Honda CVCC Type-R? Mugen Honda CVCC ?

'tis true my young lads!

The Stock Honda CVCC



Mugen Race MS-2 CVCC......




This word strikes a sense of awe to anyone that loves Honda. Many people would love to own a real Mugen car. In my life I have only read about factory Mugen cars. One issue of Road and Track had the Mugen Honda Integra, this car was lovely. It was moderately tuned. We all seem to forget that Mugen made some serious race cars back in the day. We're not talking about wimpy badged up 4 Door Mugen Civic's either I'm talking about cars that were monsters for their time.


When the CVCC was introduced to the United States it was revolutionary because it was a compact car that had great gas mileage and was geared to be "clean air" with its standard emissions equipment. Of course we did not get the performance CVCC which was the CVCC RS. This model was the highest model available with a more performance minded engine.


Indeed it was! The stock CVCC made 50 Horspower and did a 0-60 time in 12.9 seconds, and 1/4 mile in 18.7 seconds at 69 MPH. The RS came with 70 Horspower, which equates to 40 percent increase!!!



Notice the red Honda emblem.

Mugen obviously wanted to take the CVCC to new heights and they did. They tuned the car like a bat out of hell. They offered three different trim models; MS-1, MS-2, and MS-3.


Mugen Honda CVCC MS-1


The MS-1 power plant.

The MS-1 did made up to 85 horspower, 0-60 in 8.0 seconds, and the 1/4 mile in 16.3 seconds. Keep in mind this car is over 30 years old. These are outrageously fast numbers.



Here is the MS-2 race body kit.

The MS-2 was even higher performance with 11:1 compression ratio. This car/engine developed 125 Horsepower out of a 1200cc motor. This race equipment was serious, it "complied" with the FIA Group 2 racing guidelines as well.



The MS-3 was the most powerful motor, I have no specs of the car. But to me the allure of the legend is scarcity.



Many people forget that Mugen was a real race company that modified cars with the same seriousness as Alpina for BMW. So think again when your friend shows you that Mugen badge, so that you can really wind up to slap him in the face.

PIONEER x MINI

Back when I lived in Oregon, my cousin and uncles managed to get 3 Austin Mini Coopers. 2 were red, 1 was white. All right hand drive. It was a definite neck breaker. I recall, my cousin and I putting 2 JL Audio W3's in the back seat and we would go cruising all over OSU, Oregon State University and pick up on chicks. It was the life.

NOW, Pioneer took the liberty to recreate my childhood by making a chocolate mini for the Paris Tuning Auto Show. 3 Subwoofers are in this baby and is powered by four amplifiers. Obviously, it is iPod compatible so you can tend to your digital needs.

Aftermarket supplier, MS design provides the noticeable aero kit and Recaro racing bucket seats in chocolate and white give this MINI a special sprinkle. Hey even a Remus exhaust is right outside.

This is a great marketing tactic by Pioneer, I mean who doesn't love loud bass and chocolate?

{source} http://www.pioneer.fr/fr/landing/news/Mini_Pick-Up.html and www.autoblog.com


- THAI SPYCE

Welcome to our new site!

I realize that many of you have noticed our new site! I invite you to check it out and utilize this website.

I know many of you have waited for a looooooooong time for this website to launch and I hope that it was worth the wait.

TheTunerSource.com is for you guys, the users. I invite you to browse the sections and give us your feedback. Feel free to e-mail us and send us your feedback.

Remember, a quick tip, the CARS section is for automobile sales only, the PARTS section will be for parts only.


AND on to my blog for the day...

I am sure that many of you saw the advertisements during the Superbowl regarding the new Hyundai Genesis. Pretty impressive for a Korean car company right?

The Koreans have promised a $60,000 quality luxury automobile for $30,000. If they can pull it off, then they got themselves a big hit.

Though the potential market target is Chrysler 300m and Pontiac G8 consumers, the official word on the "benchmark" was Mercedes Benz, BMW, Infiniti and Lexus consumers.

With three engine options, the only one worth mentioning is the 4.6L V8. Packing 368hp and will be able to sprint this luxury boat from 0-60mph in under 6 seconds.

The body is lighter than the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes Benz E Class, yet is 12% stiffer than the 5 Series. And with a balance of 53/47, it is very close to the BMW 5 Series which boasts a 50/50 weight distribution.

And the rest of the car comes with many other pluses, Satellite radio, Navigation, 500 watt speaker system, rear shade, and parking assist sensors.

Interestingly enough, the outside of the car will have no badging to indicated that it is a Hyundai, only GENESIS emblems. Ashamed? NO, just good marketing.

An amazing package for an amazing price, but will it deliver? Only time will tell.

NANONANONANO

The implications of nanotechnology has always been morally unaccepted. That's a shame too because although the longterm implications of nanomaterials on society is questionable, in the short-term, there are a lot of cool things stemming from the advancements. Case-in-point, the wiperless windshield.

The awesome feature is part of the prototype car "Hidra" by Leonardo Fioravanti for Pininfarina (the design team that has been hired to design cars for Ferrari, Maserati, and Volvo, to name a few). It is the first car without wipers.

How it works is by the car's aerodynamic design but mainly, from a special nanotech glass that has four surface treatments. The first is based on titanium dioxide, which filters the sun and gives the glass its hydrophobic attribute. The second layer is made of microscopic "nano-dust" which pushes dirt to the sides of the glass, which is a cleaning mechanism that is activated by the third layer. The fourth layer is what keeps everything together and running because it conducts the electricity needed to keep this elaborate operation of a windshield going.

The tech has been slated for mass production within 5 years. Even though I personally hate driving in the rain, I think this technology will really change the perception of driving when it's raining outside. "Out with the old, in with the new" indeed.



-Rack of Lam

Current Obession : XR4Ti and the Ford Sierra Cosworth

This is the US Version.



This is the European Version.



This is the 1987 Group A Eggenburger Texaco Race Car.

I have always been a big fan of the Ford Escort Cosworth as a kid. Somethign about the double stack wing, 300+ horsepower, and the fact that it was illegal to have in the United States made me want it bad. Granted I was twelve at the time and I really had no idea how to drive. I was obsessed.



Now well over a decade later I am able to drive and afford some of the nicer things in life. Even if I was to get a Ford Escort Cosworth, I wouldn't ever be able to enjoy it on the roads of California. As the laws stand in California right now, even vehicles that are older than 30 years are not exempt. Also importation of cars is getting even more difficult. So what am I to do?

Back in the mid-80's Ford made the Sierra Cosworth RS500, which was the bigger brother of the Escort Cosworth. You can see the similiarities in the double deck wing, and the crazy amounts of horsepower(430HP for the RS500). So in reality having the the Sierra Cosworth is the better option.

Here in the states we have a close relative of the the RS500 known as Merkur XR4Ti. The Merkur XR4Ti obviously did not come with the excellent 440 Horsepower engine, the agressive body style, 4 wheel disc brakes, sport suspension, and that magical wing that entranced me as a child.

Fortunately the 2.6L turbo motor can be tuned to over 400 horsepower, replica RS500 body parts can be sourced, and 4 wheel disc brakes can be made. But only two things make the XR4Ti conversion and an RS500 different. First off its just not a real RS500, and second using the XR4Ti has extra rear quarter panel windows.

RECARO BABY RECARO

PARENTS. Ever get the feeling sometimes that your child's safety seats are not really that safe? Well thanks to the popular racing seat brand, RECARO your child can stay safe and comfortable. RECARO made 5 designs called the Como, Signo, Vivo, Vivo Lite and the Picco.

The Como and Signo are designed to fit the 5-7lb. group or children up to 8 years of age. The Vivo and Vivo Lite; however, seats the 30-100 lb. group and up to 12 years of age.

Both feature side impact protection and adjustable headrests. And last but least, the Picco are for the racing infants on the go.

Now just because your kid is in a RECARO safety seat, it DOES NOT entitle you to drive like a maniac. It's just another way to keep your child looking cool and takes away the sweat off your forehead and the worry off your shoulders.



www.recaro.com

- THAI SPYCE

"Brand New Crown"

Toyota announced earlier today that it has completely redesigned the "Crown Royal Saloon" and "Crown Athlete" series and added a hybrid model to the product lineup. The Royal Saloon and Athlete series go on sale in Japan today and the "Crown Hybrid" will be launched in Japan on May 6. Specs and prices are indicated below as well as pictures the little princesses. Take note that prices are in Japanese Yen. Peace.

Grade Engine Transmission Powertrain Price1(including consumption tax)
Royal Saloon 4GR-FSE(2.5-liter V6) 6 Super ECT2 Front-engine,rear-wheel drive 3,680,000
"Navigation Package" 4,260,000
Royal Saloon i-Four Four-wheel drive 4,100,000
"Navigation Package" 4,620,000
Royal Saloon 3GR-FSE(3.0-liter V6) Front-engine,rear-wheel drive 4,580,000
Royal Saloon G 5,280,000
"Leg-rest Package" 5,350,000
Royal Saloon i-Four Four-wheel drive 4,948,000
"U Package" 5,648,000
Athlete 4GR-FSE(2.5-liter V6) Front-engine,rear-wheel drive 3,740,000
"Navigation Package" 4,320,000
Athlete i-Four Four-wheel drive 4,110,000
"Navigation Package" 4,640,000
Athlete 2GR-FSE(3.5-liter V6) Front-engine,rear-wheel drive 4,870,000
"G Package" 5,670,000

Crown Hybrid
Grade Hybrid System Powertrain Price1(including consumption tax)
Hybrid THS II with two-stage motorspeed reduction device(3.5-liter V6 engine motor) Front-engine,rear-wheel drive 6,190,000
"Standard Package" 5,950,000

The Spy Who Loved Me

For most guys, our personification of the alpha male is James Bond. Drives the best cars, gets the best girls, and always unaffected even under the most intense of circumstances; James Bond is a good man to model yourself after.

Remember in 1977 when The Spy Who Loved Me where Bond took his Lotus Esprit underwater? I thought that was pretty cool. Well, it’s 2008 and the things we once thought was impossible are getting adapted to real life use. Swiss design company Rinspeed has used James Bond’s idea of an underwater Lotus Esprit and created the sQuba.

The submersible Elise is all-electric with three motors: one is used for driving on the land and the other two power a pair of screw drives that allows it to move underwater. The vehicle’s maneuvers by two Seabob jet drives.

And for the cool cats, the car is a convertible! “What’s the point,” you might be asking yourself? Well Rinspeed didn’t do a closed cockpit because in case of an emergency, the driver might not be able to get out of a closed cockpit car. Also, the car being a convertible helps with the buoyancy. The vehicle’s interior is salt-water resistant as well as having high-friction diamond abrasive materials which keeps you in your seat.

Get your Brioni suits tailored and pick up the sQuba and get ready for the women to flock.













-Rack of Lam

Johnster Angered : Ford Fiesta ST/RS Cosworth

The USA gets this....















The UK gets the Junior-WRC Cosworth Ford Fiesta RS.



Seems as if the UK got the better deal in this case.



I love writing articles for The Tuner Source, but sometimes it just makes me feel really sad. I start and think about a good article I would like to write about and then I put that thought into action. I start by researching what I want to talk about, and that is when the sadness kicks in.



It seems that us Americans always gets shafted with the cool imports, and there are always explanations that the reason these products aren't imported is because of market studies blah blah blah. But I feel that as Americans we have to really trust each other more, sure some of the imports that I like might be considered too extreme for the public, but I have more faith in Americans. I have faith that simply we have to submit, and let ourselves be immersed in new things that initially we won't like, but later on we love. Point in case, the Nissan Skyline, a vehicle never imported over until recently with the Nissan GT-R.



My rants continue to sadden me, but right now I want to make you readers happy by showing you that there is a big world of automobile lovers out there. Here is just one of these examples.




























It seems as if God really hated us during the time of the Ford Fiesta ST release.










This one seems nice too. Why couldn't we get this one? Sweet Jesus.

Johnster Angered : Ford Fiesta ST/RS Cosworth

CHECK OUT OUR NEW BLOG!!!!!


THE NEW TUNER SOURCE BLOG










,



The USA gets this....






The UK gets the Junior-WRC Cosworth Ford Fiesta RS.

Seems as if the UK got the better deal in this case.

I love writing articles for The Tuner Source, but sometimes it just makes me feel really sad. I start and think about a good article I would like to write about and then I put that thought into action. I start by researching what I want to talk about, and that is when the sadness kicks in.

It seems that us Americans always gets shafted with the cool imports, and there are always explanations that the reason these products aren't imported is because of market studies blah blah blah. But I feel that as Americans we have to really trust each other more, sure some of the imports that I like might be considered too extreme for the public, but I have more faith in Americans. I have faith that simply we have to submit, and let ourselves be immersed in new things that initially we won't like, but later on we love. Point in case, the Nissan Skyline, a vehicle never imported over until recently with the Nissan GT-R.

My rants continue to sadden me, but right now I want to make you readers happy by showing you that there is a big world of automobile lovers out there. Here is just one of these examples.













It seems as if God really hated us during the time of the Ford Fiesta ST release.




This one seems nice too. Why couldn't we get this one? Sweet Jesus.