Over the last few years, thanks in large part to the efforts of its CEO Akio Toyoda, Toyota has taken a big charge at making all of its cars more exciting and more fun to drive. Naturally, testing and development at Germany's famed Nürburgring Nordschleife has been a big part of this movement, and the company has decided to take things even further by opening a scaled down test track in Japan that's heavily based on the 'Ring.

Located in Toyota's home base of Aichi, Japan, the Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama is a massive new testing and development facility that will be fully completed in 2023. It will eventually include a high speed test course, road surfaces that replicate areas around the world and a huge R&D center, and its scaled down version of the Nürburgring is already operational.

The "mini Nürburgring" has a total length of 5.3 kilometers and was heavily inspired by the original. It cuts through the forested Japanese countryside and features a wide variety of corners and 75 meters worth of elevation change between its highest and lowest points.

In terms of "cool job rankings," factory test driver is certainly high on the list, and Toyota says the majority of the 50 employees who have gone to work at the new facility are test drivers. When completed, the facility will have about 3,300 employees on site.

Unlike the real Nürburgring in Germany, it's not likely Toyota's scaled down version in Japan will ever be open to the general public, but it is important because it signifies Toyota's commitment to building cars that are more exciting to drive.

As part of his speech at the opening ceremony for the new facility, Toyoda-san said, "We intend to thoroughly hone every one of our models and develop the types of cars that epitomize the true joy of driving." Here's hoping we see some awesome new Toyotas being fine-tuned here in the coming years.

Speaking of exciting new Toyotas, don't forget to check out our coverage of the upcoming 2020 Toyota Supra.

Do you want to feel old? Consider this little tidbit. The current Dodge Challenger has been on sale for well over 10 years now, with production on the first cars beginning way back in May of 2008. Fortunately though, Dodge has kept the model quite fresh, introducing more options and increasingly powerful variants over the 11 years the car has been available.

In fact, there are so many different Challenger options right now that we thought we’d put together a little enthusiast-oriented buyer’s guide for the car and give some suggestions about which models should be worthy of your consideration. Let's take a look at the 2019 Challenger lineup from bottom to top.

Challenger SXT & GT

Starting at the lowest end of the lineup with a base price of about $28,000 are the cars powered by Chrysler’s ubiquitous 3.6L V6 engine. Although the base Challenger is relatively powerful and gets decent fuel economy for what it is, we'd recommend skipping the V6 model and upgrading to at least the R/T. The V6 also has no manual transmission available.

With the V6 model you have the unique option of getting all-wheel drive, but unless you absolutely need a large two door coupe with AWD capability, there are better choices on the market for those in wintry climates—a Subaru WRX for example.

Otherwise, unless your budget is totally strapped, a Challenger with a V8 engine will have much more power, better resale value and, most importantly, more appropriate sound, making the extra cost more than worth it.

Challenger R/T

That brings us to the entry level V8 Challenger, the R/T model, which starts out at just over $34,000 and is powered by a 5.7L Hemi V8 that makes 375hp. Unlike the V6, it can be had with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic, and there are number of different packages available for it, including the retro-inspired T/A and Shaker.

These days, 375hp is a substantially smaller number than what the V8s in the base model Camaro SS and Mustang GT make, but the R/T should really be seen as a mid-level option between the V6 and the higher performance, more expensive versions of the Challenger.

Keep in mind though, that there are often substantial discounts to be had on the Challenger R/T, and if you are just looking for the sound and feel of a modern V8 muscle car without the face-ripping performance, the Challenger R/T is still a solid machine.

Challenger R/T Scat Pack

It’s with the the R/T Scat Pack model that you really start getting into the muscle of the Challenger lineup. In fact, depending on the options you choose, a Scat Pack Challenger can be considered one of the best bargains on the current performance car market.

MSRP for a Scat Pack begins right at $40,000, and for that money you get a larger 6.4L Hemi V8 that makes 485hp, again available with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. The Scat Pack also comes standard with other high performance bits like Bilstein shocks and four-piston Brembo brakes all around. When compared to the R/T, the difference in price is usually made up by improved resale value, and there's not much of a fuel economy penalty either. 

A Scat Pack can balloon in price quickly with all the options and packages available, but there are a few that drastically transform the car. For drag racers there’s the 1320 package for $3,995 that includes drag-tuned adaptive suspension, a transbrake and even drag radials.

Or there’s the $6,000 wide body package that gives you fender flares, massive 305-width tires on 11-inch-wide wheels, larger six piston Brembo brakes and adaptive suspension. It’s a significant amount of money, but the same upgrades would be much more expensive via the aftermarket.

On the other hand, it can also be said that a low optioned Scat Pack gives you one of the best bangs for the buck. We’d at least recommend the $2,200 Dynamics Package for its larger six-piston brakes, wider wheels and it’s more substantial 275-width tires versus the undersized 245s that come on the base model Scat Pack.  We’d also recommend upgrading to the Driver Convenience and Plus Packages for their added features, leather-trimmed upholstery and heated/ventilated seats for a rather low $2,795 combined price tag.

Of course, even with zero options, a Scat Pack Challenger is still a well-equipped, fast and surprisingly practical muscle car for a not a whole lot of money. Depending on the time of the year and which dealer you buy from, base model cars can sometimes be had in the low to mid $30,000s.

Also note that the the naturally aspirated SRT Challenger is no longer offered, as most buyers realized that well-equipped Scat Pack is basically the same thing as the old SRT model but at a lower price.

Challenger SRT Hellcat

That brings us to the Challenger Hellcat, which now starts at about $62,000 and comes powered by the ridiculous 717hp 6.2L supercharged Hemi backed by either a manual or automatic transmission.

Along with its tire-shredding blown Hemi, the Hellcat already comes equipped standard with the larger Brembos, adaptive suspension and leather trimmed seats, so there aren’t as many option packages available for it.

The one big option is the Widebody Package, which for $6,000 offers the the fender flares, extra wide wheel and tires and what Dodge calls a “competition-tuned” suspension. It certainly makes a big change in the appearance of the car and makes it more capable at the track.

Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

Of course, it can also be said that if you are willing to drop the coin for the loaded Hellcat you may as well go all the way and get a get a $73,000 Challenger Redeye, the current alpha of the Challenger lineup.

Among other things, the extra money gets you a bump to 797hp, heavier duty axles and a pair of massive functional scoops. The Widebody Package is still the same $6,000 option on the Redeye as it is on the Hellcat and Scat Pack though, and the biggest drawback of the top end model is that there’s the no manual option. The eight-speed automatic is your only choice.

So despite it being the elder statesman of the muscle car market, Dodge has done a great job keeping the Challenger relevant and giving the car a character all its own. From mid $20,000s base V6 to a loaded Redeye that’ll cost you more than $90,000, there are variants for everyone.

From a real world enthusiast perspective, we’d say two of the best choices are either a modestly equipped R/T Scat Pack for its great performance and fun-to-dollar ratio or a Widebody Hellcat with a manual transmission because it’s simply one of the most uniquely badass machines offered by any automaker today. Now you just need to figure out what color you want.

If you haven't seen how good a Challenger can look lowered, you need to see Jose's bagged Challenger T/A.

It’s been about seven years now since the much-anticipated sports car then known as the Scion FR-S now known as the Toyota 86 arrived on the US market, and in recent months there’s been a lot of speculation about what is to become of the aging vehicle.

While we still don’t have many details on a follow up to the 86 or its platform mate the Subaru BRZ, Toyota has regularly released special editions of the 86, and the latest one might be the most attractive one yet.

Named after an iconic and scenic stretch of Japanese driving road called the Hakone Turnpike, the 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Edition is mechanically identical to the 86 GT Grade, but has several aesthetic touches to set it apart.

First off there’s the paint. It’s a handsome shade that Toyota calls Hakone Green, and the exterior treatment also includes a black-colored rear spoiler and a set of bronze 17-inch wheels.

Inside, the Hakone Edition gets tan and black Alcantara seats along with unique badging, and the overall theme is one that feels more elegant than your typical Japanese tuner car.

Pricing for the car hasn’t yet been announced, but it should be similar to previous 86 special versions like 2019's TRD Special Edition, which was priced at about $32,000.

Like everyone else, we are itching for news on the next generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ, but the Hakone Edition shows the current car can still be plenty appealing. It will be available this fall.

While on the subject of Toyota and its upcoming models, make sure you see the company's awesome new Nürburgring replica it built in Japan.

For one week every spring, Daytona Beach, Florida, plays host to thousands of Jeepers from across the country. Mixing in wheeling, scavenger hunts and nightlife, Jeep Beach has evolved into one of the country’s premier Jeep events. We’ve been attending for years, and we’re happy to report that this year’s event did not disappoint. To give you a glance at what the event is all about, we’ve put together the recap video above.

Don’t worry, we’ll have even more Jeep Beach content coming soon. Until then, find out why you need to mark your calendars for next year’s event!

You might recall that last fall at the 2019 SEMA Show, Chevy showed off a concept version of the Camaro that was largely the same as the production car with the exception of a slightly restyled front end. It was seen as a response to criticism about the look of the refreshed 2019 Camaro's front bumper, and there was plenty of speculation that the concept's front end would soon become standard issue.

Now just one model year later, Chevy has indeed given the 2020 Camaro SS another facelift based on the bumper design from the SEMA car, and it features a lot less black than the 2019 car for an overall cleaner look.

But perhaps the bigger story that comes with the debut of the 2020 Camaro is the addition of a new model called the Camaro LT1. It comes with the standard content of the Camaro LT model but gets the 455hp V8 of the Camaro SS all for a starting price of $34,995, a few thousand cheaper than the base price of the SS. It features 20x8.5-inch wheels all around versus the staggered setup from the SS, and like the SS it can be had with either a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic.

With the price of performance cars continuing to rise, it's nice to see Chevy offering a more barebones version of the V8 Camaro, and there's no doubt the 2020 models' refreshed front end will be seen as an improvement over the old design. The 2020 Camaro will be on sale early this fall.

In the market for a brand new muscle car? Don't forget to check out our buyer's guide for the 2019 Dodge Challenger.

After Ram rocked the diesel pickup world with its 1,000 lb-ft H.O. Cummins revelation in January, not even GM’s new (segment-leading) towing capacity could compete with the kind of headlines Ram was getting. Since then, truck fans have been anxiously awaiting Ford’s next move. After all, if history is any sort of indicator Ford has answered the call nearly every time Ram has upped its power ratings—and with the 2020 Super Duty slated to begin showing up this fall, it’s not very far-fetched to believe Ford has its sights set on topping the 1,000 lb-ft mark with its third generation 6.7L Power Stroke.

While Ford has predictably kept quiet thus far in terms of potential horsepower and torque figures for its refreshed engine, don’t mistake the automaker’s silence for weakness. Right now, somewhere in Dearborn, a 6.7L Power Stroke is in a test cell humming away on an engine dyno. The following analysis is mostly speculative but, based on the 30-year numbers battle between Ford, Ram and GM, and the fact that the new 6.7L Power Stroke appears to have been built to handle even more abuse, don’t count on Ford settling for second place in the torque war. A 1,000-plus lb-ft Super Duty is likely coming to a dealership near you this fall.

The Ford vs. Ram Saga Is Hot, but It’s Still a Three-Horse Race

Ford has one-upped Ram in the torque game six times over the past 25 years (’94.5, ’96, ’99, ’03, ’15, ‘18), and to be fair Dodge/Ram has returned the favor each time. Ever since the Power Stroke nameplate first came onto the scene to challenge the B-series Cummins, this battle has been raging. Of course, GM has kept pace and even surpassed both Ford and Ram with its 6.6L Duramax on three occasions.

Third-Generation 6.7L PSD: Bottom End Prepped for More Twist

Despite limited public details on the new, third-generation 6.7L Power Stroke, all signs point toward significantly improved torque numbers. Still based on a compacted graphite iron (CGI) block, the new crankcase is said to be even stronger than the original. Beefier connecting rods, upgraded bearings, new pistons and revised aluminum cylinder heads also made the list in FoMoCo’s February 5 press release. Any time an engine is about to see a substantial torque increase, connecting rod and piston upgrades go hand-in-hand. This is so these vital components can withstand the added cylinder pressure required to achieve a bigger torque rating. Additionally, producing peak torque at a higher rpm is another way of relieving the rotating assembly of some of the stress it will see. Ford did this in ’17 when torque jumped from 860 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm to 925 lb-ft at a higher engine speed of 1,800 rpm.

Higher Injection Pressure

One way to glean more horsepower and torque out of a modern diesel engine is to crank up the rail pressure. Instead of peak injection pressure checking in near the 30,000 psi mark (’11-’19 engines), working with its fuel system supplier, which is still Bosch, Ford has upped the 6.7L Power Stroke’s high-pressure common-rail system to produce (and handle) 36,000 psi from the factory. Not only will higher injection pressure facilitate more horsepower and torque, but it will also improve in-cylinder atomization of fuel, which will yield cleaner emissions. In the diesel aftermarket, some of the most powerful common-rail engines are running pressures in this range.

Stroked CP4.2?

In ’15, a Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump with nine-percent more flow than the ’11-’14 version helped produce a 60 lb-ft gain (along with 40 more horsepower) for the 6.7L Power Stroke. For the ’20 engine, we suspect Bosch may have treated the CP4.2 to a camshaft with more stroke, along with corresponding (and presumably higher-flowing) injectors. In the aftermarket, the CP4.2 has been pushed to 10.3mm of stroke with zero effect on longevity. But a 10.3mm pump will support more than 800hp. With Bosch not likely to require anything that aggressive but in knowing the pump can live with a more radical cam, we suspect a stroker camshaft of some sort is what they’ve provided Ford. As a side note, the CP4.2 has always been rated to handle up to 39,000 psi, so don’t let the aforementioned 36,000 psi number scare you.

The Quietest Power Stroke Yet

Quick-firing Bosch injectors will make use of the highly pressurized diesel stored in the rails, delivering as many as eight partial injections per power stroke (combustion) event. At least two pilot injections (possibly even three) will take place prior to the main injection. As pilot (or pre) injections are solely utilized for the purpose of quelling combustion noise, the third generation 6.7L will likely be the quietest Power Stroke ever built. To be sure, at least two post events will occur after the main, post events typically being used to reduce particulate matter left over in the cylinder or to increase in-cylinder exhaust gas temperature.

Electronically Actuated VGT

For years, variable geometry turbochargers have been a means to meet emission standards while also providing great drivability for the end-user. By varying exhaust flow across the turbine wheel in the exhaust side of the turbo, the turbo can act like a small, restrictive charger at low rpm, or a much larger turbo at high rpm. A VGT’s ability to provide quick response (i.e. spool up) at low rpm means modern diesel engines can create even more torque. Though it’s been equipped with a single, electronically controlled VGT since its inception, the turbocharger aboard the 2020 6.7L Power Stroke will benefit from electronic actuation for the first time (up until this point, it’s been done according to oil pressure). This route seems logical for both improved responsiveness and emission purposes, as GM went all electronic with the BorgWarner unit on the L5P Duramax back in 2017.

10-Speed TorqShift

Not that the outgoing 6R140 six-speed TorqShift automatic did a bad job, but Ford’s new 10-speed TorqShift will offer a wider gear ratio span and five different drive modes (including Normal, Tow/Haul, Eco, Slippery and Deep Sand and Snow). Physically, the 10R140 slushbox takes up no more room than the 6R140 and weighs just 3.5 pounds more. Believe it or not, transmission selection and operation has more to do with emissions than you think. Always being in the right gear (i.e. optimizing the engine’s power band) is one part of the overall picture to make newer diesels run as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

19 Million Miles of Testing

When Ford divulged that its ’17 model year trucks had undergone 12 million miles of durability testing prior to their release, we were impressed. Now, we’re floored. So far, Ford has racked up some 19 million miles of testing on its 2020 trucks. When they debut this fall, we expect the new 6.7L Power Stroke to turn out more than 1,000 lb-ft of torque and somewhere between 450-475hp, and that dual rear wheel models will surpass GM’s best-in-class tow rating.

L5P Duramax Stays the Course

As has been the case in the past, GM has chosen to sit out the torque war for the time being. Its L5P Duramax, redesigned for 2017 and punching out 445hp at 2,800 rpm and 910 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm, will remain formidable even if it goes completely untouched for 2020. For most Chevy and GMC fans, the momentary hiatus from participating in Ram and Ford’s perpetual lb-ft skirmish is OK. After all, GM is currently winning a different numbers game, and one that many truck owners believe is of far greater value: maximum towing capacity.

The Current Tow King

While the torque war heats up between Ram and Ford, GM has pulled ahead in terms of towing capacity thanks to its new, fully-boxed ladder-style frame, 12-inch ring gear rear axle (on 3500 models), 30-percent bigger driveshafts and larger engine fan. As things sit right now, GM’s dual rear wheel model 3500 HD is capable of lugging 35,500 pounds when properly equipped—vs. Ram 3500’s 35,100-pound rating. Without a doubt, this is the tow target to beat for Ford, but GM has a history of outperforming the other two truck makers during real-world testing at GCWR, regardless how the spec sheet reads. With the addition of what appears to be a highly vetted, all-new 10-speed Allison automatic (the 10L1000) behind the L5P for 2020, don’t expect the General’s new HD to be the second truck to the top of the mountain.

Curious as to which engine kick-started the 30-year torque war? Look no further than the B-series 5.9L Cummins.

As the first Formula Drift event of the season wrapped up in Long Beach, California, Ryan Tuerck was unsure of what car he would compete in for the second round in Long Beach. With just three weeks between Long Beach and the second round in Orlando, California, and a 2,500+ mile tow in between, Tuerck and his Race Service team knew they had to make a quick decision. As many drivers took it easy on Sunday following the race, Tuerck and his team tore his competition Toyota GT86 down to the bones to evaluate the crash damage from a collision with the tire wall at the end of the final practice prior to the Top 32 tandem battles. The results weren’t very promising. A twisted strut tower, a rippled firewall, and a transmission tunnel that looked more like an arch than a carefully fabricated tunnel were all signs that the chassis had probably seen its’ last competition.

Tuerck took to social media to announce that the chassis was probably done. “Still in a bit of disbelief this is the last time I will step out the drivers seat in this car” said Tuerck on his Instagram post. Thankfully, Tuerck had another Toyota GT86 chassis with a Formula Drift ready cage available to him that had previously drifted at Gridlife South and other events. In just 10 days, the car went from a tandem-ready street car to being a full fledged, Formula Drift worthy competition car. With Tuerck still suffering from whiplash and a concussion, he was unfortunately not allowed to do any heavy work, so his crew chief Brian Hartsock and fabricators Dominic Biro, Nick Byatt, and Russell Walker all worked together to get the car completed in time for the long transport over to Orlando, Florida.

Qualifying 

As qualifying fired up on the Orlando Speedworld track, Tuerck and the rest of the Nitto Tire drift team were all looking very competitive. With an incredible 95 point run, it looked like Tuerck would be flying high, but all the drivers really rose to the occasion and put down some insane runs, meaning Tuerck would only qualify in 15^th position. The top qualifying position was taken by Fredric Aasbo with 99 points, while Dai Yoshihara would also earn 99 points but lose via a tiebreaker to qualify second overall. Fellow Nitto Tire drivers Chelsea Denofa (97 points, Q6), Alex Heilbrunn (95 points, Q13), Vaughn Gittin Jr (94 points, Q16), and Travis Reeder (91 pts, Q18) all earned their way into the Top 32 tandem competition on Saturday.

We Talkin’ About Practice?

Eying up the qualifying order and the level of competition in practice, it was apparent that nearly any driver could win the event. Saturday’s weather conditions were clear and sunny, which meant the track would be much grippier than the Friday qualifying conditions which were partially wet for the first run and overcast for the second run. As drivers were getting more comfortable with the level of grip in the morning practice session, they began to push it even further. Unfortunately for Vaughn Gittin Jr., his RTR Ford Mustang would tap the wall midway through the high speed bank while he was leading Ryan Litteral. Litteral was unable to react fast enough to avoid Gittin Jr., and the rear of Litteral’s 350Z made contact with the front tire of Gittin Jr’s Mustang. The front suspension of the Mustang was destroyed in the collision, and the car scraped to the flat bottom of the track where a forklift would be required to pull the car off course. All of this happened in the waning minutes of the practice session, and with Gittin Jr. scheduled to be just the second tandem battle on deck, the team would have just minutes to repair the vehicle. The crash was eerily similar to Tuerck’s wreck in Long Beach as it would happen in what would end up being the final run of the final practice before the tandem battles began, giving the team minimal time to repair the car.

Tandem Battles Heat Up in Orlando

Fortunately, the Ford Mustang RTR team was able to pull together a new subframe, brand new suspension, and repair the front end good enough for competition to make the call for tandem battle. Gittin Jr. was allowed to run without headlights or front fenders in his battle with Dean Kearney’s Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper, and neither driver took it easy in the tandem battle. Gittin Jr. was able to squeak out a small lead ahead of Kearney in his lead run, and stick a bit closer to Kearney in the chase run to earn the Top 32 tandem victory.

In Long Beach, the damage was too much for Tuerck and his team to repair the car, and the eventual writeoff of the chassis showed that it was largely due to the severity of the crash. Tuerck would take to the track a few tandem battles later, facing fellow Nitto Tire teammate Travis Reeder who was again driving his Nissan S13 car instead of the Electric-powered Chevy Camaro that was expected to debut in Long Beach, this time due to parts failure during a mid-week practice session instead of the drama that left his car parked in Long Beach. Tuerck would emerge the victor of the tire teammate battle, moving into his first Top 16 round of the season. Alex Heilbrunn and Chelsea Denofa would also win their Top 32 tandem battles against Alec Hohnadell and Taylor Hull respectively, giving Nitto ¼ of the remaining 16 drivers.

After a brief halftime break that included autograph signings and Opening Ceremonies in front of the crowd, the battles got even tighter. Gittin Jr. was able to eliminate top qualifier Aasbo in the first Top 16 battle after a “one more time” sudden death round, and moved past Forrest Wang’s Get Nuts Nissan S15 in the Top 8 to earn his first Final 4 appearance of the season. His Ford Mustang RTR teammate Denofa also won his Top 16 battle when he eliminated Matt Field’s Chevy Corvette, and also stamped his ticket into the Final 4 by defeating Piotr Wiecek’s Worthouse Nissan S15 in the Top 8. Pushing two cars into the Final 4 guaranteed that a Nitto Tire Ford Mustang would earn a podium victory, but both drivers had their hopes set on the top step. Tuerck’s rebound journey would end in the Top 16 at the hands of second place qualifier Dai Yoshihara, while Heilbrunn was on the losing end of his Top 16 battle with Justin Pawlak.

Gittin Jr. would face Long Beach winner Odi Bakchis in the first Final 4 battle, while Denofa would face Chris Forsberg’s NOS Energy Drink 370Z in the second battle. Gittin Jr. would push Bakchis to a pair of “One More Time” tiebreakers before narrowly being defeated, while Denofa spun chasing Forsberg to end his day. Since Denofa was the higher qualifying driver between him and teammate Gittin Jr., he would earn the final position on the podium. Denofa’s return to the podium would mark his second podium in three events, dating back to the season finale last year at Irwindale where he also took third place. Gittin Jr. was very thankful after the event that his team could get the car back on track and get the car competitive enough to make it to the Final 4, and happy to have teammate Denofa on the podium. Bakchis would earn the event win over Forsberg for his second consecutive victory due to Forsberg debeading a tire in the first lap of the battle. Bakchis carries a 56 point lead over Chris Forsberg, while Denofa (6^th) and Gittin Jr. (8^th) remain in the Top 10 overall in championship points after the weekend.

Looking Ahead

“We had a hell of a night. I shouldn’t have even made it out for my top 32 battle, the car looked like Frankenstein out there” Said Gittin Jr after the event. “These trials and tribulations, and falls to the bottom and rises to the top and the challenges with drifting is why I’ve been doing it for 16 years, because it’s not easy”

Chelsea Denofa was equally satisfied with the weekend as well. “We ended up in third place, we really wanted a final round appearance but had a small misjudgement in our Final 4 battle, I broke a tie rod after I collided with Forsberg, but overall we’re really happy with the weekend. The team was killing it, they repaired my car after the crash so I could go out there for the awards presentation, I can’t say enough about the Ford Mustang RTR team and how hard they worked all weekend” said Denofa after the event ended.

The third stop of the eight round Formula Drift Pro Championship takes place at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia on May 10^th and 11^th.

Tickets for Formula Drift Round 3 at Road Atlanta are available on www.FormulaD.com, and you can expect coverage of all the action on DrivingLine!

Throughout the year, Daytona Beach, Florida, becomes a rotating door for gearheads from across the nation. While NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and Bike Week put the coastal town on the map, the addition of Jeep Beach has attracted a new era of vehicle enthusiasts. Though the draw to Daytona Beach for most families is the warm weather and white-sand beaches, sign up for the annual Jeep Beach event and you’ll quickly find there’s plenty to keep you busy at the end of April.

Now in its 17th year, the week-long Jeep Beach event continues to keep Jeepers entertained year after year. Two of the biggest attractions happen to come towards the end of the week. No, we’re not talking about driving on the beach (you can do that during daylight hours). We’re referring to the festivities at the Daytona International Speedway.

Inside the historic racing venue, you’ll be treated to a massive vendor show that allows to you talk parts with (and buy them from) your favorite off-road vendors. Even better? There’s a full obstacle course setup in the speedway’s infield. Built with different lines based on experience levels, there’s plenty to keep you (and those watching) entertained. While we’re breaking down more about the event in the article below, to find out how you can be part of next year’s festivities, visit JeepBeach.com.

(Additional Photos Courtesy of Will Griffin)

We love driving on the beach. Not only is cruising along the shoreline fun, but the fact that you don’t have to haul all of your beach gear by hand is really nice. For those of you unfamiliar, the sandy shores of Daytona Beach are extremely hard packed, so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck.

We made the trek down to Florida from North Carolina in our 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. While a set of 35x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers wrapped on 17-inch VenomRex VR-501 wheels help it perform better and stand out from the pack, we’ve got some cool stuff in store for this build we’ll be showing you very soon. You can also watch our real-world JL review to see what we think of it after putting some serious time and miles into it.

Wheeling and Nightlife

Jeep Beach shuts down Main Street for its annual block party. It’s one of many evening and nighttime events to make sure you stay busy and having fun all week long.

How do you combine one of the slowest forms of motorsports with one of the fastest? Throw a rock garden on the infield of the Daytona International Speedway. We were seeing Jeeps on 40-inch tires get a good workout here, so cakewalk, it was not. Pro tip: Even though it’s a small off-road section, the Jeepers that did the best remembered to air down their tires first!

Face-to-Face With Vendors

The vendor show is unique for a few reasons. For starters, you get to be one-on-one with manufacturers that you might not otherwise be able to engage with. Companies such as Nitto Tire use it as an opportunity to interact with and listen to their customer base. This casual feedback may seem insignificant, but Nitto is a company that takes note of what the tire buyer has to say. It’s one of the reasons it retains such a wide catalog of enthusiast-oriented tires.

With the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator rolling onto showroom floors now, we expected to see a few on display. What we were not counting on was the Gladiator ride-along Jeep had set up. In addition to being able to see how these things work in the dirt, Jeep had an assortment of its concept vehicles on display.

Jeep Beach can be as “adult themed” as you want it to be. After all, Daytona Beach is a very popular tourist destination. However, it is family friendly and has things to keep the kiddos entertain as well.

Want to see more Jeep Beach action? Enjoy the gallery below and check out our video!

It was a decade and a half ago, right when Stateside enthusiasts’ lust for all things JDM was hitting critical mass, when William Drees, a SoCal native, first saw this no. 91 Spoon Sports Honda Accord Euro R. “We went to Buttonwillow, for a track day,” he begins, “and this car just showed up out of nowhere. I was blown away seeing it in person, really.” He knew Spoon and all the cars from JDM Options videos and the pages of U.S. tuning magazines, but this one was a little different.

Spoon Sports knew the time was right to break into the U.S. and foreign markets. But rather than try to do that solely from Japan, or spend exorbitant amounts of money shipping their cars back and forth between continents, they decided on something different: Build a genuine JDM Spoon Sports race machine at their home base in Japan, and then partner with local race teams in the U.S. and abroad to campaign it on their respective home turfs, winning races and local market shares at once.

Time-attack hadn’t yet caught on here, so they set their sights on what’s still today the gold standard in sportscar club racing: the 25 Hours of Thunderhill—a pretty logical choice, since any performance parts that can survive the brutality of 25 hours of nonstop racing would make great additions to the road-going cars of their target market.

Winning History

It was a creative strategy, and that first race proved to be a brilliant tactical decision as well. The brand-new car, entered by Spoon and Opak Racing, won the formerly Porsche/BMW-dominated E1-class and finished the race 16th overall out of 73 cars, including much more powerful GT and racing prototype machines. For a brand-new, front-wheel drive car in only its second production year, campaigned by a Japanese brand only a handful of die-hard fans had heard of, in their first year at the grueling race, it was a startling victory.  

The following year the car was sent off to the UK to compete in the first-ever Silverstone 24-hour race at the hand of Barwell Motorsport and the Fifth Gear TV crew (as documented in this episode of Fifth Gear), where it again won its class and finished unusually high overall.

The car went on to race at Brands Hatch and other UK circuits before going on to race at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in Germany, and then to Japan. It eventually returned to the U.S., where it captured the 2008 Nitto Tire U.S. Touring Car Championship and 2009 NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship, and served as a second-string car to other Spoon Sports machines in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill once again, along with other races.

Fading Into Obscurity

At some point the car was retired from official competition, and from what Will can tell, the battered but unbroken warrior was relegated to unused corners of various garages where it sat and sat…and sat. Will kept up with it, but never was in a position to buy it. Finally, in 2016 while on a personal trip to Japan and in a better place with his career, a friend messaged him a listing of the car for sale. Will phoned the seller, caught the next flight back to L.A. and drove up to the car’s Bay Area resting place to have a closer look.

Racing damage over the years had been poorly patched up, its bumpers were now cheap generic replacement, the brakes and transmission were trashed and someone, somewhere, added a cheap-o auto parts store aluminum wing to it. “It was a mess,” laughs Will, about the car that had first stolen his heart all those years ago. “As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to rescue it.”

By that point, the car’s racing heritage had been built into it. Its roll cage bore the stamps from its initial entry in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. It retained the 22-gallon fuel cell and vacuum-filler system that was installed prior to Silverstone. Once its original engine eventually faded, it was replaced with another K20A pulled from the Spoon FD2 Type R. It still rode on the Nitto tires it won with at its last race, and small modifications were added throughout its life to give it specific competitive advantages. 

Beginning the Rebuild

Will’s goal seemed simple enough: to preserve as much of the car’s history and original intent as he could, while restoring it to the best it could’ve been along the way. But considering the amount of race-specific, one-off hardware on the car, that proved to be ambitious. Over the course of a year he deconstructed the car to the sheet metal and rebuilt it in his two-car garage, deciding what to retain and what to replace, and where improvements could be made without going overboard.

Old bodywork was removed and repaired correctly. The car’s FD2 K20A engine was left intact but freshened up and reinstalled with a custom stainless exhaust, blacked-out Radium fuel rail and HPS water lines. Its transmission was rebuilt with a Spoon 5.0 final drive, clutch-type LSD and re-packed Spoon axles (thought to be its original axles!).

Mix of Old and New

A Hondata ECU was chosen to replace the car’s original thread-cable prototype Spoon unit. A fresh Koyo radiator was added under the hood, but many other accessories were left as-is, to preserve the history of the car.

The car’s aging Ohlins dampers were sent to Sweden to be internally rebuilt and were paired with fresh Swift springs. Spoon camber arms, rigid collars and solid steering bushings that weren’t available in 2003 were ordered and added, along with custom spherical bushings. Even the car’s original AP Racing air-jack system was restored and retained (with added jack stand collars), which might have been one of the biggest challenges of the whole build. “There was absolutely no information anywhere about that particular system,” laughs Will.

Will decided to keep the massive, 22-gallon fuel cell and filler necks, despite how much weight they added so high in the car, and the fact that they’re not legal for most racing here in the States. “They’re just such an integral part of the car’s history,” he explains.

A genuine 6lb Spoon Sports dry-carbon hood was found and added, along with a carbon trunk and ultra-rare Mooncraft carbon rear wing (since that aluminum one just had to go).

Lightweight Weds TC105N wheels and a fresh set of ultra-sticky Nitto NT01 rubber replace the required stock from years ago. Today, with the whole car now a little lighter, a little faster and a whole lot cleaner and more solid than it has been since its debut over a decade and a half ago. It’s ready to fight once again.

Back in Action at VTEC Club

We met Will and saw this beauty in action at VTEC Club’s season-opening competition round at Chuckwalla earlier this year and were impressed with its 2:01.8xx lap times in only Will’s second outing with it, and his first time at Chuckwalla. He’s planning to run more VTEC Club events in 2019, along with his HFF Challenge time-attack series held in conjunction with Speedventures.

“There are definitely areas where I could improve it even more,” he explains. “And I could always decide to just go all-out with it.” He continues, about the car he began his story with all those years ago, “But for now, I’m happy with it just the way it is.” So are we.  

Click through our gallery below for more of Will Drees' genuine Spoon Sports Honda Accord Euro R, and look for more Honda content from Driving Line all year long! 

Spec Sheet: William Drees' Spoon Sports 2003 Honda Accord Euro R

It may not be Spoon Sports, but Goldy is an excellent example of a track-focused Civic.

As any drag racer will tell you, winning a drag race is about more than just going fast, and what makes a car fast at one distance isn’t exactly what makes it fast at another one. Having a top speed of 300 mph doesn’t matter if you don’t have enough runway to reach it.

In that vein, we’ve laid out the fastest drag cars in Forza Horizon 4 for each drag strip, as every drag strip is a different distance and some even have different surfaces. When going for the absolute fastest cars in the game, it’s about more than just which ones come fast stock, but which ones have the best upgrades available. Don’t get us wrong, some of these are beasts from the moment you get them, but to get to the absolute best times, all of them need to have their upgrades maxed out and a custom tune.

Horizon Festival: 1997 McLaren F1 GT

A car that just missed being on our overall best expensive cars list, the only thing standing in the way of you and the McLaren F1 GT is 5.3 million credits. If you’re like us, you have a ton of credits lying around, but then again, it’s pretty easy to blow a bunch real quick on a few expensive cars. If you can scrounge up the credits, you get a car that after upgrades has straight tens across the board. You can routinely get up to 200+ mph in the quarter mile—fast enough to smoke any of your friends.

Ice Flats: 1968 Dodge Dart Hemi Super Stock

This is the easiest to acquire car on our list, with a cost of only 125,000 credits in the Autoshow. That’s because in stock form it’s a relatively mild classic car with 425hp. Upgrade it all the way, however, and you get a 1,100hp car that shreds the ice on its way to beating anything else out there. Just be prepared to take a while to come to a stop. That ice is slippery.

Greendale Aerodrome: 1932 Ford Custom “Double Down”

As a part of the Barrett-Jackson Car Pack, you’ll either need to pay seven real-world dollars to get this or buy in it in the Auction House, unless you have the Car Pass, which gives it to you for free. We’d suggest the Auction House, as we were able to find quite a few examples available for under 100,000 credits. When you do finally get it, not only do you get the fastest car on the Aerodrome Drag Strip, but you get to look like a baller hot rodder when you beat everyone else.

Bamburgh Beach: 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Forza Edition

We were lucky enough to get this in a wheelspin, but if you don’t, you can always pick it up at the Auction House. If the sellers are asking too high a price, the non-Forza Edition of this car is also amazing, so don’t feel like you’re getting a second-rate car if you use it. Not only is this a great drag car for long distances, but it handles extremely well and is one of the best cars in the game for getting from point A to B. We can’t recommend it enough.

The Juggernaut: 2002 Koenigsegg CC8S

If you have the Fortune Island expansion, you’ll get this car through your natural progression on the island, but if you don’t have that, as with so many others on this list, there’s always the Auction House. That said, there doesn’t seem to be as many examples of this up for auction as with the others, so if you can’t find it, just wait a couple days and look again. It should pop up sooner or later.

If you want a car that can turn and go fast, take a look at our list of the best expensive cars.

Starting May 5th, the Petersen Automotive Museum is opening its latest exhibit that’s packed with blockbuster Hollywood movie and video game cars. Titled, “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science fiction and Fantasy” the display promises to be as exciting as your pre-teen self imagines it will be. To celebrate the exhibit, we took a look at the list and found that some of our favorite “gadget cars” were on display, and we thought it would be fun to explore what gadgets each car was equipped with. Turns out there are a lot of similarities, and some of the gadgets of the past are now available here in the present. Read on to find out if you own some of the features that were only imagined for the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty or Speed Racer’s Mach 5.

1. Batmobile (Batman 1989-1992)

What kind of car would you build to fight crime with an unlimited budget? Measuring in at over 21 feet in length, almost eight feet wide, but only 51 inches high, the Batmobile is a formidable fantasy machine. It has a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 300 mph with power coming from a jet turbine. It uses an arsenal of gadgets to combat crime—some of them using technology that has yet to be developed and some that can be had in a new Tesla. 

The Batmobile's Gadgets:

• Call back auto drive mode
• Armor protection Cocoon mode
• Converts to Batmissle for narrow escapes
• Grappling hook launchers
• Central foot that can lift vehicle and rotate it 180 degrees
• Rear oil slick dispensers and smoke emitters

2. Zao’s 2002 Jaguar XKR (Die Another Day 2002)

What we love about this car is that it’s not James Bond’s car—it’s a gadget filled luxury car designed for a villain, Zao. It’s similar in many ways to a Q-equipped car, but this one is more designed for destruction than employing defensive measures. Unfortunately, the XKR was electronically limited to a maximum of about 155 mph, but we’ll just assume that when the evil agency was building it they removed this limiter. In production form, the 4L V8 offered about 370hp and accelerated the car to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, with 20-inch wheels and Brembo brakes.

Zao's XKR Gadgets:

• Back seat mini gun
• Front rocket launcher (18 rockets)
• Door panel missile launchers (6 missiles)
• Mortar launcher located in trunk (9 rounds)
• Reinforced ramming spikes
• Bulletproof sheetmetal and chassis
• Thermal imaging

3. Knight Industries Two Thousand aka KITT (Knight Rider 1982-1986)

What started out as a 1982 Pontiac Firebird probably sporting a smog-choked 305ci producing a whopping 165hp was transformed by Knight Industries with a “turbojet” with modified afterburners and a computer controlled eight-speed “turbodrive” transmission. The Knight Rider universe claims 0-60 mph in two seconds and a standing quarter mile time of a hair above four seconds. They didn’t forget the brake upgrades necessary for such speed—KITT features “electromagnetic hyper-vacuum disc brakes with a 14-foot braking distance from 70 mph."

The Knight Rider TV show ran for over four years, so the writers had a field day with all the different gadgets KITT had to fight the bad guys in every episode (which definitely made it fun for my pre-pubescent self). The list of gadgets is so long that there’s no way physically possible that this car could hold or properly employ all the gadgets it had throughout the series at any one time. So, for this article we’re going to stick with the gadgets that were used most frequently.

KITT's Gadgets:

• Artificial intelligence and self-driving
• Molecular bonded shell plating that can withstand almost all forms of conventional firearms and explosives
• Turbo boost
• Silent mode
• Grappling hook
• Oil jets/smokes screen
• Flame thrower
• Ejection seat

4. Black Beauty (The Green Hornet 1966-1967)

Many people haven’t heard of the Green Hornet—it was a show that stars a rich guy who fights crime using a customized car and a sidekick. Does that sound similar to another crime fighter who wears a cape and is associated with flying mammals to you? As it turns out, The Green Hornet radio show aired three years before Bob Kane thought up “The Bat-Man” but the premise is much too akin to ignore.

The Green Hornet of the ‘60s was a less comical and less fantastic (and less popular) TV series than Batman and had a grittier more realistic approach. Following that line of thought, the Green Hornet’s car, Black Beauty, is a modified 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown with a number of crime fighting gadgets.

It's possibly cooler than the Batmobile because it reflects the attitude of the show and everything it can do is based in reality. There is no technology of the future incorporated into the car (except the deployable drone, which was futuristic in the ’60s). Of all the cars on this list, it’s also one of the few that you could actually own and drive (without armament, of course).

Black Beauty's Gadgets:

• Hornet’s Sting (ultrasonic soundwaves that unlocked doors/set things ablaze)
• Knock-out gas gun
• Rocket launchers behind headlights and in rear bumper
• Small flying video/audio surveillance device (drone)
• Infra-green vision
• Grease/smoke and oil rear deployment
• Rotating rear license plate
• Brooms (yes, you read that right, brooms—to brush away tire tracks)

5. Mach 5 (Speed Racer Movie 2008)

The other vehicles on this list are primarily designed for crime fighting, whereas this car is optimized for racing combat. Yes, racing combat, which begs the question, is there a reason why the Mach 5 wasn’t in one of the Death Race movies? But I digress. Obviously, the Mach 5 was built for speed (pardon the joke) first and combat second. In the Speed Racer world, the Mach 5 was capable of 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds and could whiz through the quarter mile in about 7 seconds. Thankfully, the designers of the car were more imaginative with the gadgets than most and dreamt up devices other than pop-out guns and missiles. 

The Mach 5's Gadgets:

• Jump jacks (for jumping over stuff, obviously)
• Bullet-proof deflector
• Tire shields
• Regenerating tires (Hexodyne emergency spare)
• Dual zircon-tipped rotary saw blades
• Tire crampon grips (tire spikes)
• Homing robot (drone)

There have been more than a few famous Mustangs in the movies. Here are our favorites you might have missed.

The Hyundai Veloster has always been an oddball. It is a coupe on one hand and a two door hatch on the other. It has been billed as a hot hatch, but there was nothing “hot” about it. Hyundai isn’t usually associated with the word “performance car,” but now, that all changes with the 2019 Veloster N.

The N isn’t just a Veloster with N badges, bigger wheels, red brake calipers and more aggressive bumpers. The N gets 128 more horsepower than the base Veloster, bringing power up to 275hp out of a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder. To back up the added power, the N Performance Package gets 13-inch brakes, an electronic LSD, a six-speed manual with rev matching, additional chassis stiffening and tunable performance settings.

With all the focus on the driving experience, it’s only natural to compare it to the Honda Civic Type R, another performance-oriented hatchback that features two more doors and 31 more horsepower than the Veloster N. That said, more doesn’t necessarily mean better. Here are five things that the Hyundai Veloster N does better than the Honda Civic Type R. 

1. Sound

The best engines don't just go fast; they sound great while doing it. This is one area where the Veloster N excels, giving off a very satisfying snap, crackle and pop when you lift off the accelerator. In comparison, the CTR’s turbo VTEC motor doesn’t have the screaming VTEC crossover of older B-series motors but is still pleasant at high RPMs. The Veloster N makes beautiful music at any RPM.

2. Blending In

The CTR’s giant wing, fender flares, vents and bright red seats scream racer. Fortunately, the Veloster N turns the “look at me” styling down a couple of notches, from the CTR’s 10 down to a seven.

The styling both inside and out is more subtle in general. Red accents, a more subtle rear wing, bigger wheels and bright red brake calipers are telltale signs that this isn’t your standard Veloster. Inside, the seats aren’t as aggressively bolstered (or loud in color) as the Type R but still supportive in the corners, comfortable on long drives and easier to get in and out of.

3. Price

The Veloster N has a base price of $27,785. If you want to step up to the Performance Pack with an LSD, 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes, electronically adjustable dampers and an active exhaust, that brings you up to $29,885. Considering what it comes with, the Performance Pack is a bargain. An even bigger bargain is the $5,710 savings over the CTR’s $35,595 sticker price—if you can even find one for sticker. That price difference leaves plenty of cash for mods.

If you're serious about racing, you can even get a turn-key race car from Hyundai Motorsport in Germany, shipped for about $140,000.

4. More Driving Modes

The CTR offers three driving modes (Sport, Comfort, +R) while the Veloster N offers five (Normal, Eco, Sport, N, N Custom).

A drive mode button on the left of the steering wheel toggles through Eco, Sport and Normal. I found myself driving in either Eco or N Custom. A checkered flag button on the right takes you to N mode. N opens up the exhaust, stiffens the suspension and makes the steering weight heavier. The N Custom mode allows the driver to tune their own blend of throttle response, damping, steering feel, rev matching, stability control and exhaust note. You can dial it up for a twisty road then dial it down for the drive home. In Normal or Eco modes the exhaust no longer pops when lifting off the gas—perfect for not annoying your neighbors upon start up or quietly sneaking past cops, which leads me to the N’s next benefit.

5. Easier to Daily Drive

The Veloster N offers more bottom end torque than the CTR. In the N, peak torque arrives around 1,400-4,700 RPM. Peak torque in the CTR comes in at 2,500–4,500 RPM. Peak torque from a lower RPM, coupled with a softer clutch than the CTR, makes the N easier to drive on the streets and in traffic—where most drivers of either car will be spending most of their time.

The CTR begs to be revved high, which might not be fun if your commute is mostly stop-and-go. In the N, you can drive it like a standard Veloster if you want and still have passing power without downshifting.

As mentioned in number four, the active exhaust can switch the exhaust note from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Change the drive mode to be loud on an open, winding road or a quiet tone for driving into a neighborhood. Coupled with the less aggressive styling, I was able to pass police cars without the same stress of driving a Type R or STI.

Overall, the Veloster N is a fantastic driver's car. You can tell that the engineers really worked to make it well-balanced. With the Performance Package, the N can be driven off the lot ready for an autocross or track day. When driven hard, the Veloster N never makes you question what the car is doing, regardless of how experienced of a driver you are. Point it at a turn, downshift and the transmission will rev match for you, grip through a corner with no understeer, exit with speed and be ready for the next turn.

Hyundai seems to have gotten it right in their first attempt at a performance car. They have shown that they’ve done their research and are serious about performance. They've also found success at the race track in various professional racing series with the N models, as well. Hyundai has finally developed a proper hot hatch, and we can’t wait to see what Hyundai to wears an N badge next.

Love hot hatches? Did you see the 2019 Ford Focus ST that won't be coming to America?

If ever there was an aftermarket product every Duramax-powered ’11-’16 Chevrolet and GMC needed, it would be an electric lift pump. From its inception in 2001 all the way through to the 2016 model year, GM’s diesel-equipped HD trucks were void of a factory lift pump. It wasn’t a problem on ’01-’10 engines, but when the LML Duramax debuted in ’11, it came packing a different injection pump: the Bosch CP4.2 (vs. the Bosch CP3 being used prior to that). The CP4.2 is highly intolerant of fuel system contaminants, especially air, and wastes no time self-destructing once it’s been run out of diesel or fed a constant supply of aerated fuel. Also a pump that prefers seeing more than 50-psi worth of supply pressure, you can imagine how unhappy it is having to rely solely on vacuum to pull a few measly psi of positive pressure from the tank.

While comprehensive, tank-to-engine fuel supply systems have been available in the aftermarket for the LML for years, Fleece Performance Engineering recently took a different, more refined approach. Called its PowerFlo In-Tank Lift Pump, it installs inside the factory fuel tank for quiet operation, works in conjunction with the stock fuel lines, integrates into the factory wiring harness and makes use of an active fill bucket, which eliminates quarter-tank issues associated with other aftermarket lift pump systems. On the performance side, it employs dual, OEM-quality gerotor pumps and flows nearly 170 gph at rated pressure—enough fuel to support 800hp. But what exactly goes into this cutting-edge, aftermarket lift pump? On a recent visit to Fleece’s Brownsburg, Indiana headquarters, we got to see for ourselves. Follow along as one of Fleece’s finest techs pieces together an LML PowerFlo In-Tank Lift Pump from start to finish.

CNC-Machined Cap

The most recognizable piece of the PowerFlo in-tank lift pump is the cap. Once installed, it sits above the tank. The cap incorporates a ½-inch feed fitting and a 3/8-inch return fitting to accommodate the factory quick-disconnect fuel lines. It also features a fuel vent (left-most port).

Support Rods

Assembly of a PowerFlo in-tank lift pump begins with its two support rods being pressed into the cap. The support rods will be linked to the pump bucket assembly (the bottom portion of the lift pump) later on. After this, a rubber grommet is installed in the head, followed by the plastic electrical connector that resides in the grommet.

Comes With Pre-Installed Fittings

From there, the O-ringed ½-inch feed and 3/8-inch return fittings are installed and torqued to spec. After that, the same is done for the vent tube fitting. All fittings are then capped off to keep unwanted debris out during shipping.

Regulated Fuel Return

Next, the poppet valve is installed in the pressure regulator bore in the the cap (nearest to the return fitting). This is followed by the properly-tensioned pressure regulator spring and poppet valve plug. By regulating the fuel returning to the tank, no overpressure scenarios can occur.

Two Gerotors, Two Feed Fittings

Because there are two gerotor pumps side by side within the pump bucket assembly, each unit has its own fuel feed line running to the cap (toward the engine). With the cap turned upside down, both feed fittings are threaded in and torqued to spec.

Drain Tube Secured

Once the vent fitting and rollover valve have been installed in the cap assembly, the drain tube barb fitting comes next. Then the drain hose is pressed onto the barbed fitting, with a crimped retainer clamp also being installed over the hose to ensure it can never work itself loose.

Adding the Pump Bucket Assembly

After springs have been installed on the ends of the support rods (previously pressed into the cap), the support rods are pressed into the pump bucket assembly. At this point, and since the pump-to-cap feed lines are already attached to the gerotor pumps, the feed lines from the pumps are connected to the previously-installed feed fittings.

Wired Up

The pump-to-cap wiring harness comes next in the assembly process. The harness entails a power and ground wire for each gerotor pump, a fuel card (tested in-house in conjunction with the float arm for optimum accuracy) that attaches to the pump bucket by locking in place and a pigtail that plugs into the connector previously installed in the cap’s rubber grommet.

Dual Gerotor Pumps

Thanks to the use of twin gerotor pumps, the PowerFlo in-tank lift pump flows 168 gph at 15 psi. This makes it comparable to the 165 gph external lift pumps common in the diesel aftermarket, but its in-tank design means no noisy pump gets mounted along your frame rail and winter gel-ups aren’t a worry. In addition, the fact that the gerotor pumps are of OE quality means that they’re extremely durable, having been tested to last at least 300,000 miles (or 12,000 hours).

Active Fill Technology

Another aspect that sets Fleece’s PowerFlo lift pump apart from the rest of the aftermarket systems is its active fill technology. By using a venturi effect on the bottom of the fill bucket assembly (and the fill bucket itself sitting in a well), it’s able to scavenge fuel off the bottom of the tank at all times. This means no low-fuel (i.e. ¼-tank) issues. As to how the PowerFlo lift pump compares to other systems, we think Fleece put it best: “If you have a tank sump or an aftermarket system with a draw straw, you’re going to suck air at some point—there’s no way around it. Our system avoids this by having a reservoir that is flooded at all times (active fill bucket), even under hard acceleration or deceleration with a nearly empty tank. A sump or draw straw cannot do that.”

New Float Arm

Although it’s something the end-user installs, attaching the fuel float arm is the last item of business as far as the lift pump’s in-tank installation is concerned. At our request, the guys at Fleece illustrated exactly how the float arm attaches to the fuel card (shown above).

Installation Kit

The only thing left to do now was remove the float arm and pack the rest of the installation accessories up for shipping. In order to ensure consistent voltage always makes it to the PowerFlo lift pump, Fleece supplies a dedicated fuel pump relay with its wiring harness, along with zip ties and a fresh flange seal.

Another CP4.2 Savior Is Ready to Ship

Here, in finished form, the LML PowerFlo in-tank lift pump is ready to keep an LML’s CP4.2 alive for the long-haul, feed dual injection pumps if it needs to or support as much as 800rwhp. It’s capable of doing all of the above. Also available for ’05-’18 5.9L and 6.7L Cummins applications, thus far the LML Duramax-intended PowerFlo lift pump is already a hot-ticket item. Further Duramax applications will soon be supported, too. Even further into the future, Fleece has hinted that Power Stroke engines with HEUI injection (systems that require 65 psi) might be supported, thanks to the company’s gerotor pumps being rated up to 100 psi.

Curious why aftermarket lift pump are all the rage for diesels these days? Find out here.

For all of the disadvantages that come from being the last one to the party, there's one very important benefit, too: the complete inability to rely on past glory to carry the day. Automakers seeking to crack into a segment that has thus far been the undisputed property of well-established rivals have to ensure that their first shot is also their best and most compelling if they have any hope of turning heads and stealing customers away from the tried-and-true.

The 2019 Genesis G70 is perhaps the perfect encapsulation of this philosophy. A Korean-born upstart sent overseas to shake up the sport sedan pecking order, it's a four-door entry-level luxury car that's actually fun to drive. Would that those words didn't sound so revolutionary in our current day, but Genesis didn't simply focus on something the Germans did well and try to do it better. Instead, it realized what BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz weren't bothering with at all anymore, and then made that the lynchpin of its entire development program. As a result, the G70 is less a slap in the face of established premium brand dogma and more a cannonball into the deep end launched from orbit.

Hungry, and It Shows

Let's get this out of the way: The current crop of luxury four-doors are soft. With the exception of Cadillac with its aging ATS platform and Alfa Romeo with the Giulia, the my-first-luxury-car market has slid inexorably towards the comfort-focused, feature-laden side of the sedan scale. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends entirely on your perspective, but for the ruling Teutonic titans the shift away from the sport in sport sedan has lead to record sales and hefty profits nearly across the board.

Sensing opportunity, Genesis realized that it could gin up a near match for the Euro crowd in terms of leather and gadgets while lasering in on the kind of driving thrills that had increasingly become lip service-only. At its core, the car harkens back to what the BMW 3 Series used to be, before it the "ultimate driving machine" appellation was repurposed as a marketing tool rather than a design philosophy.

If this all sounds like so much shade-throwing, let me clarify. I don't personally think there's anything wrong with a company chasing a wider slice of the car-buying public. BMW et al's decision to dial things back dynamically doesn’t mean they're not still building excellent automobiles that have found a significant following. It does, however, open them up to being sniped by an automaker like Genesis that has nothing to lose and everything to gain by reminding luxury shoppers that fun can still be part of the four-door package.

Sharpening the Blade

Back to that whole "better make it count" thing. The 2019 Genesis G70 consists of several impressive puzzle pieces that, when assembled, reveal a stunning portrait of what can be achieved in a modern sport sedan.

It starts with the chassis, which is a shortened and lightened version of the same platform that underpins the Kia Stinger, a full-size grand touring corporate cousin that preceded the G70 to market. There are two damper choices available, a static sport setup and an adaptive design that can vary the stiffness of the sedan's boots to better tackle the terrain at hand. My tester was outfitted with the latter, and it proved more than adept at handling the broken Montreal pavement that curses nearly every commute through the city, as well as the smoother two-lane asphalt outside of its limits.

Does the car feel somewhat less pliable than the recently-redesigned BMW 3 Series on rougher roads? At times, yes, but the trade-off is impressive poise and control at the limit. On an undulating race track, the G70's suspension felt not just responsive but talkative underneath my seat, giving feedback in each corner with the kind of in-the-moment chatter that's so vital when trying to squeeze out a better lap time.

Hammer-Down

That sensation of nimble, balanced stability is buttressed by an incredible 3.3L twin-turbocharged V6 power plant. The 3.3T model that I tested throws down 365hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, numbers that feel a tad under-advertised given that rear-wheel drive versions of the G70 can sprint to 60 mph in a mere 4.7 seconds. The vehicle I drove came with a paddle-shifted, eight-speed automatic transmission (standard) and all-wheel drive (optional), with the latter adding only a tenth of a second when hammering it in a straight line.

It's eyebrow-raising performance that puts the top-tier Genesis G70 near the top of the luxury sport sedan pack. A more modest 255hp, 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine awaits in the base model (contributing 260 lb-ft of torque), and while it's not quite as quick as similarly-sized European turbo fours, it does offer the advantage of an six-speed manual gearbox—something not even BMW bothers to bring to the table anymore.

More Than Just a Good Time

If its rambunctious V6TT drivetrain and playful platform were the only shining lights of the Genesis G70 experience, there wouldn't be enough of a case to be made that this car has performed an elegantly-executed takedown of the current competitive sport sedan set.

Fortunately, there's more. A well-sculpted shape, combined with exceptional details in the front grille and lighting, help to cut a dashing profile for the G70 that feels every bit as premium as its peers. Inside, the car falters only in a few areas—largish buttons on the center console and an infotainment screen that is perfectly functional, but not quite "wow"—but also offers beautiful diamond-quilted leather seats and a generally well-presented feature set. Standard safety gear is also above-average, with a long list of active systems offered free-of-charge on auto-equipped cars in contrast to the pay-as-you-go model adopted by most other luxury brands.

Finally, there's the sticker price. You'll pay just under $35k for the entry-level G70, and just over $45k for a well-equipped turbo V6 model like the one I drove. Compare that to BMW or Mercedes-Benz, where you'll be expected to fork over an extra $5,000 to $10,000 for a comparable model. These are not insubstantial sums, and they provide a stark reminder of just how much brand equity goes along with choosing an established player.

Brave New World

Badge recognition is the one area where the Genesis simply can't compete with the sports sedan status quo. As a result, it doesn't even bother to try. This is a car that asks to be evaluated on its merits, rather than the reactions of neighbors and co-workers as they see you driving by.

Still, even by the latter measure the G70 is a head-turner, and while you will no doubt have to explain what, exactly, a Genesis is to anyone who asks you about your ride, it's a minor chore that pays off every single time you stab the ignition and decide to take the long way in to work in the morning—or play hooky on your favorite back road instead. It's hard to think of a better foundation for building a brand than an enormous smile on the face of satisfied owners.

Genesis has come a long way since we last drove it back in 2016. Check out our original review of the Hyundai Genesis back before it split into its own proper brand.

Driving Line issue 19 has officially been released. If you weren’t at LS Fest West and didn’t pick up an issue in person, don’t worry. We have you covered. You can always view the whole magazine online any time you like.

This issue is all about going big. From racing a car named Godzilla to 1,000 lb-ft of torque and an SUV that can outpace sports cars, this issue does nothing halfway. If part of your passion is going full-bore off-road, there’s plenty to love. We’ve got a ’71 Jeepster Commando with the best of modern performance and retro style, a guide to the many ways to camp and seven tips for those new to off-roading.

If all this sounds like something you’d want to see, flip open your digital copy of Driving Line issue 19 and get reading!

Don’t miss an issue by subscribing to the digital magazine for free!

Synergy Manufacturing is a company that understands not everyone is going to want to modify their Jeep Wrangler JL wildly. In fact, the company knows that many Jeepers are simply looking for a modest lift that doesn’t sacrifice ride quality. It was with this in mind that it designed the 2-inch, Stage 1 suspension system for the 2018 to present Jeep Wrangler JL. It’s an entry-level kit that’s designed for the recreational ‘wheeler and daily driver.

While the company’s California headquarters keeps them within driving distance to legendary ‘wheeling spots such as the Rubicon Trail and the Hammer Trails, Synergy finished out its multistage durability testing in Moab, Utah. We were there to check out the new kit and get a glimpse at just how thoroughly the company puts its suspension systems through the ringer before they become production parts. From blasting in the sand dunes to flexing over rocks, the video above gives you an idea of what this 2018 Jeep Wrangler test mule lives through.

Thinking about getting a JL? Here’s what you need to know first.

Hood ornaments have mostly disappeared, and there's really only one reason: Historically, they've probably the least-safe aspect of any automobile's exterior design, especially from a pedestrian's perspective. For every sword-like swatch of chrome striking towards the future in the eyes of the designer, there's an innocent victim out there missing an eye—and that's the best-case scenario.

Let's take a quick look at the most murderous hood ornaments in history.

1. Jaguar Leaper

Jaguar really didn't pull any punches with its famous Leaper, that springing silver cat aimed straight at one of your internal organs as you attempt to make it safely through the crosswalk. Bonus points to Jag for not only streamlining the shape of its chromed spirit animal for maximum penetration, but also for giving it ACTUAL TEETH that will no doubt cause the coroner to sigh deeply as they write up the accident report.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 8/10

2. Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy

More like the Spirit of Murder. One of the few life-threatening hood ornaments to carry on into the current era, this now-crystallized lady is perfectly positioned to snag you on the way down, gaffe-style, after you've been hurtled into the air by the flat coffin-nose of any of Rolls-Royce's modern luxo-machines. It's also worth noting that modern iterations of this ornament retract automatically into the grille surround at the touch of a button, making it easy for ultra-rich perps to hide the weapon.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 6/10

3. Mercury's Entire 1950s

Ahh, Mercury. When your brand is named after a winged god of speed, it only makes sense to embody that aerodynamic principle in the various design elements that make up your vehicles. For the period immediately after World War II, and throughout the '50s, Mercury would mine the Jet Age for skull-piercing designs that only grew more pointed as time went on. By the middle of the decade, perfection had been achieved with the fighter-style trident that perched at the front of the car—a clear callout to stablemate Lincoln's similar designs—and few could argue with its body count.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 10/10

4. Pierce Arrow Archer

The Pierce Arrow Archer one-ups Jaguar's murder-feline by making the centerpiece of its hood styling a man aiming an actual bow and arrow straight at neck-height of whoever happens to be passing in front of the classic luxury machine. Make no mistake, that Arrow will Pierce your jugular and leave you bleeding out on the asphalt. It's paired well with the shin-crushing sweeper bumper outfitted to most Pierce Arrow models.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 9/10

5. Chevrolet Bel Air

Imagine Mercury's Jet-paler ornament if it had been given eviscerating fins and a blunted nail-punch at the tip. 1955 was the worst offender, but while the Bel Air's ornament got more bird-like in the following years, it certainly didn't lose any of its "sorry I smashed your orbital bone" menace.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 10/10

6. Duesenberg Model J

Some hood ornaments rely on ram-rodding their way into your sternum in a bid to snuff out your existence. Others, like the one that outfitted to the Duesenberg Model J at the end of the 1920s and early 1930s, are sharp enough to break the skin should you merely brush up against them while walking by. This is the Art Deco equivalent of razor wire.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 11/10

7. Packard Goddess of Speed

Also known as the "donut chaser," a more apt nickname might have been the "ambulance chaser" for the amount of blood, tears and injury that Packard's Goddess of Speed has brought into this world. That flying donut pose is perfect for slicing into mortal flesh before the trailing serrated wings do exit wound damage that wouldn't look out of place on a battlefield. Packard's got you covered coming and going here.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 10/10

8. Nash Metropolitan Flying Lady

Every group of injurious hood ornaments has to have a brawler mixed in somewhere, and here it's the Flying Lady affixed to the front of the Nash Metropolitan. She may look peaceful and serene floating on a silver wave of steel at the front of Nash's pint-size bath tub, but beware, as the Flying Lady is nothing more than a set of chromed brass knuckles intended to connect with your ribcage.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 6/10
Bonus Blunt Force Trauma Rating: 9/10

9. Buick Super 8 Bombsight

Does it get any more blatant than naming your hood ornament the "Bombsight?" How about surrounding its dart-like tip with actual crosshairs to maximum accuracy when picking off pedestrians? Buick experimented with nearly a decade of increasingly-lethal hood hardware in a constant bid to up the ante on the mean streets of Detroit.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 8/10

10. Plymouth Mayflower

Plymouth's stylish and heritage-inspired Mayflower hood ornament is the stealth entry on our list of motorized murder implements. At first, its curved leading edge makes you feel safe and protected—and sure, there are certain iterations of the Mayflower that even look like they've got a protective arch covering all the pointy bits. In 1949, however, Mercury decided it was time to take the gloves off and added trailing fins to the once-sleek ship to fishhook you onto the hood forever so that the homicidal maniac behind the wheel could securely drive you to their secret lair for later dismemberment.

Impale-O-Scale Rating: 6/10
Bonus Hooked Like A Flounder Rating: 8/10

Not all hood ornaments are out to get you. Flip through this gallery of the ones we love most.

Love it or hate, more electric vehicles are coming. The Compact EV car market has been emerging for several years and now manufacturers are even putting some eggs into the electric pickup basket. After partnering with Rivian in the form of a $500 million investment, Ford Motor Company announced that it would soon be building an electric vehicle based on Rivian’s truck platform. Most recently, GM revealed its intentions to release an electric truck of its own, along with an electric Cadillac SUV by 2022. As for pre-production electric pickups, Atlis Motor Vehicles garnered a boatload of attention with the unveiling of its XT model over the winter—the only all-electric player in the heavy-duty field so far. Its aim is to outperform the diesel-powered Ford Super Duty, Chevrolet and GMC HDs and Ram Heavy-Duty.

On paper, the Atlis XT appears formidable at its worst and dominant at its best when compared to the current crop of diesel pickups on the market—which is saying something. With an optional maximum fifth-wheel tow rating of 35,000 pounds, a payload of 5,000 pounds, 0-60 mph blasts of five seconds flat and a choice between a 300, 400 or 500-mile range, the Atlis certainly appears to compete in most areas while pulling ahead in others. But how will all of this play out in reality? After taking a microscope to the buzz-worthy Atlis XT, we’ve discovered a plethora of things we like (i.e. things we think will work) and a host of items we don’t. Is this pre-production, electric juggernaut ready to slay the one-ton diesel competition? In some ways yes, in several other ways no. Read on to find out where the Atlis shines and where it comes up short.

Believable Claims

First and foremost, Atlis Motor Vehicles is the only company attempting to push electric power into the diesel-dominated ¾-ton and larger truck scene right now—a highly ambitious yet commendable move. For getting loads up and moving quickly, electric makes a lot of sense in that instant torque is available. Atlis claims an empty XT can sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in five seconds, a feat that would require a diesel-powered truck to be making more than 600hp to achieve, and we believe it. One of the key benefits of electric motors is immediate acceleration. There is no waiting around for rpm to climb or the turbo to come to life.

Acceleration at Max GCWR

On the other hand, we have a harder time buying into Atlis’ claim that the XT can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 18 seconds at maximum gross combined weight rating (GCWR). If that statistic is to be possible at Atlis’ claimed 35,000-pound maximum towing capacity (in dual rear wheel configurations), we can see torque delivery—namely at the wheels—being a concern. Of course, with an independent traction motor stationed at each wheel (and AMV’s self-acclaimed best traction control on the market) and an advanced torque management strategy implemented, it isn’t out of the question. But by comparison, it takes a late-model diesel-powered Ram, Ford or GM approximately 18 seconds to go from 0 to 45 mph at max GCWR. We’ll have to believe this one when we see it.

Recharging

Although it’s been met with some skepticism, Atlis has maintained that the XT can be recharged in 15 minutes or less if plugged into one of the company’s advanced charging stations. The problem with this is similar to Tesla’s debacle in that a network of rapid charging stations will have to be established in order for these fast charge times to be realized. As for the truck’s onboard charger system, it will support up to 19.2 kW, which is the maximum allowed by the SAE J1772 protocol. For recharging at home, Atlis recommends you have an electrician install the largest circuit breaker your home can support (up to 100 amps) to power the electric vehicle supply equipment present on the XT.

Range

While EVs are right at home on short commutes, long hauls haven’t exactly been their forte to date. But this is exactly what many heavy-duty pickups are used for. Though Atlis claims a 15 minute recharge time for the XT, what happens to that 300, 400 or 500-mile range with a gargantuan 35,000 pounds’ worth of load in tow? So far, the company has only stated that it is working to ensure the XT’s available range when towing a trailer are “competitive” with existing (internal combustion engine) pickup trucks. Will the XT require 3,000 to 4,000 pounds’ worth of onboard batteries to pull this off, and if so what will the curb weight of the truck be? Sprinkle in a few six-percent grades, freezing cold or extreme heat conditions with that 35,000-pound load and you could be looking at a 40-percent reduction in available range—a number that is yet to be established.

Boxed Frame and Regenerative Braking

Foundationally, the Atlis XT sports a fully boxed frame that will support a centrally located battery pack. For a truck that will debut with a curb weight of 7,500 to 10,000 pounds and be expected to tow up to 35,000, this is not only a welcomed sight but likely a necessity. While we don’t know a lot about the hardware Atlis plans to use for stopping power, we do know that regenerative braking will be employed. Depending on how efficient this system is, you might be buying a truck that will seldom need the brakes replaced.

Air Ride

No leaf springs or coil springs here. The Atlis XT relies soley on air suspension at every corner. Similar to the Active-Level technology used in Ram 1500s, the system is self-adjusting to ensure a level ride with or without payload in the bed or a trailer hooked behind you. While air spring suspension systems have proven to offer superior ride quality, they have more failure points than the simple leaf spring systems (and even coil spring systems) of yesteryear, and the aforementioned air suspension system on Ram half-tons has been known to have a few gremlins in cold climates. A full-on air suspension will be a hard sell to some die-hard truck owners who know that there are very few failure points on the age-old leaf spring and coil spring systems.

Four-Wheel Independent Suspension

We would love to know more specifics on the Atlis XT’s axles, but thus far that information has been unavailable. What we do know is that for the types of capacities the company is shooting for, they better be pretty beefy. We also know the XT makes use of independent front suspension (IFS) and independent rear suspension (IRS). General Motors has made IFS successfully work on its HD trucks for years (both Ford and Ram utilize a solid front axle), so it can definitely be done. However, IRS is something that has not yet been tried in the heavy-duty pickup segment.

Added Utility

Even though it might be hard for a truck guy to admit, the front trunk space on the Atlis XT is appealing. After all, this space usually houses an 800 to 1,100-pound engine on traditional heavy-duty pickups, so there’s a good deal of additional cargo storage available here. And, you still have your bed in addition to the trunk. This aspect of the Atlis XT is a win-win in our eyes.

No Side-View Mirrors

If you’re one to trust newfangled technology, you won’t mind the fact that the Atlis XT has no side-view wing mirrors—at least not in the traditional sense. In their stead, side-view cameras are employed, with corresponding driver and passenger side viewing screens on either side of the steering wheel within the dash. While we love the integration of cameras virtually everywhere on modern pickups, and this is an absolute ingenious and convenient way to keep tabs on who’s beside you, we’re not sold on giving up our conventional side-view mirrors just yet. What do you do when the side-view cameras fail or the screens on the gauge cluster stop functioning? What do you do when these items fail with 35,000 pounds behind you and you need to perform an emergency lane change? In our opinion, conventional side-view mirrors wouldn’t be a bad optional item. After all, mirrors don’t quit working. Still, this is one of many innovative ideas that made it into the pre-production vehicle. Just an FYI on cameras: The Atlis has a backup, receiver hitch trailer hookup, fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer hookup and forward-facing camera onboard also.

To Be Continued...

On its website, Atlis Motor Vehicles states its mission is to revolutionize the way we configure and purchase pickup trucks. They weren’t kidding. The Atlas XT has near-endless potential as well as configuration options. From instant acceleration to rivaling the Big Three’s heaviest hitters in terms of overall payload and tow ratings, it’s an automotive juggernaut. The only problem is that all of that is on paper. As for overtaking the modern diesel pickup in terms of every day use, range, capability, price and longevity, there are still way too many unknowns. In addition, the lack of infrastructure to support electric vehicles at the present time is ongoing. The concept of the Atlis XT is cutting-edge to be sure, but it’s yet to be tested (and validated) under real world conditions. However, we eagerly await the moment when it can be.

Want to know more about the Atlis XT? Check out the initial overview here.

Sometimes, racing gets weird. In a high stakes world where every possible competitive advantage is sought out, bending the rules of a particular series can result in unusual-looking race car designs that defy convention, and in many cases, the boundaries of good taste. At the same time, budgetary restrictions have also contributed their fair share of bizarrely wonderful oddballs to the grid, threatening the status quo and shaking up expectations among fans and competitors alike.

In celebration of racing's ability to surprise, we've put together this gathering of some of the least likely vehicles ever to make it to the start/finish line. See how many of these misfits you may have heard of.

1. Cadillac Le Monstre

It might be hard to believe, but sitting underneath that outrageous (for the time) bodywork is a 1949 Cadillac Series 61. The story goes like this: Briggs Cunningham was invited to lead the first American team to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and he decided to bring two cars with him. The first was a factory-spec manual-equipped Series 61 coupe, while the other was mechanically nearly identical to its sibling but had its body entirely replaced with an experimental shell developed in a wind tunnel.

Dubbed "Le Monstre" or "The Monster" by the French, the car featured a 331 ci V8 fed by five carburetors, and it ran an eventful race, burying itself into a sandbank at one point and requiring Cunningham to leave the driver's seat and dig it out. Le Monstre finished 11th, while the standard Cadillac coupe finished 10th, and the team secured a return invitation to compete the following year.

2. Chaparral 2J

It's a simple story, really: If downforce is so important to sticking a race car to the track, why rely on passive aerodynamics when you can use active aero to generate it even while sitting still? So went the philosophy behind the Chaparral 2J, Jim Hall's final wacky sand-kick into the face of Can-Am scrutineers.

The refrigerator-shaped race car was built around a pair of giant fans at the rear of the car that were themselves powered by a two-stroke engine. A maximum of 1.5 G of downforce was available from the setup regardless of what velocity it was traveling, a stark contrast to traditional aero cars that required high speeds to grip the ground. Quick, but never reliable, eventually the vehicle was banned by the SCCA based on fairly nebulous complaints from other teams.

3. Lada Granta

Lada has long been a punch line for American auto enthusiasts, but the Russian brand continues to forge ahead not just with street cars in Europe, but also the occasional attempt to score points in the World Touring Car Championship. One of its latest entries is the Lada Granta WTCC, a sedan that first competed in 2012. It featured a turbocharged four-cylinder engine pushing out a whopping 380hp. Lada ran several Grantas in WTCC, finishing respectably well in a number of races and putting the automaker in points contention during the 2014 season.

4. Citroen ID 19

A racing Citroen might not sound all that weird given the French company's long and distinguished history, but what if we told you that this particular model, the ID 19, ran in a NASCAR race? A pair of the front-wheel drive imports ran at Riverside, California in 1958 as part of the Crown America 500, finishing inside the top 20 despite their middling 70hp engines. It was a different type of NASCAR than what we're used to in the modern era, but the idea of a French competitor was still considered enough of a joke 50 years later when Talladega Nights used it as a primary plotline, indicating just how unusual this cross-cultural pollination truly was.

5. Volvo 850 Wagon BTCC

The year was 1994. Volvo, intent on drawing attention to its return to racing in British Touring Car Championship, made the startling realization that its 850 wagon body was really no worse aerodynamically than that of the 850 sedan. The decision was made to use the estate version of the car, which was significantly larger than any other entry in the series, had a much higher center of gravity and was prone to lifting two wheels through tight corners—much to the delight of BTCC photographers, who happily provided Volvo with the kind of media coverage they coveted. The pair of 290hp, turbocharged five-cylinder five-doors would finish 14th and 15th, respectively, in their only season of competition.

6. Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL AMG

As unusual as a wagon was in touring car competition in the '90s, it was equally weird for sports car fans to show up at a track in the early 1970s and see a limousine turning in hot lap after hot lap. So it went with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL AMG "Rote Sau" or "Red Pig," a brightly-painted full-size sedan that weighed a ton but still did more than a ton down the straights of Spa in its first 24 hour race there in 1971.

Featuring an enormous 6.8L V8 engine that was double that, or more, of any other car lined up beside it, the car's 428hp and 448 lb-ft of torque sped it to second place overall at its inaugural event. Sometimes, more is more.

7. Toyota Prius GT

Here's what you need to know about the Toyota Prius GT race car:

1. Yes, it's still a hybrid.
2. But one that's centered around a mid-mounted V8 engine that produces 300hp.
3. It ran from 2012 to 2018, snagging the podium several times.
4. Why can't NASCAR be this cool?

8. Tyrell P34

One look at the Tyrell P34 and it's easy to see why F1 fans were shocked when it appeared on the scene in 1976. Designed to fit a pair of smaller front wheels behind the front wing and improve the car's slipperiness through the air, the P34's other advantage was increased braking area spread over six wheels rather than four. Jody Scheckter won the Swedish Grand Prix that same year, with his teammate Patrick Depailler coming in second, but the following season saw significantly less success for the design, and it was retired after the 1977 campaign.

9. Rolls-Royce Corniche

If you're going to run the famously grueling Paris to Dakar rally, why not do it in style? That seems to have been the argument behind Thierry de Montcorgé's 1981 entry to the event, a Rolls-Royce Corniche coupe body mounted on a Toyota Land Cruiser chassis and powered by a 5.7L small block Chevy V8.

Initially perceived as a joke, the desert Rolls made it as high as 13th in the standings before being disqualified for an illegal roadside repair. The car, named Jules, still finished the race despite not being officially placed.

10. Jungle Jim's Chevrolet Vega Wagon

For a brief period, wagons enjoyed a surge of interest in NHRA's Pro Stock class due in part to the traction-adding extra mass distributed above the rear wheels as compared to a sedan or a coupe. Of these, one of the most unusual was "Jungle" Jim Lieberman's 1972 Chevrolet Vega, a car more vilified for its econo roots than celebrated for its performance prowess. Still, the Vega's ability to accept a V8 under its hood, combined with its stubby wheelbase and lightweight design, made it a force to be reckoned with down the quarter mile.

Looking for more lighthearted racing fun? Check out our take on the 8 best NASCAR movies of all-time.

It's the closest you can get to bulletproof in the automotive segment: the 6BT Cummins and the Toyota 2JZ-GTE. But which iconic straight-six is truly better? The one designed, built and intended to make the Toyota Supra the crown jewel of Japanese sports cars, or the oil-burner originally intended for tractors that somehow wound up in Dodge Rams? It may seem like an unlikely comparison at first, but when you realize just how much hidden potential exists in these mills, it begins to make sense. For instance, with a few simple modifications you can make 400hp in either application and the stock internals can withstand an unbelievable amount of abuse beyond that—meaning you don’t need to dig into the bottom end to have a lot of fun.

Still not convinced these two polar opposites belong in the ring together? How about the fact that both make use of:

• Cast-iron, closed-deck blocks
• Turbocharged
• Produce better than 1 lb-ft of torque per cubic inch in factory trim
• Have very few weak links and can support 2,000hp when properly built?

In the past, we’ve presented our case as to why the P-pumped 12-valve 5.9L Cummins is the best diesel engine ever made and also why the Toyota 2JZ-GTE is still relevant in today’s high-horsepower world. Now we’re pitting these two heavyweights against each other to find out which one is the greatest inline-six of all time. Below, we’ll give you all the nitty gritty details of each power plant’s makeup—but it’s up to you to decide which one reigns supreme.

Cast-Iron Blocks, Forged-Steel Cranks: Tie

Both the 2JZ-GTE and 6BT are based on closed-deck, sleeveless cast-iron blocks, with each accommodating a large journal, forged-steel crankshaft. The Cummins’ crankshaft is treated to induction-hardened journals and both crankshafts utilize seven main bearings, which means the most important component in the engine isn’t going to budge under load. The 2JZ-GTE features a “square” bore to stroke ratio in which both are the same (3.39 inches). The Cummins’ bore checks in at 4.02 inches with a torque-facilitating stroke of 4.72 inches. For the tuner car market, the 2JZ-GTE is considered hefty at more than 500 pounds. The Cummins on the other hand, with its original intent to hum away for thousands of hours at a time in industrial and agricultural applications tips the scales at an obese 1,100.

Neither Engine is Exactly a Lightweight: Tie

At 507 pounds, the 2JZ-GTE is considered heavy by tuner motor standards (in large part due to its cast-iron block), but the amount of potential trapped inside this engine does little to turn off enthusiasts. With very little work, that all-important power-to-weight ratio is right back where it needs to be. As for the 6BT Cummins’ 1,100-pound dry weight…believe it or not it’s actually on the lighter side of what some all-iron, industrial-intended diesel engines check in at. For example, International’s DT360, another 5.9L inline-six produced during the same era (think school bus), tips the scales at roughly 1,250 pounds. With either engine, it’s important to remember that while they’re relatively heavy for their respective automotive segments, the added heft does little to deter gearheads from using them. For competitors and power junkies alike, the amount of horsepower potential far outweighs a little weight penalty.

Tough Rods: Tie

It’s inherent for inline engines to produce gobs of torque. Bring turbocharging into the mix and you add even more cylinder pressure for the rotating assembly to cope with. Luckily, both the 6BT Cummins and 2JZ-GTE were fitted with forged-steel connecting rods at the factory (Cummins’ factory being in Columbus, Indiana and Toyota’s 2JZ-GTE plant being in Tahara, Aichi, Japan). The stock forged-steel rods found in the 6BT can withstand 1,500hp as long as torque is kept in check (under 2,500 lb-ft), although upgraded rod bolts are a good idea beyond 800hp. The factory rods used in the 2JZ-GTE are good for 700 hp easy, although many believe their threshold for pain is well north of 800hp. To deal with excessive heat, both the 2JZ-GTE and 6BT’s cast-aluminum pistons are cooled via individually dedicated oil spray nozzles.

Over-Engineered Where It Counts: Advantage Cummins

A little over-achieving goes a long way in the design of a connecting rod—and luckily for the 6BT, Cummins erred on the side of “make it last forever.” On the small end of the 6BT’s forged-steel, I-beam connecting-rod, it enjoys a tapered wrist pin boss area. The tapered wrist pin bushing reduces reciprocating weight and optimizes wrist pin loading. The outside diameter of a 6BT floating wrist pin measures a healthy 1.57 inches. By comparison, the 2JZ-GTE’s piston pin checks-in at nearly half that at .8664 inches.

Traditional OHV vs. DOHC: Advantage 2JZ-GTE

The 6BT and 2JZ-GTE differ tremendously in the valvetrain department, the latter of which makes use of dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. Much simpler, the 6BT utilizes a single camshaft (with push tubes), situated in the conventional location in the block, albeit a chilled iron camshaft that doesn’t require press-in bearings. It makes sense, as the Toyota is meant to be revved high and raced while the Cummins is designed to spend the day working, operating at low rpm. Moderately aggressive cam upgrades usually enter a 2JZ-GTE owner’s picture somewhere around the 700hp mark.

Restrictive Cylinder Head: Tie

As far as responsiveness and airflow in stock form is concerned, it’s hard to beat a four-valve cylinder head. Still, the 2JZ-GTE’s factory aluminum head is fairly restrictive. By comparison however, the 12-valve 6BT’s cast-iron head takes the cake, flowing just 140 and 150 cfm per cylinder on the intake side (depending on the flow bench). In order to make power, the Cummins is forced to overcome its airflow deficiency with boost—lots of it. Thanks to six 12mm diameter head bolts existing per cylinder, the 6BT can handle 60 psi of boost without breaking a sweat (or more importantly, popping a head gasket). We’ve even seen the factory 6BT head bolts hold 100 psi of boost, along with countless cases of them handling 80 psi. By comparison, pumped up 2JZ-GTE’s typically see 30 to 40 psi of boost, depending on the power level and the specifics of the turbo arrangement. The 2JZ-GTE head itself makes use of just four head bolts per cylinder, but larger diameter fasteners are a go-to solution for the big power guys.

Necessary Valvetrain Upgrades: Advantage 2JZ-GTE

One of the best parts about both of these engines is that no one leaves them stock because far too much can be gained by tinkering with them. When adding horsepower, stiffer valve springs are one of the first upgrades that need to be made. This is especially true for the 6BT, which can experience valve float as early as 3,500 rpm and valve creep (which leads to reversion) at more than 30 psi of boost and/or drive pressure. With added fueling via P-pump tweaks, higher rpm governor springs and a disabled wastegate—three inexpensive mods that almost every 6BT owner makes—it doesn’t take long to reach that point with the Cummins. Though a valve spring upgrade isn’t necessary on the 2JZ-GTE until you’re making north of 600hp or turning big rpm, beehive springs with shimless buckets are a must once you’re chasing big power.

The Beauty of Boost: Advantage Cummins

It’s safe to say that neither the 6BT nor the 2JZ-GTE would be as legendary as they are without forced induction. In stock form, the ’95-’98 Cummins came with a single Holset HX35 turbocharger, but the 2JZ-GTE packed two turbochargers, arranged in sequential form, right off the showroom floor. That means a smaller, high-pressure charger handles low-rpm boost and bringing things to life, while a larger low-pressure (atmosphere) unit takes over at higher engine speeds. Ironically enough, the 2JZ-GTE’s sequential turbo system is usually ditched in favor of a single 66mm or larger unit once horsepower goals take a turn toward serious (beyond 400hp). In direct contrast, and because a big single turbo on a modified 6BT doesn’t yield the greatest drivability, Cummins owners typically upgrade to a compound turbo system when big horsepower is sought. Even with a 75mm atmosphere charger feeding it, the factory Holset turbo can support as much as 750hp when retained in a compound configuration.

Intercooled: Tie

In addition to being turbocharged, both engines benefit from charge air coolers. A large, front-mounted air-to-air intercooler resides in front of the 6BT Cummins, while the 2JZ-GTE’s is side-mounted from the factory. In performance 2JZ applications, one of the first recommendations is to run a front-mount intercooler for optimum airflow across the core. In the high-end Cummins segment such as sled pulling, where obscene boost levels are produced, it’s common to find an air-to-water intercooler dropping intake charge temps before they reach the engine.

Gear-Driven vs. Belt-driven: Advantage Cummins

To drive its dual overhead camshafts, the 2JZ-GTE utilizes a timing belt, which carries with it an inevitable change interval, along with a fairly problematic belt tensioner bracket that’s prone to failure. Conveniently though, the 2JZ-GTE is a non-interference engine. This means that the pistons and valves won’t come into contact with each other should the timing belt slip or break. Contrarily to the 2JZ-GTE, everything on the 6BT is gear-driven (the camshaft, the P-pump, oil pump, everything) via six heat-treated, ductile-iron helical gears. Over the life of the engine and even at 700+hp there is no need to touch anything in the front gear train—unless you encounter the rare (yet possible) case of the killer dowel pin striking.

Computer Controlled vs. Mechanical: Advantage 2JZ-GTE

While an electronically controlled engine makes spot-on tuning possible, the ECU Toyota employed on the 2JZ-GTE isn’t reflashable. In fact, replacing the engine’s ECU with an aftermarket stand-alone version or adding a piggyback ECU is one of the first upgrades enthusiasts make (Motec, AEM, Haltech, GReddy, ECU Master USA). The complete opposite, the 6BT relies on the mechanical P7100 injection pump for its fuel injection duties. This means that the engine is limited to a set amount of timing advancement (usually 17 degrees BTDC or higher in performance applications). This makes the 2JZ-GTE a bit more street-friendly at four-digit horsepower than the 6BT due to its ability to be fine-tuned.

Cooling & Oil Systems at High Horsepower: Advantage 2JZ-GTE

Now that we’ve established the fact that both engine blocks and their respective hard-parts are all but bombproof, what about their factory cooling and oiling systems? For the most part they’re more than sufficient and many 2JZ-GTE enthusiasts believe the OEM cooling and oil systems can go untouched until the 1K mark. As for the 6BT, a lack of coolant flow at the rear cylinders can create excessive heat (and subsequently, pressure) at higher horsepower (700+), but a simple coolant bypass system can easily rectify the problem or prevent it from ever surfacing. On the oil side, the Cummins has zero worries thanks to the factory oil flow rating of 20 gallons per minute at an oil pump speed of 3,600 rpm. With either engine, you’ll want to start looking into a dry sump oil system, an electric water pump or electric fans to keep the engine safe when power levels approach four-digit territory.

Both Were Underrated from the Factory: Tie

Though the 2JZ-GTE was built for speed, the Japanese “Gentlemen’s Agreement” on horsepower in the 1990s led to some rather conservative published horsepower ratings, especially in Japan (276hp in Japan vs. 320hp on North American versions). However, bone-stock Supras are known to lay down 290hp at the wheels. Also underrated, and maybe even more so than the 2JZ-GTE, the 6BT used in ’94 to ’98 Dodge Rams was rated from 160hp and 400 lb-ft of torque (’94 automatic transmission) to 215hp and 440 lb-ft (’96-’98 manual transmission), but we’ve seen 160hp versions make their engine-rated power at the wheels while strapped to chassis dynos. Either way, a tremendous amount of potential is concealed in both platforms. It takes very little to get a 2JZ-GTE to spit out 400hp or a 6BT to produce 350hp and 700 lb-ft of torque.

Massive Aftermarket Support: Tie

With unmatched performance potential comes hoards of followers. As the Chevy small blocks of their respective spheres, both the 2JZ-GTE and 6BT are backed by some of the most reputable aftermarket names in the automotive world. Thanks to their mid-'90s release dates, both engines have enjoyed more than two decades’ worth of aftermarket R&D. In 2019, the parts and pieces that are necessary to reach a certain horsepower number has practically been nailed down to a science. If you want a 2,000hp 2JZ-GTE, only your wallet will stop you. If you want a 1,500hp 6BT you can expose to 100 psi of boost on a regular basis, same thing. In recent years, injection system, turbocharger and cylinder head technology has progressed tremendously within the diesel industry, which has made it possible to make high-powered 6BTs much more drivable on the street.

Great Swap Candidates: Tie

Predictably, both engines have become hot commodities in the swap market. Thanks to its lack of electronics, the Cummins can be found in all sorts of projects, from off-road rigs to classic cars to rat-rods. As for the 2JZ-GTE, many gearheads find that keeping the engine, transmission and computer together during a repower makes for a seamless swap process. Over the years, tons of folks have dropped the 2JZ-GTE into older Lexus GS300s, IS300s and SC300s, along with Nissan 350Zs, classic Mercedes and even the occasional RX-7. Some 25 years after being introduced, it’s clear that both engines aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The Author's Opinion

While the 2JZ-GTE is certainly no joke, and I am legitimately impressed with it, a background in diesel performance means that I favor the Cummins, hands down. This is due to its vast versatility. Want a 20-mpg 7,500-pound truck? Cummins. Want to make 350-1,500hp? Cummins. Need to tow anything you need to, whenever you want? Cummins. Need to haul 3,000 or 4,000 pounds in the bed? Cummins. Need an engine that can last 500,000 miles while doing it? Cummins.

Here are even more reasons why the Cummins and 2JZ are two of the best engines ever.