While car shows that highlight certain models or types of vehicles are nothing new, rarely are there events that celebrate a specific engine. Hosted by Holley Performance, LS Fest West in Las Vegas, Nevada is an annual gathering of enthusiasts, aftermarket companies and professional racers who share a bond over GM’s signature LS series engines.
Held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the event features all kinds of motorsports. Participants took part in many different competitions throughout the weekend: drag racing, autocross, show-n-shine, drifting, off-road short course and a burnout contest.
As a sponsor of the event, Nitto Tire offers enthusiasts many choices when it comes to the right performance tire for their ride. From drag radials to off-road tires to daily driver performance, Nitto has the right tire for any LS-powered vehicle.
While the LS was a factory option for most of the cars that attended LS Fest West, there was an abundance of vehicles that featured LS engine swaps. This S13 Nissan 240SX hatchback with an LS3 crate engine, owned by Steven Guevara, stood out as one of the prime examples of a smaller import car retrofitted with V8 power.
Geared through a T-56 manual transmission, this S13 sits on a set of Nitto NT05 tires to keep the extra horsepower planted while Steven navigated the autocross course. Steven prides his Nissan for being completely streetable, and credits the NT05s for their impressive performance both on and off the track.
LS Fest West even brought out some of the wildest creations in the performance world. Speed junkie and YouTube sensation, Cleetus MacFarland, stole the show at Hoonigan’s Summer of Shred. Driving his custom twin-turbo LS powered C5 Corvette skeleton car, Cleetus put on an exciting show for the live audience, lighting up a huge burnout session in typical Hoonigan fashion on a set of Nitto NT555 G2 tires.
The Hoonigan’s skidpad would be the ultimate proving grounds for anyone willing to put on a show for the crowd throughout the weekend.
It wasn’t all about race cars and burnouts. The show-n-shine section of LS Fest West boasted all kinds of cars, like this Pontiac G8 sedan on Nitto NT555R tires with LS-power to boot.
What would a GM V8 show be without some resto-mods? This classic Camaro on NT555’s parked beside it’s modern counterparts had the hood removed to show off a red supercharger on top of the LS. Modern performance with classic aesthetics. What more could you want?
Since the introduction of the LS engine in the late ‘90s, enthusiasts have found ever increasing ways to add serious performance to their cars, while keeping them unique and memorable. Whether your car sees serious track time, is your daily driver or somewhere in between, Nitto has engineered tires with your goals in mind.
