SP Rides: That Crazy Hypnotoad

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BY MICHAEL KITCHENS

Name: Justin Rapozo
Age: 27
Occupation: Vinyl wrap/tint installer
Hobbies: Cars, basketball and hiking
Year, Make, Model: 2014 Nissan Juke NISMO RS
Color: Avery Rushing Riptide Chameleon
Engine: Tuned on Uprev by MunkyWurks, Injen short ram intake, Injen intercooler piping, 2jracing front mount intercooler setup, 2jracing hose kit, Injen 2nd cat delete downpipe, Custom 2 1/2 inch straight pipe exhaust, Turbosmart blow off valve, NISMO high pressure radiator cap, NISMO billet aluminum oil cap, NISMO factory upgraded internals, Full engine led light kit
Exterior: Custom vinyl-wrapped at Auto Trim Hawaii, Seibon carbon fiber R35 GTR style hood, NISMO O.ori factory carbon fiber front lip, mirrors, rear side spoilers, factory B-pillars, 2015 taillight conversion, LEDglow 6 piece million color under glow kit.
Interior: NISMO Recaro Sportster seats, NISMO alcantara steering wheel, Pioneer touch screen deck, Sound Ordinance amp, Kicker Comp R 12-inch sub, LEDglow under dash lights, custom crown royal shift boot.
Suspension: BC coil-over suspension, NISMO factory stiffened body and chassis.
Wheels & Tires: Work Meister S1 three-piece wheels @18×8.5 front and 18×9.5 rear, Work Wheels valve stem caps, Work Wheels lightweight racing lug nuts, NEXEN CP672 tires at 235/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear.

Three years ago, this 2014 Nissan Juke NISMO RS looked totally different.  Thanks to its unique stock exterior, it was fairly froggy, yet covered in pitch black and unassuming.  Yearning for something more, Justin Rapozo decided to make his ride look like something that came out of a video game. Not exactly Frogger, but more like Need For Speed Underground.

Justin drew inspiration from those color-changing, poisonous frogs and thanks to working at Auto Trim Hawaii, had first dibs on a new, exotic color known as Avery Rushing Riptide Chameleon.  Hand-wrapped by himself, the car is now on Hypnotoad level.  We are talking about shocking hues of various intensity color shifting in a maddening display from every angle.  It’s hypnotic to watch as you gawk by and licking a frog would probably result in much the same sort of trip.

Carbon fiber bits are sprinkled liberally throughout the exterior, including a wide selection of NISMO Omori parts.  A Seibon CF R35 GT-R style hood gives a hint of the power residing underneath the vented hood as LED glows extend from under the bonnet and emanates from the sides and front.

The metamorphosis continued with the addition of BC coil-overs, lowering the chunky body over Work Meister S1 three-piece wheels sized at 18×8.5 front and 18×9.5 in the rear.  The vehicle stance has changed completely. The chassis has been stiffened by NISMO and also features a 2015 taillight conversion to up the looks.

Interior-wise, NISMO Recaro Sportster seats are on visual display and accent the Alcantara steering wheel.  A Pioneer touch screen deck paired with a Sound Ordinance Amp and a Kicker COMP R 12-inch sub provides sounds.  The LED under glow continues within as well, providing more dazzling lights on command.

One would think that the crazy exterior of this strangely brewed concoction would be enough for Rapozo, but from the beginning his goal was to get totally ugly with power.  We’re talking a 2800-pound car with around 280WHP of power.  This is nothing to giggle at thanks to the bevy of power-adding modifications added to the 1.6LC 4-cycle engine.   The factory-upgraded internals were complimented with an enhanced 2jracing front mount intercooler setup, an Injen 2nd cat delete downpipe and short ram intake.  Combined with the custom 2-½ inch straight pipe exhaust, this bad boy gets up and goes at the stomp of a throttle.  At 3600 rpms, the torque steer on this ride can be immense for the unprepared.

There came to a point where Justin decided that he liked to be that guy. The man with the oddball car. That different sort of something that’s practically unheard of when it comes to investing cash into modifying… just to make his ride off-the-wall and different.  The resulting attention, both good and bad, has been noticeably perceptible, and he’s fine with it.

Rapozo intends to keep the car forever. Could it be that’s why he’s decided to go crazy with it?

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