Tag Archives: CR-Z

Super Lap Battle Finals 2010

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So SLB 2010 is over. TEIN engineer, R&D assistant and myself spent 2 days at Buttonwillow Raceway helping our sponsored vehicles. This year there was a smaller field but I think the level of competition and caliber of car was high.

Now on to the cars that we sponsor.

EVASIVE MOTORSPORTS

EVO 9 – Limited AWD
Driven by Mike C. co-owner of Evasive. Mike and the Evasive crew chased down minor gremlins throughout the event and never really got a chance to set a clean hot lap. Super Racing coilover with special 3-way rears. Best Time 1:51

Civic Si – Street FF
Also driven by Mike C. Testing out his newly modded engine and some aggressive suspension settings on his customized Mono FLEX dampers. Look for this next year after Evasive gets more testing done. We think it is capable of sub 2 min. lap times in the Street class. This year Best Lap 2:02

S2000 – Street FR (Evasive Sponsored)
Owned and driven by Tim Kuo. Very quick lap times considering the amount of modifications (almost stock NA motor) and no crazy body mods. Super Racing suspension and specifically chosen menu of mods. Best Time 2:02

CR-Z – Hybrid Class (Honda Tuning Magazine)
Also driven by Tim K. Very light mods since the car is so new to the US. Running our US spec. Mono FLEX coilovers and Falken 615K. Best Time 2:18.

Crawford Performance


2011 Scion tC – Limited FF
Driven by new up and comer, Michelle A. Quirt put this car together in just 2 weeks. Right now the car sports only a few light modifications. Running our proto-type Super Street coilovers. Best Time 2:14.

DC Sports


S2000 – Street FR
Owned by Mr. Will Law and driven by Tarzan. This project vehicle (see the build in Import Tuner magazine) needs more testing. This was the first time the car has seen the track since being modded. Modified Mono FLEX coilovers which Tarzan praised for making the car easy to control. Ran 2:02 – 2:03 in practice but had some gremlins come race day.

GMR Racing


S2000 – Unlimited FR (bumped from Limited due to mods)
Driven by Casey Dennis. GMR just recently installed the Super Racing coilovers. I am sure this car will go faster as they get it dialed in. Best Time 1:58

Have to mention that Sierra Sierra Enterprises broke the all time record with a 1:41.046. Watching the EVO carry speed and accelerate out of each corner was amazing.

Tim’s S2000 photo from Speedhunters.com

SEMA 2010

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TEIN returned to SEMA this year after a one-year hiatus. Our booth was more focused on TEIN and SuperPro products.

A gamut of TEIN products were on display which included our new STREET BASIS damper (more info. on this in a future post).

TEIN coilovers were used on some high profile booth vehicles and on a few feature vehicles.

TEIN FEATURE VEHICLE

Abe Ko’s LS430 sitting on FLEX Sedan coilovers, special order from Japan. These coilovers feature a maximum drop of 4.5 inches. Coupled with the Platinum VIP Cup Kit this LS is literally on the ground. Full feature on this car and suspension system in a future post.

LEXUS BOOTH

0-60 Magazine GS450H Racer featuring custom Super Racing Coilovers and dual EDFC.

SCION BOOTH

Scion booth. 0-60 Magazine built Scion xD Rally v.3 using Specialized Damper.

Crawford 2011 Scion tC with Super Street coilovers. More on this car later as it will be running at Super Lap Battle on 11.10.10.

HONDA BOOTH

Honda Tuning Magazine built Honda CR-Z sitting on Mono FLEX coilovers.

Wraptivo Honda CR-Z with Super Street coilovers.

MACKIN BOOTH (RAYS WHEELS)




TEIN authorized dealer RallySport Direct built Subaru STI Sedan. One of the first modified STI sedans in the US. Featuring Mono FLEX coilovers and some aggressive TE37 SLs.

DC SPORTS BOOTH

DC Sports collaboration with Import Tuner Magazine. More on this car later as it will be at Super Lap Battle Finals with Tarzan Yamada behind the wheel.

There is no stop this week as we prepare to go to Super Lap Battle Finals at Buttonwillow Raceway. One of our engineers and a couple staff members will be out there supporting TEIN users.

Honda CR-Z Mono Flex Coming Soon

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We recently got a hold of Honda Tuning magazine’s CR-Z to use for Mono Flex testing.

The JDM Spec Mono Flex will be test fitted and road tested. Following our normal testing procedures we will be revalving and tuning the kit to for Time Attack competition.

Look for complete coverage of the build-up in future issues of Honda Tuning magazine.

Honda Hybrid Power

Getting Started

Checking fitment and taking measurements

Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid Testing

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Product testing for the Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid, the highly anticipated successor to the CR-X, has been completed.

H.Tech Lowering Springs & Super Street Coilovers.

The H.Tech Springs will provide a drop of: Front -20mm and Rear -25mm

The Super Street Coilovers will provide a drop of: Front -35mm and Rear -40mm

Drop quantities at this time are only approximations, as Honda has yet to provide information on different Grades, Packages, Equipment, etc.

The CR-Z when it first entered the garage. Almost time for us to begin removing and disassembling the suspension.

With the H.Tech Lowering Springs installed the CR-Z is already looking better.

For those that desire a more aggressive stance and slightly sportier ride quality over the stock suspension.

Riding on Super Street Coilovers the CR-Z now truly looks like a Sport Hybrid.

This product not only provides an aggressive drop, it also has a much sportier feel that won’t compromise your comfort.

These products will arrive on our shelves and be available for purchase very soon.

HYBRIDS

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Compact Hybrids are a growing trend here in the states especially with the soon to be released CR-Z. In Japan the Prius is the number one selling car and a lot of the famous tuners and manufacturers own CR-Zs.

The automotive industry has been pushing the hybrid models and now you can find many models with a hybrid version. I do not consider these real hybrids as they were not designed to be hybrids from the start. The hybrids that were designed to minimize drag and maximize fuel economy are in my opinion, ugly (with the exception of the Porsche 918 Spyder, drool). I get the reasoning but that does not mean it makes for a good looking car. However browsing through Japanese magazines I have seen some nicely modified hybrids that I have opened my mind (I guess almost anything looks better slammed).

Honda Insight from Nisei Showoff this past weekend. Photo from www.speedhunters.com

Mugen CR-Z in Japan. Photo from www.autoguide.com


Tommy Kaira Prius. Photo taken from www.autoblog.com

However in the US, there are VERY few examples of modified Hybrid cars maybe because owners do not think there are aftermarket parts readily available here. TEIN actually manufactures coilover kits and lowering springs for some of the hybrid vehicles (Prius lowering springs are actually a stocking item). We just finished up test fitment and roads tests for the US version CR-Z as well. S.Tech lowering springs, Super Street and Mono FLEX coilover will be available later this year.

Honda CR-Z with Super Street coilovers.

I got a chance to drive the CR-Z and I immediately compared it to my 1988 CR-X. I have had my HF CR-X for a few years and I love it. Sure it does not have any of the amenities of a newer car like power steering, power windows, power mirrors, CD player, bluetooth, etc… but I get  50 mpg (city) and 56 mpg (highway). My 22 year old car actually gets better gas mileage than the CR-Z and Prius. Admittedly it is not as fast or has as much torque but I really like the styling.


My 22 year old Honda CR-X with BASIC coilovers and aftermarket wheels.

One day I might consider purchasing a hybrid but until then I will enjoy my ’88 CRX.

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.