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Tag: National Speed

  • National Speed Presents: And Now For Something Completely Different…

    This is something new we’re trying out in the blog. Every Wednesday we’re going to post a humorous pic from the shop, random artwork from the crazies in Cubeville, or something incredibly weird to justify your mouse clicks. For example, today you get a rare glimpse at rare works of art from National Speed’s dry erase board. Warning: not for the faint of heart.

    Merbot!

    This is Merbot. We’re not sure how in the hell a robot/mermaid survives in water but nevertheless here he/she/it is for your viewing pleasure.

    Pancakes!

    Currently on loan from the National Museum of Art, Pancakes is a modern art masterpiece. Take a closer look at the penmanship on the six-legged tentacle creature known simply as Zed. It’s exquisite work that’s said to have inspired Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, and other lesser known Ninja Turtles.

    Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s installment where you can see even more brain droppings from National Speed. As always if you have any funny pictures, artwork, etc you’d like to share leave us a comment and we’ll post it in a future blog.

  • National Speed Quickies: 2010 Mustang, 125 rwhp Golf Cart, and New Lambo Concept

    It’s boring to read the news, that’s why National Speed is cutting out all the fat and giving you only the stuff that matters. No politics, sports, or world events — unless its automotive related. We understand that you’re busy people and don’t want to read boring introductory paragraphs (irony!) so let’s cut to the chase and give you all the news that’s fit to print and probably some that’s not…

    The 2010 Ford Mustang has made another appearance, this time getting snapped by the guys over at Jalopnik. Judging from the pics little has changed since the last iteration. Seems that Ford is sticking to the old axiom, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” While that may be true, there’s only so long the current crop of Mustangs will hold people’s interest until they start to get a little bored…if they aren’t already.

    Navarez Racing Products mounted a four cylinder Yamaha R1 rocket bike engine to a golf cart — and it generates 125 rear wheel horsepower! Loyal readers of our blog will realize that I have a slight obsession with golf carts, especially ridiculously powered ones like this one. Check out the vid below to see it in action.

    Edmunds Inside Line is reporting that Lamborghini will unveil something completely different than what they’re known for at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. What could it possibly be? A High-performance luxury mini-van? Flying Hybrids? Rumors abound but sources close to Lamborghini say that the grand unveiling will most likely be a four-door super sedan. No word on if it flies.

    And that concludes this week’s quickie. Was it as good for you as it was for us? As usual if you have any news to submit leave us a comment or send us an email and we’ll post it in a future blog. Stay Classy!

  • National Speed Presents: 5 Epic Automotive Fails

    I hate to admit it, but I’m a bit of a rubbernecker. When I see a crash on the side of the road, I slow my car down to Flintstones speed just so I can get a better look at the remains (of the car — not the body, sickos). And while there’s nothing funny about automotive accidents, you’ve got to admit that these are some truly epic fails.

    1) Flipping Sweet! I still don’t see how this guy survives. He flips at least 8 times and perfectly nails the dismount. Synchronized car crashing should be an Olympic sport — if Curling counts then certainly we can get synchronized car crashing in there.

    2) Don’t Do It! This clip gets funnier every time I watch it just for the owner of the car shouting in the background, “NO! DON’T DO IT! NO!” I have a demented sense of humor, what can I say…

    3) Ghost Riding Dirty. Anybody that’s stupid enough to Ghost Ride deserves to have their car stolen. Disclaimer: I’m sure this is fake but because I hate Ghost Riding so much I have to include it on the list to encourage future carjackers.

    4) Wheels Optional. I might be wrong but generally you have a better chance of winning a drag race if your wheels stay on during the actual racing. I could be wrong, though.

    5) Wear Your Helmet! Another ridiculous crash. No one was harmed in the making of this video, which means you can enjoy it without feeling guilty.

    Got any videos you’d like to share with National Speed? Leave us a comment and we’ll post ’em up in our next vid blog. Remember: your epic fail can be enjoyed by all, so keep those video cameras rolling.

  • National Speed News: Greddy Bankrupt, Turbonetics no longer selling turbo kits, Women Love High Performance, and more!

    Here’s the news that’s breaking so fast we drove our news van into the wall just to get it to you.

    According to recent financial reports, Greddy, one of the biggest names in performance parts recently announced they’re declaring bankruptcy. Autoblog reports that this is due to a steady decline in the Japanese performance parts market as well as Greddy’s mounting financial woes. The company is currently $60 million in debt.

    Greddy isn’t the only one having issues as our sources within Turbonetics have stated that Turbonetics will no longer be selling turbo kits. At present the only turbo kit they’ll continue to sell is for Mustangs. The company is also planning on phasing out its line of intercoolers with the exception of the diesel side of their business.

    Wired wrote a great article stating that British insurance company Hiscox recently conducted a study proving that high-performance cars turned women on more than fuel-efficient vehicles. Well, duh. Not to say we told you so, but we did. The study involved playing sound clips of high performance cars and fuel efficient cars revving their engines — no one preferred the sound of a fuel efficient car.

    The latest trailer for the next awkwardly titled James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, has made its online debut. Check it out to see the Aston Martin DB7 in action. Man is that a sweet car.

  • Carmeggedon: Vehicles of the Apocalypse

    If you’re anything like me you spend a good portion of your day thinking about meaningless crap: if I jumped off the Wrightsville bridge would I survive? What would happen if I drove my car through Home Depot? If zombies attacked which shopping mall would I call home? And my latest prize winner: when the world ends and the apocalypse comes, what vehicle would I drive?

    Ever since I started working at National Speed I’ve given that last one a lot of thought (when you’re surrounded by noxious fumes and huffable magic markers you’d be surprised what goes through your head). Surprisingly, I’m not the only one with a demented brain around here. If the peeps at National Speed are any indication, when the apocalypse comes the wasteland is going to be an interesting place to drive around in.

    1. The Wienermobile. Laugh all you want, but when you’re driving around in an apocalyptic wasteland all day you’re going to want a little excitement. Beneath the bun this dog is packing a 5700 GM VORTEC engine which is plenty of bite for a wiener shaped car. Mount a custom fabricated rocket launcher on the rear and dual machine gun turrets on the front and you’ve got one mean hush puppy.

    2. Riding Lawnmower. Good things come in small packages (at least that’s what my ex-girlfriend used to tell me) so a souped-up riding lawnmower should do the trick. Funnily enough, they actually race these things in Ottawa — some upwards of 200 hp. Those crazy Cannucks! Drop in some nitrous, a .50 caliber machine gun, and maybe some razor-sharp cutting blades and you’ll be ready to kick some serious grass.

    3. V8 Barstool. Possibly the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. A custom-built barstool with a V8 engine. Absolutely insane. Believe it or not, there’s an official barstool racing league in the Bonneville Salt Flats. Because of the stool’s small size there’s not a lot of room for weapons modifications, but you could easily install an oil slick, smoke screen, maybe even spiked tire shredders that’ll bring a whole new meaning to “last call.”

    With astronomical gas prices, global warming, and a fourth Fast & Furious on the way to multiplexes, the end is surely nigh. Submit your photos and share your vehicle ideas with National Speed for what you’ll be driving when the apocalypse dawns…and if you pick the Toyota Prius we’re all going to laugh at you. Seriously.

  • Top 3 Hybrids That Make Me Want to Pollute the Environment – part I

    Why does saving the environment have to be so ugly? Is it a requirement that every hybrid has to look like something from a made for Sci-fi Channel movie? Every time I pass one on the street I half expect to find Casper Van Dien behind the wheel. Better technology is all well and good, but if it comes at the cost of driving the equivalent of an electric shaver you can count me out. Just looking at a Prius makes me want to drive the nastiest, gas guzzling beast I can lay hands on and burn through tires like they’re made of Bubble Yum. And while you’re probably thinking I sound like a shallow, mother-nature-hating jackass (and you’re not far off), take a look at these cars and tell me they wouldn’t make you proud to pollute.

    1. The Toyota Prius. The battery for this little baby is advertised as lasting as long as the life of the car, which if you’re anything like me you’ll be praying for a mercy killing by the first mile. I kid, I kid. Honestly, for the price and the horsepower, the Prius isn’t that bad of a car. It’s just so damn ugly. Little known fact: according to engineer Walter Whitwicky, the Prius is the first car that crash test dummies have refused to ride in. True story.

    2. The Honda Insight. Honda stopped production of the Honda Insight as of September 2006. Less than 2,000 Insights were sold in 2005, and they fell below 1,000 in 2006. Honda stated that this was due to their strategic marketing plans to introduce a smaller hybrid in 2009 and had absolutely nothing to due with the fact that the Insight was about as much fun as a nuclear holocaust. Sure it may get 70+ mpg, but do you really want to be seen driving something like that? I didn’t think so.

    3. Honda’s 2009 Mystery Hybrid. Pop quiz: you’ve just built the ugliest car known to man and sold less than 3,000 units in two years. What do you do? Well, if you’re anything like Honda, you release something almost as hideous as their last collosal failure, the Insight. While we’re not sure what Honda’s calling this one yet, it might as well be the Insight 2.0 — bigger, badder, and uglier. Hat tip to Jalopnik for originally leaking the story and providing pictures of what will no doubt be the ugliest car of 2009.

    Perhaps if car companies would design a decent looking, affordable hybrid, car enthusiasts might be more interested in driving them. But then again, considering hybrid technology isn’t as eco-friendly as it’s made out to be, maybe consumers are right in not buying them. Check out part two of our hybrid blog to find out why.

  • National Speed Presents 5 Crazy Clips

    Here are some of National Speed’s five favorite video clips. WARNING: do not try this stuff at home! These people are trained professionals, and in some cases absolute maniacs. It’s amazing how often those two traits sometimes coincide.

      1. This clip proves that it’s not the size that counts but how you use it.

      2. These guys have all the money in the world…maybe the should use some of it to learn how to drive.

      3. Pretty amazing stuff. Make sure to watch all the way to the end when the passengers decide to play Superman on the side of the truck.

      4. Proof that having too much spare time isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

      5. They call this guy the Ghostrider (not to be confused with the crap Nicholas Cage movie). The stuff this guy can do on a motorcycle is insane.

    Got any crazy clip recommendations you’d like to share with National Speed? Leave us a comment and we’ll check them out and potentially post them in a future blog. Remember, don’t do anything stupid…or at the very least wait until someone’s filming it.

  • When the Dodge Challenger Came to Town

    Sometimes I have to remind myself I get paid to do what I do. Normally my typical morning at work consists of perusing MySpace and trying to remember what’s her name’s name, but this morning was different. Today I’m told that Scott Vandekerckhove, a representative from Chrysler with a name my spellchecker absolutely despises, is coming by the shop with the new Dodge Challenger SRT-8. Since August 13th, Scott has been driving down the east coast on a road tour to promote the new Dodge Challenger and after hearing about National Speed, decided to check out the shop and let us get a look under the hood.

    Combining old school lines with a modern aesthetic, the new Dodge Challenger is a pretty sweet ride. In fact, I would say I prefer it to the new Mustang — sorry to the Ford lovers, I love Steve McQueen as much as the next guy, but the Challenger is so much cooler. The SRT-8 comes fully loaded with a 6.1-liter HEMI V8 engine capable of 425 horsepower and the suspension to back it up. And while we weren’t allowed to take it for a test drive (and considering my driving record that’s probably a good thing) we did manage to get the Challenger on the dyno.

    When we strapped her down and cranked her up the Challenger’s GPS went absolutely nuts, thinking it was traveling at a ridiculous speed. By the end of the third pull I think the car ended up somewhere in eastern St. Louis. Overall, the Challenger is an impressive car and we’re stoked that Scott stopped by National Speed to let us check it out. He’s an awesome guy so be sure to give him a thumbs up when you see him cruising by picking up chicks along the east coast. You should also check out the official Dodge blog which details Scott’s adventures eastbound and down. Thanks again Scott for your hospitality. Now how about that test drive?

    UPDATE – AUGUST 29, 2008

    We previously held off on publishing the dyno results for the Challenger due to Chrysler having to approve it first. Luckily, Scott got back with us and we’ve been given the okay to post the dyno sheet. The Challenger ended up putting down 339 horses.

  • 9 out of 10 Women Hate the Environment

    A recent survey conducted by General Motors said that nine out of ten women would prefer to date a guy that drove the latest fuel-efficient car rather than a high performance sports car. Now I’m not sure where General Motors conducts their surveys, but it obviously isn’t Wilmington, North Carolina. It might not even be the same planet. And come to think of it, isn’t it funny that as soon as General Motors dips their toes into the hybrid market they release a survey stating chicks dig guys that drive fuel efficient cars? That’s like McDonald’s saying nine out of ten vegetarians would prefer to eat McDonald’s hamburgers than contract salmonella.

    WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER?

    In the spirit of scientific experimentation, I decided to hit the street and survey the lovely ladies of Wilmington, NC. I presented them with the option of going out in a fuel efficient Ford Focus or a sporty BMW 135i. A whopping nine out of ten women stated they’d rather eat glass than date me, no matter what I drove, so I decided to conduct the remainder of the survey via email instead.

    After randomly sampling women from all walks of life (that sounds a lot dirtier than it’s supposed to), I found that a resounding 15 out of 20 women would prefer to date a guy that drives a sports car. The remaining five said that they didn’t care one way or the other. In other words, not one woman wanted to date a guy that drove a fuel efficient car! That may sound like shenanigans, but I defy anyone that doesn’t believe me to try getting a date while driving a Ford Focus. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be trading in my 30 mpg station wagon for a Bugatti Veyron. Come get some, ladies.

  • The 3,000 Mile Oil Change

    I have a confession to make. I went a year and a half without changing the oil in my car. There, I said it. I’m not proud of it, nor would I ever recommend trying it. In my defense I’d like to point out that I didn’t do this out of negligence or forgetfulness, I simply wanted to see what would happen (when you drive a Focus you can afford these stupid little social experiments). I’ve always heard that you should change your oil every 3,000 miles, but with today’s advances in synthetic oils and engine technology, does the 3,000 mile rule still apply?

    What if I Never Change My Oil?
    If you’re anything like me you like to push the limits. Someone tells you to stay off the grass, you throw a lawn party. No parking? Pardon me while my SUV takes up two spaces. It’s in my nature to do stupid things, hence not changing the oil in my car for close to 20,000 miles. In the case of my Focus I had to pay a sizable fee to get the equivalent of an automotive enema. I was lucky. But because I’m naturally inquisitive (i.e. stupid) I’ve always wondered what would’ve happened had I never changed the oil. This is what I found:

    1. Dirt and sediment will accumulate in the oil causing the filter to clog.
    2. The bad oil bypasses the filter through a relief valve.
    3. Detergent and other additives in the oil wear out.
    4. The oil stops lubricating and the engine wears out and seizes.

    A Change Would Do You Good
    So now that I’ve been scared straight into changing my oil routinely in order to avoid carmageddon, do I really have to change it every 3,000 miles? Simple answer: yes and no. In all honesty, if you drive a high performance vehicle you’re going to want to change your oil often. With the heat that is generated by high performance vehicles and the general wear and tear that comes with driving them, you definitely need to change it early and often.

    However, if you’re just tooling around town in a Tahoe, it’s not going to be as important. Today’s oil is much better than when the 3,000 mile rule first took hold. In fact, most cars today require the oil to be changed about every 5,000 to 8,000 miles (obviously it varies on a vehicle by vehicle basis and you should consult your manual for the proper maintenance schedule). Changing oil is not an exact science, but as long as you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and not what some quick lube shack arbitrarily plasters on your windshield, you should be fine.

    *The author is not responsible for any damage your vehicle may incur due to the fact that his judgment is impaired by hardheaded stupidity.