The Next 6 Big Sport Compact Trends
February 2, 2004
Playing a role in the first Fast and the Furious movie gave RJ de Vera cult status on top of what he already enjoyed as editor of Super Street magazine. Known equally for the cars he has built, his expertise as a tuner and as the creative force behind several custom wheel lines, de Vera has earned respect as one of the leading voices in the sport compact world. Here, RJ shares his thoughts about six coming trends.
- Dubs: "Obviously, the new BFGoodrich 20-inch sport compact tire is going to be important, along with what I see as a trend that will involve the one-piece forged wheel." The new P225/30R20 BFGoodrich® g-Force T/A®KDW tire is the world's first 20-inch tire designed specifically for sport compacts. As wheel diameters increase, de Vera points out, "so does the weight of the wheel and tire. Because the sport compact world is so focused on performance, any means of saving weight in modifications is valuable. "A one-piece forged wheel is always lighter than a three-piece wheel or a cast one piece. So I think we're going to see much more of the one-piece forged wheel."
- Carbon fiber seats: De Vera looks at the top Italian sports cars and sees seats that he expects to find filtering down into the sport-compact world. "I think you're going to see more carbon-fiber reinforced seats, similar to the ones available now on (Italian supercars). I expect to see more and more of the aftermarket companies starting to offer carbon fiber-reinforced seats."
- Titanium. Once so expensive it was characterized as "unobtanium," the lightweight, high-strength metal is something RJ expects to see more of in the next wave of sport compacts. "Whether the higher use of titanium is in performance parts — as in a strut tie-bar or an exhaust system, I think we're going to see its use increase as its price drops. We'll see it used even for accessories, like shift knobs," de Vera says, "because kids like the look. Titanium becomes a bluish, purplish color, when it gets burned, and kids like that look for their exhaust parts. I think titanium is a coming trend."
- Drifting. This phenomenon, in which BFGoodrich has taken a leading role by sponsoring the Signal Auto Drift Twins team, is growing at warp speed and R J expects to see that growth continue. "Obviously, anything that has to do with drifting is going to become more popular than it already is. Drifting is already huge, and anything using its name or image is going to be popular. Whether it's a 'drift-style' body kit or a 'drift-spec' suspension, you attach the word drift and everyone in the market will wake up."
- On-board TV. RJ sees a rising enthusiasm for in-car TV-transmission, in the form of an on-board TV camera trained to the rear of the vehicle, transmitting a picture of what's out the back to a TV in the cockpit. It can also be focused sideways, to take the place of side mirrors. RJ also sees a rise in the popularity of ordinary (but micro-thin) TV screens mounted in headrests, as entertainment for kids. "Audio-visual has been around for a while. I think on-board TV is the next step that will become a trend."
- Ball-bearing turbochargers. RJ sees ball-bearing turbochargers as the next important step in the evolution of the turbocharger. "Ball bearings are part of a group of technological advances that allow a turbo to spool up quicker and spin faster. Every manufacturer seems to be moving to incorporate ball bearings — or even full roller bearings — in the center sectors of their turbocharger. We'll see that becoming more prevalent."
Photo courtesy of RJ de Vera
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