Carlos Islas and 742 Marketing Consider New Look for 370z at SEMA 2013
- 26 Mar 2013
With SEMA 2012 in their sights, car owner, Carlos Islas and 742 Marketing CEO, Jeff Maldonado, began to devise a game plan. The Nissan 370z would lend to a perfect build for the show, with Maldonado and his crew being experts at building vehicles for such venues. Referring to his company, Maldonado explained, "We specialize in project vehicle builds for shows like SEMA and CES."
Having attended SEMA events for the past six years, the builder was no stranger to what lies in store at the fruition of the project. "It takes a lot of hard work and time," he explained. From the time the SEMA week finishes, we are already planning and working on the next year's vehicles. It seems easy to just pick a car and get parts for it," he continued. "But in reality, it's hard to choose the right vehicle to help market products..."
The CEO is acutely aware that having a history in the industry proves advantageous in the choosing and building process. "As we grow, we gain a lot more experience," he ensured. We specialize in finding newer or specific type vehicles that our affiliates are looking for. You could say we're the middleman between K&N and those aspiring to be sponsored." With all of their ducks in a row, the team named what they considered as one of the most important builds they had embarked upon, "Project Carbon Z." As one might suspect, the team had a specific goal in mind; they aspired to produce a vehicle that would of course stand out from the rest but would continue to maintain a street look.
In fact, they strived to ensure the vehicle could be driven on a daily basis. It was essential to turn heads at SEMA 2012, but they wanted to showcase all of the products used in the build to the general population as well. It was of utmost importance that those traveling the streets and freeways had the opportunity catch a glimpse of the finished product. With a bulk of the planning behind them, it was finally time to start making modifications to the Nissan, some of which took place under the hood. Eager to provide an ample air flow, which would increase the engine's overall performance, they went with a K&N's double air intake system 69-7078TS. Logic tells us that the amount of air flowing into the engine must be able to escape at the combustion process' end. So with that in mind, the team turned to an ARK performance exhaust system. An Odyssey Battery was also added to the mix to ensure there was plenty of juice to keep the electronics happy.
The builders chose Carbon Creations to provide the carbon fiber body parts. In fact, the company's workmanship lent to some of the vehicle's most radical and obvious changes to the onlooker. The company brought a hood, trunk, spoiler, lipkit and a wing to the build. Air Runner played their part in the project as well with an air suspension and R1 provided the custom rotors. For the finishing touches on the car's exterior, Concept One wheels were added to the mix.
Referring to the K&N double intake used in the project, Maldonado said, I started using them in 2005. According to the builder the product's selling point was two-fold. Not only did he notice an increase in power , but the sound was "just perfect." Once SEMA 2012 was behind them, that was no indication that their project would simply sit idle. In fact, it has since been featured in a German magazine, on a variety of online videos and in various other magazines for advertising purposes.
As Maldonado shared their upcoming goals, it quickly became evident that much thought has already gone into future plans. "We are in discussion about bringing back the Z to SEMA 2013 with a different look," he explained. "Something different and unique." In closing he continued, "K&N has been a big part of the growth of 742 Marketing in the past years, and every time, they go that extra mile to help us out. We are not your typical marketing firm. We are known for grass-roots marketing. That's something I feel K&N found special about us, and for that we thank them." | ||||||
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