Roadkill

For many of us car nuts out there all watch the same old cars shows on TV, such as Fast N' Load, West Coast Customs, Street Outlaws, and Hot Rod Garage.  These shows are great and all but they are corny, set up and the majority of the automotive work is left out.  That is why shows like these continually lose viewers and end up getting cancelled.  These types of repetitive type automotive shows are the reason I had to find something different which is how I stumbled upon the show Roadkill.
The show originally started out as a YouTube series and is now a full length show on MotorTrend.com and Netflix and is sponsored by Dodge, Summit Racing, and many others.  The show is hosted by two guys, David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan.  David is the Chief editor of Hot Rod Magazine and Mike is as associate editor.  The two are engine gurus and they completely run the program themselves.  There is no acting, no scripts, and they are entertaining for sure.
The show is based around road trips, but the road trips are always taken in their hunks of junk(roadkill) they build.  They don't usually build anything nice in the show, they usually just build automotive monstrosities that sometimes perform and sometimes don't. (they built some of the Mad Max cars if that helps you understand what they build) Here are some examples of cars they have built...

General Mayhem

This is the General Mayhem, which is a 68 Charger that has had a few different motor in it throughout the show but currently has a 707hp 6.2L Hellcat motor in it.

Rotsun

This is the Rotsun, it is a rusted out Datsun 240z that has had more engine transplants than oil changes.  It currently has a Ford 5L V8 from a 90's mustang fitted with a turbo from a 7.3L Ford Diesel.  I was not kidding when I said they build contraptions.

Blasphemi

This is one of their nicer builds that belongs to Mike Finnegan.  It is a 55 Chevy fitted with a 530ci Mopar Proformance Hemi, hence the name.  This monster is not just a track monster but a functional one that has been driven across the US.

The cars above are a very small number of the cars they have built and driven long distances in. To read up some more about their beloved Roadkill projects look here. This show is not afraid to try anything, they have driven from LA to Canada for ice racing in their roadkill El Camino, swamped a motor into a Camero in a Summit Racing store parking lot in Nevada to only drive it home to LA, and have even driven their 73 C10 with a LS6 in it to the dunes to see what it could do.  This show is one of a kind, no episode is the same and they are constantly changing.  Mike and David are amazing with motors and a joy to watch work.  This show is a favorite of mine and hopefully a soon to be favorite for some of you.  The show is available on motortrendondemand for $5 a month but episodes air a month late on YouTube and a season late on Netflix.  I hope this was helpful and insightful to you future Roadkill Fans. Enjoy watching.

Hypercar Face Off

Cars in this day and age are a necessity to get from point A to point B, but cars for many like me they are much more than that. Cars can be a passion as much as any hobby or sport, just this passion can cost thousands of dollars and to a select few millions. Everyone has heard of expensive sports car like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Mclaren, and Porsches to name a few, but the cars I'm talking about are in a league all of their own. 
Companies like Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg build one of a kind cars that are worth more than the majority of the world makes in a lifetime. These cars are a lot more than just a cool hot rod to rip around town in though, they are engineering marvels and works of art.  Companies like these push the envelope of speed, safety, technology, and material capabilities.  They produce these Hypercars for only the wealthiest of people, costing anywhere from 1 million to 5 million each.

Bugatti Chiron

Koenigsegg Agera RS

Pagani Huayra

 Much of what pushed these companies to produce these cars is not so much the money factor, as the pride factor.  This industry is all about looks and pride.  Pagani's are built as works of art rather than to compete with the Bugatti and Koenigsegg.  With this being said, that doesn't mean they aren't fast, their AMG 6L V12s are absolute monsters but Pagani doesn't care to make them the fastest as much as he cares to make them unique.  His tactic is Beauty based rather than engineering based which leaves Bugatti and Koenigsegg to face off in building the fastest productions cars available. 
The faster they build them the more people want them and the more publicity.  With the 2017 Sema Auto show having happened in early November both Bugatti and Koenigsegg were rushing to get the official numbers for their cars out.  Both companies put out 0-400kph-0 video in the last few months, here is the Chiron's and the Agera RS's times, if you're interested to know the winner just watch and see. If you just want more on the cars themselves here are their websites with their mind numbing times and specs, Koenigsegg Agera RS, Bugatti Chiron, and the Pagani Huayra.
Thanks for reading and I hope you learned a little bit about Hypercars and their abilities, if this article interested you there is a Netflix documentary called APEX: The Story of the Hypercar which might also interest you.

P.S. There are more Hypercars than these three; these are just the most unique and rare. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Mclaren all also produce some Hypercars, their numbers are not as impressive as the Chiron's and Agera's though.

A little change of pace

Usually I'm on here blabbing about cars and stuff but this time something else is on my mind.  So last week I got the opportunity to talk and speak with a major professional in my field and it really opened my eyes.  Before I tell you who it was and what he said, I'll tell you a little information about myself so you understand the context. I am an Architectural Engineering student at the University of Wyoming that will graduate in May. Because of this my future career is something that has been on my mind a lot lately, so this interview really helped me plan for what lies ahead.

The man I interviewed is Michael Shaw. He was an Owner and the President of Perry & Shaw Inc. This company in a matter of 20 years grew to be one of the largest earth moving, contracting, and engineering firms in California.  He started Perry & Shaw in 1995 with his friend and work colleague Bud Perry.

When I spoke with Mike his knowledge and intelligence jumped through the phone.  It was obvious he enjoyed his work and missed his work since he is now retired. His main point was how important being a good writer was in his career, as he stated here, "the number one thing I contribute to my success in my career is my ability to successfully write and communicate."  He insisted that where engineers are failing these days is in their lack of writing abilities.  In this modern age of 3D modeling we have become dependent on images to tell our needs and stories but in the engineering industry professional writing is an skill that can set you apart. He also said, how the reason many engineers stay engineers and can't move on to running business or being project managers is there inability to communicate their needs with others whether it's through presentations or just written documents.

I have always just skimmed by in writing classes because I never considered writing an important skill in my industry but after speaking with Mike I realized the importance of being a good writer and presenter. I hope throughout the duration of this writing class and this blog my growth will become evident as I continue to work on my writing abilities.  I hope any other young engineers out there can read this and take this advice because this is what will set us apart when we get into the job market.