Full for Furious

Customers and associates of Paul Cole's King Midas Mufflers were treated at the premiere of the seventh movie in the Furious franchise at the Carib 5 Cinema, Cross Roads, St Andrew, last Wednesday.

"We try to maintain that connection with the customers. We are a household name but we do not want to take that for granted, because customers are always looking for new things. At the same time, we want to connect with them in a social environment as well. We do not want to always meet them at the office," said Cole in explaining the reason for hosting the combination of a film viewing, mini car show, and car enthusiasts get-together.

King Midas Mufflers has hosted get-togethers at previous Jamaican premieres in the Furious franchise.

live display

Outside the Carib 5 complex, moviegoers were treated to a live display of fast motor vehicles, in keeping with the car-racing theme of the movie. A R34 and R33 Nissan Skyline, modified two-door 1996 Honda Civic, modified 1996 Nissan pickup and a Suzuki Swift Sport were among the crowd-pleasers. Members of the Skunk Nation car club also brought with them their eye-catching machines.

A female Skunk Nation member, who drove a 2010 Nissan 370Z to the event, said "it is the adrenaline rush" that attracts her to fast cars and motivates her to drive one. "Even before Fast and the Furious I was into fast cars," the lady, who did not wish to be named, said, pointing out that she is able to recite parts of previous Furious movies word for word.

Seon 'Giant' Sadler said being able to go fast and vehicle modifications make him attracted to fast cars.

spectacular stunts

Inside the cinema, where the movie was sold out, patrons enjoyed every twist and turn of Furious 7. They reacted to spectacular stunts from the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, 2011 Hyundai Elantra, 2014 Maserati Ghibli, 1989 Nissan Skyline and unforgettable Dubai-created 2013 Lykan Hypersport vehicles. The explosions in the movie also had everyone on edge.

The James Wan-directed film would not have been complete without a tribute to the life of Paul Walker, who played one of the main characters, Brian O'Connor. Walker died in a motor vehicle crash in 2013.

muffler technology

Cole had on display the latest developments in muffler technology, which are geared towards reducing the chances of drivers running afoul of the law.

"We are having a challenge with some of the mufflers being too loud. The authorities said we needed to work on that and so for 2015 we came out with a new line of mufflers that will be satisfactory to the customer, which gives them the (exhaust) flow and is not too loud. If the mufflers are too loud you would get a noise nuisance ticket," Cole said.

Section 43 paragraph (2) of the Road Traffic Act states that no vehicle's muffler should be cut or should in any way make unnecessary noise.