Beatrix

A car guy friend of mine has a build sitting unfinished and unpainted, primer and all, and he's proud of every bit of it. We got talking about what car should go on a shirt next. It's always the same answer: something badass, a GT-R, an M3. He wanted the real car guy celebrated instead — the ones actually wrenching, actually living with something still coming together. That conversation is where Beatrix started.

My friend asked me, “If you found your own dream car wrecked or barn-kept for years, what car would it be, and what would you do to it?” I chose a wrecked S2000. This is probably what I'd do. Not restore it to what it was. Build it into something else.

The engine would be a 2JZ out of a Supra, twin-turbo. Overbuilt on purpose. Japan had a gentleman's agreement back then, all the manufacturers capping cars at 276 horsepower on paper to avoid a power war. The 2JZ was rated right at that line and everyone knew it was making more. It's part of why the internals were built stronger than they needed to be, and why they've got a reputation for handling four figures with the right setup. And that sound — so sweet. Trackable, but only on weekends. Daily the rest of the time. Roof scoop would feed the driver, not the engine, so I could actually stay cool out there on a track day. Hood vents draw heat away from the turbos. Vents up front cool the brakes.

I'd keep the Honda CR wing. OE, understated, doesn't scream. Keep the side mirrors stock too. Even the hardtop, I'd pick an OEM one but modify it and add the scoop. Dual center exhaust for a cleaner back end. Keep the lines almost the same as they came — just refined enough to turn it into a beast without it looking like it's trying to prove something.

I'd name her after Beatrix Kiddo. Not because of how she looked. Because of what she survived. Shaped into something, tried to walk away from it, had to take her own power back on her own terms. That's what I'd want for the car too. Not louder. Just finally hers.

Words and images by:Axiom Otto