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Jeep Grand Cherokee: MotorTrend’s 1993 Truck of the Year
The MotorTrend ’93 Truck of the Year competition proved that intensity isn’t a function of quantity. Although only three trucks answered the call this year, there was no shortage of talent. Each entrant is a standout in its own class. The Ford Ranger, for instance, has been the best-selling compact pickup in America for the last six years. The Isuzu Trooper is the all-time sales champ for import SUVs. And the Jeep Grand Cherokee, of course, is Chrysler’s sequel to the popular Cherokee, the vehicle that almost single-handedly built the four-door SUV segment. Naturally, other new trucks were introduced over the past year. But the new Land Rover Range Rover County LWB and Defender SUVs, and Chevrolet and GMC turbodiesel extended-cab pickups couldn’t meet...
Buick’s Big, Bad V-8 Engines: The Nailhead, 430, 400, 455, and More
When Buick replaced its overhead-valve inline-eight in 1953, the Nailhead became the company’s first pushrod V-8. The engine took its name from the small valve covers mounted on top of the heads. Under the valve covers, the vertically mounted valves created an almost hemispherical combustion chamber. With a massively oversquare design (4-inch bore, 3.2-inch stroke), the Nailhead liked to rev. Combined a narrow design and good torque, early hot rodders in the 1950s found favor with the Nailhead. See all 6 photos The head design ultimately created exhaust-flow problems, but those first Nailhead tinkerers tried all manner of fuel-and-air delivery. From Strombergs to four-barrels to triple-twos, the Nailhead saw it all. Of all the Nailhead tuners in the world, none could be more popular ...
Why Access to Technology is Critical for Farmers in Africa
The African continent is home to an estimated 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, an abundance of fresh water and about 300 days of sunshine each year, according to the World Economic Forum. However, the reality is that the agriculture industry is mostly made up of the older African generation — who often discourage their children from working with the land. So despite seemingly ideal farming conditions, African nations spend close to $65 billion importing food — a number that is expected to grow exponentially within the next decade. The African Development Bank (ABD) believes that this is unsustainable and unaffordable — noting that the secret to the continent’s economic viability and growth is to equip farmers, as well as the next-generation, with training, advice an...
Sweet 16 (Cylinders): Three V-16 Classic Cars Hit the Auction Block
Sick of the wheezy four-cylinder in your family commuter? We don’t blame you. With gas still (relatively) cheap and internal combustion still legal, it just might be time to let your quarantine-length hair down and upsize to something a bit more Jurassic. We say skip the Scat Pack and to hell with the Bimmer V-12; it’s time to quadruple your cylinders with one of three V-16 flavors available at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Arizona sale. Behold—the first and only V-16 supercar ever made. Yes, ever-ever. Don’t cite the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron, either—those billionaire bruisers rumble around Monaco with a “W-16” cylinder configuration that’s conceptually a bit like two inline-fours smashed together on each cylinder bank rather than two V-8s welded down the...
Sam Jayne and the Plight of Indie Musicians Amid the Pandemic
Artists often go unnoticed until they inspire you. Until they lead you by the hand into a brand new understanding of the world, they could just be the louder-than-life character sitting next to you at the bar. Hell, they could even be serving you your next beer. Last month, we lost an unsung talent in the indie-rock world: Sam Jayne, songwriter of the influential Olympia, Washington post-hardcore band Lync and, later, Love as Laughter. Jayne grew up in Seattle and relocated years ago from the Pacific Northwest to Brooklyn, where he followed a trajectory that many blue-collar musicians easily caught up in: record music, tour and find service jobs that will be waiting for you when you get back home. Jayne lived that life, becoming a bartending fixture at local bars like Clem’s in...
6 Digital Tranformation Trends for 2021
Thanks to 2020, predictions for the new year might not be so unrealistic. But predictions are one thing, trends are another. Here’s a quick look at six technology insights for 2021: 1. Accelerated Adjustment to the Pandemic COVID-19 shocked all businesses last year. However, enterprises are becoming used to the new normal “and digitisation should return to previous levels of growth in 2021,” says Peter Mülders, Customer Success Manager at Synthesis. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_4fe.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_4fe.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } 2. Continued Growth of Cloud There was substantial growth in cloud this past year. AWS Revenue grew 29% year-on-year in quarter three to $11.6bn and Microsoft Azure Revenue increased by 48% year-on-year in quarter three to an estimate...
The Legendary Small-Block Chevy V-8: A Look Back at Its Highlights
It’s not unreasonable to say the Chevrolet small-block V-8 changed the face of automotive engine history. Innovative and technologically advanced when it debuted in 1955, it greatly influenced future V-8 engine designs, both inside General Motors and among the competition. Enthusiasts embraced it and an entire performance aftermarket sprang up around it. Over the years, variations of the small-block V-8 have been used in race cars, off-road trucks, boats, and even custom motorcycles. It can also be found under the hood of everything from classic Ford hot rods to radical Jeep conversions. “The small-block Chevy is unquestionably the dominant domestic engine both in terms of sheer numbers and also in terms of longevity,” said Jeff Smith, senior technical editor for Car Craf...
Happy 40th Birthday, deadmau5: Celebrate With 5 of His Most Iconic Tracks
deadmau5 needs no introduction, so let’s just get right to it. To celebrate his 40th birthday today, relive the magic of five of his most iconic tracks below. “STROBE” “Strobe” is one of those songs that—when played—brings time to a standstill. When deadmau5 drops it at his shows, everyone stops what they’re doing, closes their eyes, and enjoys the moment. A generational anthem, “Strobe” influenced electronic music as we know it and remains crystallized in EDM lore as one of its most storied tracks. “GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF” What would this list be without “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” one of the biggest and most inescapable hits deadmau5 has ever produced? The second those organs hit, you know what’s...
Today’s Ska-Punk Is Serious Fun
A new generation of ska-punk bands has a message for you, Rudy, and it’s all about unity. Embracing the 80s British ska scene’s politically charged idealism while taking musical inspiration from 90s American ska-punk, Bad Time Records is a focal point of the thriving ska-punk scene. The label has released music by We Are the Union, JER, Kill Lincoln, Bad Operation, Catbite, and the recent “Ska against Racism” compilation. According to label owner and Kill Lincoln frontman Mike Sosinski, he explicitly created the label as a ska-punk platform. “Asian Man Records puts out some great stuff, Jump Up Records does great traditional ska, but nobody had drawn a line in the sand for ska-punk. We’ve been making progressive music and preaching these ideas for a long time. Some ideas that maybe got los...
This Former Spy Retired and Founded Iconic Leeds Venue, The Warehouse
Mike Wiand traded his career as a covert spy to become one of the most visible entrepreneurs in the UK nightlife space. Wiand was working for the US government in the middle of the Cold War when his assignment to North Yorkshire left him falling in love with the beautiful, natural landscape. However, upon his retirement, it was more than the picturesque scene that kept the former spy living in the area. He began to plant roots and met his first wife at The In Time club in Leeds. Together the two started a club of their own called The Warehouse. Wiand likely didn’t realize it at the time, but the club, born out of an abandoned warehouse, would go on to become one of the most iconic venues in Leeds. It went on to host early influential DJs such as Greg James and D...
Here It Is! World’s Greatest Drag Race 10
Gone was any option for using those velvet-smooth, 3.0-mile military runways. Thus, our three-year stint at Vandenberg Air Force Base came to a close. But where to go instead? Our original site for WGDR—the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro—has become so degraded over time that we didn’t dare to take a field of supercars on it for high-speed runs. And most private airfields within reach of Los Angeles weren’t long enough to handle what has gone from a crazy idea to the expected: a half mile run to determine the ultimate winner. (Note for the uninitiated: It takes a lot of real estate to slow down a two-ton supercar doing 170-plus mph.) Enter an undisclosed test track in the California desert. The generous entity that donated its track has asked to remain anonymous...
The 10 Best EDM Tweets of 2020
Twitter has allowed fans to connect with their favorite public figures like never before, and given us somewhat of a glimpse into the (not so) private thoughts of music stars, actors, and regrettably, even politicians. EDM Twitter is a world all of its own, where some of the genre’s biggest players and rising stars can give fans insight into their experiences both music-related and simply day-to-day. Announcements, memories, memes, and even complaints are commonplace on EDM Twitter, and they’re almost always as entertaining as actual performances from those artists. We’ve compiled the best EDM tweets from 2020. KAI WACHI’S PRE-COUCH LANDS ANNOUNCEMENT YOI, YOI, YOI! Kai Wachi‘s Twitter is one of the most entertaining accounts out there. Hi...
