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This is not a car. It's a beast. Look at that face. It would bite right into you if you dared to get close enough. Tear you to bits and just keep on moving.

This is not a car. It's a rocketship. That's 1.6 liters of turbocharged fury waiting to open up your eardrums. Just look at it crouched and ready to launch from the ground. And whether you're standing outside trembling or strapped tightly in your seat inside doesn't matter. This rocket is an equal-opportunity deafener.

This is not a car. It's a muscle. It responds to whomever is in control, doing the driver's will, moving and flexing and showing off its tattooed surface, each letter significant, each line telling the story of its life.

This is not a car. It's a place where competitors do battle, shed blood, race to protect their honor.

This is not a car. It is a contender that stands proudly in the spotlight, puts the best it has up against any willing component and usually comes out on top. All we say is true. This is no mere car. It is LJ Garcia's '96 Civic hatchback.

It's a beast. The Feel's wide body kit is the first of its kind in the U.S. Nine pieces come together on the skin of the yellow creature to make up that kit. Any fewer would be inadequate. And you don't get that look by just slapping on some double-sided tape and a few screws. The whole kit was molded on, including the side skirts, by 20/20 Autobody, so the eye makes virtually no transitions as it floats over the body. A Wings West midwing balances out the beast's rear lines; silver vinyl from Garage Graphics calls out the names of its makers.

It's a rocketship. A Honda B16A rumbles under the hood with the aid of a Drag Generation 3 turbo kit including a Turbonetics ball bearing T4/T3 turbo and wastegate, HKS boost controller and blow-off valve, and Spearco intercooler and pipes. Taking care of the rest of the logistics are various components from Venom, Vortech, STR, 5Zigen, and MSD, to name a few. But the powerplant isn't the only thing capable of rendering bystanders and cockpit inhabitants hearing-impaired.

A Pioneer head unit and CD player organize sounds that make their way through the Audiobahn amplifiers to produce 600 watts of power.

It's a muscle. A Kustom Workz air-ride suspension, an AC Auto Technic front strut brace, and Energy Suspension bushings allow the hatchback to bend, stretch, and slice when it needs to. Baer brakes and Goodridge lines produce strong braking at all the right times. It's a battlefield. In addition to all the audio equipment he set up in the Civic, Kustom Workz's Phillip Traverse also installed a Sony PlayStation, creating the ultimate arena for duels of the electronic variety.

It's a contender. LJ Garcia has been in the show car scene for many years now. He knows how to put together a winning piece of automobilia, proven time and again at shows all over. He goes with what he believes in and not what he sees others doing. That is the strategy which brings him so much success and fulfillment. This is not a car. It's a philosophy. It's a mindset. It's a life.