2014 Range Rover Blasts through Pikes Peak

The new Range Rover Sport is not only a good off-roader, it's also wicked fast as it just set a new Pike's Peak record.

While some may have been concerned that Land Rover has been giving up some of its heralded off-road mojo lately in favor of making its models more luxurious, perhaps it’s time to put some of those fears to rest - at least in the speed department. The UK-based automaker has just announced that its 2014 Range Rover Sport has just set a new record at Pikes Peak, setting a new hill climb record time for a production SUV of 12 minutes and 35.61 seconds.

Traveling at an average speed of 59.17 mph, the Range Rover Sport completed the 12.42 mile-long course faster than other standard production SUV. The Pikes Peak course itself is composed of 156 corners as it ascends beyond the treeline from 9,390 feet above sea level to 14,110 feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WhHFhVrs9BM

That altitude is so high that the air contains only 58 percent of the oxygen it does at sea level which diminishes engine performance. Additionally, driver Paul Dallenbach had to deal with the effects of what less oxygen does to one’s physical and mental performance, a major factor when considering how dangerous the Pikes Peak course is. The Range Rover Sport itself is equipped with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that pumps out 510 horsepower and the only modification allowed for Pikes Peak was the fitment of a roll cage and harness seatbelts to meet safety requirements. 

Camaro ZL1 is Not Environmentally Friendly Today

Trying to save the planet? Don't expect that to happen on National Donut Day as this Camaro ZL1 burns plenty of fuel.

National Donut Day is something to celebrate with plenty of smoke, burnt rubber and wasted fuel. There’s simply no other way to do so and hopping behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro ZL1 is a good start to making all three of those things happen. Instead of hitting the drag strip, just take that ZL1 to some empty parking lot and spin it around. With its 6.2-liter V8 producing 580 horsepower and 556 lb-ft torque paired up with a six-speed manual, the ZL1 is one of the best production cars in the world today for doing donuts.

Chevy is aware of this and marked the yearly occasion by releasing this video of a Camaro ZL1 in action. Damn, it sounds absolutely wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=woYGwW2UB34

696 HP 'Draguar' is No Ordinary Jaguar

A 1974 Jaguar XJ12 is given a new lease on life as the crew at Hot Rod magazine prepare to give it a new long block V8.

The guys over at Hot Rod magazine have been working on an interesting project as of late. Some time ago they bought a 1974 Jaguar XJ12 with a Chevy small-block V8 under the hood for just $1,000. They installed a supercharger and when they took the car to a drag race, sure enough, the engine overheated. But they’re not giving up on the car that easily. Host Mike Finnegan ordered a brand-new 383 long block engine that can safely produce 650 horsepower with 91 octane fuel.

Thing is, Finnegan wouldn’t be a true hot rod enthusiast if he didn’t crank things up a notch or three, so he added 118 octane race fuel and upped the boost to 15 psi in order to make 700 hp.

To watch the video click here.

Porsche 911 Gets Some Love with Car Porn Racing

Tuners in the Philippines may not be up to date on new music, and down coconuts instead of cheeseburgers. They no doubt work their tails off and can tune a Porsche as good as any.

Tuning may arguably have its earliest origins based in Japan, but it’s rare that we come across an interesting tuning project from the Philippines. In addition, most tuning stories that come across our desk do not come with video journals attached. Rauh Welt Begriff Manilla (RWB) is trying to get on the map with their project "Victoria", upgrading a Porsche 911. This tuner, that originally started from Japan and has recently expanded to the US, states that RWB emphasizes Japanese and European tuning elements.

Their Facebook page is growing a nice following for the project as well and the video log 

features an 80’s electron soundtrack that would make Herbie Hancock proud. It also demonstrates the hard work it takes, even with a break for coconuts, to get a tuning project out the door.

Watch the video here.

These Ponies are Rare, Exotic Creatures in Germany

Germans may not love all things US (Wal-Mart left in 2006), but they sure love themselves some American Muscle

For a country that has given our citizens hot dogs, excuse me Frankfurters, and on top of that, some of the greatest mechanical engineering and design the United States has ever known, we decided to return the favor. Well at least for one event that recently went down in Germany. Owners and enthusiasts nationwide gathered to appreciate some good old American Muscle on display, replete with US and Confederate flags.

With a lineup of Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, Vettes, and other favorites, the Europeans are likely stoked that they don't have to leave Bavaria for a taste of the States. Likewise for Americans its nice to see some respect for American ingenuity. Even though the pics look like they could be anywhere USA, It can't be hard to imagine how good the franks and beer tasted at this Deutschland tailgate extravaganza.