Performance Parts

Turn Up The Laughing Gas
I eat a lot of sugar, so my teeth will rot and I'll be able to go to the dentist and hit the laughing gas. But it turns out there are a lot of easier ways to get nitrous oxide, like having it equipped in your ride. If you opted for this fat-free method, you'll need to get the NX Maximizer 2 digital nitrous controller. You'll have maximum flexibility and you'll be able to control when and how you use nitrous. You can decide the trigger and cutoff point based on engine speed, and you can tell it how much nitrous to deliver based on increasing rpm speed or throttle position. If you're running the quarter mile, you'll want to use the time-delay feature. You can retard the nitrous flow so you can really punch it at the very end. The unit can be configured for an integrated bottle heater control, bottle opener, purge or status LED. All of these adjustments are easy to make using the Windows-based set-up menus. Head to www.nitrousexpress.com to control your laughing gas urges.

I'm Coo-Coo For Hankook
Southern California is basically seasonless. It's damn-near always sunny, with a freak April shower or winter storm thrown in for good measure. These abnormalities can wreak havoc on unsuspecting motorists flitting around in summer tires. But Hankook's super-human powers are about to change all of that. The company's latest ultrahigh performance tire, the Ventus V4ES, claims it can control the weather. We're envisioning a mad scientist's lab and some tricky weather measuring and altering apparatus. Hankook is so sure of its season-changing claims the company is offering an all-expense paid trip to a Four Seasons Resort of the winner's choosing. So sad for you, the winner will already be selected before you read this. But maybe the powers of telepathy will transfer this promotional material into your brain without you having to read this. If that doesn't work, at least you'll know all about this tire. For snow, the kerfs on the tread give you lots of stick and grip. For rain, the wide grooves and side slots enhance drainage and minimize hydroplaning. For sun, well, just get those rollers moving on the highway. The tire comes in both V and W speed ratings and sizes ranging from 16 to 22 inches. Roll to www.hankooktireusa.com to source yours.

We're Riding In Extreme Style
Unless you've been hiding in a bunker making coconut bombs, you're probably hip to Infiniti and Nissan's latest bombshells: the G35 and the 350Z. They've been strutting all around town flaunting their thick hips and sexy runway walk. They bring a whole new meaning to America's next top model. (No really, we don't watch that show.) While we know a good thing when we see it, it never hurts to improve. Extreme Dimension's new GT Competition kit for the 2004 Infiniti G35 sedan is a nice way to augment your cover girl (stop it; we only watch the episode where the girls are nude). The company's kit is made with hand-laid fiberglass so it's lightweight and show quality (like a top model should be). Currently the kit is available for the G35 and the Mazda RX-8, but more applications are forthcoming. If you want to be a top model, get your ride to www.extremedimensions.com or call 888/611-AERO.

Traffic Troubles?
If your left calf is significantly bigger than your right, you're probably spending too much time sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I usually have to buy two pairs of jeans and splice them together because my left calf is a full size bigger than my right. Since my clothing bills are amassing, I decided to look into traffic navigation systems. Pioneer came to my rescue. The company's latest nav system offerings have dynamic route guidance. Not only do you get a navigation system capable of mapping the United States and Canada in seconds, you also get the latest traffic updates for 20 major metropolitan cities nationwide. The unit constantly receives traffic updates via XM NavTraffic, a subscription service of XM Satellite Radio. The system will inform you of traffic accidents and congestion and even re-route your travel to avoid these unpleasantries. The traffic icons will indicate whether traffic is traveling over 40 mph (the green icon), between 20 and 40 mph (the yellow icon) or under 20 mph (the red icon). You'll monitor these icons on a sizeable 6.5-inch touchscreen monitor. To get out of that traffic jam, head to www.pioneerelectronics.com.

Let 'Em Rip
These toys were so damn fun we didn't get any work done for at least a week. We only remorsefully returned to our duties when they turned up missing after a long weekend. There's still a mark out for the culprit. We'll get you, thief. What makes Fly Wheels so cool? The wheels are 1:10-scale replicas of the top tire manufacturers' offerings. They come in all sorts of fitments and wheel combinations, just like real wheels and tires. With a pull of the ripcord, you can send these wheels sailing at 300 scale mph. That means if the wheels were full-sized, they would break the 300-mph mark, but since they're 1:10 scale, they're going about 30 mph. Still pretty jaw-dropping for a toy. You can also get the Fly Wheels Twin-Turbo Launcher, which launches two Fly Wheels and has a tachometer to measure speed. That means you could race yourself and your friends over and over again, and have the tach to backup your outrageous speed claims. If you get the Stunt Set, you can use the ramp to launch these babies 25 feet in the air. They're so much fun, you should ask your mom to drive you to Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us or any major retail store to get yours.

Power Optimally
We like shiny things. We like bright, colorful things. We like squeezing lots of things under hoods meant to only a hold a little bit of things. That's why we like Optima's YellowTop batteries (yellow referring to the color of its top, of course). The company's latest additions to an already well-rounded and impressive lineup are the new 51 and 51R batteries. These babies run circles around traditional batteries because they are lightweight and compact. We dropped one into an EK Civic and were quite pleased with the simple swap and performance. Like all of Optima's lineup, the 51s are made with the company's spiral cell technology which provides no spillage (even if mounted upside-down or on its side) and is 15 times more vibration resistant. Both feature 500-cold-cranking amps at zero degrees Fahrenheit and 625 at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and weight in at 26 pounds. To sport your YellowTop get yourself to www.optimabatteries.com

Juice It
No guy can look cool holding a fruit smoothie. Even the meathead at the gym with no neck looks less than cool when holding a strawberry concoction in a Styrofoam container with oranges on the side of it. Thankfully it's cool to juice your stereo components. In this case, the more juice, the better. That's where Quantum Audio steps up to the plate with its Solar Series amplifier. It's a single-channel, 1500-watt amp wrapped in an affordable package. Plus, you'll get the latest technology, like a heat-management system to keep the unit running efficiently and a subsonic filter to cut out inaudible, power-draining noise. We don't quite understand why removing noises we can't hear is good, but we're sure you can find out by going to www.quantumaudio.com.