Maxxd.com – Modified and Performance Car News

  • 2021 Ford Bronco production is underway

    The agonizing wait for reservation holders of Ford’s reborn Bronco is almost over as the first customer examples have rolled off the line at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant and are already on their way to dealerships.

    The plant, located in Wayne, Michigan, has been home to the Bronco since the original launched in 1965, and it’s also home to the Ford Ranger pickup truck, which features an earlier version of the Bronco’s body-on-frame T6 platform. The Ranger will move to the updated platform when it undergoes a redesign later this year.

    Ford invested $750 million in the plant to upgrade it for the new Bronco and future Ranger, adding approximately 2,700 direct jobs in the process. Part of this investment has gone toward constructing a separate modification center where a range of accessories are fitted, such as sport bars, roof racks, graphics packages, and much more. Ford has also added pre-wired switches to the Bronco to make adding electronic accessories easy.

    It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since the 2021 Bronco was first shown. Deliveries were due to start in the spring but supplier delays related to coronovirus shutdowns meant Ford needed to push the start to summer.

    2021 Ford Bronco

    2021 Ford Bronco

    2021 Ford Bronco

    2021 Ford Bronco

    2021 Ford Bronco

    2021 Ford Bronco

    It means some reservation holders already promised their Bronco in 2021 will have to wait until 2022 to receive their vehicles. The delays have also seen manual-equipped Broncos with the Sasquatch package pushed back to the 2022 model year.

    The 2021 Bronco is offered with a base 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 rated at 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque (with premium fuel), and an available 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 with 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Buyers can choose between a 7-speed manual or 10-speed automatic, as well as between two- and four-door body styles. A pickup body style is also a possibility at some point.

    More powertrain options are also coming. A high-performance Raptor-like model has been spotted testing, and Ford has also hinted at a battery-electric version.

    The starting price for the 2021 Bronco is a very reasonable $29,995, including destination.

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  • FORZA HORIZON 5 TRAILER: FORZA GOES TO MEXICO

    Forza Horizon 5, the latest iteration of the fabled Forza franchise, has confirmed its open-world location as Mexico in the upcoming game out in November!

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    Built for next-gen consoles Xbox Series S and X, the new Forza Horizon 5 game takes to southern America and the breath-taking sites of Mexico. The open-world driving game will explore “living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano – the highest point ever in a Horizon game.”

    Forza Horizon 5

    While its been optimised for Xbox Series S and X, users on the older Xbox One generation console will still have the opportunity to play the game, as will PC players.

    Sadly, gameplay is said to operate at 4K @ 30FPS (60FPS in performance mode) for Xbox Series X and 1080p @ 30FPS for the Series S model; given the game was built for the more advanced consoles, you would have expected the option of support for 120FPS for a more fluid and truer gaming experience. That being said, those skies you see in the trailer above is genuine Mexican sky as the team recorded the sky over a 12 hour period in Mexico at 12K resolution.

    Forza Horizon 5

    Thanks to the inclusion of more modifications, you’ll be able to tweak cars to a level you’ve not been able to before on a Forza Horizon game, like the inclusion of 100 new wheel designs, new body kits, paint options and “thousands of performance upgrades”. Sounds promising!

    Forza Horizon 5

    We don’t know how many cars the game is getting but from what we can see in the trailer, you can expect to be driving some epic machinery, from the Mercedes-AMG Project One and McLaren Senna to Ford Broncos and Land Rover Defenders, there’s something for everyone’s taste!

    Forza Horizon 5 officially releases on November 9, although you can get early access from November 5.


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  • Should you use racing oil in your road car?

    Every part of a modern race car is optimized to extract maximum performance—including the fluids that go into it. Specialized racing oil is a must in the paddock, but is it a good idea to use that in your road car?

    “Engineering Explained” host Jason Fenske answers that question in this video, talking to engineers from Mobil1 (which also sponsored the video), engine builder Roush Yates Engines, and NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing.

    First off, Fenske emphasizes that racing engines don’t have much in common with road-car engines. Pushrod V-8s like the ones used in NASCAR disappeared from the average American car decades ago, and racing engines in general have a very different duty cycle. They’re flogged (a NASCAR V-8 can rev to 10,000 rpm and spend 90% to 95% of a race at full throttle), but also have fairly short maintenance intervals. NASCAR engines have their oil changed about every 500 miles and are only expected to last about 1,500 miles, Fenske noted.

    Ford Mustang NASCAR Xfinity Series race car

    Ford Mustang NASCAR Xfinity Series race car

    NASCAR oil is also fairly unrestricted (rules can vary by race series), giving teams more leeway to look for competitive advantages, Fenske said. Teams tend to use thinner-weight oils to reduce frictional losses and maximize power. That’s not great for longevity but, remember, the engine only needs to last 1,500 miles. Road-car engines, on the other hand, are expected to last hundreds of thousands of miles, so that kind of tradeoff isn’t possible.

    Racing oils and road-car oils do have some commonalities, though. They use a lot of the same additives, such as detergents, dispersants, anti-foaming agents, antioxidants, and rust inhibitors, Fenske noted.

    However, the difference is in the details. Oils used for road cars are designed to meet a long list of regulations and requirements set down by individual automakers. In NASCAR where, again, rules governing oil are fairly loose, teams can optimize an oil for one specific engine design. It’s really that process that makes racing oil work, and it’s just not practical for individual road cars. Unless you have your own laboratory and a lot of patience, at least.

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