Modified Magazine Jul-13

I had a bit of an epiphany the other day. I was cruising down the street in our GarageFR-S project car, eyeing the road like a hawk scans a meadow for its prey, but instead of lunch, I was on the lookout for road hazards. The thought of damaging the pristine Rocket Bunny kit fastened to our FR-S made for an uneasy ride that day—not to mention the stress anytime a police car drove by. That’s when it hit me: It’s no fun driving this car! As much as I love how it looks (and boy, does it look good), I want a vehicle that can be driven hard without the worry of taking off a front lip or cutting through a tire. I guess my mind-set about cars is…

When I started competing in autocross and time attack, one of the first lessons I learned was about the importance of tire pressure as it relates to tire performance and available grip. At first I was just guessing at what the right pressure might be for my car (a BB6 Honda Prelude) based on how much the tires appeared to be rolling over and wearing the outer shoulders. This type of basic experimentation with tire pressures helped me go faster, but I had no idea how an increase or decrease in tire pressure was affecting tire performance across the entire contact patch. All I really knew was what the stopwatch was telling me. It was hardly a scientific approach, though, as lap times are also affected by changes in your…

SPECS & DETAILS CIRCUIT MONT-TREMBLANT Location Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada Track Configuration 2.65-mile, 15-turn road course Elevation Change 85 feet Other Facilities Timing Tower, restaurant and concessions, Jim Russell Racing School and Karting Academy, Ferrari Driving Experience, Ride & Drive Programs If there’s anything you should know about Montreal, it’s that it’s the strip club capital of the world. But you should also know that Montreal’s legendary nightlife can be combined with equally sexy daytime activities at the nearby Circuit Mont-Tremblant, an old-school road course that Michael Schumacher has described as a “mini Nürburgring.” Built in 1964, back when men were men and racetracks were dangerous and quite often deadly, “Le Circuit” (as it’s locally known), was where Formula 1, Can-Am, and IndyCar all raced around this hilly and bumpy circuit…

Motovicity Distribution, a leading aftermarket auto parts distributor, is running its Ticket to Ride Promotion, which will give away a ’13 Scion FR-S and a ’13 Ford Mustang with an assortment of performance products along with each of the cars. Winners of the project cars will then document the installation of the supplied performance parts, as well as document before and after performance tests. The promotion runs through September 30, 2013, and is open to all current and future Motovicity customers. The lucky two winners will be selected from a random ticket drawing in early October. For more information on the sweepstakes, contest rules, or to register, go to Motovicity.com/tickettoride.…

Acura unveiled a more detailed NSX Concept at the ’13 North American International Auto Show that illustrates tightened body lines and a fully dressed interior, kicking into better focus what the production version of the company’s wicked hybrid supercar will look like. The new Acura NSX Concept is based on the expected underpinnings of the vehicle Acura will bring to market and maintains its low and wide stance with the dynamic and alluring proportions that debuted in the original NSX Concept at the ’12 North American International Auto Show. But the big news is on the inside where we see the design direction of the interior for the first time. Acura says the design concept is founded on a “Human Support Cockpit” theme, a strong expression of Acura’s product direction…

Good news for pocket rocket, hot-hatch fans: The diminutive Fiesta will get a high-performance ST (Sport Technologies) model. Thanks to a stout 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder that develops an impressive 197 hp compared with 120 in mere mortal Fiestas, the 2,537-pound ST looks to be quite the thrill ride. The ST also bests rivals the MINI Cooper S (181 hp) and Chevy Sonic (138 hp) in the power game. The Ford sports a unique grille and chin spoiler with a new ST-spec diffuser and fascia extensions to score style points, while exclusive 17-inch rolling stock puts the pressure on a special lowered sport suspension. Available exclusively as a five-door hatchback in North America and with a six-speed manual transmission, the Fiesta ST is also projected to achieve up to 34 mpg.…