UpShift

Tesla CyberTruck

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Summary

Well… keeping in line with the electric car theme for the week, it seems Tesla had something to say in response to Ford entering their arena. They just broke into the pickup world with something absolutely insane. The Tesla Cybertruck looks so strange (to some hideous), and by means of performance it’s absolutely incredible. This is new territory for the electric car maker, but over the past years Tesla seems to conquer new territory quite quickly. This occasion appears to be no different. For starters, the truck does everything Elon Musk said it would do. It far outperforms a Porsche 911 in a straight line, and in a tug-of-war match dragged the pathetic-looking Ford F-150 across the pavement. As far as its function, this car is perfect. It (as far as we can tell) beats out every pickup category to date, and by a mile. And as far as looks go, I will admit it takes a second to get used to but the intimidation factor makes it cool. Also, the broken glass during the reveal didn’t help too much. But in the end, this truck is the future of automotive technology. As far as importance goes, it doesn’t really get bigger than this. Aside from Rivian, electric car makers haven’t touched the pickup sector. This is a step in a new direction for Tesla, and so far it seems to be received pretty well. It is direct competition with many large car brands, and we will get too see how it stacks up in the future.

Tesla Cyber Truck Interior — Tesla Cybertruck Interior (Tesla)

This post will be updated as time goes on…

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Price	$69,900
Top Speed	130 MPH
0-60 Time	2.9 Seconds
Max Towing	14,000 lbs
Horsepower	*(Est) 750 – 800 HP
Safety	(Est.) 4.5 – 5 ✩
Weight	*(Est) 5,700 – 6,300 lbs
Visual Effect	I’m sorry… what year is it?

Bottom Line: It’s insane. And for some, insane is too much. If so, maybe just settle for the ATV…

Want more news on electric cars? Check out the new Electric Mustang from Ford!

*Weight: Based on weight of Model X P100D and the fact that the body is titanium, we can assume this truck is gonna be very heavy.

*Horsepower: Based on the horsepower of the Model S P100D and increased by 50% (added third motor).

The Ford Mach E

Well, Ford did it. Ford has gone out and put their own spin on an electric car. Today’s article might be a bit different because today there is no comparison. There is no competition. There’s just Ford’s all new electric SUV. Upon first glance, the car looks all mustang. But then you do a double take and notice its family-friendly bubbly figure. An SUV? Why didn’t Ford take the Tesla or Audi route and throw out a sports car to begin with? Another electric hypercar is not what the world needs right now. If you think about it, that’s almost all that we have. We have lightning fast sedans and blistering supercars, but what about the family cars? To that Ford gives us an answer and a pretty darn good one at that. Right now, as far as electric SUVs go there’s only the Tesla Model X and the Audi E-Tron. Both of those cars are mighty expensive, and the Audi isn’t even sporty. The Mach-E (which is a weird name) looks to have a base MSRP of around $50,000. That beats both the Tesla and the Audi by at least $10,000. But to give Tesla some credit, their own cheaper SUV (the Model Y) is coming around the same date as the Mach E. But in the end, Ford has done it. Ford just became a pioneer for electric vehicles seemingly overnight. They’ve had electric cars before, but they’ve all flopped and fizzled out. But this is something new. This is Ford taking electric performance serious enough to slap a mustang logo on a performance SUV. They’re undercutting Tesla with an SUV that is cheap, sporty, and good for the environment. Ford’s doing it all. We’ll get to more significance later, but here are some future specs for the car:

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Price	$60,500
Top Speed	(Estimated) 155 mph
0-60 Time	(Estimated) 3.4 – 3.8 secs
Weight	(Estimated) 5,300 lbs
Horsepower	(Estimated) 425 – 470 hp
Safety	(Estimated) 4.5 – 5 ✩
MPG	Electric… so around 90
Visual Effect	Mustang for the whole family

The Verdict

This is important. For Ford, for the electric vehicle world, and for the SUV world. It’s another step towards an electric future bringing in a new demographic of car buyers. Ford is trying to take a piece of the market, and so far their attempt looks pretty good. The biggest deal of all of this though is the fact that Ford put their legendary Mustang logo on it. The mustang represents everything Ford is performance wise. Its years of a car that has been lodged in the hearts and roots of American car culture. Now Ford has chosen a new poster child for the Mustang. An electric performance SUV. Who would have thought?

Bottom Line: Times are changing, and Ford isn’t getting left behind.

Like Electric Cars News? Here’s some more about Tesla’s new Pickup

**Spec Estimates:**

Price – Given from Ford

Top Speed – Matches Tesla Model S P100D Top Speed

0-60 Time – Estimate modified by me from Ford

Horsepower – Estimated on 0-60 time

Weight – Similar to Tesla Model X P90D weight

Safety – SImilar to Ford Explorer

MPG – Electric AVG

Mk 4 Supra vs Mk 5 Supra

Red Mark 4 Supra
Red Mark 3 Supra — Red Mark 4 Supra (Wikipedia)

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The Toyota Supra is a legend. That simple fact is undeniable. Since its beautiful birth in the late 70’s it has risen to be one of the most coveted cars for car people out there. The models coveted the most however is the Mark 4 edition, which featured Toyota’s legendary engine: the 2JZ engine. This twin-turbo Inline 6 engine would go down in history as the best engine to modify. Examples of the Supra tuned to insane horsepower figures aren’t hard to find, and plenty have reached 1,000 horsepower. From just six cylinders. Nonetheless, this car was nuts but was discontinued in 2002. Since that day the car has only increased in value, with low mileage models selling for six digit sums. People longed for the day that Toyota would bring the Supra name back. Little did they know, Toyota was listening and planning. (BMW also eavesdropped, but what can you do).

History

The Toyota Supra was created in 1978 and it was based off of the Celica from the same model year. It didn’t make any waves, as it was just a longer Celica sold in Japan alone. It remained this way until the 1981 model year, when the Mark II version went out for sale. The body design took on a more modern and sporty look, albeit sporty for an economy sedan. Then in 1982 something magical happened. America got the Toyota Celica Supra P-Type, P standing for performance. This was the first time the Supra resembled any kind of performance. The P-Type didn’t add any horsepower or torque, it just made the car look less mundane. The car still went 0-60 mph in 9.8 seconds. It was still incredibly slow. That is until magical event number 2 happened. The Mark III model of the Supra came out in 1986 and it was finally its own car. No longer attached to the Celica, the Supra started to become the legend it is today. Its 3.0L I6 engine made 200 hp, and sent the power to the rear two wheels. But in 1987, the Supra got its turbocharger. This engine made 231 horsepower to the rear wheels. This is when you start to see the Supra become a true sports car. It was everything a sports car it should be: lightweight, two doors, rear wheel drive, and have a manual transmission. And the car also finally had the horsepower figure to go with the list above. But we are going to compare the 1993 model of the Supra with the brand new Supra. In 1993 the Supra became nuts. Its new design made it look like the sports car you wanted to drive. The horsepower figure became that of a true sports car competitor at 326 horses. It kept its drivetrain and its manual transmission and showcased the hyper-modifiable new 2JZ engine. The Mark IV Supra was the last model Supra produced before the new one made today. The Supra gained fame of course from it being driven and drag raced in the first Fast and Furious film. I’m sure showing it beat a Ferrari helped a bit too.

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Comparison

	1993 Twin-Turbo Supra	2020 Supra
Price (1pt)	$50,400	$49,990
Top Speed (1pt)	177 MPH	155 MPH
0-60 Time (1pt)	4.6 seconds	4.1 seconds
Weight (1pt)	3,461 lbs	3,397 lbs
Horsepower (1pt)	326 HP	335 HP
Safety (1pt)	N/A	N/A
MPG (.5 pt)	18 MPG (combined)	26 MPG (combined)
Visual Effect (.5 pt)	Classic Japanese Tuner	High Tech Sports Car
Final Score	*1.75*	5.25

The Verdict

Well… that was unexpected. The chart has spoken, and the new Supra is indeed better that the legendary 1993 model. For starters, it costs less and it costs less in today’s dollars which is nuts. The ‘93 model however does receive some performance accolades as it does top out 27 mph faster than the new model. But after that, the Mark V takes over. It hits 0-60 in 0.5 seconds less than the MK IV, weighs 64 pounds less, and has 9 more horsepower. Safety information on these cars are very difficult to find. The new Supra is also surprisingly fuel efficient at 26 miles to the gallon. But after its all said, I still like the old Supra more. Its tune-ability is mostly what makes it so great, as well as its simplistic sporty look. It will truly go down in history as a legend in the world of fast cars.

Bottom Line: Stock, the newcomer wins. Modified, the legend dominates.

Why the Cold Air Intake is Worth it: Pros and Cons of an Aftermarket Intake

The world of car mods is enormous. From celebrities showing of super modified cars in movies, to the massive turbochargers people put on their drag cars the world of car mods just seems to keep getting bigger. And faster. And more powerful. Among the thousands if not tens of thousands of performance car modifications out there, the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient of them all is likely the cold air intake. It is surely the starting point for any thrill seeking man or woman who wants to take their car to a new level. And today, I’m going to dig into why this is the best first modification for any car.

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Advantages and Disadvantages

The Cold Air Intake (CAI) is a piece of metal, or some other but similar substance, curved it an unusual shape and capped off with a performance air filter. The point of this piece is that it should deliver air to the engine that is colder, and therefore denser. This makes sure that more air gets into the engine that was getting in with the factory intake. The factory intake is designed to keep the engine as quiet as possible, and if that means keeping some air out, then that is what the standard intake will do. Some benefits of Cold Air Intakes are that it increases horsepower and torque and it will likely increase your car’s fuel economy. Those specific figures depend on what kind of car or intake you buy. A brand name intake like K&N, S&B, and AEM will cost you more than say your typical eBay intake. A good place to buy a CAI is carid.com. They allow you to pick the Year, Make, and Model to find universal or personal fits for your car. Some of the intakes on the site also give you how much horsepower the intake could and as well as torque. Installation of this part is fairly simple, and new versions don’t require any welding whatsoever. However I do recommend welding you intake, simply because it is safer and sturdier than a clamp on model. As far as a brand recommendation goes, the brand Injen (injen.com) makes some of the best and most efficient intakes out there. The Injen intakes are also usually cheaper than their competitors. That being said, typically a cold air intake can cost anywhere from $200-$350. This number is variable of course and the cost depends on the make, model, and year of your car. It also depends on what brand the intake is and what website you buy it from.

Benefits of Cold Air Intake
Modena — There are many benefits of installing a Cold Air Intake (By Karamitchen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50220521) Modena

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Bottom Line: The CAI is cheap, effective, simple, and the first mod that should go on your car. However the intake does have its pros and cons, so be sure to research before you buy.

BAC Mono vs Ariel Atom V8

Race cars… for the road???

Formula One. Race oriented vehicles flying around corners at speeds unfathomable to the human mind. After watching one of these said races, the first thing one desires is to drive one of these crazy vehicles. Unfortunately they aren’t road legal… or for sale. But two companies have created cars (for lack of a better term) that come close. The BAC Mono and Ariel Atom V8 are two closest things to a street legal Formula One car, and here we have the comparison of the two.

History

Let’s start with BAC, or Briggs Automotive Company. The Briggs Automotive Company is new, founded in 2009, and was created by brothers Ian and Neill Briggs in Liverpool. They made their first car (the Mono) in 2011 and debuted it at the Retro Classics show in Germany. The Mono took the world by a silent storm, and it was featured in many video games (like Need For Speed) on was on many car-based television shows (like Top Gear). As of now, the Mono is the only car produced by BAC, and they continue to produce the Mono. If you wanted one new, the price would be a cool $200,000. If you don’t feel like paying the new price, here you can find a used BAC Mono for sale here in the US.

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Now Ariel, or formally Ariel Motor Company, is the veteran in the race-car-yet-street-legal car segment. It was founded in 1991 by Simon Saunders in the United Kingdom. The company produces two cars; the Atom and the Nomad. The Ace and HIPERCAR are two of their concepts to be produced at later dates. The first and original car was though the Atom, and over the years the car has gotten some trim updates like the Atom 500 V8, 3.5R, 4, and many other names. Like the Mono, the Atom took the world by a bit of a larger storm as it was the first of its kind. It was the closest thing one could get to a race car, and suddenly it was available to the public. Since then it has turned heads and set lap records across the world. Now, like the Mono, if you wanted to buy one new the price would be $200,000. If used is more your option here is one that costs just under 170,000 pounds in the UK.

Comparison

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	Ariel Atom 500	BAC Mono
Price (1pt)	$200,000	$200,000
Top Speed (1pt)	168 mph	170 mph
0-60 Time (1pt)	2.3 secs	2.8 secs
Weight (1pt)	1,213 lbs	1,190 lbs
Horsepower (1pt)	500 hp	285 hp
Safety (1pt)	Non Existent	Non Existent
MPG (.5 pt)	~25 mpg (estimate)	~37 mpg (estimate)
Visual Effect (.5 pt)	Go Kart on Steroids	No Go Kart, All Track Look
Final Score	3	4

The Verdict

Well… the numbers speak for themselves. As far as performance goes the Ariel Atom 500 probably takes the cake, with almost 2 times the horsepower and a 0-60 sprint that rivals the likes of Bugatti and Koenigsegg. But somehow (with 4 less cylinders) the BAC Mono holds its own, topping out 2 mph faster than the Atom, and weighing 23 pounds less than it. Where the Mono wins is the Visual and Efficiency categories. It looks simply fantastic, it doesn’t have the Go Kart look the Ariel iconically displays. It looks like something that will be driven in the Monaco Grand Prix. And the fuel efficiency is a given, with 4 less cylinders it boasts a nice 37 miles to the gallon. But let’s be honest… at $200,000 for each, we are still stuck dreaming of driving these race machines. But we just got a bit closer.

Bottom Line: Both are insane, but the Mono looks the part.

Formula 1 vs Formula E

The world of motorsport racing is massive and it only seems to be getting bigger. But as time goes on, the way these races are set up has changed. The age of electric cars is slowly taking over aspects of the auto industry, and it seems like its next target is motorsport. With the recent introduction of Formula E, the world of racing has new open doors, and today we are going to compare it to the legendary Formula One racing tour.

History

Let’s start with Formula One (from now one being referred to as F1). F1 is legendary, with the best of the best performance teams such as the teams of Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Red Bull, Mclaren, and the likes. It also has created heros in the racing world like Aryton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. It is watched by millions around the world globally, and brings in billions annually. F1 had its official beginning in 1946, but traces of its existence can be seen as far back as the 1920’s. The first official victory was in 1950 by Alfa Romeo’s team with driver Giuseppe Farina. Since then, massive changes to cars and car technologies have changed the sport. The introduction of mid-engine layouts, new chassis’, aerofoils, new suspension methods, and better tires drastically changed the sport from then to now. The F1 season spans from March to December, and includes races typically every two weeks with the total being 21 races in a year. Famous team names you might recognize are Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Red Bull, Alfa Romeo, Mclaren, and Renault. Former teams include BMW-Sauber, Toyota, Lotus, Maserati, and Jaguar. Since its official debut there have been 69 people named Champion, and the Grand Prixs are watched on 6 of the 7 continents. It has truly become a global phenomenon, and is growing in popularity and profitability. It is the shining star of motorsport.

Spark Formula E Blue Racecar — Spark SRT05 (flickr)

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But there is a newcomer in the industry. Formula E was conceived in 2011 mainly due to the increase in electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. Fun fact, in the first season drivers had to change cars halfway through the race. But since then, battery technology has improved drastically and with it the performance of the cars. Formula E (we would call it FE, but then it could get confused with iron) had its debut season in 2014, and has named 5 champions of motorsport. Popular teams in Formula might sound familiar to you with teams of BMW, Audi, Nissan, Jaguar, and others. The sport hasn’t made legends like F1 has, but it has been received positively globally. The real interesting part comes in with new rules in Formula E that have yet to be put in motion in F1. The idea of “attack modes” and “fan boosts” have taken off with the “league” as well.

	Formula 1	Formula E
Global Views (1pt)	490 Million	330 Million
Track Attendance (1pt)	4.1 Million	400,000
Season Length (1pt)	9 Months	9 months
Time of Existence (1pt)	69 Years	6 Years
Car Performance (1pt)	990 HP, Top Speed 215 MPH	335 HP, Top Speed 174 MPH
Race Intensity (1pt)	First and Last 5 Laps	Attack Mode makes things intense the whole time.
Big Team Names (.5pt)	Ferrari, Mercedes, Mclaren	BMW, Nissan, Audi
Legends Made (.5pt)	Aryton Senna, Lewis Hamilton	Lucas di Grassi? Nelson Piquet Jr?
Final Score (Out of 7)	5.25	*1.75*

The Verdict

Well… the chart has spoken. Formula 1 still dominates the world of fast car racing, and it truly is dominant. Even with the arrival of electric single-seat racing, it continues to spread its fan base globally. It beats out Formula E in both total Global view and stadium attendance, in fact track attendance at F1 is more than 10x greater than that of Formula E. The crazy cars in Formula 1 also have more power and higher top speeds. F1 also has been around longer: 63 years longer. But that should give some insight to the even more tremendous growth of Formula E racing. In just 6 years it has acquired hoards of fans and millions of dollars in revenue. Maybe it can’t compete with Formula 1 now but if its growth remains constant, the gap could close in no time at all.

Bottom Line: The classic wins the battle now… but the times are changing.

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Racing Point F1

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Racing Point F1 has been under the global spotlight a lot in the 2020 season. From cheating allegations to a new sponsor to the acquisition of one of the greatest drivers of all time, Racing Point seems to be on the upward move. But where did they come from? Only a few years ago they were trailing the middle pack of teams. What are they doing that other teams like Renault and Mclaren aren’t? Let’s find out…

1991 Jordan Grand Priz — By Stuart Seeger from College Station, Texas, USA – Crisp And Clean, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5495665

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The Origins of Racing Point F1 can be traced back to a team called Jordan Grand Prix back in 1991. The team was named after Irish Businessman Eddie Jordan, and was largely unsuccessful. They had a few podiums and only 2 pole positions, and their finances were always on the edge. So in 2005, Jordan Grand Prix was sold to Midland Group for $60 million.

Midland F1 Racing — By jwunrow – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1839537

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Midland Racing was a team for just one season, and it was a lackluster season at that. They raced under the Midland name for only 18 races and rarely made it out of Q3. They were clearly behind the middle pack, and eventually rebranded in the middle of the season to become Spyker F1. Their best finish was 9th place, and from thenceforth would be known as Spkyer F1.

2007 Spyker F1 — By Mathieu Felten – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2868985

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Spyker F1 was yet another short lived name given to the once mediocre Jordan Grand Prix team. Spyker paid just over $106 million for the team, the team which only 2 years prior was sold for just $60 million. They got rid of their Toyota engines for the preferred Ferrari racing engines. The season was very poor, just as Midland’s had been. They scored only 1 point and were 10th in the constructors championship.

Just a note, I think it would have been cool to see Spyker succeed in F1. They are a little-known supercar maker, and it would have been awesome to see them use technology from F1 in their car, the C8.

Force India F1 Car — By Morio – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18920445

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After Spyker F1, the team changed to a name that you may now be familiar with. Force India bought Spyker F1 for $103 million dollars after the 2007 season. The maiden season for Force India ended terribly, as their best finish was 10th and they finished the constructors championship in 10th also. But the 2009 season brought changed that altered the trajectory of Force India. Force India ditched the Ferrari engine for the new Mercedes engine and they started to gain traction. They finished with 13 points and in 9th ahead of Toro Rosso. Now this might not sound impressive, but it shows tremendous growth over just one year.

2010 saw even more progress for the Force India team. They finished 7th with 68 points, only 1 point away from Williams in 6th. Their best finish was 5th at the Belgium Grand Prix. 2011-2017 saw a slow but steady progression from 7th and 6th place finishes to being 4th in the constructors championship. Then in 2018, they took a nosedive when they ended 7th in the constructor’s championship. The team was put on administration, but was saved when Lawrence Stroll and company bought out Force India’s assets.

Racing Point F1 Car — By Lukas Raich – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73452348

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Racing Point saw a dismal but consistent 2019, as they finished 7th overall. Sergio Perez managed points finishes in every race except one, largely helping them lock down 7th. But 2020 is where the racing point story really took off…

In preseason training, fans took notice to the similarities between the 2019 Mercedes and the 2020 RP20. The Austrian Grand Prix seemed to only increase concern that Racing didn’t make their car at all. A formal complaint was launched against Racing Point by Renault. The complaint was successful, but Racing Point got away with a slap on the wrist.

What do you think about Racing Point? Let us know below, are they legit or just good at copying blueprints?

Nurburgring Images

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The Nurburgring has long been the golden standard for testing a car’s track potential. It’s every performance car makers dream to have their car win the title of “Fastest car around the Nurburgring”. But in addition to a production car proving ground, it had also become one of motorsport’s most dangerous and thrilling tracks ever. This year, F1 returns to the Nurburgring for what looks to be an exciting race. But before we get to the race, lets take a look at some cool pictures from over the years at the Nurburgring…

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By Sports Fan at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48897012

Map of the Nurburgring in 1968. The sign as seen is in German, and was seen during the German Grand Prix of that year.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashgear.com%2Fporsche-taycan-sets-new-ev-record-at-nurburgring-nordschleife-27588757%2F&psig=AOvVaw3BJ87o43QIKAa7dVuK1m0w&ust=1601823575306000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCPiQyInYmOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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The 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S takes to the Nurburgring to try and set a new record.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.essentiallysports.com%2Ff1-news-why-is-the-f1-race-in-nurburgring-called-the-eifel-grand-prix%2F&psig=AOvVaw3IwznDpzVV49PHCpS7L4Su&ust=1601823975331000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCJDh077ZmOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

An aerial view of the portion of the Nurburgring that will be featured in the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.espn.co.uk%2Fmercedes%2Fmotorsport%2Fimage%2F108405.html&psig=AOvVaw3IwznDpzVV49PHCpS7L4Su&ust=1601823975331000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCJDh077ZmOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAV

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Michael Schumacher drives a silver arrow around the Nurburgring.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2Fblog%2F2017%2Ffeb%2F02%2Fformula-one-nurburgring-german-grand-prix-paddy-lowe-mercedes&psig=AOvVaw3IwznDpzVV49PHCpS7L4Su&ust=1601823975331000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCJDh077ZmOwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAh

Retro F1 car takes to the Nurburgring.

Ford Focus ST Wallpapers

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F198017714843778244%2F&psig=AOvVaw0CgupZDRMin2ZYaRQmG3Xe&ust=1601749462590000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCMjwz7DEluwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitmentindustries.com%2Fwheel-offset-gallery%2F517098%2F2014-ford-focus-fifteen52-tarmac-megan-racing-coilovers&psig=AOvVaw31rR_IxZ-NY4JSigq4AstL&ust=1601754169482000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCMC9lrvVluwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbestfordfocusreview.blogspot.com%2F2019%2F08%2Fford-focus-rs-mods.html&psig=AOvVaw3y-mQ-69WJf3cCzZi8ohi0&ust=1601761380641000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCPiszr3wluwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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The Ford Focus ST is Ford’s souped up version of its flagship economy car. It features a turbocharged 2.0 liter engine that tuners love to tune. It makes around 250 horsepower stock, if you can find one stock. These cars are fast, sleek, and they sound fantastic. They also are the best tuner bargain available. Here are some cool wallpapers and images of Ford’s tuner Focus.

Maserati MC20

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Maserati has a long history of making some absolutely mind-blowing cars. From the Quattroporte to the MC12, Maserati’s have always led the pack in performance and styling. But recently the brand has come to a sort of halt. Right now their lineup consists only of 2 sedans and an SUV, what happened to cars like the MC12 that were born to be on a race track? Well it looks like Maserati found it’s groove again, as they are frequently teasing an up and coming supercar to be called “MC20”. With this new car using the MC prefix, you know that what is coming out o Modena has to be serious. And let me tell you, it looks like a game changer.

But before we get to the MC20, we have to talk a bit about its predecessor and the history of Maserati. In the early 2000’s the Maserati brand had a problem. Their image no longer reflected the great motorsport company building cars just so that they could keep racing. They had been turned into Ferrari’s luxury brand after getting tossed around to just about every car company imaginable. But in the early 2000’s Maserati wanted a change. They wanted to get back in the game.

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And get back in the game they did. The result was a howling V12 paired to the chassis of a Ferrari Enzo. A track car at heart, homologated so that a few rich guys could get their hands on them. The Maserati MC12 was a dominant force in the 2004 FIA GT Season. Not to mention, away from the track and on the streets it did nothing but turn heads and making beautiful V12 noises.

Maserati MC12 — By Damian Morys from New York City, United States – MC12., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49163839

The MC12 was a 2 door coupe/targa top supercar put into production in 2004. It featured a modified Ferrari naturally-aspirated 6.0 liter V12 and Ferrari’s 6-speed transmission. The V12 put out 621 horsepower and 481 lb/ft of torque to the rear wheels. Only 50 were ever made for production, but another 12 were made for racing making this Maserati incredibly rare. The MC12 was a bit bigger than its Enzo brother, meaning that in a track setting it got a lot more downforce.

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The MC nomenclature means that Maserati’s up and coming supercar should be good enough for the MC name. It should dominant on the track, brilliantly quick, and have a V12. Well, maybe not the last one but that might not be a bad thing…

The new Maserati MC20 brings the return of Maserati to motorsport. What motorsport exactly? We’re not too sure yet, but we can expect the MC20 to be dominant. The MC20 will be power by a 3.0 liter twin turbo V6 making 630 horsepower. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the MC12 featured a similar 621 horsepower. But was isn’t similar is the torque, as the MC20 will be packing 538 lb-ft of torque. Power enters an 8-speed automatic transmission and gets sent to the rear wheels.

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Much of this car is yet to be released, but we can be certain of one thing. If the past is anything to base the MC 20’s future on, it’s going to be very bright.