Perhaps the other parts in the car might help. Take for example the extra-wide widebody kit, seamlessly wrapped over the stock tC chassis, making you forget just for a second that it's a Scion. Place 19-inch HRE wheels underneath them, 10 inches wide in the front and 12 inches in the rear, and all of sudden you're actually considering buying the moderately priced tC. Lower the entire body a couple of inches with a set of Tanabe coilovers, and not only do you have a respected spy car, but you may also have a track monster, well-equipped for the toughest circuits. Finish it with a nice silver color, accentuate it with some black bumper accents, showcase the extremely large intercooler, adorn it with some Stick-It graphics, and you may have a car that's going to catch the attention of some gold-digging groupies.
But you ain't out of the woods yet. Sure, picking up dimes gets easier with the exterior package, not to mention the lethal spy weapons, but a girl ain't dropping trou' if the ride is stock. Under the hood of this widebody tC is a 550hp engine equipped with a set of JE pistons, Carillo rods, Crower valve kit, and the Twins Turbo prototype turbo kit, featuring a Garrett GT3076R turbocharger and TiAL blow-off valve, all managed by a WORLD Electronics TBC-1 boost controller. Have her sit shotgun while all 550 horses pull the reins, and you'll be getting some Octopussy in no time.
But then again, nothing's guaranteed. It seems the only sure-fire hit comes from the exhaust-mounted flamethrowers, and the sheer boldness oozing out of this car, which is perhaps the car of the year, if you ask me. It combines all the goodness in life as far as car-show tuners are concerned: high-tech gadgets, high-horsepower engine, dope wheels, and accessories up the ying-yang. And if anybody could pull this off with style and finesse, it would have to be Christian Rado. "The sky is the limit," he says. "Only we (racers, spectators, and enthusiasts) hold the key to the future of this industry. If I have anything to say about the future, it will be that I can't wait to see how cool we can make it."
FAST FACTS
05' SION TC
OWNER Christian Rado
HOMETOWN Hollywood, CA
DAILY GRIND Race car driver; car designer
POWER 550 hp @ 5,600 rpm; 445 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm
UNDER THE HOOD 2AZ-FE I-4; Carillo connecting rods; JE pistons; LC Engineering-modified valves, valve springs, ported and polished head; Crower valves, valve springs, retainers; ROM-Tuned fuel injection; Bosch 550cc fuel injectors, spark plugs; Aeroquip fuel regulator; custom fuel rail; Twins Turbo custom air intake, exhaust; Descendent turbo kit; Garrett GT3076R turbocharger; TiAL blow-off valve, wastegate
DRIVETRAIN ACT clutch
BRAINS World Electronics TBC-1 boost controller
ROLLERS 19x10 (f), 19x12 (r) HRE 545R wheels; 265/30ZR19 (f), 305/25ZR19 (r) Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires
STOPPERS StopTech 14-inch rotor 4-piston front and OE-replacement rear brakes
STIFF STUFF Tanabe front and rear coilovers; TRD front and rear anti-roll bars
OUTSIDE Extreme Dimensions Chris Rado Series widebody tC kit; C-West wing; custom lighting; Sinful Enhancements bodywork; Stick-It graphics
INSIDE MOMO suede seats, shift knob, pedals; J&G Auto Customs panels, custom dash, console; Auto Meter gauges; 3M window tint; custom smoke screen, oil slick, flamethrowers, night vision; FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) system; NX Nitrous system; retina scanners; fingerprint scanners; police scanners; mobile internet
ICE Mobile Windows XP computer with touch screen head unit; Rockford Fosgate amplifiers, speakers, wiring; Co-Pilot GPS navigation; motorized glove box, center console, rear spy compartments
PROPS Sheila Swanson, Mark Templin, and Steve Hatanaka at Scion; Tracy Parker at Garrett; Clayton Triggs at MOMO; Zach Luke at Rockford Fosgate; Bill Terre at FLIR Systems; Randall and Brian at NX; Leigh and Ryan from Extreme Dimensions; Sin and Han from Sinful Enhancements; Dirk, Tracy, and Daryl at Advanced Clutch Technology; Eric and Marc Kozeluh, the infamous Turbo Twins for all their hard work at Twins Turbo; Big Kurt, Paulie, and all my crew; Geoff and Joe over at J&G Auto Customs
By Roel F. Concepcion
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