Pit+Paddock

🏎 Automotive Lifestyle Redefined
🏁 Inspired by Motorsports
🖥 New Articles Every Week Pit+Paddock is automotive media redefined.

Established as an online automotive magazine in 2015, our past life as Front Street Media published articles on custom builds, event coverage, the latest tech, and industry news. The demand arose for a deeper exploration into automotive lifestyle, resulting in a rebrand to Pit+Paddock in 2021. Influenced heavily by motorsports, the new name embodies today’s performance-focused car culture. Our goa

l is simple: bring together and inspire enthusiasts while also creating lasting memories and unique experiences through innovative storytelling and industry collaborations.

12/20/2024

PLEASE READ: A Four-Year Farewell to Pit+Paddock 👋

Before we go any further, we don’t want this to feel like an end to all of you who’ve helped make Pit+Paddock an industry destination over the last four years. The reality is essentially the opposite: everything you know and love about the brand will live on under the moniker in 2025.

To get a sense of the impact that Pit+Paddock has made in the industry during its four years, Let’s go back to the start. 2018.

Pit+Paddock’s origin started with another name—Front Street Media. It, too, was intended to be the online magazine arm of Turn 14 Distribution. To bring the magazine into the real world, Front Street started hosting Cars+Coffee events at (you guessed it) Turn 14 Distribution.

The buzz was palpable among local enthusiasts who would look forward to this event time and again. There was obvious potential to build on this momentum, but it needed a catalyst and a name that would help widen the magazine’s appeal to a nationwide—or even global—audience.

That name was Pit+Paddock—intentionally referencing the intersection between the world of motorsport and the aftermarket car culture that surrounded it.

Despite everything we aspired (and did) beyond our online magazine, our core flourished. Our publishing volume went way up year after year, and our vendors saw us as a trusted destination to launch new products, unveil new company rebrands, and publish buyer’s guides, product breakdowns, how-tos, and tech news that drew the right eyeballs toward their brands.

All that said, this decision to sunset Pit+Paddock wasn’t because we weren’t doing enough. After four years, we just recognized that we should be using all of this firepower in direct support of our mothership: Turn 14 Distribution. Now, it’s Turn 14 Distribution’s name that will shine in the industry—even brighter than it already has.

Follow to stay up-to-date on our latest news, innovations, and builds.

12/17/2024

About the “M2 GTS” never built: 👇🤩

It started life as an “OG” example of an F87 M2, meaning instead of the full-fat S55 inline six from the M3/M4, it comes with a “standard issue” N55.

The move is a bit reminiscent of the US-spec E36 M3; for whatever reason, BMW “held back” from giving us enthusiasts everything we wanted. But like the S52-equipped E36 that I adore, I’ll argue that this N55-powered M2 is the one to have. And , now one of the UK’s most recognizable BMW collectors, would probably say the same.

The M2 became part of the Evolve Automotive demo fleet where it took on a new mission: an M2 GTS tribute. The alarm bells in BMW fans’ heads are going off, and yes there was never officially an M2 GTS to tribute. The real nod was, in fact, to the M4 GTS.

“I wanted to envisage what an M2 GTS would be like if BMW built one based on what they did with the M4 GTS,” Arshad confessed.

He tried to meld all of that car’s special traits—the styling cues, the performance, and so on—into the M2’s form factor. The end product would have to deliver that M4 GTS feeling on the road and track.

It was the recipient of so many firsts for the UK audience—an front lip and splitter, a prototype club sticker, a healthy smattering of GTS-style carbon fiber goodies from , a striking set of wheels, exhaust, and naturally, an intake and carbon fiber engine cover. Underneath, a set of coilovers and OEM BMW carbon ceramic brake retrofit helped balance power with control.

Even though this OG M2 build may not have started with this intent in mind, Arshad is making an important statement by keeping it. Indeed, it’s become more than a car; it’s a pillar of Arshad’s larger belief set about our industry, and the human quality that will be required to keep it going strong.

See our full coverage of this M2 GTS Tribute through the link in our bio!

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12/03/2024

Join on and win a 911 Turbo S! 💨

000 “(Triple Zero”) can largely be described as a quarterly art journal focusing on Porsche and the enthusiasm and culture surrounding the marque. As the magazine built momentum, so too did its ambitions. Pikes Peak has become a symbolic measuring stick for the bold, the brave, and the downright crazy.

For the 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the mountain conjured the perfect brew of conditions that sided with Donner. He finished first in the Exhibition class (second overall), and set a subsequent PPIHC Certified Course Time™ of 9 minutes, 53 seconds—making the #000 911 Turbo S the first road car to complete the legendary mountain course in less than 10 minutes.

This achievement, hot on the heels of its well-lauded 718 Spyder, gave 000 the confidence to pursue its next “spec car.” Fittingly enough, it would be a 992 Turbo S—edited by 000 in collaboration with Porsche Sonderwunsch (Special Wishes).

The long backstory of 000, Pikes Peak, and the Turbo S was intentional to help everyone understand why this car represents, as 000 calls it, the “peak turbo” in Porsche’s 50-year 911 Turbo story. The entry fee to be a part of this very exclusive club? A cool $286,000.

Yes, the price tag might’ve taken some of the wind out of your sails, but before you go price-shopping your organs on the black market, we’re here to tell you there’s another way. For $25, a Turbo S 000 Commission could be yours. 👀

The opportunity to park this nearly 300k car in your garage also comes with a feel-good component: 000 will donate 5% of all proceeds generated through 000magazine.com during the sweepstakes period to , the non-profit founded by the family of late motorsports icon and Pikes Peak competitor Ken Block.

Read more about this special commission through our Linkin.bio, and enter to win at 000magazine.com!

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12/02/2024

The FI-R Evo is the latest addition to .wheels’ road wheel program, building upon the FI family’s legacy and helping move the wheel industry forward.

The BBS FI was debuted in 2009 in 19” and 20” diameters, but a very small batch was also available in an 18” version. It caused an immense stir in the industry, not only because it was a gorgeous design unlike anything the wheel market had seen, but also because of its scale-defying weight.

After some years, we met the FI-R. The die-forged FI-R started from the same 6000 series aluminum as the FI, but benefitted from additional engineering breakthroughs that allowed BBS Motorsport engineers to remove additional material (“relief holes”) from each spoke without sacrificing the wheel’s integrity.

Still, the hardcore enthusiasts were left wondering whether BBS Motorsport would have any other tricks up its sleeves. Was the FI-R the “maximum” for this family of wheels?

A couple of months ago, the FI-R Evo was born and took the relief holes exercise to its engineering limit. The new wheel wasn’t the only thing. Its launch coincided with one of BBS’s newest finishes: a striking color it calls Citrine Gold.

We couldn’t have asked for a better “test subject” for the FI-R Evo: a BMW Individual British Racing Green G80 M3 Competition. The FI-R Evo is the Vacheron, the tailored suit in the wheel market today—it will be a respected, timeless staple that doesn’t feel pressured to break the internet.

Since the original FI in 2009, this family of wheels has begun to write its own legacy within the larger context of BBS’s storied history, a brilliant reflection of its unmatched motorsport engineering and achievement.

Read more about BBS’s new FI-R Evo through our Linkin.bio!

📸: .mov (the Pit+Paddock team)

11/22/2024

Even the most unlikely of vehicles can benefit from @‌superpro_usa’s polyurethane components, including our own off-road misfit, a 2008 Toyota Yaris.

100 horsepower, three pedals, two-wheel-drive, and an open differential might not sound like a great recipe for off-road capability, but the same short wheelbase that made this car a blast to drive in the twisties on lowering springs could lend itself to some decent off-the-beaten-path adventures.

We shopped the SuperPro catalog for Yaris components and put together quite the package including front lower control arms, adjustable front sway bar end links, and camber-adjustment bolts. For good measure, we threw in an adjustable rear sway bar from SuperPro’s sister company, @‌_whiteline, to offset the roly-poly activity resulting from the higher center of gravity.

The provided control arms are corrosion-resistant stamped steel units with SuperPro’s bushings and ball joints pre-installed. This complete package makes installation a breeze for do-it-yourselfers tackling this job in their driveway without the tools to remove and press-in bushings.

With suspension sorted, we moved onto wheels and tires to accompany the effort. We dug out a set of 15” alloys from a donor Yaris and sought out upsized tires. Trying to stay under a 25” total diameter, we landed on the @‌falkentire Aklimate, 195/65R15.

Since the installation, we’ve put about 1,000 miles on the “build.” With the added sidewall, I’ve been pointing my tires at the most treacherous Pennsylvania potholes, and while my dash cam sensor thinks I’ve been in an accident, my alignment remains unfazed.

Read more through our Linkin.Bio!

📸: @‌bcody_formative

11/20/2024

This car you see before you is 11 years of hard work and consistency. An engineering background crossed with consistency, precision work, and dedication to meeting Hamish White’s () vision for his perfect Audi Quattro.

“I was looking for a new roof (slick top) and was offered the full shell. It had a sunroof but it was too good to turn down” Hamish recalls. The shell was a 1986 B2 Audi Coupé, the commuter version of the Quattro with a non-turbocharged engine.

Hamish used a custom jig to shorten the chassis by 320mm as per the Sport Quattro. The windscreen and forward roof section from an Audi 80 sedan were grafted onto the Coupé bulkhead—a modification requested by rally drivers in the 80s to reduce glare on sunny stages.

By the time he was satisfied, the only parts of the steel chassis left on Hamish’s Quattro were the floorpan, bulkhead, and front chassis rails. Everything else has been cut away and replaced with carbon-kevlar body panels wrapped around a multi-point roll cage.

The front strut towers have been raised for more suspension travel at the lowered ride height, and have been triangulated into the cage. Competition two-way coilovers and bladed anti-roll bars complete the suspension package.

330x32mm two-piece discs sit at all four corners of the car with eight-piston and four-piston calipers at the front and rear respectively. They sit behind a stunning set of Magnesium E50s from .wheels, dated as a 1986 set.

A pair of SPA seats provide plenty of support and cushioning on England’s broken mountain roads. Ex-WRC harnesses, Puma branded as Ford’s WRC sponsor at the time, keep you pinned in and even have titanium adjusters.

Add to that the fact that it looks incredible and that everything except for the paint and wiring was done in-house by Hamish and his dad in their spare time.

Read more about Hamish’s Audi Sport Quattro through our Linkin.Bio! 👆

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11/19/2024

Drinks on us! What’s the occasion? 🥂👇

We said this last year, but the show is a grind despite how bright and shiny it may appear from the outside.

The solution? Create a Happy Hour event that would help us all take a load off at the end of the day and provide a sanctuary from all of the other superfluous SEMA conversations to mix and mingle with some of the industry’s power players.

has been a go-to-sponsor for some of our most enthralling projects by bringing excitement and emotion as crucial ingredients to the aftermarket industry, so it made sense to bring that flavor to SEMA in a different way.

Our timing was intentional. We slotted the MBRP Happy Hour between an autograph signing session from and a live drawing of the Tribute that Precision Sport Industries () built for us last year. With current and prospective customers, build sponsors, and E91 fans congregated in Turn 14 Distribution’s booth, everyone got a small taste of the excitement, sales, and press one of our halo builds could generate.

For the rest of the week, we shifted the MBRP-supported Happy Hour outside—to Turn 14 Distribution’s truck booth outside of South Hall—to bolster the fanfare that our off-road-centric collection was amassing.

As ever, Pit+Paddock’s (powered by Turn 14 Distribution) massive effort during SEMA was to bring the industry together and put Turn 14 Distribution’s name on a bigger map. As the sun set on the final day of the show, as with it, the final afternoon of our Happy Hour, we could rest assured knowing we did exactly that. ☀️

Read more about the MBRP Happy Hour and the rest of our SEMA activations through our Linkin.bio! 👆

📸: .vlenti

11/14/2024

We invited more than 200 people to experience Pit+Paddock Clubhouse, a night of industry networking for T14 customers, vendors, and tastemakers.

When SEMA veterans see a term called “home-tainment” get coined as a popular alternative to nights out, we 30 and 40-somethings immediately understand that traditional nightclub events at the Las Vegas tradeshow now have an expiration date. So when Pit+Paddock (powered by ) wanted to create a destination for SEMA goers on Tuesday night, we consciously made our “Clubhouse” take on a different tone.

Although first impressions—the VIP line, the guest list, the wristbands—made you think it’d be “just another” club night, we aimed to, quite literally, leave all of the nightclub’s traditions at the door. Yes, there was music, but it was being pumped through Marquee’s massive speakers at a respectful volume. There was an open bar, of course, but there was also chef-prepared food. And lots of ice cream.

The only thing there was more of than our hospitality preparations was industry guests; we made it a point to invite very specific vendors, influencers, content creators, and Turn 14 Distribution customers to create this magical amalgamation of networking and nightlife. It felt like a very natural extension of the SEMA show floor but without the stiffness of a tradeshow polo and nametag.

Our valued partners—, , , and —were treated to a generous slathering of branding throughout the Marquee footprint, including specially appointed lounge pillows, napkins, bar and navigational signage, and an unmissable appearance on Marquee’s enormous dome screen.

Were there legitimate business deals inked that night? It’s not likely. But the real value of Clubhouse was to provide a much more conducive forum to have real conversations, ones that would proverbially open doors or strengthen relationships.

Read more about Pit+Paddock Clubhouse 2.0 through our Linkin.bio!

Photography: .mov .valenti

11/13/2024

What is the Pit+Paddock Power Lunch? It’s our meal service where our staff members serve a much-needed lunch break to our valued partners and media guests. 🥪

This may sound like an odd thing to say, but SEMA exhibitors rarely see the show. From start to finish, they’re are often land-locked to the booth to meet vendors, builders, new customers, media, and fans of the brand.

That’s where the Pit+Paddock (powered by ) Power Lunch comes in. In sharp contrast to the drab, overpriced, high-school hot lunch equivalents available at the convention center, our Power Lunch, presented by , served a diverse array of fresh, chef-prepared delicacies as a well-deserved break from the action.

To fully accomplish our mission of delivering high-quality grub to our vendors and partners, we had to find the right source.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to look far. We called Crystina Nguyen (), the renowned chef behind and to see if she could cook something up for this year’s conference.

Nguyen came through with a variety of delicious meals—open-faced Katsu Italiano, Hainan chicken rice bowl, bánh mì sandwich, and Mandarin garlic noodles—which kept us all looking forward to lunchtime. 😋

As if the food itself wasn’t enough excitement, acclaimed motorsport driver became an integral part of our delivery service throughout the week. With Yoshiara on board, it not only brought a bigger smile to our industry partners’ faces but also guaranteed our effort would be speedy.

Thank you to PowerStop for helping support a unique way to make an impression at SEMA. We’ll see you all next year. 🤝

📸: .mov

11/12/2024

Thanks to @‌eneosusa, we hosted a campaign with pro driver @‌daiyoshihara to give one lucky winner a golden ticket with all expenses paid to exhibit their project car at the Show. 🎫

Our staff narrowed several entries down to the top ten finalists. After polling the public and enduring several heated debates among the judges, Justin Cashmore ( ) and his 1960 won top honors as this year’s ENEOS SEMA Show Car Contest grand prize winner!

Justin tells us he’s just a normal car guy; however, we don’t believe that for a second. He was in the Navy for over 20 years, stationed in Japan, Italy, and Florida. Through his experiences and travels, he developed a unique skill set and style, working on vehicles of various makes, models, and eras while soaking in car culture first-hand from three different continents.

In the case of the Renault, it was a Facebook Marketplace find where the owner didn’t know what she had. A trip out into the desert where it lay buried in dead grass, he found his next project where he could let his imagination run wild.

Talking about a full custom chassis with roll cage, bespoke push rod/cantilever suspension with NASCAR sway bars, mid-engine 24-valve VR6 from a Volkswagen GTI, right-hand-drive conversion (just because he enjoyed driving in Japan the most), and his most recent addition is the carbon fiber widebody he shaped by hand himself that’s 22-inches wider than stock. 😳

Justin might be a normal car guy in the sense that he works on all his cars himself and doesn’t have wild budgets to throw at his project, but we can all agree (even Dai agrees after driving it!), that his eye for awesomeness and raw talent to create a jaw-dropping build from desert scraps, is what makes him truly a champion, and worthy of the 2024 SEMA Show Car Contest crown.

As promised, Justin’s Renault had prime placement at the SEMA Show. Congratulations again, Justin! And thank you to @‌eneosoil for helping make another enthusiast’s dream come true to display their car at SEMA. 🙌

📸: @‌renz.jpg

11/06/2024

For 2024, has taken on a different challenge: a major brand identity overhaul.

The brand rework is so much more comprehensive than just a logo refresh; Vibrant has made a concerted effort to align its visual identity with the types of components it makes—each character in Vibrant’s new logo is inspired by varying degrees of tube bends—and the overall quality standard of its products.

Ahead of the conference, we had a chance to sit down with Deryck Griffith, Vibrant Performance’s Director of Sales and Marketing, and Bruno Ferrante, Marketing Manager, to get an inside scoop on everything that went into the rebrand, what it means for the company’s future, and what that will all mean for us as automotive enthusiasts.

Visit our Linkin.bio to read our full interview!

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11/04/2024

The Pit+Paddock x CSF SEMA Preview Party was the perfect place to debut two premiere builds ahead of the 2024 SEMA Show; Imran Arshad of ’s BMW 1M swapped with the P65 V8 GT3 race engine, and Ryan Basseri of ’s 600hp AWD Tesla-powered Civic.

Set at , the state-of-the-art car collector storage facility is 103,000 square feet and features 24-foot-high ceilings, holding 41 individual garages.

Pit+Paddock helped curate the lineup of 25 notable show cars, which were all equipped with components. Some familiar builds included ’s and ’s Porsche .

But as the clock struck 9:00 PM, though, it was time to gather around for the main attraction.

The Java Green 1-series is ’s latest pride and joy. It started out as a diesel-powered 120d model, but underwent the a full 1M treatment with its more aggressive OEM aero. Under the hood is the real showstopper with the coupe, a rare 525hp, 4.4-liter V8 PS5 engine that won a championship in 2011 by the x Studie Z4 GT3.

The EK is powered by dual Tesla motors and makes 600hp with a range of up to 400 miles. Interestingly, Ryan developed this EV conversion so it could be easily replicated across compatible chassis like the EG and DC. From the outside, it looks like your typical beloved restoration build featuring premium parts from , , , and .

Read more about our latest sneak preview event through our Linkin.bio! 👆

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Front Street Media tells the ongoing story of the automotive world we live in. We bring you some of the finest examples of personalized builds, industry insider tours of your favorite companies, event coverage, and everything in between. Join us as we partner with big names in automotive media to offer coverage of the widest range of content. We’re all after the same thing, an inspiring story that motivates our own projects. Whether you’re waking up before sunrise on a weekend, scouring the web for your next part, or spending all night in the garage; we all come together in our general passion for automobiles. At FSM, we’re after the real automotive stories. We love a well-rounded, well-thought-out build. We want to hear about the hardships, the indecision, the risks, and the rewards. Your story could be next; drop us a message and share your journey!