Not to be outdone, Shaun pulled the ultimate "I heart JDM" card for his '05 MR. He has dedicated the tuning of his car almost completely to the HKS tuning shop Kansai Service, and the result is nothing short of spectacular. Kansai was called upon to provide the hood, front splitter and front bumper with an oil cooler duct. A Kansai bumper may not be that unique in the states, but this is where Shaun's attention to detail shines through. While the vent on the passenger side houses the oil cooler, the vent on the opposite side remains closed so Kansai paints it black. While most guys would probably paint the entire bumper, Shaun knew the correct way-staying true to the JDM Kansai roots once again.
Shaun also says that the rear wing on the car is a Kansai Racing Series wing, of which only 10 were ever produced and one was lost several years ago. He managed to track it down to a parts warehouse in So Cal, where the owner put it on a shelf and had simply forgotten about it. When Shaun found it, he instantly realized what it was.
Kansai is represented everywhere under the hood, except for the cam gear cover. The one shown is the Kansai wet-carbon-look cover that has since been switched out for a dry-carbon piece by Ralliart. They had to search long and hard for that one, and it ended up being the only one they could find for sale. Another piece that won't be easy to find is his Kansai radiator because it's the last one to ever be produced.
You can also add Shaun's rollcage to the one-off list. Keep in mind that Kansai sells cages in Japan, not the U.S. or Europe, and had to custom build this one with a cross bar for a left-hand-drive vehicle. Speaking of custom work for LHD vehicles, Shaun even had Kansai make floormats specifically for his car. Kansai's own auto-dimming rearview mirror with a bluish tint to it adds yet another feature to this JDM masterpiece. Shaun also had to order a set of 18x9.5-inch Volk CE28s in a special Diamond Black color.
The suspension was to follow the same formula-Kansai everywhere. But again, not just any off-the-shelf parts would do. Shaun managed to get Kansai to sell him the coilovers off its demo car that have been re-valved to the company's own racing specifications. Getting his hands on strut tower bars for the front and rear was an even more remarkable feat because Kansai Service had discontinued them. So what does Shaun do? Well, lets put it this way-anyone who has bought a Kansai Service strut bar in the last two years, you can thank Shaun. He actually commissioned Kansai to remake a run of 10 each so he could complete his setup.
Shaun is so dedicated to Kansai Service that he is now considered one of the company's VIP customers, and it shows with the Kansai badges this car wears. Like Tommy Kaira cars, you can rock Kansai badges only when a car is built by and bought from Kansai Service itself. There are no part numbers to order them with, so don't even think about trying it. Shaun's EVO is the only car that has ever received this honor without the car actually being built by Kansai Service, and the Japanese aren't ones for breaking tradition quickly. Consider this the JDM seal of approval.
While I'm told that this isn't the end for either of these cars, its hard to imagine what Shaun or Charles has planned to improve on these already well-done examples of JDM quality and style. Shaun says there are many more things he wants to add to his MR and Charles plans to track his car and make use of the power potential of the Tomei ARMS turbo. These guys plan to continue modifying, so you can be sure it will remain the ultimate in JDM perfection.