2003 Acura RSX Type-S

The legend of King Midas tells of an ancient ruler who turned all he touched to gold. A simple brush of his finger changed anything into a solid-gold statue of wealth. The mere allure of gold is so strong that the story passes down through the ages, riding on the strength of storytelling.

Take a single gaze at this 2003 Acura RSX Type-S and you will see that Fred Chang is King Midas reborn. With one touch his RSX was transformed into gold, both valuable and functional.

Gold is regarded as one of the most precious and useful commodities by human beings. From the solid-gold engine bay heat deflector on the legendary McLaren F1 to gold-tipped connectors on stereo wire, gold has many uses in the automotive world. Chang's use of gold includes Star Gold Effect paint applied by the experts at M.O.B. Works over the factory white. With an RSX built for both street and track, Chang had M.O.B. Works paint the exterior, the fully stripped interior and the engine bay.

The factory shape was re-shaped predominantly with Mugen and JDM Integra pieces. As one of two Japanese Formula One engine manufacturers, Mugen knows a thing or two about making car parts. This RSX sports a full, Mugen-designed package: front aero bumper, front canards, front under-panel, side step kit, adjustable rear wing, tow hooks and carbon-fiber license plate filler frame. Courtesy of Sheng at JHPUSA, a JDM DC5-chassis Integra donated its rear apron, window visor, side markers, badges, and HID headlamps. The only pieces from other brands are the Top Secret carbon-fiber hood and the Vision side-view mirrors.

Underneath the hood is a set of choice power and dress-up modifications. Bolted to the engine is a HKS Hi-Power exhaust system, HKS Circle Earth grounding kit and a HKS Super Mega Flow Intake kit. A HKS D1 Limited oil cap and radiator cap accent the JDM Integra Type-R valve cover and Vision carbon-fiber spark plug cover.