Designers, Dealers At Odds Over MX-5 Redesign

Back in April we told you that Mazda's MX-5 would be getting a facelift sometime next year. Now, according to the people at Autocar magazine, Mazda's designers are butting heads with dealerships over the design direction of the sporty roadster, saying that the MX-5 is "never radical enough". Unfortunately for them, Mazda dealers want the MX-5 to stay true to its current shape for fear of upsetting sales of the ever-popular sportscar. Apparently the dealers have won this battle, so it seems that...

05/06/2008

Digital Drift: AE86 Look-alike Spotted In GTA IV

It looks like at least one game developer is a bit of an Initial D fan... Called the Karin Futo, this boxy RWD coupe is almost the spitting image of an AE86 2-door Levin - hell it even appears to have those highly sought-after foglights. The similarities don't end there though, because when your bonnet flies off after hitting a tree/policeman/hooker/other vehicle, there's a shiny Silvertop 20V 4A-GE staring back at you from the engine bay!By all accounts the Futo (an anagram of Tofu, or a...

03/05/2008

Drop-Top Motoring, VIP Style

It's not something that you'd expect to work. Taking the body of an S13 convertible and adding the front and rear fascias of an FY31 Cima doesn't sound like something that would yield an attractive result, however as the above picture shows, it's something that can definitely look good if done right.

We've seen a multitude of different "faces" grafted onto the venerable S13 chassis, from the rather basic Sileighty/Onevia swap, to the ever-popular "Strawberry face" S15 conversion. However, this Cima-faced Silvia beats them all in the uniqueness game and it looks so good that you could be forgiven for thinking Nissan themselves designed it.

The S13 convertible is a rare bird to begin with, with only a few hundred examples ever being built. Cima/Silvia hybrids are rarer still and kudos must be given to whoever did this conversion, as judging from the pictures the workmanship is top notch.


Unfortunately, little is known about the history of this car, including who performed the bodywork and precisely what was involved in tacking on the Cima bits. Obviously, a hell of a lot of custom fabrication would have been involved, given that the Silvia is a two-door coupe and the Cima a four-door sedan.
As well as the seamless integration of the Cima's front fascia and tail lights, this car also features some rather prominent wheel arch flares which frame the massive wheels perfectly, while the front bumper appears to be an aftermarket item. The car's belly-scraping stance also does wonders for its presence, making the convertible look more "VIP" than "hairdresser".

Mechanically, the Cima/Silvia appears to have the stock engine and transmission fitted, being a CA18DET mated to a four-speed automatic. It won't set the dyno rollers on fire in its current trim, but keep in mind that it's a piece of cake to swap in a later-model SR20DET and 5-speed gearbox.


It's certainly a unique ride, and it's unusual for such a heavily-modified car like this too look so... classy. The good news is that this car is for sale, and if you're genuinely interested in obtaining this custom convertible and have a spare 780,000 Yen kicking around, you can contact J-Spec Imports for more information.
The bad news? Due to the nature of its modifications, this car is only available as a race import in Australia and is therefore illegal to drive on the public road. Boo-hoo for me, but if you don't live in the Land Downunder and your local laws don't prohibit you from driving this car, then J-Spec can still arrange to send it wherever you want. Enjoy the pics.

[Source: J-Spec Imports]
[Photos courtesy of J-Spec Imports]

05/09/2007