Fousekis' 1993 Mazda RX-7

The last decade has seen significant growth in the influence of Japanese automotive culture on U.S. enthusiasts, and arguably the hottest new trend to work its way to North America is called VIP, or Bippu. Once associated with elements of the underworld in its native land, the styling is all about creating understated sophistication, a look that’s commonly characterized by a lowered ride height, large diameter rims with broad-faced designs and low offsets that sometimes sit tucked into the fenders, a full body or lip kit and glossy paint, traditionally in black, white, gray or silver. These elements are generally found on luxury sedans of a variety of marques.

Nick and Selina Fousekis of Fontana, Calif., are followers of the VIP canon, but like a lot of Japanese inspiration that finds its way Stateside, they had a slightly different translation of the auto fashion. Rather than go with a big, boxy four-door platform, they instead chose to build up their 1993 Mazda RX-7, a sports coupe. Says Nick of the reason for choosing such a decidedly unconventional foundation, “[I wanted to make] the perfect blend of VIP styling on a sports car chassis.”

You might think the Fousekis are a little mad for pursuing such an eccentric project, until you learn more about them and in particular Nick. A lifelong enthusiast, his love for sport compacts was sparked after his first “midnight meet” in San Diego in 1993. He has owned several since, and parlayed his passion into a career, currently serving as Brand Manager for Falken Tire. There he has spearheaded many initiatives, including the formation and proliferation of the company’s US drift program and development of Falken’s VIP tire line, earning a rep as something of a visionary.

This is actually the second go-around for the Fousekis RX-7, which received media attention previously when it was a streetable show car built to appear circuit ready. Looking for a new challenge, and seeing how the VIP swing had worked through the scene so far, Nick chose to go in an entirely new direction with his Mazda.

At first glance one would almost mistake the RX-7 for a much more opulent model, in part because the paint is from one, a black from a high-profile German OEM sprayed by the color-smiths at San Diego Collision Specialists. Outward appearances are further massaged with a KS Auto Burnout aero kit and a small handful of vinyl graphics tastefully applied by Enrico Del Mar at Modern Image. At each corner of the Mazda are hallmarks of the look, massive 19-inch AME LX wheels shod in Falken FK452 rubber, a special model design exclusively for VIP vehicles.

The coupe’s cabin has been re-done in an elegant red-stitched black suede motif, including the stock RX-7 door panels, MOMO adjustable seat and Sparco steering wheel. In addition, a pair of A’PEXi gauges in a pod on the dashboard and a MOMO shift knob are found inside, as is an Alpine Blackbird portable navigation system, multimedia receiver/AV head unit with screen and a set of Alpine Type-R separates. Under the Mazda’s hatch in back, the in-car entertainment system is completed with Alpine amplifiers and a 10-inch subwoofer firing from a custom enclosure built by AutoFashion in San Diego.

The beauty of imbuing a sports car with VIP style is that it’s still a sports car underneath the elegant dressing, and the Fousekis know this. After all their RX-7 was once a combo street/circuit/show car, and they hoped to maintain some of that flexibility, so as such kept much of the performance modifications already made. That includes a stock 13BT engine that was rebuilt by renowned tuners XS Engineering in Garden Grove, who prepped the turbocharged motor with 3mm apex seals and a wild street porting job. The original Mazda turbo was also freshened, and an A’PEXi blow-off valve and intercooler have been implemented into the forced induction system.

The compressor section pulls in air through an A’PEXi twin filter setup and sends the charge through a GReddy intake manifold, while the turbine half propels spent gasses to the A’PEXi GT Spec exhaust. To accommodate the increase in induction, an SX Performance fuel pressure regulator and pump are employed, and combustion events are tuned via a A’PEXi Power FC and Commander engine management. Once the 13B mill gets up to speed, putting power to the ground is handled largely by the Exedy clutch and Kaaz limited-slip differential.

Ride height for the FD chassis is made adjustable thanks to a foursome of Buddy Club coilovers tucked up into each wheel well. Also under the fenders, G-Tech stainless steel brake lines for added pedal pressure, and for the forward running gear a Rotora brake upgrade kit that consists of calipers, rotors and pads. Finally, the third-gen. RX-7 is made more rigid with the use of aluminum strut tower braces front and rear by Japanese company JIC Magic.

Whether or not the Fousekis’ hit their mark of producing the perfectly balanced luxury and performance sports car is all in the eyes of the beholder, but few will deny the RX-7 stands out. The US VIP scene has yet to travel down this road, and this Mazda is very likely on the cutting edge of the phenomena. For Nick, though, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Mazda RX-8 by Sammy Lam2004

The saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” apparently doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Take Sammy Lam and his 2004 RX-8 for example. Every single piece and part of his brand new ride was functioning perfectly as intended from the factory, so he did what any normal gear-head would do – he changed everything. Some would say Sammy has this problem that won’t let him settle for average in any category, especially performance. The need to overachieve in handling, cosmetics and power is what has transformed an unspoiled RX-8 into this head-turning street rogue that you’re likely salivating over right now.

Sammy is no stranger to the Mazda brand. Before purchasing his RX-8, Sammy challenged corners in his 2002 Miata MX-5. His sole reason for buying the roadster was his obsession with its pure balance and spirited handling. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that when he traded in his Miata for the RX-8, the first thing he did was address the handling. Although the RX-8 had almost everything he was looking for – 4-doors, rotary engine and hardtop – he felt it needed that ultra-responsive ride it seems only a Miata can provide.

It began with a simple pair of Mazdaspeed front and rear strut bars and snowballed into a full-blown chassis stiffening addiction. A second rear strut bar from JIC was added beneath the first one. A custom 6-point front strut brace further complemented the Mazdaspeed piece with added rigidity. The reinforcements didn’t stop there, as Sammy felt it necessary to install an Autoexe lower sub-frame brace to keep things tight below deck. He was so concerned about handling and balance that he even went to the extent of relocating the battery over the rear axle and reduced its weight by switching to a race cell.

The handling didn’t change significantly until the thicker and stiffer front and rear sway bars from Tanabe were installed. With the frame as rigid as it could possibly be with bolt-ons, Sammy took handling to the next level by swapping in TEIN Flex coil-overs. Each dampener is electronically connected to TEIN’s EDFC system that allows the suspension to be fine-tuned on the fly from an onboard control unit.

To fully capitalize on the stiff setup, Sammy had to choose a sticky competition tire to handle the increased lateral loads. He chose the Yokohama Advan A032R rubbers and wrapped them around staggered 17-inch Work Emotion CR Kai lightweight wheels. Beyond the deep bronze spokes sit a 4-piston Brembo big brake kit up front, while the rear is outfitted with Project Mu 2-piece SRC-Pro rotors and Titan Kai racing pads. The well above-average brake system allows Sammy to push harder on the track without fear of brake fade or sponginess. After Sammy’s first track day in the RX-8 he was sufficiently pleased with its handling and braking upgrades, but left Lam with a new hunger for speed that needed satisfying.

He skipped the appetizers and went straight for the main course, a GReddy turbo kit. Rotary genius Juni at JRX Rotary is responsible for the reliable 330HP 13B Renesis transformation. Sammy needed to drive the RX-8 everyday to work, so they compromised with a well mannered 9-lbs of boost. Juni complemented the kit with a GReddy Type S blow-off valve and a custom wastegate. The increased engine heat is cancelled with a Mazsport cooling fan kit and a Koyo radiator full of ARC racing coolant. Backpressure is minimized via a race-spec catalytic converter and a HKS Legamax exhaust. In an effort to squeeze out every last unit of power, a Sunco Hyper Voltage grounding system was installed. To better protect his rolling investment, Sammy tops off his rotary with specially formulated Idemitsu turbo rotary synthetic oil.

Sammy wanted his RX-8 to stand out visually from the sea of played out tuner cars. He accomplished this by searching high and low for the rare parts that were of only the highest quality. Take for example the RE-Amemiya carbon fiber front lip with canards that is the only one of its kind currently in the US. The carbon fiber obsession didn’t stop there, either, as he also went for the VIS V-Speed hood and a custom adjustable rear wing. The license plate was relocated off to the side and a custom front grill modification was made to allow for more air to pass to the intercooler. Last but not least, one of Sammy’s favorite touches is the Euro-spec rear rotary fog light that was custom wired to act as a third brake light.

The cockpit of this RX-8 is intricate with gadgets and performance accessories that are sure to frustrate even the most experienced valets. An Autopower 4-point roll cage limits access to the back seats but gives Sammy a sense of safety on those weekend track days. The factory seats were quickly swapped for a set of white Alcantera suede Recaro SPG seats mounted on the lowest height Bride seat mounts available. Takata 5-point harnesses have the job of keeping the pilot strapped in at all times. A Nardi steering wheel mounted on a FET quick-release hub allow for quick and easy access in and out of the car. A customized center pod houses Defi boost, EGT, oil and water temperature gauges constantly monitoring the engine’s vitals. A Greddy Pro-fec B Spec II boost controller changes the engine’s attitude with the flip of a switch, while the Innovate wide-band oxygen sensor makes sure that the air/fuel mixture remains optimal. The interior package is topped off with a titanium shift knob from A-Spec.

Far from average, and really just short of a race car, Sammy is delighted with his creation, or so he thought. As we write this he is already considering a larger turbo, or help us all, a complete rotary swap. Whatever he ends up doing, you can be sure that it will be done right. As he’s shown, Sammy is not one to cut corners on quality or craftsmanship. Until then, Sammy can mostly likely be found harassing lesser cars on the street during the week, and passing victims on the track on the weekends. To us anyway, it already sounds like a perfect ride.