I am glad that I don't own a 240. Otherwise, I'd have to sell it. My other choice would be to drool, yearn, and attempt to match Non's design. And ultimately fail. Warning 240 owners: Do not try to emulate. Do not write or e-mail us to ask where you can find these products. Most of it is custom-made. The others can only be retrieved in Japan.
Let's cut back to the head-on angle (turn back a page, if you must). Have you seen these tires? Colossal Dunlop SP Sport 9000s, to be exact (225/40ZR18s in front and 255/40ZR18s in the rear). OK, now flip back to this page. Pretend you're walking to the side of the car. Absorb the O.Z. Mitos huddled nicely under the crazy flares. They are 18x9 front and 18x10 rear. The Brembo cross-drilled rotors and Z32 brake calipers have to fight for attention through the paint-matched spokes. As for what you can't see, the car has GAB adjustable shocks instead of the stock MacPherson struts to go along with the GAB coilover springs.
Do I have to say one more time that every attention has been given to the detail? The Super Street license plate rests deep within the rear bumper surrounded by mesh walls. There are clear side markers just behind the fenders and above two Nismo badges. Through the rear windshield, a genuine Nismo rear strut tower bar sits on display. A mischievous Silvia insignia hides in the shadow of the wing, reminding us where most of the car's inspiration comes from.
Now, if the outside impresses with subtlety and sleek styling, then the cabin takes you into a different world altogether. The same sort of high-end Japanese-inspired theme is carried over to the interior, but it is shock therapy all the same. The Japanese plastic-commuter interior has been traded in for supercar status. We're talking Nismo seats and steering wheel for starters. Of course, there are the requisite white gauge faces, and gobs of carbon fiber are used generously for fill. On the passenger side, four GReddy gauges line up above the glovebox, measuring oil temp, oil pressure, exterior temp, and fuel pressure-while a Kenwood Mini-disc player lounges snug inside. Disregard the boost gauge in the driver-side door panel for now-the Silvia still has the American-spec factory KA24DE engine, though anticipate something drastic in the near future.
OK, so there is no turbo. And in terms of engine enhancements, there are few. A Blitz stainless steel air cleaner and exhaust, a custom-fabricated intake pipe, and a Blitz radiator panel are all the car carries to battle for now. A bummer, yes, but with the way the car looks, it's impossible to dwell on that for long. Especially when more useful toys can still be found inside.
The Silvia isn't short in the sight and sounds department. A Kenwood 400W amp powers Image Dynamic IDQ-12 woofers. An Addzest (Japanese version of Clarion) VRX8250 deck shoots out from its slot in the dash and flips to reveal a monitor with a TV antenna (a Zender radio antenna pulls in the audio frequencies). But the monitor isn't just there for Love Boat reruns. Also hooked up to the screen is an HKS Camp System, which provides digital readouts of everything going on within the engine. Uh, cool.It's no secret that pure Japanese parts and components are practically requirements to winning shows on the West Coast. That's why everyone clambers with flailing arms (and open wallets) for Nismo, Mugen, Feels, and Bomex. Besides, hard-to-find equals exclusivity equals cool. However, Non's desire for all things Japanese runs deeper than that (he lived in Japan up to 10 years ago). For him, it's not a question of status, but integrity. His objective for his cars is to stay true to the country that created them. Ultimately, that translates into a modest and sincere approach toward design. So, when he sculpts his car in 24-karat Nismo and Bomex, he ain't showing off. He's just being Non.