“Model Mondays”

For about a year or so now, we have been posting up modified model cars we have photographed, found on yahoo Japan, or submitted to us by fans. It started out with a slammed Toyota 2000GT we shared ever a year ago which ended up getting re-posted a million times. Many people questioned if it was a real 2000GT or not. haha

Since then, we try to post up a new model on a weekly basis on our FB page. I found this particular 1/18 Mazda Cosmo very interesting. The first generation Mazda Cosmo was built from 1967-1972 and is a very rare vehicle. Minto0909 decided to take this ordinary Cosmo Sport, and give it a much more aggressive look. Enjoy the photos…

Mike’s Subaru Impreza GC8

Mike picked up the 2.5RS more than six years ago completely stock with nearly 54,000 miles on it from the original owner. The GC8 chassis code is one of the most sought after cars on the Subaru market, and once Mike had the seen them popping up in the early to mid 2000’s, he knew it was the car he needed. “I like to spiritedly drive my car on and around the highways of Chicago” he had told me, which is why he has, near as it makes no difference, doubled the mileage in the time that he’s owned it. This spirited driving also leads us into why he chose the route he did with the performance and styling modifications. “I’m not stanced or hellaflush. I like to be able to speed, handle, and take turns at speed without having to worry about driving so damn slow because I’m scraping or avoiding bumps. I’m kind of a speed demon I guess you can say.”

The GC8 has undergone some incredible surgery, both cosmetic and internal. Chargespeed front lip, side skirts, and clear bumper lights and side markers; ZG 280z fender flares, JDM tail, trunk, and corner lights; JDM front grill, STi carbon hood scoop and a Prodrive intake scoop make up essentially the entire front clip of this mutated Impreza.

Inside the cabin sits a Team Orange Works Bell quick release with a Personal Grinta 330mm steering wheel, the latter sporting some Baller Bolts burnt titanium screws; an It’s Proper shift knob, and to finish it all off, Cusco x Bride seat with a Prodrive harness. Very exciting.

The excitement doesn’t stop there; under the hood Mike’s keeping an OBX EL header, test pipe, a custom short ram intake, Koyorad radiator, Zerosports thermostat, ARC oil cap, finishing off at a Subaru SPT exhaust.

Keeping with the rest of the aggressive setup, the suspension and grounding refuse to let up. Tein SS coilovers, Cusco rear tower bar and V-brace, Abbey Road Company titanium front strut bar, Whiteline rear sway bar with Agency Power end links, and a Cusco under chassis brace keep things tight while the 18×8.5 Advan Sa3’s and BF Goodrich KDW 255/35 tires hold on for dear life.

What this all boils down to is a car that begs to be driven, and driven hard. “With my build, I was drawing influence from Time Attack and also the Kanjo racers of Japan. I prefer function over form.” This, and his love for intensive driving, makes for something to be marveled at on the roads. This really is the epitome of car culture, what all of us look forward to as we go about our builds and endeavors. The culmination of how we drive and the thing we love to drive most. Mike has what he wants with his Subaru Impreza, and he worked his ass off for it.

-Joey Gessner for JDMCHICAGO

King Motorsports Honda Prelude

I shot this car earlier this year for the “Race Issue” of Honda Tuning Magazine (September 2013 issue). Since the issue has come and gone, here are some of the shots I took. Although the owner of the ‘Lude is from Detroit, I noticed that the article was centered mostly around King Motorsports (located in the Wisconsin area).

I’ll be honest, I was somewhat disappointed we weren’t able to take advantage of some really cool Detroit backdrops for this feature. Since the car was not “street legal,” the owner didn’t feel too comfortable taking this car outside of the Michigan suburbs. After wrapping up a second shoot in downtown Detroit, I’m sure he was also concerned about his safety. So with that said, this shoot was literally shot in a quiet suburban subdivision.

1972 Nissan Hakosuka Skyline Wallpapers

After almost a year of restoration @ JDM Legends, the JDMC Hakosuka is finally here. It’s been a very busy month for me, so unfortunately I haven’t had time to properly shoot the Hako yet. I hope to do a full set and write up before winter hits, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is a quick shot I took this morning at one of my familiar stomping grounds. Feel free to download any of the wallpaper sizes posted below.

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Another Level 2013 Coverage

We have been supporting Justin and his show since it’s inception back in 2009. Interestingly enough, 2009 was the year I also started JDM Chicago. That summer I met Justin at a meet and we hit it off pretty well. He was promoting this “Another Level Car Show.” I’ll be honest- I wasn’t really into the traditional “car show” type event, but after he described his event and concept, I was pretty stoked to support it. Hard to believe that 4 years later the show has evolved into one of the premier events in the Midwest, and has even outgrown that original venue in Palatine.

Boomer Stadium was selected to be this year’s location and I personally thought it was great. The weather was fantastic not to mention a super cool backdrop for the show. Attendance was absolutely ridiculous. I think the amount of spectators took everyone by surprise. But it just goes to show you how great of a brand Justin has developed.

Coverage today has been provided by guest photographer Joey Gessner. Make sure you check out his flickr by clicking here. I decided to allow you all to absorb the photos and not include too much of a write-up. I feel that an editorial style such as this doesn’t need more then the photos themselves to give you a feel of the event. But of course, let’s start out with the official video created by Mike Maravilla from Unscene Media.

Another Level Car Show 2013 from Unscene Media on Vimeo.