BLACK MAGIC

When I first saw Lance Taylor’s widebody 2007 BMW 3 series my jaw literally dropped, and as it passed I immediately took out my phone to see if I could find the owner on e90post (popular BMW forum). Luckily enough, within five minutes, I had his username on e90post and I just had to contact him. It wasn’t until weeks later, that we finally got together to shoot. As an e90 owner myself, I really noticed how much wider Lance’s car was than my own. This is the most aggressive non-M BMW I’ve ever seen. Everything from its custom 3″ fiberglass fender flares, to its carbon Vorsteiner body parts easily makes this one of the sexiest 3 series I’ve ever seen.

Photos By: Watson Lu exclusively for StanceNation.com

For those of you lucky enough to have seen this car in person, you know exactly what I’m talking about. As for everyone else stuck reading this article, I’ll try my best to show you how awesome it is. Lets start with his Radenergie r10.1 wheels, they’re 19×9.5″ up front and 19×12″ in the rear, 12″ wheels on a 3 series! That’s no $5 foot long. 

The mods don’t just stop at the exterior either, he has a BMW Performance steering wheel with their matching shift knob. He also has a custom fabricated SSC harness bar. For what you might ask? Well for the Status racing harness of course. Oh wait, I forgot to mention those sit on his full carbon Status racing seats!

Lance has had a long journey with this e90. While talking to him about this car, he told us the following: “It all started with my first set of wheels, the BBS CH and then turned into an obsession, much thanks to e90post. I had HR sport springs with Koni yellow shocks, full AC Schnitzer kit with a custom made quad exhaust. From there I sold the BBS CH wheels to purchase 20″ I-forged Daytonas with a gloss black face and metallic cherry red lips. After that, I bought an e90 335i to do the widebody project on, the car however got lemon lawed while most of the parts were on order already. I decided to fulfill my dream on creating a one of a kind BMW e90 on my reliable 330i. I could have gotten another 335 but figured that this 330i would be a car I would never sell as it holds priceless sentimental value to me. Although I am quite happy with the way it looks, it certainly needs more power. More aesthetic modifications will be done to the exterior and the interior as well, a new paint job is quite high on my list of “to dos” on the car but it can wait.

Next up will be an engine swap. I’m not going to say which engine quite yet but here is a hint that most BMW enthusiasts will get right away, “comes stock with 500hp”. Being a part of SS Customs has given me a real reason to justify my madness for wanting to make this car one of the craziest e90 builds out there so I’m going balls to the walls as they say it, Lance says. He is hoping to have it done for next years show circuit, so keep a look out for it!

StanceNation and I will definitely be keeping an eye on Lance’s car.

In the meantime, we are going to leave you with a couple interior photos and then some. Big thanks to SS Customs and make sure to check out my fanpage by clicking here!

MITSUBISHI X SUBARU

The debate between Subaru and Mitsubishi owners is not a new ordeal, and has been argued from both sides time and time again. With both manufacturers producing sought after all wheel drive platforms that combine both functionality and performance, there will always be preference. Yet, it seems that the desire and admiration for one manufacturer must result in a bitter hatred for the other. But from rivalry comes competition, and from competition comes rapid improvement and a desire to out-do the opposing side. Without rivalry and competition, some of the innovations we enjoy regularly would not be a reality, and cars most certainly would not have evolved into the incredible machines they are today. So, lets take a look at two friends from China who have overcome the rivalry associated with Subaru and Mitsubishi; one with an EVO X, and the other with an Impreza WRX.

Photos By: iAcrophobia exclusively for StanceNation.com

First up is this beautiful EVO X, owned by Simon Wang out of China. Simon has owned this car for about 2 years now, and in those 2 years it has undergone quite a transformation! The first and most noticeable modification is the body and exterior of the car, which has been fully kitted by Varis, and hunkered down on a set of classic Work Meisters. The Meisters are sized at a respectable 18×10.5 all around, with an offset of +19 in the front, and +18 in the rear, and are wrapped in 255/35/ 18 Bridgestone rubber. The extremely aggressive aero paired with the step-lipped Work wheels is a perfect combination for the EVO X, and only adds to the intimidating presence of the Simon’s ride.

Popping the hood reveals the original inline four, but with a twist; a CBRD BBX Full Ported Turbo Kit replaces the stock snail, and is paired with a Perrin intercooler. Simon also built the internals up, to keep up with the added boost, and installed Weisco forged pistons, Supertech valves, and a Kelford camshaft. Air flows into the engine through an HKS intake, and the exhaust is routed via a titanium Titek exhaust.

On the other side of the spectrum is Feng Guo’s WRX, which he has had for about 6 months now. Despite only owning the car for half a year, the spec list is impressive, and Feng has quickly covered all of the bases, except for engine work, which is next on the list! Just like Simon, Feng has gone quite aggressive when it comes to the exterior styling of his WRX, most To bring the rest of the exterior together, a set of OEM side skirts were fitted, and an OEM style carbon fiber hood was bolted on.

As for suspension, Feng opted for Airlift’s front and rear struts, paired with the rightfully popular Accuair E-Level Management. This combination of parts from air-ride’s industry leaders ensures a safe, reliable, and well performing suspension set up, that is able to bring the Subaru’s body down just right over those perfectly sized Rota SVNs. The Rotas are spec’d at 18×10 all around, with an offset of 35, and Nitto 225/40/18 tires; just the perfect combination to ensure that those OEM STI Brembo brakes feel right at home, and that the fitment is perfect when aired out.

These two friends have overcome the common rivalry between Subaru and Mitsubishi owners, and needless to say, they have done it well. Everyone should take a note out of their books, and stop the hate amongst different areas of car modification; whether it is making it low, fast, loud, old or new, domestic or import. Everyone builds a car for himself or herself; just because someone else’s idea of the best platform to build up isn’t yours, or their styling isn’t conventional, doesn’t mean that it is wrong.

WICKED MITSUBISHI EVO

A war is occuring. It has been waged for years between the multitudes of all-wheel-drive, turbocharged sedans available from a variety of manufacturers around the world. However, it seems that it is in Japan where the main fight has always been. Specifically between the Three Diamonds of Mitsubishi and the Subaru Stars of Pleiades, two car makers who have brought the competition of the WRC to driveways everywhere. Similar to the conflict between Ford and Chevrolet fans, the epic grudge match continues through the generations of the Impreza WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. This begs the question, what side do you choose?

Photos By: Elvis Skender exclusively for StanceNation.com

Alternatively, why choose a side at all? The competition has bred amazing products for either side of the argument. Personally, I change my mind daily on the EVO vs. STi predicament. Talk to me on Monday and I’ll go on and on about the signature burble of a Subaru flat-four. On Tuesday the name Tommi Makinen will be the topic of reverent conversations with peers. While the vehicles are not identical by any means, the strengths and weaknesses of each car balance each other in a frustratingly perfect manner. I’m sure there are many people out there like me, that choose to love both of them.

Algier Redolza Jr. is one of those people. He tells us he stumbled across a great deal on this white Evo, and if an STi had presented itself in a similar manner we would instead be looking at a similarly modified Subaru instead. You can’t argue with fate, however, and I have to say it seems to have worked out well for him. The sharp lines of the 8/9 generation Evolutions are aggressive, and with select aerodynamic additions that aspect has been inflated exponentially. Algier chose an Ings+ bumper with canards with a carbon hood from Seibon in the front. The carbon decklid is also from Seibon, with a diffuser and 1500mm GT wing from the aero Gods at Voltex finishing off the rear of the car. The car screams ‘circuit’ and it works perfectly with the Evolution’s natural performance aesthetic. This journalist is a huge fan of the Cusco bar peaking out from the grill above the GReddy intercooler, while it is a functional component I’ve always loved the look of these braces on Evos.

Of course, the car wouldn’t be here without a solid check beside the “Great Stance” box. Redoloza’s Evo is hunkered down on Buddy Club coilovers on a beautiful set of gold Volk TE37s. In this case 215-treadwidth tires stretched past their wits wouldn’t cut it. No, Algier comes correct with 265/35/18s, which fit on the 18×10.5″ +15 Volks perfectly and provide ample footprint for the AWD sedan. The fenders have been modified to fit them, with the fronts relocated and the rears flared around the wheel and tire combo.

Quality is found inside and out of Algier’s Evolution, with seating from Bride and the limited Vertex steering wheel as the centerpieces for the well-rounded cockpit. His execution is flawless, with Bride fabric continuing the theme into the door panels and rear seats as well. The already phenomenal Evolution chassis is further stiffened with the addition of the signature Cusco-blue 6-pt. roll cage.

The Evolution’s 4G63 has been massaged thoroughly to match the rest of the vehicle’s state of tune. HKS camshafts and famous colorful gears keep the air flowing up top, and in time. While the factory-upgraded turbocharger keeps the situation pressurized.

What if Algier had found himself in a Subaru instead? I guess we would be staring at a high-quality Impreza build instead. I think onlookers would be equally impressed, or taken aback, by whatever vehicle he had decided upon. The quality of the build speaks for itself, and I can’t help but wonder what will come next. Redoloza is secretive on his plans but something tells me the streets of San Jose, California have something awesome on the way in the form of a big-winged Evolution. Regardless of the status of the AWD-turbo war or where your allegiance lies, you can chock this one up as a ringer for the Mitsubishi clan.

ORGANIC METAL

As we create new ways to communicate, and the process of interacting with other countries simplifies, the opportunity to source and obtain rare and unique items has also become more common. Social connections are constantly expanding and our ability to reach larger crowds is only getting stronger. As these crowds grow, new ideas emerge and it would seem that a new trend pops up every week. Most of these trends are short lived and really, most of them probably should be. Only the most innovative concepts will truly make an impact that lasts. With that being said, we would like to introduce you to Daniel and his Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec II Nur edition. Although this may look similar to many of the GT-Rs that you’ve seen before, this Godzilla breathes a new type of fire.

Photos By: Christopher Lim exclusively for StanceNation.com

Having owned and modified a Skyline R34 GT-T, Daniel already had experience with the chassis. So when he felt the sudden urge for change, there really was no question as to how he would upgrade. As quickly as the decision arose, the hunt began for his next project. His initial plan was to look for an R34 GT-R that already had some of the basic modifications covered; rims, exhaust coilovers, ecu, bov, etc. The local search hadn’t provided anything that would meet his needs but Daniel isn’t the kind of person that lets borders, or even major bodies of water, get in the way of his goals. That’s when Daniel’s search traveled a little further than he had originally planned.

Daniel had imported his first R34 to Australia from Japan, so he was comfortable with having his future project shipped from overseas as well. With Japan being the Country from which Godzilla originates, Daniel found plenty of contenders, still, nothing really stood out from the rest. That all changed when he turned to Global Auto. Based out of Japan, Global Auto has become a world-renown GT-R specialty shop, with a reputation for bringing high horsepower builds to life. With Daniel being an Australian native he wasn’t able to read the Japanese post he found on Global Autos website. He did however find a post that caught his eye and judging by the length of the ad, he knew that he’d found “something serious”. It just so happened that Daniel had a friend that could not only read and translate the ad, but also help with importing the vehicle.

As his friend read off the spec sheet, Daniel could tell that this car would be a great choice. Single owner, low miles and along with being a Limited Edition V-Spec II, Nur,  it had also been modified/tuned by one of the top GT-R specialist in Japan, the Midori Seibi Center. That’s when Daniel, with the help of his translator, made contact with Global Auto and the back-and-forth emails began. Daniel waited intensely for the first reply and when it arrived he had to endure the heartbreak of being told the car had been sold. The heartbreak didn’t last long. His dreams were reawaken when another email was received that said the first buyer dropped out and the car was once again up for sale. After that little error was corrected and all the delivery details were sorted out, the car was purchased in early 2010 and delivered around June of that same year.

Now that the car was in his possession, Daniel began modifying the car to fit his needs. This is where things get interesting… There are almost limitless possibilities when modifying a car. Most car projects start with the owner choosing key areas that could use improvement and then expand the build from there. Well, Daniel saw a flaw in his GT-R that most owners would have over looked… it wasn’t environmentally friendly. Now don’t start assuming you know how this story ends. There are no electric motors involved in the movement of this vehicle. Daniel decided to do something that he believes had never  been done to a GT-R before. “ill at least claim Australia!” He modified the fuel system so that it was Flex-Fuel capable.

Being a fairly new concept, id like to take a moment to explain. Cars with Flex-Fuel systems can be run with unleaded fuel as well as E85 -85% Ethanol- and there doesn’t have to be any particular amount of one fuel over the other. In the performance car world most would know E85 for its high-octane level -105-110- but Daniel had more in mind than just power. He wasn’t satisfied with simply building a car, he aimed to start a movement “…the environmental side of things are not a huge priority for most car enthusiast, its something I’m quite passionate about. My aim was to showcase the work … hoping that more people will switch over to E85 and replicate the [Fuel system] set up’’. You see, E85 is an organic fuel that burns much cleaner than standard unleaded. It has lower C02 and also comes from a renewable source. As Daniel explains, “in Australia [E-85] is made from a crop by-product … that would usually be used as waste”. Lets look at the benefits, not only is E85 going to burn cleaner, it has a higher-octane level than any unleaded fuel and it is created out of an otherwise useless bi-product or plants.  Why isn’t this swap more common? “One set back with E85 fuel systems is the limited amount of fill up stations” but just like anything else, if the demand were to rise, so must the supply.

To complete the task of creating an entirely new fuel system for Daniels GT-R, He needed professionals with an above-average skill set. That’s when Daniel turned to a local by the name of Trent at Chequered Tuning with Rob at RIPS NZ providing any additional help. With all three creative minds working together, they were able to create a car that could be used as an example for other enthusiast to replicate in the future.

Now don’t go assuming that this Godzilla has gone soft. Pushing right around 400rwkw (539whp), this thing get’s down to business! Even with the diet of an herbivore, this beast still has the body of a predator. From every angle this car looks absolutely ferocious!

Aside from the, MIDORI Development Carbon Fiber raised rear Wing Mounts…

…Quest LED tailights…

and craft square carbon fiber rear views…

…every exterior piece on this car can be found in a Nissan factory. Its even been coated in this sexy silver that Nissans seem to wear so well.

I have always had a soft spot for cars that can turn heads right out of the factory. Although this particular Skyline didn’t look exactly like this when it rolled off the assembly line, most of the parts used to create this legend came from Nismo, Nissans factory performance division and thats pretty impressive. “refer to massive parts list for details”

Wait… you didnt really think id forget the wheels did you? Along with those sharp and sexy Nissan body panels, Daniel decided to stay as true to the bloodline as possible. Even chooseing a set of Nismo LM-GT4 18 x 10.5 +15 to complete the total package. All though they may not have the extreme profile that youll find in most features, they fit so very well under those strong fender lines. Ive always believed that if your really want to make an impact, if you really truly want to see change, you have to remove your boundaries and reach out to places that most would never consider. Id like to think Daniel has brought two concepts together that most think could never join forces, an environmentally friendly sports car. “…in a way, it’s also a bit of a nod to the workshop in Japan that modified it, Midori Seibi Centre. Midori in Japanese means ‘green'”.

If you think your car has what it takes to be on our site make sure you email us at snfeatures@gmail.com. Make sure you include a few photos and your spec list as well as any other information we should know about you or your car. We’re always looking for cars to feature! In the meantime we’ll see you guys over on our facebook.