The new-versus-old debate lingers on, and with the Scion FR-S in the spotlight, it’s hard not to compare it with its much older sibling, the Toyota Corolla GT-S AE86. So we did just that, but instead of using a stock AE86, we upped the ante and brought a thoroughly modified version for two reasons. One, it’s damn near impossible to track down a stock-condition GT-S–version Corolla that we’d be able to flog on the track. And two, in our opinion, it’s a better comparison this way. Most AE86 owners aren’t running them stock, so why not use a car that enthusiasts would drive? With a powerplant that rivals the FR-S’ and all the other bolt-on goodies, this Hachiroku is a very worthy competitor.

It’s pretty amazing how fast time flies; it feels like just a month ago I was reaching out to you (the readers) about Readers’ Rides submissions, and here we are with the completed issue at hand. Once again, it took a lot of sifting through countless emails and selecting what we thought were the best cars, not just based on modifications or looks but also what the owners had to say. The passion and enthusiasm that goes into building a car is important to us, and we feel like the individuals who expressed those feelings the best now have the bragging rights to claim they were featured in Modified.

Even though I’m a die-hard Japanese car fan at heart, I’ve always garnered much respect and fondness for German cars, especially BMW and its M-series of vehicles. I don’t think I’m wrong when I say they are at the top of most people’s want lists. The M-cars are the epitome of automotive performance engineering, and if you’ve ever driven one you quickly realize they offer the perfect blend of performance, civility, comfort and luxury.

Sometimes I can’t believe this last SEMA Show will have been my eighth year in a row attending. That, by no means, is a lot — there are some people who’ve stepped foot in the Las Vegas Convention Center every November for the past 20 years. Now that’s something to be proud of.

It’s time to stop daydreaming and start doing. Experiencing the thrill of driving on a racetrack is a one-of-a-kind feeling that any automotive junkie will tell you is worth its weight in gold. There are very few things in life that will provide you with such an adrenaline rush and high.

When it comes to most things in life, we’ve been programmed from a young age to have an immediate need for tangible goods without delay. I remember when it was common to wait weeks for parts to arrive.

There’s no denying it, a new era of old school cars has recently been ushered into the spotlight. It’s been a long time coming, but Japanese cars of yesteryear are becoming more sought after than Honda Civics or Nissan 240SXs. Is it because most of us are growing older and want to drive cars that we grew up idolizing as kids? Or could it be the raw, pure and simple nature of these vintage automobiles that attracts us?

It was a rare occasion when I drove Project DC2 to the grocery store the other day. My fear of it getting stolen has pretty much alienated the car from any public parking areas, but without any other option, I left it by its lonesome as I bolted inside to buy a handful of groceries.

Why do we build and modify cars? Maybe it’s because we love picking up a wrench and turning. Perhaps we want a better-performing automobile; then again, we might just want it to look different than all the other cars on the road.

Even though this year’s Modified Tuner Shootout was yet again a great event with plenty of close competition and lots of excitement, it was after the shootout ended that really had my heart pumping and nerves on edge.

Ever year around spring time, I decide to do a little cleaning up around my place, and while doing so I find all kinds of car parts tucked in the corners of my closets or inside boxes sitting in my living room. When you live where I do (by the beach with no garage), your apartment doubles as a storage locker. Thankfully, my roommates don’t mind the eyesore, but when the pile starts to get too big, it comes time to start selling some stuff.

I can’t believe how time flies. It feels like just yesterday when the team was brainstorming ideas about how we wanted to do an issue that would showcase cars that we normally wouldn’t feature. Homebuilt vehicles, cars that didn’t necessarily have life savings poured into them — that’s when the Readers’ Rides issue was born three short years ago.

I’ve driven and ridden in a lot of cars in my life from exotics like the Lamborghini Superleggara LP 570, to barely street legal 1,100hp Toyota Supras yet for some reason the AMS Alpha 9 GT-R that graces this months cover still seems to trump them all.

Thanks to GM, I had the opportunity to spend a day driving what many are calling the Car of the Future the vehicle that will change General Motors the Chevy Volt. It’s a car that many car enthusiasts don’t necessarily think highly of. I’ll also admit I’m a bit nervous about what the future holds for our hobby when all of the major automotive manufacturers are working on or have an electric car in their fleet.

I recently had an interesting conversation with a good friend of mine about the state of automobiles in our society today and how much it has changed since we were young. I remember in high school, almost all of my friends were into cars, and owning one that was fast or tricked-out would elevate you in social status quicker than a make-out session by the lockers. The car defined you in many ways and it was a means of freedom, a way to escape from your parents and go hang out with friends. In today's Internet and tech-savvy world, teenagers are more concerned about their Facebook status than what kind of car they drive. You don't need wheels to escape the torments of home - a computer will do that. The automobile isn't a social enabler anymore. For more and more people, it's a means of transportation - and that's it.

Remember when swapping a K-series motor into a Civic was a big deal? Or perhaps when an SR20 into a 240SX was a sight to see? The days of engine swaps being a rarity are long gone, and these days if you're not happy with your powerplant, simply replace it with whatever you can dream up.

There are few people out there who push the boundaries of motorsports like Chris Rado does, so when word came to me that his new AWD Scion tC time attack car was completed and ready for testing, I knew I had to be there to personally witness the crazy concoction Chris had brewed up.

Ten years - we've made it 10 long years. What started off as a small Canadian magazine that challenged the big books of the era, has secured its position in the print world as one of the top tuner magazines on the market. I still remember the day when I attended my first drag racing event at Atco Raceway in New Jersey and a certain photographer (I won't mention any names) said, "You guys won't make it in this biz, the other magazines are too big." Rob Laidlaw, who started Modified Magazine, didn't think so, and with him and a great team of people, Modified quickly grew and charged its way to becoming a legitimate and recognizable tuner mag. It's silly to say that the people behind the scenes can take most of the credit because if it wasn't for you, our readers, we wouldn't be where we are today.

I think I speak for most of you when I say that I love building cars - probably as much as I love driving them. There are those people who love racing, but not wrenching; they drop a car off at a shop and pick it up when it's ready, then drop it off again when it's broken. I'm not one of those people.

After traveling to the other side of the world for the first event of its kind, the World Time Attack Challenge, I returned with enough stories and adventures to fill this entire issue (which I almost did). The Sydney area is thriving with a vibrant car scene that reminds me a lot of our scene here in the U.S.

Godzilla, the monster that is the Nissan GT-R - its performance and handling are unrivaled, its aero carves through the wind with sophisticated ease and, for the most part, its competition is usually staring at its four rounded taillights. Is it possible that a much less sophisticated car - at a fraction of the price - could rival the mighty beast?

This year's Tuner Shootout was a bit nerve-racking for the entire team at Modified. As a result of the harsh economic climate, we were worried that it would be hard to convince many of the top teams to show up. After all, there's no prize money involved in this event - just bragging rights. The teams come and compete out of their own pocket, and after talking to a couple teams that have grounded their race programs for 2010, I was skeptical we could top last year's competition.

An End To The Trash Talk? Having just wrapped up our annual Modified Tuner Shootout (check out next month's issue for the full story), it got me thinking again about the Ultimate Street Car Challenge and how Modified was supposed to take over the event from Sport Compact Car.

Two months ago I wrote a column regarding my thoughts about the future of eco tuning and how the Japanese have really taken to modifying hybrids. I also wrote how their success would be short-lived because modifying a car that's all about getting more mpg from its engine (instead of more horsepower) makes little to no sense. Once you hit page 42 in this issue, you're probably going to scratch your head and wonder why five pages are dedicated to a Mugen-modified, hybrid Honda CR-Z if I don't believe in eco tuning.

Everywhere you look or turn these days, Toyota is in the news. Normally, that wouldn't be a bad thing, but the largest automobile manufacturer in the world is in hot water over what seems to be a sticky accelerator caused by improper floor mats.