2008 had some of our favorite wild throwbacks to date, and you guys loved the first 5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2008 so much that we're digging back into the 2008 archives for five more featured vehicles from this iconic time. As part of our ongoing PASMAG 25th anniversary celebrations, we've been looking back at some of the different eras of PASMAG, car culture, and modification styles along the way. Fair warning, while we may look down on some style eras with hindsight, it's important to remember that many of these modifications and styles we consider to be extreme or "too much" paved the way for a lot of the aftermarket automotive world we know and love today.
This is an ongoing series. We wanted to take some opportunities to dig into the PASMAG archives - all 25 years of it - as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, and isolate certain eras to appreciate, evaluate, or even reminisce. Enjoy an extra five vehicles from 2008 while we dwell on this iconic era.
Throwbacks From Previous Years:
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2002
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2003
5 MORE Vehicles from PASMAG in 2003
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2004
5 MORE Vehicles from PASMAG in 2004
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2005
5 MORE Vehicles from PASMAG in 2005
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2006
5 MORE Vehicles from PASMAG in 2006
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2007
5 MORE Vehicles from PASMAG in 2007
5 Vehicles from PASMAG in 2008
1. Yuki Imamura's SKILLS S2000
This one is a personal favorite, and one of the toughest Honda S2000 builds for the street we've ever seen. Underneath that hard top is a truly unique and eye-catching audio install. Good fitment, a slick hardtop, and a bunch of really nice parts all put together properly make this Japan-local S2000 an instant PASMAG classic.
2. NK Company's S15 Silvia
The S15 is one of the most timeless designs in Japanese automotive history, and it feels like everything has been tried on these things. We absolutely love the simple aero in combination with the awesome hot-rod/low-rider styled paint job. The SR20DET with it's top-mount turbo is also adorned with a unique silver weaved cover sporting the NK Company branding and some more neat paintwork.
3. Seiichi Kuribara's 1996 Civic
Has there ever been a more perfect encapsulation of early 2000s show car tuner madness? This is a Civic with Aristo front and rear conversions, a custom widebody, flame graphics, a strange vented hood, and a bright paint job. Oh, and don't forget the massive big-faced chrome wheels, the 4 nitrous tanks - paint-matched of course - behind the rear seat audio install. What else needs to be said?
4. JUN Evo X
When Mitsubishi's Evo X first hit the market (2007 in Japan, 2008 everywhere else), the potent potentail of the platform was still unknown. Luckily for other would-be trailblazers, the prolific builders and tuners at JUN were among the first to start tinkering with it, and ended up with what you see here thanks to their ingenuity and some of their partners. The new 4B11 was bolstered to a respectable 375 whp and 348 lb-ft of torque. Little did we know the power numbers these cars would be making a decade from here.
5. Brent Rau Drag Eclipse
The DSM drag racing era. What a time. Eclipses and Eagle Talons were a force to be reckoned with, and this extreme dragtster version from Brent Rau was no exception. The exposed turbo through the hood is a hell of a tell-tale sign that this build was all business.