Tuesday, 18 May 2004
The Muscle Cars of the Future? Sport Compact Nights - Vancouver - PERSPECTIVES - THE COMMENTARY
By Michael Kwan, for The Commentary
Brent, of Club Integra, writes regarding 'the import scene' . . .
"In the past few years, the import scene has really come along way. When I think how low key and what not it was just 5 years ago, it is amazing to see its progress; I don't think ANY industry to date has evolved as quickly as the import scene. We truly are the 'muscle cars' of the future."I'm sure you've seen them, cars driving down the road with big vinyl graphics, dark tinted windows, and large chrome wheels. But that's not the whole story. Although a number of enthusiasts may have been inspired by the movie The Fast and The Furious, starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, many more are not as interested in the big and flashy, showing much more interest in the actual performance of the vehicle, leaving appearances near-stock, that is, 'the sleeper look.' Indeed, the tastes of the participants at Sport Compact Nights on May 8th varied from all look to all motor. Club Integra, winner of Best Team, entered with over 20 cars from three different Integra generations. The second generation 'tegs (90-93), the third generation 'tegs (94-01), and the fourth generation Integras, better known as the RSX in the North American market (02+), came out in full-force, and even within a team, there was a wide range of tastes. For example, Alex Truong, owner of a 2000 Integra Type R, is big on going fast and not into ICE (In-Car Entertainment - in other words, interior neon lights, CD players, subwoofers and the like) because "it's just dead weight to me." Mark Lai, owner of a red G3 with the Mugen wing, by contrast, is a music guy, placing audio as his number one priority in car modification. "If I am driving, I will need to listen to music and since I don't want to settle for something like stock systems, I decided to heavily mod my audio first. I chose to do performance last because I don't need to rebuild my engine so soon yet and bolt-ons [like an air intake or exhaust system] aren't going to help that much." Other members, me included, seek a balance. Max Hui, owner of the Mango second Generation Integra looks for "a balance of everything, as my preferences have changed over the years. A car that looks good, goes decently quick, and can play GOOD music is the way to go." Club Integra beat out a number of other car clubs (like Vancouver Civics and the Vancouver Prelude Club), car shops (like the SR Auto Group, Bavaria Car Studio) and other performance shops (like A&J Racing, which went on to win at least three trophies, including Best RSX/EP3 and Best Acura-other with their JDM TSX). And so, with a great mixture of people at BC Place Stadium, Sport Compact Nights presented a wide range of modified vehicles for all to see. Like most other shows of this ilk, you'd expect pimped-out Preludes, hot-looking Honda Civics, and sick Celicas, and this show did not disappoint. Indeed, Alpine, maker of car decks, speakers, amplifiers and the like, showcased their blue Honda Civic SiR. Putting in over $250,000 in parts and labour, the blue SiR truly was a sight to behold. After all the modifications, the Civic seats one. That's right, just the driver, and he (or she) is seated in the centre of the car, with the steering wheel (and pedals, gauges, and whatnot) moved to the centre as well. Five LCD screens mounted in the front, a motorized amp rack in the back and numerous gauge pods were among some of the other modifications. In the words of one of the hosts at the show, it was "disgusting." This was the first time this SiR was shown on Canadian soil, a proud point for the show's organizers. Sport Compact Nights did not restrict itself to 'sport compacts.' Indeed, domestics and SUVs also found their way onto the floor, with a few Hummer H2s, BMW X5s with chrome spinners, and a Chevy Camaro making appearances. Among the exotics showcased were a couple Ferraris and a Porsche 911 Turbo; motorcycles were here and there, but what shocked most attendees were two automobiles not normally associated with car shows of any kind: a tow truck and a golf cart. Both came heavily modded, with the tow truck sporting neons and vinyl graphics among other things; the tow truck even went on to win one the award for "Best-Other." A common misconception is that the modification of sport compact cars is primarily an endeavour for young, usually Asian, males. Wrong again. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the muscle car days of the past (and present) with a number of hot rods breaking all kinds of speed records on the quarter mile tracks across this nation and the United States. Many of these enthusiasts may have been around during the 1970s, and continue to participate in the sport to this day. On a slightly different note, a number of the award winners at the end of the night were women, Caucasian or a little older. The winner of the Best Mitsubishi/Eagle award went to a white woman, probably in her 30s, and she went up to accept the trophy with her young son. She is the proud owner of a purple Mitsubishi Eclipse, and comes by way of Montreal. The highlight of the Rocawear Stage Show at Sport Compact Nights was a bikini contest, with all the hormone-driven young males coming out in full force to hoot and holler at their favourite model. The show showcased Canada's newest import model, Christine Isabel. Other famous models, like Crystal Lo and Jamie Koeppe, also made appearances. Among the other festivities were live music performed by hip hop and other "urban entertainment" groups, and a marshmallow contest. From a field of a half dozen volunteers, the eventual winner stuffed 20 marshmallows in his mouth - presumably without swallowing or chewing - and with a mouthful of marshmallows, screamed out "Jelly Belly!" He was awarded a complete sound system for his car. Other giveaways of the night included a draw for a Mazda Protege5, fully modified by Phoenix Gold. The eventual winner of the "Best of Show" at this second-ever Sport Compact Night in Vancouver, the first being only six months ago at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, was Christian Coujin of Seattle, the proud owner of a twin-turbo Veilside wide body Toyota Supra. With a fresh coat of blue paint and deep-dish HRE chrome 20-inch rims, this absolutely wicked vehicle also won the awards for Best Paint and Best Supra. The next major import show in Vancouver will again be under the dome at BC Place Stadium. Toyo Tire's "Driven to Perform," sponsored by Future Shop, will come to town 26 June 2004.
Visit The Commentary's Senior Contributing Writer Michael Kwan's own website, Now That's Entertainment. . .