Widebody DUB Edition Toyota Yaris to Bow at SEMA Show

Somewhat amazingly, Toyota almost always seems to have a Yaris at the SEMA Show, and this year is no different (I even have a couple of Yaris t-shirts from their booth). Toyota has turned to DUB magazine to trick out the refreshed 2015 Yaris. And in true DUB fashion, they've gone all out— whether you like the look or not.

Most obviously, the car rides on enormous (for a Yaris) 20" Dropstars wheels and massive 245/30/20 Nitto Invo tires. No ordinary Yaris could possibly accommodate such rolling stock, so the liftback has been given the widebody treatment. The car wears a custom matte pearl white and gloss black paintjob, which I dig; I'm a sucker for both matte and pearl white, by the way. Also of note, I love the center-exit exhaust. This is something I'd love for my Yaris.

There's no real specs on the suspension other than the press release says "custom." The car does have StopTech brake calipers and a TRD big brake kit, however.

Inside the Yaris are a pair of Sparco racing seats, carbon fiber accents, a black ultra-suede headliner, red accents, and a custom pearl white rollbar. And no DUB-Edition vehicle would be complete without a killer sound system. This Toyota has three amps, two 10" subwoofers, new speakers, an iPad, and custom fiberglass and leather enclosures.

I know this is over the top. However, you must remember that this is a DUB-created SEMA vehicle, so anything else would be unexpected. I'll try to snap some photos of this baby ballermobile at the show next week. Stay tuned.

The Primitive Racing Subaru XV Crosstrek

Tigard, Oregon-based Primitive Racing is well known in the Subaru world for offering a host of products from light bars and skid plates, to rock sliders and mega-strong differential covers. From time to time they will do a full custom build, and that's the case with this XV Crosstrek. Owner Paul Eklund and the crew decided to make a more off-road capable Crosstrek that could go farther and do more than any other Crosstrek out there. I met up with Paul at our local Cars and Coffee to check out the up-armored Subaru.

Hyabusa-powered Smart Car = Smokey Donuts

The Hyabusa-powered Smart ForTwo is the stuff of Internet legend. Videos of this vehicle have been on YouTube for years, and they just keep coming. I'd sure like a ride in this thing. I'd sure love to drive it. Now this is a ForTwo I can really get behind.

FYI, I believe this vehicle resides in Austria.

The Small Cars from the 2013 SEMA Show

3D Carbon kitted Ford Fiesta on 19s.

The 2013 SEMA Show is the big dance for the automotive aftermarket. There's a little bit of everything from huge trucks to minibikes. I snapped some photos of the compact/subcompact/micro vehicles at the show. Enjoy!

Subcompact Showcase: Mark Graves' 2012 Scion iQ

I love seeing cars that aren't typically heavily modified. It adds a great bit of automotive diversity into a world of car customization that can be seem to be brimming with cars that can begin to look alike. And no matter what the vehicle, you can rest assured that someone is going to take that car and raise the bar. Mark's Scion iQ is a perfect example. There aren't a ton of modified iQs rolling around, and that adds to the cool factor. Plus, this iQ looks just right. Not too much, not too little.

When the iQ debuted, Scion displayed a number of tricked-out variants at the 2011 SEMA Show. I got to see these cars in person and realized the iQ had the potential to be turned into something pretty cool. Months later while browsing ScionLife.com, I saw this iQ project. From early on you could see that he wasn't just going to throw on a set of lowering springs, custom wheels, and a new stereo at this car. This was going to be an epic iQ.

Subcompact Showcase: VW Sand Rabbit at Dunefest

I've been at Dunefest in Winchester Bay, Oregon for the week, and have seen all kinds of awesome rigs. However, for obvious reasons, this one caught my eye. This little sand car is a Volkswagen Rabbit body on a VW Bug chassis. However, this isn't just some clapped together jalopy. The owner said the builder, a baja racer from decades ago (he says he'd be in his 90s now) built sand toy. The car is powered not by a little Beetle engine, but by a larger displacement, more powerful Porsche 914 engine. The work is done right, but features many period items, such as twin shocks in the rear, aluminum fenders, and even the rabbit graphic on the back. Riding on Cooper winter tires up front and Discoverers in the rear, this little Rabbit really hops to it.

Subcompact Showcase: TE72 Toyota Corolla Wagon With A Turbo Pontiac Powerplant

My buddy Justin has had this TE72 Corolla Wagon since 2008. It's lowered on Ground Control coilovers, has some good looking XXR wheels, and he's done quite a bit of work to it. A few months ago I get a text from him saying he's thinking about doing an engine swap, as the Rolla wasn't very peppy in stock form. I ask him what he's swapping in, thinking it'd be a warmed over 4AGE or maybe a built 3TC. He says he's looking for a turbo engine out of a Pontiac Solstice GXP. Wait, what?

Kirkham Custom for Larry Ellison

By Scott Araujo

The AC Ace was one of many sporty, English roadsters. It was a great car on its own but then Carroll Shelby made a deal to put a Ford 289 V-8 into the little roadsters and they became the legendary Shelby Cobra. The rest is the stuff of racing legend.

In the abstract, I usually think of Cobras and their modern day clones as hulking brutes with their 427 engines. In truth, they're quite small in person, as you'd expect of a European sports car. English roadsters are known for their tiny cockpits, it's not uncommon to need to remove a shoe to have enough room to work the pedals, and the Cobras had a wheelbase of only 90". For comparison a Fiat 500 is 90.6", a Honda Fit is 98.4". Subcompact indeed.

Subcompact Showcase: MicroCar Magazine Project VIP 3 from the SEMA Show

We really dig the Nissan Cube. It's got gobs of personality and, much like the Scion xB which paved the way for small, boxy subcompacts in the U.S., it's got plenty of customizing potential. This is evidenced by the MicroCarMag/LoganBuilt Cube.

From the Air Runner suspension to the custom 3M wrap—yes, that finish is actually a wrap job, not a paint job—the Cube looks just right. And while chrome wheels don't look right on all vehicles, they look at home on this little box. In this case, rolling stock consists of 18" XXR Euromax 016 wheels and General G Max tires. Other goodies include a Wilwood Big Brake Kit, a custom interior, and four big ol' subwoofers in the back (the back seats have been removed). When you'd rather hear the engine than the stereo the LoganBuilt Cube has a DC Sports exhaust system and WR intake. In addition to the aforementioned wrap, exterior mods include a Kaminari front lip and a T REX grille. 

We think it looks great: It's one classy, clean, Cube.

Road Race Motorsports' Urban Warrior Abarth 220 is one sexy Italian

The Fiat 500 Abarth is one fun little pocket rocket. Road Race Motorsports is a tuner on the forefront of Fiat stuff. Combine the two and you're bound to get something very cool. This is Road Race Motorsports' Urban Warrior Abarth 220.

RRM says each part of the car's name means something. Urban talks to the fact the car is streetable. Warrior means it'll go toe-to-toe with cars like the MAZDASPEED3 or even a Subaru STI. And 220 stands for the crank horsepower. It's got a bunch of goodies including power add-ons, carbon fiber bits, Bilstein suspension, and some great aero work. Of particular note, the ultra sexy rear splitter.

For more pics, check out the Road Race Motorsports website.

My favorite Scion FR-S from the SEMA Show

The Scion FR-S was the car of the show at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week. You couldn't turn a corner without seeing one. There were the good, the bad, and the ugly. This one, however, was one of my favorites. Located in the Rays Engineering booth, this FR-S stood out thanks to its bright blue paint and orange wheels. It had that just-right stance and struck a chord wit me. So nice and I love that color combo!

The 2012 SEMA Show is here

Well, I'm here at the 2012 SEMA Show, my seventh consecutive year. I haven't had much chance to walk around yet, but I can tell you this: In terms of small cars, I've already seen about half a dozen Scion iQs out there, including the ones you see here. I've seen one Chevrolet Spark, too but I'm sure there are more. There are a megaton of Scion FR-S and Subaru BR-Z models, too. It's definitely the "hot" car of the show.

So as the week progresses, I'll post up some more photos and such. Until then, stay tuned.

Love the center exhaust treatment on this black Scion iQ.

A very clean iQ at the 2012 SEMA Show

SEMA Show 2012: Assessing the small car quotient

It's only seven days until the SEMA Show—the world's largest bastion of customized automobiles in the world. It's the who's who of the automotive aftermarket. This will be my seventh consecutive year at the show, and just as excited as I ever was.

Fiat to show off flat black surf-inspired 500 at SEMA

The SEMA Show is right around the corner, and some of this year's show cars are being previewed before the actual show. For example, thie flat-black rat-rod-esque surf-inspired Fiat 500 called the Beach Cruiser. According to the Chrysler press release:

Dream Factory Blow showcases some awesome Americanized kei cars

Other than having a totally awesome name, Dream Factory Blow has some awesome kei car customizations, such as these Americanized mini mini vans. The video above is from the 26th Mooneyes Street Car Nationals in Japan. Really what more is there to type. Just check them out. And yes, I'd rock any one of these.

Classic Style, Modern Power for you original Mini

By Scott Araujo

As an owner of a classic English motorcycle powered by a modern engine I can appreciate the marriage of old and new. Give me the roadgoing romance from back in the day without the mechanical hassles of what it was really like back in the day. Well, I'm not alone. It seems a few southern boys feel the same way.

Mini Tec in Royston, GA has created some great little bits to tack on to your classic Mini Cooper. Rear suspension not up to par? How about a bolt in rear coil over subframe? Reliability and anemic power got you down? How about a kit to bolt in a fresh Honda VTEC B, D, or K series engine? Having trouble getting all that reliable power to the ground? How about a kit to bolt in a complete Honda CR-V drivetrain with AWD?

I have to say I'm impressed. They offer bare kits, extended front clips so you can fit some of the larger alternatives in there and still look stock, and full kits including the engine, drivetrain, and all the little bits to tie it all together. All this gearhead talk got you hot and bothered? You can get A/C too.

Their info page says it all: UP TO 45MPG! 0-60MPH in less than four seconds! I'm betting that's an either or choice but neither option is bad.

What? Don't like classic Minis and you want a more modern high tech performance option? They're working on a 270hp mid-engined VTEC powered Insight, the aptly named Frank-Insight.

Road Race Motorsports' French Canadian Top Gear Suzuki SX4

If you've watched Top Gear America, you know about "Big Star, Small Car," in which they put a celebrity in a Suzuki SX4 SportBack. What you may not have known is that Road Race Motorsports built the car. RRM also built an SX4 for the French-Canadian version of Top Gear, as seen above. The car features custom paint, wheels, RRM spoiler, and a host of other goodies.

According to Road Race Motorsports' owner, Rob Tallini,

"We have now built all the celebrity cars for the Top Gear shows in North America. There is a French language Version of the show that also airs. Different cast/crew and cars for that show. We built 2 for the American Language Show with the red SX4 and 1 SX4 for the French Canadian Show. Enjoy. I like it that they all have come to ROAD/RACE to prepare their cars for them and supply our performance parts. They trust what we do and that means a lot to us."

We love the fact that Top Gear does this small-car stuff, that they showcase the Suzuki SX4, and that they use RRM for their builds.

Modified Mitsubishi Mirage from Thailand

Here's the first pic I've seen of a tricked-out new Mitsubishi Mirage from Thailand. In stock form, the little Mitsu is quite sleepy looking, as you can see in the picture below. Thomas in Thailand—our eyes on the streets in that country—posted the above Mirage on my Facebook page today. While I dig what looks to be a matte yellow paint job (maybe just the photo?) and the attempt at an EVO-esque front fascia, I'm still not convinced the new Mirage is a looker by any means, especially in stock form. In fact, I think I just fell asleep for a moment just looking at it.

A stock version of the new Mitsubishi Mirage.

Thomas said that he's seeing more and more Mirages around the streets of Thailand, which makes sense, as it's the first country to get the car (it's manufactured there, too). Europe is supposed to get the Mirage next year, and it's apparently coming to Canada, too. The U.S.? Not so much, at least not yet.

Bonus points for the BMW-like grille on the micro truck in the background.

Widened steelies look hot on small cars

An oldie but goodie: Rocket Bunny Suzuki Wagon R on widened steelies.

Man, widened steelies look so good on some small cars. I don't know what it is for sure; maybe it's that combination of understated looks and raw steel wheels combined with the width that just makes me love 'em so. However, I'm not a big fan of the look of Diamond Racing steelies. They look a bit too NASCAR for me. Regardless of what style of widened steel wheel: To pull it off, you usually need to be slammed.

Being a functionalist most of the time, I probably would never rock 'em on my cars because they are usually heavy and more for the stanced/hellaflush crowd (e.g. lots-o-rubbing), but you never know. I can say that from a looks perspective, I think they're bad-ass.Here are a few examples to whet your pallet:

KISS Edition MINI spotted on Mt. Hood

This isn't something you see everyday: a genuine KISS-edition MINI Cooper Countryman. I don't know if this is one of the MINIs that was auctioned off or if it was a custom job. I wonder if there are any Gene Simmons inspired options? Maybe a huge tongue that comes out of the hood scoop? Maybe some some Paul Stanley chest hair seat covers? It was spotted at Timberline Lodge in late January, but I'm just posting it now.