This stuff isn’t our own work, but we found it cool so we wanted to share it with you
Putting a big engine in a smaller car is the basic recipe for “hot rodding.” Back in the 1960’s, GM corporate was just as much of a hard-headed pain in the ass as they are today. As a company policy, they didn’t allow their biggest engines to be put into their smaller cars. Thankfully, John DeLorean and his team took it upon themselves to write that wrong.
-Nick
Corvette vs Porsche 911, it’s been a rivalry for decades, even though the two price points often don’t overlap. This is all for bragging rights on the streets, and now the difference is bigger than ever. Can the new turbocharged 911 Carrera S beat out the new Corvette Gran Sport? And even if it can win, can the Porsche justify its $50,000 premium over the Vette?
-Nick
This is Flyin Miata’s full LS3 V8 package for the ND Mazda Miata. It costs around $75,000 total, but you get 520hp in a happy car the size of a thimble. Matt Farah, of The Smoking Tire, got to take it for a spin.
Seems like a total riot!
-Nick
Being a successful car journalist, Matt Farah has been able to get the hookup on modding his Ford Focus RS. It seems like he’s basically maxed out the stock turbo at this point, but just look at the huge gains his car made in the mid range. That’s a ton of usable performance!
Now, he quotes ~350whp, but remember RS’s need to be dynoed in front wheel drive, with the rear diff unplugged. Figure around 10% drivetrain loss for FWD and that shows around 380-390hp at the crank. Now figure around 20-25% drivetrain loss for AWD, and the peak power on the stock turbo (likely on 91 octane) is +/- 300awhp. Not too different from an STI, but please believe a bigger turbo will be a popular mod on the Focus RS for those wanting serious horsepower.
Enjoy!
-Nick
I absolutely loved the F-Pace when I drove it a few weeks ago. Turns out the folks at Motor Trend agree with me.
-Nick
The new guys at /DRIVE take the majestic Singer 911 for a spin.
-Nick
We have yet to make it down to H2Oi in Ocean City, MD, but it’s surely on our list, hopefully for next year. The crew over at Jalopnik made it down this year, though, and they made a great video showing the scene, and how the Police just have a total field day during the event.
-Nick
Rob Ferretti shows us some of what you get when you spend $600,000 on a Rolls Royce Phantom, and asks whether it’s worth it over cheaper luxury cars.
-Nick
SEMA inspires some crazy and wonderful things. This is a Toyota GT86 with a custom Ferrari V8 engine swap from a 458 Speciale.
-Nick
There are some great car tunes in the realm of Country, and up-and-coming star Maren Morris carries on the torch with her recent hit “80’s Mercedes.” The song is an ode to our millennial generation’s taste for having the finer things in life, even if it has to be on a shoe string budget.
-Nick
It’s quite an occasion having all five Ferrari hypercars together, especially on the race track. We’ve actually seen Mr. Lee’s cars at the Quail a few times, and he’s a real nice guy.
-Nick
Sit back and enjoy!
Mind Over Motor 