A twin-turbo Mazda RX-7

MSP4EVER

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Mazdaspeed Protege 2003.5
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When it comes to Arthurian legend, it's very difficult to know which account is "true." Literary Scholars, intelligent in their own right, seem to break down into hysterics and fervent name-calling when opposing theories are proposed by those they consider "the illiterati." One source of common disagreement surrounds the sword known as Excalibur. Loosely translated into ancient Celtic (Arthur's native tongue) the sword's name means "hard lightning," describing the apparent harnessed power of the weapon. However, even with the popularity of Sean Connery's portrayal of the Once and Future King, the origins of the sword are doubtful. Some scholars say Excalibur is the same sword that Arthur magically pulled from the stone, while others say it was a gift from The Lady of the Lake.

Wherever the "truth" lies, one thing is for certain: Excalibur has been resurrected in the present day. Only this time it has a new name, a new shape, and a new owner.

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>document.write(remaining_google_links); </SCRIPT>The RX7 that you see here, owned by Marvin Leckuthai of Los Angeles, Calif., is the legendary sword incarnate--with a few contemporary additions, of course. The scabbard has been transformed into a predominantly aluminum unibody housing, adorned with Mazdaspeed 25th Anniversary fender flares and side skirts that have been custom molded to blend into the styling cues of a C-West front fascia. Factory sheetmetal covering the engine bay was replaced with a mysterious super-strong and lightweight composite material known to apprentice swordsmiths as "carbon fiber." Instead of gemstones adorning the scabbard, X Caliber uses Japanese-spec '99 RX7 turn signals and PIAA's Extreme HID headlights for a touch of brilliance and magnificence. In addition to these add-ons, the neo-scabbard also sports a custom neon-blue underglow with stroboscopic lights in the front and rear to blind charging attackers in all directions. A Corvis GT wing brings up the rear in a spectacular blaze of medieval F1 glory. In place of the royal family crest, a simple Kandy Cobalt Blue and Neon Yellow (both wares of the House of Kolors) design was used to cover the scabbard, with all the construction and exterior decoration done by ye olde bodysmiths at Excel Autobody.

As everyone knows, the blade is the business end of a sword. Without it, a sword would be nothing more than an over-glorified twirling baton. And, as any good swordsmith knows, the key to a great blade lies within two factors--the right choice of materials and the proper forging/building process. As you would expect from a weapon of the highest caliber, only the choicest materials were used and only the finest craftsmen were enlisted to build upon the magic of the original Excalibur.

With hand-to-hand combat nearly extinct, the sword has become a relic of the past. In this matter, it has been replaced and updated for use as a contemporary weapon--a street-ported 13BT engine used to propel the car in its magical movements. It is so powerful, and yet unwieldy, that the entire unit seems to mystically live and breathe its own life, heard through the HKS Superflow intake system. This life force then makes its way through the front-mounted GReddy intercooler and piping, finally stopping when it reaches the heart of the weapon, the twin '99-spec JDM RX7 turbochargers. Here the power to slice and dice is made and subsequently transferred to the Tripoint Engineering lightened flywheel and ACT race clutch, which then distribute the power to the Blitz Technospeed 18-in. rollers. Ensuring target accuracy is the job of the Pirelli P7000's, H&R lowering springs, and the entire Round Table of Energy Suspension bushings. The roar of its movements are complemented by the dual ARC blowoff valves, a Tripoint midpipe/downpipe combination, and the Racing Beat exhaust.

In the heat of battle, every last ounce of strength and power needs to be utilized in order to overcome the enemy. With this in mind, the car has been outfitted with additional components in every aspect of offense and defense. Offensive material includes a Blitz manual boost controller, used to up the boost ante if the need arises. In addition, two stealth-mounted intercooler sprays accentuate the cooling properties of the blowing wind to reduce charge air temperatures and increase horsepower. On the defensive side, Brembo brake rotors were slotted, cross-drilled, and installed to bring the stampeding four-wheeled horse to a quick stop at the end of the street jousting tourney. A combination of AutoMeter and Cyberdyne gauges keep the warrior well-informed on the happenings in the battlefield, while a Whistler radar detector notifies of any oncoming scouting parties.

After the battle is won, it's time for the victory celebration party. This starts with Alpine's CDM-7829 head unit and ERE-G180 sound processor. Modified signals come from all directions: DVD, CD, VCD, MP3, and GT3 (Gran Turismo 3, that is) thanks to the hidden Deluxe Multi-player and Sony PlayStation. These signals process through the Alpine head unit and display on the in-dash 6.8-in. Accelevision monitor for the perusal of all the knights and ladies of Camelot. Power to reach the masses is provided by 1200 watts of custom-enclosed Crunch amplifiers, which share their housing with two 12-in. Rockford Fosgate XLC subwoofers and a relocated Optima battery.

While it's true chivalry is considered dead, and the Arthurian legend has been twisted and misrepresented over the past thousand years, one thing remains alive and unscathed by the passage of time: The mighty weapon Excalibur.
Although it has taken on a new form, it is still as commanding and powerful as ever. From the depths of the lake, to the valleys of Los Angeles, Excalibur has been reincarnated for another extended rule of the land, thanks to the handiwork of the craftsmen at Carisma Automobil Tecnik, Excel Autobody and Tripoint Engineering. Live by the sword, rule by the sword and always remember: Legends--and Sevens --never die.​

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umm.. ok, so it's a pretty car, but nothing besides the body kit makes th thing anything special.. how's it deserve it's own article :)
 
There is nothing special about that car. About everything that can and will be done to an FD has already been done.
 
Captain KRM P5 said:
regardless, FDs are superb

Yup, I plan on getting one eventually. One of my all time fav cars (I'm sure being biased to Mazda is part of it though).
 
crispixoo7 said:
is it just me or is the tailpipe sticking out too far? (hah)

^It's about right. Maybe it's the angle. Any closer and it leaves soot and/or heats the plastic up too much. RB single tip is a nice enough exhaust too.

That said, I definitely don't care for the rest of it. The C-west nose makes it look like a fish, and the rest of the body kit is just tasteless, especially the wing, and certainly doesn't compliment the original lines.
It also looks like the owner stuck the intake on just for pictures (Cali emissions?) as the airpump was left on without even plugging the pipes. He's got huge $$ sunk into the FMIC, body kit etc. yet he didn't even spring for a a decent paint job that would include the engine bay (appears the car was originally black) or a whole $200 for an efini 'Y' pipe/cross-over, which is an improved design that would add about 1 psi of flow that to that fancy IC. He's also running an open exhaust with a mid-pipe, but no mention of any type of programable fuel management and fuel mods so it doesn't blow up from serious boost creep.
 
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