Street Spec: PartsPro.PH Project Toyota Vios

Upgrading your Vios with PartsPro.PH

There are so many ways that a car can be modified.

Some like to enhance their cars for the more luxurious appeal, acquiring accessories that customize the vehicle to their tastes. Some people like to go for a race car look with big wheels, loud exhausts, and race-inspired parts. Some people go nuts buying parts and accessories, sometimes beyond the point that the car isn't recognizable anymore.

But what if there's a way to be able to modify and upgrade a daily driven compact car in a way that gives you an enhanced look, improved performance, better everyday functionality, and better comfort for the everyday drive?

That's exactly what the guys over at the country's leading online auto parts and accessories superstore put together for you. This is the Project Vios from PartsPro.PH, and it has been elevated to drive better, look better, and without sacrificing the comfort you need for the daily drive.

From the outside, it doesn't look like PartsPro.PH didn't make any major alterations that scream at those looking at it. Instead, they opted for some neat and clean looking upgrades like some original PartsPro Racing (PPR) carbon fiber aero parts such as the racing front lip and a rear decklid spoiler.

The wheels are the most obvious alteration: these are Rota R-Spec wheels in 16x7 with a 4x100 bolt pattern for the Vios which look great with those Kyoei lug nuts. The wheels have been fitted with spacers to give a slightly wider look to complement the slight drop in ride height thanks to the MaxSpeed lowering springs.

But don't think that because the ride has been lowered that the ride comfort has been sacrificed. That's because the wheels on this Vios have been fitted with 205/50/R16 Comfort tires from Giti. That means a quiet and softer ride, but the width makes for improved grip in all conditions.

Look closer and you'll see a lot of premium Japanese auto accessories from PIAA, such as the PIAA Otostyle horn just behind the grille as well as the pair of PIAA Silicone Wipers for a clear view. And speaking of clear view, this one has Osram All-Weather H4 bulbs that pierce through the dark and illuminate well even in heavy rain.

Once inside, you'll see that PartsPro.PH made some nice upgrades. This Vios has a set of Shark Seat Skin seat covers for that custom look, and they go very nicely with the TRD shift knob for a good and positive grip when driving.

The in-car entertainment system has also been upgraded too. The standard audio unit has been swapped out for a Nakamichi 1200 Competition Series head unit for enhanced audio. The head unit matches perfectly with the Nakamichi NSE 1677 front speakers, the NSE 1617 rear speakers, as well as a Blaupunkt NBX 25L 100-watt active subwoofer. And to help with the audio quality, this Vios also has sound deadening courtesy of Nakamichi from PartsPro.PH.

PartsPro.PH didn't make any major changes to this Vios in terms of performance because they wanted to preserve the daily driven comfort that the Vios is known for, so no loud exhaust systems or anything of the sort. Instead, PartsPro.PH installed a better (and washable) fabric air filter element; no throwing away, just clean it and reuse. And to help improve the performance, response, and fuel economy, PartsPro.PH fitted the Vios with an Ultramax Power Drive unit.

A big thing with this Vios is the level of protection it has from the sun and from the elements. To protect the occupants from the tropical heat, this Vios has had a window film upgrade. This Vios has the Ultimate Ceramic Coat tint from Sunbloc to deal with our kind of hot weather. To protect the paint, this Vios has Mafra Nanoceramic Coating from James Car Care. That gives it an armor to deal with little debris you may encounter on the road.

Completing the whole ensemble for the PartsPro.PH Project Vios are the custom decals. The set was inspired by PartsPro.PH's efforts in the domestic motorsport scene, as they compete in a wide variety of racing events. They field teams and cars in the Toyota Vios Cup, race in the Formula V1 series, participate in Super Sprint, the FlatOut Race Series (FORS), Philippine GT, the Philippine Endurance Challenge (PEC), and the new Radical Cup racing series. And the decals are just a way of bringing a bit of racing inspiration to the street, but still maintaining the all-important everyday usability for a car known as the Project Vios.

Here's the thing though: this particular Vios isn't a high grade model. It's the more affordable J variant. Looks good doesn't it?

All it took was a clear and neat vision, some creativity, and a few components supplied by the guys over at PartsPro.PH, turning a a 1.3 J into a 1.3 FTW. 

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Want to enhance your Vios to suit your own taste? All the parts here can be ordered from PartsPro, all you have to do is log on to PartsPro.PH and start adding to cart. And yes, you can do it all from the convenience and safety of home.