Traveling to Tokyo, Japan can be an incredible experience for car lovers. Whether it’s the big events, informal car meets or just finding cool stuff parked on the street, there’s never a shortage of automotive-related stuff to see and do.

One thing we recommend is a trip to Odaiba to see the Toyota Megaweb showroom and History Garage located at the Venus Fort shopping mall along the Tokyo waterfront. Easily accessible by train and free of charge, it’s a perfect way to spend a few hours.

History Garage

In particular, the History Garage is a don’t-miss destination, not only with an assortment of classic Toyotas, but plenty of vintage cars from other manufacturers as well. As part of a remodel a couple years back, they also added a new Motorsport Heritage area that makes the History Garage even better.

We dropped by during our recent visit to Tokyo and found that the Motorsport area has one of the coolest ever displays of historic Toyota rally cars. 

Starting at the Beginning

The exhibit traces Toyota's rally history all the way back to 1957, when the Toyopet Crown RSD was entered in the Mobilgas Rally in Australia and placed 47th overall, proving the capabilities of a Japanese car on a global level.

Years later, Toyota proved that it could build very successful rally cars like this battle-scarred ST185 Celica GT-Four that won the 43rd annual Safari Rally in 1995.

Not only is the car itself on display, but so are many other artifacts from the event, including maps, navigation guides, racing suits and even the bottle of champagne used to celebrate the victory. Together, they tell quite the story.

Mitsubishi Is There Too

While Toyota owns and operates the History Garage, it includes cars from many different global manufacturers. This rally exhibition even included a trio of rally machines supplied by Mitsubishi's factory collection, including a pair of Lancers representing the '70s and '80s and an Evolution III that won the '95 Australian Rally.

We highly recommend to anyone who might be in Tokyo to drop by the History Garage and see the incredible cars for themselves, but if that's not possible we've done the next best thing and prepared an extensive gallery below. Enjoy!

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Now that we’re at the height of the truck pulling season, a few ring-leaders are beginning to emerge. Among the front-runners in the elite Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League’s Pro Stock Diesel Truck class, you’ll find Todd Cox’s ride: a 1980 bodied Chevy on a ’96 Dodge ¾-ton frame that’s powered by a 1,850hp Scheid-built 12-valve Cummins and driven by his 16-year-old son, Jayden. Coined “Boosted Outlaw,” Cox’s purpose-built puller has been darn-near dominant thus far in 2018. While it’s only accumulated one win, the truck has finished fifth place or better at six out of nine events. Trust us, consistency can be hard to come by in Pro Stock, where on any given night the class favorite can end up at the back of the pack and the underdog can steal the victory.

Along with current first place holder Matt Penn and third place competitor Rod Tarr, Cox is all but running away from the rest of the Pro Stock field in 2018—despite there being more than a dozen competitive trucks in the mix. How is he doing it? Maybe it’s luck, maybe it’s a combined 40 years’ worth of tractor pulling experience, maybe it’s the truck’s overall setup or maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. Either way, this truck is kicking ass and taking names—and as the season winds down, the Coxs are ramping things up for a shot at the Pro Stock title. Keep scrolling to find out how their 390 ci, inline-six squeezes 1,850hp through a single turbocharger, as well as how the truck survives its 15-second battles with the 40,000-pound sled.

Slant-Six Cummins

Due to its increased block strength over the 5.9L crankcase, Cox’s Scheid-built Pro Stock engine is based on a 6.7L block. Further improving strength and reliability, the block’s water jackets are filled with concrete. It’s been machined to accept a girdle, 14mm ARP main studs (vs. the 12mm factory fasteners), cylinder sleeves and fire-rings, and incorporates a one-inch thick deckplate up top to keep the combustion area of each cylinder from distorting. A balanced rotating assembly consists of a stock 6.7L Cummins crankshaft, R&R Racing Products connecting rods and ultra-low compression (12:1) Arias pistons. A Wagler Competition Products 12-valve cylinder head—treated to heavy port work, oversized Inconel intake and exhaust valves, roller rockers, chromoly pushrods and a one-piece valve cover—anchors to the 6.7L-based block by way of 14mm ARP head studs. In order to clear the removable hood (and because Cox didn’t want to have to lift the truck’s body), the engine is cocked slightly toward the passenger side fender.

14mm P-Pump

Capable of flowing more than 1,000cc of fuel, but typically set at the 800cc mark, is one of Scheid Diesel’s 14mm P-pumps. The high-flow P8600 houses 14mm plungers and barrels, a quick-rate cam and sports an RSV (“Ag”) governor. The big injection pump benefits from dual supply lines and a gear-driven Daryl Saucier Racing (DSR) lift pump feeding it 50 psi worth of fuel pressure. Pressurized diesel leaves the P-pump through large diameter (0.120-inch) stainless steel injection lines and a set of Scheid’s triple-feed injectors equipped with 5x0.030-inch injectors (five holes in each nozzle, with each measuring 0.030 inches) mix fuel with the compressed air in each cylinder.

At The Hart of the Build

Pro Stock class rules dictate that a single turbocharger must feed the engine and that the turbo has to be of a smooth bore design. This means no map width enhancement groove (also called a map ring or inducer bleed) can be present. All air must pass through the compressor wheel inducer, which can be no larger than 3.6 inches (roughly 92mm) in diameter. Despite these limitations, this turbo from Hart’s Diesel moves enough air to support 1,850hp. It builds between 50 and 55 psi of boost during the course of a pull.

Boost Cooler

With so much fuel on tap and the incoming air compressed to more than 50 psi, intake temperatures can crest 500 degrees F. To cool things back off before entering the head, boosted air is routed through this water-to-air intercooler. Highly efficient, the system drops incoming air temperatures from 500 degrees to as low as 70 degrees, meaning cooler, denser, horsepower-friendly air is all the engine ever sees. This one component is just as responsible for the Cummins’ 1,850hp output as its wild injection system or top-of-the-line turbocharger is.

Extreme-Use Axle

As you can imagine, transferring as much of the engine’s 1,850hp (and more than 2,500 lb-ft of twist) to the wheels as possible calls for a heavy-duty driveline. Bearing the brunt of the abuse is the rear axle, a Meritor/Rockwell 20-145 in this case. Sourced from Proformance Pros, the 20-145—an axle with a 20,000-pound GAWR— sports a spool, a 6.20:1 ring and pinion ratio and gun-drilled axle shafts. Notice the rear axle is also void of any suspension system, which is purposely done to keep things as rigid as possible. For all intents and purposes, the rear axle is part of the frame.

Hybrid Front Axle

To keep the front wheels digging reliably, a custom military/Rockwell F106 axle from Proformance Pros is employed. The hybrid axle features military style outer knuckles and an F106 center section. In the differential, you’ll find a Detroit locker and a 6.20:1 ratio ring and pinion. Within the axle tubes, you’ll find 1.75-inch diameter axle shafts. Hydraulic steering allows the truck to be maneuvered around in the pits.

The 80/20 Split

Peering in through the driver side rear fender well you can see that no bed floor exists and that the back wall of the truck’s cab is gone. Ditching weight everywhere but forward of the front axle is the name of the game in the sport of truck pulling and Cox’s Chevy benefits from an incredible (for the Pro Stock class) 80/20 front/rear weight distribution.

Busy Interior

Now this is what you call a gutted interior. After cutting out the floor of the cab, removing all windows and taking a hole saw to everything else, it’s easy to see the extent to which Cox went to scrap weight. In the photo above, you can also see the truck’s near-bulletproof drivetrain. From right to left: a Browell blow-proof bell housing concealing a four-disc Molinari racing clutch, fully-contained input shaft and one-speed Pro Fab Machine reverser transmission, which is bolted to a Pro Fab quick change drop box/transfer case (hence the second drive shaft routing power to the front axle).

10-Foot Bed & In-House Body Work

The longer the wheelbase the better in truck pulling, and by adding a 10-foot bed to the Chevy, Cox was also able to stretch the truck’s wheelbase to the 158-inch class maximum. Cox handled all auto body work as well, from the removable steel front quarter panels and hood to integrating illustrations drawn up by his niece into the truck’s paint scheme.

Worth the Weight

After all weight reduction measures had been completed, Cox was able to add weight right where it needed to be: forward of the front axle. In addition to housing the fuel and dry sump oil tanks, the ice box and the water-to-air intercooler arrangement, the weight box is chock full of tractor weights. In meeting the Pro Stock class’s maximum weight requirement of 7,800 pounds, the front half of the truck accounts for more than 6,000 pounds of Boosted Outlaw’s overall heft. As a result, the back of the truck can literally be lifted by hand.

Lead image provided courtesy of Amy Gilbert of Stainless Diesel

Want to see how some of the best pullers did at the Ultimate Callout Challenge? We have full coverage of the event!

A short list usually pops into one’s head when thinking of Canada, probably including the stereotypical maple syrup, Tim Hortons, hockey, Drake and ketchup chips. Ok, that last one was a stretch, but after being the biggest car show north of the border for the past 18 years, it's about time Importfest rings a bell as well. While American car enthusiasts have a veritable laundry list of huge events with standing reservations on the calendar—Wekfest, AutoCon and Tuner Evolution, for example—Canadians from across the nation make their way to Toronto each year for this gathering of the community.

The Buildup

As the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is positioned in the shadow of Toronto’s CN Tower, the stream of passersby and tourists couldn’t help but to stare and snap photos during load-in the day prior to the event.

The cars had to drive up through the stream of people and in through the loading bay, putting on somewhat of a show before the show. Once inside, the variety and quality of builds was hard to deny. Bringing in cars from across Canada and the northeast U.S., each aisle shone new light on just how strong and wildly varying the Canadian car scene actually is.

Every Kind of Car

A perfect example would be this Honda Civic. At first, it appears to be a show-worthy EK Hatch with a GReddy front bumper, SSR Wheels, center exit exhaust and some other aesthetic modifications.

Upon closer inspection, the B Series under the hood links up to an AWD transmission with a sequential shifter in the cockpit. Giving it only a quick glance and missing the small AWD badge on the rear hatch may lead one to walk on by this build, but it’s awesome once the reality of the situation comes to light.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, this widebody 1967 Mustang Coupe is impossible to miss. The LS swap poking through the hood, fully stripped and caged interior, and massive 19"x 11"-68 front and 20"x 13"-80 rear Govad wheels pull attention from every angle. The rough, unfinished exterior and no-frills all-metal interior are about as eye catching as any other car under the convention center roof.

Of course there were tried and true favorites as well, such as JJ Dubec’s “F7LTHY” widebody NSX in the center of Acura’s booth, white paint in stark contrast to the surrounding royal blue carpeting.

Across the aisle, the Importfest Performance Boss S14 was standing guard at the Nitto Tire booth, proving blue on bronze will never go out of style and TE37s make everything better.

One last pair of standouts were these from MZ Kustomz, a 1965 C10 dually laying frame on the concrete floor and a towering 2017 F450. If variety is truly the spice of life, having almost six feet of distance between your two vehicles' seating positions is probably pretty tasty.

The list of cars to gush about would probably take until next year’s Importfest to complete, so hopefully the huge photo gallery below will suffice. If Toronto is anywhere on your list of places to visit, you owe it to yourself to put Importfest 2019 on the calendar. Oh, and don’t forget the ketchup chips.

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The Goodwood Festival of Speed has reached the grand old age of 25. It scarcely seems possible that the one day trial event from June 1993 that attracted a healthy 25,000 spectators has grown into one of the premier motoring events on the planet. It has become a Bucket List item for all of those who like their cars and stars, especially in the alluring atmosphere of a traditional English summer garden party.

This year the Festival was spread out over four days, Thursday through Sunday, and was witnessed by a reported 200,000 enthusiasts. There is almost too much to see and do, from the Hill Climb to the Rally Stage to the stalls, the Concours and super cars and the manufacturers' displays, then there are the car parks. Overload is the word that comes to mind, so perhaps the way forward is to pick a few of the highlights to show the flavour of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

VW Victory

Right from the very first Festival of Speed, the centrepiece has been the Hill Climb that snakes its way up through the show and past the front of Goodwood House, the residence of His Grace, The Duke of Richmond, the driving force behind the whole shebang. So it would seem appropriate to start the journey there. Fresh off their triumph at Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas and his Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak took everyone else down in Sussex and came out on top.

The VW prototype is the first fully-electric racer to top the time-sheets at the Goodwood Hill Climb. This run was also a new record for electric powered-cars with a time of 43.86 seconds, 3.48 seconds faster than the previous best.

70 Years of Land Rover

Also famous for climbing hills, albeit at a much reduced pace, is the humble Land Rover. 2018 sees the 70th birthday of this most British of vehicles, a favourite of all levels of society from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll to the humblest sheep farmer in the hills with his flock. Celebrating this anniversary was a convoy of 70 examples from all eras assembled for Goodwood.

The Land Rover has evolved into many forms, notably the Range Rover, a luxury item that sells in great numbers. The affection held for "Landies" was evident from those lucky enough to run on the hill to the appreciative spectators enjoying the spectacle.

Lotus Birthday

Seventy was was the fashionable number at this year's Festival of Speed. I will have a look at Porsche in another piece, but there was also a hat tip to Colin Chapman and Lotus. 1948 was the first year that the effects of World War Two began to recede, at least for motor industry, and this is the 70th birthday of that date. A birthday needs a birthday cake, so the Duke of Richmond, Feng Qingfeng (Lotus CEO) and Clive Chapman (son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman and head of Lotus Classic) did the honours.

Lotus also had another milestone with their 100,000th car coming off the production line. This special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport is being put up as a prize to raise funds for the Jim Clark Trust, a salute to the two-time World Champion who was a Lotus man through and through.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. Having Fun

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is not all about anniversaries and looking back to the past. Contemporary trends are also welcomed. Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his Mustang have become firm favourites with the crowd who really appreciate the car control and exuberance on show. The Festival of Speed should be fun as well as educational.

Vaughn and his colleague "Mad" Mike Whiddett put on a great display, showcasing the drift car culture and are now a fixture at Goodwood.

F1s Getting in on the Fun, Too

The drifting fraternity has obviously had some influence on the normally conservative Formula One stars. Valtteri Bottas was kicking up the dust with the best of them in the 2016 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 W07 Hybrid.

Regulations restricting the running of the 2018 F1 cars means that the older cars get another outing. The rules are in place to prevent teams from testing new bits away from the Grand Prix meetings. That is how crazy and competitive the Formula One circus is these days. The Festival of Speed is a rare chance for the public to get up close and personal with these exotic creations.

Astronomical Aston Martin

No major motoring event these days is complete without an auction. As one might expect, there was something more than a bit exotic to come under the hammer at Goodwood. The Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, 2 VEV, is the very definition of a special motor car. Considered by many to be one of the most desirable and beautiful sports cars ever built, the fusion of British engineering and Italian style is almost irresistible.

Only 19 DB4GT Zagatos were built back in the early '60s, and this example was crashed hard at Spa in 1962 while on loan to the factory. By way of recompense to the owner it was completely rebuilt around a lightweight MP209 chassis, some 300 pounds lighter than a standard DB4GT Zagato. The car enjoyed a successful career with the great Jim Clark driving it twice at Goodwood. It has been in the hands of one family since 1972, who offered it for sale this year. This amazing Aston Martin achieved a staggering £10,081,500, making it the most valuable British car ever sold at European auction. Needless to say I am not the lucky new owner, roll on the Lottery win.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed sets the bar high for the variety and quality of the cars on show. Whatever your motoring inclinations, there's something for you to enjoy. See you next June!

Vaughn Gittin Jr. didn't just come to Goodwood to have fun. He also brought an awesome Mustang for charity!

McQueen had his Mustang, DeNiro a BMW and Vin Diesel had...well...everything, but imagine it was you, in a pinch, needing to outrun the fuzz. What does a smart dude drive as his getaway vehicle?

Most would choose speed first, which is a perfectly wise assumption. However, when you're up against the Ford Interceptor Utility in the U.S., the Lamborghini Gallardo in Italy and the Bugatti Veyron in Dubai, the feds will catch up with you quicker than you can say "jail time."  If you're not going to outrun them, a clever criminal does the right thing: outsmart them. For that, nothing beats a van.

1. Camo

The Toyota Sienna may be a remarkably unremarkable mini van. With a depressing amount of horsepower (296hp), a sad turning radius and infuriating lack of torque, this is probably the last thing you'd bet your freedom on, which is exactly why you should consider it. If you just calmly cruise into the pickup line at a local elementary school, roll down the window and yell, "Emily, we'll be late for ballet practice!" no one will bat an eye. They’ll be busy picking up the newly divorced dad in the red Mustang GT idling nearby. Sorry, Steve—see you on the golf course!

2. Cargo

If you’re going to be chased by the feds, you may as well make it worth it. Rocking a Fedex Truck not only means that you get that Bluetec Mercedes goodness and additional camouflage (Fedex has over 60,000 ground vehicles), but you'll also have heaps of cargo room. That means that you can have as many donuts, cartons of milk or Kinder eggs as you want back there. Fatten up while you can. Prison food is supposed to be awful!

3. Dressing Room

We’ve all watched enough James Bond (& Austin Powers) to know that sometimes not getting caught is as simple as changing your look. Try to shimmy out of a jumpsuit while driving a Bugatti and you’ll see that there are much better options. Vans give you flexibility to drive with just one hand and enough head room for a costume change without any risk of concussion.

4. 4x4 for the Win!

Car chases are level playing fields if you’re on city streets, highways or even a racetrack, but the minute you hop the curb and head offroad, you’ll be leaving the majority of police vehicles in the dust. Cruising in a 4x4, like this van from Roper design (a former Ford Rough Riders Racing support vehicle), ensures that if the police do venture into the dirt, not only will you outrun them, you may even be the guy pulling them out when they get stuck. Good luck with that one, conscience!

Finally, the best reason to choose a van as your next getaway vehicle is:

5. Instant Bed (& Breakfast!)

At this point, you’ve outrun the Veyron, intercepted the Interceptor and left countless Crown Vics in your wake. Now what’s your next move? Check into a Motel 6, watch Pay Per View and wait it out? Or head for the border, change your name and practice your Spanish? Either way, you’re going to need a solid hideout. If you're smart enough to pick a van with a built-in bed, bar and hot-plate, your happiness quotient is going to be immeasurably higher.

So the next time you’re escaping some heat, get your van on. Oh, and for the rest of us watching on tv, make it cool!

We also have 6 automotive problems Elon Musk should solve.

It’s midday on a beautiful day warm Sunday in May, and we are at a parking lot in the middle of Tokyo Bay not far from the port of Yokohama. Sitting directly in front of you is Mazda RX-7 that's parked among a group of rotary-powered Mazdas. This one has had some serious money put into it, with sticky tires, wide body panels and a sizable turbocharger affixed to its rotary engine. It’s the exact type of car you might imagine when you think of the tuner machines that loop Tokyo’s highways by night and racing circuits by day.

Before you can even take in the Mazda, you look over and see a gleaming Chevrolet Impala dripping candy paint, riding low and rolling on a set of immaculate Dayton wires, the sound of G-funk music coming out of its high end audio system. It heads over to another area of the parking lot where a massive group of lowriders has formed, and on this day they've gathered to cruise in memory of one of a fellow club member who passed away.

Then the sound of the music is drowned out by something completely different—the scream of a free-flowing Italian V12 firing to life a few spaces down. That’s when you see the bright red Lamborghini Diablo SV emerge from behind a parked big rig and roll by with several other exotics following behind.

You stare at the brightly colored machinery as it rolls by, but then once again your ear catches something different. First faint, and then louder you hear the unmistakable sound of a carbureted straight six downshifting as it circles down from the highway above you. A few moments later the unmistakable shape of a Hakosuka Skyline appears, with the lope of its performance cam making itself known as the car idles toward you.

It's Not a Dream

It all sounds pretty amazing right? Like the stuff you’d see at a once in a life time car show or maybe just a dream your head. Only this isn’t a fantasy or an unprecedented type of new car show. It’s just another Sunday at Daikoku Parking Area.

These sights and sounds are repeated at Daikoku week after week, all year round with only the wettest or most bitterly cold days keeping people at home. In a country with no shortage of car culture to experience, Daikoku Sundays might just be the best way to catch it all.

Daikoku Parking area is no secret of course, both when it comes to people in Japan and those who admire the country's automotive happenings from afar. The highway rest area on the manmade island might have become legendary for its late night meets, where one could find serious Wangan racers, VIP sedans, wild vans packed with stereo equipment and other custom creations.

Only in the Sunday Sun

Unfortunately, it looks like the era of those nighttime Daikoku meets might be coming to an end. In an effort to cut down on noise pollution, illegally modified vehicles, loitering and other "nuisances" ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Daikoku Parking Area often gets closed to all vehicles on Friday and Saturday nights. So if you happen to be visiting Japan and try to head to Daikoku on a weekend evening, you'll probably get turned away.

That's why the locals will tell you to forget about going to Daikoku at night and instead go on a Sunday during the day. If you do, you'll be treated to one of the greatest car meets anywhere in the world.

It's not even a "meet" in the traditional sense where someone organizes a huge gathering that everyone goes to. It's just that Daikoku is the defacto rendezvous point or drive destination for car enthusiasts from across the Kanto region and beyond.

Every Kind of Car

Mixed among the cargo trucks, express buses and weekend road trippers, you'll find representatives from every genre of car culture passing through Daikoku on your typical Sunday. Some are here specifically to meet up with like-minded owners and friends, while others simply stop by on their way to or from any number of driving destinations or events.

Head to Daikoku on a typical Sunday morning or afternoon and there's really no telling what you might see. It could be something contemporary like this air-bagged Liberty Walk GT-R.

It could be something highly unusual like this rare station wagon version of the classic Hakosuka Skyline (which was parked alongside coupe and sedan versions of the same model).

It could be something rare and exotic like this Lexus LFA...

...or the equally high end Mercedes SLR McLaren—and what's that strange thing lurking in the background?

Oh you know, it's just a 1962 Dodge done in authentic super stock drag style with a wicked, lopey V8 rumble that could be heard from across the entire place.

No matter what the crowd is, you'll find them hanging out Daikoku—whether it's the aforementioned lowriders who are always out in big numbers...

...or the Kaido Racers and Kyushakai motorcycle riders, who often roll into Daikoku with their engines screaming and musical horns serenading. Wild machines like the Hell's Racing Toyota Mark II are regular sights around here.

Representing the more subdued side of the automotive hobby, you've got the "gentlemen" drivers out for a Sunday drive in their favorite vintage sports cars—in this case a Honda S800.

Or how about going in another direction entirely with this lifted K5 Chevy Blazer?

That's all before you get to the seemingly endless stream of more traditional modified street cars: the Imprezas, Civic Type Rs, M3s, Silvias and so forth. Whatever your taste is, you can find it at Daikoku.

The Best in the World

After spending time on two different Sundays at Daikoku Parking Area, we struggled to think of another spot in the world where you'll see as many cool, interesting and sometimes incredible cars on a regular basis. Hanging out around the Nürburgring in Germany might come close, but you won't see too many non-track-oriented cars there.

The only thing that really comes close would be the original Irvine Cars & Coffee events, but without those around anymore we can't really think of another spot that can compare. The fact that everything is so casual at Daikoku makes it that much more enjoyable.

One could easily spend the entire day just hanging out and being wowed by the machinery that comes through Daikoku on the typical Sunday. If there's one negative to the whole thing, it is that access without a car can be quite difficult. Unlike many spots in Japan, Daikoku Parking area is a part of the expressway system and can't really be reached by mass transit. Arranging a taxi ride is technically possible, but it would be a very unusual request.

Our suggestion is to either a rent a car somewhere in Tokyo or Yokohama and simply drive there, or to reach out on social media ahead of time and see if someone might be able to give you a ride out. We've found Japanese car enthusiasts to be very hospitable and happy to share the hobby with visitors.

Whatever means you use to get there, a visit to Daikoku Parking Area on a Sunday should be a bucket list item for anyone visiting Japan. For those who haven't had a chance to go, you can do the next best thing and enjoy the gallery of images below.

Not only are there tons of great cars to see in the day, but Japanese car culture heats up at all-night rides!

Navigation is critical, whether via map and compass, GPS or even directions from your spouse. If you don’t know where you’re headed, you may be bound for a long ride home or even worse—disaster. If you’re interested in learning traditional navigation (using map and compass) there are several important things to learn before you go. This article is the first of a two-part series teaching you about traditional map and compass navigation.

Latitude

Basic navigation includes two important terms: latitude and longitude. Understanding these terms is imperative when using topographic maps with a compass. Latitude is the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator. It’s usually expressed in degrees and minutes. Latitude is indicated on maps using lines drawn from side to side. They’re imaginary parallels running east/west around the globe (i.e. they parallel the line of the equator).

Longitude

Longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England. The Greenwich meridian is an imaginary line used to indicate 0° longitude and terminates at the North and South Poles. All other longitude meridians are numbered both east and west of this. Longitude is also usually expressed in degrees and minutes. In less technical terms, longitude is known as lines drawn on a map that run up or down, or north/south, around the globe. They’re imaginary lines that run vertically on a globe, with varying curvature.

Why degrees and minutes, you ask? A circle is broken up into 360 degrees, each one a fraction of a circle or a sphere. Just like apple slices are thinner at the ends, a single degree equals a different distance at the poles (or ends) than at the equator (the middle). That’s why we use degrees and minutes. Minutes further divide the degrees up into thinner slices so that we can have more usable distances where the degrees are too far apart.

Declination

Declination is the difference between true north (the direction along Earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole) and magnetic north (the direction the compass needle points). Magnetic declination is the angle between magnetic north and true north. True north sits at the top of the globe. Magnetic north, which is where your compass needle points, is a result of the Earth’s magnetic fields and its core elements, and is not aligned with the top of the globe. Understanding the difference between true north and magnetic north is key, since following your compass north will not take you to the North Pole. Knowing how to set your compass correctly is known as declinating your compass.

If you plan on navigating more precisely than a general heading of north, south, east and west, you should invest in a compass with an adjustable declination. It’s not an expensive feature. It will make navigation simpler and make you less prone to mental mistakes. Investing in a good compass can be a lifesaver.

Important Tips

Make sure you’re familiar with topographic map symbols. Know the differences between railroad tracks, rivers, power lines and contour lines. Understand what a mountain peak vs. a depression or crater looks like. Bring along thinly leaded mechanical pencils and erasers too. Knowing topo (topographic) map symbols could be the difference between success and failure during your travels.  

Be sure to check the age of your map. If you purchased a map from 1988 and you plan to use it in 2018, elements may be missing or wrong. After all, it’s 30 years old. Buildings, cell phone towers or other structures may not always show correctly on maps. Purchase the latest map set you can find.

Understand the different scales of topo maps, and make sure you use a pen and a piece of string when measuring them. If you have a 1:50,000 map, for instance, one centimeter on the map equals 50,000 centimeters (or 500 meters) in the world. Measuring with a pen and string, or even using your finger, could work depending how accurate you need to be. For instance, you can measure items like how far it is to the next town from an intersection and how far it is the next right-hand turn. String or your fingers can be good enough tools to use for survival and finding significant geographic features. If you wanted to get fancy, you could make your own ruler by ticking hash marks on it for every set of measurements the map indicates via its printed scale. For exact measurements, you can purchase coordinating map scales to match the exact scale of your topo maps.

If you plan on measuring your map correctly, you’ll need to either buy a 50,000 scale ruler, use a string or make your own using a piece of blank paper and ticking hash marks on it for every set of measurements the map indicates via its printed scale. The second isn’t as glamorous as a purchased ruler, but it gets the job done.

Taking the Right Steps

Know how many steps you take to get to 10, 25 or 50 feet, too. Grab a tape measure and a buddy. Have them lay the tape on the ground and count how many steps you take to get said amount of feet. Do this exercise a few times while pacing normally, as well as while taking longer strides. Then take the average amount of each set. This helps you measure your gate and track how far you’ve gone on the map. Typically, I take one step every two feet and stride every three feet. If your maps are in kilometers, you’ll need to convert your steps and strides from feet to meters. You take your measurement (in feet) and divide it by 3.28 to convert to meters. It’s a good idea to know the number of steps and strides you take, in booth feet and in meters.

Tons to Learn

If this article overwhelms you, you’re not alone. Traditional navigation, even at the basic level, can be complex and hard to understand. Fortunately, there are people happy to teach you and so many ways to learn, from classes hosted by local organizations, to navigational hikes/demonstrations, online classes and even YouTube videos. In the second article of this two-part series, I’ll take a deeper dive into how you use a compass and map together to navigate traditionally.

Once you're out in the wild, you'll need a place to sleep. We reviewed the PrinSu Design Studio Toprac to see if it works well for a roof top tent!

Ah, yes. That coupon book made its way into your mailbox again, and you’re back at Harbor Freight Tools picking up a few things for the the shop or garage. You may have already seen our first article, 27 Do’s and Don’ts of Harbor Freight Tools, but we went back to bring you more. Our latest list of items consists of 11 tools every shade-tree mechanic needs, and 11 tools to you might want to pick up somewhere else.

Dos:

1. 12 Outlet Power Supply Strip

Organization is never a bad thing. These power strips make plugging in things along a work bench easy, and are cheap enough to line multiple walls with.

2. Wheel Chocks

Safety is always key when working under any vehicle, and using real wheel chocks (not a block or 2x4) is a much safer way to keep a vehicle from rolling away. We recommend everyone grab a set of these.

3. Heavy Duty Booster Cables

There isn’t much technology to jumper cables, but we’ve found some of the cheaper ones to break at the clamps when tangled for too long. These, however, have held up to years of abuse for us, and seem to always get the job done.

4. Ball Joint Separator

Again, blunt objects such as this U-joint separator fork seem to always be winners at Harbor Freight Tools. Never bad to have one more of these laying around.

5. Step Bits

With how expensive these can be at other home improvement stores, you’d think step bits from Harbor Freight wouldn’t hold up, but you’d be wrong. We’ve used these bits for all kinds of projects in the garage and home, and they seem to work just fine, at half the cost of the name brand stuff.

6. Ratchet Straps

We here at Driving Line are firm believers that one can never own too many ratchet straps. With literally infinite possibilities for use, these straps have held everything from a new fridge in the bed of a pickup to an entire steering arm that sheared off the frame during an off-road trip through the desert. Get yourself more of them.

7. Infrared Thermometer

Although infrared thermometers are getting cheaper overall, these ones from Harbor Freight seem to read dead on to the name brand ones, and are a fraction of the cost.

8. Engine Hoist

We all have a buddy with one of these, and chances are, it’s from Harbor Freight Tools. Anyone who’s ever done an engine swap knows the importance of a good hoist, and Harbor Freight actually makes one of the best ones we’ve used. With foldable legs and heavy duty casters, this hoist is likely the last one you’ll ever need.

9. Microfiber Towels

Who doesn’t need more of these? They are a great value, even against the packs you can get at the big box stores.

10. Predator 2000 Watt Generator

Whether it’s for emergencies only, or will see frequent use, a quiet, 2000 watt generator is fantastic piece of equipment to own. Great for camping, this Predator generator is on par with its Yamaha and Honda counterparts, at less than half the cost.

11. Recovery Strap

Normally we don’t recommend buying items like this from Harbor Freight, but after years and years of use and abuse pulling off-road trucks out of tight situations, we can say with confidence at the Harbor Freight tow strap might just be the last tow strap you’ll ever need.

Donts:

1. Disposable Gloves

Tear, replace, repeat. This is the typical process with these nitrile gloves. Although some of the heavy duty ones can hold up to more use, you’ll find yourself mostly dissatisfied with these gloves.

2. Vise With Anvil

It’s all in the metal. Save your pennies for a name brand vise, because the jaw on this one tends to just snap off when tightening down on something.

3. Roller Seat

Although the seat itself is pretty good, you’ll spend more time replacing the casters than actually using it.

4. Oil Drain Pan

Not all drain pans are made equal. The plastic walls on this pan are so thin, warm oil will literally begin to leak out if it creases anywhere. Nobody wants to deal with that kind of mess.

5. Tin Snips

Another example of cheap material, these tin snips can often break the tip of the blade off during regular use.

6. Jump Starter

Do yourself a favor and buy another one of these with better reviews. Charging the unit is a nightmare, and even if it does charge, good luck getting it to hold that charge long enough until you need to use the jumper again.

7. Collapsable Four-Way Lug Wrench

Great idea, poor execution. This four-way lug wrench came in handy a handful of times, but after about it’s fourth use, one of the folding sides snapped off, soon followed by the other side.

8. Tap and Die Kit

Although these might work on plastic screws, they’ll likely break on steel hardware. The metal used in the dies is too soft to cut threads, and the tap handles are susceptible to breaking off.

9. Rotary Tool

Just go buy a Dremel. Many have reported these under $10 units to be dead on arrival, or only getting a few uses out of them before they stop working.

10. Winch Puller (Come-a-Long)

Clunky, cheap and sometimes scary, these winch pullers or “come-a-longs” should be a trusted piece of equipment. Instead, the Harbor Freight models often end their lives in the returns bin. Don’t waste your time.

11. Heat Gun

It’s a roll of the dice. You might get one that works fine, or one that blows a puff of smoke before dying, or one that simply never turns on.

We hope this guide (and our first one) helps you make some better choices next time that tasty coupon book shows up in the mail and you find yourself inside a Harbor Freight Tools store. If you have any recommendations of your own, drop them in the comments below.

Did your favorite Harbor Freight product not make the list? It's probably in our first Harbor Freight do's and don'ts list!

Looking for a V8 classic but feeling squeezed out by muscle car pricing? Don't worry, there's an entire subset of stealth big block cars out there that the collector market has largely ignored, keeping them affordable and relatively plentiful as compared to their more celebrated siblings.

Full-size sedans and coupes were often available with range-topping, large-displacement eight-cylinder engines in the 1960s and early '70s, but given that the primary demographic for these models were families and business executives, they mostly flew under the radar with the hot rod crowd. It's a trend that continues today, even with personal luxury coupes that throw in a bit of style to go with their torque-happy drivetrains.

For most builders, these enormous engines can be considered mere starting points for generating huge power after a few judicious modifications, but even in stock form they are a lot of fun. Just remember that we're quoting gross horsepower ratings for each of these models, as they were all introduced before SAE net ratings were adopted.

Let's take a look at five fun big block V8 classic cars that you can still afford.

1. 1969-1972 Ford LTD

Long before these three little letters became associated with the Crown Victoria, the Ford LTD represented a step above the standard family fare offered by the Galaxie. Available in coupe, sedan, wagon and convertible models (with the latter known as the Ford XL until 1971), the LTD was easiest on the eyes when found in two-door and wagon forms, which balanced out its extreme 121-inch wheelbase proportions by way of a long hood and a long roof, respectively. Early models also featured a split grille and hide-away headlights for additional style points.

A large car like the LTD required significant power to stay interesting on the road, which meant the 429 ci big block Ford motor ruled the roost over the 302, 351 and 400 ci options that were also available with the car. Rated at 360hp with a four-barrel carburetor installed, and offering close to 500 lb-ft of torque, the 429-equipped LTD makes for a comfortable cruiser that has no trouble keeping up with modern traffic—and, with the right exhaust system installed, sounding the business in the process.

2. 1969-1972 Chevrolet Caprice

The Chevrolet Caprice was essentially GM's answer to the LTD, and it covered a similar range of body styles. Chevrolet added its popular 454 big block V8 to the car's options list in 1969, and kept it there the following year when the Caprice underwent a redesign. Passed over by collectors who prefer Impalas, the Caprice offers the easiest, and least expensive, point of entry into big block fun with a Bowtie on the hood.

Although the 454 ran through much of the '70s, it was mightiest between 1969 and 1972, before emissions regulations started to choke out most of the fun. Pre-'72 models delivered a healthy 365hp and roughly 550 lb-ft of torque, which is comparable to any number of muscle cars from the same era.

3. 1969-1970 Mercury Marauder X-100

The Mercury Marauder X-100 is a bit of an oddball. Based on a platform similar to that of the Ford LTD/Galaxie XL, the Marauder went a step past the more staid Marquis it shared its sheet metal with to introduce a performance-oriented, full-size coupe that looked as menacing as its name suggested. It also sliced three inches from the Marquis wheelbase to create a somewhat smaller—though by modern standards, still enormous—package for the distinguishing personal luxury connoisseur.

Every X-100 came equipped with a 360hp, 429 ci big block V8. Also capable of churning out 480 lb-ft of torque, it was enough to shoot the Mercury to 60 mph in under eight seconds, an astonishing feat given the car's more than two ton curb weight. Sportier (when found with suspension upgrades and disc brakes at all four corners) than its LTD cousin, the Marauder X-100 gives you the opportunity to own a unique eight-cylinder monster for not much money.

4. 1968-1970 Oldsmobile 98

The Rocket 455 was a popular muscle car engine in the Oldsmobile family when it was introduced in 1968, but the powers that be made sure that this big block V8 could also be ordered in the Oldsmobile 98 sedans and coupes that lorded over all the other cars in the showroom. Heavy on luxury—and just heavy in general—the 98 was always the largest Oldsmobile, so it only made sense that it was matched with Rocket power.

With 365hp on tap, you'll still be able to get out of your own way in the Oldsmobile 98 with your right foot feeding gallons and gallons of gasoline to that 455. Torque is impressive, too, checking in at 510 lb-ft. The 98 was redesigned for 1971. It retained the 455 ci engine, but GM mandated that the motor be able to run on unleaded fuel, which dropped 40hp from the bottom line.

5. 1969-1971 Dodge Polara

The vaunted Mopar 440 ci big block is the stuff drag strip dreams are made of, and Chrysler was fairly democratic about making the motor available across most of its large car (and even truck) lineup. If you've got 440-fever, one of the easiest ways to find the cure is from behind the wheel of a 1969-1971 Dodge Polara.

Like the Caprice and the LTD, this full-size coupe, sedan and wagon offering from Dodge was intended to serve as a comfortable road tripper that the entire family could enjoy. What's not to like about 335hp and 460 lb-ft of torque? The Polara is also notable for its "fuselage" styling, which was unique to Chrysler and represented an early attempt to improve the aerodynamics of larger cars.

This isn't the only old-school power you can afford. There are also the turbo Buicks that led to the Grand National!

The cheapest off-road performance mod you’ll ever do to your 4x4 is letting air out of the tires. Dropping the air pressure increases the tire’s contact patch and allows it conform to the terrain more easily. This equates not only to increased traction, but a much smoother ride. For light ‘wheeling, most 4x4s can get away with dropping the tire pressure into the teens. However, for more extreme off-road conditions, you’ll actually want to drop your tires into the single digits.

The issue with dropping your 4x4's air pressure into single-digit territory has more to do with the limitations of the wheel rather than the tire. At single digit pressure, the tire’s bead can easily become dislodged from the wheel, scenario that can result in serious damage to your rig. The solution? Beadlocks wheels.

Why Beadlocks?

A beadlock wheel works just as the name indicates, by “locking” the bead of the tire to the wheel. This is most commonly achieved by placing the outside bead of the tire between a ring that is bolted to the wheel. By bolting the bead between the two surfaces, you effectively lock the bead in place. Since the bead is now being secured in place by the clamping ring, you can deflate the tire into the single digit range without fear of the tire easily coming off of the wheel.

Recently, we picked up a set of KMC XD229 Machete Crawl beadlocks for our 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon project. Our goal for moving to the wheel was twofold. First, we needed a little more backspacing to prevent our 37x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers from contacting our suspension components under articulation. Secondly, we knew that if we could get our load-range D tire’s pressure a little lower off-road, we could improve the ride and traction potential. While the video above walks you through our initial impressions and assembly, we’re breaking down the details in the article below.

The KMC XD229 is comprised of cast aluminum and uses an external aluminum ring to “lock” the outer tire bead to the wheel. One of our favorite features on the wheel are the relief holes machined into the ring. These prevent debris and water from building up inside of the wheel.

The XD229 is offered in a 17x9, which is ideal for most 12.50 to 14.50-inch wide tires. Here, you can see the deep groove the outer bead sits in. To ensure the tire can’t easily break free, the outer ring is attached using 24 Allen-head bolts.

Dual Valve Stems

KMC understood that if you’re opting for a beadlock wheel, you’ll likely be adjusting air pressures more frequently. So, they made it a bit easier by equipping the wheel with two valve stems. This makes airing down a quick and easy affair as you can use one to deflate the tire, while monitoring the pressure with the other.

Popular wheel bolt patterns, such as our JK’s 5-on-5, along with custom patterns, are available. You can also opt for a machined or satin-black wheel finish.

All of the XD229 beadlocks come with 3.50 inches of backspacing. This is one of the features that drew us to the wheel as we needed this to keep the tires from contacting our suspension components during articulation. The added width also helps with stability on the trail.

Ideal Air Pressure

Off-road, we’ve found 5 psi to work great for our needs out back, and between 5 and 8 psi does the trick up front. At this tire range, we are able to get the 37x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers to easily conform to the terrain, which has only increased our love for the tire off-road.

We’ve been accustomed to running our Grapplers around 12-15 psi, so we were extremely curious to see just how big of a difference dropping them down to 5 psi would be. While it may not seem like a big difference in numbers, it was something we felt immediately. Not only did the tires grip better, but the ride on the trail was exponentially smoother.

Off-Road Only?

Something to consider is that the wheels are listed as off-road only. Since there are currently no specific regulations or testing parameters in place for beadlock wheels of this type, they do not fall under the category of DOT compliant. Yes, there are many other “off-road only” mods that people use on the street, and that doesn’t mean they are unsafe. If Ultra4 Champion Loren Healy can abuse this style of wheel on the race track, it’s safe to say they can handle your daily commute.

That being said, the KMC beadlocks will require a bolt check from time to time. We like to give ours a re-torque after every ‘wheeling trip and oil change. To do so safely, we recommend jacking the tire off of the ground and removing the air completely.

For us, the performance benefits of the beadlock wheel have absolutely made a positive difference in our JK. While not every off-road adventure will require single-digit pressure, the fact that we can now do so in confidence is peace of mind that equates to money well spent.

Want to see more JKs in action? Be sure to check out the JK Experience Big River Adventure. 

In an earlier article, we explored the benefits of having a snorkel in dusty environments but they also offer a significant benefit in wet conditions. Regardless of your terrain, a snorkel may still be beneficial for your engine.

While snorkels can be helpful in a variety of off-roading applications, the obvious one is crossing streams or bodies of water. It's called a snorkel, after all. If the water you're crossing is up to the engine, having a snorkel is a downright necessity.

A car's snorkel acts pretty much just like the snorkel you'd use during an island vacation—it raises the point of entry for air higher and away from water. Just like your own lungs, your car's engine can't breath while it's submerged... that and the catastrophic failure that water entering it can cause. Like a mouth piece, the bottom of the snorkel connects to an air box via water-tight fittings. Even if you're crossing a river where the water level is above the snorkel cut out, you’ll be protected from water entering at the airbox.

What If You’re Not Crossing Rivers?

Even when driving in the rain, a snorkel can keep water out of your air box. Bryan, of Safari 4x4 Engineering, explains that the grid at the opening of the snorkel causes rain and moisture to hit the walls inside of the air ram. The water then slides down the walls and onto strategically placed holes to exit the snorkel. By letting water pass through and exit the air ram, moisture-free air continues down into the intake and engine. Even when it's pouring rain, your engine stays dry.

What about snow?

When traversing through snowy environments, you can turn the air ram opening around, to face backwards, to keep the snorkel from clogging with snow that will melt into your air filter. Otherwise, when the air ram is blocked, snow can pass through and cause the paper filter elements to breakdown.

Installing a Snorkel

A snorkel requires a hole to be cut into your fender or hood, allowing the air entering the snorkel to be sent directly to the factory air box.

Cutting the body of your truck might not be for the faint of heart, which is why snorkel installation is best left to the professionals, but its cheaper and less painful than getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with a hydrolocked motor.

If you do a lot of off-roading, a snorkel can be a great upgrade for you. Regardless of wet or dry weather, a snorkel provides protection from the elements. While it may be a bit tough to see your truck cut up, the benefits in reliability can more than make up for it. 

Have you ever thought of living the van life? We listed everything you need to leave it all behind.

It's not always easy to one-up past accomplishments, especially when said milestone is the most powerful factory muscle car ever to have been unleashed on American streets, but you've got to give SRT credit for trying. The 2019 model year brings a host of changes to its flagship Challenger, and even in the wake of last year's 840hp Demon drag car, it offers more than enough to keep horsepower hooligans hooked.

I had the chance to sample two of the most intriguing Challenger additions, the SRT Hellcat Redeye and the Scat Pack Widebody, at Club Motorsports in Tamworth, New Hampshire, and after a day spent at full throttle, I came away surprised with which version of the best-selling coupe impressed me the most.

Demon-Bred

The marquee name in the 2019 Challenger stable is the Redeye, a mind-bending merger of the now-departed, limited edition SRT Demon and the equally portentous Hellcat. Available in both widebody and narrowbody editions, the Redeye borrows its engine directly from the Demon, but subtracts the race gas tune to settle power at a still-ridiculous 797hp and 707 lb-ft of torque.

Other Demon goodies along for the ride in the Redeye include its eight-speed automatic transmission (there's no third-pedal on offer), unique Power Chiller system for keeping the intake cool in between runs, ability to forgo the rear seat for the most minute of weight savings, and of course, line lock. 

To say that the Redeye is a monster is an understatement. This is a car that eviscerates the quarter mile in 10.8 seconds at 131 mph (in widebody form), while eclipsing the 60 mph mark from a standing start in an incredible 3.4 seconds. Helping you slow down from those speeds are six-piston front Brembos, and an adaptive, driver-adjustable suspension system helps to hold the car's 4,400 lbs of curb weight as poised as possible should you swap in a road course for a drag strip.

Wider, Better, Faster, Stronger

In comparison, the 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody might seem like somewhat of a consolation prize, what with its more modest 485hp from a 6.4L V8 (backed with 475 lb-ft of twist). Look closer, past its new pumped-up stance and the improvement in mechanical grip that comes with it, and you'll discover that the Scat Pack Widebody is actually the stealth replacement for the now-departed SRT 392 model.

What this means is that the Scat Pack Widebody moves past the cruiser connotations of the standard Scat Pack and adds track-oriented SRT goodies like adaptive dampers, stiffer springs and improved aero. This is over and above across-the-board Scat Pack improvements that include line lock, selectable drive modes and launch control (as well as the same dual-snorkel hood found on the Redeye and the standard Hellcat). Also notable: the ability to choose between either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Head-To-Head

From a dig or highway pull, it's clear that the Redeye has an enormous advantage over the Scat Pack Widebody, not just under the hood—although the 200+ additional horsepower certainly make a difference—but also in terms of throttle response. Stomping your right foot in the Hellcat Redeye is very nearly the equivalent of strapping yourself to a jetpack in a zero-g environment, delivering seemingly endless acceleration of such a ponderously weighty vehicle that you begin to wonder what other laws of physics the car can bend to its will.

Juxtapose this storm surge over the track map of your favorite road course, especially one with as many elevation changes as Club Motorsports, and you begin to discover that while the Redeye's 797hp will free you as they gallop down the straights, they can also corral you into an awkward position should you not respect their capacity for unbridled forward momentum.

Specifically, there were numerous instances during my time pushing the Hellcat Redeye around Tamworth's tighter turns where I felt like I was managing the car more than driving it. Staying one step ahead of the Redeye's power curve is a full-time job, and it required me to rethink how I would normally approach certain corners, not to mention redial my braking zones given how much speed the Challenger carried at the end of longer straights and downhill sections.

Sliding behind the wheel of the Scat Pack Widebody was a revelation. After the frenetic pace instilled by the Redeye (a vehicle that had also been tuned for the most neutral suspension response possible) the stiffer front end on the Scat Pack, combined with its lighter, naturally-aspirated engine, delivered markedly more assured turn-in, with enough of a hinted-at safety net to ensure plow, rather than snap, results from over-enthusiasm.

As impressive as the Redeye's ability was to make the 485hp from the Scat Pack Widebody feel "slow," the ability to roll into the throttle without having to worry about gobs of right-now torque also made for a more natural lap. In fact, I found myself adjusting how quickly I could get on the gas on corner exit to the point where what had been eggshells in the Hellcat Redeye was full-bore to the floor in the still-quick Scat Pack.

Personal Preference

Neither the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye nor the R/T Scat Pack Widebody make any claims to being pure sports cars. These are muscle machines that have been massaged, tweaked and tuned to conceal their bulk as best they can when hustled around a closed course, and given enough—or in the case of the Redeye, way, way, more than enough—horsepower to keep them entertaining in almost any driving situation.

It's that last sentence that stuck with me after the tire smoke had dissipated and the brakes had cooled off at the end of the day. Really, each of these cars is aimed at a very different driver, each with their own idea of what would be considered a fun day at the track.

For someone like me, the lower-key Scat Pack Widebody presents the opportunity to push both car and myself as a pilot as hard as I feel comfortable with, and not surpass the limits of the vehicle. The Redeye, on the other hand, commands your complete and total respect the entire time you're turning a lap, the crushing weight of its mighty hammer hovering over your head—and taking up significant clock cycles in your brain—from green to checker

The bottom line? One might be faster, and the other more "fun," but the fact that either exists at all is a testament to the golden age of automotive madness that modern-day gearheads are lucky enough to be living in.

Want to know more about the Redeye and Scat Pack? We covered both of their announcements.

Ah, the 7.3L Power Stroke. It’s a platform that—at least in the motorsports arena—assumes the underdog role among modern, direct-injection diesel engines, and rightly so. The all-iron V8, while displacing 444 cubic inches, was saddled with the complex, performance-challenged HEUI injection system in stock form. As such, it’s the last engine most enthusiasts would ever consider pursuing big horsepower with. Yet it remains. Some 15 years after the last one was produced in Indianapolis, the 7.3L lives on—thanks in large part to a die-hard fan base that’s convinced it can be competitive.

From time to time, we come across these dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, some of which have pushed the 7.3L into (and in a few cases, beyond) the realm of four-digit horsepower. In the list of extreme 7.3Ls below, some have done away with HEUI, instead converting the big V8 to mechanical injection (i.e. P-pump). Others have stuck it out with the oil-fired fuel injection system and benefitted from a slew of modern advancements in HEUI technology as a result. Regardless of their injection method, the following engines represent some of the most extreme versions of the 7.3L we’ve ever come across.

1. Unlimited Diesel Performance: P-Pumped Masterpiece

When Nate Bailor and Ben Burnworth took a break from pulling their 7.3L-powered ’81 F-350 in 2010, they had exhausted nearly every possible way of gleaning more power out of the HEUI-injected engine that was powering it. As hardcore Ford fans, they never considered a Cummins swap, but instead focused their efforts on building a mechanical 7.3L—with an inline eight cylinder Bosch P7100 in the lifter valley. The engine’s long-block consists of a factory-based, cast-iron block that’s void of water jackets thanks to concrete, an internally-balanced OEM-derived crankshaft (anchored in place via a Hypermax Engineering bed plate) that swings eight forged-steel R&R rods attached to D&J Precision Machine fly-cut FSR pistons and a set of fire-ringed replica cylinder heads that were cast without water passageways. The P-pump, built by Northeast Diesel Service, sports 13mm plungers and is capable of flowing 950cc of fuel (although less than 600cc is typically used). The flashy, billet-aluminum intake manifold was made by D&J Precision Machine. Per Limited Pro Stock truck pulling rules, a single smooth bore turbocharger with a 3.0-inch inducer is tasked with feeding air into the mechanical menace.

The Smokin’ Addiction

While recent turbo rules have eliminated the freer flowing map groove turbos (in which the V- engines seemed to have benefitted the most from) used in previous years, Nate and Ben’s 7.3L still hangs tough against all the Cummins and Duramax competition—and it undoubtedly gives the Ford faithful something to look forward to in the ever-popular Limited Pro Stock class. When turbo rules are lax, such as at local county fairs or during exhibition hooks, the cubic inch advantage of the 7.3L can truly be utilized. On one such occasion, Nate and Ben uncorked the hidden potential of their P-pumped 7.3L monster by turning up the P-pump, swapping out the 3.0-inch smooth bore turbo in favor of a 4.1-inch inducer charger from Columbus Diesel Supply and running the engine upstairs. The result was 6,300 rpm leaving the line, nearly 6,000 rpm heading down track and probably somewhere around 1,400-1,500hp being made.

2. Scott Morris: Compound Turbos & HEUI

Sticking it out with the factory injection system since buying his ’00 F-350 dualie brand new means that Scott Morris has seen the evolution of HEUI technology first hand. His 7.3L sports one of the largest oil-fired injectors you can buy (Swamps Diesel’s 400/400 hybrids), one of the only “big oil” options on the market (a Swamp’s Diesel Gen3 high-pressure oil pump) and a competition-caliber fuel supply system (based around an Aeromotive Eliminator pump) with 5/8-inch lines feeding each head. To bring enough air to the table, Scott relies on a compound turbo system that parks a massive S510 charger out front and an S475 in the valley. With both the 104mm atmospheric S510 and valley-mounted S475 running at full song, the 100 psi boost gauge performs a full sweep. Now throw in good custom tuning and a BTS-built 4R100, and you’ve got a regular sports car killer.

The Big White Sleeper

To make an 8,200-pound dual rear wheel Ford boogy like Scott’s does, it takes some pretty serious horsepower. Basing the truck’s power figure off of a blazing eighth-mile pass of 7.3-seconds at 96 mph, we calculate that the 4-ton-plus Super Duty is sending at least 900rwhp to the ground. However, with a traction-limited, boosted four-wheel drive launch on the 7.3-second run, that number may be closer to 1,000rwhp. Scott’s high-powered 7.3L holds together reliably at 900hp+ and 1,800 lb-ft of torque thanks to a built bottom end (main bearing girdle, Crower rods, cut and coated Mahle pistons), while a custom grind cam complements a set of thoroughly ported (and fire-ringed) OEM-based heads from Crutchfield Machine and the aforementioned compound turbo arrangement.

3. Matt Kubik: P-Pump’d 7.3L Mustang

When it comes to P-pumped 7.3Ls, you’re much more likely to find one in a truck pulling application than a drag racing one. However, just like the 9-second, compound turbo’d, 6.0L Power Stroke-powered Ford Ranger he used to campaign, Matt Kubik seems to have a flare for deviating from the rule. Not only is he competing in diesel drag racing’s Pro Mod/Pro Stock category with a P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke, but he’s doing it in a fourth-gen Mustang. Sourcing a compacted graphite iron (CGI) 7.3L block from Hypermax Engineering, it’s fitted with a bed plate, forged-steel rods, D&J Precision Machine FSR pistons and factory ported cylinder heads that accept 8.3L Cummins-based injectors. A complete Hypermax Power Stroke inline pump package was used to convert the engine to mechanical injection.

Mid 7s at Speeds Nearing 200 MPH

If you were wondering if it’s fast, the answer is YES! In fact, Matt’s 7.60-second quarter-mile at 192 mph is a Power Stroke record—not to mention that, at 3,300 pounds, some 1,600hp is making it to the rear wheels. All-out effort passes in the car consist of 1.2-second 60-foots and the Hypermax 4.1-inch/Garrett GTX5533R compound turbo arrangement producing 150 psi of boost. After recent tweaks to the injection system were performed by Scheid Diesel, we wouldn’t be surprised if Matt’s Lenco-shifted, P-pumped monster of a Mustang clicked off a low 7 in the 200-mph range and set a few new records in the process. After all, it was already knocking on the door of the NHRDA’s Pro Stock elapsed time record (7.46) before its recent upgrades…

4. Brian Jelich: Big Single, Nitrous and Still HEUI

Another beneficiary of all the advancements that’ve taken place in HEUI technology over the last 5-8 years is Brian Jelich. The 7.3L in his ’00 F-350 makes use of a built bottom end, Swamps Diesel 400/400 hybrid injectors, a Gen3 high-pressure oil pump and custom PCM tuning that Brian performs himself. Thanks to a set of Crutchfield Machine (heavily ported) heads, Stage 2 Gearhead Automotive Performance cam and an S476 “Gangster” turbo from Forced Inductions, Brian’s engine breathes as well as any 7.3L you’ll find. This culminates in some pretty serious power numbers, too. On fuel alone, his F-350 makes roughly 850rwhp. With the nitrous bottle warm and both stages of N2O brought into the equation, 1,100rwhp is on tap.

5,700 Pounds of Iron in the 9s

After scrapping virtually every amount of weight he could off of the standard cab, steel Super Duty, the one-ton still tipped the scales at 5,700 pounds. Still, Brian was able to squeeze a 6.19-second eighth-mile out of the F-350 at that weight. Thanks to great head flow—and despite being sprayed with 250hp worth of nitrous—the engine makes great power with 55 to 60 psi of boost (fairly conservative boost for any high-powered diesel). Rumor has it that Brian’s lust for 5s recently led to him placing the truck under the knife again. The next time it hits the track, it’ll be even lighter, sport a four-link front suspension and will probably be capable of running high 5s in the eighth (low 9s in the quarter).

5. Billy Zimmer: Stroked Out 7.3L

This one is a throwback, but it certainly doesn’t make it any less interesting. West-central Illinois farmer Billy Zimmer used to mix things up in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock Diesel Truck Class (3.0) with this P-pumped 7.3L engine. To pull off the injection system swap (it’s not exactly cheap to P-pump a 7.3L Power Stroke), Billy enlisted the help of various local businesses and a few from neighboring states, but handled all the wrenching himself. The eight cylinder Bosch P-pump was built by Area Diesel Service (as were the 8.3L Cummins-derived injectors), while Billy fabricated the intake manifold that surrounds it. Surviving the potent fuel system’s horsepower potential was a concrete-filled, factory 7.3L block that’d been fitted with Crower rods, Arias pistons, a custom grind cam, ported heads and a 76mm S400. Any time Billy popped the hood, you could find a crowd. Just look at those Lexan valve covers!

A Dark Horse

The truck the beastly 7.3L resided in was once Billy’s daily-driven ’01 F-250. While it was never a front-runner at the pulls, the one-of-a-kind creation was very competitive—especially after Billy found that the engine enjoyed the 1,800-degree EGT range (a no-no for most pullers, who typically frown on anything warmer than 1,600) and big rpm. We were once told the engine was brought up to 6,500 to 6,800 rpm before the truck and sled ever got moving (a factory 7.3L redlines at 3,600 rpm). Later on, the truck was fitted with a 10-foot bed (shown above) and a few other changes to help keep it competitive in the then-growing Pro Stock (3.0) class. After semi-retiring the truck, Stroked Out was spotted at a pull a couple years ago with a freshly-tweaked P-pump, different turbo and a water-to-air intercooler onboard, but has since been absent from the local pulling circuit.

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Another year, another open-world Ubisoft sequel. The time, the French giant has turned its eye to its young racing franchise. The release of the first Crew was met with a tepid reception at best, so they soft-rebooted the franchise. This time around, they've ditched the underground racing plotline of the first game for a livestreamed racing show, but kept the same race-across-America premise. Does this latest iteration improve upon the first enough to make it a true competitor to Forza?

So Many Ways to Play

Let’s start with The Crew 2’s biggest addition and best aspect: the variety of racing and vehicles. With boats, planes and cars, and the ability to switch between all three on the fly, there’s always something new to do. Are you getting bored of street racing? Why not try monster trucks, or speedboat racing, or aerobatics? There are 14 disciplines total spread out over the four areas of Street Racing, Pro Racing, Freestyle and Off-Road.

However, not all disciplines are created equal. They all fall into two camps: racing and skill challenges. While the skill challenge events are fun, they have far less staying power than events where you’re actually racing people. After all, the best part of racing games is the racing. This is a minor gripe, though, since most of what is on offer is genuinely fun racing.

Varying Handling

When it comes to racing, one of the things you’ll notice quickly is that there are different cars for each discipline. You can’t take your favorite car into both drifting and street racing events. The reason for this is that a car’s handling is determined more by what discipline it is assigned to than its inherent handling in real life.

This creates some disparity in how enjoyable or skillful certain racing types are. Events like Street Racing, Alpha GP and Touring Car where the car isn’t meant to swing its tail out handle well, but Drifting and Rallycross are another story. The drift cars are tuned to be so squirrely that clutch kicking and e-braking are completely unnecessary. The scoring is simplistic too, with the only means of banking points being stringing drifts together, regardless of speed or angle. Manjiing is the name of the game.

While the intentionally loose handling lowers the skill curve in Drift, it can make Rallycross downright infuriating. Someone at Ivory Tower must have thought that rally cars powersliding through turns looks cool, because they have handling halfway in between street and drift cars. They can go straight well enough to build up some speed, but turn a bit too quick and it’ll spin around, regardless of whether you’re on dirt of pavement. This wouldn’t be so aggravating if the AI ever did this, but they never have these issues. The handling in Rallycross doesn’t inspire confidence.

Rubberbanding AI

Speaking of those AI, rubberbanding is back. This is most apparent in the long Hyper Car races. If you spin out and fall behind the pack early in the race, you’ll be able to catch up to your competitors one by one, as they string out a ways. However, should you spin out again, they’ll all race by you a few seconds later in a big pack, sending you back to last place. Watching this play out feels infuriatingly cheap. It’s not as apparent in the shorter races, but make no mistake. It’s there, ready for you to mess up once and send you to the back of the pack.

Progression Problems

One of the key hooks of The Crew is that it isn’t a car game in the traditional sense, with tuning being the way to improve your car’s performance. Instead, it uses a kind of RPG system, where random loot will drop at the end of each race that you can use to upgrade your vehicles. It’s this, not stats inherent to the car, that determine how fast it will go and how it will perform. While this creates a sense of progression, with each race helping to make your car go faster and handle better, it essentially removes the traditional progression in car games of purchasing more cars and expanding your virtual collection.

While there are plenty of cars to collect, without any real performance difference between them, there isn’t much of a reason why you wouldn’t simply buy your favorite one once the discipline becomes available and upgrade it. In more traditional racing games like Forza, you can save your money to buy cars that perform better, or at least differently, than the ones you can buy at the beginning. In The Crew 2, it’s almost completely aesthetic. The list of cars isn’t exactly gigantic, and without any reason to buy new cars other than aesthetics, it feels even smaller.

A Million Little Things

When it comes to the presentation, there isn’t one thing that makes it feel underwhelming. It’s all the little things that add up. For instance, each of those areas, Street Racing, Pro Racing, Freestyle and Off-Road, has a plotline, but they’re all basically the same. There’s a person at the top who you need to race your way up to and defeat. Three of the four even follow the cliched “person at the top is a jerk” paradigm. Yes, none of us are playing racing games for the plot, but when this is combined with everything else, it paints a picture of a game without much thought put into it.

Visually, the series has even moved back in ways. Some assets that are clearly taken from the first game look worse in The Crew 2. Somehow, the best name they could come up with for a fictional extreme livestreamed racing series was Live Xtreme. The dialogue is mostly cringeworthy throughout, especially from your friend who travels with you through the world.

User generated livery designs cost in-game currency. Competitive multiplayer isn't in the game at launch. They even put Pikes Peak in Iowa. Alone none of these things is a big deal, but together they make the whole package feel sloppy and poorly thought out.

Final Thoughts

Even though this review has been pretty critical, that isn’t to say that there’s no fun to be had. The racing disciplines are fun, and the variety of vehicles keeps the gameplay fresh for a while. However, Ubisoft has a long way to go to compete with the racing game titans over at Turn 10. The Crew 2 is the kind of game you borrow from a friend. If you can find it on discount and need something to give you your racing fix, this will provide you enough fun, but if you’re going to buy one game this year, wait for Forza Horizon 4.

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With the growing number of EV options, it can be tough to decide which is best for you. Whether you’re going electric because you care about the environment, in it for the tax incentives or want to save time on your commute, electric vehicles are a growing part of our future. That's why we compiled this list, so you can easily compare all the options available this year to find out which one best meets your needs.

If you decide to go electric, know that it's quite different from diving a gas powered car. Be sure to consider your charging options at home or work before you make the switch. On this list, we've included range and charging times based on 220 volt connection, the same type of plug used by a washer/dryer or public charging stations.

BMW i3

Base Price: $45,445

Range: 114 miles

Charge Time: 5 hours

The i3 has been around for four years now, and BMW has sold over 70,000 i3s in that time. The design hasn't changed much and still stands out on the road. Last year, the all-electric model received a bump in range from 81 miles to 114, but still leaves more to be desired.

Chevrolet Bolt

Base Price: $37,495

Range: 238 miles

Charge Time: 10 hours

The Bolt is your basic commuter car and offers the lowest cost to range ratio. While it is not blisteringly fast, it’s loaded with just enough tech to keep you entertained in traffic. That’s where the Bolt excels, with instant torque and a smooth, gearless motor that's perfect for zipping around. It’s no Tesla, but with a range of 238 miles, you shouldn’t have too much range anxiety.

Fiat 500e

Base Price: $33,990

Range: 89 miles

Charge Time: 4 hours

Despite its limited range, the 500e makes perfect sense as an EV. It's compact, perfect for getting around town and even to better drive than the 101hp gasoline model. An attractive lease deal ($99/month) makes the 500e even more attractive.

Ford Focus Electric

Base Price: $29,995

Range: 100 miles

Charge Time: 4 hours

To the untrained eye, the Focus Electric looks just like the basic, gasoline powered Focus. Like most other EVs that have gasoline powered variants, it's perfect if you want to blend in with traffic.

Jaguar I-Pace

Base Price: $69,500

Range: 240 miles

Charge Time: 9.6 hours

Jaguar’s Tesla fighter comes this fall in the form of an SUV. The I-Pace delivers 394hp and 512 lb/ft of torque, which will take the 4,700lb SUV from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. It all looks promising, except that Jaguars (like all British brands) are typically plagued with electronics issues. If the I-Pace doesn’t experience the same electronic issues, Jaguar could have a serious Tesla contender on their hands.

Nissan Leaf

Base Price: $30,875

Range: 151 miles

Charge Time: 7.5 hours

With Leaf having been on the market for nearly 10 years now, Nissan gave the car a refresh by introducing its second generation earlier this year. The second-gen Leaf now offers 151 miles of range, bridging the gap between short range compliance EVs (sub 100 mile range) and long range models (200+ mile range) like the Bolt and Teslas. The 2018 model does a better job of blending into traffic than the original and offers driver assistance features such as one pedal driving and ProPilot Assist.

Honda Clarity

Base Price: Lease only $199/month

Range: 89 miles

Charge Time: 3.5 hours

The Clarity comes in three environmentally friendly flavors: hydrogen, plug-in hybrid and the electric, which is only available in Oregon and California. It has limited range and availability, but it's loaded with tech features and has great lease deal, making it a bargain at $199/month. Inventory is so scarce, some dealers have six-month wait list.

Kia Soul EV

Base Price: $33,950

Range: 111 miles

Charge Time: 4.5 hours

The Soul EV looks like a normal Soul and is one of the roomiest EVs under $35k.

Kia Nero EV

Base Price: $34,895 est.

Range: 238 miles

Charge Time: 9.5 hours

Currently sold as a highly efficient gasoline and plug-in hybrid model, Kia will begin offering their first real EV contender this fall with the Nero EV. With an estimated 238 mile range and more room and conservative styling than the Chevy Bolt, the Kia Nero EV could be the electric car for the masses.

Hyundai Kona EV

Base Price: TBD

Range: 250 miles

Charge Time: 10 hours est.

The Kona EV has two features that many new car shoppers are looking for: a crossover body style and long electric range. Arriving in dealerships this fall, the electric version of the Kona CUV will feature 250 miles of all-electric range. With its long range and funky styling, the Kona EV could possibly print money for Hyundai. In my opinion the EV looks, and will probably drive, better than the gasoline powered model.

Hyundai Ioniq EV

Base Price: $30,385

Range: 124 miles

Charge Time: 5 hours

Only available in California, the Ioniq EV is the most green of the three models in the Ioniq line. It offers a reasonable 124-mile range and an Ioniq Unlimited + subscription program, where starting at $295/month, you can get an unlimited millage lease and no charge for maintenance and wear.

Smart fourtwo

Base Price: $24,250

Range: 58 miles

Charge Time: 2.5 hours est.

The redesigned Smart fourtwo is only available with electric power. It offers the lowest range of any EV on the list and is rated for a top speed of 81 mph, which essentially makes it a street legal golf kart. It's good for around town and urban living but too limited in range to be a practical commuter.

Tesla Model 3

Base Price: $35,000 (supposedly)

Range: 220 or 310 miles

Charge Time: 8.8 or 12.4 hours

The long awaited “people’s Tesla” is finally here. Although the $35k model is yet to be a reality, a 330 mile model is currently available. The Model 3 features a minimalist dashboard with a center mount 15 inch screen and will do 0-60 in 3.5 -5.0 seconds depending on how you configure it.

Tesla Model S

Base Price: $77,000

Range: 335 miles

Charge Time: 13.4 hours

The car that changed public perception of electric vehicles only gets better. Just like a phone, the car is updated via over-the-air updates, which means that Tesla models are constantly improving. You can own a 2013 Model S and have the same updated tech as a brand new 2018 model. Teslas also hold their resale value much better than other EVs or competing models.

Tesla Model X

Base Price: $83,000

Range: 295 miles

Charge Time: 11.8 hours

Leave it to Telsa to turn wild ideas into reality. Who would have thought that you could buy a seven-passenger minivan/SUV that does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, (nearly) drives itself, has rear falcon doors that swing up and drives up to 295 miles on a single charge? What a time to be alive.

Volkswagen e-Golf

Base Price: $31,345

Range: 126 miles

Charge Time: 5 hours

The e-Golf looks like a normal Golf, which means it is the most normal looking and normal sized EV on this list. It offers a decent range of 126 miles and can be had with VW’s virtual cockpit that turns the gauge cluster into a configurable display for speed and maps. The only other Golf model that is available on is a Golf R.

Now you know what EVs you can choose from, what cars would you like to see an EV version of?

Are you more interested in an SUV? We compiled a list of the best at every price and performance range.

Depending on your age there are likely any number of things that could have inspired a love of cars during your childhood years. Playing with Hot Wheels on the living room floor. Assembling plastic models on the kitchen table and messing around with radio control vehicles.

Many of us had a combination of all those things turn into a love of cars as adults, but there’s another fun hobby that you might forget about in this age of online gaming and social media: slot car racing.

For many of us who had childhoods in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, playing with slot cars was one the most fun things you could do, whether it was setting up your own track at your house or heading out to a dedicated slot car racing place with your buddies.

While racing miniature, electrified cars around a plastic track probably isn’t something too younger kids are going crazy about today, we are happy to report that the hobby is alive and well.

So Much Fun to Be Had

We recently had the chance to sample some HO scale slot cars from the Auto World catalog and came away feeling like kids again. To put it simply, these little things are as fun as they’ve ever been.

Auto World offers a variety of detailed diecast cars in various scales as well as a very large line of HO scale slot cars, tracks and accessories. Like their diecast lines, all of the slot cars are based on real life enthusiast vehicles, race cars, movie cars and more. In other words, the exact sort of stuff that we love.

Who You Gonna Call?

Grinning like a kid on Christmas morning, we started off with this Ghostbusters Haunted Highway set that includes a uniquely decorated track and accessories, along with replicas of the Ecto-1 and an NYPD patrol car.

Before we started playing with the cars, we were reminded that setting up slot cart sets is actually a good workout for the mind as you piece together the suggested layouts and risers or get creative and make your own.

Once everything was in place, we plugged in and got to racing. We were quickly reminded just how fast these things can be. You can’t just go flat out through the corners and hope to keep your machine on the track.

Just like driving an actual car, you have to know when to punch it and when to slow down. Despite its larger size, Ecto-1 turned out to be quite quick.

NASCAR Speed

Next up, we cleared off a big space in an office floor and got to work setting up this Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR set that comes complete with Jimmie Johnson’s #48 and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s #88 Chevys.

With 26 feet of track, the NASCAR set is huge, and just like Pocono, it features a triangle shape with long straight sways and actual banked corners—plenty of room show some serious speed.

You also don’t just have to use the NASCAR replicas. All of the cars are made to run on the same track, and we had a lot of fun trying out the various cars to see which ones did best around the high speed tri-oval. The set even includes a lap counter at the finish line.

NHRA Drag Racing

NASCAR isn’t the only form of racing that Auto World replicates with its slot car sets. NHRA is also on the list with sets like this John Force drag racing set, featuring 13 feet of two lane plastic.

It’s a lot more than just some straight track. It features a fully operational LED Christmas Tree which was extremely fun to play with, and the realistic setup made for a really unique twist on slot car racing.

Just like in real drag racing, it was about nailing the reaction time as much as it was the speed of the cars. Also just like the 1:1 scale stuff, if you leave too early you’ll get a red light.

The end of the track even features sensors to tell you which car crossed the line first, and there were several races where the lights were definitely needed to declare the winner.

Naturally, we had a lot of fun gathering up all the cars and racing them to see which one was the fastest. If you were wondering which car of this particular group was the fastest of the bunch, that honor went to the classic Batmobile. It is turbine powered, after all.

Back to the Future

Last but not least we have this officially licensed Back to the Future set, which features the Delorean time machine, of course, as well as Biff Tannen’s ‘46 Ford, both recreated in very high detail considering they are fully functional slot cars.

The track itself is also super cool, as it includes a loop section and a number of movie-themed scenery pieces, including a carboard replica of the iconic Hill Valley clocktower. The only thing it’s missing is a pile of manure for Biff to crash into.

The BTTF track was the most challenging to drive as you have to slow down for the tight corners and then pick up a big burst of speed to clear the loop before slowing down once again for more corners.

Once we got the rhythm down, there was something almost therapeutic about driving the cars around the course and seeing how many laps we could go before crashing.

While playing with the sets as they come was a lot of fun, everything is interchangeable, so with enough parts and space, you can of create your own crazy combinations for custom tracks. Throw in the incredible variety of cars, and you have the recipe for endless fun.

With so many of us having enjoyed slot cars as kids, it’s great to see them available in so many styles. Where else can you have Dale Earnhardt Jr. race John Force around a loop or see if the Batmobile and can beat the BTTF Delorean in a drag race?

Whether you are a kid at heart or looking for a way to get the kids interested cars, try picking up a slot car set and rediscovering the fun. You can check out these and many other vehicles and sets on the Auto World website.

Want to see the best model cars in the world? We went to see how the masters do it in Japan!

The last weekend in July brought the Outlaw Diesel Super Series to Crossville, Tennessee. As expected, the highly anticipated Round 3 of ODSS eighth-mile drag racing action attracted the usual suspects, along with some new and soon-to-be heavy hitters. Firepunk Diesel hauled its juggernaut of a drag racing team down from Ohio, Industrial Injection lugged its DeMaxed Pro Street truck all the way from Utah and U.C.C. competitor Donavan Harris made the 2,200-mile (3,500 km) journey from Alberta, Canada to compete. Judging by the strong turnout in all “Pro” classes, ODSS drivers—who had just had nearly a two-month hiatus—were more than ready to get back to racing.

On Saturday morning, nine trucks were signed up in Pro Street, along with a seven-truck showing in the growing 5.90 Index category. There were also seven vehicles listed in Pro Mod, although two unfortunately had to bow out due to breakage and/or electronic gremlins. Good turnouts were also observed in 6.70 Index, 7.70 Index and especially in the E.T. Bracket class. By the end of the day, Dustin Jackson took the win in Pro Street, effectively giving him back-to-back event wins in Rounds 2 and 3. The story was the same for Ben Shadday, the only difference being he earned his back-to-back victories in the Pro Mod category. Firepunk Diesel’s Rick Fox nabbed the win in 5.90 Index, Susan Soga’s first place finish mixed up the points chase in 6.70 and a tight Pro Dragster final was won on the tree.

For the complete rundown on all the Rocky Top details, keep scrolling—and make sure you tune in for our coverage of Round 4 from the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza (August 24-26).

Pro Street Winner: Dustin Jackson

Dustin Jackson picked up right where he left off after the TS Performance Shootout back in June: persevering and winning races. After discovering and then fixing a few issues just before eliminations, Jackson’s triple-turbo Cummins-powered first-gen Lightning (called “Old Hustle New Flow”) took him to the finals against Firepunk Diesel’s Lavon Miller. No question, Jackson was locked in. With the better reaction time (.0414 vs. .1556) and a nasty launch off of the trans brake, Jackson catapulted to a 1.20-second 60-foot and never looked back. The wheels-up pass culminated in a 5.09-second elapsed time at nearly 145 mph.

Watch the Rocky Top Pro Street final round here.

Pro Mod Winner: Ben Shadday

Now regularly making passes in the 4s, Ben Shadday’s ‘06 Dodge may be the most consistent in the Pro Mod class—and he’s got the 2018 points lead to show for it. Like the aforementioned Dustin Jackson, Shadday too won his class at the TS event back in June. With this being his second consecutive series win, and after the truck sitting in the number two spot for points had an unfortunate brush with the wall, Shadday has now pulled comfortably ahead of the rest of the Pro Mod field. Now halfway through the racing season, the rest of the class has their work cut out for them in catching him.

5.90 Index Winner: Rick Fox

Blasting onto the 5.90 Index scene in his revamped ’00 Dodge (it was previously a 6.70 truck), Rick Fox ran spot-on all weekend. During qualifying, he turned in a 5.92-second effort and earned a first round bye in the process. A 5.93-second pass in his bye run proved the 5.92 was no fluke. In the second round of eliminations, Fox ousted DNR Customs’ Derek Rose with a 5.97. Then in the finals—and up against another talented Index racer, Seth Higgins—Fox took the win when Higgins red lit. It was especially unfortunate for Higgins, as Fox broke out with a 5.86-second run.

Pro Dragster Winner: Scheid Diesel/Jared Jones

After running a 4.54 at 172 mph earlier in the day, Jared Jones landed the Scheid Diesel rail in the winner’s circle, piloting the compound turbo’d, billet blocked, Cummins-powered, Spitzer chassis dragster to a 4.26 at 176 mph. In the quarter-mile, this kind of performance through the ‘660 could easily have sent the rail well on its way to a sub-6.50-second pass at somewhere between 220-225 mph. By taking the win at Rocky Top, the Scheid team has pulled dead-even with Wade Moody’s Duramax-powered dragster for first place in points.

Pro Dragster Runner-Up: Wade Moody

Wade Moody’s Flo-Pro/Industrial Injection-sponsored rail has become the primary adversary for the Scheid Diesel team in recent years. Over the past three racing seasons, Moody has achieved what many folks once thought couldn’t be done in building a Duramax-powered dragster that could defeat Scheid’s iconic rail.

Reaction Time Win

When the two heavyweights met in the final round of Pro Dragster, spectators were treated to one heck of a race. While Moody’s dragster has been the winner of this head-to-matchup more often in recent years, in Tennessee it wasn’t meant to be. Although Moody would run a faster 4.16 at 179 mph, the race was lost at the tree, where Scheid driver Jared Jones nabbed a lightning-quick reaction time and took the wire-to-wire win.

Industrial Injection’s Fire-Breathing Pro Street Chevy

Demaxed—the once-abandoned shop truck owned by Industrial Injection, powered by a triple-turbo Cummins and driven by Jared Delekta—was hauled out from Salt Lake City to try its hand in Pro Street. In diesel drag racing, it’s common to employ nitrous to help get big turbos where they need to be for take-off, and this is commonly achieved using spool jets. Occasionally, the spooling stage is a little heavy on the added oxygen and onlookers are treated to a bit of a fireball out the exhaust. Once the flames shown above subsided, Delekta took the Cummins-powered Silverado for a 5.4-second ride at 136 mph.

The Wild Card of 5.90

Although it has yet to pull out a win, the truck on the left should soon be a forced to be reckoned with. Built to compete in 5.90 Index, Paul Cato’s Maverick Diesel/HP Tuners wrapped, common-rail Cummins-powered second-gen Dodge continues to make progress and improve its consistency at each event. After earning the number two qualifier position thanks to a 5.94 at 120 mph, Cato put up a 6.02 at 116 mph in the quarter finals. Then in the semi-finals he decided to leave the nitrous spool jet on for the launch and ended up leaving too hard, which unsettled the rear suspension, induced some nasty hopping and cost him the win.

Worth the Trip

Ultimate Callout Challenge competitor Donavan Harris trekked all the way from Ponoka, Alberta, Canada to catch Round 3 of the ODSS action. Competing in Pro Street, he and his 1,800rwhp Cummins-powered Ram ran their best pass to date: a 5.37 at 139 mph. Look for Harris’ truck to run low 8s in the quarter-mile and (once again) be a top contender at the next Ultimate Callout Challenge.

6.70 Index Winner: Susan Soga

Fresh off a new personal best the weekend prior (a 10.46 at 127 mph in the quarter), Susan Soga and the Diesel Life team brought one of the fastest diesel rat rods in existence to Tennessee. In the driver seat, Soga was completely in the zone, earning the number two qualifier position in 6.70 Index and showing everyone that reaction time is everything in drag racing. Her ’34 Chevy pickup continues to show that going the lightweight, two-wheel drive route is conducive to consistency, reliability and (ultimately) winning.

The Hometown Team

In addition to campaigning a truck in the Pro Mod class, RLC Motorsports is a major local sponsor behind the Rocky Top Diesel Shootout, with the event practically taking place in their backyard. A company that specializes in virtually all things off-road and diesel performance, the RLC crew had a wide array of products and vehicles on display in their booth along the manufacturer’s midway.

Photography provided by Amy Gilbert of Stainless Diesel

Even though the 7.3L Power Stroke may be the underdog in diesel motorsports, we found 5 of the craziest that show what it can do!

As the heart of any diesel’s power-making puzzle, the injection pump can never be overlooked. Whether you’re talking mechanical P-pumps, high-pressure common-rail pumps or even HEUI pumps, they’re all the vital middle man in a system that relies on highly-pressurized fuel in order for the engine to work its compression-ignition magic. Increase that pressure and you add power. Increase both volume and pressure and you make really big power. In the far corner of diesel motorsports—where the 2,000 to 3,000hp engines live—injection pumps can get pretty wild. Everything from highly modified factory-based pumps to exotic units machined from a solid chunk of billet-aluminum are employed, along with multiple high-pressure pumps being the norm on high performance common-rail Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke mills.

Below, we’ll give you a taste of the baddest of the bad in diesel injection technology. From the infamous mechanical “Sigma” pump to the multi-CP3 combinations that’ve made 2,500hp common-rail engines possible, the following technology is what’s bolted to the top sled pullers and fastest drag racers in North America.

Mechanical Pumps

The “Sigma”

Also known as the $10,000 injection pump, the Sigma pump is a plunger-style, inline mechanical pump similar in design to the Bosch P7100 found on the 5.9L Cummins that powered Dodge Ram 2500s and 3500s from ’94-’98. However, instead of making use of 12mm plungers (what you’d find in a Bosch P7100), the Sigma came with 16mm plungers right from the factory. These massive plungers facilitate a much quicker injection rate (i.e. more fuel being injected quicker), which leads to better engine efficiency and, ultimately, horsepower. Although truck pullers have been using Sigmas for more than a decade, breakthroughs in billet engine blocks, head-flow, camshafts and turbo technology in recent years has allowed more of their fueling capabilities to be realized. This factory, cast-aluminum 16mm Sigma offered by Columbus Diesel Supply can flow up to 1,600 cc of fuel, although most engine combinations start out using 950 to 1,100 cc. To put things into perspective, per Bosch Motorsport, a stock Bosch P7100 with 12mm plungers flows just 135 cc.

The Billet Mack Daddy

Columbus Diesel Supply’s 17mm billet Sigma pump is the big daddy of the injection pump world. The pump body is machined from high density billet-aluminum and incorporates 17mm plungers, a special grind camshaft and other proprietary internals (such as delivery valves and holders, control sleeves, pump vent and governor, among other components). Matched with the right injectors (typically triple-feed designs and International or John Deere based) and airflow (big single or two-stage turbo arrangements), a 17mm Sigma can support in excess of 3,000hp. While the 16mm version of the Sigma can be found in some drag racing applications as well as on a lot of Super Stock pulling trucks, the tractor world is where you’re most likely to spot one of these billet 17mm bad boys hanging off the side of an engine. Let’s just say you know it when you see it.

Scheid Diesel 14mm & 16mm P8600s

Scheid Diesel is also in the business of building competition-ready P-pumps. The Bosch P8600-based pump shown above enables the company’s record-setting Cummins-powered dragster to pump out 2,500hp and run six-second quarter-miles at more than 220 mph. Also widely used in Pro Stock pulling trucks, its highlights include 14mm plungers and barrels, a custom grind cam and an adjustable timing gear. All vital moving internals are coated with a friction reducer for smooth operation and optimum durability and—depending on the application—the pump can be configured with an RSV (“Ag”) governor that allows full fueling up to 7,000 rpm! Scheid’s 14mm pump flows a maximum of 1,100 cc, but if that’s not enough Scheid also offers a 16mm version, which is rumored to be capable of flowing more than 1,500 cc.

12-Cylinder Pumps

When one plunger per cylinder isn’t enough, there’s always a 12-cylinder P-pump! Originally used on Deutz 12-cylinder F12L714 engines, a few modified versions of these pumps were in use along the truck pulling circuit roughly a decade ago. Requiring two injection lines per injector, they were known to deliver torrents of fuel in an extremely short duration and make some pretty good power. However, they proved to be fairly temperamental (we’re told stuck plungers were a common issue) and, ultimately, technological breakthroughs in single plunger pumps ended up killing them off.

13mm P7100s

Capable of supporting in excess of 1,400hp, P7100-based pumps that utilize 13mm plungers and barrels are hot-ticket items both at the drag strip and in Limited Pro Stock pulling classes. Occasionally, you can even find them on some freakishly-fast street trucks. Even though it was feeding a highly abused, 250,000-mile 12-valve 5.9L Cummins, the 13mm pump pictured above still supported a 1,237rwhp, 2,114 lb-ft effort on the chassis dyno.

Common-Rail Pumps

Quintuple CP3 Duramax: 2,570HP (Fuel)

While the old game of utilizing huge injectors to make big horsepower is the same between mechanical and common-rail injection, today’s high-tech common-rails require multiple high-pressure pumps in order to make it happen (1,200hp+). In the case of Wes Kusilek’s Super Stock Duramax, the engine’s injectors are so big that five modified Bosch CP3s are needed to maintain rail pressure. On the engine dyno—and in conjunction with a 5.25-inch inducer Pro Stock tractor turbo from Columbus Diesel Supply feeding boost into the Wagler Competition Products DX460 Duramax—the one-off, five-pump CP3 arrangement provided for 2,570hp to be produced at 4,900 rpm (and 2,854 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm).

Triple CP3 Cummins: 2,571RWHP (Nitrous)

In order to get nearly 2,600 hp to the wheels, it takes some serious fueling, a whole lot of air and in Shawn Baca’s case, an extra kick via N2O—even though his ’06 Dodge Ram has cleared an insane 2,375rwhp on fuel alone in the past. While the triple XP CP3s from Industrial Injection seem to have no problem keeping up with a set of injectors that are likely somewhere between 500 and 800-percent over stock, the engine is being fed air via a massive two-into-one triple turbo arrangement composed of three 106mm chargers. With turbos sized this big, it takes considerable engine rpm to keep them in their happy place. As a result, Baca’s deck-plated, 6.7L Cummins-based engine regularly sees 5,000 rpm. To keep the CP3s from overspeeding, they’re underdriven via massive pulleys from Beans Diesel Performance.

Triple CP3 Duramax: 1,680HP (Fuel)

In the photo above, you’re looking at a billet-aluminum triple CP3 gear drive bolted to a marine Duramax engine put together by Wagler Competition Products. On the engine dyno, and thanks to a set of 250-percent over injectors, the aforementioned triple-CP3 configuration, a Bosch stand-alone ECM, a 98mm turbo from Precision Turbo & Engine and Wagler’s done-up cylinder heads and water-to-air intercooler intercooler, the engine cleared 1,680hp and 2,400 lb-ft of torque. For utmost durability at this power level, a brand-new LML block was used (the strongest Duramax block ever cast by GM), along with an internally balanced billet crankshaft, competition girdle, billet main caps, steel connecting rods, forged pistons and a dry sump oil system.

Dual CP3 Duramax: 1,600HP at the wheels

Thanks to combining the forces of two 12mm stroker CP3 pumps with a set of 250-percent over injectors (along with a triple-turbo arrangement), the LB7-powered crew cab GMC Sierra owned and driven by Mike Graves of Hollyrock Customs has blasted through the quarter-mile in 9.55 seconds at 149 mph. At 7,000 pounds and that trap speed, his full interior ¾-ton is sending at least 1,600hp to the ground. What’s even more is that the high-powered, dual CP3-equipped GMC is backed up by a Limitless Diesel Performance-built Allison 1000 transmission and not a 47/48 swap.

High-Pressure Oil Pumps

Dual HPOP 6.0L Power Stroke: 1,870HP (Fuel)

Exotic injection components aren’t reserved solely for mechanical or common-rail systems, as this dual high-pressure oil pump arrangement on a HEUI-fired 6.0L Power Stroke shows (HEUI standing for hydraulically activated electronically controlled unit injector). Adding a belt-driven HPOP to the equation has paid big dividends for extreme 6.0L builder and avid competitor Jesse Warren of Warren Diesel Injection. This engine, equipped with a sizeable compound turbo configuration and a set of proprietary 760 cc injectors, has pushed the HEUI platform close to 1,900hp on the engine dyno.

Want to see some more extreme diesel machinery? We compiled a list of the 5 most extreme 7.3L Power Strokes!

By now, chances are you’ve heard about Japan’s “Dajiban” scene, the cult movement that has gained quite a bit of exposure online in recent years and is certainly one of the most interesting mixes of Trans-Pacific car culture.

The word Dajiban is literally just the Japanese pronunciation of the words Dodge Van, but it’s used to identify a group self-proclaimed weirdos from all over Japan who modify their 1990s and early 2000s era Dodge Ram vans into tough-sounding, low-riding circuit machines.

Abe Chuuko Kamotsu

The unofficial headquarters of the Dajiban scene is a small shop called Abe Chuuko Kamotsu, which is located in the Tokyo suburb of Komae about 30 minutes from the center of the city. Wanting to get a closer look at the Dajiban lifestyle, we made a trip to visit during our recent stay in Japan.

Mr. Abe, the shop’s owner and founder, previously worked for I5 Corporation, the largest importer of Dodge vans in Japan, before starting his own garage that's specifically dedicated to modifying and maintaining these unusual modified vans for owners all over the country.

Looking around the small garage, you see things that aren’t uncommon for most racing shops: built engines on stands, stacks of sticky tires and lightweight wheels and carbon fiber body panels on shelves.

Only these parts aren’t destined lightweight sports cars or sleek coupes. They're designed specifically for the Dodge Ram Van, and at any given time you’ll find a few of them parked in and around Mr. Abe’s garage.

Lambo Van

On this particular day we spotted this bright green machine undergoing some preparation for the D-Van GP, the annual gathering of Dodge Van owners and racers at Ebisu Circuit. The color comes from the Lamborghini catalog, and it’s sporting everything from lightweight windows to Brembo brakes.

The owner of this van hails from Kyushu on the opposite end of Japan, and he’s invested untold sums of money into this once humble Ram Van, making it into a highly personalized and extremely unique hauler that can be fun both on the street and at the race track.

Having worked at I5 for so many years, Mr. Abe says he’s familiar with just about every single Ram Van that was imported to Japan, and the owners are a fun-loving and tight knit family that enjoy this very unusual from of vehicular modification.

After chatting in the shop for a bit, Abe-san took us to a parking lot down the street that’s used for storage and found several more vans awaiting work or their owners to pick them up. Lined up side by side, it was an impressive sight.

So Many Mods

This also where we got to see Abe-san’s personal Ram Van, which is easily one of the most heavily modified examples anywhere in Japan. He’s been working on it for years and helps show customers what is possible with the platform.

Don’t let the worn down paint finish fool you, because underneath its working class exterior is a laundry list of custom parts and one-off touches done over the years, from the coilover suspension conversion and notched frame to the trick side exit exhaust system.

Under the hood sits a worked over version of the venerable 5.2L 318 ci Magnum V8, the most popular engine choice among the Dajiban crowd. While they typically don’t output massive power compared to modern V8s, with head and cam work there’s plenty of potential.

The wheels on Abe-san’s van, and nearly all of the modified Ram Vans in Japan, are eight-spoke RS Watanabes, usually 15 or 16 inches in diameter.

The inside of the van is equally modified, with bits like a Momo steering wheel and floor-mounted Hurst shifter, and of course, there’s the aforementioned 318 V8 right there between the two front seats.

Abe has gone even further with his van, and it also includes things like a carbon fiber grille shell and hood with a motor-operated NACA duct. “It’s like a big toy,” he tells us. From his enthusiasm, that sounds like a very accurate statement.

A Small but Passionate Subculture

While American cars aren’t exactly commonplace in Japan, they have a strong following, from luxury SUVs to high end sports cars like Corvettes and Mustangs. These utilitarian passenger vans and the very unconventional way they are modified are something completely unique to Japan.

Sure, you could go out and buy a sexy, high-powered muscle car or sports car like so many do, but the Dajiban movement is about embracing both the challenge and the weirdness. We just can’t get enough of this uniquely Japanese take on a rather obscure American vehicle.

We should also confess that our visit to Abe Chuuko Kamotsu was also for research purposes, because earlier in the year we were able to score a running 1996 short wheelbase V8 Dodge Van in California for the "can't say no" sum of $200.

Driving Line Dajiban Project? It has to happen, right? Who's down? Stay tuned to see what happens. In the meantime, we want to give a big thanks to Mr. Abe and the Dodge Van Racing group for taking the time to let us stop by and look around.

These aren't the only awesome vans in Japan. We went to one of the best van shows in Japan at Mooneyes!

Just when we thought that the season was over, with James Deane's name inscribed on the 2018 Championship trophy, Fredric Aasbo threw down a gutsy performance to win at St. Louis and pull within 30 points of stealing the crown. Even though he was helped a bit by Deane's engine blowing up, it doesn't hide the fact that we have a legitimate championship race going into the final two events. Matt Field continued to run strong, finishing second, and Team Nitto driver Chelsea DeNofa took home his first podium of the season, finishing third.

Despite the intense storms on Friday, there were some truly excellent battles, including between Wiecek and Aasbo in the Final 4. We can't wait to see what goes down in Dallas and Irwindale. The fight to the finish is going to be intense. To see all the action from St. Louis, from qualifying to the podium, flip through the gallery above. 

Want to see more Formula Drift? We cover every event all season long!