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The R35 GT-R engine is built by hand, by one person
Every R35 GT-R engine was assembled by a single master builder in a clean room, and signed with a name plaque. The VR38DETT is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that went from 480 horsepower to about 600, and it's most of why the GT-R earned the Godzilla name.
Cam Walsh
Porsche says it will build manuals until the law stops it
Porsche will keep selling manual gearboxes as long as it is legally allowed to and customers keep asking, its North America CEO said at Monterey Car Week. The hybrid 911 is the exception, because its electric motor is built into the PDK gearbox itself.
Cam Walsh
Hyundai Wants to Build Trucks in America and Ship Them Overseas
Hyundai plans to build body-on-frame trucks and SUVs in the United States and export them overseas, CEO Jose Munoz said at the company's investor day in Seoul. It is part of a push toward 5.55 million global sales by 2030, with 500,000 units of new North American capacity.
Jeffrey Wiley
Ferrari Wants to Hide Its Aerodynamics in the Taillights
Ferrari has patented taillights that move out of the way to feed air to the rear wing and effectively lengthen it. It's a patent rather than a confirmed product, but it shows how hard the brand is working to get the downforce without letting the aero wreck the look.
Jeffrey Wiley
What Is a Hellcat Engine?
A Hellcat engine is Dodge's 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, and it landed in 2015 making 707 horsepower in cars anyone could buy. Dodge kept escalating from there, ending with a 1,025 horsepower Demon 170. Here's what's inside it and why it mattered.
Cam Walsh
Mazda Miata Generations Explained: NA, NB, NC and ND
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has four generations, known by chassis code: NA, NB, NC, and ND. The NA has pop-up headlights and is the lightest, the NB dropped the pop-ups, the NC grew heavy, and the ND went light again. Here's what separates each one.
Cam Walsh
What Is a K-Swap, and Why Is It Everywhere?
A K-swap means dropping a Honda K-series four-cylinder into a car that didn't come with one, and it's the most popular engine swap in the world. Introduced in 2001, the K20 and K24 make easy power, run i-VTEC, and are cheap and everywhere. Here's why K-swap the world became a plan.
Cam Walsh
The Wheels make the Car: How Fitment changes a Car's whole look
Swap the wheels and leave everything else alone, and a car can look like a different vehicle. Wheels and fitment are the single highest-leverage change to how a car looks, which is why enthusiasts obsess over offset, size, and how perfectly the wheel fills the arch.
Jeffrey Wiley
Why the Minivan Died (and Why That's a Little Sad)
Americans bought 1.3 million minivans in 2000 and about 306,000 in 2023. The minivan didn't get worse, it got better right up until almost nobody wanted one. The SUV offered the same space with a tougher look, and the soccer-mom stigma finished the job. The cool wagons died in the same wave.
Jeffrey Wiley
Spoiler vs Wing: What's the Difference, and Does Either Do Anything?
People use spoiler and wing interchangeably, but they are different devices doing different jobs. A spoiler manages airflow to cut lift and drag; a wing actively pushes the car into the ground. Here is the real difference, and the harder question: does the one on the back of your car actually do anything, or is it just for looks?
Jeffrey Wiley
How Does a Rotary Engine Work? (And Why the RX-7 Won't Die)
A rotary engine makes power in a completely different way: no pistons pumping up and down, just a triangular rotor spinning in an oval housing. It is smooth, compact, and loves to rev, and it is also thirsty and fragile. Here is how the Wankel works and why the Mazda RX-7 keeps its cult alive anyway.
Cam Walsh
What Is VTEC, and why do people Yell about it?
VTEC is Honda's variable valve system, and it is why so many Honda engines feel like two engines in one: calm and efficient at low rpm, then suddenly frantic up top. That switch is the moment behind the famous meme, and here is what is actually happening when VTEC kicks in.
Cam Walsh