SP Rides: Love of a JDM masterpiece … and Marriage
By Michael Kitchens
Name: Derek and Fe Katayama
Occupation: Sheet Metal Construction Worker/Accountant
Hobbies: Cars, food and travel
Year/Make/Model: 2004 Mazda MAZDA6 Sport
Color: Glacier Silver
Engine: JDM Tein Bonnet Dampers, Custom Performance Engineering CAI with MAF/Fuel Curve Modifier Tunable “on the fly,” JDM APEXi World 2 Exhaust System, B&M Transmission Fluid Cooler, Custom Finished Engine Cover w/Underside LED’s
Exterior: Authentic JDM Kenstyle Aero Kit w/Foglights, Full JDM OEM Chassis Conversion, JDM OEM Bumper Crash Bars, JDM ABS Eyelids Mounted Inside, Headlight Housing, JDM OEM Hyper Black Headlight Housing, JDM OEM Hyper Black Tail Light Housing, JDM Power Folding Mirrors, JDM OEM front License, Plate Mount, Password JDM Fender Bolts, JDM OEM Atenza Badge
Interior: JDM OEM Two-Tone Leather Steering Wheel, JDM OEM Two-Tone Leather Shift Knob, JDM Custom Two-Tone Leather Seats and Door Panels, JDM OEM Stainless Door Sills, JDM Aluminum Non Slip Pedals, JDM OEM Aux. Fog Light Switch, JDM OEM Leather Shift Boot, JDM ACC. Inc./AirRunner Fusa Digital Air Suspension Pressure Gauge, AccuAir e-LEVEL Control Pad, Image Dynamics CXS Component , Speakers Front & Rear, Metra HVAC Integrated Double Din Dash Kit , Alpine W927HD GPS Navi. Receiver, JDM BeatSonic Steering wheel Audio Control Interphase, Bose Mobile Entertainment Amplifiers Viper 2-Way Security w/Remote Start and JDM Voice Module, LED Lighting thought the Interior, CCFL Footwell Lighting
Electrical: JDM OEM Lighting Harness & Relays, JDM PIAA Crystal Ion Upper Fog Light, JDM 3000K Morimoto HID Kenstyle Fog Light, Sylvania SilverStar High Beam, JDM 6000K Morimoto HID Low Beam, Umnitza “Daylight Demon Eyes” , Full LED Board Modification to JDM OEM Tail Light Housing, JDM OEM LED Third Brake Light, JDM Rear Reflectors w/LED, JDM Brake Light Wiring Harness, Full Under Car LED
Lighting Suspension and Brakes: Suspension & Brakes, JDM ACC. Inc/AirRunner Mazda 6 Prototype, Air Suspension System (one of), AccuAir e-LEVEL Air Suspension Management System, JDM Mazdaspeed Adjustable Rear Camber Arm, JDM Mazdaspeed Adustable Rear Toe Arm, JDM F-Design Strut Tower Brace, R1Concepts Dimpled & Slotted Rotors
Wheels, Tires, Brakes: JDM WORK Wheels “Gnosis” HS203, Full Reverse Barrel “Machined Finish,” “Brush Silver Clear” Disk, JDM WORK Wheels Red Lug Nuts
Shout-outs: My wife and I have been truly blessed to be surrounded by awesome people who have helped us through the years, not only with our car but with their friendship, Lance S. (my son) BigBadDad’s Garage, Shin Okamoto ACC. Inc./Air Runner, Allen Hsu WORK Super Wheels, Derrick Ambros Cork Sport, Scott Miata Cutter Mazda Parts, Samson Mak Revision Audio, Todd Oya Trendy Auto Salon, Tomohiro & Shizue Sudo Southsiiiiide Custom, Hien and Christie Le Hondamatic Garage, Will Lau PIMPLUX
Compromise is a necessary ingredient for any successful relationship. Take married couple Derek and Fe Katayama, for example.
Fe happened to be looking for a new car while Derek was searching for a way out of the Honda street scene. Then, along came this 2004 Mazda MAZDA6 and an interesting arrangement had to be struck between these partners for life.
Purchased as a birthday gift for Fe, Derek made a deal with her that if they bought the car, he would have the right to tune it to his liking. Fe took the offer.
“At first I thought, this is one ugly looking car,” Derek recalls upon seeing the Mazda for the first time. Still, he also admitted that the potential for something amazing was there as well. And so after doing a bit of background research into the Mazda, Derek realized the car had a pretty decent pedigree for racing heritage, so the plan was to build to that effect. One speeding ticket later, he ditched the plan. The focus then turned to creating a JDM masterpiece to keep him out of trouble.
Derek’s goal was to build a car that seemingly came straight from Japan. You would be surprised at the number of modifications necessary to achieve this. The biggest task involved swapping out the front end of the chassis and portions of the rear. We’re talking big bucks here. In the end, the extremely rare Kenstyle Aero Kit was used for this modification madness. The kit is one out of two known outside of Japan. JDM components were swapped in such as the Hyper Black Head and Taillight assemblies as well as the power folding mirrors.
The engine features a custom cover inlaid with carbon fiber elements. Red LEDs provide a molten glow that highlights the Custom Performance Engineering cold air intake and tunable MAF/Fuel Curve modifier. This ride has twin APEXi World exhausts and a B&M Transmission Cooler to keep it loud and cool.
The interior is a spectacle of JDM goodness and pretty LED lights. JDM components were brought in to replace the steering wheel, shift knob, seats and door panels. Extra touches such as the doorsills, pedals and shift boot are also JDM spec. The sound system has also been upgraded with an Alpine receiver and multiple speakers. One of the coolest features is the JDM voice module…move over KITT, this car talks!
This car can drop it any time thanks to the full JDM ACC Inc/AirRunner Air Suspension System. The vehicle has been further upgraded with adjustable rear camber and toe arms and stiffened with a JDM F-Design strut tower brace. Tucked behind the “Gnosis” WORK Wheels are R1Concepts dimpled and slotted rotors.
Fe loves the car. Apparently, so do others, as the car routinely turns heads wherever it goes, so she doesn’t mind the attention. Derek, on the other hand, is simply proud of his accomplishment. Over the years, he’s captured more than 20 awards for the car, cementing this as one sweet compromise for the both of them.
