By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

The 2009 edition of the Jalopy Journal HAMB Drags was held at Mo-Kan Dragstrip in Joplin, Missouri, on August 22, 2009. Two intrepid BangShift.com forum members, Andy Bishir and Cobey Clarkson, attended and brought their cameras to document all the vintage action. There’s some killer stuff in this gallery of nearly 150 photos. We’re jealous of these guys because it looked to be a hoot!

If you like traditional hot rods and vintage drag machinery, this gallery is right in your wheelhouse. Andy and Cobey did a great job capturing the action in the pits and some of the stuff going on between the guardrails on the track. Mo-Kan Dragstrip was opened in 1962 and still has the feel of one of those historic tracks that has seen the evolution of drag racing. It’s a perfect place for this event.

Thanks to Andy and Cobey!

By Ben Schaffer

The Real JDM

Normally a post with a title like that would have an ! or some other method to convey excitement. What can I say here… Top Secret has been hard at work on two new cars for their tuning line-up. The ZE2 Honda Insight and the ZVW30 Toyota Prius. (yes I name dropped the chassis codes…one day when the ZE2 and the ZVW30 both become Tsukuba Circuit time attack record holders we’ll affectionately call them by these codes like we do R35s and S15s…or not).

All sarcasm aside, Top Secret has put in some considerable work to be appreciated by the eco-loving hybrid drivers out there that perhaps also own a Top Secret tuned Supra or GT-R. Both cars feature Top Secret original aero kits designed both for looks and also for aerodynamic efficiency (better miles per gallon er… kilos per liter). The cars both run RAYS eco drive wheels designed for maximum weight reduction, in this case the 15″ RE30 Volk is fit for duty of cranking up the ECO further. Continue reading at The Real JDM

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I freaking love this thing. The BIN price is a bit silly, but someone should buy this and finish it. A few more pics after the jump, or click through to the eBay auction for all the details. Via Jalopnik

Continue reading "Crazy Rear-engine, RWD Toyota-powered Honda N600 on eBay" »

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

For the longest time, green vehicles have been associated with ugliness. Although, social consciousness has risen quite a bit, there’s still room for design aesthetic to marriage with green. And so with that in mind, off we went to PLUG IN 2009 to see what was being done.

The primary focus of the show was infrastructure. (How will the world change to fit the need of green vehicles?) There were a lot of really great solutions and great things to look at, although as I said, still plenty of room for the “cool factor.” I was really impressed with what we saw there. Here’s some goodies…

Plug In retrofits for the Prius at only $900.00.  With additional battery life! Electric HUMMERS! Long Beach, Sacramento, Santa Monica new infra-structure for electric cars. Electric grid delivery systems. Chevy Volt systems. Home Plug in’s for 2010. Nissan, MINI and Honda Electric Cars. A great electric truck with a unique look….. kinda. A new concept vehicle is called the IDEA. (Fleet leaders and industry experts were given a preview of the IDEA on April 8, 2009, at a customer reveal.)

All in all, PLUG IN 2009 was a real success with a real purpose. Check out their website and get an education. There’s no point now at hiding under a rock. The automotive industry is going green. Either get in the game, or sit on the bench.

Continue reading "Plug In 2009 Gets Powered Up!" »

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

OK, this can’t be there first time that a rally car has nailed an animal during a race. But seriously, a horse? Yikes. Everyone’s heard the horror storied about drivers hitting deer and winding up with a totaled vehicle or a fatal injury—or both— so we can’t figure out why this EVO X looks completely unscathed. For the record, we feel really bad for the poor horse involved, given that the driver was on its turf and everything.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

OK everybody, listen up: If you’ve ever wanted to go on the Bullrun reality show, this is your shot. Metal Flowers Media is looking for dedicated gearheads to fill out the cast of the show’s third season, and to be considered, all you have to do is make an audition tape. Obviously, to stand out from the competition, you’re going to need a bad-ass car and some decent screen chemistry. But this process is exactly how Mr. Angry and his best buddy landed a spot on the first season, so if you’ve ever wanted to show the world that you’ve got serious driving skills, this is your shot. Hit the jump for all the details on how to throw your hat into the ring.

Continue reading "Casting Call for Bullrun Season 3!" »

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Interesting stuff going on. As I write this (and listen to Alter Bridge), I ponder design in general. And that brings me to the question, “What the hell does ponder really mean anyway?” Like, do people really use this word still? I’m Pondering…. Maybe we should send it to the JunkYard for words? Like, “heathen,” “thou,” or maybe “economy.” (If I hear the word economy one more time, I’m gonna start an Uzi revolt.)

Wait.    Ok, where am I? OH! Car Domain!! DESIGN OF THE WEEK!!! RIGHT!!! Here we go…

1. THE BENTLEY MULSANNE

Kinda expensive. Kinda luxurious. Kinda bad gas mileage. BAD ASS. This is the car you want to roll up to the beach in. 9′ Longboard on top. Trunk fulla wetsuits, sexwax and extra bikinis. …I’m just sayin.’

Continue reading "Fireball's Cool Designs of the Week" »

By Brian Lohnes

BangShift.com

We were tipped off to the auction of this killer 1970 Chevy El Camino on eBay. It’s totally awesome from the vinyl top all the way down to the TKO 6000 trans. There’s a 710hp, 540ci big-block Chevy in the mix as well.

The interesting part is that the car is located in Sweden. It spent most of its life in Colorado, and was shipped over in 2005. The current owner obviously spared no expense in the build of the car because all the parts and pieces seem to be top notch.

We’re not sure what the availability of E85 is over in Sweden, but this custom motor from Scott Shafiroff is designed and tuned to run on the stuff. That may be a make-it-or-break-it situation with potential buyers.

Starting bid is set at $25k so break out the spare chage jar and start counting.

Click here to see the eBay listing. Thanks for the tip Kris!

By Speedhunters

Car Culture At Large

I’m not really sure what to say here, but this ’48 Pontiac has got to be one of the most unique cars I’ve ever seen take part in this twisted motorsport. Just watch the clip.

By Mike Garrett

By Dan Strohl

Hemmings

Last cruise-in of the season last night. Good weather, good number of vehicles, great mix of trucks, muscle, classics, Europeans and the miscellany that we love. See all the pics at Hemmings