This weekend is the Rennsport Reunion, a massive celebration of all things Porsche at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and to commemorate the occasion, Porsche decided to debut a new car at the event—and what a car it is. The Porsche 935 is back.

Porsche has always been a brand that places a strong value on its heritage, with a number of retro-inspired releases over the years, but none of them take it as far as this machine. Inspired by the longer, wider 911-based 935/78s of the '70s, the new 935 is an incredible and faithful interpenetration of the classic look.

In fact, the styling is so radical that it looks more like a well-done "what if" fantasy rendering than an actual car. But it is an actual car, and not just a one-off concept but an actual production vehicle that will be offered in extremely limited numbers in 2019.

If you think the new 935 is merely a styling exercise, you'd be incorrect about that as well. The car is based on the bones of the 911 GT2 RS and includes a very similar twin turbocharged flat six making 700hp and a body laden with carbon fiber construction.

Despite being thoroughly modern and functional in its aerodynamics, the designers have done an amazing job at capturing the look of the original thanks to its elongated front and rear areas, where you can still see the "old" 911 hiding inside. Just in case you were wondering, the iconic Martini livery is optional.

Even the twin-piped exhaust is a great homage to the original, although there's no word if the new 935 will be known for spitting flames out the back like the originals were.

The new 935 will sell for about $800,000 USD, and just 77 examples will be available when it goes on sale next summer. Regardless of the price, we have no doubt every single one is already spoken for, but that won't stop the rest of us from dropping our draws at one of the most incredible examples of a retro-inspired car ever.

Do you know what GT3 RS stands for?

It's a tale of hubris and tragedy that couldn't have better illustrated the state of the American auto industry at the tail end of the '80s if it had been scripted by the Bard himself. Cadillac and Chrysler, one on the verge of cultural irrelevance and the other feeling itself out after a string of high-profile acquisitions, each overstepped their station in life in the pursuit of a customer that simply didn't exist anywhere near their respective showrooms.

Not only that, but each company chased after this well-heeled phantom with a product that was not only wildly out of step with the state of the luxury market, but also fantastically expensive to build, and ultimately financially ruinous to all involved. The stories of the Chrysler TC by Maserati and Cadillac Allante may have been born of two very different automotive cultures, but the parallels between their not-quite rise and precipitous fall are undeniable.

Italian Cousins

Both the Allante and the TC by Maserati were designed and manufactured in Italy, an unusual decision for a pair of mass-market auto companies to make, and one that stemmed from two different places.

On Cadillac's side, it was presented as somewhat of a necessity. The company was dealing with the loss of yet another Fisher Body Plant that had served it for decades, and given that the Turin-based Pininfarina would be penning the Allante's lines, the twisted corporate logic at General Motors dictated that they should sculpt the sheet metal in Europe and then fly it over in specially-equipped Boeing 747 airliners for final assembly in Hamtramck, Michigan. Dubbed "The Allante Airbridge," the total cost of the arrangement with Alitalia and Lufthansa was reported to be $100 million, with 56 car bodies moved per flight at a rate of three flights per week.

From a modern perspective, flashing that much cash merely to transport what was destined to be, even in the best case scenario, a low-volume luxury car seems abjectly insane. At the time, however, Cadillac celebrated the expenditure as though it would somehow work to build the Allante's "lore" and help establish the yet-to-be-introduced vehicle as a player in the minds of premium customers.

The TC's Italian turn came about after Chrysler's '80s buying spree saw it pick up a stake in Maserati in 1984 (with controlling interest in Lamborghini three years later). Chrysler's CEO at the time, Lee Iaccoca, had long had a relationship with Maserati's owner Alejandro de Tomaso, dating back to when the two collaborated on the Pantera while Iaccoca was at Ford. The pair decided that it would be a good idea to collaborate on a upscale automobile.

At the time, Iaccoca clearly felt that the Chrysler brand still resonated with wealthy customers, a position that had been badly eroded by years of sub-par models that clung to '70s-era definitions of luxury (velour seats, pillow-soft suspensions), rather than the precision-built, smooth-driving and sporty offerings from Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar that were increasingly dominating the market. Again, hindsight shudders at the juxtaposition of the Pentastar against the Silver Star, but it was full-steam-ahead for the Chrysler-Maserati partnership.

Humble Origins, Modest Results

Both the Cadillac Allante and the Chrysler TC (Turbo Convertible) by Maserati were aimed at the same market segment, but took different mechanical roads to get there. Although each was a full-size convertible, Chrysler chose a modified K-car platform that it labeled the "Q-body" for the front-wheel drive TC, and for the initial 1989 model year they stuffed a turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for about 174hp (plucked from the Dodge Daytona) under the hood. Those who chose to swap in a manual transmission in place of the three-speed automatic (a mere 500 buyers) were gifted with another 40hp by way of a Maserati-built, 16-valve version of the same motor.

Cadillac, on the other hand, doubled the number of cylinders in the Allante by using a 4.1L V8 to start the project in 1987. The 170hp unit sideways-straddled a truncated version of the Eldorado platform called the V-body—the only application of this particular chassis. A four-speed automatic was the only available transmission.

If you're having trouble getting excited about a large luxo-barge with a sub-200hp turbo four and styling that could be labeled neutral at best, you're not alone. Further compounding the lack of TC curb appeal was the fact that the car hit the market after the Chrysler LeBaron, a vehicle that cost significantly less yet offered a similar design. To help further differentiate the sort-of Maserati, Chrysler installed a Mitsubishi-sourced V6 for the 1990-1991 model years that was actually 20hp less powerful than the turbo, an unusual move whose detriment to performance wasn't mitigated whatsoever by the introduction of a four-speed autobox.

World-whimpering power wasn't helped by an interior that had difficulty challenging its would-be European competition. Following an initial flurry of interest in which just under 4,000 were sold, a mere 7,000 total were produced before the project was canned after a three year run. It didn't help that the $35,000 initial price tag (close to $70k in today's dollars) continued to escalate despite flagging power.

Cadillac, for its part, made a valiant effort to continuously improve the Allante throughout its also-short lifespan, punching the engine out to 4.5L in 1989 (for a total of 200hp) and then swapping in a 295hp, 4.6L Northstar V8 for the final 1993 model. The company also loaded the Allante with an exuberant level of "maybe it works, maybe it doesn't" late-'80s/early-'90s technology, including speed-sensitive automatically-adjustable shocks and an advanced security system.

Like the TC, the Allante was also offered with both a removable hardtop and a manual soft top. However, unlike the Chrysler, the Cadillac leaked—badly. It was a known issue that Cadillac chose largely to ignore, which isn't exactly a best practice when targeting vehicles like the SL and the Jaguar XJS. It's even worse when pricing your car at an aspirational $56,000 (well over $100,000 today), a price tag completely unsupported by their brand position and totally out place compared to the sticker on other vehicles in the same showroom.

The likelihood that Cadillac made any money at all on the Allante is further thrown into question when considering that a series of expensive recalls cost the automaker thousands per car. In all honesty, GM was probably grateful that only 21,430 examples were sold across its seven year lifespan.

Lessons Learned

Both the Allante and the TC have come to serve as cautionary tales for auto execs tempted to see just how far their reach extends past their grasp. There's no question that even the technologically-advanced Cadillac was a project that had no place in the market at the time, with luxury interest shifting to imports and a recession lurking on the horizon.

Punching above one's weight has become much more rare in the industry—see the Volkswagen Phaeton for the most recent faux-pas—and brand building has come to be seen as more than just stamping a price sticker on the window and hoping badge nostalgia will carry the day. Just as the upstart Acura, Infiniti and Lexus efforts would come to underline the right way to expand into the luxury space, the TC and the Allante will continue to mark the graves of those who relied more on faith and pride than research and engineering.

The GTO is the greatest car that was almost never made.

The Speed Ring is hosted by the same ingenious folks who created #GRIDLIFE, so it’s bound to be exciting. After attending once, you'll get an itch that won't get a good scratching until the next event rolls around. Yes, it’s still worth it.

Much like how #GRIDLIFE is a celebration of racecars and music, the Speed Ring is a celebration of performance vehicles and quality aftermarket parts. 46 competitors rolled onto the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, to push their cars (and themselves) to the limit in an intense time attack shootout competition.

Over 40 teams in three classes hit the 1.5-mile tight and technical course for qualifying. Competitors still in the ring battled it out for over $30,000 in cash prizes the following Sunday. For those not familiar, this unique bracket-style time-attack race is judged by the gap between cars. One lead and one following car are released onto the track separated by a time gap. If the gap shrinks, then the following car was faster, but if the gap grows wider, the lead car wins. Winning this style of racing depends on the driver’s skill just as much as the car’s performance.

With extreme performance comes aero, because it has been proven that downforce improves handling and traction. It’s exhilarating to watch these winged creations cut through the air, gaining speed lap after lap.

Record Times

The CanJam Motorsports “Black Storm” Subaru driven by Richard Boake dropped jaws when it blasted through the checkered flag at 1:02.398, the overall fastest record time. This earned the team “Ultimate Badass” bragging rights. They very well may have taken first place in the Ultimate Class if it wasn’t for the broken front differential that took them out of the race during the semifinals.

The PZ Tuning Acura RSX put its tires to the pavement for a 1:08.1 class record lap time. The Track Modified Class was packed full of competitors running within tenths of a second from each other, and ace driver William Au-Yueng stood at the top of the podium.

Dan Lewis of DMN Racing took third place after the team repaired a grenaded differential from Friday’s qualifying rounds. The Honda S2000 put up an run and earned a 1:11.8 track record time.

Too Much Fun

The track at M1 Concourse allowed Grant Walker to hone in on his car’s setup and assess the recent changes he made. His ultra-aero ’95 Miata maneuvered around the tight course with ease. Grant is motivated to come back next year and really get into the knitty-gritty of the competition.

After Ontario, Canada resident Scott Shadbolt missed the last Speed Ring event, he made it a priority to compete in his 2002 BMW M3 this year, and the track battle did not disappoint. “The competition is intense,” he exclaimed. “The classic time-attack format focuses on one ‘hero lap,’ whereas the bracket battles require consistency. It turns up the pressure, making a win far more satisfying and no doubt more entertaining for spectators. I'm hooked!”

Chris Boersma literally drove the tires off his K-tuned Honda Civic. When the weekend came to a close, he was full of mixed emotions. “I wish we could have finished better, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes," he said. "I had some of the most fun I’ve had all season battling on track and talking with fans and partners. I can’t wait for next year’s event!”

We know you just can’t get enough time-attack car eye candy, so allow yourself to indulge in the photo gallery below.

Want to know what #GRIDLIFE is like? It's an insane weekend you'll never forget.

As the only one of the big three to offer an independent front suspension on its ¾- and 1-ton trucks, GM has built a reputation around HD truck refinement. While the IFS versus solid axle debate still remains an active topic among truck enthusiasts, there’s no question that IFS has dominated the ½-ton truck market. This IFS takeover is one of the reasons late-model pickups ride and drive so well.

At the top of GM’s pickup pyramid is the GMC HD Denali. Optioned with the available Duramax diesel engine, the 2018 ¾-ton version you’ll find featured here is an outstanding example of the modern luxury and capabilities fit into these cutting-edge platforms. Despite being flooded with power and technology, one area remains largely outdated: the torsion bar front suspension. While it did see a refresh in 2011, the basic torsion bar design has remained under GM trucks for nearly 30 years.

The shortcomings of a torsion bar setup are generally not revealed until owners attempt to raise the front of the truck to create a more level stance. The limited available suspension travel combined with the added pre-load necessary to increase the front end equates to reduced ride quality and suspension performance. Yes, the nose-down stance of the truck is by design and helps prevent the front end from pointing skywards when towing. However, for the owner of this 2018 HD Denali, he didn’t care for the look of the stock nose-down rake. As for the nose pointing skyward when a load is added, that’s easily prevented by installing a set of helper air bags out back.

Having not been satisfied with the ride quality and performance of previously installed torsion bar leveling keys, he opted to spend a little more money for a substantial suspension upgrade from BDS Suspension. The company’s 2-3-inch Coilover Conversion removes the original torsion bar setup entirely, along with the original upper and lower control arms. While it’s a drastic change over the stock setup, there’s very little welding and drilling required. We’re highlighting some of the most important aspects of the conversion in the article breakdown below, but for the full review, be sure to check out the video up top.

Fine-Tuned Suspension

Having the ability to fine-tune your truck’s suspension is part of the value brought with this kit. Attached to the remote reservoirs on the Fox 2.5 coilovers are dual speed compression adjusters. This allows you to adjust the compression (upwards movement of the shock) settings for low and high speed performance. With a quick twist of the knobs, you can easily compensate not only for the terrain you’re on, but adjust the settings to fit your specific driving style and truck setup.

More Travel

To create 30 percent more suspension travel, BDS includes new upper and lower control arms. While the upper is a tubular style, the bottom is a massive plate-steel unit that’s internally reinforced. Each arm is fit with factory style rubber bushings at the frame side and premium Moog ball joints at the steering knuckle.

Easy Install

The coilover tower takes advantage of existing holes in the GMC’s chassis and requires minimal drilling, making for an easy bolt-on install. While the shocks come pre-set at 2.5 inches of lift, BDS sends an adjustment tool for you to dial in the ride height to your liking. Another nice touch is the billet cap that protects the upper ball joint.

Out back, you can opt for a lift block, add-a-leaf or simply install the provided Fox 2.0 shocks. Given this owner was only looking to level the truck, he opted to leave the rear suspension stock and just add in the new suspension dampener.

Better Wheels and Tires

Since BDS retains the stock steering knuckles, the only track width change came from the new 20x9 Hostile H115 Predator series wheels.

With the front of the truck raised, there was room for a larger set of treads. These 35x12.50R20 Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires come with a load range F sidewall, making them ideal for HD applications such as this. The fact that these ultra-quiet all-terrains are fit with heavy siping and deep lugs means the tires can find grip easily on-road and off.

Driving Is Believing

This truck is currently being used to help with the recovery efforts from Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, North Carolina. As such, it’s currently fit with a 100-gallon diesel transfer tank in the bed. Even with the added weight out back, the truck is nearly perfectly level. Once the clean-up effort is complete, the next modification will be for a set of helper air bags out back. These will ensure the truck always stays level, no matter the load.

Getting behind the wheel with this kit will sell you on how great it is. This particular truck now rides and handles more along the lines of a ½-ton truck, which is pretty amazing. On-road, the suspension does an excellent job at soaking up imperfections in the road and improving the overall handling. Off-road, the frontend no longer bounces over bumps, but rather absorbs the uneven terrain with ease. Overall, it’s lightyears better than the torsion bar design and something we’re surprised GM isn’t offering from the factory.

Now that you have a nice ride, find out what it takes to make your Duramax bulletproof.

It seems like more and more people want things in black these days. Whether it’s the glut of all-black sports uniforms or tinted out windows, the darker the better. Toyota is hopping on this trend by offering new customization packages for the 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra that include black accents all over, from the interior to the wheels. Called the 4Runner Nightshade, Tacoma SX and Tundra SX, they offer offroad enthusiasts a stealthier option for nighttime ‘wheeling.

The 4Runner Nightshade is the most comprehensive of the bunch. It adds black accents to the front and rear bumper spoilers, mirrors, handles, window moldings, rocker panels, door garnish, roof rails, badging, grille slots and exhaust tip. It also comes with black 20-inch wheels.

The inside has been given the blacked-out treatment, too, with the steering wheel, center console, shifter and inner door grips all offered in black.

The Tacoma SX gets fewer options, but still enough to keep with the black theme. It comes with black badging, overfenders, mirror caps, grille, handles and headlamps. It also gets black wheels, though its are only 16 inches.

The Tundra SX, the last of the group, takes a different approach to the all-black treatment. Like the others, it comes with black wheels and a few other black exterior parts, like the grille and bumpers.

It differs, however, in how all of its exterior badging, aside from the logo on the grille and Tundra on the back, has been removed, and in how it has comfier front bucket seats.

With how popular both Toyotas and the blacked-out look are, we’re sure that we’ll see some of these out on the road, or off it, very soon.

Photos courtesy of Toyota.

Want to know which of the TRD Pro editions of the 4Runner, Tundra and Tacoma is right for you? We took them out to the trail to find out!

In the 13 plus years since the first Forza Motorsport debuted on the original Xbox, the series has rightfully taken its place as one of the world’s most beloved racing franchises, now with two alternating titles, the circuit-based Forza Motorsport developed by Turn 10 Studios and the open world Forza Horizon developed by Playground Games.

2018 marks the fourth addition to the Horizon series. It takes racers to an open world based on Great Britain, and since being released last week we’ve had a few days to sink our teeth into Forza Horizon 4 to see how it stacks up.

After playing through a decent amount of the single player career mode and spending a lot of time out messing around in free roam, we’ve found that while Horizon 4 doesn’t necessarily make many huge leaps for the franchise, it’s as vast and fun as it’s ever been.

Different Seasons, Different Game

After a handful of entries, each new Forza Horizon game comes with the expectation of a new exotic environment and hero car, with the UK and McLaren Senna taking those honors this time around. Along with the expected features, Horizon 4’s big change is the addition of seasons.

As you play your way through the game, the environment will change, moving from summer into fall and then into winter and spring, eventually repeating the cycle, and it does far more than just change how the environment looks.

Summers are green and lush and fall is filled with beautiful foliage and littered leaves, while winter brings snow and ice everywhere. In spring you’ll find blooming flowers and plenty of rain, and of course, all of these can affect how your car drives.

Winter in particular is both beautiful and challenging as your vehicle fights for traction on ice-covered roads and off-road excursions will find you barreling through deep snow banks. The changing of the seasons adds both eye candy and more replay value to an already deep game.

Off-Road Fun

Speaking of off-road, Forza Horizon 4 takes the series's all terrain antics to a new level, with a vast map that’s ripe for exploring and racing in all manner of customized 4x4s, trophy trucks, rally cars and more.

While the car roster of the Motorsport series has also grown to include these off-roaders, they are much more at home in the open-wilds of Forza Horizon than on the closed course pavement of Motorsport.

The cool thing is that thanks to the game’s typically deep customization features you can transform just about any vehicle into an off-pavement performer with special rally suspension components and all terrain tires.

If that’s not your thing you can still take to the paved road in hundreds of sports cars and exotics as you travel across everything from tight country roads and scenic switchbacks to wide open highways to hunt top speed records.

For the first time, you can purchase properties in addition to vehicles, with these in-game homes giving your character a place to hang their hat while also providing various perks, including the ability to fast travel between them.

Uniquely British

With the last Horizon game being set in Australia, it brought with it a selection of cars both unique and historically important to the region, and Horizon 4 does the same with its roster of British vehicles.

Among these are an entire selection of vehicles featured in the James Bond films, and the game’s signature barn finds return with their own unique selection of historic British machinery that you can discover.

Now if only we had our own personal mechanic that could quickly and thoroughly restore a bunch of old classics that we found for no charge at all...

As in the past, Horizon 4 also includes a number of big set pieces which you’ll experience as you make your way through the game. These include races against a giant hovercraft and a race against the famous Flying Scotsman train.

Once again it’s not these scripted sequences that define Forza Horizon but the vast amount of freedom the game gives you to do anything you want.

The Best in the Series

Whether you are just messing around, building cool cars, exploring the map, making your way through career mode or enjoying the game’s expanded online features with friends, you always feel like you are progressing.

Yes, many of the cars on Horizon 4’s roster will be familiar to regular players and there aren’t any massive changes to how he game feels, but this is a formula that’s already proven itself. If you’ve enjoyed past entires in the series, there’s no doubt you’ll have a great time ripping across Britain in Forza Horizon 4.

With its constantly updating online world and lots of extra content that will be added in the coming months, the Horizon 4 experience will only grow deeper as Playground Games and Turn 10 continue to add to and refine the experience.

It’s hard to judge a game like Forza Horizon 4 against the competition because it really has none. With its beautiful map, vast car roster, deep customization features, great physics and huge list of features, Horizon 4 is the definitive open world racer, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon. See you out there on the roads of Britain!

In our eyes, Forza Horizon 4 is miles above its main competition, The Crew 2.

When we wrote our first article about Hailie Deegan, we knew it was only a matter of time until we saw her in victory lane. Well, it didn’t take long, as she recently won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Meridian Speedway. It came down to the wire, with Deegan only taking the lead on the final lap, but she was able to pull away for the win.

This impressive feat is just one of many. She was also the first female driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series pole and both compete in and win the championship of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

“This has to be the best day of my life right here,” Deegan said in victory lane. “It doesn’t get any better than this. People don’t understand how many days, how many hours I’ve put into this. How much work I’ve done to get to this moment. It’s just amazing…this is the happiest day of my life. We did it!”

We aren't the only ones to see the incredible talent and potential she has. Not only is she a part of two of NASCAR's top development programs, NASCAR Next and NASCAR Drive for Diversity, but she is also a part of the Toyota Driver Development program.

With two more races left to go in the series, she may become the first female repeat winner as well. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Photos courtesy of Toyota.

Want to know more about Hailie Deegan? If the name rings a bell, it’s probably because she’s the daughter of motocross legend Brian Deegan.

As with any automotive niche, a lot of trends come and go. Some you can live with; others you can definitely live without. The diesel world is not immune to such fads. Throughout its short history, the diesel movement has seen its fair share of cringe-worthy performance, cosmetic and childish blunders that—for whatever reason—caught on for a period of time. We have a list of nine of the worst diesel fads that have fortunately lost steam over the years.

But while we say good riddance to many dead and dying trends, it’s anything but a sign of a shrinking industry. In fact, the diesel world continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and for each fading trend there is a new fad taking hold. Case in point: Exhaust stack systems have given way to use of stacks as tips on conventional exit exhaust systems. The “go big or go home” frame of mind in turbocharger shopping has been replaced with correctly sized, drop-in replacement options that offer superb driveability. Custom, application-specific tuning has killed off the desire to stack electronic power-adders to make big horsepower, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To find out what’s hot right now in the diesel realm, keep reading. If you’re new to the industry, you may be surprised. If you’ve been around a while, you’ve likely already noticed these new trends develop huge followings.

1. “Cali Lean”

As far as street-bound, show-type trucks are concerned, the Cali lean is definitely popular right now. It’s not always as in-your-face as the CenCal–style trucks many of us are familiar with, but a subtle rear-squat stance is the target objective nonetheless. It’s particularly common among the big wheel and tire crowd. The look is either accomplished by pulling the truck’s rear blocks completely, replacing the factory blocks with shorter versions or lifting the truck in a manner that raises the front end noticeably higher than the rear. Leveling kits are extremely popular in the diesel segment, too, but we’ve seen the Cali lean more and more frequently over the past three to five years. For some truck owners, their trucks were once lifted or leveled up front. On a recent walk through the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza’s massive show ’n’ shine, we spotted several ’11-and-newer F-350s that had been treated to a slight Cali lean by replacing the factory four-inch blocks with two-inch replacements from BDS Suspension.

2. Axle-Dump Exhaust Systems

This trend used to be popular, lost traction for a number of years, but now seems to be making a comeback: the axle-dump-style exhaust system. Instead of exiting in the traditional manner behind the passenger-side rear tire, these systems forgo the use of a conventional tailpipe section—with the piping abruptly ending after curving over the rear axle. They’re most prominent on the flashier, show-ready trucks, but we’ve seen our fair share of them aboard daily drivers, too. While MBRP doesn’t offer specific turn-down, axle-dump-style exhaust systems anymore, we’ve seen countless versions of its conventional exit systems be made to work in this fashion by enthusiasts (like what’s shown above).

3. Custom Tuning

Custom, application-specific tuning has all but completely killed off the need (and the desire) to ever stack boxes again. One of the biggest reasons for this is EFI Live. Available for ’01-’16 Duramax-powered GMs and ’06-’18 Cummins-equipped Rams, EFI Live software is used by countless aftermarket calibrators to build custom tuning files unique to each customer’s specific modifications and performance needs. Full control over vitals like injection timing, duration, rail pressure and map tables allow the tuner to develop calibrations that not only provide maximum performance potential but keep the engine out of the danger zone while doing it.

4. Stacks as Tips

Gigantic-diameter exhaust tips may be out of style in the diesel segment, but enthusiasts are anything but done adding a unique final touch to their exhaust systems. When a 12- or 18-inch-long exhaust tip just isn’t enough, this is what you get. Instead of having the equivalent of a 10-inch round, galvanized pail hanging off the tail section of the exhaust system, many enthusiasts are now opting to use stacks as exhaust tips. While the outer diameter is a subtler six, seven or eight inches, most pickup-truck-intended stacks measure 36 inches in length.

5. Ghetto Fogging

At virtually any diesel event with a chassis dyno present, you’re bound to see truck owners adding to their truck’s fuel-only horsepower numbers with a little (or a lot of) nitrous oxide. During dyno competitions, ghetto fogging—where a bottle of nitrous is cracked open and sprayed directly into the turbocharger—has become insanely popular. While it’s fun to add several hundred horsepower to the equation, this edgy trend can be a bit dicey. If the timing isn’t right, considerable damage can be done. Spray too soon (such as at low boost) and you risk experiencing a nitrous backfire, a blown head gasket and other internal engine damage. Spray too long and you can experience all of the above a second time. Play at your own risk!

6. Diesel Fuel Additive

This one has been brewing for a number of years and is now an automatic addition when tens of thousands of diesel owners fill their tanks. A well-rounded additive provides a bump in pump diesel’s cetane rating, improves its lubricity, removes internal deposits and carbon buildup within the injectors and also helps balance out the inconsistent (and sometimes even poor) fuel quality we get at the pump. Thanks to performing all these functions—on top of offering a multitude of additional benefits, such as preventing the formation of algae, dispersing water and reducing emissions—Diesel Power Products’s F-Bomb formula is one of the best-selling additives on the diesel market.

7. Affordable, Drop-In Performance VGTs

Turbo builders have been experimenting with upgraded variable-geometry chargers for more than 10 years, but now several companies have it down to a science. A larger, more efficient compressor wheel, optimized turbine wheel and upgraded thrust bearing is par for the course in this segment. This means you can take your VGT-equipped truck (i.e. ’03-present Ford, ’04.5-and-newer GM or ’07.5-’18 Ram) to the next level without sacrificing low-rpm response, long-term reliability or producing excessive EGT. Let’s face it: drop-in replacement parts are always cheaper than reinventing the wheel, so it stands to reason why direct, bolt-in turbo swaps are so popular. According to Diesel Power Products, a major online retailer in the diesel game, some of its best-selling, drop-in replacement VGTs are the Stealth 64 VVT from Duramax Tuner (’04.5-’10 GMs), the Fleece Performance Engineering Holset VGT Cheetah (’07.5-’12 6.7L Cummins) and BD Diesel’s Screamer Stage 2 (’03-’07 6.0L Power Stroke).

8. Extra Capacity, Mid-Ship Replacement Fuel Tanks

We don’t know what the deal is with OEMs offering tiny fuel tanks on heavy-duty ¾- and 1-ton trucks, but it’s nowhere near enough fuel capacity for vehicles that can tow in excess of 15,000 pounds. One of the biggest complaints among late-model diesel owners is the lack of driving range from the factory. For example, even though a ’13 Ram 3500 dually can tow 30,000 pounds when properly equipped, once it’s sitting at its 37,600-pound GCWR and is barely getting 8 mpg, you’re stopping every 200 miles to refuel. In instances like this, Titan Fuel Tanks has become an extremely welcome lifeline. Its mid-ship replacement (and even its in-bed auxiliary tanks) offers far more capacity, along with military-grade, cross-linked polyethylene construction. In most cases, the Titan variant doubles the factory fuel capacity—and bolts directly in place of the stock tank.

9. Stretched Tires

We know this is a big no-no for tire manufacturers, but despite its inherent safety hazards, diesel enthusiasts are dead set on sporting the stretched-tire look. Making a tire that’s rated for a maximum rim width of 12 inches work on a 14-inch wheel is especially common in the diesel truck segment right now. With newer, wider wheels becoming available all the time (24x16 and even 26x16), stretched fitments are only becoming more pronounced. While stretched-tire fitments definitely draw attention to the massive wheels they’re mounted on, it places extreme stress on the tire’s sidewall and bead, not to mention the fact that it leads to premature tread wear and poor handling characteristics.

These trends are in, but there are even more that have gone by the wayside. We have 9 dying diesel fads that can't go away soon enough.

Who hasn’t imagined having a specially-designed race car as a daily driver? Sure, it may be a little impractical, but there’s no way we would turn down driving that much power and technology. Infiniti seems to think the same as us, as they just put the same dual-hybrid technology as in Renault’s Formula 1 cars in a Q60 sports coupe, and then added some extras beyond the F1 rulebook.

This newest project, dubbed Project Black S, not only has one kinetic harvesting system, like you would find on a Prius, but also two heat harvesting systems, like the ones found on Formula 1 cars. However, F1 rules state that a car can only have one heat harvesting system, making the Project Black S the first with dual heat harvesters. By collecting the heat given off by the twin-turbo and exhaust systems, it is able to collect even more energy. This allows it to generate power while both braking and accelerating—and give all that extra juice to the wheels.

All of that extra power takes the horsepower of the Q60 from 400 to 563 and decreases its 0-60 time to under four seconds. It does this in two ways. First, it acts as an anti-lag system by spooling up the turbos more quickly, allowing for more air to enter the engine to boost power. Second, it sends up to 120kW of power back to the kinetic harvesting system, which is in turn sent straight into the drivetrain.

It even has three separate driving modes, each set to use the electric energy differently: Road, Quali and Race. Road mode is the most conservative, giving the driver a boost energy when needed to pass and helping out with fuel efficiency. Race is the mode in between road and quali, giving drivers a boost of energy with acceleration. This mode is the most similar to the way these systems operate in an F1 car. Quali turns the hybrid supercharging up to 11, both gathering and giving out as much energy as it can whenever it can. We really want to try the Quali mode out on the track.

Since the Q60 wasn’t designed to have all this hybrid tech fit in it, some modifications and concessions had to be made. Hopefully no one driving this needs to put the kids in the back, because the rear seats were removed to make room for the battery and kinetic energy harvesting system. In order to make up for the increased weight of all this technology, Infiniti changed the hood, trunk lid, fenders and roof from steel to carbon fiber, along with removing the moonroof completely. A side benefit of adding the battery system in the backseat is that it gives the Project Black S a near perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and with the weight reductions elsewhere, it’s only a few pounds heavier than the stock Q60.

The striking black with yellow trim throughout the concept comes from Renault’s Formula 1 liveries. The front of the car includes larger air intakes, and while they look good, they serve a purpose, too. The heat capturing system gets quite hot, and an increased airflow to the engine is needed to keep everything cool. There are also other nice touches throughout the car to give it a premium and sporty feel, like a yellow hexagonal graphic on the interior leather and a yellow strip of leather on the top of the steering wheel so that the driver always knows the wheel’s center point when driving on the track.

Typically, we don’t get too excited when car companies announce new cars or prototypes that are a part of their electrification initiatives. They tend to be boring economy cars for the masses. Taking hybrid race technology and giving that to the masses, however, sounds like the right way into the future to us. While we will probably never see a Project Black S on the road, Infiniti says that this car was made to test out technologies they plan to later put into production, so who knows? We just might be able to get that daily-drivable race car in the near future.

Photos courtesy of Infiniti.

Like this high-tech concept car? Then you'll love the Nissan GT-R50.

They’re light, they’re fast and they’re multiplying! Meet the Pro Mod diesel class. In the days of old, this field was rather thin at national diesel events. Today, thanks to major strides in diesel technology (namely common-rail injection, better tuning and improved transmission options), the Pro Mod field is growing more and more every year. In fact, it’s expanded so much that at any given event there are just as many Pro Mods in attendance as there are Pro Street rigs.

Per Outlaw Diesel Super Series rules, the racing circuit we’ve been following the most in 2018, Pro Mod vehicles must be full-bodied but no heavier than 4,400 pounds. With no defined weight minimum (the NHRDA minimum is 2,350 pounds), this means you get a variety of lightweight vehicles lining up in the staging lanes. Half-ton pickups, S10s, Dakotas and even pony (Cummins-powered Mustangs) and muscle cars (a ’63 and a ’66 Nova) all compete in Pro Mod.

All heads-up racing is performed on a .4 Pro Tree, qualifying is based on E.T. and a progressive Pro Ladder system (based on E.T.) is used. Competitors also have to qualify by running quicker than 5.85 in the eighth-mile (9.20 in the quarter). Luckily for spectators, high 4s to low 5s are the norm through the ‘660—with mid 4s becoming more and more commonplace. With most Pro Mod vehicles representing key players in the diesel industry, race weekend loosely resembles a truck challenge, where a company’s reputation is on the line and the drive to win is immense.

So where can you see more of these tire-wrinkling oil-burners in action? Check out our coverage of Rudy’s Fall Diesel Jam from the weekend of October 5-6. As the finale in what was nothing less than an eventful racing season, the competition was fierce—and Driving Line was there to cover it. In the meantime, enjoy this walk-around tutorial of some of the quickest and fastest Pro Mods in diesel motorsports.

Cummins, Cummins, Cummins

Like most of diesel motorsports, you’ll find a Cummins engine in most Pro Mod vehicles. In most applications, the crankcase and cylinder head is solid or filled with concrete, which means there is no cooling system to speak of. These top-tier engines feature aftermarket blocks, billet connecting rods, low compression pistons, high-lift cams and other exotic hard parts designed to help them survive more than 2,000hp and 5,000 rpm. But although the engine of choice is Cummins, a few Power Strokes have entered the fray in recent years and you can’t exactly write-off John Fyffe’s twin-turbo Duramax-powered ’63 Nova.

Keeping It Simple

No turbocharger rules exist in Pro Mod. However, in the essence of saving weight and simplifying the power-making combination, many competitors opt to run a single turbocharger—and some even forgo the use of an intercooler. In addition to the weight savings, single turbo (and especially non-intercooled) configurations make things far less complex under the hood. With less intake and exhaust piping, the chances of developing a detrimental boost or drive pressure leak are lower, not to mention that a single charger is less stressful on the engine. Even at 80 psi of boost, the correctly spec’d single turbochargers you see in Pro Mod are still very much in their happy place.

The Right Recipe: Big Single and Nitrous

Because so many competitors run single turbocharger setups, nitrous oxide is—in addition to adding horsepower and cooling things down—a big factor in aiding spool up. To bring his 4.3-inch Hart’s Diesel turbocharger up to speed on the starting line, Ben Shadday employs a small stage of nitrous dedicated to bringing the massive tractor turbo to life. His other stages of N2O are introduced progressively while heading down track.

Billet Cylinder Heads

With no cylinder head limitations in place in Pro Mod, everything from worked-over factory heads to aftermarket cast-iron, billet-steel and billet-aluminum units have been utilized. Variations of the billet-aluminum 24-valve head from Wagler Competition Products shown above have been used to get Ben Shadday’s Dodge Ram 1500 into the 4.60s and Ryan Milliken’s ’66 Nova into the 4.50s.

Common-Rail Domination

Unlike the upper echelon of diesel truck pulling, where mechanical injection reigns supreme, electronically-controlled common-rail injection systems rule the roost in Pro Mod. The ability to fine-tune every aspect of the system via an ECU (stand-alone aftermarket or factory-based) has given common-rail the edge in diesel drag racing in recent years. To maintain horsepower-friendly rail pressure, most Cummins-powered vehicles run at least two Bosch CP3-based high-pressure fuel pumps (and injectors that flow at least 300-percent more than stock), while the two Pro Mod 6.4L Power Stroke applications currently on the racing circuit employ twin Siemens K16 pumps and 150-percent over piezoelectric injectors.

P-Pumps: Scarce but Still Present

Just because common-rail injection systems have come to dominate the Pro Mod class in recent years doesn’t mean other competitors aren’t still willing to campaign mechanical injection. This Dodge Dakota driven by Steve Royalty on behalf of Warren County Diesel sports a 12-valve Cummins from Scheid Diesel with a nasty P-pump hanging off the side of it. On top of that, a triple-turbo arrangement shoves 150 psi worth of boost into the billet block’d beast, which is rumored to make at least 2,500hp.

The Time-Tested TH400

Turning to the proven TH400 was definitely a step in the right direction for the diesel industry. Not only are they lighter than the original transmissions bolted to diesel engines, but they arguably have more R&D behind them than any other automatic transmission ever produced. Not all Pro Mod competitors run a Turbo 400, but all of the top-running trucks in 2018 do. Specifically, the Larson Miller/Firepunk Diesel“Save the Racks” S10, the Ben Shadday/Done Right Diesel Performance Dodge Ram 1500 and the Rawlings Barnes/Rudy’s Performance Parts F-250 all benefit from Rossler Transmissions-built TH400s. For power transfer, most TH400 users are also running a lock up torque converter from Neil Chance Racing Converters.

Proven Rear Ends & Four-Link Suspensions

Another time-tested carry-over item from the gas-world is the Ford nine-inch. Above, you’re looking at the unit that’s parked under Ben Shadday’s Dodge, built by Greg Risk Racecraft. Also notice the four-link suspension and adjustable VariShock coil overs from Chris Alston’s Chassisworks. Another axle you’ll find in Pro Mod is the Mark Williams 11-inch, which is dimensionally similar to a nine-inch but said to be considerably stronger.

Tubbed & Back-Halved

There are no rules on tire size in Pro Mod, so it stands to reason that most vehicles are tubbed and back-halved to accommodate the largest slicks possible. The latest tubbed and back-halved Pro Mod on the scene is the aforementioned P-pumped Dodge Dakota, coined “Climate Change,” driven by Steve Royalty. As mentioned, this wild creation sports a triple-turbo arrangement, but as you can see here, the atmosphere chargers are located in the bed. The high-pressure unit resides in the cab.

Chassis Certification

If you wanna go fast, you gotta do it safely. For the Pro Mod class, this means a vehicle weighing a maximum of 3,600 pounds and running quicker than 7.50 in the quarter-mile (approximately 4.50 in the eighth) must meet the 25.3 SFI chassis certification requirements. While only one ODSS competitor has gone quicker than 4.50 in the eighth-mile (and 7.50 in the quarter) so far, most recently built Pro Mod vehicles were put together with this standard in mind. Like the chassis in Michael Dalton’s short bed ’12 Ram, for instance. While the truck has spent most of its time running low 6s in the eighth-mile so far, he has plenty of room to grow before another chassis certification is in store. The chromoly roll cage in Dalton’s Ram (pictured above) was built by Wide Open Design in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Fiberglass Diet

Again, the name of the game in Pro Mod (and any form of drag racing for that matter) is the almighty power-to-weight ratio. To lighten things up, many competitors turn to fiberglass front clips, cabs and/or beds. In Ben Shadday’s case, the GTS Fiberglass body on his half-ton Ram weighs in at just 130 pounds. Gaining complete access to the engine is a cinch thanks to the removable front clip.

A Commanding Presence

After shaking things up in the Pro Street category with their four-wheel drive ’06 Dodge and owning the current ODSS E.T. and trap speed record of 5.002 at 145.81 mph with it, the Firepunk Diesel crew has directed a lot of its attention toward the Pro Mod S10 in 2018. Originally built for Edgar Artecona and currently being piloted by Firepunk’s Larson Miller, it has become the vehicle to beat this year. Despite missing the first race of the ODSS season, the truck went 4.77 at race number two and has only gotten quicker since. At the present time (and after running a 4.47 which was too quick for Miller’s NHRA licensing at the Hardway Sunshine Showdown), Miller and team Firepunk hold the Pro Mod E.T. and trap speed record: 4.554 at 160.28 mph. During recent quarter-mile testing, in which Miller upgraded from a Class 3 AdvET/TD license to a Class 6 ET license, the Save the Racks S10 went 6.94 at 202 mph.

Cars and Trucks, 4x4 and 2WD

One of two fourth-generation Pro Mod Mustangs in the sport, Daniel Pierce’s Cummins-propelled pony car normally carries its front wheels off the ground the first 60 feet of the track, which spans about 1.2 seconds. Originally an Outlaw 10.5 chassis car, it was first graced with a Cummins by Richard Buckley roughly seven years ago. We hope to see more of Pierce’s nasty Mustang in 2019.

Contributing photography provided by Amy Gilbert of Stainless Diesel

The records kept falling at the Hardway Sunshine Showdown.

When the asteroid hits, do you have what it takes to survive sitting in your garage? While a full-size pickup or off-road ready SUV might get you far enough away from civilization to avoid the initial effects of apocalyptic societal collapse, just how long will you be able to sustain yourself—and your family—in an off-the-shelf truck?

Judging by the rides out there aimed at the hardcore survivalist crowd, probably not long enough. Picking up the pieces when disaster strikes means not only clambering over obstacles, but also bringing along food, water, electricity and other gear required to live without a safety net.

Check out these six specialized rigs that are custom-built to offer the latest in end-of-world overland acumen.

1. Global Expedition Vehicles

With perhaps the most diverse line-up in the survivalist niche, Global Expedition Vehicles (GVX) provides both commercial truck-based setups as well as pickup-sized options. The Adventure Truck and Turtle sit on a heavy-duty pickup platform and resemble an integrated camper while the Pangea (with lifting roof), Patagonia and Safari Extreme are aimed at 4x4 and 6x6 medium-duty truck designs. Each of these models provide safe and secure sleeping and cooking accommodations backed by all-terrain capability, and if that's not sufficient GVX will of course go full custom and build you the kind of vehicle that can survive an epic tsunami or even a Jurassic Park-style genetic accident.

2. EarthRoamer

EarthRoamer brings the luxury to the bug-out set with a pair of super-rugged survival rigs. The XV-LTS is the smaller of the two, but this Ford F550-based machine can haul 85 gallons of fresh water and has a range of 900 miles before you need to top-off its diesel tanks. It can also generate 1,320 watts of electricity with its solar array, and charge a massive battery when the skies are filled with the burning embers of once-proud cities. The XV-HD offers much more space to go with its $1.5 million price tag while almost tripling the water storage, doubling energy capacity and resting on a commercial truck chassis.

3. UNICAT

Here's where things start to get a little more serious. UNICAT is known for providing companies around the world with customized off-road vehicles based on the venerable Unimog and MAN all-terrain truck. If asked to choose, most apocalypse survivors want the TerraCross line of vehicles parked in their driveways as the world shatters around them, whether they need to take just their spouse and kids or their entire family into the hills until the heat dies down. With enough power generation capability to light up a small town when it's time to rebuild, built-in water filtration to keep the fallout at bay and four-wheel drive with a locking center differential, the UNICAT TerraCross scoffs in the face of extinction-level events.

4. Mercedes-Benz Zetros 2733

Have you ever wanted a post-apocalypse palace on wheels with a heated marble floor? Mercedes-Benz has just the truck for you: the Zetros 2733, a vehicle that combines  You know, so you can relive what life was like before the black rain made your hair start falling out in clumps. Three locking differentials, a crawl ratio for the gearbox and an exterior shower for those days when you're willing to risk a bandit attack to get clean round out the list of the Zetros' upscale features.

5. Campa EVS

Campa is a company focused on outfitting vehicles for camping, and they offer the discrete bug-out enthusiast a chance to travel lightly. The Campa Expeditionary Vehicle System fits onto the back of a Toyota Tacoma, and delivers an elevated camping platform for your tent, a fully lockable secure storage area in the cargo bed, and room for just the bare necessities required to survive when everyone else has given up. The most affordable setup on this list also happens to be the least likely to attract attention from curious neighbors in the weeks leading up to the end of days.

6. Sportsmobile

Full-size vans might have fallen out of fashion, but Sportsmobile has approached these cavernous cargo haulers and used them as the basis for its Ultimate Adventure Vehicle package. Whether you’re a Ford E-Van, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Dodge Promaster fan, Sportsmobile offers you four-wheel drive, better ground clearance, a tough suspension and a live-in interior that is perfect for the couple on the run from the roving gangs of bikers that rule the wastelands.

Check out another outrageous overlander option, the Alpha Van.

The KMC Jeep Bash has been an off-road fixture in Long Beach for a few years now. Jeeps tend to spend more time in the mountains than next to the waves, so it’s always fun to see them in a new environment. This year, it moved a few miles south to Bolsa Chica State Beach. The Jeeps were as awesome as ever, though, with so many great builds to see from both fans and exhibitors.  

Included in those exhibitors were Nitto Tire, Off Road Evolution, King Shocks and KMC Wheels, of course. We’re always impressed by the quality of builds that show up, and this year was no different. To see how the event went, watch the video above.

A hydraulic assist is the best Jeep steering upgrade you’ll ever get.

Throughout our history, mankind has always been on the move. Some would say traveling is instilled in our DNA. The invention of the automobile made traveling over long distances accessible to the masses. In today’s world, passenger jets have replaced cars for long journeys, but for some, the call of an epic road trip spanning thousands of miles over many days is too loud to ignore. Combine it with a competition in precision driving, and the sport of road rally is born.

Since its inaugural run in 1984, the Alcan 5000 rally has offered a 10-day escape for automotive enthusiasts and connoisseurs of driving alike, through the most desolate and scenic regions of North America. Beginning in Kirkland, Washington, the Alcan 5000 runs north into Canada through British Columbia, into the Yukon Territory, then crosses over the international border again into Alaska, ending in Fairbanks. The rally does not take the shortest route, but leads competitors along scenic byways and through notable places of historical and cultural interest. It takes place every two years, alternating between summer and winter events.

A portion of the Alcan 5000 Rally is made up of mostly scenic touring, with short “regularity sections” along each day’s route. Competitors are given a route book containing detailed directions along each mile of the 5000-mile event, ensuring they know where each day’s start line begins and the exact minute they need to leave from it. These rally sections of the route are monitored by rally staff to measure the time each vehicle crosses the checkpoints. Recorded times are compared to a “perfect run,” which the event organizers time months beforehand. For every second a team arrives later or earlier than the perfect run, one point is given. Regularity sections require the navigator to read the route book to the driver in real-time, ensuring the vehicle is traveling at the precise speed, while arriving at the exact locations at the noted time. To be clear, this is not a race, and most speeds during regularity sections are below the posted limit. Ending every day, results are posted allowing teams to check their progress. The team with the least amount of points in their class at the end of the rally is named the winner.

Wheels up to Adventure

Returning to the 2018 Alcan 5000 Rally, Nitto Tire participated both as a sponsor and competitor after having participated in both the winter and summer rallies in previous years. Competing for Nitto was Dave Cole, owner and co-founder of King of the Hammers, and Chris Corbett of Nitto Tire. Their vehicle of choice was a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JL Rubicon, on 35x12.50R17 Ridge Grapplers, which proved to be the perfect setup for this type of rally. The route did not stick to the pavement, as many hundreds of miles along the way were on dirt roads, winding through the forests and mountains of Canada and Alaska. But the paved sections of this trip were no cakewalk either, as many of the highways were riddled with deep potholes, construction sections and gravel. As a hybrid terrain tire with a strong sidewall, the Ridge Grappler conquered every mile of the Alcan 5000 with ease and comfort, showing its true grit as a quiet and smooth all-terrain tire with the off-road traction of a more aggressive mud-terrain.

Of course, the Nitto Team’s JL wasn’t the only vehicle competing in the rally on Nitto tires. Mel Wade, veteran off-road racer and owner of Off Road Evolution, brought his fully outfitted 2018 Jeep JL Rubicon as well, sporting a set of 37x13.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. Mel’s son, Melvin Jr., sat in the passenger seat and navigated the course. Mel races on Trail Grapplers with his proven 4400 class Ultra4 Jeep JK, nicknamed EVO1, and prefers the robust off-road performance they offer for the kind of hardcore driving he does in his Jeeps. The Off-Road Evolution JL has an unmistakable American Flag livery, and was quite the head turner through the many towns the Alcan 5000 took him through—especially in Canada!

As they say, good things come in threes. The third JL on the 2018 Alcan 5000 was piloted by Weston Blackie and navigated by his father, Gary Blackie. Weston, a former professional rock crawler and racer, is the owner of Trail Jeeps, a custom Jeep builder in Golden, Colorado. Weston’s builds are top notch in the Jeep world, and naturally his personal 2018 Jeep JL Rubicon is nothing short of that. Rolling on a set of 37x13.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers, Weston’s Jeep is a fine example of a JL built with both comfort and off-road performance in mind.

The Jeep JL wasn’t the only Wrangler competing in the Alcan 5000 rally. Three other Jeep Wrangler JKs were in attendance, featuring Nitto Trail Grapplers, Ridge Grapplers, and Terra Grappler G2s, proving the Grappler family is ready to take on any kind of adventure you can throw at it. Although certainly the most capable vehicles on the Alcan 5000, the Jeep Wranglers only made up a small part of the field. Bringing variety to the Alcan 5000, the field included a JCW Edition Mini Clubman, Lancia Delta Integrale, Lexus GX460, EcoDiesel Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Tundra and a fourth-gen Dodge Ram 2500 with a flatbed. The wide range of vehicles meant nobody’s Alcan 5000 experience was alike. This diverse field of vehicles had advantages and disadvantages for all teams. Despite the long distances and rough road conditions, only one car, a ‘69 Austin Mini MK2, suffered a rally-ending engine failure.

Twenty-six motorcyclists joined the pack as well, most of them riding dual-sport touring bikes such as KTM 950 Adventures and BMW R1200 GS-As. Where the four-wheeled teams had the comfort of heaters, windows, a roof over their heads and the advantage of a navigator riding shotgun, motorcyclists were left to the elements, reading off their own specially-designed scroll-style route books, mounted to their tank bags. This is an especially grueling trip for the bike teams, as riding through inclement weather and swarms of every insect you can imagine was a daily routine.

Hitting the Road

In the days before the rally, teams trickled into the Totem Lake Hotel in Kirkland, Washington. Soon, the parking lot was full of unique vehicles, from sensible daily drivers like a Ford Escape to an authentic Mustang GT350H that spent its previous years drag and road course racing. The diversity of vehicles was only matched by their respective drivers and teams, many of whom drove their vehicles near and far to reach the Alcan 5000 starting line. While many had their vehicles transported to Washington, a select few actually drove there from places as far as the East Coast.

Long-time Alcan 5000 chairman and head-honcho Jerry Hines ensured each participant, most of whom were going for the first time, had everything needed for a successful rally.

The crisp morning of day one brought thumping and buzzing sounds heard all throughout the Totem Lake Hotel. As teams scrambled to load their cars, trucks and bikes with gear, non-Alcan participant hotel guests watched with somewhat-confused expressions, eventually asking what the commotion was all about. Vehicles lined up single file, and the first vehicle took off from the valet rotunda at 0800, followed by another team every minute after. The last motorcycle left the start line, approximately one hour after the first car.

As the rally pushed farther North into the Yukon Territory over the next three days, participants got a first-hand look at historical and cultural sites like the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake and gold-rush town of Dawson City. Dave Cole and Mel Wade’s teams even had enough time to play around in Carcross, which is home to “the world’s smallest desert.” This one-square-mile sand dune is located in the middle of the boreal forest and offers a unique off-road driving experience.

Top of the World

Leaving Dawson City meant boarding a ferry that crossed the Yukon River, adjacent to the old mining town. Three by three, vehicles were loaded, crossed and unloaded until all teams made it across. The dash to the international border into Alaska was underway. Riding along a ridge for several hours, the dirt road called “Top of the World Highway” eventually led to the seasonally-open customs office at Poker Creek, offering an elk design on their passport stamp—a must-have for collectors!

The first overnight stop in Alaska was in Copper River, at the high-end Princess Lodge. As rally teams relaxed in the “year-round Christmas” themed lodge’s lobby and courtyard, enjoying the late-setting sun and epic views of snow-capped mountains, a special treat was bestowed upon those who opted to stay up late. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, made their appearance over the hotel grounds. This magnificent show of radiance was particularly strong that night, coming in waves every few minutes. Before long, everyone was awake and outside with their eyes and cameras aimed at the sky. For many, this was the first time seeing the phenomenon, and the experience was clearly on everyone’s bucket list.

Setting off again, past glaciers and waterfalls, the rallyers passed Valdez en route to the most dangerous section of the journey.

Nicknamed “The Haul Road,” due to the many semi-trucks that make the dangerous voyage, the Dalton runs alongside the Alaska Pipeline from Fairbanks, into the Arctic Circle, ending in Prudhoe Bay. The Dalton also contains the longest stretch of road in the United States without fuel, 240 miles to its northern terminus. Experts suggest anyone traveling the Dalton to bring survival gear with them, as the road can be treacherous to any kind of vehicle. With no cell signal or medical facility for hundreds of miles, an incident on the Dalton carries a very high risk.

Luckily, JLs thrive on roads like the Dalton. With a 300+ mile fuel tank range, and spare fuel cans on the back, the Jeeps left at 0600 to take on the last road north along the Alaska pipeline, and enter the Arctic Circle. After a quick stop to take a photo with the Arctic Circle sign, the pack made way for the town of Coldfoot for lunch. This is the last stop for services such as gas, food and lodging until the Dalton reaches the Arctic Ocean. Alas, this was the turning back point for the Jeeps, as time wouldn’t allow for a continued journey to Prudhoe Bay.

Ending the trip, the last day included a short regularity section, followed by a trip to the Chena Hot Springs for some sight-seeing. That night was the awards ceremony and reception, hosted at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, which features iconic automobiles from the 1800s to the 1930s, a fully functional mechanic shop and vintage auto parts displays.

The competitors were busy swapping stories from their own journeys when Alcan chairman Jerry Hines began the awards. First place overall went to Frank McKinnon, John Putnam and Peter Schneider in their Ford Escape. The first place motorcycle trophy went to Steve Alley and his KTM 990 Adventure. Rod Sorenson was awarded the “Go Farther Award” for his 830-mile trek in 18 hours up the Dalton and back, “because it was there.”

The Alcan 5000 Rally offers a unique experience in competitive driving and touring the most scenic and remote wilderness in North America. This trip is notorious for shortening the bucket list of whomever braves it, and sends you home with hours of stories to tell your friends, family and coworkers. Whether you’re a veteran road rally driver with a purpose-built vehicle, or you brought your daily driver on your first ever rally event, you’re guaranteed to have the adventure of a lifetime. This wasn’t the first Alcan 5000 Rally the Nitto Tire team competed in, and it surely won’t be the last. With the 2020 Winter Alcan 5000 Rally already taking entries, it’s only a matter of time before we find ourselves heading North again.

For Matt, driving the Alcan 5000 was only half the journey. He then needed to drive the Long Road Home.

You’ve not seen him on TV or competing in high-profile builder competitions. In fact, you’ve probably never seen him before, but you’re going to want to get to know Nathan Hale and Hale’s Speed Shop builds. Based in Lewisville, Texas, the ex–motocross racer first made a splash in the DFW area with a turbo’d ’36 five-window that would show up and blow the doors off Vettes. He just might be one of the truest versions of a “hot rodder” we’ve met in a long time, and his builds are only getting better.

 “A hot rodder evolves with time,” Hale explains. “What they did is what I’m doing now—taking the latest and greatest and putting them in this [he says while eyeing his old, beat-up pickup].” Hale builds them to drive, not to look at. “Anything that elevates heart rate, that’s good enough for me.”

So while you’ll not find a single equation for a Hale car, there are some common themes that run across them. Late-model pickups aren’t the only type of car he builds, but they are the most common. Hale uses TJ Akins–built turbocharged LS engines. These powerplants are the only area of the entire build that he doesn’t work with his own hands. He has no employees, no shop manager, no broom sweeper. A Hale Speed Shop car is born based on the chassis setup, which is completely engineered and fabricated by Hale. By the time he’s finished with a build, you can bet it’ll be ready to run hard and low—many customers drive them daily.

Coming from a professional motocross background, Hale was schooled in suspension dynamics in a much different way than most car builders. “Grafting the suspension concepts from dirt biking into the hot rod world,” Hale says, “I knew that was going to be the make-it-or-break-it difference to getting the power to these things.” His geometry and setup evolved in stages, with Hale targeting full wheel motion through the entire range of ride height. While he uses some Viair components for air ride, you won’t find a kit for what he’s building.

Hale’s throw-the-rules-out-the-window attitude extends through all of his life, all the way down to how he runs his shop. He’s got a years-long waitlist for builds, but almost zero web or social presence, he won’t talk to you over the phone and his shop is in an as-near-as-you-can-get-to-top-secret location. So much so, that some customers take years to track him down. What gives?

Hale’s builds speak for themselves. And while most people would be prone to go big and make bank, Hale would rather focus on what he loves. “I have to keep progress evolving,” he exclaims. “If you’ve accepted you’ve peaked, you have nothing more to give. I don’t plan on peaking until I’m in the ground, I’m just gonna keep grinding. I’m a grinder for life.”

C10 Shop Truck

If there’s any one way to describe Nathan Hale’s own ’70 C10 pickup, he’s the one who puts it best, “The whole build is a complete oxymoron of how it looks on the outside.” Put plainly, judging by the imperfect patina’d body, you may not look twice at the truck if you didn’t hear it coming. But the engine is just one piece of the fully custom “shop truck” build that’s been Hale’s daily driver for more than five years now.

Open the hood and you’ll first see the LS-based 408 hopped up with nitrous and other goodies. With air conditioning, air ride and wiring plumbed to perfection, you almost don’t notice the rusty underside of the hood. But it’s when you get down to the suspension that the truck really begins to shine. Utilizing as much as possible of the original straight rails, the front suspension is heavily modified—as are the chassis’ dropped front crossmember and rear ladder bar set-up.

Hale likes to hold his cards close to his chest in the way an old stock-car racer would’ve done when it comes to suspension setups; even if you had the blueprints, you’d be hard-pressed to reproduce a Hale’s Speed Shop build.

With every build being custom and Hale working alone, figuring out how to fabricate them like this has been a process. It’s not knowledge you can get in a book or by attending a trade school. You won’t get it by purchasing fancy tools. “People are really misinformed from what they see [of people building hot rods on tv],” Hale explains. “Nothing replaces hard work—period.” And by hard work, he means putting in the years of pushing boundaries, seeking solutions and testing in real life whether or not a concept will work. It’s part of the reason his builds perform consistently and don’t come back in for fixes.

Taking a ride in the C10, you’d quickly recognize that work. Generally, with a car rolling inches from the ground, ride quality and performance are largely compromised. Not this truck. Put your foot into it hard and this truck is like a crouching tiger leaping into action. Make a quick turn or stomp on the brakes and it continues its cat-like reflexes. “When some people say ‘purpose-built’ cars, they mean it’s good at doing one thing or another,” Hale says. “Not me, I build cars to be able to do anything.”

And while we didn’t see this one taking on any jumps (though we wouldn’t put it past Nathan to do it), the current ’50 Chevy build he’s working on is designed and braced to be able to, all while churning out 1,200+ hp with a dual-turbo LSX.

Pushing Further

While you’ll likely not see Nathan Hale on reality television any time soon (the networks have already tried to nab him, and he won’t have any of it), you’ll be able to catch a documentary about him soon. You can be sure it captures the hot rod lifestyle and how he builds ’em out of Hales Speed Shop, but there’s a deeper story going on here, too.

Stemming from his adolescence in motocross, Hale suffered multiple bodily injuries through the years. As his body got older and the drugs got stronger, he found himself dependent on medical opioids. “That shit, it grabbed me,” says Hale. “Nobody knew I was on it. I didn’t want to be high, I was just trying to manage my life.” After deciding the dependency had to stop, Hale pulled himself out during a years-long recovery process, only sharing about it after he’d come out the other side.

He’s now targeting lawmakers in Washington with hopes that he can help to improve the system and assist with placing safeguards to work to prevent abuse. “Just because you’re getting this stuff from a doctor, doesn’t mean they’re on your side. I’m targeting the next generation, somebody needs to tell them how it really is and this addiction is gnarly. Nobody can talk about it, because everybody dies—but I've come out of it.”

There is a hot rodding tradition of under-the-radar builders creating standout cars in a private environment that, when finished, demand outside attention. “There’s only one thing for certain in life, and that’s that we die,” says Hale. In life as in hot rods, Nathan Hale is a no-excuses, tell-it-like-it-is, live-to-the-fullest original. Watch for the documentary coming to a screen near you or visit thenathanhalestory.com for more info.

Passionate for patina? Peruse Parham's '61 Chevy Apache 10.

Looking back on over 50 years of Mustang history—there is no version of America’s most popular pony car that doesn’t have its fans. Even the lowly Mustang II of the ‘70s has its share of followers, but there are definitely certain generations of Mustang that seem to be overlooked by the enthusiast community. The classic ‘64-‘73 models have always been popular and the later Fox body Mustangs are still extremely popular among grassroots racers and street car builders—but these days you don’t hear much about the SN95 model, particularly the 1994 to 1998 cars.

That’s kind of a shame because the ‘94-‘98s have a lot going for them. First of all, SN95s are generally more affordable than the older Fox body cars, which have been creeping up in value because so many have been modified and raced over the years.

Second of all, in many ways the SN95s are better cars than the Fox body. They share the same basic platform, but the interior is nicer, more modern and most importantly V8-powered SN95s came with four wheel disc brakes and five lug wheels from the factory. Note that while the 1999-2004 Mustang also rides on the same platform we've decided to leave out the "New Edge" cars for the purposes of this story.

Yes, the '90s SN95s were a bit heavier than the older Fox bodies which made them less popular among hardcore racers, but that also means it should be easier to find examples that haven’t been beaten on—and the weight increase isn't much, especially by modern standards.

Ford Transitions From the 5.0L to 4.6L

The early SN95s can be divided into two categories the ‘94-‘95 and ‘96-‘98. There are some minor cosmetic but key mechanical differences between the two versions. The first two years carried over the venerable 5.0 HO small block, with the Cobra models getting extra horsepower along with beefed up suspension and brakes. And while the factory power numbers of either 5.0 might be low by today’s muscle car standards, the aftermarket for these motors is legendary.

In ‘96 the cars got some slight exterior changes, but the big news was under the hood where the 5.0 was replaced by a new 4.6L overhead cam modular V8. GTs got a two-valve single cam version while the Cobra got a rather exotic DOHC 4-valve version that made over 300hp.

It took some time for the 4.6s to catch on, but recently these motors have shared much of the same aftermarket support as the classic small block and it’s become a personal preference whether you want to go the 5.0 or mod motor route.

An Affordable Track Car

As far as pricing goes, any SN95 you choose is going to deliver a lot of bang for the buck. A decent Mustang GT of this era should set you back less than $5000 and a nice example of a ‘94-‘98 Cobra should still go for less than $10,000 these days.

If you are looking for something for quarter mile action these cars are a fantastic choice, with endless power upgrade options, a stout drivetrain with decades of knowledge to fall back on—all without breaking the bank.

If twisty pavement and road courses are your thing SN95s offer a ton of possibilities, with a number of aftermarket companies that have dedicated themselves to making a Mustang handle about as well as anything on the track. So, while it’s true that the factory performance of the ‘94-‘98s would be eclipsed by the Mustangs that came later, the SN95s offer no shortage of potential for any type of driving you might be interested in.

Lasting Aesthetic Appeal

As far as styling is concerned, everyone has their own opinion about which generation of Mustang looks best, but we feel the 1994-1998 body style is beginning to come into its own with a classic appearance. And, speaking of the word “classic” (this may or may not make you feel old), but even the newest examples of the first gen SN95 Mustangs are now over 20 years old—so feel free to bring ‘em out to your local “vintage” cruise night.

It should also be said that with the increased popularity of ‘90s cars and events like Radwood, the perception of SN95s may be on the upswing. We happen to think it’s overall design is certainly one of the more distinct and attractive of the era. And that even goes for the late stage 1994 prototype pictured below.

If we were to build one, we might embrace a period correct ‘90s aesthetic with era appropriate wheel and color choices (teal and yellow anyone?) and if you are looking for inspiration you need not look further than the racing versions that tore up the road courses of the era. But as with any Mustang, your choices are limitless.

We also have to give some props to the Saleen cars of the '90s which have started coming into their own with some sweet '90s elements that still look great today.

While it’s hard to call any Mustang “rare," you certainly don’t see too many SN95s on the road these days and we’d imagine a nicely built example of a ‘94-‘98 would certainly stand out today in a crowd of Fox bodies or the newer post 2005 models.

Combine all that with a low cost of entry, a proven and vast aftermarket, tons of upgrade potential and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic and underrated project car candidate. It’s time to embrace the ‘90s. Now if you’ll just excuse us while we go hunt through the local classifieds.

Hungry for more '94-'98 Mustang action? Feed your need with this custom '97 Cobra.

Every fall, the competitive diesel world invades the Piedmont Dragway for the annual Rudy’s Diesel Fall Truck Jam. It’s here that the Outlaw Diesel Super Series wraps up as some of the fastest diesel trucks on the planet cement their spot in the record books on the 1/8 mile dragstrip. In addition to the rubber ripping race trucks, you’ll find a show-and-shine, a dyno trailer and high-flying dirt action on the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League two-night event.

While our video above highlights some of the standout moments and trucks from the event, we’ll have more detailed race coverage coming very soon!

The Fastest of the Fast

The Pro Mod diesel class is packed full of some of the most competitive racers and blistering fast diesel trucks in the U.S. Piloted by Larson Miller, the Firepunk Diesel-built Save the Rack’s S10 put down an incredible 4.48 pass at 169 mph.

Out With a Bang

While it wasn’t the season ender Ben Shadday was hoping for, the Done Right Diesel Performance truck’s safety equipment did its job when the truck broke traction and spun into the wall. Despite the crash, the team would still take home the Pro Mod class championship.

Trending Treads

Getting traction is the name of the game in diesel drag racing. For trucks running DOT tires, the Nitto NT420S was a popular choice. These all-season tires have a proven track record and were helping trucks consistently put down the power as they blasted off of the line.

Show of Force

The vender show was jam packed with dozens of the top parts providers in the nation. American Force wheels was even on hand with a collection of built trucks and new products. None were as high-profile though as the solid-axle Chevy Duramax built by Davis Off-Road. Just to put the size of the truck in perspective, the truck was effortless clearing a set of 40x15.50 Nitto Trail Grapplers on 24-inch 670 Shift American Force wheels.

DYNO-mite

The Diesel Doctor was on-hand with its mobile dyno. All weekend long drivers would learn get the good and bad news they were looking for. Some of the racers were even strapping on the trailer between rounds as a little tuning can equate to big changes.

Rudy’s Rundown

As the event’s title sponsor, Rudy’s had a host of products and vehicles at the event. Despite having engine issues throughout the weekend, Rudy’s Pro Mod truck would take home a win with Rawlings Barnes behind the wheel.

In The Dirt

The strip wasn’t the only place you could find big truck action. We caught up with Clint Mills and his 1,300hp Ram as it was making its way down the Pro Pulling League sled pull track. You can find out even more about his Cummins pickup in our Ride of the Week feature.

We’ll have more race coverage coming from the event soon. Until then, be sure to check out what you missed from the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza.

Compared with the Navistar-built 6.4L and 6.0L Power Stroke engines that preceded it, Ford’s 6.7L Power Stroke is a beast. Not only has it earned a reputation for high-mile durability, but it’s also the most powerful, cleanest-burning V8 diesel to ever grace the Super Duty truck line. But despite all of its accolades, early engines had their drawbacks, the biggest of which being the turbocharger used on ’11-’14 F-250, F-350 and F-450 pickups (cab & chassis models excluded). While ultra responsive, the dual compressor wheeled, variable geometry turbo proved overly restrictive, producing excessive drive pressure and often falling victim to overspeed failure.

In 2015, Ford switched to a traditional, single compressor variable geometry turbo, and retrofit kits for ’11-’14 trucks soon followed. But while ’15-newer turbos have proven much more reliable, for utmost reliability and airflow there is simply no replacement for a fixed geometry turbocharger. What you lose in spool up, you always gain back in mid-range and top-end power. Luckily, company’s like Maryland Performance Diesel have developed a way to mount a fixed geometry unit directly in place of the factory VGT without having to scrap the upper and lower intake plenums, the intercooler piping or even the OEM downpipe.

It Just Makes Sense

As the early 6.7L-powered Super Dutys begin to come out of warranty, it doesn’t take much to sell an ’11-’14 Power Stroke owner on a turbo upgrade. Either fork over $2,000 for a drop-in replacement unit that’s guaranteed to meet the same fate or invest in a turbo system that will last the life of the truck. With the OEM turbo on its way out, the owner of the ’13 F-350 in this article was faced with this exact proposition. After opting for Maryland’s Quick Spool budget turbo kit, the Power Stroke-savvy folks at Flynn’s Shop in Alexander, Illinois dug into the 93,000-mile dually.

In Part 1, we’ll discuss the level of involvement in the teardown process on a 6.7L Power Stroke. For Part 2, we’ll cover the installation of the new turbo system, along with a budget-friendly high-pressure fuel pump upgrade.

An Extensive Job

It’s a tall order to install a whole new system on a 6.7L Power Stroke in one day, so if you’re doing this in your driveway make sure your schedule is clear the entire weekend. Also make sure you’re using a topside creeper or your favorite fender blanket during the job. Your mid-section will thank you later on.

5-Gallon Bucket(s)

First things first, pull the grille. With so much money and labor involved in repairing today’s diesel pickups, the last thing you want to do is scratch or dent the face of your Ford. Then move on to draining the coolant, but remember that the 6.7L Power Stroke has two separate cooling systems, and both need to be drained before you get started under the hood (one system is dedicated to the engine while the other serves the water-to-air intercooler, transmission and the EGR system).

Digging In

Once the air intake, turbo boost sensor, upper section of the turbo downpipe and intercooler piping are removed, the composite upper intake plenum can be unbolted and pulled off of the engine. Notice the painter’s tape being employed on the inlet of the lower intake to keep debris from entering it. The same should be done on the inlet and outlet of the intercooler, as well as the intake manifold openings on the valve covers.

Lower Intake Plenum

From there, the cast-aluminum lower intake plenum can be unbolted from the valley, detached from the turbo compressor housing and removed. It’s worth noting that some aftermarket turbocharger kits for the 6.7L Power Stroke scrap the upper and lower plenums, but they’re both retained in Maryland Performance Diesel’s Quick Spool budget turbo system.

It’s What Beds Are For…

With the turbo literally buried at the back of the lifter valley in 6.7L Power Stroke applications, it pays to keep track of everything you pull off of the engine. The techs at Flynn’s (and virtually every other diesel shop we frequent) are able to do just that by placing all removed items in the bed. As you can see, bed space shrinks fast when you’re pulling parts off a 6.7L Ford.

Guaranteed to Fail

This is another shortcoming present in the OEM turbocharger system: the cold-side intercooler pipe (intercooler to engine). Under high boost and after prolonged exposure to excessive heat, this plastic tube is notorious for blowing apart and stranding you. For anyone that tows, failure of this component means your truck is unable to build boost and is essentially rendered unusable until it can be replaced.

The Cold-Side Cure

Because the new, fixed geometry turbo will likely produce higher boost pressure and certainly flow more air volume, now is the time to upgrade away from the failure-prone cold-side intercooler pipe. Once again to the rescue, Maryland offers an intercooler pipe fix, which replaces the plastic factory piece with a stainless steel, mandrel-bent and bead-rolled version (with a new IAT sensor pre-installed to boot), along with a high-flow aluminum throttle body adapter. The adapter is shown being installed on the lower intake plenum in the image above.

Finally, Accessible

Prior to removing the factory turbo, the driver and passenger side up-pipes were unbolted from both the turbo and exhaust manifolds (note: the 6.7L Power Stroke’s reverse-flow cylinder heads mean the exhaust manifolds are located in the lifter valley). To access the nuts on the passenger side exhaust manifold studs, the inner fender well may have to be removed. After that, the wastegate solenoid and external coolant and oil lines should be disconnected from the turbo and all four pedestal bolts broken free.

Goodbye Garrett

Space is definitely limited between the turbo’s wastegate diaphragm and the Super Duty’s cowl, but the factory unit can be pulled without a lot of frustration. The primary obstacle is the fact that the turbo weighs more than 50lbs, so maneuvering it around requires a bit of muscle. Of course, the guys at Flynn’s are well-versed in 6.7L turbo systems (and working with heavy diesel components) and made quick work of removing it.

Modern Marvel Vs. Old-School Simplicity

Here you get a look at the factory VGT’s replacement: an S364.5 SX-E from BorgWarner. By comparison, the two turbos are night-and-day different. The factory Garrett GT32 SST utilizes two 46mm (inducer) compressor wheels and two air inlets, no map width enhancement groove, a variable geometry turbine housing, an internal wastegate and a water-cooled, ball bearing center cartridge. Contradictory to all of that, the S364.5 SX-E sports a single 64.5mm compressor wheel with a conventional air inlet, has a map width enhancement groove, a fixed geometry turbine housing, no wastegate and an oil-cooled, journal bearing center cartridge. As far as turbo technology is concerned, it’s practically AI vs. a dinosaur…and the dinosaur wins.

MPD-Massaged BorgWarner SX-E

While the S364.5 SX-E is an off-the-shelf charger straight from BorgWarner, its original compressor housing outlet is cut off at Maryland Performance Diesel and replaced with its own billet outlet in order to accommodate the 6.7L engine’s factory hot-side intercooler pipe. The folks at MPD also machine their own pedestal in-house and ship the turbo as a complete, bolt-in-ready assembly. On the performance front, the forged milled (FMW) 64.5mm compressor wheel flows more than 80 lbs/minute (1,150+ cfm), which is enough to support 650rwhp.

Tidying Up

Prepping the lifter valley for the new turbo and pedestal should entail a few shots of compressed air in each pedestal bolt hole. This ensures no coolant or other fluids are present when you reinstall the pedestal bolts. In addition, the mating surface of the pedestal gasket on the block should be thoroughly cleaned for an optimum seal with the new gasket in the mix. Removing leftover gasket material can entail a die grinder/Scotch-Brite pad combination, just don’t get too aggressive.

Functional Bling

Because the new turbo has no provision to accommodate the second air inlet on the back side of the lower intake plenum, it gets plugged off with the billet-aluminum plug Maryland supplies with its turbo kit. The oval block-off is held in place using the OEM boot and clamp.

Take My Money!

Keeping with the budget theme of Maryland’s turbo kit, the factory two-piece downpipe is retained thanks to the billet adapter attached to the turbine housing. With the factory downpipe not known as a major restriction in the 500 to 650hp range, this is definitely a cost savings that truck owners welcome.

Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon—in the meantime here's are 6.7 Power Stroke upgrades for every budget.

If you had the chance to take a Formula 1 car on a road trip across America, wouldn’t you? That’s just what Max Verstappen did, going all the way from the Rockies to Miami. From traveling along dirt roads in the mountains to getting a tire change on the beach, Max does everything you wouldn’t expect an F1 car to do.

We can’t know for certain if this is the first time an F1 car fueled up at a remote gas station in Colorado, but we feel safe in assuming it is. Watching something like this reminds us how cool and fun these cars are.

Despite that, Formula 1 hasn’t had as much interest in America as it does elsewhere, but with only one race in the U.S., many Americans just haven’t had the chance to see it. People can also get a stuffy feeling from the series, with its advanced hybrid technology and high-tech jargon. Seeing the cars leave the track and take to the roads we know and drive does wonders for making it more relatable.

Hopefully this, combined with a potential second race in the States, can drum up more interest on this side of the Atlantic. There’s so much innovation and racing excellence in F1 that it’s a shame many automotive enthusiasts in America don’t know much about it. If you haven’t seen Part 1, you should. It showcases Max’s teammate Daniel Ricciardo traveling from San Francisco to Las Vegas, crossing the Golden Gate bridge and taking a detour to Monument Valley in Utah.

Photos courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool

Wish you could drive F1 engine tech on the road? If the Infiniti Project Black S goes into production, you’ll soon be able to.

In the last 10 or 15 years, chances are you’ve seen a lot of “retro modern” Corvettes, usually a C5 or C6 Corvette restyled to look like a model from the late ‘50s or early ‘60s. To be honest, they’ve never quite worked. The retro traits always felt like an afterthought and the styling had no real cohesion when trying to mix the past with modern day.

But now it looks like someone has finally done the retro ‘Vette thing right, only this time it doesn’t use a Corvette as it’s base, and it doesn’t come from the USA. Say hello to Japan’s Mitsuoka Rockstar.

Mitsuoka has been in Japan building unique vehicles based off existing platforms for 50 years now, and to celebrate that anniversary, it released the Rockstar, a car that pulls inspiration from a C2 Corvette with the underpinnings of the ND Mazda MX-5.

On paper this might sound like a bad mix, but it looks surprisingly good. Many of the C2 Corvette's styling traits are there, and they work quite well with the MX-5’s basic shape and size.

Mitsuoka only plans to build 50 of these special edition vehicles and will sell them for less than $50,000 USD. While the four-cylinder Mazda power plant might not deliver Corvette level performance out of the box, there’s always hope that somebody will buy one of these and drop in a GM LT1 crate motor to create the ultimate retro sports car. Who would have thought a Japanese sports car restyled by a Japanese outfit could make for such a convincing all-American tribute?

Love the Corvette, but hate the Miata? Here are 5 reasons to love the Mazda Miata.

Arriving at Auto Club Speedway in the early morning hours with the skies above blotted out by gray clouds that stretched to the horizon, the thought, “it’s too early,” occurred more than once. That thought, however, was quashed time and again when the promise of GT-Rs came back to mind partnered with a small surge of adrenaline.

On any other day it would have been easy to get distracted by the numerous Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren and other poster-worthy exotics warming up in the red-roofed garages that morning, but the full roster of R's Day attendees was too much to resist.

Nearly every flavor and generation of Skyline was represented—from a spotless 2000 GT-X, Import A Vehicle’s Hakosuka and Craft Prep’s Kenmeri to multiple track ready R32s, immaculate R34s and bagged R35s. With such a spectrum in attendance, it’s hard to believe the Skyline was never available in the United States.

Fortunately the overcast conditions stuck around for most of the day, keeping temperatures down and conditions prime for the time attack groups running the Roval layout.

If Cars and Coffee has taught us anything, it’s that waking up early on the weekends for great cars and better people is always worth it. The 2018 edition of R’s Day was no exception, and we’ve got the photos to prove it. Check them out in the gallery above.

What do you think of this prototype GT-R50 by Italdesign and Nismo?