsored EVO X

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Congratulations to Elliott M., otherwise known as Mr. Super Lap Battle, for getting his EVO X on the cover of the latest issue of Import Tuner magazine (May issue). Elliott’s EVO X GSR shares the cover with Yimi Sports Subaru STI and model, Leianna Kai.

This Octane Blue Pearl EVO X GSR was actually our SEMA booth car in 2008 and we have had a hand in building it over the past 2 years. Avid Import Tuner magazine fans have problem seen this EVO X in various installation articles, parts tests,  and coverage from the 2008 and 2009 Super Lap Battle finals as well as Import Tuner EVO vs STI Shootout. Elliott’s EVO X has clocked a best time of 2:00 flat at Button Willow Raceway – Time Attack configuration with Rob Walker behind the wheel. The time is decently quick consider it was running street tires. Pickup the issue to get the full specs on the car and read the detailed coverage of the 2009 EVO vs STI Shootout.

Car parked in the TEIN booth at the 2008 SEMA Show.

Track testing back in 2008 when the car only had Mono FLEX coilovers, Volk RE30, a set of street tires, and a few AMS Performance bolt-ons. While at the track with tried a few different spring rates, adjusted ride height, and alignment settings to obtain optimal performance on the street tires.

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You can also check out a behind the scenes video of the photo shoot at the Import Tuner website.

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Hyundai Genesis Coupe 4 & 6 Cyl Testing

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We recently finished testing of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 4 & 6 Cylinder models.

The S.Tech Springs, which are Now Available, will fit both the 2.0L Turbo & 3.8L V6 models.

The ride height drop for the 2.0L Turbo: Front -30mm and Rear -30mm,

The ride height drop for the 3.8L V6: Front -27mm and Rear -36mm,

The actual drop will vary with different Package Models (ie Track, Grand Touring, Base, etc.) due to weight of different components.

BASIC coilovers are also in development at this time. Estimated availability is Summer 2010.

Front stock suspension with S.Tech Springs installed.

Rear stock suspension with S. Tech Springs installed.

Here we have the 2.0L Turbo Track Version lowered on the S. Tech Springs.



This is the 3.8L V6 lowered on S. Tech Springs.

GARAGE SALE 3.28.2010

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We are having our second ever Garage Sale on Sunday, March 28th. Event will be held at TEIN USA Headquarters in Downey, CA. Mackin Industries and Carbonetic will also be in attendance and selling selected items at heavy discount.

TEIN will be selling selected applications and quantities of:

TEIN – coilovers, lowering springs, performance bar and of course TEIN novelty goods.

DEFI – select gauges

Fujitsubo – select Legalis R and RM01A exhaust systems

Carbing – select products

AutoTech Interiors – gauge pods

Certain items are marked off up to 50%. We will be selling limited quantities of select “popular” application coilovers and lowering springs.

A complete list of Garage Sale items from TEIN, Mackin, and Carbonetic will be released on March 19th. You can see the list by visiting www.tein.com/garagesale/2010.html or click HERE.


Come early as quantities are limited. Check back on this blog for updates all the way up to and during the Garage Sale.

2010 HONDA CR-Z Released in Japan

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TEIN Japan recently took delivery on their newest demo car which is the 2010 Honda CR-Z. They have already begun product development and are planning to release the Mono FLEX coilovers as well as High.Tech lowering springs for the Japanese Domestic market.

The CR-Z is “supposed” to be a Sport Hybrid. Comes with a 1.5L Hybrid engine which makes 84KW @ 6,000 (about 113 HP). The weighs in at 1130-1180kg depending on options which is about 2491-2601lbs. Does not sound sporty in comparison to other US vehicles but I guess we’ll have to wait to test drive one.

Front suspension is a MacPherson Strut layout which has the benefit of being lower in cost, having less moving parts and leaves plenty of space for the drive axle.

Rear is a Torsion Beam layout. As you can see the spring and shock is separately mounted. This has become a common rear suspension layout for many manufacturers due to relative low cost and ability to retain more interior space.

This is one of the hottest cars in Japan right now and TEIN is working long hours to finish the development quickly to meet the huge consumer demand. There is already a large back order for the vehicle from Honda.

TEIN Japan is also testing the automatic version.

Once the car is released in the US we will try to locate a test vehicle and begin our own development/ testing processes. TEIN products are developed for the specific region in which they are sold to best match consumer demands. In most cases the US spec products are more aggressive in spring rate and valving as well as drop range.

Gymkhana driving technique

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Over the past 2 years the word Gymkhana has been made famous in the US by Ken Block in his two Subaru STIs. We think Ken is an awesome driver and his videos are incredibly entertaining. Both of Ken’s Gymkhana cars were prepared by TEIN Authorized Dealer – Crawford Performance and use custom valved TEIN SRC coilovers.

Our Japanese staff found some awesome videos from Japan of Gymkhana competition and driving technique. We found the videos to be interesting in terms of vehicle setup and driver skill. Check them out.

First Video. All Japan Gymkhana Championship multiple time champion Tetsuya Yamano in a DC5 showing some precision driving technique. He makes it look too easy.

Second Video. Amateur video taken of some of the AWD Gymkhana competitors. Check out the acceleration and tight radius of the spin turns. According to class rules the engines and turbos are pretty much stock. Most cars have about 400HP and tons of torque with a lot of emphasis on throttle response.

TEIN Japan has supported various drivers in the All Japan Gymkhana Championship from 1997 – current with Championships in various classes. Most of our supported drivers use our Gymkhana specific Type HT coilovers which are setup specifically for vehicle agility via spring rates and valving (Example – HT for DC2 has spring rates of 22kg front and 7kg rear).

Auto-Tech Interior’s 2009 Nissan Cube

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For me a Nissan Cube is a car I would not take a second look at but the Auto-Tech Interior (ATI) Cube has definitely changed my perception. Marc M. of ATI envisioned an urban transport vehicle which could be used for people with an active lifestyle. This 2009 Cube S 6-speed features a host of aftermarket and OEM optional equipment. The 5-door Cube has plenty of space to haul around 4 people which is great during the work week or on the way to the club or pub. All the while listening to the JVC audio system complete navigation, blue tooth, front and rear coaxial speakers, amps, and 10″ subwoofer. The Yakima roof racks are perfect to strap down a few snowboards during the Winter, mountain bikes in the Spring, and surf boards in the Summer. The seats are even wrapped in waterproof Wet Okole seat covers so the transition from surf spots is without delay.

Marc chose to go with the TEIN BASIC coilovers which gives him the ability to adjust the ride height while improving overall handling. This pic shows the coilovers at maximum drop which is about -2.5″. According to Marc, the ride is still comfortable considering how low the car is. The full OEM optional lip kit looks good as do the 16×7 and 16×8 SSR SP1 Professor wheels wrapped with Falken ZE912 rubber.

ATI Cube grill in black along with factory optional front lip and hood accent give the front a more aggressive look.

As you can see there is still plenty of space in the back even with the 10″ JVC Arsenal subwoofer housed inside the ATI Cube specific enclosure. The best thing about the enclosure is that it can be easily removed just in case additional space is needed. Other modifications include DC Sports exhaust, K&N Intake,

2009 SEMA Auto-Tech Interior booth model, Ms. Corissa Furr posing for a quick pic inside the Cube.

None of the parts are custom or considered outrageous which just goes to show that you can make a good looking AND practical car with the right combination of parts.

DEFI Advance CR Install with Modified magazine

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We just finished up the installation of the new DEFI Advance CR into Modified magazine’s project EVO X. Chief editor, Peter Tarach, picked the 60mm black face meters which match well with the EVO X’s OEM cluster. He also decided to add the visors to the 3 gauges sitting atop the dash to aid in blocking glare. Billet ALFiT water and oil sensor adapters were used to complete the install. Pickup Modified magazine to see the progress on this EVO X build.

The new Advance CR meters feature: a wired remote control, ability to switch illumination colors, electric sensors, stepping motors, daisy chain technology, and much more. Available in 52mm and 60mm in black or white face. You can learn more about the new DEFI Advance CR meters HERE.

DEFI Advance CR meters and accessories are available now through any Authorized TEIN Dealer, click here for a list of dealers in your area.