Illustration by Radovan VaricakCar and Driver The Hummer EV is a new electric pickup truck that General Motors is launching under the GMC brand. It promises up to 1000 horsepower and will offer one-, two-, and three-motor versions. The GMC Hummer EV will debut May 20, 2020 and go on sale starting in fall 2021. […] More

Rarer than a Porsche but more affordable than a Ferrari, the Lotus Esprit offers thrilling performance and exotic looks.This one has just over 21,000 miles on its odometer and has had a thorough recent servicing.With three days to go before the auction ends on August 15, bidding on the Bring a Trailer online auction is at $41,111.Car and DriverThe desire for a Porsche or a Ferrari is both broad and deep, but to lust after a Lotus is to throw logic and reason out the occasionally malfunctioning power window. To paraphrase Shakespeare, love is not love which bends with the tow-truck driver to remove; with a Lotus, periodic interruption of service is worth the way the cars get under your skin. Want reliable? Get a Camry. Want passion? Take a gander at this gorgeous wedge of English beauty, an all-black Lotus Esprit powered by a twin-turbocharged mid-engine V-8.Today’s pick from Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a 1998 Lotus Esprit V-8 with just over 20,000 miles on the odometer (it’s a Canadian car, so that reading is actually 35,000 kilometers. Sorry). Bring a TrailerThe World’s Sexiest DoorstopThe original, wedge-shaped Esprit arrived in the late 1970s as the world’s sexiest doorstop, and received only two major refreshes over a 28-year production run. This mid-1990s version is fairly rare—in Canada, Lotus only managed to sell four of these in 1998; in the U.S. market, just 155 found homes—making it a far more exotic option than something like a 911 Turbo, but with performance that’ll have you nipping at the Porsche’s heels.From the C/D ArchiveWhen Car and Driver reviewed the Esprit V-8 in 1998 (linked above), John Phillips knocked the car for a balky shift action and heavy clutch and couldn’t help but note the aging platform. Still, there was no arguing with the performance supplied by the 350-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-8.Though the new V-8 may not sound Ferrari-esque, it certainly inspires the Esprit to supercar velocities. Sixty mph now manifests in a spine-straightening 4.1 seconds—three-tenths quicker than the old four-cylinder Esprit S4S and seven-tenths sooner than the still-older Esprit Turbo SE. In fact, that zero-to-60 time places this Lotus only a tenth of a second behind a Viper GTS, which, of course, has the advantage of two more cylinders and 100 extra horse­power. The Esprit V-8 decimates the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 112 mph—three-tenths and 4 mph better than the old S4S. And it rushes to 150 mph 10.3 sec­onds sooner than the S4S, placing this Lotus only one second shy of the 0-to-150-mph time of, say, a Ferrari 355. Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerAnd also, just look at it. This black on black with a nicely contrasting tan interior is like something Batman might drive. Assuming among his gadgets he also had a Bat Flatdeck and didn’t mind occasionally showing up to the Bat Signal half an hour late to find Commissioner Gordon pointedly looking at his wristwatch.Affairs of the HeartAll joking about wonky reliability aside, what a Lotus really offers what most British sports cars bring to the table: true ownership involvement. If the shift linkage of an Esprit needs finessing, and if the V-8’s lack of low-rpm power requires throttle management, then that’s just part of the driving experience. A Lotus needs you back, and on the right day and the right road, the driving experience is absolute bliss.Bring a TrailerThere’s really no way to explain the appeal further: if you know, you know. And if you know, this is an extremely desirable example of the irresistible appeal of a proper sporting Lotus. With four days to go, bidding is at $41,111. Click on over to Bring a Trailer to bid with your heart, not your head. Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

NHTSA has opened an investigation to determine whether EVs and hybrids dating back to 1997 should be required to emit the same audible pedestrian warning sounds that their more recent counterparts have.The federal safety agency previously passed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141, which requires that all 2020 model year and newer electric and hybrid vehicles under 10,000 pounds be equipped with a pedestrian warning sound.If NHTSA decides to pass a new requirement for older models, it could pose a logistical challenge, since an estimated 9.1 million vehicles could be on the list to be recalled for a retrofitted pedestrian warning. Among the ways in which they’re different from traditional internal-combustion-engined vehicles, electric cars and hybrids don’t sound the same. They are quiet—and that can pose a safety problem. There has been a law on the books for several years requiring new EVs and hybrids to be sold with a pedestrian warning sound onboard. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a new investigation to determine if EVs and hybrids dating back to 1997 should be required to possess the same audible warning sounds that newer vehicles do. The investigation is credited as starting from a petition from an individual, filed in July 2022. The complaining citizen asks for the new requirement and cites as backup that 2018 law (FMVSS 141) requiring EVs and hybrids under 10,000 pounds to be equipped with a pedestrian warning sound. The petition asserts that it’s wrong for hybrid and electric vehicles built earlier not to have to meet the same standard as the vehicles built later.More on NHTSAThe law was created as a protection for visually impaired and blind people who depend on auditory cues when crossing streets. NHTSA documents note that this concern dates back at least as far as 2010, with the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, which became law in January 2011.NissanNHTSA estimates that there are more than nine million hybrid and electric vehicles that don’t have built-in audible alerts; all of them could conceivably be subject to a retrofit rule, which is likely to pose logistical challenges both to automakers and the owners of the older vehicles. Take the Takata airbag recall, where nearly 70 million airbags were required to be replaced for safety reasons. Honda and other automakers have spent years hunting down owners of older models to bring their vehicles in for new airbags. The logistical lift needed to track down each of more than nine million owners of hybrids and EVs dating back 26 years could be complicated and ultimately fall short of total completion. NHTSA declined to comment as the investigation is in progress.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.Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Four Honda models and one Acura are being recalled over a brake problem that is blamed on cylinder separation and could cause the brakes to fail. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state that as many as 124,077 vehicles could be affected. Owners will be notified by August 7, 2023.Honda and Acura have announced a recall affecting several models due to a brake issue that could compromise the strength or full use of the brakes. The recall encompasses the Honda Civic (2020–2021), Passport (2021–2023), Pilot (2021–2022), and Ridgeline (2020–2023) and a single Acura model, the MDX (2020). According to the official recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the problem stems from improper assembly of the tie rod fastener that connects the brake master cylinder and the brake booster. When the brake is applied, the documents explain, the tie rod studs may break, causing the master cylinder to separate from the brake booster. This manufacturing problem could cause the brakes to weaken or fail altogether, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda says it has received two warranty claims related to the problem but has received no notice of any accidents or injuries. Owners can consult the NHTSA recalls website to learn if their vehicle is included in the recall, and Honda will send recall notices in August. Other Recent RecallsSummer Editorial InternAlessandra Kaestner, a Chicago native, has always been interested in journalism. She remembers listening to NPR every day before school with her parents and trying to race her dad to get the New York Times from the front door. Alessandra continued her passion for journalism by working at her university’s newspaper during her first year and into her sophomore year: the Cornell Daily Sun. She is majoring in psychology and philosophy and wants to explore law and journalism. Although she does not have a lot of background in the world of cars, Alessandra is interested in expanding her knowledge and gaining experience. She could not be more excited to work with so many talented people at Car and Driver. More

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After the Colonial Pipeline oil company was hit by hackers Friday, shutting down a massive pipeline that supplies the U.S. East Coast, demand has spiked 20 to 40 percent in anticipation of shortages in the East and now the South.The DOT has issued an emergency declaration for 17 states and D.C., which Colonial Pipeline said will help alleviate the disruptions. The EPA has also issued a fuel waiver of some requirements to allow gasoline to be distributed more freely in affected regions.The FBI said it thinks a gang based in Russia or Eastern Europe launched the attack but did not say the Russian government is involved. If you’re reading this on the East Coast and still drive a gasoline-powered car, you have probably already figured out that there’s a problem with the supply of gasoline. The biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S., around 5500 miles long, was shut down Friday after hackers targeted it, pausing the flow of almost half of the East Coast’s fuel supply. CNN reported that demand for gasoline was up 20 percent in the U.S., and 40 percent in some southern states, on Monday compared with the previous week. The pipeline normally carries around three million barrels of fuel a day, and it might take until the end of this week for things to flow as normal.

That’s the latest from Colonial Pipeline, the company that was hit by the hack last week. According to reports, the systems were not hacked to try and cause an oil spill or other direct damage, but instead to make money through a ransomware attack. Colonial Pipeline’s online data has been held hostage by unknown actors until the company agrees to pay up or finds another way to get its system back online. The company is trying to do just that. Colonial Pipeline’s website is down—which the company said was unrelated to the ransomware attack—but in a statement posted to Reddit, the company said it “continues to dedicate vast resources to restoring pipeline operations quickly and safely.” Some portions of the pipeline system were taken offline in response to the cybersecurity attack, the company said, and workers are now evaluating if these can be brought back online safely. Colonial Pipeline is owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Koch Industries, as well as foreign and domestic investment firms, the New York Times reported.Bloomberg said a portion of the pipeline from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Baltimore was reopened for a limited time Monday. That allowed some East Coast markets to be reconnected to a “key supply hub.” Colonial said its plan is to have its entire network “substantially back in service” by the weekend, Bloomberg said. While some gas stations in the South and East Coast have run out of fuel, the price of gas nationwide has not been affected. In the meantime, state and federal governments are taking action. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Regional Emergency Declaration for 17 Eastern and Southern states and Washington, DC. that temporarily relaxes restrictions on how long drivers can work in a shift. Colonial Pipeline said this change “should help alleviate local supply disruptions and we thank our government partners for their assistance in resolving this matter.” In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp temporarily suspended that state’s gas tax, so drivers can pay less for gas, if they can find it. Reuters reported that the FBI has said it believes DarkSide, a criminal gang possibly located in Russia or Eastern Europe, is behind the ransomware attack, but the U.S. government has not publicly accused the Russian government of anything related to this hack. The Russian embassy in the U.S. denied Moscow had anything to do with the attack.
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