Hyundai Previews the Future of Hydrogen Tech with the N Vision 74

With the world turning its back on combustion engines in favor of EVs, more and more people have grown concerned about EV range and the speed it takes to recharge. These same fears apply to EV motorsports, as recharge times and range directly affect the length of a race. In comes hydrogen fuel cell technology to the save the day. When hydrogen is mixed with oxygen it starts a reaction that produces electricity, which can then power the electric motors in a car, with only heat and water as a byproducts of the process. But the part that most people are interested in is that hydrogen can be stored in a tank like gasoline, and refueling takes about the same time as if you were refueling an ICE vehicle while providing the same range as a fully charged EV. Because of these attributes of hydrogen, Hyundai has been researching and developing hydrogen fuel cell tech, having started back in 2015 with the reveal of the Hyundai 2025 Vision Gran Turismo and the launch of the N brand. Fast forward to today and Hyundai has given us a glimpse of their R&D with jaw-dropping N Vision 74, the prototype used to experiment with the driving and cooling performance of advanced FCEVs.

While the N Vision 74’s brawny and boxy looks make it seem like it could’ve stepped out from a retro 1980’s sci-fi movie, its actually based on Hyundai’s Pony Coupe Concept from 1974. This design was penned by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro and was to be Hyundai’s first production sports car. Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production. The interior of the N Vision 74 also inherits the driver-centric, piston-shaped layout of the Pony concept, blending classic styling with modern touches, to enhance its motorsport functionality.

…Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production...

Hyundai calls the N Vision 74 a “high performance Rolling Lab” and for good reason, as its driven by Hyundai’s most advanced hydrogen fuel cell. All the futuristic-looking air vents and curvy yet rigid body panels aren’t just for show either, they significantly improve aerodynamics and fulfill the prototype’s heat management requirements, which is further improved by a 3 channel cooling system. The N Vision 74 puts power to pavement with two 235 kW motors on each rear wheel, making the prototype a RWD setup. Not only that, Hyundai tested a logic system called e-TVTM (electronic Torque Vectoring by Twin Motors) for improved cornering ability. The advanced hydrogen fuel cell tech allows the N Vision 74 to travel 600 km (about 373 miles) at a top speed of over 250 kph (155 mph), and can be refueled in about 5 minute, blowing EV charging speeds out of the water and rivaling ICE refueling times, perfect for motorsports and everyday applications.

…Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production...

The stunning N Vision 74 previews the near future use of hydrogen fuel cells as a green alternative to EVs. Can the N Vision 74 and other FCEVs compete with electric vehicles? Only time will tell.

Honda Reveals the All-New 2023 Civic Type-R

After riling up Honda fans with teasers and a full view of a camo covered Type-R, Honda has finally revealed the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type-R. Based on the 11th gen Honda Civic Hatchback, this is only the second Type-R model ever sold in the US and the most powerful Type-R in its 30-year history.

The 2023 Type-R features a new light-weight and rigid body now referred to as the FL5, as opposed to the last generations FK8 chassis code. Powering this track-ready beast is a more powerful version of Honda’s K20C1 turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder V-TEC paired to an improved 6-speed manual. To accompany the changes the the chassis and engine, the exterior and cockpit have also been redesigned. The new Type-R is now longer, wider, and hugs the track closer than ever before. The front bumper features a more aggressive design with a honey comb grille mesh, and muscular fender flares and wider rear doors gives the new Type-R a more aggressive stance. The rear bumper and spoiler are also overhauled to produce better overall aerodynamics, downforce, and drag reduction. It will be available in 5 colors: Historic Championship White, Rallye Red, Boost Blue, Crystal Black Pearl, and Sonic Grey Pearl.

…the most powerful Type-R in its 30-year history...

The Interior features the Type-R’s emblematic red seats with suede-like material to reduce body slippage with Type-R badging throughout the vehicle. On the dash, Honda’s LogR™ data logger lets you keep track of real-time info on all the mechanical movements and vehicle behavior, and a new +R driving mode meter design brings all the driver-necessary info such as RPM, rev indicator lights, and gear position front and center.

Can the all-new Type-R keep up with the competition? We’ll have to find out once it launches later this fall!

History Of The Dodge Charger: A Quick Look

Many muscle cars of the 1960’s all share a very similar story. While this decade is commonly referred to as the golden era of these fast, flexing street machines, there was a literal war between the companies designing and subsequently serving these cars as hot as possible to feed the market’s insatiable need for speed. 

The Dodge Charger wasn’t the first of these cars types to emerge from the drawing board. In fact, its very existence came in hopes to steal a share of the muscle market from General Motors and Ford, which had already achieved huge success on the streets with the 1964 release of the Pontiac GTO and Ford Mustang respectively. The younger audience that was buying these cars was hopped up on adrenaline, constantly scanning the horizon looking for the next big hit. In 1966, Dodge was there to enter a new horse in the race. 

The Charger came out sprinting to catch up to the frontrunners with four different V-8 engine offerings, one of which was the much-anticipated 426 Street Hemi mill. While the Dodge Charger displayed a strong initial showing during its first year of production, a slower-selling 1967 prompted the company to act fast. What happened next was an alteration to their approach in hopes to remain a viable competitor to the industry’s leading performance models. 

Little did Dodge know the impact said changes would make for the Charger’s second-generation success. At first glance, everyone who laid eyes on the car’s fresh redesign knew right away something big was about to happen. The sleek Coke bottle shape and integrated rear spoiler made the car look fast and capable before the key was even turned. Even today, the ’68-’70 Charger (namely the ’69) remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes in automotive history, as it has been forever immortalized with its multiple big screen appearances. 

…The sleek Coke bottle shape and integrated rear spoiler made the car look fast and capable before the key was even turned…

Backing up the Charger’s aggressively updated appearance, Dodge designated four big block V-8 powertrain options available for the coupe. The mild, entry-level 145-hp 3.7L I-6 was enough to make new-to-market drivers happy, but for the more wild at heart, two big V-8 engines were lying in wait to exponentially make things far more interesting. Buyers had a hell of a decision to make when starting at the 7.0L Hemi or the 7.2L Magnum power plants, but there was surely no losing with either selection. 

The third generation of the Charger received a second package redesign that was right on par with the looks of many other vehicles of the 1970s (think overly curvy), but lacking a longer lasting appeal that the previous gen had going for it. It was during this time that the Charger tells a shared tale of woes of other performance vehicles in the industry. Increasingly rising insurance premiums and gasoline prices proved to be major threats to the muscle car species as a whole. If that lethal combo wasn’t enough to take them out, the upcoming federal emissions regulations was sure to be certain death for their kind. 

Thankfully for Dodge, the Charger was still able to eek out some semblance of an existence until the end of the 1978 model year when it was taken out of production. Before the plug was pulled on it, the Charger had somehow appeared in the personal luxury car category. For the first time in the car’s history, performance output was not placed at center stage, and to be honest, neither was its styling with regards to today’s standards. The writing was definitely on the wall for the struggling Charger. 

…Increasingly rising insurance premiums and gasoline prices proved to be major threats to the muscle car species as a whole…

After the release of a Charger R/T concept car in 1999, which received good enough reviews, there weren’t any more whispers of the sleeping giant’s name in public again until 2005 when Dodge legitimately rereleased the car as a 2006 model year. The first question on everybody’s mind was quickly answered with authority—yes, this car was worth the wait! 

Even though there was some grumbling from a small sect of Charger ultra purists, the sedan version didn’t look bad—not at all. Even those who had something to say about the car’s extra two doors remained quiet when learning about the Charger’s top-end 6.1L Hemi V-8 SRT8 model—425 ponies and 420lbs-ft of torque will do that. 

A major overhaul came in 2011 for the Charger, which notably included aggressively restyled bodywork and a 6.4L Hemi-equipped SRT model. The car continued to evolve with the introduction of the SRT Hellcat model four years later. The Charger claimed a lot of bragging rights under this badging with the inclusion of a supercharged 707hp 6.2L Hemi attached to an 8-speed paddle-shifted ZF auto transmission. Yeah, those are big numbers, especially for a five-passenger sedan.

 It’s safe to say that 56 years after its inaugural release, there’s never been a more exciting time to own a Dodge Charger. 

A Quick-Hitting History Of The Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet’s Impala is an iconic nameplate that has been around since 1958 until 2020 when it was yanked from production for the second time. Throughout the years, and 10 generations later, this car has seen its fair share of restyling and reconfiguration to fit in with the auto industry’s ever-changing climate. 

First introduced to the world as the Bel Air Impala, the name itself designated itself as the top-of –the-line trim package for Chevy’s well-established, deluxe full-size car line. While the first example of the Impala was built to commemorate Chevy’s 50^th anniversary, it gained enough traction to become a stand-alone production model the very next year. 

Car fans fell in love with the styling of the ’58 Impala with its wide yet sleek appearance, but the factory quickly tweaked its appearance to give it a fresh identity that was all its own. In its second year and generation, the brand new Impala line featured exterior tail fins and teardrop shaped headlights, and sat atop of an X-frame chassis that promoted a lower ride height and had great structural integrity. The Impala was made available in multiple body variations such as a two-door hardtop or convertible and a four-door hardtop or sedan—the options were plentiful. 

While the Impala was quickly gaining popularity in its first couple years on the street, it wasn’t until the very start of the third generation in 1961 when things really got interesting when the release of the Super Sport performance package was first made available. While the SS model was available with many powertrain options to choose from, including Chevy’s brand-new 409ci 360hp V-8, which really allowed the Super Sport designation to live up to the hype. While upgraded performance gains were the major reason consumers opted for this premium badging, its many plush interior features and heavier-duty chassis components were also just as desirable. 

The exterior packaging changed again during the Impala’s third generation, and overall, the car became boxier than before. The new look of this particular redesign has had long-lasting power and is one of today’s most popular selections for restorations and full custom rebuilds throughout the car’s history. You’ve most likely seen Impalas of this vintage cruising in music videos or heard about rolling in a ‘six-four’ on the radio a time or two before. 

…this particular redesign has had long-lasting power and is one of today’s most popular selections for restorations and full custom rebuilds…

While the fourth generation saw its own redesign, which brought a more sleek and modern aesthetic to the Impala’s exterior, it also represented the car’s seeming most popular iteration to date for car buyers of the era, as it sold over a million units alone in 1965. Another interesting happening during this generation was the dropping of the availability of the wagon option in 1969, which had been a great family-friendly package from ’65-’68. 

During 1971-1976, the Impala once again went through another major appearance overhaul, while still offering the outstanding comfort and interior space consumers had come to associate with the nameplate. It was also during this time that the Feds began cracking down on emissions regulations, which in turn directly led to dramatically lower performance offerings being made available. These limitations were not specifically unique to the Impala, or the Chevy brand for that matter—the strain was felt all throughout the automotive industry.

…It was also during this time that the Feds began cracking down on emissions regulations, which in turn directly led to dramatically lower performance offerings being made available…

After going though yet another repackaging starting in 1977, the Impala’s sixth generation saw the car’s retirement from production in 1985. The premium Caprice package trim, which had proved to be popular in years past, began outselling the Impala as a sports coupe, yet the sedan Impala was still a popular selection for families during this period. Either way, the Impala was out, and the Caprice was given a chance to run as its own model.  

When the Impala became a fond memory, there were no plans to bring it back until almost a decade later in 1994. This 7^th generation only lasted two years in production, but since this release was strictly an SS model equipped with a decent 5.7L 260hp LT1 power plant, critics weren’t overly thrilled with the four-speed automatic transmission that was made the only option available. While the upgraded suspension setup was praised, however, this version didn’t have the right moves to hold the market’s attention for long. 

After being sidelined yet again, the Impala took another breather for another four years until it was revived again in 2000. This time, it remained on the street until it was recently canned once more in 2020. This most recent run spanned two whole decades that proved to be rather influential throughout the years as it hung around at the top as Chevrolet’s luxury full-size car offering. 

Many wonder if the Impala will make yet another return. It’s hard to count this car out, as it has been sent to pasture multiple times only to be roped back into production rotation. If the car does come back, it’ll be interesting to see what it will look like and what kind of new features it’ll be flexing. If the Impala does remain in extinction this time, it will remain near and dear in the hearts of millions of car enthusiasts.  

Nissan Skyline GT-R Untold History and Myths

What You Should Know about Your Favorite Tuner Car

We get it, we live in an age bombarded with information on a daily basis though multiple platforms and devices. Couple that with the trend of no one trusting the automotive media with everyone and their mom being a content creator and proper historical information. Content creators mess up facts and don’t grasp the basics but can mask it with entertainment factor using adjectives or dropping phases like “dope spec” or “dude, so cool” on their videos. Without much bite to the content, the information about cars that were never sold here like the Nissan Skyline GT-R are muddled half-truths that just make enthusiasts or GT-R owners sigh. But here are a number of common myths and the untold truth behind the Skyline GT-R, a brand that really rocketed Nissan to the forefront of performance cars in the 1990s.

…the information about cars that were never sold here like the Nissan Skyline GT-R are muddled half-truths that just make enthusiasts or GT-R owners sigh…

GT-R Super Car or GT Car ?

We hear this one a lot. But by definition a supercar is going to have 500+ horsepower and an exotic platform and styling that is afforded by a mid-engine rear-transaxle car. In Japan, the GT-R was less of a Ferrari or Lamborghini and more of a Porsche or spicy 4-seat coupe that was comfortable and luxurious, yet a great performer. The term actually in the trim name (GT) Grand Touring and was purchased by businessmen new in Japan for ¥4,450,000 or $31,283 USD (roughly $66,000 adjusted for inflation). Even by the time the R34 GT-R wrapped up its run in 2002 it wasn’t Ferrari or Lambo money at ¥4,998,000 about $45,600 USD (a tick over $76,000 in 2022 money).

Skyline GT-R Can Handle 1000 Horsepower

Well, that is a “hell no” from us owners. The Skyline GT-R really isn’t all that exciting in stock form. Sorry to burst your tunerboi bubble but this was a 276hp car with embarrassing torque numbers from 1989 to 2002! It shared many components with Nissan cars like the S13 240SX and Z32 300ZX but the sum of its parts and that incredible ATTESA-ETS AWD system with screaming high rpm RB26 made for a spirited drive.

…The Skyline GT-R really isn’t all that exciting in stock form. Sorry to burst your tunerboi bubble…

But the GT-R needs to be uncorked and tuned. The bottom end of an RB26 can handle 500whp for a bit but early ceramic wheel turbos won’t get you there and will explode if you try. The later R34 steel wheel Garrett turbos can flow close to 500whp but the transmissions and clutches will not be happy. The R33 GT-R transmission was an upgrade from the R32 and the Getrag 6-speed in the R34 is pretty stout but not for high-horsepower abuse. Suffice to say all the big horsepower GT-Rs have built blocks and added displacement of stroker or the RB30 block.

Skyline GT-R R32s Were Single Turbo RB20 and Rear Wheel Drive  ?

Back in the 1990s, there was sparse information about this Japan-only car. Info had to be translated and/or scanned in from Japanese magazines as the fledgling internet didn’t have the volume of info. An ancient Geocities page cited the 1989-1994 Skyline GT-R as being single turbo and not AWD. This is correct for the GTS-T and lesser trims but this GT-R myth exists today. We regularly hear: “oh you converted to RB26 and the AWD,” it’s easier to just say “yes” and move on.

Nissan Stopped Making the Skyline in 2002

Wrong. The Skyline soldiered on, albeit awkwardly in Japan with cars like the anemic Skyline 350GT based on the G35 we tested in 2004. It was an embarrassment but there was also a 370GT based on the later Infiniti G37 and even a crossover version we will not speak further of. Then they resurrect the Skyline 400R nameplate on a Q50 sedan that although it has 399hp pumping from its VR30DDTT 3.0L V6 twin turbo, it just isn’t worthy of the R33-based 400R nameplate 

Another fact you can amaze your friends with, GT-R production kinda snuck on in 2003. The 2003 Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune is stupid rare with only 19 ever made. Nissan bought back low-mileage (under 30,000km / 18,000 miles) and completely rebuilt them with all of the Nismo catalog of parts. One confirmed sold for over $500,000 in Hong Kong, another privately changed hands for over $1-million USD and another Australian buyer made an offer of $1.4-million but was turned down. Not bad for a $120,000 Nissan.

You can Legally Import Any Skyline GT-R After 25 Years

You can but definitely not on January 1 of your model year plus 25. The rule goes by month and year, for example 1989 R32 GT-Rs started rolling off the line in August 1989. We know one buyer who tried to be slick and roll across the Niagara Falls, Ontario to Buffalo, New York border at 12:01 AM January 1, 2014. He made it, a few months later the feds came seeking more documentation about the car that wasn’t legal until the build month on the VIN.

Another stipulation in the 25-year vehicle importation rule is that cars are not allowed to have motor swaps. They are also supposed to be relatively stock with not a load of aftermarket performance modifications on them. While not technically legal, the Feds either don’t seem to notice or be well-informed on what stock parts actually look like as all GT-Rs are modded.

You Can’t Insure a Right-Hand Drive GT-R

Obviously you can, and should. If your mainstream insurance carrier is giving you a hard time try collector car insurers like American Collectors or Grundy. It’s far less cost and they don’t really have many stipulations that some classic car insurers will. One of the issues you will run into is the VIN number since they JDM cars are 11-digit VINs while we have 17. But many insurance companies will want an inspection done and multiple pictures to justify your ancient Nissan being worth so much replacement value.

Skyline GT-R are Slow, Unreliable, and Blow Up

This is simply not the case. Myself and many owners have experienced years of amazing on-and-off track driving, while twitchy exotics are constantly in the shop. Any 1990s Nissan was well-engineered and can handle abuse. Plus when they do break, the Nissan F.A.S.T. parts system means you can get most parts at your local Nissan dealer. They won’t believe you and can’t look up year, make or model but give them a part number and they will be amazed.

Much of this myth perpetuated for two reasons. The first reason is many early Skyline owners either didn’t buy a GT-R but bought a GTS or the most broke-ass abused GT-R they could barely afford. There are over 43,000 R32 GT-Rs and a portion were poorly maintained, raced and improperly modified in Japan. The second angle to this myth is many of the cars blew up for very simple reasons, the wrong fluid and the wrong gas!  A responsible owner is going to replace all fluids with correct spec and capacity in their new-to-them JDM car.Many owners did not do this, or put the wrong stuff in, like gear oil in an ATTESA transfer case – try it out.

Then there is the pump gas issue. We measure our octane rating using the RON+MON system, which tops out at 91-94 octane depending on your state. Well the GT-R needs 100 octane but Japan has a different rating system so that number is closer to our 98. Don’t be putting 91 octane in a GT-R, upping the boost and try to be a JDM-hotboi. You will be melting a piston, spinning a bearing or exploding a ceramic turbine – 100% guaranteed.

Older Japanese cars will have solid maintenance due to Sha-Ken safety inspections and emissions tests. But once they have trouble passing, they hit auction for export – remember that. 

“mY bOy gEtS GT-Rs FoR 25K”

No he doesn’t. He probably doesn’t have a $25,000 net worth. Back when they were first legal, GT-Rs costing that much did exist but those days are over. Anyone claiming they can get a cheap GT-R shouldn’t be trusted anyway, there are many reVIN’ed cars, blackmarket cars or nearly destroyed and welded back together cars. There ain’t no Japanese CARFAX and most odometers have been replaced or stopped working. Verified mileage is rare, unmodified cars even rarer and example with both along with no accidents is an actual unicorn – buy it. But before purchase always do a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI). 

…Older Japanese cars will have solid maintenance due to Sha-Ken safety inspections and emissions tests. But once they have trouble passing, they hit auction for export – remember that…

GT-R prices are soaring, $25,000 won’t even buy you a new RB26 long block motor let alone a whole car. Nissan has introduced their heritage program to completely restore your R32 to factory specs with new OEM parts but charging upwards of $420,000. Collectible R34 GT-Rs are new fetching over $300,000 and guaranteed to be half a million dollar cars by the time January 1st, 2024 rolls around.

Then & Now: A Quick Look At The Dodge Challenger’s Past & Present

With so much buzz given to the Hellcat and Demon trim packages these days, it sometimes seems like there is somewhat of a disconnect from the Dodge Challenger of the early 1970’s. While the level of excitement surrounding the modern muscle car currently sits at an all-time high, the beginning stages of Dodge’s entry into the pony car scene some 52 years ago weren’t much more than hopes based on performance-centric auto market predictions.

Introduced to the market in 1969 as a 1970 model, the OG Dodge Challenger showed up as the new kid on the block to those into manufacturer-tuned performance cars. With the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro already well established names during the golden era of the American muscle car segment, the Challenger was originally designed to be a worthy and capable stable mate for Plymouth’s Barracuda to help take on the competition.

…the Challenger was originally designed to be a worthy and capable stable mate for Plymouth’s Barracuda…

While the Challenger did its part of raising awareness of Chrysler-branded performance cars, it also simultaneously carved out its own devout fan base rather quickly in its short production run. When it was first introduced, the Challenger won so many consumers over based on the sheer amount of customizations available to buyers at dealerships nationwide.

The Challenger boasted a wide range of powertrain selections to admire from a modest 225ci 144hp inline six engine to a 440-cubic inch 390hp V-8 power plant, the car was made available in a total of nine total engine configurations to perfectly suit the many types of owners looking to bring one home.

To build upon the Challenger’s generous powertrain menu, the first generation was originally offered in either a two-door hardtop or convertible model with trim packages ranging from the base platform Special Edition (SE), mid-level Road/Track (R/T), and a limited edition Trans-Am (T/A) model that was one of the first production vehicles to offer staggered front and rear tire sizes while meeting the qualifications for legit Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am racing. The Challenger also had one of the most impressive number of color palettes in the industry of paint codes to select from as well.

It was an exciting time for Chrysler, and even more so for fans of the Challenger specifically. The car’s appeal to gear heads, as well as to folks simply looking for a sporty car to drive was nearly immediate. But like all good things, the Challenger’s future was snuffed out all too quickly in 1974. The hike in insurance premiums during that time, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, along with a worldwide gasoline crisis going on in 1973, the carbureted muscle car industry was hit blow after blow, ultimately resulting in one challenge the Dodge Challenger just couldn’t overcome.

It wasn’t until 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that a sign of the Challenger’s possible resurrection was made public. A concept vehicle based on the styling cues of the first generation and presence of a 6.1L HEMI engine under the hood, went over better than expected, and eventually led to yet another production run in 2008 due to overwhelming demand. The Dodge Challenger was back on the streets—kind of.

While only a limited number of high-end, fully loaded SRT8 models were made available in that first year back, not everyone who wanted a new Challenger could get their hands on one. 2009 proved to be the car’s full return to consumers looking to buy one according to their preferred specifications. Muscle car admirers were once again able to hop back into the driver seat with a base model SE equipped with a 3.5L 250hp V-6 with the option to upgrade to a R/T package complete 5.7L 375hp HEMI engine with even more options and performance add-ons to select from.

…2009 proved to be the car’s full return to consumers looking to buy one according to their preferred specifications…

Throughout the years, the Challenger became available with more aggressive HEMI packages, but found itself becoming overshadowed by the competition, namely Ford’s Mustang GT500 and Chevy’s Camaro ZL1. Dodge’s response to potentially being hopelessly overpowered by these cars was its release of the SRT Hellcat—a car equipped with a 6.2L rendition of the Gen III HEMI that was teamed up with a 2.4L twin-screw supercharger to produce 707hp and 650-lb fit of torque.

This escalated the Challenger to the top of the heap, but in an effort to remain ahead of the pack, the same 6.2L HEMI found in the Hellcat was blessed with a larger 2.7L supercharger, along with a suite of upgraded engine components to make for the 808hp nucleus available in the notoriously powered SRT Demon package that was limited to only 3300 units.

For 2022, there are a total of nine different Dodge Challenger trim levels topped off with two high-end cars—the SRT Hellcat Redeye and SRT Super Stock premium models. The Challenger still remains attractive to a wide audience, from the entry-level 303HP V-6 AWD package to an 807hp rocket in the Super Stock trim that thrives on 91-octane pump gas.

It’s safe to say that the Challenger remains a crowd pleaser to this day more than 50 years after its original release. Even with the plug being prematurely pulled back in ’74, the legendary car has sat through a decades-long hiatus and has come back swinging for the fences.

Parkhaus1 Miami: Porsche Magic for 911s and P-Car Classics

Complete Porsche Restorations, Sales, Tuning and Dealer Alternative

Everytime a car contact of ours visits Miami and South Florida, they typically make inquiries about which supercar and classic car hotspots they need to visit. One Porsche 911 owner stopped by and later admitted within five miles of our location, he saw more supercar and hypercar content versus several years back home… all in one afternoon! Aside from the multiple 918 Porsche Spyders and RS cars we viewed that day, he wanted to experience real classic, rare and outrageously modified P-Cars, and there is only one place for that, Parkhaus1 in Miami. We visited Parkhaus1 during one of their open houses but really on any given day, the  Porsche hardcore will find untold wonders of rear-engine 911s, plus a few MR and FR platforms too.

Parkhaus1 (or as they call it, The Porsche Sanctuary) is famous throughout the country and continent spanning down to South America for serious clientele. If you have the means, Parkhaus1 one will either build your dream or sell it and the caliber of inventory in the showroom is always impressive. The shop houses Porsche products of all decades, turbo and NA, narrow and widebody with upgraded cars in nearly every stage of tune. The open house coincided with client cars on display and the crowds were in a frenzy as this is almost Das Renn Treffen lite but on a monthly basis.

…If you have the means, Parkhaus1 one will either build your dream or sell it and the caliber of inventory in the showroom is always impressive…

Das Renn Treffen is the annual Porsche show held in Miami that bills itself as the largest on the east coast. Second only to Luftgekϋhlt (air cooled in German), Das Rϋenn Treffen attracts everything from low-buck 996 Turbos to near priceless Porsche 962C, 935 and 959 race cars. Parkhaus1 clients always have a huge presence there, creating much of the special content at the show.

Parkhaus1 is in deep south Miami, so when coming from northern counties like Broward or West Palm Beach, it can be a grind on the treacherous I95. But passing by the area Porsche dealerships can be worth the drive (or flatbed). A fairly new shop, Parkhaus1 was launched in 2014 by a group of Porsche enthusiasts looking to create a trusted name by doing incredible work on Porsche cars of significance. They retail rare and limited classic and late model cars but also focus on being a dealer alternative for pricey maintenance and repairs. South Florida dealer rates are over $200/hr so the Parkhaus1 $149/hr alternative is appealing to P-car owners out of warranty.

Another perk at Parkhaus1 is their Pre-Purchase Inspection service (PPI) that comes in around $349 for most P-Cars. Whether you want to see if an IMS bearing has been addressed or the body on a 356 isn’t just a hammered out rusted shell coated in layers of Bondo, buying a car remote (or local) can be a nightmare. Parkhaus1 takes all the future headaches out the equation with Gold Meister service techs at the ready for air-cooled, watercooled, naturally aspirated and turbo engines regardless if they are located in the rear, front or all chassis points in between!

The staff gave us the shop tour and a bit of backstory for each Porsche car on display. While there we saw a rare bird, Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB) widebody 993 Cabriolet that came all the way from Georgia. Akira Nakai-san also had a few Rauh-Welt Begriff parts shipped there for an upcoming RWB 930 conversion on-site. There were manual Porsches galore for the purists like the 911R. Naturally, we couldn’t stop gawking at the uber-rare 993 911 Turbo S in the showroom with those prices soaring in the past few years.

…A fairly new shop, Parkhaus1 was launched in 2014 by a group of Porsche enthusiasts looking to create a trusted name by doing incredible work on Porsche cars of significance…

Spreading out from the indoor climate-controlled showroom, low-mile, pristine Porsches for sale stretch out to the front lot. How low mile is low mile? Well, Parkhaus1 currently has a 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster for sale that has only 3,500 miles on the clock. There are also tuned cars from TechART and a quarter million dollar Ruf, the 400-horsepower 6-speed BTR3 Turbo Cab there too! Regardless of year, make, model, trim or limited production units Parkhaus1 has for sale, one aspect of their Porsche cars is that they have been maintained, serviced and are documented with a reliable source. No surprises here and Parkhaus1 always accepts trade-ins for the right cars with no skipped maintenance intervals or sketchy history either.

When in Miami, Parkhaus1 should be on the list of must-see car attractions. Even non-Porsche aficionados will find automotive wonders to really stop and soak in at Parkhaus1 and their doors are open to customers and fans.

What Supercars have the Best Price to Performance this Year?

With under $200K to Spend, These are the Best Supercars to Buy in 2022

Wow, it’s already 2022 and the past two years have been a decidedly weird blur of strange events like labor shortages, back-orders and sparse microchip production in the automotive sector. But as certain OEM manufacturers have been hit hard missing targets, supercar manufacturers have posted record gains and certain models fly off the shelves. We then asked, what supercars on sale in 2022 are attainable but amount to the cheapest, high performance supercars to buy.

For the sake of the article, it is widely accepted that a supercar today is 500hp+ with a mid-engine and rear-drive transaxle. A proper supercar makes use of more exotic materials, composites and advanced technology to set it apart from the brute force of lesser platforms like say a Mustang, Camaro or even a GT-R. A supercar can be had for under $200,000 (if there are units available) and this list is the most-affordable, yet capable performance vehicles available. 

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C8 – $89,500 (est.)

Yes, we know the Z06 is a 2023 model year and that deliveries and dealer mark-ups could be a circus but this is a supercar-slayer will be on sale Summer of 2022. The Corvette C8 itself was an incredible platform overhaul that has been rumored since the 60s but finally the mid-engine American supercar is actually here.

The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 promises to eclipse not only the soft-bellied C7 Z06 it replaced but anything close to its price-point. Derived from the C8.R racecar tech that put the hurt on the field at Le Mans, Sebring 12h and Daytona 24h is coming for fancy Italian, British and German mid-engine offerings. With an incredible sounding flat-plane crank V8, there is no turbo and no supercharger to put out its 670 glorious naturally aspirated horsepower. 

…The upcoming 2023 Corvette Z06 promises to eclipse not only the soft-bellied C7 Z06 it replaced but anything close to its price-point…

The 2023 Corvette Z06 was tested by Chevy to run 0-60mph in an incredible 2.6-seconds. We can hear you Tesla fanbois, but the 2023 Corvette Z06 will catch a Plaid just past the ¼-mile marker and destroy it on the way to a higher top speed.

2023 Audi R8 Performance RWD – $148,700

When the German brand jumped into the supercar arena, critics thought they were mentally unstable. But Audi already had Lamborghini in it’s portfolio, so the risk wasn’t high and they could design a comfortable everyday supercar that was inexpensive. The R8 V10 has gotten good, so good that it could be cross-shopped with a Lambo Huracan for much less for several years now.

For under $150K, you can get the Audi R8 Performance with spicy rear-wheel drive. It’s lighter and more unhinged than the R8 quattro. With a proven 5.2L V10 using no forced induction, you get 562-horsepower and a capable 3.6-seconds 0-60mph and a 205 mph top speed! Zehr gut! 

2022 Acura NSX Type-S – $169,500

The Acura NSX used to make our cut for best supercar value for performance-to-price when it was cheaper. With harsh critiques about the NSX, Acura took the gloves off for the Type-S, the final trim edition for the supercar that should have been available from launch but limited to only 350 units… worldwide!

The 2022 Acura NSX Type-S is everything the enthusiasts wanted. The hand-built vehicle only handled by master technicians, the same talent behind the NSX GT3 car it was inspired by. Up from 560hp in the NSX, the NSX Type-S now boasts 600-horsepower from its combined SH-AWD hybrid drivetrain. The vehicle has aggressively restyled looks, GT3-derived aero and a twin turbo mill equating to performance value will crush many high-dollar supercars. 

…The hand-built vehicle only handled by master technicians, the same talent behind the NSX GT3 car it was inspired by…

 

With a claimed top speed of 191 mph and sub-3s 0-60mph time, overall performance data is murky. But does it matter? All 350 units are spoken for with a reported 700 buyers in the queue, although the website does state: “All orders are pending. Contact your local dealer to get on the waitlist.” 

2̶0̶2̶3̶ ̶L̶a̶m̶b̶o̶r̶g̶h̶i̶n̶i̶ ̶H̶u̶r̶a̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶E̶v̶o̶  2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS – $143,050

Say what you want in the comments, but we changed our minds mid-post on opting for the lower cost 2023 Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 RS versus the aging Lambo for affordable supercars. Porsche is dominating in motorsports and Nϋrburgring records with the 911 GT3, GT3 RS, GT2 RS but now for $150K you can buy a mid-engine chassis GT3-powered, lightweight track weapon that promises to embarrass many supercars like the base Huracan Evo that costs $66K more!

First, let’s settle the ‘whether this is a supercar’ argument now. Yes, it has a MR layout and a flat-6 motor that is technically 502hp (detuned to 493hp) with a number of exotic materials to keep it trim at 3,227-pounds. The GT4-RS might not have McLaren or Lambo styling but Porsche builds capable mid-engine cars and this Cayman outruns their Carrera GT and nearly the 918 Spyder after running a shocking 7:04.5 lap on the Nürburgring! The GT4 RS clicks off a 3.2s 0-60mph time and will hit 196 mph… all for under $150K? Shut up and take our money.

What is the Best Yet Cheapest Supercar to Buy?

McLaren and Lamborghini used to be on this list but now their “entry-level” Artura and Hurcan EVO have crept past the $200,000 barrier. For that reason, they still offer solid supercar value but seem unattainable for the upper middle-class. In the end, if you can go domestic, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the clear winner here. We predict buyers will be paying double sticker for it and still be happy with how it abuses rival supercars.

Why the Porsche 930 Turbo is Called The Widowmaker 911

The Almost Uncontrollable 911 Turbo is Magic for a Real Driver

Back in the late 90s, I was a total punk when it came to dismissing European car brands. Why? Well with a few minor tweaks, my turbo AWD Mitsu could outrun any BMW, Audi and even Porsche of the day in a straight line or in the twisties. Granted those were stock Euro cars being pumped out in Bavaria, Ingolstadt and Stuttgart but then I got the opportunity to drive a true legend, the Porsche 930 Turbo and the whole perspective changed. This coworker’s 930 Turbo had a handful of Ruf modifications and was so fast, the rear tires never really felt connected to the pavement. But was it the just the tires or was there more to the question: why do they call the Porsche 930 Turbo the Widowmaker?

Let’s be blunt, the name ‘Widowmaker’ implies you are going to die driving this car, and leave your wife a wealthy widow. Back in the 1970s when this car was conceived, we still had the Grand Prix running the Nürburgring Nordschleife Green Hell, no air bags, no ABS and Porsche engineers were smoking potent Euro cigarettes at their desks. Porsche was dominating top level motorsports like Le Mans with turbo tech in the Porsche 956 and Porsche 962C won most of the races in the 1970s and 1980s. But it was the highly successful Porsche 935 turbo, that required, Porsche build FIA homologated models for the street and the Porsche 930 Turbo produced 400 units as required in 1975. 

…the name ‘Widowmaker’ implies you are going to die driving this car, and leave your wife a wealthy widow…

But this was a car that now eclipses the 911 chassis horsepower they had in the Carrera itself. The more pedestrian version of the 911 had 150hp and 173hp for the 911S but the 930 cranked out a whopping 250hp in the 3.0L from 1975-1977 and 296 hp with 304 lb-ft of torque from the later 3.3-liter in 1978 onwards. Coming from 3.0-3.3L, that kind of horsepower might not sound like much in our modern horsepower wars but it was substantial and clearly the rest of the 930 wasn’t ready. Although Porsche upgraded the 911 chassis to address items like weight distribution, downforce, traction and yes the dreaded turbo lag, there were significant problems driving the Porsche 930 Turbo,

“The technology isn’t in the car for it to cope with the amount of horsepower, really.” 1980 Porsche 930 Turbo owner Deryck Shakespeare told Petrolicious, “If you’re not ready for [turbo lag], it will catch you by surprise and it’s lights out.”

My first experience in the 930 Turbo was trying to run 0-60mph times in my (then new G-Tech performance meter. When launching in first gear even with a bit of a roll-out it would just light up the tires and break loose when the boost started coming on. Yes I had powerful turbo cars but, this was a Ruf Turbo that was around 400hp and it was too much for the suspension, tires and weight bias to handle. The best runs we clicked off were low 5-second range but that was starting in second gear!

Remember, that is straight line acceleration and the 3.3L boxer-6 turbo was a handful. He said he didn’t really drive anywhere near the limit because of the cars reputation he had a couple snap-oversteer tank-slapper moments and that was enough to dial it back and just respect the car that completely lived up to it’s name – the Widowmaker.

The Porsche 930 Turbo isn’t a ver substantial car. It was over simplified almost from the beginning and by the mid to late 1980s seemed antiquated versus modern sport luxury offerings. The formula was simple, light chassis, no driver aides, no power-steering or ABS but big on horsepower… it even had an old school 4-speed transaxle. For a minimalist car, that weighed under 3,000-pounds, there was outstanding power-to-weight ratio to be had, especially by the final 1989 production car that came with 330hp. But the weight bias was completely off in this car from the 1970s 

Rear weight bias gave them immersive, off-the-line traction, and the ability to shift weight rear out of corners and rocket out of the exits. Only problem is that balance can’t be too upset as the rear weight give the car a pendulum effect when lateral cornering forces are introduced. Swing that force too much and a snap-oversteer condition arises and in the 930 Turbo chassis is impossible to control. Certainly the throttle can’t be relied on to help steer as the lag is too delayed. When that boost hits, it wouldn’t only add to the instability of the uncontrolled oversteer. As a result, the 930 Turbo and any modified variants from the factory or German turning houses, has to be feathered, has to be respected… you’re not Hans-Joachim Stuck.

The instability and unpredictability of the Porsche 930 did have consequences. There were crashes and deaths attributed to the inherent driving characteristics of the 930. It is rumored that the US market did not receive the 930 Turbo in 1980 to make revisions to the car but that was attributed to it not meeting emissions standards. Europe of course got more horsepower with 325 but let’s face it, they are all fantastic drivers over there. But more importantly, the questionable fate of the 930 Turbo in unskilled hands prompted Porsche to pioneer performance AWD drive systems. Yes the Porsche 959, often credited with being the grandfather of the modern supercar needed advanced traction of electronically-controlled AWD to put all of its 450 turbo ponies to the ground.

…the questionable fate of the 930 Turbo in unskilled hands prompted Porsche to pioneer performance AWD drive systems…

Porsche and turbo now meant they would be synonymous with all-wheel drive. Well at least until traction control, suspension and tire tech caught up. Yes, we are looking at you GT2-RS.

Widowmaker: a term coined by German pilots terrified of their flawed Luftwaffe F104G Starfighter seemed fitting for the Porsche 930 Turbo. Parallels exists since the F-104G was a high performance fighter with an out-of-the-box design but also fatal design issues and it didn’t perform in less-than-ideal conditions.

Why is the Nissan Skyline GT-R Illegal in the US

Most R32, R33, and R34 GT-R Fans Waited 25 Years!

You read about the Nissan Skyline GT-R in tuner mags, you saw the Skyline GT-R steal screen time in Fast and Furious Movies and heard Canadians started driving GT-Rs legally back in the mid-2000s. Yes, the Skyline GT-R is the Japanese GT car that captivated enthusiasts’ attention here in the United States and made it the goal of many fanbois of the Nissan badge. Hardcore JDM fans already knew the GT-R was dominating Japan Grand Touring races in Group-A as well as the streets Tokyo but we still couldn’t import the car to America. The Nissan Skyline GT-R was considered an illegal import in the US and Federal agencies have been on the case about shady imports by seizing cars and shutting down illegal importers.

Being an owner of a Skyline GT-R for nearly 18 years now, I’ve seen, driven and been offered to buy many questionable GT-Rs over time. But why are they illegal?

Before we get into it, let’s set a few facts straight. The Nissan Skyline has many trim levels, like the GTS-T and GT-T that were narrow-body, single turbo with rear wheel drive, others had no turbo or even AWD. There was the GTS-4 R32 4-door sedan and even a wagon with a carburetor! The R33 and more desirable R34 had sedan versions as well, lumbering 4-doors that in our opinion, only confused the brand. This left the Skyline GT-R trim and higher variants the most desirable and importers were willing to go to great lengths of illegal activity to get one here into the US.

A bit of history lesson first going back to the late 1990s. The Skyline was Japanese market only being right-hand drive and early cars had no airbags, no side impact beams, no side markers all compromising occupant safety. Meaning it couldn’t be exported outside Japan, but there was a company named MotoRex spearheaded by Japanese national, Hiro Nanahoshi in California that sought to change all that. At the time, MotoRex was the only company seeking to legally import the Skyline GT-R by performing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, DOT modifications, new VIN plate and any further requirements by the California Air Resource Board (CARB). 

MotoRex rose to prominence very quickly but there was a dirty underbelly to the company with a slick but criminal owner. What the public doesn’t know is that only the R33 chassis Nissan Skyline GTS was crashed in the tests. In Japan this was a cheap car to dispose of for frontal offset, side impact and rear crash tests required by the NHTSA and DOT. The R33 coupe failed the side impact tests and the beam was lowered to achieve a pass in 1999. Although approved, Federal regulators didn’t notice that MotoRex was later legalizing not only R33 but R32s and the super expensive R34 an most of which in GT-R trim. The trick worked and there are over 100 DOT legalized Skyline GT-Rs in the US which became super valuable after MotoRex collapsed amidst controversy and criminal activity. Even a MotoRex VIN plate is super valuable, as wrecked cars magically became roadworthy again.

…MotoRex rose to prominence very quickly but there was a dirty underbelly to the company with a slick but criminal owner…

After MotoRex, shady importers saw the pent up demand for Skyline GT-Rs only ever sold legally in the Japanese Domestic Market and wanted to cash in. The most common scam to get an illegal Skyline GT-R was the old ship as parts and re-VIN move. There are so many illegal R32s, R33s and the worth-the-risk R34s in the US using this method. A chassis was either totally disassembled interior and engine removed (or even cut in half) and then rewelded and assembled together. The GT-R might have been complete(ish) but still needed a 17-digit US VIN to make it able to register because JDM VIN plates are 11-digits. The shady importer would then harvest a similar year Nissan 240SX VIN and rivet it on. Don’t believe it? We’ve driven these cars and been offered them for sale, avoid them at every opportunity. 

Sure you might fool a cop or two but crash and see how fast your insurance company won’t back you. Or wait until the feds show up at your door to take it, if you still want to go ahead other countries can’t wait to buy it at auction for pennies on the dollar when it is sold off for export only.

However, much of that is in the past. Companies like Kaizen, Black Ops and Rivsu have all ceased operations, many cars have been seized and insurance companies got wise to the JDM-trickery. Back in Canada, the 15 year importation rule there meant cars would not require any special modifications to be legal and R32 GT-Rs came in legally as early as 2004. The R34 GT-R has been imported there since 2014 as many of the owners await the big day here in the USA. What is the big day? July 1, 2024 the month when the 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 chassis first rolled off the line (yes, the 25 rule is legal build month and year, not year alone).

For the sake of discussion, the R34 GT-R Chassis built from 1999-2002 is the most desirable and has become extremely valuable. That made R34 GT-R importation the primary goal of shady importers before 2024 and other wealthy owners who exploited another loophole. Show or Display law means that cars of historical importance and motorsports significance can be imported into the US with various stipulations. Currently, the 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec in the rare Midnight Purple II color and 2002-only Nissan Skyline GT-R M-Spec Nϋr. The Show or Display allows for a maximum of 2,500 miles per year to shows and events only. While some owners might adhere to that with regular habits, others have found questionable “methods” in these mechanical speedo cable-equipped cars.

There are also a number of illegal R34s from Miami to LA and all points in between that are rumored to be existing under their house of cards importation and VIN history. They will then come crawling out of the dirt with their original VIN plates, looking to be resold as fresh, new imports despite being here for year (or decades). If these cars do go legit, the will be far more valuable as many people avoid GT-Rs with Florida titles for example and a handful of other states.

But does it matter if you have a legal, illegal or gray market GT-R you want to buy? For many people, the prices are becoming absolutely unobtainable. BringaTrailer.com sold a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec in Midnight Purple II for $320K, the M-Spec is going for around the same. The ultra-rare Nissan Skyline GT-R Z-Tune of which there are only 19 has changed hands privately for over $1-million USD. Even the overlooked R32 GT-R is already over $150-grand.

…But does it matter if you have a legal, illegal or gray market GT-R you want to buy? For many people, the prices are becoming absolutely unobtainable…

Before you go hit bid on the next auction, remember the 25 year importation rule has a stipulation than many avoid. Imported cars are not supposed to have engine swaps or heavy modifications. You can dispute all you want, but it’s there in black and white we just get away with it as no federal employee has a pulse on what a mod even is. Then again, RB26 blocks have no serial numbers either.

History of the Nissan Datsun Z and Fairlady

Long Live the new Nissan Z Car!

The Nissan Z and the Datsun Z have seen their moments of sports car glory and awkwardness over the cars 50 plus year history. With production gaps between models and riding the same platform for over a decade, the Nissan Z-Car was ripe for a shake-up or going to be sunsetted in a Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance boardroom eventually. Turns out despite turmoil at Nissan and their fugitive ex-CEO, they still can make exciting products. Many thought the 370Z Z34 would be the last Z since the platform dragged on for 13 model years. Now, here we are on the dawn of the 2023 Nissan Z launch and we wanted to round up historical highlights of the 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX, 300ZX and 370Z that preceded it.

The 240Z that Followed it All

It might be controversial to think today but the Japanese often copied Western world designs that were superior to their own, much like China does today. Japan did have a solid manufacturing base but after World War II, the country was destroyed creating many set-backs but one positive trait emerged. Stemming from thousands of years of Japanese culture, it is common practice to learn from your victors, adapt their ways and end up being superior to them over time. Which leads us to the 240Z, a car that looks like it was sketched by an Italian or more likely Brit designer.

The press and public couldn’t ignore that the Datsun Z, was remarkably similar to the Jaguar E-Type Coupe. Both had muscular rear hind-quarters, a long hood, bubbled rear hatch, bulbus front fenders extending to cut outs for circular headlights. Underhood both had straight-6 engines, manual gearboxes and SU carbs (well, SU-Style Hitachi units on the Z). Step inside and the door cards look similar, the center stack is full of gauges (with the Z being a bit more sculpted into the dash) right down to the three spoke steering wheel. But the 240Z aimed to do a lot with less power, less weight and half the cost – the Japanese way.

Named the Fairlady in Japan and offering different engines, the 240Z we know in the US was named after the displacement of the motor. The 1970 Datsun 240Z had the 2.4L inline-6 DOHC S20-motor that generated a decent 154hp  and sold well, especially in the US despite being sold in ground zero muscle car era. Still the compact Z could muster an 8-second 0-60mph time and reach 120mph while being able to carve corners better than a muscle car. Production numbers soared during 1971 to 1973 and continued on into the smog-equipped oil crisis of 1974. 

…the 240Z aimed to do a lot with less power, less weight, and half the cost – the Japanese way…

The 260Z is rare, since it only came in 1974 and although it ran stroked 2.6L version of the S20, the power decreased in the US to 139hp! Detuned with lower compression and revised camshafts and carbs for America, the Fairlady Z in Japan received a mild bump with the displacement to 150hp. Considered a forgotten stepchild, the 260Z developed an innovation for future Z-cars, the 2+2 option, with seating for four in a 30cm (11.8-inched) stretched frame). The 260Z still sold well with 53,451 units produced.

Datsun then bored and stroked the six to a total of 2.8-liters and branded it the 280Z (no, not the 280ZX, please hold). Engineers fitted it with reliable and efficient Bosch fuel injection system. Despite an increased weight resulting luxuries and larger DOT-approved bumpers, the car was quick since it now produced 170hp from 1975-1977. Don’t think that is a lot of horsepower? The 1975 Chevrolet Corvette C3 made 165hp… from a 5.7L V8. These were dark times indeed but they would get brighter.

The Turbo Age of 280ZX to 300ZX

By 1978, muscle cars were either badge-engineered shells of their former selves or were gone altogether. The Z-Car forged ahead with basically the same playbook it started back in the 1960s into the disco era. Not to be confused with the 2.8-liter cars, Nissan debuted the Datsun 280ZX with the L28 motor. Although the car was almost a cartoonish version of its former version, with T-tops and an odd gold-accented 10th anniversary edition equipped with gold wheels, leather, and headlamp washers in 1979.

But there were advancements that would define upcoming Z-Cars, like the 280ZX Turbo in 1981. The turbocharged car pushed the top-trim 280ZX to 180hp and 203 lb-ft of torque but with added weight, luxuries and an optional 3-speed automatic, there was a problem. Enthusiasts argued the sports car magic was gone and this was now a luxury 2+2 cruiser but who cared? The 280ZX set sales records and bagged a Car of the Year award in 1979.

…by 1978, muscle cars were either badge-engineered shells of their former selves or were gone altogether. The Z-Car forged ahead with basically the same playbook it started back in the 1960’s…

Back then enthusiasts thought the 280ZX looked awkward with dated 1960s sports car styling and Nissan had already planned big moves for the upcoming 300ZX. The motor was now a V6 but not just any V6 the legendary VG30ET. Sure the 3.0 Turbo produced 200hp in the US but it cranked 230hp in other markets and was capable of 739hp in the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo IMSA race car. Yes, the same IMSA race car that defeated the venerable Porsche 962 on streets of Miami circuit in 1987 and won the Sebring 12hr in 1989 and 1990. Enter the modern era of the Nissan Z-Car.

The Rise of the Nissan 300ZX Z32

Sales numbers and world-beating turbo VG-engine aside, the 1984-1988 300ZX looked 1980s. Nissan rebadged it in 1985 to no longer be a Datsun in the midst of a staggeringly-expensive marketing campaign to lose the Datsun name. The new Nissan 300ZX was all Nissan and recalling the first time it was seen in person, looked like a spaceship in 1989. Nissan was on top of it’s game, the Skyline GT-R R32 was out in Japan, the 240SX was an excellent low buck pure sports car and the flagship 300ZX Turbo would set horsepower and performance records for the Z-Car.

Nissan finally figured out that it could divide a 2+2 Coupe with an NA motor and a fiery 2-seater with the new twin turbo V6. It later became popular to swap this VG30DETT into the 2+2 for extra occupants and cargo but retain the 300hp performance of the 2-seater. Fun fact, the 300ZX Twin Turbo made more horsepower in the US than Japan (capped at 276) for the first time. 

But sales were affected by the recession and rising inflation in Japan. A car that debuted at $33,000 was nearly $50,000 by the end of the production a trend affecting the rival FD RX-7 and Mk4 Supra as well, mean like them US sales were cut early and by 1996, the Z was gone.

But not before a couple special models popped up like the Final Edition limited to 300 cars in 1996, the rare-as-a-telephone booth convertible debuting in 1993 and the SMZ tuned car build by racer Steven Millen, the 365hp Nissan SMZ. Production continued on in Japan (just like the Supra and the stretched to 2002 RX-7) until 2000 when the Z-Car took a worldwide hiatus.

Back to Battle with the 350Z and 370Z

Nissan has gotten a lot of mileage out of their FM-platform. It might not do anything fantastic but it does everything good being the underpinnings to family haulers like the Murano, middle-management sedans like the Maxima and yes modified to be on the Z. The new VQ35DE engine might have lacked a turbo but it was up there for naturally aspirated horsepower and debuted when Sport Compact crazy was burning brightest in 2003.

The 350Z had ridiculous aftermarket support. Turbos and superchargers for the 3.5L V6 were everywhere, widebodies, strokers and scissor doors were not uncommon. The 350Z became a staple in the US drift scene with Chris Forsberg swapping an SR20DET into a Z33 and later winning the 2009 Formula Drift Championship in a Titan V8-swapped Z convertible! The wild success of the Z33, would translate to what in the 370Z trim.

We always liked the 370Z Z34 chassis from it’s launch in 2009. Classic lines, sharper styling, Nissan Flying-V family face, it was compact, more powerful and had a 6-speed manual box with innovated Syncro-rev. But even at 332hp, still felt like not much of a leap plus it went into limp mode on track immediately with its crowded engine bay not dissipating heat. We still were “meh” on the Nismo version of the 370Z at 350hp and for performance enthusiasts there were simply better options out there… with four seats. Plus SUVs and crossovers were the focus of the buying public and automakers looking to cash in.

Is the World Ready for the Reborn Nissan Z

We still believe it should have been called the 400Z. Sure Nissan carried the torch for displacement nomenclature properly (we’re looking at you BMW) but even though the new Z is powered by a 3.0L V6 twin turbo (again) it cranks 400hp, so it would still add up. Considering the Z34 chassis dragged out so long, we predict this is the last Z, heck they even still refer to it as the Z34. With retro styling from Z-Cars of the past, a twin turbo V6 and proper 6-speed manual gearbox – yes this will sell and bring media adoration to Nissan’s Z once again.

Online Car Buying – The Next Big Thing?

Your Next New Car could be Made to Order and Delivered Straight to Your Door

Over the past twenty years, untold billions of items have been purchased over the internet, and nearly as many articles have been written about the effect of online retail on traditional brick and mortar businesses. Even before the handbrake got yanked on in-person retail due to Covid-19 concerns, it was already possible to buy anything from groceries from the local supermarket to electronic components of questionable quality direct from the manufacturer in China, delivered straight to your door or mailbox. 

With so much commerce going on via the web, there are still some things that aren’t so easy to buy with the click of the mouse, though – One of them is a new car or truck. The complications involve both the unique aspects of vehicle purchasing and some long-standing laws that were originally designed for consumer protection against manufacturer monopolies, but now mostly shield those who are heavily invested in traditional dealer networks from competition.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the current state of online car shopping, explore the reasons why the status quo exists, and make some predictions about what the future holds for those who’d like to be able to buy a new vehicle with the same convenience you’d expect when ordering Pad Thai because you just can’t bear the thought of cooking again tonight. 

Dont Four-Square Me, Bro…

As far back as the year 2000, almost half the people who responded to a J.D Powers and Associates survey said they would opt to buy cars directly from the manufacturer, even if it didn’t save them any money, and it’s unlikely that near-majority of customers would be less likely to do so today. Clearly, the traditional brick and mortar new car dealership system has a serious problem when so many people would prefer to avoid it entirely even if there was no cost advantage to doing so. 

Today, there are more resources available than ever for car shoppers to do their research, revealing invoice costs, rebate and financing offers, and even once-esoteric hidden seller profit sources like ‘dealer hold-back.’ Nevertheless, the average person may buy a handful of new cars over the course of their entire life, while the dealer literally sells them every single day. Even with better-educated customers closing the information gap, sellers still hold a huge advantage in experience, and the psychological manipulation that is often part of the game is well-documented. It should come as no surprise then that many would-be buyers would welcome the chance to spec out and price a new vehicle the same way you can order a new laptop, with zero interaction (or hard-sell pressure) from ‘helpful sales professionals.’

Manufacturer-Direct Pricing

Another 2001 study on the effect of auto buying referral services in California estimated that on average, those services saved consumers almost 2% compared to traditional sales channels, even though a middleman was still involved in the transaction. Direct sales from auto manufacturers offer even more potential savings, eliminating a lot of the financial ‘friction’ inherent in the current system that requires a huge infrastructure to store, merchandise, and eventually deliver new vehicles to their owners. 

So if nearly half of all potential customers would prefer to buy direct, and it would make new cars less expensive, why do dealerships still exist? There are several reasons, some good, and some bad. One primary obstacle is legislation that specifically prevents OEM sales to consumers outside of the dealer network – only a few states don’t either directly prohibit it or place extensive restrictions on the practice. This dates back more than a century when many of these laws were first enacted, ostensibly to prevent ‘vertical integration’ of the new vehicle market.

At the time, long-standing monopolies in many forms of business were being vigorously dismantled by ‘trust-busters’ in the name of consumer protection. Allowing car and truck manufacturers to completely control the market from raw materials to delivery was seen as unacceptable, and considering the limited range of choices available in the market and the low bargaining power of buyers, a network of dealers/middlemen was seen as the lesser of two evils. Today, there is a LOT of money tied up in the current system, from the real estate and buildings required for dealerships to the inventory they carry on their books and in their lots, so resistance to direct online sales is strong and well-funded. 

What is it Even Good For?

On the positive side for dealers, most new car buyers are going to insist on being able to test-drive vehicles prior to purchase, and the dealership sales model is well-suited to providing that opportunity. This is especially true when consumers aren’t set on the make and model of car that best fits their needs and want to cross-shop, but even the die-hard Corvette guy who knows exactly what he wants is going to make sure ‘his’ car drives properly before taking ownership.

This “showrooming” problem became apparent in the early days of online commerce, where consumers would go to big box retailers or specialty stores to hold something in their hands, then go and order it on the internet for a lower price. The physical store was stuck with all the costs of infrastructure and inventory, with no sales to show for it. 

One possible solution comes from what’s already been tried in countries without restrictions on direct manufacturer sales, where franchised dealers receive a commision for online sales in their exclusive territory as a way to cover the costs of maintaining a sales and service network and providing the “last mile” of vehicle preparation and delivery.

Speaking of service, warranty work, ongoing maintenance, and parts sales turn out to be a significant revenue source for new car dealers, one that even outweighs the profitability of car sales themselves. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, over a ten-year period studied the average new-car dealership’s sales department varied between over $150k in profit and almost $50k in losses, while the service and parts department were continuous money-makers with net profits growing from $150k per location to over $300k. Much like the old business strategy of giving away razors to sell more blades, it seems that the most consistently profitable part of a new car dealer’s operations lie in taking care of vehicles rather than selling them. 

…it seems that the most consistently profitable part of a new car dealer’s operations lie in taking care of vehicles rather than selling them…

What About Tesla?

At this point, the only new vehicle manufacturer actively making direct-to-consumer sales is Tesla Motors, and in order to do so they’ve had to come up with convoluted custom legal work-arounds in almost every jurisdiction. In some places, Tesla showrooms can offer test drives and answer questions, but any talk of pricing or ordering is as taboo as saying “bomb” in the airport. In others, the number of Tesla sales locations is limited to a handful per state, or the semantic distinction of not having any ‘franchised dealers’ allows the company to simply ignore laws originally written to protect traditional sales outlets.

Regardless of how Tesla has managed to make direct sales work, any traditional manufacturer with an established dealer network is going to have to fight with their existing franchise owners to allow consumers to skip the usual baffling ordeal that is the new car purchasing experience. It seems inevitable, though, given consumers’ strong preference for online buying and the significant savings possible. Traditional dealers will be faced with choosing to hang on to an expensive business model their customers hate that has been made obsolete by technology, or pivoting to provide the profitable services that will still be necessary when large-scale direct sales become a reality.

Rare JDM Cars at the 2021 SEMA SHOW

Million Dollar Skyline GTRs, Special RX7s, and Widebody Nissan Zs in Las Vegas

Spotting a Nissan or a Toyota is something you can do in your grocery store parking lot, but the ones you find at the SEMA Show are a little bit more special. Actually, that is an understatement, these are some of the most sought after JDM cars and some of the most popular styles in the Tuner scene. In terms of JDM and Tuner cars there is all sorts of stuff at SEMA this year, some of which you will never see, and others that you will probably see on retail very soon, with a couple only being JDM inspired. Come check out these JDM gems that we’ve spotted at SEMA 2021!

We never were sold any skylines in the US until Infiniti G35, and so to say that they are rare here is an understatement, especially for these two GTRs. This is the first R33 GTR 400R to come to the US and only 44 400Rs ever made. Named 400R because of its 400hp output, this was the rarest and craziest Skyline to come from the factory. Specifically this is a 400R in Sonic Silver making it a one of 5 ever made. Brought out by Top Rank Imports, this Skyline definitely stole the show

Vehicle: Nissan Skyline GTR R33 400R Sonic SilverThe other one is a Midnight Purple II V Spec GTR which cost about the same as Lamborghinis, one of the rarest color combos and trim packages for the R34 GTR.

We also spotted this Origin Widebody S14 Kouki with a 2JZ VVti Stuffed in it. It is hard to look past those stunning custom headlights though, but you’ll probably be staring at the tail lights of this thing if you caught it on the street.

You know the brand new GR 86/ BRZ? HKS is already making a new exhaust system so that you can sputter and bang your boxer as quickly as possible.

We also Saw this yellow RX7 from Fortune Auto, sporting a full RE Amemiya kit with the aero headlights.

Check out this S30 Widebody Z from Extreme wraps. It might look different from a standard 240Z or 260Z because of the slicker aero front end, referred to as a G Nose.

Finally here’s a couple BMWs that have adopted a lot a of the JDM tuner style and incorporated them into their Bavarian Builds.

Don’t Call It a Comeback:
The Resurgence of the Compact Truck

By “compact” truck, we really are discussing the modern, smaller-than-full-size pickup that is commonly referred to as a “midsize” model. Long gone are the days of the true mini-truck, so if you’re thinking those are making another appearance at new dealer lots, keep dreaming. The classic S-10, Ranger, Tacoma, Hardbody trucks are machines of a past generation. They had a great run, and are great projects if you can get your hands on a good specimen, which are still readily available. “Mini” sized price tags are also a thing of the past, as today’s compact/midsize truck models can enter full-size budget territory pretty darn quick, but there are some bright sides to that reality. 

“Mini” sized price tags are also a thing of the past, as today’s compact/midsize truck models can enter full-size budget territory pretty darn quick…

The Chevy Colorado is still going strong, and it is larger than ever. In 2019 Ford rereleased the Ranger back onto the market, which is great to see, but it too, is much larger than its last generation that phased out in 2012. Oh, and the Tacoma? It most certainly leads the midsize pickup scene, as it remains one of the most popular on the market. There are other established players in this category that boast devout followings and comparable specs, roomy cabs and available bed lengths that justify their respective MSRP figures, and there are new models trying their best to compete for a place in this very interesting segment. 

So what makes the midsize truck marketplace so exciting, anyway? Well, automakers really are looking to deliver the most bang for your buck in this category. Even though we can all complain that the cost of modern midsize truck are catching up with full-size pickups, these slightly smaller models will come in cheaper than their larger counterparts at the end of the day—there’s no doubt about that. A little sacrifice of space is par for this course with these models, however, these trucks can be jam-packed with features, which make maximizing their function and catering them to meet your exact needs becomes the fun part. 

…automakers really are looking to deliver the most bang for your buck in this category…

Right off the bat, midsize trucks are easier to maneuver than the big ones given their natural nimble size. Just because they’re a tad bit smaller though, don’t move too fast and assume these compact haulers can’t pack a punch to contend with the true heavyweights, because they absolutely do. If you need them to haul stuff around or tow heavy loads, they’ve got you covered. Looking to hit the trails and head off-road? You can do that with these trucks, no question. If you need a commuter vehicle, but want the true utility that only a pickup truck can offer, there are engine configurations with these midsize wonders that are ultra efficient and sip lightly at the pump. There really is a compact truck for every driver out there. 

Since muscle is an obvious concern when truck shopping, let’s take a look at some of the beefier compacts in the field. The Nissan Frontier, which is a familiar face in the compact genre, received a standard option motor upgrade last year, in the form of a healthy 3.8L V6 with a respectable 310HP output along with 281 lb-ft of torque. This engine will most definitely make its presence known while hauling, towing and ripping around off the beaten path. The Ford Ranger also puts up some impressive numbers from its 2.3L turbo 4-banger—270HP and 310 lb-ft of torque. It has proven to also tow and haul great, which is definitely something to consider when comparing to a full-size brute to get the same job done. 

Suspension wise, the Colorado/Canyon with its off-road-ready ZR2 package, is an upgrade that brings the price of admission up a bit, but don’t feel too guilty about over spending on your dirt hobby here, as the the ZR2 equipment also earns rave reviews on paved roads as well. The two-inch suspension lift utilizing quality components and the 3.5-inch wider track is an investment rather than an added expenditure, as the premium suspension package will serve its owner well during work and play. Same goes for the Tacoma with its TRD package, or better yet, its TRD Pro tier option. The latter selection comes correct with an upgraded skidplate under the engine, Fox internal bypass shocks, an electronic locking differential, an inclinometer with pitch and roll displays, 16-inch wheels with beefy A/T tires, improved off-road driving modes—and the list just keeps on going from there. 

While most buyers are interested in midsize trucks that do big truck things, there is another crowd that is interested in overall value and efficiency. These are mostly the folks who don’t intend to work their truck too hard, or play too rough with it either, but still want to have the utility of a truck on hand without it costing too much to operate. For these guys and gals, Ford has released an ultra affordable wildcard onto the market that may get mixed reviews from the truck audience. The Maverick is less expensive than the Ranger right off the lot as MSRP starts under $20K. The standard hybrid powertrain and impressive MPG will only continue to keep more money in wallets. Before this truck is prematurely written off for its lack of power, just know that Ford’s new budget-minded midsize truck is also available with a 2.0 turbo I-4 that boasts 250HP and 277 lb-ft of torque—definitely no slouch.

The variation of standard and optional equipment in the realm of midsize pickups is more than enough to assist in piecing together the right truck at a lower price of a comparably equipped full-size. This is what has made this segment of vehicles such a hot commodity among today’s truck buyers. While there may not be too many outright steals to be had at the dealership, there is plenty of room to better budget your money to get the exact truck that you need/want. Bigger isn’t always better, and the ever-growing fleet of midsize wonders are looking to drive that point home with everything in their power. 

Ten Euro Standouts

The Most Influential US Imports from the Old World

After the end of the Second World War, America emerged unchallenged in terms of manufacturing and industry. All the domestic car companies who had turned their might to supply the “Arsenal of Democracy” were quickly pivoting back to products designed to fill pent-up civilian demand. And yet, in Europe just as in Asia, war-ravaged economies saw the US domestic market as a way to jump-start their own reconstruction, despite formidable barriers. 

…war-ravaged economies saw the US domestic market as a way to jump-start their own reconstruction, despite formidable barriers…

For the next five decades, German, Italian, English, and French manufacturers worked to solve the puzzle of selling stateside. While there were many misfires and failed attempts along the way, we also received a lot of cars that stood out for their innovation, performance, or just plain lovable weirdness. These weren’t the Porsche and Ferrari sports cars, but often very ordinary designs that rose to greatness. Here’s ten Euro cars that all made their mark on the United States, for a lot of very different reasons. 

1949 – Volkswagen Beetle

A literal “people’s car” designed for a dystopia that thankfully never fully came to be, the Volkswagen Type 1 finaly reached mass production just in time to help a shattered Germany get back on its feet. It went on to see more than 21 million cars sold worldwide over its very long production run, and although it started out as underpowered and unsophisticated even by 1930s standards, the Bug went places nobody could have imagined. In every form of motorsports from road courses to drag strips to Baja, the VW was embraced and found success. In the driveway, it taught Boomers to wrench without fear (and how to drive stick – once you master a VW transmission, everything else is cake), and it’s pretty safe to say that as long as there is gas to burn, somebody will be turning out new air-cooled flat-fours for them.

1960 – Austin Mini

Not everyone knows that the UK spent almost ten years after WWII with rationing of certain items still in effect – the war had taken a high toll in manufacturing infrastructure and massively disrupted public transportation. Against that backdrop, the Austin Mini debuted in 1959 and a year later, left-hand-drive versions began export to the US. While the total numbers that made it to our shores weren’t spectacular (approximately 10,000 over seven years), the impact they had is hard to understate. Here was the first widely-available transverse engine front wheel drive economy car most people ever experienced, and its space-efficient two-box profile and drivetrain layout set the standard for tens of millions of cars from dozens of makers in the subsequent years. 

1968 – Fiat 124 Spider

Designed by Pininfarina, the little convertible Fiat somehow managed to be an Italian sports car in the same mold as England’s classic roadsters, but with ever-so-slightly better reliability. First appearing in the US in 1968, the model managed to soldier on all the way into the early 1980s, with upgrades in engine displacement along the way. Many say that the Mazda Miata was an homage to those English roadsters, but the commercial success of the Fiat Spider made it a more direct ancestor (even if it wasn’t good enough to keep the company in the US market.)

1974 – Fiat X1/9

This toon town caricature of Italy’s vaunted mid-rear-engine exotics never made more than 75 horsepower from the factory, was undrivable by anyone taller than six feet, and was abandoned by its parent company in 1982 to be picked up by Bertone and limp on in the US (the car’s largest market by far) through 1987. It was also a riot to drive, and foreshadowed the MR2 and even the Fiero as an affordable mid-rear two-seater.

1982 – BMW E30

It’s not throwing shade on BMW to call the E30 3-series their version of the Civic. It revived the market formerly served by the classic 2002 for enthusiasts who wanted a compact car that was fun to drive and affordable. In the secondary market, it became a tuner superstar thanks to its easy availability and the fact that all the fundamentals were done right. 

1983 – Audi Quattro

If you like the GT-R, EVO, and WRX STi, you can thank (at least in part) Audi for blazing the trail. The original Quattro hit the US market at a time when the only other car with full-time AWD was the AMC Eagle. While the Eagle was special in its own way, it was no performance car, and the Audi’s turbocharged inline 5-cylinder and rally pedigree were something totally new in America. Though the first Quattro sold in miniscule numbers in the USDM, it was the vanguard of things to come worldwide.

1983 – Mercedes W201

Not to be outdone by their rivals at BMW, Mercedes jumped right into the compact market with the 190-series “baby Benz,” gifting the W201 chassis with a sophisticated suspension and a rev-happy inline four cylinder engine in various displacements. While it didn’t gain the same traction with street tuners in the US that the E30 did, it found great success in road racing worldwide and changed Americans’ conception of Mercedes as either Gullwings or diesel-powered living room couches to a viable performance brand.

1983 – Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit GTI

Though the VW Golf Mk1 arrived in the US in 1975 (and was called the Rabbit, for reasons which are not entirely clear) and overseas markets got the hot rod GTI version a year later, Americans would have to wait until 1983 to get a Rabbit GTI. While the 90 horsepower 1.8 liter engine (uprated to an even 100 for 1984) is nothing special by today’s standards, in the light and well-engineered Mk1 chassis it was a paradigm shift in economy car high performance. Looking back, the “hot hatch” category was inevitable, but Volkswagen got it right first, and created a legend that continues to this day.

1984 – Volvo 760T

Sure, the Volvo 122S/Amazon had European rally cred in the 60’s, and the P1800 looked exotic and cool to American eyes (and even had a star turn as Roger Moore’s ‘hero car’ in The Saint TV series), but by the mid-Eighties, the Swedish car-maker was known for safety and cars that could be accurately modeled with LEGO blocks. Then, in 1984 US buyers were offered the turbocharged 760T, which not only led to the widespread misuse of the word “intercooler” but more importantly gave us a quick, practical, and safe car with a bulletproof boosted RWD drivetrain. To this day, “turbo bricks” still have a small but very enthusiastic owner base in America.

1985 – Merkur XR4Ti

You knew you weren’t getting out of this without us throwing in at least one really weird one, and the Sierra XR4i from Ford’s European branch certainly checks that box. Rebadged and rebranded as the Merkur XR4Ti in America and sold through 800 or so Lincoln/Mercury dealers, you wouldn’t mistake one for anything else thanks to the ‘aero’ nose, biplane spoiler, and notch-profile 3-door hatchback body. The FR drivetrain layout was motivated by a 2.3l iron-block inline four topped by a turbo pushing 14 PSI – the same engine in the SVO Mustang and Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, minus the charge cooler, with 175 horsepower on tap in manual transmission cars. Ultimately, sales didn’t justify updating the model to meet increasingly tight safety regulations, and the strong Deutschmark didn’t help. The short-lived experiment left a bad taste with Ford US, and we wouldn’t see another Euro-manufactured model from the Blue Oval again until the Ford Focus RS arrived in 2016.

So there’s our list – we’ll admit that it’s subjective, and reasonable people can disagree over things like this. What USDM cars imported from Europe would you put on your own list of most influential models? 

What is VTEC?

How Honda Created a Legend With a 10mm Pin

What does it take for one specific bit of simple, yet brilliant technology to achieve meme status? In the case of Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (better known as VTEC), it started out as a way for Honda to offer better performance while still meeting emissions standards and displacement limits at the start of the 90s and arguably gave the company’s automotive division the same kind of high tech street cred their motorcycles already enjoyed. 

The original VTEC led the way for a whole new slate of variable valve actuation systems from practically every major manufacturer, with a wide range of complexity and effectiveness seen today. Back in the day, it would be hard for anyone to imagine that a simple pin moved by a hydraulic actuator could become such a legend, but in retrospect it seems like one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” inventions.

Best of Both Worlds

To understand the impact of VTEC on the automotive world, it’s worthwhile knowing exactly what it is and what it isn’t. Conventional piston engines rely on one or more camshafts, turning at one-half engine speed, to control the motion of the intake and exhaust valves. No other single aspect of engine design has a bigger effect on performance, economy, or emissions than the timing and intensity (for lack of a better word) of valve events, and for engines without some sort of variable valve control, every compromise gets carved in steel at the factory and can’t be changed without getting into the ‘wet’ part of the engine. 

This is important because the physics involved in getting air and fuel into the cylinder and exhaust out mean that a cam lobe design optimized for low-end grunt is going to be unhappy at high RPM and vice versa. At lower speeds, cylinder-filling is improved by having relatively small valves with low lift, trading away some pumping losses in exchange for keeping velocity up in the intake tract, but towards the upper end of the RPM scale, bigger is better and low lift will kill airflow. Similar tradeoffs for valve duration (the part of the 720 degree four-stroke cycle when the valve is open to a meaningful extent) and valve overlap (degrees of crank rotation during which the exhaust valve is still closing while the intake valve starts to open at the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next) also have a big effect on how the engine delivers power. 

With a traditional camshaft, it’s one and done since whatever specifications were ground into the lobes at the factory are all you have to work with short of a swap. Hot rodders came up with some work-arounds, of course – part of the skill set of the traditional pushrod V8 racer was ‘degreeing the cam’ which involves using an adjustable timing gear set to move the cam’s timing earlier or later in the cycle, and dual overhead cam engines can use the same strategy plus change the intake and exhaust timing relative to one another to get some adjustability for overlap, but this was strictly something done in the shop rather than on the fly while the engine was running. More crucially, it didn’t change the cam lobes’ profile or lift.  

A Stroke of Genius

The solution seems obvious now, but at the time it required asking what sounds like a dumb question – “If the engine runs best with one cam design at low speed, and another at high speed, why not give it two cams?” At its core, that is all VTEC is – a way to put two completely different camshaft grinds into the same engine, and switch between them on demand. That’s much easier said than done, though, especially when whatever you come up with has to be simple enough to produce economically, durable enough to last for a hundred thousand miles or more, and designed to fail ‘gracefully’ and not leave you stranded if something goes wrong. 

… that is all VTEC is – a way to put two completely different camshaft grinds into the same engine, and switch between them on demand…

In 1984, Honda launched the New Concept Engine program with goals that included increasing torque and horsepower for their car engines across the RPM range, with an eventual benchmark of achieving 100 horsepower per liter of engine displacement for production engines. Initially, the NCE initiative led to powerplants like the DOHC ZC (forerunner of the D-series engine) as early as 1985, but the real breakthrough came when previous research begun in 1983 into a system intended to improve fuel economy was rolled into the new project. 

One of the main players in the NCE project was Ikuo Kajitani from Honda’s First Design Department in their Tochigi R&D Center. “Characteristically,” Kajitani said, “four-valve engines are known as high-revving, high-output machines. And for that reason we knew it would be quite difficult to achieve low-end performance if the engine’s displacement were too small.” He was certain that a solution to the problem could be found in the work done on the fuel economy project in the form of an engine that could change valve timing and lift dynamically during operation.

This capability took shape as a very simple but elegant system that uses only a few additional parts compared to a conventional valvetrain. At the beginning, the team had considered around thirty different methods of achieving this goal, but to narrow down the field, priority was given to systems that relied on proven technology rather than novel approaches that might have unforeseen show-stopping flaws. With a mixture of caution and optimism, ideas that seemed promising but had a high risk of being developmental dead-ends were set aside. One of the most important goals was to have a mechanism that could handle 400,000 cycles without failing. In the end, the team settled on the system we now know as the original VTEC.

For each cylinder, instead of a single cam lobe to control valve events, there would be three: Two low-speed lobes with a single high-speed lobe between them. With the system deactivated, each valve would be controlled by its own low-speed lobe, while a third cam follower with no direct connection to the valves followed the profile of the single high-speed lobe. On computer command, a hydraulic valve would send oil pressure to move a pin into place to connect the outer followers to the inner one and lock the whole assembly together, causing the valves to follow the more aggressive center cam lobe profile. 

No Magic Involved

Though the concept was simple, there were still significant technological hurdles to overcome. One major example of this was the fact that they needed to squeeze three lobes into the space originally occupied by one, and those lobes would also be operating the valvetrain under higher loads and engine speeds than they’d previously been engineered for. Solving this issue required improvements in both metallurgy and design, but the team achieved their goal (and then some) in time to confidently introduce the new technology for the 1989 model year. 

While VTEC in its original incarnation does allow an engine to operate in ways that a fixed valvetrain simply can’t, there’s a widely-held misconception that it’s some kind of super-science that works like hitting the switch on a nitrous system. In reality, what it did was allow Honda to build engines with the ability to change between a cam designed for efficient, clean, and fuel-sipping performance to one with the grind the engineers wanted to use in the first place. As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon in race applications to use a single-grind camshaft that actually defeats VTEC in order to increase tolerance for abuse and reduce complexity and weight. When street driving isn’t high on your priority list, the flexibility and broad powerband that VTEC allows isn’t as important, but it makes a huge difference in your daily driver.

…it’s not uncommon in race applications to use a single-grind camshaft that actually defeats VTEC in order to increase tolerance for abuse and reduce complexity and weight…

The Bigger Picture

For all the popularity of “VTEC just kicked in” memes, the system actually does what it was intended to do – Allow small-displacement engines capable of high fuel economy and low emissions during test cycles and normal driving to also provide exceptional horsepower when run hard. In the process, Honda managed to turn cars like the Civic from quirky but reliable transportation devices into ones that were actually fun to drive fast. Whether it was their intention or not, you can argue that the evergreen popularity of all the generations of Civic that followed were a direct result of the NCE project and the development of VTEC. 

Today, every manufacturer has implemented some sort of variable valve timing setup, even for old-school pushrod V8 engine designs. There’s a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms used to describe all the different proprietary ways manufacturers have come up with to adjust valve timing, intake versus exhaust cam phasing, and so on, and Honda has gone on to improve their own engines with VTEC-E, 3-Stage VTEC, i-VTEC, and i-VTEC with Variable Cylinder Management. But the real special sauce – changing to a completely different cam profile on demand – remains at the core of VTEC technology. Until we reach a point where camless valve actuation via pneumatic or electronic direct control finally makes its way from the cost-is-no-concern pressure cooker of Formula One racing to the street, Honda’s approach will likely remain as the best way to change lift and duration on the fly. 

You Bought A New Track Car – Now What?

Essentials for Hot Laps on a 5k Budget

So you’ve taken the plunge and bought yourself a dedicated track car. You did your research, found what you were looking for in sound mechanical condition and not already so far from stock that you’d have to rip everything out before doing it the way it should have been done in the first place, and you’re eager to get it prepped and put some laps on it. But you’re not made of money, and your meme stocks only got you into low earth orbit instead of to the moon, so you have a $5,000 budget for everything you’re going to need. 

Some hard choices will have to be made, because every dollar spent in one area means a dollar less to spend somewhere else. Here’s how we would allocate those 50 Benjamins most effectively – while your priorities are going to vary from ours, having a plan is the difference between a car on the track and yard art on jackstands for another year because you ran out of money and motivation.

Helmet – $350 ($4,650 Remaining)

Yes, we know you already have a helmet you bought off Craigslist. Yes, we know you are the one driver who will never, ever crash. This is still non-negotiable. Every reputable track day event organizer will insist on an ‘in-date’ skid lid that meets an accepted testing standard. Most often this is Snell SA or its equivalent – some sanctions will accept a Snell M-rated helmet, but the DOT-only models are almost always not considered good enough, for a reason.

Helmets designed to meet the SA and similar ratings have features that make them better suited for automotive use, where sharp impacts with objects that can penetrate the shell are more likely than the types of forces involved in motorcycle crashes, and they’ll have a fire-resistant liner. The “in-date” part is important too; the impact-absorbing liner has a finite lifespan, which gets shorter the more it is exposed to temperature extremes or solvent and gasoline fumes. 

While it’s possible to get an open-face helmet that carries a SA2020 tag for as little as $160, we recommend a full-face model, and as the list price goes up you’ll also get better fit and finish and improved comfort, which is important when you’re trying to concentrate on-track. Throw in another $40 or so for a fire resistant head sock (also good for comfort, as well as keeping the liner of the helmet cleaner) and $350 is a reasonable starting point for this critically important item.

Tires/Wheels – $2000 ($2650 Remaining)

We’re assuming that if you’re limited to a $5k overall budget for track car upgrades, you’re probably not going to trailer to and from events. We’re also going to assume that you will want a separate set of wheels and tires so that you’re not burning through expensive high-performance tires daily driving on them (though mad props to you if you are hardcore like that – we’ve been there ourselves). Like everything else on this list, wheels aren’t an area where you want to cut corners, but it’s entirely possible to get into a set of four new, quality wheels from a reputable manufacturer for around a grand. For that price, you are looking at cast rather than forged wheels, so the tradeoff is slightly higher weight for a lower price, as well as not being as forgiving or repairable when tweaked during inevitable encounters with debris or curbs.

Like everything else on this list, wheels aren’t an area where you want to cut corners, but it’s entirely possible to get into a set of four new, quality wheels from a reputable manufacturer for around a grand…

Tires are consumables, and depending on how hard you run them and what your level of compromise is between grip and longevity, these may have to be replaced several times a season. Fortunately, it’s often possible to find a well-heeled fellow enthusiast who always has used tires that have ‘gone off’ for full-boogie competition purposes but still have plenty of laps left in them for less serious use, so we’re compromising and putting a cost of $250 a corner out there to give some wiggle room for that initial set. Like always, your experience may vary, and cars with uncommon fitments or really big meat will tend toward the more pricey end of the spectrum. 

Brake Upgrades – $1250 ($1400)

Here’s another area where there is a wide range of possibilities – if your track car has decent stock brakes, all that may be necessary for anything less than full competition use might be a change to a different brake compound, braided stainless flex lines, new rotors, and a fluid flush and bleed. On the other hand, most cars of interest to the track day crowd have a lot of bolt-on options at surprisingly reasonable prices. If you don’t go totally nuts, our budget should at least cover a front caliper upgrade in addition to the other things mentioned above, plus a spare set of pads to be bedded in and brought with you if you’ve chosen a soft-but-grippy compound and a tight course to run on for a mid-day swap.

if your track car has decent stock brakes, all that may be necessary for anything less than full competition use might be a change to a different brake compound, braided stainless flex lines, new rotors, and a fluid flush and bleed…

Suspension upgrades – $1400

We’re going to take the last of our remaining budget and allocate it toward suspension. On the less expensive end of the scale, a complete, properly engineered and matched set of quality replacement springs, dampers, anti-roll bars, and polyurethane bushings can set you back as little as $750, while the sky is the limit for a complete competition-spec coilover conversion with multi-way adjustable dampers. We’re splitting the difference here, but odds are you will come in either substantially above or below our average estimated price. Depending on what kind of tracks you prefer, you may prioritize suspension above brakes, or the other way around, and adjust your spending on these last two categories accordingly.

One thing you absolutely do not want to do under any circumstances is to cheap out here; there are a lot of janky ‘lowering kits’ and coilover conversion setups with suspiciously low price tags and brand names you have never heard of, but spending any money on components of dubious quality and unclear origin can only lead to disaster. 

That Money Went Fast…

As you can see, it doesn’t take a whole lot to blow through $5k getting your new toy set up properly, but going into it with clear expectations for the cost and effort involved can keep your dreams from dying before you ever get to the track. Keep in mind that this is just a start, and in order to keep your racing fun sustainable, it’s a good idea to set aside money for every event you attend in some place where you won’t spend it, to be used for future consumables like tires, brakes, and maintenance items. Budgeting is never fun, but it makes the fun stuff possible, and helps you to drive more and dream less. 

First Look at the 2023 C8 Corvette Z06

Sep. 30, 2021 – The excitement about the C8 Corvette never seems to die down, even from when it was first conceived. Since its debut to the world on July 18,2019, the C8 Corvette has been a revolutionary car for the brand, as it is the first mid-engined Corvette in history. But one question asked by every automotive enthusiast in existence is whether or not a C8 Corvette Z06 was going to be released. And in true Chevrolet fashion, they answered, and on Tuesday, October 26th, they’ll debut it.

The new C8 Corvette Z06 pictures and videos have circulated the internet showing a heavily camouflaged Z06, but Chevrolet has decided to give the masses a visual taste of what this monstrosity of a vehicle is going to look like.

A naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8 will power the mid-engined sports car, capable of pushing out over 600 horsepower at an incredibly high RPM, somewhere between 8500 and 9000. Judging by past Z06 packages and shots of the camouflaged variants, the Chevy will most likely come with a larger wing, suspension upgrades, carbon ceramic brakes, and more. Stay tuned for the release to learn more about the Z06!

Hot Swaps

Engine And Chassis Combos Limited Only By Imagination

Engine swaps might seem like a recent thing, but OG hot rodders did it back in the 1950s, putting the then-new small block Chevy V8 into Ford Model T chassis, and when Cadillac created a long-stroke 500ci version of their corporate big block in 1970, wrecked Eldorados became a prime target for drag racers looking for as many cubes as they could get. Today, despite tightening regulations that threaten to make any kind of automotive modification illegal, let alone a complete motor swap, mixing and matching cars and drivetrains has never been more popular. Let’s look at some of the most common types of hybrid chassis and engine combinations (and we mean that in the cool way, not the electric motor ‘hybrid’ sense) and the reasons behind them.

All In The Family

In terms of sheer numbers of completed swaps, updating (or backdating, in some cases) a particular car with an engine from the same manufacturer takes the top position. In the import and sport compact world, the most common swaps involve upgrading Hondas with more powerful engines – the trend began with taking lightweight Civic or CRX shells originally equipped with fuel-sipping but low-output D-series four cylinder engines and replacing them with more powerful B-series engines from models higher up on the price and performance ladder. With the introduction of the even more powerful and versatile K-series, those became the donor engines of choice, despite being somewhat more complicated to swap due to the necessity of changing transmissions as well. The extra effort is worth it, though; 200 horsepower or more from a completely stock engine in a late-90’s Civic that tips the scales at under 2,400 pounds makes for very entertaining performance at an affordable price.

In terms of sheer numbers of completed swaps, updating (or backdating, in some cases) a particular car with an engine from the same manufacturer takes the top position…

Honda engine swaps have become so popular that you can find ready-made components like engine and transmission mounts, headers, and ECU adapters for pretty much any reasonable (and more than a few unreasonable) combination of engine and chassis. With the trailblazing handled, potential compatibility issues have all been sorted out by somebody somewhere. It just takes a bit of research to come up with a proven recipe to follow, and entire books have been written on the subject covering every last detail.

Another common form of swap involves putting an engine not available in the US market into a chassis that was sold here, with the first example that comes to mind being the Nissan 240SX. Known in Japan as the 180SX and Silvia, when the company brought this fun little RWD coupe to America, they decided to replace the JDM CA and SR series turbocharged engines with KA series naturally aspirated ones. This decision was likely based on the fact that the KA engines were already “federalized” for US emissions regulations and would be less expensive than bringing in a new powerplant without an existing approval. Though well-suited for mainstream buyers, since these engines had previously been used in Nissan’s Hardbody line, they were derided by some as ‘truck engines’ unworthy of the car’s sporty image.

Of course, enthusiasts care not for things such as EPA regulations, and many CA and SR engines got strapped to pallets in Japanese wrecking yards and shipped to the west coast to be reunited with S13 and S14 240SX models here. Some particularly ambitious souls went as far as to cram RB26DETT twin turbo inline sixes from the JDM Skyline GT-R (among other applications) into that chassis as well.

Speaking of legendary Japanese turbo sixes, let’s not forget the Toyota 2JZ-GTE. This engine powered a whole generation of the company’s flagship performance models, but only came to US showrooms in the Mark IV Supra Turbo. This engine has found its way into a number of different swaps, including both Lexus IS300/GS300/SC300 models as a replacement for its naturally-aspirated sibling, the 2JZ-GE, as well as other non-Toyotas with engine bays long enough to accommodate the sizeable inline six. 

Could Have Had a V8

Don’t think this is just limited to import brands, either. When Ford ended production of their classic pushrod 5.0 liter V8 engine in the mid-90s and replaced it with the high-tech overhead cam Modular family, it was only a matter of time before those engines started to find their way into Fox-body Mustangs and even classics. One of the disadvantages of overhead cam cylinder heads in a V-configuration engine layout is that compared to pushrod designs of similar displacement, they inevitably end up larger in width and height. Adding cams and timing gear to the top of the cylinders makes them inherently taller than engines that simply have to accommodate rocker arms beneath the valve covers. In a bit of irony, older muscle cars with their large engine bays have more room to accept Modular V8 swaps, making them somewhat easier to work on than modern factory Fords with cramped under-hood layouts. 

While Ford was breaking ties with their previous engine architecture, GM took a less radical path, introducing the first LS-series engines. These successors to the original small-block Chevy V8 and its follow-on “Gen II” LT replacements are in many ways a “what might have been” look at the direction Ford could have taken with their own small-block pushrod architecture. Though the Gen II engines had a lot of problems including a notoriously unreliable optical ignition pickup and were widely panned by gearheads, the Gen III/IV LS family turned out to be a huge success.

Lightweight, powerful, durable, plentiful, and cheap, they quickly replaced the venerable SBC as the engine of choice for GM swaps. Like the aforementioned Honda engines, a huge aftermarket has developed to make putting an LS into an older car easy, right down to complete kits that handle ignition and carburetion should you choose to go old-school and ‘downgrade’ from EFI. Another factor that led to their popularity was that they were manufactured in both iron and aluminum block form, so that those in search of an inexpensive and bomb-proof bottom end could simply grab a low-compression iron block truck motor from the local pick-a-part and feed it a decent amount of boost or nitrous without a lot of drama.

Cross Breeding

While mixing and matching engines and chassis from the same manufacturer often makes things somewhat easier because of shared mechanical and electronic components, taking an engine from one maker and stuffing it into another company’s car has been popular forever as well. As we mentioned before, early hot rodders who started out by putting Ford Flathead V8 engines into Model Ts embraced the original small-block Chevy with great enthusiasm as soon as they started turning up in junkyards. Today, purists will howl in outrage about LS-swapped Fox Mustangs, but a dispassionate look at it shows this is the same kind of thing gearheads have always done. Mustang engine transplants aren’t limited to just Chevy engines either – Most famously, the notable 2006 documentary film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift included a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback with a Nissan RB26DETT as a ‘hero car.’

Today, purists will howl in outrage about LS-swapped Fox Mustangs, but a dispassionate look at it shows this is the same kind of thing gearheads have always done…

Like Honda swaps, the popularity of the LS Fox combination has led to an entire range of aftermarket parts to make the process close to turn-key, and all the information necessary to make it happen successfully is easily accessible online and in print. In fact, there has been a strong “LS all the things!” movement in the enthusiast world, with practically every rear wheel drive platform becoming a candidate for a Gen III/IV GM V8 swap. It’s even reached the point where a backlash has occurred against it – many people see the commonality of the LS as a detriment to the originality and creativity of Pro Touring builds, preferring original or at least period-correct engines. Odds are that any SEMA resto-mod build that isn’t intended to specifically highlight another engine will have some flavor of LS power, to the point where it’s become a running joke among writers and photographers.

Regardless of one’s feelings about LS engine transplants, they’re going to be with us for the foreseeable future, and not just in cars. They’ve become the weapon of choice for inboard-powered boats of all kinds, as well as aircraft and even homebuilt helicopters. But eventually something new will come along, and it’s entirely possible that we may one day see all-electric powertrains with ‘universal’ designs developed to simply drop in place of an internal combustion engine and transmission. While one-off attempts at this have come and gone, as the hardware becomes standardized for OEM use (and thus also becomes more affordable) and battery technology advances to increase energy density, peak output, and cruising range, garage mechanics who want something completely different under the hood will embrace these swaps as well. 

About the Author: Paul Huizenga is a California-based freelance contributor who has owned, raced, and written about everything from Subarus to Mustangs to Corvettes over the last two decades. He is currently studying the feasibility of an LS4 engine and transmission swap into a Fox-body to convert it to Chevy power and front-wheel drive, because some men just want to watch the world burn.

Restore or Restomod?

What To Do With Your Classic Chevy C-10 Truck

Ultimately, the decision of what you decide to do with your truck is up to you—it should be, anyway. Don’t get caught up in the hype of what your pals are doing or what you constantly see in magazines or on social media. At the end of the day, the truck parked in your garage should best represent what you want to see out of it, not just what current trends say it should be. 

With that said, you’re going to have a lot of different avenues when it comes to prepping your truck to get back on the road. Now, some guys might only be concerned about whipping the engine back into shape and driving it as-is, with the original paint/patina and replacing parts with only factory OEM product when available. If OG parts can’t be sourced, using pieces that are designed to resemble original equipment is the only way to go for some Chevy purists. 

Going this route leans into the restoration realm of doing things, and there isn’t anything wrong with it at all. It’s pretty cool seeing an old truck maintain its heritage, and look like a time capsule piece of how it would’ve looked back in the day when it was the new truck on the block. There’s a much stricter guideline to follow going this route, as say going full-on custom, but there’s a place for every type of build out there. It’s just as impressive hearing about where a guy had to go to score rare original parts than it is seeing parts designed to fit but look completely different than stock. This is what truly makes both sides of the spectrum so interesting to see.

With a restomod project, builders celebrate their truck’s age and history while modernizing it to function and feel like a vehicle that better fits today’s standards. Updated creature comforts like stereo systems, aftermarket bolt-on products, non-OEM paint selections—now, these are on the modest side of things. Just wait until you get the urge to do some heavy custom bodywork, air ride suspension, and drop-in an LS performance engines. Stuff like this blows the covers off more straightforward restoration books, because there really aren’t any rules here. Every modification is geared toward personal style and demand. It’s all about picking up where the factory left off decades ago and building a truck that is more unique and personal. 

Sure, current trends keep a majority of restomod C10 trucks looking somewhat uniform, as low suspension stance (air ride or static) and large-diameter wheels have seemingly become a standard for street-styled trucks, but even so, there is still a lot of room to be unique and stand out from the crowd. These trucks are perfect candidates to outfit for street track driving with more responsive coilover chassis setups. There’s even room to go completely against the grain with a restomod, as there are a big number of C10 and C20 trucks that rock lifted suspensions complete with proper off-road wheels and tires to match. 

As with all types of classic or collectible vehicles, there is the question of value when the time ever comes to resell. There are still bone stock C10 “barn find” trucks out there for sale that haven’t seen the road in years, let alone any type of upkeep or customization. These tend to get a lot of attention because most builders would prefer to start with an untouched gem, without having to redo potential shoddy work done by a previous tinkerer. When pitted against each other, it’s fairly common to see a well-done restomod truck selling for more than a clean restored C10. The more of the high profile builds that are featured in all the magazines as well as a SEMA appearance, make it to the auction block and sell for impressive amounts. Now, it might be fractions of what was actually spent in parts and tons of billable hours of fabrication work, but full custom trucks are in demand, especially for someone looking for a completed truck who doesn’t want to start one from the ground up. 

Are restored trucks still valuable? Well, yeah, of course. If there’s a guy out there looking for the exact same truck like his dad or grandpa had when he was a kid, you’d better believe he’s going to lay down some good money to buy something that takes him back to his childhood. Nostalgia sells, especially when it comes to vintage vehicles. Guys looking for the no-frills route, or plan to customize on their own, might also look to this market for the right truck to purchase. 

Nothing is more valuable, however, than having something that has been carefully crafted to suit your specific taste. Now, that could come in the form of a beautifully restored or totally customized pickup—only you can determine that value for yourself. Either way, you’ll have to invest time and money into whatever route you choose to take. And if you don’t even plan to flip the truck, then resale value goes completely out the window. 

Most everyone has one similar goal when building any type of classic truck, and that is for it to be their own, and to reflect their own wants/needs and personality. Think about it—just how many C10s do you see on a daily basis? Not too many, right? Now, think how many completely restored or customized C10s you see. Unless there’s a car show in town, or you just happen to catch that one guy in the neighborhood who has one, chances are you just aren’t going to see them as often as you’d think. Given that fact, your truck is going to be unique no matter what you end up doing with it, and you’re still going to have a blast putting it together—and that’s what really matters once the dust settles. 

A Closer Look at the 2021 Ford Bronco

Does the New Model live Up to the Hype?

There’s a lot to be said about the re-release of vehicle models that go on years-long hiatuses. Some will love, like, or downright hate a factory’s new rendition of an old classic. We’ve seen old muscle car nameplates flex once again in recent years, and while the resurrection of the Chevy Blazer did receive some positive attention at the jump, it really doesn’t seem to be making a lasting impression amongst truck and SUV fans as the 2021 Ford Bronco promises to deliver. 

While we could go on a bit longer about why the Blazer didn’t live up to its expectation, we aren’t really here to touch on that. What we are here to do, however, is to examine just how new Ford Bronco stands to live up to the absolute legend that is its past self. While this task seems easy enough to do, it somehow feels a lot like dissecting a modern classic movie remake. Casual or impartial fans will see the new Bronco for what it is without being overly critical than decades-deep Bronco fanatics who will hold Ford directly responsible for not building their favorite truck “like they used to”. 

While this seems like dangerous grounds to be standing on, the Bronco does have a lot going for it, which makes it highly capable of scoring valuable points from across the many categories of admirers across the market. 

Let’s first start by taking the diehard first gen Bronco into consideration. Ford has modeled the 2021 Bronco to look and feel closer to the all-American, more compact Bronco of the 60’s rather than the later, larger OJ era Bronco of the 90’s. Nostalgia sells for a premium these days, and if there’s a specific version of the SUV to base the reboot after, it’s just gotta be this mid century classic. 

Size wise, the new age Bronco is officially on record as a midsize SUV, which is smack dab in the middle of first gen’s compact classification, and the fifth (and last) gen’s fullsize ranking. Now, it is also important to note that all Broncos previous to the 2021 model were offered in 2-door configuration. The new model is being released as a 2-door, as a nod to its heritage, but it is also being made available in a 4-door option now as well to keep up with modern SUV style and convenience. The 4-door will obviously out measure the 5^th gen 2-door, making it large enough to comfortably fit extra passengers or cargo. 

Aside from size, the new Bronco does have quite a bit in common with its predecessor in the looks department as well. A lot of key elements uphold the spirit of the 1^st gen style pioneer. The use of round headlights, a familiar grille design and an option of a soft top or removable hardtop (depending on door configuration) does call back to a time gone by. Maybe the Bronco would have naturally progressed into this updated take of its inaugural design if it had remained in regular production—it’s tough to say. On the other hand, the remodel may have required a necessary hiatus period for the classic adventure orientated SUV to truly be missed and the calls for nostalgic value to be heard and answered. 

Ford will not only introduce one new 2021 Bronco, but multiple Broncos (7 to be exact). From the base model, all the way up to the top of the line ‘First Edition’ edition, which is trimmed and optioned out with the best upgrade packages from the variations ‘below’ it. The wide variety of premium add-ons that will be available will truly separate the Bronco of old with this year’s model. Lots of technology is available from remote start with the entry level model to a 12-inch LCD touchscreen and B&O sound system available starting in the mid-tier Outer Banks trim package. It’s a little unfair to compare the interiors of the new and old Bronco, as the previous truck was a true utility vehicle of its time. The standard then was minimal to say the least, and today’s Bronco definitely brings the SUV up to meet modern conveniences and luxury comforts we have grown accustomed to. 

The 2021 Bronco isn’t just a handsome, renovated shell with some convenient bells and whistles attached, as the base model is equipped with a 2.3L turbocharged 4-banger that boasts 270HP with 310 lb-ft of torque—not too shabby to start. There’s also an optional 2.7L turbo V-6 that’s also available for additional romp. Transmission offerings include a seven-speed manual with a crawler gear standard on the 2.3L, as well as a 10-speed auto that is standard issue on the 2.7L and optional equipment on the smaller engine. These modern power plants most definitely blow the largest of original engine models, the 205HP 4.9L V-8 small block, right off the trail. 

Suspension and smart driving modes also set the new Bronco apart from the old version. To start, the full-boxed steel frame and the IFS system already give the 2021 Bronco a leg up, but then it starts racking up more technical features higher up in the trim level chain. The Go Over Any Terrain (GOAT) package features eight unique driving modes including Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Sand, Baja, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl—enough to satisfy any type of driver in just about any type of off-road condition. 

The anticipation for the 2021 Ford Bronco has been building steadily, and for good reason. It’s been 55 years since the OG Bronco was released, and in that time it has gained a tremendous reputation and devout following. It’s almost unfair to pit the new model against its previous self, given the obvious advantages available to it, but it’s cool to see what the Bronco has evolved into. This is the SUV its fans have been awaiting. For the “purists” who may not be planning to partake in this next generation of Bronco adventure, there’s still no denying the potential this new generation has to becoming a lasting presence in the modern off-road marketplace. 

Springs vs. Coilovers vs. Bags: What’s the Difference?

Are Springs, Coilovers, or Air Suspension Best for Performance?

It might seem like common sense that having more choices when it comes to just about any decision is a good thing. In many circumstances, that’s true, but when presented with too many options, ‘decision paralysis’ can set in, making it harder instead of easier to choose the right path. Instead of making life easier, it causes anxiety, slows down or even stops decision-making, and can even lead to remorse after the fact as you churn through all the possibilities you didn’t pick. 

When it comes to upgrading a car’s suspension for high performance street or track use, we’ve reached the point where for many popular platforms, there’s no clear winner for every situation out of a wide variety of aftermarket setups. While we can’t guarantee you’ll avoid ‘paralysis by analysis,’ we might be able to help clarify your priorities with the following look at the pros and cons of the three basic categories of mods: Spring and damper replacement, coilover conversion, and air suspension. 

Springs and Shocks/Struts

This category encompasses replacing the factory-spec springs and dampers (whether those are conventional shock absorbers, MacPherson struts, or a combination of the two) with upgraded aftermarket parts.  

Pro:

• Likely to be the least-expensive option, both to buy and to install (if you don’t do it yourself)
• Properly-engineered matching suspension kits take the guesswork out of picking the right spring rates and compression/rebound settings
• Durability is often as good as or better than factory parts
• Some high-end kits offer limited damper adjustment for fine-tuning
• Fewest compromises in ride quality and noise for dual use street/track cars

Con:

• Limited range of spring rates for applications ‘out of the mainstream’
• Systems on the most affordable end of the spectrum usually offer no ride height or damping adjustment

The Bottom Line:

Usually the least-expensive and most-available option, but with significant compromises in adjustability and performance as the tradeoff.

Coilover Conversion

For the purpose of this discussion, we’re going to define coilovers as a complete replacement of the factory spring and damper setup, whether those are individual components or struts, with aftermarket alternatives. This is the most typical choice for serious track applications, but also has a wide fanbase for street/track use as well – partially because of the serious race cred and the ‘hardcore’ aura that goes with the tradeoffs involved. 

Pro: 

• Short of a completely re-engineered suspension right down to the control arms and chassis attachment points, coilovers offer the best possible handling and the widest range of adjustment, as well as more precision and repeatability when changing settings
• Good coverage from multiple manufacturers for the most popular car applications
• Narrower coilover units can offer more clearance for wider wheels and tires without fender modification
• Adjustable ride height without altering spring rates
• Dampers available in configurations from non-adjustable to 4-way (high/low speed compression and rebound)
• Relatively simple and easy to change spring rates with ‘universal’ springs to suit different track conditions

Con: 

• A very, very wide range of quality/price, from pro level down to “I bought this off of Wish – why doesn’t it fit?”
• A whole new form of decision paralysis – lots of adjustment often means more ways to get it wrong
• Systems intended for track use can be noisy and harsh on less-than-perfect pavement
• Expect to either replace or rebuild the dampers on a regular basis, as they are usually designed with longevity as a lower priority
• Less-common performance cars may need to have coilover sets pieced together from components if ‘all in one box’ kits aren’t available

The Bottom Line:

Not the best choice for comfort or street driving, but the de-facto standard for full-race use. Beware of pitfalls in quality at the low end of the scale, and excessive complexity at the high end.

Air Suspension

Commonly referred to as “bags,” today’s performance-oriented air suspension systems are a far cry from the lashed-together rigs that pioneered the technology. Once strictly an option for “stance” and car shows instead of performance, it’s now a solid contender for track-oriented builds.

Pro:

• Adjustable ride height is the main attraction here – modern air springs offer a wide range of spring heights selectable simply by adding or reducing pressure, and clever design of the air bags themselves achieves this without significant changes in spring rate
• Compatible with multi-adjustable race-spec dampers for suspension tuning
• Systems with quality air springs rival conventional factory steel springs for durability
• A great choice for cars that will see use on both the race course and the street, making low ride height that would be a disaster with a ‘static’ coilover suspension achievable in a car you can still drive to and from the track
• Complete, ready-to-install kits are available for more applications every day

Con: 

• Trends towards the expensive end of the scale compared to anything but full-race coilover systems
• Additional hardware like compressors, tanks, solenoids, and pressure gauges required for adjustment on-the-fly, which adds expense and weight
• Modern air springs only allow changes in ride height while spring rate remains the same, requiring complete replacement of a relatively expensive component to alter it
• Like coilovers, less-popular applications may require ‘a la carte’ component selection instead of an off-the-shelf solution

The Bottom Line:
The king of adjustability, at the expense of additional weight and cost. Limited (but growing) off-the-shelf choices.

Wrapping it Up

There’s no one-size-fits all solution to picking the right path for the suspension on your project car or daily driver, and the wide variety of choices (made worse by conflicting advice from all directions) doesn’t help. Hopefully we’ve made it a little bit easier for you to organize your priorities, from the cost involved to the complexity of installation and tuning to your personal intended use (which often turns out to be somewhat different from where you actually end up in practice). Relax, take a deep breath, and consider the options we have set before you as a starting point in your search for the perfect suspension.

Gunther Werks Unveils Their Take on One of the Rarest Porsches: The 993 Speedster Remastered

Aug 19, 2021 – If you like Porsches, you’re likely familiar with the makers of wild re-imaginations of classic Porsche platforms, Gunther Werks. The latest addition to their lineup is a vision of an extremely rare platform that only saw 2 units brought into this world; one for the designer of the original 911, Butzi Porsche, and the other for Jerry Seinfeld. Of course, we’re talking about the legendary Porsche 993 Speedster. Gunther Werks’ new 993 Speedster Remastered takes the original spirit of the Speedster and reimagines it, fleshing out its performance and aimed at providing a unique open top analog driving experience.

In true Gunther Werks fashion, carbon fiber is implemented wherever they can. The interior is mostly carbon fiber, the shorter front windshield is framed with a carbon fiber cowl, and the speedster top tonneau cover is also made of carbon fiber. With additional weight saving measures in place, the Gunther Werks Porsche 993 Speedster Remastered only weighs 2590lbs with a chassis that is even more rigid than the one in the 993 coupe.

Underneath the rear deck lives a 4.0L flat six engine that produces 435 hp and 335 lb/ft torque screaming with a 7,800rpm redline. The power from the flat six is translated through a Getrag G50 six-speed manual gearbox featured in the original 993, but with custom ratios. The Gunther Werks 993 Speedster stays composed on the track with an all-new adaptive suspension from JRZ, featuring 3 different settings; composed, sport, and sport plus.

Stronger, faster, and lighter are 3 words that without a doubt describe this new Gunther Werks project. Revealed with a striking Cannes green paint and Dawn Orange leather interior, this 993 is a testament to performance and styling. Only 25 of the 993 Speedster Remastered will be produced.

Lamborghini Brings Back the Legendary Countach With a v12 Hybrid Engine

Aug 18, 2021 – As a celebration of it’s 50th anniversary, the legendary Lamborghini Countach has returned and carries on the spirit of its iconic namesake while taking the nameplate into the future. The official name of the new Lamborghini is the Countach LPI 800-4, and will bring along with it technology as futuristic as its name.

Featuring a longitudinally mounted V12 platform, this new Countach is promised to deliver the same high performance experience you’d expect from a Lamborghini, but with a slight twist. This 6.5L V12 is combined with hybrid technology, the same used for development of the Lamborghini Sian, and is said to produce a combined 814cv (CV stands for chevaux vapeur, or horsepower) which is rounded to 800 providing the name “LPI 800-4”.  This power is delivered to a permanent four-wheel drive transmission, and makes it go from 0-100km/h in just 2.8 second with a top speed of 355km/h.

The design of the Countach LPI 800-4 is definitely reminiscent of its 70s predecessor, featuring strong and straight lines, and that iconic wedge shape. Though it doesn’t have the giant rear wing sported on the past LP500 model, it does have the signature Countach quad exhaust and scissor doors.

The final outcome of the new Lamborghini Countach LP800-4 is evolution of it’s predecessors spirit of pushing boundaries of performance into the modern age. There will be a very limited run of the LP800-4; only 112 units will be made. So for most of us once again, the Lamborghini Countach will live only as a poster on our walls.

2023 Nissan Z Revealed With 400 HP Twin-Turbo V6

Aug. 18, 2021 – In a global broadcast from Brooklyn’s Duggal Greenhouse, Nissan revealed the all-new 2023 Nissan Z sports car, only about five miles from where the original 240Z debuted. As you may have noticed, the new future classic is the first of Nissan’s line of iconic sports cars to not have a numeric designation, and will simply be known as the “Z”. Although this new Nissan may have lost some numbers, it definitely gains them back in horsepower!

The design of this new 2023 Nissan Z was of utmost importance to the brand, with a need to create a sleek and attractive exterior with a silhouette that pays homage the original models. This look features a long hood and low rear stance. Moving to the inside, the cockpit is extremely driver-centric, including a 12.3-inch customizable racing-inspired meter display, available leather sports seats and 8-speaker Bose audio system. 

The 2023 Nissan wouldn’t be a Z without the classic shape and style, but what’s really going to attract the masses is what’s under the hood. Equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine, the Nissan Z puts down a solid 400 horsepower, about 70 more horsepower than the 4th-generation 370Z. When it comes to the transmission, two choices are available. For those looking to get a classic Z experience, a 6-speed manual transmission is available with a motorsport-inspired EXEDY high-performance clutch. On the other hand, you can opt for a new 9-speed automatic transmission with aluminum paddle shifters. 

The 2023 Nissan Z will be available with multiple packages, including Sport, Performance, and “Proto Spec” edition which is limited to just 240 units. Nissan says the price will start at a price around $40,000.

Return of An Icon: The Acura Integra

Aug 13, 2021 – Sure a Pininfarina Battista debuted at Monterey Car Week, and even a Singer 964-generation Porsche 911 built to DLS spec, but the show was stolen by none other than Acura. During the event, with literally no anticipation from the crowd, Acura announced the revival of the 2022 Acura Integra, a car that hasn’t been sold in the states since 2001.

The company has been so secretive and succeeded so well at keeping the news under wraps that it caught everyone by surprise. The Integra, which was one of two cars that helped to launch the brand dating back to 1986, was a widely popular compact car known for its handling and performance. 

Jon Ikeda, Vice President and Acura Brand Officer, shared that he’s “thrilled to say Integra is returning to the Acura lineup with the same fun-to-drive spirit and DNA of the original.” The news was spilled to the crowd at Monterey Car Week with an aerial drone performance. The drones were used in sync to depict a sporty coupe, before they moved in formation to spell out “INTEGRA RETURNS 2022”.

With so many brands bringing some of their most well known vehicles out of retirement, including Ford and the Bronco, and Toyota and the Supra, it will be interesting to see how the chips fall for Acura and the new Acura Integra. Other than a teaser shot of the headlight with a debossed “Integra” located underneath, not much has been specified about the car. With that being said, we don’t know much, but we do know that it is going to be great!

Limited Edition Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is Bred for the Track

Aug 9, 2021 – As if the GT2 RS wasn’t a track slayer already, Porsche has reimagined it in this special edition run to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Manthey-Racing GmbH. With a production run of just 30 cars, this new 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 was designed and executed by Porsche and Manthey for the ultimate racing fans and collectors, giving the future owners a weapon for track days and circuit racing. 

Looking back to 2018, Porsche unveiled the modern-day 935, a 700 horsepower racer featuring a body reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 935/78, with a production capped at 77 units. Today, Porsche decided to base the GT2 RS Clubsport on the same 3.8-liter flat-six twin-turbo engine, combined with a seven-speed Porsche dual-clutch gearbox. The GT2 RS Clubsport is similar to the 935 in other ways than just the engine, including the fact that both cars are based on the 991 model generation, along with sharing similar essential suspension features, 18″ center locking wheels, and more. 

Matthias Scholz, Director of GT Racing Cars, spoke about the Porsche and Manthey collaboration, saying “With the unique special edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25, this successful partnership has moved to the next level. He goes on to say “The 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 benefits from the motor racing experience that Manthey and Porsche Motorsport have gained around the world. It is the perfect circuit racing car for ambitious private drivers, and its and impressive example of engineering skill.” 

Because of its low production numbers, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is going to be incredibly rare, with many top-tier Porsche collectors and sports car racers undoubtedly fighting for a slot. 

A Look at the 2022 Acura NSX Type S

Aug 4, 2021 – Recently we saw the release of the Lamborghini Ultimae, the Italian brands farewell to one of their most beloved supercars, the Aventador. Now, Acura has joined along in the farewell parade, this time with the introduction of the 2022 Acura NSX Type S. Limited to just 350 units worldwide, the Acura NSX Type S raises the already impressive performance of Acura’s cutting-edge electrified supercar to new levels. We recently got a glimpse of this incredibly high performance road-legal NSX, and it is here to deliver more power, quicker acceleration, sharper handling, and a more emotional driving experience. 

The original powertrain in the second-generation Acura NSX is a twin-turbo V6 coupled with a Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system, but the Type S will sport an even more refined version of it. More details are to come about its performance following its debut on August 12th. 

Because of the limited run of 2022 Acura NSX Type S which are capped at 350, with only 300 coming to the States, Acura predicts that the car is destined to join the ranks of unique and collectible first-generation NSX models. These models include the 1999 NSX Zanardi Edition, which only had 51 produced, and other JDM variants such as the NSX-R, NSX Type S, and NSX Type S-Zero.

Stay tuned for the debut at Monterey Car Week on August 12th to see just what kind of numbers this NSX puts out performance wise, and also what number Acura wants people to pay for it! 

A Look at the First Bespoke Pininfarina Battista

July 21, 2021 – One-of-a-kind is a motto Automobili Pininfarina is using to market their new electric hypercar, the Battista, and they mean it. With a new all-encompassing bespoke personalization program, Pininfarina is able to give new clients of the Battista a unique and individually tailored hypercar. More specifically, the company has a total of 128 million combinations which provides opportunities for clients to reflect their own individual tastes. And now, Automobili Pininfarina has released images of their first bespoke Battista, which is a commission inspired by New York City and features industry-first exposed signature carbon bodyworks to compliment its red, white and blue theme.

Starting with the interior, clients can begin by choosing between leather and Alcantara, and then move to other options such as contrast stitching, an Interior Jewellery Pack, and even fine aluminum interior detailing. In the bespoke New York commission, featured inside is black leather upholstery accompanied by Iconica Blu Alcantara with navy color inserts which elegantly showcase the Battista’s interior design and luxurious materials.

Moving to the exterior, 56 exterior paint finishes are available, unless you prefer the exposed carbon fiber bodywork option. Then, additional packages can be selected, such as the Carbon Accent Pack and Furiosa Carbon Accent Pack, with a selection of bespoke paint colors or exposed carbon finishes.

However, the insanely powerful all-electric Pininfarina Battista doesn’t rely solely on its appearance. Automobili Pininfarina claims the Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy. With a motor at each wheel combining for 1,900 horsepower, the Battista can reach 63 mph faster than a Formula 1 car, a staggering sub-two second feat. Better yet, the Battista promises a 310 mile range on its 120 kWh battery.

Pininfarina says just 150 Battista examples will be made, a small number for such an endless amount of customization. Prices look to be upwards of $2 million, a small price to pay fo a car claiming to be the most powerful car coming out of Italy!

The Drift Ready 2022 Audi RS3 Complete with 401-HP

July 19, 2021 – Audi may have released the A3 sedan for 2022, but the lineup wasn’t complete until now with the addition of the 2022 Audi RS3. Audi not only stepped up their design for this new sedan sports car, but also their technology and power output. 

The new Audi RS3 will come with the same 2.5-liter inline-five that its predecessor used, but this time with a bit more power. After a few tweaks and some European love, the sedan now pushes 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The Audi RS3 is capable of sprinting to 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds, but the fun doesn’t stop in a straight line. Matched with an impressive torque splitter that distributes drive torque between the rear wheels in a fully variable manner, the RS3 features driving modes such as RS Torque Rear that allows a single rear wheel to receive all the power, making sliding around a track that much easier, and fun. 

Other standard equipment includes RS sports suspension with newly developed shock absorbers and a valve system both specific top the RS3. Also featured is larger wheel camber for more precise steering response and increased cornering force. To stop, the RS3 comes fitted with newly developed six-piston steel brakes. 

Moving to the looks, the Audi RS3’s design is even more dynamic than before, with a wide RS bumper housing a distinctive honeycomb grille, and large air intakes which give the sedan an expressive appearance. 

The price for the U.S. model of the Audi RS3 hasn’t been announced yet, but looking at the 2020 model and its $57,195 price tag, we will assume it be be a couple thousand more than that.

The Dune Bashing Gemballa Marsien

July 16, 2021 – A new wildly designed Gemballa Porsche has hit the streets, but not quite the Gemballa we’ve come to know and love. Marc Philipp Gemballa, 27 year old son of the legendary German auto tuner Uwe Gemballa, has created his own take on the Gemballa legacy. This brand new supercar company, Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH, along with designer and Porsche aficionado Alan Derosier, took a Porsche 911 S and crafted a marvelous machine that’s here to push the boundaries of both on and off-road performance. 

Safari 911’s are nothing new, and even Singer just recently released their take on a rally-ready 911, but Marc Philipp Gemballa’s take is drastically different than what has come before. Gemballa calls this Porsche, known as the Marsien, a truly bespoke vehicle, and that it is. Besides its futuristic design and character, the majority of the car itself is made up of pure carbon fiber, designed for performance, lightweight, and cooling. Every piece was manufactured by a leading German carbon fiber specialist, known for supplying renown OEM sports car manufactures as well as several Formula 1 teams. And although it may be light and nimble, it still needs to draw power from somewhere, and that is exactly where RUF comes into play. 

For those unfamiliar or may need a refresher, RUF is a German car manufacturer that engineers original vehicles using unmarked Porsche chassis. As we talked about bespoke before, its only right for the Gemballa Marsien to have a unique powertrain of the highest quality. The engineers at RUF were able to tweak and tune the six-cylinder boxer to squeak out an extra 100+ horsepower over an original Porsche 911 Turbo S, producing a whopping 740 hp, or an even wilder 830 hp for their second stage model. However, the Gemballa Marsien isn’t all about aerodynamics and engine perfomance — off-roadability is where this beefy Porsche draws its energy. 

Together with the leading suspension and chassis technology pioneer KW automotive, Marc Philipp Gemballa was able to incorporate a newly developed double wishbone suspension system equipped with KW solid piston damper technology. Not only does this system allow the Gemballa Marsien an intelligent active damper control, but also features and adjustable ride height system for on and off road use. At the rear, a multi-link suspension with an anti-roll bar was put in place for even better control in the dirt. 

With a limited run of just 40 units, it may be difficult to get your hands on one of these creations, but if you have $583,000 to toss on a hyper off-roader, then we wish you luck!

Aston Martin Valhalla: A 937-HP Hybrid Supercar Beast

July 15, 2021 – The Valkyrie may be the more powerful and expensive of the two, but this new Aston Martin Valhalla could quite possibly be the cream of the crop. The Aston Martin Valhalla, similar to the Valkyrie, is built around the expertise the company has gained through Formula 1 experience, allowing new owners access to technology born from the race track. This truly driver-focused mid-engined hybrid supercar now sets best in class standards for performance, dynamics and driving pleasure. From Valkyrie to Valhalla, Aston Martin’s Project Horizon is not disappointing, so let’s dive into what makes this car so spectacular. 

Between a 937-horsepower hybrid engine, pinpoint handling, and remarkable levels of downforce, the Aston Martin Valhalla is a new breed of supercar. But what makes up that 937-horsepower monster of an engine you may ask? Well, it takes one beast of a V8 to push 740-hp with two turbos bolted on, along with two separate electric motors to hit such numbers.  A top speed of 217 miles per hour and the ability to hit 62 mph in under 2.5 seconds give a great example of the Valhalla’s capabilities. However, power isn’t all the Valhalla leans on, and if it learned anything from the Valkyrie, it’s aerodynamics. 

The Aston Martin Valhalla has a few tricks up its sleeve, mostly pertaining to active aerodynamics for unparalleled downforce. At first look, the Valhalla seems rather mild when it comes to aerodynamics, with no massive wing or dorsal fin like its much more extreme counterpart, the Valkyrie AMR Pro. The team at Aston Martin learned that drastic changes to aerodynamics under the car makes for less to do up top. At 150 mph, the Valhalla is capable of generating an impressive 1322 lbs of downforce, allowing for mighty high-speed cornering abilities and unshakable stability. 

It also does help that the Valhalla is built around a new carbon fiber tub for maximum stiffness, all while maintaining a weight of around 3,417 pounds. With everything Aston Martin has learned from Formula 1 and its lightning fast Valkyrie, it’s no wonder the Valhalla seems to be the quintessential hybrid supercar. 

A Final Farewell: The New Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae

July 12, 2021 – The end is near for the Lamborghini Aventador, but not without a final production farewell appropriately named the Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae. Spanning over a decade, the production of the insanely aggressive looking V12 hypercar from Lamborghini is making its last rounds before vanishing into automotive history. This time, the iconic V12 is nestled inside the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, giving it the power and performance of the SVJ while intensifying the elegance of the Aventador S.

Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, says “The Aventador LP-4 denotes the final, purest, timeless naturally-aspirated production V12 Lamborghini”. For its final go, the Ultimae will grab from a collection of the greatest features of the Aventador’s decade of successes, and of course, it will be starting with a pumped up version of the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 engine. With some tweaks and tunes, that powerhouse is now putting out 769 horsepower, almost 40 more the Aventador S and 10 more than the SVJ. Power’s not the only feature the Ultimae scores higher than the Aventador S, but also weight. With a unique, extremely rigid and lightweight carbon fiber monocoque, and extensive use of carbon fiber around the hypercar, the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae is able to achieve a weight of 3,417 pounds, a 55 pound savings. 

All of these features lead to some impressive perfjoamcne numbers, including a 0-62 mph time of only 2.8 seconds. The fun doesn’t stop there, and the Ultimae flies to 124 mph in only 8.7 seconds, and reaches a top-speed of 221 mph.

Looks wise, the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae only gets a few subtle changes compared to its SVJ counterpart. Rather than a massive wing and SVJ plastered on the side, the Ultimae received a new front bumper and an option of colored strakes. Only 350 Ultimae coupes will be produced, with an even smaller amount of roadsters at just 250.

The New Lotus Emira Is Lotus’ Last Gas-Powered Model

July 6, 2021 – Serving as its final hurrah in gas-powered vehicles, Lotus is releasing it’s all-new mid-engine sports car: The Lotus Emira. The new Lotus mimics looks from their all-electric hypercar example, the Evija, taking cues like its sporty profile and sleek and sculpted design features.

Honoring the spirit of the classic sports car, the Lotus Emira will be offered both with an automatic dual clutch transmission, and a traditional stick shift manual transmission with positioning echoing the interior of the iconic Lotus Esprit.

Lotus will be offering the Emira with two engine options; a 2.0L inline 4-cylinder turbocharged engine developed by partner, AMG, and a 3.5L supercharged V6 previously seen in the much loved Evora and Exige. All models across the range will be made to produce between 360 and 400bhp, with a 0-60 of less than 4.5 seconds and top speed of 180mph. A modest, yet refined offering for their last combustion engine ever.

As the company looks towards the future with their “Vision80” plan, one that looks to transform Lotus by its 80th anniversary in 2028, they’re embracing the future of automotive technology with it. Citing that they will be focusing only on electrification of their lineup, the Lotus Emira serves as their way of honoring their legacy while taking the big step towards their future.

2022 Dallara EXP: A Roofless Track Weapon

July 1, 2021 – For those familiar with the world of racing, you may have heard of the Italian race car manufacturer Dallara, and if so, you’ll know that the Dallara EXP is a new car that’s going to push the boundaries of race car capabilities. The company was founded by Gian Paolo Dallara, who previously worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and De Tomaso. You could say he has a knack for race cars, so much so he has been creating his own track shredders.

Before releasing their newest creation, Dallara manufactured a barely road legal Stradale that somehow found its way to sporting a license plate. The company realized the car needed some extreme aero and more power, and if the original Stradale barely met requirements for the street, then this new Dallara EXP would be a track-only weapon. 

The powerhouse putting the EXP in motion is the same 2.3 liter Eco-Boost found in the Ford Focus RS, albeit with more power. A little tinkering from Dallara lands the power output of the 4 cylinder around 492 hp. With outlandish horsepower numbers from modern day supercars, this number may seem pretty small for a track only car. Don’t let that horsepower figure fool you though, as the Dallara EXP has a dry weight of only 1,962 lbs, with 2,756 lbs of downforce at top speed. Even better, the car can pull 2.7 G’s.

No price has been given for the EXP, but it is noted that the Stradale can be transformed into an EXP, and vice versa. The Stradale comes in at around $200,000, but if you’re looking for a track only toy, look no further than the EXP! 

Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Redefines the Hypercar

June 29, 2021 – If you’ve ever wondered what a hypercar is defined as, then look no further for a prime example than the new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro. Shortly after delivering their newest 1,000 hp hybrid road car, the Valkyrie, Aston Martin has stepped it up with a track only, racing regulation free hypercar that is here to eliminate all competition. As Aston Martin puts it, the Valkyrie AMR Pro is “a machine which takes a car designed to win the Le Mans 24 Hours as its starting point, then pushes further to explore extremes of performance unconstrained by racing regulations or registration for road use.” 

Similar to the road legal Valkyrie, the AMR Pro is chock full of mind-blowing capabilities. Neatly nestled inside the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is a Cosworth-built 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, capable of revving up to 11,000 rpm and putting 1000bhp down to the pavement. You may be thinking that the original road legal Valkyrie posted these kinds of numbers before even adding its hybrid system, a good thought indeed.

Well, the AMR Pro is more than just a powerhouse. Aston Martin set out to achieve the fastest lap times, but this pursuit also involved a plethora of weight saving changes. Firstly, the battery electric hybrid system was removed, along with a host of other weight saving measures. Continuing the technology partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT), Aston Martin has been able to incorporate into the AMR Pro ultra-light carbon fiber bodywork, carbon suspension wishbones and Perspex windscreen and side windows.

With everything combined, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro exceeds Le Mans Hypercar regulations for aerodynamic efficiency, with Aston Martin claiming track performance close to that of an F1 car.

More details of the Valkyrie AMR Pro including specification and performance are to be revealed later this year. As of now, a target lap time around the 8.5 mile 24H Le Mans is set at 3 minutes and 20 seconds, a number that could put the Valkyrie AMR Pro in first place in an LMP1 race. 40 AMR Pro versions of the Valkyrie will be produced, and with the original Valkyrie priced at $3 million, it seems the sky may be the limit for the price of an AMR Pro!

Steve McQueen’s “Le Mans” Porsche 917 K Heading to Auction

June 25, 2021 – If you’re looking to get your hands on a piece of automotive history, then you’re most definitely going to want to check out this 1970 Porsche 917 K up for auction at RM Sotheby’s. This 917 K doesn’t only have a Le Mans entry in 1970 with the Mike Hailwood/David Hobbs JW Automotive Gulf Racing team, but also starred in Steve McQueen’s Le Mans. 

This Porsche 917 K has quite the history, and aside from starring in movies and racing in the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has had a complete restoration. Going back in time to Le Mans, the car was raced in 1970 and reached 3rd place before it aquaplaned in the rain and sustained minimal chassis damage. The car was retired while the drivers jumped in a spare, and that’s where the rest of the Porsche 917 K’s story continues. The car entered the limelight for the 1971 feature in which they used actual footage from its 1970 Le Mans race. The car was then rebuilt by Porsche for team Shell Heckersbruch, where it competed and performed strongly for the next 3 years.

By 2012, the Porsche 917 K was bought by a noted collector where it received its full restoration. This meant the exterior was once again plastered in its beautiful Gulf-liveried Le Mans coupe specification. The restoration was executed by Paul Lanzante, a top European racing car restorer. Without regard to cost and with access to many period correct parts, the Porsche 917 K was once again basking in the glory of its deep roots in the golden era of motorsport. 

Ferrari 296 GTB Unleashes 818 HP Through Hybrid V6

June 24, 2021 – Ferrari may now have the perfect answer to the V6 super-hybrid McLaren Artura, and it comes in the form of the new Ferrari 296 GTB. Built with a mid-rear engine V6 coupled with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, this new creation from Maranello puts out a staggering 818 hp. Biased or not, Ferrari says their newest creation defines fun to drive and maximizes usability and driving pleasure.

Ferrari may not have an EV on the market yet, but the 296 GTB definitely shows that the company is willing to step out of its 8 and 12 cylinder comfort zone. The supercar sports the company’s first ever V6 engine in a road car, which alone puts out 653 hp. For comparison, the V6 and electric motor combined in the Artura make 671 hp. That’s not far off for Ferrari’s base number, so once you factor in the electric motor that’s putting out 165 hp, that makes for one fast prancing horse! Attached to the V6 turbo ICE is an 8-speed DCT and E-Diff, while the electric motor is separated from the ICE by a clutch to decouple them in electric-only mode. 

The Ferrari 296 GTB also stands out for its newest features that manage the two engines. Called the eManettino, a power selector in the supercar, it is capable of selecting between 4 different drive modes. eDrive, hybrid, performance, and qualify are the modes to switch between, and are in order of performance. eDrive is strictly for the electric motor, hybrid allows for maximum efficiency between both motors, performance keeps the ICE on at all times for maintaining full power, and qualify is everything tuned to the max. 

Ferrari is set to release the 296 GTB in Q1 of 2022, with a starting price of $321,000. 

Introducing the $3.9 Million Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

June 08, 2021 – Bugatti’s overarching goal is always to create a premier automotive experience combining both luxury and top speed, two boxes that their newest creation, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, undoubtedly checks off. From a brand that lives by the mantra of form always follows performance, they have done a remarkable job hitting the nail on the head once again. 

Every aspect of the exterior of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport plays a role in its unrivaled aerodynamics, from the front splitter all the way back to the rear diffuser. As Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti, puts it, “With the Chiron Super Sport, we are following our long-standing tradition of combining top speed with absolute luxury.” 

You can almost imagine it being difficult making a performance version of an already over-engineered and exceptionally well performing platform such as the Bugatti Chiron. Every aspect of the car has already been so finely tuned that it seems almost impossible to refine it more. However, the engineers at Bugatti took every step to take the Chiron Super Sport a step above. For aerodynamic performance, the rear of the Chiron grew by 25 centimeters to hold the laminar flow to the bodywork for as long as possible. Engineers also enlarged the diffuser cross-section which in turn raised the diffuser’s trailing edge. As a result of these small changes, the slipstream and wind resistance generated are significantly reduced.

Moving on into the performance, the engineers once again had to tweak every last detail to hopefully accumulate a tad more performance anywhere they could. When it came to the 8.0-liter W16 engine, it was thoroughly overhauled. With modifications to the turbochargers, oil pump, cylinder head with valve train, transmission and clutch, the Chiron Super Sport is able to squeeze out about 100 more horsepower. 

The Chiron and Chiron Sport were able to put down an astonishing 1479 horsepower, but the Super Sport, with its updated components and bigger turbos, now puts down 1577 horsepower — even more than the Divo! The improved performance now makes the hypercar capable of accelerating to 124 mph in 5.8 seconds and 186 mph in only 12.1 seconds. And although Bugatti did in fact make 30 Super Sport 300 versions two years ago that could hit a top speed of 300 mph, the new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport just isn’t capable of that number. However, the 273 mph top speed it is capable of should be more than enough for the lucky owners. 

Bugatti will soon begin manufacturing of the Chiron Super Sport in Molsheim, France, and if you’re interested in purchasing one, the price is $3.9 million. 

Touring Superleggera Unveils True Italian Artistry With Arese RH95

June 07, 2021 – Italian automobile coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera has just dropped their latest creation, the Arese RH95, and it’s here to drop your jaw.

Coachbuilding is at the foundation of automotive culture, and has been around for as long as luxury cars have been produced. In the early days, if you had enough money and wanted to have your ride stand out from the crowd, you could hire a coachbuilder to customize, and even re-body, your car. Fast-forward to today and this is exactly what Touring Superleggera is widely known and respected for doing. 

The Arese RH95 most likely started its life as a Ferrari 488 Pista, but has now become a symbol of performance and elegance. The first mid-engined car Touring has built, the Arese RH95 is quite possibly the definition of Italian sports cars. The name of the coach built supercar reflects directly on the 95 years of Touring Superleggera heritage. 

Several features of the Arese RH95 speak volumes for the true craftsmanship coming out of Touring. For one, because of the Arese being their first mid-engined car, it was only right to throw on a massive dorsal scoop to feed air to the engine, right? If the beautifully crafted front and center scoop isn’t quite enough, the Arese RH95 features fantastic scissor doors which are quick to draw your attention, while also giving a glimpse of the immaculate interior.

Performance wise, the Arese RH95 should deliver everything we’d expect from a Ferrari 488 Pista. In short, the Pista comes with a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that produces 711 hp and 567 lb-ft of torque. This launches the supercar to 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.0 seconds flat, with a top speed of 211 mph. 

Pricing for the Arese RH95 is available upon request, but you better hope your wallet is as big as that dorsal scoop!

Toyota Reveals 2022 GR Supra A91-CF Edition

June 04, 2021 – Come 2022, Toyota has a limited, special edition coupe hitting showroom floors that you’re most definitely going to want to get yours hands on — introducing the Toyota GR Supra A91-CF Edition. The GR, which stands for Gazoo Racing, is still linked to the Supra nameplate, but the additional CF at the end stands for Carbon Fiber, and this special edition Supra has a heck of a lot of it. 

This updated Mark V Supra maintains the sleek, stylish look automotive fans have come to know and love, but introduces a couple extra bells and whistles. To start, the GR Supra CF Edition adds carbon fiber accents and a beautiful duckbill spoiler. 

Toyota wouldn’t come out and release a special edition supra with carbon fiber in its name unless the car had tons of it, and that is most definitely the case. The GR Supra A91-CF Edition features a brand new carbon fiber front splitter and larger canards, with additional carbon fiber side rockers that help to define the lower edge along the sides. Heading towards the back of the car, the carbon fiber dreams continue. For some increased downforce, and of course, looks, a carbon fiber duckbill has been attached to the trunk, and for catching air down below, lower canards have also been attached. 

This aero kit is more than just for looks, and indeed serves a functional purpose. Whether you’re planning to take the A91-CF Supra to the track or the canyons, the kit improves both downforce and stability. 

Additionally, the Toyota Supra A91-CF Edition comes standard with 19-inch wheels in a matte black color, which nicely compliments the available matte-gray Phantom paint color, with other choices including Absolute Zero White and Nitro Yellow. Pricing has yet to be announced, but Toyota says that will be available in the coming months, with dealer availability expected this Fall.  

Ford F-150 Lightning: Watch the EV Debut

May 19, 2021 – A new electrified truck is here to steal the show, and it’s said to be Ford’s smartest, most innovative truck yet — introducing the Ford F-150 Lightning. No, this isn’t the V-8 powered Lightning street trucks from the ‘90s and early 2000’s, but a new electric pickup from Ford. The all-new F-150 Lightning is set to be revealed tonight at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, and of course live-streamed for the millions of eager consumers to tune in. 

Fourteen generations in the making, the F-Series has been a longtime success for Ford, and their newest electrified F-150 is here to solidify it. The F-150 has been the best-selling pickup truck in the United States since 1977, and the highest-selling vehicle overall since 1981. However, the F-150 Lightining will bring stunning innovation, technologies and capabilities to the F-Series. 

With strong competition in the mix, such as the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer, and more, there are certain performance numbers we expect from the Lightning. Ford says that the F-150 Lightning will be the most powerful F-150 to date, so it will undoubtedly have two motors powering an all-wheel drive system. The fastest F-150 on the market currently has 450 horsepower and can sprint to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, so this will already be a milestone for the Lightning to pass. However, other electric trucks are said to have sub-4 second 0-60 times, so there is a good chance the F-150 Lightning will fit somewhere in that mix. The truck is also said to be able to power your house during an outage, so when it comes to the battery, its definitely going to be big! 

The reveal will take place at 9:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live with 30+ ways to watch, including Ford’s Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and more. 

Ferrari 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A Leave No Stone Unturned

May 05, 2021 – As if the V12 producing 800 ponies in the 812 Superfast wasn’t quite enough, Ferrari decided to up the ante and create not one, but two Special Edition 812’s — introducing the Ferrari 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A. Based on the Ferrari 812 Superfast platform, these two new V12 Ferrari’s revealed today pack in more power, newer tech, and an incredible rear-wheel steering system. 

The 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A are both built with, as Ferrari claims, “the most exhilarating V12 on the automotive scene.” This reengineered naturally-aspirated V12 produces 830bhp and revs up to a new maximum rpm of 9,500. Just think of the beautiful noises coming from a Ferrari V12 red-lining at 9,500 rpms — are your ears bleeding yet? Performance figures from Ferrari state that 0-62 can be achieved in 2.85 seconds, with a 211 mph top-speed! 

The 6.5-liter engine in both Ferrari 812 Competizione even houses titanium connecting rods, which are 40% lighter than the steel versions, while maintaining the same mechanical resistance. Ferrari says that the most significant improvements, however, are given to the distribution and the cylinder heads, which have both been completely redesigned. The cams feature a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating that reduces friction, and they now action the valve stems via DLC-coated steel sliding finger followers, technology taken straight from Ferrari’s F1 experience. 

When it comes to the transmission, both models come equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, delivering a better performance and feel for the V12. The transmission has been further calibrated  to reduce shift times by 5 percent. The Ferrari 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A may have the same gear ratios, but thanks to the extra 500 rpms to red-line, they’ll feel even sportier.

The boost in power brought Ferrari to the next challenges, cooling and braking. With an engine that produces more power comes the need to cool it, and with more power comes speed, which needs to be slowed down. For the Competizione, Ferrari first integrated a new single air duct into the front grille, which allows the intake for the engine radiators to be extended sideways as far as the chassis allows. Next came vents on either side of the bonnet to help evacuate hot air coming off of the radiator, along with louvers on the wings. All of these changes translate to a 10 percent more efficient cooling of engine fluids than the 812 Superfast. 

For the Ferrari 812 Competizione A, to compensate for the removal of the vortex generators, Ferrari incorporated a bridge element between the flying buttresses. The air flow is then deflected effectively and effienctly towards the rear spoiler, giving the Competzione A the same downforce as the Competizione. 

For braking, ventilation of the calipers and pads is achieved by channeling the cool air captured by the two ducts on either side of the front bumper. The air rushes through an air intake and is distributed inside the component. Thanks to these new modifications, Ferrari is able to achieve brake temperatures 30 degrees celsius lower than those of the 812 Superfast. 

All in all, the these two new updated Superfast 812’s could be some of the greatest cars Ferrari has produced. The Competizione and Competizione A are unmistakingly bold and brilliant. The coupe will start at $598,567 while the Competizione A will start at $694,549 with deliveries beginning Q2 2022.

Hongqi S9 Debuts As 1,400 HP Hybrid Hypercar

May 04, 2021 – A joint venture between Silk EV of Italy and FAW has come to fruition, with the announcement of the beginning of development of a series of ultra-luxury, high-performance sports vehicles. This new line of full electric and hybrid luxury models falls under the Hongqi ’S’ series, and to prove that they mean business, their first model of the series is an ultra-luxury hypercar, the S9. With Walter de Silva, former Volkswagen design chief, overseeing the design of the S9, it’s bound to not only hit incredible performance numbers, but also express a beautiful, aerodynamic design. 

The Hongqi S9 was debuted at the 2019 Frankfurt international Motor Show as a concept, but soon hit the Auto Shanghai show in 2021 as the real deal. Similar to the concept, the S9 features a V8-based powertrain with a plug-in hybrid motor that combines to make 1,400 hp. Silk-FAW claim that the car will do 0-62 mph at an incredible 1.9 seconds, with a top speed just over 250 mph. As of now, the joint companies have given out too many details about the hypercar, but from pictures alone, the car itself is beautiful, and has all sorts of aerodynamic features, along with unique air-vents for cooling.

If you take a close look at the headlights, you’ll see integrated air ducts. At the rear, you’ll find a louvered rear window, a fairly subtle wing, and a pretty aggressive carbon fiber diffuser. Speaking of carbon fiber, the hypercar is covered in it! 

Hongqi, which means “Red Flag” in English, is already accepting orders for the S9, and production is said to begin soon with deliveries starting as early as 2022. Only 99 S9’s will be built, with an estimated price of $1.45 million, or about $1,035 per one hp! 

Silk and FAW are building the Hongqi S9 to be sold in the global market, so there is a chance North America will be blessed with a few examples!

The New Bentley Continental GT Speed Is a 650 HP Convertible

April 13, 2021 – Last month brought the introduction of the new Bentley Continental GT Speed, the most capable, performance-focused car Bentley has claimed to have ever made. Within a matter of weeks, Bentley has now introduced the all-new Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible, capable of reaching the same top speed and hitting 60 mph only a tenth of a second slower than the coupe — all while being able to let your hair blow in the wind. 

Bentley is known for luxurious interiors and next level technology while never sacrificing performance. The Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is no exception. Featuring an enhanced version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0 liter W12 engine, the car can deliver 650 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, launching the luxury sports car to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The fun doesn’t stop there, and the W12 can continue pushing the Bentley up to a top speed of 208 mph. For comparison, the new McLaren Artura has a top speed of 205 mph — W12 for the win! 

Both the engine and the transmission in the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible are calibrated to suit the car’s driver-focused credentials. Bentley says that this claim is most noticeable in SPORT mode, where the twin-turbocharged W12 has been tuned to keep the engine in the power band longer by up-shifting later, or downshifting earlier. Meanwhile, the dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission in SPORT mode is capable of shifting twice as fast. 

Running a twin-turbo W12 engine does come with some questions, and most are probably wondering what kind of fuel economy the Bentley gets. Well, if you’re able to spare a few dollars and actually afford this Bentley, gas prices may not be of concern. However, the Continental GT comes with a Variable Displacement system, shutting down half of the engine’s 12 cylinders under certain conditions. Intake and exhaust valves, fuel injection and ignition are all shut down on these defined cylinders, with the engine running as a 6-cylinder for improved fuel efficiency. 

Moving to the interior of the Continental GT Speed Convertible, you’ll first notice Bentley’s expertise in creating the world’s finest automotive interiors. Unique trim and badging, all of which are handmade, will quickly draw your attention. A unique duotone color split handcrafted in hide and Alcantara make up most of the interior. Personalization is also available, with a choice of 15 main and 11 secondary hide colors, as well as the use of leather instead of Alcantara. Also noticeable is Bentley’s Diamond in Diamond quilting, which is included as standard, as well as ‘Speed’ embroidered headrests to distinguish the cabin of the “most potent Continental GT”. 

The Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is available for order now, but you’ll be looking at a price just above $300,000, which doesn’t even include the destination charge and gas guzzler tax. 

The 2022 Toyota GR 86: New Looks, More Power

April 05, 2021 – Last November brought the newest iteration of the BRZ from Subaru, and now five months later, Toyota has released its friendly competitor, the Toyota GR 86. For those unfamiliar with the new letters added to the 86, GR stands for Gazoo Racing, the company’s motorsport/performance brand. Following the GR Supra and GR Yaris, the new GR 86 is the third global model in Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR series of sports cars. 

Nine years and 200,000 86s later, the car has become synonymous with a variety of motorsports, including rallies, gymkhana, dirt trials and more, while others have been uniquely customized to fit the needs of the customer — ahem, forced induction. Toyota surpassed their goal of delivering the dreams and the joy of driving inherent in sports cars to its customers through its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles. A platform capable of intuitive handling and instinctive responsiveness has made for an incredible driver’s car. 

Moving back to the friendly competition, Subaru and Toyota jointly developed the 86/BRZ platform, although the two vehicles focus on separate features to give the ultimate driving experience to the customer. This new business and capital alliance between Toyota and Subaru is only the beginning of a beautiful relationship. It’s hard to see where they can go wrong judging by the reliability of each brands cars and their deep roots in motorsports. 

The new Toyota GR 86 is everything it has been, plus a bit more. Toyota has continued the same recipe with the GR 86 that it used for the original 86 — a 2+2 rear-wheel-drive coupe. However, Toyota has stepped it up when it comes to performance, throwing in an evolutionary new 2.4-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine in place of the old 2.0-liter. The increase in power significantly reduces the GR 86’s 0-60 times, dropping the time for the previous model of 7.4 seconds to just 6.3 seconds. Responsiveness has also been enhanced, providing a smooth, stress-free ride through the rpm range. 

Lowering the center of gravity was also an extremely important goal Toyota set out to achieve. The use of an aluminum roof panel results in a lower center of gravity, while aluminum fenders, updated front seats, and new mufflers all contribute to reduced weight. Body rigidity has also been improved in the GR 86, with the goal of delivering increased handling in all speed ranges. 

Diving into aerodynamics, the GR 86 features aerodynamic components seen on 86 models that have participated in motorsport events, including air outlets, side sill spoilers, and other parts that significantly improve steering responsiveness and stability. 

Overall, the new Toyota GR 86 is going to deliver an improved driving experience over the previous generation, while continuing to be an ultimate driver’s car. There’s no turbocharged version yet, but who knows what to expect in the future! While no price tag has been announced, the new GR 85 is scheduled to launch later this year most likely near the $30,000 mark. 

Audi E-Tron GT and RS E-Tron GT Aim for Comfort and Performance

Feb. 10 – With the ever-growing popularity of SUVs in America, it’s a welcoming sight to see the all-new 2022 Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT. Audi announced Tuesday that their new electric vehicle, the e-tron GT, is defined by its duality, a high-performance gran turismo that can be enjoyed through spirited driving, or even just leisurely cruises. To expand on this, Audi Sport has also released its first ever EV in the U.S, the Audi RS e-tron GT, packed full of new tech including an electric propulsion system, air suspension, all-wheel steering, and a two speed transmission. 

Both the Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT are packed with power, both suited with permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM). These motors are ideal because of their ample, instant torque. The e-tron GT produces 235 horsepower from a motor situated in the front, and 429 horsepower from the motor in the rear. The net combined power for these motors is 469 horsepower, but a key feature is their ability to overboots for 2.5 seconds with launch control, shooting that new horsepower number up to 522, with 464 lb-ft of torque. The e-tron GT can launch to 60 in 3.9 seconds, repeatedly, while being able to hit a top-speed of 152 mph. 

Even more impressive power wise is the RS e-tron GT — both e-tron GT’s share the same front motor, but the rear is where the RS has the advantage. At the rear of the RS e-tron GT is a motor capable of 450 horsepower, bringing the RS’ net horsepower to 590, or 637 with overboost. Combined with its total system torque of 612 lb-ft, the RS can jet to 60 in 3.1 seconds, and hit a top speed of 155 mph. 

A unique feature that the Audi e-tron GT’s have that puts them at an advantage over other electric vehicles is their two-speed transmissions. Anything over a single speed transmission almost seems odd now that EV’s are becoming increasingly popular, but Audi may be on to something with this new advancement. The GT’s 1st gear is used for rapid acceleration when needed, while the taller second gear can be used for long stretches of highway driving.

Other key features the Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT will come with standard are a leather-free interior, using Dynamic and Alcantara, a “monoposto” cockpit that angles everything towards the driver, and a full-circumference flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in Alcantara. Standard for the RSS e-tron GT is a lightweight, high-strength, five-layer carbon fiber reinforced plastic roof. Another key design detail that Audi wanted to stand out is the strongly chiseled lower doorsill lines that emphasize the battery pack as the car’s powerhouse and foundation. 

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT will arrive in the U.S. this summer, with prices starting at $99,000 for the e-tron GT and $139,900 for the RS e-tron GT.

Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings Bring Big Power

Jan. 18 – The Cadillac V-Series just gained two more impressive, high-performance vehicles, known as the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings. Born from a vision of achieving an artful balance of form and function, these two new Cadillac sedans are ready to prove their track-capable performance, while showing off the glorious V-Series motorsports-inspired styling.

Engine and Performance

Interior

Aerodynamics

Pricing for the CT4-V Blackwing begins at 59,990, while the beefier CT5-V Blackwing starts at 84,990. Worth the price of admission?

The All-New 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor: More Tech, More Travel

Feb. 3 – If you’re looking to hop into the most capable off-road vehicle made to date, geared to the gills with new tech and designed after an F-22 Raptor fighter jet, then you may want to take a look into the all-new 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor. Ford has crafted the most rugged Ford Raptors to shred through the dirt, and now they have upped the ante with the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor. Designed to tackle the toughest terrain, the new Raptor comes with all the bells and whistles to comfortably glide through the desert with ease. 

This fully redesigned Ford F-150 Raptor comes straight from the factory with an all-new five-link rear suspension with improved wheel travel. Also included, similar to the 2017-2020 Raptors, is the electronically controlled next-generation Fox shocks with Live Valve technology. The Ford Performance chief engineer, Carl Widmann, says that the “Raptor is rooted in Baja 1000 racing, and its suspension advances our capability and performance — a five-link rear setup with more wheel travel than any Raptor before it.” The previous generations’ 13 inches of travel in the front and 13.9 inches in the back was already an impressive feat from the factory, but when it comes to pre-running, the more the merrier! The all-new Ford F-150 Raptor is also capable of up to 1,000 pounds of damping per corner at desert speeds.

The styling for the new Ford F-150 Raptor is deeply inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The rugged and aggressive exterior is the signature Raptor look, but this completely redesigned platform goes one step further to show its true grit. The new hood has a heat extractor and functional side vents inspired directly by the fighter jet. Also noticeable is the distinctive front that emphasizes the truck’s width, featuring a power dome hood, headlights that stretch fender to fender, and of course, that beautiful blacked out grille.

Engine wise, the Ford Raptor is equipped with a third-generation twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine. The previous 2017-2020 Raptors proved just how much of an improvement the EcoBoost engines made to the Raptor family, so it was only right that for 2021, they maintained the same power plant.

When it comes to the newest technology Ford has to offer, the Ford F-150 Raptor is equipped it all. The Raptor’s new high-tech cockpit includes a 12-inch digital gauge cluster featuring a large information-on-demand area with Raptor-specific graphics and animations, off-road data and turn-by-turn navigation. Also included in the standard package is a 12-inch customizable center screen, allowing the driver to split the screen and control multiple functions at the same time. Over-the-air updates allow the Ford F-150 Raptor to gain more capabilities in the future like trail maps and trail turn assist, making the Raptor even more capable off-road. 

The 2021 F-150 Raptor will be assembled at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, and if you’re ready to get your hands on one, be prepared to wait until this summer when they’ll be hitting showroom floors.

Hennessey’s Supercharged Mammoth 1000 RAM TRX Makes Over 1000HP

Jan 20, 2020 – Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) is known widely for taking performance vehicles and taking them to the next level, as seen in the Velociraptor Bronco. So once they got a hold of the new 2021 RAM TRX, they went to town and came up with the limited-edition Hennessy Mammoth 1000 TRX.

This high performance pickup comes from the factory with a supercharged 6.2L V8 rated at 702BHP and 650lb-ft of torque, which is quite impressive, but obviously not impressive enough for the mad scientists at Hennessey. In a direct quote from John Hennessey himself, “The RAM 1500 TRX is exciting in stock configuration, but I’m seeking extraordinary,”. And extraordinary is what they made. With the addition of an upgraded supercharger, headers, and high-flow exhaust to name a few, the RAM TRX is boosted to over 1000hp(hence the Mammoth 1000 name if it wasn’t obvious enough) and 650lb-ft of torque. Along with the beefed up powertrain, you get a 2.5″ lift kit, custom front bumper with a built in light bar, Hennessey wheels, 35″ off-road tires, and a suspension level; all part of the MAMMOTH OFF-ROAD STAGE 1 package.

If you want to get your hands on one of these: good luck. There will only be 200 of the Mammoth 1000s made, each carrying its own serialized badge, and comes with a price tag of $135,350. RAM TRX included. But without a doubt, the Hennessey Mammoth 1000 RAM TRX is sure to be a beast off the road.

The One-Off V12 Lamborghini SC20

December 19, 2020 – Lamborghini Squadra Corse has just announced a brand new open-top track car approved for road use, and it goes by the name SC20. This one-off vehicle was created following a very lucky customers wishes, who had been involved in the project from start to finish, including the very first drawings by Lamborghini’s designers. The goal? Create an incredibly unique vehicle, extreme in its design and performance while carrying over as many aerodynamic solutions from actual racing Lamborghinis.

The body of the Lamborghini SC20 is made of carbon fiber, polished and slicked down by hand by the Lamborghini aerodynamic engineers. The goal was to deliver optimal airflow, not only for performance, but also for the occupants inside the cockpit.

Because the SC20 is open-air, the engineers had to ensure that the driver and passenger are comfortable while traveling at high speeds. The front hood of the Lamborghini SC20 is inspired by the Huracan GT3 EVO, with sculpted body sides reflecting the solutions adopted on the Essenza SCV12. The rear of the SC20 is topped with an adjustable large carbon fiber wing, with three different positions.

The SC20 stands out by its looks alone, but the cherry on top is Lamborghini’s flagship V12 nestled inside, delivering 770 hp at a screaming 8,500 rpm. Connected is an optimized seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) gearbox.

The power from that V12 heads through the gearbox and is discharged to the ground through the SC20’s four-wheel drive system with a central electronic differential.

Unfortunately, this Lamborghini SC20 is a one-off creation, making it highly unlikely that you’ll even be able to see it with your own eyes, but it sure is a masterpiece.

Alfa Romeo Pays Tribute to the 33 Stradale With Special Edition 4C Spider

December 17, 2020 – The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale was a legend in motorsport and a huge step for the automotive world being one of the first supercars. The company is paying tribute to their early mid-engine supercar with the release of a limited edition version of their current halo car and calling it the 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo. This 4C will be extremely limited with only 33 examples produced for the North American market.

The 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo comes exclusively in a beautiful Rosso Villa d’Este red exterior with composite Dinamica® black suede and brown tobacco leather sport seats. Plaques placed throughout the car noting the 33 Stradale Tributo and displaying the unit number of the car, 1-33.

Alfa Romeo’s heritage in the Formula 1 world is seen in the 4C’s carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Additionally, everything that was an option in the 4C comes standard in the Stradale Tributo like the Akrapovic dual-mode center-mounted exhaust, race tuned suspension and carbon fiber halo.

Featuring a twin-clutch transmission and all-aluminum 1750cc turbocharged engine, the 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo produces 237 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. And weighing in at less than 2500lb, the Stradale Tributo is light as a feather going from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds. With its speed and luxury defining this car, the 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo serves as a fitting end to the production of the 4C Spider in North America.

Entry Level Ford Raptor?
Ford Announces the F-150 Tremor

December 15, 2020 – Adding to its increasing lineup of off-road capable vehicles, Ford is introducing the all-new F-150 Tremor. Meant to be a bridge between workhorse and trail beast, the F-150 Tremor features all-terrain upgrades with all of the towing and payload capability you’d expect from an F-150. This new model is designed for those looking to hit the trails and tackle rocky and muddy backroads while providing the features required to be a solid and reliable work truck.

The Ford Tremor is powered by a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, all together powering a four-wheel drive system. The Tremor is raised slightly for improved ground clearance compared to the standard F-150, and has upgraded suspension with retuned springs all around, specifically designed monotube shocks in the front and twin tube shocks in the rear that are tuned softer at low speeds. An upgrade to a Torsen limited slip differential is available as well as a torque-on-demand transfer case similar to the one available in the the F-150 Raptor. Along with the 33″ General Grabber all-terrain tires that come standard on all Tremors, this truck ready to tackle trails right out of the box.

More of the Raptor is seen in the exterior design which has been beefed up all around. The hood has a more aggressive design matched with a mean-mugging front end. Raptor-inspired off-road running boards line the sides of the truck and are built to take a beating. The bash plate is also taken from the Raptor, and the rear features a cutout bumper with dual exhaust and recovery hooks giving it an approach angle of 27.6 degrees and a departure angle of 24.3 degrees.

Adding to it’s offroad capabilities, the F0rd F-150 Tremor comes selectable terrain specific suspension settings, “Trail Control” which is basically like cruise control for the dirt, 360 degree camera to see obstacles on the trail, and an optional recovery tool set for when those obstacles get the best of you. And with its 10,900 lb payload capacity, anything you need comes along for the ride as well. The new F-150 Tremor is truly the best of both worlds; a workhorse for the weekdays and trail beast for the weekend.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Hits 60 In 3.5 Seconds

December 04, 2020 – Ford has been building high-performance Mustangs for quite some time, but they are taking their 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance model to the next level. Although they have moved the Mustang to an EV platform, they haven’t ditched their roots of building bad to the bone rides that will throw you into the back of your seat. 

The GT Performance may not deliver the same V8 roar we’ve come to love, but it does have something else up its sleeve. Pumping out 358 kilowatts of power, or 480 horsepower, and 634 pound-feet of torque, the GT Performance model can jet to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, making the already quick Mach-E GT even quicker. The Performance model not only delivers that extra power over the base Mach-E GT, but also features enhanced grip and better handling. 

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance also has more in store than just extra power, though. The Performance Edition features several sportier components, including 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli summer tires and red-painted Brembo brakes. Also featured is MagneRide damping that helps to improve handling performance. 

To make the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance even more driver focused, the front seats are Ford Performance-sculpted with Performance Gray ActiveX material, while a unique aluminum instrument panel sits right behind the wheel. 

2021 Audi R8 Panther Goes RWD

December 03, 2020 – A new 2021 Audi R8 RWD brings on an exclusive model limited to just 30 units, the 2021 R8 Panther edition. Announced at just the right time for the holiday season, this new Panther edition R8, seen before on the RS5, is chock full of some unique design cues. Both interior and exterior of the car are going to get some incredible new design elements.

A Tuned Chassis

To begin, Audi had to specially design the chassis of the 2021 R8 Panther to allow for a rear-wheel-drive application, as it will not be coming with their trademark Quattro system. The chassis has been specifically adapted for rear-wheel drive, including the use of a solid rear axle, stiffer front anti-roll bar, and an increase in negative camber on the rear wheels. The R8 also comes with electromechanical power steering, which frees the car of any torque steer, and also enables precise handling and driver feedback.

The Power

Featuring a 5.2-liter FSI V10, which produces a powerful 532 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, the 2021 R8 Panther can sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, an impressive feat considering the loss of power going to the front wheels. The limited edition model can also reach a max speed of 201 mph.

Other Special Content

All 50 units will come from the factory with an exclusive Panther Black crystal effect paint with carbon exterior mirror housings. As for wheels, the R8 Panther will come equipped with 20 inch milled cut wheels, finished in matte black with red trim, wrapped in summer performance tires. The colors of the interior are similar to those of the wheels, black with red stitching. A sport exhaust system also amplifies the full bodied sound of the V10 engine, and can be adjusted depending on the driving mode the car is in. Every inch of the 2021 R8 Panther has been customized, mostly in Black with red accents. If you’re looking for a powerful naturally aspirated V10 with rear-wheel drive, then the 2021 R8 Panther may be for you, that is, if you can afford the $183,300 price tag.

The Elation Freedom EV: A Megawatt of Power

November 25, 2020 – Hypercars are becoming more common these days, with automotive technology evolving and advancing. Bespoke car manufacturers are having to step up their game to compete with the big boys, which is exactly what the newest hypercar from the United States has done, the Elation Freedom EV.

EV Performance

The Elation Freedom is built around three liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous e-motors, together putting out 1 megawatt of energy, or around 1,427 horsepower. If for some reason that amount of power doesn’t tickle your fancy, an optional 4th motor can be included, bringing that horsepower figure up to around 1,903. With all that power, the Elation Freedom is capable of 0-60 times of 1.8 seconds, with an electronically limited 260 mph max speed. The fun doesn’t stop there however, as depending on battery option, the Elation’s range is either 300 or 400 miles, allowing you to put the pedal to the metal for even longer.

Other Specs

When it comes to getting that power to the ground, the engineers at Elation knew an all-wheel drive torque vectoring system would be ideal, especially to elevate that cornering prowess. The car also comes with elector-hydraulic active ride height and damping control, with Formula 1 inspired double wishbone suspension and Ohlins adjustable dampers. The chassis itself, like many of its future competitors, is a carbon fiber monocoque.

Elation Freedom Iconic Collection

Maybe the EV thing isn’t your style, and that’s ok, because Elation has another car just for you. Their Elation Freedom Iconic Collection, as Elation themselves say, is “Built to honor the legacy of Internal Combustion”. That’s right, you can get their Freedom Hypercar with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10, putting out 750 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. It’s not even close to the power output of Elation’s 4 EV motor configuration, but could the sound of a V10 be worth it? Possibly!

The Lamborghini Huracán STO: A New V10 Masterpiece

November 18, 2020 – Whether or not you can pronounce oo-ra-KAHN, you are sure to appreciate the newest V10 added to the lineup, the Lamborghini Huracan STO, with the STO being short for Super Trofeo Omologata. Based off of the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO and GT3 EVO race cars, the STO has deep roots in Lamborghini’s Quadra Corse motorsports. For the Lamborghini Huracan STO, they have gone above and beyond to create a unique, lightweight Lamborghini with next level aerodynamics and race car engineering.

At the heart of the Lamborghini Huracan STO is a naturally aspirated V10 , feeding its rear wheels 640 hp. The v10, along with a 7-speed LDF dual-clutch transmission, launches the STO to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, 120 in 9.0 seconds, and gets it to a top speed of just under 200 mph. The Lamborghini Huracan STO isn’t just about delivering power, however. With superior aerodynamic efficiency, extensive use of lightweight materials, and first-class braking performance and steering, the STO is a natural born racecar, making every drive a track experience.

Though similar in shape to the original Huracan, the new Lamborghini Huracan STO sports an entirely new exterior design, focusing heavily on aerodynamics to optimize airflow. Every aspect of the STO’s aerodynamic solutions are inspired by Quadra Corse racecars.

The cofango as Lamborghini calls it, or combination of hood and fenders, has integrated air ducts, a front splitter, and louvers. The reason Lamborghini uses such a feature is purely because it is lightweight and a timesaving access feature in motorsports.

The rear bonnet of the new Lamborghini Huracan STO has been revised with such features as an integrated air scoop for air-cooling the rear underwood, and a “shark fin’ that improves the STO’s dynamic abilities when cornering.

The Huracan STO’s exterior is made up of more than 75% carbon fiber, making it incredibly light while increasing integrity. Lamborghini’s engineers even used a new technique, called a carbon fiber sandwich, that uses 25% less carbon fiber material while maintaining the same structural rigidity.

With an increased wheel track, stiffer suspension bushing, anti-roll bars, and other racing bred technology, the STO delivers all the emotion of a racecar while providing a comfortable road experience.

2022 Subaru BRZ: No Turbo Needed

November 18, 2020 – The all-new 2022 Subaru BRZ has just been announced, and it is packing even more fun into its tiny, rear-wheel drive platform. The BRZ has been a hit in the automotive community since its release in 2012, featuring a low vehicle weight, an ultra-low center of gravity, and precision steering and handling. Not to mention the fact that it is a super affordable 2+2 package. But for 2022, Subaru is upgrading its performance, improving its handling, and touching up its styling. Subaru calls it “a pure sports car with Subaru DNA”. Unfortunately, our prayers for a turbo still haven’t been answered, but that doesn’t take away from Subaru still making an incredible drivers car.

Subaru’s have been a popular pick for years because of their boxer engines, which sit low giving the car a lower center of gravity. However, for 2022, Subaru has positioned the 2.4 liter horizontally opposed engine even lower than the previous BRZ, giving a center of gravity comparable to hypercars. Did we also mention it’s making 228 horsepower now, compared to the previous 205? The 2022 Subaru BRZ will be available in a Premium or Limited trim, and is available with two transmission choices; a standard six-speed manual or an available six-speed automatic. The automatic also comes with a new Sport mode, which is designed for those who prefer a bit more aggressive driving.

Subaru didn’t skimp out on making the BRZ lighter, either. With a roof, fenders and hood made of aluminum, the new 2022 Subaru BRZ checks in at a curb weight just under 2,900 lbs. Subaru definitely delivers accessible performance with this new ride.

The exterior styling is very modern, agile and powerful, with a heavy focus on aerodynamics. New side vents reduce drag by ducting air from undertake hood and fenders, and the released air is directed to a side sill spoiler that creates downforce at speed. A new ducktail rear spoiler has also been integrated, adding a bit more style to the BRZ.

When it comes to the interior, the 2022 Subaru BRZ features a new customizable 7-inch digital dashboard, integrating a centered tachometer, digital speedometer readout, and programmable meter that can change to show amps, water temperature, or a g-meter. The BRZ also features a track mode, and when engaged, the tachometer automatically shifts to a linear graph and a color display, making a quick glance all you need to gain enough information while focusing on the road.

The new 2022 Subaru BRZ is being produced at Subaru’s Gunma, Japan assembly plant, and will go on sale in early Fall of 2021.

Aston Martin Valkyrie: Track Performance on the Street

October 21, 2020 – The Aston Martin Valkyrie might be one of the greatest hypercars ever made, that is, if you don’t mind a slightly claustrophobic cockpit with no rear window. But racecar, right?

The heart of the Aston Martin Valkyrie’s powertrain is a Cosworth naturally aspirated 6.5 liter V12 engine, producing 1,000 hp. But the power doesn’t stop there. Because it is a hybrid powertrain, the Valkyrie gets a further performance boost delivered by the battery hybrid system, turning that 1,000 hp into 1,160 hp.

The Valkyrie also features a KERS-style boost system similar to those fitted to Formula 1 cars, allowing the car to recuperate a ton of energy lost while braking, which is harnessed and supplied back to the batteries.

Inside the Aston Martin Valkyrie, you’ll find seating for two, with its cockpit taking the shape of a teardrop. For an even closer feel to a Formula 1 car, the seats are placed in a reclined, feet-up position. In front of the driver is also a Formula 1 inspired steering wheel where you can find all of the car’s switchgear. Having all of the switches on the wheel reduces driver distraction.

For those that know that they will be putting in some extra time at the track, Aston Martin also released a Valkyrie AMR Pro edition, featuring the same powertrain as the standard Valkyrie, but with a tweaked boost output. The AMR Pro also has a light curb weight thanks to the deletion of features such as the Infotainment screen. Aston Martin also claims that the AMR Pro is capable of generating more than its own weight in downforce.

The Valkyrie starts at $3 million, but unfortunately, all models have already been sold.

Mercedes-AMG ONE: Bringing Formula 1 to the Road

November 09, 2020 – The new Mercedes-AMG ONE is the ultimate Formula 1 inspired supercar that’s ready for road use. Technology has been passed down from Formula 1 to everyday cars for years. From safety features, to new materials, exterior design and more. But Mercedes didn’t want to stop there, they wanted to create a road car that utilizes as much F1 technology as possible.

With Mercedes-AMG working together with the Petronas Motorsport team, the Mercedes-AMG ONE was born. Featuring a turbocharged 1.6 liter V6 with four independent motors, the ONE is able to put out over 1,000 hp, with a top speed of 217 mph. Speaking of those four electric motors, there is one for each front wheel, one linked to the crankcase, and one in the turbocharger itself.

Another important statistic the ONE is able to put down is its incredible 0-200 kph (0-124 mph) speed, falling under 6 seconds. Compare that to the Chiron which does it in 6.5 seconds. This is all thanks to those front axle motors which are capable of 50,000 rpms alone. Also, selective torque distribution allows for extra high levels of vehicle dynamics. These abilities matched with a Race Start function and that electric motor in the turbocharger, allowing for zero turbo lag, give the ONE its quickness.

The power and handling of the ONE are definitely impressive, but it doesn’t stop there. The efficiency of the Mercedes-AMG ONE is equally impressive. An EQ Power+ hybrid drive system allows for multiple driving modes, from only electric to highly dynamic. A regenerative braking system also recoups up to 80% of braking energy.

When it comes to its looks, the ONE evokes the premium class of motorsport with muscular proportions. The exterior is filled with numerous air inlets, while the car rides on forged aluminum wheels. The interior on the other hand is very minimal, with lightweight bucket seats and a Formula 1 inspired steering wheel.

The production of the Mercedes-AMG ONE is planned to be 275 units at a price of $2.72 million.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R Adds Drift Mode to AWD

November 05, 2020 – If you thought Volkswagen couldn’t squeeze more juice out of the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine in the Golf R, you’d be mistaken. VW just introduced the 2022 Golf R, and are claiming it is the most powerful production Golf of all time. Some may be disappointed that the standard Golf is no longer available in the US, but this new R is definitely the silver lining.

With its turbocharged 2.0 liter engine, the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R can put out an incredible 315 hp, 27 more than the previous generation. This boost in power, along with an all-new torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system, launch the Golf R to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph. When it comes to the transmission, all buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission or an optional seven-speed DSG.

Every Golf R generation has come standard with AWD, but this new generation boasts something new and improved. A new rear differential distributes power variably between the axles. If you’re ready to slide it through a corner, the system can be put in “Drift Mode”, which allows up to 100 percent of the torque to be sent to the outside wheel. Another driving profile known as “Special” was configured for the Nurburgring. This profile has softer damping settings to make sure the Golf R can maintain maximum contact with the road.

On the exterior, the Golf R gains a new front bumper featuring a motorsport-style splitter. It also features a new daytime running light at the top of the radiator grille, stretching all the way into the fenders. On the rear bumper, a newly designed high-gloss black diffuser can be found. The production will be limited to three colors, including Lapiz Blue Metallic, Pure White, and Deep Black pearl Effect.

The inside of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R has gone a bit more digital, allowing for more customization within the cockpit, while a 10-inch Discover Pro touchscreen display greets the driver. The driver and passenger seats have also been upgraded to sportier leather seats, along with a heated and multifunction leather sport steering wheel.

Overall, the all-new 2022 Volkswagen Golf R is going to be a force to reckon with. It will go on sale in the US beginning late next year. No price has been announced, but the previous model started just above $40,000.

The All-New Lexus LC 500 Aviation Edition

November 04, 2020 – Look out Japan, that’s no bird or plane, but surely a special edition Lexus LC 500 Aviation based off of the two! This plane-themed version of its LC 500 sporty coupe is Lexus’ take on the aerodynamic crossover possible between automobiles and aviation.

Because of its sleek design, you have too look close to notice the new curved carbon fiber reinforced plastic spoiler on the back of the car. It follows the arc of the trunk and includes two downturned functional winglets on either end, which generate a vertical vortex that smooths out any turbulence, improving the aerodynamics of the coupe. From this comes improved yaw response, direction changes, and steering response.

The best part about the spoiler? It was designed and made by a craftsman from the LFA project, the same one that created the 3d carbon fiber components on the past supercar. Also, aerobatic pilot, Yoshihide Muroya, shared his expertise on wings during the design process.

The spoiler isn’t the only upgrade to this Lexus LC 500 Aviation. Also included are 21-inch split-spoke wheels, an all-black Spindle grill, a custom steering wheel and shift knob, and an “Aviation Black” interior.

The Aviation package is available on both the Lexus LC 500 and LC 500H. However, Lexus is only producing 70 of these cars for Japan, with a cost of 15-million Yen, approximately $143,600.

A V8 Resurrection: The Hennessey VelociRaptor V8 Bronco

November 03, 2020 – Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that Ford is bringing back the Bronco. You probably also know that Ford is releasing a ton of different packages for it, but one thing lacking in the entire lineup is the use of a V8.

Enter Hennessey Performance, a company that’s been making fast cars go faster since 1991. They figured if Ford wasn’t going to put out a V8 Bronco, they’d take on the responsibility. This wouldn’t be just any Bronco, this would be a VelociRaptor, and that 5.0 liter V8 would be accompanied by a 3.0 liter Supercharger system.

The Hennessey VelociRaptor V8 Bronco and its supercharged 5.0 liter V8 will put out an impressive 750 hp, and of course be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This improved power and performance have Hennessey estimating 0-60 times of just 4.5 seconds, an incredible number for a rig originally built to handle the harshest of off-road terrain.

The Bronco won’t just receive an engine upgrade, but also a plethora of interior and exterior upgrades as well. Included will be a custom hood with scoop, larger wheels and tires, upgraded suspension system, custom Hennessey leather interior, VelociRaptor V8 racing livery graphics, upgraded stainless steel exhaust, and more.

If you’re ready to get your hands on 1 of only 24 Hennessey VelociRaptor V8 Broncos, you’d better hurry, and you’ll also want to have $225,000 plus vehicle shipping costs ready to purchase it.

All-New 2022 GMC Hummer EV Revealed

October 21, 2020 – Don’t compare this new GMC HUMMER to its relatives, this isn’t an ordinary civilian Humvee. GMC just created a silent assassin ready to conquer anything on and off-road. 

The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 is, you read that correctly, an EV. In the past, you may have thought the HUMMER was a car you could see yourself owning, but never could see that gas bill fitting into your budget. Well now, the HUMMER is utilizing GM’s all-new Ultium battery architecture, offering optimal driving range and will enable performance and capabilities that would not be possible with a conventional vehicle architecture and propulsion system. In addition to power and range, the Ultium battery pack will contribute to the HUMMER EV’s driving dynamics and structure. The pack’s low mounting position in the chassis contributes to a low center of gravity, enhancing the vehicle’s overall feeling of control and stability. The truck itself was designed around the EV propulsion system, a first for GM.

Where the road ends and the dirt begins is where the HUMMER truly shines. Features such as Crabwalk, allowing for front and rear-steer, Ultravision, eighteen available camera views including waterproof underbody cameras, and Extract Mode, lifting the HUMMER by approximately 6 inches, give the driver that much more control off-road.

But what’s the fun in cruising on and off-road without superb views. The HUMMER EV features and immersive infinity roof with modular sky panels, creating an open-air experience. All four roof panels come off and can be stored in the power trunk. When the panels are on, they include transparent sky panels, tinted to deflect the sun and help protect you from the elements while still giving you breathtaking views.

The real fun for the 2022 GMC HUMMER is in the performance numbers. Looking back to older generations, you’d never think of describing one as quick or fast. Well now with the available Watts to Freedom, you’ll get 1000 hp and a 0-60 time of 3 seconds. GMC has created a new monster that we didn’t expect. To make it quicker, the truck lowers by 3” in this mode, lowering the center of gravity.

With its revolutionary design, impressive performance numbers, and on and off-road capabilities, the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV will be a truck to keep your eyes on. Watch out Wrangler and Bronco, there is a new beast in town.

SSC Tuatara Sets World Record for Fastest Production Car

October 20, 2020 – Move over Bugatti, there’s a new hypercar in town, and it just set the record for fastest production car. Built by SSC, America’s first hypercar company, the Tuatara hit a staggering 331 mph, a seemingly easy feat with 1,750 horsepower.

In the cockpit was professional racing driver, Oliver Webb, who took the Tuatara to its record speed right outside of Las Vegas, along a seven-mile stretch of road that had been closed off for the event. Webb took two consecutive passes, one direction at 301.07 mph, and the second heading back at 331.15 mph, averaging a speed of 316.16 mph.

To break the world record for “Fastest Production Car”, the Tuatara had to travel in opposite directions, clocking its speeds within one hour. They take the average speed of these two passes in order to account for wind and road conditions that may favor the vehicle. Other criteria for setting this record included achieving this feat on a public road ensuring real world driving, having its speed checked by a certified GPS measurement system, and lastly run on street tires and non-race fuel.

In addition to this outstanding feat, the SSC and the Tuatara also set three other records, including “Fastest Flying Mile an a Public Road” (313.12 mph), “Fastest Flying Kilometer on a Public Road” (321.35 mph), and “Highest Speed Achieved on a Public Road” (331.15 mph).

Aerodynamics and an unprecedented drivetrain are to thank for the Tuatara’s incredible passes. The Tuatara’s design achieved an all-time production-hypercard best coefficient of drag of 0.279, and from 150-300 mph, the hypercar maintained a perfect aerodynamic balance of 37% front and 63% rear. When it comes to the drivetrain, under the hood the Tuatara has a V8 5.9L twin-turbo power plant that’s capable of producing its 1,750 hp.

The coolest part of the world record attempt? How it was filmed. The SSC Tuatara’s aerodynamics are modeled after those of a fighter jet, so it was only right to film the passes using a subsonic T-33 jet. This aerial asset proved to be the ultimate camera vehicle, as it is capable of operating at altitudes as low as five feet from the ground, and with speeds over 400 mph, it had no trouble keeping up with the Tuatara.

The New BMW M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe Are Here With a Bigger Grill and AWD

September 23, 2020 – The BMW M line gets an update with the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe and packs in a ton of new tech. Both the M3 and the M4 will be available in a standard trim and a competition trim. Power wise, the competition versions have 20 more horsepower than the standard version as well as an all-new M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The M returns with an in-line six-cylinder engine powered by twin turbochargers and track optimized cooling and oil supply. Additionally, the exhaust comes with electrically controlled flaps to control exhaust sounds.

BMW M3 Sedan:
353 kW/480 hp; acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 4.2 seconds
BMW M3 Competition Sedan:
375 kW/510 hp; acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 3.9 seconds
BMW M4 Coupé:
353 kW/480 hp; acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 4.2 seconds
BMW M4 Competition Coupé:
375 kW/510 hp; acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 3.9 seconds

Both the M3 and M4 will be available with a 6-speed manual transmission, keeping with their pursuit of providing an authentic drivers experience. Models with the new xDrive system will also be able to switch between 2wd, 4wd, and 4wd sportmode through an electronically controlled differential. Adding to the electrification, the suspension has Adaptive M suspension which has electronically controlled shock absorbers and M Servotronic steering. Race compound brakes paired with carbon ceramic rotors round out the performance of the new M.

There’s no shortage of sharp lines in the design of these cars. The new BMW M, with the addition of its large grill, brings a fresh look to the traditional BMW twin kidney grill. Regardless, the pedigree of the M remains in these models with their high performance capability.

The Nissan Z Proto Is Revealed and Packed With Classic Z Touches

September 16, 2020 –  Nissan has finally unveiled the new Z Proto demonstrating their plans to revive the Z badge. It has a totally new design, relieving the 370z of its many years of service. The designers at Nissan had the main goal of injecting the DNA of the past legendary Z cars like the 240z and 300zx into this new platform.

Nissan has stated that the rear tail lights are directly inspired by the 300zx, but “reinterpreted for the modern world.” The front end is directly inspired by the 240z featuring that large rectangular duct in the middle as well as a similar headlight shape taking cues from the iconic headlight covers on much desired ZG version of the platform. The roofline maintains a very similar feel to the current 370z, but has sharper lines and a cleaner overall look.

Performance wise, Nissan has stated that the Z Proto has an enhanced V6(likely an upgraded/larger HR platform engine?) Details on the performance will come soon with the release of the actual Z, but Nissan assured that the Z Proto represents a commitment to providing the passionate Z enthusiasts with a true drivers car. Being true to this sentiment, the Z Proto was revealed with a good ol’ 6-speed manual transmission. Z enthusiasts and fans of cars in general are excited to see how the final product will look like and perform, but we can take comfort in the fact that manufacturers still want to make fun to drive cars for the ones who love them.

Project Geländewagen: Off-White’s Virgil Abloh and Mercedes AMG Collaborate on a Unique Project

September 8, 2020 – Project Geländewagen is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and the highly esteemed fashion designer and founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh. Working with Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz, Gorden Wagener, Abloh produced this unique take on the Mercedes G-Wagen in an examination and exploration of the next step in modern luxury design. Those familiar with Virgil’s brand, Off-White recognize that he is no stranger to challenging the concept of luxury.

Every aspect of Project Geländewagen challenges the idea of luxury using the SUV familiar with high class and celebrity. Abloh takes this platform and flips the image, changing typical features of a 4×4 SUV and instead presenting an image as a race car. With stripped interior and simplified exterior features, Project Geländewagen questions what we know as an SUV while keeping the iconic shape of the Mercedes G-Wagen.

Abloh stated that, “My ultimate goal in this project with Mercedes-Benz is inspiring young artists, engineers, designers to question the status quo, in addition to experimenting with my own design abilities”, and “For me it’s all about providing opportunities for those coming after me and giving this next generation a foundation for success, both here with Mercedes-Benz and through my own Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund.” Resonating with this idea, a replica of Project Geländewagen will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to a charity that supports international creative communities.

More on Project: Gelandewagen can be found here.

Release video:

The New Nissan Z Proto Reveal: Coming Very Soon

September 1, 2020 – The new Nissan Z car is coming. And it won’t be long til we get to see what it looks like. Dubbed the Nissan Z Proto, the new car was teased in a video highlighting the heritage of the beloved Z badge. It also has a beautiful group rolling shot of all of the past Zs(minus the 370z) that’ll bring a tear to your eye.

The video features clips of Nissan’s past Z models like the 240z, 280zx, Z31 and Z32 300zx, and 350z, and shows off the Z’s deep ties to racing. Though they didn’t show any more of the Z Proto than we’ve already seen, this teaser video lets fans rest assured that Nissan is acknowledging the Z’s roots and is dropping something that will respect that. Set to reveal on Spetember 15th at the Nissan Pavillion and on the NissanNext.com, the Nissan Z Proto will be showing its face very soon. Hopefully during the reveal they give us some details on performance aspects of the Z, but right now much is to be under speculation. Will it be a hybrid electric? Will it have some update to the VQ engine? Will it even be called the 400z like everyone thought? No clue. But regardless, we’re happy to see Nissan reviving a classic and much loved sports car.

The Ram TRX: A New Rival to the Ford Raptor

August 18, 2020 –  A new challenger approaches. When you think of a high powered and fast off-road pickup, there used to be only one vehicle that came to mind; the Ford Raptor. But now theres a new contender stepping into the ring in the fight for supremacy in the offroad world, and its name is the RAM 1500 TRX. And what does TRX stand for? No clue. But when you read it out, it kind of sounds like “T-Rex” which makes it clear who this beast is picking a fight with. But how does it stack up against the reigning champion?

The TRX seems to be coming out on top in terms of power. Featuring a 6.2L supercharged HEMI V8, this RAM has quite the kick. It pushes out 702hp and 650ft lb of torque, making its run from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. Thats quick for even a sports car! Compared to the Gen 2 Ford Raptor’s 3.6L twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine that produces 450hp and 510ft lb of torque, the new kid has it beat. All that power comes with a cost, though. The TRX weighs a hefty 6350lb and compared to the Raptor’s 5508lb curb weight its a much heavier truck. Though you would think that the much lighter Raptor would help its speed, it still falls short in comparison to the TRX pulling a 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. So in power and speed, it seems that the RAM 1500 TRX has the Ford Raptor beat. But straight line speed isn’t everything for an offroad beast.

Both contenders here have beefy suspension setups by highly respected brands. The Ford Raptor features 3in racing shocks that were made by FOX while the new RAM TRX features Bilstien shocks designed specifically for this vehicle. RAM boasts the new TRX’s suspension, mentioning it’s, “unbeatable damping and improved heat dissipation for traversing harsh terrain at speeds greater than 100 mph”. Undoubtedly, this new truck was designed for all you desert running folks out there just like the Raptor. The difference here lies in the rear where the RAM uses a coil-spring setup while the Raptor still utilizes a leaf spring setup. The TRX’s suspension setup and fat fender flares gives it a wider track than the Raptor as well as an almost 2in difference in ground clearance.

These trucks wouldn’t truly be trucks if they couldn’t haul. The RAM has a payload capacity of 1,310lb and a towing capacity of 8,100lb. Compared to the Raptor, the TRX is much more capable. The Raptor’s payload capacity is around 300lb less at 1000lb and has a max towing capacity of 6000lb.

The arena where the Raptor has the TRX beat is definitively in its price. The RAM TRX is going to start at around $72,000 for the base model and up to $90,000 for the Launch Edition, which is right around $15,000 more than the current Gen 2 Ford Raptor. So which one is better overall? We’ll have to see when people start taking the TRX out for testing. But what can be stated is that the new RAM 1500 TRX is definitely looking like its going to be a beast and a strong rival for the Ford Raptor. So now begs the question: who wins in a fight between a T-Rex and a Raptor?

BMW Announces New M3 With a Little More Trunk Space

August 13, 2020 – BMW M teased their newest project; a high performance touring car bearing the M3 badge. A touring 5-door variant has previously only been seen in the M5 line, but the team at BMW’s performance division decided that they wanted to do something new. This will be the first ever BMW M3 Touring 5-door wagon model, satisfying the needs of those looking for a high performance racing developed vehicle paired with high functionality.

It will likely be powered by the classic 6-cylinder M TwinPower Turbo engine which should be capable of over 500hp. BMW M also stated that “Further speculation on engine and performance is quite welcome.” They did ensure that several of the iconic exterior M3 features will be present in the new model, like large intake ducts and quad exhaust. Not much visually has been shared other than this obscured rear shot BMW M shared on their Instagram.

The BMW M3 Touring is still in its early testing stages, so it’ll be quite some time before we see any of them on the roads. And unfortunately, if you’re in the US you might not see any on the roads ever. Regardless, M3 fans have been waiting for this for quite some time, and we’re excited to see the full release.

The Lamborghini Essenza SCV12: 40 Made for the Ultimate Track Experience

July 17, 2020 – Automobili Lamborghini strikes again this year with another limited edition hypercar, this time with the most powerful V12 they’ve ever produced and only available for track-use; Introducing the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12.

The Dark Side Reborn: 2021 Mercedes AMG GT Black Series

July 17, 2020 – Mercedes-AMG has been producing some of the most powerful and aesthetically pleasing series of vehicles, known as the Black Series, and 2021 brings their most wild creation yet, the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

At first sight, you may think this limited edition model is simply a racecar produced for the DTM Racing Series; an enormous wing, carbon fiber galore, and shots of the GT at the track might have you thinking you are looking at the newest technological advances Mercedes has made solely for their racing teams. Truth be told, you don’t need to be a professional driver to own this beauty, but you may need some driving experience to handle the power this glorious machine produces.

720-hp. This is the number you’re thinking about when stepping into the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. A twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 under the bonnet connected to a reinforced seven-speed DCT gearbox will output enough power for you to reach 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and 100 mph in just under 9. The best part? Well, of course, the music coming from the tail pipes. This powerplant is very rev-happy, redlining at 7,200 rpms and delivering its peak power between 6,700 and 6,900 rpms. Combined with twin-turbos putting out 24.6 pounds of boost, the GT screams with its 720-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

As much as I’d like to say the engine is where the sweet spot of the GT Black Series is, I would say that is wrong. The aerodynamics of this car are top notch, and every inch of its exterior plays a role in creating such a beast of a machine. If anyone understands the form and function of carbon fiber, it’s Mercedes. I mean, you’ll have a tough time finding parts on the GT that aren’t made of the incredibly strong and lightweight polymer, from the wing, to the roof, heck, even the engine bay is littered with it. The front bumper incorporates an adjustable splitter for better aero when you need it, and bigger vents are found on the hood and fenders, aiding with cooling and of course, aero.

Along with special trim and badging, the GT Black Series is sure to stick out in a crowd. There isn’t a price for it yet, but with everything considered, it will probably be a hefty one. Come early 2021, the new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series will be available for purchase, so if you’re ready to get your hands on the sixth generation of the series, you’d better get your wallet ready!

The New Porsche 911 Turbo Sheds the S

July 16, 2020 – The 992 Generation welcomes a new car to its lineup, the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo, and it’s here to bridge the gap between base model and Supercar. Let’s be honest, 640 hp in the 911 Turbo S is quite overkill for a daily driver, but some Porsche Aficionados want a bit more juice than the standard 911.

This is where the new 911 Turbo enters the picture. Although not the S model, this Porsche still packs a punch, with the same 3.8-liter flat-six as its counterpart, just detuned to a reasonable 572 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. It’s almost comical to say that that’s a reasonable figure, but it’s just enough of a reduction to make the 911 Turbo a daily drive-able car. Did we mention the 0-60 mph time is only a tenth of a second slower than the S? That’s right, the Turbo will get you there in 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 198 mph.

Other than the slight engine performance reduction, the 911 Turbo and Turbo S share much of the same traits. The newer variant receives power through an eight-speed, dual clutch transmission, and of course, is equipped with Porsche’s Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel-drive system which has the ability to transfer even more power to the front wheels than before.

Luckily for you, the Porsche 911 Turbo also comes at a significant discount. The Turbo S will run you over $200,000, but the new Turbo will cost just over $170,000. If you’re willing to pay the extra $430 per horsepower difference and prefer the 911 Turbo S, then more power to you. But, if you’re looking for a cream of the crop Porsche that is just as fun on the streets as it is on the track, then the new 911 Turbo may just be for you.

Ford Finally Unleashes
The All-New 2021 Ford Bronco
(and Bronco Sport)

July 13, 2020 – The 2021 Ford Bronco has finally been revealed, coming in 2 models, the Ford Bronco and the Ford Bronco Sport (and a plethora of trims), which should be capable of conquering anything you put in front of them and their turbocharged Ecoboost engines. Will they have what it takes to take on the Jeep lineup? We’ll have to wait until we see these out in the wild, but from the looks of it, these Broncos should be able to hold their own!

Models

The all-new 2021 Ford Bronco looks to be the perfect ride for any off-road enthusiast, coming in a 2-door and 4-door Bronco and 4-door Bronco Sport model. You’ll be able to customize any of the Broncos your way, plus there are over 300 Ford accessories to truly make it your own.

Ford Bronco

The 2 and 4-door Broncos come with a large assortment of trims: the Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands, Wildtrak, and First Edition. The G.O.A.T mode is featured on the Black Diamond model, although unclear if the other trims have it.

Each starts with a 2.3L Ecoboost, or, according to the reveal video, can be upgraded to the 2.7 L Ecoboost engine that puts out 310 horsepower and 400 torque, but, depending on the model, can include a plethora of upgrades such as a twin-turbocharged version and 35 inch tires.

All Bronco models include best-in-class departure and breakover angles, ground clearance, and water fording. They also come with a 12-inch screen capable of downloading off-road apps that can keep track of your adventures.

Ford Bronco Sport

The Bronco Sport has a smaller range of trims: Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, and First Edition. Every model comes standard with 4×4 and G.O.A.T mode. A 1.5 L Ecoboost is available with 181 horsepower and 190 torque, or you can grab a 2.0 L Ecoboost with an increased 245 horsepower with 275 torque.

First Edition Models

Both the Bronco and Bronco Sport come with a First Edition Model, packing the best of every other model into one, and adding some extra goodies. Only 2,000 of the Bronco Sport First Edition will be produced, and 3,500 for the Bronco. Better grab ’em while you can!

G.O.A.T Mode

The Bronco comes standard with a terrain management system with up to 7 available G.O.A.T modes, also known as the Goes Over Any Type of Terrain mode. This feature, in theory, lets you tackle any terrain with just the click of a dial.

Was the hype for the Bronco well deserved? Will it live up to its heritage? We think the Bronco and Bronco Sport will give Jeep a run for their money, but the customers will be the true judge of that.

Lamborghini Goes Topless With the Sian Roadster

July 10, 2020 – It’s difficult enough getting your hands on any newly built Hypercar, but Lamborghini is only producing 19 units of their new Sián Roadster. Sorry folks, but unless you have heard otherwise, this 807-hp beast is already sold out.

Housing the most powerful V12 engine Lamborghini has produced to date, there was no doubt that the Sián would be swiped before even being announced to the public. Nonetheless, this powerhouse also incorporates unique hybrid technologies, rocketing the Sián to 60 mph in under 2.8 seconds, with a top speed of 220 mph.

The futuristic design is beyond remarkable. Every inch of this Roadster was designed for superior aerodynamics, and of course, feeding air into the insanely powerful V12 sitting right behind its occupants.

When it comes to the hybrid aspect of the Sián, there is a small 48-volt e-motor that was strategically incorporated into the gearbox, delivering up to 34 extra horsepower, providing immediate response and improved performance.

You may be wondering why Lamborghini decided to make such few units of their new Hypercars, and there is one simple answer to that. 19 units of the Sián Roadster and 63 units of the Coupe combine to form the year 1963, in which Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company. The entire car is a nod to the history of Lamborghini.

Because the Coupe and Roadster sold out before most of us even heard about them, there isn’t a clear price, but sources say there is a price tag of $3.6 million. You may be able to buy a couple Veyrons for that price, or even a handful of Aventadors, but come on, sitting in the roofless Sián with a screaming V12 pushing over 800 ponies behind you should be worth the price of admission!

The 2021 Ford Bronco: What to Expect

The Blue Oval Boys Take On the Jeep Wrangler on Its Home Turf.
Do They Have the Right Formula to Unseat the King of Hardcore Off-Roading?

For the last 75 years, Jeep has been the brand to beat when it comes to street cred where the streets end. From the original civilian CJ-2A to today’s JL Wrangler, they’ve set the standard for no-compromises off-road performance straight off the showroom floor. Throughout that long, successful run they’ve faced many challengers; the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Chevy Blazer, the International Scout, and of course the Ford Bronco.

Though they all found their own fans, over the past few decades all those nameplates have fallen to the wayside, leaving only Jeep still selling vehicles that are so strongly biased in favor of all terrain performance over creature comforts and day to day practicality.

Now, Ford is poised to take a run at the Wrangler with the 2021 Bronco, which will be revealed in full to the world on Monday, June 13, 2020. This long-rumored return of a classic off-roader shows every sign of being specifically targeted at the same market segment as the JL, but can it really go toe-to-toe with Jeep’s flagship? Here’s what we know so far…

There Will Be Three Different Broncos

This is a mortal lock, based on what Ford has already shown us. The lineup will include a 2-door, a 4-door, and the Bronco Sport. But honestly, you can just ignore the Sport – it isn’t going to share anything but a nameplate with the “real” Bronco, and is going to be positioned as a competitor to softroaders like the Jeep Renegade, not the Wrangler. A pickup version to compete with the Jeep Gladiator is possible as a follow-on in subsequent model years, depending on how sales of that model (as well as the 2- and 4-door Bronco) pan out.

The Doors Will Be Removable (Without Tools)

US Patent 10,550,615 B2 granted to Ford in February describes a “door hinge assembly incorporating a latch to facilitate selective door removal.” Unlike the Wrangler, it seems that the Bronco’s doors will be easy to remove and replace without needing any tools. Ford has also filed multiple patents for things like doors with separate skins that leave a side-impact protection structure in place when removed, an airbag compatible with a detachable door, and even retractable safety rails between the front and rear pillars that are either constantly in place when the doors are off, or activate automatically in the event of a crash. Ford would undoubtedly prefer for you to keep the doors on your new Bronco while driving on the road in the name of greater occupant safety (and will also certainly put a lot of warnings about it in the manual, where nobody will read them), but based on the fact that the hinge latch patent has not just been applied for but granted, that seems very likely to be incorporated at launch.

The Bronco Will Have Body-On-Frame Construction and a Solid Rear Axle With IFS

The rumor is that the Bronco will be built on the same platform as the new mid-size Ranger pickup in the same facility, and that implies a separate traditional ladder frame instead of unibody construction. That’s good news for the aftermarket, as it will allow body lifts to easily accommodate larger-diameter tire fitments without re-engineering suspension components, plus many people will prefer that design’s inherent ruggedness for serious off-roading. The Bronco will also almost certainly have a coil-sprung solid rear axle with a multi-link suspension, but unlike the Wrangler, the front suspension is going to be independent. This is a wise move for Ford; IFS is the right answer for 95% of the questions asked of the Bronco both on and off road, and they don’t have to worry about a small but extremely vocal cadre of purists raising a ruckus like Jeep will when they inevitably have to switch the Wrangler over from a solid front axle. 

There Won’t Be a Traditional Transfer Case and 4-LO

This prediction is more speculative than some of the others, but images circulating on the interwebs point to a manual gearbox with a ratio labeled “C” on the shifter rather than a separate lever/button to engage low range. Ford has plenty of experience with 4WD systems, from full time to shift on the fly to manually-selectable, but this is a new twist. In addition to a ‘creeper gear’ you can also expect selectable locking for the front and center differentials, and either a limited slip or locker for the front as well. 

Want a V8? That May Be a Long Wait for a Train That Doesn’t Come

Way back in the early 1990s, Ford decided that the future of their powertrains lay in the direction of smaller-displacement engines with more sophisticated designs to replace their tried-and-true pushrod V8 design. While there’s much to be said about whether overhead cam V8 engines were the right idea for their trucks as well as their passenger cars, they have remained steadfastly devoted to the idea of high technology instead of raw cubic inches.

On the dyno, either engine choice for the new Bronco absolutely murders the old SBF V8…

For the Bronco, it’s very likely that the workhorse “base” engine will be the 2.3 liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder delivering something in the neighborhood of 270-280 horsepower and 310 pound-feet, biased toward low-end horsepower and torque. The optional upgrade is likely to follow the rest of Ford’s truck lineup with the twin-turbo 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6, producing around 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet. 

On the dyno, either engine choice for the new Bronco absolutely murders the old SBF V8, but buyer acceptance is going to come down to whether the market they’re trying to court (both in terms of people with fond memories of Broncos past, and would-be Jeep Wrangler owners cross-shopping) believe that a turbocharged small-displacement engine is the right solution. Engine calibration is going to make or break the success for the new Bronco among shoppers who are looking for off road competence, and the benchmark Wrangler JL offers not only a standard naturally-aspirated 3.6 liter V6 gasoline engine rated at 285/260, but an optional 2.0 liter turbo inline four with 270 horsepower and 295 pound feet, plus a turbocharged 3.0 liter EcoDiesel that delivers an estimated 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet.

Offering a 5.0 liter gasoline V8 based off the current Coyote architecture would seem to be an attractive option for Ford, should customers desire a NA engine over the EcoBoost 4 and 6 cylinder powerplants, but considering how the wind has been blowing with their Raptor models, a hopped-up EcoBoost V6 seems more likely as a future ‘premium’ engine upgrade.

It’s Ford’s chance to show the world what they can do when they’re turned loose to compete with the current heavyweight champ.

The Devil in the Details

While we feel we are on pretty solid ground with these predictions, Ford has kept most of the details for the new Bronco very close to the vest. You can be sure that every engineering, styling, and marketing decision for the new model was vetted against the Wrangler archetype, though – the company has a clear vision of what they’re trying to accomplish with 2021 Bronco, which is something pretty rare these days when focus groups, shareholder opinions, and low-risk strategies dominate new car and truck designs. That’s what’s really exciting about the upcoming reveal. It’s Ford’s chance to show the world what they can do when they’re turned loose to compete with the current heavyweight champ.

For $141K, the New BMW Alpina XB7 Gets You High-End Luxury Paired With a 600HP Bi-Turbo V8

May 19, 2020 – There’s no doubt that SUVs and crossovers are taking over the US market, so it makes sense that Alpina is bringing their first BMW SAV along in their fall lineup. The BMW Alpina XB7 is a refined combination of high performance and luxury comforts which can be yours for the modest price of $141,300.

Now, yes, that’s a lot of dough for the average Joe, but this SAV has got goodies to spare. The BMW Alpina XB7 comes with a bi-turbocharged 4.4L V8 producing 612 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. With all that power, the XB7 goes from 0-60 in just 4 seconds. The twin turbos both have 2.1″ turbines to reduce lag and get you up to speed quicker, but Alpina actually limited the top speed to 180mph when equipped with the standard 21″ wheel and performance tire setup. With the custom Alpina Dynamic wheels, you can specify if you want performance summer or all-season runflat tires. The XB7 shares a similar stainless steel exhaust system as the Alpina B7 sedan that lets you control wether or not you want to hear how fast you’re going.

Suspension wise, the balance of performance and comfort is prevalent. The BMW Alpina XB7 features a two-axle air suspension setup with dampers tuned by Alpina to achieve this balance. The air suspension allows up to a 1.6″ change in ride height depending on current speed and performance settings chosen. With the ability to change it’s center of gravity in a moment, the XB7 can be comfortable at low speeds and vicious at highs. Additional suspension parts work to refine the cornering capabilities of this SAV and combat roll like; reinforced torsion struts, dome-bulkhead strut, and electromechanical anti-roll bars.

The interior is what you’d expect from a luxury automotive manufacturer and more. There are 3 rows of high-end Maerino Leather multicontour seating with 2 captains chairs in the second row. Alcantera headliner frames its optional Panorama Sky Lounge LED Roof, which “generates a very special aura when darkness falls, with LED light spreading evenly across the glass surfaces to illuminate more than 15,000 graphic patterns and generate a display reminiscent of a starlit sky.” Fancy is an understatement.

The XB7 exemplifies Alpina’s dedication to luxury and performance.

For more on the BMW Alpina XB7 click here.

Bugatti Didn’t Cut Corners on the 1500 Horsepower Divo

April 27, 2020 – The Bugatti name is widely known for their extremely fast super cars that have broken many land speed records. With the new Bugatti Divo, they aim to show that their speed can come with agility too. Sharing several parts with the Chiron, the Divo differentiates itself by its track-focused composure. And after a development process lasting several years, it is finally ready to be sent out to the lucky few(only 40 units made) who got their hands on one.

The Bugatti Divo’s centerpiece is the carefully and painstakingly tuned chassis. Tests on computer simulations, windy country roads, and raceways like the Nurburgring are what the development team used to tune the Divo’s chassis to a precise degree. Changes in weight reduction by the addition of carbon fiber and replacing some luxuries in the Chiron paired with increased downforce aid in improving the cornering ability.

Additionally, the body’s wild and aggressive design comes with a purpose. Along with the chassis tuning, the aerodynamics of the car were also precisely tuned. Each crease and duct seen on the Divo serves a purpose in increasing downforce or providing heat reduction to specific spots all in the name of lateral acceleration. Despite the focus on the corners, Bugatti still didn’t neglect its power. With a 1500 horsepower engine and 1180lb ft torque, the Divo goes from 0-60 in 2.3 seconds. All of these tweaks added up make the Divo capable of pulling 1.6g in the corners.

The Bugatti Divo is named after French racing legend, Albert Divo, who raced for Bugatti in the 1920s. In his time, Divo brought home several podiums using a lightweight and agile sports car much like the one that now holds his name. The new Bugatti Divo is truly a Bugatti built for the corners. Limited to 40 examples and holding a price tag of over 5 million euros, this car will likely become a hot collectors item as well.

More on the Bugatti Divo here

Cadillac Introduces Ultra-High Performance Designation:

The Blackwing

April 14, 2020 – Once the face of Detroit’s finest, today the face of American Luxury Performance as with the 2016 launch of the Blackwing. Hidden under the guise of angular camouflage, the next phase of BLACKWING will boast a slew of ultimate performance upgrades and a new naming convention. This is evident in their announcement of a new line of ultra-high performance vehicles given a load of upgrades and edgy name: The Blackwing.

The Cadillac Blackwing name carries on the moniker of their highly popular twin-turbocharged eight cylinder engine that was first found in the 2016 CTS-V. After the waves made by the “four door Corvette” and accompanying performance vehicles, Cadillac is doubling down on performance with the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing. These new models will feature specially tuned chassis, vehicle control technologies and engines, and apparently will be ready to hit the track. Cadillac has already begun testing them on various tracks to some promising results.

The feature that is sure to make some happy is that the Blackwing models will all be offered with a manual transmission option, which was “a feature most luxury brands no longer offer but continues to be a strong desire for many performance driving enthusiasts.” And they are correct.

More details on the models will be released at a later time, but as it sits now, the new Cadillac Blackwing line is cooking up to be something pretty sweet.

The Polestar Precept Is a Greener Future

April 9, 2020 – Due to the cancellation of the Geneva International Motorshow in lieu of the coronavirus, many automotive manufacturers turned to the web to showcase their new products. Polestar is one of such brands that recently shared a video walkthrough of their new product; the Precept.

Watch here:

The Polestar Precept is the all new electric vehicle by Volvo’s sub-brand and is another step towards the future of automotive. This step is not in the form of a revolutionary new power plant or mind blowing 0-60s;  it comes in the form of a brand new way of making cars. Serving as the cornerstone of the Precept’s design is the fact that the majority of the interior and exterior panels are made from recycled and organic materials.

The interior is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles that are woven to create the fabric on those seats, and the interior body panels are made of organic fibers and are even backlit to show the structure of the panels. The exterior design is sleek and does away with parts that are unnecessary with current like the front grill and even a rear window, and also has recycled materials built in. None of these materials are hidden by layers of paint or additional paneling. Polestar wants to show off their innovative construction, which seems to be the reason for this whole car.

Automotive is in an interesting time currently where we are on the cusp of a huge change from how things were always done. The Polestar Precept is their declaration of which direction they will be heading and how they will be designing their cars to reach their goals for the future. A Precept of sorts.

Polestar has released an additional walkthrough of their concept that you can watch here:

Is the Future of Automotive Fully Charged?

Electric VS. Internal Combustion Engine Debate

I have seen the future, and it is electric. This might not sound like good news for the tuner scene, old-school hot rodders, and racers, but it actually is (though not for the reasons you might think). To see how I have reached this conclusion, it’s necessary to understand what hurdles electric cars have yet to overcome, and how they require a fundamental change in the way we think about getting from point A to point B.

Companies like Tesla and Toyota have proven that pure-electric vehicles don’t have to be boring, slow, or impractical, and nobody can really argue with the results that General Motors has already achieved with the eCOPO purpose-built electric-powered drag race Camaro. But we’re still a long way from seeing the end of internal combustion, despite what lawmakers in certain states believe. Once you look past the mechanical differences between electric and fossil fuel power for personal transportation, the main issues come down to power storage and infrastructure.

Density Matters

When the Horseless Carriage first began its conquest of the world’s roads, nobody knew what a car was “supposed to” be, and different ideas flourished. As the 20th century began, it wasn’t clear what technology would prevail, and both internal combustion and electric cars found eager (though mostly rich) buyers. In short order, though, piston-engine cars proved to be more practical, and one of the main reasons was that the best battery technology of the time was the lead-acid wet cell, which only offered very limited range.

Of course, we still use lead-acid batteries today to start our cars and to power things like forklifts and golf carts, because the batteries are relatively inexpensive, offer a decent service life, can deliver very high power output for short periods, and are tolerant of a good deal of abuse without failing in horribly dangerous ways. But the amount of energy that can be stored per pound of lead-acid battery is pretty miserable when compared with even very inefficient internal combustion engines, which puts a hard limit on its practicality for personal transportation. A typical 12-volt car battery has an energy density of about 30-40 Watt-hours per kilogram. Gasoline, on the other hand, has an energy density of over 12,000 Watt-hours per kilo. To put it in more relatable units, a 15-gallon fuel tank holds about the same potential energy as more than 700 average 40-pound car batteries.

Obviously, driving around in a car that has a 14-ton battery pack isn’t really a practical option to get the same amount of available energy as a gas-powered car, and fortunately battery technology with far higher energy density has been developed, with commercially available lithium-ion batteries offering as much as 200 Watt-hours per kilo. But even at a five-fold increase in energy density, you still end up needing a battery pack that weighs 5,700 pounds to contain the same energy as less than 100 pounds of filled gas tank. This is the heart of the problem for electric vehicles – barring some scientific breakthrough that improves battery power density by an order of magnitude, the amount of total energy available in a reasonable electric vehicle chassis is always going to be far below that provided by an internal combustion drivetrain.

Companies like Tesla have proven that pure-electric vehicles don’t have to be boring, slow, or impractical…

The current gold standard for practical electric cars is the Tesla Model 3. It’s available in “standard” and “long range” versions with Li-Ion battery packs assembled from a large number of individual, commercially-available cells in capacities ranging from 50 to 75 kilowatt-hours. Estimated range on the EPA drive cycle for the Model 3 varies accordingly, from about 250 miles to about 320 between fully charged and fully discharged, which is an astonishing accomplishment considering how little energy the battery packs contain, compared to a tank full of gas. The quoted mass for the Model 3 long range pack is 480 kg, or about 1,060 pounds – more than a quarter of the total curb weight of the vehicle.

Tesla manages to achieve decent range by keeping the non-battery mass of the vehicle as low as possible, and by employing regenerative braking to recapture a portion of the energy spent getting the car moving to help stop it. It also helps that electric motors are very efficient in terms of converting input energy into useful work compared to internal combustion engines, which rarely operate in the narrow range of engine speed and load that is most effective in turning gasoline into motion. On the flip side, though, an ICE-powered vehicle won’t lose a significant portion of its potential range as the result of brief, aggressive application of the right-hand pedal, but this will absolutely murder the miles-to-empty on an electric vehicle.

We’ve been using Tesla as our example here because to be honest, it’s the only pure electric mass-produced vehicle most enthusiasts would even consider owning. Nissan, GM, Fiat, and many others have offered their own all-electric models, but they tend to occupy the part of the market that is only concerned with efficiency. Nevertheless, they also have practical unrecharged ranges that are a fraction of comparably-sized gas-powered cars. Chemistry and physics both dictate just how much electric power can be stored on-board a practical car, and barring huge breakthroughs in battery technology, this will continue to be a primary challenge for the future of all-electric transportation.

Power to the People

The second major hurdle electric cars have to clear is the infrastructure required to recharge them. Utilities have built out their generation, transmission, and distribution networks without the additional load from car recharging in mind, and ‘time of use’ becomes a major issue. Electric power consumption from residential consumers peaks in the late afternoon and early evening, drops down overnight, then rises again during the day, while industrial demand is primarily concentrated during working hours. The grid is designed to cope with peak demand (hopefully – your experience may vary if you’re in California during the summer months) so the good news is that during off-peak times, there’s a considerable amount of additional capacity available for battery recharging. The bad news is that ‘green’ power doesn’t operate on a convenient schedule – wind happens when it happens, and solar output is dependent on time of day, the season, and weather.

The traditional approach to planning generation capacity is to have the ‘baseline’ load taken care of by relatively inexpensive, large-scale fossil fuel power plants that run constantly but can’t react quickly to changes in demand, supplemented by smaller plants that are less efficient and cost more per kilowatt-hour but that can be quickly brought on-line or shut down as needed. Nuclear power once promised ‘electricity too cheap to meter,’ but as we all know, the technology wasn’t exactly ready for prime time in terms of safety. Improvements to reactor designs have made proposed future nuclear plants safer for people and the environment than any other electric power source, including wind and solar if the complete life-cycle of the system from mining raw materials to decommissioning are considered, but the stigma attached is simply too great for massive new nuclear projects to be viable from a public acceptance standpoint.

So, the challenge is, “how do you charge all these electric cars without building a bunch of new fossil fuel plants or doubling the capacity of the transmission and distribution grid?” Big solar generation plants are one possible solution that takes advantage of the economies of scale offered by centralizing power production, but as was previously mentioned, solar doesn’t run on a convenient timetable. That means that, just like electric cars themselves, power storage becomes an issue. Battery storage on a massive scale appropriate for a power grid would be absurdly expensive and/or take up a huge amount of space, but “pumped storage” is one potential option.

The idea behind pumped storage is a lot like keeping a grandfather clock ticking by pulling weights up to the top, then letting them run the mechanism by slowly dropping down on their chains. During the day, solar energy is used to run pumps that fill a man-made reservoir on top of a hill, then when power is needed and the sun isn’t shining, the pumps run backwards as turbines to generate power by letting the water flow back down into the lower reservoir. Overall, the process isn’t very efficient, with the majority of the power supplied by the solar generation lost to friction, resistance and heat, but it has the advantage of being both very cheap compared to batteries and very easy to scale up, simply by digging bigger reservoirs.

…solar doesn’t run on a convenient timetable. That means that, just like electric cars themselves, power storage becomes an issue.

In the end, though, electric cars themselves may be the solution to the generation and storage problems they pose. Thanks in large part to government grants and tax credits to offset costs and outright building code requirements to include photovoltaic panels in new construction, businesses and homes are adding solar generation to their roofs at an increasing rate. In some sunbelt states, so much excess capacity is being added during daylight hours that electric utilities are now faced with having more power than they need being fed into the grid. More electric cars on the road would mean more batteries on wheels, parked during the day and ready to soak up that solar-generated electricity from a distributed network of roof-top solar panels at work and at home, but it will require a significant shift in the way we think about keeping our personal vehicles “topped up.”

Think “Phones” not “Cars”

We’re used to the idea that cars can be driven until the needle is on “E” and then quickly brought up to their full range capacity in just a few minutes at the pump. You can even see this in the way Tesla markets their vehicles, highlighting that the Model 3 can get up to 75 miles of additional range in just five minutes at one of their “Supercharger” stations, though normal charging to full battery capacity takes hours – 30 to 44 miles of range per hour on the typical home charger. Rapid charging is also inefficient and very hard on batteries, which last a lot longer when they’re charged and discharged at slower rates.

Without realizing it, though, Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, and all the other phone manufacturers have been training the rest of us for a smooth transition into future electric car ownership…

But almost all of us carry around a battery powered device that has the same kind of charging quirks as a Tesla; smart phones like being slowly charged and discharged, and their batteries last longest when they never drop below 20% charge or rise above 80%. If you’re the kind of person who is perpetually at 10 percent charge on your iPhone, you are probably going to face the same kind of challenge keeping an electric car powered up. Without realizing it, though, Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, and all the other phone manufacturers have been training the rest of us for a smooth transition into future electric car ownership, where we will apply the same methods of keeping our car battery charged – keep it plugged in whenever you’re not using it, and never pass up an opportunity to throw it on the charger for a few minutes.

The Future of High Performance

With these factors in mind, what does the future of “enthusiast” cars look like? Well, it’s a sure bet that for normal transportation needs, electric vehicles are going to take over the market despite their drawbacks. Fossil fuels are a finite resource, and whether ‘peak oil’ happens in ten years, or fifty, or a hundred and fifty, it will happen. There is no foreseeable end to the availability of fuel for internal combustion engines, though – even if the last drop of crude oil was pumped from the ground tomorrow, it’s still possible to synthesize gasoline and diesel from other sources, albeit in a very expensive way. For applications where the energy density of liquid fuels is important, like commercial aircraft, long-haul trucking, or military vehicles, there’s simply no viable electric alternative on the horizon, either.

The good news is that as more of the mundane duties of personal transportation are taken over by electric vehicles, demand for gasoline will drop, stretching out the availability of relatively inexpensive fuel. It’s likely that in the near future, the most popular form of car will be a plug-in hybrid like the ones available today that derives most of its day to day range from electric power drawn from the grid, with a small ICE power plant to act as a range-extender for trips that exceed the storage capacity of the on-board battery. Another option will be pure-electric vehicles that are designed with the ability to connect to a small trailer equipped with a generator and fuel tank; for daily driving you’ll rely on normal battery power, but if you want to go on a road trip to take the family to see your cousins three states away, you’ll be able to rent the range-extender tag-along so you can keep driving for as long as your bladder will allow. Either option will require the continued existence of an infrastructure to keep them fueled.

New internal-combustion-only cars will become rare, limited to niche markets and buyers with deep pockets, but with the proliferation of clean, primarily solar-powered electric cars taking the pressure off of fossil fuel consumption and limiting the ecological impact of personal vehicles, there will be room for hobbyists and racers to maintain, build, and drive cars with combustion engines, and do it guilt-free.

Changes to the way we get from point A to point B day to day are inevitable; while the timeline is up for debate, the switch to electric cars is going to happen. Fortunately, it’s not necessarily a disaster for car enthusiasts. It will just take some adjustment, and some sound public policy that acknowledges the fact that gearheads want a better future too, and can keep their passion alive while still achieving that goal.

Is the RG Nathalie’s Methanol-Electric Powertrain the New Future of EV?

March 17, 2020 – Roland Gumpert has come out with a new brainchild that presents yet another alternative power source. Branded as a “super sports car”, the new Roland Gumpert Nathalie is electrically powered by a battery and the interesting and innovative methanol fuel cell. With the use of methanol as a secondary source, the Nathalie has the ability to actively recharge its battery, giving it a 500+ mile range. This also solves the recharging time issue experienced by a lot electric vehicle issues. Refilling the methanol cell only takes 3 minutes, and after that you can hit the road right away.

Here’s a video by RG that explains their technology:

Those with reservations about electric vehicles due to accessibility issues will not be changing their minds with this new innovation, however, as methanol is even harder to find than ev charging stations nowadays. But regardless, this innovation provides enough power to the Nathalie to produce some pretty impressive numbers.

The RG Nathalie is driven by 4 electric motors each taking responsibility for 1 wheel. Yep, thats right – its got 4 wheel drive. The motors produce about 536hp and can push its lightweight (GT-R lookin’) body from 0-60 in less than 2.5 seconds. With a top speed of 190mph, this won’t be breaking any speed records like the Jesko Absolut, but it’s definitely quick.

Though we won’t really know how well it performs on the track, we can speculate that it will be a strong contender and a fun drive. The methanol-electric powertrain is an interesting answer to the woes experienced by current EVs, but due to the limited availability of the fuel source the long term viability is questionable. Only 500 examples of the RG Nathalie will be produced and will have a price tag of $447,699.

More on the RG Nathalie:

What’s the Big Difference Between a Jeep JK and a Jeep JL?

The Jeep scene changed forever when the JK Wrangler Unlimited hit the automotive market in 2007. Jeep was no stranger to capable 4-door off-road vehicles, but the new Wrangler was different. Taking the iconic powers of the previous generations of Wranglers and CJs and transforming them into a more family and daily-life friendly vehicle made a huge impact.

JKs popped up everywhere. Jeep couldn’t make enough of them. The suspension was improved, and extra creature comforts were added. The term “mall-crawling” became a thing because the popularity of the vehicle reached far more demographics of buyers. Loads of people who wouldn’t normally buy a Wrangler were now all over them. It is very possible that the JK Wrangler saved the Jeep brand from total collapse.

After a twelve-model year run, ending with a 2018 model, the JK Wrangler was the most produced and sold Jeep of all time. The vehicle saw various upgrades through its stretch but by-and-large was still the same vehicle. With such a popular vehicle, how could the Jeep engineers and designers top it for the next version of the vehicle?

The JL Wrangler hit showroom floors for the 2018 model year, right alongside the final days of the JK. For non-Jeep folks, the JL Wrangler Unlimited looks just like a JK on a passing glance or with blurry eyes.

What’s the Difference?

The two models look so similar, it is easy to question what the difference between them really is. We are going to explore those differences here.

Exterior: The JK is a classic body-on-frame construction. All the sheetmetal is steel, with lots of classic CJ cues. The JL, however, brought in weight saving aluminum for the doors and various other non-structural pieces. Sheetmetal changes were mostly cosmetic. Turn signals moved to fender flare from grille, pull handles instead of push buttons, rear license plate moved from body to bumper, trivial things that don’t have much impact of the versatility of the vehicle alone but when added up, make a difference.

Four door models of the JL were lengthened by four inches, two inches for two door models. Both stayed the same body width. The longer body allows for more interior space and better passenger comfort.

Another beneficial change to the new model is the fender flares and wheel wells. A larger than factory tire is easier to fit on a JL than a JK, especially for Rubicon (and some Sahara) models. Rubicons get special higher clearance fender flares that offer 2-inches more tire clearance.

Watch Brittany Williams of LiteBrite on Youtube sharing what she likes about the Jeep JL Wrangler:

The doors and tops are removable on both models, minus one JL top option, the Sky One-Touch top. Later JK models had an option of a soft top, standard black hard top or a color matched top. JLs continued the same trend and added the Sky One-Touch top that has removable rear quarter windows and a push-to-retract fabric center in the roof.

JK Wranglers have fold down windshield components but require disassembling the exterior of the A-pillar (6 bolts on each side) along with disconnecting roll bar attachment points near the windshield visors. The JL Wrangler improved on this design by extending the roll bar to have A-pillar tubes. With this design, Jeep was able to no longer require the windshield to be load bearing in the event of a rollover and could make folding the windshield down much easier. Remove the windshield wipers and 4 bolts on the interior and it is down.

Interior: The passenger compartment was drastically redesigned and modernized. The gauge cluster has a much more digital aspect to it with a center screen that has settings to keep tabs on all sorts of different levels, functions and features. The stereo was shifted to a true infotainment system on most models, now with access to other controls and features that were inaccessible on JKs.

The seats, door panels and other miscellaneous bits inside were changed and small improvements were made. The rear cargo area now has an optional Trail Rail Cargo Management system. The system allows for easier load strapping along with options to add other mounts and racks.

Powertrain: In 2012, the JK was upgraded to the Pentastar 3.6L V6 engine. Though smaller in displacement than its predecessor, the 3.6L is more efficient and has a strong horsepower and torque output. The same engine continued to the JL with minor changes that are mostly in the computer programming. A Stop/Start system was added to help increase fuel efficiency.

Later in the first model year, the JL Wrangler could be purchased with a 2.0L T4 Hurricane turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine. The JK Wrangler had only the one engine choice each year of its run. Diesel powered JLs are said to be available for the 2020 model year and talks of a Hybrid model have been buzzing around for some time.

Drivetrain: The JL Wrangler gets to benefit from the Torqueflite 850RE, an 8-speed automatic transmission. Previously, the JK used a 4-speed automatic for early models, then a 5-speed from 2012 on. The new transmission smoothed the drive considerably, allowing the computer to not hunt for the correct gear as much. The transfer case stayed the same on both Sport and Rubicon models.

Dana axle assemblies are used in both generations. The JK was much wider than the TJ Wrangler that preceded it, instead of widening the existing designs, Dana created new units with larger ring and pinion gear sets, axle shafts, axle tubes and more. They again upgraded the assemblies for the JL. Slightly wider, slightly bigger, and overall stronger.

The wheelbase was stretched approximately 1.5-inches on 2-doors and 2.5-inches on 4-doors.

Suspension: Both the JK and JL are set up with solid axles and a 4-link plus track-bar suspension design front and rear. The lengths of the control arms stretched minor amounts and some other small tweaks were made to mounting ends for smoother movement through the range of travel. The JK Wrangler had already received much longer and stronger control arms over the TJ Wrangler. For the most part, the suspension was left alone.

In the End, Which Is Better?

At the end of it all, which is the better vehicle? That all depends on what you want out of it. At this point, JK Wranglers are starting to drop in price. They are highly capable vehicles that have a long timeline for bugs being worked out by both the factory and the aftermarket enthusiasts. JL Wranglers are slightly bigger, more creature comforts, better efficiency along with a higher price tag.

The Audi RS6 Avant Is Coming to America

March 9, 2020 – Audi is finally giving the US high powered performance wagon: the RS6 Avant. Previously unavailable to the American market, the RS6 Avant was just a pipe dream for many wishing they could have the space and daily practicality of a wagon, but the performance of a sports car. With its 4.0-liter TFSI® twin-turbo V8, the new Audi is definitely not going fall short in the power department. This beefy power plant produces 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, pushing it from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. Audi will also be offering an optional sport exhaust to have a “more pronounced sound”. Who wouldn’t want to hear a more pronounced twin turbo v8? In a straight the RS6 will be one of the quickest out there, but its suspension shows Audi did not neglect cornering ability.

Adaptive air suspension was specifically tuned for the RS6 Avant and controllable by the driver though switching driving modes. And if you would like to get even more in the corners, a sport suspension option is also available utilizing the 3 way adjustable dampers with a system called Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), which provides roll stabilization without the help of any computers.

The exterior of the new-for-America Audi RS6 Avant is stellar and aggressive with several sharp lines and a wide body to show off how buff it is. On top of that, it will come standard with huge 21 inch wheels with options that get even bigger. Design wise, the RS6 is in tune with the rest of the RS family of aggressive performance. Needless to say; it sits real pretty.

The wagon is becoming scarce in manufacturer lineups. Performance wagons are even fewer and farther in between, but they provide a unique automotive experience.With Audi’s choice to release the RS6 Avant in the US, it kind of makes you hope that we’re going to see more manufacturers feeding into this category.

The New Audi SQ8 Lets You Have Comfort and High Performance

March 6, 2020 – Audi’s brand new SQ8 provides a medium level performance option packaged into a daily drivable SUV. Coming with the SQ8 is an engine that has yet to be brought to America by Audi, and is a twin turbocharged 4.0L V8 that produces 500hp and 568lb-ft of torque. With a 0-60 of 4.3 seconds, this SUV definitely isn’t slow.

If you pick up the Sport package, you’ll be treated to a few upgrades including a Quattro sport differential, red brake calipers, and active roll stabilization which will help the SQ8 stay flat in the corners. All trims come with all-wheel steering as well as all wheel drive, maximizing the driver’s control.

Inside, the interior maintains the luxury expected from an Audi and features 2 large touch screens oriented towards the driver. Overall, the design takes cues from the Audi Sport Quattro coupe while pushing the design towards a more modern look with sharp edges and their signature pronounced center grill. Blended together, the comfortable interior and high performance engine and suspension make the Audi SQ8 a perfect median between daily practicality and performance.

The All-New Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Is a 1600HP Street Legal Beast

March 6, 2020 – The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut is the brand’s latest addition to their portfolio of extremely quick supercars; and this car is the fastest one ever. Koenigsegg’s mastery of aerodynamics is prevalent in the Jesko boasting extremely low drag coefficients achieved by the striking roofline. The standard Jesko comes with a larger than life wing mounted to the roof and is geared more towards track usage. The Jesko Absolut, on the other hand, has an extended roof and is designed for one thing: speed.

Dual fins jutting out of the roof of the Absolut are a key feature to the body design. Inspired by fighter jets, these fins provide the aerodynamics that make the car slip through the air with minimal drag. Adding to Koenigsegg’s war on drag, the Absoult comes with a set of covered rear wheels. The body is to an insanely low weight, providing the Jesko with a 1:1 power to weight ratio; with passengers and luggage accounted for.

Pushing this fighter jet is a twin turbocharged v8 fitted with a 180 degree crankshaft that can rev to 8500rpm. With e85 fuel, the Jesko produces an insane 1600bhp. The car comes fitted with what they call an LST, which stands for Light Speed Transmission which, true to its name, shifts through all 9 gears with virtually no time between gears.

What do you get when you mix an extremely light, aerodynamically perfected body with a 1600hp twin turbo v8 and lightning fast transmission? You get (most likely) the fastest car ever to roll on the earth. Koenigsegg had no mention of top speed, mentioning only that “time will tell”. We’re eager to see the tests coming in the future…

The i4 Is the New Electric Gran Coupe That Will Take BMW to the Future

March 3, 2020 – BMW unveiled their step into the future with the new Concept I4. The new I4 will be completely electric but is said to maintain the driving ability and luxury that makes it a BMW. On the exterior, this concept is extremely sharp with several body lines leading to the iconic dual grille. BMW has also used this model as an opportunity to show off their new, more modern, identity mark, which will serve as the badge on all future models. This concept focuses on creating a sedan for every day with sports coupe styling. Very sharp indeed.

As with any step into the future, technology will be key. This is prevalent in the new touch Curved Display which is oriented towards the driver. According to BMW, this display is for “those times when the driver chooses to pilot the car themselves.”, which seems like they will have autopilot features much like Teslas, however there was no mention of that technology being added. Drive features will be broken into 3 modes selectable off of the curved screen, which are “Core”, “Sport”, and “Efficient which all effect the way the car will drive. The rest of the interior is actually quite luxurious featuring gold bronze trim all over the dash and steering wheel. There are only 4 seats in there, so you will unfortunately have to say goodbye to the 5th friend in your group.

An interesting feature, and one that is quickly becoming a standard in newer cars, is the addition of automotive sound design, otherwise known as fake engine noise. In the BMW I4, the sound will be designed by none other than the world renowned composer Hanz Zimmer. Yes, the man who brought you the emotional music of your favorite films will now be bringing you emotional sounds from your otherwise soundless electric car. The sounds you will receive will change depending on which of the 3 driving modes you have selected.

Overall, the BMW I4 is a big step for the manufacturer in producing the cars of the future as well as setting up the direction of the new core of the brand.

For Its 110th Birthday, Alfa Romeo Gives the World the Giulia GTA

March 3, 2020 –  Alfa Romeo will reach its 110th birthday in June and is celebrating by dropping a performance driven, F1 inspired model: The Giulia GTA.

No, the GTA does not stand for “Grand Theft Auto”; it’s an acronym standing for “Gran Turismo Alleggerita”. Alleggerita, meaning “lightened”. And lightened it is– with several components being replaced by lightweight carbon fiber such as the driveshaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, and rear wheel arch inserts, the Giulia GTA weighs a whole 220lb less than the standard model. The more extreme model, the GTAm will feature even more carbon fiber components such as a larger front diffuser and a big wing on the back. The GTA will feature a 2.9L V6 Bi-Turbo aluminum engine that will produce 540hp giving it an astounding power to weight ratio.

One interesting feature added is the center lock wheels, which is quite unusual for a sedan, but shows the F1 inspired nature of this model. Additionally, even more components on the car are replaced with lightweight Lexan as seen on many cars on the track. And if that isn’t enough racecar for you, the GTAm model will come with 2 racing seats, 5 point harnesses, and even an integrated roll cage!

Production of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm are going to be limited to only 500 units. Yep, thats all. And if you’re able to get one, you’ll get a whole experience by Alfa including a sales representative per buyer and several goodies like a Bell helmet featuring a GTA livery, race suit, gloves, and shoes by Alpinestars, and a Goodwool car cover. Alfa will also be offering a performance driving course with every purchase as well.

Alfa Romeo definitely pulled out all the stops to celebrate their 110th birthday with the Giulia GTA. It’s sure to be a valuable collectors item for anyone who is able to get their hands on one.

Volkswagen Announces the MK8 Golf GTI

Feb 27, 2020 – Volkswagen has officially revealed the newest addition to the long line of GTIs focusing on modernization of the platform. This includes assist technology like lane departure and pedestrian monitoring, to newer systems that electronically lock the differential and even communicate with other cars and the traffic infrastructure.