Looks, Power, Performance: Ideal cars to turn into tuners
In the world of cars people have long been making changes, upgrades and anything else that will make more power. Some start off with a general car in mind, but other may be going back and fourth with which one makes the ideal tuner car candidate for them. When mulling over all options we can agree there’s a core set people lean towards. Why? Looks, cost, bolt-on component options, and what you’ll be doing with the car could make you pick one over another. Whatever the reason is if it appeals to you, that’s what matters the most. Below is a list of what identified as the best tuner car candidates. Have a look, let us know if we missed anything or if you’d like to add a certain car to the list.
Honda Civic
Honda Civics come in a few different varieties – especially throughout the years. My favorites we’re the early 90’s. Specifically the 1993 Honda SI hatchback. It was light, quick and you didn’t see many of them around. What also makes them great is the vast multitude of aftermarket parts and how easy they are to work on. Many people cut their teeth in the tuner car world with a Civic.
Honda Accord
The Accord looks great squashed on big rims, and no body kit. Something about the lowered suspension and clean lines. From the tuner perspective you could swap the engine out with H22 motor found in the prelude. For those who wanted more space than it’s little brother – the Civic – the Accord makes an excellent choice.
Honda Prelude
Spanning five generational changes the Honda Prelude, or at least what I’ve seen on the street, was a popular car for tuners in the 87-2001 versions. There’s something to be said about those old flip up lights along with the slanted nose. In 1991 it became more round and received Honda’s iconic VTEC (H22A1) engine pushing 190-hp. The latest gen (96-2001) had a fierce look and Type-SH badge. Preludes are not only visually stunning, but have the get-up-and-go power/potential car enthusiasts desire.
Honda S2000
The S2000 was something to behold when first released in 1999. A rear-wheel drive roadster with convertible top with a front 2-liter mid-engine producing 237 horse and 153 foot pounds of torque – for the U.S. variant. It wasn’t long until aftermarket suppliers had parts ready to customize your Honda S2000 any way you wanted. From Veilside body kits to Eibach suspension systems and Greddy turbo kits. The car even made an appearance in the original Fast and Furious movie. Without a doubt the S2000 is one tuner car I’d still love to get my hands on.
Acura Integra
Round eyed cars produced between 1994-2001 GSR models were the cream of the crop, unless you got your hands on an Integra Type-R. The B16 engine is flexible in terms of power – up to 197 horsepower stock. These two-door coupes were very popular with those looking for aggressive styling, performance and a vehicle that could take a pounding.
Acura RSX
Acura decided to nix the Integra replacing it with the RSX. The base RSX wasn’t the best candidate for a tuner car. If you splurged for the RSX Type-S you have something to work with. The Vtec motor kicks in right around 5500 RPMs and adding an intake allows it to breath more. Similar to Honda, mainly because they are essentially a Honda, they are easy to work on and have an abundance of aftermarket performance parts available.
Subaru WRX
It seems there’s a cult-like following for those who want to get their hands on a WRX. In New England one can just about see a WRX or STI everyday – and a different one at that. Why are they so popular? Their power distribution, weight, AWD, and boxer engine are tire-squealing combination begging for more. If you haven’t driven one of these you’re missing out. Once you sit in the driver’s seat put it first, let out the clutch and take off you’ll understand. At that point just open your wallet for all those heart-pounding car modifications.
Audi S4
APR chips, Borla exhaust systems, bigger turbos, and those sweet sounding blow-off valves are just some of add on parts that make the Audi S4 even more fun. My favorite model year was 2002. Why? I’m not sure. There’s just something about that car. New models do have more features and a stronger engine. Being a European sport sedan one can only imaging modifying a S4 is a true labor of love.
Mazda RX7
Some may think the original Fast and Furious movie made the RX7 popular. While I admit the red car is a sweet ride, the little Mazda maintained a cult-like following prior to that. It’s 1.3 rotary engine allows it to be one of the most powerful cars per liter. The third-generation with rounded lines is by far my favorite. It was small right around 2,600 pounds with 255 horse. Mazda tried to recreate the love of the vehicle with the RX8, but it’s still not the RX7 people grew to love.
Volkswagen GTI
Volkswagen GTIs have always been a fun little car to drive – even the older ones. My personal favorite is the MK2 with rounded headlights. There’s just something about that car when its squashed on nice 18″ rims and full exhaust. It got me at hello. Moving to the MK3 VR6, Volkswagen produced a quick, tight-handling two-door. If you’re so inclined, parts from a early 2000s Audi S4 will fit. From front seats to wheels the VW GTI VR6 is a versatile car. Once they came out with the all-wheel-drive R32 it was game over. The sound of the stock exhaust is heaven. If you’re considering a GTI whether it’s your first tuner car project or 5th you can’t go wrong.
Toyota Supra
No tuner car list would complete without the Supra. Toyota’s twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE pushed out 320-hp and 315 lb-ft of torque can become a monster when upgraded properly. It’s very common to see Toyota Supra models hovering around 1000-hp with quality aftermarket components. The only downside is that they are getting harder to find. If you do obtain this unicorn of a car, don’t let it go.
Now that we’ve gone through the list of what we think are the best tuner car candidates – let us know what you thing. While the list isn’t exhaustive it will give someone just starting out ideas of which vehicle might work for them. Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below.
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