Smooth Lines: JZX100 Mark II Tourer V
The X100 platform has to be one of the best looking (and performing) of all FRs Toyota came up with. The late nineties was the transition time when the idea of slender shapes was replaced with stubby designs in the minds of the automotive designers. Consider the beautiful X100 Chaser builds Dhaka has been inundated with recently; and the lack of people going after the X110 Mark II due to its stubby form. A dedicated hard working BAT employee, Shareq Abhtahee, longed to build an X100 too, but it had to be a Mark II with the right bit of both the worlds – elegant, yet sporty.
Being a detail freak, Shareq went after the best of everything for the build. A basic shell was bought locally and a top off the line Tourer V was purchased in Japan that was cut up in pieces and shipped home. He got lucky in that too. The donor car came with a sunroof, TRD exhaust, and TEIN coilovers, which, if purchased separately, would have cost a fortune. Shareq and his friends built up quite a few cars simultaneously – an Evo VI, a hawk-eye STi and this X100 V. To get the JDM spec aftermarket parts that any car guy would drool over, the bunch flew off to KL. For his car, Shareq got Defi gauges, Apexi boost controller, HKS Blow off valve and a full Kakimoto exhaust, all the way from the downpipe to the muffler.
Everything from the donor car was immaculately replaced in the base car here – from interior details to body kits and the sunroof. Shareq says that the sunroof was perhaps the most challenging part of the job, as you wouldn't want to have a car in which you would require an umbrella every time it rained. Rear kouki lamps are a certain specialty of the car, as these are not seen on many X100 Mark IIs around. While a brilliant cherry red coat was underway for the exterior, the engine and suspension work was carried out simultaneously. A set of Rays lightweight staggered rims wrapped with Yokohama S drives resulted in a gorgeous fitment and fantastic grip.
The result of all this hard work is a super clean, straight laced Mark II glistening under the sun. Because the gang likes to drive around together, Shareq has the need to stay up with AWDs like the STi and Evo, despite being RWD. But he can do that just fine as the single turbo 1JZ-GTE is pushing around 255 horses at wheels. That's rear wheel spinning, rubber shredding, asphalt burning power for a sleeper. In fact, I can add that he has a wider grin on his face than his mates when he dabs in the throttle at corners and the RWD torque loosens the tail up.
Shareq drives the car regularly. It is definitely not a sleeping beauty. Although you might think one should not alter how the car is at the moment, Shareq has great plans for it - larger turbo, wider brake rotors, bigger intercooler and higher capacity injectors. With these mods together with 2-3 more PSI of boost than the motor is running at the moment, this unassuming Mark II would be a smooth criminal you would not want to cross paths with.