Forget narrations, expositions and backstories; "The Escape" is 10 minutes of pure action cinematography. Human cloning, mercenaries with big guns and a daring chase that concludes with a game of tug-of-war between a helicopter and the all-new 2017 BMW 5 Series – what's not to love?

It might be 15 years since the first season, but Clive Owen is back as the Driver and still as enigmatic as ever. You're more than welcome to get comfortable in your seat, but we promise you'll only be using the edge of it as you watch the return of BMW Films. 

If you thought that was exciting, then you'll love watching a Lamborghini drifting in #HuracánDrift!

We are back from the SEMA Show, and after the dizzying number of vehicles we saw, there's obviously a whole lot of shift talking to do. Watch our Facebook LIVEvideo below, and join in by commenting!

1. I Made It!

JUSTIN: I’ve been covering SEMA for six years now, but this year has to be the most exciting. It’s SEMA’s 50th year and I was fortunate enough to have my very own car on display! I can spend the whole segment talking about my car, but instead you can read about it on Driving Line.

ANNA: It was in a good spot! We saw it from the road. I waved to it every time we passed by.
KRISTIN: As a car builder, I mean, that’s your own car, it’s your daily driver, so having it be at the SEMA Show, which is like the car show of car shows, is a good achievement, so congrats.
JUSTIN: It was also nice that it was right next to the food trucks, so we got to eat a lot, whenever we wanted.

2. Tricked Out Trike

ANNA: I had never seen anything like this. I googled “Vanderhall,” and apparently this is a 2017 Vanderhall Laguna Bespoke. Vanderhall Motor Works has been exclusively making these 3-wheeled things since 2010. I guess they were originally designed for mountain roads? I don’t get it, but I guess props to trikes – they’ve really come a long way.

JUSTIN: Yeah, I would not drive this on a mountain road. To me it looks like a cross between a Polaris Slingshot and a Volkswagen, which is not a good cross.
KRISTIN: When I first saw this, I actually thought for a second that it was this car company that does all electric three-wheeled cars, and they’ve been pre-selling them for a few years now… but they actually seat the driver and passenger in tandem, which is interesting.
JUSTIN: So, when you call shotgun, you’re actually backseat driver.

3. Pretty in Paisley

ANNA: I was looking for trucks on Instagram to find one with ginormous stupid-looking tires, but then I saw this one and it just cracks me up. The paisley kills me. It’s like, if the Hulk had cute Henna designs on his arms. But I totally support this kind of diversity in the truck world.

(Photo: @lftdxlvld)

KRISTIN: These large trucks that are all decked out are just a little ridiculous to start with, so I see where you’re coming from on this one. But I guess they’re all kind of works of art.
JUSTIN: SEMA is people pushing the envelope, whether it’s good, bad or ugly.
KRISTIN: I mean, you gotta have some balls to drive this truck. I don’t think I could do it.
ANNA: You would have to be very comfortable with yourself.
ALI: It looks like it has King coilovers and a good sway bar setup. I mean, it’s total “SEMA” truck, but it looks like someone has put a ton of time and energy into it. It’s cool, it’s SEMA.

4. Batmobile

ALI: The last two Hollywood renditions of the Batmobile have been amazing. This is the latest one from the recent "Batman v Superman" movie. It’s fully functional and doesn’t fit in a normal driving lane. It’s the Batmobile. Who wouldn’t want one?

KRISTN: And seeing this thing in person – in pictures, yeah, it looks like the Batmobile – and a lot of times when you see movie cars in person, they begin to look like props. This, not so much. This really did look like it was going to kick somebody’s ass.
JUSTIN: This definitely looked like it fit in at SEMA and not a back alley of some producer’s place.
ALI: Honestly, the only thing that’s really strange about it… if you can look at the front of the car, the funniest thing is that it has turn signals.
ANNA: I guess if he’s trying to get away, he could signal “left,” and then he could go right!

5. Award-Winning Ford

KRISTIN: As soon as I saw this ‘51 Ford Coupe by Wicked Fabrication I knew it was my top pick for the show. It’s so different and it’s so right. When I found out that it was this shops first car at the SEMA Show, all the more props. Well done! I’m sure, Justin, your import guys were digging it because it’s got those belt buckles…

JUSTIN: That’s exactly what I was going to point out! I didn’t want to say anything, but I was like, are those belt buckles? My only complaint is, why couldn’t you get the whole car in frame? I want to see more of it.
KRISTIN: You will be seeing more of it on Driving Line.
ALI: It’s cool. I like it. It has lots of gold and bronze, which is super trendy right now. B,ut I actually really like it. I’ve been a fan of that for a while.

6. #oldsmokeyf1

KRISTIN: I’m surprised I’m putting two pick-ups on this list, but this one’s just so bitchin’ too! This Ford truck, it actually had a dual turbo Cummins engine in it. This diesel-powered F-1 was totally ready to drag race. I don’t think anyone had seen an engine conversion like this before!

JUSTIN: So shiny… so shiny…
ALI: That’s awesome. It’s probably hard for people to understand the scale of that turbo. It’s literally larger than an average head.
JUSTIN: I’m just picturing Lightning McQueen’s engine dropped into Mater’s body.
ANNA: Does the engine actually stick out like that when they’re driving?
KRISTIN: Yes, I believe the lid could not fit over this, no. Talking to the fabricator, Chuckles Garage, I think he noted that it’s 1200 horsepower. The torque on that was way up as well.

7. Lady in Red

JUSTIN: I’m a Japanese import guy, but I’ve always had a love for Porsches. This RWB wide body perfectly blends the styling of both worlds together in one build. I would trade in my tC for this.

ALI: I think that thing is mid-'80s right? I used to have an ’85 widebody 911. Great cars.
JUSTIN: What car have you not owned, Ali?
KRISTIN: To me these Porsches never get too old. They’re all kind of the same but they’re all unique and they just look good to me.
JUSTIN: That’s how I look at it. I don’t really keep track of it. It’s a Porsche, it’s cool. I mean, it’s a Porsch-UH. That’s the correct pronunciation.
ANNA: Yeah, I was going to say something before, but I wanted to let you do your thing.

8. Heavy Metal

ALI: This goes under a category of I know nothing about, but I wouldn’t mind owning one. Seriously, I saw the owner selling shirts out of it during the show, so it has some sort of function beyond looking great.

KRISTIN:Max Grundy is who owns that truck. He’s an artist, really well known, in the car scene. The cool thing about Max is he’s always building cars. He does some interesting things with them to include them in his shows and artwork. But this one is more massive than normal… One of the first things that enters my head when I see this, other than that it’s cool, is that I want to see it driving. The amount of sparks that would fly if you actually drove with it that low to the ground would be very impressive.
JUSTIN: So Ali, did you buy a t-shirt from them?

9. Spicy Chicken

ALI:Mel Wade is known for his hardcore JK builds, but he decided to spice things up with this last-minute SEMA build. In just two weeks time, Wade purchase the 2017 JK and installed a slew of bolt-on performance parts from his EVO Manufacturing company. He calls it the spicy chicken. I’m not exactly sure why, but I like chicken and I like Jeeps, so it’s all-right by me! It’s got KMC Wheels, it’s got 40-inch Trail Grapplers, Dynatrac axles…

JUSTIN: Did you say KFC?
KRISTN: KMC.
JUSTIN: Oh… I’m just thinking spicy chicken.
KRISTIN: Mel said he built this Jeep for his wife Lisa, so it’s going to be her new daily driver.
ANNA: Oh wow, flashy. I mean, spicy.

10. Speedy C10

KRISTIN: I’m loving seeing the turbos and more modern engines finding their way into hod rods. This was pretty much unheard of a few years ago at SEMA. This C10 truck by Classic Car Studio hit all the right numbers – patina, dual-turbo and custom fabrication work that was inventive.

JUSTIN: And yes, they do drive with it with the hood open. I did see it on the SEMA cruise, and it was pretty dope.
KRISTIN: If you have an engine compartment that looks like this, why cover it up?
ANNA: Oh, I actually posted this on Driving Line’s Instagram.
KRISTIN: Oh wow, good taste.
ANNA: Who knew?

11. What Are Thooose

ANNA: I saw this thing several times on Instagram, and one of the captions was literally, “We don’t know what this is but it looks cool.” Ditto.  It looks like Beats headphones, but then it also looks like it could be one of those Roomba vacuums.

(Photo: @surfacenick)

KRISTIN: I want one of those in my house!
ALI: When you look at it from the side, it makes a lot more sense. This is a unique perspective of it.
JUSTIN: So until somebody tells us what this is, we’re going to call this the Chevy Flying Roomba by Dr. Dre.

12. All Good in the Hood

JUSTIN: America would be so much greater if there were more of these – old school Hakosuka with a beastly LS swap. Forget about popping the hood; they just cut the damn thing open. 

ANNA: Do things get into the engine? Like when it’s open, is it like all these leaves getting into the engine?
ALI: It’s SEMA. All practicality out the window.
KRISTIN: The cutout in the middle of the hood, with the whole hood being off, it looks a little unfinished to me. I wish there was like a glass piece or something like that. 

Catch up on all episodes of Talking Shift on Driving Line!

All Star Bash (ASB) has become a household name among drift fans, particularly in California and the Southwest. But what is this annual drift-a-bration, who runs the thing and how can you get involved? The good news: It’s all just as simple as you might think.

The Five W's

WHO: Just Drift, LLC

As Southern California’s premier instructional drifting organization and Formula Drift pro-am licensee (a la their Top Drift competition series), these guys have served the Southern California drifting community for over 14 years.

WHAT: Weekend drifting fun for all!

A full weekend of open-to-all (qualifying machines), bash-style drifting, taking place basically from sunup to sundown. Camping is encouraged, pit-parties are in no short supply (after the drifting, of course) and attendees include everyone from advanced pros, to beginners, to fans.

WHERE: California’s Willow Springs International Raceway

Home throughout the summer season to Top Drift competition rounds and JustDrift instruction. ASB drifting takes place on the Horse Thief Mile circuit, as well as the normally-not-for-drifting Streets of Willow road course.

WHEN: October 15-16, 2016 (2017 TBD)

After a full season of drifting instruction and pro-am competition, usually at the close of the professional drifting season as well, and just before the industry scramble of the SEMA Show.

WHY: Because people like to drift!

ASB isn’t a judged event (aside from certain challenges like “Team Drift,” which didn’t happen this year), there are very little rules aside from safety precautions, and the schedule is for the most part open to all. No foam pits, musical acts, or car shows—just drifting, and lots of it.

The Result

Drifters came from all parts of California and as far away as Seattle, Las Vegas and Arizona, in a wide range of machines including tons of potent S13 and S14 Nissan 240SXs with V8, turbo-four and -six engines; Nissan 350Z and 370Zs; Mazda RX-7s (including that one FD with a huge twin-turbo V8!), Ford Mustangs, Toyota Supras and vintage Celicas, BMWs, a RWD-converted Subaru WRX STI, Brian Nimmo and his Tacoma truck, and lots more.

Pros Justin Pawlak and Forrest Wang laid down some of the smokiest, fastest, closest runs of the weekend, and in a unique personal challenge, also some of the slowest. There’s something about seeing brake-dragging, slow-speed, supremely smokey drifts and tandems around the HTM course that have stuck in our memory ever since. 

FD Pro 2’s Rad Dan brought out his competition Supra for ride-alongs and solo blasts that stole the show whenever they went down.

Nitto Tire’s Matt Powers led tandem runs and drift trains all weekend long.

Top Drift champ Adam Knapik and runner-up Jason Kim blasted impressive runs consistently enough to remind everyone why they’re at the top of the pro-am game.

And tons of amateur and enthusiast drifters joined forces in constant bouts of tandem and multi-car drifts that perfectly embody what ASB is all about.

Pics or It Didn’t Happen

ASB was once again the drift-bash blast we needed to tide us over until the season sparks up again next year.

Browse the gallery below for more ASB, and make sure to check back with Driving Line for more awesome off-season coverage to come.

Much like legends, good engines never die. Be it for reliability, performance potential or a loyal following of enthusiasts that just won’t let them fade away, this seems to be the case for the 7.3L Power Stroke. Despite the last mill rolling off the Indianapolis assembly line nearly 15 years ago, truck lovers continue to use them to tow, haul and even commute. Thanks to a host of injection system, turbocharger and tuning advancements coming to market over the last decade, the 7.3L has proven to be an affordable, reliable and viable performance candidate—even amongst the latest and greatest being offered from the Big Three.

With items such as hybrid injectors, high-flowing turbochargers and custom-tailored powertrain control module (PCM) tuning available, engines can be modified on a budget and remain reliable even while producing three times the power they made in stock form! Having tinkered with our own 7.3L Power Stroke over the course of the last 10 years, we’ve lived through the 7.3L performance resurgence and can personally vouch for the setups recommended in this article.

Take it from us – if you want the best overall package for performance, drivability and reliability, check out the power recipes at the bottom of this article.

HEUI Injector (Oil-Fired)

It’s important to remember that the 7.3L Power Stroke utilizes a hydraulically activated electronically controlled unit injector (HEUI) injection system. This means the fuel side of the injector relies on the oil above it in order to fire. The injectors are supplied engine oil (via the high-pressure oil pump) that has been pressurized to as much as 3,200 psi.

As far as making big horsepower is concerned with 7.3L’s, hybrid injectors are the ticket, because this style injector doesn’t require additional oil volume in order for it to fire. A hybrid unit can carry you into the 550hp range before a higher volume (aftermarket) high-pressure oil pump is required.

Custom Tuning and Injector Builders

Premier injector builders in the 7.3L world include: Full Force Diesel, Unlimited Diesel Performance, Rosewood Diesel, and Swamps Diesel Performance. Complete, rebuilt injector sets, where all major wear components are replaced, start at roughly $1,200 for an injector that can get you into the 350hp range and top out around $3,000 for a competition-ready, high flowing injector capable of supporting more than 650hp.

High-Pressure Oil Pump

While a stock high-pressure oil pump (HPOP) will suffice for most power levels below 500hp (provided the pump is in good health), at a certain point, a stock displacement HPOP won’t keep up with the injector’s oil demands. When a pump can’t keep up, injection control pressure (ICP) won’t be maintained at the 3,000 psi (or more) that’s needed to get maximum performance out of the injectors.

As a general rule of thumb, going beyond 250cc hybrid injectors usually warrants a higher volume, high-pressure oil pump, or the use of dual HPOP’s. To feed any size 7.3L injector, Swamps Diesel Performance offers a Gen3 unit, and Full Force Diesel sells arguably the best dual HPOP system on the market.

Electric Fuel Supply Systems

Aside from keeping the oil side of the HEUI equation happy, the fuel supply system is one area that must be upgraded. This is especially true for ’94.5-’97 trucks, as the fuel system employs a cam-driven mechanical fuel pump in the lifter valley. In stock form, this pump is known to supply 40 to 45 psi worth of fuel pressure to the injectors, even though 7.3L injectors need to see roughly 65 psi for optimum performance and longevity

If you’re upgrading the injectors on a ’94.5-’97 Power Stroke, you’ll definitely need to scrap the mechanical lift pump in favor of an electric fuel supply system. Complete, bolt-on kits are offered by Irate Diesel Performance (shown), Beans Diesel Performance, and Marty’s Diesel Performance for $1,000 or less. These kits include a lift pump, filters, mounting bracket(s), all fittings, hose and hardware.

A regulated return system is a must-have item with Super Duty engines, which eliminates the factory design that allows fuel to dead-head in the fuel rails by tying each end of the fuel rail together using a bypass style pressure regulator. Driven Diesel offers arguably the most popular regulated return systems on the market.

The Little Pump That Could

As for Super Duty trucks (’99-‘03), the factory fuel supply system is electric, and provided that the stock lift pump is in good working order, can support a small set of injectors (160cc’s). For moderately large injectors (180cc to 238cc), the Walbro GSL392 pump shown works wonders. A direct, bolt-in replacement for the factory lift pump, it can support up to 500hp (and up to 600hp in conjunction with an aftermarket fuel system utilizing larger fuel lines, fittings, etc.). Other highlights for the Walbro pump include the fact that it’s been proven to be just as reliable as the factory pump and can be found online for $100 or less.

Drop-In Turbo Options

Due to their unique mounting circumstances, neither the ’94.5-’97 F-series trucks or ’99-’03 Super Duty’s have a lot of direct replacement turbo options. Because of the compact size of the factory Garrett TP38 on the early 7.3L engines (in which the compressor housing nearly sits on the driver side valve cover), factory-based aftermarket turbo options are the only real way to go for those in search of a direct, bolt-in replacement.

The Dominator 66 from Beans Diesel Performance fits a 66mm inducer compressor wheel, custom compressor housing back plate, and 360-degree thrust bearing assembly into the factory TP38 charger, which flows 300 cfm more than stock (1,050 cfm vs. 750 cfm) and can safely support 450hp.

On the Super Duty side of things, Garrett’s GTP38R unit is a direct, bolt-in replacement for the unique V-band, dual volute exhaust exit used on Super Duty engines. The GTP38R (shown) features a 66mm compressor wheel, a ball bearing center cartridge for quick spool up, can support 500 to 550 horsepower. This was extremely popular prior to the T4 turbo mounting options coming to market (for more information on T4 setups, keep scrolling).

T4 Turbo Systems

For years, 7.3L owners were stuck with drop-in turbo options (unless someone wanted to fabricate their own up-pipes, exhaust collector and pedestal). But when all the performance enhancements began to pick up steam in the aftermarket (namely hybrid injectors and better tuning), the demand for more serious turbo options gave birth to a supplier.

Roughly six years ago, Irate Diesel Performance entered the fray and began building T4 turbo mounting kits for the 7.3L crowd. These systems scrap the factory turbo mounting hardware and intercooler piping and replace all of it with a setup that can accommodate virtually any T4 flanged turbocharger. This means the popular BorgWarner and Garrett chargers many Cummins and Duramax owners have benefitted from for years can now be used on a 7.3L. Thanks to Irate’s commercialization of its T4 mount kits, custom-built BorgWarner turbos based off of the S400 chassis and out-of-the-box S400’s have become the norm, as well as 500, 600 and even 700 horsepower being easier to achieve.

On-the-Fly Performance

Anytime larger injectors are added to a 7.3L, custom PCM tuning is required to not only get the truck to run correctly, but to reap the biggest performance gains from them. Companies like Gearhead Automotive Performance, DP Tuner, Power Hungry Performance, Tyrant Diesel, Swamps Diesel Performance and Dyno Proven are among a long list of popular tuners for the 7.3L Power Stroke.

Without a doubt, the six-position chip from TS Performance revolutionized the 7.3L Power Stroke tuning market back in the day. It offered six tuning options, all of which could be navigated on the fly (i.e. you didn’t have to pull over and plug in your programmer in order to change files), and—due to it piggybacking directly to the 7.3L PCM’s circuit board—provided considerably more performance gains than the comparable programmers of the day could. Some years ago, TS Performance released the rights of its tuning software. When this happened, aftermarket calibrators soon began to offer even better tuning (referred to as custom tuning or custom tunes) for 7.3L owners. Key aspects of custom PCM tuning are that high-mile, stock bottom end engines can be made to live while making upward of 500hp.

Another notable benefit of custom tuning is that big injectors can be detuned in order to keep the engine safe when working the truck (hauling and towing). For example: the sixth position on your chip can be reserved for an all-out, race file that makes 600hp, but your number one position entails a tow tune that keeps exhaust gas temperature in check, optimizes the transmission’s shift points for towing a 20,000-pound trailer and makes a tow-friendly 350-to-400hp.

Hydra Chip

While the TS Performance six-position chip previously mentioned kick started the custom tuning craze in the 7.3L segment, in recent years, this little gismo has taken over. Called the Hyrda Chip, it’s made by Power Hungry Performance and allows you to update/change tunes by simply plugging directly into your laptop. From a “no downtime” perspective, this improvement alone puts it light-years ahead of the TS chip in terms of technology (the TS chip has to be removed from the PCM, mailed to your tuner, reburned, shipped back and then reinstalled). The Hydra can hold up to 17 tuning files at a time, and like the TS chip, tunes can be adjusted on the fly.

Rock-Solid Automatics

It’s unclear when an E4OD or 4R100 automatic will bite the dust, but a lot of enthusiasts have kept their transmissions alive at the 300 to 400hp level with nothing more than an upgraded valve body and a reputable triple disc torque converter. Throw those two latter items at a fresh reman version, and you could have a solid reliable transmission for years to come. However, there is no guarantee the clutches will hold, the Overdrive snap-ring will stay in place, the center support bolts won’t back out, the Reverse hub won’t blow apart or any of the other problems the E4OD/4R100 is notorious for won’t occur.

For a bulletproof version of the four-speed automatic, the most reputable names in the industry are John Wood Automotive and Brian’s Truck Shop. Either company can build a transmission to handle any horsepower level or survive any working condition. Note: if you have a ZF-5 or ZF-6 manual transmission, look into the upgraded clutch options offered by South Bend Clutch.

HP Recipes

300-350HP

• 160cc injectors with stock nozzles
• Custom tuning via TS Performance six-position chip or Hydra chip
• Electric fuel system (required on ’94.5-’97 trucks)
• Valve body and triple disc torque converter

400-450HP 

• 180cc to 205cc injectors with 80 percent or 100 percent larger nozzles
• Custom tuning via TS Performance six-position chip or Hydra chip
• Drop in turbo (Dominator 66 on ’94.5-‘97, GTP38R on ’99-‘03) or T4 mount
• Electric fuel system (required on ’94.5-’97 trucks, Walbro drop-in pump on ’99-’03 trucks)
• Regulated return fuel system
• Valve body and triple disc torque converter

500-550HP

• 238cc to 275cc injectors with 80 percent or 100 percent larger nozzles
• Custom tuning via TS Performance six-position chip or Hydra chip
• S400-based BorgWarner turbo
• ARP head studs
• Stiffer valve springs and stronger pushrods
• Electric fuel system
• Regulated return fuel system
• Built transmission (if auto)

*Engine serial numbers 1425747 to 1440712 and 1498319 to completion were built using powdered metal connecting rods (vs. the preferred/stronger forged rods), which become a major weak link between 450 to 500 hp. Find out which rods your engine has before pushing any stock bottom end this far.

600-800 HP

• 300cc to 400cc injectors with 200 or 400 percent larger nozzles
• Custom tuning via TS Performance six-position chip or Hydra chip
• 75mm or larger S400-based BorgWarner or Garrett turbo
• Electric fuel system
• Regulated return fuel system
• Ported heads with matching cam (preferred but not a necessity)
• Built engine with aftermarket rods, piston work, etc... is a good idea
• Built transmission (if auto)

The 2016 Ultra4 National Championship race packed in so much action that we had to break up the 4400 Unlimited Class report from "The Underclassman" race recap. Catch those by clicking on the link or browse through the photos above to glimpse more of the action. Leave a comment below if you find a picture of you or your friends/family!

Read the full Underclassman 2016 National Championship race recap here.

When most people speak of Ultra4 Racing, or refer to "Ultra4 cars", they are talking about the 4400 Unlimited class. With such innovative builds as Loren Healey's Red Dragon, Shannon Campbell's Dragon Slayer, or 2016 National Points champion Jason Scherer's The Gavel, it's easy to see why. But…

Week-in and week-out, race after race, and mile after mile, there is another group of hard-working, dedicated, and passionate racers: The Ultra4 Underclassmen. Often relegated to a few paragraphs at the end of a 4400 class race recap, we at Driving Line wanted to highlight these committed racers with their own 2016 National Championship and end-of-season recap. Underclassmen, this one's for you.

Full 4500, 4600 & 4800 Race Day Gallery here.

The “Most Exciting Race of the Day” at 2016 Ultra4 Nationals 

The 2016 National Championship Races had the crowd on their feet during every race; cheering their friends, family and favorites in head-to-head racing. National points were on the line, but beyond that, the competitive pairing of drivers and equipment led many to declare the 4800 Main the "most exciting race of the day." Lead changes, hard charging rock racing, and a never-quit attitude meant you had to keep your head on a swivel to take in all the action.

Creating Race Classes for “Everyman”

With the unlimited cars evolving into something unattainable for most, in 2012 Ultra4 racing added two new classes with the inaugural “Everyman Challenge.” The 4600 Stock class was designed to showcase stock vehicles with aftermarket manufacturer parts, while the 4500 Modified class was a nod to the modified beasts already on the trail that wanted to also go fast. As the popularity of Ultra4 continued taking off, the 4800 Legends class was formed in 2015 to bridge the gap between the ever expanding 4400 Unlimited class and the 4500 Modified class, providing an extremely competitive space for racers and fans alike.

The Good Stuff: 4800 Legends Race Recap

Originally billed as a class for retired 4400 cars, the 4800 Legends class quickly became much more as teams purpose-built new vehicles to compete with the older cars in Ultra4 racing. Limited to 37” DOT tires and one shock per corner, these cars and drivers are as competitive as any on the track and are also the fastest growing class in the series.

The National Championship race was broken into two parts: Prelims, where teams blasted around the track in a 6 lap shootout vying for starting position, and the Main, where all the chips were on the table.

4800 Class Vies For Position

The morning Prelim was a preview to the thrilling conclusion in the Main. As the cars took off two-by-two, like freak animals leaving Noah’s Ark, the race was on! Team Nitto driver Rick Waterbury took an early lead and looked as if he was on a mission to own the pole position, leading for the first four laps. Fellow Team Nitto driver Bailey Cole was locked in a battle with Casey Gilbert and Jason Bunch in a three-way crush for the other front row seat in the Main. With 3 laps to go, an inexplicable string of flats (later it was discovered there was a foreign object in the big rock pile that was slashing tires) threw the Prelim in chaos as Bailey Cole took the lead, eventually surrendering it to Jason Bunch. Despite drivers powering through on rims only or hoods flapping up to kill visibility, the Main was set as Bunch took first, Jeren Gunter slid into 2^nd, and Cole held on for 3^rd to enter the afternoon Main race.

Who’s The Leader of the Pack?

Coming off such an exciting Prelim, the Main began with expectations high, and did not disappoint. From the drop of the green flap to the wave of the checkered, this race was non-stop heart pounding action. Bailey Cole, Jason Bunch, Kent Fulks, and Rick Waterbury formed a pack at the front that traded the lead back-and-forth and back-and-forth for the first five laps of this eight-lap battle.

Aggressive passes in the rocks, torn sheet metal from cars trying to occupy the same space, drag racing up the back stretch, and blasting through the start/finish rocks had the sellout crowd on their feet. With so much action taking up the track, some didn’t notice Kyle Wickam and brother Jade starting deep in the back and steadily working their way up front.

With two laps to go, Kent Fults, 4800 winner at 2016 Battle in Bluegrass and Hot Springs, had established a lead and was fighting off a swarm of challengers when suddenly his day ended. Fults’ exit opened the door for Rick Waterbury to take the lead, a position he would not relinquish.

Meanwhile, Bailey Cole and Jason Bunch were locked in a battle for 2^nd as flat tires and hard racing took their toll. Coming into the final straight, Kyle Wickham, almost forgotten in the up-front action, had worked his way from the back of the pack to snag 3^rd place in the final 300 yards! After sorting out the timing between Wickham and Bunch, it was official: Rick Waterbury was your race champion, followed by Bailey Cole, then Kyle Wickham.

4500 Modified Race Recap 

Usually racing together with the 4800 class, the Nationals packed roster saw the 4500 class having the spotlight to themselves during their own Prelim and Main. Also limited to 37” DOT tires, many like to debate whether Legends or Modifieds are faster, the 4500 Modified class allows two shocks per corner, each limited to 14” of shock travel.

From the start of 4500 racing at Nationals, it was clear that the strategy of “save your car for the Main” was out the window. Attrition is a hallmark of Ultra4 racing, verified during the 4500 Prelim as only half of the class finished on the lead lap.

East Coast powerhouse Matt Howell would be lined up for the pole position, followed by Justin Hall in 2^nd, and Kevin Rants in 3^rd. Teams furiously worked on repairing their cars to get ready for the afternoon Main.

The opening lap of the Main started with a bang! Jordan Pellegrino charged from 5^th to 1^st on the opening lap and it was on. Pellegrino flew around the course, holding 1^st place for the first three laps and fighting off Matt Howell and Kevin Rants in a bumper-to-bumper push battle. Duane Garretson entered the fray by lap 3, taking the lead by lap 5.

The Most Bizarre  Award Goes to 4500 Main 

Typically, in short course racing, the least used part of the course is the hot pit… as you just don’t have enough laps to effectively stop, make a repair and still be competitive. But as Gremlins snuck on the course and began to wreck havoc, the hot pit became where the race was won or lost in one of the most bizarre races of the year.

The madness really started on lap 3 when car after car began giving up track position to enter the hot pits for repairs, including Team Nitto driver Jimmy Jack who was running 3^rd at the time. Jordan Pelligrino gave up the lead on lap 4 after entering the pits. Soon we saw race leader, Duane Garretson, give up the lead to pit after lap 6, never to return to course. It was insane! Every time the crowd thought someone was going to run away with race, there was a dramatic lead change.

With just two laps remaining, the race finally settled into a more predictable pace as Marty Mann took the lead and kept it to the end. Marty created a huge buzz with his brand new Toyota-inspired buggy and put an exclamation point on the weekend by taking the win. Jordan Pellegrino overcame a flat and no brakes at the beginning of the race to finish in 2^nd, and first-year racer Matt Howell, who surprised everyone by winning all three of his East Coast races this year, took 3^rd.

4600 Stock Race Recap 

Considered by many the bravest race class in Ultra4, or at least the craziest, the 4600 Stock class drivers tackle the same course as the others, but in a heavily restricted race class that maintains most of the original car parts. With just one shock per corner and a 35” limit on DOT tires, 4600 Stock is, tough, fun and very much keeps the “family” feel of Ultra4 racing. Seeing cars compete that aren’t far from what you’d see on the street, these stock class warriors are always a crowd favorite.

While the class size was down this year, the hard working, hard charging veterans of this class hit it hard at Nationals. Fielding only four cars for this race, drivers pretty much had just to keep the car together during Nationals seven laps to earn a podium spot. Did that keep anyone from hitting it all out? Nope.

Sounding like the opening to a great story: “Two XJ’s, and LJ, and a TJ walked into a bar...”, everyone attacked the course with the passion that defines this class. Ben Varozza took the lead on lap 1 and never looked back. Piloting his car with an expert hand, Ben led from wire to wire. Super competitive and always entertaining Albert Contreras was 2^nd, with the “XJ Brothers” Sean McNamara and Brian Behrend duking it out for third early on.

Mechanical failure took Brian out of the race on lap 3, but not before he gave it 100%. With respect and love, the crowd cheered this class of warriors on as they lived their dream and battled it out on course. Big smiles covered every face on the podium as the 2016 season came to an end.

Next year brings some new and exciting initiatives for Stock class, recently announced by Ultra4, which will hopefully help the competing numbers grow.

And The 2016 National Championship Winners Are… 

Before we get to the season points for each class, a huge congratulations to Team Nitto driver Rick Waterbury for being named co-Sportsman of the Year. This award is voted on by the drivers, for the drivers, and reflects respect both on-course and off-course. It’s an accomplishment to earn the podium, but it’s an even bigger testimony to character and the merit of a man to not only win your class for the year, but to do so in a manner that earns you Sportsman of the Year honors.

4800 Legends class points championship for 2016 went to Rick Waterbury as he leveraged a National Championship race victory, combined with a Glen Helen victory, to earn top points for the year. The last two laps of the National Championship race bumped fellow two-time winner, Kent Fults, to 2^nd for 2016. The dynamic brother duo of Kyle and Jake Wickam locked up 3^rd. Team Nitto driver Bailey Cole and Jimmy’s 4x4 Randy Rodd’s progeny, Cade Rodd, rounded out the top 5.

4500 Modified class points went to the dominant Matt Howell. Notching victories in all three East Coast races, Matt takes the National Points Championship back East for the year. Incredibly fast and well-dressed driver Justin Hall finished 2^nd this year, helped by his win at Stampede, and Fallon 250 winner Kevin Rants rounded out the National podium in 3^rd. Arkansas driver Duane Garretson finished 4^th with Team Nitto driver Jimmy Jack in 5^th for the first year in his new car.

4600 Stock class points went to KOH class winner Brian Behrend, who also took the top spot at the Stampede and Fallon. Sean McNamara, also in an XJ, took 2^nd, with Albert Contreras close behind in 3^rd. National Championship race winner Ben Varozza finished 4^th in points and Brian Hays in 5^th.

Onward and Upward for 2017 Ultra4 Season

With the 2016 season in the books, teams are already looking forward to the 2017 King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, CA this coming February. In addition to renewing old rivalries and building upon the success of this past year, 2017 promises to be very interesting with Nitto driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. entering the fray in a brand new Jimmy’s 4x4 Bronco inspired 4500 class car. Already the buzz of SEMA, and of much discussion among other 4500 class drivers, all eyes are on the start of the 2017 season and how this next-level car will perform.

While there is no rest for the wicked, there is even less rest for these dedicated Ultra4 drivers who only have a few months to get ready for KOH! We’ll see ya out there!

Want more Ultra4 National Championship photos? Click here for the full Underclassmen gallery.

*Authors Note: If this race recap reads like a love letter... well, it is. After spending four years in my own 4500 class car (and getting to co-dawg with Bailey Cole in his 4800 class car at the Fallon 250 this year), I got well acquainted with the blood and sacrifice of these guys during each race. They race because they love it. They race because it's passion. They race because it's life. This year, I had the honor of watching from behind the lens rather than behind the wheel, and my hat is off to each of you. Hammer down and “See you on the Lakebed” in 2017.

- The Dusty Gnome

Love it or hate it, SEMA is a prime motivator in some of the most amazing and ridiculous builds nowadays. The Specialty Equipment Market Association seems to focus more and more on the “specialty” part each year with more rare, custom and first edition parts gracing the show floor each passing event. There was one build in particular that took full advantage of the first edition aspect this year: Thanh’s Vlene FR-S RS 1.0.

One has to give credit where credit is due, and that means taking a second to acknowledge that there are other Vlene kits in the US. However, Thanh and AutoTuned were the first to successfully fit, paint, customize and install an entire kit on an FR-S. With that being said, every Vlene kit starts in the same place: Japan.

With the help of Mark Arcenal (of Fatlace / illest), AutoTuned was able to get the full 13-piece kit shipped over and get to work on the massive undertaking the kit would present.

Wide Load

Like all wide body setups, the Vlene kit required a pretty drastic trimming of the factory quarter panels to afford the maximum amount of space inside each wheel well. While Vlene hasn’t officially released specs on how wide the fenders are, the word is they’re over 100mm wider than the OEM fenders on each rear corner. That’s a total of almost 8 inches wider than stock when measured side to side. For reference, Rocket Bunny rears measure around 65mm wide.

So what does one do with all that extra space? Give it a fender full of wheel of course! For this, the gang turned to Rotiform and their WGR series wheel, with 19x10.5 in the front and 19x12.5 out back to really fill everything out.

Built to Perform 

To get a nice, cohesive fitment all around, the car's suspension has been swapped out in favor of an Air Lift Performance kit, complete with a custom trunk mounted tank setup. This allowed Thanh to drive the car to and from SEMA, as well as around town as a daily driver (because apparently parallel parking is too easy in a normal width car.)

Throughout the rest of the build, you’ll find plenty of goodies that help the car perform as well as it looks. Under the hood, a Sprintex S5-210 twin screw supercharger sits front and center, coupled with the Moto East E85 kit to deliver a 1-2 punch from the boxer engine. Behind the front wheels is a Wilwood big brake kit to help counteract the supercharger’s performance gains, as well as adding a bit of color to the otherwise entirely black and yellow RS 1.0 colorway.

One of Everything, Please

If one looked over the car long enough, they could probably find what seems to be Whiteline’s entire catalog helping keep the FR-S stable and predictable. The front and rear sway bars, shifter bushing, front strut tower brace, lower control arms, rear subframe inserts and steering rack bushings all bear the Whiteline name. With the E85 tune, supercharger and Thanh’s not-so-jokingly crazy talk of trying to bring this car to a track day, he’ll take all the help and stability he can get.

Overall, this is one of the most in-depth and exclusive builds AutoTuned has put out (don’t forget the Rockey Bunny tC of course), and the craftsmanship hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s even crazier when the three-week timeline is taken into account. The SEMA crunch of long days and all-nighters was as real as ever, but when the end product is an American first, those lost Zz’s and countless energy drinks all prove to be worth it.

This car is so wide the photos wouldn't fit in this article! See more of America's first Vlene FR-S in the gallery above or check out more wide body builds from our SEMA Show 2016 live feed below.

Though we're certain there's a large percentage of our industry that are still recovering from a week in Vegas filled with cigarette smoke, sticky dance floors and a convention center filled to the brim with the best the aftermarket has to offer (including us), there was a great local SoCal event that shouldn't have been slept on, especially if you're a fan of one of the most influential import blogs around: The Chronicles.

See for yourself in the photo gallery above.

What once started as a simple blog for Joey Lee has turned into one of the strongest resources for great content. By far it's still largely Honda-centric as it's always been, but he's since expanded beyond that to cover whatever resonates both here in the States and in Japan. Having earned his stripes by contributing to a large number of import titles over the year (like Super Street and Honda Tuning, for example), The Chronicles has grown into its own respective brand, and to help celebrate the culture he's helped to define, he throws an annual car meet right before SEMA kicks off, with 2016 being his eighth party (hence the Year 8 title).

Usually we're already in Vegas when this takes place, so it's normally a challenge to be there in person, but this year we carved out some time to show our support.

Held at the world-famous Eibach facility, Year 8 isn't just a day to come and see cool cars; it's so much more. You hang with long time friends and make a few new ones. You get to walk, look at what others do to their cars and be inspired to finish a car of your own. You dust off the project, put a few miles on it and thank social media for tagging you in a photo or two. You get to talk to Joey personally and thank him for his tireless efforts to bring that exciting content to light. Year 8 is, at the end of the day, a damn good reason to be a car enthusiast.  

View all the amazing builds from Year 8 in the gallery above, and check out another event by Joey Lee, The Chronicles Tokyo Night Meet.

You've seen the video that took the internet by storm. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for something as wild as #HuracánDrift. A few days before D-Day (drift day), Sam and Stina Hübinette secured a few hours at the House of Drift, Irwindale Speedway, to get some seat time in their $250k+ tire-smoking machine. While Sam and Stina were hyper-focused on making sure they drifted their Lamborghini just right, we were able to just watch in awe of all the stunts they were able to do.

One of the most intricate and challenging stunts they were trying to perfect was the 360º drift. Lamborghini built the Huracán to be smart – maybe a little too smart. Not only did Sam and Stina need to figure out how to drift with its automatic transmission, but they also had to find a way to outsmart Lamborghini's safety sensor that tries to assist when it thinks the driver has lost control. No matter what the computers might think, any obscure angle the Hübinettes put the Huracán in, you better believe they were in total control.

As pioneers for installing a hydraulic handbrake into a stock Lamborghini, they were prepared for things to happen. Testing day wouldn't be a real testing day if we didn't encounter any challenges. As we all watched the Hübinettes practice 360º drift after 360º drift, the Lamborghini suddenly stopped, and all of our hearts collectively dropped when Sam and Stina got out and started to inspect underneath the Huracán.

After a few moments of pause as we looked at each other in confusion, we made our walk over with our hopes held high. Once the cavalry arrived, Sam told us that they heard a loud clunk when he pulled the hydraulic handbrake. We quickly removed the wheel to figure out what exactly happened.

Apparently, the additional brake caliper had gripped a little too tightly during initiation and snapped right off the custom welds that were holding it in place. Sam removed the busted brake caliper and assessed the situation. Luckily, the Lamborghini didn't sustain any damages. Save for being down one brake caliper, everything was perfectly fine, and we were able to continue testing. You could say the Hübinettes caught a break with this one!

Even with all the challenges, they were still able to shake out their modified Huracán to prepare for the real thing. But you wouldn't expect anything less from this amazing couple. #HuracánDrift isn't the only incredible project they've worked on; be sure to see more of what Sam and Stina have accomplished, and be on the look out for what else they might come up with next.

The couple that stunts together, stays together.

(Photos by: Ignition MG, Justin Pagtalunan, Jonathan Wong / Video by: Donut Media)

For more behind-the-scenes coverage of the Hübinette's awesome Huracán, check out the gallery below and our photo shoot of the build process.

Each year, we travel to a car show far removed from your average parking lot Show and Shine. Instead of baking on the blacktop next to a big box store, we get the pleasure of enjoying the great outdoors at Old River Farms in Burgaw, North Carolina. In many ways, it’s the same as a traditional car show. There’s food, prizes and plenty of vehicles to excite any type of auto enthusiast. What sets the Fenders on the Farm show apart is the serenity that is hanging out on the 400 acre farm.

Now in its fourth year, the Fenders on the Farm event is becoming an autumn staple in Southeastern North Carolina. We stopped by this year and snapped a few shots of the event. As you’ll see in the gallery above, there was a tremendous mix of old and new machines on display.

And make sure you check out last year's Fenders' show!

Have a unique car show we need to know about? Shoot us a note at editor@drivingline.com.

Every auto enthusiast wants to make their ride stand out from the pack, but not everyone has the skillset to make it happen on their own. Thankfully, there are ways of getting a vehicle all-your-own without needing to put in the sweat equity. One man that has made a name for himself in personalizing virtually every type of ride is Will Castro. Currently, the talented car builder and TV personality is launching his second season of "Unique Rides," which airs on the Velocity Channel.

While most of you may know "Unique Rides" for pumping out one-of-kind Lamborghinis and high-end cars for celebrities, the shop has expanded its portfolio into more rugged territory with the Unique Special Edition by Will Castro Designs Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. We got an exclusive look at the turnkey Unique Special, and as you would expect, this 2016 Sahara is far beyond your run-of-the-mill Wrangler.

For starters, the stock 3.6L V6 received a significant power jump thanks to supercharger from ProCharger. The new grille is from DV8 Off-Road, which is complemented by a set of Oracle Lighting headlights.

The added power meant the JK would have no trouble turning over the 35x12.50R20 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. The dynamic on- and off-road tread set was paired with an equally impactful set of 20-inch wheels from Grid Off-Road.

To clear the new wheels and ensure the Wrangler had the right performance and comfort for every terrain, a 3-inch lift from ICON Vehicle Dynamics was installed. This particular system is the Stage 2 kit from ICON, which fits the Jeep with dual rate coils springs and JK-specific remote-reservoir ICON shocks.

Body protection comes by way of set of DV8 bumpers and rock sliders. The touches of red accents run throughout the inside and out of the Sahara.

Speaking of the interior, it was set off with custom leather seats from Alea Leathers and floor mats from Rugged Ridge. Of course, it needed a boost in sound and technology, so a JBL Legend CP100 was added.

(Photos: Jon Hwang and Ali Mansour)

Check out more detail in the photos below, and be sure to see more of Will’s creations on "Unique Rides" on the Velocity Channel.

Doubling and even tripling the power of a modern diesel pickup is nothing new. With stout bottom ends, high-pressure fuel injection systems and turbochargers filling their lungs, diesel engines can effectively transform the trucks they motivate into 8,000-pound hot rods. The challenge is making sure your suspension and driveline are ready for the added oomph. Your truck’s rear suspension didn’t leave the factory with the ability to cope with 1,000 lb-ft or more of torque, and it doesn’t take long for the phenomenon known as “axlewrap” to surface.

What Is Axlewrap?

When the added torque from the engine hinders the rear suspension’s ability to keep the axle stationary, axlewrap is at work. Under load, the leaf springs will deform (attempting to twist into an S shape), and the axlehousing will try to rotate, pushing the pinion gear upwards.

Some noticeable signs of axlewrap are:

Wheel hop, which is a skipping feeling from the rear of the truck, and bouncing during transmission upshifts (in trucks with automatic transmissions). Driveshaft plunge, driveline shake, differential twist and takeoff shudder can all be a part of the axlewrap experience, too, which over time can result in premature U-joint failure, slip-spline wear on the driveshaft and pinion gear and/or yoke failure.

The Solution to Axlewrap

To remedy inevitable axlewrap scenarios, traction bars are employed. Traction bars effectively link the rear axle to the frame, keeping the rear leaf springs from twisting, the axle from rotating and the wheels from digging. If you’re thinking about pumping up the power of your diesel (and even if you’re only adding a programmer), we advise you to seriously consider working a set of quality traction bars into your budget. After all, all the added horsepower and torque in the world is useless if it can’t be used to make forward progress.

Read on for a closer look at some of the best traction bar setups we’ve encountered.

The Best Traction Bar Setups

As one of the most common problem-solver parts in the diesel industry, traction bars come in all shapes and sizes. However, they all aim to serve the same purpose: keep the rear suspension geometry in its optimum position and the axle stationary under acceleration. A lot of setups are homebuilt, some are pieced together using components sourced from suspension specialists like Ballistic Fabrication; complete bolt-on or weld-on systems can be had from dozens of companies, including One Up Offroad, Flight Fabrications, Big Chevy Hitch and Calvert Racing, to name a few.

Some of the most sought after traction bars in the diesel industry come from One Up Offroad. Offering both bolt-on and weld-on type bars, One Up Offroad products are known for their performance, durability and quietness. We’ve run a set of the company’s short-gusset, universal bars on our own F-350 for nearly six years now, and the bushings still look new. No corrosion has started (picture cold, salty Midwest winters and constant exposure to humidity), and we can cut 1.7-second 60-foot times at the dragstrip thanks to their presence.

One Up Offroad offers meaty, ¼-inch thick frame mounts that incorporate large, 7/8-inch traction bar bolts with polyurethane bushings. The bars themselves measure 1.75-inches (od). A set of One Up’s long-gusset universal traction bars is shown below.

In the photo below you can see that four 3/8-inch mounting bolts exist in the bottom side of One Up Offroad’s traction bar frame mounts. What you can’t see are the other four bolts securing this bracket to the side of the frame rail. That’s right – eight Grade 8 fasteners are used to clamp these bad boys in place. Without a doubt, the most labor intensive part of installing One Up’s industry-leading bars is drilling the 16 required mounting holes in the frame.

The bolt-on, One Up Offroad axle mount shown here employs a burly, ¾-inch center gusset. Also notice that ¾-inch outer diameter, inverted-style (’11-present Super Duty) U-bolts are being used, which are said to provide an additional 2,000 pounds’ worth of clamping force.

Well-known for allowing leaf sprung cars to compete with vehicles sporting 3-and-4-link rear suspension systems, Calvert Racing’s CalTracs have also found a home in many diesel truck applications. When you couple their pre-load adjustability with a properly spec’d (or adjusted) set of shocks, CalTracs perform just as well (if not better) than the top-shelf traction bar options currently on the market. The set that resides under Matt Misner’s 9-second, triple-turbo, Duramax-powered ¾-ton Chevy Silverado is shown below.

When it comes to building your own set of traction bars, the options are endless. You can opt for high-quality, serviceable bushings, chromoly tubing and Grade 8 hardware, or you can piece together a low-budget set of bars like a lot of truck pullers do (just remember, you get what you pay for). You can also fabricate your own axle and frame mounts or outsource them, and you can opt to either bolt them on or weld them in place. By and large, 2-inch outer diameter, ¼-inch wall DOM tubing is most popular, as well as bolt-on brackets over weld-on units.

In sled pulling applications, some truck owners get pretty creative. Take Heather Clarke’s ’02 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD for example, where a four-link style ladder bar setup is utilized. The system features a bar mounted both above and below the rear axle tube, which not only keeps the axle from rotating (what all traction bars do) but also rules out any upward or downward movement. This is extremely helpful for a truck subjected to the rigorous abuse experienced during the course of a pull.

We’ll note that this configuration is for sled pulling use only. In a street driven application, you never want to limit the ability of the rear axle to move up and down (only its ability to rotate).

Believe it or not, traction bars can actually improve the braking ability of a truck. While acceleration without traction bars forces the pinion angle upward, heavy braking causes the opposite to occur (the pinion angle is forced downward). Traction bars keep the pinion angle the same no matter the circumstance.

One easy way to tell if a truck needs traction bars is how the rear axle and suspension behaves while on a chassis dyno (or, as many have done, throw the GoPro under the truck and take a test drive). During a dyno pull, where maximum horsepower and torque is being sent to the rollers, axle wrap will be in its most prevalent state if it exists at all. Driveshaft plunge and an upward-pointing pinion angle are key items to look for.

An up and coming player in the traction bar market is Flight Fabrications. The company builds ladder bar-style traction bars using 1.75-inch and 1-inch 1026 DOM tubing, makes use of ¼-inch thick, bolt-on mounting brackets, and employs grease-able Johnny Joints from Currie Enterprises. Last but not least, Flight’s bars can be had with an optional feature where LEDs illuminate the company nameplate for a one-of-a-kind look.

You won’t find any truck hooking to the sled without a set of traction bars. Arguably no other sport wreaks as much havoc on a driveline than sled pulling (axleshafts, differentials, driveshafts, U-joints, pinion yokes, etc.).

But make no mistake, traction bars aren’t just reserved for all-out, competition-only vehicles. As a general rule of thumb, they are needed as soon as 100 extra horsepower has been added to the mix.

Read about another vital component in the extra horsepower game, the lift pump.

Mustang vs. Corvette: Can a Cobra Have More Bite Than a Stingray? 

Ali vs. Frazier, Coke vs. Pepsi, Android vs. iPhone, Batman v Superman. There have been many rivalries over the generations, but there's one in particular that really gets people's engines going – Corvette vs. Mustang. As icons in the American automotive world, these two have been battling it out for the title of best American sports car since their classic car days. While each has their pros and cons, there's no denying that they are both amazing cars to let loose on the open roads and especially on the track.

At SEMA Show 2016, these two were in a more stable setting. Trufiber USA was able to get these two superstars to play nice for a week and outfitted both of them with their best, new custom modifications. Let's take a look at the physiques of these two modern day American muscles.

Stung by a Stingray

The body lines are as sharp as a stingray's stinger, but if we're being honest here, the 'Vette (as the kids call it) might resemble a missile more than anything. Between the two, the Corvette Stingray has become one of the top track vehicles through its generations.

While it probably can't compete in the eye-candy awards against exotic cars like, say, a Lamborghini, it has definitely been known to hold its own against one on the track.

To help in the looks department, Trufiber stepped in to add a little more sting to this Stingray. Originally debuted at last year's SEMA Show, they have refreshed the look with updated wide body fender flares and their trademark, perfectly fitting carbon fiber details, both around the car as well as under the hood. As if this sleek track missile needed to be any lower, it has an Air Lift Performance suspension kit to give it that perfect stance for any situation.

Bitten by a Cobra

While the Mustang might not have the track star status that the Corvette possesses, it does uphold a legacy that is impossible to go unnoticed. Prototyped and designed for speed from the get-go, the Mustang has also been able to maintain its distinct character and allure over the generations. So what's an icon got to do prove that it's reached another level? Does a Cobra-badged Shelby GT350R do the trick?

The Corvette makes an awesome weekend warrior, but if you're looking to have some fun for every day, look no further than the GT350R. This specific 'Stang (as the kids call it) is owned by professional driver Tony Brakohiapa. Whether he's road racing, drifting, stunt driving or just being awesome, Tony definitely knows a thing or two about performance cars, so there's no doubt in our mind about the track capabilities of the GT350R.

Ford made it more responsive and a lot louder, but Trufiber took it up another notch by replacing the new aerodynamics for perfectly fitting carbon fiber versions. These not only make it look more badass, but they also make the car a lot lighter. Don't let the cool gray and racing stripe paint job fool you; pop the hood or the trunk, and you'll notice they've been replaced with carbon fiber as well.

So what do you think? Would you pick the Mustang over the Corvette?

See how the rivalry played out at SEMA Show 2016 in our live feed below:

Plenty of people want to drive race cars, much fewer actually go out and do it. I’ve been a car enthusiast since childhood, have built and shown cars for almost 20 years and helped out local race teams - but timing and life always seemed to keep me from driving in a race series. The last major build I took on I decided to evolve a 2009 Nissan 370Z Sport into a car that could get me to work, shine at car shows and provide fun on the race track. So for the past few years, much to the nervous bemusement of my wife and delight of our car-addicted 3-year-old, I’ve been participating in Ultimate Street Car Association (USCA) and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events across the upper-Midwest.

So what’s it like being an average guy with a “sensible” build taking part in a series like the Ultimate Street Car Association? USCA carries out a series of national races culminating with the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) directly following the huge SEMA Show each year. Their “home” event, near Optima’s Milwaukee headquarters, is at the historic Road America and was my major race of this past year.

Our Nissan is equipped with a Stillen supercharger, Mine's valve train and Whiteline suspension. So far it has proven to be a fun car to hone my RWD race craft in. For the Optima event, I knew I was not going to be as fast as the GTRs I’d be competing against, so my goals were to learn and steadily improve my car control; lap times would be a byproduct.

Road America is a track with an allure for every road course racer – both because of its challenging setup as well as the prestige of the legends like Andretti, Bourdais, Foyt, Pruett and Fellows who’ve already conquered it. It’s 4 miles of severe elevation changes, blind cresting corners, blistering speed and zero room for error. It commands utmost respect from drivers and well-rounded performance from the cars. As Le Mans winner Sebastian Bourdais told my wife, "If you get it wrong here, it’s going to hurt..." which did nothing to ease her apprehension.

USCA Hosts Grassroots Racers from Across the U.S.

Friday started out at Optima’s headquarters. It was a laid back affair where we were able to meet our fellow competitors from across the continent and preview some of the cars we’d be tracking against for the next two days. As everybody builds their cars differently, it was awesome to see such a variety. It was also a great time to learn more about the track setups from some of the series' regulars and industry leaders, such as Kyle and Stacy Tucker of Detroit Speed, Steve Kepler of Johnson Controls and Randy Johnson of D&Z Customs.

A few hours to kill before that evening’s dinner hosted at Andrew Chevrolet provided the opportunity to have a few beers with fellow competitors Bob and Cindy Guido, who drove their 1969 resto-mod Mustang 2,500 miles from Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, to Wisconsin for this event. Bob is normally found hitting his local drag strips and autocross tracks in Alberta, so USCA and Road America were going to be a big step up. Considering they drove the car all that way and needed to be able to drive it home as well, they were incredibly brave. Since they were short on cargo space (the car looked like they had packed for their first week of college), they had arranged new tires and valve covers to be delivered to the dealership and had them installed that afternoon.

As the sun was setting on our diverse assortment of cars that evening, we could all feel the anticipation building for the following day of racing. The buzz of conversation focused on past builds, car setups and outlandish racing stories making for an entertaining evening.

Getting to the Good Stuff During USCA at Road America

Saturday morning started with tech inspection at the Snap-On Tools ratchet and socket facility. I had a minor heart attack when the tech inspector thought my 4-point harnesses weren’t allowed, being 2 inches wide. After closer examination of the rules, however, I passed tech with flying colors. If this was the worst that was going to happen, the rest of the weekend would be smooth sailing...

While waiting for tech inspection, we were given tours of the Snap-On ratchet and socket facility and received rules for the Road Rally segment of the race, taking us from Milwaukee to Road America. Seeing how sockets are made was pretty cool, but I was really ready to get racing! 

USCA's Road Rally Proves Street Drivability

The Road Rally segment is meant to balance the competition. Since the Optima search for “The Ultimate Street Car” is about street legal cars, "race cars with license plates" sometimes struggle with things like speed bumps and fuel mileage. This segment is about 75 miles long and is meant to ensure that all the cars competing can function on the street.

One new rule made me laugh – we were each given an envelope to put our driver's license in and seal. If the envelope was open when we reached Road America, that meant we’d ran into an issue with the police (or got carded buying beer for later), and therefore lost the points for this segment.

It was a rainy yet beautiful cruise up to Road America going through the Kettle Moraine area of Wisconsin. Aside from the rocks kicked up by everyone's autocross tires, it was a scenic and uneventful two-hour drive to Road America. Nascar's Xfinity series was also racing that Saturday, so the track was buzzing with extra excitement. No matter how many times I visit Road America, driving through the tunnel always gives me the chills.

Optima had a lower paddock reserved for the 75 cars entered in the weekend's event, so we were all staged together. That created the perfect setting to allow the public and press to check out our builds before the Nascar race started, while we scrambled to get the car cleaned up for the Design and Engineering segment.

The Design and Engineering segment is another way to level the playing field, as it further weights points toward cars that are truly street cars and not "race cars with license plates." It was fantastic learning from judges that are industry leaders such as executives from Lingenfelter, Spectre and Snap-On. They focused on creative fabrication, engineering and design aesthetic, while providing valuable feedback on what we were doing correctly or needed to improve. Looking at all of the cars lined up, each one of them could have been an award winning show car. Then it sunk in; these show cars were about to be challenged and punished in every way possible.

Taking to the Track at USCA Road America

What a difference a day makes! Sunday's forecast was hot and sunny, which meant a fast race track. It also meant that cooling for man and machine was going to be an issue. Roll-in started at dawn, and we needed to get there early if we wanted a covered garage spot. So… we got there early.

After unpacking the car, checking lug torque and tire pressures and mounting the transponder, my wife reminded me that if I wrecked the car I wouldn’t be getting a new one… which sounded a lot like the lecture we give to our son.

After the mandatory driver's meeting, the butterflies in my stomach were going crazy as I got my fire suit on. My hands were shaking with excitement so much that my wife had to help fasten my helmet. By the time I had managed to squeeze into my 370Z wearing a fire suit, helmet and neck collar, my nerves calmed down enough to focus on the task at hand, taking to the track.

My competition group took on the autocross course first, which is held on Road America’s kart track, a knot of tight corners and a 100-foot elevation change. The speeds were surprisingly fast with some of the GT-Rs and Porsches hitting 80mph or better. Grip, brakes and cooling were crucial in the event, with a few competitors succumbing to overheating or boiling brake fluid. I was glad I had fabricated an active brake cooling system, as it made a significant difference in brake longevity.

Next up was the road course. It helped hitting the autocross first, as it let me get a feel for how my newly installed Hawk Street Race pads and Nitto 555 G2s paired up to my suspension. After a caution lap, it was hammer down, and I felt like I had been given the controls to a roller coaster. Uphill, flat left, then through the hurry-downs to the legendary carousel. Rocket out of the carousel to the motorcycle kink, and then it’s wide open through a sweeping left to the hard right through Canada Corner. Next is hard on the gas through the right-left of Thunder Valley and another hard right to the substitute front stretch. Rinse and repeat for five more flying laps.

Back to the pits, I wasn’t the only one affected by the heat upon arrival. The hot weather took its toll as the morning wore on, causing overheating, oil line bursts and failing brakes for more than a few competitors. Tire pressures were critical with everybody making adjustments after each run. I was amazed how much a pound of air can alter the handling of a car. It took a bit of time, but I eventually found a combination that worked, and the grip levels were great.

I really needed that grip for the next segment, the Speed/Stop Challenge. This one is my personal favorite because it's a simple concept but so hard to perfect, consisting of a 100-yard dash, then a 180 around a cone, followed by 50-yards to a stop box. The course was narrow, about 35 feet, so no overdriving the 180-degree turn. Stopping zones really tripped drivers up, including seasoned veterans.

Most of us were happy to get into the mid-13-second range, until a Porsche dropped a stunning 11.8 seconds; not even Steve Keplar and his track-prepped GT-R could come close to that.

I spent the rest of the afternoon hunting that elusive sub-14-second time in my 370Z. A few shock adjustments later, I went out for one last run and let it all hang out – which meant some wild sideways action and coming oh-so-close to getting into the 13’s. Slightly disappointing, but the fun factor alone was worth the work!

After seven hours in safety gear and six behind the wheel, it felt good to call it a day and cool off. I’m assuming the car felt the same way, with brake temps pushing 900 degrees F and oil temps in the high 200s. It felt good to unwind, and judging by how tense my wife was during the day, I'm sure she too was relieved all that stress was now behind us. We had an hour to kill before the awards presentation, so we wandered the paddock as everybody was packing up.

The once shining muscle cars, imports and sports cars were now covered in grime, dust and tire marbles. The drivers, while in good spirits, looked hot and exhausted as they loaded haulers or packed up the trunks. Speaking of packing up, my new friends who had driven from Canada got through the day with their Mustang intact, surviving to escort them back on the long trip home.

At the awards presentation there was no trophy, no plaque. Instead, the top three of each class were recognized for their achievements in front of peers and industry leaders, which is far more special than any dust-collecting trophy in the garage.

I was stunned to hear my name called, earning the top spot in GTS class for the Design/Engineering segment. Out-scoring builds from Detroit Speed and sharing the stage with Randy Johnson and Steve Kepler was rather unthinkable and a huge honor.

Beyond wins, what everyone was really after were the coveted SEMA invites for the culminating OUSCI event. To everyone’s delight, a special “Spirit of Competition” invite was extended to my new friends Bob and Cindy for their remarkable journey from Canada to compete for the weekend.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy all the work I’ve put into the 370Z than spending an amazing weekend with other incredible cars and people, a legendary track and a ton of adrenaline. I’ll be back for more, and I would encourage anyone serious about cars to think about attending one of the USCA races across the country – details can be found at driveusca.com. Say “hi” if you see me on the track!

View more photos of the USCA Road America weekend in the gallery below, or check out the '67 Camaro build of fellow USCA Racer, Mills Robinson.

If you know anything about the automotive world on Instagram, you know it's booming. Instagram has a wealth of beautiful project cars and trucks for the oogling. We decided to take advantage of this treasure trove and reach out to some of these social media stars. The questions we  asked them may surprise you, because they're not really about their builds.

Why? Because you can pretty much find all that information on their Instagrams. There's more to these project car (and truck) owners than meets the eye. Take a quick peek into the minds of two.

Phillip LaVasseur

@f7lthy_s550  |  2015 Ford Mustang GT RTR  |  Nitto Invos

1.  Best mod to your vehicle:

Air Lift Performance Air Ride

2.  Most used app:

Instagram

3.  Ugliest car ever made:

Kia Soul

4.  Next automotive adventure:

Yosemite National Park

5.  Last photo taken on your phone:

(Unsurprisingly...)

Billy Futey

@thegreenreaper3  |  2016 Toyota Tacoma  |  Nitto Mud Grapplers

1.  Best mod to your vehicle:

ICON Coilovers

2.  Most used app:

Instagram

3.  Ugliest car ever made:

Pontiac Aztek

4.  Next automotive adventure:

Building a new Tundra with a 15-inch lift

5.  Last photo taken on your phone:

(Didn't see this one coming...)

Want more vehicle specs? Be social! Follow Phillip and Billy on Instagram and ask them yourself!

We're looking for more Instagram influencers to feature! Interested? If your project vehicle is running Nitto Tires, send us an email at editor@drivingline.com with the subject line "Take 5." Don't forget to include your Instagram handle!

ROWW-Inspired F-150 at Your Service

Outrageous cars and trucks scatter around the Las Vegas Convention Center every year for the SEMA Show, most of them leaving spectators in shock and "huh?" Amongst the wildness, one build peaked our interested for a whole other reason. The Reach Out Worldwide-inspired Ford F-150 built by Armordillo USA is as amazing functionally as it is visually. From the chainsaws to the Nitto Ridge Grapplers, every part of this truck is there for a purpose. That purpose is to be able provide support in areas where relief efforts are most needed.

In case you might still need some convincing of the potential capabilities of this F-150, then let's look no further than from the opinion of Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW) CEO, Cody Walker. Cody, the younger brother of the late Paul Walker (also the organization's founder), was completely ecstatic at what the guys are Armodillo USA put together. From the color to the equipment, everything about it is exactly what Paul would have wanted to represent his organization of professionals with first responder skill-sets who augment local expertise when natural disasters strike in order to accelerate relief efforts.

Now that we've walked you around the ROWW-inspired Ford F-150, get a behind-the-scenes look at the build:

Here to Help

The best charitable acts are the ones that come from the heart. Armordillo USA's lead builders Michael Lee and Roger Lo could have built any SEMA vehicle any way they wanted, but they chose to do something they could be proud of. Inspired by ROWW, they transformed a normal Ford F-150 into the coolest looking first-responder vehicle you could imagine. As with any SEMA build, sponsors come onboard to lend a helping hand. This F-150 is outfitted with a WARN Zeon 10S winch, Magnaflow cat-back system 19053, Spyder Auto head and taillights, lifted with a ReadyLift 3.5" SST level kit and completed MKW M92 wheels wrapped in Nitto Tire Ridge Grapplers.

While that might be where a normal SEMA build usually stops, they continued on with equipment one might need out in the field. These include Hi-Lift All Cast Jack, Handle All and Shovel kit, Total Resources International First Aid Kit and of course a few STIHL chainsaws for good measure.

Racks on Racks

With all that equipment, they had to find a place to store it that is both secure and easily accessible; here is where Armordillo USA's expertise came into play. Not only did they design and fabricate the pre-runner guard in the front, but they also made these racks to go on the roof and over the bed of the truck. Equipment or supplies, these racks are more than strong enough to transport just about anything they might need. The roof rack also has a 360º LED light bar installed, bright enough to turn night into day.

That's a Wrap

To complete the build, the entire truck is wrapped in Avery Dennison satin black, which happens to also be one of Paul's personal favorite vehicle colors. The neon green stripe along the side is not only there to allow the truck stand out as a beacon of help when out in the field, but also to highlight ROWW and all the sponsors who helped make this truck possible.

Paul Walker once said about ROWW, "When you put good will out there, it's amazing what can be accomplished." The team at Armordillo USA clearly put a lot of good will into this truck, and it truly is an amazing accomplishment. We can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

(Photos by: Justin Pagtalunan, Byron Yoshida, Armordillo USA)

See more behind-the-scenes photos in the gallery at the top, or check out other trucks from SEMA Show 2016 in our feed below:

With its much talked about Drift mode and Ken Block as its avatar, the 2017 Ford Focus RS has certainly made a splash as it goes on sale in North America for the first time in its history (prior versions having been enjoyed exclusively in Europe). But as certified go-fast geeks and weekend road racers, what we wanted to know was how fast it is around a racetrack, not how good it is at doing Hoonigan-spec power slides through abandoned warehouses.

Don’t get us wrong, we are all for drifting in post-apocalyptic settings or around racetracks, but for stopwatch warriors like us, the proof of the Focus RS’s inherent goodness would be determined by its lap time around a track, an 11-turn road course with a good mix of tight and technical twisties and long enough straightaways to really stretch the EcoBoost’s legs. 

Of course, the lap times—which, as we quickly discovered, put it solidly at the head of the hot hatch/AWD turbocharged sport-compact class—only tell a small part of the story, because it’s the way the RS delivers its pace that solidifies it (in our minds, at least) as the most fun you can have for less than $50K. Overcook corner entry and the Ford’s physics-defying, torque-vectoring system will bail you out in an impressively noninvasive way, making you feel like a hot-lap hero instead of an e-nannied zero. 

Turn into a corner a little too eagerly and smash the apex curb? In most cars, this will upset the chassis and push you offline (or worse), but in the Focus RS, its magnetorheological dampers soak up the high-speed bumps like high-end race shocks while adjusting to smaller changes in the road surface hundreds of times a second to ensure maximum grip out of the tires. Speaking of which, kudos to Ford for putting a section in the owner’s manual about Track Use. It’s refreshing to see a major automaker embrace the fact that enthusiasts like us take our cars to the track, especially ones as special as the RS. 

As a result of its high-grip tires, magnetic dampers and electro-hydraulic, computer-controlled differentials—which can send as much as 70 percent of available torque to a single rear wheel—cornering speeds and lateral g-forces were well into supercar territory. We were seeing average lateral g’s close to 1.2 g and pulled a peak g-force reading of 1.31 g as we slid the RS through a 90-degree left-hander onto the middle straightaway.

Where the Focus RS felt the most special, though, was coming out of the corners, where it puts all of its 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque to the ground with a kind of efficient rage normally reserved for elite MMA athletes. The traction generated by the RS defies logic, and if you drive it in a neat and tidy fashion, it feels completely natural, with no sign of any of the electro-hydraulic wizardry going on beneath your seat. Drive it with a Gymkhana Nine level of commitment to sideways, though, and you will likely feel the power moving around from tire to tire as its torque-vectoring system searches for traction with the same kind of unrelenting determination as a T-1000 searching for John Connor. Hasta la vista, apex.

The sensation of technology never overrides the sense of joy the RS delivers, though, with its heavily bolstered Recaro seats holding you in a warm embrace that say, “It’s OK, you can toss me into the corners even harder.” And where the 2.3L, EcoBoost, turbocharged, direct-injection four-banger sounds unremarkable in the Mustang, in the Focus RS it’s been tuned with a much throatier exhaust note that turns every straightaway into a high-rpm symphony and every heel-and-toe downshift into a rally-inspired rapture of snaps, crackles and pops. 

The only weak spot we found in the Ford’s otherwise impenetrable armor was when we managed to boil the brake fluid after a series of laps driven at maximum attack. But prior to this, the big front Brembos provided plenty of stopping power and excellent pedal feel. With an upgrade to a racing-spec brake fluid, we're sure the braking system is, otherwise, more than up to the task of shedding the heat generated by slow-pedal abusers like us. 

The Focus RS is also a true “best of both worlds” proposition. Its four doors and cavernous hatchback layout make it a practical family hauler and an AWD system makes it all-weather capable, but throw it into Track mode and you’ve suddenly got something that’s capable of lap times that put it squarely in the company of purpose-built track cars. 

What about Drift mode? Is it a gimmick or can you really drift the RS? We are no drifters, so we subbed a pro drifter into the driver seat. With Drift mode engaged (which sends power to the outside rear tire) and an aggressive Scandinavian flick on entry, we were sliding sideways and powering out of corners with the tail hanging out and the rear tires putting off enough smoke to make a vaper jealous. 

Having thrashed the new Focus RS around my home track for the day, we were left in awe of what Ford has achieved with a chassis that started life as an economy car. But even more than that, we were left with huge smiles on our faces because the way the RS carves a corner is a truly joyful experience. Its neutral handling balance means you can drive it into corners in a wide range of styles, from Scan-flicking, hoonboy-like maneuvers to curb-smashing, lap-time chasers like us. 

In terms of driving style, the choice really is yours, thanks in large part to the Drive Modes at your disposal (Normal, Sport, Track and Drift), and in terms of the Focus RS, the choice is easy. We'll take ours in Nitrous Blue.

(All photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

Read about a few other family haulers that still get auto enthusiast approval.

The Magellan eXplorist TRX7 Off-Road GPS Navigator has been designed specifically for off-road enthusiasts and is much more than just a navigation system. After having tons of fun testing the system during 197 trail miles, I could probably write a book about all of its features, but I’ll keep my TRX7 review to the key features separating it from other navigation systems.

Right out of the box you can tell that the TRX7 is built for hard use. The 7" HD touchscreen is housed in a ruggedized IP67 casing that is drop and shock resistant. It looks and feels very solid and is larger than a typical GPS navigation unit, so you will need to put some thought into where to place it in your vehicle. There are three different Magellan eXplorist TRX7 models; the 4x4-specific one comes with a genuine RAM windshield mount. During testing, the unit survived extensive desert heat and bouncing over rocks, and it did not budge. The screen was easy to view in bright sun.

More Than Just a GPS: A Complete System

The TRX7 has a preloaded database of over 82,500 designated OHV routes in forests and public lands. The user can load a trail onto the unit and receive turn-by-turn guided navigation while on the trail. This is a great feature if it’s the first time you’ve done a trail, or can’t remember if you’re supposed to bear left or right at the "Y". It also has an Off Track warning to let you know if you’ve wandered off the trail, and it uses breadcrumbs for a Backtrack function.

The TRX7 also has a community database of user-uploaded trails called tracks. Instead of relying on outdated trail guides and maps or scouring forums for recent information, you can view up-to-date trail information from other off roaders. User tracks typically contain detailed information about trail conditions, obstacles, and points of interest. When using a tracked created by another user, the unit will show a popup as you approach a waypoint that the user marked so you have early warning about a tricky section coming up, or a scenic stop along the way.

Adding Detailed Notes While Out on a Trail

My absolute favorite thing about using the TRX7 is how easy it is to add detailed information about a point of interest while I’m on the trail. The touch screen makes it super easy to add waypoints and mark obstacles with one touch, and it has a good selection of icons. For safety reasons, you do need to stop your vehicle to add details, but notes can be added by either text or audio, and a photo can be added as well. When you view a user-shared track, you can see all of the points of interest, notes and photos the user has included.

I often use this feature to mark primitive campsites I’ve found and note if there is shade and room for multiple vehicles. I also use it to highlight scenic spots and other interesting places I find along the trail and to mark turnoffs for side trips.

The database also has the ability to search for hundreds of thousands of places and services you might need while on an off-road trip, such as gas stations, auto services, campsites, grocery stores, restaurants and landmarks.

The basemap has both a 2D topo map with contour lines and a high resolution 3D view. The 3D view came in handy when I was wheeling in the fog last weekend and could barely even see the Jeep in front of me. The TRX7 let me see when I was cresting a hill, or about to start descending, even though I couldn’t see the terrain in front of me.

User-Generated Trail Ratings and Details

After completing a trail, the TRX7 prompts the user to enter information about trail conditions. After marking items like if the trail required 4WD or 4LO, terrain type, degrees of pitch and roll, size of any rocks and the depth of any water crossings, the TRX7 calculates a custom difficulty rating based on the Blue-Green-Red, Easy-Moderate-Difficult ranking used by National Forests. Once the trail has been ranked, the user can upload it to the Community Trail Database to share with other off-roaders.

An Adventure-Tracking, Social-Friendly GPS Tool 

You can link your social media accounts (Twitter and Instagram right now) to the TRX7 and the hashtag button on the map screen will send a preconfigured tweet letting people know what trail you are doing.

All of the TRX7 features come together in the TRX Journal, which keeps track of all of the trails you’ve completed and any trails on your Wish List.

The Journal keeps a running total of your total Dirt Miles completed, and you earn award badges for completing various milestones.

Heading to Moab and looking for trails? Search the database for Trails near Moab and you’ll be shown a map with all of the available trails.

Clicking anywhere on a trail will highlight its length and show a popup with the trail details. Clicking the blue Sync icon will load the trail onto your TRX7 so you don’t have to search for it after you leave home. Searching for user-uploaded tracks, you can filter by trail rating and difficulty level.

Your TRX7 Journal syncs with the TRX Trailhead website. With built-in Wi-Fi, the tablet will automatically sync upon returning home once it’s connected to your Wi-Fi network. From there, the TRX Trailhead is the planning and sharing hub where you can easily view all of the trails in the database (including user-generated tracks), plan a trip and preload trails onto the TRX7. You can also upload GPX files from other devices to the Trailhead website, rate it and add attributes, and the trail will be added to your Trailhead Log.

Multiple Vehicle Profiles for Your Personal Account

The TRX7 can keep track of multiple vehicles and each vehicle has its own profile. After giving your vehicle a name and entering the year, make and model, you can use one of the icons or upload a photo of your vehicle.

Beyond a Navigational Unit

The TRX7 is a fully functioning Mac and Windows compatible Android tablet (currently running 4.2.2 Jellybean) with a USB Port, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an SD card slot. It comes preloaded with an internet browser, e-mail client, clock, calendar, sound recorder, file manager and it can even play your music. If you don’t have Wi-Fi available, you could also use your phone as a hotspot to access the internet as long as you have a cell signal.

Magellan TRX7 vs. Competitor: Lowrance

Many people have asked me how the Magellan eXplorist TRX7 compares to a Lowrance for off-road use. Since I’ve only used Lowrance in a boat, I asked the question to Steve von Seggern, Director of Marketing, OHV for Magellan who laid out these differences:

• Lowrance is a marine product re-purposed for 4x4 (packaging still includes sonar info). TRX7 was created for 4x4 from the ground up.
• Lowrance requires an external GPS antenna.
• Lowrance does not come with OHV trails installed, the user must upload GPX files.
• Lowrance does not provide turn-by-turn navigation.

Navigating Further From Trail to Street

At present, the TRX7 continues development and Magellan is listening to user feedback. In my testing of the TRX7, the one glaring omission was its lack of street navigation. I was very excited to learn that street navigation capabilities are being added November 1, 2016. The update will enable users to navigate to the trailhead, receive turn-by-turn navigation on the trail, and then navigate to a gas station or restaurant afterwards. The addition of street level navigation will make the TRX7 the only GPS navigation unit an off-roader will need.

Editor's Update: There is no word on when exactly that update will come. No further details have been released about features.

The more I learn how to use the advanced functions and how everything integrates, the more I love the TRX7. Aside from how much I love using it on the trail, I really like having a record of all of my trail adventures mapped out for easy viewing; it has made note-taking on the trail fun instead of a chore. 197 dirt miles in, I have only just begun to tap its potential.

After reading any of my Driving Line trail review articles, if you’re interested in exploring them for yourself, you can now search for my saved tracks as user “DustyTrails” on the TRX7 Trailhead!

The San Fernando Valley town of Chatsworth is a lot of things, but remarkable just isn’t one of them. That is until you spend a day in Chatsworth hanging out at the ICON headquarters, like we did a few weeks ago. We chatted with Jonathan Ward, checked out his spotless shop and drove the ICON TR, their take on the Chevy Thriftmaster from the 1950s. Rough day, huh?

Ward calls the TR “a sportscar masquerading as a pickup,” and for all intents and purposes, it is. But more importantly, it is a truck that’s virtually impossible to replicate at home. 

Here are a few secrets that reveal why the ICON TR — and ICON builds in general — are so special:

1. Geeked Out on Design

After talking to Ward for the first hour about everything other than cars — watches, furniture, fabrics, 16^th century Italian castles — it was clear that this guy isn’t just your neighborhood grease monkey. This is a man who loves design of all kinds, who has refined his eye by exploring almost everything outside the automotive industry. So when he tells us, “I don’t like matte when it’s just murdered out, it looks cheap to me,” we believe him. This is why the ICON matte isn’t true matte at all, but instead has tiny particles of mica to ensure a low level sheen even without gloss.

2. Attention to Detail

One of the reasons why the ICON builds sometimes look so easy to replicate is because the details are so subtle. Yes, that looks like the original Chevy Thriftmaster dash upon first glance, but then a small lever reveals a gauge cluster hiding beneath, including modern essentials like A/C, USB ports and CarPlay. There are even side-mounted, collapsible cupholders, because ICON’s not expecting you to give up your double caramel latte just because you bought a classic truck.

3. Maker Made

Those pedals are super cool, and so are the aluminum door handles. Where’d he get them? He didn’t. He made them. Ward’s enormous, expanded shop includes CNC machines to ensure the suppliers don’t hold him back. So if he wants something and can’t find it, or can envision it better, he just makes it. Easy as that!

4. Trust Is Power

Ward’s clients come with a wish list, but in the end they trust him to make the car of their dreams. ICON doesn’t skimp when it comes to ensuring that their clients' personalities are reflected in their vehicles. The TR#6 we checked out is being made for a guy in Hawaii, so of course that truck bed is made from locally sourced Koa wood. For his Kentucky client, Ward’s team sourced the same wood that is used for the Louisville slugger. They likely would never have thought to put it on their wish list, and it’s why they trust Jonathan with the details.

5. It Doesn’t Come Cheap

If you’ve ever had a project car, you know one thing for sure: your budget is a joke. There’s the budget you start with, and then, by the time you’re done, the one you’ve finally begged, borrowed and stolen to achieve. You can bet that second and final number is at least double the first. For Ward and his team, this attention to detail, perfection and obsession doesn’t come cheap. The TRs start at $230,000 and go up from there.

Although these are just a few of the things that make ICON, well... ICON, Jonathan Ward confesses, “I’m not that smart, so everything I build is, at its root, really for me.” 

Still want to try your own Thriftmaster build?

Jonathan Ward offers this key piece of advice:

“Make the biggest gas tank you can. First, get it out of the cab. Nobody wants that thing sloshing behind them, so move it aft as far back as you can. Then build it out of a thicker gauge of stainless than you need so it’s heavier, and there you go!”

This, Ward assures, will help reconcile the truck’s weight displacement and ensure a more comfortable ride.

What’s it like to drive the ICON TR?

Testing it out with Driving Line’s Managing Editor, Kristin Cline, she had this to say: 

“Being a classic car driver, I wasn’t sure if I was going to love or hate ICON's Thriftmaster. It looked beautiful, and I knew it would drive tremendously — but would it retain enough of an old pickup's personality or feel too polished? By the time I took the first turn out of the driveway, I knew the ICON TR was still vintage pickup enough for me. When I broke the 555s loose with a snap of the throttle, sending Motorhead Mama and I into a fit of giggles, I was in love. This truck would be my daily driver in a hot second... if only I could afford it!”

Join in on our LIVE test drive from Driving Line's Facebook:

For more tips from Jonathan, check out his Top 5 Builder’s Tips.

“It’s crazy to think how far this sport has taken me, and I feel like we’re only just getting started.”

As quickly as the drift king's opening words hook you in... this quiet, retrospective atmosphere is cut short by the welcome sound of a screaming rotary. Welcome to "The Mad Life" of Mad Mike Whiddett. There's not much time for sitting still when you have places to go and sponsor commitments to keep — not to mention a whole motorsport team to run — around the world.

Scheduled to release December 15 on Red Bull TV, this 50-minute documentary follows the professional drifter on his whirlwind of a journey in 2016, through the MAD, the BAD and the RAD.

Sure, things might get a little crazy at times, but you can expect nothing less than full throttle from Mad Mike.

Watch the video above for the official teaser from Red Bull as you count down the days until the premiere of "The Mad Life"!

(Looks like Team Nitto driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. made the trailer cut, too!)