It’s amazing to think how far the Lexus GS has come in a relatively short amount of time. When it was first introduced in 1993, the car was, unbeknownst to most, what you could consider special, as the GS 300’s lineage comes from one of Toyota’s greatest platforms, the Supra, and subsequently, was also derived from one of its Lexus brethren, the SC 400, sharing many things like suspension design and drivetrain. Of course, some of you know it more as an Aristo in JDM lingo, and for those of you really in the know, the way a 2JZ engine fits in the bay is more than just “really cool shit”—it’s sublime and perfect. Even the second gen GS became a popular car fit for engine conversions (more so in the US), drifting and bippu, maybe more so in Japan as drivers like Manabu Orido commissioned an Aristo himself for competition.

We know how difficult it can be to work on cars; believe us, we’ve had more than our share of problems over the years, too. Good thing we’re willing to share this knowledge of problem solving with you and act like we know something technical about cars. Feel free to ask us about your tech problems by writing to Super Street at tech@superstreetonline.com or Super Street, Attn: Tech Support, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245. We’ll try out best to answer your questions but can’t answer every one we receive personally or in print, so if your issue is urgent, we highly recommend you seeking the help of a nearby mechanic! Also, try to do some basic research online; while the Internet and forums aren’t all foolproof, it is a very good start as there are many excellent resources to look at. If it helps to include a few photos to describe/illustrate your problem/project, please do so.

With every passing year it seems the gap between SEMA and the Super Lap Battle (SLB) finals on the following Wednesday get closer and closer. Just when you think you can relax (and detox), you find yourself driving into the middle of the desert where filthy hotels, crappy food and fast cars await. When the sun comes up in the distance, race fuel stench fills the air and the sound of engines firing to life surround you—it’s suddenly all worth it.

Earlier in this issue, we dropped some knowledge to help you improve the handling of your ride. To guide you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of tuners that offer the goods to get you there. Almost all the companies offer vehicle specific parts for your Civic, GT-R, Evo, Cavalier, whatever you drive. So don’t be shy. After checking out this guide, browse their websites and give them a call to make sure you’re getting the right parts. If you have a specific question, we can always help, too (tech@superstreetonline.com).

Basic physics tell us that quicker lap times and winning the traffic light drag races are more about grip and balance than outright power. Masters of the art of chassis tuning such as Lotus recognized this decades ago, and their range of perfectly matched sports cars are the pinnacle of this philosophy proving that any Elise can kill most cars through the twisty stuff…

The All New Scion.com is set to launch as an innovative, easy-to-use, product-focused user-friendly site today. Built using the HTML 5 platform, the site loads through pages quickly and efficiently, a change implemented for current and future web-browser functionality, with social media sharing tools covered from front-to-back with Facebook sharing, Google+, Twitter and email. Scion.com will also connect to Scion lifestyle sites such as ScionAV.com, ScionRacing.com, and ScionOwners.com, where users are introduced to its lifestyle brands and partnerships with artists, racing teams, enthusiasts and more.

If you’re a serious car builder, then the SEMA Show is one place you MUST bring that special project to, especially if you like to floss. These aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill cruisers you see every day, and attention to detail is an absolute must. This year, we made it a point to not only check out Japanese cars, but cars that were simply all that and a bag of chips. Major props to the cars on this list.

At its core, the SEMA Show is—once you’ve stripped it of all the display cars, booth models, fancy dinners and late night boozing—all about the parts. This is where many make their grand debut and now you get to see what we saw: in no particular order, the newest parts you’re going to want to have for 2012.

You readers out there may not understand much about the SEMA Show, especially if you’ve never been or will never have the means to get out to one— but understand this: it is a test of many sorts. It pushes you physically, mentally and in many cases, breaks people before the week is even over. For anyone who doesn’t know what the SEMA Show is, it’s a four-day gathering in Las Vegas, thrown by the SEMA organization (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association), to showcase the aftermarket auto industry in all its glory, and nearly anything you can think of, from performance bolt-ons to wheels and so, so much more can be found there—and they don’t discriminate. Import or domestic, there is something for you there and it’s the first place you’ll see many new products coming to light. Of course, for us, this is our biggest event of the year, and we hit it full force in order to show you what’s going to be hot in the future and what’s currently rocking trends. After long days of walking and scouting, followed by endless nights of party rocking, this is what we have to report on. May our feet, brain cells and livers recuperate quickly…

The all-new Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car livery was revealed today when the company's official team unveiled the new colours that will adorn the car in the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship.

This has basically become a routine for us here at Super Street: every year, a month or so after the annual SEMA show occurs, we make our way down to Ontario, CA to visit our good friend Bisi Ezerioha. It’s always nice to catch up with Bisi and his interesting sense of humor, but the main reason why we head out there is to get a better look at his latest, and possibly greatest, new project. We’ve come to expect a lot from Bisi over the years because he never disappoints. If anything, he’s always surprised us and exceeded our expectations. Bisi started out as the naturally-aspirated single-cam Honda king, and then captured the attention of the entire import automotive community by building a 700-plus horsepower, turbocharged Civic Wagon. One company that took a vested interest in Bisimoto’s many accomplishments was Honda of America. They knew he had the uncanny ability to build what seemed impossible and provided him with the opportunity last year to tinker with the then-newly released hybrid Honda CR-Z. Unless you’ve been living under that proverbial rock, you’ve probably already heard of his fully-operational hybrid, turbocharged, 533hp CR-Z. If by chance you haven’t, please kindly pull up a Google search and educate yourself. The Bisimoto CR-Z garnered such critical acclaim and positive reception, that Honda once again contacted Bisi for the 2011 SEMA project. This time around, they had another unique undertaking in the form of the newly-unveiled 2012 Honda Civic Si.

For years, the SEMA Action Network has beaten back legislation which would have essentially banned aftermarket exhaust systems in Hawaii, including one that would have allowed law enforcement officers to seize and impound a vehicle upon making a subjective determination that the vehicle was in violation. Good news! This year a bill (H.B. 2216) based on the SEMA model that would allow vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective noise limit was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature. Car owners would be issued a certificate of compliance if a test of the exhaust system demonstrated that the exhaust system emitted no more than 95-decibels.

US meet Japan, Japan meet US—or, is it a US meet in Japan? All of the above. The first-ever HellaFlush Japan event held at Fuji Speedway was an international celebration of stance and all that is good about the aftermarket tuning scene. Mark Arcenal and the guys from Fatlace did an amazing job of rounding up what was without a doubt, a previously unseen mixed selection of cars. From chassis-scraping VIP saloons with demon camber, to aggressively-stanced Hondas and Nissans drift cars, not to mention a big group of Euros, pimped mini-vans, vintage rides and Kei cars. Mark was impressed at the dedication the Japanese have, not only to respect and follow a US-based style but somehow evolve it and give it an unmistakable Japanese twist with plenty of extreme examples on show. Wheel manufacturers like Enkei, Work and RAYS Engineering all came out to support the event and bring their most popular models of wheels, some custom-painted in shocking colors to appeal more to this particular scene. Attention to detail is what makes these cars stand out and we were blown away by what we saw. No matter what style you are into, doing it well and with plenty of style is what this HellaFlush thing is all about.

Even if you’re not a walking encyclopedia about cars, you should know a few things about the Impreza WRX STI. First off, it’s Subaru’s flagship high performance car and it came exclusively with an all-wheel drive layout. In addition, the car is well-decorated in motorsport with success in the World Rally Championship. But for the next few minutes, let’s throw all that shit out the window because this particular STI beats to a different drum. It’s been specifically designed for drifting, sporting a rear-wheel drive conversion. It’s also powered by an RB25DET from the Nissan Skyline! If you’re a Subie purist, please turn the page now—but if we caught your attention, you won’t be disappointed.

It’s the first day of SEMA and we’re standing in the Lexus tent as hundreds of journalists check out the reveal of the Five Axis GS F Sport. There isn’t much that needs to be said about the car that you can’t get from the photos. The car is a thing of beauty and moments later we were proven right. We see a group of models walk in with their eyes glued to the car. Among them was our recent cover model Eva Skye, who must have took twenty pictures of the car. After ignoring us for few minutes we call out her name and she yells back, “this is so sexy,” as she waves, turns around and looks right back at the car.

Onto bigger and better things. Turn 14 Distribution now calls a massive 52,000sq-ft warehouse home, which obviously means more room to stock more product, which in turn can supply you with your performance fix with ease.

Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru Rally Team USA (SRT USA) announced today that David Higgins, the 2011 Rally America National Champion will continue as factory driver for the team in 2012 in a bid to defend his title. Higgins and SRT USA begin the 2012 Rally America National Championship at the season opener Sno*Drift Rally in northern Michigan, Jan. 27 and 28 against a stacked field of over 70 entries. Co-driver Craig Drew will once again join Higgins; the duo will pilot a Vermont SportsCar-prepared 2012 Subaru WRX STI in all six rounds of the 2012 Rally America National Championship.

Most expensive Toyota/Lexus car is Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package (Lexus LFA N Pac), which is about 44,500,000 yen (about $593,000 USD). Lexus LFA N Pac is only 50 limited cars for selling in the world. Regular LFA is only 500 limited cars for selling and that is hard to buy already, even if you have a lot of money. Regular LFA have V10 motor, which can make 560ps; LFA N Pac has a tuned V10 motor which can make 570ps. I think LFA and Nissan GT-R is kind of super sport car which is on same class as Ferrari and Porsche. Number one expensive Toyota/Lexus sedan is Lexus LS600hL, which is 15,500,000 yen (about $206,600 USD); LS600hL have V8 motor and hybrid system, which can make 394ps. LFA and LS are expensive and Toyota/Lexus’s flagship product in the world. There is another Toyota’s flagship product is only in Japan, and that is Toyota Century, a four door sedan for limousine car and many Japanese VIP take it. Century is 12,080,000 yen (about $161,066 USD). That is cheaper than LFA and LS but Century have 5.0-liter V12 motor (1GZ-FE), which can make 280ps. Toyota makes V12 motor only for Toyota Century in Japanese market. Century have hand-made front emblem, expensive wood panel, the rear seats have massage system because Century is limousine car and has the most equipment for rear passenger seats. Century has two engine computer (ECU) and two fuel pump, which means six-cylinders each side has one ECU and one fuel pump. Two ECU is checking each other and if one side of six-cylinder would have any troubles, ECU cut fuel and stop to work six-cylinder and keep on working another six-cylinder for driving. That is look like airplane engine management system.

The Super Street staff is here in Japan for the annual Tokyo Auto Salon! We’ll be bringing you live coverage on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages but enjoy a preview of our favorite cars and photos from day one. Stay tuned for our full report in the May 2012 issue of Super Street.

It’s been said that an enthusiast is only as good as his/her tools, and the deeper one gets into the sport, the more this adage holds true. Don’t get us wrong though, because we’re not saying that everyone needs a garage full of top-rate tools; instead, slowly acquiring quality pieces bit by bit will eventually net you the shop you’ve always wanted.

Yikes, how will this work? We think the Evo with its combined 19-mpg is good on gas for the amount of sphincter-puckering performance you get. Heck English Racing can add 2 mpg to your highway totals and bump up the performance with a quick, down ’n dirty ECU flash. Rumors have the Evo getting an electric assist in the near future. In fact, Mitsubishi president Osamu Masuko has said the new hybrid Evo will hit the streets within the next three years.

Sounds like time attack racing is quickly becoming Tyler McQuarrie’s new game of choice: at the Global Time Attack finals held at Infineon Raceway, he once again hopped in the FX Motorsports Development Acura NSX and delivered a quick 1:34.564, taking the win in the Unlimited GT RWD class and setting a new track record for the series. Earlier that week, Tyler also set a new track record at our Super Lap Battle finals (read the event wrap-up in this issue), so we give huge props to him for carrying the momentum onward for a victorious end to a 2011 time attack racing season.

The Mazda2 is Mazda’s offshoot of the Ford Fiesta. At 100-horsepower the 2 flexes less power than its Blue Oval brethren but we think its has better driving dynamics. So our eyebrows got a rise when we heard Mazda had shoehorned a Mazdaspeed3 powerplant into the mighty mite’s engine bay. Dubbed the Turbo2, the car runs a 2.3-liter Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) turbo MZR engine rated at 263 horsepower, that’s plus 163 ponies over stock.

Honda unveiled the dynamic Accord Coupe Concept today at the North American International Auto Show, providing the first official glimpse of the athletic styling direction, as well as revealing a host of new technologies for the all-new, ninth-generation 2013 model, set to go on-sale this fall.

Subaru of America, Inc. and Aha by HARMAN, the first interactive platform that makes web content safe for drivers, have announced a partnership that will use the Aha platform to seamlessly bring Web-based content into Subaru vehicles to letting drivers interact with web-based content right through their radios. Subaru is one of the first automotive manufacturers to integrate Aha’s service into its vehicles.