Up To Speed (2017)

Cosworth is solely responsible for arguably some of the coolest ever: the Ford Cosworth RS200, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, the Mercedes-Benz 190E Cosworth, Chevrolet Vega, the freakin’ Audi RS4, and a long list of Cosworth powered racing cars from rally to Formula 1. So how in the world did a small British company establish itself as a performance powerhouse that is still working with companies such as Aston Martin, helping develop one of the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engines ever?

Cadillac is a name we typically associate with luxury, expensive stuff, and old people. But in 2004 GM set out to give the Cadillac brand a new look, one that would appeal to young people, still be luxurious, but be capable of doing donuts. Caddy went to the drawing board and decided to give America a new luxury sedan, the CTS. It did not take long before Cadillac decided to go toe to toe with Mercedes-Benz’s performance division, AMG, and BMW’s M division. Cadillac took the V8 out of the C5 Z06 Vette and threw in the CTS … which they now had named the CTS-V. But what happened next?

The Nürburgring has gone by many names over the years, but none are as accurate as “The Green Hell”. This legendary track has a reputation for being brutal and unforgiving, it is the very track that scared Niki Lauda forever, and the same track that allowed Ayrton Senna to show the world his talent. Everyone from BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and the list goes on and on … they all test at the Nurburgring to see who takes home the title of the fastest car around “The Ring.” The track also attracts thousands of enthusiasts every year, all looking to test their abilities behind the wheel, yet this has resulted in millions of crash videos. The Nurburgring even offers its guests the chance to sit in the passenger seat of proper race cars piloted by seasoned drivers in order to experience the track at its finest. So what exactly is it that the Nurburgring has that it draws OEM manufacturers, custom builders, and speed freaks from all over the world? Ohh yeah and did we mention that this “track” is also a toll road? This is everything you need to get up to speed on the world’s fastest and craziest toll road/race track!

There are motorcycles and there is Ducati. There is a very good reason that Ducati is the largest Italian motorcycle manufacturer to date. Ducati grew from a small company in Bologna Italy to a powerhouse creating barely road-legal motorcycles like the Ducati Panigale V4 R and Desmocedicci. In the world of racing, Ducati has been a key contender in MotoGP, WSBK, the AMA, and even at the Isle of Man TT. Setting Ducati’s apart from the likes of Yamaha, Suzuki, and BMW to name a few there are staple bike features unique to the Italian stallions. Ducati bikes have some of the best styling cues on anything with two wheels, you then pair that to the Ducati L-twin engine or the V4 motor now used in production bikes to get some of the best sounding engines … not to forget the Ducati dry clutch and single-sided swingarm that really make their bikes stand out. But Ducati did not start out by making motorcycles, in fact the first product to bear the Ducati name did not even have an engine. This is everything you need to know to get Up To Speed on Ducati and Ducati motorcycles.

The Ford Fox Body Mustang, one of the most iconic American muscle cars of the 70's and 80's. From SVO to the 5.0, Saleen Super Car to the SVT Cobra, McLaren M81 to the GT350, the fox body Ford Mustang is one of America’s most beloved muscle cars. Equally at home on the race track as it is on the drag strip, this is the story of an almost infinitely tunable platform for speed. This is everything you need to know to get Up To Speed on The Foxbody Mustang.

Ken Miles was the reason Carroll Shelby found success on the track with his Shelby Cobras, and why Ford beat Ferrari with their GT40’s in the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans. From driving tanks on the beaches of Normandy, to running his own mechanic shop, Miles was known to do things his way. He built his own winning MG's and raced Porsche 550 Spyder's to podium after podium. His skills led him to becoming Carroll Shelby's Chief Test Driver and he was just getting started. So how did Miles go from being a high school drop out to almost being the first driver to ever win the Triple Crown? Join James as he gets you Up to Speed on Mr. Sidebite himself. This is everything you need to know on Ken Miles!

The Acura Legend lived up to its name and proved that Acura knew how to build a great car. They challenged luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes, showing everyone that you don’t need to spend a ton, to get a ton. From turbos, all wheel drive, to crazy hybrid systems, the Acura Legend crossed the pond and became an actual Legend.

The story of the BMW 8 Series begins with the BMW M1 mid engined supercar. While that car was a bit of a failure for BMW, it had a strong influence on the company’s future. Shortly after the groundbreaking 635CSI, BMW went even nuttier and built the V12 powered E31 850i. Not to be outdone by themselves, BMW made an EVEN NUTTIER coupe, the 850CSI. McLaren used the same engine in the McLaren F1! Join James as he explores the 8 Series’ awesome history, ending with the amazing G15 8 Series, and the mighty M8!

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is America’s most hated, retro styled, uber-utilitarian car that also sold millions of units. With roots in the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler, the PT Cruiser had a surprisingly advanced development that involved virtual reality and later featured some of the craziest models. Everything from a limited edition Brian Setzer SEMA car to Chrysler’s own PT Cruiser Turbo GT. If you thought the PT Cruiser was dumb, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!