Racing driver Andy Wallace climbed into a McLaren F1 in 1998 wearing a helmet, a button-down shirt, and a calculator watch. He then drove the British supercar to a top speed of 391 km/h (242.9 mph) on the famous banked testing track at Ehra-Lessien in Germany. Speed records typically require that runs be made in…
Less than 100 examples of the Confederate Wraith B210 were built during its limited production run, and it was the first motorcycle to roll out of the company’s new premises in Birmingham, Alabama after their original location was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Confederate Motorcycles was founded in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by…
The new Suus 3066 Road Denim Motorcycle Jeans are made from 14oz ARMALITH UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) denim that’s both incredibly abrasion resistant, and breathable. UHMWPE materials are highly resistant to rubbing, tearing, and penetrating objects, and they have a higher level of mechanical resistance than either Kevlar or Cordura. The material is now being used…
It’s difficult to imagine Ducati without their trademark desmodromic engines, but before Fabio Taglioni implemented an early triple camshaft desmodromic design on the 1956 Trialbero Racer, all Ducatis used conventional springs to close their valves. For the uninitiated, a desmodromic engine uses a camshaft to both open and close the valves, rather then relying on a…
CERV I (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle) was developed by Corvette icon Zora Arkus-Duntov, with design work by Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine. It was created as an open-wheeled testbed to assist with engineering for the Corvette that had the wheels, tires, and suspension visible to engineers at all times. In order to maximise forces going through…
Robert “Rocketman” Maddox has been building pulsejet-powered vehicles since the 1990s, and is now considered one of the world’s foremost experts on pulsejet design and construction. Robert first became interested in pulsejets after taking up skydiving, and becoming curious about the mysterious engines that powered the German V-1 buzz bombs during the Second World War….
What’s Under Your Hood? is a ’70s era instructional film that does a remarkably good job of explaining how an engine works, as well as explaining the internal workings of the gearbox, differential, and braking system. At just 10 minutes in length, it’s an excellent introduction to how it all works for those who might…
The Vanguard Roadster is a new low production volume motorcycle designed and built in New York, that’s due to go on sale in 2018 for $29,995 USD. At its heart, the Vanguard Roadster utilises a modified S&S X-Wedge Engine, which is used as a stressed member to both reduce kerb weight and improve rigidity. The…
The Tucker 48 is unquestionably one of the most beloved American cars of all time. The story of its development, production, and downfall are the thing of legend – and it’s a story known by many thanks to the Francis Ford Coppola film Tucker: The Man and His Dream starring Jeff Bridges. Preston Tucker named…
Bandit 9 is a custom motorcycle garage that can lay claim to building genuinely unique bikes – a rare thing in and of itself. The head of Bandit 9 is Daryl Villanueva, a designer and custom builder who started the company in Beijing, before moving it to Vietnam. The EDEN series of Honda Supersport-based bikes takes…
The Lola F1R is the result of a bet between Lola engineers about whether it was possible to build something close to a Formula 1 car, that would be UK road registrable. The UK has notoriously finicky road restrictions, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that southern England has more motorsport engineering companies than…
In the twenties and thirties overhead valve engines were well known to be more efficient and consequently more powerful than either side-valve engines or the hybrid “F-head” with its overhead inlet and side exhaust valve. Overhead valve engines were the province of motor-sport performance engines where power was at a premium and maintenance could be…
