SP Rides: Something Special
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Year/make/model: 2017 Toyota 86 GT
Owner: Efren Guitang Jr.
Age: 23
Occupation: Shipyard worker
Hobbies: Eating, cars
Color: Steel
Engine: MXP Comp RS exhaust with titanium tips, Tomei unequal length headers, Tomei 60 mm catless front pipe, HKS Racing Suction Reloaded intake, HKS oil cap, GReddy carbon hood dampers, TRD radiator cap, APR front carbon cooling plate
Exterior: Chargespeed Bottomline V1 carbon fiber lip kit, Seibon carbon OE, Style hood, APR carbon GT mirrors with Mazterpiece Automotive titanium hardware, JDM TRD front fender garnishes, JDM OEM clear sidemarkers, JDM OEM side window visors, NIA headlight eyelids, Valenti red/clear reverse tail lamps, Mazterpiece Automotive titanium license plate hardware, URAS rear wing
Interior: Recaro SR3 Confetti Le Mans seats (driver and passenger), JDM OEM black air condition vent trims, JDM OEM black shifter trim, JDM OEM black M/T traction control buttons, JDM OEM black door handles, JDM OEM black knee pad trims, JDM frameless rear view mirror, Magna Instruments IS, F Style gauge cluster face, InFocus retro style shift boot, Works Bell Hub/Rapfix GTC Hub, Renown Club Motorsport Dark 330 steering wheel, Mazterpiece Automotive titanium steering wheel bolts, WC Lathewerks titanium shift knob/reverse lockout
Suspension: RS-R Black I coilovers, Carbing aluminum front strut tower bar, Carbing aluminum front engine brace bars, Buddy Club front lower control arms with Whiteline ball joints, Voodoo13 rear lower control arms, PBM rear toe arms, PBM rear traction arms, SPL titanium front tie rod ends
Wheels/tires: Volk Racing TE37SL Mag Blue wheels 18-by-9.5 plus-40 with 5 mm spacers In the rear, Nexen N’fera SU1 tires 255/35/18, Project Kics Leggdura gunmetal lug nuts
Efren Guitang Jr.’s current obsession is with the now obviously rebranded Toyota 86, formerly known as the Scion FR-S. The origins of the car were a return to form for Toyota to the affordable, lightweight, front-engine, rear wheel drive platform that harkened back to the days of the 1986 Toyota Corolla. This 2017 86 GT model is a touring version above the base model but still retains the sexy looks and performance the FR-S & BRZ versions offered.
Although this car is extremely popular in tuning circles, for some, the power isn’t enough. From the factory, this car is pushing 205 horsepower and a rather minimal 156 pounds of torque. This isn’t really anything to write home about, but for Guitang, it’s not about the power. In fact, he used to dog on them for having such little oomph. You could almost consider it unwanted from a certain point of view.
However, that all changed once Guitang got behind the wheel of one.
“It’s hard to describe but it’s the overall package. It’s a good beginners car that offers tons of potential. It stands out from the other chassis out there,” he said.
That’s not to say that more power cannot be found with a little massaging. In fact, the tuning options for this car are pretty crazy with turbochargers and superchargers galore available. Guitang has kept it pretty simple though, with all the requisite bolt-ons, to include some special upgrades like the Tomei Unequal Length headers, which mate to a catless 60 mm front pipe.
An HKS Racing Suction Reloaded intake provides ample air while the MXP Comp RS exhaust with titanium tips handles the exit duties. Extra goodies are under the hood for looks and style as well and all-in-all, the extra gumption is easily felt with the substantial suspension upgrades.
The already excellent handling features have been a focus for Guitang and some major mods are in the suspension department. The car has been equipped with RS-R Black-I coil-overs and tons of modifications to help stiffen the chassis, such a Carbing front strut and engine brace bars. In addition, lower control front and lower control arms have been added. The car rides on some pleasing 18-by-9.5 Volk Racing TE37s set in Mag Blue.
Although the exterior hasn’t been ignored, the modifications are slight and primarily to provide some accents, such as the Chargespeed Bottomline V1 carbon fiber lip, side skirts and rear caps. Some NIA headlight eyelids give the car some menace while TRD front fender garnishes and an authentic URAS rear wing provide some aerodynamic touches.
The interior has all the goodies and even some rarities like the Recaro SR3 Confettie Le Mans seats sourced from Up Garage Japan. A matching InFocus “Retro Style” shift boot gives that old school style while a ton of JDM goodies swap out the OEM components. Most notable are the Renown Club Motorsport Dark 330 steering wheel and the Works Bell/Rapfix GTC hub which allows wheel swivel.
There’s more to the modifications, of course, but for Guitang, altogether, this ride has become something special. It went from the unwanted to the wanted with one drive. That’s quite a statement.
