📋 Summary
- VeilSide is the name behind one of the most recognizable JDM aero kits in the world, its “Fortune” widebody kit for the Mazda RX-7, worn by the orange RX-7 in “2 Fast 2 Furious”
- VeilSide was founded in 1990 by Hironao Yokomaku, with the company name itself a portmanteau built from his own surname
- C-West (founded, per retailer sources, in 1995) and Origin Labo (founded 2004, closely tied to D1GP drift competition) are two other names that appear constantly alongside VeilSide across JDM aero culture
- Aero kit brands each carve out a distinct visual identity, VeilSide’s dramatic widebody look differs considerably from Origin Labo’s drift-focused designs
If you’ve ever watched “2 Fast 2 Furious” and remember the orange Mazda RX-7 with its dramatically flared bodywork, you’ve already seen VeilSide’s work, whether or not you recognized the name at the time. Aero and body kit brands are a genuinely distinct corner of JDM culture from the engine and suspension tuning covered elsewhere in this series, built around visual transformation as much as, or sometimes more than, outright performance.
VeilSide: The Name Behind the Orange RX-7
VeilSide was founded in 1990 by Hironao Yokomaku, and according to multiple sources including the company’s own history, the name is a portmanteau built from his own surname, “Yoko” relating to “side” and “maku” relating to “veil.” The company is headquartered in Shimotsuma, near Tsukuba Circuit, and won the Grand Prize in the Tuned Car category at the 1991 Tokyo Auto Salon, establishing its reputation early in its history. VeilSide’s “Fortune” widebody kit for the Mazda RX-7 (FD) remains its most globally recognized product specifically because of its film appearance, though the company’s catalog extends across numerous other JDM platforms as well.
💡 Tip: Film Fame Doesn’t Always Reflect Everyday JDM Culture
VeilSide’s Fortune kit is genuinely famous largely because of its Hollywood exposure. Within Japan’s actual day-to-day tuning scene, plenty of equally significant aero brands never achieved that same level of overseas name recognition, so film fame and domestic JDM reputation don’t always line up one-to-one.
FRP, Wet Carbon, and Dry Carbon: The Material Choice Behind Every Kit
Since aero and body kit brands like VeilSide, C-West, and Origin Labo all offer the same basic products in different underlying materials, it’s genuinely worth understanding what that material choice actually changes. FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic), the traditional and most affordable option, is comparatively heavy, with a full body kit typically running somewhere around 18-25 kg, but is also the easiest and cheapest to repair after minor damage, making it a genuinely practical choice for a daily-driven or show car that risks the occasional parking-lot scrape. Wet carbon fiber, made by hand-laying carbon cloth and resin (a wet layup process) into a mold, looks visually similar to dry carbon and costs meaningfully less, but carries more resin weight than necessary for pure structural performance. Dry carbon, produced through vacuum-infusion or autoclave curing that achieves a much higher fiber-to-resin ratio, is dramatically lighter still, sometimes reported as roughly 70% lighter than an equivalent wet carbon panel, and offers genuinely superior stiffness and strength, but at substantially higher cost and reduced repairability if damaged. For a JDM build genuinely chasing minimum weight and maximum stiffness, dry carbon is the meaningful upgrade; for most show-oriented or daily-driven builds, FRP’s practicality and cost still make it the more sensible real-world choice across all three of these brands’ catalogs.
C-West: A Name That Shows Up Across Countless Platforms
C-West, based in Hyogo Prefecture, is another name that appears constantly across JDM aero culture, with retailer sources reporting a 1995 founding (a detail worth treating as reported rather than independently confirmed, since it comes from secondary retailer information rather than a primary company history page). C-West’s catalog spans a genuinely wide range of platforms, and its aero designs tend toward a more subtle, OEM-plus aesthetic compared to VeilSide’s more dramatic widebody approach, illustrating how different aero brands carve out genuinely distinct visual identities within the same broad category.
Origin Labo: Born From Drift Competition
Origin Labo, based in Osaka, was founded in 2004 specifically with roots in drift culture, according to the brand’s own materials, and began supplying D1GP (Japan’s premier drift competition) drivers by 2005. Its name reportedly reflects the concept of “originally, there was nothing,” and its widebody kits for platforms like the Nissan Silvia, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, and Nissan Skyline are specifically designed with the clearance and geometry needs of competitive drifting in mind, distinguishing its design priorities from more show-oriented aero brands.
⚠️ Caution: Widebody Kits Often Require Fender Clearance Work
Genuine widebody aero kits, unlike simpler bolt-on spoilers or lip additions, typically require flared bodywork clearance for wider wheels and tires, and installation frequently involves cutting, fabrication, or professional bodywork rather than a simple bolt-on process. Researching the specific installation requirements for a given kit and platform before purchasing is genuinely important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is VeilSide a genuinely Japanese company?
A: Yes, founded in 1990 by Hironao Yokomaku, headquartered in Shimotsuma, Japan.
Q: What car is VeilSide most famous for?
A: Its “Fortune” widebody kit for the Mazda RX-7 (FD), made globally recognizable by its appearance on the orange RX-7 in “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
Q: What’s the difference between VeilSide, C-West, and Origin Labo’s design approaches?
A: VeilSide tends toward dramatic, show-oriented widebody designs; C-West leans toward a more subtle, OEM-plus aesthetic; and Origin Labo designs specifically prioritize drift competition needs.
Q: Do widebody kits require special installation?
A: Generally yes. Most genuine widebody kits require fender clearance work, cutting, fabrication, or professional bodywork rather than a simple bolt-on installation.
This article is for general informational purposes based on publicly available company and industry sources; some founding-date details for C-West and Origin Labo come from retailer/brand materials rather than independently verified primary sources. Product lineups and availability change over time – always verify current details directly with the brand or an authorized retailer before purchasing.
Image credit: Tuned Mazda RX-7 (FD) by Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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