Build inspiration comes from a lot of different places. For Richard Hodges, it was from a chance encounter when he happened across one of Chris Steuber personal E-series 4x4 vans. Steuber, the owner of Ujoint Off-Road in Fletcher, North Carolina, specializes in four-wheel drive conversions for Ford E-series vans. At the time, Hodges was still using his 1999 Ford E-350 as his primary work vehicle for his pluming company. While some time would pass before Hodges was ready to pull the trigger, he knew exactly how he wanted his van to look once it was ready for retirement.

After 14 years and 228,000 miles on the clock, Hodges was finally ready to hand over the keys to the guy who originally inspired his build. Removing the body completely from the van’s framerails, Steuber and his Ujoint team spent the next few months building this incredible van you see here today. We recently caught up with Hodges to find out a little more about the van and what his future plans are with it. While you can hear it straight from him in the video above, we’re diving into the details in our feature breakdown below.

Hodges' van started off life as a two-wheel drive. To convert it to four-wheel drive, Ujoint Off-Road installed of it its full conversions. This particular system raises the van 8 inches over stock via leaf springs at all four corners. Dual Fox 2.0 shocks with reservoirs are used to dampen the ride, while a front sway bar from a ’99-’04 Ford Super Duty reduces body roll.  

Secured to the lift springs is a high-pinion Dana 60 front axle that got the Ujoint Stage II treatment. This means the van maintains compatibility with Ford’s RSC (roll stability control) system in addition to gaining crossover and front brakes from a Ford F-550. To help find traction in the dirt, a Detroit Truetrac was installed.

Mated to the back of the 4R100 automatic transmission is a NV271 transfer case. The T-case splits power to the full-float axles via a set of custom driveshafts fit with 1350 double-cardan joints.

Out back, the stock Dana 60 was upgraded with a selectable Zip Locker from Yukon and 4.56 gears. Protecting the differentials are a set of covers from Dynatrac. The Ujoint onboard air system powers three Kleinn air horns as well as the helper air bags.

Hodges wanted some serious off-road lighting, so Ujoint modified one of its aluminum bumpers to accommodate the slew of Rigid Industries LED lights. The high-clearance front bumper also clears room for the 355/60R20 Nitto Terra Grappler tires, which were mounted of 20x12 Fuel Wheels. Hodges states he’s been extremely happy with how quiet the tires are and how well they perform.

Hidden in the compact engine compartment is a massive 7.3L Power Stroke diesel engine. With nearly 250,000 miles on the odometer, the engine remains trouble free with ample power on tap. The sPOD fuse block keeps wiring clean and easy.

Used for most of its life to haul around plumbing supplies, the inside of the van is pretty Spartan. While Hodges plans to focus his efforts inside next, for now, four leather seats offer up plenty of comfort.

Just in case he does run out of room inside, Hodges has plenty of space available to load gear up top. The Ujoint roof rack was outfitted with Rigid LED lights, Fiamma awning, and modified for the MaxxAir fan. To access the rack, a side ladder from Aluminess was installed.

The stock rear bumper was modified with an air fitting mount and Rigid Dually lights. To clean it up a bit, a fresh powdercoat finish was applied, which matches nicely with the Rhino Line coating that was sprayed along the rocker panels.

To get the body of the van looking new again, Hodges had Morrow Paint & Body lay on a new blue coat. Finishing out some of the smaller details are fender flares from Bushwacker and step rails from Aluminess.

The fact that Hodges has owned the van since new and used it for over 14 years as a work vehicle makes this transformation all the more impressive. While it may be a bit unconventional, it's clearly possible for the E-series Ford vans to be made into a formidable 4x4.

Hard Facts

See more photos in the gallery below.

In recent years, custom ECU calibrating (i.e., “custom tuning”) has become all the rage for diesel truck owners. Thanks to the availability of various software and tuning platforms, tuners are capable of tailoring the way a truck drives and performs to a specific owner’s needs. However, the one drawback up to this point is that if a tuning revision is needed, a laptop or SD card has to be employed in order to upload a new (revised) file into the customer’s tuning device (and ultimately the truck). This means downtime, which doesn’t sit well in the instant gratification world we live in. Truck owners don’t want to wait a week, a day, even an hour to see results; that’s precisely why the EZ Lynk Auto Agent is revolutionizing the tuning industry.

The EZ Lynk Auto Agent allows you to tune, diagnose, monitor and data log your truck through the use of your iOS or Android smartphone. There’s no more connecting your handheld programming device to a laptop, no more microscopic SD card(s) to keep track of and, more importantly, no more waiting around. Everything is done from your phone, without the need to ever even visit a shop.

We recently got our hands on an EZ Lynk Auto Agent and decided to give it a shot on a ’17 F-350 Super Duty, which PPEI had just released aftermarket tuning for. Follow along as we run through the install and spotlight a host of features that set this technology apart from the tuning devices of yesteryear.

All-Inclusive

On the hardware side of things, the EZ Lynk Auto Agent comes with everything you need to get started, including the Auto Agent router, OBD-II cable and phone mount. The dealer network for EZ Lynk is growing by the day, but we sourced our unit from PPEI — a company known for its reputable custom tuning and good customer support.

To link your smartphone to the EZ Lynk hardware, you simply download the free app (from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store), create an account and you’re granted full access to the EZ Lynk cloud.

Unlock Cable

Because ’13-newer Ram trucks equipped with the 6.7L Cummins require the ECU to be unlocked in order to tune it — and because the EZ Lynk Auto Agent can be used in multiple vehicles — EZ Lynk ships this cable with each unit it sells. It allows you to unlock the ECU without having to buy a separate device (thereby eliminating an added expense).

Obviously, considering the fact we were installing the EZ Lynk on a Ford, we didn’t need to use it.

Wi-Fi Router

The Auto Agent box is essentially a Wi-Fi router that speaks CAN. It broadcasts a wireless access point which allows your iOS or Android device to be directly linked to your vehicle. The Auto Agent plugs into the vehicle’s OBD-II port using the included cord.

After ours was installed on our ’17 Super Duty test mule, we zip-tied it up and out of the way, under the dash.

Phone Mount

As far as mounting your smartphone goes, the supplied mount is secured via suction and adhesive. It’s designed to be installed along the dashboard or windshield, but it can literally be mounted anywhere in the vehicle.

Spring Loaded

The smartphone mount is also spring loaded (no need to tighten or loosen anything) and can accommodate the size of any phone currently on the market. This makes for a quick release and install for anyone on the go.

ECU Profiles

Once everything is up and running, the Auto Agent will immediately recognize your specific vehicle (there is no longer a need to supply the truck’s VIN, ECU or TCM serial numbers to your tuner).

From there, and if you wish to tune the ECU, you have to establish a link between the vehicle and your preferred tuner using the Auto Agent app; then, your tuner will be able to send you ECU files through the EZ Lynk cloud. Once a tune is received (which literally takes seconds), you simply “fetch” it, then upload it to the ECU.

Easy Uploading

After tapping the “install” button, the new tuning file is uploaded into the ECU. Tuning the ECU is no different from the handheld programmers of yesteryear; you simply follow the onscreen prompts and cycle the ignition on and off when told to do so.

5 Minutes or less

Installing the new tune took less than 5 minutes, which got us thinking…

This type of technology would be ideal for someone testing at the drag strip or dyno, as your tuner can email a different ECU file directly to your phone, and you can have it uploaded in a matter of minutes. With the ability to data log and change ECU calibrations so quickly, EZ Lynk is the perfect tool for making adjustments per the track conditions you’re facing.

Smartphone-Turned-Powertrain Monitor

Beyond the tuning, reading and clearing DTCs and data logging functions, your smartphone doubles as a gauge monitor to keep tabs on key vitals like transmission temperature, coolant temp, rail pressure, boost and more.

This rules out the need to fork over even more money on an aftermarket monitor or analog gauges.

Data Logging Capability

Should you need to data log (be it for performance testing or diagnosis purposes), you simply hit the red button in the top right corner of the smartphone screen. The data logging function is perfect for solving intermittent issues vehicles sometimes experience.

Instead of taking your truck to a shop, having your mechanic drive it and hope the problem resurfaces during his or her test drive, you can simply hit record and document what your truck is doing when it acts up. From there, all you have to do is email the log to your tuner (or mechanic), and the problem can likely be pinpointed. This saves you a lot of downtime, and (trust us) your mechanic will appreciate not having to chase down a mysterious issue.

Easy to Configure

Once the EZ Lynk installation was complete on our ’17 Super Duty, we configured the eight parameters we wanted to watch in gauge form and took the truck for a test drive.

Injection pressure, engine coolant and oil temp, boost pressure and transmission temp were among the key vitals we like to keep an eye on in any diesel-powered vehicle.

Seamless Updates

Automatic firmware updates are extremely convenient with the EZ Lynk system, for both the end user and the tuner. Instead of updating each EZ Lynk on a case-by-case basis, your tuner can send out an update that applies to all devices. This helps resolve minor issues before they ever have a chance to become a problem.

Current Availability

• ’11-’16 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
• ’17 Ford 6.7L Power Stroke: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
• ’11-’16 GM 6.6L Duramax: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming
• ’17 GM 6.6L Duramax: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control (Flash Programming coming soon)
• ’13-’17 Ram 6.7L Cummins: Enhanced Monitoring, Diagnostics Control, Flash Programming

Among Porsche’s exceptional line up of historic vehicles, the venerable 959 is arguably the most pivotal in shaping Porsche’s modern design philosophy and the automotive industry altogether. While the Lamborghini Miura is commonly credited for introducing the supercar archetype, with its mid-engine configuration and exoteric styling, the Porsche 959 legitimizes the technological approach to performance that challenges the established formula of more power and less weight. Without the precedence set by the 959, the current crop of high-tech hypercars might have ended up as mere concept cars, destined for some dusty warehouse.

Originally designed as a homologation special for the infamous Group B Rally classification, the 959 combined the sweeping roofline of the 911 and massive fender bulges to create a silhouette that is distinctly Porsche yet delightfully exotic.

Working as a canvas for Porsche’s engineer to introduce innovative racing features to a production car, the Porsche PSK (Porsche-Steuer Kupplung) was the first four-wheel-drive system equipped on a sports car to actively bias torque to maximize performance. With the PSK system accompanied by on-the-fly adjustable suspension damping and ride height, the 959 could conquer any terrain. In fact, during the 1986 racing season, when the Group B series met its demise, Porsche secured a first, second and fifth place finish at the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally and a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 959 also featured the first application of sequential turbocharging in a production car, the first TPMS system for road-going vehicles, a hybrid cooling system where the air-cooled block is mated to a water-cooled DOHC head, and a specially designed six-speed transmission with a gear for dirty and muddy terrain. There are just so many wonderful engineering wonders packed into this surprisingly dainty supercar.

While online articles are great for finding basic information about a topic, personally, books are still the best way to learn about all the mechanical intricacies and fascinating stories behind a car. Titled as its namesake and expertly written by Jürgen Lewandowski, "Porsche 959" is a 350-page multivolume book, containing over 200 high-res illustrations. Through detailed personal accounts and commentary from contemporary witnesses, it chronologies the difficult birth of the Porsche 959 and the racing efforts embarked on by the Porsche racing team.

With the price for even the most modest example of the Porsche 959 reaching above the million-dollar mark, this book set might be the closest the average car enthusiast will come to owning a piece of this pivotal part of the automotive history. Publishing has been been limited to only 2,500 copies, so keep that in mind if you're on the fence about purchasing the book set, available on Amazon. Check out Delius Klasing’s website for more information. 

(Photos Courtesy of Delius Klasing)

See more beautiful images of the book set in the gallery below.

It’s been over 10 years since the last Jeep Wrangler TJ rolled off of the assembly line. Despite this fact, new aftermarket components continue to be released for the ’97 to ’06 Wrangler platform on a somewhat regular basis. One area constantly being reexamined is the Jeep’s suspension. This is partly due to component improvements that have happened over the past decade. One company that has recently increased its TJ suspension line is JKS Manufacturing.

The premium suspension brand is largely known for many of its individual suspension components such as sway bar disconnects and adjustable track bars. The company’s latest product, however, is a complete 3-inch JSPEC suspension system. To get a closer look at the JSPEC kit we stopped by Low Range 4x4 in Wilmington, North Carolina, where one was getting installed on a 1997 Wrangler. While our video above gives the start-to-finish progress, we’re highlighting some of the standout details below.

One of the most venerable areas on the TJ are the stock lower control arms. While the bushings are extremely durable, the stamped-steel arms can easily fail when contacting hard terrain off-road. JKS includes new front lowers with its 3-inch system. These are comprised of beefy 2-inch, 0.250-wall DOM tubing and fit with Clevite rubber bushings. This arm setup equates to not only a strength upgrade, but also something capable of going the distance in the muddy and sandy trails conditions this Jeep will see.

Front and rear dual-rate coil springs are used to create the 3 inches of lift. These are paired with JKS JSPEC nitrogen-charged shocks, which are valved specifically for the lightweight Wrangler application.

A common wear point on the TJ is the stock front track bar. JKS ensures that you can have your Wrangler properly aligned and hit the road worry free with its adjustable front track bar. Comprised of CNC-formed DOM tubing, the new bar attaches to the stock mounting locations. You will need to drill out the hole on the frame side with a 9/16-inch bit to accommodate the new grade 8 bolt.

Out back, a rear track bar bracket bolts to the stock mount. By raising the bar at the axle, you’ll increase the roll center of the Jeep, which equates to increased stability on-road and off.

To make sure the TJ was dialed in side to side, a JKS adjustable rear track bar was used. The 1.25-inch DOM bar is fit with a spherical urethane bushing that mounts at the axle and heavy-duty urethane bushing at the frame side.

Also standard with the JSPEC 3-inch kit are adjustable rear upper control arms. These work with the provided transfer case drop and engine mount shims to ensure you won’t have any driveline vibrations or binding. Optional JKS’s J-Link lower control arms were also installed to ensure all four of the lowers could take abuse.

To ensure the suspension can move freely off-road, JKS includes a set of its Quicker Disconnects. These front sway-bar disconnects come with a mounting post that secures the links when you’re ready to hit the trail. 

This TJ is running a wheel designed for the 2007 to 2017 Jeep Wrangler JK. To convert the TJ’s 5-on-4.5-inch wheel-bolt pattern to the JK’s 5-on-5 patter, a set of aluminum wheel adapters from Rugged Ridge were used.

For tires and wheels, 33x12.50R17 Nitto Mud Grapplers were mounted on 17x9 Drakon wheels from Rugged Ridge. Not only is this lightweight wheel package visually exciting, but the Mud Grapplers are also perfect for the mud and sand the TJ will traverse.

Making the transition from a bone-stock suspension to a lifted one is always a big change. The new control arms, along with the fresh coils and shocks, tightened the feel of the Jeep up tremendously. While this Jeep isn’t a daily driver, we see no reason why we couldn’t comfortably spend commuting time behind the wheel. There’s a lot more planned for the Twinkie TJ, so be sure to check back soon to see the build progress.

See how to get the inside of an old TJ refreshed, too!

Here in Europe, the arrival of March is a time of anticipation and optimism hoping to brush away the mid-winter blues – and what better way to cure them than with the latest in automotive, found at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. There was plenty found there to lift the spirits, especially in the high performance class. Take a look...

Ferrari 812 Superfast Is the Last Of A Legend

Where better to start the quest than with Ferrari? The Italian motoring aristocrats celebrate 70 years of passion and speed in 2017, so a new car would be revealed at Geneva, that was a racing certainty and Maranello did not disappoint.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast is the latest in an unbroken line of V-12-powered cars stretching back to the start of the legend. It is rumored to be the last in such a pure configuration as turbocharging and hybrid technology will be features of the next generation of Ferraris in this market segment.

Looking like a Million Dollars, but costing only $300,000, the two examples of the 812 Superfast on display featured new Ferrari colors - the special celebratory Rosso 70 Anni (above) and Grigio Caldo Opaco (below). Mamma Mia!

The real story lies under the seductive curves of the bodywork, especially up front, with the 6.5L V-12 engine pushing out 789bhp and prodigious amounts of torque to match. This record breaking amount of power gives this new Berlinetta a performance level that almost matches the La Ferrari.

The task of controlling the prancing horses is optimized by the introduction of electric power steering, and it is the first Ferrari to use such a system, developed to work with Ferrari’s Slide Slip Control. Also new, is the second generation of Virtual Short Wheelbase, which sharpens the car’s handling to give quicker steering response times.

The cabin is appointed in a style, as one might expect, the Ferrari 812 Superfast will be another home run from Ferrari and is the rightful heir to a fantastic dynasty. I somehow doubt that this beauty will be anything other than a sell out, a 'Prince among Cars' perhaps.

The McLaren 720S Launches To New Heights

McLaren is one of the very few brands with a motorsport heritage that is the equal of Ferrari, and since 2012 it has attacked the Italians on the road as well, producing a tightly focused series of high performance sports cars. The rivalry on the track has now spilled into the streets, and at Geneva McLaren unveiled their latest supercar, the McLaren 720S.

This second generation McLaren will replace the 650S as the company's core model. I considered McLaren's history and future plans recently HERE, while test driving the 570S model, and now we witness the first part of this journey.

The latest Super Series model is lighter, faster and aerodynamically superior to its predecessor. Like all the other models in the range, the 720S is a two-seater with a carbon fiber one-piece tub, the front and rear suspension is mounted on aluminum space frames, and the whole affair is powered by 4L twin-turbocharged V-8, said to be good for 710bhp.

The increase in power is matched by a reduction in weight, revised suspension geometry and updates to the braking system – all of this adds up to a significant increase in performance and driver satisfaction.

There is a new driver interface inside the cockpit, which has been redesigned to enhance a feeling of "space" for both the driver and passenger.

The McLaren 720S is available at a cost of around $250,000, with the production run expected to be approximately 1,200 in 2017 with an increase to 1,500 in 2018. The first deliveries will commence in May and the initial run of 400 "Launch Edition" cars have already been sold. The importance to McLaren of the 720S cannot be over emphasized as Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive comments:

“Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland. This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new 720S is absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment.”

As with most cars in this class, there are almost endless variations in specification for the 720S. McLaren highlighted this by choosing to place a bespoke version of the 720S on the stand at Geneva. The work of McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the 720S Velocity has a new and exclusive paint range, together with bronze-finished lightweight alloys, exterior carbon parts and is finished in a Carbon Black Alcantara trim.

The mechanical specification is the same as the standard car, but McLaren expect 20% of customers to opt for this package which takes the asking price above $400,000... exclusivity comes at a cost.

Triple Threat From Porsche, Beginning With the Porsche 911 GT3

If Ferrari and McLaren were introducing state-of-the-art new models, Porsche just keeps fine tuning their 911. In particular, the GT3. The big news here is Porsche has listened to customers' wishes and is now again offering a transmission option! The PKD dual-clutch system has been the only game in town since 2013, this year we'll see manual transmission added to Porsche's offerings in their GT3.

The traditional flat-six engine, now a full 4L, revs all the way up to 9000rpm and gives 493bhp – singing in the way that Porsches should. The weight saving measures include a reduction in soundproofing, which will surely please those who enjoy the sound of their motoring.

Drawing on experiences with the 911 R, Porsche has managed to increase downforce while reducing drag. This apparent contradiction of the laws of physics has been achieved by relocating the rear spoiler and combining it with the other aerodynamic devices such as the diffuser and underbody.

Will Porsche Release A Street Legal 911 RSR?

The other story making the rounds at Geneva regarding the 911 was rumors of a road-going version of the latest 911 RSR racecar, with a mid-engined configuration going into production. A seismic shift from 50+ years of rear-engined 911s. In the tradition of listening to their customers, it is something that Porsche are supposedly considering seriously. Time will tell.

2017 RUF CTR Pays Homage In the Best Way Possible

At the other end of the 911 story is RUF and their reworked 911 based on the venerable 964 model, the CTR. Actually, "reworked" does RUF a complete injustice, this is no tuners' special. This car features a carbon monocoque chassis and is the first rear-engined car to do so. Incorporated into this chassis is a steel roll cage.

Power is quoted at 700bhp from the twin-turbo 3.6L flat-six, a development of the classic, water-cooled Mezger Porsche engine. Rear wheel drive, the handsome carbon fiber bodywork pays tribute to RUF's legendary CTR "Yellow Bird".

“The concept for the 2017 CTR is one that I have had in my head for a very long time,” said Alois Ruf, President and owner of RUF Automobile GmbH. “We have been waiting for the right point in our history to build our own car and the 30th anniversary of the CTR ‘Yellow Bird’ is that moment.”

In a show full of super cars and concepts, the CTR stood out for me, the clean and simple design is in perfect harmony – perhaps it is appealing to my inner '80s. Just 30 examples of the RUF CTR will be built, making this a pretty exclusive 911.

Spyker Is Back And They Mean Business

And finally, my last highlight from this year's crop of new Super Cars at Geneva Motor Show comes from my old Dutch friends, Spyker. I must confess that I shot for the "Crazy Dutch Guys" when they raced at Le Mans and other great endurance events. Their story could fill a book – as Spyker were nearly put out of business, but CEO Victor Muller refused to give up. He got the judgements reversed and, Lazarus-like, Spyker reappeared at Geneva a year ago.

This year, not only was there a new car, the C8 Preliator Spyder, but Victor had another rabbit to pull from his hat. It was announced that:

"Spyker has signed an Engine Supply Agreement with Christian von Koenigsegg, Founder and CEO of Koenigsegg Automotive AB (“Koenigsegg”) from Angelholm, Sweden, during a press conference at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. Both the Spyker C8 Preliator as well as its Spyder version, which was unveiled at the press conference, will be propelled by the new Koenigsegg engine."

The new engine for Spyker has been extensively reworked from the unit that powers the Swedish Ultra Cars – the turbochargers have been removed and the engine's architecture altered to fit into the rear of the Preliator. Victor put the rational for the move thus:

"This is our single most important advancement in technology since I founded Spyker in 2000. I have always admired the amazing technologies developed by Christian von Koenigsegg and his dedicated team creating one of the most sophisticated cars and engines on the planet, and I am convinced our Spyker C8 Preliator clients will tremendously enjoy the huge performance leap."

"The 600 horsepower V8 engine with manual gearbox, ticks all the boxes of the Spyker brand; it's Bold, Pure, and Engaging but foremost hyper-exclusive hence a perfect match to the Spyker C8 Preliator coupe as well as the Spyder we unveil this morning. In fact, this is the only 600 horsepower series produced sports car available with a manual gearbox on the market today. Although our peers believe the manual is virtually dead, and many have vowed we would never see them again, our discerning clients have clearly spoken out in favor of the manual: the Koenigsegg powered Spyker C8 Preliator Spyder will provide an engaging purist driving experience second to none tantalizing all senses. The howling sound of this normally aspirated engine will be unmistakable and thrilling."

The production run of the Preliator Spyder will be limited to just 100, guaranteeing exclusivity to anyone who opts for the Dutch Master. At a price approaching $500,000, they are expected to sell out soon.

Spyker is back and they mean business. Coming up next up from the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, we'll take a look at the top concept cars... stay tuned.

Keeping track of international trends, did you catch our 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon coverage?

The last several years’ shift in popularity from structured event series to enthusiast-organized bashes has pretty drastically re-shaped the automotive events landscape. Sure, Formula Drift's competition rounds are still a huge draw for spectators, but increasingly so are the All-Star Bash, World Cup Finals of Drag Racing, various club track days and plenty of others that invite enthusiasts to not only spectate, but also participate in the things they love. And brands connected with their customer bases are taking notice.

Enter Boost Fest, which for the past several years has united enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals of drifting, drag racing, time-attack and more at annual events that fit the trends.

Boost Fest Moves West

Boost Fest has traditionally been an Arizona event, which has been great for Arizona and Southwest enthusiasts, but has left us Cali boys hanging. This year that changed as Garrett occupied Willow Springs’ Streets of Willow, Balcony and Horse Thief Mile courses to host JustDrift, Drift 101 and Global Time Attack (GTA) antics, respectively. Absent from festivities (and from Willow Springs altogether) was drag racing, but for the diehard fans, Import Faceoff was throwing down at Bakersfield's Famoso Raceway, just 100 miles northwest.

The Result

It was fun! Cold and windy, and not as big as we’ve seen from past year’s events, but Boost Fest provided those in attendance with the winter break they were yearning for, with plenty of beginner-to-professional drifting, amateur-to-professional time-attacking and tons of fun and camaraderie in the pits and paddocks to boot.

Where to Start: Drift 101

If you have literally zero experience with drifting and want to get started (or if you just want to hang out at Willow Springs for a few hours and beat on someone else’s cars), Drift 101 has you covered. When it comes to OGs in California’s drifting scene, they don’t come much more thoroughbred than Naoki Kobayashi, founder of Drift Day, California’s very first organized drifting events. As the headman of Drift 101 today, he will likely be your first contact should you choose one of the best paths to start your drifting obsession. He’s seen the rise of too many talented slide drivers to count, and his advice can be golden if you heed it.

After an online registration at drift101.com, Naoki-san will invite you out to Willow Springs’ Balcony track one sunny Southern California weekend, get you behind the wheel of either of his drift-prepped S13 240SXs or Nissan 350Zs, pair you with an instructor with years of professional drifting or stunt driving experience, and basically cut you loose to learn the finer points of car control in smokey, full-throttle glory.

For Boost Fest-ivities, instructors Jeff Jones (Formula D pro) and Susan Purkhiser (stunt driver and defensive driving instructor) joined Naoki-san and his staff in teaching students drifting fundamentals; for some, that can sometimes begin with how to drive a manual transmission car.

Once they get past that, the rest is all "clutch-kicks and donuts," as they say in drifting. For anyone who’s mastered the techniques, they’re a piece of cake; but for beginners, they can take some time. Since holding a perfect donut involves clutch-kicking, throttle modulation and counter-steering, Drift 101 believes they’re the best place to start.

Lesson begins by watching from the passenger seat while an instructor demonstrates the technique...

...then hopping in the driver’s seat and going at it for the better part of an hour.

After that it’s onto figure-eights, which add the skill of transitioning to the training.

And if you make it this far (don’t feel bad if you don’t, most students come back another day for this part), it’s onto higher-speed hand-brake initiations and long, sweeping drifts.

All in all, Drift 101 is possibly the best way to get involved with drifting. For less than the cost of renting the track for half a day, you get about as much usable time on-track, professional instruction and guidance, and even a rental drift car.

And when you’re ready to move on and have built your own car, Drift 101 can help you with that, too.

The Next Step: JustDrift

Leading up to the founding of Drift Day, two Japanese drift aficionados were regularly getting kicked out of Speed Ventures' track days for getting too sideways, too often. After they teamed up with Naoki-san to form Drift Day, retired Formula D pros Hiro Sumida and Taka Aono launched JustDrift, the organization responsible for Top Drift, today’s SoCal Formula D pro-am series and the infamous All Star Bash. Attendees of this year’s Boost Fest got a taste of their efforts, along with a preview of what’s to come from Top Drift and Formula D competition this year.

The first and craziest car we saw upon entering Horse Thief Mile, JustDrift’s turf of the 2017 Boost Fest, wasn’t a car at all. It was Australian drifter Josh Robinson’s 1,000 hp Holden VF “Carbon Drift Ute" — a ridiculously overbuilt professional drift machine based on the Australian-market Holden Commodore, but cut to look like an awesome modern-day El Camino. The buzz this thing caused was insane, but in a cruel twist of offseason testing strategy, it wasn’t driven during the official Boost Fest event. Josh and team scurried over to Willow’s nearby Speedway for some testing and shakedowns, and promised to treat spectators at a later date, hopefully in Formula D Pro competition.

Of those in attendance who did drift, Alex Heilbrunn of Nitto Tire and his buff E46 BMW M3 put on some of the meanest, most consistent, smokiest shows, especially against FD rival Dijiro Yoshihara in his still-in-redevelopment flared Toyota 86. We’re hoping to see more of these close battles in FD competition this year!

Equally impressive and possibly more interesting was seeing off-road racing vet and soon-to-be-Formula-D rookie Brad DeBerti’s quick acclimation to drifting Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s demo Ford Mustang on the tight and topographically diverse course. He began the day looking just like a drifting rookie in a very powerful car, but ended it with the same angle, line and smoke as we’d expect from VGJ or JTP on any given Saturday. Consider us very interested in seeing what lies ahead from this accomplished newcomer.

On the pro-am front, the battles were even closer, thanks to George Kiriakopoulos, Rome Charpentier, Sean Adriano, Austin Sager and plenty more. As much as we’re looking forward to FD, this year’s Top Drift competition looks to be every bit as close in its own regard.

Get a Grip: Global Time Attack

And finally, for those of us with an appreciation for the rules, the laws of physics, and for stretching them as absolutely far as they’ll go, there was the time-attack portion of Boost Fest, handled handily by Global Time Attack in their first regional pro-am competition of the season.

In classic time-attack fashion, a competitor in the Unlimited AWD class clocked the fastest time of the day: David Haagsma in an SP Engineering-tuned R35 Nissan GT-R, laying down a blisteringly fast 1:18.717 — so fast, that our cameras could only catch a glimpse of it in the pits.

But in keeping with recent years’ trend of competitors in Limited and Street classes posting faster times than Unlimited-class machines, less than a second behind Haagsma was Steven Chan and Limited-class his R35 GT-R, with a 1:19.445.

Claiming third overall was the lone Pro/Comp class competitor, Richard Buckingham, with a 1:19.600 from his Ariel Atom SRA.

But just as impressive was the fourth-place-overall finisher: Markos Mylonas in his — wait for it —Street Class(!) Subaru Impreza WRX, with a 1:20.637.

Competition in all classes was impressive, with the vast majority of drivers posting best times solidly in the 1:20s, with just a few outliers in the low-to-mid 1:30s. Absent from competition was Super Lap Battle champ and Willow Springs local Mark Jager and his Yimi Sport Subaru WRX, but if the GT-R threat means to Mark what we think it does, we’re betting he’ll be out next round to set the record straight.

Up Next

Top Drift Rd. 1 goes down at Willow Springs’ Balcony track in just over two weeks, followed by Formula D Long Beach the week after, with GTA’s second Pro-Am event and first Pro round hot on their heels.

Stay tuned for Driving Line's coverage of all the excitement! To find out more about these events and get involved, visit:

• www.drift101.com
• www.justdrift.com
• www.globaltimeattack.com
• www.turbobygarrett.com

Don't forget to check out the gallery below for more Boost Fest action:

Concept Cars, also known as "Automotive Blue Sky Thinking," are a means for manufacturers to try out ideas in public to see what the reaction is. Some concept cars are more down to earth than others. Either way, they are one of the staples of major auto shows, and the 2017 Geneva Salon was no exception to this rule.

Beginning With A One-Two Punch From Aston Martin

Aston Martin have been busy floating a new brand, AMR, and bringing two concept cars to illustrate this new direction. "AMR" will be familiar to those who pound the endurance sports car racing beat, as the acronym for "Aston Martin Racing." Aston Martin explained their aims:

"Aston Martin has chosen the 2017 Geneva Motor Show to launch AMR - an exciting new brand that brings a new dimension of race inspired dynamism and performance.

Reflecting Aston Martin’s racing pedigree, AMR takes technology and inspiration from motor sport to amplify the sporting prowess present across the model range. With enhanced performance, sharper dynamics and more powerful design language, AMR takes Aston Martin’s road cars to new and exciting extremes."

This is not the first time that performance sub-brands have been created, think BMW's "M" or Audi's "RS," but this appears to be somewhat more hard core and focused. The new direction comes after the sell-out successes of Aston Martin's own Vantage GT8 and Vantage GT12. It seems customers are prepared to spend big time to get something even more special. So what did Aston Martin unveil in Switzerland? Two cars that illustrate perfectly the direction that AMR is hoping to travel, assuming that the customers will follow...

1. Aston Martin's Rapide AMR Will Blow Your Socks Off

The Rapide AMR claims to be the fastest (210mph) and most 'thrilling' four-door car on the market.

In common with the rest of the planned AMR models, it has a revised engine, aerodynamics and interior, with generous use of carbon fiber inside and out.

2. Aston Martin's Vantage AMR Pro Is A Racer

The Vantage AMR Pro is solely intended to be a track day car, not for use on the road. It is powered by a development of the GT4 race engine and uses the same bonnet and rear wing as the World Endurance Championship class winning LM GTE racer.

Though designated as concepts, Aston Martin CEO, Andy Palmer, confirmed that these striking cars will make it in to production:

“As passionate enthusiasts of Aston Martin’s competition pedigree, AMR is something we have wanted to bring to fruition for some time. Cars such as the Vantage GT8 and Vantage GT12 confirmed that our customers love raw, race-bred models, but we also knew there was an opportunity to create cars that offer a sharper performance focus but stop short of those truly hardcore, special series models. With the AMR brand we have the perfect platform to deliver both.

As proof of that intent I’m incredibly excited to announce that we will be putting both the Vantage AMR Pro and Rapide AMR into production: the Vantage in an extremely limited series of no more than 7 cars; the Rapide as a run of only 210 cars. They are the start of something very exciting - a programme that will eventually see an AMR version of every model in the Aston Martin range”.

Nothing as vulgar as money was mentioned at the show, but expect to pay handsomely for either of these very special cars.

3. It's Electric! The Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e

Another concept car only for those folks with deep pockets was the Bentley EXP 12 speed 6e, though it is not yet certain that this will actually hit the production line. What makes it different from any previous Bentley is that it has an electric powertrain.

The two-seater convertible is a development of the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept that I admired at the 2015 Geneva Salon.

The interior is up to Bentley's usual high standard, with a mix of traditional leather and science fiction-style buttons straight out the movies.

But the EXP 12 is a real project as Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, declared:

“The EXP 12 Speed 6e is a concept to show that Bentley is defining electric motoring in the luxury sector, with the appropriate technology, high quality materials and refinement levels you’d expect from a true Bentley. This concept enables us to engage with luxury customers and gather feedback on our approach.

Bentley is committed to offering an electric model in its future portfolio and we are interested to receive feedback on this concept.”

Precise details about the powertrain were not forthcoming and it is known that the company is deciding whether to expand its SUV range beyond the Bentayga or build the EXP range, time will tell. Personally, I think that there is an ample sufficiency of SUVs already in existence, my vote goes to the EXP, coupe or cabriolet.

4. Zooming Toward the Future With Toyota i-TRIL

Concept cars are usually perceived as wild high performance creatures – and while not high performance, Toyota have certainly proved the "wild" part of that statement with this...

The Toyota i-TRIL is an electric three-seater, with a one-plus-two layout. There are no pedals – so steering, acceleration and braking is all carried out via drive-by-wire technology. The i-TRIL is operated by left- and right-hand control nodes, like a computer mouse. Alternately, it is also designed to operate in autonomous mode following the growing trend.

According to the press release that accompanied it's reveal, the target market is pretty specific (and leaves you scratching your head just a bit):

"The i-TRIL has been developed with a new type of customer in mind: a sophisticated, single, 30-50 year old active female with two children and a vibrant lifestyle. And she lives in a SMESTO (Small to Medium Sized TOwn)...

European Union studies on the future of cities have suggested that, rather than further expansion of already vast metropolitan areas such as London and Paris, the continent will witness a steady increase in growth of built-up areas adjacent to existing cities, in the manner of medium-density suburban pockets of development.

The number of such SMESTOs in Europe is already significant, and their inhabitants travel extensively to take children to school, shop, visit restaurants and socialise. As such, their sometimes difficult, stop-start mobility requirements are for small, agile and urban-friendly vehicles.

Toyota’s research with SMESTO-dwelling target customers identified an active mother often torn between ‘Me Time’ and spending time with her children ‘Kids Happy’; increasingly confident in her behaviour, she refuses to be a slave to those children."

Quite how excluding men or fathers from the equation is social progress I will leave to others to debate – but certainly the concept of a "vibrant lifestyle" may have been lost in translation, it certainly would mean different things to different people. Joking aside, this an interesting and intelligent study on the problems of mobility in our increasingly crowded towns and cities. While I do not expect this to ever hit the dealers' showrooms, I would think that elements of it will be found in future city personal transport.

5. Vanda Electrics Designed A Flower... A Dendrobium, To Be Exact

There were a few traditional concepts at Geneva, including the Vanda Electrics Dendrobium hyper car all the way from Singapore. It is a high performance, zero emission two-seater from one of the leading companies in the field of electric transportation solutions.

Although strictly a concept car at this stage, performance targets for Dendrobium are a top speed in excess of 200mph and 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds. The project will feature the latest lithium-ion battery and electric powertrain technology, calling on Vanda Electrics' own expertise and, of course, that of technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering.

Designed by Vanda's in-house team, Dendrobium's remarkable shape incorporates an automatic roof and doors, which open in a synchronized manner, resembling a fully-opened dendrobium flower, a genus of orchids native to Singapore. This unique feature improves access to the cockpit, a perennial problem for hyper cars. Who knew a three-doored two-seater could solve this?!

Larissa Tan, Vanda Electrics CEO had this to say:

"Dendrobium is the culmination of a dream. Our design team has had sketches of an electric hyper car on the drawing board since the mid-'90s, but that vision was many years ahead of its time. As electric technology has advanced, we have been able to revisit this vision and now, as we launch our revolutionary global e-mobility strategy, the timing is finally right for us to take the wraps off a halo model."

"We are looking forward to seeing the world's reaction to Dendrobium. This electric hyper car may just be a concept for now, but we have every intention of putting it into production. It sits at the top of our range and the production version will be a fitting showcase for the best in design and e-technology."

Brave words............

6. For Luxury AND Carrying Capacity, Mercedes Reveals the X-Class Truck

Back in the land of reality, Mercedes-Benz revealed its X-Class premium mid-sized pick up truck.

Due to come on stream later this year, the X-Class represents the first time that a premium manufacturer, such as Mercedes-Benz, has made an entry into the mid-sized truck market place.

Mercedes-Benz declares that the X-Class will combine the hallmark strengths of a pickup – tough, functional, strong, and with off-road capability – with the classic qualities of a Mercedes-Benz – design, comfort, driving dynamics, and safety.

The only aspect of this promising debut that puzzled me was the statement on their release identifying "Key markets of Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia". Even I can imagine that the USA and Canada should also be on this list, arguably at the top, given the scale of investment made by Mercedes-Benz in bring these vehicles to market. There will be an answer, I'm sure, I'm just not seeing it right now.

7. Bringing Sexy Back, The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept Is Released

Another concept, this time from Mercedes-AMG, was the GT Concept – a high performance, four-door Grand Tourer with its sights set on the Porsche Panamera, or even the Aston Martin Rapide.

Powered by a 4L V-8 with twin turbochargers and an electric motor, the GT Concept would have a hybrid powertrain that can give out 800bhp. The battery technology comes from the Mercedes Formula One project and the car can run under full electric power when necessary or mandated.

Extensive use of carbon fiber and advanced aerodynamics, combined with the huge power output, make the performance at super car levels with 0-62mph in under three seconds. The shattering speed is supported by four-wheel drive with torque vectoring.

The GT Concept is the third model series after the SLS, AMG and AMG GT that comes from Affalterbach. The designation and fundamental design elements on the front- and tail-end denote the family affiliation to the AMG GT. The “EQ Power+” identifier on the mirror cam indicates the increased performance that can be expected from hybridisation at AMG.

In the flesh it is very impressive – AMG-Mercedes appear to have another winner.

If these concept cars weren't wild enough, take a look at the super cars revealed at 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

Sure, Aaron Kaufman may be leaving Gas Monkey Garage and Fast N’ Loud– but he’ll never stop being a great car builder. While we’re waiting to see what’s next for the guy with the beard, Driving Line sat down with him to ask what his top tips were for people looking to build a project car of their own. Here’s what he had to say…

1. Understand the Cost Involved

While you may be able to pick something up at an auction, such as Barrett-Jackson, for a steal – that has no pertinence to the cost of actually building a car yourself, whether doing it in your own garage or paying someone else to do it. If it’s a paying someone else to do it, get comfortable with the cost of skilled labor and the amount of hours that go into a car project.

At Gas Monkey Garage, Kaufman advises, “For basic drivers, we start at 1,000 to 1,200 hours. If you’re wanting something built that your friends don’t have, we’re looking at about 2,000-2,500 hours. As we break 3,000 hours, these are cars that your friends haven’t seen and that people really start talking about. So for every one of those hours, you’ve got to realize that you’re going to pay somewhere around $100.”

2. Built or Bought, Respect the Process

“A lot of people will knock a guy for having a car built instead of building it himself. There are two solid factions, with a good group in both,” says Kaufman. “Just because you built it and it sucks doesn’t make you awesome – and just because you bought it, doesn’t make you awesome either.”

“There’s a certain amount of respect that comes from the process of getting with a builder, bringing an idea, designing something and then having the patience to have something built. If they had the patience, planning, thought it out, picked a builder and went through the process then they absolutely deserve respect.”

3. Have A Plan

“I think everything in life needs to have a plan. If you’re building a car, know exactly what it is you’re looking to see at the end. Sure, the project is going to change a little bit through the process, but you need to know what it is you want to see on the outcome. Know what you’re trying to accomplish.”

4. Just Do It

“It’s funny how quickly you can turn someone into a car person. A lot of the Fast N’ Loud production crew that comes into Gas Monkey Garage ends up wanting to learn how to weld or how to work the machines. The funny thing is they don’t actually do anything about it. I get those questions all the time and I’ll point to them and say, ‘There’s a welder, there’s a hood. Pick it up and practice.’ When it comes down to it though, they just don’t sit down and do it.”

5. Be Willing to Fail

Invariably, if you do pick up the tools and practice, you’re going to fail. Don’t stop there. Kaufman advises, “I’ve failed hundreds and thousands of times. If something sucks, you throw it away and start another one. Keep doing that and eventually you don’t suck. Then you get to where you’re good. And maybe after that, you get to where you’re better than the people you know.”

If you’re building a car project yourself, Kaufman’s overall tip is, “You have to have patience and let persistence pay out. You have to keep going. If you want to learn how to do something you have to try it and know that you may not nail it on the first one. Sure, some people are just more talented than in others in certain things, and that shouldn’t deter you. It’s just one more reason to get better, one more reason to try harder. Some people who are a little less talented at certain skills are going to have to work harder – but if they want it, they’re capable of exactly the same things.”

Want more car project advice from top builders like Ringbrothers and Icon? Catch it here at Driving Line!

There is no argument that the "Ring" has been the standard of performance for manufacturers and tuners alike since its inception. It provides the ultimate combination of elevation, turns and straights. For decades, no production car had been able to break the fabled 7-minute barrier - until on September 10, 2013, Porsche came in and laid down an insane 06:57 with its 918 hypercar. Fast forward to the beginning of this month...

The Lamborghini Performante danced around the Ring in a sub 7-minute lap and enthusiasts everywhere sprang out in debate. Along with it comes discussion about the significance of Nürburgring times, do they matter or do they not. Not since Nissan recorded 7.26 in the GT-R debut, back in 2008, has there been this much conversation regarding a Ring time.

It’s important to note that no third party regulates Ring times, opening the door to a lot of controversy. In order to claim a time, manufacturers provide video footage or, most recently, data logging to provide “proof," but it’s basically an "on your honor" type deal. Pundits that have questioned manufacturer Ring times often point to items that aren't normally a factory option, but give an extra advantage on the Ring. Thins such as special tires or a specific setup which can allow a production car to run a faster time.

For Lamborghini, the whispers came almost immediately after posting a blisteringly fast 06:52.01 in the Huracan Performante. When you consider that's a full 5-seconds faster than the Porsche 918, things become to come into perspective. Of particular concern is the Performante isn’t a million dollar hypercar, it's Lamborghini’s entry-level vehicle (albeit the sportiest version).

Skeptics and haters immediately dubbed it fake, some going as far as to analyze the footage and provide a counterpoint - saying editing appeared to be spotty and that it was impossible for this time to be true. This was later proven incorrect, as Lamborghini provided the full data logging for proof a few days after their initial announcement. 

So why do Ring times matter so much? In my opinion, it’s “magazine” racing to an extent. Having a lap number from the Ring gives an owner bragging rights of "my car is faster than yours around the Ring," it's simply a number to point at during discussion with friends. In reality though, it’s not like many potential owners:

1. Have the driving skill to pull the same time.
2. Are going to take their car to the Ring to show people what’s up.

Some say Ring times are a sheer marketing point for manufacturers, which I tend to agree with towards a specific target market. Will Ring times matter to the entry-level super car enthusiast such as the 488/Huracán owners? Yes, I would say so. It’s almost a “bang for the buck” situation at that point.

All above photos courtesy of Lamborghini.

But for the owners that are paying north of $500K for a vehicle? I would say no. Prospective owners of a Pagani Huayra and the like aren’t going to balk because it doesn’t pull a sub-7 minute Ring time. Ring performance isn't a deciding factor for cars of this level, it's a completely different playing field. 

After my first trip to the Ring I found it hilarious that people were asking me what my time was… seriously? I drove it in the rain and was simply trying to stay on the track and not embarrass myself. But it's this very mystique about Ring times that is what keeps people talking.

Whether it’s 7-Minute Abs, 7-minutes in heaven or a sub 7-minute Ring time, 7-minutes seems to hold some kind of significance to everyone. What do you think? Do Ring times matter? I’d love to hear from you.

Diesel drag racing has been picking up steam for more than a decade now. As fuel injection, cylinder head, tuning and turbocharger technology continue to advance, perpetual horsepower gains are found each winter, and quicker time slips are achieved every summer. Among some of the most recognizable race-ready oil burners are the Pro Street diesel trucks. This heads-up racing class requires a minimum weight of 4,500 pounds, places no limits on engine size or power-adders and is primarily made up of late model half-ton, ¾-ton and 1-ton trucks.

While Pro Street isn’t the fastest organized class in diesel drag racing, it is the crowd favorite. The full-bodied appearance of these rigs makes them highly relatable to the average spectator, the class always attracts plenty of competitors and 9-second quarter-miles are the norm — with 8-second passes becoming more and more frequent in recent years.

From four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, mechanical to common-rail injection and single turbo setups to multi-charger configurations, join us as we take a look at five of the fastest Cummins-powered Dodge Rams in existence.

1. Seth Sullivan

Seth Sullivan’s ’98 Dodge Ram is the face of Pro Street diesel drag racing. It’s been around since its previous owner Dale Smith and his son Jimmy Dale Smith decided to turn it into a 12-second race truck way back in 2003. It didn’t take long for Dale and Jimmy to go 11s, then 10s with the truck. Its first 9-second pass came in the form of a 9.97 at 138 mph in the spring of 2007. Then, it was on to clawing its way deeper and deeper into the 9s, and by 2011, the second-gen Dodge clicked off its first 8.

Scheid Power

Seth’s quickest quarter-mile pass to date is an 8.83 at 162 mph, but we’ve seen the old Dodge trap more than 164 mph on a few occasions. With a low compression, Scheid Diesel-built Cummins, hulking turbos and mechanical injection under the hood, the inline-six shares a lot in common with the mega-horsepower engines Scheid builds for its high-end truck-pulling customers. The best place to see this flagship vehicle in action is at the TS Performance drag race in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza in Terre Haute, Indiana, and along the Outlaw Diesel Super Series racing circuit held each summer.

2. Lavon Miller’s Two-fer

In just a few short years, Lavon Miller has become a household name among some of diesel drag racing’s best drivers. After he and his company (Firepunk Diesel) earned a reputation for putting together some of the toughest, competition-ready Dodge automatics you can buy, Lavon slowly but surely transformed his ’04½ Dodge Ram 3500 into a 10-second tow rig, won back-to-back Diesel Power Challenge competitions, and then built this 4,600-pound Pro Street truck to compete in the 2016 Ultimate Callout Challenge. Lavon would win that event, too. So far, his ’06 Dodge Ram 2500 Pro Street rig has gone 8.27 at 166 mph thanks to a D&J Precision Machine-built 6.7L Cummins, a triple turbo arrangement from Engineered Diesel, dual 12 mm CP3s and 400-percent over Exergy Performance injectors. And of course, a Firepunk-built 48RE is utilized to send well over 1,500 hp to the track.

The 9-Second Daily

This is the truck that put Lavon in the national spotlight: a single rear wheel ’04½ Dodge Ram 3500 crew cab, long bed 4x4. Just a couple years back, he was known for toting his tandem axle camper to the drag strip with the truck, unhooking it, running mid 10s all weekend, and then towing everything home on Sunday. Since then, the truck has been as quick as 9.83 at 140 mph on an all-out pass, but it regularly receives a slight detune at events and runs (very consistently) in the 10.50 Index Class. Not bad for a 7,900-pound 1-ton diesel pickup!

3. Ryan Milliken

After racing a 4x4 Dodge Ram 2500 nicknamed “Buckwheat,” Ryan Milliken of Hardway Performance decided to give something else a try in diesel drag racing. Enter this two-wheel drive, 4,600-pound ’14 Ram 1500, conveniently coined “Mini-Wheat.” An adjustable four-link rear suspension and full roll cage, courtesy of Fleece Performance Engineering, readied the truck for Pro Street, along with a Strange Engineering Pro-Race 9.5 rear axle. Up ahead of the Strange rear end sits a TH400 Powerglide with a lockup torque converter put together by Sun Coast Converters. To date, the little truck has stormed through the eighth-mile in as quick as 5.29 seconds.

Comp 6.4

Under the hood of Milliken’s half-ton Ram sits a Comp 6.4 engine from Fleece Performance Engineering. It started life as a 6.7L Cummins but has been sleeved (hence the lower displacement), fitted with Diamond Racing pistons, Wagler Competition Products rods, a ported common-rail head (by way of Fleece), and a 194/220 cam from Hamilton. For fuel, dual 10 mm stroker CP3 pumps, also from Fleece, send a whopping 36,000 psi worth of rail pressure to a set of 450 percent over S&S Diesel Motorsport injectors. Big boost is crammed into the engine via an 82 mm S400 on the Steed Speed exhaust manifold and a massive Garrett GTX5533R atmosphere unit. Milliken uses a Bosch MS15.1 stand alone ECU to tune the engine, along with a Spaghetti Menders wiring harness.

4. Anthony Reams

Bringing it back to the often-preferred (lighter weight) second-gen body style (’94-‘02) is the XDP Pro Street Dodge driven by Anthony Reams. Once powered by a mechanical 12-valve Cummins, the truck debuted a common-rail Comp 6.4 built by Fleece Performance Engineering last year. The combination of 450 percent over S&S Diesel Motorsport injectors, BD Diesel dual 12 mm CP3s, triple-turbo arrangement (two 75 mm units feeding a 91 mm), two-stage Nitrous express system and Done Right Diesel Performance tuning culminated in a host of bottom 9-second passes. Then, just before the end of the 2016 racing season the truck rocketed to an 8.85 at 156 mph, indicating that somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,600 hp is making it to the ground.

5. Micah Sullivan

One of the more consistent runners in the Pro Street class is Micah Sullivan and his ’97 Dodge. Round after round, it’s pretty much a guarantee that this regular cab Ram will click off a mid-to-low 9, and the truck’s consistency has landed it in the Pro Street winner’s circle in the past. So far, Micah’s fastest trip through the 1320 has been a 9.35 at 149 mph, but that may just be the tip of the iceberg being that only one turbo is being used, and the truck could stand to go on a considerable diet. At 5,900 pounds (and turning out near-150 mph trap speeds), roughly 1,400 hp is being applied to the track.

One Turbo, 80 psi of Boost

Speaking of horsepower, the 5.9L Cummins was built by Scheid Diesel and has produced 1,800 hp on the company’s in-house engine dyno. The block is filled, fire-ringed and stuffed with R&R connecting rods, Arias low-compression pistons and one of Scheid’s billet-steel roller camshafts. The 5.9L utilizes a common-rail fuel system employing dual injection pumps (a stock Bosch CP3 combined with a massive pump that the folks at Scheid refer to as a “CP10”), Scheid’s “Red Man 30” injectors (they’re big) and a standalone Bosch ECU to control everything. A single, 88 mm turbocharger from Precision Turbo & Engine builds 80 psi of boost at full tilt and, thanks to a 3,500-rpm stall DPC torque converter, Micah leaves the line at 3,800 rpm, with 25 psi of boost on tap. A built 47RE with 300M shafts gets shifted at 4,800 rpm, via a manual valve body.

Every February, in the dead of winter, rodders and custom car fanatics from all over the country gather at Detroit, Michigan’s 723,000-square-foot Cobo Hall for the Autorama World of Wheels display. Coveted for having some of the most technologically advanced customs and out-of-this-world designs, this event is massive enough to force Northern climate folk out of their off-season depression to cure their car culture withdrawals.

Autorama is more than just a custom car show. It’s a part of automotive history: a cultural event for the record books. Many attendees have been going for over 20 years, as did their parents before them. During this year’s 65th anniversary, Autorama featured over 800 vehicles, each with its own stylish characteristics.

The convention center’s spotlights set off the glistening paint and flawless chrome. The reflections cause a sensory overload that will send your attention every which way, like a dog eating steak being distracted by squirrels. Listening to murmurs reverberate through the crowd of 180,000 attendees often reveals the names of must-see customs.

Here are five customs that were all the buzz of the weekend.

1.  1971 Plymouth Barracuda

This 1971 Plymouth Barracuda named “Medusa” is a far stretch from the hideous mythological creature it’s named after, but its race-prepped 725-horsepower V10 Viper engine packs a venomous bite.  

All Speed Customs originally built Medusa to stand out among the other glamorous high-end SEMA builds, and it continues to gain admirers at every show. Its pro-touring stance and race-inspired aerodynamics contrasted with custom PPG Vibrance Liquid Metal paint immediately draws attention. Extensive aero and custom touches can be found everywhere from the sleek front end and reshaped bumpers to the “reverse mohawk” stripe on the roof. The sporty center-exit exhaust allows the monster to breathe through a set of Magnaflow mufflers.

For this build, everything was done in-house, including the exquisite black and red interior. The Recaro race seats are heated and cooled to keep the driver comfortable and firmly in their place as they carve up the road, and a re-worked Classic Instruments gauge cluster keeps the driver informed.

2.  1954 Kaiser Manhattan

Behold, the Voodoo Sahara — a throwback to the heydays of Kustom car culture. Voodoo Larry Kustoms of Illinois built this space age-like beauty as a rendition of George Barris’ Golden Sahara from the 1960s out of what was once a dilapidated parts car. Larry was thinking about this build for 25 years before he finally committed, and we are glad he did.

Personal touches are seen throughout the build. It was 90-percent hand-fabricated from junkyard parts, expertly fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle, but you could never tell just by looking at the final product. The 1960 Corvair headlights, 1955 Chevy windshield, 1954 Kaiser frame, 1980 Camaro subframe and 1977 Nova rear end appear to be meant for each other, but what really sets off this build is the radical hardtop that opens up on the driver and passenger side for ease of entering the vehicle, and for optimum viewing of the alien green and white interior, including a wrap-around half-circle rear seat. 

3.  1966 Chevrolet C10

Built from a beat-up and broken Bow Tie and transformed into a twin-turbo masterpiece by Classic Car Studio in St. Louis, Missouri, this C10 pickup lets it all hang out. The Nelson Racing 64 mm mirror image turbochargers are mounted out front and in your face, with the 346-cid. LS1 mated with LS6 heads resting directly behind the turbos. The radiator is mounted to the truck bed, allowing the turbo setup to be the focal point of the build. Controlled by Holley’s Dominator EFI system, the truck puts down an impressive 750 horsepower with only 8 pounds of boost on pump gas.

The truck was proudly named “Tiffany” after the light blue patina paint that resembles the famous jeweler’s color scheme. The shop originally planned on making a simple daily driver that could also be used as advertisement while running errands, but as the build continued, the team’s ideas became bigger and more brilliant. Every detail was expertly executed, from its stance (made possible with an AccueAire E-level air ride system) to the Pro-mod style fender exhaust exit, and the engine bay’s artistically fabricated sheet metal. Some may say that this truck is over-the-top, but we say that there is no such thing as too much turbo.

4.  1962 Kellison J5 Drop Nose Coupe

This vintage supercar is the real deal: It was the only Kellison J5 Drop Nose Coupe ever produced. Created by inventor and entrepreneur Jim Kellison as a concept to bridge between the original J5 and J6 models, the streamlined aerodynamic design features include active roof vents, a RAM air intake and a slanted wedge-shaped rear. Upon close examination, Kellison’s creations were undoubtedly inspired by his time serving as a fighter pilot in the Korean War and by his passion for building supercars to compete with Ferrari.

The Coupe’s fiberglass body houses a Chevy 327-cid engine, which is fed by a pair of four-barrel carburetors. This setup, paired with the four-speed manual transmission and the driveline that was set back in the frame (a well-known old school racer modification for better weight distribution), guarantees a raw driving experience. 

5.  1952 Henry J

Dave Shuten of Galpin Auto Sports built this nostalgic 1960s Gasser-esque drag car for proud owner Daniel Nelson. The shimmering elaborate custom paint is the kind of eye candy that can’t be beaten, but it wasn’t just built for show: This little beastie was built to race down the strip. Built to NHRA specs, the car screams big muscle, while an 850-horsepower Chevy big-block engine pumps it up. The 1952 Henry J was built from a completely stock vehicle and lovingly named “Henry Jaded” upon completion.

Autorama World of Wheels is recognized as one of America’s greatest hot rod shows, but we’ll let you be the judge. Check out more of our favorites in the gallery below!

If there's one thing that the Georgia automotive community can brag on, it's the ability of its European auto enthusiasts to throw high-quality, enjoyable meets. From the massive spectacle of SOWO to smaller events like Gears and Beers, owners of the Old World brands know how to come together and have a great time. Dürtydübs, an Atlanta-based European car club, organizes the Gears and Beers get-togethers at Red Brick Brewery on the west side of the city after monthly Caffeine and Octane events. The most unique aspect of this event is that they offer attendees a chance to try some great craft brews as they check out the festivities. The brewery offers a discounted pint glass if guests show their euro key fob with six tickets to trade in for drinks. The result is a chill atmosphere that attracts a variety of cars, from APR-tuned Audis to air-cooled classic Volkswagens. While the event is open to everyone, meet parking is limited to European cars only. There is however, plenty of space for other cars in adjacent lots to the brewery.

There's some drinking, there's some driving, but definitely no drinking AND driving! Check out the gallery above and make sure to follow @dürtydübs for future events.

The 2005 to 2015 second generation Toyota Tacoma trucks are one of our favorite build platforms. With healthy aftermarket support, a dependable powertrain, and roomy double-cab configuration, the Tacoma blends the practical needs with off-road wants nicely. Our 2008 Tacoma has been a fun project for which we have steadily transitioned into a more overland-friendly vehicle. If you’ve followed our previous build articles, you may have noticed the truck’s aftermarket front bumper.

It was one of the items already installed on our Double Cab when we purchased the truck and something we’ve wanted to change for quite some time. So, we finally decided to give our Tacoma a much needed facelift. Since we knew we wanted to go with a Fab Fours Premium Series winch front bumper, we decided to do take a little road trip to the company’s headquarters in Lancaster, South Carolina. We were there primarily to check out the American made bumper company’s over-the-top Chevy Colorado build, but we managed to squeeze in time to install our new bumper as well.

Since our Tacoma was previously equipped with an aftermarket front bumper, there were no factory bits to remove. Obviously, this likely won’t be the norm for most, so Fab Fours provides detailed instructions on how and what to remove. For those of you interested in the real-time progress, we put together the video above. For more insight into the bumper, check out the highlights below.

Fab Fours offers a few different styles of front bumpers for the 2005 to 2015 Toyota Tacoma. We chose the Premium Series as we liked the style of the plate front bumper and the fact that it could accommodate our 9,000-pound winch we already owned. The bumper came fit with a two-stage black powdercoat finish and all necessary hardware.

The only feature you’ll need to assemble on the bumper are Fab Fours' signature injection-molded light housings. This fog and parking light combo is a nice feature for those looking for a little extra night vision. The fog lights even come with a harness and quick adjusters, so you can easily dial in the aftermarket light.

Once you install your winch fairlead, you can secure the winch in place via the four mounting holes on the bottom of the bumper. This bumper is designed to accommodate up to a 10,000-pound winch.

To support the front bumper, two mounting brackets attach to the Tacoma’s stock front frame horns. You’ll use the three 14 mm nuts per-side along with the provided grade 8 lower bolts to loosely set the brackets in place.

Once you have the bumper raised to the vehicle (a few sets of hands will make this easier), you can adjust the bumper until it’s properly centered and gaps are even all around. A total of eight bolts will secure the bumper to mounting brackets.

There are a few variations of the Premium Series front bumper, one being the full-guard option. This tubular guard is comprised of 1¾-inch, 0.120-wall DOM tubing, which is welded to the 3/16-inch steel front bumper. This setup should be more than strong if we happen to go nose first into an obstacle off-road.

The final product is something we are extremely happy with. The plate-style front bumper offers a clean fit-and-finish look to the truck, while retaining clearance we need in front of our 285/75R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. Of course, we like having a spot for our winch, and the 1-inch D-ring mounts are perfect in case we need a quick pull. We found the provided fog lights to be brighter than the factory ones, but not so blinding that you can’t use them daily. It’s definitely a little heavier than our previous bumper, but that’s the only real negative we can point out. Overall, we’re stoked on the new look of the truck and look forward to using the pickup on more adventures soon.

Make sure you view the gallery below, and check out more Tacoma upgrades with Bestop’s Supertop for trucks. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Why? With the springtime comes more sunshine and burnt rubber, which means Formula Drift. Last year' season was interesting to say the least — filled with fresh competition, heartbreaking car failures and unexpected victories. Here are the 2016 season highlights so you can get back up to speed before 2017 FD kicks off in Long Beach March 31st:

STREETS OF LONG BEACH

Round 1 Winner: Chelsea Denofa 

The 2016 Formula Drift season opened with a splash at the rainy Streets of Long Beach. Rookie Alex Heilbrunn had a solid FD debut, while fellow Nitto driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. narrowly missed the Final 4 to Chelsea Denofa, who ended up taking his first-ever event win.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDLB:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Show Cars [Gallery]
• Mad Mike Whiddett 360° Virtual Reality Drift [Video]
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift [Video]

ROAD ATLANTA

Round 2 Winner: Vaughn Gittin Jr.

After a Top 32 bye, Vaughn Gittin Jr. ended up defeating Dai Yoshihara in the Blackvue Final Battle, securing Team Nitto's third consecutive win at Road Atlanta.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDATL:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift [Video]

ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD

Round 3 Winner: Fredric Aasbo

Kristaps Bluss made it to his first-ever Final Battle after a few clean runs, but couldn't hold it together against reigning 2015 FD champ Fredric Aasbo. Aasbo's win also took the points lead from Gittin Jr.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDORL:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift [Video]

WALL SPEEDWAY, NEW JERSEY

Round 4 Winner: Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Gittin Jr. landed back on top again with another season first-place finish, reclaiming his lead in points and tying Samuel Hübinette's record nine event wins. However, he wasn't the only Nitto driver on the podium; for the first time in history, Team Nitto finished with two drivers (both on NT05 tires) in the top three, with rookie Heilbrunn in third place for his first PRO podium.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDNJ:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift at the Gauntlet [Video]

MONTREAL, CANADA

Round 5 Winner: Fredric Aasbo

After this round at Montreal, it seemed as if the 2016 season was just a back-and-forth battle between Gittin Jr. and Aasbo. Chris Forsberg beat Gittin Jr. to the Final Battle, but it was Aasbo who took the event win; however, Gittin Jr. still had enough of a cushion to keep his spot as the points leader.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDCANADA:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift at Autodrome St. Eustache [Video]

EVERGREEN SPEEDWAY, SEATTLE

Round 6 Winner: Odi Bakchis

The round in Monroe, Washington, surprised many as Forsberg uncharacteristically spun out in the Final Battle, handing Odi Bakchis the win. The big news, however, was that this win caused Vaughn Gittin Jr. to surrender his position as points leader to Forsberg.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDSEA:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Video
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift at Evergreen Speedway [Video]

TEXAS SHOWDOWN

Round 7 Winner: Matt Field

Gittin Jr. was unable to get ahead this round, spinning out in the same place he did last year during the Top 16. Chris Forsberg looked to get his first event win since Long Beach 2014, and it seemed to be in his favor - considering he had won each of five previous battles against his final opponent. However, Matt Field came out on top, claiming his first career victory.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDTX:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift at Texas Motor Speedway [Video]

IRWINDALE TITLE FIGHT

Round 8 Winner: Matt Field

The round at Irwindale Speedway was as unconventional as it gets. Field took the round at Irwindale Speedway to become the first back-to-back event winner since last season. But the crazy turn of event was that Forsberg — after not even making it past the Top 16 — had racked up enough points during the season to win the whole thing anyway. He became not only the first three-time FD champion, but he also became the first driver to win FD overall without ever placing first on the podium during the season.

Formula Drift Champion: Chris Forsberg

Gittin Jr. still managed to finish the season in third place overall, his fourth career overall finish in the top three. Heilbrunn gave Nitto more to celebrate, winning the FD Rookie of the Year.

Get our complete event coverage from #FDIRW:

• Top 32 Play-by-Play
• Recap + Photo Gallery
• Vaughn Gittin Jr. 360° Virtual Reality Drift at Irwindale Speedway [Video]
• Chris Forsberg Wins Formula Drift

A while back we told you about our adventures exploring the Nadeau Trail, which had recently been designated a National Recreation Trail. Nadeau was a teamster who hauled silver-lead bullion and supplies between Cerro Gordon and Los Angeles with 20 Mule Team wagons. Since it was difficult to make a turn with a long 20 Mule Team wagon, when Nadeau built the road, he built it straight as an arrow through Panamint Valley. It soon became known as Remi Nadeau’s Shotgun Road.

We later learned the original road was 230 miles long, stretching all the way from Cerro Gordo to San Pedro. Most of the original road is long gone, just 28-miles of it were incorporated into the National Recreational Trail. After a friend told us that the unmarked trail opposite the official trail head signage is a continuation of the original road, we knew we needed to go check it out. So this Slate Range Crossing journey begins...

Getting Started on the Slate Range Crossing

The unmarked trail begins in a bland, boring section of Panamint Valley in just an ordinary, flat desert road. The scenery was nothing to look at. After a few miles we began to wonder why our friend sent us here, or if we had perhaps misunderstood his directions. As we neared the Slate Range though, things got a little more interesting. The trail took us into a huge wash with a steep climb out on the other side.

The trail began to climb the hills toward the mountains. This section of the trail is also known as Slate Range Crossing, not to be confused with the Slate Range Trail which climbs to a higher elevation and takes a much rougher route a few miles away.

Finding Scenic Views in Panamint Valley

The trail has panoramic views of Panamint Valley, the Argus Range and the Panamint Mountains.

As we climbed higher, the trail became a steep and narrow shelf road; so narrow that in some spots there wasn’t even room to get out of the Jeep to take a photo. We realized that if anyone was coming down the trail, it wasn’t going to be very fun for either one of us to try to drive backward. If you aren’t comfortable on extremely narrow and extremely steep shelf roads, this is not the trail for you. I was glad to be riding shotgun so I didn’t have to look over the edge.

Learn how to navigate technical terrain in our off-road basics article.

Slate Range Crossing Trail History

It was here that we noticed the most interesting thing about this trail, and the most likely reason for leaving it out of the official National Recreational Trail designation. Much of the shelf trail is stabilized by extensive rockwork. Chinese laborers built many of the desert roads during the mining heyday, and they were masters at working with rock. If you’ve visited the Charcoal Kilns in Death Valley, you know that they were also built by Chinese laborers. There isn’t more than a brief mention of their work in the history of the area, but the National Park mentions that they were paid $1.25 per day for their back-breaking work.

There are similar examples of this type of road stabilization along the Nadeau Trail, but this is the most extensive stretch, and it’s amazing to see what great shape it is in after more than 130 years. It’s completely safe, but we think it was probably left out of the National Recreational Trail designation to reduce the number of people driving this section.

Each turn in the trail brought us a new view of the mountains and valleys surrounding the trail in all directions.

Down below it was easy to see how Shotgun Road got its name as it shoots straight across the valley toward Panamint Springs. The curved road to the right of the trail is the paved Trona-Wildrose Road heading toward Ballarat ghost town. 

As we neared the top we could see where Trona-Wildrose Road cuts through the mountains. Anyone who has driven the road will recognize this stretch of dangerous curves. If you have a fascination for the morbid, from the trail you can often spot vehicles that have gone over the edge. We didn't spot any, but maybe because we were too busy checking out the view. 

Off-Road Difficulty Trail Rating for Slate Range Crossing

The trail is rocky and rough, but there are no technical obstacles and no off-camber sections. Going uphill we did use 4WD in the steepest sections. The views would be even more spectacular going downhill, but be sure to use a low gear. Even though this is an easy trail that can be done in an SUV, I would not recommend doing it with street tires; you are going to want a tire with good off road traction like the Nitto Trail Grappler.

If you’ve driven to Panamint Valley or Death Valley via Trona-Wildrose Road, you’ll recognize this spot where there is a small turnout for the scenic view. The Slate Range Crossing trail terminates right at the turnout. If you’ve ever pulled into that spot to take some photos and wondered where the trail goes, now you know. As you exit, turning left will take you to Trona, and turning right will lead you to Ballarat ghost town.

We noticed that the trail seems to continue on the other side of Trona-Wildrose. It was too late in the day to risk exploring an unknown trail, so that’s an adventure saved for another day!

See what else the Mojave has to offer in our Mojave Desert trail reviews.

As the popularity of diesel trucks continues to grow, many enthusiasts look for ways to set their ride apart from the rest of the pack. Outside of the usual performance mods, lifts, wheels and tires, some opt for vanity plates or stickers, while others install custom badging. Some slide a unique hitch cover into the receiver or perform a controversial engine swap. And then there are those that make light of the kinds of trends they see within the diesel industry (i.e., gigantic exhaust tips, truck nuts and so on).

As you can imagine, brand loyalty plays into much of the uniqueness many owners try to mold into their trucks. But, as you’ll see in this article, brand loyalty spans beyond simply the truck’s make. Oftentimes, more allegiance is paid to the manufacturer of the engine powering the truck than the sheetmetal itself (Cummins-powered Rams and Power Stroke/Navistar-equipped Fords, for example).

Read on as we highlight the latter, along with several other methods diesel heads use to make their trucks stand out from the crowd.

1. Vanity License Plates

Vanity license plates have always been a way of adding uniqueness to a vehicle, and a lot of diesel owners indulge in them. This plate graced Jim Rendant’s ’06 Dodge Ram 2500 — a 5.9L Cummins-powered four-door packing 1,000 rwhp.

We’re not sure how many motorists he baited into racing him with this line, but with a handful of 10-second time slips (at speeds approaching 130 mph) we doubt he ever lost. In addition to not being afraid to race anyone or anything, Jim didn’t seem to be too worried about the local law enforcement in his area, either, having sported a hood stack for quite some time.

2. Carnage Souvenir

We love when enthusiasts own the fact that their particular engine had a few shortcomings. Enter the ’01-’03 model year Ford F-250 pictured below. During this production run of the 7.3L Power Stroke, powdered metal connecting rods made their way onto the assembly line, which handle roughly 100 to 200 hp less than what the previous forged-steel rods could handle.

When the owner of this truck inevitably bent one of his powdered metal units in his pursuit of more power, he decided to hang it (from the big end) from his sled pulling hitch.

3. Got Tork?

From heavy industry to agriculture and locomotives to over-the-road trucks, low-end twist has always been one of the diesel engine’s primary selling points. And thanks to diesel’s utilization of high compression and a long stroke, plenty of torque is always on the menu.

Such was the case with Jonathan Wayne Coblentz’ Cummins-powered late model Dodge. In order for the 7,000+ pound Ram to click off the consistent 12.0-second quarter-mile passes it does, torque production is a big part of the feat. Jon’s truck sends at least 1,300 lb-ft and 650 hp to the wheels.

4. Swap a Cummins Into Anything

Stirring the pot comes easy for Tyler Rabbage and his Cummins-powered ’03 Chevy Silverado HD. While Cummins swaps performed on Ford trucks are widely accepted throughout the diesel industry, it’s always been an unwritten rule (of sorts) that ditching a Duramax in favor of a Cummins is a big no-no.

Needless to say, Tyler’s build invokes every type of reaction you can imagine. He gets two thumbs up from Cummins/Dodge fans, yet hears comments like “you ruined it” from Chevy loyalists (and everything in between). Good or bad, Tyler enjoys the attention and takes comfort in the fact that he did the right thing.

After accumulating 350,000 miles, the Duramax was due for its third set of injectors (a common problem on ’01-’04 LB7 code engines), and Tyler believed at least one head gasket was blown. For the price of fixing these issues, a 12-valve 5.9L Cummins and its corresponding 47RH transmission could be added. Obviously, he chose the latter and hasn’t looked back since.

5. One-Off Hitch Cover

We love seeing old parts repurposed, but this might be the best example we’ve ever seen. After welding a receiver tube to the back plate of the compressor housing of a spare turbocharger (the turbo is void of its exhaust housing and center cartridge), the owner of this late model Ram 3500 dually effectively created the ultimate hitch cover.

6. Bought, Not Built

As with any form of automotive excess, you’ll see high-end vehicles built with someone else’s checkbook. In this case, the owner made no bones about the person who footed the bill for not only purchasing his Duramax-powered Silverado, but also paying for the go-fast goodies under the hood.

7. Paying Homage

We all know that Cummins brand loyalty runs about as deep as it gets, but engine brand loyalty is especially common for 7.3L Power Stroke owners. Built by Navistar (i.e., International, formerly International Harvester), the 7.3L’s reputation for reliability, durability and its workhorse nature is a point of great pride for many of its owners — reason enough to wear an International badge in place of the Blue Oval emblem on this particular Super Duty.

Oddly enough, we don’t see this level of engine brand loyalty on 6.0L and 6.4L Power Strokes, although they too were produced by Navistar International.

8. Bigger Is Better

Whether it’s designed to lighten the mood or make a statement about the owner’s masculinity, sporting a massive (12-inch) exhaust tip will definitely get some folks talking. The type of mentality where bigger is always better has caught on in a lot of diesel circles, and as a result we’ve seen huge tips like this on conventional exit exhaust systems, massive 16-inch (sometimes larger) stacks in the bed and even 6-inch hood stacks.

Whether it was done to one-up his buddies or improve the truck’s curb appeal remains to be seen, but it definitely attracts attention. Just bear in mind that exhaust tips this big do nothing to improve performance.

8. Makin’ Bacon

Just like monster trucks, nearly all truck and tractor pullers pick out a catchy name for their ride — and in the pulling game, a lot of competitors have fun with it. In many cases, the name of the truck is either a play on words as to which engine sits under the hood (“Cummin Get It,” “Cummin Atcha”), draws attention to the low rate of return involved with the sport (“Wasted Wages,” “Good money after bad”), or reflects the line of work the owner is in.

Justin Gearhart chose the latter scenario but added a touch of humor to it. Raising pigs in his formative years (and being an avid lover and consumer of bacon), Gearhart fittingly named his (formerly owned) Cummins-powered Dodge “Makin’ Bacon.”

9. Six Leaker

It’s well-documented that the 6.0L Power Stroke is one of the least reliable diesel engines ever assembled. Atop the list of its catastrophic problems is head gasket failure, which affectionately earned it the nicknames of “6.Blow,” “Sick-Liter,” and as is the case here, “Six Leaker.” So — with that said — if you’re going to drive a 6.0L-equipped Ford Super Duty, you might as well own up to the fact that you’ll always have a target on your back.

The owner of this ’04 model did that and more. He tackled the 6.0L’s reputation for popping head gaskets head-on by adding this giant sticker to the windshield. In a strange twist of fate, perhaps the joke is really on any Cummins or Duramax owner that lines up against him. This photo was actually taken at the drag strip, where the “Six Leaker” was laying down some impressive passes.

Next, check out 11 diesel truck failures you should really try to avoid.

As the first of six races in the 2017 NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals Series, the 23rd Annual Nitto NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords promised to pack a lot of punch, and it did.

In addition to cars cruising with naturally aspirated, turbo, blower and nitrous combinations in highly competitive categories, the event, held at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, featured grudge racing between Bobby Ducote and his nitrous-sipping Mustang and Boosted GT and his turbocharged Mustang from the television series, “Street Outlaws”, as well as the UPR Products All-Ford Car Show and a massive manufacturers’ midway.

When the last pair of vehicles powered down the track that had been professionally prepared all weekend for street tires, slick tires and drag radial tires, winners were welcomed to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.

The category with the quickest and fastest vehicles, VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw, saw legendary and longtime NMRA driver Manny Buginga lead qualifying after laying down a 4.33 in his 1991 Mustang, which is slightly quicker than the 4.34 Joel Greathouse claimed as a record in the class last year. Buginga stayed between 4.36 and 4.39 in eliminations on his way to the final, where he took his place alongside Charlie Cooper and his PTP Racing-tuned 1991 Mustang. Cooper, whose small-block Ford was recently freshened by MCRP and is fronted by a Precision turbo, had Buginga at the starting line and the finish line, and earned his first win in the series he’s been running for four years with a 4.36 to Buginga’s off-the-throttle 8.69.

In Edelbrock Renegade action, former class champion Frank Varela led qualifying with a 7.41 in his 1990 Mustang and advanced all the way to the final to face Dom DiDonato, who had qualified twelfth after turning in an off-pace 9.40 in his 2008 Shelby GT500. When the tree came down, Varela’s Mustang hesitated before going through the traps at 7.50, and that hesitation allowed DiDonato to take the win despite a slower 7.65.

ProCharger Coyote Modified put the spotlight on John Kauderer, who led qualifying with a 7.74 in his 2014 Mustang Cobra wearing Gotta Have It Green paint and then defeated David Witt and his 2013 Mustang in the final with a 7.82.

“We had set a class record at the last race of 2016 with a 7.81 and then we set a class record at this first race of 2017 with a 7.82,” said Kauderer. “How’s that for consistency? It was just one of those weekends where everything worked. I and Eric Holliday of Justin’s Performance Center, who pulls all the strings on the car and tunes, had set some goals for this year, and with the win and the record, we can cross two of those goals off of our list. Now, we’re going after the championship.”

In G-Force Racing Coyote Stock, Darin Hendricks led qualifying after piloting his 1993 Mustang Cobra to a 10.07, and while he had hoped to take a trip to the always-inviting Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle, reigning class champion Drew Lyons took the win in his 1988 Mustang after a 10.11 to 10.15 fight in the final.

“All of the off-season work really paid off,” said Lyons. “The biggest thing was a complete new cage done by Pro Tree Racecars. I also put a lot of attention on some key suspension pieces. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.”

John Leslie, Jr., whose 1989 Mustang is almost always wheels-up when it leaves the starting line, stopped the clocks with an incredible 10.51 to lead qualifying in Richmond Gear Factory Stock, but after exiting competition in the second round of eliminations, he left the door open for a final round featuring Dan Ryntz and his 1989 Mustang and reigning class champion James Meredith and his 2003 Mustang Mach 1. While Meredith had a quicker elapsed-time, Ryntz had a quicker reaction time, and earned the holeshot win after the 10.70 to 10.64 race.

In Hellion Turbo Coyote Shootout, Justin Jordan flat-footed his 2014 Mustang to a 7.89 for the quickest pass in qualifying, but the last drivers down track in the class were Sai Li and Chris Holmes. Li lapped up the win with an 8.35 in his 2012 Mustang while Holmes couldn’t complete his pass in his wheelstanding 2012 Mustang.

Stephanie Davies saw her name on the top of the list of qualified entrants in Race Pages FordMuscle after driving her popular Roush Fox Mustang to a 10.51, but Danny Towe, whose 1970 Mustang trapped an 11.92 in the final round, got the win as soon as Bryan Parker turned on the red light in his 1967 Fairlane.

The ever-exciting Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle saw a 25-car field, but Susan Roush McClenaghan showed she was ready for the competition, as she motored her liquid propane-fueled 2010 Mustang to a 9.34 and the win after her teammate, Donnie Bowles, was a tick too quick off the line and turned on the red light in his 2005 Mustang.

“I was very excited and grateful to start the year off with a win,” said Roush McClenaghan. “There are quite a few accomplished racers in Mod Muscle. Donnie and I are very fortunate to enjoy as many wins, runners-up and top qualifying positions as we have. Donnie and I race each other very hard when we're paired up. I'm always thankful when it's in the final and not an earlier round.”

The Aerospace Components Open Comp final pitted Mel White and his 1966 Mustang against Gordon Harlow and his 1989 Mustang, and White wrangled up the win with a 10.39 to Harlow’s 9.95.

In Detroit Locker Truck and Lightning, reigning class champion Randy Conway proved that he’s working toward backing up his championship by recording an .011 reaction time and driving his 1984 Ranger to a 10.58 and the win over Jimmy Cantrell, who wasn’t quite as quick at the hit and recoded a 9.67 in his 1994 Ranger.

Kent Nine is no stranger to the Roush Performance Super Stang winner’s circle, so his fans weren’t surprised to see him there again after driving his 2016 Mustang to a 10.40 and a win over Levi Wendel, who cruised to a 12.83 in his 2006 Mustang.

“This is my first win in a Brenspeed shop car, and it was a great finish to a rough weekend,” said Nine, an engine-builder for Brenspeed, a Ford performance parts supplier and installer based in Indiana. “We had two really good hits on Thursday morning, but then it went downhill. We struggled with traction, but Chris from Mickey Thompson got us going in the right direction. We had another issue that persisted through eliminations, but we’ll get it straight for the Atlanta NMRA race (in April). I’d like to offer a big congratulations to (runner-up) Levi Wendel. It was his very first NMRA event.”

In the Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown presented by Watson Racing, Michelle Bongiovanni cruised to an 8.67 and the win over Paul Roderick, who was no slouch with an 8.95, and in UPR Products Modular Xtreme, Brian Devilbiss drove his 2013 Shelby Mustang to a 4.84 for the win while Mark Duber drove his 2013 Shelby to a lifting 8.35 for the runner-up. Speaking of Devilbiss, the savvy driver also drove to 7.38 and a win in VMP Performance Terminator vs. GT500 Shootout, while Randy Thomas took the runner-up in his 2010 Shelby with an 8.72.

Bill Putnam earned another win in the Livernois Motorsports EcoBoost Battle after driving his  2015 Mustang to a 9.51 while his opponent, Alexis Fruggiero flew to a 10.29, also in a 2015 Mustang, and in other shootout-style racing, the JLT Performance Spring Break Shootout saw Cal Hayward motor his 1991 Mustang to a 7.32 for the win and Jeff Bloem motor his 1988 Mustang to a 7.87 for the runner-up.

In the Tremec Stick Shift Shootout, Anthony Heard rowed the gears of the manual transmission in his 1999 Mustang to a 9.19 to find victory over Harrison Cumbie, who posted a 10.47 in his 1987 Mustang, and in ididit Outlaw True Street, Mark Duber and his 2013 Shelby Mustang outran Jon Anderson and his 1991 Mustang.

QA1 True Street presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords is always a crowd-pleaser, and for this event, that crowd saw 127 competitors in the field. When it was all said and done, Cal Hayward earned the overall win with a 7.94 average in his 1991 Mustang and Jeff Bloem earned the runner-up with an 8.32 average in his 1988 Mustang.

Other winners in the class were William Lujan with a 9-second average, Bill Dudley with a 10-second average, Bill Lee, Jr. with an 11-second average, Mike Baker with a 12-second average, Carlos Mendes with a 13-second average, Mary Mamen with a 14-second average, and Gary Clempa with a 15-second average. Larry Meray won in Race Pages Bracket 1, and Manny Sousa took the win in Race Pages Bracket 2.

Catch more action by the drivers of the NMRA as they mix it up with drivers of sister-series NMCA during the 9th Annual NMCA/NMRA All-Star Nationals, April 6-9, 2017 at Atlanta Dragway. For information, visit www.nmradigital.com or www.nmcadigital.com.

(Photos courtesy of NMRA)

This week's Take 5 is for the ones whose form of social networking is more analog than digital; whose influence isn't determined by quantifiable "likes" or "comments"; whose community isn't comprised of any virtual "followers," but rather actual friends they see every week, in real life.

When we spotted a Gotta Have It Green Mustang on Nitto NT555s at a SoCal Cars and Coffee a while ago, we asked owner Dan Pieson to answer our Take 5 questions, which he was more than happy to answer. Afterwards, however, we found out he didn't have an Instagram, one of the criteria for Take 5 features...

Oh well! We're featuring him, anyway! Dan is a regular at Cars and Coffee Aliso Viejo, so drop in one Saturday morning and say "hi"!

Dan Pieson

2013 Mustang GT

1. Favorite car movie:

"Bullitt" — first of all, it features a Mustang, and it has a great chase scene.

Another good one is "Vanishing Point."

We couldn't agree with Dan more on these fabulous choices! Check out more of Driving Line's Editor's Car Movie Picks here.

2. Favorite driving music:

The Coyote howl!

3. Best mod to your car:

Ford Racing Suspension. I also love the Nitto NT555s, hopefully upgrading soon to the 555 G2s.

4. Favorite road to drive:

Laguna Canyon, because no one's on it early in the morning. It's a beautiful drive.

5. Next car adventure:

I'll be at Fabulous Fords Forever. Make sure you come visit!

See more photos in the gallery below.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, we've compiled a list of the meanest, greenest 'wheeling machines you ever did see. And we have to say... the rigs sporting Nitto Trail, Mud or Ridge Grapplers are mint.

1. Gecko JKU

2013 Jeep Wrangler

Who: Jeep Parts Australia

See more: @GeckoJKU

2. Ridge Grappling 'Yota

1986 Toyota Pickup

Who: Harry Wagner

See more: Driving Line

3. Super Green Super Duty

2004 Ford F-250 6.0L Power Stroke

Who: Tyler Stauffer

See more: @Low_6oh

4. The Riddler JK

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Who: Twisted Off Road CO x Crawler Conceptz

See more: @TwistedOffRoadCO

5. Triple-Crowned Dragon Slayer

Ultra4 Racing Car 5AZ

Who: Shannon Campbell x Campbell Racing

See more: Driving Line

6. Matte-Wrapped Savage SRT

2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

By: Cesar x @SavageSRT

See more: Driving Line

7. Legend 2.Woah

2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Who: Fab Fours

See more: Driving Line

8. M37 2NV

1951 Dodge M37 Power Wagon

Who: Mel Wade, Evo Manufacturing x Off Road Evolution

See more: Driving Line

9. Van-Turned-Flatbed

2002 Ford E-350 4x4

Who: Chris Steuber x Ujoint Off-Road

See more: Driving Line

10. Nitto Jeep of JKX Alaska

2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Who: David Retzloff

See more: Driving Line

11. Drag Racing Diesel Mega Truck

2004 Ford F-250 Super Duty

Who: JH Diesel & 4x4

See more: Driving Line

Check out more vehicles in green!

Turns out there's a substantial number of people in Japan who observe St. Patrick's Day... All the more reason to celebrate the Irish holiday by showing you some green-colored JDM tuners and other cars from overseas. Some of them are so dreamy, you're going to have to resist the urge to say "pinch me." Unless you're not wearing green today. Then you're just asking for it.

1. Euro Mint Machines

Alpil VW Beetle RSR

(Photo: @Newing_Inc)

Alpil VW Golf GTI RSR

(Photo: @Newing_Inc)

Who: Newing

2. Nitto Low N' Glow

Acura Integra

(Photo: @CreativeDemons_CV)

(Photo: @CreativeDemons_CV, @Street_Active)

Who: @PapiChulo72

See more: Driving Line

3. Money Bunny

2016 Nissan Silvia S14 Rocket Bunny V2 Boss

(Photo: S-Chassis x Akifumi Yamamoto)

Who: MAN.Z Factory

See more: Driving Line

4. Global Time Attacking Hulk

2004 Mitsubishi Evo 8

Who: Roy Narvaez x Road Race Engineering

See more: Driving Line

5. Fresh-to-Death Vintage

1966 Ferrari 275 GTS

Who: Pininfarina

See more: Driving Line

6. Funky Stance Garden Car

2009 Toyota Probox

Who: Ki-mi

See more: Driving Line

7. Best of 86FEST

Pandem Rocket Bunny V3 Scion FR-S

Who: Jesus Torres x LTMW

See more: Driving Line

8. Lime Widebody

RWB Porsche 964

See more: Driving Line

9. Fast Cash

2016 McLaren 570S

Who: Exotics Racing

See more: Driving Line

Next, see our favorite muscle cars that'll give the Hulk a run for his money.