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Since IAS 99, Civic Sis have flooded the streets, and the much anticpated S2000 is here. However, other than those two, the Honda performance world has changed only a little. As AT and I cruised through SEMA it was obvious that the domestic manufacturers still dominate, because they had the biggest booths. The big import booths focused on big body kits, big wheels, big shiny exhausts, crazy paint and interior. To
see the good stuff from the smaller companies, you had
to travel deep into the dark corners of the South Hall.
Meanwhile, the S2000 has replaced the Civic Si as the darling of the import
aftermarket, most of them probably being bought well above sticker price. But rumours were floating that Ford had paid companies to put a Focus in their booth. Most of the products were the same as those shown as "New" last March at IAS. A few new products were exciting enough to be worthy of capturing on my crusty, old digi-cam.
Suspension
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Suspension Techniques new rear lower strut bar is not only
stunningly sexy, it is a solution to one of the increasingly more
common Civic/Integra suspension failure modes. As Geeser's website
so graphically shows, and many others can attest, the
rear sway bar mounts can brutally be ripped out by a big rear
sway bar. The red metal brackets reinforce this area.
Connecting the two brackets together to form a lower strut
brace is brilliant!
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 RaceRunner
shocks by Sway-A-Way:
Fully threaded, fully rebuildable with an almost
infinite number of valving combinations. The shock body
is a full 1" shorter than stock allowing extreme lowering with
travel. Accepts standard 2.5 coils like Eibach ERS.
Price is about about $500-600 for all 4.
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 Cusco Carbon Fiber strut bar for EGs and EKs. It uses a very large diameter CF tube, and is light weight and stiff.
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Lightweight wheels are hard to find
especially with the fashion driven popularity of bigger and bigger
wheels. Some new and some previously vary rare wheels were
prominently displayed. Choose your favorite.
 SSR TYPE R: New SSR wheel is
called the Type R wheel. This version was a 4x100/4x114, so its not
intended to be specific to the Type-R. In a dark silver, white and
gold. 12lbs (15") 
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Rota Circuit 8s in bronze and satin black, but these
are in the Konig booth. Note the Rota cap still glued to the
wheel! 12lbs (15x6.5)
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Advan RG: White and Gold both with a dark blue lip.
Lightweight 10.5 lbs (15x6.5)
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 Desmond RegaMaster Evo: The
essence of the functional wheel. Same wheels as the Spoon
SW-388. 9.7lbs (15x6.5)
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 Lenso VPD: Good looking
wheel, that's not too wild and not to plain.
12lbs (15x6.5) Also comes in 16 and 17"
 For slick use only they have
a 13x7.5 +25 9lbs "Tom Slick".
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Transmission
3 LSDs you may or may not have seen. The new players on the
scene to challenge the all powerful, and expensive Quiaffe
Phantom Grip: Two metal plates held apart by springs, drops
in your existing differential. MSRP is $299.
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 Kaaz: Clutch type LSD, rebuildable and
adjustable friction by changing clutch plates. $800-900.
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 Kaaz: Close Ratio Gear Set for road racing and Final Drive Set. FD of 3.5 for Drag (1st gear drops to 2nd), and 4.066. Both designed to compliment the Gear Set. $2000-2300 for gears, $800-900 for FDs.
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 Progress
Prodrive: Locking differential.
Not really a limited slip, because there is no slip. It is either locked or unlocked. In a straight
line, it locks both axles together, like a welded diff,
or spool. When the steering wheel is turned, it unlocks and transfers full torque to
the axle with the most traction. $1200-1400
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Engine
 
Jackson Racing: Jackson was displaying their H22A
supercharger kit. The kit uses an elaborate pulley sytem to
connect the blower to the crank. Does it fit on an H22A
installed in a Civic? You will have to take a look and figure
it out for yourself.
 Also in the Jackson Racing booth
was this knock-off of the Mugen double pass thru
muffler. Sure is shiny. |
 Tanabe: Prototype
Integra Type-R header. 4-1 with the big JDM exit, not the puny US
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Parting shot... This is just about how my S2000 would
look...(minus the Comptech sticker) 
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If you missed this year's SEMA don't be concerned. We were underwhelmed. Import Auto Salon was a better show. The layout is better, more companies with good products that can't afford SEMA, and simply more import/Honda oriented. Check out SEMA for more information about that event, and see you there.
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