On Tuesday, March 15, we held our first Lightning Lap track day, in conjunction with Kaizen Autosport. It took place at our favorite track, Virginia International Raceway, in the same Grand Course configuration we use for our annual running of the year’s hottest performance cars. About 40 entries showed up across a huge spectrum of performance and price, populating all our price-based LL1 through LL5 categories for street cars and all but the most expensive race-car class. Each class winner received a $1000 prize, a trophy, membership in our Track Club, and the satisfaction that they beat out everyone else vying for that top spot.It was sunny and cool, perfect when going for times. Or even when not, as when we did a few less-than-committed laps in our long-term C8 Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M3, and Ram TRX so they could earn a Grand Course decal to wear proudly for the rest of their 40,000 miles in our fleet. It was great to hear from attendees—even some VIR regulars—that this was their first time on the 4.1-mile Grand Course. That was one of the reasons why we wanted to do this: to give people the chance to experience it the way we do, which is a configuration rarely used for track days.Plans are already in motion for the next Track Day. Stay tuned.LL1 (under $35,000)[composite mediaId=’79541480-59d8-42b5-aba1-90e0bcc0c671′][/composite]Michael Congelosi is the original owner of his 2005 Dodge SRT4 ACR, and he drove it with the skill that comes from a decades-long bond with a vehicle. Also helping is that Congelosi’s day job is pushing tires to their limits for Yokohama. The SRT4 is old enough that we never ran one during our 15 years of Lightning Lap, but we know that his 3:08.6 lap time is plenty impressive, beating out a Mazda Miata and a Hyundai Veloster N, and putting it in the neighborhood of the Veloster N we ran in 2019. For reference, we did a 3:20.8 in the hot Neon’s successor, a 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4.LL2 ($35,000 to $64,999)[composite mediaId=’cb40aa81-783c-443d-9f05-0cb751713151′][/composite]LL2 was the largest of the street-car classes, consisting primarily of Camaros and Mustangs, plus a Cayman and a BMW M2. After two afternoon sessions, the car with the swiftest time was a brand-new 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 piloted by Jeff Quesenberry. Although Quesenberry has thousands of laps at VIR, this was his first time on the Grand Course, and our own David Beard, who drove a Ford Mustang Mach 1 to a 2:51.4 in the most recent Lightning Lap, was giving some pointers. Although the winning 2:56.9 was a bit off Beard’s pace, his Mach 1 also didn’t have the Handling package and its adjustable front camber plates and the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that ours did.LL3 ($65,000 to $124,999)[composite mediaId=’855b0265-bcf3-4d2b-bc38-2a4378514e2e’][/composite]The 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport driven by Cody Hunt laid down the best time in LL3, beating out three other storied performance brands: a Dodge Viper, a Nissan GT-R, and a BMW M4. Hunt’s best lap of 2:46.6 just beat our 2:47.1 in that car in 2016, although his new R compound tires were likely an advantage over the stock Michelin Cup 2s of five years ago that the C6 Grand Sport wore from the factory.LL4 ($125,000 to $249,999)[composite mediaId=’3815c64a-4f31-4aed-8311-83c0ee0d2c84′][/composite]Nothing could match Corey Radcliff in a 2017 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme in LL4, where his very impressive 2:40.9 beat out a trio of 991 Porsche 911s: a GT3 RS, a GT3, and a GT3 Touring. Radcliff’s win is well deserved, as his time is a solid chunk better than the 2:44.2 we recorded in 2016—driver K.C. Colwell remembers the heat being oppressive that day—and is closing in on Dodge development driver Chris Winkler’s 2:40 flat. Impressive. The other news to come out of the LL4 class is that a Tesla Model S Plaid ran a 2:50.7, 4.5 seconds quicker than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S we lapped in 2021, which is equally surprising; and the supremely fortunate tank slapper up the esses during that quickest lap that somehow didn’t end in disaster.LL5 ($250,000 and above)[image id=’a19f28b2-4eae-4732-8b02-c5c07dfdc02d’ mediaId=’863ddc76-4c7f-4c50-8383-28d1123f8d08′ align=’left’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Piloting a beautiful 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Randy Copeland took the honors in the top LL5 street category with a 2:48.6 lap time. Although our K.C. Colwell went considerably quicker with a 2:37.8 in a GT2RS in 2018—beating out a Corvette ZR1 and McLaren 720S for the quickest time that year and, at the time, the quickest lap ever—kudos to Copeland for being the rare owner who exercises his car in the way Porsche’s GT squad intended it to.LLR1 (under $65,000)[composite mediaId=’91aec92a-89a9-406a-806f-937984e51457′][/composite]This least expensive race-car class was the most contested, with a brand-new Subaru BRZ coming out ahead of a trio of BMWs—E30, E36, E46—a Nissan 350Z, a Porsche Boxster, a Mustang, and a Miata. We loved the new BRZ when we ran a 3:12.4 at this year’s Lightning Lap, which is almost two seconds quicker than the best previous-gen BRZ, a tS model. But the fully race-prepped TC America Subie built by TechSport Racing and driven by Devin Anderson shows the true potential of this excellent lightweight rear-drive sports coupe, with his best time of 2:56.5.LLR2 ($65,000 to $124,999)[composite mediaId=’e436432a-051c-4106-a02f-ef191bc4f158′][/composite]The gap between Eric Magnussen’s LS-swapped E46 M3 and the rest of the LLR2 field was nearly nine seconds large, proving that the fire-spitting and insanely loud yellow BMW was far more than pomp. Magnussen’s best time of 2:39.3 puts it in the top five most rapid street cars we ran, between a McLaren 765LT and Corvette ZR1.LLRP (prototype)[composite mediaId=’136d74b9-d929-4f8b-9026-9a6196b3f73a’][/composite]Convincingly proving our point that VIR’s Grand isn’t a horsepower track, Jonathan Finstrom ran an epic 2:27.2 lap—a new Grand Course record—in his lightweight and lightly powered Staudacher S08 P1 prototype racer. The Suzuki GSX-R 1.0-liter engine makes a mere 152 hp and 75 lb-ft at the wheels, and Finstrom’s peak speed down the straight was just 137 mph—about the same as the BMW M240i from our most recent Lightning Lap. Yet the 782-pound machine went 7.7 seconds quicker than the McLaren Senna that currently sits atop our all-time Lightning Lap leader board, and nearly that many ticks ahead of the next-quickest competitor, too.[gallery id='14c706cf-fb0e-44a0-a2af-cf5069ac4be2' mediaId='ce538d44-5bd8-4f62-91ad-3d8d75ee5377' display='slider' align='center' size='medium' share='true' expand='' captions='true' suppress-title='true'][/gallery]

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Ultium energy recovery captures heat generated as an electric vehicle moves—from the motor or the battery or even from the people in the car—and uses it as a heat source elsewhere.General Motors developed the system to improve efficiency—and it does, by up to 10 percent, according to the company. GM claims the setup even contributes to the GMC Hummer EV’s hair-raising acceleration performance.Eking out every last bit of energy from an electric vehicle’s battery pack is an important engineering task. General Motors’s latest trick to make the most of a battery-electric vehicle’s energy comes courtesy of a new kind of heat pump that recovers excess heat energy—from the battery, the powertrain, or even the people in the car—and uses it to warm the cabin and extend the vehicle’s driving range.

GM calls this new technology Ultium energy recovery, and as its name suggests, the tech applies to the company’s line of Ultium-based battery-electric vehicles. This list currently includes the GMC Hummer EV, with the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Cadillac Lyriq due soon. Other Ultium vehicles are in the works, too, including the Cadillac Celestiq sedan, and GM notes the Ultium energy recovery system will come standard on every one of its current and future Ultium-based EVs.

GMC

The heat sources the Ultium energy recovery system draws from include the battery itself, various power electronics, some propulsion components, and—most interestingly—the body heat of the people within the cabin, as well as humidity in and outside of the vehicle. The Ultium energy recovery system then uses this captured heat to warm the cabin. GM estimates this heating solution can extend the range of an EV by as much as 10 percent. Additionally, GM claims the Ultium energy recovery system can warm the cabin of its EVs in less time than “comparable systems” of vehicles with internal combustion engines. The setup also offers potential performance enhancements. For instance, Ultium energy recovery helps cool the Hummer EV’s propulsion system when the vehicle’s placed in its Watts to Freedom mode. As such, the big pickup’s powertrain can be pushed harder without overheating, thus resulting in the Hummer EV’s 60-mph time of around three seconds.
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The Toyota Highlander is gaining an XSE model, which will come with sportier tuning for the suspension and steering, as well as an aggressive look. The trim will be available this fall on the 2021 Highlander. The Highlander XSE has the same engine as the standard model, a 3.5-liter V-6. Mainstream SUVs aren’t exactly known […] More

News Channel 5 Nashville via Facebook

Chevrolet announced it has paused production of its Corvette sports car for the week of December 13 to repair damages caused by a fire that broke out at its Bowling Green, Kentucky, assembly plant on Saturday. The fire was caused by one of several tornadoes that swept through six states in the U.S. South and Midwest over the weekend. The storms have been responsible for killing over 90 people and in some cases, leveling entire towns. The fire “has caused damage to the facility, including the roof and an employee entrance,” GM said in a statement to Automotive News. “The small number of employees that were onsite are all safe. Maintaining a safe work environment for plant employees is our top priority.”
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A flyover of the facility performed by Channel 5 News Nashville and published to Facebook on Saturday shows what looks to be significant damage to NCM Motorsports Park, the road course adjacent to the assembly plant. In one instance we can see what looks to be a storage facility for newly built C8s that’s had its roof entirely ripped off.

The plant will be idled the entire week, with first and second shifts canceled so teams can bring the facility back up to standard. Production is expected to restart on December 20, though GM has yet to confirm whether that’s actually the case. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen C8 production stopped. The factory has paused several times in the past due to COVID-19-related concerns and supply shortages.

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Last August, it was internal-combustion-engined passenger cars. Now it’s diesel-powered HD vehicles that won’t be allowed for sale in California after a future date. In this case, it’s 2036.Some fleets will need to start their transitions next year, but the zero-emission deadlines range from 2035 for last mile and short-haul deliveries, 2039 for things like garbage trucks, and 2042 for sleeper cabs and specialty vehicles.The California Air Resource Board (CARB)’s reasons for targeting the heavy-duty sector can be summed up in two numbers: big trucks comprise only 6 percent of California’s vehicles but emit 25 percent of all on-road greenhouse gas emissions.The Golden State continues to set the pace for clean-vehicle regulation in the U.S. This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously approved a new rule to phase out sales of diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2036. This is the first such combustion-truck sales ban in the world, according to the board.The rules, called Advanced Clean Fleets, will also require fleets that operate medium-duty vehicles, those with a gross vehicle weight rating between 8501 and 14,000 pounds, and heavy-duty vehicles (over 14,000 pounds) to shift to zero-emission powertrains. These MD and HD fleets have different deadlines for when their EV transition needs to be completed.California DreamingDepending on the type of HD vehicle and where it operates, the CARB rules take effect at different times. Last-mile delivery and drayage trucks—the short-haul vehicles that often operate around port locations—must be zero-emissions by 2035. Other categories have later dates: 2039 for local work vehicles like garbage trucks and day cab tractors and 2042 for sleeper cab tractors and specialty vehicles. The rules approved last week also require reduced emissions from train locomotives in California. As with CARB’s passenger-car emissions regulations, other states may adopt California’s new clean air rules. None have yet announced that they will do so.Trucks at the Port of Oakland (CA) in March 2023.Justin Sullivan|Getty ImagesLooking to Make Transition Easier for FleetsCARB has a history, over the decades, of providing financial incentives to make the clean vehicle transition easier, in this case for truck owners and buyers. Some plug-in trucks and buses are eligible for point-of-sale discounts, for example, and there are more local and municipal clean vehicle programs in California than just about anywhere else. CARB also allows for some exemptions when the best technology available for a particular vehicle type points towards upgrading that vehicle with a new, clean engine as the best choice. And the rules do allow fleets to “continue operating existing vehicles through their useful life.”No one who was paying attention to California’s recent greenhouse-gas regulation efforts should have been surprised by Friday’s diesel vote. Recent news about the big picture— how Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to turn all trucks in the state to zero-emission by 2045—and the small details should have clued people in.”Dirty Truck Detector” Days CARB adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks rule in 2020, which set the stage for requirements for manufacturers selling more zero-emission trucks. Last month, the EPA approved the state’s request for a waiver to implement to ban HD diesel vehicles, setting up last week’s vote. Last fall, CARB ran a series of “dirty truck detector” days along popular trucking routes in the state. And, while it’s not directly tied to HD vehicles, CARB voted last August to ban sales of new combustion-engine passenger vehicles in California starting in 2035.Go with the Current California has good reason to focus on dirty emissions from large vehicles. CARB said these heavy trucks are responsible for about 25 percent of on-road greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but only make up six percent of the vehicles on California’s roads. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule aims to reduce California’s GHG emissions by 40 percent and reduce petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030. While there are obvious financial challenges to switching to zero-emission HD vehicles, CARB estimates that reduced truck pollution will result in over $26 billion in health savings while also reducing operating costs for fleet managers and truck owners by $48 billion by 2050. With all of the clean air projects in the works, CARB expects there to be around 1.7 million zero-emission trucks in California by the middle of the century.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More