Performance Parts Zone

Seriously, H&R Springs is now offering its springs with a 24K Gold Plating.  Why? I dont know, heres the info courtesy of Sport Compact Car Magazine..

“When you have too much money…

The bling-tastic crew down with it at H&R Springs is now pimpin’ 24-carat style.  While that senctence exhausts our vocabulary of urban slang, it does nothing to diminish the shock of discovering that H&R is now offering it’s products in 24-carat gold.

H&R explains these springs combinge “the typical H&R attributes of sporty handling, optimized active safety, and highest quality with extravagant looks.”  If the car is built right and is riding right, in most cases these springs will be barely visible through the wheels.  It will impress the shop guy when you order new shocks, but come on.  Count us among the unsuprised that the first set of these silly gilded springs are mounted on a Ferrari F430 Spider owned by someone in Dubai.

The gold option is available on any set of H&R springs with a premium of around $2500 beyond the price of the same springs with less gaudy coatings”

Seriously, do we need scented tires?

PRESS RELEASE: KUMHO Introduces World’s First “Aroma Tire” For Select Passenger Vehicles U.S. market will carry limited lavender tires, and later, orange and jasmine scents KUMHO Tire USA…December 21, 2006…announces the introduction of the world’s first fragrance automotive tire, the ECSTA DX. The project is the “fruition” of more than a year’s worth of research and development to deliver an alluring aroma tire that replaces the normal “black rubber” smell with heat-resistant oils in the scent of lavender, and in later versions, neroli (orange) or jasmine. Visitors to www.kumhotireusa.com can find the nearest Discount Tire store or TireRack.com will ship them for installation. According to Rick Brennan, Brand Director for KUMHO, the company is selling the DX aroma tire to help build brand awareness and highlight KUMHO’s tire technology. The tire is targeted at female consumers who drive such sedans as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback, Chrysler Sebring and Ford Taurus. In addition to a unique aroma, the ECSTA DX is engineered to deliver low noise levels and ride characteristics on par with the leading tire brands. Ride comfort is maintained throughout the life of the tire through the use of tread elements designed to provide uniform linear stiffness. Optimized pitch sequence and variable pitch lengths help minimize noise, while a straight center rib provides high-speed stability. The DX features four wide grooves that help evacuate water, while a silica compound improves all-weather performance and wet traction. High tensile steel belts and a jointless nylon cap ply also help improve noise, ride comfort and durability, while an undertread reduces unwanted heat buildup for consistent performance. The ECSTA DX Aroma tire will be sold through Discount Tire stores and TireRack.com starting in the first quarter of 2007 in three sizes: 205/60R16 (MSRP $119), 215/60R16 (MSRP $125) and 235/60R16 (MSRP $138). The tires can be delivered and affixed to passenger vehicles at a KUMHO tire dealer. [Source: Kuhmo via Autoblog]

Thats right, we sent the owner of Injected Performance and 350Zforums.com to Tokyo with a few cameras to capture what is truly one of the most innovative shows held each year.  The stuff that comes from this show is absolutely insane.  The best of the Japanese manufacturers get together to display what they have in the works, what is about to be released and what is just plain cool. 

Ill post a few of the pics here, but for the rest of them, youll have to sign up at 350zforums to view the 100+ pics we took.  You can find all the pics here- 350Z Forums Picture Gallery

 Armed with nothing more than a memory stick and a healthy appetite for Sushi, heres what we got….

A friend of mine at Valvoline wrote this and posted it on www.Lexistreets.com and i thought id share it with you. 

Here is some clarification on common myths you will here about automotive fluids. This is not all but a few I type up today I will post more when I have time.

Engine Oil myths:

I have always heard that I can not switch to synthetic oil in older engines. It will cause leaks. True or False

False: Synthetic oils are formulated to meet all engine seal manufactures specifications for exposure. If the application is leaking then the owner may have not changed the oil as recommended by the manufacturer or used the wrong viscosity for extended period. If the vehicle is extremely old and has not been started in years then obviously you could need some seals replaced.

Some people say that the new API SM / ILSAC GF4 oils will not protect my older flat tappet / foller valve train set up. They also say you have removed all the zinc or zddp from your oils.

The oil industry per ILSAC had to only decrease the levels of ZDDP (Zinc) in certain viscosity to meet new emission standards. The ILSAC rated oils still have an average of .085 levels of zinc. Testing has shown on standard OEM set ups that used mild camshafts will still get plenty of protection from the new rated oils. There is an exception when it comes to extreme aftermarket applications. If you have a high performance solid lifter set up with an aggressive cam then you will need to use a quality Racing Oil or Fleet Oil for break in and normal usage. These oils have an increased level of Zinc that will range from .14 to .16 and will provide plenty of protection.

I need power steering fluid, so I should just get a product labeled as such.

NO: Always check your owner’s manual for correct fluid type. Some applications will require transmission fluid types or mineral oil. These fluids are some what similar but do have significant differences. Mixing them together could cause foaming and poor lubrication. Now you wander why you here a lot of pumps whining!

Philip Medlock
Valvoline Technical Specialist

It’s true.  The Honda Fit has a performance following of its own, and it seems to be growing rapidly.  Everything from performance parts, like intakes and headers, to bodykits and carbon fiber goodies are quickly becoming available for Honda’s newest economy box.    With 109 hp out of a 1.5L, this car doesnt exactly scream performance,  but with a curb weight of only 2432 pds, a few extra horses could give it just the kick it needs to move around town a little faster.  I dont think we will be seeing these on the track in the near future, but they could be some fun around town.  I can’t wait to see some forced induction setups and see some of these in the 200hp range, could be a fun car.  And at 30+ mpg, its still economical.  Ill have to slide over to my local Honda dealership and give one a whirl.

Currently ive found all the concpet and new production car info here but as some really cool stuff starts getting unveiled ill start posting it here. 

They have some very cool stuff in the works, not only conceptually, but actual 2008 production stuff is going to be nice.  The new Honda Accord is sharp and Mazda Released the Ryuga Concept to rival the Acura RSX concept.  The next few days should be fun to watch.

APS finally released their twin turbo, twin intercooled, kit for all you C5 Corvette owners out there.  APS makes some of the higest quality turbo kits out their with safety and reliability in mind. 

Here are the pics-