About Us - Ignis Flare Reverse Auto Studio

How It All Started

Look, we didn't start this shop with some grand business plan or fancy investor money. Back in 2018, it was just me and my buddy Marcus wrenching on cars in a tiny rental garage that barely fit two lifts. We'd been tuning our own rides for years, and honestly got tired of seeing people get ripped off by shops that didn't know a turbo from a supercharger.

Started taking on side jobs - mostly friends and their buddies who heard we could squeeze out decent numbers without blowing motors. Word spread kinda fast around Aurora, and before we knew it, we had more work than weekends. So we said screw it, quit our day jobs, and went all in.

The name? Yeah, it's a bit over the top. Marcus came up with it after a late night when we got a customer's build running perfectly - the flames shooting from the custom exhaust we fabbed up looked insane. "Ignis Flare" stuck, and the "Reverse" part... well, that's an inside joke about how we reverse-engineer everything to make it better.

Seven years later, we've got a solid crew, proper equipment, and we're still doing what we love - making cars go fast and sound mean. No corporate BS, no upselling parts you don't need. Just honest work from guys who actually give a damn.

850+

Builds Completed

7

Years Running

Meet The Crew

These are the guys actually turning wrenches on your ride

Damian Kowalski

Lead Tuner & Co-Founder

Started modding my first Civic at 16 and never looked back. Been chasing horsepower for 20 years now. I handle most of the ECU work and turbo setups. If your car's running rich or you're getting knock, that's my territory. Outside the shop, I'm either at the track or arguing about boost pressures on forums.

Specialty: Forced induction, standalone ECUs, dyno tuning

Marcus Chen

Fabrication Specialist & Co-Founder

I'm the guy with the welder. If it needs to be custom-built, that's where I come in. Exhaust systems are basically art to me - been doing TIG welding since trade school. Also handle suspension geometry and alignment work 'cause that stuff matters more than people think. Pro tip: don't cheap out on your exhaust, you'll just end up redoing it.

Specialty: Custom exhaust, fabrication, suspension setup

Rachel Desrochers

Senior Diagnostic Tech

Joined the crew three years back after getting fed up with dealer service departments. I do all the deep diagnostic work - if your check engine light's on or something's acting weird, I'm tracking it down. Good with electrical gremlins and weird sensor issues. Also keep these guys organized 'cause lord knows they need it.

Specialty: Engine diagnostics, electrical systems, data logging

Tyler Hammond

Performance Tech

Youngest guy here but don't let that fool ya. Been working on cars since I could hold a wrench. I handle a lot of the install work - turbos, intercoolers, brake upgrades, that kinda stuff. Also run our dyno sessions and help with tuning pulls. Still learning from Damian but I can dial in a base map pretty solid now.

Specialty: Turbo installs, cooling systems, dyno operation

Jorge Santos

Engine Builder

If you need internal work, I'm your guy. Been building motors for almost 15 years - everything from naturally aspirated street builds to full race setups. Real particular about clearances and assembly. Yeah, it takes time, but I'd rather do it right once than twice. Also do all our machine shop coordination for boring, honing, and head work.

Specialty: Engine assembly, machine work, bottom-end builds

Aisha Patel

Shop Manager

I keep this circus running. Handle scheduling, parts ordering, customer communication, and making sure jobs stay on track. Not a wrench-turner myself but I know enough to translate between "car speak" and regular human language. Also do quotes and project planning. If you've called or emailed, we've probably talked.

Specialty: Operations, scheduling, customer service

What We're About

We're not trying to be the biggest shop in Ontario. We're just focused on doing solid work for people who actually care about their cars. Whether you're dailying a modded WRX or building a weekend track monster, we treat every project the same - with attention to detail and realistic expectations.

No BS marketing promises like "50% more power guaranteed!" - we'll tell you what's actually possible with your setup and budget. Sometimes that means talking someone out of a bad idea, and that's fine. We'd rather lose a sale than have your name on a blown motor.

We're also big on the local car scene. You'll usually find us at meets around the GTA, and we sponsor a couple local track days each year. This isn't just business for us - we genuinely love this stuff.

Who We Are