Photos By: D.Tek

Fortitude is a strong word with stronger connotations. Fortitude is having the will power to overcome emotional and mental adversity without wavering from your original trajectory. I think we can agree that it’s not a word to be taken lightly, as possessing fortitude can be a burden; it’s existence is only accompanied by great pain. However, pain and adversity offer us opportunity for our character to be sharpened. It allows for characteristics such as perseverance to emerge from places within us that we didn’t think possible. If adversity is the test to building our character, fortitude is the endurance race to earning it. The following is a story of one man’s journey to discovering the essence of fortitude through the efforts of a car build.

Gio Dichiara is a man in his mid-thirties who has lived a lifetime already. He puts in a 60-hour workweek and comes home to a beautiful wife who tends to a household of five (yes, 5) precious and precocious little daughters. His strong work ethic is only matched by his ability to be an amazing father and husband. That should be inspiring enough, but he also happens to have a deep-seated passion for all things motorized and with 4 wheels, specifically big body Japanese cars. Not surprisingly, he also happens to have a knack for making them look drop-dead-gorgeous.

The passion began in 2001 when the Lexus LS430 (UCF30) was introduced. While Gio has always been a car guy, his imagination never leant itself towards Japanese offerings, let alone a big body car that people would sooner akin to a retirement transporter. However; visions of a build soon started accumulating into writings on paper and represented the beginning of a ten-year journey accumulating into the pictures that grace this article.

Of course, for many of us, our dreams typically produce inspirations our checkbooks can’t quite cash. Instead, Gio started out with an entry-level Lexus offering in the form of a ES300. He quickly built notoriety as “GATO” on the Lexus boards, and it wasn’t long before the ES had run its course. Before he knew it, he was driving a black cherry 2nd Generation GS300. In fact, if you fancy 2GS’s, then you have most likely seen (if not saved) pictures of this car throughout the bowels of the Internet. This particular car inspired my own 2GS build and how I came to know Gio, as he was always willing to go out of his way and help me with the smallest of details. While these were great cars, they represented mere stepping-stones to what Gio had always envisioned.

In the winter of 2007, Gio had finally located the car of his dreams: a mint 2004 Black LS430 Ultra Luxury. This was the big day he had been envisioning for 6 years. “Cloud 9” doesn’t scratch the surface of his glee. As soon as he purchased it, the build was underway, with a JOB Design aero kit that took 4 months to come in from Japan. Painted and installed, the vision was taking shape quickly. Unfortunately, as with many of us, the LS was Gio’s only car and on a typical drive home from work, calamity struck. BOOM! The LS was rear ended with no hope of justifiable recovery in sight.

Clearly this wasn’t enough to kill a dream that had been brewing for 6 years. Eight months later, Gio located yet another 2004 Black LS430 UL in Florida. This time, things were going to be seen through. While Gio had his dream built around a Japanese big body, it was European styling that influenced the details of the build. Set to stir things up, he was able to track down a very rare set of 20 inch OZ Futuras, which would be taken apart and widened to accommodate the wheel wells of the LS.

6 months into the build, it was time to have an official unveil. He hosted a small local Lexus gathering at his tanning salon, where anticipation had been built and it did not disappoint. The car was the talk of the community and would be from then on identified throughout the Internet as the “LS430 on Futuras.”

The build would evolve over the course of 2009 and into the following year with details that could only be found in high-end VIP builds from Japan. Never one to settle for “off the shelf,” Gio took the majority of projects on himself making quality an assumed attribute in everything he did. He continued this mindset right down to the big brake kit. While Brembos are a staple in this segment, he wanted to do something unique. The more he researched, the more he realized that this was something he should do on his own. Thus began Futura Design Brakes as nothing more then an outlet for seeing his vision come into fruition. No obstacle too big, no detail too small, the dream Gio had held for close to 9 years was taking shape in a capacity he never could have imagined.

In the fall of 2010, things couldn’t be better as Gio was now expecting his fifth baby girl to enter the world. He was driving home from an afternoon outing when “the call” comes unexpectedly and delivery was upon his wife. Elated, he parked the LS in front of his quiet suburban neighborhood, as time didn’t permit to get it secured in the garage. Aired out and locked, he was off to the hospital to experience the joy of new life. The delivery went off without a hitch and the six member of the Dichiara’s was introduced into the world. 3 days passed before Gio and his family were able to get back home and situated. He went into the garage to run to the store, but no car was tucked within. Remembering it was left on the street, he walked out to find it not there either. Bewildered, he stood in the spot he left it wondering if his father had moved it for him. Then reality struck and the pit of his stomach increased to abyssal proportions. There he stood to find deep scrape channels that extended like the flames from Doc Brown’s DeLorean; the LS had been stolen.

The car would later be found in a field about 2 miles from his house engulfed in flames. Nightmares had better outcomes. The joys of new life were ever so slightly hollowed by despair of a dream that had been damned. 9 years in the making. 9 years of toiling and sacrificing. 9 years of overcoming adversity to end in flames. This is where you ask yourself the question “should I go on?” If I’m honest with myself I don’t think I could…. But then I’m not Gio.

When you dream a dream that takes hold of you for a decade, not even fire can kill it. Gio’s story does not end in tribute; it continues on, yet to end. The photos before you do not represent a lost loved one — They are the depiction of fortitude, as Gio has come full circle and started over once again. The car you see before you is Gio’s third LS430.

Originally the car belonged to a Liberty VIP member in New York, which made for a great starting platform as it was already tastefully modified. However Gio, a member of Refined Elegance, knew that he needed to get back on track with his vision, so he sourced yet another set of 20 inch Futuras. The beauty of these new wheels is that they have stainless steel outer lips which give off just the right amount of step into the classic face design. Futura Design Brakes were positioned all around with 8-pot calipers filling the front and 6-pot in the rear. Gio even had the front and rear Vlene aero kit heavily modified right down to utilizing exhaust tips from a 2012 Hyundai Azera.

Following that was deconstruction of the interior where Jaguar Connolly crème leather was chosen to replace the standard black leather. An elegant double-stitched thread pattern compliments the richness of the leather exemplifying the bespoke vision.

The wood trim was painted piano black with vanilla pin striping applied by Original Garage, giving off a Brabus vibe throughout, while custom illuminated Futura door sills welcome all occupants as they enter from any of the 4 doors.

The headlights offer their own special touch. They were disassembled and blocked to be painted in a way that creates the pin stripe overtones that carry themselves throughout the build. Aqua electroluminescence was use in conjunction with the door sills to carry the color theme home.

This car represents a rolling testament to the lengths our willpower can travel to ensuring that dreams become reality. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Patience and fortitude conquer all things;” powerful words that are only eclipsed when they are put into practice. There is an entirely new story to be told involving the depths and details of the Futura LS430 and the places Gio intends to take it, but for now I simply ask you to let this story sink in and inspire you to pursue dreams forgotten and encourage you to take hold of the fortitude that is instilled in all of us.

Photography by Shawn Walsh

“Made in America” is a statement few companies in the automotive aftermarket can make. When it comes to the seat industry, that list is even fewer. Status Racing, one of the leaders in top-tier racing seats, can proudly make that claim, and as expected, it is a statement that holds its value. Status takes pride in representing the culmination of superior technology and aerospace materials, and that is why we’re sharing with you.

Rob and Dan, the new partners of Status Racing, have had their head in the automotive scene for quite some time; more than a decade. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with them. In 2001, Rob and Dan started a company called Vivid Racing with $500 in their pockets and a $1500 loan. Today, Vivid has 30 employees and is a $10,000,000-per-year company. So when news came about that Status needed a well-founded partner, the pair knew they were the right fit. Rob and Dan’s success in online sales and marketing gave them the confidence to jump in the driver’s seat. They’re now entering 2012 stronger than ever.

Much of the construction of a Status seat is proprietary information, aka “Top Secret”, but Dan spilled the gist of it as simply as he could. “The basics are exactly what you see. A mold is made to the specs we design. Material is laid in the mold and then coated. Once the mold is ready to be seperated, the seat shell is visible and we trim out the excess. From here we add the padding, bracket hardware, and put on the custom Icon or standard seat jacket. It’s then ready to ship!”

If you’re unfamiliar with Status, or with top-of-the-line seats as a whole, you’ll be interested in what makes up their construction. The upper-level Status seats are made of, as seen here, carbon-fiber, or if your pockets are even deeper, carbon-kevlar. Carbon-kevlar, the lightest composite Status offers, is the pinnacle of light weight seat production. Its unique golden-yellow appearance is a dead giveaway.

In keeping with the American tradition of unparalleled quality, Dan tells me how seriously Status takes quality control. “We hold our seats to extreme quality control. We make sure that the presentation of the seat from the packaging to the final product keeps people excited and confident. Everything down to the finest stitch has to be perfect. If there are any flaws in the carbon weave, it is not used or sold later as a blem. Since seats are being made 1 at a time start to finish, it allows for serious control over the final product outcome.”

But if Status’s manufacturing and quality weren’t enough to separate them from the rest of the industry, perhaps their Icon Series is. The idea behind the Icon Series is the ability to custom tailor a seat to fit the aesthetics of any vehicle. The entire skin of the seat is “customizable”, from the fabric type and color, to the color of the stitching, seat inserts, and logos. And as for what’s next for Status? Rumor has it reclinables and even some larger seat sizes.

Status is growing quickly, and we’re excited to share their story. An American company with American ideals, it’s what we’re all about. Dan put it perfectly: “We dont want to be a replacement for other seat companies in motorsports, we want to be the seat choice for enthusiast and racers because of the uniqueness.”

Since our relocation to Southern California, we’ve found that our concentration of efforts has led us to some unexpected places. Most recently we were invited to the opening of McLaren of Beverly Hills.

While none of us here at StanceWorks are in a position to own the new MP4-12C, it was a pleasure to be invited by eGarage to the launch, where we mingled amongst countless millionaires and celebrities alike. To be included in such an affair establishes our ever-growing position in the automotive industry. We’ve kicked it up a gear and it is satisfying to know we’re taken seriously.

The MP4-12C was a sight to be seen, with lines that fit my childhood ideals of a supercar to a T. The car possesses technology that shadows nearly everything else on the road, it’s a car we’ll lust after for quite some time. With 592hp, 2868lbs, and a 7-speed “seamless shift” gearbox, it’s no surprise that this car is leaving everything else in the dust.

Known for their racing heritage, and simply due to the fact that the MP4 is derived directly from Formula One technology, McLaren brought out Raikkonen’s 2006 F1 car. The opportunity to enjoy the car up close and personal was the highlight of the party for me. But if parking a Formula One race car in the showroom wasn’t enough, McLaren also brought in Jay Leno and the current owner of McLaren to both speak their part.

The party itself was excellent and extravagant in typical Beverly Hills fashion. Colorful lighting and Cirque-Du-Soleil style aerial acrobats, a live DJ and even a drummer of sorts. A red carpet and a paparazzi stood outside of the entrance in hopes of catching the faces we all find familiar.

It was one hell of a way to open a dealership, something you probably won’t find at your local Kia. Credit to McLaren for staying true to their roots with their latest creation, and I know I am not the only one patiently waiting for the successor to the world-dominating McLaren F1. We’ll have to see. Maybe in the next few years?