Ah, motorsports–it’s so much more than racing these days. The motorsports contingent is always huge at SEMA, and it’s one of those categories that can literally go from A to Z: there are so many variations on automotive competition that there’s no way you can expect to capture a representative cross-section. That’s okay–it just allows us to focus on what we find cool, with shameless subjectivity. In the interests of inclusiveness, we’ve tried to hit as many of the hottest motorsports series as our five entries will allow. NASCAR is represented by the new Nationwide Series Mustang, running Ford’s all-new Roush Yates FR9. Then there’s the 2010 Camaro’s debut entry in Formula Drift, which will definitely be on our radar in the coming season. Chris Rado’s insane Time Attack Scion carries the torch for that genre. SCCA is represented, albeit in vintage form, by Bob Boileau’s multiple-championship-winning Civic. And the Traxxas short-course race truck rounds out the motorsports fleet for off-road racing. Um, yeah, we totally skipped NHRA. And a bunch of other stuff. Oh well, time to hit the polls!

The nastiest Honda S2000 imaginable goes by the name “Honda S2000 from hell.”  It has a kill list a mile long! Motorcycles, V8s, Nissan Z’s, and turbocharged Neons on meth can’t keep up with this car. Read more about this awesome JDM performance machine at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

With a lot of the manufacturers that are MIA, or didn’t even bother to show at this years SEMA, it was good to see Honda in attendance, stronger than ever. The theme at this years event is the history of Honda, with some cool vintage iron, along with a number of historic racing vehicles. Lets take a look at some of the Vintage Machinery, starting with a Honda N600, and going on to a CRX, and the recently discontinued S2000. More photos and video after the jump.

Continue reading "The Honda Booth at SEMA 2009: Honda History Illustrated" »

I’ve always thought of the pug-nosed 1st-gen Civic as the ultimate babysitter’s car. Historically, it just may be the iconic mass-market cheap Japanese beater–but its roots aren’t always so humble. Bob Boileau’s 1974 Civic 1200 (“Tokyo Joe,” it’s called) won 6 consecutive championships in the SCCA’s GT5 class in the late 80’s, as well as setting the record as the world’s fastest Civic after clocking 174.698 mph at Talladega in ‘76. Alongside it is a 1971 N600, Civic’s predecessor, with the 2-cylinder aluminum air-cooled engine making 36 hp, as well as an early-80’s CRX by Mugen. Today, as much as things have changed for Honda, its mass-produced base-level cars continue to be some of the most beloved and moddable on the market.  It’s cool to see the manufacturer connecting with this tradition, and rolling out the history lessons for their booth display this year.

Continue reading "Old-School Love In the Honda Booth" »

Have you ever noticed that the car model you owned in the past has grown in size, in weight, and in displacement? This phenomenon affects almost every car line from BMW to Honda, with a few exceptions. Remember when the name Honda was synonymous with lightweight, economical cars? The company established itself in the United States in 1970 with the N600, a small four-seater. It hit pay dirt with the introduction of the larger 1973 Honda Civic, a car that was light and fuel-efficient yet could fit four adults in modest comfort. Honda sold many first-generation Civics during its seven-year run, as the car was just what Americans needed during the first OPEC oil embargo. During subsequent redesigns, Honda offered more Civic models. What had been just a two-door truncated sedan became a three-door hatchback, a formal four-door sedan, even a five-door wagon. Engine size increased as well, growing from a 1.3-liter four-cylinder to a 2.5-liter. Read more about the ever growing models, including BMW, and a surprise Detroit entry at Automotive Traveler.

I’d like to share with you a view of my S2000 that even I had never seen before. Ever since I built the S2000, I had never once taken the top off. All of that changed recently. I’ve been on a bit of a quest to remind myself of why I love the S2000 so much. Keep in mind I started Bulletproof with this same very S2000 almost 10 years ago! As such, I’ve decided to transition from the car being a cool looking car into the car being fun to own and drive around town daily.

The transformation from cool to practical has come with several painful sacrifices. First off the Bride Gias and Stradia seats have been sold off. These photos show them for the last time in the car. Currently I have put the stock seats back in and I’m on a bit of a quest to find the perfect daily driving seats (any suggestions?). Continue reading at The Real JDM

With all of the blog talk on the Tokyo Motor Show lately, I just wanted to share my two cents.

Many sports car purists (myself included) have been disappointed by the massive slowdown of sports cars being produced. This slow down has been timed impeccably with the rise of eco cars, kei cars and overall cars that I would classify as practical and boring when compared to sports cars. As some of you can tell, I’ve been at times worried that sports car tuning is being gradually replaced with more “practical” and “eco” cars and the tuning that comes with them.

The trends have been validating my fears for the past couple of years and seeing my idol tuners like Top Secret switch new R&D to the Prius and Insight only brought that idea home more.

But I get the feeling like we’ve just reached a turning point for the better.

Continue reading "Hooray For Sports Cars!" »

Without a doubt the aggressive wheel fitment trend is exploding in popularity. In fact I’d say it’s almost getting rarer to see new builds that don’t have wild wheel fitment. Even with all the “flushness” out there today, there are still some cars that stand out from the crowd.One of them is this AP2 S2000 spotted on the HellaFlush blog.

Maybe it’s the bright red paint, or maybe it’s the gleaming faces of the Enkei RPF1’s, but Damn this car looks cool.

By Mike Garrett

How cool would it be if Acura brought over the new Accord Wagon/Tourer as the TSX Wagon for the US market? Not likely, but it’s fun to think about.

By Mike Garrett

Whoa! Check out what I saw last night! I was driving around near Pasadena when I noticed a black Honda S2000 with Mugen M7 wheels. Upon closer inspection, I found out that the car wasn’t actually black – it was dark green! Since this obviously isn’t an OEM Honda paint color, I knew I had seen this S2000 before! The only guy I know with an S2000 painted this color (Maserati Verde Good Wood Metallizato) is Alex Zhao from Southern Cali’s AS1 crew. Approaching the car for a closer look, I also noticed that Alex’s slammed S2K was proudly rocking a Motor Mavens “M” sticker on his windshield. Awesome.

I didn’t recognize the car at first, because the last time I saw it, it was wearing a different set of wheels. Apparently, Alex changes his wheels more often than most people change their oil. He was in the area to meet up with his friend Brian; another Honda guy who had his Acura RSX recently featured in Super Street. Obviously since Alex was already rocking a MotorMavens sticker on his window, he didn’t mind repositioning the car really quick so I could snap a few photos. (Luckily, I was coming back from another shoot and had all my gear with me!) Continue reading and view more photos on MotorMavens!

Man, it’s been a crazy few days. Lots of cool cars have shown up (All in my driveway…. slight exaggeration, as in the driveway of the mind!) But, there are SO many doodads of coolness out there, it’s really hard to pick what gets the major super duper cool status of being one of of my CDW’s. (See, another acronym… I keep doing that for some reason.)

So, without further do doo… Feast in the pure bitchiness of the soul. Cars of heaven, direct to your door, yo.

1. THE AUDI LOCUS CONCEPT

Gorgeous, right. I mean, here’s a woman that knows your weakness. Although, most likely a 3D image, this Audi concept evokes style and charm with added sass. Like a woman who knows just how to get into that sweet spot of yours. ‘Course, dangling it first to get your attention until you melt like warm chocolate. Oooooo……

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "Fireball’s “Cool Designs of the Week!”" »

This car will be unveiled as a “concept” at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, but it’s very close to the production vehicle that will hit showrooms in 2010. With styling that artfully mixes cues from the old CRX with the new Insight, this high-tech hybrid will be available with a six speed manual transmission, making it a green car that enthusiasts could love. More pics at Autoblog

I found this picture interesting since I don’t come across many bumpers that are 3 pieces (at least not pre-accident). My hunch is the production version of this bumper will be a 2pc version since I cant quite see the point of using three pieces, but there may be a very valid reason I’m simply overlooking. Anyone care to comment on why this is designed this way?

Either way, this is a really cool bumper that perfectly balances function and looks. Looking at that under diffuser, Voltex also continues to impress me with their advanced use of under body aerodynamics.

Continue reading "3pc Bumper? Voltex S2000 Development" »

This concept to be unveiled next month at the Tokyo Motor Show is an EV, but honestly, I don’t care what powertrain they put in it. I’m a sucker for well-executed retro and this brings back all the cool elements of the N600. Honda, please build this! More pics at Jalopnik

We test drive a lot of cars here at Grassroots Motorsports, but it’s been a while since one has drawn such extreme love and displeasure. The car? The latest Honda Civic Si sedan. If you’d like to chime in, feel free.