Tuned In

Factory Mazda parts quality and their limits, knock/detonation in a rotary engine, lightened rotors, stud kits, clearancing plus ethanol fuel advantages are just a few of the topics discussed with Rob Dahm adding more and more specific details the deeper the discussion gets. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Rotary engine building traditionally...

No matter how you feel about electric vehicles, there's no denying the incredible performance that can be achieved with these impressive driveline systems.  With more and more rapid EVs hitting the streets every day, inevitably, enthusiasts are now beginning to ask just what can be gained when working with them. This week's HPA Tuned In podcast guest is Sasha Anis of Mountain Pass Perfor...

The RZ34 Z is the newest offering in the Nissan Z line, and AMS Performance was quick to set a world-first 9-second pass using (by today's standards) relatively basic upgrades. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Back in 2022 9.92 at 137mph was the first run in the 9's in a RZ34 Z 2023 Nissan Z Proto Spec and Nick Cassara of AMS Performa...

On this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast, Andre is joined by an absolute legend of the import scene. John Shepherd has been around since the very early days of import drag racing. Through campaigning his AWD Eagle Talon, John lead the first charge and pushed the boundaries of just what was possible with a Japanese performance car. Use ‘SHEP100’ for $100 off the...

Say goodbye to the old saying "cast ain't fast" with Dart's 2JZ cast iron engine block. When it comes to the many limitations factory cast blocks have when we try and take them from 200-300hp to 2000-3000hp or more, the go-to option in the aftermarket is generally a billet alloy block that offers more strength and improved design (sometimes application specific), but at a subst...

What makes a good intake plenum? How do you fabricate one to ensure it can handle 100+psi of boost without blowing itself to pieces? And why do we even need to fit an aftermarket intake plenum in the first place? This week’s episode with D’Arcy French of Plazmaman answers these questions and many more. Use “PLAZMAMAN50” for 50% off our HPA 3D Modeling & CAD for Motorsport course here: hpacadem...

Converting a FWD Honda to a RWD platform is not easy task, but it does come with some solid benefits as we will discuss looking at this F20c powered space framed Honda Prelude [TECH TOUR]. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in With an Ethanol fed, 24-26 PSI boosted, 9,000 RPM 750hp Dandy Engines F20c boasting Eagle Rods, factory crank and camshafts...

The 2JZ-GTE isn’t Toyota’s only iconic tuner engine — before the famous straight six was anywhere near production-ready, enthusiasts and racers were already years deep into the development of the venerable 1600cc four-cylinder 4A-GE. In this episode, we sit down with Matt Trevena of MT Performance Engines to discuss everything Toyota 4A-GE, engine building, and much more.  Use “MTPERFORMANCE50” fo...

It's a competitive market, but the standout R32 GTR build at the last SEMA in our opinion is right here. Take a look! Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Running a Nitto 3.2l stroker kit, this RB30-powered R32 GTR Nissan Skyline runs a nice mix of low stress off the shelf parts along with some unique custom features as Josh Ray from Driver Mo...

Over the last year, we’ve seen a handful of well-respected manufacturers teasing something brand new that pushes against the idea that billet is the only way to go — aftermarket high-performance cast blocks and heads. On this episode, we have Platinum Racing Products’ Herman Urriola, one of the figures driving this new development, to talk us through the design, manufacture, and use cases for afte...

What is the most common mistake we make when learning how to set up our dampers and which ones we should buy? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Frank Vasquez from KW Suspension answers these questions and more around high and low-speed compressions and rebound, driver feedback and why buying the most expensive dampers might be a waste of money.

Got a modified road car and are interested in seeing what it’s capable of on the track? On this episode of Tuned In, Andre Nader from DNA Autosport joins us to give some guidance on all things track day setup and preparation. Use “DNAAUTOSPORT50” for 50% off our HPA Motorsport Wheel Alignment course here: https://hpcdmy.co/alignmentb Although Andre’s first love was of the motorbike persuasion, a d...

@LYFEmotorsport and their 1200HP R35 GTR are no strangers to Time Attack or track records having reset their own R35 record at the 2019 WTAC (when this was filmed), BUT, it takes a lot more than just bolting a bunch of parts together and going ‘full send’ to achieve these results as Cole Powelson explains in relation to wheel alignments. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: http...

Bolting a 4000+hp twin turbo V8-powered drag car onto a dyno and pushing it to its limits isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s just another day in the office for this week’s guest, Anderson Dick of FuelTech USA. Use “FUELTECH100” for $100 off our HPA Tuning Starter package here: https://hpcdmy.co/starterb Founding FuelTech 20 years ago as an electrical engineering student in Brazil, Anderson sta...

When you think drifting, you also think of a 1966 Toyota Stout right? Even if you don't, Ryan Tuerck's mate did, so that is what he's built with @toyotausa   and @OfficialMobil1 . Moving on from the previous Ferrari-powered GT86 (GT4586) and Formula Supra (Judd V10 powered) time attack builds this drift ute, or drift truck depending on your regional dialect, fell just short of layin...

What’s the best bang-for-buck calibration platform for a late-model GM vehicle? Is there anything you can’t do on a good reflashing platform? And just how hard is it to make money in the automotive YouTube space? Jeremy Formato of Fasterproms joins us this week to answer these questions and many more. Use “FASTERPROMS75” for $75 off our Practical Reflash Tuning course here: https://hpcdmy.co/refla...

When everyone was knee-jerk reacting negatively to the B58 engine in the A90 Toyota Supra, Stephen Papadakis & crew were the guys getting data, testing setups and then getting results on track on the 8,900rpm limiter. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in As discussed, Papadakis Racing hasn't had a B58 development program without any issues...

Braking is an element of automotive performance that many enthusiasts tend to overlook, or potentially even worse, simply throw the biggest discs and calipers they can fit behind their wheels and hope for the best. In this episode, we’ve invited Alcon’s Steve Hodgkins to help us understand the ins and outs of performance braking systems and smash some myths in the process. Use “ALCON50” for 50% of...

Are traditional wastegate spring changes potentially a thing of the past with Turbosmart's 'StraightGate50?' Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Stewart Mahony from @TurbosmartHQ gives us some insight into what a boost or vacuum-actuated straightgate can and does do compared to the traditional poppet-style wastegate options. One of...

It’s something that can destroy your engine in seconds… but how much do you really know about pre-ignition, knock, and super-knock? On this episode of Tuned In, we’ve invited Ioannis Andrianakis from Plex Tuning to talk us through these terms, how his highly-regarded series of knock sensors work, and what we do and don’t need to worry about when it comes to all things detonation. Use ‘PLEX25’ for...

What are some of the biggest mistakes those starting out in drifting make when it comes to suspension setup? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Explanations on caster angles, Ackerman, toe and comparisons between circuit racing and drift setups are discussed in this interview with Mike Squire of Squire Motorsport and Custom. Mike explains some of...

Bouncing off rocks the size of houses and pinning it through the unforgiving desert at maximum speed, the vehicles competing in California’s King of the Hammers race have to be the absolute toughest in the world — all while still being fast enough to be competitive. After interviewing Sam Dobry of Dobry Designs recently at SEMA , we knew we needed to get him on the podcast so we could dive much de...

What spring rate should I run? How should I adjust my bump and rebound damping? And how low is too low? We’re always getting asked the same questions when it comes to suspension, so on this episode of Tuned In, we sit down with KW Suspension’s Head of Motorsport Thomas Rechenberg to get some definitive answers from someone who knows his way around a coilover, to say the least. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for...

What makes this 1300hp V8 time attack machine tick? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in With 780hp at 8psi low boost and 1300hp at 20psi high boost (that's 969kW at 1.38 Bar) options on tap via 2 externally-ish mounted Garrett G35-900 turbochargers and an LME-built, 430ci LSX, Feras Qartoumy's C6 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette is no stranger to...

Eight-point-something litres, 10 cylinders, one camshaft, and a whole lot of noise — the Dodge Viper is as weird as it is cool, and in this episode of Tuned In, we’re joined by Viper-specialist Mike Kuchavik of Havik Performance to dive deep into this unique piece of engineering to get the truth behind America’s poster-worthy supercar and it’s brutish V10 motor. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your fi...