By Chris Allen

Motorfanatics

There were actually three Pacers on the Power Tour in 2009. Ours, a somewhat beat-up 77 station wagon, and a built 76 coupe with a Mopar 440 under the hood. We had actually met the 440 guys two years ago when we did our first Power Tour, and this year they came back with a fully rebuilt car. From day one we knew that there was going to have to be a Pacer on Pacer showdown, and on the final day at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, TN it went down. Full story at MotorFanatics

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Here’s the radical cacklefest that went down on Saturday at the 2009 Holley/NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion. Since it was held at night, you get header flames and everything! It even brought tears to the eyes of Big Daddy Don Garlits.

After three days of sweltering heat, crushing humidity, and all-out horsepower warfare, the event has drawn to a close.

BangShift.com has been working hard and late to make sure we’ve gotten the best content from the event to the website in the quickest time possible. While we have miles more video to edit and we’ll be back tomorrow with another installment, for now we wanted to pass along a bunch of photos that document the close of the event.

Click here for a photo gallery of show cars from Sunday at the NHRR

Click here for a photo gallery of racing from Saturday at the NHRR

Friday test and tune, with video

248 photos of Saturday’s racing and car show

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

I spent the whole day at the Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition center yesterday walking the halls of the biggest exotic and luxury oriented event of the year, the Tokyo Special Import Car Show. Being a high-end Japanese show I was sure I was going to see my fair share of tuned supercars and pimped out rides, modified in countless different styles. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Continue reading at Speedhunters

By Dino Dalle Carbonare

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I don’t know about you guys, but we’re already getting stoked about SEMA. And guess what? Ford is going to be the featured automaker this year. Read the press release and see a bunch of pics we took at the Ford booth last year after the jump.

Continue reading "Ford to be the Featured Automaker of the 2009 SEMA Show" »

By Sam Barer

Sound Classics

I took the Auto Mechanics class at my private nerd high school (the same as Bill Gates, Paul Allen, the McCaw brothers, and Adam “Batman” West). Unlike real auto shop courses, the one I took was more directed towards simple explanations of automotive mechanical technology and how to know when your mechanic was ripping you off.

One of the first (and only) hands-on tasks we learned was how to change oil. My friend pulled my 1977 Chrysler Le Baron sedan over the pit (nearly dumping it in) and we went to work draining the sump and changing the filter. After the work was completed on my car and one other guinea pig, I distinctly remember the instructor (whose primary gig was teaching math) saying “now that you know how to do it, you now should know that it’s a far better deal to just take your car to a Jiffy Lube and pay $15.”

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "Oil Changes: Do It Yourself or Pay A Shop?" »

By 993C4S

Porsche Purist

The launch of the Panamera is getting closer and closer. In just a few weeks, the new five four door will be available to the general public at home in Germany. Not too long after that (September time frame) they should start showing up at a Porsche dealer near you hear in the States.

Not unexpectedly, and of great benefit to enthusiasts like me, Porsche is putting a big push behind the launch with press events, new Panamera pictures, videos, etc. The video below is the latest from Zuffenhausen that does a great job showcasing some of the incredible new technology offered in the Panamera. Can you pick out some of the new features that are prominently subtly displayed in the video below?

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

I spent last friday out with the 3Balls crew at Waterford Hills, a glorified go-kart track that serves as eastern Michigan’s best road course. It’s a tight track with a big wall and limited runoff that scares the poop out of a lot of drivers. I lucked out – my friend Nick, who had an accomplished record of building track cars, showed up to watch his brother run his new-to-him Evo. Nick is a great instructor and volunteered to be my ballast for the day. We spent the entire day working on braking onset and release and throttle steering, rather than the usual trying-to-perfect-the-line thing. Not only did I scrub tons of time off my laps as the day went on, but I reduced my tire temps by close to ten degrees and got a lot quieter. Less tire squeal means more traction. I also discovered that the useless traction control system in the car is a conspirator in my boost limit problems. I brought home this neat-looking rock chip in my windshield courtesy of a 405hp Corvette on slicks.

By David Wallens

Grassroots Motorsports

Honestly, it’s been a while since I have done a good road trip. Our production schedule keeps me busy, meaning if I have to cover long distances an airplane is generally the correct answer.

However, I recently covered 1500 miles while retrieving my new car. You know, every now and then you need to hit the road. It can be a great way to relax and think. And there’s something kind of mysterious about rolling into a new town just as the sun goes down.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Every guy shooting wants to get as close to the action as possible, but something tells me the dude manning the camera here has invested in a zoom lens. He takes a pretty hard lick from the business end of the burly 4×4, but at least he’s knocked out of the way. The guy I was worried about? The one that gets run over immediately afterward. The way the truck is bouncing made me think the worst, but fortunately, he climbs out from under the rig unharmed. Given that the driver just keeps going like nothing happened, I have to wonder if he knows how close he came to killing somebody.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Douglas has already had quite a bit of success on One Lap of America, but now he’s hoping to be invited to the to the Grassroots Motorsports Ultimate Track Car Challenge. Check out his ride page, and if you think he deserves to go to VIR in July, rate him up!