When you think of contemporary automakers that still produce cars with tuneable engines, a few spring to mind. The 1990s were undoubtedly run by cars from Japan. If I was to try and list just half of the iconic, tuneable Japanese engines, this article would be 10,000 words large and I wouldn’t even be halfway done. These engines […]
CE28N-Plus: RAYS Revitalize A Volk Racing Icon
In its 50 years, RAYS has designed and produced some of the world’s most recognizable aftermarket wheels. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that legendary models like the Volk Racing TE37 and CE28 represent far more than just original wheel designs; they are visual representations of the JDM tuning and racing scenes. […]
A Casual Visit To The Nürburgring
Saturday morning, 6:00am. I’m making coffee in my Rubystone Porsche cup, preparing for a 100km drive to a village in the middle of Eifel, Germany. The destination? Nürburgring. The event? None. No races, no shows, just a casual visit to one of the world’s most famous racetracks. The Nürburgring is open for public driving from […]
BugRod: The Beetle That Came Back
This is a story of history, dreams and ideas, dereliction, coincidence and resurrection. This is a story of a ’66 Volkswagen Beetle that resurfaced after more than 50 years living out a life of its own. The story begins at our small, independent auto repair shop in Alberta, Canada. Bowest Motors has a 65-year legacy […]
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock… The Players Classic Crunch
Making a car ‘show ready’ is rarely a fun thing to do, even for the most die-hard and experienced builder. No matter the end result, there will almost certainly be complications, setbacks and unexpected little surprises which will have you questioning your very existence. Or at least questioning why you chose cars as your hobby. I […]
An Unexpected Kaido Racer Encounter
Coincidence: a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. I find myself constantly busy these days with the never-ending tasks of parental responsibility, leaving just a splash of spare time to tinker with Project Rough (which is overdue for an update). I haven’t had much time for actual Speedhunting, and because of that […]
Florida Does It Differently: A Look Inside Ultimate Auto
Florida, The Sunshine State. Home to alligators, Disney World and ‘The Florida Man…’ Uniquely positioned between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, Florida offers over a thousand miles of coastline; sandy beaches and beautiful weather make it a dream destination for many a holiday-goer. Warm, sunny climates often lead to relaxed attitudes and a more […]
Vintage Metal At The Glion Museum
Not Just Any Warehouse Give me a red brick warehouse full of old bangers over a flashy new exhibition hall any day of the week. This might be easy enough for those living in the Western world, but here in Japan, finding anything made of brick isn’t easy. Finding a red brick warehouse full of […]
Fuji Heavy Disease: Meet Subaru’s Most Avid Collector
If you were to believe social media, the archetypal car collector should be a chiselled, brilliantly-tanned entrepreneur with teeth so bright only the Large Hadron Collider could accurately measure the light they emit. Most of these characters are usually found at the more insufferable end of the personality scale. But worse yet, this attitude gives […]
Putting CSF’s E36 S54-Swap Cooling Solution Through Its Paces
German Sensibilities In the 1990s, all E36s were built the same. Sure, they left the factory in various color schemes, with different packages and specifications, but they all rolled onto BMW dealership floors crafted with the same pragmatic German precision. They were — and still are — great machines. But 25-plus years on, I can […]