Top 10 Power Pages

When Import Tuner first emerged on the scene 10 years ago, its most looked-forward-to section quickly became Power Pages. Spawned by Turbo magazine, it came as no surprise that 2NR was very tech heavy from the get-go; everyone expected the usual how-to install articles and import-related product reviews, but when dyno-tested comparisons between aftermarket performance parts were published in the first issue, enthusiasts finally got a taste of the legitimacy their scene needed. No longer could manufacturers sucker buyers in with claims of outrageous power gains brought by adding their product. "Brand X" part, which was touted as the most powerful on the market, was finally being tested alongside "Brand Y". Even some OEMs were being called out on inflated factory power figures, while others, it was discovered, were making cars much more powerful than they were claiming.

Of course, this also meant that Johnny Civic Owner soon realized the intake, header and exhaust he added to his 1.6L D-series Civic really didn't free-up the additional 40 whp he'd thought... but now he had proof that the 1.8L DOHC swap, and bolt-on turbo kit he'd had his eye on would, in fact, make more than enough power to take out his muscle car-driving arch-rivals. But at the base of it all, Power Pages allowed the strongest engines and performance products to shine through the hype and mis-information fog, paving the way for the development of increasingly powerful vehicles and products that we all enjoy today. In this anniversary issue, we review 10 past Power Pages articles, highlighting ten of the most prolific engines to come out of Japan, and some of the most effective aftermarket parts created for them, that together, helped prove why import culture is here to stay.

Car: '98 Acura Integra GSR
Engine: B18C1
PeakHP: 152.4
For our first entry, we thought it logical to start at the beginning, with 2NR's very first issue and one of the import scene's most iconic engines: Honda's B18C1. The DC2 Integra GSR had existed in the states for four years prior to 2NR's first encounter with it, so many performance parts had already been developed for the car; meaning the 2NR staff had the luxury of selecting three time-honored upgrades that had improved power output of older B18C engines significantly. But it was also here that we see our first hardships with modifying newer engines: the '98 B18C's OBD 2 engine management didn't react as favorably to modification as previously tested OBD 1 engines had in the past. Where the addition of the RS-R header had made 10 whp in previous testing by the 2NR crew on an OBD1 GSR (in Turbo magazine), it made less than 1 whp on the current car, and a cat-back exhaust that could've easily made over 5 whp on the older car, now made under 2. Genuine tuning would be needed to recoup this loss of power - something reviewed in later issues - but with the only remaining part freeing up over 16 horses at the wheels, "AEM" and "cold air intake" soon became household terms across the country.