On day 2 of our alpine ski adventure we caught wind of an inbound storm. Excitement ran through the group with hopes of colder weather and more importantly, fresh snow! Well, what unfolded was anything but the expected. A high pressure front settled in, forcing the Meribel lift network to close due to extreme wind conditions. I’ve encountered some pretty bad situations, but this was absolutely dangerous. People were being blown around the slopes like rag dolls. Feeling utterly defeated, a few of us decided to walk through the town and take in the local French scenery. Then, out of the blustery gloom, this brilliant white Subaru Impreza Turbo Diesel (TD) emerged! I did an immediate double take before running over to snap these photos. To say the Subaru brand is rare in France, or Europe for that matter, is an understatement!

Why are there so few European Subarus compared to North America?

There are a multitude of economic reasons, but we’d like to guess at just one, cost. Consider the following: the most basic TD models start life around 25,000 EURO. After options, taxes, and so forth, you are looking at an out the door price upwards of 30,000-33,000 EURO. Convert that into USD, and you’ll figure this French bound Impreza TD cost pretty close to $39,000-43,000 USD! Needless to say, you’ll be hard pressed to find a WRX STi lurking on the streets. After all, it’s base price starts at roughly 38,650 EURO!

Gale force winds may have dashed our ski adventures, but a lonely Subaru gave way to a whole new story and a pleasurable end to a rather dismal day.

Engine: Horizontally-opposed, 4-cylinder, Turbocharged, DOHC 16-valve diesel
Capacity: 1,998 cc
Max Output: 110 kW (150 PS) / 3,600 rpm
Max Torque: 350 Nm (35.7 kgfm) / 1,600-2,400 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission, AWD

As winter turns to spring, we’d like to take this time to reflect on some of the most unique rides we saw this winter.

#3) Polaris 6 Wheeler ATV with Treads
This rig caught the camera’s eye earlier this winter at Keystone, CO. Those treads are definitely an example of adapting to the environment!

#2) Slee Offroad Limo
Okay, okay, this one isn’t like the others on the list, but then again nothing is quite like it. I came across this gem while driving through Golden, CO and would love to get more photos, interior included. Who knows, maybe we’ll even be able to jump in on a Slee facility tour, that would rock! So…is this Lexus/Toyota more unique than a Subaru Limo? You be the judge, click here for the Forester Limo sighting.

#1) Bombardier BR 275 Snow Cat
This 12.5 ft wide hulk of a vehicle definitely tops our list of unique vehicles. Have you ever sat there wondering how you, and 11 of your friends might access some of the most amazing back country skiing Idaho has to offer? Wonder no more, simply drop the folks at Brundage Ski Resort a shout and get your trip booked next winter! If the shear size doesn’t impress, then maybe the capabilities and stats will!

• Zero feet, yes ZERO, inner tread turning radius. It may be big, but it is definitely maneuverable.
• 825 ft tq provided by a 6 cylinder Cummins Turbo Diesel
• 17,500 lb dry weight with front blade

We look forward to capturing more unique rides as this year unfolds. Stay tuned for more…iA Performance

Team Building and Karting, what more could you ask for?

Over the MLK holiday IA Performance headed to Unser Racing for a bit of fun, laughter, and some serious wheel to wheel competition. We definitely accomplished all of those plus the occasional collision (what happened to no bumping!).  Action photos are definitely something we need to work on, but quite frankly, no one wanted to skip a heat (it was that fun!).

If you live near Denver we highly recommend popping over to Unser for some go karting fun. Here’s a tip, Mondays are discounted to just $10 per heat!

Please enjoy the photos from the event as well as a few of the cars in the lobby.

It’s through our customers support that we are able to host such events. Thank you for your continued support!

iA Performance

In an ongoing effort to revamp the company identity, we decided it was time to retire the Sofa Chrome font Logo and go with something dramatically different, simple, and new.  Our top graphic designer, Andrea, achieved all 3 of these goals with the new logo. Expect to find some of these decals and cards in every purchase from November 15th, 2012 on wards.

Q: What if you placed an order before the new release?
A: Not to worry, we are more than happy to mail a set of decals to anywhere in the 50 States for FREE! Just send us a “Decal Request” via Facebook Message (www.facebook.com/iaperformance) with the following details and we’ll get them mailed out right away. This offer is for a limited time so act quickly, expires Dec 31, 2012.

During our current face lift, I found it fun to look over the website templates of the past and wanted to share them. The biggest difference for us was the jump from the Blue Template to the Red since it was 400 pixels wider. This allowed for better product spacing as well as a better overall layout. Sadly, I could not find an image of our first ever website back in 2004 Thank you to all of those that have supported us over the years!!!

2006-2010                                2010-2012                               2012- ?

With the growing success of Tucson’s Modification scene we decided it was time to Go Big or Go Home. Everyone in Tucson talks about buying a AWD dyno, but apparently we were the only ones that took the plunge (great learning lesson, more to follow on that in later posts).

That brings me to the next question: What better way to make a splash with a new shop location (INA SHOP) & Dyno? With a Grand Opening of course. The following photos will show the events as they transpired that day.  It is interesting to see what shows up when you have an open mind to Import, European, and Domestic cars. We had a handful or rods, buckets, slammed Euro’s, plus a parking lot full of Japanese imports! Our local neighbors came out to help celebrate which included Ride Now Sports, gracious donors of several raffle items, as well as Hooters Restaurant, wonderful food kept showing up. Thanks again to everyone that helped make that day so memorable for all of us at iA Performance!