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1991 Nissan Figaro one of 200 imported to the U.S. Powered by a 3-cylinder turbo motor.

Summer is car show time, a season packed with public and private events throughout the country, especially in the epicenter of car culture, Los Angeles. They range from benefits for local causes, to club gatherings, to venues for serious Pebble-Beach-aspirants to layer on some provenance.

Closing out the month of June was the third Highway Earth show in Beverly Hills, an eclectic and egalitarian gathering in an atypical corner of the 90210 code, Franklin Canyon Park. The 605-acre preserve surrounding the three-acre reservoir is a world of its own, protected as a part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and a perfect site where the vehicles are grouped in the turnouts and positioned along the paved park road. Visitor admission is free.

Creators and organizers, photographer Evan Kline and creative executive Thomas Miltch, describe the event as a community for classic car enthusiasts to share their passion for cars. That may be the description for just about any show in any town, but when it takes place in the birthplace of the custom movement, the event is a little different.

Alfa Romeo Club Concours ribbons await winners in three classes plus overall and people's choice.

Like family at a picnic, Highway Earth exhibitors are gathered up for a group photo.

Clean ICON machine. One of several at Highway Earth.

The duo are true enthusiasts themselves, and truly enjoy this project, welcoming upward of 150 like-minded owners to get together for a day. The idea is an outgrowth of Klein and Miltch's work, and the concept certainly seems to work.

This year's theme was "Made in L.A." and the entries from local craftsmen included an exquisite outlaw Porsche 356 from Rod Emory Motorsports; three Wasteland cars built by artists as an homage to Mad Max (a Mercury, VW Baja Bug, and Mustang that are on their way to becoming a zombie patrol film); an ICON restomodded Plymouth Roadmaster, and at least two terrific ICON 4x4 trucks. Surrounding those were marque groups including English Morgan three-wheelers; Italian Alfa Romeos meeting for a concours-within-a-show with 19 examples all running on the same day; a French Deux Cheveau and Traction Avant; a Swedish 122 sedan and 220 wagon. Oh, and the new Acura NSX was here, next to the wonderfully unique (one of 200 never formally sold in the U.S.) Nissan Figaro. And Elvis Presley's 1971 DeTomaso Pantera from the Petersen Automotive Museum was there, along with a pair of Corvair buses.

Elegant Traction Avant in the French car grouping.

Carl Stubbs of Bellflower will be back at Highway Earth next year.

Evan Klein sets up for the group photo.

What could be a dizzying array of machinery seemed completely natural tucked under the shade of native scrub oaks and taller, introduced pines, and touring the show required a healthy one-mile walk around the reservoir.

It is a non-juried event, but sponsor Hagerty Insurance asked their volunteers, members of the local Boy Scout troop, to be youth judges and perform a "people's choice" evaluation – a way to get the next generation involved with cars. The boys identified their top three favorites: first, an immense Cadillac Fleetwood; second, a Dodge Phoenix; and third, a 1956 Ford F-100 pickup with a 2000 5.0-liter V8 Explorer engine, owned by Carl Stubbs of Bellflower.

MadMax homage Ford Mustang ready for its close-up.

Mister Vintage Machine custom is quintessential rod-building.

Nothing beats a V8 Ford.

"This is the third iteration of the truck," Stubbs said. "I completely re-did it again, this time with the Explorer engine, fuel injection, new differential, and Philippine mahogany bed. The tones in the wood really work with the new paint. I also put in this 135 db horn made from motorcycle and automotive components." The horn was very authoritative. The truck was gorgeous, a two-tone, cherry-plum on top, silver-gray below with pinstripe details and philosophy hand-painted on the tailgate and front fender. He was pleased the kids appreciated his work. It is a driver and Stubbs and wife, Pam, participate in a full calendar of club and regional activities.

A peek under the hood of the "1956 Explorer" revealed Stubbs' meticulous installation, complete with a K&N engine air filter. "Is there any other filter to have?" he declared. "They make it so easy to install and use. It does help with power. Oh, and, it looks like it's time to clean this one again." Maybe, but it seemed fairly spotless on this day. It was Stubbs's second year at Highway Earth, and he is looking forward to a third. He wants to bring his El Camino next time, another example of the custom movement, made in L.A.

Rod Emory outlaw art is made in L.A.

Stubbs' 3rd iteration of the 1956 F-100 brought in a 2000 Explorer 5.0L and a K&N engine air filter.

Stubbs philosophy painted on his 1956 F-100.

Organizer Klein has announced the show with, "Well, they (the Parks Service) let us come back again!" But it is also the word of mouth enthusiasm and the spirit of sharing that has let the show continue. "We live in a town where people can afford just about anything they desire, but sometimes the car you restore with your Dad or best friend is the priceless one," Klein wrote in his event publication's welcome page. "Everyone has an opportunity to bring whatever they like. As long as you dig the show, we'll keep going." They will.

Some more philosophical paintings from Carl Stubbs' F-100.

The paint can't shine in the shade, so you have to take a closer look, and it's worth it.

The Stubbs 1956 F-100 has a 2000 Ford Explorer 5.0L under the hood.

A satellite view of Hammertown, the Off Road Pop-Up Community, host to more than 35K spectators

What Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll started as a single race that combined rock crawling and desert racing has evolved into a week-long event featuring five distinctly different challenging races held throughout the week. For K&N-sponsored driver Greg Adler and his 4 Wheel Parts team, the event represents a quest for the King of the Hammers Ultra4 title when they take on what is widely considered the toughest one-day race in the world.

Chocolate Thunder trail early on race day. Look there's still a place to park!

The course, which averages about 200 miles each year, tests the limits of man and machine. Competitors are treated to a different course dynamic each year as they take on elements of high-speed open desert racing combined with technical rock crawling through canyons scattered with boulders, some the size of the mini vans! This years event boasted the addition of a short course in main pit that was used for last chance qualifying and turned out to be great vantage point for spectators to see their favorites as they made their way from the start, through laps two and three, and finally the finish line. Additionally the new track layout had our competitors heading out from the start/finish line in the opposite direction from years past.

Ultra4 Staging at the King of the Hammers - also known as the calm before the storm!

In past events, Adler managed to keep his Ultra4 Jeep at the front of the pack. In fact, Adler has run in the top 5 for most of the race the last couple of years and lead the race in 2015. However, he suffered mechanical setbacks that added him to the list of those forced to retire early, in the race that boasts the highest attrition rate in all of off-road competition, the past two years.

Adler and MacCachren hitting the open desert after a mechanical issue tried to cut their day short

This year, Adler was joined by off-road racing icon Rob MacCachren. Even with his vast off-roading experience, multiple championships and array of off-roading titles, MacCachren admits that the Nitto Tire King of the Hammers powered by OPTIMA Batteries presents a new challenge for him. “Rob is a tremendous asset who’s going to bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team,” said Adler.

K&N Driver Greg Adler maneuvering his 4 Wheel Parts Ultra4 Jeep masterfully through the rocks.

At about the race halfway point, Adler took over behind the wheel and got to work attacking the brutal trails that have become synonymous with this event. Familiar with the trails, Greg made short work of Sledgehammer, Chocolate Thunder, Jackhammer, and one of the newest trail additions, Full of Hate. After making it through the trails that have made The Hammers famous worldwide, he headed out to the open desert and on to the final trails, Resolution and Backdoor, that stood between his team and the finish line. Adler and MacCachren worked their way through those obstacles, down into the short course and crossed the finish line with an official finishing time of eleven hours and twenty seven minutes. Rumored to have been the largest field in the history of KOH, of the 123 Ultra4 vehicles to take the start earlier that day, car number 210, Team 4 Wheel Parts, was one of just 50 official finishers in this year’s legendary race with a final position of 31st.

“This certainly wasn’t where we wanted to be in the final standings today,” said Adler, “but in a race like this, where the odds are stacked against you, to finish is a great accomplishment for this team.”

Congratulations to Greg Adler and Rob MacCachren for their success at this years Nitto Tire King of the Hammers powered by OPTIMA Batteries. They met adversity head on and made it their mission to overcome it.

After a broken fitting put them 3 hours behind, Adler & MacCachren crossed the line in 31st

Just a taste of the incredible hardware in OPTIMA Alley

SEMA, formed in 1963 by Roy Richter, Willie Garner, Bob Hedman, Robert E. Wyman, John Bartlett, Phil Weiand, Jr., Al Segal, Dean Moon, and Vic Edelbrock, Jr. and now consists of 6,383 companies worldwide, bringing together aftermarket manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), media, car dealers, specialty equipment distributors, installers, retailers, and restoration specialists.

A diverse field makes up the competition at the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational

After an evening of meet and greet the invitees need to focus on their competition, OUSCI, that takes place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Cam Douglass, Director of Marketing at OPTIMA Batteries, Johnson Control, had this to say about the OUSCI, “We created this event nine years ago, and although the industry has changed, the reason we created this event still stands – to see what the incredible cars from garages across the country and the SEMA show floor are really capable of using the show’s high performance parts.”

Rich Wilhoff on the hunt with Danny Popp never being one to give up an inch!

Saturday saw the field divided between the Detroit Speed Autocross and PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge in the morning with a switch after the noon hour. Saturday evening for the Lucas Oil Road Rally the competitors would cruise the Las Vegas Strip to the Shelby Museum for a little dinner and music. Sunday our competitors would each receive four fifteen minute run sessions in the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial. This afforded them a chance to lay down their fastest lap time. Scores would then be tallied and added to the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering scores to flesh out the Ultimate Street Car and crown the victor.

Jake Rozelle and Rich Wilhoff lined up for the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge

Each competitor received points as they competed in the challenges. This year, Ken Thwaits took second place overall competing in a 2006 Mitsubishi Evo and Rich Willhoff came in third place in a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette.

2nd Place finisher, Ken Thwaits and his EVO, overcame major setbacks Sunday to make the podium

3rd Place finisher, Rich Wilhoff at the POWERSTOP Speed Stop Challenge in the Bull RIng

OUSCI Winner, Danny Popp, makes the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial look easy!

Our 2016 OUSCI Winner, Danny Popp, with 2nd place Ken Thwaits, left & 3rd place Rich Wilhoff, right

The increase in horsepower can be credited largely to the oversized conical air filter

The 455 horsepower LT1 is similar in architecture to the LS family of small-block engines which it superseded, but with a unique aluminum block casting and aluminum cylinder heads, oiling system, and an aggressive 11.5:1 compression ratio. It also incorporates advanced technologies such as direct fuel Injection and continuously variable valve timing. And unlike many other auto manufacturers, GM believes there is plenty of development left in the traditional two valve push rod V8 and proves it with each new engine.

To draw an adequate volume of air an entirely new intake manifold design was developed, which provides a straighter path into the combustion chamber. With as much time and development effort that GM engineers put into the LT1, one would assume that the intake system would leave no opportunity for improvement. But it does. There’s an additional way to improve the performance of your 2016 Camaro SS: the K&N 69-4534TP air intake system, which has been chassis dyno-tested proven to deliver an estimated 15.16 rear-wheel horsepower gain over an otherwise stock 2016 Camaro SS.

The K&N 69-4534TP air intake system replaces the restrictive factory air filter and air intake housing on the 2016 Camaro SS. K&N AirChargers significantly improve incoming air flow as well as reduce turbulence in the intake tube.

Installation of the K&N 69-4534TP is a snap and can be completed in less than a Saturday morning

Air is then directed through an aerodynamically-verified polished aluminum intake tube into the engine’s throttle body for an estimated 15 horsepower gain. The intake tube includes fittings for the factory mass air sensor and crank case vent hose. Best of all, the K&N 69-4534TP air intake system can be installed in 90 minutes or less with simple hand tools

In addition to more power, this air intake system improves engine sound with more aggressive and deeper acoustics during acceleration.

And once you’ve installed your K&N cold air intake system you’ve eliminated the need to buy another air filter for the life of your covered 2016 Camaro SS. The only maintenance is a service you can do yourself in no time at all. At intervals of 100,000 miles (depending upon your driving conditions) use the K&N 99-5000 recharger kit to clean and refresh your air filter, preparing it for another 100,000 miles of driving. The K&N air filter you purchase is designed to last for the lifetime of your vehicle, which K&N guarantees will perform for up to 10 years or 1,000,000 miles without requiring replacement.

The K&N 69-4534TP cold air intake is designed for the following vehicles:

2017 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models
2016 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS 6.2L V8 Fuel Injection - All Models

K&N's Jesse Spungin awards the check to Robert Moeller who accepts it on behalf of Fallen Patriots

Fallen Patriots was founded in 2002 to honor the sacrifices of our fallen military heroes by assisting their children with the funds necessary to attend college. Since their inception, Fallen Patriots has provided more than $15 million in aid, including scholarships, grants, and counseling to young men and women who have lost a parent in the line of duty. K&N Engineering is an avid supporter of our military and over the years has supported multiple organizations.

The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation helps send the children of fallen soldiers to college

The cost of a college education is now more expensive than ever and to be able to assist with that is a goal that is extremely important to Fallen Patriots.

“With the average college cost gap totaling $32,000, the need for financial support is significant,” according to a spokesperson for Fallen Patriots. “Partners’ continued dedication, in ways ranging from financial support to creating awareness, has helped Fallen Patriots continue to fulfil their mission to ensure a future for surviving military children.”

K&N is proud to be a part of this effort in helping give the children of fallen patriots a chance to go to college and further their education. For more information about the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, visit them at fallenpatriots.org.

Every year, brave men and women are killed in action overseas, leaving their loved ones behind

It is important to not forget about the children of our fallen heroes and their struggles in life