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The Fast, the Present, and the Future

Show Report by Marissa P.

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) kicked off in Detroit, Michigan a couple weeks ago and as always the automakers pulled out all the stops trying to outdo one another. Nearly everyone premiered new takes on old classics and even gave us a glimpse of the future.

Dodge certainly didn’t shy away from the competition with its display of the 2018 Dodge Demon. The Demon proudly boasts that it is a drag strip-ready car straight from production. Don’t get your hopes too high though, as-is the car won’t pass an NHRA safety inspection it will need a few a few extras before you can head down one of their tracks.

Ford, however, wasn’t going to let the Demon take all the muscle car spotlight. Front and center they brought out a blast from the past with the original 1968 Mustang Bullitt. The Bullitt was driven by Steve McQueen himself in a film of the same name; it featured a famous seven minute long car chase. What really caught attention at the show was the 2019 rebuild of a Mustang holding the same title, imitating the original’s rich green color. This car is more than just a nice body, it has a 5.0 liter V8 engine, unique embroidered interior matching the paint job and even had modifications to give it that 1960’s muscle car sound we all know and love. It’ll be an immediate collector’s car.

After that look back Ford decided to give us a glimpse of the future, not just any future though – we’re talking about the future of pizza delivery. Ford and Dominos partnered up to create the delivery vehicle of tomorrow, a self-driving delivery car made from a Fusion that was enhanced with the latest and greatest in self-driving vehicle technology. The car was complete with its own external tablet that would allow customers to type in a PIN to give them access to the hot, cheesy goodness awaiting them inside. The real question here is do we tip the car or the genius who thought of this idea?

Chevy didn’t wait for the cars of tomorrow: they had a lineup of their electric vehicles that you can buy today! The Chevy Volt and Bolt were the main attractions of Chevy’s electric line up. (Though there is talk that the Volt will be leaving the lineup in the next few years, making the Bolt its replacement.) Chevy is boasting that the Bolt will get over 200 miles per charge also saying that 30 minutes of charge time will give you around 90 miles of distance. Unfortunately hitting the gas station is still a more convenient fill up, but the future is upon us!

Electric cars aren’t for everyone yet, so if that isn’t your cup of tea but you’re looking for something with better gas mileage and you’re thinking family and environment friendly, the Malibu Hybrid was also holding its own crowd. The Malibu claims to get 49 MPG city. Toyota is keeping its hybrid Prius in the game with a 50 MPG city estimate. Hopefully the automakers will keep up this competition and we’ll see even more efficient vehicles in the future. When these guys go head to head everyone wins, and thankfully these cars keep getting better.

If you couldn’t make it to the auto show this year don’t fret! Just visit NAIAS.com and you can see pictures and videos of the show, and trust us it’s worth the look!

Ah, engine “response.” That elusive term that is hard to define, but you know it when you feel it.

Simply put, the term “engine response” refers to how quickly your engine responds to a change in throttle position. Ideally, your engine reacts instantly when you push on the accelerator pedal and lets power drop back down the moment you let off.

As your engine gets older, responsiveness can begin to drop, causing hesitation and surging when you don’t want it. Correct engine responsiveness can also help reduce fuel economy, as your engine only develops the power you need right when you need it. Read More

Sweepstakes winner drives off with souped-up, one-of-a-kind sports car 

One lucky person is starting off the new year with a bang – well, an engine rev and supercharger whine, to be more precise. Marlene D’Silva was selected from more than 416,000 entries as the winner of the Rislone® RS700 Mustang Sweepstakes, driving off in a custom Mustang supercar designed and built by Rislone and the PowerNation TV “Engine Power” team on the air last season. Check out an overview of the Mustang build below.

The sweepstakes ran from June to December 2017 and, along with the sweet ponycar, emphasized Rislone’s new Nano Prime™ Engine & Oil Additive (P/N 4104), available at auto parts retailers across North America. Rislone’s suite of engine, fuel and transmission products are designed to help maximize performance across a range of vehicles from daily drivers to classic hot rods and high-performance machines. Sponsoring the PowerNation TV build was a perfect fit to connect with the show’s car enthusiast viewers.

“The fully-synthetic Nano Prime Engine & Oil Additive features a patented synthetic nanotechnology that helps reduce friction and increase engine performance, helping enthusiasts and daily drivers get the most performance out of their engines while keeping protection at a maximum,” says Clay Parks, vice president of development for Rislone. “Our products are easy for anyone to use to protect and enhance virtually any vehicle.”

D’Silva will receive the keys to her new pony car, with the trunk stocked with a case of Rislone’s Nano Prime Engine & Oil Additive. The RS700 Ford Mustang GT supercar includes a Procharger Stage 2 supercharger that increases the ride’s torque to 500 lb./foot and boosts horsepower from 435 to over 700 at the flywheel. PowerNation’s Engine Power team also added a slew of performance parts, including a track-engineered handling system, Hooker Blackheart cat-back exhaust, high-flow radiator, six-speed TREMEC transmission and Brembo racing brakes. The machine’s exterior also got an upgrade to match the interior, with a ram air hood, carbon fiber rocker panels, front splitter and rear spoiler, as well as 20-inch gloss black spoke wheels. A set of black racing stripes with red pinstripes adds even more eye candy to the Triple Yellow paint.

“We’ve had an incredibly successful partnership with the Rislone team to bring this amazing car to life,” said RTM President Matthew Hawkins. “The only thing that makes this even better is that Marlene gets to enjoy all the hard work that went into crafting this unique car that no one else on the road has.”

Like all Rislone products, Nano Prime Engine & Oil Additive is made in the U.S.A. Rislone is a family-run business just outside the Motor City in southeast Michigan.

If you’re going to the trouble and expense of modding your car, you want your mods to actually deliver real-world gains. Adding significant performance to your vehicle can be a challenge (in terms of time and money), so it takes some careful research and planning. When all the work is done and you take your vehicle out to experience the performance improvements the first time, it’s all worth it, though.

We’ve put together this list of engine and vehicle mods that have been proven to work and make your car a lot more fun to drive. This is based on our own experience, and what our customers talk to us about on our tech lines and at annual auto shows like SEMA and the Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, MI. Read More

Your first response should be, there’s no such thing!

OK, this is kind of a trick question. The answer depends on the kind of driving you do, what you expect out of your car, and how much reliability you want. People who race their car and enjoy spirited driving can never get enough horsepower, while many daily drivers are content with the power they already have. The further you go up the horsepower ladder, the less reliable – and probably less drivable – your car will become. That’s because it’ll become less a general-purpose transportation machine, and more something purpose-built for performance. But that’s another story.

Regardless, here at Rislone, we know every customer has unique power and performance goals. But if you want to realize those performance goals, your vehicle needs to run properly and you need the proper modifications and ongoing attention. So let’s jump in.

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