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Yeah, Jonathan Ward gets plenty of ink, video views, and time with Jay Leno. Why? Because his shop, Icon, keeps producing nasty things like this: a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL powered by a GM LS9 supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The LS9 is the engine installed in the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and is rated at 638 horsepower in the GM Performance Parts catalog as a crated unit. The engine is backed by a massaged GM 4L85E four-speed automatic transmission. The car will make its debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week.Here’s a clip of this warped transatlantic conglomeration through a nearby tunnel and along a few roads. It doesn’t sound much like an old Mercedes.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.ICON Derelict Mercedes 300 SEL, MODIFIED with an LS9 SUPERCHARGED!!Watch onWard has produced this thing as part of his “Derelict” line of customs that retains the weathered appearance of older vehicles while stuffing them full of modern performance pieces and adding the luxury plucks to go with their $450,000 (to start) price tags.From the C/D ArchiveEven though the W108 and W109 series of large Mercedes sedans (built between 1965 and 1972) are renowned as the base for the epic 300SEL 6.3, it’s not a structure with the strength to handle this much thump. After all, the 6.3’s M100 big 6.3-liter V-8 was only rated at 247 horsepower when the car went on sale for 1968. So the LS9 has it beat by almost 400 horsey powers.Icon 4x4So, as Icon does with many Derelicts, it has been fitted with a custom ladder frame produced by Art Morrison Enterprises in Fife, Washington, that is fitted with an all-independent suspension system, rack-and-pinion steering, massive Brembo brakes, and loads of expensive stainless steel fittings. The new frame meant re-engineering the entire structure of the vehicle, originally built as a unibody, including a new floor.Perhaps the tastiest element of the car’s appearance is the one-piece billet aluminum wheels fitted with tires that squeeze under the fenders almost erotically. Yeah, that’s right, erotically.Icon 4x4Ward is known for his obsessive attention to intricate details, and the 300SEL is filled with them. New wood trim, some sort of super stealthy mega-sound system, heated this, ventilated that, it’s all carefully here and carefully hidden.How fast is this thing? Let’s go to Jonathan Ward’s shop in verdant Chatsworth, California, and find out. Soon.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The FIA WEC Endurance Championship Hypercar class continues to grow, now with the addition of a newly developed Ferrari race car. After announcing in February 2021 that it would join the class that replaced LMP1, Ferrari has revealed its entry, the 499P. The 499P will enter competition as a Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) type and represents Ferrari’s return to the top tier of endurance racing some 50 years after the 312P’s last run. Ferrari tooks the wraps off its newly developed Le Mans Hypercar racer at Imola today, signaling its return to top-class endurance racing, and we were there as the automaker revealed the 499P. The public will see it in action in a matter of months, as it will contest the 1000 Miles of Sebring, which takes place in mid-March 2023. Since it’s an LMH type, Ferrari was able to develop its own chassis for the 499P, as opposed to the LMDh types in the same class whose chassis must come from either Dallara, Multimatic, Ligier, or Oreca. The 499P meets the class’s balance of performance standards by topping out at a combined 670 horsepower, and though LMH type rules do not mandate a hybrid system like those for LMDh, it does have one. And unlike LMDh cars, the 499P is allowed to be four-wheel drive, with an Xtrac seven-speed sequential transmission sending power from the gas engine to the rear wheels while a differential splits torque from the single ratio electric motor up front. The 499P derives its name in the Ferrari racing tradition, referencing the displacement of its 2992-cc twin-turbocharged V-6, which shares the architecture of that found in the 296GT3 but has been reworked not only to reduce weight but to fulfill its unique role as a load-bearing piece of the 499P’s structure. The electric motor at the front axle is powered by a 900-volt battery pack, charged by Ferrari’s Energy Recovery System (ERS), which recharges during deceleration and braking and requires no external power source. The hybrid system in the 499P is purpose-built for the car but was heavily influenced by technology used in Ferrari’s Formula 1 program. Speaking to the assembled press, the head of GT racing car design and development, Ferdinando Cannizzo, laid out how the various Ferrari racing programs contributed to the 499P’s development; that while technically it’s much more of an F1 car in the design of its chassis and aero, it was the GT side that had the heaviest impact on the final car—that they’re essentially from “the same book.”Intensive Regimen of TestingCannizzo also spoke of the intense testing regimen that has brought the 499P along so quickly—or not so quickly, as the case may be. While it was just over a year between the February 2021 announcement of Ferrari’s LMH program and initial track testing, Cannizzo said the team had its initial concept running in the simulator some three months earlier, in December 2020. Lots of simulator time—before and after each track test, a full season’s worth of virtual lap time, as well as bringing two prototypes to track days focusing on performance and reliability—helped get the 499P where it is so quickly. So did testing along Ferrari’s GT teams, as well as a 488 (presumably either a GT3 or GTE) running alongside as a reference. While dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June is undoubtedly a priority, the 499P is slated to make its racing debut on this side of the Atlantic first, with the 2023 1000 Miles of Sebring this coming March.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Established in 1967, Flex Automotive has a chain of 50 dealerships across Japan, taking modern Toyotas and giving them retro looks. Now the company is coming stateside.Launching in San Diego, Flex will offer 1990s and 2000s Toyota Land Cruisers backdated to look like the FJ60 of the 1980s. There will also be a new U.S.-only offering based on the Tacoma pickup.The creations are called “Renocas,” an appealing blend of up-to-date underpinnings and nostalgia.Nobody does nostalgia quite like the Japanese. At first, it was Nissan with its quirky little Pike Factory cars. Then it was Japanese dealerships keeping the original Rover Mini on sale until 2000. Oddball coachbuilder Mitsuoka currently has a full order list for its Buddy, a Toyota RAV4 gussied up like a 1980s K5 Blazer. Now, a bit of that blend of old and new is headed to this side of the Pacific. Flex AutomotiveFounded in the late 1960s, Flex Automotive now runs a large chain of dealerships in Japan, each one specializing in either the Toyota Land Cruiser or the Toyota Hiace (a minivan not sold here). These are boutique shops, where customers come in and spec their Toyota carefully, creating something that looks old but drives new.Flex AutomotiveYou can obliterate the day’s productivity with the company’s online car configurator. It’s endless fun, although, sadly, the likes of the friendly-looking Euro Box are not available in the U.S. But the Land Cruiser options will be.Flex is opening up its first U.S. dealership in San Diego this winter, where it will be perfectly situated to part tech workers from their cash. What could better suit a 20-year-old with a six-figure salary than a weekend adventure machine that looks like a 1980s Land Cruiser, but is essentially brand-new underneath?The conversions—called Renoca for “car renovation”—are high-quality affairs, using steel rather than fiberglass. Flex’s Wonder evokes the details of the 1980s Land Cruiser models based on a 1990s platform, while its 106 applies that same ethos to a 1999 to 2007 Land Cruiser. The centerpiece for both is the front fascia, with its simple grille and round headlights.Flex AutomotiveThe company has also announced an upcoming Tacoma-based offering, which will be its first U.S.-only vehicle. No details yet, but based on Flex’s established recipe, expect the elements of Marty McFly’s black Toyota pickup applied to a more modern truck.Cult FollowingToyota pulled the Land Cruiser from the U.S. market, with the last run being the 2021 model year. Prices for used ones are through the roof already, which makes Flex’s boutique offering well timed. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but it should be in the range of $20,000 plus the cost of a donor car. It’s not quite the Singer of Land Cruisers, but it is a really cool way to get the brand-new golden-era Toyota truck of your dreams.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Unlike most states, which have a department or committee that approves custom plates, Maine has no approval process. Drivers took advantage, printing out plates with any and all obscenities you could think of. That’s about to change, according to the Associated Press. Maine has begun to issue recall notices to people with obscene or offensive plates in an effort to clean up the streets, AP reports. The notices are going out to enforce a new set of rules established by the state’s DMV last year. Plate SpecialsThe rules ban derogatory references to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, or disability. They also ban language that’s considered profane or obscene, and language that could incite violence. To give you an idea of just how obscene some of these plates can be, there is currently a license plate on a car in Maine that simply reads “F*** Y0U,” except on the plate, it’s spelled out in its entirety, according to Autoblog. A committee has been set up at the Maine DMV to review any custom plate requests going forward. The committee will also be responsible for handling complaints from the public on current plates. AP reports there are roughly 124,000 custom plates on the road in Maine right now, though only about 400 of those could be subject to recall by the state. So if you live in Maine and have an offensive license plate, don’t be surprised if you see a letter in the mail asking to give it up. This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The 2023 Nissan Ariya EV has been transformed into a woody-style concept called the Surfwagon that’ll debut at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas.To our eyes, the Surfwagon’s wood-panel vinyl wrap and huge brightly colored spokeless rims with whitewall tires don’t mesh well. Nissan wants the Surfwagon to encourage electric-vehicle customization, which is great, but we think this concept is a weird one.Some things just don’t go together well. Oil and water, dumb people and scientific facts, and chunky electric SUVs with fake wood side panels. The latter example is the only one that’s relevant here, and it describes the 2023 Nissan Ariya Surfwagon concept that’s set to debut at this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association show (now known as just SEMA).NissanWe’re gonna be blunt here. The woody-inspired Surfwagon concept that Nissan commissioned South Carolina-based Tommy Pike Customs to build looks weird. After all, the electric Ariya’s tall and bulbous shape isn’t exactly an attractive canvas to work with. Perhaps that’s why its wood-panel vinyl wrap looks so out of place to our eyes. It’s mostly the unnatural way the simulated wood trim pieces bend and break around the SUV’s body.NissanUsually, a set of whitewall tires mounted on brightly painted spokeless rims is a pairing that catches our attention. The Surfwagon’s wheel-and-tire combo definitely makes our jaw drop, just not in a good way. The 20-inch wheels have too much dish and the tires have too little whitewall, creating a strange aesthetic. We think it’d look better with smaller-diameter rims and fatter rubber with thicker whitewalls.Ariyas That Are Easier to Look AtObviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nissan intends for the Ariya Surfwagon to encourage people to customize electric vehicles. Hey, we’re all for creativity and individuality, but that doesn’t mean we have to think this concept is pretty. We do think the roof rake for surfboards and the lowered suspension are nice touches, so there’s that.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

For the 2022 SEMA show, Nissan is presenting a 1987 Sunny pickup with an EV conversion done by Tommy Pike Customs.The Sunny now utilizes the 40-kWh battery and 147-hp electric motor from a Nissan Leaf.Completing the Leaf-powered Sunny’s look are 17-inch Rotiform wheels, a widebody kit, and a livery inspired by 1970s Datsun race cars.At last year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, Ford revealed the F-100 Eluminator concept, a 1978 pickup retrofitted with two electric motors from the Mustang Mach-E GT that married old-school looks with 480 horsepower and 634 pound-feet of torque. For the 2022 edition of SEMA, Nissan follows a similar path, electrifying a classic truck design, albeit with much less power, by shoving a Nissan Leaf powertrain into a 1987 Sunny. NissanThe truck, modified by South Carolina–based Tommy Pike Customs, uses a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery from a base Leaf S, paired with the single motor that’s good for 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. That may not sound like a lot, but the Sunny is a small vehicle, and it has approximately twice as much power and three times as much torque as the car’s original gas engine produced. Nissan doesn’t say where the electric motor is mounted on the Sunny, but we hope it powers the rear wheels. The electrified pickup apparently retains the original manual transmission too, although Nissan doesn’t explain exactly how that works. It also receives the front suspension from a first-generation Nissan 240SX, along with heavy-duty rear leaf springs.More Electrified ClassicsThe Sunny looks fantastic thanks to a wide-body kit that accentuates its squared-off design, as well as a red, white, and blue livery that pays homage to Datsuns raced by Brock Racing Enterprises in the 1970s. LED headlights give the ’80s classic a modern look, while the 17-inch Rotiform wheels take inspiration from vintage motorsports. For now, the Leaf-powered Sunny remains a one-off, but maybe Nissan will start offering electric crate motors similar to what Ford does with its Eluminator powertrain.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More