There’s plenty of love out there for the Toyota GR86 and its nimble nature. As for complaints, there’s the finicky oil issue that sometimes turns the Subaru-sourced flat-four into a brick. But even with everything humming, one could always use a bit more horsepower. Do you know what has more power? A boosted 2JZ. But this isn’t the 3.0-liter six-pot you’re familiar with. This is a stroked 3.4L, and it sounds awesome on the dyno.

That much is clear in this short video from 144.Printhouse & Racestudio on YouTube. It’s the latest in a year-long build that turned a factory-stock GR86 Premium into a 900-hp drift car. But it doesn’t have 900 hp just yet, as the crew is still in the tuning phase. That’s okay, because the preliminary test shows lots of promise.

The dyno session starts with some quick fixes, as a coolant leak surfaced. There’s also an issue with the water and fuel pumps shutting off once the car gets warm, the latter of which ultimately prevented a second dyno pull. But with the car hooked up for a baseline pass, the modded GR86 lays down 440 hp and 394 pound-feet of torque. Keep in mind, those are power figures at the rear wheels.  At the crankshaft, this 2J should be making more like 520 hp, factoring in a 15 percent driveline loss.

We know some of you may not be impressed with that figure, but before hitting send on that spicy comment you’re typing, know this. You’re seeing the first dyno session for this engine, which is essentially untuned at this point. It’s a race-built, single-turbo mill currently running seven pounds of boost. It doesn’t have any timing dialed in yet, and the pull ended at approximately 6,500 rpm. In other words, this engine has a lot more still to give. And we suspect a follow-up video will show exactly that.

In the meantime, sit back and turn your speakers up. Few things in life sound as good as a well-built 2JZ. This BRZ should be an absolute monster when it hits the track.

Vintage Bentleys aren’t known for their reliability, but it’s rarely the engine itself you hear about going wrong. It’s other old car stuff, like the hydraulics systems, the electronics, or the infamous Bosch Continuous Injection System (CIS) that malfunctions. This 6.75-liter L-Series V8 is an exception, and a great demonstrator of how hydrolocking an engine leads to catastrophic failure.

According to the I Do Cars YouTube channel, this 6¾-liter V8 likely came out of a 1987 Bentley Mulsanne S. The host acquired the motor from a salvage yard, where it previously sat for several years. Though most of the engine looks clean, two holes in the oil pan point to serious damage hiding inside the block. 

Most of the auxiliary parts attached to the V8 come off without much trouble, including that nasty CIS system mentioned earlier. The I Do Cars host runs into trouble when they reach the driver’s side head, though, as it’s fused to the block thanks to ultra-rusty head bolts. After what feels like an eternity of working with wood and pry bars, they finally get the head off to reveal an extremely nasty-looking (but mostly intact) gasket.

Things get far worse once the I Do Cars host moves to the passenger-side head. They discover it’s easier to remove because at some point, this side of the engine got a new head gasket. That didn’t do much good, however, because whoever performed the work did a terrible job of resurfacing the block. Adding insult to injury, the replacement gasket has already begun to fall apart.

Weirdly, it’s an area on the driver’s side that seems to have suffered the most damage. One of the pistons is able to move freely within the cylinder, indicating it’s no longer attached to the crankshaft. Later on in the teardown the host discovers the connecting rod has been ripped apart in spectacular fashion, which is likely what caused the holes in the oil pan. They hypothesize this cylinder aspirated liquid (what kind, they’re not sure) at some point. As a reminder, you can’t really compress liquid. So something had to give. In this case, it was the connecting rod.

Take this engine’s fate as a lesson to take a bit more caution when you drive through that deep puddle. It could save you from a big headache.

We see a fair number of restomod SUVs based on icons like the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender, but the first-gen Jeep Cherokee doesn’t seem to get as much love. This 1980 Cherokee breaks the mold, exuding the style of the era with the vibrant stripes of the famous Golden Hawk package thanks to a company called JeepHeritage.

The first-gen Cherokee, which goes by the internal designation SJ, is less boxy and more visually complex than the XJ that followed in its footsteps. This one’s Golden Hawk package accentuates those striking lines. The base color is Bordeaux Metallic, with dark gray, brown, and beige stripes adorn the hood, flanks, and tailgate. The Golden Hawk branding is on the sides and rear. The wheels wear a bronze color that perfectly matches the rest of the body’s earth-tone palette.

This Cherokee looks particularly good from the side. The dark red body, three stripes, and bronze wheels give you lots to take in. The shiny mirror caps and roof rack don’t hurt, either. Knobby BF Goodrich all-terrain tires round out the package to give the SUV a brawny stance.

The interior has a simple, classic appearance with lots of beige upholstery. JeepHeritage sources the original Levi’s fabric to cover the seats. Leather replaces any areas that were originally vinyl. All of the wiring, glass, and seals are new, as you’d expect from a truck that costs $195,000 to start.

The engine-turned metal gauge cluster trim is a particularly eye-catching part of the cabin. The rest of the metal trim consists of smaller pieces, so this big panel grabs attention.

Instead of turning to a modern powertrain, the original buyer decided to keep the AMC 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 under the hood. It now has a multipoint fuel injection system rather than the original carburetor. The mill’s original output is 175 horsepower or 195 hp, depending on the carb. There’s also a new stainless-steel exhaust and disc brakes at all four corners.

The powerplant, axles, transfer case, and transmission have all been rebuilt, allowing the SJ to drive like new. A frame-off restoration allowed for new paint and rust protection to be applied, meaning the owner won’t have to worry about salt destroying their truck.

The SUV has covered about 2,000 miles since the restoration, and now it’s ready for a new owner. If you want a brand new build from the company, there’s a four-year waitlist. So we suggest hopping on this one if you’re the impatient type. 

The McLaren MP4/4 is an iconic Formula One car driven by legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, driven to victory in 15 of 16 races in 1988. A new Lego kit gives you the chance to own a scale model of the amazing machine, complete with a tiny Senna minifigure. The toy goes on sale March 1 and retails for $79.99 as part of a new series of Lego race cars for 2024.

The 693-piece MP4/4 model measures 12.5 inches long, 6.5 inches wide, and 5 inches tall. Lego packs lots of features into the kit, including working steering and suspension. The rear wing is even adjustable. McLaren and Honda’s branding decorate the body, but the original Marlboro cigarette advertising is absent.

Builders can display the Lego MP4/4 on a stand that mounts the car at an angle so viewers can get a great look at the details, with statistics about the car on the base. The Senna minifigure gets his own podium that features an image of the famous driver and the quote, “No matter what your dream is, you have to dedicate yourself entirely to it.”

The McLaren MP4/4 used a Honda-built turbocharged 1.5-liter V6 engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. Senna and Prost were dominant during the 1988 F1 season, often being the first- and second-place drivers on the podium. The Italian Grand Prix at Monza was the only race that year where they didn’t score a victory. By the end of the season, Senna was world champion.

If your F1 preferences skew towards modern machines, Lego also has two Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance kits (pictured above) on the way. There’s a smaller 9.5-inch-long pull-back car version for $26.99 and a massive 25-inch-long, 1:8-scale model for $219.99. 

The big 1,642-piece Mercedes F1 kit is more exciting to us since its larger size lets Lego’s designers incorporate an opening wing, working steering, a functional suspension, and moving pistons for the V6 engine. Neither are available for pre-order yet, so we suggest picking up the Senna car to hold you over.

Formula 1 on Wednesday announced it has rejected Andretti Global’s bid to enter the sport. 

“On the basis of the application as it stands, we do not believe that the Applicant has shown that it would add value to the Championship,” the statement reads. “We conclude that the Applicant’s application to participate in the Championship should not be successful.”

The news comes just three months after Andretti’s team, Andretti Cadillac, had been given the green light by the FIA to enter Formula 1 following a seven-month analysis. 

“We were not able to identify any material expected positive effect on CRH (Commercial Rights Holder) financial results, as a key indicator of the pure commercial value of the Championship,” the statement says.

The announcement comes after Formula One Management (FOM)’s own analysis of a proposed 11th team on the grid. It discovered that not only would Andretti have a negative effect on financials, but that it would also put more pressure on promoters and other teams.

“The addition of an 11th team would place an operational burden on race promoters, would subject some of them to significant costs, and would reduce the technical, operational and commercial spaces of the other competitors,” the statement reads.

Despite the lack of approval from FOM, Andretti had been working on development for a racing debut in 2025, going as far as to release a photo of a wind tunnel model on Tuesday (shown above). We’ve reached out to Andretti for a statement.

Formula 1’s statement makes it clear there’s still hope for Andretti’s F1 bid, suggesting an entry for the 2028 season is still on the table. 

“We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 Championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house,” the statement reads.

Should Andretti’s entry have been approved, the team would’ve had to buy power units from an existing manufacturer already on the grid for its first few years of competition — something those manufacturers weren’t necessarily happy with. Essentially, Formula 1 wants Andretti get its power unit supply situation sorted with General Motors first before coming into the sport.

“In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the Applicant would bring to the Championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM to the sport as a power unit supplier.”

Once upon a time, the only way to explore the world was to actually explore it. Sadly, we can’t spend our entire lives road-tripping for cool things to see, and even if we could, some places aren’t easily spotted at ground level. For example, who knew there were remains of a quarter-mile drag strip hidden by trees in the suburbs of Chicago? We know, thanks to Google Earth. And now, you know too.

Before we go any further, consider yourself warned. What follows could lead to one of the biggest rabbit holes of your life, especially if you hold even a slight interest in cars and racing. Some folks in the Google Earth, Structure, and Anomalies Facebook Group tipped us off to this motorsport-themed virtual adventure of finding old race tracks, and you know what? Searching for these places is as addicting as deep-fried cocaine.

Oval horse tracks are pretty common and they’re sometimes mistaken for old car haunts. But there are some locations that, without question, once enjoyed the sounds of engines and the smell of race fuel. We could spend years searching for them all, but since that’s not practical, join us for a short Google Earth tour. And once you’re addicted (and you will be), jump into the comments with photos and coordinates of old tracks you find.

For now, here are a few to whet your appetite.

Track: Brooklands
Location: Weybridge, England
Coordinates: 51°19’16″N 0°25’47″W

Arguably the most famous ghost track in the world, the last race at Brooklands took place in 1939 (excluding James May’s Scalextric slot car tomfoolery in 2009) but portions of the steeply banked oval still exist today. For that matter, much of the original layout shows through from the air despite considerable development at the site since its glory days.

Track: Mid-America Raceway
Location: Wentzville, Missouri USA
Coordinates: 38°50’48″N 90°54’57″W

This is the track that piqued our interest, recently shared by David Williams in the Google Earth, Structures, and Anomalies Facebook group. Once a 2.8-mile road course with a drag strip, the track closed in 2004 and is now a sprawling subdivision. The southern end of the track is gone, but at the top of the photo, you can see portions of the original pavement still snaking through the landscape.

Track: EG&G Proving Grounds
Location: D’Hanis, Texas USA
Coordinates: 29°24’42″N 99°21’48″W

The remains of this massive oval track are baking in the sun approximately seven clicks northwest of D’Hanis, Texas. This was also shared in the Google Earth Facebook group, but it’s not a race track. After some digging, we found a YouTube video describing the location as a five-mile test facility once used by the now-defunct company Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Inc. The nature of the testing, as well as the current status of the facility, is unknown.

Track: Surfers Paradise International Raceway
Location: Carrara, Queensland Australia,
Coordinates: 28°00’46″S 153°22’25″E

The ring road of this seaside community serves as an outline for the old 2.0-mile road course. The small straight stretch of broken pavement slightly up and right of center (next to the Master Mindset text) is all that remains of the original track, which saw numerous endurance races and was a regular stop for the Australian Touring Car Championship until its closure in 1987.

Paramount Ranch Raceway
Location: Agoura Hills, California USA
Coordinates: 34°07’05″N 118°45’10″W

This one might be difficult to suss out, so we’ve expertly outlined the original 2.0-mile course in red with a bit of help from David Williams, who tipped us off to the track. Several portions still exist, such as the big curve on the lower right and the straightaway. Other stretches are still visible as dirt paths, but the track’s official life only lasted from 1956 through 1957 as it was deemed too dangerous. It lived a second life as a location used for filming through the ’50s and ’60s. Today it’s part of the National Park Service as a historic site.

Dakota Intermountain Dragway
Location: Belle Fourche, South Dakota USA
Coordinates: 44°42’33″N 103°53’41″W

Nestled near the Wyoming border, this quarter-mile drag strip and small oval track used to be called Black Hills Dragway. Dragstriplist.com tells us it opened in 1972 and once had seating for 500 people. The seats and buildings are long gone, but the broken strip still remains … albeit with trees growing through the cracks.

Track: Century 21 Raceways
Location: Aurora, Colorado USA
Coordinates: 39°44’55″N 104°43’46″W

Here’s another oval/drag strip combo, this time found in the shadow of Denver. Aurora is a northern suburb, and according to na-motorsports.com, this small facility had an equally small lifespan from 1971 through 1973. It consisted of a 3/8-mile oval with a figure-eight feature and a quarter-mile drag strip that connected to it, seen here at the bottom of the image. Both clearly show up in the satellite view, but switching to street view shows recent developments in the area that have likely wiped out the broken remains.

Track: Oswego Drag Raceway
Location: Oswego, Illinois
Coordinates: 41°41’10″N 88°23’15″W

Roughly 40 miles west of downtown Chicago is a dense grove of trees hiding the remains of a once-thriving drag strip. Oswego Drag Raceway opened in 1954 and stayed in operation for 25 years, ultimately succumbing to the expansion of the Windy City’s suburbs. Everything but the track itself is gone, though at this point it’s covered by trees and surrounded by subdivisions.

In a move to redefine its image and enter the world of motorsports, Dacia, known for its no-frills affordable vehicles for the masses, has announced its participation in the Dakar Rally and the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) starting in 2025. The brand aims to tackle some of the world’s most challenging terrains with the introduction of its contender, the Sandrider.

Inspired by the 2022 Manifesto concept car, the Romanian brand collaborated with the sporting expertise of Renault Group and UK-based Prodrive to develop the race machine specifically for rally-raids. The prototype, designed with a keen focus on agility and weight in the Ultimate T1+ category, is also the most powerful vehicle in Dacia’s entire history.

Power comes from a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine with a direct injection engine producing 360 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. The mill runs on synthetic fuel, which is a combination of renewable hydrogen and sequestered CO2. A six-speed sequential transmission sends the power to all four wheels. There’s a 17-inch aluminum wheel fitted with a BF Goodrich 37-inch tire on each corner. 

Aerodynamics also played a crucial role in the Sandrider’s development, with engineers achieving a 10 percent reduction in drag and a 40 percent decrease in lift compared to comparable prototypes. The emphasis on heat management in extreme conditions led to the integration of anti-infrared pigments in the carbon body panels filed as a patented process.

The Sandrider is set to undergo extensive development tests in various countries before making its motorsport debut at the Rallye du Maroc 2024, part of the World Rally-Raid Championship. Dacia’s official W2RC team, the Dacia Sandriders, will participate in their first Dakar Rally and other legs of the World Rally-Raid Championship in 2025.

The team has a remarkable lineup of experienced and talented drivers. Sébastien Loeb, a nine-time World Rally Championship winner, will be joined by co-driver Fabian Lurquin. Cristina Gutierrez Herrero, an accomplished cross-country rally driver, and her co-driver Pablo Moreno Huete bring their expertise to the team. Nasser Al-Attiyah, a five-time World Cup winner for Cross-Country Rallies and two-time World Rally-Raid Championship winner, adds a touch of Dakar legend to the roster.

If you watched the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona last weekend, you might’ve seen three cars on the track that, technically speaking, haven’t debuted to the public yet. The new Aston Martin Vantage has yet to be revealed, but the three Vantage GT3 race cars that competed in the iconic endurance event were the new models, racing in plain sight.

Aston Martin isn’t coming out and saying it, but photos of the team’s three cars in action clearly show the new face. The headlights are the biggest the giveaways here; not only are they larger, but if you look closely, they’re still partially disguised. This lines up with the spy photos we’ve seen of street-going prototypes. We can also see a larger grille inhaling air at a prodigious rate.

That massive intake feeds a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, though the exact power output is unknown. GT3 requirements call for an engine having between 500 and 600 horsepower. Presumably, the race car will have as much power as allowed, and we know the V8 is certainly capable of getting there. It makes 671 hp in the production-spec DB12, but the big question is how much power will come to the new Vantage built for the street? We’ll likely have to wait until February 12 to find out.

Speaking of the street car, there will obviously be some exterior differences versus the GT3 model. For example, those wide side mirrors with the big arms aren’t production spec, but they are similar to what we’ve seen on prototypes. The ginormous GT3 wing won’t be there either, and it’s safe to assume the V8’s exhaust won’t exit behind the front wheel. However, the Vantage for the street will be pretty darned wide. Spy photos show some aggressive flare to the fenders, something that was punctuated with the teaser photo released earlier today.

 

Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3 did well at Daytona. Fielding three cars, the team led its GTD Pro class for a bit but just missed the podium, finishing fourth with the no. 23 car. The Ferrari 296 from Risi Competizione took the top spot, followed by AO Racing’s Porsche 911 in second and the BMW M4 from Paul Miller Racing in third.

Aftermarket shop Kies Motorsports invested five years and a whopping $175,000 to build this wicked BMW M3 (F80) project car. When time came to part ways with the super sedan, the New Jersey-based company had it listed for less than half, at $75,000. That sounds like a screaming deal, right? The person who “purchased” the car must’ve thought so, too.

However, things went south four days after the transaction took place. Even though the bank had verified the check before the car changed hands, the money was ultimately withdrawn from the seller’s account. It turned out the cashier’s check was fake. Consequently, Kies Motorsports’ CEO Bryan Kiefer was in quite a predicament as he was left without the money and the car.

Bryan gave the buyer the benefit of the doubt and called him to ask to return the car. Predictably, he didn’t show up at the arranged meeting. That’s when the police were brought in to handle what was at that point a scam and a theft. The officer got in touch with the individual who called himself John Clay on Facebook and asked him to leave the car with the keys inside at an exit on the New Jersey Turnpike. The “buyer” had to text Bryan with the car’s address and then be done with it, without any legal repercussions. Once again, he didn’t show up.

The tricked-out M3 with four-digit horsepower was supposedly in Long Island at that point, but this is where the story really gets interesting. An alleged accomplice texted Ryan to tell him he was driving the car from Virginia back to New Jersey to drop it off. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t happen either. That’s when Kies Motorsports decided to shoot the video above and ask for the community’s help to find the car.

 

Thankfully, there’s a happy ending. A follow-up video posted on Instagram shows the M3 is once again at Kies Motorsports. The identities of those who helped the shop get the car back have not been disclosed for privacy reasons. Ryan says they found it at a “dark address with the car on the side of a building. Very sketchy.”

As for the car itself, the F80 is painted in a Ferrari-esque Individual Rosso Corsa and has a carbon fiber roof. The fully built engine packs a monstrous 1,001 horsepower at the wheels and delivers 809 pound-feet (1,097 Newton-meters) of torque. It’s a 2016MY with 65,000 miles (104,607 kilometers) on the clock. However, the engine has only about 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) after getting a new block, forged pistons, forged rods, and other upgrades.