Imagine you're a new company trying to break into the increasingly saturated tuner market. You couldn't have picked a worse time to compete in the one area that could easily be called the most competitive-wheels. You need a way of setting your new rims apart from the rest, and more importantly, a car with a broad enough appeal to showcase the new wheels to the masses.
ssIX, based in Tampa, Fla., designed its first wheel in 2006. Built exclusively for the company by Racing Hart's RH division, the ssIX P521 offers the styling of RH's 19-inch only R5 Pro in a more palatable 18-inch diameter. The new 18-inch wheel is designed specifically for the WRX STI and Lancer Evolution, with sizes ranging from 18x8 to 18x10.
While any of the three cars that the P521 is designed to adorn would make an excellent representative at the many car shows in Florida, ssIX settled on a white '06 WRX STI. Checking in at less than $30,000, the reasons for the STI's popularity are obvious. All-wheel drive with driver-controlled center differential, rally-car roots and a wing you could sail a boat with are just a few.
The real reason people buy the STI, though, is for the turbocharged 2.5-liter mill underhood. With 300hp and 300 lb-ft of torque mated to a ridiculously close-ratio gearbox right to boot, the STI is a tough bet to fault. The massive stock performance makes it easy to see why ssIX kept the mods to a minimum. It needed a car that had all the looks of a performance machine, not necessarily the track credibility. Besides, a nearly stock STI is still a threat on the street and track alike. ssIX simply added parts as necessary to maintain the image. Although by the time you read this, they will likely have fitted a bigger turbocharger-a modification they say is right down the road.
An HKS front-mount intercooler replaces the stock unit, which once sat on top of the engine. Many claim the stock intercooler location is inefficient, making the intercooler more of a heatsink than a device to chill incoming air. But in this case, the most important role of the giant front-mount HKS intercooler is to look like a giant front-mount HKS intercooler. An ECU reflash came courtesy of Central Florida Turbo in Orlando, Fla., to ensure the engine made the most of its newfound breathing ability.
An HKS blow-off valve replaces the stock unit out of necessity-the stock blow-off valve attaches to the stock intercooler-and makes the all-important "whoosh" sound between shifts that turbocharged Japanese metal is now so associated with. Out back, an HKS Carbon Ti exhaust finishes things off. Think of the performance gain provided by the HKS goodies as a neat byproduct of looking cool.
The same can be said for many of the goodies found in the glimmering engine bay-an HKS Twin Power DLI II ignition system complements Denso Iridium spark plugs to combust fuel provided by a Walbro 255lph pump. Keeping the bling at an acceptable level is key at car shows when you're trying to draw people out of a crowd. Rivals GReddy and HKS compete for attention with an oil catch can and D1 oil fill cap, adding some shine under the hood.
We're guessing the guys at ssIX were having too much fun driving the STI, though, because there are a few areas in which it strays from the rigid "all show" mission statement. They didn't have to add an ACT clutch and pressure plate-or the lightweight flywheel and a short shifter from B&M, either.