Tag: Evergreen

  • 2021 Ram 1500 TRX strapped to dyno, puts out 583 hp at the rear wheels

    The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX boasts a factory-quoted 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, but that’s as measured at the crank, not the wheels. Hennessey Performance Engineering tried to measure how much power the TRX makes at the wheels by strapping one to a dyno, but only ran numbers for the rear wheels.

    The dyno test showed 538 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. That represents around 17% driveline loss, which isn’t unusal for a pickup truck. Hennessey previously recorded 20% driveline loss at the rear wheels when it tested a 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor.

    The TRX is full-time four-wheel drive, so you might be wondering how Hennessey got dyno results for the rear wheels only. Company founder John Hennessey told Motor Authority that four-wheel drive was temporarily disabled by disconnecting the front driveshaft.

    2021 Hennessey Mammoth 1000 1500 TRX

    2021 Hennessey Mammoth 1000 1500 TRX

    While the TRX was designed for off-roading, the amount of power produced by its 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V-8 makes this truck pretty quick on pavement. Ram says it will do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

    Inevitably, that wasn’t enough for Hennessey. The company has developed more powerful versions of every Hellcat-powered vehicle, and it’s doing the same with the TRX. Dubbed the Mammoth 1000, Hennessey claims its take on the TRX will boast 1,000 hp, will do 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and run the quarter mile in 11.4 seconds.

    To achieve those numbers, Hennessey plans to equip the Mammoth 1000 with an upgraded supercharger, pulley, and air intake, stainless-steel headers, high-flow exhaust piping (retaining the catalytic converter), and new engine mapping. The price for the complete truck is $135,350, and Hennessey only plans to build 200 this year.

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  • How to protect everything with paint protection film

    If you want to keep your car’s paint looking new, paint protection film is a great option. The name is pretty self-explanatory, but this video from Ammo NYC founder and car-detailing evangelist Larry Kosilla shows just how versatile this material can be.

    It turns out you can use paint protection film on more than just cars. Kosilla starts out with the cabinet tops in his garage, which are prone to damage from regular use. This first step is to dust and measure the surface. Kosilla uses Xpel, which makes pre-cut kits for everything from cars to iPhones, but also sells material by the foot and in non-standard sizes.

    The film adheres to surface with an application gel, while a top-surface “slip agent” and a squeegee are used to get it into position and iron out lumps. While the surface is still wet, it’s also possible to remove any dust that you might have missed before. That’s important, as any leftover particles will create bumps in the film.

    Ammo NYC paint protection film video screenshot

    Ammo NYC paint protection film video screenshot

    When applying the film, it’s a good idea to have some extra material in case of mistakes, Kosilla said. That excess material will have to be trimmed away, and the best way to do that is to score the cut line with a razor blade, and then peel the material away like a zipper, he added. Scoring rather than cutting straight through avoids disfiguring the material.

    You can apply these basic techniques to all kinds of surfaces, Kosilla said. For example, Xpel makes a kit for the Porsche Macan that covers not only exterior surfaces, but also interior lights, the trim piece that surrounds the shifter, door and dashboard trim, and even the face of the clock on Sport Chrono Package models.

    If you’re car-detailing perfectionist, Kosilla has plenty of other how-to videos, from small jobs like removing scratches from door handles and interior trim, to installing a vinyl wrap.

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  • Should the C8 Chevrolet Corvette look more like a Corvette?

    As the first production mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette, the C8 broke new ground for the sports car. But does the C8 actually look like a Corvette? Hot rodder Chip Foose doesn’t think so, and he offered his opinion on how to improve the design in a video posted to YouTube.

    Foose said one of things he liked most about the Corvette was the clear evolution of its design over the first seven generations. That abruptly ended with the C8, as the proportions were completely changed to accommodate an engine behind the driver.

    A mid-engine layout brings significant performance benefits, which helped the C8 win Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy award, but it also erased the Corvette’s heritage, according to Foose, who believes the C8 is too generic looking, and too easily confused with other mid-engine cars like the Acura NSX.

    Chip Foose draws the Chevrolet Corvette C8

    Chip Foose draws the Chevrolet Corvette C8

    Foose’s solution, as laid out in a sketch, takes more styling cues from the previous-generation C7 Corvette. Foose used the front-fender vents from the C7, flipping them around to serve as air intakes for the mid-mounted engine. Foose’s version also has more pronounced rear haunches and a longer hood, linking it more closely to the C7 and continuing that evolutionary line.

    That design DNA may soon get stretched to its limits, if reports that Chevy is mulling a Corvette-badged electric SUV prove true. That would take advantage of General Motors’ new Ultium battery system, and give Chevy a competitor to the Ford Mustang Mach-E but, as far as we know, the plan hasn’t been approved.

    The traditional Corvette could also go electric eventually, as part of GM’s “aspiration” to eliminate tailpipes from its passenger-car lineup by 2035. That would certainly open up a lot of design possibilities.

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