E3 Spark Plugs News

E3 Spark Plug co-sponsors the 2012 Hot Rod Power Tour.

Auto buffs, gear up for a fantastic year of car, truck and bike shows. Whether you’re into the latest and greatest auto technology or the sheer beauty of restored vintage treasures, there’s an auto show ticket with your name all over it. To see all the opportunities, you’ll have to do an Internet search. But E3 Spark Plugs has a few favorites.

Topping our list is Hot Rod Magazine’s annual Hot Rod Power Tour. E3 Spark Plugs is a sponsor of this year’s event, which will take drivers on a 7-day, 7-city, 1,400-mile road trip from Detroit, Michigan to Arlington, Texas. Each city will host a one-day car and truck show, where you’ll see some of the most envy-inducing hot rods around. A few host cities also feature races. Then they’ll all rev up and ride out for the next tour stop.

Check the schedule for the 2012 Hot Rod Power Tour and a few of E3′s top car show recommendations. Mark your calendars and be sure to take some pics and post them to the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

2012 Hot Rod Power Tour

• Detroit, MI, GM Proving Grounds, Milford, June 2
• Muskegon, MI, Downtown Muskegon, June 3
• Champaign, IL, Assembly Hall, University of Illinois, June 4
• Madison, IL, Gateway Motorsports Park, June 5
• Miami, OK, Buffalo Run Casino, June 6
• Stillwater, OK, Kicker Corporate Complex, June 7
• Arlington, TX, Quicktrip Park, June 8
• Long Haulers only, Arlington, TX, Venue TBD, June 9

2012 Auto Shows

• North American International Auto Show, Detroit, Jan. 9-22 www.naias.com
• Houston Auto Show, Jan. 25-29, www.houstonautoshow.com
• Washington Auto Show, Jan. 27-Feb 5, www.washingtonautoshow.org
• Philadelphia Auto Show, Jan. 28-Feb 5, www.phillyautoshow.com
• Chicago Auto Show Feb. 9-19 www.chicagoautoshow.com
• Jacksonville International Car & Truck Show, Feb. 17-19
• California 91Truck Show, March 3, www.91truckshow.com
• Daytona Beach Bike Week, March 9-18 www.officialbikeweek.com
• Atlanta International Auto Show, March 14-18, www.goautoshow.com
• DWF Auto Show, March 21-25, Dallas, www.dallasautoshow.com
• New York International Auto Show, April 6-15, www.autoshowny.com
• Minnesota Street Rod Association’s Back to the ’50s Weekend, June 22-24 www.msra.com
• SEMA Show, Oct. 30-Nov. 2 www.semashow.com
• LA Auto Show Nov. 28-Dec. 9 www.laautoshow.com
• Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow
• San Diego International Auto Show, Dec. 29-Jan 1, www.sdautoshow.com

Levi LaVallee and Robbie "Maddo" Maddison power in 2012 with record-breaking jumps across a San Diego harbor. Photo by Garth Milan for Red Bull.

So how did you ring in the New Year? Major props if you powered into 2012 anywhere near the way pro snowmobiler Levi LaVallee and FMX rider Robbie “Maddo” Maddison did – with record-breaking jumps across an icy San Diego harbor on a snowmobile and a motorbike at Red Bull’s New Year-No Limits event.

The two rode side-by-side with a shared goal of breaking their respective sports’ longest-jump records. Both succeeded fantastically. Maddison beat his 351-feet, 3-inches certified world record with an impressive jump of 378 feet, nine inches. He came a bit short of his 400-foot goal, likely because wet conditions nixed his 100-mph launch speed goal. But the massive leap proved a record breaker and a crowd pleaser nonetheless. That Maddo can pull off any feat of this sort is nothing short of a miracle if you know his history. Shortly after graduating high school, Maddison came down with viral meningitis and viral encephalitis. The sicknesses caused temporary paralysis and blinded Maddison in one eye. But he recovered and never looked back as he pushed his motocross passion and went pro.

Meanwhile, LaVallee had his own point to prove that night. He was out to break his record of 361-feet, hit last year in a practice jump that nearly killed him. LaVallee suffered collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis, cracked ribs and a concussion a year ago and has since rebounded in ways that many – including LaVallee’s doctors – thought impossible. To say he “broke” the record doesn’t do the guy justice. He SLAMMED last year’s record by a full 51 feet, crossing the harbor with a 412-foot jump. If you’re doing the numbers, that’s 52 feet longer than an NFL football field.

So what, pray tell, drives a man to repeat the feat that nearly put him six feet under?

“It was something I had to overcome,” LaVallee told ESPN. Otherwise it was going to haunt me the rest of my life… After last year and being out I was like, ‘Man, you just missed out on the coolest opportunity.’ And to be here today and to be able to land an over 400-foot jump… you can’t make it any better.”

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congrats to both LaVallee and Maddison. Got your eye on breaking your own personal best record? Stock your ride with E3 motorcycle spark plugs or snowmobile spark plugs. Be bold, but be careful. And have an awesome 2012.

E3 Spark Plugs has a few great stocking stuffer tips for the auto buff you love.

Are you a serious slacker when it comes to holiday shopping? No worries. E3 Spark Plugs has a few great ideas for those last-minute, stocking-stuffer gifts for the auto buff on your Christmas list.

• A good read: A subscription to an auto magazine is always a welcome gift from a car enthusiast. There are lots to choose from. Publications like Automotive News and AutoWeek, which offer across-the-board industry coverage. Others like European Car, Hot Rod and Vette cater to car lovers with particular automotive interests.

• That’s the ticket: A pair of tickets to a great auto event, whether to a mud-flinging Monster Truck show or a fancy-schmancy Concours d’Elegance, is sure to get you a sincere “OMG, I love it!”

• Help!: If there’s a teenager in the family who will be driving for the first time soon, consider a roadside emergency kit. AAA memberships are very popular holiday gifts for new drivers. An electronic tire gauge, a set of jumper cables and a battery- or cigarette lighter-powered car tire inflator (or at least a can of Fix-A-Flat) might not elicit the same shrieks of excitement as, say a new iPod pre-loaded with Justin Bieber tunes, but they’ll do doubt be much appreciate somewhere down the road.

• A thrill ride: For the experienced driver and dare devil in the family, spring for a gift certificate good toward a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure package. Packages range from a four-lap intro for $195 to a full-throttle 80-lap experience for $3,695.

• Power surge: Of course, we’d be remiss without suggesting a set of E3 car, truck or motorcycle spark plugs Our favorite stocking stuffer will give your loved one a boost in engine power and efficiency, a little extra change in their pockets rather than the gas tank, and a bit of feel-good mojo knowing that a cleaner ride is good for the environment.

Got more great stocking stuffer ideas? Post them on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. And remember to keep it safe on the roadways this holiday season. Slow down, watch out for impaired drivers and, if you plant to imbibe in a little liquid joy yourself, designate a non-drinking driver. From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and best wishes for the New Year!

E3 Spark Plugs launches a brand new look!

Hey E3 Spark Plugs fans, check out our new look! E3 Spark Plugs is launching a revamped website and social media sites this week. Our updated look is cleaner, more streamlined and easier to navigate. And you’ll find a few new goodies.

New features include:

• A tech support section with a chart designed to help you apply the correct torque to your new spark plugs, information on spark plug gapping, tech tips and videos, a cross-reference guide to help you choose the right spark plugs for your automotive, powersports or lawn and garden engines, plus warranty information;
• A continuously updated video section featuring how-to videos, our commercials and racing highlights;
• A testimonial section where you can see what people are saying about E3 Spark Plugs and add your own comments;
• An events calendar listing all upcoming racing and promotional events featuring or sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs.

“We are excited about our the launch of our newly redesigned website and social media pages,” says Steve Joiner, E3 Spark Plugs’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing “E3 is committed to providing in-depth information about our products and promotional activities. These sites will allow our customers and fans to keep up with all the different programs and events that E3 is involved in all over the country.”

Based in beautiful Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, E3 Spark Plugs developed its patented DiamondFire technology in conjunction with researchers from leading engineering universities. Utilizing a unique, diamond-shaped, edge-to-edge approach, E3 spark plugs are designed to deliver more power, improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and extend the life of your engine.

Our new look will launch this week. Are we missing something you’d like to see? Leave us a comment on our blog or on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

The Toyota Fun Vii just might be the coolest futuristic concept car we've seen to date.

Well, it can’t fly, it won’t deploy your kids and wife to school or to the mall in their own domed, one-man flying saucer directly from the car’s floor, and it won’t fold up into a stylish little briefcase like George Jetson’s iconic ride. But Toyota’s new Fun-Vii concept car can do just about anything else you’ve imagined that the car of the future would do. We’re just not sure where the spark plugs go.

Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this month the Fun V-ii (which stands for “Vehicle Interactive Internet) is being described as a smartphone on four wheels. And it takes personalization to the extreme. At first glance the car looks a bit like an oversized, curved-out iPod docking station with a smooth black finish and silver accents. But those looks can change with the swish of a fingertip across a smartphone screen. That’s because the car’s exterior surface essentially is a digital interface that can display any color or photo chosen, or even reflect the surroundings as a the car drives down the street.

Inside, a driver and two passengers have more legroom than you’ve ever seen in a compact car. Dashboard displays include a hot little hologram assistant popping out of the digital ethers to help you find a great little coffee shop. And the car’s interior walls feature the same customized visual options as the exterior surface. Want to set a romantic tone for the evening? How about a covering the walls with images of rose petals? Or, bring the outside in by displaying the local scenery on the car’s walls. You’ll feel like you’re cruising in one of James Bond’s invisible cars.

Digital features allow a driver to run an automotive diagnostics test, get a weather forecast, check email, locate friends and talk with the people in the car two lanes over without ever picking up a smartphone or rolling down a window. There’s even an autopilot option so you can Facebook/eat lunch/kiss your girlfriend/call your mom/knit a sweater, etc. and still get to your destination without causing a multi-car pileup on the Interstate.

Too far-fetched to ever become reality? Check out the video and decide for yourself. In the meantime, E3 Spark Plugs wants to know: Which is your all-time favorite TV or movie futuristic ride? And would you rather have this…

Or this?…

"Revenge of the Electric Car" offers an unprecedented look into electric car research and development programs of America's automakers.

Documentary film director Chris Paine’s follow up to the controversial 2006 Who Killed the Electric Car is proving just as thought-provoking and entertaining as his first cinematic attempt to out automakers he believes are intentionally hindering development of electric cars with mass-market appeal. E3 Spark Plugs finds Revenge of the Electric Car a fascinating look into the inner workings of automakers’ electric car research and development programs and one eccentric drivers’ dogged determination to defy the automotive powers-that-be.

In Who Killed the Electric Car, Paine sought to educate the masses about the electric car’s place in history and expose the destruction in the early 2000s of thousands of new electric cars – by the same car companies that made them. The film took to task officials who squelched the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, along with the laundry list of “accomplices,” including the government, Big Oil, hydrogen proponents and SUV-loving consumers. Today, the industry is seeing a resurgence in the demand for low- or no-emission vehicles and a few automakers are in a heated race to finally bring a widely-accepted option to the market.

A primary draw of Revenge of the Electric Car for viewers is the film crew’s unprecedented access to R&D programs at General Motors, Nissan and Tesla Motors. The cast of real life characters includes legendary GM executive Bob Lutz, Nissan CEO and President Carlos Ghosn and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, as well as Greg “Gadget” Abbott – the eccentric who just won’t wait for the big boys to man up. Each is in a heated race against the others to develop and deliver the electric car that even the most skeptical American drivers will embrace. Also making entertaining appearances are Hollywood hitters Tim Robbins (who narrates), Danny DeVito, Jon Favreau, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Adrian Grenier along with Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Anthony Kiedis and political satirist Stephen Colbert .

Says New York Times Film Critic Daniel Gold: “Revenge is that rare artifact, a snapshot of a major industry shift on its way to a tipping point… a slick, enjoyable valentine to a retooling industry.”

And Jalopnik Senior Editor Mike Spinelli: “The strength of Revenge lies in its storytelling. The film’s multithreaded, character-driven narrative humanizes corporate entities that (Paine) once portrayed as monolithic, making a complex business story more gripping for its intimacy … The stakes are staggeringly high. We get the idea that building electric cars isn’t merely an act of political or social significance, it’s a brutally risky endeavor demanding superhuman devotion.”

Have you seen Revenge of the Electric Car? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear your thoughts. Post them on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

BMW i8 Concept Car

If you didn’t make it to the LA Auto Show over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, no worries. E3 Spark Plugs has a few highlights from the 106-year-old event that started with 99 cars (including just one foreign import) on display at Morley’s Skating Rink in 1907. The 2011 show boasted more than 1,000 of the top 2011 makes and models of both domestic and import automobiles packed into the Los Angeles Convention Center. Here are a few of our favorites:

• 2013 Cadillac XTS: Hold on to your spark plugs – Granny’s land yacht just got a sexy makeover. Cadillac’s sleek new XTS replaces the big, boxy DTS. The company’s new flagship sedan boasts a smoother, more polished look with more curved exterior lines and a refined interior. It’s a bit more teched-out, too. The XTS marks the debut of the Cadillac CUE, a new touch screen infotainment system that allows for quick access to interior settings, weather forecasts and even your favorite Pandora Internet radio stations.

• 2013 Lincoln MKT: “Thar she blows!” At least that’s what some are (still) saying about the new Lincoln MKT SUV crossover. A major focus clearly was on exterior design and a direct effort to sway potential drivers unimpressed with the MKT’s looks heretofore. A top complaint had been the oversized grille that, many say, made the vehicle resemble the whale that ate Pinocchio. The new grill has sleeker, more slender lines, lacks horizontal elements and doesn’t extend quite as far down the front bumper. Some love it – some still say it looks like a set of cartoon teeth. In any case, we’re digging the tech features. Among them is a Lane Keeping Alert system that vibrates the steering wheel to warn drivers when they’re drifting out of their lanes without signaling, and a Driver Alert system that monitors driver’s inputs, sounding a chime and flashing a coffee cup icon in the gauge cluster if it senses a driver is getting drowsy.

• 2013 Chevy Spark: Designed for the young, eco-minded city dweller in mind, the new Chevy Spark offers a quirky little runt of a ride with great fuel mileage and a definitely different look. The Spark measures just 144.7 inches long – nearly two feet shorter than the subcompact Sonic. Yet the interior offers a surprisingly high amount of legroom for four occupants (42 inches in the front seat, 35 in the back). You won’t win a drag race in this one, but you will enjoy the tech features, including a seven-inch touch screen infotainment system with smartphone-based navigation and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. Look for the oversized headlight that some say resemble a Japanese anime character.

• BMW i8 Concept: Perhaps the straight-up coolest car we saw was the BMW i8 concept car with space-age looks and gull wing doors. This car looks like something out of Tron: Legacy, boasts some serious fuel mileage and is capable of accelerating from zero to 62mph in under five seconds. The hybrid travels 20 miles on electric power alone and comfortably seats four.

Did you hit the LA Auto Show this year? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know which new models are your favorites. Post your pics on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page.

Chevrolet celebrates 100 years this month.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Chevrolet on its centennial. Founded in 1911 by race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet and ousted General Motors founder William C. Durant, the automaker celebrates 100 years this month. And as proud owners over the decades will tell you, “Chevy runs deep.”

The first Chevy, a Classic Six built by Louis Chevrolet, rolled onto the streets of Detroit in 1912. Its engine was a large, liquid-cooled, 299-cubic-inch, six-cylinder cast-iron block with a T-head configuration. It produced 40 horsepower and could go 65 miles an hour – an impressive speed for street-legal cars at the time. Chevy quickly became known as the automaker that brought luxury features to the not-necessarily-wealthy masses. Its vehicles offered technology and features typically reserved for pricier cars and trucks. These included electric starters and electric headlamps during a time when they were rarities even among the high-end cars driven by the country’s elite.

The 1950s and 1960s proved a Golden Age for Chevrolet. The company introduced the iconic Corvette, a two-seater sports car with a fiberglass body, in 1953. Four year later, its first fuel-injected engine, the Rochester Ramjet, debuted as an option on the Corvette and passenger cars for a price of $484. The Corvair, with its rear-mounted air-cooled engine, came out in 1960 and within three years, Chevrolet made one of every 10 cars sold in the U.S.

Over the past century, the iconic automaker has made upwards of 210 million cars and trucks and American pop culture has responded favorably. Chevrolets are mentioned in more than 700 pop, rock, hip-hop, rap and country songs played on mainstream radio. Meanwhile, Chevy continues its tradition of early adoption of new technologies designed to make automobiles cleaner, more efficient and faster, yet still affordable. A key example: the 2011 Chevy Volt, setting the standard for gas/electric hybrid vehicles and racking up North American Car of the Year, Green Car Journal‘s Car of the Year and AUTOMOBILE Magazine‘s Automobile of the Year accolades.

To take part in Chevy’s centennial celebration, one needs only to go online. Visit its Chevy100 website to trace the brand’s history; see weekly webisodes of The Road We’re On, a documentary short series from point of view of Chevy owners and dealers; take a personalized virtual ride in a classic Chevy; and connect with fellow Chevy fans. One of our favorite features: This Chevy True Stories video about two sons’ five-year quest to reunite their dad with the dream car he had sacrificed to help put them through college. Got a great Chevy story of your own? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear it. Post your pics or videos on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. And be sure to search our online catalog to find the right E3 spark plugs for your Chevrolet.

Taddy Blazusiak lands his sixth win this season in the GEICO AMA EndroCross Series main event in Boise, Idaho this weekend. Photo via www.endurocross.com.

Taddy Blazusiak remains the man to beat in the 2011 EnduroCross season. Before a packed crowd at the Idaho Center in Boise Saturday, he took his sixth win of the season in the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Series presented by Lucas Oil. And young Taylor Robert continues his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Jr. Championship within a Championship.

Blazusiak started the race with a bang, securing the lead out of the first turn and launching completely over the first pool on the first lap. Mike Brown trailed closely behind, knowing he had to finish third or better to have any chance at nabbing the championship from Blazusiak. He temporarily lost his second place position to Justin Soule, who passed him in the rock section – a tough section for even the toughest competitors. But Brown won it back when Soule and Cody Webb collided in the pond section. That collision allowed Geoff Aaron to take third place behind Blazusiak and Brown. Soule managed an impressive comeback sans visor or goggles to take fourth place and Gary Sutherlin finished fifth.

Blazusiak remains the series points leader with a perfect 180. Brown follows with 127, then Aaron with 118. Webb and Seoule tie with 103 points.

Taylor “The Threat” Robert continued his lead of the E3 Spark Plugs Junior Championship within a Championship for riders age 21 and younger. His 41 points are enough to beat Keith Sweeten’s 34 and Ryan Sandoval’s 30. Taylor competed in his first race at just four years old and got serious about a pro-racing future when he began racing in amateur nationals at age 10. After sitting out most of the 2010 racing season with a torn ACL, Robert is impressing competitors and fans in both EnduroCross and the WORCS series this year.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all the winners this weekend. Next up: the double main event EnduroCross season finale at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas November 19.

GEICO AMA EnduroCross, Presented by Lucas Oil – Boise, ID Expert Main Event Results

1. Taddy Blazusiak – KTM
2. Mike Brown – KTM
3. Geoff Aaron – Honda/Christini
4. Justin Soule – Kawasaki
5. Gary Sutherlin -Kawasaki
6. Bobby Prochnau – KTM
7. Keith Sweeten – KTM
8. Kyle Redmond – Honda
9. Cody Webb – Beta
10. Max Gerston – KTM
11. Eric Rhoten – Kawasaki

Oh, no - What's that noise?! E3 Spark Plugs can help you decipher the message your car is sending via those pops, screetches and clunks.

You know that sinking-in-your-stomach feeling when you first hear that weird clinking, popping or screeching sound emanating from somewhere in your vehicle while cruising down the highway? Yeah – we hate that feeling too. Some of those noises simply serve as maintenance reminders. Others are signs something is seriously wrong. Don’t cover your ears in denial. Find out what your car is trying to tell you fast, before the damage and the costs rack up.

E3 Spark Plugs shares a few tips on deciphering just what that weird noise might be:

• Squealing brakes: This may just mean there is dirt on the brake rotors, drums pads or shoes. But it also can be a red flag that some component of your brakes is worn or defective.
• Scraping rear brakes: Your brake shoes may be worn.
• Clunking brakes: Could be as simple as the disc brake caliper being improperly mounted, but also could be an indication of damaged brake hardware or worn steering system components.
• Hissing engine: Quick! Check your temperature gauge. Your engine may be overheating. If so, pull over immediately and call a tow truck. That hissing may also mean you’ve got a leak in your coolant or air/vacuum hoses.
• Popping engine: A popping noise coming from your engine can be caused by a myriad of problems including a dirty air filter, clogged fuel filter, dirty or worn spark plugs, damaged spark plug wires, water in your gasoline or ignition trouble.
• Popping from the exhaust: Your fuel injectors may be leaking or you might have a leak in your exhaust.
• Ticking engine: Your valves may be stuck or simply need a little adjusting. But it also could be an indication that your engine oil level or pressure is low or that engine sludge is keeping the oil from circulating properly.
• Squealing engine: If you hear a squeal while you’re accelerating, chances are you’ve got a loose belt or your engine’s drive pulleys are misaligned.
• Screeching steering: Can your neighbor hear you coming from six blocks away when you turn the corner? That screech likely means that your power steering belt is slipping; your steering linkage is damaged, loose or dry; or that your suspension pieces are worn.
• Clicking wheels: Check for a loose hubcap or a small object (such as a pebble) lodged in your hubcap or tire tread.

Whatever noise you’re hearing, E3 Spark Plugs highly recommends getting it checked out as early as possible. Some of these noises are indications of minor troubles that can be inexpensive to fix early on, but ultimately very costly if ignored.