The art of the print ad might be diminished somewhat in our digital age, but there's still a treasure trove of unusual art aimed at auto buyers lurking in the archives of every car company out there. The most entertaining ads are time capsules that drag you back to the aesthetics, in-jokes and cultural references that ruled the day they were released, and while some might not have aged as well as others, there are definitely more than a few Madison Avenue ploys worth revisiting for the laughs alone.

Check out our picks for some of the strangest automotive ad campaigns ever to have been unleashed on an unsuspecting public.

1. 1970 Ford Maverick Wants Jazz Flute

One of the most entertaining aspects of vintage car advertising is the complete lack of context that was part and parcel of numerous print promotions. Whether they were linked to pop culture touchstones too ephemeral to have stood the test of time or trying themselves to establish a catchphrase is often almost impossible to figure out.

Take this Ford Maverick ad, for example. A couple dressed in SCUBA gear, standing on a beach, beside their brand new coupe. Outdoorsy, fun, adventurous, and of course, the only text visible reads "and a little more jazz."

What's missing here, Ford? Is Miles Davis lurking in the background, just beneath the waves, stirring up some underwater Bitches Brew? Is that tank perched on the Maverick's hood filled not with a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, but instead the dulcet tones of Dizzy Gillespie's horn? Have they been breathing PURE JAZZ as they explore the sub-sea beauty of the ocean world?

We'll never know.

2. Mazda's Predator

The Mazda CX-7 was a reasonably interesting to drive mid-size SUV that was eventually split in half to become the CX-9 (larger) and the CX-5 (smaller). What it almost certainly never was, was any kind of mythical car-slaying beast as portrayed in this semi-apocalyptic advertisement.

Even the tag phrase Predator Ride doesn't make much sense. Does the Mazda eat these cars, which also have spines and rib cages, after hunting them down in unsuspecting mall parking lots? Or is this a failed tie-in to one of the many terrible "Predator" movie sequels, intimating that the alien murder machine stalks its prey from behind the wheel of a fuel efficient three-row people mover? Mazda actually did a series of these ads specifically for the Bulgarian market, where apparently no one wants a family hauler unless it is also a ruthless killer.

3. Quiet But Deadly

SsangYong, a Korean auto brand owned by Mahindra, adopted a similar "let's leverage killing" mantra with this ad for its Actyon Sports Dual Cab 'ute. The general gist of it is that its diesel engine is so quiet you could easily sneak up on a wild boar and then blow it to pieces from the rear deck. Not pictured: thousands of creepy stalkers placing orders for the Actyon Sports Dual Cab.

Incidentally, SsangYong ran two additional ads in this campaign. One depicted a rhino trying to have vehicular intercourse with the trucklet, while the other showed it tearing an ATM out of the wall and dragging it with a chain. At least they're consistent.

4. The Ghost of Thunderbirds Past

Let's say the year is 1974, and you're in the market for one of the longest cars on the market, with perhaps the most plush Burgundy Luxury Group interior money can buy. You're trying hard to decide which velvet-like upholstery best matches your velour tracksuit, when suddenly you see the image of a woman in white sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford Thunderbird. Hovering just above her is a faded but sternly terrifying face, still visible through the sunroof against the darkness of the night. It's the Ghost of Thunderbirds Past, and its eyes stare deep into your own, imploring you to make the right choice.

SOLD!

5. Opel's Black Magic Manta

Is there a more compelling call to action in the car-buying world than a woman in an evening gown walking a black panther on a white chain beside an Opel Manta that appears to have plaid seats? Humbly, we submit that there is not.

6. Honda's Love Machine

Let's be honest, if a date pulled up to your house in a Honda Odyssey and then laid down a carpet of rose petals along your walkway that led not to the passenger door of the van, but one of the sliding rear doors, which then opens with such force that it blows even more petals all over the ground, you probably wouldn't get into that van. You'd call the police.

7. Golf Innuendo Is Golden at Dodge

The tail-end of the sexual revolution lead to a lot of weird vibes and ugly divorces once the '70s rolled around. Seeking to capitalize on all of that bad mojo was Dodge, who decided to weaponize that most sexy of sports—golf—and then awkwardly combine it with one of its popular muscle cars—the Charger.

The end result was an effort where Lee Trevino, a man known more for his prowess on the links than his success with the ladies, tried his best to put a brave face on Dodge's swinger innuendo while filling the public's head with images of golf pro key parties and sullen, silent cups of coffee the morning after with someone else's spouse.

8. Doubling Down on Group Activities

Dodge's forays into alternative lifestyles didn't limit its threesomes to the golf course. Consider this ad—coincidentally, also for the Charger—that presents the car as a legitimate rival to a woman's affection for a man named Ralph.

Is Ralph proposing marriage to the car, or to her? Will she "learn to live with" that, too? Or will she hook up with Lee Trevino across some smoky pro shop bar and instead rediscover her own agency and ability to love again? Let's hope Dodge Fever isn't contagious, Lee.

Looking for more automotive oddballs? Check out the weirdest car names of all time.

Iteration is a powerful process. The cycle of putting forth effort, time and money in exchange for a little less failure and a little more knowledge each time around ultimately leads to an end product worthy of the late nights and cliché blood, sweat and tears. It would make sense then, that after multiple markedly different versions of his 1969 Chevrolet C10, Dan Glauser has developed a show-and-go machine worthy of his every investment.

Starting With a Slammed Suspension

Version zero of the C10 came as a $2900 purchase in Willcox, Arizona circa 2013. With a 350 under the hood, a manual four-speed transmission, a gooseneck hitch in the bed and blocks welded to the rear springs to counteract the squat resulting from heavy towing, it was safe to say there was room for improvement.

Not long after purchase, Dan and some friends stripped the truck to the frame for a full-on restoration. Version one included a notched and powder coated frame, Classic Performance Products control arms and a 4/6 drop—4-inch lower ride height in the front and 6-inch lower in the rear. An engine swap tops off the restoration with a boosted 4.8L LS replacing the farm truck’s old 350ci SBC motor.

Adding an LS and Bags

A year went by with version one completed and roaming the streets of Arizona before the engine blew, and turned the pistons into paperweights. Cue the montage of engine three being swapped in and a bagged suspension setup replacing the 4/6 kit on all four corners.

Version two emerges from the garage with the current setup: a 750whp Don Hardy forged 383ci stroker LS under the hood, a 76/75mm Precision Turbo pushing air into its lungs and Billet Turbo 400 transmission mated to the motor.

Final Version

After another year or so and with autocross now on the C10’s resume, the bags got the boot and the truck went under the knife once again for a full chassis upgrade. This is how version three of the truck sits today: a Porterbuilt Fabrication front drop member, full back half frame, built Currie 9-inch rear, additional custom bracing throughout the middle of the chassis and Ridetech coilovers bringing the build down to earth.

Budnik Wheels' Vapors wrapped in Nitto NT05 rubber—305/35R19 up Front and 315/35R20 in the rear—transfer the power to the pavement, while a Baer 6P six-piston brake setup keeps everything under control.

The interior retains a clean and classic look, with the Budnik Stiletto steering wheel and Sound Xpression stereo bringing the "mod" to restomod.

Now that the truck is complete—with complete in huge air quotes—the tally stands at three chassis rebuilds, three engines, three rear ends and eight transmissions: “My buddies laugh [about] how often the truck lives on the lift because I’m always changing something. Between me, my dad and my buddies we’ve built the truck.”

While it may be the source of some jabs and jokes, it’s exactly that level of iteration that has gotten Dan’s C10 to the autocrossing, tire shredding, neck breaking, burnout machine we spotted at LS Fest West.

Can't afford a classic truck but want the look? This '57 Chevy shows how new steel can be just as good, if not better.

Scuderia Southwest’s Scottsdale Motorsports Gathering is one of the biggest and most eclectic “cars and coffee” events in the country. It’s no surprise, then, that walking through the rows of cars gathered and awaiting the sunrise over the nearby McDowell Mountains is something of a sensory overload. Each month’s theme is an excuse for local car collectors to bring out a new pick from their garage, be it to join a sea of convertibles, flex with other off-road rig owners or park next to every generation of Ferrari in the main show area. That being said, there’s one car in attendance nearly every month that pulls in fans regardless of the theme or crowd gathered: John Washington’s BMW ZGT.

The Ultimate BMW "What If"

The whole look and feel of the car is based off a “what if” scenario: What if the BMW 507 was a huge success and rivaled the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300SL rather than nearly pushing BMW into bankruptcy? What if a successful 507 in turn led to BMW developing an answer to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO? The rabbit hole runs as deep as one cares to go, but it’s very possible the answer lies, aesthetically at least, in the ZGT.

Upon first glance it’s difficult to understand what exactly this car is beyond the badging. The only body panels left from the factory are the doors, and even those have had a cap bonded on to help transition the shoulder line from the front to the rear of the car.

Long Way From a Z3

Based on a low-mileage 2002 Z3, the initial prototyping took approximately three years to complete. Melding together the modern underpinnings and mechanicals of the Z3 with body lines of a classic grand touring chassis took time, especially if the kit was to be reproduced and sold as a reliable product.

The result is a no-cut, no-weld installation made to directly replace factory body panels using the factory hardware. The installation takes about 40 hours to reach a paint-ready stopping point, which isn’t bad considering how fundamentally the kit changes the look and feel of the car.

As Fun as Ever

With an M54 straight-six under the hood and Nitto Motivo tires on all four corners, the coachbuilding process hasn’t lessened the famous driving fun of the Z3 one bit.

Interior-wise, the car remains largely factory, with the driver-focused cockpit and low seating position not requiring too much tinkering.

Common Sense Upgrades

With a mechanical fan delete kit and water pump upgrade from BimmerBum installed, the notorious plastic fan (and the radiator-destroying shrapnel it turns into upon failure) has been removed. Considering the car has been driven to BMW events on both coasts of the United States multiple times since its completion, the peace of mind provided by taking out this weak link is likely worth the cost.

While some what-ifs lead to Miatas on all-terrain tires and LS-swapped 240SXs, this one led to a one-of-a-kind coachbuilt grand tourer with the class of yesteryear and performance of today. That’s a win in our book.

This BMW is made for the street, but others are made for the track, like Buildjournal's E46 M3. 

Every vehicle needs tires, so why not get some that both perform well and look good? If wheels are the jewelry of the car, then tires are the unique accent to that jewelry—or at least they should be. So often tires are merely focused on performance, which makes finding one that puts looks at the same level as keeping you connected to the road so refreshing. Nitto is well versed in connecting a tire with the road, and for the new NT420V, they kept two things top of mind when designing it: optimal performance and exceptional aesthetics.

Nitto’s new NT420V luxury tire was designed to strengthen your connection to the road, improve driver communication and look great while doing it—and it shines in all those areas. With bold, unique diamond patterning on the sidewall and an eye-catching, asymmetrical tread pattern, it’ll complement aftermarket wheels for a distinctive wheel and tire combination regardless of the type of SUV/truck.

Every part of the NT420V is designed with intention. That asymmetrical tread pattern was not only created to look good, but also give it excellent performance in wet and dry conditions. One side provides dry handling and the other wet performance, and together they create a distinct look not found elsewhere.

They didn’t stop there, though. In addition to the distinct tread pattern, they also made sure that the tires aren’t directional. That means when you buy a set, you have the ability to cross-rotate, which can substantially increase tread life for longer overall tire life (meaning you might save a bit of money in the long run).

Nitto has had a lot of experience with this size and type of tire, having long provided enthusiasts with the NT420S. Building on this legacy, the NT420V features a revised tread block pattern created using Nitto’s proprietary computer simulation technology, reducing road noise while ensuring all-season performance. And finally, the NT420V now comes in select LT-metric sizes in the F load range offering ¾-ton truck owners a unique, all season performance tire as well. In total, 32 different sizes will be available to fit rims ranging from 20 to 24 inches.

The NT420V is a luxury tire that won’t let you down whether your day consists of people hauling in an assortment of weather conditions, posting up at the valet station for an evening out on the town or towing a boat to the lake. It’s the best tire for an assortment of SUVs, including the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, BMW X5 and X7, Ford Expedition, Edge and Explorer, Mercedes GLC and GLE AMG, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover and Dodge Durango. The NT420V is also the ideal tire for a number of trucks, like the Chevy Silverado 1500 and Avalanche 1500, Dodge Dakota and RAM 1500, Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan.

Click here for more information, specifications and sizes of Nitto's new NT420V SUV/Truck tire.

Many truck owners use their vehicles for a variety of jobs, but most trucks leave the showroom floor with only one intended use (which is usually work related). Enter the new, off-road Tremor package from Ford. The new package turns the 2020 F-Series Super Duty truck into an off-road machine with the touch of a button and without losing the payload capacity and towing abilities Super Duty owners have come to expect. It combines the weekday work truck duties with fun, weekend adventure off-road.

Technologically speaking, the Super Duty gets selectable drive modes that incorporates Trail Control, plus a special rock-crawl mode. The hard parts were upgraded, too. Some of the off-road upgrades that come with the Tremor package include 35-inch all-terrain tires (the largest stock tires fitted to a heavy-duty pickup), a 2-inch front-end lift and a shorter air dam. These upgrades create 10.8 inches of ground clearance and best-in class water fording at 33 inches, which leads to the best approach and departure angle of any Super Duty ever, measuring in at 31.65 degrees and 24.52 degrees, respectively.

Additional hard part aspects of the Tremor package consist of off-road improvements like progressive rate springs to balance heavy duty towing while controlling body motion over uneven roads beyond the pavement. Custom 1.7-inch piston twin-tube dampers soften severe impacts on the trails and potholes on the streets. Plus, it uses a locking rear differential with electronic shift-on-the-fly engagement and a Dana limited slip front differential. A number of other off-road parts were added to the Tremor as well, including off-road running boards, extended-axle vent tubes and the stout skid plates found on FX4 models.

The Tremor option will be available for a number of 2020 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks with either the gasoline 7.3L V8 or the third-gen 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engine. To get the Tremor, you'll need to get a 4x4 single-rear-wheel SuperCrew truck with a 6.75-foot box, and if you want it on an F-250, it'll need to have the high capacity trailer tow package. The Tremor Off-Road Package launches later this year at your local Ford dealer.

Click here to see the new RTR Ford F-150.

As if bone-stock diesel pickups aren’t capable enough right out of the box these days, thousands of enthusiasts are doubling their horsepower while continuing to tow or haul anything they need to. On top of that, they’re practically transforming their trucks into show pieces by bolting on big, offset wheels, stretched tires and de-badging them. Jake Bosie’s ’12 Ram 2500 blends in perfectly with the modern diesel landscape. His sleek, silver Quad Cab short bed sports 22x12-inch American Forces on 33x12.50 NittoRidge Grapplers, a stout set of rear traction bars and only the Cummins badges on the front quarter panels remain.

But how did he effectively double the truck’s factory horsepower? Believe it or not, with a 6.7L Cummins under the hood it was fairly easy to to pull off. What’s more is that the valve cover has never been removed, the injectors and injection pump are stock and the factory automatic transmission has gone untouched. The majority of the performance gains came by way of EFI Live tuning from Motor Ops, but the addition of a fixed geometry, BorgWarner S400 turbocharger paved the way for the 520hp wall to be broken. Then to ensure ample low-pressure fuel supply is always on tap for the factory CP3, a PowerFlo lift pump was installed.

Below, we highlight each mod that helped take Jake’s fourth-gen to the next level—and even explain why the factory 68RFE automatic is still alive and ticking with four-digit torque on tap.

Fixed Geometry Turbo: What Every 6.7L Cummins Needs

Although no internal parts or injection system changes have taken place on Jake Bosie’s 105,000-mile ’12 Ram 2500, upon popping the hood it’s apparent that the 6.7L Cummins’ factory Holset VGT has been replaced. In fact, the OEM exhaust manifold, air intake and turbo downpipe have all been done away with in favor of a second-gen swap kit from Fleece Performance Engineering. By fitting a second-generation Cummins style exhaust manifold and a larger BorgWarner S400 fixed-geometry turbo onto the engine, the failure-prone VGT is eliminated and the horsepower wall it brings with it can be breached. Thanks to the 6.7L engine’s displacement advantage over the previous 5.9L, spooling an S400 is extremely easy with aftermarket ECM tuning.

BorgWarner S467.7

Larger in every way, the fixed geometry S467SX easily outflows the factory VGT. It sports a 67.7mm inducer cast compressor wheel that can move 90 lb/min (approximately 1,285 cfm). On the exhaust side, a 74mm exducer turbine wheel with an 83mm inducer exists inside a spool-friendly 0.90 A/R exhaust housing. A 4-inch diameter downpipe transitions into a 5-inch exhaust system just beyond the firewall. With the right amount of fuel in the mix, this turbo can support 750rwhp or more in the 6.7L Cummins application.

High-Flow, One-Piece Exhaust Manifold   

The second-gen style exhaust manifold is a key reason why Jake’s 6.7L retains good drivability despite having a much larger turbo feeding the engine. Made by Steed Speed and offered with the Fleece second-gen swap kit, it centrally locates the turbo on the manifold and features a T4 divided flange (vs. the non-divided T3i factory flange). Thanks to the improvement in exhaust flow and efficiency, the S467 is quick to light—even with the factory injectors and CP3 still in the mix.

Electronic Exhaust Brake

Like many 6.7L Cummins owners, Jake’s decision to pursue more horsepower by adding a fixed geometry turbocharger left him unable to use the truck’s factory exhaust brake function. However, with the inside line on a groundbreaking new electronic exhaust brake from Fleece Performance Engineering, he was able to bolt a pre-production system onto his truck for testing. Now, he has the best of both worlds: the added reliability and power provided by the S467 charger and the use of an exhaust brake to help slow his 7,400-pound missile down.

In-Tank Lift Pump Upgrade

Although it’s impossible to see here, Jake opened the Fleece Performance Engineering catalog once more and added one of the company’s in-tank PowerFlo lift pumps. Unlike external, chassis-mounted aftermarket fuel systems, the PowerFlo pump resides within the tank, seamlessly integrates with the factory wiring harness and provides vastly quieter operation. On top of that, it utilizes an active fill bucket so it can never suck air or be ran out of fuel. The PowerFlo pump can also support as much as 800rwhp—peace of mind for anyone planning for future CP3 and injector upgrades.

Finely-Tuned Factory Automatic

As for the 68RFE six-speed automatic, it’s stock for now. While many consider pushing 570rwhp and 1,140 lb-ft of torque through a stock 68RFE transmission living on the edge, Jake opted for transmission control module (TCM) tuning when he had the folks at Motor Ops calibrated the ECM for more horsepower. Thanks to the TCM tweaks, the slushbox’s optimized shift schedule, increased line pressure for firmer shifts, and improved torque converter lockup strategy, it's stayed alive for more than 10,000 miles so far. To be sure, Jake isn’t living in fantasy land. He knows the ‘68 could let loose at this power level any time, and when it does he plans to tear it apart and beef it up himself.

ECM Tweaks & On-the-Fly Tune Changes

Motor Ops was also responsible for extracting every ounce of power from the stock injectors and CP3, and after Jake’s Ram cleared the aforementioned 573rwhp and 1,140 lb-ft on the dyno there was little doubt he’d chosen one of the top names in the Cummins tuning game. Five custom tuning calibrations, created via EFI Live, are available on the fly thanks to this CSP5 switch mounted on the dash, to the left of the steering column.

Nitto Ridge Grapplers

Tired of half-worn mud terrains howling down the highway but not yet willing to run an all-terrain, Jake found a happy medium with the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Like so many others that’ve made the switch to Nitto’s hybrid terrain tires, he reports that the Ridge Grapplers provide a quiet ride, more-than-adequate traction when off the beaten path, even wear and are quick to eject rocks. The Ridge Grapplers aboard his Ram measure 33x12.50R22LT.

22x12 ‘Forces

Setting the truck off, cosmetically, while simultaneously keeping pace with today’s big-wheel craze is a set of American Force B02 Trax SS wheels. The polished, one-piece eight-lug 22x12-inch wheels feature a -40 offset and 4.93-inch backspacing. With a 3,640-pound load rating, they’re also built to allow eight-lug trucks to carry on with their usual, hefty workloads.

Controlling Axle Wrap

With 1,140 lb-ft of torque to grapple with, it doesn’t take long for the rear AAM 1150 to wrap and the leaf springs to twist into an S shape. To get the rear axle and suspension under control, Jake installed a set of pre-load adjustable, single tube traction bars from Flight Fabrications. Both the frame and axle mounts are made from ¼-inch thick, laser-cut steel, the traction bars themselves are made of 1.75-inch diameter DOM tubing and greasable forged-steel Johnny Joint rod ends from Currie Enterprises are employed. The rear U-bolts have also been upgraded from the ½-inch factory pieces to 5/8-inch diameter units.

Looking to add a fixed geometry turbo to your 6.7L Cummins? Start your search here!

Saab is a brand with a very interesting history. It began as an independent Swedish automaker known for its quirky machines, but by the time the 2000s rolled around Saab had become a subsidiary of General Motors, and this partnership resulted in some rather unusual badge-engineered vehicles—including one which wasn’t even a GM-built vehicle but a re-branded and re-styled Subaru WRX imported from Japan.

It Started With GM

At the turn of the millennium Saab became a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors after GM had previously owned 50-percent of the company. At the time, GM also owned a 20-percent stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. The result of this relationship was a strange Japanese-built, Swedish-branded sport compact car that was the result of American product planning.

Officially dubbed the Saab 9-2X, the car that was launched for the ‘05 model year would soon become known as the “Saabaru." It was built in Japan and used the platform and powertrains of the Subaru Impreza wagon but with restyled front and rear fascias to keep the Saab family resemblance going.

Increasing Performance

For 2005, the 9-2X was offered with two different engines: a naturally aspirated 2.5L flat four and a 227hp 2.0L turbocharged flat four identical to the one found in the WRX. You could get it with a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, and being built by Subaru, AWD of course came standard.

For 2006, the high performance 9-2X Aero model moved from a turbocharged 2.0L to a torquier 2.5L turbo motor, just as its cousin the WRX did. With the larger motor also came a small horsepower bump to 230.

Mostly Similar, With a Few Differences

While most of the differences between the WRX and the 9-2X Aero were cosmetic, there were some other minor differences, including a retuned suspension and the faster steering rack from the WRX STI. The 9-2X also featured additional sound deadening in an attempt to give the car a more “upmarket” feel.

The 9-2X Reaches Its End

A little over 10,000 9-2Xs were sold in the U.S. for ‘05 and ‘06 combined, but in late 2005 GM sold its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries to Toyota. That meant the end of the partnership and the end of the 9-2X after just two model years.

So while the funky 9-2X may never become a highly sought after collector car darling, it’s already established itself as one of the more interesting footnotes in modern automotive history.

The car also happens to have all the aftermarket potential of the WRX with the added benefit of being able to confuse people at both Euro meets and Subaru gatherings, and you’ve got to like that idea.

Stay tuned, because next time we’ll be back to look at another unusual Saab product from this period of history—one that has a big fat American V8 under the hood.

Interested in other Subaru joint ventures? Check out out Scion FR-S, Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ buyer's guide.

Inspiration can strike in funny ways, and this is definitely true when examining the history of automotive design. It can sometimes seem like a particular set of themes, shapes or concepts run through the entire industry like a virus, infecting multiple brands and causing a clot of comparable cars to drop into showrooms, completely unrelated yet strikingly similar in terms of looks. Other times, what started out as an homage turns into outright theft—or at the very least, a round in the imitation game masquerading as the sincerest form of flattery.

Let's take a look at eight of our favorite examples of cars that bear an uncanny resemblance to other cars.

1. Ford Thunderbird / Nissan 240SX

There was a period in the late '80s/early '90s where it almost seemed like there existed one standard template for each specific market segment: sedan, coupe, SUV, etc. One of the clearest examples of this can be seen when comparing the 1992-1997 Ford Thunderbird to the 1994-1998 Nissan 240SX.

These two-door coupes ostensibly occupy completely different market segments, with the Ford representing the last gasp of personal luxury and the Nissan aimed at enthusiasts on a budget. Yet, from stem to stern you can easily spot similarities in their greenhouses, front fascias, light design and stance. If you were to present the S14-generation 240SX as a 7/8ths Thunderbird to a badge-free focus group, no one would bat an eye.

2. Ford Mustang / Aston Martin DBS V8

The next entry on our list also includes a Ford stalwart, but this time the borrowing is a little less simultaneous. Towards the end of the 1960s Ford released a beefier fastback look for its best-selling Mustang pony car, and this model was used as the template for Carroll Shelby in building the GT350 version of the car. By 1969, it looked even more aggressive, and upon entering the '70s it gained a further restyling that emphasized its long hood.

A few short years later Aston Martin put out a new coupe of their own, which for all intents and purposes resembled a slightly-stretched Mustang—right down to the menacing scowl and light setup in its grille. This Mustang mimicry would double-down throughout the ensuing two decades of production, as the car would subtly evolve styling cues that Ford had given up on by the mid-1970s.

3. Chrysler PT Cruiser / Chevrolet HHR

Retro was big business as the 1990s drew to a close, and Chrysler, eager to cash in on the excitement that had greeted both the Plymouth Prowler and the Volkswagen Beetle, pushed the PT Cruiser hatchback onto the market with great fanfare. Despite its humble Dodge Neon underpinnings, the PT Cruiser proved to be a major sales success for the brand.

So much so that a mere five years later General Motors jumped onto the old school bandwagon with the Chevrolet HHR. Although pug-nosed where the PT Cruiser was sharp, there was no denying the outright conceptual theft embodied by the compact vehicle. The two would peacefully co-exist for roughly five years before each automaker decided to move on.

4. Jaguar XK / Aston Martin DB9

For a period of time there was a weird alternate universe of British luxury where you could essentially own an Aston Martin for the price of a Jaguar—or vice-versa.

The co-mingling of design DNA between the two brands can be traced back to the early 1990s when Ian Callum and Tom Walkinshaw ended up selling a co-developed coupe based on the Jaguar XJS platform to Aston Martin, who would sell it as the DB7.

More recently, however, is the case of the Jaguar XK and the Aston Martin DB9, two vehicles that went on sale within a couple of years of each other (2004 for the second-generation Jaguar, 2006 for the new DB9). Callum's prints are all over both cars, despite the final DB9 design being attributed to Henrik Fisker (based on early sketches by Callum). Which one you prefer is largely a matter of personal taste, but which one is more affordable has already been decided by both the market and the maintenance schedule associated with each vehicle.

5. Chrysler 300 / Bentley Mulsanne

From a modern perspective, there's no question that the Chrysler 300—especially in its 2005-2010 generation—bears more than a passing similarity to the Bentley Mulsanne, a luxury sedan costing many multiples of the Detroit-born four-door's price.

Look a little deeper into the Chrysler 300's styling cues, however, and you'll discover that its "knock-off" front grille actually dates back to the 1955 Chrysler C-300 (which would evolve into the 300C by 1957). Did the car benefit from its more than passing resemblance to one of the world's most prestigious premium brands? Undoubtedly. Did the Pentastar's designers do that on purpose? Far less likely.

6. Kia Amanti / Jaguar S-Type / Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The Kia Amanti, on the other hand, gets no such benefit of the doubt.

Released when the Korean concern was still in its look-alike phase, the top-of-the-line sedan is a mishmash of styling cues and concepts borrowed not just from the Jaguar S-Type (to which it bears a striking resemblance), but also the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, what with its quad headlights.

It would be at least another decade before Kia got serious about design and left forgettable efforts like the Amanti in the past.

7. Toyota Celica / AMC AMX

Lest you think that a now-venerable brand like Toyota was always above the kind of copycat crassness once employed by Kia, it takes only a quick trip to that automaker's past to dispel any notions of design purity.

Although there are other examples, the 1970 to 1974 Toyota Corolla coupe is proof positive that Japan was looking to America for advice in how to break in to that overseas market. The Corolla offers mini-muscle car styling that borrows more than a little of its look from short-wheelbase offerings like the AMC AMX of the era. This marks perhaps the only time the world turned to Kenosha for styling inspiration.

8. Mazda Miata / Lotus Elan M100

The last entry on our round-up of "who made who" involves the best-known open-air sports car of all time and its much more obscure contemporary.

When Mazda brought the Miata into the world in 1989, it was a revelation: a modern, reliable and affordable take on the little British cars that had dominated the roadster scene to that point. It was also the spitting image of the Lotus Elan M100, albeit rounded and rear-wheel drive where the Brit was sharp and front-wheel drive. Strangely enough, the cars were developed over the same time period, with Mazda looking back to 1960s versions of the Elan as inspiration.

Looking for other weird automotive similarities? Check out these organ donors.

Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to feature an assortment of incredible vehicle builds. More often than not, we’re only able to show you the final product. This leaves the months and sometimes years of hard work and build progress undocumented. It was with this in mind that we jumped at the opportunity to take a look at a build that’s taking place now (but very close to completion).  

It’s called the Trophy T. A hat tip to the famed Trophy Rat, it's something that blends the spirit of a hot rod, tech of a race car and art for art’s sake. Built and owned by Tim Odell of Vice Unlimited, the Trophy T is a hand-built four-wheel drive rig that merges used parts and new technology in a way few vehicles ever do. While we recently got a chance to sit down with Odell and chat (watch that video here), we wanted to give you a glimpse of what will soon be hitting the dirt (and street).

Don’t worry. We’ll have a proper feature breakdown with all of the details coming once the Trophy T is finalized. For now, we encourage you to check out this amazing build.

Diamond T Cab

The Trophy T moniker is derived partly from the 1946 Diamond T 404 sheetmetal that surrounds it. While nearly every panel has been modified in some way, much of the 73-year-old body has been well preserved.

Turbo LS

Looking to achieve a more balanced rig, Odell placed a 364ci LQ4 GM V8 just behind the truck’s cab. Feeding the ON3 Performance turbo are a set of custom stainless steel headers, which in addition the PAC Racing springs, a JEGs camshaft and MSD Atomic Airforce intake, create the 650hp it’s putting out.

9-Inch Diff

For builder Tim Odell, it’s often easier for him to build what he needs versus forking over thousands of dollars to buy a new part. This is how his custom 9-inch centersection came to be. Since his entire front suspension would be built from scratch, he was able to fabricate a housing that would tuck neatly into the front of the chassis.

HMMWV Portals

The custom front diff commands a set of gearboxes that came off of a retired HMMWV. While these portal boxes were originally designed to work with an independent suspension, pairing them with the long-travel A-arms took some serious fab work. Aside from being readily available, the ground clearance afforded by the portal boxes was a major draw.  

Flipped 14-Bolt

The rear axle would be another custom creation that was the result of necessity and having parts on hand. Starting off with a full-float 14-bolt rear, Odell chopped up the legendary heavyweight rear axle and created an off-set diff that would now have the housing flipped upside-down from its traditional configuration. Like the front, the 14-bolt is fit with a Detroit Locker.

Pinion Pump

Flipping the 14-bolt was necessary to have the tires turning in the correct direction thanks to the mid-engine layout. (The portal boxes upfront took care of that issue there.) While Odell isn’t too worried about the differential's strength, he wanted to make sure oiling wouldn’t be an issue. This is why there’s now a belt-driven pump sitting next to the yoke. This custom fluid pump should ensure that the pinion bearings stay fed at all times.

ProDash

Taking a look inside the cab you’ll find a Holly EFI 12.3-inch ProDash sitting above the mount for his iPad. This iPad setup will be paired with a Ride Controller module, which will work as a digital switch panel for the vehicle. Shifters for the 4L80e transmission and NP205 transfer case, along with the Wilwood hand brake can been seen peaking through the handmade aluminum center console.

Chassis Construction

There’s a blend of reinforced sheetmetal and tubing that runs throughout the build. The primary chassis however is comprised of 1¾-inch, 0.120-wall DOM tubing. The entire chassis was notched, cut and formed in-house.

TIG Welded

Welding is a bit of an art form in itself. This is especially true for TIG welding. While using a MIG would have been a bit faster, Odell has taken the time to TIG weld every single piece on the Trophy T.

Rear Suspension

While there are still adjustments being made to the suspension, the overall set up is slated to stay the same. The rear is currently setup with trailing arm lowers that use a Fox 2.5 coilover and bypass shock. To keep the axle on center, the upper control arms have been triangulated. A Currie Antirock sway bar has also been paired with a set of custom arms to add stability to the mix.

Front Suspension

The A-arm suspension up front is using a coilover/bypass setup as well, along with the help of a Fox 2.0 nitrogen bumpstop. Though Odell says he’ll probably have a little shock tuning to do to have it all dialed in, he’s happy with the overall travel and ride height he has planned.

Grapplers

Putting the power to the ground will be a set of 40x13.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. These will be mounted on a set of Hutcheson Rock Monster double-beadlock wheels (not shown). The reason for going with the Trail Grappler was two-fold. First, he needed a tire that wouldn’t compromise off-road performance, and he knew the Trails could deliver on that front. Second, he wanted something street-friendly since this vehicle would see plenty of pavement as well.

Details

This isn’t just an Ultra4 car, nor is it some single-use rat rod. The details than run throughout are outstanding and we look forward to showing you this project in its entirety once it is complete. For now, be sure to check out more photos of the build in the gallery below.

Learn more about the Trophy T from the builder in our Vice Unlimited Shop Profile video.

With fines for tampering with emissions equipment on diesel trucks becoming more common, demand for emissions-friendly performance parts has risen sharply in recent years. DPF-back exhaust systems that leave the diesel particulate filter undisturbed, high-flow DPFs and CARB-compliant tuning have all been brought to market. Thanks to the latter, enthusiasts are learning that an extra 150hp can be unlocked from each of the Big Three’s diesel workhorses with the emissions systems still intact—and with very few (if any) negative side effects. However, if you want to wring every last drop of horsepower out of what a modern day common-rail fuel system is capable of producing, you’re going to need more airflow (i.e. a larger turbo).

To keep power hungry late-model Ford owners street-legal, Fleece Performance Engineering came up with a drop-in turbo option that adds as much as 50hp to 6.7L Power Strokes that’ve already been tuned. Called the 63mm FMW Cheetah, it’s a direct, bolt-in replacement turbo for the factory unit. The air intake, EGR and CCV systems, and even the downpipe, remain completely stock. This is because the Cheetah is based on the Garrett GT37—the turbocharger that came on ’15-present Fords from the factory. By retaining the GT37’s variable geometry technology, no drivability or bottom end torque is lost down low, and thanks to the Cheetah’s larger compressor and turbine wheel you can knock on the door of 600rwhp up top.

For the lowdown on one of the diesel industry’s hottest products—and how easily you can install one on your Super Duty—keep reading.

The Cheetah

Known for its Cheetah line of turbochargers, which improve upon the factory Garrett or Holset units found on Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke mills, Fleece Performance Engineering’s 63mm FMW version for the 6.7L Power Stroke is designed for the daily driver, the heavy-hauler and the racer. By sticking with the factory VGT platform, throttle response isn’t sacrificed in order to gain more top-end power and a simple turbo swap is all that’s required for installation.

63mm FMW Compressor

The 63mm FMW Cheetah gets its name from the 63mm (inducer) forged milled wheel compressor it uses (vs. the factory 61mm on ’15-’19 trucks). The proprietary, seven-blade compressor design moves enough air to support as much as 650rwhp. Its ideal operating range is between 40 and 45 psi of boost. As a bonus, the 63mm inducer makes the Cheetah legal in Work Stock type truck pull classes, where 2.5-inch (63.5mm) inducer or stock-appearing rules are commonly observed.

100-Percent Bolt-In

Thanks to making use of the factory GT37 Garrett’s exhaust housing, the Cheetah bolts right up to the factory turbo up-pipes that feed the engine’s exhaust gases into the inducer side of the turbine wheel. Additionally, the factory “Cobra head” downpipe still bolts directly up to the exhaust housing, which eliminates the need to run an aftermarket downpipe or exhaust system.

Turbine Wheel Upgrade

Because the factory turbine wheel runs out of efficiency around the 600-620rwhp mark—and due to the fact that the folks at Fleece wanted the Cheetah to support mild fueling upgrades—the turbine wheel was also upsized. In place of the 62mm (exducer) 13-blade stock turbine, the Cheetah utilizes a 66mm wheel with a 10-blade design. In addition to the extra 40-50hp it frees up, the Cheetah’s combination of a larger compressor and turbine wheel also results in cooler EGT for the end-user—a very good selling point for Super Duty owners that tow.

360-Degree Thrust Bearing

With the GT37 turbo’s factory turbine shaft being retained yet having a larger and presumably heavier compressor wheel hanging off of it, Fleece outfits its Cheetah with a 360-degree thrust bearing assembly. Located within the center cartridge, a 360-degree thrust bearing allows the layer of oil that the turbine shaft rides on to completely encircle the shaft, rather than 75 percent of it like the factory 270-degree bearing does.

Swapping Pedestals

Once the factory GT37 charger has been pulled, the turbo pedestal has to be removed and swapped over to the Cheetah. This presents an opportune time to clean up the cast-iron piece and hit it with a fresh coat of paint. If you’re installing the Cheetah on a ’17 or newer 6.7L Power Stroke, make sure that you reinstall the small oil filter that sits in both the turbo’s center cartridge and pedestal.

Tight Quarters

Although it’s no quick task to gain access to the turbocharger on a 6.7L Power Stroke, once you get there the Cheetah installs seamlessly. With its close proximity to the cowl limiting maneuverability, every technician has his or her own way of finagling a 6.7L turbo into place. Some mechanics prefer to install the turbo and pedestal together as one complete assembly, while others prefer to bolt the pedestal to the block first, followed by setting the turbo.

No Need to Buy a New Downpipe

Because Fleece does nothing to alter the exhaust housing outlet flange, the factory downpipe integrates perfectly and reuses the OEM V-band clamp. Just be careful not to damage the factory downpipe clamp during its removal, and don’t be afraid to ask for a spare set of hands when you reinstall the factory downpipe. Space behind the turbo is very limited, especially between the engine and firewall, so a pair of hands up top as well as down below will ensure the reinstallation goes smoothly—and that no downpipe rubbage occurs anywhere afterward.

Factory Up-Pipes

As with the downpipe (and as previously mentioned), the factory turbo up-pipes are reused. Here, the passenger side up-pipe has been reinstalled. While some technicians opt to pull both the passenger and driver side up-pipes during a turbo swap, the driver side unit can be left in place, albeit loosened. No matter what, the passenger side up-pipe requires removal. It’s also good practice to start with fresh up-pipe nuts (and especially gaskets) any time the up-pipes are broken free from the exhaust manifolds.

A Total Sleeper Mod

With everything reinstalled on the top of the 6.7L Power Stroke engine (namely the upper intake manifold), it’s impossible to tell that the Cheetah has even been added. As you can see in the image above, the factory air intake and EGR system haven’t been altered in any way, or removed. The only thing that really changes is the custom PCM calibration that’s required to glean the most performance out of the larger turbo.

40-50HP Gains

On the chassis dyno, a bone-stock, 6.7L-powered ’15 or newer Super Duty will put down roughly 390hp at the wheels, along with approximately 850 lb-ft of torque. Add aftermarket tuning and things jump up to 540hp and somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,100 lb-ft. During Fleece’s in-house testing, its ’18 F-350 dually laid down 384hp stock, 538hp tuned and 579hp with the 63mm Cheetah in the mix (and we’ll note that a 50hp gain was realized on the company’s single rear wheel truck). Add a stroker CP4.2 or a second high-pressure fuel pump to the mix and you’re well over 600rwhp with this turbo.

1,200+ LB-FT

Thanks to optimized tuning, the 6.7L Power Stroke’s torque curve is widened up with the Cheetah onboard. Peak twist checked in at 1,220 lb-ft on this F-350 test mule—enough to hardly notice when a tandem axle livestock trailer is attached.

Looking to improve the power of your 6.7L Ford on a budget? Check out these modification recommendations.

It’s always a treat to revisit the many builds, motorsports and adventures in Driving Line’s Photo Annual. From the one-of-a-kind Chupacabra, to Formula Drift Long Beach and driving to Alaska in a Jeep JL on the Alcan 5000, there was so much we did and saw this past year.

Take a moment to look back on some of our most gorgeous shots and be reminded how automotive enthusiasm makes our world a little bit more beautiful—and lets us get out there to see that beauty for ourselves. We also want to thank you for coming along on the journey with us. Here’s to another year of sending it harder than the one before.

If you weren’t out at Automotive Enthusiast Day this year to pick up your copy in person, don’t worry. You can always view the magazine online for free. Happy reading!

Not a subscriber yet? It’s free!

There’s so much new talent in Ultra4 these days that it’s become harder and harder for the old guard to fend them off. Wayland Campbell, Josh Blyler and Vaughn Gittin Jr. seem to always be in the mix or on the podium at each race. That said, woe be to the one who declares the end of the original Ultra4 drivers just yet. Derek West showed that the old guys still have a lot left in the tank, winning the 2019 Holley EFI Clash at Cross Bar Ranch on his Nitto Trail Grapplers.

The race course at the Cross Bar Ranch in Oklahoma was split up into three laps and two loops that intersected on the short course. While the elements surrounding the race were not a factor, with only light rain that dried before racing got started, rocks on the racecourse became a problem for a number of drivers. Both Derek West and Levi Shirley broke wheels, with Shirley getting knocked out of the race entirely. What started out looking like a more subdued weekend ended up being as daunting as ever.

Setting the Tone

Qualifying set the tone for a tough race to come, with three separate rollovers on the short course. There were a lot of tight turns, and drivers who were careless were punished. When all was said and done, qualifying looked a lot like the finish of the race last year, with Loren Healy on top. Following him was JP Gomez, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Shannon Campbell, the only Campbell racing 4400 with Bailey in a UTV.

Bailey only qualified in seventh in the UTV class, however, with Dustin Robbins, Jamie McCoy and Ryan Rockhold taking the top three spots. In 4500, Dan Fresh qualified first, with Jimmy Jack and Shawn Rants right behind him. 4800 only had four racers participating, and while Casey Gilbert was in his usual spot up front, his car had a number of issues, opening the door for Trevor Fults and Shaun Rajski to overtake him in the race. The 4600 stock class qualifying ended with Jon Schaefer in first and Chris D’Auria and John Snell behind him.

Underclassmen Action

Racing on Saturday started with the underclassmen and UTVs. Bailey Campbell had a great race, clawing herself from seventh all the way up to second. Cole Clark finished in first and Travis Zollinger rounded out the podium in third. With defending champ Vaughn Gittin Jr. now racing 4400, Dan Fresh took the win in 4500, but the story was still the same for Jimmy Jack—finishing second. Jesse Oliver came in third. Only three drivers were able to finish in the 4600 stock class, with John Snell finishing first, Chris D’Auria second and Jon Schaefer third.

Unfortunately for Casey Gilbert, he was not able to work out the problems that had plagued him during qualifying, including a broken throttle body. He was able to complete the race, but his streak of victories came to an end with Trevor Fults finishing a full lap ahead of him. However, since the other two drivers could not finish, he still finished second. Randal Holmes finished third, having completed a lap more than the fourth place driver before not being able to continue.

Charging to the Front

With the underclassmen done, it was time for the main event. Loren Healy roared off the line first with JP Gomez, but that order didn’t hold for long. Overheating problems quickly developed for Healy, and by the time the cars came through loop B, Vaughn Gittin Jr. was in first, followed by JP Gomez, Shannon Campbell and Josh Blyler.

As the day went on, Derek West kept picking of driver after driver, working his way up to right behind Vaughn Gittin Jr. who was in physical first for nearly the whole race. As stated earlier, he was last year’s champ in the 4500 class, and as he was still looking for his first 4400 class win, it would be a major statement to go back to back in Oklahoma, albeit in different classes. At last, the top three cars finished, with Vaughn Gittin Jr. coming across the line first, Derek West second and Josh Blyler third. Then, like all the best Ultra4 finishes, the waiting began. Had Derek made up enough ground to pass Vaughn on time? Or was Ultra4 about to crown a new 4400 champion?

After what felt like forever, the times came in. Derek West was crowned champion of the 2019 Holley EFI Clash at Cross Bar Ranch! Congrats to him and his team for running a great race, coming from a ninth place qualifying position to the victory. While Vaughn may have come up less than a minute and a half from the win, he will undoubtedly be victorious sooner rather than later. His first season in 4400 has been a total success, and there surely are more podiums to come.

“It was epic,” Vaughn said after the race. “It’s brutal. Every race I’ve done here is brutal. You’re on the limit of being ok or disaster the whole time.”

After the top two, Josh Blyler finished third, JP Gomez fourth, Chip MacLaughlin fifth, Shannon Campbell sixth, Rusty Blyler seventh, Michael Feagins eighth, Zandy Willems ninth and Chris May tenth. Congrats to all the drivers on a great race!

Keep it tuned to Driving Line for coverage of every Ultra4 race all season long!

There’s no other feeling like it. Arriving at some far-off, wilderness destination, devoid of civilization for miles in any given direction, equipped with nothing more than what you can fit in the bed of your truck. While the idea is nothing new, truck camping has been refined over the years as technology has advanced us into a new age of recreation. At the forefront of this innovation is a company that has been there all-along, from the very first days of serious off-road camping: Four Wheel Campers.

From the Beginning

Since 1972, Four Wheel Campers (FWC) has been manufacturing pop-up truck campers to fit a wide range of trucks and SUVs. But the secret to their sauce has always been their ability to produce a product that can handle the hardcore abuse of off-road travel. Currently, FWC offers five slide-in models, and three flatbed models, available for trucks and beds of all sizes from compact to heavy duty. Each slide-in model has several floorplans to choose from, leaving it to the customer to decide which best suits their needs. Their incredibly useful website allows prospective buyers to build out their camper, leaving every element of customization to the customer. The site even provides the physical weight of every option and a total weight of the package—something extremely useful and necessary for anyone who is serious about their off-road travels.

Last month, we were invited to FWC’s headquarters just outside Sacramento, California and got a full tour of their manufacturing facility, where every last component of these campers is built and assembled. After the tour, we were handed the keys to FWC’s premier show vehicle, a 2016 RAM 3500 built by AEV (American Expedition Vehicles), featuring a Hawk model 6.5-foot bed pop-up camper in black aluminum. We wanted to see what it was really like to live out of one of their campers for a week while traveling the Southwest United States, and this was the perfect opportunity.

The Truck

But first, let’s talk about the truck itself. AEV is an aftermarket vehicle builder, known for their Jeep and RAM conversions. The Prospector model is based on a 4WD RAM 3500 with a 6.7L Cummins, in the crew cab, short-bed variety. The truck is set on taller suspension with Bilstein shocks, features a heavy duty steel front bumper with a Warn winch, LED light bar, heat reduction hood, snorkel and many more options. Keeping the Prospector rolling is a set of AEV offset-correct wheels wrapped in 37-inch Nitto Ridge Grapplers, including a full-size spare. Front and rear ARB air lockers were installed to keep all four tires moving together. Because this truck was meant to travel long distances both on the highway and in the dirt, the Ridge Grappler was the obvious choice for a smooth, comfortable ride without sacrificing any off-road performance.

The Camper

While there’s no doubt this RAM is a formidable off-road machine, capable of everything from rocks to sand to mud and snow, it doesn’t make much of an overland vehicle on its own. In the bed of the truck is a Four Wheel Campers Hawk model pop-up camper, designed for a 6.5-foot bed. The camper really catches your eye, thanks to FWC’s smooth black aluminum paneling with silver accent. Walking around the camper, you can easily see a few details that make it a dirt-worthy camper. LED lighting all around, including flood lights and floor lights, let you see and be seen at night. Sealed propane tank storage containers keep dust and rain out. An outdoor shower, water fill and drain plugs allow for easy access. A full aluminum frame and paneling is lightweight, yet incredibly strong. Adjustable turnbuckles, cleverly hidden in the bed and accessible from the inside, keep the camper in place even on the roughest trails.

On the inside of this camper, you can find an ergonomic floor plan, consisting of a sleeping platform for two adults, a front dinette (which can be converted to an additional sleeping platform), two counter tops, Dometic brand sink and two-burner stove, large fridge/freezer, heater, two overhead vents and more storage cabinets than you can fill. Most remarkably, all of the above fits in the 6.5 foot bed, and you still don’t feel crammed in it. We found the camper had plenty of headroom when opened up (6 feet and 6 inches). The sleeping platform even slides out to the first cabinet, nearly doubling the amount of space up there.

The Specs

Let’s lay down some of the specifications before getting into our thoughts on the camper. At a base model dry weight of just 1100 pounds, the camper is extremely lightweight for how sturdy it feels. Both while driving and staying in the camper, you could feel how solid it really is. But more importantly, it’s what you don’t feel that’s the most important in an off-road rig. Unlike other pop-up campers we’ve driven around with it off-road, we barely felt the Four Wheel Campers Hawk model behind us even on heavy inclines, declines and side-to-side movement in the dirt. The camper holds 20 gallons of fresh water, which we found to be plenty for a week’s travel, unless you plan on showering every day. You can find a full spec sheet here.

The Test

We took this truck and camper combo from Sacramento to Moab, Utah, then down to Lake Powell, and on to Death Valley, California before returning home to SoCal. We totaled nearly 4000 miles, most of which was highway, but still a significant portion of the trip was on dirt. Our off-road travels spanned from graded fire roads to rock obstacles such as Baby Lion’s Back in Moab. Whether we were moving fast across lake beds or slow over the rocks, the truck and camper handled the abuse with ease. It almost seemed too easy to off-road and camp out of this setup. Although the winch and lockers were readily available, we couldn’t see ourselves getting into enough of a bind anywhere with this truck to really need it, especially in the beautiful, dry weather we had that week.

The Verdict

After spending a week in one, we can say with confidence, these campers truly are remarkable. When it comes to designing and manufacturing camping solutions for off-road vehicles, there’s usually compromise; whether it’s weight, durability, space, ease of use, simplicity or cost. But Four Wheel Campers has found a way to meet the strictest demands of the modern overlander, all the while walking the very fine line between function and form the same way it always has, since 1972.

While everyone’s definition of overlanding may be different, if your goal is to comfortably spend extended periods of time off the grid in a rig that you’re confident in, there’s no better option than a well-outfitted 4x4 truck with a Four Wheel Camper in the bed. But don’t take our word for it. Just ask the thousands of FWC customers who are traveling all across the globe in theirs. We can’t wait to try out one of their flatbed models, which just sounds like the perfect rig to get us down to the tip of Baja and back. Road trip anyone?

It's been over a year now since it was first announced that a Fast & Furious animated series would be coming to Netflix, and those of you have been itching for more of the franchise will be glad to know the series is scheduled to debut on the streaming service later this year.

Titled, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers the series will feature Dominic Torretto's teenaged cousin Tony as the protagonist who has been hired by a government agency to take down some bad guys, which should sound quite familiar to anyone who has watched the recent Fast & Furious films. Speaking of Dom, Vin Diesel himself is on board the project as en executive producer.

Aside from a few action clips shown in the teaser trailer we still don't know exactly what the tone of the series will be, but in terms of cars it looks like there are using fictionalized vehicles rather than real life models.

The teaser features just two cars as they race each other through a concrete riverbed, one that looks to be mix of Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger and another that looks like a Porsche/Datsun 240Z love child.

An exact release date wasn't given, but a date of "later this year" was promised. At any rate we'll be looking forward to binging this thing once it's released, and in the meantime, you can check out the short teaser above to get an idea of the show's animation style.

We'll never be able to forget these 10 best Fast and Furious quotes.

Our Truck Editor, Matt Moghaddam, earned his nickname "DesertChief" from all the excursions he's completed across the vast expanses of the Southwest. It was no surprise that when Four Wheel Campers handed him the keys to this awesome AEV Prospector RAM 3500 with a Four Wheel Campers Hawk in the bed, Matt had an epic adventure mapped out. His tour took him through Moab, Utah during Easter Jeep Safari, down through Arizona and back to Death Valley, California. Matt checked out some iconic American Southwest wonders, traveled through the red rocks of Moab and even linked up with his dad, whom he credits for his adventurous genes, for a trail ride through Titus Canyon. Ride shotgun with him as he tests out this fully-kitted overland rig riding on Nitto Ridge Grapplers through the elements and various terrain!

Catch up on Matt's adventures by watching him blow up the Lunch Truck in episode two!

So you saw coverage of our six favorite drift moments. You read up on our five fastest street legal cars. Now it’s time to broach the heart and soul of Gridlife—the core of the movement. Racing.

There’s a reason Gridlife’s Track Battle competition is fast becoming the time-attack series in the U.S., why it’s HPDE sessions are some of the best anywhere, for anybody and why they’ve just announced an all-new wheel-to-wheel series that’s off to an impressive start. They’re just so darned good at racing events!

We loved every moment of on-track shenanigans at Gridlife, but here’s a short list of what impressed us the most:

1. Professional Awesome EVO

If there was an award for most dedicated team in time attack, it would have to go to these guys.

Record-setting competitors have come and gone over the years, and Professional Awesome and their EVO have been up there with the best of them, all the while.

These guys trek their world-class race machine all across the country in a modest trailer, with a crew of a few good friends. This year, their effort and dedication was good enough to earn them not only the Unlimited AWD class win, but the overall quickest time of the weekend (a blistering 1:24.485)—all while facing down rain, mechanical gremlins and some formidable competition (see below).

2. K-Tuned Cars (The Canadians)

As much as it pains our red, white and blue hearts to say this, we really like what's been happening in Canada these past few years.

While time attack competition has cooled off here a bit, it only continues to heat up north of the border.

Leading the effort is William Au-Yeung, whose ninth-gen Honda Civic is currently North America's fastest time-attack machine, bar none.

He was able to clock a fast 1:25.077 at Gridlife this year, giving the Pro Awesome team a run for their money before facing irreparable mechanical problems. When that happened, rather than sit on the sidelines, he jumped into the driver's seat of the King (engine bearing specialists) DC5 Acura RSX and competed in some GLTC wheel-to-wheel racing (more on that later).

If that’s not enough, the K-Tuned team of James Houghton and Chris Boersma gave Will and the rest of the time attack field hell all weekend, earning third overall and second in Unlt’d RWD (James, in the K24-powered DC2 Acura Integra with a 1:27.249), and tenth overall and second in Track Modified FWD (Chris, with a 1:35.209 in his B-series EJ6 Civic Coupe).

3. Suzuki Swift

Chris Boersma is pretty fast. So, just who beat him in Track Modified FWD competition? This guy right here: Andrew Stittle in a Suzuki MF-ing Swift. “A Swift! What in tarnation…?” you may be asking yourself. Yeah, we don’t know either, except that it’s Honda K-powered and unbelievable fast.

Andrew clocked a best 1:33.206 early in competition, and in true time-attack fashion, didn’t drive the car again, since he didn’t have to. By the end of the event, that was more than two seconds quicker than Boersma in second place, which really has us wanting to see more of this car in action in the near future.

4. FT-86 Speedfactory 86

Des Moines, Iowa: capital city, home of the one-million-strong Iowa State Fair, and the city where Ozzy Osbourne infamously bit the head off of that bat. Des Moines is also home to FT-86 Speedfactory, creators and purveyors of go-fast bits for Toyota/Scion/Subaru 86 vehicles.

There's no question that they're proving their mettle in the form of this unlimited RWD-class Toyota 86.

An all-new entrant into the world of competitive time attack, it seems to have all the makings for a class leader, if not an overall challenger. It got off to a cautious start at this year's Gridlife Midwest Festival, clocking a quick 1:37.828 lap with driver Jeremy Boysen at the wheel. But we’re expecting that to be improved upon very soon. This is one to watch out for.

5. “Beastie” EG Civic

This thing is a powder keg waiting to explode—and hopefully in the good sort of way!

Powered by a J32A2 Acura TL Type-S V6 (and turbocharged, of course), wearing huge, 335-diameter slicks and more aero than we’ve ever seen on a Civic (yes, even those time-attackers), it’s just waiting to get fully dialed in before setting the record books on fire.

Owner/builder/driver Cody Loveland (a Michigan local) built it primarily for Pike’s Peak International Hillclimb duties (to take over where he left off with his NSX in 2013, before manning the Enviate Hypercar program), but that’s not to say he won’t parlay that into some track-based time-attack competition as well…when he’s ready.

His not-really-trying 1:39.381 at the Midwest Festival was a good start, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store next for this beast.

6. Honda’s First Road Race Car

Long before Honda began exporting cars to the U.S., Bob Boileau Jr. was one of a handful of Americans hired by Honda Motor Co. to learn the market and find the best footholds for the Japanese brand on our shores.

Bob was also a speed junkie, and when this 1974 Civic 1200 went up for sale at a nearby dealer in Memphis, Bob wasted no time converting it into a race car, to compete with Toyota, Datsun and other big brands on the performance front.

“Honda Bob,” as he’d become known, and the Civic earned success and notoriety in the SCCA, commonly screaming its tiny engine out to 10,500 rpm and becoming the world’s fastest Civic after hitting 146.698 mph at Talladega. Not many people know this today, but Adam Jabaay and the Gridlife crew do—which is why they talked its new owner into bringing it out to Gridlife (for display only), to celebrate the competition debut of their GLTC series.

7. The GLTC, and the Hondas

This year’s Midwest Festival also saw the debut of Gridlife's newest on-track initiative: the Gridlife Touring Cup (GLTC)—genuine wheel-to-wheel racing open to just about any vehicle.

A concise yet effective ruleset and spec sheet help balance competition among a wide range of vehicles, and the excitement of adding racecraft to overall speed was awesome to see at Gingerman.

Better than 35 cars took the grid for four points races throughout the weekend, led throughout early qualifying and competition by the no. 82 EG Honda Civic of Eric Kutil and the immaculate no. 6 CRX of Ryan Kristoff.

Just when the duo seemed to have the event in the bag, another duo—Justin and Tiffany Kelly, in the no. 680 AP1 Honda S2000—won three straight sessions, before ultimately falling to Mr. Kutil and the EG by the scantest of margins.

8. TCR Cars

Another pleasant surprise from the Gridlife crew was three full race machines from World Challenge TCR competition: two VW Golfs from FCP Euro and one Honda Civic from LA Honda World.

Offering racers a turn-key competition vehicle (complete with race engines, air-shifted dogboxes and aero) for as little as $50K, the TCR program has gained huge popularity overseas and seems to be doing the same here in IMSA and World Challenge racing. Seeing them share the track for exhibition runs ahead of (and occasionally, behind!) time-attack machines was something I’d been hoping for since the program was announced.

So now you've seen the best of drift and track happenings at this year's Gridlife Midwest Festival. You only need to do a few more things to really understand just how awesome this annual gearhead spring break is: take a peep our gallery below, follow Gridlife and Driving Line on the web and social and join us next year!

See our 6 favorite drift builds and 5 fastest street legal cars from Gridlife!

Ever since Ford unveiled the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, the question that’s been on everyone’s mind is “how much power will it have?” At the time of the debut, final horsepower and torque numbers hadn’t been confirmed, with Ford simply stating that the GT500 will make “more than 700hp."

Today we finally found out exactly how much power and torque the GT500 will produce, and the numbers are nothing short of impressive. It’s supercharger-fed 5.2L V8 will make 760hp and 625 lb-ft of torque when the GT500 arrives later this year.

Not only does this make the GT500 the most powerful road car Ford has ever built, but it shoots right toward the top of the American performance car power rankings. At 760hp, the GT500 tops not only the supercharged V8s in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Corvette Z06, but the flagship Corvette ZR1 as well.

In fact, the only current American machine that tops the GT500 in terms of power output is the 797hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, but that car is not only heavier than the GT500, it’s aimed toward a different type of driver.

It feels like the late 1960s all over again with these horsepower wars, and while the aforementioned Camaro ZL1 might be a little down on power when compared to the GT500, its lower weight should make for a great showdown once the GT500 arrives.

Now the only things left to do are to to find out the GT500’s MSRP and brace for the inevitable dealer mark up that’s going to come with it. That aside, this is one more sign we are truly living in a golden age of high performance cars.

In the mood for more Shelby? Don't forget to watch the trailer for the upcoming film Ford v Ferrari.

Sometimes serious horsepower can be a drag. No, really: The faster a car accelerates, the more resistance pushes back from the mechanical force, which puts a damper on the driver reaching his or her next best track time. If you are craving more speed without having to mess with your engine or tune, aerodynamic experimentation might be for you. 

There’s a science behind aerodynamics. The less drag there is, the faster a car can accelerate, but the consequence of less drag is the loss of valuable grip in the corners. Increasing the car’s ability to cut through air while at the same time creating negative lift (downforce) ups the traction, which heightens a car’s capability to handle more speed. Integrating aero parts such as front splitters, canards, rear diffusers and rear wings is how the most advanced race cars slice through the air and transform the otherwise resisting forces into downforce. Follow along as we take a deeper dive into seven of #GRIDLIFE's aero cars.

The Fastest in the Pack

Professional Awesome’s Mitsubishi Evo took first place overall during the #GRIDLIFE Midwest track battle. If you take just one look at this car, the combination of wide diffusers and angular aero screams "fast." The rear triple-element wing is from APR performance and the rest of the aero was developed in-house by Professional Awesome Racing. They built the underbody and rear diffuser from alumalite and the front splitter and large diffusers from plywood. Also on the car are custom titanium skids and Professional Awesome’s off-the-shelf fender vents. The team installed 728 lbs/in rated front springs and 840 lbs/in in the rear with a combination of bump stops to handle the aero load.

It’s a Beast

Here's the funny thing about downforce: Too much could require more suspension upgrades, and after that, it may be tempting to add even more power. It's a vicious cycle. Somewhere underneath the Beastie Hatch’s outrageous aero is a Honda Civic. Its aero concept is based on the CFD-designed and real-world proven front and rear wings from Cody Loveland’s Enviate Hypercar program. A lot is going on here. Loveland, the owner of Affinity Aero, fabricated an entire carbon fiber aero package that, at first glance, includes a grass-trimming splitter, rear wing, side skirts and fenders with wheel well vents. A look underneath reveals a rear diffuser and belly pan that minimizes friction.

Loveland utilizes 1,450 lb rated springs in the front and 1,110 lb rated rear main springs paired with a tunable elastomeric bump stop spacer system to handle the downforce. A recent upgrade to RPS carbon brakes resulted in even stronger downforce-induced braking, which bent an upper control arm during his time on track at #GRIDLIFE Midwest. Loveland plans to add a second element to the rear wing to improve stabilization, and 2,200 lb rated springs are already on the way. 

The Evolution of Aero

Michael Puglisi’s DMN Racing Mitsubishi Evo threw down some blistering times with its home-brewed aero kit. Puglisi took ideas from Voltex and the Tilton Evo and watched Kyle Engineer's Youtube videos to better understand what each piece does. He made the massive front splitter, side skirts and diffuser from 10 mm alumalite sheets. An off-the-shelf Kognition chassis-mounted wing covers the rear and is a part that is now near impossible to find. On the body is a mix of Voltex front fenders and APR racing 35 mm wide fenders.

Puglisi has learned a few tricks on how to test the functionality of the car’s aero. “As silly as this sounds, I've used a pressure washer because it makes a fine mist and you can see the vortices and how it acts on the car,” he explained. “We also use the yarn test and a camera to help us." After a recent test, he learned that the rear diffuser was angled too high. It either needs to be angled downward, or strakes need to be added. Puglisi expressed that the build, like most innovations, has been full of trial and error.

Get a Grip

James Houghton’s Acura has seen around 15 different aero configurations since late-2011. Today, the car is held steady by 2,700 lb of downforce. “We had to upgrade to K-Tuned K2 three-way shocks and made drastic changes to the spring rates to handle the amount of downforce,” he explained. Nearly doubling the original spring rates, the car now runs with 1,900 lb rated front springs and just over 1,200 lb in the rear.

Houghton worked with Professional Awesome Racing for the car’s original aero package and made most of the components with his team’s help. Much of what is on the car today was designed by Stim Tech and Spage Sport and built by Spage Sport. The aero is a combination of carbon, alumalite and aluminum, and the setup certainly changes how the car handles. "It's tough to trust the grip at high speeds," Houghton said. "The heavy amount of grip feels unnatural, but on the other hand, at low speeds, the high spring rates reduce the amount of mechanical grip, so I have to be mindful when taking corners." Houghton concluded that the trial and error never ends. The team will continue to improve the setup's efficiency.

The Time Attack World Record Breaker

Everyone should recognize William Au-Yeung’s Vibrant-sponsored PZtuning Honda Civic with its surrounding aero bits that go as far as to wrap underneath the vehicle and vent air through the trunk. Au-Yeung took a few moments in between Pikes Peak testing to give us an overview: “We don’t have any credible data regarding the amount of downforce our setup creates today, but the overall evolution of our Civic has been immense, from a debut lap time of 1:30.2 at Road Atlanta in 2015, to a 1:19.5 overall Time Attack record lap at the same track in 2018! "

In five years of competing, the car has seen four different types of splitters, starting with plywood, then a flat carbon splitter from Wasp Composites, and then a PZtuning 3D narrow spec splitter. “As we’ve developed the car over the years, we’ve spent a proportionate amount of time on the aero,” Au-Yeung said. The Civic is now equipped with an APR triple-element rear wing, but the rest of the aero was made in-house at the PZtuning shop in Canada. “Our splitter was made back in 2017, and although we’ve had ideas on how to improve it, the current one just seems to work great,” he exclaimed. He also mentioned that they did indeed have to increase the spring and bump stop rates with all that aero, but not as much as some might believe: “Having a compliant car for low-speed situations is still very important in the balance of things.”

“Our whole program is more or less trial and error—we don’t use any real CFD in any of our aero, and the car has never been to a wind tunnel. Just good ol’ research and execution has been our primary focus. Some might think you just buy all the aero you can and magically set lap records, but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

He made a recent discovery after testing at Pikes Peak last weekend. “I’ve learned that the high elevation really affects overall downforce of the car, as there’s less air density at altitude,” he said. Despite the difference in air density, he confirmed that the car’s balance is still on par, and he doesn’t see any drastic aero changes in the near future. 

Mechanical Advantage in Aero

Grant Walker’s Mechanical Advantage Miata wasn’t always an aerocentric time-attack car. It began life as a daily driver until autocross became a gateway to high-performance road course racing. At around the same time that the Mechanical Advantage team tore it down and swapped a K24 engine under the hood, Walker was admiring the amplified aero modifications on other time-attack cars. “During the transformation, with all these thoughts of crazy aero cars in our head, we got some material and grabbed an angle grinder and started doing what we do best,” he said. “Trying to implement new things and make it ourselves is one of the drivers for this team.”

The team noticed the car’s enhanced performance as more aero was added, but more tweaks are still being made. Last year, Walker raced with a large front splitter and a smaller rear wing, but the setup was unbalanced despite suspension adjustments. In came more aero for 2019: Mechanical Advantage Racing took to designing and building a larger custom rear wing. The new MAR foam core, carbon fiber dual-element wing resolved the issue by shifting the downforce rearward, but now the team is tuning out a resulting understeer condition caused by the new weight transfer.“The car’s handling gets better and better as we continuously tune it,” Walker said. “The wing upgradeimpacted the car’s handling dramatically.”

The downforce was so effective, in fact, that if it weren't for the addition of a Borg Warner EFR 7163 turbo, the team’s top speed numbers would have dropped due to the additional drag, but the new combination increased the speed.

In addition to the added power and aero, Mechanical Advantage also adjusted the springs on their Fortune Auto Coilovers. In ideal conditions, the rear wing can make up to 1,400 lb of downforce at 150 mph. With its current setup and in real life conditions it is estimated to make around 1000 lb of downforce. Walker reported that the team may need to implement bump stops in the near future.

Mechanical Advantage Racing followed the general rules of thumb for DIY aero and hand-made the remaining aero components from 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch alumacore with aluminum support structures. They are working on getting the car programmed into 3D modeling software to run simulations and make calculated improvements. The ultimate goal is to create a predictable, balanced car. The team is chasing a 50/50 aero balance with the possibility of a tad more downforce in the rear.

Finding the Balance

After racing her built NB Mazda mostly aero-free for several years while she focused on performance, Darby Barber caught the aero bug and installed a mild set up. It includes a 66-inch Nine Lives Racing wing deck, R Theory Motorsports mounts, and wing endplates, side skirts, a splitter and canards that she made herself. “Right now, I’m finding the right balance between the rear wing and front splitter,” she explained. “It's a lot easier to make rear downforce compared to the front, but if you have too much wing, it'll cause the car to understeer on high-speed corners.” After minor adjustments to the wing’s angle, she found the car’s balance. “The car is planted, and I can take the corners a lot faster. My time without aero during The Speed Ring at the M1 concourse with no aero was a 1:16, which improved to a 1:13.9. That's more than a two-second improvement on a very short course."

If you want to stay grounded for a little longer, click through the photo gallery to see more aero cars from #GRIDLIFE Midwest.

Still not convinced that #GRIDLIFE is the coolest thing in motorsports? Read our recap of last year's event!

1. Toyota Supra

Talk about ultimate sleeper. From the original khaki-looking paint to the stock, skinny tires, there’s nothing about this car that looks fast, until you look very closely at it. Initially, this Supra came with a 2.6L SOHC 4M-E that produced about 110bhp. Not exactly the excitement machine that the Supra became in the ‘90s. Well, the owner of this car added a few upgrades that you’d never expect.

Note that there’s a V8 under the hood in the form of a Toyota 1UZ-FE. The 90-degree 4.0L all-alloy engine has been used in an assortment of Toyota and Lexus vehicles between 1989 to 2004. It has many similarities with a race engine with six-bolt cross mains and over-square configuration and pumps out between 256-300hp. That’s nearly double what the car came with so this car must be a lot of fun to drive.

Oh yeah, did we mention that it’s also got a fat bottle of NOS in the trunk? Think twice before racing this car if you see it at a stop light.

2. E39 M5

If you know cars, then the M5 badge is a dead giveaway that this car is no slouch on the freeway. This beautiful European machine sports a 4.9L V8 with almost 394bhp on tap with a six-speed manual transmission it is considered by many to be the zenith of BMW performance. MotoIQ took it beyond the ultimate driving machine with upgraded K&N intake and Corsa Performance exhaust, StopTech Sport Kit rotors, calipers and performance brake pads.

As you probably already know, a brake upgrade means nothing if the tires aren’t upgraded to function at the same level. They chose Nitto Invo tires for this M5, with 285/30R19s in the rear and 265/30ZR19 for the front.

3. Mustang GT 5.0

This 2015 S550 chassis pony was included in this list because it was simple and clean, with a hint of Star Wars thrown in for fun. While we didn’t get a chance to actually talk to the owner, it’s safe to say that he/she is into fast cars and sci-fi with an Instagram handle like @ghost.trooper_5.0.

We did find out that they're part of the LA Street Stangz Mustang Club. We’re looking forward to seeing more Mustangs and Nitto NT555 G2s from their group in the near future.

4. Chevy C10 Truck

Yes, we know this isn’t technically a car, but it is a lowered and designed for the street. While it certainly has a bed, it looks like it accelerates and handles like a car. So, we’re keeping it on the list.

The owner of this truck, Josh, has always been into old Chevy trucks. Believe it or not, this silver rocket is a daily driver and hides a Blueprint 383ci crate motor spitting out 420hp and dyno’d at 360hp to the rear wheels. He uses a set of Nitto NT450 tires to tear up the pavement when it’s time to go fast.

5. Dropstar Dodge Charger

Posting up with approximately 300hp in naturally aspirated form, the entry level Charger would never be called slow. Add a RIPP supercharger kit and suddenly there’s another 170+ hp available to play with. Bolt-on power is always a good thing, especially when it’s not obvious (which doesn’t apply here).

It’s a good-looking vehicle, slammed to the ground and riding pretty on 24-inch wheels. Yes, 24-inch wheels. Those wheel wells weren’t small to begin with and they had to fill them with something, why not big wheels and Nitto’s luxury Invo rubber?

Click here to see our list of the weirdest cars from LS Fest West this year.

Everyone loves a P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke. They lope, they smoke, they make big power and they always rally the Ford fan base. Almost exclusively found in the truck pulling realm, this rare breed of engine bucks its original electronically-controlled HEUI system in favor of full-on, mechanical injection—and it all centers around a massive inline pump in the valley. While this kind of tractor technology is primitive, the amount of fuel a P-pump brings to the table is unmatched by any other means of injection. Combine the right amount of air with all that fuel and you can make some serious power, and in the case of the guys at Unlimited Diesel Performance, nearly 2,200hp!

In the P-pump 7.3L game for a handful of years now (and the 7.3L HEUI game for the past 15), Nate Bailor and Ben Burnworth—owners of the aforementioned Unlimited Diesel Performance—have been campaigning their 7.3L-powered ’81 F-350 in the Limited Pro Stock Diesel Truck class. Although turbo restrictions limit what their mechanical 7.3L is capable of doing in this nationally-sanctioned category, on occasion they’re able to bolt a larger turbo in place and effectively uncork the true potential of this beast of an engine. Recently, the pair did just that during a visit to the engine dyno. A larger, freer flowing turbo—along with a few tweaks on the P-pump—produced an insane 2,180hp and 2,821 lb-ft of torque.

To find out how Nate and Ben pieced together one of the most powerful 7.3Ls in history, read the whole story below.

Exotic Hard Parts

To survive big boost, immense cylinder pressure and nearly 3,000 lb-ft of torque, it all starts with a sound bottom end—and the foundation under Unlimited Diesel Performance’s 7.3L Power Stroke is second-to-none. A factory-based, internally-balanced stock stroke crankshaft is anchored in place within the concrete-filled, OE cast-iron block by way of a Hypermax bedplate. The crank swings eight forged-steel R&R Racing Products rods that are topped off with 0.010-inch over D&J Precision Machine FSR pistons. The 2618 forged pistons feature a forged steel top ring land for utmost durability in this extreme cylinder pressure environment. The camshaft was spec’d out by longtime truck and tractor pulling guru, Bob Holmes.

Replica Cylinder Heads

Factory replica, recast cylinder heads from D&J Precision Machine clamp to the block via 9/16-inch head studs from ARP. For utmost combustion containment, both the heads and block are cut to accept fire-rings, with 50 percent of each fire-ring protruding into the crankcase and the other half into the heads. The decision to pour a replica set of heads was made in order to optimize the location of the injectors, facilitate the use of huge, 2-inch diameter intake valves and also allow the intake ports to be as free flowing as possible (they flow 100-percent more air than the factory heads do). Beneath the valve covers, you’ll find Jesel roller rocker arms (and roller lifters beneath them), a pretty exotic rocker arrangement for a diesel.

Eight-Cylinder P7100

Without a doubt, the start of this show is the massive P-pump that all but consumes the lifter valley. Built by Mark Massey (a.k.a. The Pump Doctor), it sports 15mm plungers and barrels, a custom cam profile and an Ag governor. Custom bent injection lines route fuel to International-based, triple-feed mechanical injectors with billet bodies and massive five-hole nozzles from Scheid Diesel. The pump itself is from the Bosch P7100 family and is believed to have been sourced from a marine application. It is gear-driven off of the camshaft, concealed within a one-off billet front cover designed and machined by D&J Precision Machine.

Smooth Bore Turbochargers = Restrictor Plate Racing for Diesels

In Limited Pro Stock class trim, a smooth bore turbo with a 76mm (3.0-inch) inducer compressor wheel must be run (shown). In this situation, additional airflow cannot be gleaned from a map width enhancement groove, thereby limiting how deeply the 7.3L can fill its lungs. However, with a 4.4-inch charger from Wimer Fuel Injection & Turbo in the mix (and added fuel volume by way of a few wrenches turned on the P-pump to match the additional airflow), the engine is a completely different animal. In fact, with the massive 4.4-inch turbo feeding the engine nearly 1,000 more horsepower is on the table.

High-Flow Intake Manifold

An individual runner style intake manifold ensures each cylinder sees its fair share of boost. The billet-aluminum work of art was also produced by D&J Precision Machine who, as you might’ve guessed by now, played a major role in Nate and Ben’s engine. From machining the FSR pistons to performing the final hone on the block to providing key parts and pieces required to run the P-pump, D&J was there from start to finish. When everything was assembled, D&J even ran the engine on its in-house dyno.

Water-to-Air Intercooling

Part of the trick to making big horsepower requires that you are able to effectively manage it. Case in point, without an intercooler (and even with a traditional air-to-air intercooler) the engine could melt to the ground with the kind of in-cylinder heat that 2,200hp can produce. To keep intake temps tame and exhaust gas temperature at or below 1,600 degrees F, a water-to-air intercooler system is employed. The arrangement makes use of a PT4000 intercooler from Precision Turbo & Engine with a 4-inch inlet and outlet, a V-belt driven water pump and a water box that’s built into the truck’s front weight box. Highly efficient, the water-to-air system drops intake temps leaving the turbo’s compressor outlet from 600 degrees to 60 degrees by the time it enters the engine.

Dry Sump Oil System

To maintain the engine’s oil pressure requirements, a dry sump oil system based around an R&R Racing Products pump is employed. The system makes use of a one-off Moroso pan, four oil scavenge stages, two pressure stages and ensures that 130 psi is on tap when the engine needs it most. Coupled to the back side of the oil pump you’ll find a Waterman fuel pump, which sends 50-psi worth of fuel supply pressure toward the P-pump. As an additional safeguard, the engine, P-pump and turbocharger each have their own separate oil systems. This way, one component failure can’t take out another.

2,180HP and 2,821 LB-FT

Prior to the start of each pulling season, you can find Nate and Ben’s P-pumped 7.3L in this type of torture chamber. This past May, some impressive things happened aboard the engine dyno at Marlatt Competition Engines & Dyno in Rushville, Indiana. With the aforementioned 15mm P-pump and the 4.4-inch turbo bolted in place, the engine belted out 2,180 hp (at 4,600 rpm) and 2,821 lb-ft of torque. As far as publicly release numbers are concerned, this makes their engine the most powerful 7.3L on record. Encouraged by the big single turbo numbers, they plan to try an even larger, 4.7-inch charger on the engine in the future, if not a full-on Pro Stock tractor turbo (5.25-inch).

The Price of Pioneering

Unfortunately, during a follow-up pass after the 2,180hp dyno pull the engine began to run rough. Once the test was aborted, chucks of aluminum were discovered in the oil system and the guys at Unlimited knew they’d had a hard-part failure. When they tore the engine down, they identified a connecting rod (with two full seasons and countless dyno pulls on it) as the culprit. Despite the carnage, Nate and Ben plan to have the engine up and running again soon. Look for their truck, “Smokin’ Addiction,” to be running the Pro Pulling League’s Limited Pro Stock diesel truck circuit, along with select other exhibition or open class type events in the greater Ohio area this summer.

Curious as to how the 7.3L Power Stroke earned its reputation as one of the best diesel engines ever fitted into a pickup? Check out the full backstory here.