"Hello?" I ask, picking up my office line.
"Hi, it's Melanie," replies the voice on the phone.
"Hey! It's been a minute, how've you been?"
"Good! Guess who's finally coming out to L.A.?"
"You?"
"Yep!"
"It's about damn time!"
Two years of begging, pleading, and flirting over the phone (more begging, really) finally paid off. Melanie Tillbrook-former Falken girl turned video vixen-is flying her half-Filipino, half-British, fully fine self out from Miami to Cali for her long overdue feature. After shooting for 2NR in our model search years back, the coastal difference made a full appearance a tad bit difficult. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, in this case, amongst other organs, it made getting Melanie in our studio that much harder.
Featured in Jamie Foxx's "Blame it" music video starring opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker, Melanie's a model, singer-songwriter and dancer with an actual-gasp-degree in Marketing. Meaning, unlike other party girls who are fun with loud music and limited conversation, Melanie's the type of girl you'd want to hang out with outside a club. And if her talents, intellect and work history weren't enough of a catch, Melanie's into the tuning scene and digs show and drift cars, giving guys like you and I the slightest of chance. Emphasis on "slight".
Given all that you've done in and out of the tuning scene, I can't believe it took this long to get you on the cover! For the unfamiliar, what were some of the things you've done?
Where do I begin . . . I've toured HIN with Prestigious Models, was on tour with Formula D with Falken Tires, and I've been to NOPI, DUB, D1, American LeMans and a bunch of other different events internationally.
You also shot for 2NR several years back, correct?
[laughs] Yes! I was actually in Import Tuner two times for your model search back in 2004. I even had a one-page interview!
Welcome back to the 2NR family! Other than the half Filipino-ness, what got you into the scene?
I love cars. I love to go fast and I crave adventure and speed, so naturally, I was drawn to modified imports. That interest eventually got me to become more involved in the scene.
From all the car show experience, what was your favorite car?
TWC used to have some very nice cars at HIN that won a ton of shows, and I've always liked Alpine Electronics' crazy concept cars. A recent car that comes to mind is Timbaland's 599 Ferrari-I shot with it a few months ago in Miami for an ad.
Exotic, shm-exotic. What about drift cars?
I used to tour with Formula D and I loved the danger that's involved when drifters speed out of control and nearly crash their cars! I love both the G35 and 350Z since they pretty much share the same suspension-perfect drift cars. I also dig the old-school cars like the AE86 Corolla. If you were to ask, my favorite driver is probably Vaughn Gittin Jr.-he's not afraid to go hard.
All that AE86 Corolla, and G35 and 350Z sharing the suspension talk is so much sexier coming from a girl-you got me all hot and bothered! What cars have you owned and currently own?
For my first car, I picked an import: a Mitsubishi Mirage. Afterward, I upgraded to an Infiniti G35 coupe. Now I drive a BMW 325i, which I love for now.
It's a Bimmer-wait 'till the electrical problems kick in and we'll see where your love is then. What happened to the previous two imports?
Well, the Infiniti I crashed pretty hard and ended up totaling. Actually, the Bimmer just got hit too-it's getting a new bumper as we speak. Miami drivers are scary! I think it's the worst place to drive in America, besides your L.A. traffic, that is.
Maybe it's not the drivers . . . have you ever thought that you might be accident-prone.?
Not really, it's just bad luck. I think. [laughs]