Royal Purple

I had been hearing from a few friends that I HAD to see this purple S2000 driving around the Harlingen area. Then I heard who the owner was and I knew right away- this would be one hell of a car. Pulling up to the Gillmans “Honda Fest” show- Marco parked this car right at the entrance, and you couldn’t miss this car either way. After a while of soaking in some sun from the show and walking around checking out the other cars- Marco and I finally decided to drive off somewhere and begin shooting. Luckily we didn’t have to drive so far- in fact the rolling shots took place right in front of the parking lot of the car show- so I’m sure a few people caught a glimpse of me hanging out of my girlfriends car while the S2K followed closely behind. The time I spent hanging out of the back seat of the car, I couldn’t help but notice the sound of the F20C, the aggressive sound of the BOV- even at cruising speeds, and the paint- I mean seriously, how many sick purple cars do you see driving around town.

Marco Gonzalez isn’t new to having a car that draws a lot of attention and makes some high numbers. The last vehicle he was in was an Acura Integra making a little over 300hp…on low boost. But enough about his previous car, we are talking about his new head turner. This little bad boy being coated in the 95′ NSX Midnight Blue Pearl is one of the obvious reasons you’ll have to pick your jaw up off the floor, the Enkei RPF1’s as well as the headlights were also sprayed to match. The interior has been kept mostly stock except for the Skunk2 shifter and Clarion head unit sending out the tunes through some Pioneer speakers, however, some new Bride seats will be keeping Marco and 1 lucky occupant safely in place.

Like I mentioned before, Marco isn’t new to driving something with a bark that has a bite to match. The F20C under the hood has received some special treatment by InlinePRO which includes a fully built balanced and blueprinted motor which puts it at a 9:1 compression ratio. InlinePRO products were also used for the turbo accessories which include the turbo manifold as well as the plumbing, which by the way when looking at- you better hope your have shades to protect your eyes from the fluorescent green coating. The AEM stand alone is keeping this all together making sure everything runs smoothly and operates at optimum levels. All this brings the car to a safe 400+hp, and there’s still room to go- and whats the limit for this car you might ask? 600HP is achievable with a few more tweaks here and there. Its safe to say the way this car drives, where it’s at currently is enough for most people. As if all the engine mods and power weren’t enough- the bay was still taken further by a partially shaved and tucked bay and also relocating the battery and fuse box was a must to make sure your eyes don’t take in too much once the hood is popped.

After a few close calls of having the shoot turn into a bus drivers game of “hit the bright purple thing in the middle of the road”, and running to try to catch the hood from slamming shut due to strong winds- we decided it would be best to call it a day and head back to what was left of the Gillman Meet. This car is the complete package- its got some great eye candy along with the power to back up most challenges…on the track of course. Hopefully Marco is satisfied for a while, but there is no telling how much longer the 400hp will keep him happy- especially knowing he can easily bump up another 200 or so ponies. I wish you the best of luck good sir- God Speed.

“Driving this beast with the top down usually turns heads- but the neck breaking happens when the BOV goes off”- Marco Gonzalez

Marco Gonzalez’s 2001 Honda S2000 (AP1)

428hp/293tq (Dyno Proven)

Performance :
GT35 turbo
Inline Pro 9:1 built engine, blue printed
Inline Pro log manifold
Inline Pro turbo plumbing and etc
Ultimate Racing full exhaust
750 cc RC injectors
AEM standalone ECU
Lightweight 8lb Flywheel
Competition Clutch 6 puck unsprung

Cosmetics :
1995 Acura NSX Midnight Pearl paint with HOK pearls
Shine Auto Widebody Kit -Front Bumper, Fenders, Rear Overfenders
Partially shaved engine bay
Relocated Battery and fuse boxes

Interior :
Skunk 2 Shifter
Bride Seats –coming soon–

Rollers :
17″ Enkei RPF 1
Primewell 215/45/ZR17 Front and 245/40/ZR17 Rear

Stiff Stuff :
Buddy Club Full Coilover System

Sounds :
Clarion Head Unit
Pioneer Speakers

Special Thanks :
Shout outs to Team Domeisuru, and support from friends and family

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Photos courtesy of : Bobby Villarreal -aka- NazVil_Photos