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  • Ford's New "Coyote" 5 liter Spotted in Mustang Mule

    There’s much hype over the new 2010 Mustangs, and the most important part is the engine choices. There’s been a lot of gossip and smack talk about potential Mustang engines, and now you can add one more to the fire. 400 Horsepower sound good?


    Enter Coyote. A DOHC 4 valve V8 engine with 5 liters of displacement. Utilizing an aluminum block (Yay!) and an aluminum intake manifold, this new 5 liter is going to be no slouch. Unlike the OHV “302”, this is a true 5.0. Not too much is known yet, but sources say this will most likely be a motor choice for the new mustang. Other motors that are potentially in this lineup are the 2.0 Ecoboost motor for the base model, the 3.5 liter Ecoboost V6, and the 400HP, 5.0 liter for the Premium.

    FoMoCo is doing a good thing reintroducing the V8 into the lineup. Lots of folks were worried that with the new Ecoboost motors, that a V8 option would no longer be there — what’s a Mustang without a V8?!?

    Kudos to Ford for keeping the Good ol’ V8 as an option. Not only keeping it, but ramping it up in design and power as well. Whether or not Ford has what it takes to beat the new Camaro and its 422 horsepower remains to be seen…We’ll just have to see if this Coyote gets ugly when it hits engine bays everywhere in the near future.

    [Thanks for Brian Williams for the Spy Shot]

  • Domestics vs Imports Dyno Day

    There’s nothing better than hanging out with a group of car aficionados killing time and talking shop. Throw in a smoking hot Dodge Viper SRT10, 600 horsepower Nissan 350Z, and a slap-your-momma C6 ZO6 Corvette into the mix and you’ve got yourself one hella good Dyno Day. It just goes to show that in the presence of true automotive greatness, even Domestic and Import owners can get along.

    vette

    Not pictured: the 300 plus crowd of people staring open mouthed and drooling.

    zombiehorde

    Oh wait, there they are…

    The crowd gathered around the dyno looked like a zombie horde in search of a shopping mall to feast on. Ham-fisted Dawn of the Dead reference aside, the dyno saw some serious action with Jason Pipkin’s Supra rolling out with a crowd pleasing 762hp, James Smith’s Corvette putting down a ballin’ 801hp, and Chris Crawford’s Trans Am throwing down 827 galloping horses. Actually, 827 is more than a gallop…I couldn’t go that fast if you shoved an ACME rocket up my ass.

    Special mention to National Speed’s very own Chris Polanski and his’96 C4 Corvette which pulled a blistering 906 horsepower on the dyno. Unfortunately, you work for us Chris so no prize for you. Maybe next time.

    winners

    Chris Crawford (left) and Jason Pipkin (right) took home trophies for highest horsepower.

    As always, thanks to everyone for coming out. Domestic vs Imports was one of our must successful Dyno Days yet and we hope to see you back at the shop on February 7th for the ECOTEC Cruise-In and Dyno Day.

    ecotec-dyno-day-flyerClick to Biggie-Size.

    For more pics of Domestic vs Imports action click here.

  • Car Thief Turned Into Goat

    Nigerian Police are holding a goat in custody for accusations of stealing a car. A goat that Nigerian police believe to be a witch that transformed into a goat in order to evade authorities. Yes, you read all that correctly. I’ve heard some pretty crazy stuff, but Grand Theft Auto: Goat is definitely a new one.

    [Sorcerer-Goat in Question]

    A vigilante group in Nigeria chased two men down that were allegedly carjacking a Mazda (I say allegedly because who would want to carjack a Mazda — I kid, I kid). Upon seeing the vigilante group, the two men fled. One of the men escaped, but the other, upon being cornered, turned his back to the mob and transformed into a goat.

    I’m not making this up, folks.

    The vigilantes grabbed the goat and turned it into police. The goat is being held in custody until the investigation is complete, meaning charges against the goat are still possible. The goat may be charged with armed robbery, among other things.

    I understand that in Nigeria, as well as other places, that there are superstitions associated with animals. My question to you is: How many of you think this was just a scapegoat?

    Harr Harr Harr. I couldn’t resist.

  • Top 5 Worst Car Names

    What’s in a name? Plenty. Take for example the fictional British spies James Bond and Harry Palmer. There’s a reason why everyone remembers James Bond and nobody has a clue who Harry Palmer is (I’m sure it doesn’t help that Harry Palmer sounds like someone addicted to self-pleasure).

    Bad analogies and juvenile sex jokes aside, the same rule that applies to naming British super spies goes double for the automotive industry. If the name sucks, people probably won’t buy your car. Hence the fact that four out of five of the autos on this list are no longer manufactured.

    5) Dodge Neon What the hell is a Neon? It’s defined as a chemically inert gaseous element occurring in small amounts in the earth’s atmosphere. Congratulations, Dodge. You named a car after a slow-moving, hard-to-find gas.

    4) Ford Probe The last image I want in my head when buying a car is a flashback to my last physical exam… “Using the whole fist there, doc?” Tied with the Suzuki Intruder as the most likely vehicle to be sold at a sex shop.

    3) Ford Fiesta When I think of a fiesta I conjure images of: tequila, beans, donkey shows, hangovers, and a PAINFUL trip to the bathroom. But maybe that’s just me…

    2) Ford Escort Completing the Ford trifecta of bad naming, the Ford Escort was the transportation of choice for Hookers adult entertainers everywhere. Sales were huge in certain parts of Nevada, but your better off sticking with a Cadillac for your pimping needs.

    1) Dodge Scamp Yes, I’d love to drive around in a car that if used as correctly as a verb would mean: “to perform hastily and carelessly.” Good job, Dodge.

  • Are Wheel Vinyls The Newest Trend?

    While viewing coverage for this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, I’ve noticed a few trends that might take off here in the States.

    The main thing that I’ve seen is wheel vinyl…As in printed vinyl on the lips of wheels. Printed Graphics on cars is nothing new of course, but putting this type of thing on wheels directly is new. On the right vehicle, with the right pattern, it can look cool. What I see happening, however is this getting played out faster than tirefly’s or lambo doors. This trend is going to be abused and die out very quickly, I imagine. I can see one advantage to this technology, however, and that would be the ease of changing rim color. How many of you have thought about getting some different colored wheels? With vinyl, you could just recolor your lip as you please.

    Personally for me, I stand on the fence as far as this goes. I’m not too sure what to think about it. On one hand, I think it’s a great idea and it’s definitely innovative, but on the other hand, it can only go downhill from here. I know that there will be a few JDM fanboys that try this and epically fail. There is something dramatic about such a style clash from a Badass track/drift car with Floral print wheels. I don’t see how practical this could be though, and I’d be curious to see how well these lips work in real world conditions with all the heat and grime associated with driving.

    All in all, these wheel vinyl’s are pretty cool, but I don’t see that lasting for very long. I have a feeling it’s going to get played out really fast, but who knows…I’ll be curious to see where it goes, if anywhere at all.

    [Pictures Courtesy of BulletProof Automotive]

  • National Speed's New Coat of Paint

    So you may have noticed we’ve given the National Speed website a face lift. A little nip here, a tuck there. But not to worry, we didn’t go all Kenny Rogers on you. We’re still the same National Speed you’ve come to know and love.

    “OMG! They Killed Kenny!”

    But this isn’t just a new coat of paint. We wanted this updated version of the site to be easier to navigate, provide a tighter focus on news and upcoming events (in all areas), show you the media you frequently come for such as event photos and videos, and easier access to fresh performance articles written daily. We’re still working on bringing over a few of the old site’s features (the customer cars/featured rides section will return!), so please hang in there while we work out the kinks.

    Please feel free to let us know what you think of the new and improved National Speed website by using the comment section below. Many of the changes we put into place came out of the comments that we’ve heard from you all, so keep them coming! We crave your feedback and want your opinions. Enjoy the site!

  • Running on Fumes: Innovate Rather Than Imitate

    As the automotive industry catches up with the technology at its disposal, more and more brick and mortar shops are opening online performance parts stores. In an industry that’s largely resistant to change, it’s nice to see people finally embracing the opportunities that an online performance parts store has to offer.

    But there’s trouble in paradise.

    With so many online stores vying for your hard-earned dollars, the market becomes flooded with performance parts eStores each indistinguishable from the next. Do a Google and it becomes a flurry of: “We’ll sell our souls to sell you performance parts!”

    That’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.

    It’s actually very similar to what’s happening in the fast food industry. Before McDonald’s opens a new store, they do extensive market research into the area to make sure it’s the best location for their customers and for their business. You know what happens next? Burger King opens a store directly across the street, effectively devaluing both businesses because they sell virtually the same product for the same price.

    So what’s a performance parts store to do?

    My two cents: Carve out an identity for yourself. Be more than just one of the faceless imitators promoting “top speed performance parts.” Sure, you could say my opinion is biased and our National Speed eStore is still relatively new, but I feel we’re truly doing something that hasn’t been done before in the performance parts business.

    Make no mistake: we don’t blog and make videos just to sell you performance parts. We do it because we love the industry that we’re in and want to give you an experience that no other performance parts store does. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we’d rather take it a step further and innovate rather than imitate.

    That’s the National Speed difference.

  • The Lexamino? Lexus LS400 Pickup Truck

    Alright, I’ve seen a lot of odd conversions and such, but this one is just out there.

    National Speed - Lexus Pickup

    Midfield motors went out of the way for advertisement and crafted up a Lexus LS400 with a pickup bed on it. Not too sure where the rear end came from, but in all honesty, it’s a clean conversion…despite how pointless it is. One of the only disappointing things (other than being a Lexus Pickup) about this vehicle is the fact that the rear “bed” can’t really be utilized since it’s a totally fiberglass piece.

    National Speed - Lexus Pickup Front

    I give this guy props for originality, but Dear God, why an LS400? Well, technically it’s not even an LS400 anymore… Now it’s an LS400, minus two seats with a pointless bed that can’t be used. I suppose that he got what he wanted — something that would garner a lot of attention for his business, regardless of whether or it’s good or bad attention. However, I wonder how much fun it can be with the 1UZFE now that it’s been lightened up in the rear.

    Any way you slice it, this is pretty out there.

  • New Radio Flyer Takes Flight

    Everything old is new again. Rocky Balboa, Rambo, Indiana Jones, John McClane, even the Dodge Challenger have all blown the dust off and made notable digital age comebacks. And while Indiana Jones probably should’ve stayed in mothballs, the brand new Radio Flyer wagon looks set to make a welcome return.

    Fly me to the moon

    As you can see, this isn’t your daddy’s radio flyer. Designed for the ipod generation, the Cloud 9 (as the redesigned red wagon has affectionately been dubbed) contains more features than the heavily modded Ford Focus I reluctantly drive.

    Fresh off the assembly line, the Cloud 9 comes stock with: a built in MP3 dock and speakers, temperature display, clock, cupholders, and bucket seats with five-point harnesses.

    No price has been listed yet, but if you’re going to buy a wagon that comes with cupholders and bucket seats, you probably don’t have to worry about the price anyway.

  • Top Gear's "Stig" Officially Revealed!

    Yep, that’s it folks. The white horseman of Top Gear has officially been revealed. There’s been much speculation as to who the legendary “stig” is, and the cat is finally out of the bag.

    National Speed - Ben Collins Stig

    It’s 33 year-old Ben Collins! Ben Collins has raced everything from NASCAR and Lemans, to doing movie stunt work. Most recently Ben has been a test driver for racing manufacturer Ascari during the Ascari A10 development.

    National Speed - Stig Ben Collins

    Ben apparently let the secret out himself to an Art Gallery owner in Bristol, while trying to produce a limited-edition print of The Stig. Also, while doing work to Ben Collins’ home, a home builder found the games white suit and gloves on display. I personally wonder who got fired over this, because I doubt BBC is going to take this very well. I look forward to the latest episode of Top Gear to see what Clarkson and crew have to say about this.