Anyone who has actually ever before invested any time checking out other workshops understands that you are constantly seeing some tool or solution or supply that you didn’t know about or think of for your own workshop. Those are the minutes when you put yourself on the side of the head and claim “Why didn’t I consider that?” or “I didn’t even understand something like that existed!” I know that when I opened my racer store in the very early 2000’s, I had no idea that a neighborhood ZEP rep would gladly supply cleaning up materials, hand cleansers, and shop materials despite the fact that I was a little one-man shop. I had no suggestion the variety of points I had access to that would aid me till someone stated it or I saw it someplace else.Of program, it isn’t 2001 anymore so that suggests there are a whole lot more methods to locate this things and that’s why numerous individuals have awesome stuff in their house stores that you wouldn’t have actually expected 20 years earlier.
In this video from Jason at Fireball Tools he is reviewing stuff that he could not live without in his very own shop. A few of it is things that Fireball makes as well as offers, however not all of it. Not by a slim chance. Check it out, see if you learn something, and also then get after it. It is the period for shop upgrades and working with projects so possibly some of this stuff will help you out on both matters.
Video clip Description:
In this video, I reveal the items in my shop I might not live without.
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The 2024 Lincoln Corsair is on the method and also it will obtain a couple of interesting upgrades. It is a fairly fresh design, so a redesign is still out the cards. Lincoln will offer a moderate refresh. Many thanks to that, the new Corsair will certainly look even better, as well as the inside will certainly be more modern than it is now.
Comfort is truly fantastic and also Corsair comes with lots of typical attributes. The performance is additionally excellent, as Corsair has a couple of powertrain options to choose from. The
brand-new design will strike
the dealerships later on in 2023 and also right here is everything you require to understand. Outside Changes The upcoming 2024 Lincoln Corsair must get a couple of aesthetic updates as well as it will look more elegant consequently. The front grille of the SUV will certainly be somewhat bigger, leading to a much more upright and also distinct front look. The grille will have bigger openings for much better engine cooling and also daytime running lights will be upgraded.
On the other hand, the back end didn’t have any kind of brand-new aspects to be seen, thus the layout is still the same as before. The bright side is that it still features tiny triangular taillights, dual exhaust outlets, as well as rounded edges. Last but not least, Lincoln will deliver brand-new shades and also perhaps new optional bundles.
Lincoln Corsair Interior Review A few substantial interior improvements will be consisted of in the upcoming 2024 Lincoln Corsair. The touchscreen is unchanged, however, it will now be located greater. While this will develop more area, Corsair will not get additional switches. The streamlined dashboard lines and also air vents that nearly load the whole width of the control panel are difficult to miss out on.
The Lincoln uses several premium products, including upholstery, so the convenience is exceptional. A 12.3-inch digital cockpit console and also a 13.2-inch touchscreen are common on the Lincoln Corsair. According to conjectures, the SYNC4 infotainment system will be utilized again.
Engine Options, Transmission, MPG In terms of efficiency, the brand-new 2024 Lincoln Corsair will certainly keep present engine choices. Thankfully, there are two powertrains to pick in between. The first one is a 2.0-liter gas engine. This four-cylinder unit is capable of creating 250 hp. The all-wheel-drive system is optional, as before, and also Ford will certainly remain to supply an 8-speed transmission.
Optionally, there is a plug-in hybrid powertrain. If you want it, choose the Corsair Grand Touring model. This variation features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electrical motor. The overall outcome is rated at 266 horse power. The Grand Touring design provides almost 30 miles of all-electric driving variety. On top of that, it gets 33 mpg incorporated, while the base engine navigates 25 miles per gallon.
2024 Lincoln Corsair Release Date and Price The cost of the base 2024 Lincoln Corsair will certainly start at $40,000. This indicates the rate will probably stay intact. On the various other hand, Corsair Grand Touring is available for regarding $ 55,000. This version will hit the dealers in the 2nd fifty percent of 2023, probably in late September.
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If there is one car that’s really struck a chord with me over my years as a Speedhunter, it’s the BMW M1 Procar.
My first sighting of an M1 Procar is a little bit fuzzy in my mind to tell you the truth, but I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard one. It’s not a memory I’ll soon forget.
It was 2010, and I was on my first press trip to the Nürburgring 24 Hour with KW Suspensions. KW had arranged a small group of US auto journalists to attend the race, which I somehow became a part of. I’ve learned that in these instances, it’s better to stay quiet, keep your head down and just hope nobody realises that you probably shouldn’t be there…
It was a typical press trip with tours, presentations, introductions and particularly nice food. While some of the assembled media were happy to absorb as much hospitality as possible, I was itching to get trackside and shoot anything on the Nordschleife. I wasn’t alone. Another photographer who had travelled from California was pretty keen as well. We had only previously spoken before via the Dieselstation forums, but it didn’t take long for Mr. Klingelhoefer and I to hatch a plan.
While we had been allowed some time to shoot trackside on the first couple of corners of the GP circuit, you don’t come to the Nürburgring 24 Hour to shoot within the safety and confines of the GP-Strecke. Especially when you know what awaits you just over the hill.
So, when the very kind KW public relations person was looking the other way (sorry), Sean and I jumped into a media shuttle and basically begged the driver to take us anywhere on the Northern Loop. I don’t think I even had roaming enabled on my phone in 2010, so once we left the paddock, we were essentially MIA. Again, sorry KW.
We lucked it with our driver, who went out of his way and drove us through the camps, along muddy pathways and brought us as close to the track as humanly possible. So much so, that this was the sight right in front of us when we stepped out of the van. What a way to be introduced to the Nordschleife for the first time.
We immediately started walking up the hill from Steilstrecke to the world renowned Caracciola-Karussell. What you might not be aware of is how remote the Karussell is. It’s not really near anything of note.
It was while walking up this hill that I heard an M1 Procar at full noise for the first time. Despite there being a full grid of N24 Classic cars on track, all of which were making their own brilliant noises, there was this distinct sound louder than anything else coming towards us.
In retrospect, and based on how long it took for the car to appear every lap, I reckon we could hear it leaving the village of Adenau on its way to the Karussell.
While not particularly fast when compared to the GT3 cars running in the main N24 race, there was nothing competing that weekend which came close to sound this M1 Procar made. In fact, short of V8-era Formula One cars, I don’t think there have been any cars I have photographed since which match the M1 Procar for its aural qualities. I’ve never heard a video or audio clip that can do them justice.
For the next few years covering the event, I always made a point of ensuring I was trackside for the N24 Classic practice and race sessions to take in whatever Procars might have been competing.
But it’s not just the volume of the cars; it’s the quality of the sound. There’s just something about the distinct tone of this naturally aspirated straight-six screaming to 9,000rpm that I just cannot put into words.
It was at this event where the wheels were finally put in motion to arrange an in-depth shoot of one of the cars pictured above, which happens to live around 30 minutes from where I call home.
Unfortunately, scheduling and Covid put a big delay onto this shoot, but earlier this year it actually happened. I finally got to meet one of my heroes.
Just to break the fourth wall here a little bit, despite how often I have been around this particular car, it’s quite something to be left completely alone with. It’s a special moment which I will forever treasure.
This isn’t just any M1 Procar either, if there can even be such a thing. It belongs to the Martin Birrane Collection at Mondello Park, and is the car which Mr. Birrane won the Group B class in 1982 at the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside Edgar Dören and Jean-Paul Libert. They completed 307 laps and managed to split first and second place in the C2 class in the overall standings, while finishing ahead of numerous C1 category cars.
When Mr. Birrane re-acquired the car some years later, he chose to have it repainted in its original BMW Motorsport colours as opposed to the Le Mans-winning #151 MSW livery.
The origins of the M1 Procar Championship have been well documented. Conceived by Jochen Neerpasch, BMW’s then head of motorsport, and Max Moseley over a few gin and tonics, the one-make championship became a support race on the Saturday afternoon of eight F1 weekends in 1979, pitching the top five F1 qualifiers against some of the biggest names in sports and touring car racing.
It was a simple idea which proved to be enormously successful. I suppose the lure of big prize money didn’t do the championship any harm in attracting names like Lauda, Stuck, Regazzoni, Piquet, Winkelhock, Bürger, Fittipaldi, Mass, Reutemann and many more.
That the top five F1 qualifiers would occupy the first five grid spots with the rest of the M1 Procar grid breathing down their necks from the off only added to the spectacle.
While we know of the legend of the M1 Procar now, and its well deserved icon status, it wasn’t actually meant to be this way. It was originally conceived to compete as Group 5 race car, but a complicated development and production process meant that by the time it was finished, the Group 5 homologation rules had evolved and the M1 was ineligible. So, it went racing in the Procar series as a Group 4 car instead.
Eventually, and perhaps a couple of years too late, several Group 4 cars were converted to Group 5 specification, while Sauber built two of the only ground-up Group 5 M1s, which you can read about in detail on Petrolicious.
They weren’t particularly successful in Group 5, although they did enjoy limited success, which is perhaps why the Group 4 specification Procar is the more renowned of the two.
There are a lot of fascinating things about the M1 and its Procar derivative. There were multiple points during the car’s development where had things gone just a little bit differently, it might never have existed, or could have been a completely different car to the one we have come to know.
As BMW’s first mid-engined car, the aforementioned Jochen Neerpasch commissioned Lamborghini to design and assemble the chassis, which was handled by their own Gianpaolo Dallara. While Dallara created what is widely regarded as a great chassis, Lamborghini’s then financial troubles meant that they wouldn’t be able to produce anywhere near the 400 cars required for homologation, which forced BMW to pull the plug on their involvement.
Instead, the same chassis design was produced by then new Italian company called Marchesi, based not far from Sant’Agata, which evidently consisted of ex-Lamborghini staff who were familiar with the M1 project.
It was Giorgetto Giugiaro, considered by many as one of the greatest car designers of all time, who was responsible for the body work which was bonded to the chassis by his company, Italdesign. By the time the cars eventually arrived back at BMW Motorsport, they still required significant work as the previous stages of manufacturer did not meet BMW’s own strict standards.
Hence the delays, and how we ended up with the Procar. An accidentally brilliant outcome, truth be told.
Despite the car’s complicated history, both the resulting road car and race car were a high point in BMW’s history. Hans-Joachim Stuck recently told Automobilsport that driving the M1 Procar was incredibly easy. “The car wasn’t tricky at all. It was a good handling, very neutrally balanced mid-engine racer with manual transmission, no ABS or anything like it, just the basics. It was a fantastic car to get in and have great fun.”
Coming back to the day of the shoot, I found this a fascinating car to explore and pore over. Even with my limited grasp of race car engineering, it’s pretty easy to look at things and figure out how they work or why they were done a certain way.
With the exceptions of a modern seat, harness and fire suppression system, the car is pretty much as period correct as can be, so you get a proper appreciation for what it would have been like to race one in 1979. There’s so little of anything, anywhere in the car. It’s all so remarkably (and brilliantly) simple. There’s not the abundance and complexity of wiring, control units, sensors, screens and switches as you might find in a contemporary car.
There’s also not as much attention paid to safety either, so there is that to consider.
Behind the gold meshed 16×11-inch front BBS wheels is an ATE brake system with ventilated discs front and rear. The braking system features dual master cylinders with an adjustable brake bias valve.
Underneath the rear, you can see an oil cooler for the differential and 5-speed gearbox. The rear wheels are 16×12.5-inches and Mondello choose to run the car on a semi-slick Avon tyre for all-weather use.
The suspension is double-wishbone, front and rear, with Magnesium uprights, Bilstein coilovers and fully adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.
As the cars were all as identical as could be, any performance advantages were generally exploited with corner weighting, geometry changes and wing settings.
Its party piece, however, is what sits behind the driver. The dry-sumped, 3.5-litre, naturally aspirated inline-six. Or, the M88/1 in BMW parlance.
Although the original plan for the M1 was to receive BMW’s first V10 Formula 1 engine (which ultimately didn’t happen until 2000), they then pivoted to a new inline-six based on the BMW M49 engine from the 3.0 CSi race car. As the M1 was planned to be a road and race car, BMW’s priority was to finish the 400 production cars for homologation first. As the M49 wasn’t suitable for mass production, it had to be adapted with regards to ease of production and emissions standards. A new DOHC cylinder head was the primary change to achieve this.
Paul Rosche, whom had already had success designing BMW’s F2 engines in the 1970s and who would go onto create their turbocharged F1 engines, the E30 BMW M3’s S14 and the McLaren F1 S70 V12, was responsible for the engine. He described the M88/1 (Procar) and M88 (road car) engines as being “close brothers”.
Both were dry-sumped, both featured ITBs and both ran a Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection setup. The latter of these was a challenge as they wanted to use this fuel injection setup on the race car, so it had to be homologated on the road car, which had strict emissions requirements. They obviously made it work, but not without great difficulty.
The resulting 470hp at 9,000rpm might be some of the most impressive figures ever created, although again, these number weren’t created without issues. One problem they faced as the 1979 season approached was the torsional vibrations caused by the long crankshaft at high revs would force the crank’s vibration damper to come loose. The short-term fix was to double the amount of bolts securing the damper to the crank from six to 12, while long-term a lighter flywheel and other lighter pieces of rotating mass inside the engine solved the issue.
An anecdote I learned while researching this feature was that at the very first Procar race in Zolder, the drivers were instructed not to exceed 9,000rpm. Of course, one driver couldn’t help himself, edged past 9,000 and was immediately overtaken by his own crank damper before retiring from the race. Racecar drivers, eh?
The M1 Procar, and other cars of its ilk, are just so special. They’re from an era which will likely never be repeated; a sweet spot in motorsport and automotive history where things were just the right balance of old and new. That modern cars are so much faster is irrelevant.
This is one of a few cars which I will always be able to appreciate from the outside as just to be in its presence is a gift in and of itself.
While this car is technically a museum piece, it’s wonderful to see and hear it in action so regularly. Just as it should be.
2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate in Thunder Grey Metallic(a$695 shade choice) 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate Class: Electric Vehicle Miles driven: 400 Battery ability: 78 kWh CG Report Card Area as well as
Comfort B+ Power as well as Performance A Fit as well as Finish
A Gas Economy A Value B-Report-card grades are originated from an agreement of test-driver analyses. All grades are versus various other
cars in the
same class. Worth grade is for certain trim level examined
, as well as may not mirror Consumer Guide’s perceptions
of the
entire model lineup. Big & Tall Comfort Large
Guy B High Guy B+Big & Tall convenience scores are for pole positions only.”Big “rating based on male tester evaluating approximately 350 extra pounds,”Tall”score based upon 6’6 “- high male tester. Drivetrain Engine Specs 402 horsepower Engine Type Electric motors Transmission Automatic Drive All-wheel drive EPA-estimate MPGe: 92 city/79 hwy/85 integrated EPA-estimated driving range: 223 miles Customer
Guide vary estimate(excellent problems):
223 +miles Base cost:$58,150(not consisting of
$1095 location charge)Options on examination vehicle: Special paint($695), warmed guiding wheel($150)Price as evaluated:$60,090 Quick
Hits & The terrific: Better-than-expected traveler as well as freight area within tidy outside dimensions; stylish acceleration; interior looks convincingly upscale The excellent: Comfortable;
youthful-yet-sophisticated
styling The not so excellent: Complicated infotainment system; not fairly
as much array as some EV competitors, unexciting steering and also taking care of CG Says: New to the Volvo
U.S. schedule for
the 2021 version year
, the all-electric XC40 Recharge takes pleasure in a number of updates for the 2022 version year. You can
review our full report of the 2021 model below. For the new year, the XC40 Recharge is used in three brand-newtrim degrees: Twin, Twin Plus, and also topline Twin Ultimate
. Just one trim level was providedin 2021. Array is improved for 2022 as well. The 2021 XC40 was EPA ranked to travel 208 miles on a full fee, the 2022 is currently
ranked at 223. In Consumer Guide testing– during a duration of battery-friendly moderate temperatures– we saw array estimates as high as 280 miles, qualified results based upon our assessment. Our top-trim Twin Ultimate enjoyed a premium-level cabin, trimmed in high-quality material anda lot of soft-touch surface areas. The entire drive experience is brightened, with flight quality, sound levels, and audio-system performance all deserving of high-end cars setting you back a lot more than our test automobile. As
we’ve kept in mind in the past, the XC40 Recharge isn’t especially flashy, with drab guiding feel, and also showing considerable lean in edges. That stated, Volvo’s small electric crossover is fast– extremely fast. It’s quick from a quit as well as around community, as well as makes easy job
Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate Pay attention to the Car Stuff Podcast Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate Gallery Click below for enlarged photos. Test Drive: 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge Car Stuff Podcast Composed by: Tom Appel on November 15, 2022.
Vises can be pricey. I know that when I’ve been in the market for one, I looked at both used vintage Wilton’s, new high buck vises, and low-cost discount rate vises. Ultimately my budget plan didn’t permit me to pay for any of the “great” vises and instead I got a mid-priced smaller sized vise that would certainly obtain me by up until my spending plan changed.I’ve got to
obtain a new vice for the brand-new store when it’s done so we’ll see what I choose then, but this video right here from Project Farm will definitely assist me decide what might benefit me.
Inspect it out.
Video Description:
Brands: Heuer, Ridgid, Yost, Wilton, Baileigh, Irwin, Forward, Central Forge, Olympia, Myoyay. Vises checked for clamp tons, toughness from effect, anvil durability, and also clamp tons failure factor. I acquired all of the vises to ensure an unbiased testimonial.
Here’s Your (Even Bigger) SEMA 2022 Gallery – Speedhunters
SHARE Here’s Your (Even Bigger) SEMA 2022 Gallery
There must be some portal-like witchcraft going on at the SEMA Show, because it’s seemingly impossible to cover every inch regardless of how long you’re there for.
And, looking through other galleries on Instagram, it’s apparent that I missed quite a lot this year, despite feeling fairly confident I’d seen the bulk of cars on show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
That even included taking a brave pill and diving into the North Hall, which is crammed full of marine audio, LED lighting and questionable air fresheners.
And yet, I still missed the new Nissan Z GT4 race car. I’m sure I heard Rob Dahm’s quad-rotor, all-wheel drive FD3S Mazda RX-7 fire into life, but couldn’t actually find it before being distracted by something else just as nutty. Oh, and I completely missed a Buick GNX by The Roadster Shop, a failing I now have to take to my grave.
That might sound a tad extreme, but the want for a GNX is very real right now, so my barometer of what’s an acceptable response is heavily skewed to say the least.
This is of course very annoying for a media outlet like Speedhunters, which is supposed to be on the cutting edge of car culture and photojournalism. But it does at least fill me with some confidence that – despite early concerns of SEMA 2022 being a bit weak – it’s still far superior in size and quality than most shows out there. And that’s also a much better excuse than me simply being tardy and missing cars.
If anything, the subdued opening day lulled everyone into a false sense of calm. Once the sun rose on day two – and hundreds gathered at 8:59am clawing to get in – SEMA resembled a weird episode of The Walking Dead, albeit with more mobility scooters and a crazed lust for free posters rather than human flesh. I’d put money on the zombies being more patient, though.
Not that I blame anyone for arriving early. Before the show even opened there was plenty to see in the public outside area, including the eBay Motors Experience by the main crossing.
Much to my disappointment, this didn’t involve someone offering you half the asking price before abruptly stating your car’s crap anyway. Instead, various products were put on display alongside interviews with builders and much skiddin’ in the outdoor arena.
Given how subdued the indoor displays were this year, I don’t think anyone from SEMA passed that memo to those displaying outside. Maybe this area is classified as international waters in Las Vegas, because it felt brilliantly lawless at times with tyres exploding in the Hoonigan Burnyard and high-horsepower trucks racing in a coned-off area which made intersection takeovers look safe.
Head beyond this and you reach SEMA’s District Nine, an area handily tucked right out the way of innocent show-goers and chequebook builds to house the SPL trucks. SPL is the acronym for sound pressure level, and that basically means building a car with the sole purpose of playing audio as loud as humanly possible.
It might be the polar opposite of Speedhunters, but it turned out to be one of the most bonkers aspects of SEMA. When I first started working in this industry in 2004, the drone of SPL cars would shake your insides from the moment you arrived at an event till the second you left. They were painful, confusing and (for the most part) completely pointless.
What about now? I still don’t understand it, but watching trucks shake themselves apart is extremely entertaining. Especially when one owner decides to battle Marshmello with Tony Christie at 140dB.
Consider it the audio equivalent of running 40psi on a stock motor; you watch because you know destruction is just around the corner, and for the few minutes leading up to that it’s a complete riot.
For all those exhibitors spending hundreds – if not thousands – of hours building cars just for SEMA, I’m sure they’ll appreciate the bulk of this story being focused on the handful of characters who pour concrete into their trucks to stop them rattling apart so quickly. But there is a serious point to this: Car culture (in all forms) is entertainment.
SEMA is a trade show, but it’s also open to the public from Thursday onwards. And if those people can get excited about car tuning, that can only be a good thing for everyone.
Yet, judging by the way some builders act on social media during the build-up, you’d think they were trying to escape a really naff SAW trap which involved Jigsaw and a pair of badly cut fiberglass overfenders.
There are many amazing machines at SEMA which, rightfully so, should be celebrated to the absolute max. It’d be wrong not to mention the Ring Brothers’ 1948 Chevy Loadmaster – a car that took out this year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.
You could argue this blurs the line between car customisation and building something entirely bespoke, but to do so would diminish the mind-boggling amount of work Mike and Jim poured into the Chevy-based work of art.
It goes beyond most of those multi-million-dollar concepts drawn up by manufacturers that never make it into production, because this one’s real. It’s registered and could be driven on the street right now if you so wished.
While we’re on the subject of jaw-dropping builds, another stand-out this year was Driver Motorsports’ Nissan Skyline GT-R on the Vibrant Performance stand. Glance at this car and you’d assume it’s a very tidy R32 wearing a Garage Active wide-body kit with a set of Work SP1s tucked deep in the arches.
But dig a little deeper and the true extent of the work becomes clear… almost four years’ worth to be precise.
The fuel setup in the boot is textbook motorsport yet it’s been fabricated into a piece of art, while the boot lid has been trimmed to match the interior. Sure, it’s got a cage, but there’s no exposed metal in here; even the rear nitrous/air setup has been meticulously built.
That tidy-looking engine is in fact a Nitto-built RB30 monster capable of 1,000+ horsepower. And that’s a genuine power estimate as opposed to the age-old ‘every-built-RB-with-a-single-must-be-1,000hp’ quip.
There’s a lot to take in, but one of my favourite touches is the cam cover. This has had the plug cover welded to the front (cam) cover and trimmed to give space to the mechanical fuel setup and CAS trigger. It’s still undeniably an RB engine, but dialled all the way up to 11.
As someone foolishly taking on their own GT-R overhaul, I have nothing but respect for what Brad and the Driver Motorsports team have created here. Yes, it’s clearly had a lot of cash spent on it, but when everyone else is hell-bent on returning GT-Rs to factory condition it’s massively refreshing to see a US-built one still pushing the boundaries in 2022.
This is all very positive for a SEMA post, because frankly it was a hugely positive (and exciting) show to attend this year. But it wasn’t without its drawbacks, and I’m not just talking about the whole Bluetooth driveshafts meme.
Actually, let’s start there, because this represents a bigger issue in the form of incomplete cars displayed at the show. Undoubtedly this will divide many of you, and while I appreciate both arguments, I can’t help but think it sends out the wrong message for what SEMA (and other shows) should stand for.
Building any car isn’t easy. Issues crop up, deadlines surpass, and costs spiral out of control. The last thing anyone wants is a sea of copy/paste builds, but SEMA doesn’t exactly come as a surprise each year.
Two of my stand-out builds this year, Mike Burroughs’ Ferrari ‘244 GTK’ and Igor Polishchuk’s K-swapped E30 BMW M3, were both finished with hours to spare before making their way to Las Vegas. Why cut it so fine? Because both owners insisted their cars be driven in under their own power as a matter of principal. No power, no show.
And on the flip side to this, I was gutted not to see Stan at Toyo Tires’ Mercedes-Benz 190E build this year. There were no issues to report, it just wasn’t ready in time and Stan wasn’t prepared to rush through it only to then have it appear on FormulaDerp several days later.
This isn’t a point to suggest one attitude is better than another; an individual’s build will always be approached differently to that of a company with product it needs to promote. But what message does it send to a global audience when the product on display isn’t the best it could be.
Cars aside, there’s one more gripe with SEMA which needs to be aired that doesn’t actually relate to the show. In fact, it’s not even exclusive to SEMA.
If your pass allows you in – regardless of what it says on the front – you’ve got as much right to be there as anyone else. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how big your name is printed on a Fruit of the Loom tee; nothing elevates you beyond anyone else.
Social media has given the voiceless a voice, and that’s not a bad thing – everyone deserves to be heard. But not all of them need to use a megaphone in the process.
Plus, if the most stressful part of your day is someone walking in front of your shot, your day really hasn’t been that stressful. The fact any of us can call this work is surely the biggest hoax of the 21st century. Go to Vegas and look at cars? Sounds dreadful…
Car culture comes in all shapes and sizes as SEMA demonstrates every year. Pour concrete in your 140dB truck? Amazing, keep being awesome. Bolt twin-turbos in the back of your Aventador? I wish I had the bravery of your tuner. Hell, bring an unfinished car to a show because it brings you happiness? Let’s throw that earlier point straight in the bin.
I cannot think of many industries more bonkers than the world of car tuning. Its diversity is why we love it, but also why it can feel so frustrating at times.
If it goes beyond this and starts to control your life in a negative way, it’s probably time you should take a break from it. Car culture is enjoyment. So, if anyone needs me, I’ll be pouring concrete into a GT-R ready to fit 12 subwoofers in the boot. See you next year, SEMA.
In 1955, Chevrolet released the first version of its Nomad, a ‘sport wagon’ featuring a 265ci V8 up front. In 1962, Volvo introduced the Amazon, a station wagon designed for practicality and comfort, packing a whopping 75hp from its 2.0L four-cylinder engine. Both the Nomad and Amazon shared some similarities, but of course they were also quite far removed from one another.
The Nomad was part of a line of ‘Dream Cars’ produced by Chevrolet in the late-’50s, which as you’ll soon see fits nicely with this story.
My knowledge of American cars from the ’50s is extremely limited, especially when it comes to the lesser-seen models today, like the Nomad. Living in Sweden, I’m definitely no stranger to Volvo Amazon wagons though.
Despite that, I definitely did a double-take when I first saw this Amazon in Mantorp Park’s paddock during the Gatebil Season Finale. It looked wild, and different.
The two turbo bumps, one on each side of the hood (not pictured in this post), sparked my curiosity, so I quickly hunted down the Amazon’s owner, Simo Kiviniemi, who was happy to share its story with me.
The Volvo wagon build came about when Simo’s previous track toy, a 1953 Ford gasser, wasn’t fulfilling his need for speed any more. He stumbled across the 1969 Amazon by chance, and perhaps just in time too. With so much rust in the body, its days were numbered. Despite that, Simo did what any crazy Swedish car builder would do – not only save it, but go crazy with the rebuild.
Simo’s vision for the Volvo involved some major work. First things first though, he stomped out the Amazon’s rust-eaten floor and set about designing a custom tube-frame chassis that incorporates an SFI-certified drag cage.
The Amazon’s rear end has been substantially modified. In fact, I guess you can say it has been ‘Americanized’ as this is where the Chevy Nomad connection comes in.
Simo’s dream was always to own a Nomad, but for financial reasons that plan never came to fruition. The next best thing? Modify an Amazon to look like a Nomad.
The b-pillar has been moved rearward, tilted and extended; the roof has been shortened three inches to tilt the hatch; and the c-pillar has been completely removed to get those longer rear windows. Once all the remedial and custom body work was completed, the wagon was resprayed in California White, an original and classic Volvo Amazon color.
The wheel arches were also modified to house the monster American Racing Torque Thrust wheels measuring 18×9.5-inch in the front and 18×10.5-inch out back, shod with Hankook rubber. Behind the front wheels are Jaguar S-type R brake callipers paired with 365mm brake discs, while there’s a Volvo 240 disc setup at the rear.
The custom tube work I mentioned earlier can be seen throughout the interior when you open up the doors, which came from a 2-door Amazon coupe.
But the very first thing that grabs your attention is the custom-made and sticker-bombed transmission tunnel, which shrouds a BMW 530 6-speed transmission paired with a Tilton triple-plate clutch.
Despite the interior being specced for racing, original Volvo items can still be found amongst the aftermarket parts, including the radio and speedo that goes up to 180km/h. I can imagine the needle trying to exit right out the side of the dash cluster when the car is pushed to the limit. Luckily there’s a digital tablet reading straight from the MaxxECU engine management system to provide reliable data.
Finishing off the interior is a Grant racing steering wheel, a custom-made pedal set, Mlimits ML Pro-X bucket seats paired with RCI 5-point racing harnesses, and a checker-plate steel passenger footrest.
In usual race car fashion, the fuel cell is located in the rear where the 4-link drag suspension setup with BC Racing coilovers and the Ford 9-inch diff is visible.
Back in 2016, the Volvo was powered by a blown small block V8 from Simo’s previously-owned Ford gasser. That motor eventually failed, but instead of trying to fix something that was unfixable, Simo dropped an all-new setup in the Amazon.
Intimidating, isn’t it? What you’re looking at is a Chevy 5.3L LM7 running gapped rings for better boost, LS7 lifters and 2,200cc injectors, pushing 800hp to the rear wheels. What drew me in, in the Gatebil paddock, were the twin Holset Super HX40 turbos that go bananas at 4,300rpm on 1.3bar (19psi) of boost.
A unique solution for the large intercooler pipes was required for this setup, and custom engine brackets and mounts were also fabricated to handle the physical size and weight of the engine.
Simo used the Gatebil Season Finale as a shakedown for the car, because although its primary use will be drag racing, the Volvo is seeing some drift action too. Next year, Simo will focus on improving the handling, but the end goal is to run a 9-second quarter mile.
Seeing this thing on track amongst all of the expected Gatebil builds was amazing. But the best thing is, it’s only going to get better.
The media suits generally send a reporter with an electronic camera as well as mic to get a shot of the gas cost on the indicator at the station, and afterwards train some lady– it’s typically a woman, for a considerate impression– to claim words to the effect that she has to choose between gas as well as shoes for her kids.Reacting like Pavlov’s
pet dogs, the American public ends up being hysterical about gas costs, and they need someone to blame. It may be the government, which for many is the default bad guy in charge of every transposition of life. Or the Arab sheiks, that are not precisely prominent. Or Big Oil officers, whose sensitivity to public demands is demonstrated by bragging about exactly how they are repaying to the American people by paying dividends to investors at a time of record profits.No rational American is mosting likely to go to bat for Mohammed bin Salman or Vladimir Putin or the CEO of Exxon, as well as in fact they should have all the opprobrium they obtain and also much more. Why do incensed American consumers go out of their means to include to the earnings of these oligarchs?People had a choice, and also over the years they have actually decided for larger, much less fuel-efficient automobiles. Maybe they need all those pickups for job: possibly there is a large variety of farmers, ranchers, and service providers out there. Except there isn’t. According to the Washington Post, “when the automobile companies realized the country market for pickups was saturated, ‘they still required to market even more
vehicles. So they really begin [ ed] to count on targeting the rural white man.'”The pickup trucks for this group were barely vital work devices: “75 percent of truck owners use their vehicle for hauling one time a year or less( definition, never ever ). Almost 70 percent of vehicle owners go off-road one-time a year or less. As well as a complete 35 percent of truck owners utilize their truck for hauling … once a year or less.”Amongst the characteristics purchasers wanted was “to offer a hard photo. “So WHO is to blame Spies?? Read Article
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Dodge Last Call Cars The home window on the modern-day muscle-car period remains to shut as model-year 2023 will be the last one for the Dodge Challenger and Charger. Parent-company Stellantis just recently introduced that these cars will get seven special-edition trims to be built over the next 14 months.
Among the swan-song models readily available for both the two-door Challenger and also four-door Charger will certainly be the “Shakedown,” “Super Bee,” and also “Swinger.” Records suggest 1,000 of each will be developed as well as split between the Scat Pack as well as Scat Pack Widebody variants. An additional 300 Challenger “Black Ghost” and also Charger King Daytona “Go Mango” variations will be readily available based upon the Hellcat Redeye Widebody. Speaking of the Hellcat, every 2023 model will certainly use the Jailbreak specification, which pushes its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine as much as 807 horse power. All 2023 Challengers and Chargers will consist of a “Last Call” celebratory plaque, with R/T qualities including badges that describe its 345 cubic-inch engine. Timeless paint colors including “B5 Blue,” “Destroyer Gray,” “Plum Crazy,” and “Sublime” will certainly make one last look.
To assist guarantee that anybody that desires one of these swan-song designs can obtain one, Dodge has actually already launched its entire 2023 allowance to dealers. Prospective customers can search the “2023 Dodge Horsepower Locator” to see specifically what models are offered to order at every location. The system is created to avoid unscrupulous dealers from taking down payments for automobiles they will certainly not eventually obtain. Note that you can’t put your order or put down any kind of money online– you have to speak to the supplier straight. Additionally, Dodge has no control over which shops will certainly be offering these autos with an additional markup over MSRP. We can just about ensure that the most preferable specifications will lug a substantial costs over sticker.
Performante Power Without The Price: The Lamborghini Urus, Cooled By CSF – Speedhunters
SHARE Performante Power Without The Price: The Lamborghini Urus, Cooled By CSF
It wasn’t that long ago when the idea of a performance SUV seemed like an alien concept.
GMC’s Typhoon may have kicked this off back in the 1980s – and for that car alone we’re eternally grateful – but it wasn’t until the late ’90s when the Germans took this fast 4×4 platform and pushed it all the way to the mainstream. Think Mercedes-Benz ML, BMW X5 and Porsche’s Cayenne.
Fast-forward to 2022 and this genre isn’t so niche anymore. In fact, SUVs represent some of the best-selling models on the planet full stop. So popular in fact that even Ferrari – who once swore they’d never build an SUV – have now jumped on the bandwagon too.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, SUVs are here to stay.
To say performance SUVs fit within the modern agenda of sustainability is a bit like saying the Titanic sprung a small leak. That’s a completely different conversation, so for the sake of Speedhunters’ sanity we’re going to focus on the positives about these cars. Performance. Lots of performance.
And not just petrol performance either. Remember the Audi SQ7 V12 TDI? That used a 6.0L twin-turbo diesel V12 to celebrate Audi’s dominance at Le Mans. Horsepower seemed quite modest by today’s standards, set at 500hp, but torque had to be electronically limited to 1,000Nm. With a cheeky little ECU flash, you’d be closer to 600hp and 1,200Nm.
Then there was VW’s V10-powered Touareg, and the BMW X5 with the same V12 found in McLaren’s F1 GTR stuffed in its nose. The more you dig into this class of oddities, the more you realise that performance SUVs have actually been some of the most interesting new vehicles in recent years.
And then you get to the ones which somehow manage to translate their straight-line performance into cornering performance too. Models like the Lamborghini Urus which, from some angles, looks a bit like a Huracán put its head in a wasp nest. But mash the throttle and it’ll do similar things to your own face.
Credit to the engineers? Without a doubt, but this Lamborghini’s very existence proves there’s not only demand for a supercar-priced SUV, but an audience out there wanting to modify them too. And you can thank the model’s twin-turbo V8 for that, a powerplant pinched straight out of the Audi RS6 and tweaked to produce 649hp.
But if people will spend serious money on a stock Urus, it goes without saying they’ll pay a big premium for the ‘Performante’ edition too, right? Yes, but perhaps only until they realise there’s just a modest 16hp power increase. So is it really worth forking out all that extra cash for a slightly-tweaked Lamborghini, or can you get even more power for less dollar? This is Speedhunters, so of course we’re going to push for the latter.
Thankfully, CSF Radiators follows this same ethos whether it’s for a Civic Type R or the latest Italian super-SUV. One company taking full advantage of CSF’s extensive product line is Autowerks, based in Thailand.
Thailand’s modified car scene is absolutely blowing up right now, and if a striking Verde Mantis Lamborghini Urus doesn’t grab your attention, nothing will. But more importantly than that, this is the first Urus to be modified in the Southeast Asian country, and with a whole host of world-first parts fitted, it’s safe to say the Autowerks team haven’t held back.
First thing’s first, the performance. Being the same 4.0L twin-turbo V8 as found in the C8 RS6, there’s already plenty of knowledge floating around on the engine’s capabilities. With just under 650hp from the factory it’s no slouch, but throw the right hardware into the mix and that beast of an SUV will be transformed into a total monster.
That’s where CSF Radiators come into play. It’s one thing to increase boost and airflow with a turbo upgrade, but utilise this without the correct cooling and your engine’s potential is always going to be limited. On the flipside of that, simply cutting up a US$220,000+ car to incorporate larger coolers isn’t an option most owners are going to be too happy about. Time to engineer a solution…
CSF first released their Audi RS6/RS7 (C8) intercoolers last year (these units also fit the RSQ8 as well the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT), so the initial design and core dimensions could be carried over in order to improve the engine’s efficiency. But with a completely different packaging – right through to the bumper ducting and angle the coolers are mounted – the tricky part would be ensuring they lined up with all the OEM mounting points to create a true ‘drop-in’ design.
With physical space limited, how else do you improve an intercooler’s efficiency? Take a look at the black finish below. That’s not just for looks, even though it is suitably badass. It’s actually a special thermal rejection ceramic coating which disperses the heat by an extra 15% compared to a non-coated intercooler. This coating can only be applied by an aerospace coating company in California where CSF is based, and is specifically used for these kinds of premium upgrades.
Improved efficiency and capacity means even more power. That’s a win in itself, but the biggest benefit from the CSF x PWR Urus intercooler kit is its ability to recover (and fight off) heat-soak. Not only does it improve peak performance, but the coolers help the 4.0L V8 maintain a consistent power level run after run, even in hotter conditions. By comparison, the OEM intercoolers and the rate they deteriorate with heat-soak means that performance is compromised even during hard road use.
It all sounds very impressive, but what does that translate to for the Autowerks Urus? With cooling taken care of it means they were able to utilise a pair of TTE833 turbos from The Turbo Engineers, and once combined with a free-flowing exhaust system and ECU tuning, power is increased by almost 200hp over stock.
836.1hp is the magic number, but torque is also bumped up to 1,031Nm. Trust us when we say, this kind of power in a 2-tonne SUV doesn’t feel watered down in any way. It is savage all the way into license-losing speeds, and the V8 soundtrack builds drama with every RPM.
The power jump only tells half the story with this build. Because there’s nothing subtle about an 836hp Verde Mantis Urus anyway, why not raise the exterior to match too?
Unsurprisingly, there isn’t really an off-the-shelf bodykit for the Urus, so Autowerks turned to TopCar in order to create a bespoke, one-off bodykit combined with a camo green carbon hood. Autowerks lowering links bring the ride height down to sit perfectly over a set of HRE P111SC wheels for a truly menacing look.
Ironically, the Autowerks Urus not only blasts past the Performante edition in horsepower, but the TopCar aero pushes the styling way beyond even what Lamborghini can offer from their limited Performante model.
Whether performance SUVs are your thing or not, you do have to give credit to automakers like Lamborghini for their ability to push not only what’s acceptable with an SUV, but also for building a base that – even as a $220,000 model – still has room for tuning.
The fact there’s demand for these cars to even exist in 2022 is a mind-bending fact in itself. And with tuners already taking the 4.0L V8 engine past 1,000hp in other applications, it’s something we’ll only encourage more of.
So, with that in mind, what’s your take on the performance SUV industry? Let us know in the comments below…
