The golden rule of tuning? If you want to increase the performance of your car, you've got to cover all the bases. Want to add forced induction? Better add fuel as well. Want to make it accelerate faster? Without crashing? Then upgrading the brakes is a must. And so it goes with raising the boost of a factory turbocharged car; don't think it's as easy as pushing a button on that aftermarket boost controller of yours-you've got to deal with the consequences. The first of which, is likely going to be heat.

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times-heat is the killer of engines. Managing it properly is critical in maintaining engine longevity and making power. This month, we evaluate six products that claim to make power by keeping heat in its place. But unlike other mags that simply say you should do something and leave it that, we're giving you the numbers. By installing each and putting them through their paces-road, temperature, and dyno testing-we show you exactly what to expect by adding them to your modified import. Some are common; others not so much, but each represents a different approach to making power through heat management-something particularly useful (if not downright vital) during these hot summer months.

The Situation
Standing idly beside your hometown performance shop's Dynojet for the second time in a week, you eagerly await testing to commence on your daily driven '06 Nissan 350Z. You're a newcomer to building up late-model performance imports, but not to the tuning scene altogether; you and the shop's crew strapped more than a few past project cars to these rollers back in the day-but you hadn't picked up a wrench in years until a few weeks ago, when you decided to modify the car with a few modest bolt-ons. Until that point, you had driven it factory fresh since buying it new, fearing that adding the first part would trigger a relapse; you know where that path leads all too well...and you're not letting the only new car you've ever owned end up a track machine or parts donor.

If you didn't catch the last issue of 2NER, shame on you. Subscribe. Packed with fiber and zero grams of transfat, we're part of a well-balanced automotive diet. Except for maybe the blue ink-after the whole blue M&Ms debacle we stay away from consuming sapphire colored objects.

Gibson Robot Guitar
We can think of better uses for droid technology-wife, robot bartender-you've got to love this CPUequipped Les Paul axe, which self-tunes for pitch-perfect shredding. Altered tunings, string changes and intonation adjustments can now easily be accessed, saving you time, money and aggravation when switching from "sabotage" sweet Child O' Mine." the one thing it won't do: Boost hand-eye coordination. so if you want to really bag groupies like slash, hey...practice makes perfect!
gibson.com / $2,499

Pros
If we had to choose one defining "halo car" of the tuner movement it would have to be the Civic. Love it or hate it, the car's positive response to modification has made it popular with gearheads since its debut over 30 years ago. The Si hatchback of the late '80s really started to get things moving and by the time the '00 Si Coupe rolled into showrooms, the tuner movement was in full swing. Honda may have missed the mark with the EM Civic-which the States got stuck with in 2001-but quickly redeemed itself with the release of the EP Si Hatch in later years and the Si Coupe that followed. This month we test Honda's newest Si Sedan offering and find the platform has only improved with age; its K20 banged out just over 172 whp at baseline-12 horses more than could be generated at the flywheel of the stock B16A-powered Si we all lusted after just years ago.

This month we introduce a new department to 2NR: Fact or Fiction. Think of it as a blatant rip-off of MythBusters, but with a little Power Pages thrown in for legitimacy. Outrageous manufacturers' claims, long-debated tuning rumors and promises too good to be true will be put to the test once and for all, every month. Got an angle you'd like us to investigate? Drop a line to:
factorfiction@importtuner.com

"Welcome to big Kahuna burger, can I take your order...?"

Now that you know what makes an effective tire, here are some of our suggestions in selecting a set. Listed in this guide are the stickiest of the icky, ultra-high performance rubbers designed to let your ride reach its full potential in any race or performance driving situation-and keep you safe at the same time. Though most of the radials listed can be used on the street, they're best done so with a measure of good judgment-the best tires for your fast-paced touge sprints might not be the best for getting you home in a freak downpour.

I can't remember where or when I first saw it (as is usually the case), but I recall a tire company's television ad stating something to the effect of how tires are the only parts of the car that actually make contact with the road. Such an obvious statement, but one that should be considered nonetheless: Simplified, Newton's first law of motion states that an object will maintain a constant velocity (either in motion or at rest) until acted on by an unbalanced force. In the case of a car, energy produced from any of its components remains balanced until imparted through contact with the road. In this equation, the only media for transfer of energy-and literally the gateway to performance-are the tires. All those thousands you've spent building your engine, solidifying your chassis or increasing braking performance mean nothing without good tires.

M2 Tuning Wheel Spacers And Adapters -So you finally found the perfect set of 'ultra-rare' $300 JDM knock-offs for that kept you logged into eBay for the past 3 months, only to find the offset doesn't push them out as far as your DIY-flared fenders. Don't fret! M2 offers aluminum wheel spacers in sizes from 3- to 15mm to give the perfect fix. And in case you're planning a JGTC look for your CRX or are having trouble finding extended lugs online, M2 offers wheel adapters 25- to 50mm, complete with lug nuts and bolts. Available in a raw finish or anodized in several popular colors, M2 spacers and adapters are applicable to virtually all vehicle/wheel application. Visit www.m2tuning.com for details.

Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte Phone
Europeans are weird. They don't really have situation comedies, Walmarts, monster truck rallies or Soulja Boy remixes, so they tend to value crap like quality and craftsmanship. For example, their idea of a sophisticated cell phone is the Nokia 8800, which has a nondescript high-end metal and glass case, leather accents, custom visuals and exclusive soundtrack by Kruder & Dorfmeister.

Now, before you take Dave's words the wrong way, let me put them into context: As the founder, owner and brains behind Skunk2, Dave has learned a thing or two about what makes a successful business in the SpoCom industry-mainly, that actions speak louder than words. The success of a company's race effort is a strong indicator of their ability to produce effective parts. If they've remained ahead of the pack, along the way something more can be learned; that genuine engineering is at the root of their accomplishment. Any company can put out a product that works, simply by copying the successful ideas of another's, but the ones putting in the R&D and breaking new ground will always set the bar for the others to follow. For them, there can be no greater insult than seeing some fly-by-night "manufacturer" make a quick buck off of their efforts.

HKS Unveils Their Latest WeaponsIn August of 2007, HKS USA held their very first ride and drive seminar located within the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro, 8 miles east of Santa Ana, Calif., showcasing their highly anticipated GT Supercharger kit and Hypermax III suspension lineup to a handful of curious magazine editors. Recognized as the first company to develop a turbocharger kit for commercial vehicles in 1974, HKS has continued to revolutionize the performance market, fortifying its name and reputation as the leaders in true innovation. This year marks their 35th anniversary as HKS spins a new web in their quest to push new and technological advancements within the supercharger and suspension world. "Our customers can now choose HKS turbo or supercharger technology to maximize their driving performance," states Rick Lafferty, president of HKS USA.

Yes, we are perfectly aware that the founder of Honda Motor Company, Mr. Soichiro Honda is probably rolling over in his grave, pleading for us to stop the insanity. But before you ask the perennial question as to why we decided to sell our souls to the devil and burn in hell by slapping a Honda motor in a Nissan 240SX, let me explain the reasons for our insanity-believe it or not, we're not as crazy as you think.

When it comes to sport compact enthusiasts, we're united by the same common goal: to improve the quality of our cars in as many ways as possible. Whether to place higher at the next show, establish a new personal best with the next run or lap, or lengthen our margin of superiority on the streets, we modify our cars to perform better. By its very nature, the sport compact culture is attractive to us "mere mortals"-those without an unlimited amount of financial resource-in that it allows us to compete within our means against those who are seemingly above them. That an inexpensive, underpowered, and generally lack-luster consumer car can be made to outperform the majority of performance-built rides in production is the shared quest that keeps our movement motivated. As anyone fortunate enough to have had the experience will tell you, besting the owner of a luxury or exotic with a sport compact in any event of automotive competition is one of the best feelings to be felt.

You've had hard days at work. You're tired, cranky and in no mood to play games with the chump next to you in the supercharged Mustang. Your unappreciative boss was riding your ass for the later part of the day, yet the V8 cruising ass clown who's revving his engine next to you seems to show no sympathy towards what you've been through-all he wants to do is instigate a race. From one stop light to another, the Mustang is constantly hounding your ride, looking for a race when finally, your emotions get the best of you and decide enough is enough. You reach over to the dash and flip a switch, quickly arming the nitrous system and pushing a sequence of buttons to purge the nitrous into the lines. Just as you thought things seemed to go according to plan, one hand remains on the steering wheel as the other blindly searches the cracks and crevices between the center console and driver side seat for the nitrous push-button trigger switch. Suddenly, the Mustang lurches forward, followed by a deafening roar. You manage to juggle the trigger switch between your index and forefinger as you attempt to grasp the shift knob as you drop the hammer and hit the activation button. But to your disgust, nothing happens-not a damn thing. Frustrated, you begin hammering away at the button expecting the pungent smell of sulfur and anticipated punch that throws you into the back of your seat but you had no idea that the wires connected to the throttle body-mounted micro switch that triggers the nitrous had come loose two miles back. We know exactly what you were thinking that instant the Mustang put a big whoop ass on your ride-you should have used a Venovus NCM-2 Nitrous Control module.

Through extensive research and testing, HKS engineers developed an all-new intake camshaft to work seamlessly with the variable-valve timing found in the Mitsubishi Evolution IX powerplant. Recently debuted in North America, the new HKS EVO intake camshaft features 272 degrees of duration and 10.8mm of lift. When combined with the HKS 272-degree 4G63 exhaust camshaft, this combo offers promising results to consumers as horsepower and torque gains are significantly improved across the powerband. Both intake and exhaust camshafts are compatible with the factory MIVEC 4G63 valvetrain.

Engineered with one of Hondas most refined motors from the factory, the F20C was the weapon of choice for the '00-03 Honda S2000 (AP1) in the U.S. and the '00-05 overseas. Known to spin the tachometer to the tune of 9000rpm, the high revving 2.0L engine produces the highest horsepower per liter for any naturally aspirated car currently sold on the market for less than $100,000, producing 121.9 hp per liter. Shoehorned in a rigid X-frame body with 50/50 weight distribution, the S2K showcases a roadster that possesses exceptional handling, nimble power and sporty exterior features that prove even the most macho of men can drive with its top down without looking like a complete candy ass.

While the EP3 Civic's popularity never seemed to blossom in the U.S., the vehicles K20A3 i-VTEC engine extracts a factory rated 160 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. While regarded by many Honda enthusiasts as the more economical engine within the K-series family, the K20A3 has the potential to increase its horsepower output with a few minor bolt-on components.

A well-matched damper and spring combination can give a car razor-sharp handling without the harsh ride that sometimes come with aftermarket suspension kits. The key to getting the best of both worlds is to have dampers that are tuned or "valved" to match the "stiffness" or rates, of the springs.

Everyone knows the recipe for horsepower-getting more air and fuel into the engine. We've spent lots of time preaching to you about how to accomplish this through volumetric efficiency mods-like forced-induction, bigger cams, headwork, etc.-but without enough fuel, it's impossible to take full advantage of those mods.

Sometimes called a "Poor Man's Ferrari," the second-generation MR2 turbo was the shiznig back in the day. With a mid-engine platform and a potent, turbocharged 2.0-liter 3SGTE engine, the little sports car had the handling and power to hold its own against most anything from that era. The '91-95 MR2s still weren't exactly cheap though, but thanks to depreciation, a decent condition '90-92 Rev. 2 car can be found for around $5,000, which isn't too bad when you consider what else you can get with that much shrapnel in your pocket. The stout 3SGTE engines make between 200-225hp, depending on year, with '90-93 cars rated at 200hp and '94-95 cars at 225hp. Just about anyone who can afford a Civic can afford a mid-ship, turbocharged 2-seater sports car.

Clutch Masters Clutch Kit - Clutch Masters is well known for their quality clutches and superior flywheels. Now '06 and on Eclipse and Lancer owners can have a chance to partake in Clutch Masters' greatness by getting one of the new clutch kits for their application. Visit Clutchmaster.com for more info on where to get yours.

In the summer of 2001, Acura introduced the RSX Type-S to the U.S. market. Sold as a sport compact vehicle with a competitive sticker price, Acura's answer to the previous generation Integra Type R came equipped with a factory sticker price in the low to mid-$20k range and boasting 200hp from an i-VTEC K20 powerplant. In 2006, Acura discontinued the RSX as the new generation of sport compact vehicles, namely the Honda Civic took over its family reigns with the debut of the Civic SI 4-door, coupe and highly sought after Mugen edition model.