By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I love it. Two more pics after the jump!

Continue reading "Beat 350Z" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

A few Pro AM cars got towed off the track after wrecking during practice at Seattle Formula D. Luckily, no one got hurt. Tons more pics after the jump!

Continue reading "Crashing Sucks" »

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

Here’s great news for fans of racing that does not take place in a straight line or on a circle. Momentum Race Group has announced that it will debut a 2010 Camaro road race car at the October race held at Virginia International Raceway.

The Camaro has a long history with road racing the world over. The car was a dominant force in Trans-Am competition, and many generations of Camaros have been able to be optioned with road race or autocross specific upgrades. Camaros have road racing in their DNA.

Full announcement from Momentum Race Group after the jump!

Continue reading "Camaros Are Coming to KONI Challenge" »

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

Just stumbled upon this pic of a very wild S2000. It features a very aggressive bodykit with lots of bolt on parts like the Amuse rear bumper, Spoon hardtop and very wide fenders. The wheels are a set of aggressive looking FN-01r’s made by 5Zigen, they look to me like 17″.

By Jeroen Willemsen

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

This was a well-organized, professional job involving at least five people. Only one car has been recovered (though it was stripped). Keep a lookout. Rewards of up to $10,000 have been posted. More details over at Hemmings

By Jim Brennan

UDMan

All over the car blogging community, there hasn’t been a topic quite like the Cash For Clunkers program that was extended this past week. There have been heavy debates as to the merit of this program, and why anyone will trade a perfectly good vehicle, only to have it destroyed. Well, it’s time to put this all into perspective, as I am going to take the unpopular side of explaining why this program has become somewhat successful, and why everyone who is against it should just calm down.

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "The Cash For Clunkers Program from the Average Consumer's Point of View" »

By David Wallens

Grassroots Motorsports

My neighbor just won a brand-new Camaro through a raffle drawing–totally serious. I’m not sure whether or not to tell him about our review.

By Alex Vickers

Katakuna

I’ve actually seen people argue about whether a V6 is better than an inline-6. Personally I feel an inline-6 is better, but that’s not really the point.

V-shaped engines all have a slight loss of power on the down-stroke. Regardless of the piston angle, this cannot be remedied. V6 engines in particular run rather roughly. This is due to primary dynamic imbalance which is caused by an uneven number of pistons in each cylinder bank causing a rocking motion from one end of the engine to the other. Straight engines, such as the optional inline-5 in the Chevy Colorado have this problem also because of the uneven cylinder number. V8s don’t have this problem because they have an even number in each cylinder bank which cancels out any rocking motions or vibrations. This should explain why in cars such as the Caprice or a lot of trucks that have an optional V8 without a lot of power, because they tend to run smoother than most engines, thus being a luxury option. Volkswagen’s VR6 engines come in 10.6 degree angles and 15 degree angles. The angle is so narrow that they use just one cylinder head. While this is extremely compact (and they sound orgasmic), they can run more rough than fat kid on gravel if they aren’t designed well. Certain angles can mitigate the vibrations, but it’s impossible to design it out completely, regardless of its piston angle  A V6 isn’t without its merits, though: They’re less complex, they’re more compact thus allowing car manufacturers to produce smaller cars and they can produce just as much power as any type of engine, naturally aspirated or not, and advancements in the engine type’s design have relatively reduced the preference for the inline-6.

Continue reading "V6 Engines VS. Inline-6 Engines: Which is Better?" »

By David Clarke

highspeedhijinks

So I’ll forever be impressed with the big motor/little car modifications, and at last Thursday’s Hemmings Cruise In in Bennington Vermont I saw the one of the coolest of them all. I mean I’ve seen big block Vegas and even a 472 caddy engine in a Nash Metropolitan, but I haven’t seen this. You are looking at a creation that should be named Frankenstein, because it’s bound to draw and angry mob of diehard Mopar fans with pitchforks ready to kill it because they just don’t understand why it was created. The Mini’s real name however is Maxe, and it was not created by Dr. Frankenstein but rather Larry Audette of Westford, Vermont. Amazingly Larry was able to stuff a 392 twin plug Hemi into the front of this puny machine, and then had enough cojones to strap a blower to it. I say bravo sir, job well done. If you interested in some more rare rides that showed up at the Hemmings Cruise in check out the Hemmings blog.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Lots of people sneer at the Miata, but you’d have to be a pretty determined hater to not think that Slick’s turbo Mazda Miata isn’t cool. “The Baby Monster” is pushing 263 horsepower at the wheels, which is a hell of a lot of power for such a tiny package. Check out this clip of it chasing down Corvettes and Porsches on the Streets Of Willow racetrack.