Photographer Ray Gordon had the opportunity to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats last month as the event regularly attracts visitors from far and wind to witness speed at its finest. Gordon’s name is strongly associated with the automotive world as his intuition and skills in capturing speed and action are well-acclaimed. As he returned from Bonneville Salt Flats, Gordon shares his collection of elegant shots from his seasoned adventure.

Gordon’s full journey can be explored from the passage below:

“Cody Adams, good friend and owner of Hurst Racing Tires and I packed my 1996 Dodge shorty van full of survival gear (beer and beef jerky) and left for Bonneville Speedway 5:00 a.m. Friday, August 12th. The 12 hour drive had us rolling into the little desert town of Wendover, Utah right at dinner time. As soon as we rolled into town there were traditional ’30s, ’40s and ’50s lakes style hot rods as far as the eye could see. This was going to be a good year for speed week.

The Salt Flats are located right outside of Wendover, Utah. Wendover is split right down the middle. Half is Utah and half is Nevada. We spent most of our time in Nevada since that’s where the cars, casinos and real beer with alcohol was. It was a good night.

Up before dawn on Saturday, we headed for the salt. What a weird place. It might as well be the moon. The largest flattest place on the planet. It’s a very hostile environment. Temps reaching 100+ during the day with a giant white salty surface bouncing the suns rays everywhere. You had better make sure that you put sun block everywhere. I mean everywhere. I have heard horror stories of people wearing loose shorts and the sun reflecting off the salt sizzling their junk like bacon. The only shade you can find on the salt are the port-a-potties.

Saturday was an epic scene. Cars and motorcycles and speed freaks of all shapes and sizes came together to say fuck you to the heat and the harsh environment to break some speed records. There is work to be done. No posing here. The heat and salt have a great way of keeping the kooks away.

Sunday was just as epic and and even more people came out but a storm rolled in right when they shut the racing down at 7:00. Crazy desert lightning storm. We headed into town and watched the lightning hit all around us and rain wash all the salt off the cars and the streets flood. I always forget how crazy the desert is.

We headed for Oregon in the morning but there were still hundreds of hard core racers that got up and headed back to the salt to chase the records. There was still 4 days left to run them until they break.

Once we got back to Gods green earth It really set in just how weird the salt flats are. Literally a different planet. Hot rods in space.

I am hooked and I will be there every year for the rest of my life. I hope to see you.”

–Ray Gordon

Toyota’s 2012 FJ Cruiser rugged off-road vehicle recently earned itself a Trail Teams Special Edition makeover. The Trail Teams model comes equipped with off-road lights that improve nighttime visibility, water-resistant seats and a rubber floor. The Radian Red paint includes black accented features and an official Trail Team badge for an overall sleek look. When it comes to the specifications, the car includes a standard 260-hp 4.0-liter V6 engine, a cyclone pre-air cleaner to trap dirt, a multi-information display with a back-up camera, 12V/100W and 115V/400W outlets, and all terrain amenities like Bilstein shocks, TRD wheels with BFG All-Terrain tires. Further shots are available here.

Set to make its debut next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford introduces an impressive new concept car: the EVOS. Having last wowed car enthusiasts at the 2005 Frankfurt show with their Losis concept car, Ford sets a new standard in the car technology by seamlessly blending the relationship between the car and driver via information integration. Aptly titled, the EVOS will be the first of its kind to embrace the evolution of ‘personal cloud’ functionality by retaining and providing information as effortlessly to the operator as one would expect from their home or office gadgets. The exterior of the vehicle is equally impressive with a body style based on the fastback design. Making good use of four gull-wing doors, the interior cabin is home to a four-seat layout and dual touchscreen monitors that live on the headrests. Only time will tell if the EVOS is ever seen with its rubber on the road, but it does offer a consequential view into the new standard of the automotive industry.

Source: designboom

The often dependable Land Rover Defender has been an automotive icon over the years but yet like everything, a contemporary update for the times could bode well with Land Rover aiming for a 2015 update. The DC100 Concept to be presented at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show will provide more than aesthetics as the SUV will be put on display, including overviews of its performance and technical capabilities.

Source: Autoblog

The Cadillac Ciel, translating to “sky” in French, is named for its convertible look that stretches the boundaries of what Cadillac can produce. Still only a concept car, the Ciel is a four-seat convertible that has all the sleek features of a usual Cadillac car with an impressive twin-turbo 3.6 liter V6 engine, 425 bhp (317 kW / 431 PS) and 430 lb-ft (583 Nm) coupled to a hybrid transmission powering an all-wheel-drive system. The video catches up with the car’s designers to talk inspirations and origins as well as present a closer look at the vehicle.

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Set to debut at the International Motor Show at Frankfurt in September, two new 2012 V12 Zagatos have already caught the eye of those planning to attend with the upcoming car’s genuine hand assembled kit, aluminum and carbon fiber body, and combination of traditional craftsmanship with high technology. Shown here is one of the V12 Zagatos finished in a distinct green color design as it features a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. The V12 Zagato is being offered for sale at £330,000 GBP (approximately $538,524 USD) and has already been strictly limited to only 150 cars for the summer of 2012.

Source: Autoblog

Ever wonder how racing video game designers get every detail so accurately fleshed-out when you’re virtually speeding down famous tracks such as Hockenheim? If so, this video has your answer. Developers from Turn 10 Studios have decided to show some of the behind-the-scenes magic of creating a virtual locale for the upcomingForza 4 racing game. Highlighting the process from the nearly three-mile-long Hockenheim circuit in Germany – an old, flat track featuring 13 turns – the designers reveal some of their secrets. This clip is definitely worth checking out for racing and video game fans alike.

Source: Autoblog

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Bulgarian-based tuner Vilner (named after a Lithuanian city) recently put some heavy-duty touches to a utilitarian Land Rover Defender with some impressive results. The overall package exudes a much more luxurious outlook with contrast leather seating, in-cab entertainment systems and a sleek black paint job. Putting a Vilner-custom Defender through its paces in the wild seems a little easier said than done.

Source: Autoblog

Designed by two iconic brands made in Italy, the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi fuses both brand’s values of craftsmanship and tradition. The GranCabrio features exclusive materials and bespoke colors alongside wood trim on the dashboard, the doors and the top of the gear lever. Fendi also outlines the seats and the center of the 20-inch alloy wheels with their recognizable logo, and they even included a set of limited edition travel luggage with each car. This specially designed project includes a 4.7-liter V8 engine with an automatic transmission and will be introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show coming September 2011.

New from Ferrari comes the highly-anticipated official release of the 458 Italia’s convertible iteration. The stallion-emblazoned hardtop is exactly what one has come to expect from the brand – masculine, aggressive and supremely stylish. As the world’s first mid-rear engined berlinetta equipped with a retractable hardtop, the 458 Spider’s debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show was nothing short of a big deal. The car’s retracting back-panel mechanism is similar to the one on the Superamerica, but more streamlined in design considering that the 458 Spider hides its roof under the deck lid rather than merely retracting it backwards, adding increased protection from dust, rain and debris. Offered here is an all too brief yet still enticing video of the new supercar not quite in action.

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