Japanese Kei trucks turned into mobile gardens

For Japan, the world of car customization is an anything goes environment. You have the amazing lights and sounds of the crazy Lamborghini club. There’s the Dajiban side of things. And then, of course, you have Bosozoku and Dekotora. A more recent trend that seems to be gaining traction, according to Spoon-Tamago.com, is to use a kei truck as a mobile garden.

In fact, there are contests arising for these kei truck gardens and the entires are amazing. You’ll find landscaping contractors devoted to their art and willing to build these rolling business cards in an effort to share their passion and skill.

We have a few more to share after the jump, but head over to Spoon-Tamago to see the rest.

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Hooniverse Asks: What’s the best “driving experience” out there?

This Sunday, I’m heading south of the border. Down in Ensenada I’ll be strapping myself into an off-road buggy on an adventure led by the Wide Open Baja crew. I played around with these machines a few years back when BFGoodrich invited Hooniverse to Baja to sample the then-new KO2 tire. Now I’m heading back because I’ve had these buggies on my mind ever since that trip. I believe this might just be the best driving experience event you’ll find.

Others exist, certainly. If you’re itching to rip off a few laps at a race track behind the wheel of a supercar, a number of outfits exist that allow you to do just that. Maybe you’re looking to learn how to drift? We can personally vouch for the quality of the Drift 101 driving school.  There are stunt driving experiences, sports car drives, and a number of other events out there to satiate your desire to drive something different.

For me, Wide Open offers a chance to truly experience something a real competitor in Baja goes through. Well, a taste of it anyway. These are the same trails, and you’re driving a fully legal class of vehicle. You will never experience Le Mans and the Mulsanne Straight. You might get to the ‘Ring, but you won’t ever drive it at night. With a Wide Open buggy though, this is pretty damn close to the real thing… the dust is the same, the glory is what you make of it. (Yes, I’m likely to use a similar line in the video we shoot while down in Mexico)

If it were your money, which driving experience do you think ranks amongst the best out there?

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Here’s the full timed shootout at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed

If you haven’t been able to tell, we love the Goodwood Festival of Speed. For those of you who do not however, don’t worry as this is likely our last post of the 2018 event. But it’s a good one, as Goodwood have released video showing the entire shootout portion of the event.

This is when the top 25 or so vehicles and drivers give the hill all they’ve got. Only one can be crowned the victor, and you have a 52 minute video ahead of you to see who does just that.

Or you can skip ahead to the final run if you’d like. After all, most of us don’t have an hour to spare in the middle of the day. But do come back and watch the whole thing when you can… because it makes for an entertaining viewing experience.

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Hooniverse Asks: What’s the greatest 24 Hours of LeMons car of all time?

Of all the great shitbox race cars on the planet, you certainly have to have one that stands out in your head as an all-time great. While I love the car shown above, our very own Überbird, it doesn’t sit as my all-time favorite machine to run at a 24 Hours of LeMons event.

There have been so many greats though, and one that sticks out for me is the Lincoln Town Car limo that was done up to resemble the Titanic. A pair of support cars were built to resemble ice bergs. As I drove away from the track during the evening, I could see the smoke stacks and a string of lights as the Titanic limo continued to turn laps at Buttonwillow.

Another car on my list would be The Homer. The execution on that car was unreal. In fact, it was so well done that the team and car were invited to Fox studios to meet the creators of the Simpsons.

What LeMons “race car” is your favorite? Sound off below.

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That’s not gone well: Lister-Jaguar munches on some Goodwood hay

Lord March’s driveway is seeing its fare share of action today, and not all of it is joyful. Earlier we showed you what happens when a NASCAR Toyota Tundra understeers a bit too far. Now you get to see the end result of a four-wheel lockup in a 1958 Lister-Jaguar.

(And click past the jump for a bonus video from the original Race of Two Worlds)

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Bill Goldberg understeers his NASCAR Toyota Tundra into the hay at Goodwood

Bill Goldberg loves him some powerful automobiles. Recently, the former professional wrestler has been seen all over Southern California enjoying his green Dodge Demon. Now Goldberg has trekked to Goodwood to take in the Festival of Speed… and we mean really take it in.

Goldberg owns a former NASCAR Craftsman Toyota Tundra. In fact, I believe this is the same truck that Mike Skinner used to absolutely blitz the hill back in 2016. Bill himself jumped behind the wheel, and the heavy hitter was hitting the throttle with all his might.

You could hear that Goldberg was on it, and working to set a quick time… until the nose of the truck needed a snack of hay bales. After making it past the famed flint wall, the track leads to a tight final series of turns. That’s where Goldberg pushed a bit wide and was collected by the hay.

The hit doesn’t look too devastating and we hope Bill and his team can get the truck back into shape to make some more runs throughout the weekend.

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This is what a 900 horsepower Dodge Viper does at Goodwood

Ireland and America have joined forces to destroy the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Well, not really… but the duo will put on one hell of a show. Ireland is represented by Formula Drift pro Dean Kearney. The American side of the equation is Kearney’s ridiculous 900 horsepower Dodge Viper.

What started life as a road-racing Viper has been transformed into a slideways leviathan. Here, Dodge’s V10 engine has been tweaked to produce the aforementioned 900+ horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. It’s done by way of JE Pistons, Magnaflow headers, and an OS Giken flyhweel that whips the revs into a flurry. All the action is modulated by a four-speed gearbox and Kearney’s fast feet.

Over the years, the car has seen different styles, but I am currently in love with the almost comical roof scoop. It’s like an anime version of what you’d find on an older WRC car. But it makes sense on a Viper, because the Viper is a cartoon version of a real car anyway.

Click play and watch the car slide all over Lord March’s driveway.

[EDIT: Apparently it’s twin-turbocharged and fitted with nitrous, so it makes over 1,110 horsepower. Jesus…]

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McLaren looks to the future with its Track25 plan
A future with more models and total hybridization

McLaren is leading the changeover from a global horsepower war to one focused on cutting weight. The British automaker is primed to open its new McLaren Composites Technology Center (MCTC), which will increase the amount of light-yet-strong materials that Woking’s finest will have on hand. It’s all part of McLaren’s just announced Track25 plan for the future.

The meatiest points involve exponential growth of lineup and a focus on total hybridization. Between now and 2025, McLaren will introduce 18 new models (or derivatives). Its Sports and Super Series cars will be filled out with all models packed with hybrid powertrains.

Another bright bit of news is that McLaren will launch the successor to the P1 within this time frame as well. Sure, the Senna is here but that’s much more focused on decimating lap times. With the P1 successor, McLaren will offer hyper car performance while delivering a vehicle that’s still a proper road car.

It’s an ambitious plan, but one we’re keen to keep an eye on. As McLaren ramps up its composite production, and leads the way to added lightness, we hope other automakers follow along. Mazda is always looking to remove poundage from its MX-5. Ford and Chevy would be wise to find ways to reduce the mass of their lineups. Everyone out there needs to make lighter vehicles.

This will ease the demands of and need for overpowered engines. A lighter vehicle, quite simply, needs less motivation to move. You’ll then find an enjoyable machine to operate, while it requires less fuel to do so.

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A true Benz beauty pops up on Bring-A-Trailer

Now that’s a properly wonderful color combination. Dark green on the outside paired with deep tan on the inside. It’s downright delicious, and this 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL wears it oh so well. The car has just been listed for sale on Bring-A-Trailer, and it should fetch a nice chunk of change for the seller.

This M130-packing green machine lived with the same family for decades. Purchased new back in 1969, it was sold to a family friend in 2014. Now four years later it’s ready for sale. And it hasn’t traveled far to get here, considering the odometer shows just 38,114 miles.

The paint looks fantastic. The interior is equally appealing, and the engine bay is pristine.

How much will this one fetch? Don’t be shocked to see bidding top $30k when it’s all over.

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Truck Thursday: Did you watch Truck Wars on History?

No, the above sweet-ass F100 wasn’t on the show… but my mug appeared a number of times.

Truck Wars is a special on the History channel that examines the history of the pickup here in the States. The focus is heavy on the battle between Ford and Chevy, and then Ram comes along towards the end. In the middle, there’s also a discussion on Jeep as well.

I’m one of the talking heads picked to share some knowledge on the subject. You should see a few other familiar faces as well, such as Jalopnik’s Jason Torchinsky and Ezra Dyer.

Did you watch the show? If so, what did you think? Personally, I wish it dove a bit into the affect that smaller Japanese import trucks had on reforming the market towards the end of the 1970s. Regardless, there was a good bit of information presented including the section on August Fruehauf and his invention of the semi trailer.

If you didn’t watch the show, you can catch it On Demand or through History’s website (if you have a cable subscription… or a login for someone else’s cable subscription).

The best part of it all? I believe I was the only person who snuck in a swear, albeit a bleeped one.

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