We all face our own battles, but do you ever wonder what it’s like to go up against something that is beyond human control? Time is a component that is challenged every day by all living objects and cannot be controlled, stopped, or harnessed. It is a fundamental structure of the universe, with each unit of measurement expressed in seconds, minutes, and hours. In motorsports, it can be said that technology challenges time, where man would build the fastest mechanical vehicle in terms of velocity or course lap time. The best paradigm that exemplifies this theory is the time-attack or Super Lap.

Although the term may come across as daunting upon first glance, its definition is a very simple one: self-education. To be an autodidact is to be a person who learns a subject without a teacher or a formal education. They believe that the best way to learn how to do something is to simply get in there, get their hands dirty, and just figure it out as they go. They learn by teaching themselves. Chris Shuemake of Fresno, CA, is exactly that kind of person, and the story of how this beautiful blue WRX came to be is a perfect example of that philosophy in action.

When you add 10 years to 2004 you get 2014. While this ’04 Infiniti G35 isn’t 10 years old yet, it has been 10 years in the making. A vehicle of this caliber takes not only time but also style, and to develop a relevant sense of style takes time. It is evident by the product that this build took its fair share of both.

Although Toyota denies it (we totally understand the need for manufacturers to keep secret projects completely hush-hush), rumors are floating around the industry on plans for a ’14 Supra MK5 release. We’re not sure if this is going to be a concept version or more, but we’re excited at the possibility of one of Japan’s legends coming back to us. Toyota will also be releasing the Scion FR-S—hopefully in the next year. The FR-S and the new Supra would tie the gap between the FR-S and the LFA, giving Toyota three rear-wheel-drive cars in its lineup. In the meantime check out the renderings that Bullfinch Visuals mocked up on their site.

While Nobuteru Taniguchi and team HKS dropped out of the whole D1-GP thing a couple of years back, they never actually halted the development of their drift machines. With Nob (No One Better) taking part with teammate and best friend Orido in many drift exhibitions there has always been a need to stay at the top, even with no incentive from actual competitions. Things changed, however, at the 2009 D1 round in Fuji, when team HKS and Nob returned to D1 after a two-year hiatus with the all-new IS220-Z you see here.

On newsstands now is the February 2012 issue featuring gorgeous cover model Ela Pasion with Kris Yu's Team Hybrid '04 Infiniti G35.

For a limited time only, pick up the current issue with the new 2012 Calendar featuring 12 of our industry's hottest models including Corissa Furr, Danielle Lo, Lisa Lee Marie, Jennifer Zharinova, Vivian Nguyen, Ivy Teves, Alexia Cortez, Lindsey Harrod, Amanda Gift, Chelsie Lynn Thorn, Heather Rae Young, and Nicole-Marie Reckers.

The competition at this year’s World Time Attack Challenge was fierce as teams ventured from across the globe to compete at Australia’s Eastern Creek Raceway. In the end, only two powerhouses were left standing. Sierra Sierra Enterprises and Cyber EVO pulled out all the stops as the battle raged on, with only one claiming the championship title. Follow along with our very own Eric Hsu, as he reveals an exclusive behind-the-scenes diary of the action that unfolded—drama and all—at WTAC.

How would you like a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to drive some exotic cars like Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Superleggra or a Mercedes SLR? The guys at Denso are holding a contest to win a trip to drive in the World Class Driving Experience, the winner will get a trip for two out to Los Angeles to drive on the famous Pacific Coast Highway with five different exotic cars. Sounds pretty good to us, now all you need to do to enter is go like the Denso Facebook page and then fill out the entry form.

*car pictured is not the actual car you will get to drive

Click here after you like their page to enter!

When I first spoke with Ming Hang Ng over the phone, I was on a trip to Southern California, six hours away from home. I was looking forward to speaking to him about his successful business and, of course, about his beautiful S15 (gracing the pages of this issue). Upon our introduction he said that he was getting married the next day. So, first and foremost, I would like to congratulate Ming and his wife on their marriage and wish them a long and prosperous life together.

It’s no secret that the Scion FR-S (Toyota FT-86) will also be released under the Subaru brand. But just until recently Subaru has dripped us some info. The Subaru version will be called BRZ (Boxer-engine Rear-wheel-driven Zenith. Yes, a rear-wheel-drive Subaru. This will be the only non-all-wheel-drive car in their fleet. Scheduled as a 2013 release, production will begin in spring of 2012. In the meantime check out the teaser from the Frankfurt Auto Show teaser. www.subaru-global.com/11frankfurt/teaser

You might have heard that HKS closed their U.S. headquarters. But have no fear HKS lovers, this doesn’t mean HKS is gone for good like so many of the other great JDM brands. Motovicity has been selected as a U.S. master distributor for HKS products. After years of working closely with HKS, Motovicity has stepped up to maintain distribution channels in the United States for the HKS product line. All HKS products will be stocked by Motovicity for easy access through their extensive dealer network. With Motovicity’s robust infrastructure, the HKS products will always be readily available to HKS dealers. www.motovicity.com

The pinnacle of front-wheel-drive vehicles is, well, not the CRX that Frankie Ortiz originally owned, but it certainly isn’t a bad platform. In the small unaccepting area of Lawrence, MA, Frankie was sitting at a railroad crossing in his Honda CRX when he watched idly as his first love fell victim to yet another driver unconscious of the lowered ways. “This car lasted about four months because of some impatient individual who couldn’t wait for the train to finish crossing. He proceeded to back up, but failed to see me and destroyed my front end, resulting in a total loss,” he says. The short, but sweet time spent with the CRX had Frankie hooked on what was still up and coming in most parts of this country: JDM styling.

Old school Japanese cars your forte? Pick up our sister magazine's Super Street Retro Annual 2011 limited edition issue while it's still on newsstands!

Don’t be fooled by the name. This isn’t some dark and dangerous alleyway controlled by a gang of Honda E-thugs sporting hellaflush fitment. This is VTEC Alley, where you can find more cool Hondas in this little area than any other square mile in the world. Located in the heart of Phoenix, within an area hardly bigger than a postage stamp, resides six performance shops comprised of Arizona’s most respected tuners, manufacturers, mechanics, and engineers, including Hasport, Tri-Tech Motorsports, Locash Racing, Teague Speed Racing (TSR), RC’s Garage, and Full-Race Motorsports.

Fans of the world’s most commonly raced car will no doubt be familiar with Flyin’ Miata. The rest of us might have seen those Heifer International commercials featuring that one, pretentious-sounding actor touting the benefits of the charity that provides families in the developing world (Appalachia included) with goats—which eat discarded vegetable stock, and produce milk (yum!), fertilizer (ew!), and more goats. Well, now they’re coming together. Buy $5K worth of turbo/supercharger kits, drivetrain/suspension upgrades, safety equipment, or V-8 conversion kits, and Flying Miata will contribute a goat on your behalf through Heifer. For more info, visit one of the most confused-sounding URLs to ever grace a speed shop’s site: www.flyinmiata.com/turbos/goats.php

Mazda’s got a new buzzword that driving fans will soon be familiar with: SKYACTIV. Simply put, it’s a blanket term for their reinvention of the wheel—wheel meaning car in this instance. Though release specifics aren’t being fully disclosed at this time, SKYACTIV is something Mazda reportedly plans to apply to all its vehicles in the near future, as a way to improve all-around vehicle performance by increasing fuel efficiency, chassis rigidity, and horsepower and torque, and reducing overall vehicle weight and NVH—all things we in performance circles like. What we like even more: direct-injection, pump-gas engines that boast 14:1 compression, 4-2-1 tubular race headers, and six-speed short-throw transmissions, like what will be included from the factory when the ’12 Mazda3 with SKYACTIV debuts later this year. At least, that’s the rumor. www.facebook.com/mazda

We’re all aware of the Red Bull’s involvement in motorsports, with their Formula 1 efforts as documented on redbull racing.com (motor-less sports, too—as seen in the Flutag, and our participation in their Soapbox Race a few months ago), but the energy drink megalith’s recently identified a new challenge: building road cars. The involvement with Renault as their engine manufacturer brings a working relationship with Nissan, and early talks have hinted toward a limited-production Red Bull Racing Infiniti model. Most speculate something along the lines of the Clio that Renault built and WilliamsF1 signed their name to beginning in 1993...but based on Red Bull’s tendency to take everything they’re involved in well past their established limits, some (us) are hoping for a Red Bull-engineered, Infiniti-branded competitor to Lexus’ LF-A. www.autocar.co.uk