Photography by Jake Goncalves (@jakeslens)
Salik Zaki had always been hooked on car magazines from a young age, largely thanks to his cousin who would always have a subscription. Dreaming of having his car in a magazine one day, Zaki worked hard through his younger years to afford his passion. After dominating the first ever PASMAG Tuner Battlegrounds with his 2005 Scion xA, and accomplishing his magazine feature goal, he set his sights on bigger and better projects, and eventually parted out his xA to start building his pride and joy: the 2013 Scion FR-S you see here.
Knowing that the FR-S was an extremely popular choice among tuners didn't deter him from setting out to build something unique. "I chose this platform because the modification capabilities are endless," he writes. "I also wanted to build this car to my own liking, as it is a very common platform in the current scene so it makes it more challenging to stand out which I love." Taking aim at a show-stopping build with a popular platform set up a challenge that Zaki was ready for.
By working closely with people like FCR Inc who saw his vision, Zaki was able to produce an incredible one of a kind FR-S build, complete with a Toyota 86 front and rear bumper conversion, and a StanceNation x Aimgain V2 widebody kit. "I absolutely love body and paint," he tells us, "which is why it is a primary focus on any of my builds." That passion for paint led him to pick a stunning candy paint, Obsession Red from PPG's Vibrance series. Finishing off the look is some custom airbrushing and detailing tweaks to really set the car apart from the rest.
At ground level, Zaki employs the help of his sponsors, Toyo Tires and Niche wheels, for a killer combination. Niche Gamma wheels, measuring 18x11 -7 in the front, and 18x12 -30 in the rear, are wrapped in Toyo's sticky R888R tires, measuring 255/35/18 and 295/30/18 respectively. The wheel and tire setup meets the body lines perfectly, tucking in while parked with the help of Air Lift Performance's FR-S kit. Sprinkle in some extra goodies like Bride Stradia II seats, Spec-D headlights, custom show-ready Valenti taillights, and a Borla exhaust system complete with UEL headers, and you've got a real show-stopper for Zaki yet again.
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