Adrian’s (he’d rather not give his last name) 911 Turbo is, in my opinion, one of the best looking cars from the 996 generation. From the GT2 bodykit to the HRE wheels, this car is definitely a looker. And this is no garage queen either. Adrian uses the full potential of this machine at the track.

996 Love

As a Porsche 996 owner myself, I am often surprised at the bad-mouthing this generation of 911 gets. I think it mostly stems from three things:

1. The fact that it is the first water-cooled 911 (see paragraph below)
2. The front part of the car is shared with the Boxster which was sold at about half the price (snobs)
3. The “fried egg” headlights (really? headlights?)

Those who have actually driven a 996 know that it is a fantastic car to drive and is very much a Porsche. For me, the air-cooled cars are just old technology. Yes, Ferraris have engines smaller than 12 cylinders and the new Mustang 5.0 has dual overhead cams and variable valve timing. It’s not an aircraft engine. Fluids are good. It’s progress. Get used to it.

This statement from Adrian proves the point. “I was at NJMP (New Jersey Motorsports Park) a year ago and in my run group there was a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari something, not really sure which model. Anyway, I managed to pass everything in my run group and when the session was over these two guys came over asking if this was the new Porsche with XXX amount of horsepower and all…..When I told them the truth, they could not believe the the mods, or lack of mods, that had been done,” states Adrian. “They said I went by them as if they were standing still. I get a kick out of that because, in reality, the car is close to 7 years old….I love this car!”

When asked what he likes most about his car, Adrian replied “The way it makes me feel! The whole expierence of owning a turbo Porsche…Words can’t describe it.”

Beauty and Brawn

So how did Adrian create such a beautiful and capable machine? Here are just some of the modifications:

Suspension JIC Cross Coilovers Porsche GT3 Sway Bars Agency Power Control Arms Transmission B&M Short Shift Kit Exhaust Cargraphic Turbo-Back Exhaust System

Exterior OEM GT2 Bodykit Precision Porsche Gemballa-Like Hood Wheels and Tires 19″ HRE P40 Wheels (Street) 18″ OEM Wheels (Track) Michelin PS2 Tires (Street) Nitto NT01 Tires (Track)

What Mods and Why?

“The first mod I made was exhaust,” states Adrian. “The stock exhaust was too damn quiet. I could not hear my own car out on track when other cars were around me.”

So what modification has had the most impact? “The suspension has made the biggest improvement performance wise,” says Adrian. “And the car looks better with a lowered stance.”

What’s Next?

So what’s next on the to-do list? “Up until right now, I feel the car is perfect,” states Adrian. “It has a great balance of power and handling. Lately, with the newer cars rolling out of showroom floors making 500hp+, I can sense a feeling coming over me for more power. So I’ve already started collecting important parts such as a set of K24 turbos and a set of Evolution Motorsports intercoolers. That should hold them off for a bit!”

So Adrian, if you could own any car, what would it be? “It would definitly be a Porsche! And if I had a choice it’d be the new GT2 RS with a white exterior and a black and red interior. No need to mod that! I would leave it stock. Now that’s a sweet ride. Come on mega ball!”

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There is nothing too extreme about Steven Kitajima’s Volkswagen Rabbit. But that’s not what our Project Overload series is all about. It’s about the car and the individual. If you want to read about the most extreme cars you’ll never actually see in person, there’s definitely a couple of magazines or websites you can visit. Our goal is to tell a different story. There are millions of car lovers like Steven who spend their hard-earned cash on their cars and we want to tell their stories. All of these cars are special, and Steven’s is no different. So no… Steven’s ride isn’t extreme, but it sure is one cool little Rabbit. And Steven likes to call it, “The Little Rabbit That Could.”

Better Breathing

If Steven’s car was a GTI, he probably would have opted for the ECU upgrade as his first modification since the GTI is a turbo. But naturally aspirated engines like the 2.5L in Steven’s Rabbit, don’t really get a huge benefit from ECU changes. For naturally aspirated engines, the best bang for your buck, as far as power and torque are concerned, is from improving the engine’s breathing. And lucky for Steven, he found a great deal on a cold air intake from ABD Racing. “I decided to get this CAI because I got a really good price on this back when parts for the Rabbit were expensive….It was basically too good of a price to pass up,” states Kitajima. Add to that a Eurojet catback exhaust system and headers and you’ve got one well-breathing bunny. “You can feel the car breathing easier in the higher rpm’s and it definitely gets up to speed much quicker. It sounds great in the lower RPM’s,” says Kitajima.

But for Kitajima, the better breathing does come with some drawbacks. “It does get a little loud above 3,000 RPM and it gets annoying sometimes,” states Kitajima. “I also noticed that around the 1,500-2,000 RPM range it seems like the car lost some back pressure due to the catless system.”

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

“I have Yokohama AVID W4S which are great all season tires. Noise factor isn’t that bad, but the tires itself are a huge dramatic modification that could improve handling on any car. I could not stress this enough,” States Kitajima.

Steven has also fitted Megan Racing Coilovers on all four corners for a better stance and improved handling. Unfortunately Kitajima isn’t happy with the current setup. “Definitely the Megan Racing Coilovers are a bit stiff for my taste so now I might be looking into a Cup Kit or a suspension package in the near future,” he states.

Spirited Daily

The fun factor of this car has attracted some unwanted attention. Specifically the Highway Patrol. “I have received two ’80 in a 65 zone’ speeding tickets, but the first one in reality I was clocking much faster,” states Kitajima. “The police officer that pulled me over was quite generous and I thank him for that.”

Steven’s Modifications

Engine ABD Racing Cold Air Intake Autotech Motor Mount Insert Unitronic Stage 1+ ECU Upgrade Exhaust Eurojet Catback Exhaust Eurojet Header System

Tires Yokohama AVID W4S Suspension Megan Racing Coilovers

Future Plans

“The car is probably a long term. I may have another project car once I get established and have some time and money to play around with other cars. I do think about my next car being either a rear wheel drive BMW or an all wheel drive Audi. I will probably keep my car for my daily so that’s why my focus is changing to making the car being a little more practical,” states Kitajima. “I will probably continue to modify the car, but probably just cosmetics.”

So Steven, if you could own any car, what would it be? “Any car? That’s a little hard! My mind is racing to think about all of the awesome cars I would love to have,” says Kitajima. “But being practical, I would love to own a Nissan Skyline R32 GTR. For some reason the ‘boxy’ exterior and raw power appeals to me. And seriously, it’s a Skyline.”

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Tommy Bednarik’s 2002 Jetta Wagon is a study in minimalism…and minimum clearance. You’d have a tough time fitting a pack of smokes under that car when fully lowered. But what impresses me most about Bednarik’s ride isn’t the stance, though it is a beautiful thing, it is the careful elimination of clutter both on the exterior and the engine bay.

Clean and Tidy

A lot of tuners create “look at me” rides with huge spoilers, bright colors, loud exhausts, tons of chrome and racy looking body kits. Now, I’m all for that too. But, Bednarik on the other hand, has actually made his car a lot more clean looking with his modifications with just enough contrast and pop to keep it interesting. The Gold and Chrome Rays Engineering Payton Place Queen 17 inch rims (which Bednarik thinks might be the last set in existence) add the perfect accent to the deep blue paint. And, in my opinion, the 17 inch rims look perfect on this car. Any bigger, or smaller for that matter, and this Jetta’s perfect proportions would be upset. Bednarik has also removed the VW badges from the front and rear. This has become fairly common, but when applied here gives the car an ultra clean look. Even the stickers on the back window are clean and organized!

On to the engine bay. Words cannot describe it. Bednarik’s minimal approach has been applied very well here. The paint matched engine cover, tucked blue wires and custom intake make this engine compartment a thing of beauty. Again, no shiny polished chrome intake here. That would just mess things up. And talk about clean, you could eat off any surface.

Love Story

You can tell that Tommy Bednarik loves his car. Each modification has been carefully selected and impeccably placed. It kinda makes me wonder what his house looks like. If it’s anything like his car, it could probably be featured in a design magazine.

This is what makes cars so great. Everyone has their own taste. Their own style. And they can express that with their ride. Bednarik took a grocery getter and turned it into something special. When asked about performance, Bednarik replies, “I haven’t been concerned with performance.” With this car, who cares? It is truly form over function. And what does he like most about his ride? “The fact that its a wagon which makes it stand out a little more,” states Bednarik. And stand out it does. Just not in the “I’ve-modded-the-crap-out-of-my-car-and-I-want-everyone-to-notice-me” kind of way.

Rolling Beauty

So how did Tommy Bednarik create such a moving work of art? Here are just some of the modifications:

Air Ride Mason-Tech Front Struts Air House 2 Rears SMC 8 Valve Setup 5 Gallon Tank 3/8″ Line All Around AVS 7 Switch Box Dual Viair 400cc Compressors 2 Dual Needle Viair 160psi Gauges 1 Single Needle Viair 160psi Gauge Engine Full Shaved Engine Bay and Wire Tuck Custom Intake Unitronic Chip Stage 2 Driver Side Motor Mount Bushing Custom Passenger Side Motor Mount

Exterior Notch Filled Hood (not shown) Seidl Grille Shaved Emblem on Hatch 4-Motion Front Valence GLI Replica Side Skirts Charactere Rear Valence OEM Passenger Side Stubby Mirror Votex Hatch Spoiler OEM Textured Rubstrips Wheels and Tires Rays Engineering Payton Place Queen 17×8 Front with 10mm Offset 17×9 Rear with 25mm Offset Falken 512 Tires 205/45 Front 215/45 Rear

Wish List

So what’s next on the to-do list? “Next on the list is custom upholstery and some other new interior features,” says Bednarik. Well, keep us posted! Tommy has shown his car at Dubs at the Beach in 2009, H2Ointernational in 2008 and 2009, Show-n-go in 2010 and Waterfest in 2010 where he won 2nd place in the Mod 2 VR6 Jetta class. Something tells me that the new upholstery and interior mods just may generate some more wins.

So Tommy, if you could modify any car, what would it be? “I would buy and customize a 1997 Toyota Supra. That has always been my dream car.”

Photos courtesy of Alex Bednarik

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