Ever since the release of the first pickup trucks, aftermarket companies and custom shops have been looking for ways to make them more rugged for off-road driving. Shortly after WWII, a company called NAPCO began offering 4x4 conversion kits for civilian trucks from Dodge, Ford, and GM. Soon, GM started offering these kits as factory-installed RPO options, and then developed its own 4x4 system to meet demand. A few decades later, trucks like this K5 Blazer were built with off-roading in mind, and buyers upped the ante even further by modifying them with lift kits and bigger tires.

Fast is a relative term. For some people, 350 horsepower feels like a lot, especially in a small and lightweight classic car. For others, it's nowhere near enough to scratch the itch for speed. Stacy, the owner and builder of this '67 Nova, decided that an absolutely vicious 900 horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 from a Corvette C6 ZR1 was just right for his project. He met up with a film crew from AutotopiaLA, and after smoking the tires all the way through third gear, they gave it the title "scary fast." But Stacy just said with a smile, "she moves."

When you start a classic car project, there are two paths you can take: restoration or restomod. The former brings the vehicle back to its factory-fresh condition using original-style restoration parts, while the latter aims to modernize aspects of the car to make it faster, more agile, and more comfortable. We've often heard discussions about the pros and cons of each approach, but this video from YouTube channel RestoMods offers a quick head-to-head comparison between two comparable 1970 Dodge Chargers. Each is set up with a 426ci Hemi V8, manual transmission, bucket seats, and the sleek, muscular appearance Mopar fans know and love.

Many years before the popularization of the term Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), the Chevrolet/GMC Suburban was one of the pioneers of what would become an extremely popular type of vehicle. It offered enough room for the whole family and all their belongings, as well as the rugged durability of a GM truck. This '72 GMC Suburban, built by Pro Touring Texas, takes this humble family hauler even further with the addition of adjustable air ride, an 800hp supercharged LSX engine, and show-car-grade interior and exterior craftsmanship.

Behind the scenes, auto manufacturers and engineers often give their projects code names. This allows them to discuss those projects without leaking secrets to the public, but these nicknames often also indicate the spirit of the project. So, when Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) began developing a special supercharged version of the 4.6L DOHC V8 for the 2003-04 Mustang SVT Cobra, they called the engine "Terminator" — a name that conveyed it would be muscular and almost unstoppable. The Cobra Terminator would go on to become a legendary performance car and modern-day classic. AutotopiaLA recently featured this heavily-modified '03 Cobra Terminator, which makes 1,000 horsepower at the rear wheels.

When Pontiac released the third-generation Firebird in 1982, many enthusiasts felt underwhelmed by the performance. As a result of tightening emissions restrictions, the top-trim 305ci V8 engine in the '82 Trans Am produced only 165 horsepower. These numbers would improve by the end of the third gen's run in 1992, but there was always a desire for an even more potent Firebird — one that could challenge GM's flagship Corvette. A startup called Street Legal Performance (SLP) partnered with Pontiac dealers to make this dream a reality. The resulting car was dubbed the SLP Firehawk, and only 25 were sold that year, making it an extremely rare vehicle today.

When the U.S. military needs a vehicle, it's got to be rugged and tough. You're likely familiar with the HMMWV, also known as the Humvee, which would eventually become the primary "jack-of-all-trades" choice for a light four-wheel-drive military vehicle. But back in the early 1980s, the Humvee program was still in its infancy, and the vehicle that filled this role was based on something you should be equally familiar with: the Chevy K5 Blazer. This heavily-modified, diesel-powered Blazer — built by GM for a U.S. government contract — was known as the M1009 CUCV.

The 1969 Camaro is one of those cars that has seemingly been restored and resto-modded in every imaginable way. As a result of its widespread popularity, the '69 Camaro seems to appear at every classic car show, whether it's a carbureted original-style restoration or a pro-touring build with a modern fuel-injected V8. But for the Camaro owner who wants something truly unique, legendary custom shop Ringbrothers can build a car from the ground up with one-of-a-kind parts. This 1,000hp carbon-fiber-bodied Camaro, named "Strode," is a perfect example of what they do best.

NASCAR vehicles are designed to withstand truly extreme conditions. They lap the track hundreds of times at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour, and in the event of a crash, must withstand the immense force of slamming into a wall at triple-digit speeds. However, once their time on the track is done, they're often retired to an unceremonious end. When Lance Smith of RaceRods found an old 1999 Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR chassis, he saw the perfect opportunity for a project. Grafting on a Chevy C10 body turned this into a mean-looking race truck for the street.

Losing a family member is a painful experience, but one which leaves us only one option: find a way to keep going. When Robert's brother in law passed away, he had been working on a '65 Mustang restomod project that was left incomplete, so Robert decided to finish the build in his honor. The result, as documented by YouTube channel AutotopiaLA, is this stunning 427ci V8-powered car with cantilever suspension and a long list of one-of-a-kind components.