Meet the SVA Kimaera Squonker, the Pagani of squonkers. This is one true unicorn mod that is worth every bit of trouble to get your hands on…
Where to start? Giacomo Biaggini is a master, his mods are sot after in what ever form he makes next. SVA is most known for their Penguin squonker, but the Kimaera is a true work of art. The symbiotic relationship of all the materials (Stainless Steel Top & Bottom Plates, Delrin Body, Carbon Fiber Faceplate & Battery Tube, Brass Battery and Squonk bottle caps) is hard to describe and needs to be experienced in the hand, this is true high end craftsmanship. The curved shape with the smooth lines and multiple textures make it a joy to hold and admire. The little lip on the top and bottom plates protect the delrin body and allow for attys up to 24mm (nice touch). This mixed medium of materials screams exotic Italian sports car. The thought gone into the squonk system is pure engineering brilliance. Double sided to allow you to pinch the bottle makes for very controlled and easy squonking. The proprietary bottle valves make for easy plug and play bottle loading and the extra accent of the buttery smooth brass battery and squonk bottle caps add a design and colour flair that take things just the right amount over the top. There are so many details to admire, you will fall in love with this mod, there is no doubt. Hidden adjustment buttons keep things super clean and tidy and let the big screen of the DNA40 take center stage.
The fire button, there has been criticism of how flush it is and how it feels. Here is the thing, it works well, has a click to it, could it be a bit more extruded from the body? Sure. But lets not forget and lets appreciate the effort put into getting a button this flush. Aesthetically it’s beautiful and in this case out weighs the need for an easier button. Like all exotic cars, they have little quirks and eccentricities that make them unique, the fire button is that case for the Kimaera (or better know as the Kimmie).
DNA40s were and still are a favourite of high end modders for their consistent performance and great power efficiency. It works well and the big screen looks glorious on such a small form factor, being encased in carbon fiber doesn’t hurt either. Battery life is great, it should be, you aren’t going to be putting insane builds on this one with only 40W to play with. But paired with a high end BF RDA it’s pretty much nirvana. The new DNA60 would be a nice addition and the Kimmie might be the first mod we may have upgraded so we can play in eScribe with temp and wire materials.
Fit & Finish… We sort or covered above. But lets just say there isn’t a single flaw anywhere. The tolerances and gaps are nailed, every where you look it’s simply perfection. The curves on the squonk holes, the flushness of the button and screen, the smoothness to the cap threads, the engraving quality, the list goes on and on. The crazy thing is the durability, we have used our quite heavily and acquired it second hand and it still looks brand new.
Juice capacity is 8-8.5ml thanks to the Supersoft bottles. They are married to a top cap valve system that plugs right into the 510. They can be a little tricky to get used to, you need to sort of snap and pull down and the value will release and let the bottle out. Once you have the motion it’s a snap. The system makes mess pretty hard to come by. There is also an adjustable 510 to help make all your attys have a nice solid connection and align how you want them.
The Kimmie is a unicorn and as such expensive and hard to acquire. You can get upset or just keep your eyes peeled for when one pops up for sale or a waffle. Either way we strongly suggest you go for it if the opportunity arises. This is a forever squonker, this is not a mod you let go of if you grab one. SVA has a mech (Mosfet) version of the Kimaera that was announced in January that has many of the same design cues, another SVA to keep your eyes out for. Really any mod by SVA is worth scoring when it comes down to it. Long Live SVA and Giacomo Biaggini!