With the time-attack bar having been significantly raised over the past few months of Super Lap Battle qualifying, look forward to the Finals in Buttonwillow to give the absolute last word in the world of U.S. time attack. At least until next year. Want to compete? For qualifying and registration details for all our events, visit: www.importtuner.com
Mitsubishi Ownersday Back for its third year is Mitsubishi's MOD event. Held at the company's Cypress, CA headquarters, over 500 cars and 30-plus aftermarket vendors were in attendance, not to mention Road Race Motorsports' mobile dyno, and cool raffle prizes. Tons of heavily modded Eclipses, 3000GTs, Galants, and EVOs lined the parking lot, as well as Colts, Starions, and other prized rides of yesteryear. But the hands-down stealer of the show was Mitsu's own '71 Colt F2000 Formula Car, making its first appearance outside Japan, rocking a naturally aspirated 290hp 2.0L powerplant and deep-dish SSRs to kill for! Click on importtuner.com for more. www.mitsubishimotors.com
2NR10YR PartyFor the first time, in a damn-long time, Import Tuner is getting ready to party. Not just at any run-of-the-mill shindig either, but at a small string of 10th anniversary parties starting off on October 16, 2008 in Hollywood, CA with longtime partner-in-crime, Legend Entertainment and crew (DJ Icy Ice, Runnerz, Crowd Creators, and Caged Monkeys). Held at the Arena Nightclub, expect cameos from import models-including our top ten hotties-drivers, tuners, staffers, and other minor-celebrities from our scene. While the "minorlebrities" may not be a draw for some, at the very least, hang out for the local vendors that come out past midnight, peddling the tasty, bacon-wrapped "Hollywood dogs". Yummyness and IBS sold separately.
Log onto our website, www.importtuner.com and www.legendentertainment.com for more up-to-date info.
RootsCool Roll of the 1991 Honda BeatRear-wheel drive. Lightweight, two-door, two-seat convertible. Fifty-fifty weight distribution. 100 horsepower-per-liter. 8,000+ rpm redline. Are you thinking "S2000"? If so, you're way off. This month's Roots car, the Honda Beat, actually embodied all the aforementioned specs in stock form, and did it all about 10 years before the S2K even hit showrooms. And it came with ITBs, to boot.
Built exclusively for Japan's performance-minded kei car buyers, the Beat's classification as such meant its small 656cc three-cylinder E07A engine was limited to 64 hp in total output. But the car's tiny, 129.7 x 54.9-inch frame and 1,700-pound curb weight, along with the fact that Honda put its engine directly over the rear wheels, did much to separate the Beat from the hoards of utilitarian JDM kei commuters of the day. Honda's MTREC (Multi-throttle responsive engine control) system of individual runner intake throttles, developed for the Beat, improved response and power delivery so much that - along with its four-wheel disc brakes, independent suspension, and 5-speed manual transmission with optional limited slip differential - the car was actually fun to drive and mildly tune-able.
The Beat's sporty, Del Sol-esque interior was suited to match. An optional leather-wrapped MOMO steering wheel and shift knob, elevated center console, and dashboard-mounted speakers were uncharacteristically un-kei car, as were the standard staggered wheels, optional alloys, rear wing, and stainless steel exhaust available outside. A product of Italian auto design firm Pininfarina, whose repertoire includes the Enzo, and other Ferrari styling, the Beat's design was a hit with Soichiro Honda himself; it was the last Honda car he personally approved before his death in 1991.