Rarely is Korea’s automotive prowess mentioned with the word “performance” associated with it, but Kia is doing what it can to change that reputation with the Kia Stinger. The 2018 all-wheel drive fastback GT2’s engine bay is stuffed with a twin-turbo 3.3L DOHC V6 that produces 365hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. Kia claims the stinger achieves 0-60 mph in a mere 4.7 seconds. That’s damn fast.

Significant speed was one of the reasons Abe Choe picked this vehicle as his daily driver. The other reason he chose it is because it’s an attractive vehicle. It's the proof of what Kia is trying to do, and we appreciate that they are trying and succeeding in a market where the Stinger’s competitors are resting on their laurels, injecting excitement into the segment.

The Perfect Platform

It’s the perfect platform for encouraging a new group of Korean vehicle enthusiasts, which is why Abe Choe, sales director for KEENDESIGN, picked this vehicle to showcase the numerous carbon fiber goodies that they manufacture for the car. “I’m a big fan of the emerging Korean performance car scene and I created a Stinger community page: @StungbyStinger. We’ve got a healthy following and it’s growing all the time,” Abe said.

It’s clear that he’s an enthusiast, too, and didn’t just buy the car for marketing purposes. “It’s my daily driver, and I still take the Stinger to car meets and events like Cars and Coffee, and I’ve had it at the drag strip twice—so far,” Abe said.

Upgraded Engine

Other manufacturers are starting to notice the growth of the following that has developed for the car. Performance mods were first on Abe's list changes. A Turbo XS blow-off valve, Jonny Tig hand-built air intake, Velossa Tech air ram, LAP3 Pro Tuner and Stillen exhaust found their respective homes under the hood of the Stinger.

Nittos and Suspension Upgrades

Speaking of tires, Abe procured a set of Fittipaldi FSF24 mono-block forged wheels measuring 20x8.5-inch in the front and 20x10-inch in the rear. Then he ensconced the wheels with wide and sticky Nitto NT555 G2 tires. Ride height and stance were also modified with Jun Fitted Air Suspension, a five-gallon air tank, Air Zenith air compressor and air lift V2 management—allowing ride height to be adjusted as the need arises.

Carbon and Aero

He moved on to the exterior upgrades next. Of course, Abe installed KEENDESIGN by SPREEK carbon fiber aero at the car—designed and made in Korea. First, he installed a carbon fiber front lip followed by flowing side skirts and a subtle, but effective, trunk spoiler. Then, a Stillen rear diffuser was secured under the rear bumper to round out the aero bits. Finally, a Bape custom wrap job by OC Wraps concluded the exterior modifications and aesthetics.

Interior Mods

A custom car isn’t complete without interior improvements as well. Abe replaced the stock steering wheel with a SoCal Garage Works carbon fiber unit to match the other carbon fiber parts of the car. Corona Concepts designed the custom seats and roof liner along with the shift knob and arm rest with Alcantara microfiber material for a unique look.

Expect more go-fast modifications in the near future—as Abe was not satisfied with the time slip he’s currently holding. “With the upgrades I’ve made so far, I’ve run a 13.2 second in the quarter mile. I was running stock tires at the time, so I know I’d be quicker with my new Nittos plus all the changes I’m planning for,” Abe said. Unfortunately, if people really like how the Stinger looks now, they’re going to be very disappointed in the future—or maybe they’ll like it even more. “The Stinger will see new iterations each year. New wheels, new wraps, new parts. It’s always going to be changing…"

Love Korean performance cars? Have you seen how the Hyundai Veloster N compares to the Honda Civic Type R?

As the off-road industry grows and changes, with OEMs now offering “off-road ready” trim levels of existing models, one thing will always remain true. People will always modify their suspension. For companies like Icon Vehicle Dynamics in Corona, California, this premise has been a basis for their existence since day one. Unlike many off-road suspension manufacturers, Icon does it all. From control arms, to leaf springs, shocks and bump stops, Icon produces nearly every part needed to beef up the suspension components of your modern truck or SUV. So it came as little surprise to us at King of the Hammers this year when we found out they had their hands on a 2019 Ford Ranger and had already developed a suspension system around it.

The Ford Ranger was once considered the workhorse of the domestic mid-size market. Running on a mostly unchanged platform, with a few facelifts, the model had fallen behind its Japanese competition like the Toyota Tacoma that, unlike the Ranger, is offered in a crew cab configuration. Ford took the Ranger out of the U.S. market in 2012 for seven years, enjoying success in international markets on the Ranger’s new platform. In 2019, Ford introduced an all-new, redesigned Ranger, targeting consumers who are in the market for a crew cab, short bed mid-sized truck. The aftermarket quickly reacted to the new offering from Ford, as product development began as soon it was available to the public.

In just a matter of weeks, Icon Vehicle Dynamics began test fitting and designing suspension components for the all-new Ranger. Dylan Evans, Design Engineer at Icon, told us how they started designing their kits for the 2019 Ranger. “When we heard the Ranger was coming back to the U.S., we ordered one as soon as we could. We then worked with LGE and Custom Truck Shop on their SEMA truck, which they received just three weeks before the SEMA show. Working with SEMA, we were able to get all the CAD data from the Ranger to build prototypes of our products before we ever even saw the truck. This was a huge leg up, and the parts bolted right on when we finally had the truck in our hands.”

Since the SEMA show, Evans and the rest of the Icon team have spent their time further developing their products on their own Ranger. We were able to get a close-up look at the new truck and Icon’s products on it at KOH this year. This particular truck has an Icon Vehicle Dynamics Stage 2 suspension system, which includes 2.5-inch adjustable coilovers with internal reservoirs, a billet upper control arm that is adjustable for precise alignment and 2.0-inch rear shocks with internal reservoirs. The front suspension was adjusted to be leveled with the rear of the truck. As with many of Icon’s other vehicle specific kits, the 2019 and up Ranger kits will be tiered in stages, from mild to wild. Some of the next stages they are developing will include larger rear shocks, rear leaf springs, remote reservoir shocks and coilovers, tubular steel upper control arms and Icon’s compression dampening control (CDC) valves.

When asked about any design difficulties or quirks around the new Ranger chassis, Evans explained some of the similarities and differences between the current truck market and Ford’s new platform. “While the Ranger’s front suspension architecture is very analogous to the Tacoma, consisting of a tall spindle with upper and lower control arms, front mounted tie rods ends and a frame mounted coil bucket, certain elements to the Ranger make it very different,” Evans explained. “Ford designed this truck with a very high offset factory wheel. There’s barely enough room for your pinky finger between the spindle and stock tire. This, combined with factory bolt-in crash impact horns in front and behind the tire limit the size to about a 265.” Evans told us they removed these bolt-in impact horns on their vehicle in order to fit a 285/70/17 Nitto Ridge Grappler in the wheel well, which is paired well with the leveled suspension of the truck.

While Icon is known for their suspension systems, they also offer their own line of aftermarket wheels, called Icon Alloys, which were featured on this Ranger. “Although Ford adopted the international 6x5.5 bolt-pattern, the new Ranger calls for such a high offset wheel that we had to make our own prototype wheel to fit on the truck. Most wheels that would fit a Toyota or Chevy with the same bolt pattern would not fit on the Ranger, due to the need for a high-offset,” Evans said. Icon is in the process of producing wheels specifically for the 2019 Ford Ranger offset, which will pair well with their suspension systems.

We asked Evans about his personal impression of the all-new Ford Ranger, and if he thinks the truck lends itself to an enthusiast based market who will modify it much like the Toyota Tacoma. “I’m very impressed with this new Ranger. The 2.3L Ecoboost provides plenty of power, the 10-speed transmission shifts smooth and doesn’t hunt for gears like the newer Tacoma, the suspension lends itself to modification and it’s a comfortable vehicle both on and off-road,” said Evans.

With the ever-growing popularity of off-road recreation, and a market that’s hungry for more mid-size truck competition, the Ford Ranger finds itself situated in a pivotal place and time. With little threat of big changes from Toyota, Ford is positioned to rival the long-time mid-size king. Surely, it’s no secret that Icon Vehicle Dynamics is among the top-tier of suspension companies, and we’re excited to see the full spread of components they’re developing for the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Click here to find out if North America is getting the new Ranger Raptor.

First is important. We remember the first people to do things and stand in line to be the first to buy the latest tech. Even in the small things, it means more to be the first one to do it. Ultra4 just got a whole batch of people who could say they were the first to compete—and one who can say they were the first to win—the newest “king” race in the series, El Rey de las Bajas.

Perfect Track, Perfect Atmosphere

As the title of the race may lead you to believe, this was the first race in Mexico for Ultra4, and the fanfare was immense. The weekend in San Felipe started on the waterfront, where the cars were lined up on the street for fans to check them out and meet the drivers. It had a fun party atmosphere and the Mayor of the city welcomed the drivers to the town. The racing would soon begin, and fortunately, this was only a taste of the excitement to come.

The race course was set up as a mix of rocks, whoops, canyons and open desert. However, they didn’t have to do all of that on each lap. One of the major elements of strategy for the 4400 class was that within four laps, everyone had to both go through the toughest rock section and a long desert bypass section twice, but when they went through them was up to the drivers. If you’re wondering, yes, track strategy came into play at the end of the race.

One thing that added a lot to the atmosphere was where the start/finish line was located. It was placed at the bottom of a canyon, and fans lined the top all weekend to watch. It felt like a natural stadium. The weather was perfect, too, with temperatures in the 70s and just enough of a breeze to sweep away the dust without picking up dirt.

Queen of Qualifying

Qualifying kicked off with some excitement, and unfortunately, it was the scary kind. Both Chuck Crossland and Jason Bunch broke their axles after clearing a jump near the start/finish line, taking out the cars. Everyone was alright, but Jason and his co-driver got pretty banged up. They weren’t able to race on Saturday, but they came out to the track to show that they were ok.

When it came to who ran the fastest in qualifying, it wasn’t a king, but a queen. Bailey Campbell used her Nitto Trail Grapplers to outrun everyone else, including her father, brother, and new fiancé Bryan Crofts (congrats!) to take the top overall spot. The fans in San Felipe really got behind her and loved seeing her beat all the boys. Qualifying second and third in 4400 was Paul Horschel and Loren Healy.

The other top qualifiers were Josh Atteberry in 4600 stock, Scott Lesage in UTV, Team Nitto driver Bailey Cole in 4800 and Dan Fresh in 4500. The races the next day were grouped into a morning 4600 and UTV race and an afternoon 4400, 4500 and 4800 race. With the lineups set, the drivers prepared themselves and their cars for the beating they would endure the next day.

Crowning el Primero Rey

Raceday started out strong, with all 13 UTV and five 4600 stock drivers finishing the race. Josh Atteberry won the 4600 class from the pole, and since the stock class did one less lap than the UTVs, he technically was the first Ultra4 winner in Baja. Congrats to him on the achievement! Following behind him in second and third were Dawson Allington and Albert Contreras. Young Chayse Caprara won the UTV class with his 4400-driving dad Brian as his co-driver. With how competitive Chayse is in the UTV class, his father is certainly helping mold him into a formidable off-road racer. The 4400 drivers of the future should watch out. Coming in second and third in the UTV class were Trey McKinley and Casey Scherer.

Remember that thing about strategy? It was about to come into play as Baily Campbell raced off the line to start the afternoon race. The top five drivers battling for the lead quickly became Bailey, Paul Horschel, Loren Healy, Wayland Campbell and Shannon Campbell. However, not all of them took the rocks at the same time. Bailey decided to mix up the sections by going rocks/bypass/rocks/bypass. Paul decided to get the hard stuff out of the way first and went rocks/rocks/bypass/bypass.

As the race wore on, attrition began to take hold of the 4400 class. Out of the 30 starters, only 21 finished, and Wayland was one of those who could not make it to the end. A broken belt ended his day after three laps.

As the drivers began their final laps, their strategies came to fruition, for both good and ill. Bailey Campbell started out in the lead, but she still needed to run through the rocks. Paul Horschel was right behind her and able to pass her as he took the bypass through the desert. Loren Healy followed behind him in second, but he misjudged his fuel mileage and ran out with just two miles left to go. That paved the way for Shannon to roar into second, followed by Bailey in third. That order held until the end, crowning Paul Horschel as the first Rey de las Bajas.

Following them was Jeff McKinlay, Byran Crofts, Darren Henke, Jade Wickham, JP Gomez, Mike Bou and Alex Wacker rounding out the top 10.

The underclasses were also very exciting with Jeremy Jones taking the win from Baily Cole in 4800, who finished second. David Hartman finished third. Dan Fresh won the 4500 class from the pole, followed by Shawn Rants and Kevin Sterns.

All in all, 67 drivers, who are now known as the “Bandidos Originales,” competed in the inaugural race weekend. Each of them who finished are now qualified for the King of the Hammers and even permanently qualified for all future San Felipe races. Being first was kind of a big deal.

Going back to the great atmosphere mentioned at the top of the story, Saturday night ended with a party full of fireworks, music, food and friends. From this, Ultra4 moves on to Oklahoma, a quite different course from this one.

Stay tuned to Driving Line for coverage of every Ultra4 race!

Yes, you read that right. A 155 mph drift entry. Watch the whole video right now and keep reading to find out how this insane feat was achieved at Hyperfest. 

Words aren’t needed to explain just how crazy drifting can be. You’ll understand if you’ve seen it live, and especially so if you’ve gotten to experience it from the passenger seat of a professional drift car at full tilt (which you could’ve at Hyperfest!). But for how crazy it is, it’s often not all that fast.

Often, but not always. We’re not sure when or why it happened, but somewhere along the course of FD pro competition and drift bashing, Nitto Tire/Ford Mustang RTR drivers Chelsea DeNofa and Vaughn Gittin Jr. got it in their heads that a 150 mph drift entry would be a sensible thing to try.

No track on the FD calendar could accommodate such a feat, but with an overall 3.27 miles and two long straights, VIR’s Full Course during Hyperfest weekend seemed like the logical place to try that perfectly sensible, utterly crazy feat.

A little background: Born 18 years ago as a joint initiative between NASA (the race guys, not the space guys) Mid Atlantic regional director Chris Cobetto and U.S. Drift coordinator and Formula D judge Brian Eggert, Hyperfest packs a larger and more diverse assortment of automotive craziness into each of its three-day annual events at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) than anything we’ve seen. We’ll explore it in more detail in a later article, but suffice it to say there’s a ton of awesome drifting that goes on here. Although nothing like this had ever been attempted in its history.

The team traveled north after FD’s Atlanta round to take part in Hyperfest as they normally do (rumor has it VGJ’s been to all 18 Hyperfests!). They added logistical support from Nitto marketing manager Harry Kong and competition analyst and Hall-of-Famer Ron Bergenholtz, as well as Team RTR’s usual assortment of technical aces. Then they got to work. 

Their weapon of choice was RTR’s re-wrapped European demo car—the supercharged, 900hp, flat-plane 5.0L Ford Performance Aluminator-powered one, connected to a six-speed sequential gearbox, that VGJ drove at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Nürburgring.

After a few warm-up drift sessions with an impressive group of local and traveling drifters on VIR’s infield Patriot Course, and while NASA racing broke for lunch, it was time to get to work. Behind the wheel, Chelsea screamed down the straight in all six gears, pegging redline around the final Turn 18, before pulling the hand brake.

For what seemed like a full seven or eight seconds, the car slid sideways with its rear Nitto NT555 G2s locked, before erupting in a fury of smoke around Turn 1, and then returning home. In-car data and on-site radar guns showed the car maxing out shy of 150 mph at the top of sixth gear prior to initiation, so the RTR crew swapped its rear differential for one with a taller gear-set.

After a few more nerve-wrecking and adrenaline laced attempts at the end of the racing day (and in front of a larger crowd), it was official: A 154.66 mph drift was initiated (and survived), a cake was ordered and celebrations were had by all.

Lots More Drifting

While VIR’s Full Course hosted a solid three days of racing and its unpaved areas hosted the NASA Pro Rally, off-road rock crawling and trail riding (more on all that coming soon), drifting never seemed to stop on VIR’s infield Patriot Course from morning until night, for all three days of Hyperfest.

Past years have hosted U.S. Drift pro-am competition rounds and tournaments, but this year the format was simple: Drifters with qualifying machines just had to show up, set up in the pits, pay the modest dues and shred all day, every day. No competition this time, just lots of fun drift bashing.

Talented locals ruled the track, but traveling vets and newcomers warmed up nicely, handling its downhill entry, switchbacks and esses mostly with ease.

Interspersed with the drift bashing were sessions for pro demos and ride-alongs, headlined by VGJ and Chelsea, along with Dirk Stratton and Austin Meeks.

Providing Pro 2 support were BMW reppers Donovan Brockway in an awesome new twin-turbo V8-powered M2 and Branden Sorensen in M3 shared with his sister Amanda …

… two more Bimmers from AJ Muss (E46) and Kenric Meyer (E36) …

…as well as Brandon McDowell and YouTuber Adam LZ with Nissan support—Brandon in his 350Z and Adam in either his 2JZ-powered S15 Silvia or SR20 S13 fastback.

But Wait! There’s More (To Come)

With wheel-to-wheel NASA racing, Tire Rack’s Ultimate Track Car Challenge, NASA Pro Rally, tons of off-roading, even more music, a burnout contest, vendors, a show, and even some lawnmower racing and a brutal Big Wheels race (yes, the plastic child’s toy), Hyperfest is simply too big to cover in one article. Stay tuned for all the rest, very soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about Hyperfest, RTR and Nitto.

Can't fight your hunger for more drifting action? Click here for our coverage of the first electric drift car.

We’ve heard it a hundred times, but the story never gets old. After attending a national diesel event, a young man begins digging into his daily driver, realizes how easy (and cheap) it is to add horsepower and instantly becomes addicted. Meet David Keyser and his ’97 F-250. When he bought the old-school Ford, it’d been old-man-owned, garage-kept and the 7.3L Power Stroke under the hood was bone-stock. Now, a fully-built engine sees 55 psi of boost on a regular basis and the truck sends nearly 700hp and 1,300 lb-ft of tire-shredding torque to the pavement. It’s still David’s daily driver, but those trips to and from work are much more entertaining than they used to be.

Once he’d reached the breaking point of the 7.3L’s factory internals, there was only one choice: build the engine and forge ahead. Dialing things back and living conservatively wasn’t an option for David. He pulled the engine, tore it down and had the crank and block checked out while the heads were treated to a valve job and port work. Fresh back from the machine shop, he assembled the long block with the toughest parts in the industry, stuffed a set of some of the biggest injectors you can buy under the valve covers, ordered a 72mm turbo and told his tuner to work his magic. Below, you’ll find out just how David prepped his 225hp factory-rated 7.3L Power Stroke to withstand 700rwhp day-in and day-out—along with an occasional blast of nitrous.

Built 7.3L

After bending a factory rod with the truck’s previous setup, David pulled out all the stops during the rebuild. Not only did he opt for a set of forged-steel Manley connecting rods, but he also installed an Irate Diesel main girdle, ARP main studs and fly-cut standard bore pistons. Above the O-ringed head gaskets you’ll find a set of ported cylinder heads from Crutchfield Machine with 165-lb valve springs and ARP studs anchoring them to the block. The factory fuel bowl and turbo mount have been ditched in favor of an electric, frame-mounted fuel system (with regulated return) and one of Irate Diesel’s T4 turbo mounting systems.

S400 SX-E

Thanks to the aforementioned Irate turbo mount affording David the ability to run any T4 turbocharger he wants, he went big. The box BorgWarner S472 SX-E at the back of the valley sports a 10-blade, forged milled compressor wheel with a 72mm inducer, an 87mm turbine wheel and a 1.0 A/R exhaust housing. Once through the truck’s CSF intercooler, 55 psi worth of boost makes it into the engine at full tilt. Vibrant Performance clamps keep all attachment points for the intercooler piping solid.

Hydraulically Actuated Fuel System…On Steroids

Big injectors are the key to any 7.3L making respectable power, so David opted for a set of 350cc hybrids, with nozzles that flow 200-percent more than stock, from Full Force Diesel. To keep the oil side of the 350/200 injectors happy, a Gen3 high-pressure oil pump from Swamp’s Motorsports is employed and mounts above the factory, 196,000-mile unit in the lifter valley.

Self-Built Transmission

Having pieced together his fair share of performance Allison 1000 automatics, David had no reservations about taking a stab at prepping his E4OD for big power. The four-speed slushbox has been treated to a billet input shaft, steel six-pinion planetaries, a TransGo shift kit, Alto clutches, a Twisted Diesel valvebody and a RevMax triple-disc torque converter. A Derale flow-through pan and a remote mount, electric auxiliary cooler ensure ATF temp never exceeds 185 degrees.

Power. Planted.

Trying to send 700hp and 1,300 lb-ft to the pavement would be futile without a set of quality traction bars. After scoring a set off of a friend’s Duramax, David had bolt-on axle mounts made and repurposed them for his OBS. Now axle wrap is non-existent at the track and on the street. Also notice the Baldwin water separator and fuel filter, which are part of an electric fuel system from Irate Diesel Performance that makes use of a Walbro lift pump.

Analog Gauges & Custom Tuning

A quartet of A-pillar gauges from Isspro allow David to keep an eye on fuel supply pressure, boost pressure, exhaust gas temperature and transmission fluid temp. The digital display switch next to the bottom gauge is part of the Power Hungry Performance Hydra Chip that’s attached to the truck’s PCM. Custom tuned by longtime 7.3L enthusiast Brian Jelich of Jelibuilt Performance, it allows David to navigate through a plethora of custom-tailored calibrations, all designed for his specific parts combination.

Traction & Bling

For a good all-around street tire, David runs a 285/50R20 Nitto NT420S at each corner. While the 420Ss out back have their work cut out for them when the big S472 lights and the truck’s peak torque hits, the all-season tread provides a quiet, comfortable ride and traction that’s sufficient enough for most situations. The 31-inch Nittos mount to 20x12-inch Blade SS8 polished-aluminum wheels from American Force.

The Bait

With a diesel-powered ¾-ton ’92-’97 body Ford not being your typical hot-rod, this license plate probably perplexes most people that lock eyes with it. Other than this little hint and the truck’s traction bars, no other visual cue on the truck indicates you’re next to an 11-second performer.

On the Dyno

Aboard the chassis dyno at Bean Machine in Woodbury, Tennessee (a load cell Dynocom that’s known for its accuracy), the hottest tuning file in David’s arsenal allowed the truck to clear 687rwhp on fuel. With adequate traction, David plans to run 11s in the quarter-mile and would like to go quicker than 7.50 through the eighth.

The Pudding. The Proof.

Notice the 947rwhp number listed here. After dynoing just shy of 700hp on fuel and noticing a full bottle of nitrous on standby, David and friends introduced the engine to a healthy dose of N2O by way of ghetto fogging the turbocharger. On the squeeze, the truck put up just shy of 950hp, along with 1,631 lb-ft of torque.

More than a few Cummins-powered Rams have gone down this same path, including this 650hp daily driver.

English is a tricky tongue. Idiomatic, and filled with words stolen from cultures around the world, it has somehow become the standard language for marketing automobiles regardless of what country a car company might call home.

Over the years this has led to some frankly amazing vehicle names. In fact, even brands where the Queen's English is spoken on a daily basis haven't been immune to naming schemes that, well, are puzzling at best.

We've gathered together some of the worst, weirdest, and most wonderful car names from around the globe for your amusement. We'd also like to point out that, as unusual as some of these might be, they're still better than the meaningless collection of alphanumerics that are increasingly plastered across the trunks of modern vehicles.

1. Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard

Isuzu built a lot of SUVs, not just for itself but also a variety of other automakers eager to get in on the rugged 4x4 craze that erupted in the 1990s. Maybe they had run out of ideas when it came time to name the Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard, or 'MU Wizard' for short, which was the 4-door version of what Americans received as the Isuzu Rodeo. Perhaps they weren't sure how owners would put them to use? Or maybe they had been cursed by an ancient power older than time itself? We'll never know.

2. Mazda Scrum

Yes, we know that the word 'scrum' is a rugby term that's been applied to a wide number of sports. No, that still doesn't make any sense when applied to a van. Or a pickup. Built by Suzuki and sold as the Carry, when Mazda rebadged it they really went in a different direction.

3. Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce

Not only is the Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce notable for being perhaps the only car in history to be dubbed after a green vegetable, it was also a one of the pioneers of automotive asymmetry. Like the current Hyundai Veloster, it introduced the idea of two passenger doors on one side and one on the other. As for its bizarre name, what else would you expect from a car that was not only developed in partnership with, but also sold directly by one of Japan's major grocery store chains?

4. Ford Probe

Here's how we feel about the Ford Probe: if you think this name sounds dirty, that probably says more about you than it does about the car.

5. Daihatsu Naked

The Daihatsu Naked is the automotive equivalent of shock rock. There's nothing particularly interesting about this little kei car box, but the name makes you look. Also available as the Naked Turbo, the Naked Summary, the Naked Gear, the Naked Memorial Edition II, and the even more provocative Naked @1 (which came not just with the chronological promise of scheduled nudity, but also zebra-print seats and exterior graphics).

6. Ferrari LaFerrari

Ferrari introduces only a handful of all-new models each decade, and yet couldn't be bothered to come up with a name that wasn't just Ferrari two times with 'the' in the middle. Look for future Ferrari models to just be combination of emoji or unpronounceable symbols. Or maybe just a bank vault on fire.

7. Mazda Laputa

If you speak Spanish, you already know why this name is a bad idea. If you don't speak Spanish, there's a strong chance you worked in Mazda's marketing department, circa 1999.

8. Ford Pinto

In Brazil, if you want to crudely make fun of a man's endowment, you use the word 'pinto.' If you're Ford, you overcompensate by rebranding you car as the 'Corcel' in that particular market. 'Corcel' means horse. Pretty smooth, Ford. Pretty smooth.

9. Peugeot Bipper Tepee Outdoor

It's really hard to make any sense of this one. It's a van. That's it, that's all. A van with word salad sprayed all over it, just like Peugeot's other van options, the Partner Tepee and the Expert Tepee. We're not making any of those names up.

10. Toyota Deliboy

At least Toyota gets it. If you're going to give your van a weird name, at least foster the illusion that's stocked full of delicious meats, pickles, and rye bread.

11. Nissan Friend-ME

There's nothing lonelier than wearing a t-shirt that says 'let's be friends.' Unless it's a Nissan concept car, sitting all by itself on the dais at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2013, begging you to accept its Facebook friend request.

12. Chevrolet Celebrity

The Chevrolet Celebrity would never pass a polygraph test. It is neither driven by celebrities, not a celebrity itself. It is a car filled with lies, and also enormous maintenance requirements that will make you a 'celebrity' at your local garage.

13. Honda That's

Naming your car such that it represents an incomplete sentence is a stroke of post-modern marketing genius that we don't know where to celebrate the Honda That's or-

14. Honda Life Dunk

Back-to-back Honda representation, again from the kei car segment. The Life Dunk is a special turbocharged version of the Honda Life. Because of course it its.

We fervently hope that Honda dealers always made sure to park the That's and Life side-by-side.

15. Subaru Legacy Touring Bruce

In 1993, Subaru made a special version of the Legacy station wagon (the Touring in Japan), and named it after Bruce Willis, who sang for them in commercials for the car. He did it again in 2005, but they didn't give him a second model. Slow your roll, Bruce. Slow your roll.

16. Jaguar F-Pace

Not much to say here other than Jaguar should have known better than to try and link the F-Type sports car to the F-Pace SUV by sharing a single letter that renders the rest of the truck's name nonsensical.

17. Bentley Bentayga

Bentley claims that the Bentayga is named after a mountain peak that no one has ever heard of. The rest of the world just sees 'Ferrari LaFerrari' written differently.

18. Volkswagen Tiguan

Speaking of awkward SUV names, did you hear the origin story about the crossover with a name that combines 'leguan' (the German word for 'iguana') and 'tiger?' This is what happens when you let a magazine (Auto Bild) run a contest to name your new vehicle. At the very least it wasn't called 'Carry McCarface.'

19. Vauxhall Adam Rocks

We're sure he does, Vauxhall, but does he really need his own line of cars to prove it? Sounds a little thirsty.

20. Honda LaGreat

Again with the self-promotion. How does that old rule go? 'If you're really great, you won't need to tell everyone how great you are.' In America, we just call this the Honda Odyssey.

21. Honda Joy Machine

Now that's more like it, Honda. The 4th entry on this list from the world's most bizarre automotive naming brain trust has us thinking maybe the Joy Machine should be bought from an ad at the back of a magazine and then delivered in a discrete brown paper package.

22. Buick LaCrosse

In the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, 'LaCrosse' sounds a lot like the slang for self-pleasure. So much so that the first-generation of this sedan was marketed in Canada as the 'Allure.' When the second generation rolled around, everyone grew up and got over themselves, and the LaCrosse was sold without shame or identify crisis.

23. Tang Hua Detroit Fish

Remember those magical summers when you'd fry up some Detroit Fish on the BBQ while listening to the baseball game on the radio? Tang Hua remembers.

24. Geely Beauty Leopard

We don't know what a Beauty Leopard is, but it sounds like it would be an absolute privilege to be devoured by one. Driving this Geely coupe sounds like a consolation prize, at best.

25. Mazda Proceed Marvie Wild Breeze

We began this list with the most random SUV name in history, and we're ending it with a close runner-up. The Mazda Proceed Marvie Wild Breeze is based on the B-Series pickup, which was sold as the Proceed in other markets. Where the Marvie or the Wild Breeze come in is anyone's guess, but does it really matter? Just let it blow through your hair, bro.

Can't get enough car name knowledge? Check out these badges you didn't know were acronyms.

The Honda Civic has long been considered one of the world’s great small cars and here in America it is one of the cars that helped put Honda on the map. Historically the Civic has always been affordable, economical and surprisingly fun to drive—making it a longtime favorite among enthusiasts.

In the earlier part of this decade, the Civic had fallen behind its competition but with the introduction of the 10th generation car back in 2016 the Civic quickly climbed back to the top of the segment—and from an auto enthusiast perspective there’s a lot to like about the current Civic lineup with more models and varieties available than ever.

With that in mind, we figured Honda’s iconic compact car would be a good subject for one of our enthusiast-oriented buyer’s guides so let’s take a look across the lineup from bottom to top. While many automakers have phased out manual transmissions altogether, Honda offers stick shifts in nearly all variants of the Civic and those are the models we’ll be focusing on here.

Honda Civic Sport Sedan & Coupe

With a 2.0 liter DOHC VTEC four cylinder engine that makes 158 horsepower, today’s entry level Civics have specs that would have once been impressive for any Civic let alone the base model. And for 2019 Honda has introduced a new model called the Civic Sport which offers some nice upgrades over the base model LX—and best of all you can get it with a six speed manual.

Available in either sedan or coupe body styles, the Civic Sport includes upgrades like 18” wheels, a center exit exhaust and an upgraded infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and and its MSRP comes in at just over $22,000 when equipped with a manual transmission.

While it might not be a performance car per say, the Civic Sport is a solid choice for someone on a budget or someone looking for a modern car with the the kind of fun, naturally aspirated character that Honda used to be known for.

Honda Civic Sport Hatchback

Moving up the ladder, we get to the Civic Sport Hatchback, which actually has a completely different engine than its sedan and coupe counterparts. All Civic hatchbacks come powered by Honda’s surprisingly potent 1.5 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine, and in sport trim it makes 180 horsepower and 177 pound feet of torque.

Aside from the Type R, the Sport is the only Civic Hatchback that comes with a manual transmission, and unfortunately it doesn’t come with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and some of the other amenities found on higher end models.

Along with its highly practical body style, the Civic Sport Hatchback occupies a nice middle ground in between a fuel efficient compact car and a bonafide hot hatch. At just over $23,000 it will cost you about $1,000 more than a Civic Sport Sedan with its less powerful engine.

Honda Civic Si Sedan & Coupe

Next we get to the Civic Si, which might be the best bang for the buck in the whole Civic lineup. A 2019 Civic Si has a base price of just over $25,000 and for that price you get a huge list of improvements over the Sport-badged models.

For starters you get a more powerful 1.5 turbo engine that makes 205 horsepower and 192 lb feet of torque, retuned suspension with adaptive dampers and most importantly a limited slip differential. That last bit is something that should be required on any front wheel drive car with performance aspirations.

Aside from the performance upgrades, the Si also comes nicely equipped with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, keyless start, heated seats and more, making it a great daily driver with a healthy amount of performance.

If you are in the market for a new Civic and have even a moderate interest in performance, the Si is the one to get. Yes it will set you back a couple grand more than the lower models, but you’ll get a lot for your money, and that’s before you even get to the high resale value that Si-badged Civics have always enjoyed.

The biggest knock against the Si is that unfortunately Honda doesn’t offer it as a hatchback, so those set on that body style will have to settle for the less expensive but less powerful Civic Sport.

Honda Civic Type R

Last but not least we get to the king of the hill—the Civic Type R. With an MSRP of just under $36,000 the Type R represents a substantial premium of more than $10,000 over the Civic Si but nobody would say that money goes to waste.

That extra cash gets you a larger 2.0 liter turbocharged engine that makes 306 horsepower, a completely redesigned front suspension, big Brembo brakes, wider body panels, more aggressive seats, functional aero parts and a whole lot more.

The biggest drawback of the Type R might be the difficulty in finding one at sticker price, but even when sold at MSRP $36,000 is still a lot of money for a Honda Civic. For that money though you aren’t only getting one of the fastest and best handling front wheel drive cars ever made you’re getting a legit performance machine capable of outperforming vehicles that cost twice as much.

And that’s really the great thing about the current Civic lineup. Whether you are looking for your first new car or want to buy one of the worlds greatest hot hatchbacks, there’s a whole lot of different people the Civic will appeal to and we are glad Honda has provided the enthusiast market with so many flavors to choose from.

If you’d like to hear more about a what the FK8 Civic Type R is like both on the street and on the race track, read this article on our 2018 Civic Type R project car.

During HyperFEST’s 18 consecutive years of motorsports madness, the word has spread like wildfire that this is a bucket list event, held at a bucket list track. Drivers line up for a chance to test their skills and cars at Virginia International Raceway, which makes for a diverse variety of vehicles from several niches.

At HyperFEST you can see everything from crazy fast time-attack and drift cars to rally cars, street-driven builds and vintage racers. We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again: It’s impossible to touch on every build seen at this event, so we narrowed it down to the following 10 eye-catchers.

1. Lose All the Weight

Exomotive’s ExoVette concept car is the ultimate ultra-lightweight track machine. This stunning Vette cart weighs just 2,100 lbs and is equipped with C5 Corvette running gear. Nitto NT01 tires transfer the 5.7 LS1 engine’s 350hp power to the pavement.

2. History Revived

This Alfa Romeo GTV6 2L5 vintage race car reproduction stopped us in our tracks. The car pays homage to French driver Dany Snobeck, and according to vintage photos of Snobeck’s Alfa racing days, this car looks identical, livery and all. The French flag beside the name “D. Snobeck” is adhered to each door, just below the windows. Keep your eyes peeled for this car at vintage races in the states.

3. Built for Burnouts

We first saw this roadkilled Plymouth Roadrunner parked in HyperFEST’s car show lot, and unbeknownst to us at the time, we would witness what it could do in Saturday night’s burnout contest. We don’t know much about this Mopar, but it’s clearly a tire-blazing brute.

4. Dressed to the Nines

It was hard to miss this Pontiac Grand Am parked at the end of its row at the show. Like a scene straight out of The Fast and the Furious, every aspect of the car was customized in a flashy manner. A peek into the trunk reveals an air compressor adorned with airbrushed skulls, surrounded by diamond plate. In the front, creepy child-size dolls lean against the grille, hiding their faces.

5. Rally Ready

Amanda Skelly shared a full-throttle rally experience with thrilled HyperFEST attendees in her favorite rally car, named “Stitch.” (Yes, after the Disney character.) The ’97 Subaru Impreza L is powered by an EJ253 engine from an ’07 Impreza 2.5i. Navigating rough terrain is made easy by KSport GR2 Gravel Coilovers. Thanks to Allstone Media for the above photo.

6. Ford Power

Everyone loves the iconic, edgy design of a Ford GT supercar, the Ford that’s faster than a Ferrari. Ron McCall’s Superlite GT-R kept the track hot all weekend with its 524hp.

7. All the Flare

Behold, a 1973 Datsun 240Z wearing box flares. But that’s not all. A peek under the hood reveals a twin-turbo 800hp all-aluminum V8.  

8. A Time-Attack Monster

United Speed Racing’s riveting 2017 Honda Civic Type R was a time-attack fan favorite. All the aero enhances its sharp features and helps the turbocharged 421hp K20c1 cut through the air’s resistance.

9. The Car With a Bar

Okay, so it’s not exactly a “hot” car, but it certainly knows how to party. This BMW is lovingly named “RaceBar.” Built from an ’84 733i, it’s all business up front and party in the back. That’s right: The beer tap you see on the rear actually works. According to its website, “As you look at RaceBar, every paint mark, broken metal, tape, dent, modification has a memory. This car is a treasured working piece of art to our team.”

10. The Professional Fun-Havers

We can’t end this list without mentioning Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa’s Ford Mustang RTRs, even though we talk about these monsters on the regular. Just look at them.

Speaking of RTR, Chelsea completed a 155 mph drift at HyperFEST. 

One of the Jeep Wrangler's most fun features is how quickly it can transition from an "indoor" to a "great outdoors" driving experience. When ordered with its soft top, flipping a few buckles and unbuttoning some snaps can have you roofless in just a few minutes. Unbolt the doors, and you're suddenly riding around in an off-road exoskeleton.

Unfortunately, not everyone lives in the kind of climate where the Wrangler's soft top is a safe or convenient option. Winter's chill has a way of seeping through fabric and attenuating even the most exuberant enthusiasm. Urban parking realities also often require more than the casual plastic-window security features offered by this setup.

It's here that Jeep has stepped up with a compromise. The Sky One-Touch roof option, available on the four-door Sahara and Rubicon models, aims to deliver the best of both worlds to the Wrangler lineup. This hybrid hardtop convertible isn't cheap, however, so I spent a week in its company to evaluate whether it's worth the investment on the order sheet.

Middle Child

For the most part, the Sky One-Touch roof is a fairly traditional convertible design. It maintains everything about the hardtop Wrangler that Jeep buyers love—the security and weather-proof seal of sheet-molded compound resin—while adding a power-retractable cloth panel that can slide back to expose the first two rows of the vehicle to the elements.

Unlike the regular hardtop, however, the Sky One-Touch roof's support system cannot be removed completely, so make your peace with that prior to purchase. Yes, you can still remove the doors and fold down the windshield should you so desire. While you can't take out the rear glass for a total pass-through effect, the One-Touch does offer pop-out quarter windows at the back to open things up as much as possible.

You still have to find a way to store the doors and windows without scratching them, of course—you're not going to be taking them with you—but in many ways it’s a reasonable approximation of what the traditional soft-top Wrangler has to offer.

One-Touch Is No Exaggeration

In addition to doing a good job keeping the interior warm and dry, as well as deflecting the ill intentions of would-be burglars, the Sky One-Touch top is simpler to use than a standard soft Wrangler roof. I mean, it's right there in the name: Simply hit a button and 18 seconds later the roof has rolled up over the cargo area.

This is contrasted against the Wrangler's flip-back function on the soft top, which is relatively simple to open but can be clumsy to close, with the angle for grabbing the pull handle not always comfortable or easy to get leverage on. If you go all the way back over the rear seat, this latter issue is further compounded and a complete removal and reassembly can occasionally be tedious.

You can also slide the Sky system back as far or as short as you want, depending on wind conditions and passenger complaints. This is another advantage over the regular soft top, which can only fold along preset points.

Rough Around the Edges

In actual practice, I found that the One-Touch design didn't fold back smoothly like retracting a window blind, but bunched up a bit in the process. This wasn't much of an issue, but don't assume that the area behind the leading edge of the top is still sealed to the elements—it's possible that the roof is open along the sides, which means water and wind can still get into the cabin.

I also don't understand why Jeep doesn't paint the inside of the hardtop. The slider rails along either side of the unit were white, which provided an ugly contrast against the orange hue of my Sahara tester. Given that we're talking about a roughly $4,000 option, this feels like a cut corner and a bit of a slap in the face for those willing to spend the extra cash.

In terms of providing fun-in-the-sun, however, the Sky One-Touch gets full marks. It's a convertible Jeep, plain and simple. Keep the side windows in and doors on and it's absolutely hassle-free open-top motoring. That's probably the biggest compliment I could pay to the design, and if you need a hardtop for all the reasons listed above and can afford the extra juice for UV exposure, there's really no reason not to go for it.

Go Turbo

One last note on the 2019 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. The model I drove featured the optional 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Previously, I had sampled this unit in a two-door Rubicon, and I was curious as to how its 270hp and 295 lb-ft of torque would handle the extra girth of the four-door model.

I needn't have been concerned. Although some might complain about the fact that going turbo means you'll have to stick with Jeep's eight-speed automatic, I honestly never missed the third pedal once during my time with the motor. Its fantastic power delivery and reasonable fuel economy make it a worthwhile upgrade over the good but modest V6.

Turbo power and single-button retractable cloth roofs might have pushed the JL Wrangler far past its barebones CJ roots, but in a world where modernization has sucked the soul out of so many automobiles, Jeep has managed to keep its flagship just as fun as it ever was while making it a little more comfortable to live with, too.

Watch our real world review of the JL Rubicon!

If you’re looking for the best domestic-powered burnouts, you need to go to LS Fest West in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s where we found this LS-swapped donut machine. Its Tilden Motorsports blown 367ci LS engine is capable of putting out 748hp and 985 lb-ft of torque—more than enough to roast some tires.

Speaking of those tires, it’s running Nitto NT05s wrapped around Rushforth wheels, 19X9 front and 20x11 rear. The keen-eyed among you will have spotted the added carbon fiber “Camaro” wing on the back.

To see everything that makes this car a burnout monster, watch the video above!

Love the LS motor? Have you seen this beautiful LS equipped 1956 Bel-Air?

Tim Odell is a man of many talents. While a background in auto body laid the groundwork for his car building abilities, it’s his artistic eye that has led him to become one of the premier fabricators on the East Coast. As the owner of Vice Unlimited in Lincolnton, North Carolina, Odell is constantly looking for ways to put a unique spin on platforms new and old. From executing over-the-top builds such as Fab Fours Kymera to crafting his own one-off Trophy T machine, Vice Unlimited isn’t afraid to push the limits of design and function.

We got a chance to sit down with Odell and get a little history on him and the shop. Admittedly, we were also there to get a closer look at the Trophy T Ultra4 Racing car he’s been working on. While we’ll have more on the Trophy T in an upcoming article, be sure to watch the video to find out how this DIY fabricator turned his passion into a full-fledged career.

Want to see another one of Odell’s creations? Check out his Cummins powered HMMWV!

In recent years there’s been no escaping the news that the manual transmission is on the decline. Take rates for manual gearboxes are way down, and many of today’s sports cars and performance cars aren’t even available with a stick shift in any form.

Fortunately though, there are still plenty of automakers that are happy to at least offer the choice of a manual gearbox on a wide variety of cars, and even rarer are cars that are only available with a manual transmission.

That's right, even in today’s age of quick shifting automatics and dual clutch transmissions there are still a handful of performance cars sold where the only choice is to row your own gears, and we think there is something decidedly cool about that. Here are five greats that can only be driven and enjoyed by those who know how to operate a clutch pedal.

1. Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

The Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 is an absolute gem of a performance car, and the centerpiece of its magic is a 5.2L naturally aspirated flat plane crank V8 that makes 526hp and can be spun up to 8,250 rpm. The only way to wring out that high-revving horsepower is through a six-speed manual Tremec gearbox that happens to have one of the best feeling shifters in the business.

Interestingly enough, the upcoming supercharged Shelby GT500 will only be available with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, but it looks like the naturally aspirated GT350 will remain a manual-only affair.

2. Chevrolet Camaro 1LE

Whether you are talking about the turbocharged four cylinder, V6 or V8-powered Chevy Camaro, the 1LE package should be considered a must-have option because of the way it transforms the Camaro into a track day special.

If you do go for the 1LE package, though, you’ll have to row your own gears, unless you are going for the flagship ZL1 1LE, which has just recently become available with a 10-speed automatic to help combat the aforementioned Shelby GT500. For the more affordable Camaro 1LEs, we aren’t upset at all that GM has kept them manual only, and we especially love the active rev matching feature that comes with the V8-powered models.

3. Honda Civic Type R

Honda is a brand that’s always been known for its great manual transmissions, with its hard-edged Type R models in particular having never been offered with anything but a three-pedal setup. While the new Civic Type R is a big departure from past Type R models with its turbocharged engine and more road-friendly manners, it is still only available with a traditional six-speed manual gearbox.

You’ll hear no complaints from us though, because not only is the Type R’s shifter a joy to use, but the automatic rev matching is great fun to use on the race track, curvy backroads or even just the daily commute.

4. Hyundai Veloster N

Next up we get to a car that arrived on the market with the Civic Type R directly in its sights: the Hyundai Veloster N. While you might expect this Nürburgring-developed hot hatch to sport a dual clutch gearbox of some sort, it’s only sold with an old school six-speed stick.

Like the Type R, the Veloster N also features active rev matching (which can be shut off if you’d like the challenge of heel-toeing for yourself), and it will be interesting to see if the lack of an automatic option affects sales of the new model. Performance tests have shown the cheaper Veloster N to lag slightly behind the Type R while delivering an equally fun experience, and it’s hard to fault Hyundai for making a stick shift the only way to experience its hot hatch.

5. Subaru WRX STI

Last but not least we get to the elder statesman of this group: the Subaru WRX STI. While the lesser-powered WRX has always been available with an automatic option (not that we’d recommend it), the more hardcore STI has always had a manual as it’s only gearbox choice, and the current car is no different. This isn’t surprising considering the STI’s EJ25 powerplant has been around largely unchanged since 2004, and even if Subaru did want to add an automatic option, they likely don’t make a transmission that could properly handle the power.

While we wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a rally inspired dual clutch option in the next generation WRX STI, Subaru’s current automatics are all of the CVT variety, so that leads us to believe that its performance flagship will continue to be a manual-only machine.

So there you have it. If you are in the market for a new performance car but either can’t or don’t want to drive a manual, you’ll have to turn down these offerings. But with as good as all these cars are, we’d recommend going ahead and banging your own gears anyway.

Speaking of stick shifts, here are some reasons we want to see Dodge put one into the V8-powered Charger.

The number one thing we look forward to at LS Fest is the odd vehicles people choose to put LS engines in. The show hasn’t disappointed us yet, and this year the European vehicle turnout was exceptionally strong. Yes, there were plenty of LS swapped S13-S15s, Fox Body Mustangs and ‘60s American muscle—but we’ve all seen that before. Without further ado, here are the best Euro body cars with power provided by the USA.

1. 1983 Mercedes 240D

Affectionately dubbed the Five-Dollar Hauler, this 6.0L LS with dual 62mm Magnum Turbos and T56 transmission quickly got our attention as it fried tires in Mr. Chow’s Side Show. As it turns out, Garrett Brumley, owner of Three-Five Customs, had a bit of a story about the car, ”A good friend owned the Mercedes, but it had problems. The car couldn’t get out of its own way so he offered us the car for a fuel pump he needed for another car.”

Garrett continued, “We wanted to showcase that you can take something mundane and ugly and make it kinda cool. There are some aftermarket parts that you can use to make any car nice underneath the hood. We felt it was important to keep the exterior stock looking so it has a real sleeper look—totally inconspicuous. We just wanted to have fun and do something goofy and promote our shop and we’ve got a giveaway that lasts until September 8, 2019 at LS Fest East announcing the winner.” Visit www.threefivecustoms.com for more details on the giveaway.

2. 1970 Porsche 914

Sean Thomas’ exquisite LS swapped 914 has been in his family for over 20 years and there’s no doubt that he loves the car. “This car has always been one of my favorites. The LS makes it even better, with the aluminum block and aluminum everything else—it’s light and powerful. To support the excellent power output of the motor, I pulled the ZF transaxle that was commonly used in Panteras and GT40s. Unfortunately, the Porsche stuff breaks once you put any power against it,” Sean said.

“It has run 11.8 seconds in the quarter mile, but I think I could go faster with a better launch and more seat time.” There’s no collecting dust in a garage for this vehicle. Sean plans for a ton of auto crossing and drag racing in the near future to get that seat time he’s looking for.

3. 1977 Austin Mini

“Its only job is to kill tires.” Those were the words that Dario Gaiga (owner of this blue beast) used to describe how this odd blown LS1 creation came into being. He claims it was modeled after an Australian-style burnout car and the muscle car street machine toys from the ‘70s that sported exaggerated engines proportionally too large for the vehicle.

He loves the juxtaposition between the new(ish) American technology mixed with a British body, and we’re guessing he loves the difference in power as well—a stock Mini from that era had about 30hp. Also worthy of note: This little Mini can demolish a brand-new set of rear tires in about 60 seconds.

4. 1999 VW Bug

This car was so subtle that we almost missed it—from the outside, it looks like a completely stock VW Bug from the late '90s. But, underneath the hood lies a monster: an LS4 harvested from a wrecked ’06 Monte Carlo SS.

The sleeper Bug was Dave Hill’s idea, the owner of Hill’s Automotive in Provo, Utah. “I had the motor lying around my shop and was looking for a project to put it in. After a few months of searching, I picked up this bug for $200. It took me a few months to build, and now that it’s all said and done, I’ve got about $3000 total into the project.” Can you imagine pulling up to a light next to this stock bug only to see nothing but taillights as the stoplight turns green? It’s the epitome of a sleeper car. Thankfully, Dave plans to drag race the car because he’s sure it wouldn’t be good at anything else. We can’t wait to see the time slip.

5. 2006 Mercedes E55 Station Wagon

This is Daniel’s second LS swapped vehicle. He had so much fun with his first that when the motor blew in this 2006 Mercedes, he immediately pieced together an LS3 to replace it.

So why did Daniel choose this particular vehicle? “I chose this model because LS motors are more fun (than a stock E55 motor) because of all the power, plus I could stick a six speed behind it…and I have kids.” There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this LS swapped Mercedes is more fun than the typical minivan.

Feast your eyes on this gorgeous turbo LS swapped 240Z!

Today, Cadillac announced that they are expanding their performance V-Series sub-brand with the new CT4-V and CT5-V. The V series was originally reserved for only the higher-end when it was introduced in 2004, so why the changes? Cadillac stated, “[the new models] invites even more customers into the V-Series family by adding a new level of elevated performance between the Sport models and the ultimate, high-performance track capability that the V-Series has grown to represent.”

So where is the extra power coming from? One word: turbos. The CT5-V will be equipped with a 3.0L twin turbo V6 utilizing low-inertia turbochargers that improve power across the power band and is estimated to put-out 355hp and 400 lb-ft. The CT4-V features a 2.7L turbo that is estimated to churn out 320hp and 369 lb-ft.

Both new V cars share the latest in the series’ performance tech, with Magnetic Ride Control that doesn’t sacrifice performance-oriented responsiveness at the cost of comfort, RWD or AWD, a 10-speed transmission, Brembo front brakes (with eBoost electronic assist), and a limited-slip differential.

Clearly, Cadillac is trying to draw more entry-level customers to the brand and change their public perception. We think that offering performance versions is the right way to do it, and we’re starting to believe them when they say, “The newest Vs are focused on elevated athleticism and luxurious refinement for customers who want a dynamic daily drive.”

The last bit Cadillac shared with us is that there is more Cadillac performance on the horizon: “…This is only the beginning of the V family. Cadillac’s passion for performance shines on the racetrack. Stay tuned.” We'll keep an eye out for you.

Read about how Cadillac came out with the variable displacement engine in the 80s, here.

Congratulations, after four weeks of waiting and saving up a sizable chunk of cash you just received your new carbon fiber front lip. You spent a day fitting it up—shaving a little off here and there for a perfect fit to your vehicle. Then after a nice cruise you discover that the leading edge is now full of little stone chips and scuffs. The only way to repair that damage is to have it sanded and re-clear coated.

Most of that frustration can be avoided with some very simple steps prior to installation (or after you have your current scuffs and chips re-cleared). Go to any an IMSA, WEC or Indycar event and look at the leading edges of lips, splitters, fenders and wings, and you'll find a common denominator: There is usually some form of clear urethane film or painted rock guard on those areas. The nice thing is that both the urethane wrap/decal and the rock guard paint is cheap, accessible and relatively easy to install.

Clear Film Defense

For areas that are highly visible and where you don't want to cover up that beautiful carbon weave, a paint protection film like Lamin-X works well. This is because of the film's thickness (12-40 mils) and the impact resistance of the urethane film. This is similar to the headlight film kits and premium clear bra kits and is used to cover the front clip on most race cars. For the film to function in this particular manor, thicker is better. A "universal fit" package would be required because the part this is being put on is not something a manufacturer like Lamin-X or 3M is going to make. Films are fairly easy to put on and most places that do wraps are fully capable of installing them. 

Installing the film is a matter of patience. Make sure you start with a clean surface and then prep by rubbing it down with denatured alcohol or wax/grease remover. If the surface is relatively flat or has just a simple curve, peel off the backing a bit at a time and press the film to the surface. Take care to squeegee out any air bubbles as you go. When done trim off any excess film.

If the surface shape is complex, spray the surface with water mixed with a drop of soap. Then work on applying the film. A hair dryer may be needed to make the film stretch over curves. Again, squeegee out the water and air as you go. When done, trim off any excess material.

Once applied to the vehicle, these films can usually be washed and waxed just like the rest of the car, making maintenance pretty basic. It is also replaceable once the film gets too banged-up looking.

Paint as Protection

The other option is to use a spray-on rock guard or bedliner. This is commonly used on areas that are normally hidden from view such as the underside or inner edge of the rear valance, the underside of side skirts or the lip that wraps around into the wheel wells. Dupli-Color's spray-on bedliner is cheap and very effective in this regard. 

Prep is pretty basic. Mask around the area you want to paint with fine-line tape and masking tape. Then wet sand/scuff the area to be painted with 300-400 grit paper. Clean the area really well with denatured alcohol or wax/grease remover. If using the Dupli-Color spray-on bedliner, hold the part about 8-10 inches away from the nozzle and lay down medium coats until the area is covered. If necessary, re-coat within the time specified on the packaging.

Bedliner paint dries very hard, so after an hour or two carefully remove the masking while the paint is still soft (not wet). Take care not to get the overspray from the masking onto the carbon part as it will be hard to get off (if you do, a little bit of acetone on a clean rag will take it off but be careful not to damage the clear on the carbon).

Let the part sit overnight and it will be ready to be installed the next day. If, over time, the paint starts wearing away, all that has to be done is re-mask and re-spray.

Both of these options can also be done while the parts are on the vehicle too, it just may take more care in the prep work and masking (if painting). Either way it is easy protection for your carbon parts.

Learn how to paint your car's interior pieces, here.

Hyundai is an automaker that's increasingly willing to bankroll high risk, high reward gambles, especially when it comes to performance. This is a brand that just over a decade ago spent hundreds of millions developing a low-volume rear-wheel drive platform for the Genesis Coupe, a surprisingly competent effort that erased memories of the lukewarm Tiburon that preceded it and established the Koreans as a force to be reckoned with on the tuning scene.

Just a few short years later, Hyundai has done it again. The second-generation Veloster, lauded for its much-improved chassis and quick, fun turbocharged R-Spec model, wasn't enough for the team behind the company's burgeoning performance division. Enter the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, a hot hatch aimed squarely at the segment-leading Honda Civic Type R.

Did I say aimed at? Because I meant eclipses.

Different Paths to Performance

Before you @ me, let me finish. There are any number of reasons to buy a car, but in the performance world it largely comes down to two primary considerations.

The first is bragging rights, or should I say, the numbers. Quarter mile times, horsepower, braking distance, 0-60 acceleration markers and, of course, that most contentious of water cooler conversation, lap times. These are the talking points that car folks banter back and forth in the never-ending bench racing bull sessions that take place at every hour of the day across the entire country, each trying to one-up the other with claims about their preferred vehicle's prowess.

From this perspective, it's hard to see my end of the argument. In a straight line, around a track and on a dynometer, the Honda Civic Type R's data points reign supreme. It boasts 306hp, the fastest production front-wheel drive Nürburgring lap in history and a quarter mile time of 13.7 at 105.9 mph.

Contrast this against the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, and there's a definite gap. Output from the hatchback's 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder comes in 250hp and 275hp flavors (depending on whether you order the Performance Pack or not). At the drag strip, you're looking at 13.9 seconds at 102 mph, and as for 'Ring times, Hyundai is mum.

Deeper Than Data

The crux of my surprise love affair with the Hyundai Veloster N goes deeper than data, however, and touches on that second, and equally important, reason why anyone forks over performance car cash: the fun factor.

As impressive as empirically-measured stats might be, none of that really matters to me if I don't feel a connection between driver and machine once I've fired up the ignition. This might sound like a simple pleasure, but in an age where ones and zeros have more say in the overall driving experience of most automobiles than the meat sitting in the left seat, it's become an increasingly endangered new car characteristic.

It's here that the Veloster N has done its homework. Unlike its clinically-minded Honda rival, the Hyundai has taken a different path to performance that underlines the word "fun" in red about a thousand times, just before setting it on fire and launching it into the sun.

It starts with the raucous exhalations of the Veloster N's exhaust, sweetened not electronically but rather the old fashioned way with an extra fuel dump on throttle lift, exhorting a ribald crackle to the heavens on upshift and downshift. In Normal driving mode things are more muted, but the Custom and N modes (accessible via dedicated steering wheel buttons) make it easy to tune the band to your heart's content.

You'll need to pony up just over $2,000 extra over the Veloster N's $26,900 starting price to snag the Performance Pack for the full soundtrack, but it's well worth the investment. In addition to the aggressive exhaust tuning and 25hp boost, it also introduces a limited-slip front differential, shorter gearing for the standard six-speed manual gearbox and bigger brakes. You'll also notice larger 19-inch rims and adjustable suspension stiffness, rounding out an incredible value on the options sheet.

Taken together, it's a compelling concert of harmonious mechanical interaction between driver, vehicle and the road beneath its wheels. The car feels deliciously analog, and even though it's not—we are, after all, talking about a modern turbocharged car—any electronic sleight of hand is either attenuated or completely defeatable.

The suspension is a boon, dialing back body control on rough roads but providing excellent response once the pavement smoothes out. Understeer is muted and predictable. The Veloster N surges forward with boisterous authority, ratios perfectly spaced, and although the pedals are awkwardly placed for proper heel-toe, you can ask the car to do it for you at the touch of a button. I declined the offer, because practice, practice, practice, but it remains the car's primary paean to third-party intervention in the automotive experience.

There's also a launch control system, of course, because in 2019 to not have one is to invite rancor from the spec sheet crowd. In my attempts to use it on the admittedly cool pavement of a local drag strip, I found it difficult to reliably implement, and less than capable at dealing with full-throttle wheel hop. Instead, I just turned every nanny off—a rare privilege in a 2019 model—and slipped the clutch myself, coming quite close to the N's advertised ET and matching its trap speed.

The Right Car at the Right Price

Throw in a gorgeous Performance Blue paint scheme with red accents (a compliment-magnet nearly every time I drove the car), attractive yet not over-the-top wings, vents and badging and the practicality of the Veloster's asymmetrical hatchback design, and it's clear that the N is the real deal. That Hyundai has managed to go from wannabe to world class in the hot hatch segment in a single generation is simply astounding and speaks to the depth of investment and development that is underway across the Pacific.

Sure, the interior feels fairly close to that of the standard Veloster in terms of materials and looks (seats and blue seatbelts not withstanding), but the feature count remains high, and better yet, the price is right. The N clocks in at nearly $7,000 less than the base Civic Type R, and while that gap is narrowed somewhat by adding the Performance Pack, it's still a sizable sum.

More importantly, the Veloster N is fun in a way that the Type R simply can't match. Clinical and digitized in its path to power and performance, the Japanese hatchback's credentials are real, but they ring hollow when driving the two cars back to back. I'd rather have the co-conspirator that is the Hyundai than the NASA-like tech parade that is the Honda were I to choose a daily driver/weekend toy.

I'm not the only one who thinks the Veloster N has a leg-up over the Civic Type R. Check out these 5 things the Hyundai does better than the Honda.

No matter where you live, your car is constantly being bombarded by the elements. From road salt to sunlight, bird excrement to tree sap and even wind, sand and dust, you’ve got your work cut out for you in keeping your pride and joy in pristine condition. Now, we might not all live in the rust belt that is the northeast and Midwest, but no vehicle is immune to the damage that prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and heat can cause. Let’s face it: Most vehicles are exposed to temperature fluctuations, above average humidity and rain at one point or another. Didn’t think rain could damage your paint? Under the right conditions, acid deposits can interact with sunlight and eat away at that beautiful clear coat.

Wanting to go beyond simply repeating the well-known hazards our vehicles face on a regular basis, the folks at Alan’s Factory Outlet put together a comprehensive list of 15 elements and hazards that can damage your car. In addition to highlighting each unavoidable risk and the damage it can cause, the all-inclusive guide points you toward a means of prevention. Taking things a step further, we teamed up with them to elaborate on their talking points. Our goal (as well as theirs) is to educate you on the dangers your car faces every day, the severity of the damage these elements and hazards are capable of inflicting and how you can avoid them or fix them. Whether you’re interested in safeguarding your classic, maintaining a fleet of vehicles or hoping to lock in the highest possible resale value on your late-model car, the following information is intended to arm you with the knowledge you need to make it happen.

Salt

The most notorious of all hazards is road salt (i.e. sodium chloride). Snow and ice affects 70 percent of the U.S., and a large portion of that percentage receives salt anytime conditions are favorable for it, or temperatures drop below freezing. If you live in the Midwest or Northeast you definitely know the struggle that is keeping salt off your paint, axles, frame, brake and fuel lines, as well as the rest of the underbody. Nothing accelerates rust quite like road salt.

Prevention Measure 1: Coat the undercarriage with a reputable anti-corrosion oil.

Prevention Measure 2: Wax the vehicle in late fall or before the first snowfall arrives.

Prevention Measure 3: Don’t follow the salt truck…

Solution: When exposed to salt, always wash your vehicle within 10 days and give special attention to cleaning the undercarriage.

Sun & Heat

Most everyone prefers fairer weather to frigid conditions, but those hot summer days can really do a number on your vehicle. Most notably, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause paint to fade and even lead to it bubbling, cracking or peeling. The heat that accompanies the sun dries out tires and accelerates dry-rotting, too, which can damage the integrity of the rubber and increase the potential for blow-outs. High exposure to direct sunlight and heat also makes plastic interior components, such as dashes, more brittle and prone to cracking.

Prevention Measure 1: Park your vehicle in a garage or under a car port.

Prevention Measure 2: If you can’t store your car indoors, park in the shade.

Prevention Measure 3: Keep a good coat of wax on your vehicle.

Sand

Whether you’re cruising the desert or near the ocean, lake or river, avoid sand like the plague—or make it a point to clean your vehicle like you’ve never cleaned it before. Remember, most sand is essentially debris from decomposed rocks, so the coarse composition of sand grains don’t play nice with things like wheel bearings, brake pads, calipers and virtually any other moving part on your car. Sand is also known to make its way into road salt mixtures when municipalities begin to run low on salt or simply don’t have the budget for traditional road salt.

Prevention Measure 1: If you live near the desert or beach, wash your vehicle regularly.

Prevention Measure 2: If you live near the desert or beach, shelter the vehicle in a garage, under a tarp or within a car cover.

Acid Rain

While acid rain isn’t nearly as common as it used to be thanks to our current, environmentally-conscious world, it still occurs with relative regularity on the East Coast (especially in the Northeast). While air pollution is traditionally blamed for acid rain, it can be caused naturally. But what does it mean for your car? When acid deposits left behind by the rain are exposed to and interact with sunlight, your vehicle’s paint and even sheet metal can be at risk of corroding.

Prevention Measure 1: Wash your vehicle regularly, and immediately after it rains.

Prevention Measure 2: Park your car in a garage or under a car port, tarp or car cover.

Tree Sap

The tree sap hazard can be avoided by simply not parking under trees, but things don’t always work out that way. Removing tree sap as soon as possible is key, as once it sets up and hardens its removal can be time-consuming. If given enough time, tree sap can actually become ingrained in the clear coat, causing permanent stains and paint discoloration.

Prevention Measure: If possible, park your car away from any trees.

Solution 1: Quickly wash off the sap before it sets up and hardens (hot water will suffice).

Solution 2: If the sap has hardened, use a reputable sticky residue remover such as Goof Off or Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover.

Solution 3: When possible, test a small area first before applying your chemical of choice to a large area.

Bird Bombs & Insects

Bird droppings and bugs will always be an unavoidable hazard, but there is more to bird waste and insect spatter than meets the eye. Both can be highly acidic—acidic enough to penetrate your car’s paint. When combined with high outdoor temperatures, the toxic stew can reach your vehicle’s sheet metal within 48 hours. Do not let either of these hazards take up real estate on your car for more than two days, especially during summer.

Prevention Measure 1: Wash your vehicle regularly.

Prevention Measure 2: Wax your car two to three times a year.

Prevention Measure 3: Park the vehicle in a garage or under a car port.

Solution 1: For quick, immediate cleanup, use hot water or WD-40 in conjunction with a microfiber rag.

Solution 2: On windshields, seltzer can be used to remove waste, but do not apply it to your paint.

Hard Water

It’s not out of the norm for households to have hard water coming out of the spigot. While hard water (water that is high in mineral content) is healthier for drinking, it often dissolves into mineral deposits (such as lime scale) that can be a chore to remove from your car’s paint, bumpers or trim.

Prevention Measure 1: Try to park away from sprinklers.

Prevention Measure 2: After washing your car, perform a final rinse with soft or distilled water to get rid of any mineral deposits before they have a chance to dry.

Solution: Remove mineral deposit spots by applying an equal parts mixture of white vinegar and distilled water. Rub the area lightly, allow it to sit for 1-2 minutes, then wipe, rinse and dry the spot. Follow that step with a fresh coat of wax.

Mold

This one is most common with interiors, but it’s more prevalent than you think. Microscopic mold spores can infiltrate your vehicle at anytime, either by being blown in through a lowered window or hitching a ride on your clothing. In the presence of moisture, low light and persistent humid conditions, mold can take root and spread quickly.

Prevention Measure 1: Wash your vehicle regularly.

Prevention Measure 2: Store your car in a dry area, such as a garage.

Temperature Variation

Just like all the metal and plastic components on our vehicles, automotive paint expands and contracts with fluctuations in temperature. Considerable temperature swings can even cause paint to crack, allowing moisture, salt and all kinds of other contaminants to permeate the paint. Once they reach your car’s sheet metal, deterioration isn’t far behind.

Prevention Measure 1: Wax your vehicle on a regular basis.

Prevention Measure 2: Park your car in a garage and a climate-controlled one if possible.

Dust

As a mixture of the remnants of the solid matter all around us, dust is everywhere. On its own, it’s not particularly harmful to your car’s paint, but when mixed with rain it can turn acidic and damage paint and metal surfaces. Aside from mixing with rain, dust accumulates in air filters and plugs up cabin filters, causing poor breathing performance for both you and your engine.

Prevention Measure 1: Wash your vehicle on a regular basis (once a week).

Prevention Measure 2: Park your car in a garage or car port, or keep it covered and protected from dust.

Wind

On the surface, wind wouldn’t normally be accepted as a hazard for our vehicles. However, windy conditions batter your car’s exterior with all kinds of airborne particles, which over time can wear away paint. If you live near the beach or desert, your vehicle is routinely treated to a low-level sand-blasting.

Prevention Measure: Park your car in a garage, car port or other shelter that keeps it out of the wind.

If you live in the Rust Belt, you should read this article on Rust Busting.

General Motors had a rough track record with technological progress in the 1980s. Everything from the X-body failure, to the diesel disaster, to the inability to match encroaching Japanese rivals in fuel economy or features had GM struggling to catch up in terms of tech for most of the decade.

One of the few bright spots for the General during those dark times was the Quad 4. This unassuming four-cylinder engine marked the first time in a long, long stretch where Detroit's once-proud behemoth tackled a ground-up design that didn't result in a cavalcade of angry customers, massive recalls or lawsuits from the federal government. The Quad 4 might not have been perfect, but it brought several advanced ideas to the market in a format that slowly nudged GM towards the future of modern drivetrain engineering.

Forward-Thinking Tech

From a modern perspective, the Quad 4 isn't very flashy. At the time it was conceived, however, it was a moonshot for a company still smarting from a string of very public pie-in-the-face moments that had cost it tens of millions of dollars and major market share that it would never recover.

The key to the Quad 4's name was its use of four valves for each of the four cylinders, matching with a dual overhead cam. This was a first for GM, and it allowed for reasonable power to be squeezed out of a small displacement engine, putting to bed the wheezy four-cylinders that had long lurked in the General Motors portfolio. The cylinder head was an aluminum design, and a number of other aluminum parts were used inside the setup, which rested on an iron block.

A 16-valve DOHC design wasn't the only new concept explored in the Quad 4. The engine eschewed a distributor in favor of an ignition system that used the crankshaft position to fire one of two engine coils installed above the cylinder head itself. It was a simpler design that pointed the way to the coil-on-plug systems found today.

There were two versions of the Quad 4 in common usage. The first, which debuted under the hood of the 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais after five years of development, produced 150hp and 160 lb-ft of torque from 2.3L, with a redline of 7,000 rpm. The second was a High Output version that offered 180hp thanks to a higher compression ratio and better breathing. It arrived two years later.

Gradual Progress

The Quad 4 was eventually expanded to include Pontiac, Buick and Chevrolet models. A heavily modified version of the engine also powered the Oldsmobile Aerotech landspeed record car as part of a publicity program. The street motor was more powerful than several larger V6s in the GM stable at the time and was much more frugal than the dinosaur designs that were commonplace during Detroit's '80s period.

All was not perfect in Quad 4 land, however. Initial complaints focused on the noisy, thrashy nature of the four-cylinder when pushed hard, a result of there being no balance shafts included in the original design. Instead, lightweight reciprocating mass components were substituted in an effort to quell vibration. GM would eventually allow its engineers to triumph over its accountants, but it took a long time: It would be 1995 before balance shafts were added.

Other improvements made to the motor during this period included a new oil pan, crankshafts, connecting rods and engine mounts, all in a bid to deal not just with harsh operation but also head and oiling problems. With these changes came more power: 160hp for the standard LD2 version of the Quad 4 by 1990, but then a 10 pony drop once balance shafts arrived on the scene. A 190hp high-output variant called the W41 saw limited use in the Cutlass Calais (1991) and Oldsmobile Achieva SCX (1992-1993).

For 1996, a larger 2.4L four-cylinder dubbed the Twin Cam hit the scene. Horsepower for this rebranded Quad 4 remained at 150, and almost all of the earlier engine's problems had been dealt with (although timing chains and water pumps continued to be an issue). The engine would power the next generation of small and medium-sized GM automobiles until it was replaced by the EcoTec four-cylinder shortly after the turn of the new Millennium.

Better Late Than Never

For all the good that the Quad 4 brought to GM's ailing engine line-up, it's important to point out that while it was an internal revolution for the automaker, it didn't exactly peg the needle on a global basis. Twin-cam, 16-valve engines weren't a new concept when General Motors introduced theirs, and in many ways the motor came late to the small car party.

It's a charge that could also be leveled at the EcoTec, an excellent engine that proved GM finally understood what was necessary to be truly competitive at the entry level. If only the Quad 4 had come out five years sooner—or the EcoTec arrived in the mid-'90s to replace it, rather than waiting for post-2000—there may have been a chance for the company to generate buzz around its compact vehicles where once there had been only vitriol.

Instead, these two high tech motors achieve only internal milestone status and have us wondering what might have been if the giant's gaze had shifted away from large displacement, emissions-choked gas guzzlers a decade before the brand began its slow fade from industry leadership.

Curious about how bad things got for GM in the '80s? Read about the sad tale of the Cadillac 8-6-4 variable displacement engine.

By and large it seems that automotive-themed movies usually fall into two categories. First there are the fun ones (read Fast & Furious): they take an over the top approach to car culture with wild stunts and far-fetched plot lines. Then there’s a much rarer category of movies that feature deeper, more accurate portrayals of cars and motorsport.

Ford v Ferrari, due to hit theaters in November of this year is a film that looks to fall clearly into that second category. Featuring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as British racing driver Ken Miles, the movie tells the fascinating story of Ford’s mission to beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans during the mid 1960s.  

The fascinating story is one that many car enthusiasts are likely already familiar with, and one that’s been already covered in both written and documentary form.

Nevertheless it should be very exciting to see the story told from a big budget, Hollywood perspective with top level acting and directing talent. There has even been some buzz about the movie being a potential Oscar candidate, so we are obviously dealing with something a little more substantial than your typical racing movie.

Watching the trailer that has just been released, it’s clear that a lot of research was done to help nail the authenticity of the period and the cars in particular. Not surprisingly there appears to be a fair amount of CG used to recreate the historic racing scenes, but overall the movie appears to be heavy on realism.

We’ll have to wait until we actually see the full movie to pass judgment, but Ford v Ferrari looks to have the makings of a rare automotive-themed film that appeals to both hardcore gear heads and causal moviegoers alike.

Like many others we’ll be counting down the days until November. In the meantime make sure you check out the trailer above to help get the excitement going.

Here are some other "car movies" approved by other car people (you'll like them, too).

Aaron Burnell loves his 2012 Cadillac CTS-V, but with only 556hp he felt it was a little underpowered. That's why he took it to Revolution Street Cars to upgrade the engine.

Revolution tore the engine apart and put it back together with a host of go-fast goodies. Now this Cadillac wagon produces over 750hp—with 640hp making it to the rear wheels.

With a wheel and Nitto NT05 tire upgrade to match what's under the hood, it's the perfect vehicle for both picking up the kids and blowing off the doors of any competitor at the strip or on the street. Watch the video above for some tire shredding shots of this CTS-V in action.

See the new performance oriented Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V, here!