Varis Arising Widebody Honda Civic Type R Build

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Kevin Martinez

Varis Arising Widebody Honda Civic Type R 

Instagram: @project.r_

Photographer: Ryan Tilden 

Instagram:  @ryanshotya

Performance Stats: Full bolt-ons on e30 tune 390-400 ish 

From Alopecia to Automotive Passion

My name is Kevin Martinez, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I’m 27 years old, full Filipino, and what makes me most unique—and often gets me asked about—is that I have a rare autoimmune disorder called alopecia universalis. This condition attacks the hair follicles throughout my body, causing me to lose all my hair. I was diagnosed when I was about one year old.

Growing up without hair, especially at school, was tough. I faced bullying—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Looking different from the other kids and teens made me feel out of place. But I found my way to overcome those challenges through sports and cars. Being a multi-sport athlete in high school and building cars after college gave me a confidence boost I desperately needed.

Even now, I still wrestle with confidence from time to time, but I’ve learned to accept it as part of who I am—that’s what makes me unique. Whenever I feel low, I pour my energy into car building. It’s been my therapy and strength, and I couldn’t be happier with the progress I’ve made.

How a Childhood Game Sparked My Passion for Cars

What first encouraged me to get into cars was a trip to the Philippines as a kid. I remember my uncle playing a game on his desktop and asking, “What are you playing?” He replied, “Need for Speed Underground, you want to try?” Without hesitation, I said yes. From that moment on, I was hooked.

I spent hours playing that game and begged my parents for every Need for Speed title, Midnight Club, Forza, and Gran Turismo that came out. That’s what really sparked my passion for customizing and racing cars.

Why I Chose the Honda Civic Type R for My Build

I fell in love with the Honda Civic Type R for its aggressive styling and Honda’s renowned performance pedigree. It’s also the most spacious hatchback, perfect for daily driving, track days, and building a show car.

My FK8 build features a full Varis Arising Widebody kit imported from Japan. It’s fitted with 3-piece BBS LMR wheels from ARmotorwerkz, wrapped in Toyo R888R tires—track-ready and street-smart. The car was fully resprayed in Honda’s OEM Rallye Red, but with a twist: Mike, the builder and owner of Ingenious Auto Solutions in Santa Clarita, CA, suggested adding a hint of maroon to give the red a deeper, richer tone.

This custom “Rallye Red” isn’t as bright as the factory color but adds incredible depth and highlights the widebody’s aggressive lines. Another standout feature is the full 2x2 authentic carbon fiber roof—not a wrap. We stripped the paint to bare metal, removed the front windshield and rear hatch to lay the carbon fiber to the highest quality possible. We even extended the weave a quarter longer onto the rear hatch so the carbon shows in the trunk’s crevices whenever it’s opened.

Inside, the interior is wrapped entirely in Alcantara—dashboard, door panels, steering wheel, and center console—giving it a luxury feel with a sporty edge. Altogether, we’ve touched about 70–80% of the car, leaving plenty of room to evolve with big plans for the future.

Unique Build Choices That Set This FK8 Apart

What makes this build unique is the direction I took—steering away from the norm and embracing bold choices. I went with 19-inch BBS LMR wheels instead of the usual 18-inch, opted for a full carbon fiber roof, and customized the paint with a deeper tone. The build also includes a full titanium valved exhaust and a luxurious Alcantara interior, among many other details.

I built this car exactly how I envisioned it—true and genuine to my vision. Sure, there’s always room for improvement, but I remind myself to enjoy the process because perfection is an ongoing journey. I’ve learned a lot through trial and error and continue to grow as a car builder.

Owning this car has been a joy and opened doors I never imagined. I’ve built genuine relationships with partners who contributed to the FK8’s build, especially making it to SEMA 2024. Being invited to display my car in Central Hall was the ultimate check off my bucket list—to be in the same space with industry elites and enthusiasts was a dream come true.

I wish I had driven the car to Las Vegas for SEMA, but I was too nervous about risking damage before the show, so I had it towed. Still, driving it off the trailer and into Central Hall is a feeling I’ll never forget—it felt like hearing my name called at a top car show for winning first place.

This car is a blast to drive—great on gas, super quick for a 2.0L 4-cylinder full bolt-on, comfortable, and it even fits a full set of tires and rims inside.

Detailed Build List: 

Exterior

• Complete Varis Arising Widebody Kit (FK8)

• Full respray custom red with maroon tint

• Authentic full carbon fiber roof by Varis

• Varis front bumper, front and rear fender flares, front extension lip

• Varis full carbon hood with hood dampers and ducts

• Varis canards, side skirts, 1580mm GT wing, half carbon rear diffuser

• Varis carbon shift knob

• Mugen tailgate spoiler, window visors, door protectors

• Spoon windshield wipers

• Alpharex headlights and taillights

• APR full carbon vent replacement and license plate backing

• Honda Access yellow fog lights

• Carbon EPR Ganador style side mirrors

• Seibon full carbon OEM diffuser replacement

• Blitz rear garnish, clear rear sequential reflectors

• PRL rear windshield wiper delete

• Revel GT carbon rear bumper appliqué

• Dressupbolts black titanium hardware

Interior

• JQ Werks Mad Trace hub with Alcantara Mugen steering wheel

• Studio RSR 4-point roll cage

• H3R fire extinguisher with quick release

• Triple 7 gold front and rear door straps

• EVS rear carbon seat delete

• Hybrid and RTD short shifters

• Chasing J’s shift boot delete plate and shifter rod

• Varis shift knob

• Mugen start button

• Bride Zeta IV sparkle back seats (driver and passenger)

• Bride seat rails

• Varis x Willans 4-point harnesses
  Zoom Engineering carbon 240 wide rearview mirror

• Sweidit full Alcantara dash, glove box, A-pillars, hood cluster, gauge trim, door sections, center console

• Synth carbon steering wheel overlays, door pillars, dash overlays, L-shape interior pieces

• Mugen door cards and lower door protectors

• Type R dead pedal

Engine Bay / Performance

• APR Performance 3-piece carbon cooling plate
  Spoon intake duct signed by Jomoto-San

• J’s Racing valve cover

• Megalife battery

• PTP turbo blanket

• Radium expansion tank

• Chasing J’s strut bar, radiator cap, windshield washer fluid cap, ECU cover, fuse box plate, engine coil cover, accessory kit hardware, cooling plate hardware, strut tower nuts, brake master lid cover, valve cover hardware

• Yonristic full titanium valved exhaust

• PRL high volume intake, charge pipes, intercooler, flex fuel kit, inlet pipe, front pipe

• Hasport motor mounts

• Hondata custom E30 tune

Suspension / Wheels / Tires / Brakes

• 19x10.5 +16 squared setup BBS LMR wheels (champagne face, polished lips)

• R1 Concepts drilled and slotted big brake kit front and rear

• Toyo R888R 295/30/19 squared tires

• HKS Hipermax coilovers

• SPC camber arms
  
  

Who Made It Happen? The Team Behind the Build

Mike at Ingenious Auto Solutions brought the car to life. Over the years, we’ve become like brothers. He disassembled the entire car, did all the bodywork and prep, creatively fit the bigger wheels, painted the car, crafted the full carbon fiber roof—doing it all solo. Mike’s determination and craftsmanship are inspiring.

Greg at Fullers JDM was the go-to guy for maintenance, installations, and diagnosing issues when the car was down. Without him, the FK8 wouldn’t be 100% today. Though my team is small, I consider these guys family.

Future Plans for the FK8 Build

After this show season, we plan a full refresh—new paint, refinished or new wheels, more Alcantara interior upgrades, custom carbon interior pieces, and maybe a decal livery. We’ll replace every nut and bolt to show that we don’t cut corners.

Car building is fun but serious. We want to represent our partners with the highest quality, as they trusted us to deliver the best. We’re also considering returning to SEMA, either this year or next, but I want to take my time and get it perfect.

This Type R build is just the beginning—there’s so much more to come!

Shoutouts to Our Partners and Supporters

• Varis Japan

• Bulletproof Automotive

• Toyo Tires

• R1 Concepts

• Alpharex JDM

• SpecD Tuning

• APR Performance

• Megalife Battery
  Fullers JDM

• Ingenious Auto Solutions
  
  

Final Thoughts from Kevin

This car reflects who I am—not just a car but a story of overcoming adversity, passion, and brotherhood. I hope my story inspires others facing challenges to pursue their passions relentlessly.

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