There's never been a better time in history to be a muscle car fan. Wax poetic about the late 1960s if you must, but even during the Hemi's halcyon days you couldn't walk down to a Dodge dealership and drive home in a car featuring nearly 800, full warranty horsepower. Not. Even. Close.

The 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye doesn't just deliver 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque from its 6.2-liter supercharger V8, it does so in a manner that's advertised as completely civilized for daily driving. There's no doubt that the Hellcat Redeye is a safe choice as a commuter—FCA (nor its crack team of lawyers) would never unleash a widow-maker on the streets—but is it the kind of car you can take to work and back Monday through Friday without accidentally reversing the rotation of the Earth, or incinerating your tires out of boredom when stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic?

I spent a week living with SRT's monster to figure out just how reasonable it is to own a car that, on paper, seems completely unreasonable in every possible way.

1. You Are The Opposite Of Invisible

Ever been curious as to what it's like to be a celebrity just trying to go about your daily business in the public eye? Seven days in Redeye country is the closest most of us will ever get to that level of fawning, borderline obsessive attention. It probably didn't help that my tester was painted a searing shade of Plum Crazy, but if the paint doesn't suck eyeballs out of their sockets, then the enormous hood scoops, factory widebody option, and bone-rattling exhaust rumble certainly pick up the slack.

Although there was the occasional side-eye from a pedestrian startled out of their wits by the Hellcat's cold start, 90 percent of the notice I received was positive. During one particularly long stretch of highway driving a steady stream of motorists flashed me a thumbs up and a smile as they pulled alongside me (responsible citizen that I was, just teetering along at slightly above the speed limit). Occasionally, I'd be challenged to rev the engine or burst forward alongside another performance car, to the great delight of the owner. It was children, however, who glommed on to the Redeye's cartoonish, larger-than-life purple personality more than anyone else, with delighted smiles and laughter whenever I paused to let a gaggle of kids through a crosswalk on their way to class in the morning.

In short: the Hellcat Redeye puts you in the public eye like nothing else you'll drive save for a full-on exotic.

2. Traction Is At A Constant Premium

My October stretch of time with the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye revealed just how closely the car's stunning performance numbers (3.4 seconds to 60-mph, 10.8 seconds in the quarter mile) are tied to available traction.

This isn't news to anyone familiar with performance cars of any kind—after all, grip is often the difference between first and second place in any type of motorsports competition—but it's significantly amplified when you've got 707 lb-ft of torque available at 4,500 rpm. Power delivery from this platform is so rapid that on cold pavement it's easy to skin your tires to husks if you aren't the least bit judicious with your right foot.

Fortunately, the Redeye's traction control program can be set to intervene well before you watch the rear meats go up in smoke. But in the wet, or the cold, this is a car that won't save you from your own exuberance.

3. You'll Probably Be Shouting A Lot

That road trip I mentioned earlier? It demonstrated something about the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye I hadn't previously realized during my time with the coupe on a race track. Namely, that it's surprisingly loud inside the cockpit, even with the engine set to its lowest (500) horsepower setting and the cruise control pegged to the limit. Turn up the music so that you can hear any details over the sound of the big tires, drone-ish exhaust, and rushing wind, and you'll also be raising your voice should you wish to communicate with your passenger across the vast divide of the Dodge's spacious cabin.

4. It's A Surprisingly Comfortable Ride

Although it might be rumbly, there's no faulting the Challenger's plush ride—as long as you remember to set the suspension to 'Street' mode. In 'Sport' or 'Track' you'll feel every undulation, shim and shiver sent up through the asphalt, but 'Street' is surprisingly supple for such a big, and heavy vehicle. You'll never mistake it for a luxury model, but it certainly won't beat you up over a sustained day of driving, which is more than one can say for a number of similarly-powered sports cars.

5. The SRT Drive Settings Are A Bit Frustrating

I've long held the opinion that one shouldn't have to push a special sequence of buttons—or indeed, any buttons—in order to drive a performance car at its full potential. I'm not talking about disabling traction control or stability control, but rather the idea that when you hit the ignition, you instantly have access to the vehicle's full power and most aggressive shift program (for automatic-equipped cars).

This unfortunately wasn't the case with the Hellcat Redeye I drove, which defaults to 'Auto' drive mode every time you turn it on. This wouldn't be so bad if Auto didn't seemingly lock you out of the full 797 horsepower, as the engine and 8-speed automatic transmission on my tester were stuck in 'Eco' mode as long as Auto was selected. I contacted FCA, and they told me that I should have been able to select 'Auto' instead of 'Eco' for each setting, but even though I checked the owner's manual, I wasn't able to figure out how to change this, nor did the car 'Auto'-matically step out of Eco if I hammered the throttle.

The easiest way around this issue is to pay attention to the Challenger's Uconnect infotainment screen at startup, which offers a small Drive Mode Selector at the bottom for a few seconds after the engine roars to life. It was the fastest way to access the Redeye's full potential, which is a bit frustrating—and not the case at all with the standard 707 horsepower version of the Hellcat, which defaults to 'Street' mode each and every time.

6. You May Want To Buy Shares In Exxon

Even with 300 miles of highway driving thrown into my test loop (on top of 50 miles around town), I still could do no better than 15 miles per gallon in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. That's lower even than the optimistic 16-mpg combined that the car is rated by the EPA, and while I may or may not have indulged in a few redline runs, let's be honest: you're going to do that as an owner, too, because no one buys these cars to keep the tachometer under 3,000 rpm.

You pay to play in the world of eye-popping horsepower, and there's no doubt that the supercharged 6.2-liter loves to guzzle gas when asked to deliver on its 797 horsepower promise. I certainly don't begrudge the car for its proclivities, but it's something to be aware of if you're driving on daily basis.

What's it like to pilot the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye on a track instead of the street? Click here to find out.

An SUV and its tires have to be many things to their owners: reliable, practical and look good in conjunction with minor mods like a set of custom wheels. Modern SUVs are the workhorses of suburbia, but unlike most construction trucks, SUVs are also part of a “look,” too. It’s often unsaid, but all those soccer moms and dads are always judging, and if your child chariot looks put together, they might not notice that you just slapped on some clothes to drop the kids off at school.

Nitto’s beautiful new NT420V tire was recently released to the public, so we put it to the test under a large SUV that regularly experienced the rigors of suburban life. Enter Mr. Brandon Bianchi, husband and father to three kids. He needed a new set of tires for his 2017 GMC Yukon XL. “In a busy life of three kids in three different sports, my wife and I rarely have time to discuss anything, especially tires, but after reviewing tire brands, performance and prices, ‘we’ chose Nitto NT420Vs,” he said.

They picked up a set at their local tire store and had them installed on the family Yukon. “When my wife got home from the tire shop, I asked her ‘How’s it ride?’ She immediately replied, ‘My SUV grips the road now and doesn’t screech around turns anymore!’ Between you and me, my wife drives that rolling tank like she’s in a NASCAR race with plenty of heavy acceleration and hard stops,” Brandon said. “So, I know she pushed those tires to the limit.”

The true value of a great tire came to light for the family after daily driving to schools, sports practice and weekend excursions. “Our Yukon has aftermarket 22-inch wheels, so we have always had a fairly low-profile tire. After logging about 1000 miles, the ride is much quieter with the new NT420V tires. The vibration we used to feel in the steering wheel has gone away. Our previous tire set almost felt as if they were never balanced and the material was too hard, which seemed to amplify all of the flaws in the roads we drove every day,” Brandon said. “I never realized what a difference a good set of tires can make, plus they really grip the road when driving.”

After a few months of demanding driving, what’s the consensus of the Bianchi family regarding the new tires? “You can barely tell they’ve been used—they look almost brand new. My wife and I love the quieter ride (minus the screaming and yelling from inside the cabin from the kids). I love the clean sidewall look as I wash the car and dress the tire. The sidewall design is unique and complements my wheels, plus the tread pattern is sporty and sets the tire apart from the other brands,” Brandon said.

Brandon has a few other cars, including a classic hot rod, but the family car comes first. “I have always been a car enthusiast, but when it comes to the family hauler, I need a good value that doesn’t require extra money for maintenance. So, when I say these NT420Vs are worth every penny, I mean it.” Brandon continued, “All in all, I am a huge fan of the switch we made to Nitto’s NT420Vs, and I’ll certainly be looking at Nitto tires for our other vehicles.”

Click here to learn more about Nitto's new NT420V Truck/SUV tire.

To start this story we have to go back. Back to the summer of 2015 to be precise. That’s when me and a couple friends stumbled across an Ebay auction for what had to be the dumbest, worst and yet somehow the greatest automobile we'd ever seen.

We'd been making satirical car videos in our spare time and what we were looking at here was the ultimate expression of comedy in automobile form—unintentional comedy perhaps—but comedy nonetheless.  While most would have been content sharing a chuckle at the car and moving on with their day, we saw the potential for something much more than that. We saw the potential for a series of events and adventures that would eventually lead to us entering one of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive car shows in one of the world’s crappiest cars.

We pooled our money to together and went to see the car in person. In the end we made the owner an offer he couldn’t refuse—which realistically was probably any amount of actual currency in exchange for taking the car off his hands.

The car itself started a 1986 Pontiac Fiero with a lethargic, tired V6 engine and an automatic transmission but somewhere along the line it was converted into one man’s extremely liberal interpretation of a Ferrari Enzo.

Anyway, when we got our hands on the car it had been sitting for many years and needed a lot of work to be made roadworthy again. With our limited time and budget we were able to do the bare minimum to get the car back on the road.

Once it was (semi) drivable we made a couple short videos featuring the "Fierri" as we'd come to call it, but all along we had a dream of taking this one of a kind machine to Monterey Car Week—a prestigious gathering of the automotive world's rich and famous, or at least those who think they are.

We knew we had to get our Fierri to Monterey Car Week some how, some way, and finally in the spring of this year we challenged ourselves to make this absurd dream a reality. Car Bros has always been a passion project that we do in our spare time, and given our lack of time and money we decided to enlist the help of our fans and viewers to help raise the funds get the Fierri to the Monterey Peninsula for Car Week 2019.

Not only would we need to help cover the costs of getting the car to and from Monterey, the lodging and the entry fees for all the different events we planned enter—the car was also in need of additional repairs before we could (somewhat) confidently embark on this adventure.

The campaign proved to be a big success, with 66 generous and perhaps crazy individuals contributing to the campaign and allowing for everything you see here to happen. Needless to say we were ecstatic to meet our goal, but it also meant it was time to start planning out our most ambitious project yet.

Fast forward to August and after months of repairs, planning and mental preparation it was time to load up the Fierri on a U-Haul trailer and head to Car Week. Along with plenty of just cruising around and having fun, we'd also officially entered the car in three very different kinds of events, some we would be more welcome at than others.

Among the events the car was entered in was The Quail: A Motorsport Gathering, which may just be the most exclusive of all the events held during Car Week. How exactly we managed to do this is a long story and one that's explained in detail in the 55 minute video we put together chronicling our experiences taking to the Fierri to Car Week.

Suffice to say, the car did wind up on prominent display at The Quail even if there were some rather uncomfortable moments along the way, but awkwardness and self-imposed embarrassment is is what this whole crazy idea was about.

Also on our list of events was an official entry in the popular Concours De Lemons show, which in contrast to the rest of Car Week is all about crappy, unloved and just plain bad automobiles. In other words, it was an event we'd be welcomed at with open arms, and it ended up being one of our most triumphant moments.

Last but not least, we somehow managed to get the Fierri entered into Exotics on Broadway which is free to to attend supercar gathering where you'll find thousands and thousands of rabid car spotters, YouTubers, exotic car fans and plenty of owners happy to soak it all up.

And along with these official events, we also had an incredible time just cruising around Monterey Car Week itself, rolling down cannery row, the windy roads of Carmel Valley and encountering plenty of fellow supercar owners in the wild.

In the end, it was hard to ask for a better result. Our venture taking this awful machine to Monterey Car Week was full of hilarious, uncomfortable and sometimes glorious occasions, and not surprisingly there were also some mechanical troubles we had to deal with along the way.

There's really just too much to be summed up in one article, but you can follow along with the whole thing from start to end in our video called "Once Upon a Time in Monterey." A language warning should be issued to those watching at work or with your speakers turned up.

In my 12 years of of working in automotive media, I've had the chance to see some pretty amazing things but our adventures at Monterey Car Week will truly go down as unforgettable experience that was realized through the efforts of a great many people. Here's hoping for more awkward and hilarious adventures in the future.

Don't worry, there were also plenty of genuinely great machines at Car Week 2019 as well, including the five cars we've profiled here.

From an off-roader’s perspective, one of the coolest things about the late-model Ram 2500 is the fact that it comes from the factory with solid front and rear axles secured in place by a multilink suspension. The biggest issue with these pickups is that they never made the ultimate off-road configuration from the factory—a regular cab with a short bed. Thankfully, the crew at Offroad Power Products saw the potential for what could be the most capable Ram ever.

This is why OPP started off with a Cummins-powered 2016 Ram 2500 and proceeded to convert it into the incredible wheeling machine you see here today. While it’s evolved quite a bit since it was first built for the 2017 Ultimate Adventure, it’s proven itself on the trail over the past few years. To get the latest on the build, we chatted with OPP’s shop manager Dave Chappelle on one of our favorite Utah trails—Moab Rim.  

Want to see more Rams on the trail? Check out this ¾-ton that hauls and crawls.

Formula Drift wrapped up their 16th season of competition with the season finale event at Irwindale Speedway, just east of Los Angeles, CA, on October 18th and 19th. While the results from the season finale weren’t quite as strong as many of the Nitto drivers had hoped for, the aggregate results of the season lead to some additional awards as earned through results, voted on by the fans, or voted on by the teams and staff who have been on the grid alongside the competitors through the entire season.

Here’s a quick look at some of the awards that the Nitto Tire drift team earned through the season.

Rookie of the Year: Travis Reeder (determined by championship points)

Travis Reeder made the jump from PRO 2 into the PRO class with a bang this season and had the results to prove it. Sitting in 16th place overall in the championship standings at the end of the season, Reeder bested the next highest rookie driver by 7 positions in the points table and earned 45% more championship points.

It wasn’t without overcoming some hurdles as the electric-powered Chevy Camaro EL1 he debuted that the Napoleon Motorsports team built wasn’t allowed to compete at the first round in Long Beach, California, but the team bounced back to make history in Atlanta by becoming the first electric-powered drift car to qualify and compete in a tandem battle in any drifting sanctioning body in the world! Reeder would end up competing in the same Nissan S13 drift chassis that he piloted in PRO 2 and he earned his PRO license that put him on our “drivers to watch for in 2019” list in a majority of the rounds as the Camaro EL1 was sidelined for some upgrades, albeit with some upgrades in horsepower and grip with the help of the Napoleon Motorsports team, but we expect to see the Camaro back and much more competitive in 2020!

OEM Manufacturers Championship–Team Toyota (determined by championship points)

The OEM Manufacturer’s championship is open to vehicles that utilize an engine from the same manufacturer as the chassis. The top two cars from each manufacturer at each event earn points for their manufacturer towards this award, and Team Toyota won for the sixth consecutive season.

Ryan Tuerck was a big contributor towards this championship as he was one of the top two Toyota chassis at every event except Long Beach. Ford came in second in this championship for the third consecutive year, with Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa driving the highest placing Ford cars at six of the eight events this season.

Comeback of the Year: Ryan Tuerck (determined by biggest improvement from qualifying to tandem)

Ryan Tuerck had an equally challenging season, totaling the chassis that he drove for the previous six full seasons in a run-in with a tire barrier in the last run of practice at Long Beach. After the team thrashed to upgrade his “street car” into a competition spec, Tuerck would find the podium in Atlanta and would end up taking the event win at Wall, New Jersey just one event later.

The comeback of the year award however was awarded based on his performance at Texas Motorspeedway, an event where his Nitto Tire teammate Chelsea Denofa won. This award is calculated based on the qualifying position and the biggest improvement through tandem results. Tuerck qualified 29th in Texas, but won two tandem battles to finish in 8th place overall, an improvement of 21 positions. Tuerck defeated Justin Pawlak in the Top 32 and Joao Barion in the Top 16 before losing to his teammate and close friend Chris Forsberg in the Top 8.  Tuerck finished the season in 5th position overall, 4 championship points ahead of his close friend, teammate, and three-time champion Chris Forsberg and just 122 points behind the 2019 champion James Deane. Last season, Tuerck finished in 6th place overall, 215 points behind Deane, showing just how much more competitive he was this season.

Best Drifting Style: Chelsea Denofa (voted on by peers)

Chelsea Denofa has always driven with an aggressive, never-lift style that fans always love, but for the first time, Denofa was recognized by his peers for his style.

Denofa won the event in Texas due in large part to the huge angle he was throwing coming out of the power alley that no other driver could match, and he earned the top qualifier position in Irwindale in part due to that same intensity and style. Denofa has really looked comfortable in his Ford Mustang RTR over the past few events of the season, and should be considered a serious threat to the championship in the coming years!

Fan Favorite Drift Car: Vaughn Gittin Jr., Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR (fan voted)

Vaughn Gittin Jr. is known for his energy and enthusiasm for drifting, but also for the unique livery he debuts each season on his Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR.

Gittin Jr. debuted a chrome “nose” element to his livery on his Ford Mustang RTR demo car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, then continued the look at the Evergreen Speedway round and kept the look through the end of the season. Gittin Jr. takes a lot of pride in styling each of his cars, particularly since launching his RTR “Ready to Rock” brand in 2010 and releasing new parts for Ford Mustangs that can be purchased at a local Ford dealer ever since. Who knew that the self-proclaimed “Professional FunHaver” could also be the fan-favorite car styling king as well?

Crew Chief of the Year: Tony Clark with Team Nitto/RTR (hard card voted)

Tony Clark acts as the crew chief for both Vaughn Gittin Jr and Chelsea Denofa, and both drivers saw a good amount of success this year. Clark has been involved with Formula Drift and Vaughn Gittin Jr’s team for several seasons now, but this is his first time being recognized for his efforts.

This award is voted on by the drivers and crew members who work beside Clark in the pits and at each race, effectively his peers, which is a huge honor for someone who is behind-the-scenes.

Ever wonder what's under the hood of these drift machines? Peep under the hood of 10 of the Formula Drift competition cars with our Wild Engines of Formula Drift article! 

There have been so many special editions of the Ford Mustang that one can be forgiven for a little fatigue in that department. After all, this is the company that produced luminaries such as the 'California Special' (stickers) and the '7 Up Edition' (green paint and, uh, a white top), vehicles that didn't so much light the soul on fire as they did offer an upcharge opportunity for the sales team.

This means that sometimes truly unique versions of the car are overlooked rather than celebrated—particularly those that come near the end of a generation's run, obscured by a bigger, better, faster version that debuts just a few years later. Of these, there's no model in modern Mustang-land that's been denied its share of the spotlight more than the 2012-2013 Boss 302, a sports car disguised in a muscle car package, and the most compelling version of the live-axle platform ever built by Ford.

Race Car For The Street

Gearhead historians will instantly recognize the Boss 302 name as being originally applied to the road racing versions of the Mustang that competed in the Trans Am series at the end of the '60s and beginning of the '70s. The revival was no accident: Ford was keen to not just cash in on the heritage surrounding those stylish and successful street/track machines, but also demonstrate that the current car was capable of conquering more than just a drag strip.

It was somewhat of a tall order at the time. Although as popular as ever with buyers thanks to its mix of retro styling and V8 power, the Mustang's handling had never been its strongest suit, especially since abandoning a brief flirtation with independent rear suspension in its previous generation. The solid rear axle that sat underneath the S197 platform was routinely singled out as holding back the coupe on a road course.

Ford's engineers thought otherwise, and set out to prove it by building a thinly-disguised, limited production race car for the street. Starting with the suspension, the Boss 302 would gain new springs and bushings, sits nearly a half inch lower than a standard Mustang GT in the front, and offer 5-way adjustable shocks at all four corners. A larger 25mm rear stabilizer bar was installed, 19-inch rims (wide at the rear) were standard, and all of the car's electronic nannies were retuned to play nicer with competition-style shenanigans.

Under the hood, things also got serious. The GT's 5.0 V8 was revised with new cylinder heads, more aggressive camshafts, larger intake valves, and an entirely new intake manifold (sourced from the 302R race car). The entire rotating assembled was forged, bearings were borrowed from the Blue Oval's on-track program, and 8.5 quarts of oil could be loaded up into the Boss 302's baffled pan in order to prevent starvation in the corners.

The end result was 444 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, with the former number representing a substantial upgrade over the GT's output. The character of the engine was also different, shunting power higher in the rev range with max grunt arriving at 7,500 rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox, LSD, and 3.73 rear gears were included with the car, and a Torsen locking differential could be added as an option.

Best of all? The Boss 302 came from the factory with sidepipes that dumped just ahead of the rear wheels. These were found in addition to the stock GT exhaust system, and used a set of plates to mute the sound to legal levels—plates that were easily removed to uncap the car's full fury.

Even more hardcore was the Laguna Seca edition of the car, which deleted the back seats in favor of additional chassis bracing, included the Torsen diff as standard, stiffened most of the car's suspension settings, and included Recaro sport seats.

Choose The Red Key

One of the most unique aspects of the Ford Mustang Boss 302 was the TracKey option. A second physical key (painted red) swapped the vehicle's ECU over to 'TracMode,' which altered 200 individual engine management settings outside of what the EPA would consider 'legal.' The end result? Ultra-sharp throttle response, better low-end torque, a two-stage launch control system, more aggressive engine deceleration and zero limits on power delivery compared to the street setting.

This was one of the first instances of a mainstream manufacturer deploying a dual-key setup to squeeze extra performance out of a vehicle. It was also perhaps the last time an OEM executive would be quoted as stating that the idea was to create a car that would appeal to the street racing crowd and hopefully end up on YouTube "doing something illegal."

Night And Day

Despite wearing an aero package lifted wholesale from the Boss 302R track beast, the Boss 302 is somewhat under the radar to the casual muscle car observer. A front splitter, side sills, and trunk splitter (bigger on the Laguna Seca) are all painted black, with a loud black reverse-C stripe framing the Boss 302 call-out on the fenders. Unique colors for the car included Competition Orange, Race Red, Kona Blue, Yellow Blaze Metallic Tri-Coat, Black, Ingot Silver, Grabber Blue, Gotta Have It Green, Performance White and School Bus Yellow.

From behind the wheel, however, the differences between the 302 and its GT sibling are impossible to ignore. The Boss dances where the GT plows, liberated from traditional pony car dynamics by its focused chassis tune and wide, sticky rubber. With the TracKey activated and an open track ahead of you, the Boss 302 is more sports car than muscle machine, each aspect of its character working together to create a cohesive, and immersive, high performance experience. In fact, it doesn't feel like a Mustang at all—high praise from an era when the S197 was still struggling to overdub its straight-line reputation with a bit of side-to-side panache.

More quantitative evaluations agree. Off the line the Boss 302 will hit 60-mph in just a tick over four seconds, and keep up with the much more powerful, yet not nearly as lithe Shelby GT500 of the era from a roll. The 302 also courts more regal company, matching a contemporary BMW M3 for speed in a number of measures.

(Almost) No Respect

Very few Ford Mustang Boss 302s were built during the car's two year run. Officially, the number was capped at 4,000 per year, including the even-rarer Laguna Seca editions, but overall 8,335 left the factory (of which 1,532 wore the name of the famous California race track).

The scarcity of the car no doubt feeds into its relatively subdued profile. There simply aren't many 302s out there, and with a shorter run than the Shelby (and less of a marketing machine behind them), it's easier for them to get lost in the wash. Throw in the debut of the phenomenally-capable S550 platform for the 2015 model year (and the Shelby GT350 model that followed), and the Boss falls further into obscurity.

Still, the 302 is an important car for many reasons. It was the first of the modern muscle triumvirate to make concessions towards road course performance, beating the resurrected Chevrolet Camaro 1LE to the punch by a full year. It led the way for Ford to engineer in better, smoother handling prowess into the S550 when it appeared, and it paid tribute to one of the most historically important Mustangs in company history with more than just a smattering of decals and a dash plaque. There's no doubt that the 2012-2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is one of, and perhaps the only Mustang built after the turn of the millennium to be a virtual lock as a future collector car.

Curious about the history of the Boss 302's natural rival? Click here for everything you need to know about the Chevrolet Camaro 1LE.

This week at the Tokyo Motor Show Honda took the wraps off the new fourth generation Fit (also known as the Jazz in other markets) and while the redesigned subcompact hatch certainly looks promising, there’s some question over whether this version of the car will make it to America.

Ever since it’s debut in 2001 for the Japanese market, the Fit has been know for its small outward size, incredibly spacious interior and surprisingly fun driving dynamics—and the new fourth gen car looks to carry on those traditions.

Sporting a look that’s still recognizable as a Fit but with a slightly “cuter” personality, the new Fit will be offered in five different types for the Japanese home market, including one model that’s more luxury oriented and one with a heavy dose of outdoorsy crossover style.

While Honda’s press release was filled with info about the new Fit’s interior layout, advanced safety features and the two-motor electric powertrain in the hybrid models, it didn’t release any info about the rest of the Fit's powertrain options.

In the past, the JDM Fit lineup has always included an RS version of the car aimed at enthusiast drivers complete with a manual transmission and a racier look. There’s been speculation that model may use Honda’s new 1.0 liter turbocharged three cylinder engine that’s available in the European market Civic.

Here in the US meanwhile, the Fit arrived for the 2007 model year and has been available ever since, with production moving from Japan to Mexico for the current third generation model. However, with small car sales dwindling in the US, Honda hasn’t said anything about whether the fourth gen Fit will make to America.

While it would be hard to blame Honda for adjusting to current market demand, the Fit has always been an underdog enthusiast favorite that punches above its weight and we certainly hope some version of the new and improved fourth gen model eventually makes it way to American shores.

Speaking of other new Hondas we'd like to see in the states, check out the retro styled, rear-drive Honda e electric car that will go on sale soon.

They’ve been laughed at by diesel enthusiasts, avoided like the plague by diesel mechanics and put out to pasture by hundred, if not thousands, of owners. We’re talking about the 6.2L and 6.5L oil-burners, the indirect injection V8’s that were produced by Detroit Diesel under the GM umbrella for nearly two decades. But exactly why are these engines so hated? Is it because newer, modern power plants put them to shame, the fact that they rattled, shook and smoked or the fact that they did in fact have a lot of problems? Sadly, all of the above is true, but that doesn’t mean these sloth-like, prehistoric diesels don’t have a few high marks worth mentioning.

Below, we’ll explore why the often-hated 6.2L and 6.5L engines get such a bad wrap. Pattern problems, injection system woes and a severe lack of power are all on the menu. But first we’ll start with the positives. While that list is short, it helps explain why these engines can still be found in use today (and are even still being manufactured, though not by GM). Be it in marine applications, the H1 Hummer, half-ton, ¾-ton or 1-ton pickups, old Suburbans, Blazers, vans or even school buses from yesteryear, they’re still hanging around.

The Good

Fuel Efficient, Readily Available and Easy to Swap

When working these engines, they definitely take their time getting up to speed and are in no way comparable to the 454ci gas engines available back in the 80s, but they returned much better fuel economy than the big-block. And unlike the offerings from Ford and Dodge of that era, the 6.2L and then 6.5L turbo diesels could be had in a half-ton truck. Their packaging is similar to that of a Chevy small block and they utilized the common 90-degree V8 GM bellhousing pattern. Better yet, GM built loads of these engines from ’82 to ‘00, and General Engine Products (a subsidiary of AM General) continues to produce them today, so if you’re on the hunt for one they can be found in either brand-new form or dirt cheap in the junk yard. Last but not least, thanks to their lengthy production run replacement parts (new and used) are easy to come by.

The Bad

The 240 lb-ft Wonder

The primary performance complaint about the 6.2L (and the 6.5L for that matter) is its general gutlessness. Though you’re bound to hear this gripe about the old GM’s in the year 2019, the age of 1,000 lb-ft factory diesels, they were still noticeably slouchy when they debuted in ’82, rated for just 130 hp at 3,600 rpm and 240 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm at the time. But then, they weren’t intended to be powerhouses either. For raw power and performance, the 454 gas job was the power plant to have. For fuel economy and light tow duty, the simple, mechanically injected 6.2L performed as intended and it’s not unheard of for half-ton pickups to see 25-mpg with one between the frame rails.

The 6.2L’s Only Path to 200 HP: Add A Turbo

Naturally aspirated throughout its production run, the cast-iron block, 2-valve cast-iron head 6.2L could be woken up via the addition of a turbocharger (Gale Banks Engineering even supplied factory turbocharger systems starting in 1989). Adding a turbo, along with performing the corresponding tweaks required on the Stanadyne DB2 injection pump to increase fueling, could pump up horsepower to a little over 200 at the flywheel (and 375 lb-ft of torque). A properly installed turbo kit on a 6.2L could edge out a factory 6.5L in the performance department, but keeping boost in check is vital to ensuring the head gaskets live.

The 6.5L (’92-‘00)

By increasing the cylinder bore to 4.06-inches from 3.98-inches and leaving the stroke the same (3.82-inches), the 6.5L was born and several versions of the new, 395ci V8 were offered, including both turbocharged and naturally aspirated mills. The most common 6.5L’s are the L56 and the L65, the turbocharged versions found in half-ton, ¾-ton and 1-ton pickups (note that due to their GVWR, engines in half-ton pickups were equipped with EGR and a catalytic converter). The L49 and L57 engines were naturally aspirated and RPO codes LQM and LQN were also offered. While the 6.5L (namely the L65 and L56) was an improvement over the 6.2L in terms of power output, it spent its production run lagging far behind the engine offerings available from Ford and Dodge (the 7.3L turbo IDI and Power Stroke, and the 5.9L Cummins, respectively).

DB2

From ’82 to ’93, the Stanadyne DB2 distributor style injection pump was employed on the 6.2L and 6.5L. This fully mechanical pump was known for its simplicity and reliability. Its major drawback was the lack of fueling potential (6,700-psi peak injection pressure vs. today’s 30,000-psi common-rail pumps). The DB2 is an opposed-plunger, solenoid-controlled rotary pump with an all-speed governor. There are roughly 100 parts in each unit, none of which are spring-loaded and there are no ball bearings or even internal gears. In fact, there are only four rotating pieces in the entire pump.

DS4

Beginning in 1994, the 6.5L was fitted with Stanadyne’s DS4 injection pump, an electronically controlled version of the previous DB2 that proved much less reliable (more on its issues below). As for performance, it outflowed the DB2 but could still only move a maximum of 80cc’s worth of fuel, which speaks volumes as to why both the 6.2L and 6.5L are unable to make much additional horsepower. By comparison, the Bosch VE—a similar style pump—aboard the ’89-’93 5.9L Cummins flowed 105cc’s and the inline P7100 flowed 125cc’s in OE trim. Mechanical failures of the DS4 point toward the pump’s being prone to cavitation.

PMD

Without a doubt, the biggest issue with the Stanadyne DS4 rests in its use of a pump mounted driver (PMD), the little black box with Stanadyne stamped in large white letters. Due to being fastened directly to the pump, the PMD is constantly subjected to vibration, engine heat and often overheats, which leads to the 6.5L’s notorious engine stalling issues. Through the year 2000, GM issued several updates for the DS4, most notably rebuild updates and different governors.

Sound Solution: Relocate The PMD

One of the best aftermarket fixes for the PMD problem involves relocating it somewhere other than the engine bay. Heath Diesel offers a complete, bolt-in relocation kit, which the company calls its PMD Isolator System. The package includes a new PMD already mounted to the supplied heat sink plate, and comes with a pre-installed resistor and an extension harness to move the module to the front skid plate. If you want the 6.5L to live as trouble free a life as possible, this mod isn’t a suggestion, it’s a requirement.

Prehistoric ECM’s

According to some knowledgeable 6.5L tinkerers, several of the DS4 pump’s issues can be traced back to the engine’s ECM. Back in the days of OBD-I and even at the outset of OBD-II the engine control modules aboard the 6.5L were extremely low-tech. On top of that, there are even missing pieces in the source code itself on the early versions of the ECM’s programming (yikes!).

Broken Cranks

Ready for the catastrophic news? The crankshafts in both the 6.2L and 6.5L are known to break and the blocks crack. In most cases, the end-game for the crank occurs due to the harmonic balancer separating (it’s also been said that the harmonic balancer should be replaced every 100,000 miles). As for the blocks, insufficient casting quality or a lack of meat is believed to be the primary culprit, with most crankcases splitting near the outer main bearing bolts, on up through the cylinders. As a general rule of thumb, a well cared for 6.2L or 6.5L isn’t expected to go much beyond 400,000 miles (be it due to the failures mentioned above or things getting too loose in-cylinder).

Oil Pressure Switch Failure

Another common headache on the 6.5L is caused by the failure of the oil pressure switch. Not a huge problem on most other engines, but in the case of the 6.5L the OPS serves two purposes. Not only is it a sending unit for the oil pressure gauge, but it’s also responsible for turning the lift pump on and off. When it goes out, the lift pump will fail to feed adequate supply pressure to the DS4, which needs to see 3-to-5-psi worth of fuel pressure in order to avoid hard starting, hesitation during acceleration and premature failure.

Prone to Overheating

The 6.5L’s tendency to run warm and even overheat was addressed by GM beginning in ’96 with the reworking of the engine’s cooling system. That model year, twin non bypass-blocking thermostats were integrated along with a higher volume water pump. For additional help, companies like SS Diesel Supply and Heath Diesel offer a larger (21-inch) fan and fan clutch upgrade to help keep water temps well within check.

Cracked Heads

High miles and exposure to excessive exhaust gas temperature (EGT) often results in cracked cylinder heads, namely between valves. To be fair, many cast-iron cylinder heads aboard diesel engines experience hairline cracks throughout their service life, even cracking between valves. However, if the cracks protrude into the valve seats it’s time to start over. Some attribute the 6.2L and 6.5L’s cylinder head cracking to poor casting quality.

Hard-Starts & Other Issues

Both the 6.2L and 6.5L are notorious hard-starters in cold weather. Bad glow plugs or a failed glow plug controller is usually to blame, but these indirect injection engines’ high compression ratios (as high as 21.5:1) certainly don’t make cranking them over an easy task. Another common failure point, this one reserved solely for turbocharged 6.5L’s, has to do with the wastegate system. The lines that feed the vacuum solenoid valve are known to leak and crack with age, and the vacuum pump that makes the system function is also infamous for seizing prematurely and destroying the serpentine belt when it checks out.

Curious what the diesel pickup landscape looked like back in the 1980s? Find out in the first installment of our Back in Time series here.

As race cars filed into Michigan's Empire Hill Climb, an aggressive, distinct rumble echoed through the town, which was easily distinguished over the other various revving engines. We gravitated toward the sound without much of a thought, as if the car emitting the soul-tickling sound was magnetic and we were made of steel. Within moments, the source became apparent, and a deep orange ‘78 Datsun 280z rolled into the parc expose. It certainly did not sound stock. We came in for a closer look, and the engine peeking from under cut-outs on the hood became clearer. We had to find out more.

We first met Jordan Easter at last year’s Empire Hill Climb, where she got her first taste of ripping up the hill in her then mostly-stock 280z. Little did we know, her original plan was to build a street-legal track car that would be competitive, but still comfortable enough for daily driving.

“I was originally planning to go for a sort of solid resto-mod by swapping in a Nissan RB26,” she began, but fate had other plans. Her boyfriend, Michael Tung, purchased a V12 out of a ’93 Mercedes-Benz SL 600 on a whim with plans to stuff it in his FD RX-7. “Around this time, I also moved from my house, which had a garage, to his house, so we were down to a one-car garage,” she continued. “Ironically, Michael determined that the V12 wouldn't fit in his RX-7, but we quickly reached the conclusion that it would be awesome in the Z.”

They envisioned the end result to be a competitive E-type-esque car on a budget, and soon the build was in full swing. Jordan maintained her career as an Advanced Powertrain Systems Engineer by day and then transformed into a race car builder during her free time.   

To share the workload, Jordan and Michael made a list of tasks on a whiteboard and divvied it up between themselves. Jordan took on the custom driveshaft, wiring, sensors, the fuel system including injectors, pump and lines, the ignition system, cooling and installing and tuning the Megasquirt Pro EVO Series 3 ECU. Michael fabricated the transmission adapter, engine mount, intake, exhaust, steering re-location and throttle linkage. 

On install day, Jordan’s friends lent a hand (and a hoist) to get the 6-liter engine shoehorned into the car. The naturally-aspirated setup achieves 400-hp and packs a punch with 420 ft-lb torque. “The exhaust is just a custom hack job,” she smiled. “But it does the job.”

Jordan said that the most challenges arose when it was time to mate the T56 Magnum transmission to the V12. “I've got to give Michael credit. This part would have ended the build for a lot of people. Going from the M120 to a different transmission is difficult given the rarity of the engine and the fact it only came in sedans and coupes with automatic transmissions. It required months of research, several prototype concepts and tedious parts machining.” 

For stopping power, the original front discs remain in place, and the rear was swapped from drum to discs by swapping parts from a 240SX and 300ZX. Grey steelie wheels came on the car when Jordan bought it, so she kept them and added flair by spray painting over a lace pattern that she found on Etsy.com. The wheels are wrapped with Nitto Neo Gen tires for maximum traction in competition and on the street. "I've been thrilled with these tires,” she gushed. “I drive the car a lot on the street, and I even daily-drove the car while I was swapping the engine in my Subaru right before winter hit. I love to drive it on public roads, but I also use it for a few autocross and track days during the year.”

A peek inside the car reveals a vintage Vertex Racing steering wheel, a bolt-in half cage, and leather-wrapped Tillett race seats with a five-point harness.

“The car is a joy to drive. It has a lot of character, from the unique wheels to the deep sounds that only a V12 could make,” she said. Future plans include equal length exhaust runners and reinforcing the missing floor pans and frame rails that salt has robbed from the car.

Jordan recently started competing a couple of years ago in a variety of events, including autocross, a couple of track days, an ice racing event, and of course, the Empire Hill Climb.  Her growing love for driving competitively is due partly to the thrill and partly the process. “I love the adrenaline involved with going fast. I also love the technique and growth as I learn how to read the response of the car and the best way to keep speed and flow with the track.”

“I also love the racing culture, like at the Empire Hill Climb: it is such an incredible event. I love the variety of cars that run the hill, from wacky Frankenstein junkyard builds to professional level race cars. I love that it has a lot of friendships and history and that it's family-friendly and fun for spectators. It's real grassroots racing at its finest, and it has me hooked.” 

Click here to see our favorite hill climbers from this year's race.

With the exception of the Nissan Leaf, Japanese automakers have largely stood on the sidelines of the electric vehicle up to this point, instead focusing their efforts largely on traditional gas hybrids as well as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. That will be changing soon though, and during this week's Tokyo Motor Show a number of new Japanese-developed EVs were shown, with some wild concepts and others that are production ready.

Nissan Ariya Concept

Nissan, the makers the aforementioned Leaf showed off a new electric crossover concept called the Ariya, and unlike some of the other crazy looking machines that were shown off, this one looks close to production.

"Timeless Japanese Futurism" is the term that Nissan uses to describe the Ariya, which features a modern crossover profile and an interior that's described as lounge-like thanks to its spacious layout and flat floor.

Nissan didn't release any specifics on the Ariya's range or power output, but it uses a dual motor setup with all four wheels driven. The AWD setup is also said to have trickle down engineering from vehicles like the GT-R and the Nissan Patrol 4x4.

While the Ariya was shown as a concept vehicle, it looks to fit right into to Nissan's plans for a larger EV lineup with models to slot in above the leaf and to take advantage of the incredible popularity of crossover-sized vehicles around the world. We'd bet on seeing a production version of this one rather soon.

Mazda MX-30

Speaking of production ready EVs, Mazda was also on hand in Tokyo to show off its first ever electric vehicle, the MX-30. While the naming brings to mind sports cars like the MX-5, the MX-30 is a small crossover packing a 35.5-kWh battery.

The MX-30 features rear-hinged doors similar to those used on the Mazda RX-8 (or BMW i3 if you are looking for an EV comparison) and while we don't expect it take down any Teslas or Porsche Taycans, Mazda says the MX-30 will feature the same driving dynamics the company is known for.

At this point Mazda only confirmed the normal EV version of the MX-30, although it also appears a range extender version will also be added a later time with the long-anticipated rotary engine making its return at that time.

The MX-30 will sit on the smaller side of the EV spectrum and seems largely focused on the Japanese and European markets, but it could also serve as a way for Mazda to get its feet wet in the American electric car market. Sales will begin in Europe next year.

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept

From there we move on to one of the more extreme takes on the electric vehicle with the Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept. Rather than something that will be on sale in the coming months, the LF-30 is said to preview the performance luxury car of the year of the 2030.

Needless to say, Lexus sees that car as having an electric powertrain, with the LF-30 having four in-wheel electric motors along with a steer by wire system and a whole load of autonomous driving technology.

In addition to being able to drive itself, the LF-30 is also imagined with a wireless charging setup for the car's battery pack, which is something that could be potentially be a game changer when it comes to the crucial charging infrastructure that an EV-based world will need.

As for the styling, Lexus has tripled down on the "future" feeling with a pair of gigantic gull wing doors and an interior layout that looks more like a space ship than an automobile. Keep an eye out for it at your local Lexus dealer in about 11 years from now.

Mitsubishi MI-Tech Concept

Last but not least we get to one of the most unusual vehicles shown in Tokyo this year, the Mitsubishi MI-Tech Concept. Rather than a full a battery electric, the Mi-Tech is actually a plug-in hybrid in the form of a two-seat dune buggy.

Even more interesting is that rather than a traditional engine, the gasoline part of the MI-Tech's drivetrain is a turbine-engine generator. The idea is that such a motor could easily be developed to run different types of fuels depending on which region its in.

As for the electric part of the drivetrain, it's said to use a quad motor four-wheel drive system with active yaw control, and Mitubishi imagines you could even make the MI-Tech do 180s by counter-rotating the left and right tires. Because why not?

While it's unlikely that something like this would ever get the green light for production, it would actually be just the sort of thing to help spark some interest in a brand that many have forgotten still sells new cars.

Then again it's not all EVs and plug-in hybrids coming out of Japan these days. When it comes to alternative fuels, Toyota is keeping the hydrogen dream alive with the new RWD 2021 Mirai.

Few engines are simpler than the humble gas turbine. Used in all manner of industrial roles, and notably the basis for the jet engines and turboprops that power modern air transportation, turbines are simple in their construction, can run on almost any combustible fuel (including gasoline, kerosene, and vegetable oils), and are relatively reliable over the long term.

Why, then, have turbines been largely overlooked when it comes to passenger cars and trucks? What prevented Detroit's Big Three from doing more than dabble with turbines in more than 50 years ago, before shunting them aside and concentrating exclusively on piston engines? It turns out that there's more to piecing together a street-ready drivetrain than just good technology—and sometimes, the future isn't as friendly as it seems in the brochure.

Technically Brilliant

On the face of things, 'a jet engine under your hood' is a phenomenal marketing campaign that seemed to encapsulate the space-race 60s, which is when turbine-powered vehicles began to make inroads among the automotive industry's engineering establishment.

There's a lot to like about these engines aside from their gee-whiz science sparkle. Composed of a pair of ultra-fast spinning turbines (one of which compresses air and then shoots it into the second turbine where it mixes with fuel and ignites), in an automotive application that rotating energy is sent to a transmission that transmits it mechanically to the wheels (as opposed to in a jet, where the exhaust gases propel everything forward).

All of the above happens to fit into a very small space, and is considerably less complex (and a lot lighter) than a piston engine, which makes it easier to place in an automotive chassis. Airflow cools the turbines (given that the rush of oxygen is a major component of its operation), and it burns cleaner than what you'd expect from a similarly-powerful combustion engine.

Valiant Efforts

The above reads like an engineer's love letter to the powertrain gods, and from the 1950s-onwards major car companies began trying to make a turbine-driven car a reality. Two major names—one on each side of the Atlantic—began to push forward with a number of turbine projects. In England it was Rover, which introduced the Jet 1 in 1949, a roadster which test at impressive speeds of up to 150-mph, and which was tweaked over the course of the next few years in a bid to bring it to showrooms. The Jet 1 program pulled directly from Rover's wartime experience in developing turbine engines for the fight against the Nazis.

In America Chrysler was the key turbine player, with its first prototype emerging in 1954. A series of publicity stunts - including driving early models across the country—would follow, but it wasn't until 1963 that the company would introduce an actual production-ready vehicle called the Chrysler Turbine, which featured a beautiful body built by Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy. For three years, the company would provide 203 drivers with a 3-month trial period behind the wheel of the Turbine as a sort of country-wide beta test of the technology. 50 examples were built in total.

For the most part, the Turbine program was a success, and during the years it was out on American roads some cars turned in a million miles of driving without any maintenance or repair issues. They also required no oil changes, and had only 20 percent of the parts as a standard gas engine vehicle.

Reality Sets In

Here's where reality sets in while discussing any practical automotive use of a turbine motor. There are a few major caveats that have prevented widespread adoption of this drivetrain, despite all of the advantages listed above.

Of these, fuel consumption is the single biggest concern. It's not unusual for a turbine engine to drink up to eight times as much fuel as a piston engine with a similar level of output. Rover discovered fairly early on that its Jet 1 car consumed gas at an indefensible rate. By adding 'regenerators' to the motor (which helped manage heat and fuel use inside the turbine), the company was able to see as much as 20-mpg out of the Jet 1's eventual successor, the T4 by 1961.

Chrysler asked its Turbine drivers to jot down as many details about the driving experience as they could, and although participants were asked to keep their impressions of the vehicle secret at the time, it's now known that roughly 14.5 miles per gallon could be expected in combined city/highway driving.

Two other major problems dogged the Chrysler Turbine. Although the vehicle produced 130hp and 140 lb-ft of torque, if driven like a normal car the coupe would feel sluggish off the line. A turbine engine needs to be brake-boosted to the 52,000 or so RPM (the vehicle idled at 22,500 rpm) where it produces peak power, and then released in a squeal of tires to accelerate quickly, as Chrysler would demonstrate again and again in racing the Turbine against some of its traditional muscle cars of the day.

Test program drivers didn't realize that, however—or perhaps they didn't want to change how they conducted their business behind the wheel - and so issues with slow starts and occasional stalling would be regularly reported.

All the driver training in the world wouldn't help Chrysler deal with the emissions issue associated with the Turbine. Although no C02 was produced by the engine, it did throw out significant levels of nitrogen oxides, which were just five years away from being slammed hard by the Clean Air Act in 1971. Chrysler had no solution for dealing with this particular pollutant, which put the Turbine program in serious trouble.

The Legacy

Rover got out of the turbine-powered passenger car business when it decided to instead focus its efforts on applying the technology to race cars. British Racing Motors would field a Rover turbine design at Le Mans for several years beginning in 1963, but the program was eventually abandoned. STP-Paxton would attempt a turbine-powered Indycar shortly thereafter, and led 171 laps of the 1967 Indy 500 until a gearing failure brought it into the pits, while Lotus would continue the charge the following year with three turbine cars at Indy and one in Formula One (before race officials extinguished future attempts via changes to the rule book).

Chrysler was facing down the triple-whammy of upcoming EPA regulations combined with confused driving impressions from its test audience and the $16,000 asking price it would have to charge to make ends meet on the project, That was three times the price of its most powerful piston cars, which also consumed less fuel and drove how the average owner expected them to.

While that confluence of factors would spell the end for the Turbine at Chrysler, the company would keep the drivetrain on the back burner for much of the next decade, producing concepts and making plans for eventual produciton. By 1979, the company was ready to put a turbine edition of its New Yorker sedan on sale within the next couple years, having figured out how to finally reduce emissions and boost mileage to acceptable levels. Despite heavy support from Lee Iacocca, chairman of the company at the time, Chrysler's pending bankruptcy and subsequent government bailout would come with a stipulation that no money be spent on the Quixotic pursuit of turbine-powered cars. It turned out to be the final body blow that would rob the world of the jet car dream.

Are electric turbines the next step in supercar design? Check out our report on this Chinese exotic for the answers.

Thanks to the tremendous untapped potential trapped inside the modern diesel engine, namely the Cummins, an insane amount of horsepower (and gobs of torque) can be unlocked. Not only has this fueled the “Cummins swap” craze, but it’s also made it possible to make some pretty wild comparisons. For instance, a four-wheel drive, Cummins-powered, compound turbo’d ’99 F-250 making a dyno-proven 1,368 hp at the wheels vs. a moderately modded ‘07 Z06 Corvette that runs high 10’s. Despite their obvious differences, the comparison isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem…

In a conventional drag race, with adequate traction the lightened Super Duty could potentially wallop the ‘Vette thanks to its triple-digit boost, four-digit horsepower and (of course) its use of four-wheel drive. But from a roll, a blast beyond 130-mph or handling at virtually any speed, Chevrolet’s iconic sports car is the obvious and hands-down winner. So why even make the comparison? Because when enough horsepower is involved, two completely different worlds can be made to collide. And when raw power meets factory refinement, you get this type of forced altercation.

It’s work truck-turned race truck vs. sports car, Ford vs. Chevy and diesel vs. gas. Which would you rather drive?

Fummins vs. Corvette (6,000 Pounds vs. 3,100 Pounds)

It’s the Ford vs. Chevrolet comparison you could’ve only imagined in your dreams, but trust us this odd couple is worth comparing—and both are legitimately fast. The truck, a severely-lightened ’99 F-250 Super Duty owned by Mike Bean, has been 6.40 at 112 mph in the eighth-mile (on an older, less powerful setup than the current one, no less). The car is an ’07 Z06 Corvette that’s been treated to a few goodies and run high 10’s in the quarter. It’s owned by Mike’s son, Tyler Bean. We can only imagine what the conversations are like sitting around their Thanksgiving table... Check out the DNA of both of these wild rides below.

'07 Chevy Z06 Corvette

Hard-Part LS7 Upgrades

In bone-stock trim, the 7.0L LS7 in the Z06 cranked out 505 hp at the flywheel, but this baby has been anything but untouched since it left the factory. The heads were milled for higher compression, treated to a full radius valve job and fitted with new bronze valve guides, Manley swirl polished stainless steel exhaust valves, Titanium intake valves and Brian Tooley Racing dual valve springs with titanium retainers. A BTR stage IV cam, new lifters, Comp Cams’ rocker arm trunnion upgrade kit, Katech C5-R timing chain, fresh GM timing gear and ARP fasteners also made their way into the LS7.

Lots of Air

The naturally aspirated LS7 sees plenty of additional airflow thanks to an MSD Atomic AirForce intake manifold. The manifold features bell-mouthed runners that’ve been treated to porting for optimum airflow and its design allows for a 102mm drive by wire throttle body from Nick Williams Performance to be run. Gains of up to 36hp have been realized with the unported version of the Atomic AirForce intake manifold alone. A Vararam Industries’ VR-SC1R ram air system tops off the airflow mods.

Beyond the Badge

Without a doubt, the C6-Z06 vettes are “affordable fast.” In terms of performance, the LS7 makes them miles ahead of what the base model cars brought to the table and clean, low-mile Z’s can be had for $30 to $35K. As for this version, the mods didn’t end with intake and valvetrain upgrades. A set of OBX 1-7/8” stainless steel long tube headers and 3-inch MagnaFlow exhaust help the 427ci engine exhale, while Matt Sanford of Skye Performance handled the ECM tuning, using HP Tuners software. As for the transmission, the factory T-56 six-speed manual has been flawless, along with the dual disc performance clutch from South Bend that sends power its way.

NittoNT05R

To keep ahold of the track or street, a set of P345/30R19 Nitto NT05R Drag Radials got the call. A DOT-compliant competition tire, the NT05R’s unique race compound and wide contact patch are specifically engineered for maximum traction so you can get off the starting line as quickly as possible. The 13.5-inch wide drag radials were aboard the Z06 when it made its 10-second passes, as well as when Tyler ran the car up to 170-mph (we know, it’ll go faster than that).

10’s

Back when the Z06 had a slipping stock clutch it still managed a 10.97 at 129 mph through the local quarter-mile. Thanks to the new South Bend clutch, Tyler believes the car can manage mid 10’s on motor. After that, he plans to turn on the bottle and see what his direct port nitrous system from Nitrous Outlet can do.

'99 Ford F-250 Cummins Swapped

Common-Rail Cummins Swap

Once you realize Mike Bean is related to Ryan Bean of Bean’s Diesel Performance, his Cummins conversion begins to make sense. Once upon a time, Bean’s specialized in Cummins swaps (and now manufacturers the kinds of parts that simplify the conversion process) and pretty much all of them left the shop making stupid power. Built to survive 1,500-plus horsepower and more than 2,000 lb-ft of torque, Mike’s engine utilizes a sleeved 6.7L Cummins block, a Monster Pump Mike girdle with 14mm ARP main studs, Carrillo forged-steel rods, Mahle Monotherm (forged-steel) pistons, a cam from F1 Diesel and a 24-valve head that received porting, polishing and other loving at Enterprise Engine Performance, as well as 14mm ARP head studs. And (in case you’re wondering) yes, the For Sale sign means the truck is currently up for grabs. Interested, serious potential buyers are encouraged to reach out to Bean Machine and ask for Michael Guthrie.

The 76mm Turbo is the Small One…

A massive compound turbo arrangement is brought to life thanks to this BorgWarner S400-based charger serving as the high-pressure unit. The T4 turbo features a 76mm compressor wheel and bolts to an ATS exhaust manifold. To keep it from overspeeding, a 45mm external wastegate from Synapse Engineering ensures the S476 is never exposed to too much drive pressure. In a lot of compound turbo arrangements used on diesels, a turbo this size usually serves as the atmospheric unit (i.e. the bigger charger of the two).

91mm Atmo Charger

Well-concealed near the firewall and underneath the S476 sits the low-pressure (atmosphere) charger. Even bigger, it’s an S500 series BorgWarner with a 91mm compressor wheel. At full song, the S476 over S591 combo crams 120 psi of boost through the Mishimoto air-to-air intercooler, a Bean Machine side-draft intake and ultimately the worked over head.

Stroker CP3’s

Bringing 1,200-plus horsepower worth of fuel into the equation, a set of injectors from F1 Diesel were equipped with nozzles that measure 400-percent larger than stock. To keep the fuel rail full, rail pressure high and the big injectors happy, two 12mm stroker CP3’s from Fleece Performance Engineering are employed. One pump sits in the factory location while the top CP3 is cog-belt driven. The electronically controlled Cummins’ ECM is calibrated using EFI Live software.

1,368rwhp

Strapped to the chassis dyno at Bean’s Diesel Performance (a load-cell Dynocom), Mike’s Fummins cleared 1,015 hp on fuel. Then with two stages of nitrous in the mix and the aforementioned 120-psi of boost achieved, 1,368rwhp was recorded. Don’t mind the torque curve, the tach signal was not reading accurately during these pulls. Other visits to the dyno subjected the tread out back to more than 2,300 lb-ft of twist!

It’s Lighter Than It Looks

As for the rest of the truck, it sports the factory transfer case, an untouched Dana 60 up front and a Dana 80 out of a Ford dually (cut down by Hudlow Axle and graced with a Lincoln locker). It’s not a problem anymore, but the truck ate 14 different transmissions before the current parts recipe inside the 4R100 was able to stand up to the Cummins’ power. The full-billet four-speed makes use of a stock stall speed, triple-disc torque converter from Precision Industries. Surprisingly, the truck doesn’t possess the typical, 7,500-pound curb weight of an early Super Duty. In fact, Mike has gone to great lengths to strip as much weight as possible off of the ¾-ton over the years, which included ditching the leaf springs for coil overs and even building the hulking front bumper out of 3/16-inch aluminum to help shave weight. All told, Mike’s Fummins tips the scales at less than 6,000 pounds.

Interested in more Cummins swaps? Check out this 5.9L-powered ’76 High-Boy.

Do you remember the old board game “Mouse Trap?” Have you ever heard of a Rube Goldberg machine? Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist from the early 1900’s who imagined overly-complicated and impractical machines—since then, ”Rube Goldberg machines” have become part of pop-culture where modern versions of the machine have been imagined and used as inspiration for childhood games like “Mouse Trap” and in a hundreds of popular movies including a few you might have heard of like “Wallace and Gromit” and “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.”

So how does a form of a Rube Goldberg machine work? Seemingly random objects and actions are set into motion with a single, small effort to form a series of chain reactions to produce a desired result.

In this video you’ll see the path of actions and contraptions our friends at Race Service designed to make the world’s most complicated donuts. Our video features Ryan Tuerck and his Nitto tire-spinning Ferrari-powered GT86 along with a whole slew of Nitto tires from the off-road Ridge Grappler to the street/strip ready NT555 G2 and the beautiful new NT420V. Do you like fast cars, crossbows, exercise bikes, fireworks and knifedrones (yes, knifedrones)? You should take a gander at this video.

Love over the top videos? Have you seen #hangtime?

When someone thinks of a capable off-tarmac chariot to haul their gear and them from their favorite trailhead to tree-lined vistas, they don’t typically think of the Honda Passport. Although the Passport had several years’ joint venture with Isuzu throughout the 1990’s, it fell to dormancy in 2002 in favor of the larger Pilot. Fast forward to 2019; the Passport’s resurrection is catching people’s eyes.

This mid-size five-passenger SUV boasts a 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine that churns out 280hp and is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport is the middle-sized child in Honda’s SUV line-up; it’s larger than the CR-V, yet smaller than its three-row seven-passenger relative, the Pilot.

The new Passport offers up normal, mud, sand and snow drive settings via an i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system. Also showcased are hill start assist, idle stop, paddle shifters and several safety and tech features that can help get soft-roading families to their next camping spot. 

I recently had the opportunity to drive JSport modified Passports on dirt trails in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. A small group of journalists tested the new Passport’s off-road manners; in hard-packed dirt, muddy waters and small rocky fields. We were part of the Trail Trek Tour group on the way to Overland Expo East for the weekend.

The 2019 Passport Elites were not stock. They had JSport amenities, Roofnest rooftop tents, and included 18” KMC PreRun wheels shod with 255/60R18 Nitto Terra Grappler all-terrain tires. These changes made the Passports more athletic and camper-friendly, but were they more off-road capable? JSport customized the Passports with a custom skid plate to protect the Passport’s underbelly. They also flanked each side with rock sliders that included small side steps. The Passport Elite is the top-of-the-line trim level that boasts a roomy interior and has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds—perfect for towing a variety of items.

Upon further inspection, I realized there was no lift kit nor upgraded suspension—these particular demo models didn’t include them. We’d have to be careful to not snag the lowest points on the stock height Passports on the trail: the JSport side steps.

As we trekked across the Taskers Gap trail, we wound our way up and down through tall colorful trees. We experienced rocky stretches, off-camber situations and muddy ponds centered on our dirt-filled track. The Nitto Terra Grapplers dug down to successfully navigate the Passports through the thick, forest-lined trail.

Nitto designed the all-terrains’ sidewall pattern to help grab rocks or other obstacles to carry vehicles through—in which they did their job with ease.

Although we bottomed out occasionally on the sidesteps, the Passports successfully traversed the trail. The Passport’s approach and departure angle were adequate for gravel or light-duty off-tarmac adventures, but a lift kit would improve its performance. The Passport's multiple drive modes made switching between terrain easy. Numerous safety and tech features makes spending time in this AWD fun—both on- and off-pavement.  

If you’re in the market for an AWD soft-roader that has tons of features and creature comforts to get you to the trailhead in style, then the 2019 Honda Passport Elite should be on your test drive list. It’s not a heavy-duty off-roader or a sand-slaying beast, but it’s not meant to be. The Passport is, however, a capable and fashionable new five-seater alternative that can offer up a safe, secure, and enjoyable way to head to the ski resort, beach or campsite in style. Bone stock Passport Elite: $43,680. Fuel economy: 19 city, 24 highway, and 21 combined.  

Want to know how my Nitto Ridge Grapplers handled the trails? Read my Nitto Ridge Grappler 1,000 Mile Tire Review.

Few modern sports cars have managed to evoke the same passion as the Honda S2000. The roadster came seemingly out of nowhere for the model year it shared a name with and quickly established itself as the 'it' car on the tuning scene, an elite addition to the sport compact performance pantheon and the first pure sports car debut from Honda in America since the NSX nearly a decade beforehand.

Even more impressive than the S2000's initial impression has been its staying power. Not even a decade since the S2K left showrooms, used prices have already begun to rise, especially for those few examples that escaped modification from the reams of track fans, autocrossers, and show car builders that were drawn to the platform.

The Honda S2000's unique combination of high-revving power plant, killer looks, and aftermarket support has cemented its spot in the pantheon of must-have imports.

Sky-High Redline

It's impossible to discuss the S2000 without dwelling on the drivetrain that made it unique among all other sports cars of its era. For its first four years of production, Honda installed a 2.0L, four-cylinder unit between the roadster's front fenders. Despite its small displacement, it managed to push out a phenomenal 240hp, a number which peaked at 8,300 rpm on its way to a 9,000 rpm redline. Shifting was accomplished via a standard six-speed manual gearbox.

This lofty rotation was simply unheard of at the time, and is still unusual today. Early reviews compared the car to a motorcycle in terms of how its power was delivered, and the analogy was not far off—below 5,000 rpm very little happened under the S2000's hood, and then all of a sudden, once the VTEC variable valve timing system kicked in, the car rushed to redline as though its hindquarters had been pierced by a thousand red hot needles. Combined with its modest 153 lb-ft of torque, this created an on/off driving experience in the S2000 that could only be avoided by keeping the engine at full boil—something that was difficult to do outside of a closed course.

Love it or hate it, the first-generation Honda S2000 (dubbed the AP1) made a definite mark. This was especially true for those drivers who dared to flog the car on a race track, where its suspension setup and skittish aero revealed a proclivity for snap oversteer on throttle lift. Taken together, the original S2K was a potent formula, but also one that demanded respect when pushed to the limit.

Taming The Beast

By 2004 Honda had gathered enough owner feedback about the car to begin addressing what some perceived as its foibles with the AP2 update. First up was an engine swap: punching out the original F20C unit to 2.2 liters (and renaming it the F22C1) allowed for the same horsepower (found 500 revs lower than before) with a reduced 8,200 rpm redline. A small bump in torque—now measured at 162 lb-ft—was included in the deal, as was revised gearing for the carry-over six-speed.

The effect on the car's personality was significant, especially on the street where access to usable torque reduced drama and frustration on the daily commute. In a performance setting, Honda also tackled the AP1's nervous manners through a revised rear suspension on top of adding new 17-inch wheels (a diameter increase of a single inch). It wouldn't be until 2006 that traction control appeared with the S2K, and by 2009 the car would be in its final model year.

One last hurrah for the AP2 occurred in 2008, shortly before it was slated for retirement. Honda offered the CR, or Club Racer model, which included a massive rear wing, numerous chassis stiffenings, a number of feature deletes to improve lightness, and an available hardtop (as there was no soft top installed in the car). Very few of these models were sold - some pegging the number at just over 600 examples—which, alongside unmodified cars, makes them the rarest of S2000s today.

Elder Appreciation

From a modern perspective, the Honda S2000 has undergone an image makeover that has largely wiped away the concerns evinced when it was new. Few S2K fans are picking up these high-revving roadsters as daily drivers, which largely eliminates the irritation associated with creeping a low-torque, high-rev four-cylinder through traffic. The suspension issues on the AP1 are also much better understood with hindsight and aftermarket support, keeping more of these cars on the track and far away from the retaining walls that once welcomed them with open arms.

Still, there are some curious aspects of the S2000 that stand out even today. Even with its small overall footprint the interior of the roadster is surprisingly tight, with door panels that seem to jut out into your abdomen and very little room left for taller drivers to stretch out. This is in start contrast to direct rivals like the Mazda Miata, which is much larger in the cabin despite its similar exterior dimensions.

It's also true that while the Miata could never match the S2K in terms of straight line speed, its lightweight chassis feels more balanced than that of the hyper-focused Honda, which comes across like a track weapon that's wasted at anything other than 9/10ths on public roads. For some, this is a welcome, visceral change from the accessible and insulated performance doled out by the current crop of turbocharged performance cars that fill dealer lots regardless of brand.

Better With Age

There's no doubt that a big part of the Honda S2000's enduring appeal is that it has no true analog in a market where massive horsepower and sticky grip tires now stand in for driving dynamics almost across the entire sports car board. It's a direct, no-compromises package that looks sharp and features Honda's vaunted reliability. Its digital dashboard now seems quaint rather than polarizing alongside its now familiar push-button starter, a callback to a time just before the digital transition that has swept over the industry.

The S2000 is close enough to the present to remind us of the past without asking us to make too many sacrifices, and it's also arguably the last true driver's car Honda ever built. Its legend seems destined to grow the further that automotive performance strays from its visceral roots.

Curious about Honda's current sport compact efforts? Check out our coverage of the Honda Civic Type R.

2015 may have been less than five years ago in real time, but in automotive years it sometimes feels like another era altogether—this is especially true when it comes to Ford. Look back on that time, and you’ll find a car company that was taking the enthusiast world by storm.

At the top end of the market was the debut of beautiful Ford GT, the new S550 Mustang was a hit and the radical Shelby GT350 quickly became one of the most special American performance cars ever made. Perhaps most importantly though, in 2015 Ford was doing an incredible job of establishing itself as a major player in the affordable enthusiast car market and it all happened in a pretty short amount of time.

After decades of us watching Ford build and sell cool hot hatches and rally-inspired machines overseas, the company finally decided these cars should be available to American buyers as well.

The ST and RS Era

And thus the ST and later the RS era began.

It started with Ford Focus ST, which arrived in America for the 2013 model year with its punchy EcoBoost turbo engine and fun-loving dynamics. With a 252hp two liter under the hood, the Focus ST aimed to take the fight right to established players like the Volkswagen GTI and Subaru WRX in the crucial mid $20,000 range.

Next came the Fiesta ST, which amplified the tiny Fiesta subcompact with a 197hp 1.6L EcoBoost engine and a number of chassis and suspension upgrades. It may not have been the fastest hot hatch ever made, but its incredible handling and fun factor were universally praised.

Best of all, the Fiesta ST was even cheaper than the Focus ST and many concluded it was actually the superior machine when compared to its larger, more powerful sibling. Whatever the choice, it was great dilemma to for a car buyer to have.

Last but not least came the arrival of the Focus RS, a rally-bred super hatch that American enthusiasts had been clamoring over for years. It had all wheel drive, a 350hp 2.3L EcoBoost engine and it delivered near supercar levels of performance for about $36,000.

The Focus RS was built to be as exciting as it was fast. Its exhaust crackled and popped and it even included a drift mode for anyone who wanted to give a proper send off to a worn out set of tires

During the roughly half decade they were sold here, the Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Focus RS all earned a legion of loyal owners and fans who bought, drove and enjoyed these small, exciting performance both during the daily commute and on weekends at the track.

And it wasn’t that Ford just quietly introduced these cars without fanfare. The company went all in on the marketing side, featuring countless modified examples at SEMA, campaigning rally and race cars and even establishing a complimentary performance driving school for new ST buyers. Most famously teamed up with Ken Block for a series of Gymkhana videos that would give the Focus and Fiesta new levels of exposure.

But seemingly just as quick as it started, the party ended. Not only would the Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Focus RS not see another generation in America, the Fiesta and Focus models would be eliminated completely following Ford's 2018 product shift toward SUVs and crossovers.

Ford's Production Shift

As of now, the Mustang remains the only traditional passenger car Ford offers in the US.

And while there's no doubting the Mustang's performance credentials, it's both substantially more expensive and much less practical than the now-departed ST twins and the Focus RS.

The saddest thing of all is that Ford didn't stop building small cars altogether. It didn't even stop developing great hot hatchbacks. In the last couple of years Ford released brand new versions of both the Fiesta ST and Focus ST in the European market and from most accounts they are even better-executed and more fun than the cars they replaced.

Yet because of its US strategy of eliminating all cars not named Mustang, those who are looking to replace their older ST models or those who would have considered jumping into the brand will now go somewhere else.  

Sure these new ST-badged crossovers and SUVs we get in the US may inject of bit of fun and performance into a family hauler, but they certainly aren’t cheap to buy and aren’t the sort of vehicle a young person may consider as their first new car. And they likely aren't vehicles that make you want to take long way home for no reason other than fun.

Obviously, the decision to sell only SUVs and crossovers in the US was a business one, and the problem with Ford’s small car line was apparently one of profit margins rather than any major shortcomings with the vehicles themselves.

Yet one can't help but look at brands like Hyundai with its N-badged performance vehicles or even Toyota with its much-improved Corolla hatchback and the recent confirmation that it's working on a second generation of its highly niche 86 sports car.

Then there's Volkswagen, who will surely continue to sell the Mk8 versions of the GTI and Golf R in North America, and there's no doubt a next generation Subaru WRX should be coming shortly. If these companies can justify continued development of affordable enthusiast vehicles in the US why can't Ford?

That's a question we may never know the answer to, but for now those who may have considered or were likely to buy a new version of one of Ford’s hot hatchbacks will now probably find themselves in a GTI or Civic Si or WRX—just like they did before Ford’s exciting but short lived experiment of embracing the enthusiast market with open arms.

Here's hoping the story gets another chapter...

Speaking of Ford STs that we will never get in the US, check out the new European market Focus ST Wagon. 

It’s been nearly a year since FCA dropped the Jeep Gladiator bombshell, marking the first time a Jeep would be offered in pickup form in nearly three decades. Now, while we await the ability to order one with the all-new, third-generation 3.0L EcoDiesel under the hood, we’re getting speculative again… How will the compression-ignition version of the Gladiator compare to the only other diesel competitors in the mid-size truck game, the 2.8L Duramax-propelled Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon? Better yet, how will it compare to the mainstay Tacoma, the dated Nissan Frontier or the renewed Ranger—the high sellers (along with the Colorado) in the mid-size segment?

For starters, the Gladiator has the only solid front axle in the mid-size segment, front and rear electronic lockers, front and rear five-link suspension, a segment-exclusive electronic sway-bar disconnect and—thanks to the third-generation 3.0L EcoDiesel that’s on the way—will have the torquiest engine available. While the Wrangler-based Gladiator’s off-road prowess won’t surprise anyone, most will be pleasantly surprised with its near best-in-class tow rating and payload capacity. And what of its fuel economy? With the EcoDiesel in the mix, and the new Ram 1500 already capable of 32-mpg highway on 2x4 models, seeing 30-mpg isn’t out of the question.

EcoDiesel 3.0

This is the third version of the VM Motori-built 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel. It features the same overall architecture as the engines produced from ’14-’19, including the CGI block, bedplate and forged-steel connecting rods, but 80-percent of the rest of its parts are brand-new for 2020. New aluminum alloy pistons feature a revised piston bowl, low-friction skirt coating and thinner rings for reduced wear and offset piston pins to help reduce NVH. The injector nozzle spray pattern has also been changed to match the new piston bowl design. As for power, the EcoDiesel slated for ’20 Ram 1500’s will produce 260 hp (up from 240 hp) and a best-in-class 480 lb-ft of torque (vs. 420 lb-ft previously). In the Gladiator, the engine will be rated for 260 hp and 442 lb-ft.

Improved Drivability, Fuel Economy and Emissions

Keeping the EcoDiesel both eco-friendly and economical, a dual loop exhaust gas recirculation system has been added. The new EGR arrangement adds a low-pressure system to the mix, which pulls exhaust gases from downstream, after the diesel particulate filter (DPF). This minimizes turbocharger energy losses and helps increase fuel economy. The remainder of NOx emissions are curbed through the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR). As for drivability, a new water-cooled variable geometry turbocharger makes use of an improved center section bearing assembly, while revised intake ports in the cylinder heads pave the way for more airflow.

Front-Runner Tow Rating, but…

Believe it or not, the EcoDiesel version of the Gladiator will come with a lower tow rating than those powered by the 3.6L Pentastar V6. However, while FCA has made it clear that the EcoDiesel won’t be able to lug as much as the gas job (7,650 pounds), when ordered with the same Max Towing Package you can bet it will still be capable of towing more than 7,000 pounds. It’s also worth noting that the Pentastar’s 7,650-pound maximum trailer rating is only available on Sport models with the eight-speed automatic and a 4.10 axle ratio.

It’s All About Airflow

The biggest reason behind the diesel-powered Gladiator’s inability to tow more than the gasser boils down to the inability to get enough air across the engine. Space is tight and the openings in that Wrangler (er, Gladiator) grille can only be opened up so much before the face of the vehicle becomes noticeably altered (yes the slats are a tad wider). Could this also be why the EcoDiesel in the Gladiator is expected to make 442 lb-ft of torque vs. the Ram 1500 models being offered with the best-in-class 480 lb-ft rating?

8-Speed Automatic

EcoDiesel Gladiators will come standard with FCA’s eight-speed 850RE automatic transmission, which has been specifically designed to handle the engine’s low-rpm torque output. Also specifically tailored to the EcoDiesel power plant is the torque converter and its electronically modulated converter clutch. The 850RE comes with an ultra-low 4.71 first gear and a 0.67 double overdrive ratio.

Selec-Speed Control

One unique feature that comes standard with the 850RE transmission is Selec-Speed Control. It manages vehicle speed in 4-Lo while navigating terrain and without requiring throttle or brake inputs from the driver. This driving mode is designed to allow the driver to concentrate solely on steering. Selec-Speed Control is activated by using a button on the dashboard and it can be adjusted from 1 to 5 mph by way of the AutoStick shift control.

Heavy-Duty Dana 44’s

Front and rear, you’ll find a coil sprung solid Dana 44 axle. The third-generation Dana 44’s under the Gladiator feature axle tubes that measure 10mm thicker than the versions found on the Wrangler. For improved articulation at the push of a button, a segment-exclusive electronic front sway bar disconnect is available.

Electronic Lockers

The on-demand, sway bar disconnect button resides next to the front and rear locker switch, located in front of the transfer-case range selector. Both Dana 44’s are graced with Tru-Lok lockers for maximum traction, with the rear D44 being equipped with a Trac-Lok limited slip differential.

The TrailCam (Option)

On Rubicon models, a forward-facing off-road camera can be optioned, providing added visibility while on the trail. Everything the TrailCam picks up can be viewed through the 7.0-inch or optional 8.4-inch LED touchscreen display. The camera can be cleaned by commanding the nozzle (via the touchscreen display) located directly beneath it to spray the lens with windshield washer fluid.

Five-Link Rear Suspension

Borrowing parts from the Ram 1500 line, the Gladiator shares the traditional pickup’s five-link rear suspension. The system, yet again another exclusive for the mid-size truck segment, features two upper and two lower forged-steel control arms for utmost longitudinal control and a track bar for lateral axle control. Cosmetically pleasing, the control arms are located under the frame rails while the rear shocks are forward facing to provide consistent damping for both ride comfort and load management.

Will FCA release a Hercules version of the Jeep Gladiator? Check out the unit we spied back in early fall right here.

As you begin your motorsports journey one of the most cost-effective modifications you can make to your vehicle of choice is improving the braking system. Aside from tires, you won't see a better return on your investment than when carefully considering each of your brake components and then selecting the upgrade that is most appropriate to your particular brand of performance driving. This is true whether you're road course racing or dodging cones at autocross—and as an added bonus, several of these updates will also have a positive effect when driven in a street setting.

Let's take a look at each aspect of your vehicle's braking system to see how it can be taken to the next level, what the relative costs are and why you should consider it.

Pads

Moving from standard street pads to a performance-oriented set can have a dramatic effect on your vehicle's braking. Best of all, you can install a set of better pads without the need for any other supporting mods and start seeing benefits almost immediately.

Most stock brake pads are made from materials (known as organics) that are forced to balance stopping power with longevity, low noise, and reduced amounts of dust. Although stepping up to a ceramic pad will add a greater degree of heat resistance without significantly increasing noise or dust, they're more of an interim step.

For competitive driving you want a semi-metallic brake pad material (which adds in steel or iron on top of the kevlar, carbon, and other fibers in organics), which will bite your brake rotors harder, better resist the 'fade' effect found at high temperatures in ceramics and organics, and wear more slowly when used hard. They will of course be dustier and squeal louder than a less aggressive material. From here you can also look at ferro-carbon or carbon fiber based pads, which provide variations on the semi-metallic design.

Keep in mind that the more aggressive a pad you choose, the more likely it will need to be warmed up before providing maximum bite and stopping capability. A track-oriented pad won't be safe to run on the street as temperatures will never rise to the level needed to ensure predictable braking.

Rotors

Brake rotors also offer you a number of variants to choose from, although their benefits are somewhat harder to quantify. Typically, the larger the rotor, the better it will manage heat and the more surface area it will offer for the pad to grip, but swapping on larger discs is outside the scope of this introductory guide, so we're going to focus instead on different types of rotors available.

The stock steel blanks that come with almost every car (and in a performance vehicle, they are likely designed to provide at least a modicum of cooling) are typically a good choice in a performance setting. They are strong, and easy on brake pad wear, which can extend the life of your pads over the course of a track day.

The two primary variants you will find on the market include slotted discs and drilled discs. The former makes use of slots carved into the rotor itself, while the latter features holes drilled completely through the disc. Why make these incisions? Slotted designs are intended to 'shave' a brake pad in order to remove any glazed areas and expose as much fresh friction material as possible, while also channeling way any gases or heat produced while braking. Drilled discs are also meant to improve cooling, and can help brakes dry quicker when driving in a wet environment. Some rotors even come both slotted and drilled to combine these two elements.

Predictably, removing material from a rotor by drilling or slotting weakens it in the long term, and when driven hard it these types of discs car crack, which can lead to premature failure at speed. For this reason, drilled rotors generally aren't safe for motorsports. Slotted rotors are stronger, but they do a number on your pads, chewing them up much more quickly than a smooth rotor would, and the jury is out as to whether the performance benefit is worth the consumables cost.

If you've got a generous budget, you may also want to consider carbon ceramic discs, which are made from a carbon fiber composite material. Almost impossible to crack, and lighter than steel, they manage heat very well, even when racing for hours at a time. That being said, they're expensive, and aren't typically the best choice for street driving due to their less precise pedal feel and bite at colder temperatures.

Brake Fluid

If you're generating more heat in your braking system because you're hauling the car down from high speeds lap after lap, or even because you've upgraded your pads and rotors and now the forces being generated are greater than stock even at autocross, you'll want to consider switching to a better-performing brake fluid.

Brake fluid is the heart of your braking system, but a stock fluid is only intended to resist the type of heat that results from street driving. It was never intended to deal with the equivalent of repeated emergency stops, which is roughly what competition-level braking amounts to. If it boils, the gas introduced into your brake lines will reduce stopping power considerably.

Brake fluids are sold with DOT coding (3, 4, or 5.1). From a performance perspective, DOT 4 typically offers the best heat resistance, but it's all down to the individual make-up of that fluid itself. You'll want to look at the dry and wet boiling points of a fluid before making your purchase decision. Since all DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids absorb water from the atmosphere, the 'wet' boiling point refers to its heat resistance after it's been exposed to moisture after a significant period of use, while 'dry' speaks to its resistance right out of the bottle.

Street braking fluids typically have a dry boiling point of no more than 518 degrees, with some dipping as low as the 400 degree range. Track-ready fluids boost that number to 600 degrees at a minimum, with some brushing up against the 650 degree mark. This offers much more protection, and unless you go for a top-shelf formulation (such as Castrol SRF), it won't cost you all that significantly more than a stock brake fluid.

Stainless Steel Lines

A key aspect of keeping your pedal feeling solid after upgrading to a better brake fluid is to switch from standard rubber lines to stainless steel lines. Simple physics tells us why: a pressurized fluid running through a rubber line is going to flex the outside of that tube, which will result in a softer pedal and less immediate response. A stainless steel line won't flex whatsoever and it will also manage heat much better than rubber, helping it to last longer.

There's really only one reason why your vehicle has rubber brake lines from the factory, and that's cost - they are cheaper to install, and if you're a company building hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks, even a small price savings adds up quickly. Aftermarket stainless steel lines are a relatively inexpensive update that will pay dividends in high performance driving.

Cooling

Those temperatures listed above for brake fluid should give you an idea of just how red-hot your pads, discs, calipers can get on a race track. Anything you can do to improve the cooling of your braking is going to pay dividends in terms of improving responsiveness, stopping capability, and longevity.

Some performance cars come with ducting that directs air towards the hottest parts of the braking system, but even if yours doesn't it's easy to build your own system using basic tubing and brackets that you can find at your local hardware store. No one's going to see what it looks like behind the wheel, and as long as it's secured carefully a homemade cooling system that pulls air from the front of the car can go a long way towards dropping temperatures.

Calipers

Calipers are the metal mitts that grip your brake pads and force them against the rotor when you push your pedal to the floor. Their 'fingers' are called pistons, as these are the elements that expand and contract in contact with the pads themselves. The more pistons a caliper has, the better it is able to manage heat and evenly distribute braking force across a pad and rotor. You'll find calipers ranging from single all the way up to six pistons when looking at aftermarket and factory replacements.

Upgrading brake calipers is something of a sticky wicket. As mentioned earlier when discussing larger brake rotors, this job can sometimes be quite demanding, as you must ensure that the new calipers and rotors fit together properly, and that there is enough clearance between the brakes and the suspension for everything to operate safely.

In some cases, however, larger calipers can be more easily installed on a vehicle because of shared components with another model. In these cases you may be looking at a plug-and-play solution for your braking system.

Master Cylinder

If you do make upgrades to your calipers, you may need to match your master cylinder's capabilities to the increased amount of fluid and pressure that may be needed. At this point, you'll be calculating the weight of your vehicle, its typical speed in a competitive environment, the grip level of the tires that are being used, and the pads and discs that are installed. All of these factors will feed in to choosing a master cylinder upgrade that offers the line pressure and balance you want from your brakes. It can be a complicated equation, so it's worth tagging in a pro to get a full understanding of what you can achieve with your current setup and what your expectations are on the track.

What can you expect in terms of maintenance and repairs after a typical track season? Check out this feature on the costs of racing a vintage car.

While the Nissan Leaf electric car definitely gets some credit for being the first mainstream EV to go on sale, it's never really been a car to get the attention of the enthusiast market, at least not in the way Tesla and some of the other higher-end EVs have.

Nissan, however, has a prototype Leaf test vehicle running around that's packing not just some more aggressive bodywork, but also an all wheel drive system and a substantial increase in both horsepower and torque.

Unlike the production Nissan Leaf which uses a single electric motor driving just the front wheels, the test car uses a dual motor setup driving all four wheels, and the result is a massive increase in performance when compared to the normal car.

The test car makes 308hp to be exact, and even more impressive it makes just over 500 pound feet of torque—with the same instant powerband that gives EVs their extremely quick acceleration figures.

Equally important is the work Nissan says it's put into the car's drivetrain. Torque spread can be optimized between the four corners and independent brake control also improves the car's cornering ability. It actually sounds a lot like a modern electric version of the ATTESA E-TS made famous by the Skyline GT-R.

In addition to the dramatically improved performance and traction, the car has also been fitted with a set of widened fender arches to better fit the staggered 17" RAYS Volk Racing TE37 wheels which give the Leaf a bit of a tuner car look.

Unfortunately this test car doesn't actually preview an upcoming AWD hot hatch version of the Nissan Leaf. Instead, the existing Leaf is being used as a testbed for Nissan's next generation of higher-end EVs, including the Ariya Concept we just saw at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Whatever form they may end up taking, we are certainly down with seeing Nissan channel some of the GT-R's spirit in its upcoming electric vehicles.

If you prefer your fast Nissans to be powered, you can also check out the details on the updates 2020 GT-R right here. 

Come one, come all- any make, any model or any year car. If you love to race, and use Nitto tires, you were invited to a free Driving Line/Nitto’s enthusiast track day at Chuckwalla Speedway we held in October.

Did we mention it was free? All that attendees had to do was let us know they were going to be there via Facebook, show us their Nitto tires, and they were able to do as many laps as they could before we closed the day at sundown.

It was a beautiful day in the desert to race cars with temperatures in the 80s. About 75 people showed up and there were quite the variety of cars. Hondas were out in force (many from the VTEC Club), a large number of BMWs, Mazdas, and a small contingent of American muscle cars were present to take on the curves of Chuckwalla with their Nitto Tires. And, speaking of tires, the NT01 ruled the day, but we also saw a few sets NT555 G2s and NT05s tearing up the course. If you’ve ever been to a track day in the past, you’d know that it was a perfect number for everyone involved to get in as many runs as they could possibly want.

We certainly had a great time, and from the smiles of the participants that radiated throughout the day, we know the drivers had fun, too. Follow Driving Line on Facebook to get news of when our next Nitto track day is taking place.

Click here to see some of our previous track Driver Battles.