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OnWheels
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Tuner Cars Invade
CHICAGO & DETROIT AUTO SHOWS
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KNOB. O R IG IN A L I (¿V II’-
M IN I S I W V I IIII I I s O f
course there have always
been radical concepts rotat
ing on turntables, but the
parts on concept cars inay
never find their way onto
street vehicles.
This year, a flood of
tuner vehicles were found
sitting right next to their fac
tory counterparts, and auto
manufacturers are encourag
ing the parts on these cars to
find their way to die street.
A tuner vehicle is a car
that's been modified with
after-market accessories and
performance parts. Some
manufacturers hire outside
tuner shops or enthusiasts
to do the modifications, and
others use internal resourc
es to create a customized
package.
cars are usually iden
tifiable by carbon-fiber
hoods, shaved door
handles, multiple auxiliary
gauges, video monitors
— everywhere, massive
wheels and equally massive
spoilers on the trunklid.
Celebrity customizers like
Fuukmaster Flex have even
been invited on board by
manufacturers to pnxlucc
special tuner vehicles.
The growing trend of
manufacturers displaying
tuner cars is also a way
for them to get feedback
from die public and media
about vehicle customizadon.
“We're kxiking to explore
it just like any other design
concept. W hat’s the appeal?
What's the reaction? Is it
something we should consid
er producing?,” says Maurice
Durand, Mitsubishi Motors
North America, about its
Ralliart Eclipse Concept.
Mitsubishi's first-genera
tion Eclipse was a nimble,
turbocharged, all-wheel
drive car that's beloved by-
enthusiasts for its case of
performance enhancement
and sports car capabilities.
But the current generation
Eclipse has succumbed to
the demand for a larger,
easier to drive
'H i e
everyday car, and die per
formance persona has been
watered down somewhat.
To combat this loss of
street cred. Mitsubishi's
Ralliart Eclipse concept is
the brainchild of Mitsu’s
design studio in Cypress,
Calif.' T he Ralliart concept
is what endiusiasis would
have liked the Eclipse to
evolve into. T he concept’s
performance enhance
ments include a Mitsubishi
Evolution all-wheel drive
system and turbocharged
four cylinder, which has
been modified with HKS
parts to produce 400 horse
power. Tlie Evolution's six-
speed manual transmission
has been retrofitted to the
rest of the drivetrain.
Hyundai’s display at the
Chicago Auto Show had
tuner cars lined up. side-by-
side, five deep to showcase
nxxiification possibilities of
the Tiburon, Azcra. Sonata
and Tucson.
T he Street Concept
Tiburon, featured at the
show, sported Lamborghini-
stylc doors that flip up
when opened, as well as
aesthetic and performance
m o d if ic a tio n s , which are
topped off by a bright-red
paint scheme and huge
20-inch black wheels
with chrome
lips. Street
Concepts, out
of Huntington
Beach. Calif..
WW ONWHEttSINC COM
■
specializes in modifying
cars for corporations, with
Hyundai being a client.
T he Azera concept was
one of the classiest tuner
cars on display, the olive
green paint was highlighted
with tasteful, barely distin
guishable ghost grapliics.
T he Azera's grille and
badges were color matched
to the exterior, and the car
was set off by olive colored
five-spoke rims with chrome
lips. “Tuner” doesn’t have
to be synonymous with
“juvenile,” after all.
Tuner veludes aie an exer
cise in design and engineering
that are proportional to the
demands of customers and
the after-market industry.
Although most vehicles won’t
roll ofT die assembly line with
10 DVD screens, expensive
pcarlcscent paint and two-fool
tall spoilers, it's possible dial
customers will make these
modifications themselves.
Tuners cars are repre
sentative of potential more
than production options.
As long as the after-market
industry is striving, there’s
a good chance that tuner
cars will be side-by-side
next to their unmodified
cousins at O EM auto
shows, and who knows?
Maybe One day a flame-
inspired paint scheme will
be available on the new
Hyundai Santa Fc. I