Chelsea Denofa has been stuck in a rut this season. Outside of his unexpected 3rd place podium finish in Orlando, Denofa has found himself consistently earning a first-round win in the Top 32 round, but losing in the Top 16 round of every other FD event this season. Frustratingly for Denofa, he had consistently out-qualified his Ford Mustang RTR and Nitto Tire teammate Vaughn Gittin Jr. In this round, the luck would fall Denofa’s way and the win at the Texas “Showdown” event just outside of Dallas would avenge a 29-event drought from the top step of the podium.

Qualifying

The qualifying bar at Formula Drift has been set exceptionally high this season, including the first perfect 100-point qualifying run that Justin Pawlak laid down at Wall Stadium since Tanner Foust last laid down a perfect score back in 2007. A small tweak to the layout of the Texas track compared to last season’s layout allowed the drivers to carry more speed, which made for a smoother overall flow to the track. James Deane used that tweak to his advantage, laying down the second perfect 100-point qualifying run of the season and taking the top qualifying spot. Odi Bakchis and Piotr Wiecek followed close behind Deane with identical 97-point scores, but Bakchis took the higher qualifying position thanks to a better second run score. Denofa would qualify seventh with a score of 93 points, besting Ford Mustang RTR teammate Gittin Jr. again as Gittin Jr. took 13th position with a score of 91 points. Gittin Jr. qualified just one position ahead of fellow Nitto Tire driver Travis Reeder, but earned a higher score on his secondary run which broke the tie. The final Nitto Tire driver Ryan Tuerck chased some car issues on qualifying day and squeeked into the competition in 29th position, but had the car back to full strength in time for the Saturday tandem battles.

Top 32 and Top 16 Tandem Battles

Just prior to the Top 32 tandem battles, all drivers are given a 90-minute practice session to dial their cars into the current track conditions. Unfortunately, Vaughn Gittin Jr’s Ford Mustang engine experienced a fluke failure related to a rock lodging itself into the belt that drives the oil pump during the first run of practice. The team worked diligently to swap engines prior to Gittin Jr’s scheduled Top 32 tandem battle with Joao Barion, but fell just a few minutes short of making the call to battle.

The first major upset of the Top 32 round of tandems came when Tuerck would defeat Justin Pawlak in the fifth battle of the round. Pawlak appeared to have a lead after a small mistake from Tuerck in the chase position, but Pawlak spun just prior to the final turn, handing the tandem win to Tuerck. Outside of Barion moving on due to Gittin Jr’s mechanical DNF, every other higher-qualified driver earned the tandem victory in the Top 32 round including Denofa and Reeder. 

Top 16 would also go as expected as many of the higher-qualified drivers moved into the Great 8. While Tuerck was the lower qualified driver against Barion, many felt like Tuerck’s experience and strong-running car made him the favorite as he earned the win. Reeder would fall to Chris Forsberg in the round of 16, while Denofa would move past Ken Gushi in his tandem battle. Top qualifiers Deane, Bakchis and Wiecek would win their battles over Matt Field, Dean Kerney and Ryan Litteral respectively.

Top 8 and Beyond

In the Top 8, things got a little crazy. The initial matchup between Deane and Dai Yoshihara went fairly smoothly with Deane using a superior chase run to earn the victory over Yoshihara. Tuerck battled his Gumout teammate Forsberg in the second battle, but got too aggressive on his chase and tapped Forsberg’s rear quarter panel. Forsberg suffered a small amount of damage, but would repair his car and finish off the tandem to earn the victory. Both of the Top-8 battles on the other side of the bracket would end in contact as Bakchis hit Denofa twice when chasing him down into the last turn, while Wiecek would slide into Aasbo and both cars careened off of the tire wall in front of the judges stand in the other run. Thankfully, all four drivers were ok, although all four cars had varying amounts of damage that would require repairs. Since both collisions happened in the second half of the tandem battles, the driver at fault would not need to make repairs as their night was over. This meant that because Bakchis and Wiecek caused the collisions they were parked beyond the Top 8.

Thankfully, the teams behind Denofa and Aasbo were able to make repairs to the vehicles and prep them for the Final 4. The damage to Denofa’s Ford Mustang was largely cosmetic, and Denofa appeared at the line sans passenger front fender. Aasbo’s Toyota Corolla appeared to be much worse, missing a rear bumper, part of a rear fender, front bumper and headlights. The car apparently had major damage to the subframe and suspension components, but the Papadakis Racing team was able to get the car back into one piece for the Final 4. On the undamaged side of the bracket, Deane was able to defeat Forsberg in the first battle of the Final 4, and because Forsberg outqualified both Denofa and Aasbo, he was guaranteed third place on the podium. Denofa and Aasbo battled in repaired cars, and Denofa earned the victory.

In the final battle, a single pair of tandem runs wasn’t enough, and the judges asked to see Deane and Denofa run again. During the “One More Time” battle, Denofa pushed big angle in front of the first inner clipping point in front of the grand stands to throw Deane off his game and earn the victory. Deane admitted in an interview that he was nearly blind behind Denofa due to all the tire smoke coming off of the Nitto NT555 G2 tires, a feeling he wasn’t used to.

“We had an unstoppable car off the trailer all weekend” said Denofa at the podium ceremony. “Our Nitto tires were killing it all weekend, our car was killing it all weekend, we had to battle some pretty awesome drivers to get here, but I’m feeling really good about the win!”

Championship Status

With the win, Deane jumps over Aasbo to take the championship lead heading into the final round and hopes to sustain his 19 point margin to earn his third consecutive championship. While Chris Forsberg has won three previous championships, those championships were non-concurrent, and Deane is currently tied with former champion Tanner Foust as the only two drivers to win back-to-back championships. Wiecek moves into third position overall 67 points behind Deane, with Bakchis sitting just a single point behind Wiecek. Forsberg sits in fifth place in the championship, 94 points behind Deane and still within striking distance of winning the championship, but would be statistically eliminated if Deane puts down a qualifying run at the final event at Irwindale. Tuerck sits in sixth place overall, 107 points behind Deane, but he is statistically unable from claiming the championship as a ‘perfect’ event of qualifying first and winning the event would only earn 106 points in total. Denofa jumps up to seventh place overall in the championship, but sits 152 points behind Deane and is also unable to claim the overall championship. Gittin Jr. (tenth overall) and Reeder (eighteenth overall) will look to improve their standings at the final event in Irwindale, California to carry momentum into the off-season. Reeder currently leads the “Rookie of the Year” chase by 29 points over Dylan Hughes, and will look to finalize that title at the final event at Irwindale.

The final event of the 2019 Formula Drift racing season will take place on October 18th and 19th at Irwindale Speedway, just outside of Los Angeles, California. The Irwindale event is always one full of carnage as drivers go “full send” with plenty of time to make any repairs ahead of the 2020 season. With a championship and Rookie of the Year titles to be finalized, the next event is sure to be exciting!

See what the pros are driving in 9,000hp: The Wild Engines of Formula Drift.

Ultra4 joined with SNORE (Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts) and MORE (Mojave Off Road Racing Enthusiasts) to put on a combined event with all of the different classes of cars. Located in the middle of the desert, with temps reaching triple digits, this race took its toll on a lot of the racers. With close to one hundred cars in the two races, the dust would play a big factor in the race as well.

Qualifying would take place Friday afternoon on a short 1.5-mile course to determine starting order for Saturday’s races. JP Gomez was on a mission for a repeat and grabbed the pole position, winning the KMC Hard Charger award, followed by Cody Addington and Wayland Campbell. Team Nitto driver Loren Healy took the pole in the 4900 UTV class, Dawson Allington in 4600, Rick Lavezzo in 4500, and Team Nitto driver Bailey Cole in the 4800 class.

Dust Attrition

The SxS and 4600 Classes would take the green flag in the morning as the sun was rising. Team Nitto driver Loren Healy, after starting in the pole position, would have an early end to his day after tangling with another car while going for a pass. The dust filled track would eliminate many more through out the race. When the dust settled, Jacob Versey would go on and take the win in UTV and Josh Atteberry in 4600.

When the green flag dropped for the 4400 class, they would be leaving the line in thirty second increments, and the final results would be on adjusted time. There would be no clean air for the leaders because they would be chasing down the Class 1 cars that would be starting right in front of them. Ridgecrest might be a favorite for Team Nitto driver JP Gomez. After capturing his first Ultra4 victory at this track last season, JP came into the race looking for a repeat.The rough course would cause some trouble right at the beginning for some of the leaders. Cody Addington and Wayland Campbell both having issues, would move Paul Horschell into the second spot. Bailey Campbell was charging hard from starting in seventh to get into the third position as they started into lap number two with JP still out front physically.

Because of joining up with the other race organizations, there would be no rocks for the Ultra4 drivers this year, it would be four laps of desert racing. Even without having to do any rocks, some racers where overheard saying that this was one of the most challenging races of the year outside of King of the Hammers, and the results were showed it. 

Tight Race

At the half waypoint, Bailey Campbell was able to put herself in physical first place, and first on corrected time, followed by Paul Horschell and JP Gomez. With only a minute and half separating the top three drivers, they would give each other space to be out of each others dust and pick the right times to try and make passes.

Pit stops played a big part in the outcome of the race, too. In the last lap of the race, Paul Horschel was out front and experienced a mechanical problem with two miles left in the race. JP Gomez would make the pass and come across the line in physical first place, as everyone was watching the clock because Bailey Campbell wasn’t far behind. When Bailey crossed the line they would have to wait and see if she was able to catch JP on corrected time. After reviewing the times, JP Gomez would take another Ridgecrest win with Bailey Campbell taking the second place spot just 38 seconds behind JP and putting Team Nitto drivers in the top two spots. Paul Horschell was able to get his car going again and cross the line to round out the top three on the podium. Raul Gomez would end up coming from a fourteenth place starting position and land just short of the podium with a fourth place finish.Drivers would continue crossing the finish past nightfall.

4400, 4500 and 4800

The 4500 and 4800 cars battled throughout the day right alongside the 4400 cars. After crossing the checkered flag, David Hartman would take the number one spot in the 4800 class just thirteen seconds in front of Team Nitto Driver Bailey Cole on corrected time. In the 4500 class, Rick Levezzo would end the day just how he started, in the number one spot, followed by Dan Fresh and Shawn Rants.

After a great weekend of racing, their sights are set on the 2019 Nitto National Championships coming up on October 19th at Wild West Motorsports Park just outside Reno, Nevada.

For more information, head over to www.ultra4racing.com.

Did you hear how the Clash at Crossbar Ranch race went back in June? See the race recap here.

Since the release of the first Nissan Skyline GTR, the American JDM import market has fully matured into a huge business. At any point in time, there are dozens of Skylines, Supras, Chasers, Land Cruisers, etc. for sale all around the country. What was once forbidden fruit is now accessible, just a couple of phone calls away. But there's so much more available from '90s Japan than the usual pack of traditional sports cars, off-roaders and novelty kei cars.  

The Mazda Lantis is a 5-door hatchback and sedan sold from 1993-1997 in both Europe and Japan under a few various names. Although the car was marketed as relative to the compact 323 (sold as the 323F in Europe), the chassis actually had much more in common with the larger C-platform cars such as the US Mazda 626. The resulting car was nice hybrid of compact size with midsize interior space.

Making a case for the Lantis as a car to import to the US isn't hard. Base models were equipped with the venerable B6, a popular 4-cylinder for Mazda, with variants in the Mazda 323, Mercury Tracer and Mazda Miata. Pairing the Lantis with a Miata would make for an awesome daily driver, keeping maintenance simple, but still keeping Mazda enthusiasm high. 

If you wanted your Lantis to be a bit a more of an experience, the 2.0L V6 would be the motor to get. This tiny six cylinder produced a respectable 147 hp, more than enough to have fun with in a '90s hatchback. Beating Honda by a few years, The JDM-only Lantis Type R came to bat with 170hp and 140 ft-lbs of torque. A limited-slip differential and available aero pieces made for a very appealing package. 

Performance pedigree didn't stop at the Type R badge though. The Lantis, and European 323F, became a popular car for Mazda FF racers. The KF-ZE was wildly over-engineered for a passenger car V6, featuring a large bottom end and forged internals. Paired with the down-sized platform, the car found its way into many race circuits, including the JTCC. The 1994 Castrol JTCC Lantis even appeared in the popular Gran-Turismo games, cementing its reputation as a legit JDM performer for a whole different crowd.

This particular example was imported by Nippon Imports earlier this year after Josh, the owner, found the car in the auctions and was struck by both how well preserved it was, and by the fact that he was completely unfamiliar with the model. Although this example is powered by the smaller four cylinder, the 5 speed transmission makes for an engaging drive. It wears a set of Miata NB wheels covered in Nitto Neogens, that give it a period-correct update. The interior is nearly flawless, and with a perfectly functioning A/C, a Mazda enthusiast would be hard pressed to find a more interesting grocery-getter. 

Although it's certainly understandable for enthusiasts to seek out the JDM heroes they dreamed about, there were a lot of interesting and capable cars that came out of Japan's golden era of design. From distinctive bodies, to overbuilt engines, to factory options that rival the best tuning houses of the era, digging deeper can unearth some serious contenders. Want more wacky JDM? Don't miss our coverage of some cars off the beaten path at Mooneyes Japan. For additional pictures of Nippon Import's Mazda Lantis, check out the gallery below.

Our popular diesel swap series returns with five hand-picked oil burners that are sure to impress—and probably even surprise—many of you. Although they’re either Cummins or Power Stroke equipped, these projects are anything but run-of-the-mill swaps. In fact, we’ve seldom seen similar builds. How about a ’39 Ford packing an aluminum-block, common-rail Cummins or a Chevy Loadmaster-turned 12-valve rat-rod? And what about a 6.7L Power Stroke under the hood of a dent side Ford or a 7.3L Power Stroke-swapped ’78 F-250 of the same era? If tractor technology is more your thing, we’ve got that covered, too, in the form of a P-pumped 7.3L parked in a ’16 F-350 Super Duty body.

Whether you’re ready to pull the trigger on your own homegrown project, drop one off with a professional or keep reading up on the ever-expanding world of diesel engine swapping, we hope you enjoy these creations as much as we do.

1. Diesel-Powered ‘Shine-Runner

Looking to put a unique spin on a popular classic, Todd Cox and Dan Scheid teamed up on this ’39 Ford DeLuxe sedan, Cox handling the auto body work at his place of business, Todd’s Hot Rods, and Scheid (i.e. Scheid Diesel) supplying the engine. Prepping the ’39 to accommodate and then support the Cummins it was destined to receive, Todd’s crew knocked it out of the park, adding Heidts Mustang II upper and lower tubular control arms with adjustable coil over shocks, a take-out rear-end (and independent rear suspension) from an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-T, extensive reinforcing of the car’s frame and finishing things off with Standox base coat and clear.

Aluminum Block Cummins

While Scheid Diesel’s billet-aluminum blocks are typically found in 3,000hp truck pulling applications, the company may be looking to change all of that with its water-jacketed version employed here. Billet connecting rods, 4.125-inch bore Diamond Racing pistons and a fire-ringed (and ported) 24-valve cylinder head off of a 5.9L common-rail Cummins highlight the hard-parts.

Fueling is provided by a 95-gph FASS system, Scheid’s 50hp premium common-rail injectors and controlled via an S&S Diesel Motorsport-tuned stand-alone ECU from Bosch Motorsport. With one of Scheid’s 63mm Lightning turbochargers also in the mix, the Cummins-powered sedan sends 720 hp and 1,420 lb-ft of torque to the tires. If you want to see more of this one-of-a-kind car, it will be on display at the 2019 SEMA Show in Vegas November 5-8.

2. Not the Power Stroke You Expected…

While many would expect to see the 6.7L Power Stroke retained in a ’11-’16 Super Duty, such is not the case here. In an effort to be as competitive as possible in the national Pro Stock Diesel Truck pulling class, Ferenc X Vegh Jr., his son Nathan and crew chief Will Hardesty decided to go full-on mechanical.

But they didn’t set a Cummins between the frame rails of this ’16 F-350. Instead, they rely on an 1,800hp P-pumped (i.e. mechanical) version of the venerable 7.3L Power Stroke to get the job done. The truck’s name is Jumping Jack Flash and it’s a big hit with fans and fellow truck pullers alike.

Mechanical Monster

Reaching out to a household name in the P-pumped 7.3L world, Ferenc and the boys contacted Hypermax Engineering for an engine build, P-pump conversion and the 91mm turbocharger that would be needed. A bed plate, forged-steel rods, completely reworked (yet factory-based) and ported cylinder heads, a 13mm Bosch inline 8-cylinder pump, Peterson dry sump oil system and a belt-driven water-injection system are just some of the exotic parts on this bad boy.

While the 91mm (3.6-inch) smooth bore turbo limits what the engine is capable of in the Pro Stock class (with smooth bore often even being likened to restrictor plate racing in NASCAR), occasionally the JJF guys swap a 4.1-inch charger into place, bump up to the Super Stock class and uncork the real potential of this monster V8.

3. Diesel High-Boy

Mechanical, electrical and fabrication skills come in handy when you’ve got a complete powertrain out of a ’97 F-250 diesel, a ’76 High-Boy in above-average shape and a little time on your hands. After sourcing the perfect dent side Ford for his project (meaning a near-rust-free version in his area of the Midwest), Chris Herth’s ’76 F-250 build got underway in earnest and seven months later the truck was drivable.

Along with the 7.3L Power Stroke, E4OD transmission and BorgWarner 1356 transfer case, Chris also swapped a Kingpin Dana 60 under the front-end and the ’97 donor’s 10.25 Sterling in place out back.

Lots of Midnight Oil Burned (lots of it)

Hours of measuring, planning and fabricating later, the 7.3L Power Stroke was in its happy place. Easing the integration process, Chris used the ’97 F-250’s firewall and transmission tunnel, which provided ample clearance for the turbo, transmission and transfer case. Motor mounts and transmission mounts had to be fabbed up and a completely new driveline made.

Surprisingly, the truck’s ignition switch proved the most time consuming and frustrating item in the entire build. Performance-wise, the 7.3L was treated to a TS Performance six-position chip and a 4-inch Diamond Eye exhaust. Work-wise, it’s on the hook often, be it tied to a horse trailer, flatbed full of hay or toting a tractor somewhere.

4. Late 40s Chevrolet

From 1947 to 1955, Chevrolet built the Advance-Design pickup truck series in both Loadmaster or Thriftmaster form.

After this version spent a good portion of its life working the Schmidt farm in eastern Missouri, it was retired and parked in the barn—until Jeremy Schmidt decided to dust off grandpa’s old Chevy and treat it to the ultimate repower.

5.9L Power & Rat-Rod Touches

Ditching the dinky original gas engine in favor of a 12-valve 5.9L Cummins (and a P-pumped Cummins at that) brought the old-school workhorse right back to life, although we think it’ll be more of a show-rig this go ‘round than a farm hand.

On a recent trip to the massive show ‘n shine hosted at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza (where we spotted it), Jeremy’s flat bed Chevy took First Place in the Custom Diesel category.

5. Dent Side Up Top, Super Duty Underneath

Matt Claycamp started piecing this truck together several years ago and while it might look like it’s still a work in progress it’s 100-percent drivable.

In fact, his old Ford has been spotted towing a trailer cross-country a time or two. Using body parts from several different ’73-’79 donors, Matt’s dent side—which he tells us is titled as a ‘77—sits atop an ’11 Super Duty chassis. This includes a solid Dana 60 up front, 10.5 Sterling in the rear and the corresponding 18-inch, 8-lug (8x170) Super Duty wheels.

6.7L Power Stroke

But what gets the truck moving down the road? How about a 6.7L Power Stroke. Somehow, some way, Matt was able to squeeze the FoMoCo diesel V8 into the engine bay and get all electronics to work.

This is where having a complete donor rig is so crucial in dropping a modern day oil-burner into an older truck. To shoehorn the Power Stroke in behind the grille, Matt told us the original firewall had to be completely removed, and you’ll notice what appears to be the Super Duty firewall in place in the photo above.

Curious as to the other one-of-a-kind diesel repowers we’ve featured? Start from the beginning of our Unique Swaps series here.

Long gone are the days when a major automaker when could debut a major new model out of nowhere. Today it seems we know about most new vehicles years before they eventually reach production, and at the moment there aren't many upcoming models more talked about than the 2020 (or is that 2021 now?) Ford Bronco that Ford long-ago confirmed is in the works.

At this point we still don't know when exactly the Bronco will go on sale or when it will debut, although the upcoming American auto show season as a logical guess. Ford has also been pretty skim on details, but using the bits of info gathered we can have a reasonable idea of what to expect when it arrives.

For starters, we know the basic profile of the new Bronco and the fact that it will share its underpinnings with the current Ford Ranger pickup we was launched in the US for the 2019 model year.

It's now been nearly a year and half since Ford released a teaser image of the new Bronco under a cover, and there have been some heavily disguised spy shots that have surfaced since then but the official teaser still gives us the best idea of how it should look.

From the profile we can see the Bronco will have a squared-off look heavily inspired by the Broncos of the past—particularly the highly popular first generation models. The rounded fender openings look massive and the length suggests the Bronco will be available as a two-door as well as a four-door not unlike the Jeep Wrangler.

From the rear you can also see that the Bronco will sport an externally mounted spare tire, something also seen on the Wrangler as well as the just-debuted Land Rover Defender.

As for its underpinnings, it's reasonable to expect a lot of similarities with the Ranger, which in America comes powered by the turbocharged EcoBoost 2.3 liter four cylinder engine similar to the one in the Mustang.

The current Ranger makes 270 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque, and we already know the 2.3 EcoBoost has made as much as 350 horsepower in certain applications so it will be interesting to see if the Bronco gets a power bump when compared to the Ranger.

There have been rumors that the Bronco may also be available with a more upmarket EcoBoost V6 engine option as well, but that remains to be seen. Depending on the pricing structure, it wouldn't be be surprising at all to see more than one engine choice.

Like the Ranger, we expect the Bronco's engine to be mated for a 10-speed automatic transmission although there have also been rumors that a manual gearbox will be available as well.

One question to be asked is whether there will be a two-wheel-drive version of the Bronco offered when it goes on sale. While the Ranger is offered in both 2WD and 4x4 versions, if the Bronco is positioned as a specialty model as we expect, 4x4-only seems like a strong possibility.

Given the Bronco's aim toward off-road enthusiasts we'd expect the harder core versions of the Bronco to borrow from the Ranger Raptor, which currently isn't offered in America.

Among the changes Raptor gets underneath are beefier suspension components, Fox dampers, larger brakes and unique tuning for its terrain management systems. While some American enthusiasts may be disjointed that Ford doesn't offer the Ranger Raptor here, we expect a lot of its tricks to show up on the Bronco.

And speaking of Ranger variants not sold in the US, it should be mentioned that since 2016 Ford has already offered an SUV based on the current Ranger. It's called the Ford Everest and is offered mainly in Ford's Asia-Pacific markets.

As you can see, the styling of the of the Everest looks to share almost nothing with the Bronco teaser but at the very least the Everest does give us a good idea of how the Ranger works as an SUV platform.

One thing that we really know nothing about at this point is the how the Bronco will look inside. The current Ranger cabin doesn't really offer much of a preview because not only is the Ranger interior layout pretty old at this point, we also expect the Bronco's cabin to a lot more stylized with a solid dose of heritage inspiration.

The good news for those anxiously awaiting the 2020 Bronco is that there shouldn't be much longer to go. If speculation is to believed we expect the Bronco to be fully unveiled sometime in the next few months with sales to begin about a year from now.

Time will tell whether these predictions ring true or whether Ford has some surprises in store. Whatever the case, we'll be counting down the days with the rest of you.

In the meantime, if you want to see another retro-inspired 4x4 coming to the market soon make sure to check out the all new Land Rover Defender 90 and 110.

In some automotive circles, it's considered heretical to even talk about going outside the mother brand for any type of significant parts replacement. This is particularly true of engine swaps. While no one would bat an eye at dropping an LS V8 in a classic C10 pickup, for example, there are purists out there who foam at the mouth at the thought of stuffing a small block Chevrolet under the hood of an otherwise period-correct Pontiac Firebird, despite them both being GM stablemates.

The thing is, there are often compelling reasons to raise one's gaze above the mechanicals offered by the badge on the hood and seek out a competitor's solution to the same problem. Engine swaps that cross company lines often make a lot of sense, and almost always grab attention, which makes them increasingly common among builders unfazed by the occasional side-eye.

Let's take a look at the 3 most compelling reasons to mix automotive DNA when choosing an engine swap candidate.

1. Cost

Unless you're running a high end shop or staging a garage-based reality show where there's more shouting than actual wrenching, budget is a typical concern for any engine swap project.

How much a motor transplant costs is usually a function of two things. The first is availability—the more common a power plant is, the cheaper it will be to purchase. This is one of the primary reasons so many LS swaps feature 5.3-liter and 6.0-liter iron block motors sourced from the millions of General Motors trucks and SUVs sold throughout the 2000s. They are inexpensive to buy and easy to locate.

This is also a driver for almost every import out there that features a power plant from a domestic, or even Japanese market competitor. Typically, when a Datsun or Nissan is outfitted with an LS or a 2JZ instead of an RB26, it's not for shock value—it's because Skyline engines are significantly more expensive to purchase, and much harder to locate in good condition.

The second limiting factor when it comes to paying for a swap is the complexity of the installation itself. Why do so many hot rods have Gen I-II small block Chevrolet engines under the hood? It's because not only are SBCs plentiful on the ground (they were GM's go-to V8 before the Gen III LS appeared on the scene), but in carbureted form they require no electronics to control, and feature a relatively compact form factor that allows them to fit into almost any platform with very little modification.

Turbocharged engines with all of their associated plumbing, dual-overhead cam designs with wide cylinder heads, and inline engines with their long blocks? Not nearly as simple to engineer a swap for, consequently driving up the price of a project.

2. Parts Availability

Anyone who's owned a limited-production vehicle knows the trials and tribulations of trying to locate uncommon parts. When choosing an engine for a swap, why would you want to subject yourself to the same kind of hassle? The coolest drivetrain in the world isn't going to do you much good if it has to sit in the shop for weeks at a time waiting for far-away parts to arrive in the mail every time something breaks or needs to be replaced.

Parts availability is often linked to the area of the world where the vehicle in question resides. Historically, American builders have had excellent access to pushrod V8s, Europeans to high-revving, small-displacement four-cylinder engines and Japanese shops a range of turbocharged options. These were the most common performance engines available in their respective markets, and as such there is strong aftermarket and factory parts support for them in those areas, as well as high number of donor vehicles.

Hollywood offers us a perfect example of exactly this kind of swap. In 'Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift," the main character wins the climactic final drift battle behind the wheel of a 1967 Ford Mustang outfitted with an RB26 engine. In America, it would be a challenge to replace a Ford V8 with a twin-turbo six, but in Japan, where the movie takes place, it's far easier to source a Nissan motor and all the parts necessary to build it for power than it would be to stay true Ford blue. Think of it as the counterpoint to the Datsun example in the previous section.

3. Power

Almost every engine out there can be tuned for more power. Forced induction, increased displacement, better breathing and trick exhaust setups can be custom-fabricated for any motor, as long as you don't mind spending the money.

At a certain point, however, it simply stops making sense. Why dump a truckload of cash into a factory-correct engine when a swap to another brand will provide the same grunt at a third of the cost? This is the ethos behind a thousand LS swaps—cheap, reliable power, regardless of where the engine ends up.

Although this might seem like the same argument as the first two points, it's actually coming from a different angle. Earlier, we argued that an import owner might install a domestic motor because it was simply more available than an OEM choice, or because it has better local parts support. Here, we're explaining why someone would choose a swap instead of building their existing engine for more power.

Some of the most common cases are found in the drag racing world. Take Fox-platform Mustangs, where turbocharged LS V8 swaps have become increasingly popular. Is this because it's impossible to build the stock 5.0 pushrod engine that these cars came with, or that Ford options such as the 5.0 Coyote DOHC are unavailable? No—it's because the dollars-to-performance ratio is in favor of the Chevy-sourced power plant.

Sometimes, an engine swap can be a soul-searching decision. Click here for a deep dive into the 'to swap or not to swap' question.

Few performance cars in recent memory have generated as much excitement as the FK8 Honda Civic Type R did when it went on sale in the US in 2017. Not only was it the first Civic Type R ever to be sold here, it was only the second Type R-badged vehicle ever sold in the US after the DC2 Integra Type R of the late '90s and early 2000s.

While many found the Type R's styling a little on the wild side, just about everyone who drove it knew it was the real deal. It was the fastest production front wheel drive production car ever sold here, capable of out-performing sports cars costing thousands more—all while delivering a daily driving experience with few compromises in comfort or practicality.

It was almost exactly a year ago when we were able to get our hands on a 2018 Rally Red Honda Civic Type R and after 12 months of daily commuting, road trips and a couple of track days we've come to the same conclusion that many others did—that the Honda Civic Type R is a fantastic machine—a car that may go down in history as one of the all time greats.

However, no vehicle is perfect. And despite the fact that the Type R excels in so many areas, there's still room for improvement. And, after living our FK8 for one year we've outlined five areas where the Civic Type R experience could be made even better.

1. 20" Wheels & Rubberband Tires

First on the list is something we've already covered extensively during our ownership. The Civic Type R comes equipped from the factory with 20" wheels and extremely low profile 245/30/20 tires, and there's been a lot of discussion about how much of that decision was functional vs aesthetic.

The aesthetic appeal of the factory wheels will be determined by each buyer and the thin tires certainly provide a feeling of sharp response, but the unusually sized wheels and tires also have plenty of drawbacks.

First, the stock tire sizes are expensive to replace and difficult to find, making them sub-optimal for track day junkies who go through a lot of rubber. But there have also been many Type R owners who have damaged or destroyed their wheels on rough roads and potholes thanks to the limited protection of the stock rubberband-like tires.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix thanks to the aftermarket. Swapping out the factory 20s for a set of lighter, wider and somehow smoother riding 18" wheels and tires was the first—and to this point—the only modification we've done to our FK8. Best of all, the factory wheels can easily be kept and stored so there's no permanent change to the car with this modification.

2. Fuel Tank Size & Range

The next one is a relatively minor annoyance, but it's also one that can't really be changed without a full redesign. The Type R, like the standard issue Civic has a 12.4 gallon fuel tank, and while that's plenty for the normal Civic's ultra fuel efficient 1.5 liter turbo engine it's a different story for the more powerful Type R.

In mixed street driving in our Type R we usually see around 24-25 miles per gallon which doesn't make the car a gas guzzler, but it's a far cry from the 40 MPG range of the normal Civic where you can go much farther on the same tank.

On a road trip this means you'll just be stopping a little more often to fill up, but we noticed the biggest impact during track days where fuel gets consumed at an extremely high rate and you have to keep a constant eye on the fuel gauge to make sure you don't run into starvation issues during cornering.

3. Driving Modes

Like most modern performance cars, Civic Type R drivers can select from a few different driving modes which change the settings of the car's adaptive dampers, steering and throttle response. Each time you get in the car it defaults to to the middle "Sport," and there are two additional settings available from there.

The softer "Comfort" mode further lightens up the steering, softens the dampers and the throttle while the more hard core "+R" mode stiffens the dampers, tightens up the steering and makes the throttle more aggressive.

Unfortunately though, there's no way to customize the settings or change each area individually. While this isn't a major issue and we've been pretty satisfied with the three modes as they are, most other cars offer individual settings for this stuff, and it wouldn't take much work other than software coding to unlock these adjustments from each other.

4. The Exhaust Note

Next we get to how the sound the Type R makes. Or rather the sound that the Type R doesn't make. In an era of bone stock Dodge Scat Packs that wake up entire neighborhoods on cold starts and a Ford Focus RS that pops and crackles gloriously off the showroom floor the Type R's three-tipped exhaust has no such personality.

It's not really that the Type R sounds bad stock. It just doesn't have much sound at all. And compared to the rest of the car's race-ready personality, the quiet and non-descript exhaust note is a bit of a let down.

Fortunately though, this is another area where the aftermarket is there to help. There are a number of options out there for Type R owners to get more sound from their cars whether its something like an ultra high end titanium exhaust system or simply removing the factory muffler for a bit more personality. The exhaust system is something we plan to address in the coming months on our own Type R project car.

5. Dealer Markup

Last but not least we get to something that almost all Type R owners (and potential owners) in the United States have dealt with over the last two years—dealer markup. While it's common for dealerships to try an add additional premiums to the MSRP of most new models when they first go on sale, but it's been over two years since launch and it can still be hard or sometimes impossible to buy a Civic Type R at Honda's factory MSRP.

A lot of this will depend on the area you live in, but for people in many regions you can't just walk into a dealership and pay MSRP for a Type R. Here on the West Coast it's still commonplace to see new Type Rs for sale with adjusted mark ups of anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.

A look through the Civic Type R forums and social media groups shows that some buyers are finding cars offered at MSRP in other parts country and then paying to have them shipped as it's cheaper than paying the extra thousands many dealers are asking for.

Since 2017 Honda has also gradually raised the MSRP of the Civic Type R by more than $2,000 but this hasn't seemed to damper the efforts of dealers to get additional profit from the in-demand cars. Of all the relatively minor Type R drawbacks listed here, the difficulty of purchasing one has to be the biggest negative.

However, assuming you can navigate your way through the purchase process and deal with a few mainly fixable issues you'll have yourself one of the best all around performance cars ever sold in America. One year later, we like this car just as much as we did on day one.

If you'd like to hear more about our experiences with the Honda Civic Type R, you can check out these five observations gained from daily driving it.

Whether your diesel spends its life hooked to the trailer or makes frequent visits to the drag strip, Mishimoto offers a plethora of aftermarket components geared toward improving performance and aiding durability. In competition applications, where tens of thousands are invested in order to get a 7,500-pound truck to run with exotic sports cars, Mishimoto’s heat exchangers can work wonders in terms of keeping powertrain temperatures in check. Its bolt-in products help protect huge performance investments like engine and transmission builds. Such was the case for the TorqShift automatic in the ’08 F-250 test mule in this article.

Fresh back from being transformed into a Stage 5 transmission courtesy of Elite Diesel Engineering—and because the truck was in the neighborhood of 900 hp—the owner wanted to keep the five-speed 5R110 as cool as possible. This meant ditching the OEM transmission cooler for one with more surface area and core volume that wouldn’t require any modifications to fit behind the grille. For the trouble-free, direct-fit the owner was looking for, Mishimoto’s transmission cooler got the call. For a quick tutorial on how to make your ’08-’10 Super Duty’s TorqShift run at least 20 degrees cooler, keeping scrolling.

Your Investment Needs Protecting

Protecting a high-dollar Elite Diesel Engineering Stage 5 TorqShift transmission is what this article is all about—and why the Mishimoto direct-fit cooler was chosen. Elite’s Stage 5 version of the 5R110W has long been revered for its ability to live up to its hype—and we’ve seen it hold up to power levels well north of 1,000rwhp and 1,800 lb-ft of torque. Highlights in any Stage 5 build include an Aermet input shaft, billet intermediate and output shafts, a billet Overdrive planetary and a billet Low/Reverse hub. The icing on the cake in this particular build is a triple disc converter from Diesel Performance Converters.

Mishimoto Supplies Everything But The Labor

For $369.95, not only do you get Mishimoto’s dyno-proven and real-world-validated 5R110W transmission cooler, you get everything required to install it. This includes direct fit mounting brackets, transmission hose, a leveling spacer (for use if you’re also running Mishimoto’s radiator), worm gear clamps, all mounting hardware and (of course) the stacked-plate heat exchanger.

Stacked-Plate Design           

Like the factory transmission cooler, the Mishimoto unit is of a stacked-plate design rather than tube and fin style. Stacked-plate heat exchangers are more efficient than tube and fin versions because the latter utilizes a tube winding through the core that has a low surface area in contact with the fins. Stacked-plate designs feature hollow plates to carry fluid across the core and turbulators within the plates to route fluid throughout channels so more fluid is exposed to the plate’s surface. The result is far better cooling capability.

A Taller, Thicker Core

In using the same, stacked-plate design, how exactly is the Mishimoto transmission cooler superior to the factory one? Well, at 8.9-inches, the Mishimoto cooler’s core height is approximately twice as tall as the factory unit. Thanks to the added height, the 17-row, stacked-plate cooler provides a 121-percent larger surface area than stock. And at 1.25 inches, the Mishimoto transmission cooler’s core is also considerably thicker than the OEM version, which increases overall core volume by 63 percent.

Making Every Square Inch Count

With the factory cooling stack already tightly packed behind the intercooler on the 6.4L Power Stroke, Mishimoto’s only available way of adding cooling capacity (i.e. size) to the transmission cooler was by making it taller. Luckily, all heat exchangers except for the intercooler sit at a slight angle at the front of ’08-’10 Super Duty’s. The relationship between the radiator and the non-angled intercooler forms a V at the bottom of each cooler, with the transmission cooler and power steering cooler dwelling in the middle of the V. Utilizing every bit of leftover space within the middle of that V was exactly what the engineers at Mishimoto did.

Same Overall Width

Due to space constraints but also to keep its installation as simple as possible, the overall width of the Mishimoto transmission cooler is 33.5 inches, the same as stock. The supplied mounting brackets attach to the cooler via two 10mm bolts per side for solid, secure anchoring. However, the brackets should not be fully tightened up until the cooler is in place on the vehicle.

Adjustable Mounting Brackets

These brackets attach the Mishimoto transmission cooler to the radiator and are a vital part in the installation process. By design, their extra slots and bends offer the ability to angle the transmission cooler slightly outward into the “V” that exists where the intercooler and radiator on the 6.4L Power Stroke nearly meet. We’ll reiterate that the supplied leveling spacer mentioned earlier is only required when the transmission cooler is installed in conjunction with Mishimoto’s aftermarket radiator. The leveling spacer wasn’t necessary in this case, as the owner is still running the factory radiator (for now).

High-Quality Transmission Hose

The ½-inch transmission fluid hose Mishimoto supplies with its cooler meets SAE J1532 specs and this particular line is good for up to 302 degrees F (and -40). Its maximum operating pressure rating is also more than adequate, at 250 psi.

Mishimoto Vs. Stock

As you can see in the photo above, the Mishimoto transmission cooler dwarfs the factory cooler in size (specifically and most notably, in height). By squeezing a taller and thicker cooler into place, the Mishimoto proves that bigger is better in terms of heat exchangers. In this particular application, where the torque converter will build considerable heat during the staging process at the drag strip, the hope is that a larger factory-style (stacked-plate) transmission cooler will suffice in a high horsepower setting without the need to add an auxiliary cooler in the bed. So far, the Mishimoto cooler has performed flawlessly, with peak ATF temps running at least 20 degrees cooler than they did previously.

Accommodates Thicker Aftermarket Intercoolers

Just like stock, the Mishimoto transmission cooler sits below the power steering cooler and is sandwiched between the intercooler and radiator. And despite its vastly increased height, the truck’s owner was pleasantly surprised to find that it cleared the thicker aftermarket intercooler (from Precision Turbo & Engine) he planned to run.

Heard of the 6.4L Power Stroke’s notorious leaky radiator problem? Mishimoto has a solution for that, too. Check it out right here.

The Volkswagen Golf has long been an enthusiast favorite thanks to the German automaker's GTI model, a long-time performance trim that also brings all-around hatchback practicality to the daily drive. In recent years, Volkswagen has additionally imported the Golf R, an even mightier edition of the Golf that counts all-wheel drive and a significant horsepower boost as part of its package.

Naturally, there's a more-than-casual price gap between these two models, and on paper at least, the same can be said for the difference in their performance. Should you save your pennies and dimes in anticipation of a Golf R down payment, or would you be nearly as happy snagging a GTI and enjoying the savings instead? I drove each of these mighty 'Dubs back to back to bring you the answer.

Styling

Objectively? There's very little to distinguish the Golf R from the Golf GTI on first glance. The front bumpers feature different orientations for their various air inlets, the back of the R offers quad tailpipes instead of duals, and of course there are the modest R badges to be found on the car. Still, the differences are quite subtle, and hard to spot unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

This is a mixed blessing, because while GTI owners won't immediately feel emasculated should they pull up at a stop light beside a Golf R, on the flipside there's not really much recognition for the latter's owners among casual car fans to indicate that they opened their wallet substantially wider. For some drivers, this stealth approach will be a blessing—finally, a hot hatch that doesn't flash. For others, they'll feel a little left out of the see-and-be-seen game that is part of the compact performance car world.

Advantage: It's a dead heat when it comes to styling.

Comfort and Features

Despite offering equipment packages that are almost neck-and-neck (if you're willing to pony up extra cash in GTI-land), there's no denying that the Golf R has an edge when it comes to daily comfort.

Even with stiffer springs than the GTI, the 'Comfort' drive mode setting adds reasonable softness to its standard adaptive dampers. This combines with the extra weight of its all-wheel drive system (and more balanced power delivery) to impart a calmer feeling than the jumpier GTI during both urban and long-distance driving. It's also respectably quiet inside, and offers supportive, but not exhausting bolstering from its available Recaro sport seats.

The GTI, too, offers adaptive shocks, but it's an option, and the car's drive modes aren't quite as versatile as those found in the R. Expect more chatter from the front wheels as well, in terms of both communication and grip, which takes some of the sheen off of the overall experience.

Advantage: Golf R.

Drivetrain

In a straight line, the 288 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque from the VW Golf R's 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine are enough to drop its 0-60 mph time to an astonishing 4.5 seconds, which is nearly 1.5 seconds faster than the less-endowed GTI. It's also a number that would have blown anyone's mind outside of the supercar segment a mere 15 years ago, available from a compact hatchback based on economy minded roots. My, how far we've come.

It's worth noting that to achieve that kind of rocket ship propulsion you'll need to tick the box for the self-shifting DSG seven-speed automatic transmission (which offers dual clutches and paddle shifters on the steering wheel), rather than stick with the R's 6-speed traditional manual. The GTI is also available with both gearboxes, although it lacks its siblings all-wheel drive to smooth out the rougher edges of its 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque (also from a turbo four).

Advantage: The Golf R's extra power, and winter-friendly all-wheel drive, carry the day here.

Behind The Wheel

You may be thinking it's not fair to ding the GTI for not matching the R in terms of output. After all, it's intended to follow its stable mate from a respectful distance in terms of performance to ensure that there's enough separation between the two models to make buyers feel good about paying a premium.

The trouble is, the GTI has also fallen behind its similarly-stickered rivals in recent years. Whereas cars like the Hyundai Veloster N deliver rambunctious fun, and the Subaru Impreza WRX adds all-wheel drive even on the base model, the GTI has become increasingly detached from the broader market. It's no longer as quick as it once was, in comparison to other sport compacts, and nor does it overwhelm its competition with features or refinement in the same manner as its predecessors.

Instead, it's a car that feels much more ordinary, and far less engaging, than it needs to be to attract attention in an increasingly amped-up segment of the market. This is particularly true of the DSG-equipped model, which further separates the driver from any appreciable mechanical character. The GTI is still quite capable of parsing your favorite stretch of twisty two-lane—it just never really sweet talks you into wanting to do it.

The Golf R is similarly disinterested in providing visceral thrills. Where it makes up for it is the sheer and utter confidence it displays in almost every driving situation, with its extra power and traction helping to ease the pain of its less-than-playful character. Its customizable drive settings (and the replacement of the Sport mode with a Race mode) also gives it an edge for those who want to play around with various aspects of the vehicle's software-heavy persona.

The Golf R feels far more like a luxury car with a pedestrian badge than a true hot hatch, but that's not faint praise—in fact, it's an impressive accomplishment that sets it apart from Honda's own Civic Type R, which presents a similar asking price.

Advantage: Golf R.

Value

The least-expensive version of the Volkswagen Golf GTI costs $27,595, while the entry-level Golf R starts at $40,395.

That's a whopping difference, and for anyone seeking a budget daily driver that offers turbocharged tuning potential, the GTI looks like a screaming deal in comparison. This is especially true when you consider that the aftermarket is only too happy to close the horsepower gap between the two cars (even if you'll never find an add-on all-wheel drive system).

Add all of the optional goodies to the GTI, however, and it quickly closes ground on the Golf R, with a $36,000 tag for the top-tier Autobahn trim level that largely matches the R in terms of features and equipment. There are no real extra-cost options for the more expensive model, aside from a hefty surcharge for its multi-hued Spektrum custom paint colors.

Advantage: At $36k, the GTI is less convincing than the R. At $27k, however, it offers much more value than its premium-priced showroom companion.

Want to learn more about the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R? Click here for an in-depth review.

2019 is a year of many automobile anniversaries, some larger than others. But not to be overlooked is that it has been 10 years since GM's 2009 restructuring which saw the end of brands like Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn.

Saturn was a brand with a very interesting history going back to its first car in 1990 and having a distinct identity from the rest of GM but eventually losing its product differentiation before being killed off after the recession of the late 2000s.

Saturn may have never had the enthusiast appeal of other GM brands, but over the course of the 2000s the brand did a release a trio of performance-oriented vehicles under its "Red Line" badge and they all proved to be rather notable in their own way. Now a decade after Saturn built its last car, the Red Line vehicles might not be highly-sought after classics, but they are certainly worthy of recalling.

Saturn Ion Red Line

First released in 2003 the base Saturn Ion was a compact car with some rather unique elements including a center-mounted instrument cluster and rear clamshell doors on the "Quad Coupe" model.

But things got really interesting in 2004 with the release of the Ion Red Line.

Designed to compete against sport compact cars like the Honda Civic Si and Ford SVT Focus, the Ion Red Line shared its supercharged Ecotec four-cylinder engine with the Chevy Cobalt SS. It made 205 horsepower and came mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Road tests showed the Ion Red Line reaching 60 miles per hour in the low six second range, which was rather quick by 2004 standards and still a respectable figure today. Its roots-type supercharger was also known for delivering an abundance of low end torque in an era when most of its competition was naturally aspirated.

Beginning in 2005 a Competition Package was offered for the Ion Red Line which included a steering column-mounted tachometer with a shift light, unique wheels and most importantly a limited slip front differential. Again, this is something most high performance front-drive cars have today but it was pretty big deal back in the mid 2000s.

2007 was the last year the Ion Red Line would be built, as the Ion was replaced in the Saturn lineup by the Astra. A hot hatch version of the Opel-based Astra was never offered, and two years later the Saturn brand would be axed.

Saturn Vue Red Line

The Ion wasn't the only Saturn model to get the Red Line treatment in 2004.

In a rather unusual move, Saturn also debuted a high performance Red Line version of its Vue small SUV. 

The most unusual thing about the Vue is that in 2004 its V6-powered variants including the Red Line didn't use a GM engine but a Honda one. More specifically, it was a a J35 SOHC VTEC V6 that made 250 hp and 242 pound feet of torque. Honda also supplied the transmission and the Red Line could be had in either FWD or AWD.

The Red Line version got several of its own special tweaks to separate form the standard Vue including a stiffer, lower suspension, re-tuned steering, 18" wheels and more aggressive bodywork.

With performance-oriented SUVs and crossovers becoming increasingly common these days, the Vue Red Line almost seems like it was ahead of its time. It never sold in large numbers when new and today they are an even rarer sight on the road.

Saturn Sky Red Line

Last but not leas we get to real sports car of the trio—the Saturn Sky Red Line.

The Saturn Sky was a two-seat, rear-drive roadster that went on sale as the sister car to the Pontiac Solstice for the 2006 model year. In standard form the Sky was a decent little roadster and first sports car ever to wear a Saturn badge, but the Red Line version the truly desirable one.

The Sky Red Line got a turbocharged Ecotec 2.0 four cylinder that made 260 hp and 260 pound feet of torque and could be had with either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.

To further build its performance credentials the Sky Red Line also got more aggressive suspension tuning and a limited slip rear differential. It could hit 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds, which again is a respectable number more than a decade later.

Will the Saturn Ion Red Line, VUE Red Line or Sky Red Line ever become true classic cars? It's hard to say, but at the very least an interesting footnote to the story one of America's most short-lived but also interesting automotive brands.

Want some more late 2000s nostalgia? Check out our list of five favorites from the sometimes forgotten era.

As we’ve spotlighted in the past with our technical diesel escapades, it’s hard to beat the bling factor, performance gains or the overall glamor that comes with compound or even triple-turbo arrangements. But what about the truck owner that can’t afford compounds, the guy that doesn’t need to make huge horsepower or the enthusiast that doesn’t want to add a host of piping and complicate things under the hood? The latter question is exactly why most of the diesel industry revolves around single turbo applications. Be it the factory turbo that came on the engine, a modified stocker, a mild aftermarket upgrade or a sizeable snail that hits hard once it roars to life, a properly spec’d single turbo is one of the hottest sellers in the diesel market.

No longer are big singles reserved solely for sled pullers or drag racers. In fact, when correctly sized, they can be very well-mannered in daily driver applications, along with being capable of supporting as much power as the owner wants to pursue. To showcase a few different trucks that pull off the “big single turbo” thing extremely well, we’re profiling five daily drivers below. They’re not slow, overly laggy or a chore to drive—and they all make respectable power. From a do-it-all, 665hp 7.3L Power Stroke to a 10-second ’11 F-350 crew cab to a stick-shift ’07 5.9L Dodge 3500 sporting a 75mm charger and laying down four-digit horsepower, these guys have absolutely nailed it. Enjoy!

1. Tyler Brancifort: 2011 Ford F-350

Tyler Brancifort is one of our most extreme examples of someone enjoying the big single turbo life. With a ground-up engine build performed on the 6.7L Power Stroke, he could’ve easily forked over the coin to run two turbos (and goodness knows the engine would’ve handled it like a champ) but he chose to go with a single BorgWarner S400 instead.

When everything was tidied up under the hood, he proceeded to drive the truck everywhere, crushing dyno’s, making 10-second quarter-mile passes (10.9’s, but still damned impressive for 8,300 pounds) and even towing Street Diesel Performance’s tandem axle enclosed vendor trailer to industry events (the company he worked for at the time).

Competition-Ready 6.7L Power Stroke

Centered around the use of an S475 from Barder Turbo Service (the 75 referring to the size of the compressor wheel’s inducer), Tyler used an S400 turbo kit from Maryland Performance Diesel to get the sizeable charger mounted.

From there, the combination of ported heads, dual injection pumps, 100-percent over injectors, custom PCM tuning and a 2,200-rpm stall torque converter no doubt helped bring the S475 to life quickly. With the giggle gas turned on we witnessed this setup facilitate his Super Duty’s making 1,242rwhp and 1,918 lb-ft of torque on the dyno. On fuel, we also watched it clear 900rwhp.

2. Keith Burwinkel: 2007 Dodge Ram 3500

Due to the boost loss that inherently occurs during the upshifts made with manual transmission trucks, running a big single in conjunction with a hand-shaker is typically thought of as a no-no in the diesel game. Well say hello to Keith Burwinkel and his single rear wheel ’07 Dodge Ram 3500.

His 5.9L Cummins sports a single BorgWarner S475, dual CP3’s, 70-lpm injectors and (you guessed it) the original G56 six-speed manual. He’s been living the big single dream for more than seven years now and his Dodge makes a dyno-proven 1,000rwhp on fuel. But how does it drive?

Keith’s Key to Quick Spool Up

While automatic transmission trucks have the luxury of re-stalling the torque converter to aid spool up, manual transmission owners are stuck. Or are they?

To help bring his big single to life in a timely fashion, Keith employs a turbine diverter valve from BD Diesel. By closing off one volute in the T4 divided turbine housing (until a preset boost level is reached), the diverter valve allows the S475 to act like a much smaller turbo at lower boost levels. Once a predetermined level of boost is reached, the valve opens, allowing both volutes to flow exhaust gases. The addition of the diverter valve made Keith’s stoplight to stoplight drives much easier.

3. Michael Corsilli: 2009 Ford F-250

Sometimes compounds are ditched for a big single with stunning results, and Michael Corsilli’s ’09 Super Duty is one such truck. After an S472/S483 compound arrangement did a number on his 6.4L Power Stroke’s factory pistons, Michael built the engine and went back to the single turbo system he ran before playing with twins (it’s a long story, but he spent the better part of a decade chasing horsepower with this truck).

The result was a setup that produced less drive pressure than before but that still allowed the truck to make more than 1,000rwhp aboard the dyno. In fact, Mike’s Super Duty was the first single turbo 6.4L-powered truck to break the 1,000rwhp mark on fuel.

Big Snail + Loose Converter = 11-Second Daily Driver

Designed to support big power and high rpm, the Forced Inductions S476 dwelling in the lifter valley featured a billet 76mm compressor wheel, a 92mm turbine wheel and a loose 1.10 A/R exhaust housing. But how did the truck drive?

Surprisingly well thanks to a triple disc torque converter from Sun Coast with a 2,600-rpm stall speed. For any chance of getting the dark blue pearl F-250 to hook up on the street, Michael put full faith in a set of Nitto NT420S tread. At the track, he was able to make a best trip through the quarter-mile in 11 seconds flat.

4. John Guyton: 2003 Ford F-250

Some engines are simply ripe for running a big single. Due to its large displacement allowing it to drive a big turbo relatively effortlessly, compound turbo setups are seldom employed on 7.3L Power Strokes.

Of course, cost factors into most 7.3L enthusiasts’ sticking with a single charger, too, but for most ’94.5-’03 Ford gurus a 67mm to 75mm turbo suffices in daily-driven 550 to 700rwhp applications. John Guyton’s ’03 Super Duty falls into that category. His big ¾-ton Ford makes a dyno-certified 665rwhp and he drives it every day of the week.

S472, Added Fuel and Good Tuning

Thanks to a T4 mounting system from Irate Diesel Performance, the BorgWarner S472 John runs sits close to where the factory turbo once resided. However, the S472 (which features a loose, 1.10 A/R exhaust housing) flows more than twice as much air as a factory turbo (the 60mm Garrett GTP38).

To make the turbo come to life quickly, John relies on extra fuel from a set of 350cc hybrid injectors with 200-percent nozzles, a Gen3 high-pressure oil pump mounted above the stocker and custom tuning from Jelibuilt Performance and SDK Performance.

5. Jake Bosie: 2012 Ram 2500

If ever there was an engine meant for a big single, the 6.7L Cummins is it. Even with stock fuel still in the mix (i.e. the factory Bosch CP3 injection pump and injectors), an S400-based turbo will light quickly.

Case in point, the box BorgWarner S467 in Jake Bosie’s ’12 Ram 2500 comes on line just a smidge later than the tiny VGT he replaced it with. Better yet, it didn’t take anything but optimized ECM tuning and a high-flow Steed Speed second-gen Cummins style exhaust manifold to get him there. The best part is that in switching to the bigger, fixed geometry S467, Jake sacrificed nothing. The truck is very responsive, gets used to commute to work and also haul a camper on a regular basis.

Ready to see some truly wild turbo combinations? You’ll find everything from triples to compounds to gigantic singles here!

The Jeep Gladiator is one of the most anticipated vehicles to come out of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in a long time. It’s been driven for a few months and there have been murmurings that the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is lacking power. Which brings us to the photos you see here. We caught this Gladiator prototype in the wild still heavily covered in partial camouflage—one of many running around the streets of Metro Detroit. At first, we thought this could be the upcoming 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 model coming out in 2020, but looking closer we quickly realized there’s a whole lot more going on with this test mule.

The first thing that grabbed our attention was the different six-spoke aluminum wheels wrapped in M/T tires from the Gladiator Rubicon. Usually, by now, FCA would be well past testing production-spec models riding on the production-spec wheel and tire combinations. Another thing that we saw was the "unleaded fuel" sticker located on the gas cap filler door. Diesel prototypes almost always have "diesel fuel only" stickers indicating which fuel the vehicle needs, so we know for certain that this is not a diesel-powered vehicle.

Which brings us to the heart of the matter: only one part of the vehicle is covered in heavy vinyl covering. The hood looks like it has padding underneath the covering in order to hide a new hood design. Could this be a more muscular looking hood that comes with the hopped-up version of the Gladiator that has been rumored to be called “Hercules?”

Speculation surrounding the "Hercules" model has been talked about within numerous forums and sites. It makes sense that FCA would produce a high-performance Gladiator model to compete with other vehicles in the segment like the Ranger Raptor and Colorado ZR-2. While it is unlikely that the Hercules would be powered by a HEMI, there is the upcoming GME-T6 or Global Medium Engine Turbo Six Cylinder in the upcoming pipeline. Sources have claimed that high-output versions of that engine could have up to 500 hp.

Click here to see some exciting Jeep Gladiator mods.

Whether you are a casual car enthusiast or a hardcore gearhead, there a few better destinations in America than LA's Petersen Automotive Museum. There's always something cool to see at the Petersen, and the ever-changing lineup of special exhibits makes the place especially worthy of repeat visits.

At the moment, the Petersen is currently hosting an exhibit that might just be its most interesting yet. Called Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the large exhibit has gathered an impressive collection of vehicles, props and artwork from both iconic and cult classic sci fi and fantasy films and TV shows.

Along with universally known and loved movie machines like the Back to the Future Delorean, multiple versions of the Batmobile and the Interceptor from Mad Max, the exhibit also includes a number of more obscure but no less interesting vehicles from sci fi and fantasy history.

Here are five of them for your consideration -

1. Deckard's Sedan from Blade Runner (1982)

If you are a fan of either the original Blade Runner or Blade Runner 2049, than this exhibit is a must-see as it features a large selection of vehicles and props from both films.

Among the group is the 2019 Spinner Sedan police car driven by Harrison Ford's character in the original 1982 film.

While Blade Runner was known for its flying cars, Deckard's personal machine was relegated to patrolling LA's seedy surface streets after it had its flying equipment remove. Dreamed up by famed futurist designer Syd Mead, the car itself was built by legendary customizer Gene Winfield on the chassis of a 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle.

A big part of the fun of this exhibit is seeing the old visions of future cars and how they compare to actual modern vehicles. As you can see, this one looks just a little different from cars of the real year 2019.

2. 6000 SUX from Robocop (1987)

Also presented as part of a dystopian future vision is the 2043 Omni Consumer Products 6000 SUX from 1987's RoboCop.

In the dark sci fi film, the car is presented as a humorous take on the American luxury sedan of the future.

The 6000 SUX appears in the movie a couple of times, including this in this commercial where its 8.2 miles per gallon of fuel economy is proudly advertised as part of an "American Tradition".

In reality, the 6000 SUX was another Gene Winfield creation and this car is one of three examples built for the movie. Beneath all of that its futuristic fiberglass bodywork is a humble 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

3. 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra from Guardians of the Galaxy II (2017)

In stark contrast to the heavily customized future machines we just saw, we have this factory original 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra that appeared in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy II.

The car appears in the opening scene of the film which takes place in 1980 Missouri and shows Peter Quill's father Ergo (played by Kurt Russell) driving in the Mustang with Peter's mother Meredith.

It's cool to see this un-loved version of the Mustang on the big screen, and the car has other ties to the film as well including its wild '70s paint job which inspired the coloring of Peter Quill's spaceship the Milano.

4. 2032 Chevy from Demolition Man (1993)

Next we find ourselves back in another futuristic take on LA, this time with a funky looking automobile from the 1993 action film Demolition Man starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock.

Unlike most of the other vehicles which were designed and built specifically for their films, this was actually a GM concept car from 1992 called the Ultralite.

It was first shown at the 1992 Detroit Auto Show, and the film's producers spotted the car and knew it would be perfect as the police car of the future. A special assembly line was opened up and 12 running cars were built for filming.

Not only does Demolition Man as a movie hold up surprisingly well by today's standards, it actually predicted a number of today's common technologies including self-driving cars, voice commands and video conference calls. We also dig it because of the cool Oldsmobile 442 that's featured prominently in the film's later half.

5. X-34 Landspeeder from Star Wars (1977)

Last but not least, we get to a machine from once of the most popular and iconic films of all time, but one that doesn't seem to get its due respect as a "movie car" - Luke Skywalker's X-34 landspeeder from the original 1977 Star Wars: A New Hope.

In an era long before CG effects made just about anything possible, the X34 actually had to be built over the chassis of a real car, and that car was a three-wheeled British microcar called the Bond Bug. During filming, mirrors were mounted used to hide the wheels of the car while it was in motion.

And while it may not be an automobile in the traditional sense, Luke's landspeeder was clearly influenced by George Lucas' interest in sports cars and hot rods as a youth and might be the best example of the "battered and used" aesthetic that helped make Star Wars so interesting.

It might just be the most under-appreciated movie car in history.

If you'd like to see these and many other vehicles from the world of science fiction and fantasy films, we highly recommend making a trip to the Petersen Automotive Museum to check out the Hollywood Dream Machines exhibit while it's still going on. 

For another one of the Petersen's great exhibits of the past, you can check out our look the Dan Gurney All American Racers tribute from a couple years back.

Pickup trucks are some of the best-selling vehicles in America—and, until recently, they've remained gas- or diesel-powered. However, since the teasing of a Tesla electric pickup back in 2017, more than seven manufacturers have announced versions of their own.

A race is on. There's a new market for electric pickups, and manufacturers—both established and newly founded—are rushing to put all-electric trucks into production.

The Major Players: Ford, Tesla and Chevy

Ford, Tesla and General Motors have all announced plans for new electric pickups. They aren't the only ones manufacturing the first generation of these vehicles, but these major players are the ones who will likely have the biggest impact on the market.

The All-Electric Ford F-150

This is the only electric pickup in development that's a variant of an existing truck rather than its own model.

The Ford F-150 is the best-selling pickup in the industry, and the news about an all-electric F-150 seemed like a big industry shift. Ford hasn't provided much information about the new truck yet, outside of a video of a prototype pulling 1.25 million pounds.

Just how much production models will be able to tow remains to be seen. Ford has given no date for the rollout of the Ford F-150, only saying it will be released before 2022.

The Tesla Pickup

The Tesla pickup does not have a name yet, but it has plenty of buzz. Tesla is the manufacturer with the most experience making electric cars—and also the most opportunity for missteps. Over the past year, Tesla has been dogged by manufacturing delays, funding setbacks and general design issues.

There are no official specs yet for the Tesla pickup, but the truck is expected to have a range between 400 and 500 miles. Elon Musk has previously tweeted that the pickup will have a towing capacity of 300,000 pounds. One teaser image of the truck has been released, and Musk has said it wouldn't look out of place in "Blade Runner." The pickup is planned to be revealed in November 2019.

Musk has said that the Tesla pickup will retail at $50,000, which most publications denounced. Time will tell if Tesla can produce an electric truck that is affordable.

The Chevy Electric Pickup

GM President Mark Reuss has confirmed that General Motors is developing a complete electric line that will include a pickup. Official details beyond this have been scarce. GM higher-ups have been hinting at an electric truck for some time now, but the comment from Reuss back in June was the first real confirmation.

In the electric pickup race, we'll see if old manufacturing differences hold steady. The Ford F-150 was notable for switching from an all-steel body to an aluminum one. Commentators suspected Chevy might follow Ford's lead, but the manufacturer stuck with steel. According to GM's North America President, Alan Batey, a switch to aluminum was never seriously considered, despite Ford's move.

For Chevy, it looks like steel is still king. Aluminum didn't seem too enticing after recent advances in steel production resulted in new, lighter-weight alloys. We don't know a lot yet about the new GM/Chevy line, so it's impossible to say what the new electric pickup will mean for the battle between steel and aluminum.

The Newcomers: Rivian, Bollinger Motors and Atlis 

Tesla isn't the only EV manufacturer rushing to deliver an electric pickup. Two Michigan-based startups, Rivian and Bollinger Motors, and the Arizona-based Atlis are all looking to beat the major players to the market.

The Rivian R1T

Rivian was totally unknown when it brought the R1T pickup to the LA Auto Show in late 2018. Now, less than a year later, the brand is considered one of the leading electric pickup manufacturers—and may even be the first to the market.

Like the Tesla pickup, the Rivian R1T seems designed to outpace the most common criticism of electric vehicles—their limited range and lack of power. According to the latest specs, the R1T will be able to tow up to 11,000 pounds—almost as much as the 12,000 pounds Elon Musk boasted the new Tesla pickup would be able to haul. Whether or not a 6-ton towing Tesla pickup will materialize remains to be seen.

The R1T will also have a range of 230 to 430 miles—more than triple the average EV range at its best. The rest of the specs are similarly impressive.

While looks may matter less to some, it's hard to deny the R1T is visually stunning. Similar to the renders we've seen of the new Tesla, the Rivian R1T employs a unique front-lighting setup and a less-than-traditional body. It's one pickup that will stand out in a crowd.

The R1T is planned to start at $69,000, though top levels of the model may go beyond the $100,000 mark.

The Bollinger B2

The Bollinger Motors pickup, the B2, has a different audience and aesthetic in mind. Jeep-like is the phrase most outlets are using to describe it. It's a little unfair to both companies involved, but it wouldn't be completely wrong to describe the B2 as an electric Jeep. It's a rugged, no-frills vehicle that's not going to be winning any beauty contests. In the renders and promotional materials, the B2 is almost self-consciously drab, painted in a monochrome, matte dark gray.

The B2 is expected to have a range of 200 miles, a towing capacity of nearly 7,500 pounds and all-wheel drive powered by a dual-motor system.

Like the Rivian and Tesla, the B2 looks like it will be marketed as a luxury vehicle. No price point has been announced yet, but most estimates are hovering around $75,000.

The Atlis XT

Of the newcomers, Atlis appears poised to deliver the most technically robust pickup, the Atlis XT.

The XT will feature four electric motors and independent air suspension. It's also planned to have a fifth-wheel towing capacity of up to 35,000 pounds. With a range of 500 miles, the XT will probably get you the farthest on a single charge—another pickup may come along with greater range, but 500 miles seems hard to beat.

Rather than sell different models of the pickup, each XT will be custom made to order, allowing buyers to pick and choose the features they're after.

The XT looks closer to a traditional pickup truck, but also employs an interesting front headlight setup and some interesting, techy features. It has replaced the side mirrors with driving assistance cameras that broadcast to two screens on either side of the steering wheel.

The Outside Bet: Fisker

Fisker is Henrik Fisker's second attempt to create a lasting luxury car brand, launched after his first failed in 2013. This time, it just may work.

In August, Fisker teased the announcement of an electric pickup truck. It is the third electric vehicle to be mentioned by Fisker's new outfit. No specs have been announced yet. However, Fisker has floated the possibility of a one-minute charging time and a 400-mile range when discussing the EMotion, the electric car that will be the company's first to the market.

It's not clear how much attention the new Fisker truck warrants. In the less charitable words of Electrek's Editor-in-Chief, Adam Lambert, "should you even care?" So far, the new Fisker has announced five cars and brought nothing to market—not an impressive start.

Even as the electric pickup market becomes more crowded, Fisker may be worth keeping an eye on. Henrik Fisker's design resume remains impressive, and there's always the chance of an upset.

The First Electric Pickup to Market

All these pickups are bound to run into the same problem: It's not clear if there is a market for these trucks. While sales in some markets have begun to flag, EV car sales are steadily rising in Europe and the United States. Does anyone actually want an electric pickup, though?

The downside of electric pickups—their difficulty to repair and the need for charging stations that aren't universally available—may be enough to dissuade rural customers. These are going to be expensive trucks—even Musk's optimistic price point of $50,000 puts these pickups firmly in the realm of the luxury vehicle.

However, that hasn't stopped just about every truck manufacturer from throwing their hat in the ring. Only time will tell if this is another step in an electric vehicle revolution or an odd misstep for American manufacturers.

Click here to read more about the Rivian Electric Truck.

If you were to imagine the terms "econocar," "penalty box," "tin can" or other more colorful words used to describe small and cheap commuter cars, the 1986-1993 Ford Festiva might be the first image that pops into your head.

When it was new the Festiva was one of the cheapest cars you could buy in America, designed to be affordable and fuel efficient above all else. It offered virtually nothing in the way of creature comforts, had an ultra simple boxy shape and was powered by a 1.3 liter SOHC four-cylinder engine that made tire-smoking 63 horsepower.

In other words, the Festiva seemingly offered very little to car enthusiasts, and in America it was marketed to those who wanted a cheap car at all costs, and not those looking for something fun or exciting to drive.

But despite its humble roots, the tiny little Festiva has always enjoyed a bit of a cult enthusiast following, and especially now that it's old enough to have disappeared from daily driver duty, the simple but somehow charming Ford Festiva is car that's worth enthusiast attention. Here are some reasons why.

It's Extremely Light

In a time where a "lightweight" car comes in at 3,000 pounds and an "extremely lightweight" car is around 2,500 pounds, the Ford Festiva's roughly 1,700 pound curb was light even by the standards of its time and it's just plain absurd by modern standards.

Not only does this lack of mass make the car extremely agile, but you don't need much horsepower at all for the Festiva to feel quick—but we'll get to that in just a moment.

Of course the downside to the Festiva's light weight is that we would not recommend crashing one into a heavy, modern vehicle because the results will not be pretty.

Global Roots

Despite its Ford branding, the Festiva was actually developed by Mazda in Japan under Ford's request, as Ford controlled Mazda at the time.

The cars imported to the US, however, were actually built in South Korea under partnership with Kia, who also sold a version of the car in South Korea called the Kia Pride.

As the product of a global partnership, the Festiva is part American, part Japanese and part Korean, and in overseas markets, like Japan, the car was offered as more than just a bare bones economy vehicle.

Engine Swap Potential

While its factory equipped engine was rather gutless, the Festiva's light weight means you don't actually need a whole lot of power to have fun.

And thanks to the Festiva's Mazda underpinnings there are plenty of engine swap options. In fact, the Festiva's engine comes from Mazda's extensive B-family of four cylinder motors which includes twin cam and turbocharged variants.

The  twin cam B6 and BP engines are especially well known and proven thanks to their use in the 1990-2005 Mazda Miata, and while their power outputs have never lit one's pants on fire, either one is putting out over double the power of the Festiva's stock engine, and these larger more rev happy engines are a popular and affordable transplant.

The JDM Factor?

Interestingly enough, while the Festiva was developed by Mazda and sold in certain markets as the Mazda 121, in the Japanese home market it was built locally but sold and marketed as the Ford Festiva.

There it competed against other small cars from Japanese automakers. Unlike the American market, the JDM Ford Festiva was offered in several different variants including a model with a canvas top.

The really cool version was the Festiva GTA and GT-X models which had a DOHC 1.3 liter engine that revved to 7,000 RPM.

Although never as popular as simlarly sized rivals from Honda or Toyota, the Festiva still found itself in the hands of Japanese enthusiasts who enjoyed the cars on the country's technical race circuits and tight winding roads.

Perhaps coolest of all is a unique front end available for the JDM Festiva that brings to mind both the Ford RS200 and the Alfa Romeo GTA. How awesome would it be to swap one of these onto a US market Festiva?

SHOGun!

Last, but not least, we get to the fastest and most well known version of the Ford Festiva ever made—the SHOGun.

Using a widened version of the Festiva body, the SHOGun is powered by a 3.0 liter Yamaha-tuned V6 engine from the Taurus SHO, mounted behind the driver and driving the rear wheels.

Jay Leno is a proud owner of one of the handful of official SHOGuns built, and while it's certainly not a weekend project, some bold Festiva owners have actually built their own homemade versions using junkyard parts.

And speaking of the Taurus SHO, you can check out our retrospective right here to learn why the SHO is one of the greatest factory sleepers ever built.

The Overland Journal describes overlanding as “self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal.” We love vehicles built to go overlanding because they are capable of so many different things. It’s great to have a vehicle that is as at home picking up groceries as it is trail running. It can do all the in-between stuff, too, like urban off-roading (there’s nothing quite as satisfying as avoiding traffic by hopping a curb without damage). Beyond general vehicle capability, there’s a certain level of practicality that’s necessary.

In our opinion, the best overland vehicles must be able to do a handful of things well; off-road, on-road, common vehicle (so parts are easy to find if something breaks) which goes hand-in-hand with affordable-to-repair. It needs to be reliable; so, no high-horsepower engines running at the ragged edge—it only needs to have enough power to get out of trouble (or help another vehicle get out of trouble) and maintain a measure of decent miles-per-gallon. In line with the mild-is-more theme of an overland style vehicle is that it needs to be able to run for long periods of time for days on end without failure or breakdown.

1. Jeep Wrangler JL

This one fares better as an overlander in the four-door Unlimited version because of the extra gear holding capacity and additional ingress/egress options. But there’s no doubt as to how reliable the stock motor is, and no one is questioning its ability to off-road. The more modern versions are probably better suited for long-distance excursions because of their better fuel economy.

2. Toyota Tacoma

Specialists in overlanding, Jimahajer often chooses the venerable Tacoma for the base of their builds and knowing a bit about the Tacoma, we understand why. It’s a platform that’s been on the roads for a number of years, so there’s no surprises when it comes to repairs. It’s a Toyota truck, and we’ve all seen the videos online of people attempting to kill one…as it turns out, it’s really hard. That hard-to-kill reputation is what makes it such a great candidate for one of the top overland vehicles.

3. Jeep Gladiator

Where the Wrangler is great for off-roading, it has less storage capacity than the new Gladiator. It’s got all the great overland qualities of the Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited, but with a good-sized bed, it may be better suited for overland duties than its Wrangler sibling. Here, you can see how EVO Industries imagined the ultimate overlanding machine based on the Gladiator. That’s a tough act to follow.

4. Lexus GX

This one is definitely on the luxury side of the overland spectrum, but it’s got a lot going for it. The stock V8 can get you anywhere you want to go and it will tow anything you’d need for overlanding purposes. Additionally, it’s got high and low options four-wheel drive to conquer many types of trails, a locking center differential, common parts (because it’s pretty similar to a 4Runner) and great clearance straight from the factory. On top of all that, it is heavily supported by the aftermarket, it’s ultra-reliable and has spacious storage capacity. Plus, it’s super comfortable on long road trips out to those dirt roads.

5. Ford E350 Alpha Van

Aren’t vans already kind of overland machines without any major modifications? You can already sleep in the back without adding anything, and there’s all kinds of people into #vanlife where they actually live in their vans. Which begs the question, is it still overlanding if you live in your vehicle full-time?

Click here to take a look at the full feature of EVO Industries' Overland Jeep Gladiator.

It seems there's been rumors about a new rotary engine from Mazda since even before production stopped on its last rotary sports car, the RX-8 back in 2012. Rotary fans and sports car enthusiasts have long dreamed of a new RX-8, or better yet a return of the iconic RX-7 but Mazda has been largely mum about bringing back the unique engine type—until now that is.

Thanks to an announcement posted on social media by Mazda's Chinese branch, the return of the rotary engine has been confirmed, we just don't yet know what form it will take. Naturally, one would hope this means Mazda is in fact building a new rotary sports car but that assumption may be premature.

That's because representatives from Mazda have already told the media that they would like to bring back the rotary engine not as a main powerplant but as a gasoline range extender for future plug-in vehicles.

Mazda's new EV will debut next month at the Tokyo Motor Show, and CX-30 bodied prototypes have already been making the rounds with "e-TPV" written on the sides, whatever that may mean. While Mazda has said the project will be a full battery electric, the new rotary engine could make an appearance here as range extender.

The reason Mazda has considered the rotary layout as a gasoline range extender isn't because of its power capabilities, but the smoothness in which it operates. The idea would to be to have smoother less obtrusive operation than normal gasoline range extenders.

On the other hand, the speculation that Mazda is also developing a full-fledged rotary sports car is not without warrant, and to see that all you have to do is go back to the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show where Mazda showed off a rather stunning machine called the RX Vision Concept.

Not only was the RX Vision gorgeous, it was also built as potential showcase of what Mazda called its "SKYACTIV-R" next generation rotary engine technology. Although no details were ever given about its powerplant, at the very least it showed that the prospect was still there. Needless to say, it got a lot of people excited about the idea of a Mazda RX-9.

More recently Mazda showed off an equally eye-catching concept called the Vision Coupe at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Rather than being rotary-powered though, it's been leaked that the Vision Concept may preview a new rear-drive Mazda powered by straight six SKYACTIV engines.

Whatever form(s) the return of the Mazda rotary engine may take, these are exciting developments and it's nice to know we can get back to having dreams about a modern successor to Mazda's iconic rotary machines of the past.

If in fact Mazda is indeed planning to follow up the 2015 and 2017 Tokyo Motor Shows with a big rotary announcement, we'll know in less than a month's time as Mazda's 2019 Tokyo press conference is scheduled for October 23.

For now, we can continue to piece together the quotes and leaks, or look back to the statement the company made when it showed the RX Vision Concept; "Mazda will never stop challenging to deliver new rotary engines that provide its unique brand of driving pleasure."

In the meantime you can also take a look here some of Mazda's other future plans including the aforementioned new rear-drive platform.

Once upon a time, the idea of a 'performance' SUV was restricted to large displacement engines in traditional body-on-frame designs, hunks of metal that could rumble forward with reasonable alacrity but not mount any serious challenge to sport sedans or coupes.

Today, that mode of thinking has been outdated by the massive industry shift towards sport-utility vehicles at almost every possible price point. With so many drivers choosing crossovers as their daily conveyance, it's only natural that the concept of an enthusiast-oriented SUV would also evolve. This is particularly true in the high end segment of the market, where massive road-hugging rubber and advanced electronic driver's aides are already on the menu.

So it goes that in 2019 it's possible to find a trucklet with as much thrust and nearly the same levels of grip as supercars from a decade or so previous. The expectation that a full-zoot hot rod SUV be able to pivot like a pro, despite its towering center of gravity and typically ponderous weight, has lead to vehicles like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio—a crossover that stretches brand credibility to the max by way of its family-courting practicality and over the top go-fast feature set.

Surprisingly? It kind of works.

Ferrari's First Truck*

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio's green clover badge is also affixed to another American-market Alfa Romeo, the Giulia sedan. The two vehicles share the same beating heart: a 505hp, 2.9L V6 twin-turbo engine that was developed for the Italian brand by corporate stable mates Ferrari, which offers a similar V8 design in the California T convertible. Also capable of generating 443 lb-ft of torque, it leverages an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive to haul itself to 60-mph in an astonishing 3.3 seconds.

That latter number—aided and abetted by four wheels of grip—isn't just better than that posted by the Giulia Quadrifoglio, it's also capable of shutting down a wide range of high performance hardware no matter how many doors, passengers, or zeros in the price tag might be on hand. It's simply astonishing straight line speed.

Despite not being a fan of this motor in the Giulia, where I frequently lamented the accelerator's on/off switch behavior, tempered by the Stelvio's AWD it's a much more manageable experience when quickly pulling away from a stop. The rambunctious exhaust note is an added bonus when blowing past surprised slowpokes on twisting Adirondack roads, which served as my test course during a weekend away in the mountains with the SUV.

The Quadrifoglio's engine is also remarkable for transforming the character of the Stelvio itself, a crossover I have no affinity for whatsoever when found in standard form. The adaptive suspension system remains collected and calm until you find a seriously chewed up stretch of pavement, with response on gravel and heaving two-track lanes solid enough not to have to worry when leaving civilization behind.

Confusing Mission Statement

Things are decidedly less genteel on the inside of the Alfa Romeo. Although the Quadrifoglio does upgrade to a higher standard of materials as compared to the base Stelvio (particularly in terms of swapping plastic for leather), it's still hobbled by a beyond-basic infotainment system squished into one corner of an 8.8-inch non-touchscreen, which isn't particularly responsive or logically structured in terms of functionality.

Likewise, some other aspects of the Quad's cabin puzzle and perplex. Why would one want to swap in manually-adjustable carbon fiber front buckets in a luxury truck such as this one? The weight savings argument is laughable given the already-ponderous heft of the vehicle, and it feels distinctly poser-ish to lumber in and out of the tight-gripping thrones at the campground or mall parking lot.

Still, there's reasonable room inside the Stelvio for hauling gear, with a weekend's worth of food and luggage for two stowing behind the rear seats with ease, and a decent amount of passenger room available in the vehicle's second row. It's a practical enough setup that comes part-and-parcel with the over-engined truck's 19-mpg combined mileage. But hey, try picking up garage sale furniture from the roadside in your Porsche 911 or Chevrolet Corvette.

Fast, But Not Quite Fun

While the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is certainly competent in a corner, and absolutely absurd when hammered down a straight stretch of blacktop, it doesn't quite make a convincing argument that it's fun to flog.

One of the side effects of ground-tearing all-wheel drive traction and tires as wide as a man's outstretched arms is a near-complete disconnect from actual driving experience. There are simply too many layers between the left front seat and the road below, and whether they're made up of rubber, ones-and-zeros, or a thousand pounds too much mass, the net effect is the same.

Despite its eye-catching styling and its decent blend of performance and luxury, the Stelvio simply doesn't make that crucial connection between driver and the act of driving itself that is key to achieving a lasting bond with any vehicle. It's certainly a novelty to stand on the Quadrifoglio's loud pedal and listen to it deliver, but aside from that the overall experience serves to remind us why lunky muscle trucks are unlikely to completely replace sports cars among pilots whose blood is stirred by more than just an exceptional soundtrack and a catapult kick in the pants.

Does the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio need a V8 instead of its TT V6? Click here to find out.

We’re loving every minute of the diesel power wars between Ford and Dodge. Last January, Dodge announced the RAM 3500 Heavy Duty equipped with the Cummins 6.7L inline six-cylinder turbo diesel produced 1,000 lb-ft of torque, the first production truck to do so.

Ford has finally upped-the-ante and answered Dodge with their latest Power Stroke diesel engine that makes 1,050 lb-ft of torque and 475hp. Interestingly, the Ford has the same displacement as the Cummins engine at 6.7L, but in a V8 configuration.

So, what does this mean for 2020 Ford Super Duty owners? Best in class diesel towing: maximum gooseneck towing of up to 37,000 pounds, best in class maximum fifth-wheel towing of 32,500 pounds and best in class maximum conventional towing of 24,400 pounds with the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engine. And, it’s got all that torque without checking an extra option box.

Ford offered a little perspective on how much a person can tow with these trucks, “A properly configured F-450 could tow about as much as 31 American quarter horses at 1,200 pounds.” That is one big trailer.

Care to see what Dodge did back in January with their RAM 3500 Heavy Duty? Click here!