"Some of the casting directors are regular patrons of my Hookah bar," informs Vance, "When the call went our for a car for Jordana's character to drive, they immediately thought of my NSX." Some might be surprised to learn that Vance's car is the most heavily modified of the three, by far. Don't. Subtly is a strong virtue among car builders, one that is all-but unseen on the big screen. Aside from the slew of genuine NSX-R upgrades--"They were impossible to find," Vance assures--this NSX breathes easier with an ultra-rare Mugen carbon fiber airbox, Fujitsubo exhaust manifold with test pipes, and Bel Canto Soprano exhaust; one of Vance's own creations, that gives it a ridiculously JGTC-like din that only an upscale car of its caliber could pull off on the street. Inside, are even more authentic NSX-R goodies, including an original pair of NA1 NSX-R red Recaros--thought to be the first such set to make it to U.S. shores.
Even more legit, is the car's prototype NSX-R suspension. When we say that it was the same set used by Gan San of Best Motoring International during his record-setting NA2 NSX-R Nurburgring lap time of 7:56, we mean that it was literally wrenched off his car after the race, and onto Vance's... don't ask us how he managed to pull that one off.
"To other NSX owners out there, I say, `Don't half-ass it!'" Vance says, "You are representing the Honda family with the greatest car to ever come out of Japan!'"
The Technical Advisor
"`How do you make a car do a wheelie in the dirt?'" asks Sean Morris, RB Motoring front-man (Motorex before that) and Technical Advisor to this latest F&F flick. Remember the yellow RH9 R33 GT-R and blue R34 GT-R that made cameos in the first film? Thank Sean. "`Hey Sean, how do we get a tow-truck to spin on the highway and back up into a tanker truck at speed... and make it look believable?' Those are the questions I'd get asked on a daily basis," he continues, "My job was to sort out that mess for the new film... and that was the easy part."
Most of Sean's job dealt with teaching the actors proper hand and foot movements--counter-steering, heel-toe shifting, left-foot braking--for "inserts" in scenes where stunt doubles couldn't be used. "Some of the actors, like Paul, picked it up pretty quick," says Sean, "But others... I accidentally hurt Vin Diesel's hand, trying to counter-steer for him in a buck [a chopped prop car] with two steering wheels. Vin was like, `Bro, you gotta tell me when you're gonna do that.' " he recalls, "I think he was kinda pissed."
Sean even had to do a few stunts himself. "In the trailer, when the gasoline land train is being hijacked," he explains, "One of the drivers is this Puerto Rican dude with a `fro in a green shirt and a painter's hat. One of the stunts was pretty heavy, so I helped film that part; hence the strong shadow over my pasty-white face." It was even funnier when he had to dress like Vin: "I'd be in a wife beater, bald cap--looking like him, minus 100 lbs and a tan--hanging around on the set all day, sitting across from him at lunch... it was a normal `day at the office' for those guys."
'03 Acura NSX-T
"The Real Deal"
Name: Vance Hu
Age: 36
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Occupation: Owner, Bulldog Cigar And Hookah Lounge
Hobbies: Trumpet, Painting & Animation, Nsx Building
Build Time: Three Years
Feedback: www.myspace.com/bulldoglounge
Quote: My goal was to build my car as close to a real NSX-R as possible, to best represent the NSX community on the silver screen.
Output: 295 whp, 213 lb-ft
Engine: Downforce radiator duct; Fujitsubo Super EX exhaust manifold; Bel Canto Soprano JGTC exhaust; custom test-pipes; Prospeed high-flow catalysts; Mugen dry carbon intake system; NSX-R intake manifold cover and plate, mesh engine cover, ECU bypass
Drivetrain: NA2 NSX-R transmission input shafts and final drive
Suspension: NSX-R prototype suspension, front and rear sway bars, chassis bars
Wheels/Tires: NSX-R wheels, continental tires
Brakes: NSX-R brake rotors; Project Mu pads
Exterior: Downforce replica NSX-R carbon fiber spoiler, vented hood, rear diffuser; NSX-R front and rear emblems, front bumper under-cover, aluminum under-cover; JDM NSX fender set and side markers
Interior: Sorcery dry carbon rear window garnish, NRG short steering wheel hub, quick release; NSX-R Recaro seats and rails, floor mats, shift knob and boot, door badges, sill plates, steering wheel, gauge cluster set, tape deck door