As we head into autumn, the May issue of Street Machine is here to warm you up, and our cover star is sure to get the mercury rising: Matty Smoors’ stunning VL Commodore Group A tribute!

Unveiled at Street Machine Summernats this year, the Smoors VL boasts 2500hp and six-second potential, and we might even see it taking on Drag Challenge in the future. If you’re big into your VLs or just tough cars in general, you’ll want to pick up the May issue for this one alone!

If the Blue Oval is more your thing, we’ve got plenty to satisfy your craving, including Bailey Djuric’s tough XY ute, powered by a screaming Ford Racing SVO NASCAR mill, and Paul Douglas’s twin-turbo Clevor-powered TD Cortina.

Speaking of Fords, we’ve got a ripper Time Machine yarn this month – DRIF6 is back! Yep, FPV’s mid-noughties one-off drift car is still alive and well. Having travelled all over the world, she’s landed back in Australia, where Zane Heath has just undertaken a full resto on the legendary sideways machine.

On the events front, the May issue is bloody chock-a-block! First up, we head a couple of hours west of Melbourne to the Ballarat Airport for the Western Highway Shootout, a ripper one-day drag-and-drive event with stacks of potential.

Then, we get sweaty in typically tropical Rockhampton for Rare Spares Rockynats 5. Even with inclement weather, over 1700 entrants and 65,000 descended on the beef capital for what was by far the biggest Rockynats yet, and we bring you all the elite unveilings, street drags, cruising and burnout action from what was a ripper weekend.

As well as his usual awesome Urban Warfare column, Mark ‘Arby’ Arblaster doubles up this month to bring us a stellar tech yarn on preparing his Marketplace-sourced Dodge R5P7 NASCAR mill for drag-and-drive duties. His Urban Warfare yarn for May is a cracker as well, detailing how John Ricca took on the Yanks on their home turf in his Pro Mod Camaro and came away with the record for quickest and fastest blown door car in the world!

All our other regulars are full of top-end talent too, including Kelvin Mann’s Drag Challenge-proven VS ute with its subtle rear-mount turbo set-up, Joel Blake’s turbo 2JZ Toyota Crown sleeper, a ball-tearing Mill of the Month, and loads more! It’s all in the May issue of Street Machine, so get it while it’s hot!