Car and Driver Ferrari’s latest front-engine grand tourer, the Roma, is a swoopy stunner from Maranello. It looks like a modernization of some of Ferrari’s greatest GT cars from the ’60s, when Il Commendatore himself was at the helm of the storied Italian automaker. Unlike those cars, however, this two-plus-two coupe is motivated by a […] More

Kia has announced engine specifications for the new 2021 Sorento SUV. Two of the available powertrains for the U.S. include a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and a hybrid drivetrain that uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four and an electric motor. The new Sorento will premiere at the Geneva auto show next month and should go on sale […] More

The newly revealed LF-ZC concept previews a luxury electric sedan that will go on sale in 2026. All-wheel drive and steer-by-wire will be standard. Next-gen Prismatic battery packs promise serious range.Lexus has already launched its first EV, the underwhelming RZ. But now the Japanese brand is showing a much more promising electric future with the LF-ZC concept, freshly unveiled at the Tokyo auto show. The company promises that a production version of this car will be hitting the streets in 2026.Presented by Lexus chief branding officer Simon Humphries as “a fusion of physical and digital technology,” the LF-ZC is a strikingly styled sedan that will sit on an all-new electric architecture. The company has also announced that and even larger and grander sister model, the LF-ZL SUV, will share the same platform. Details, Specs on Lexus VehiclesProvocative SimplicityThe LF-ZC’s design is based around a new philosophy that Lexus describes as “provocative simplicity.” From the front it certainly looks like a Lexus, with a new take on the brand’s elongated-check-mark headlight design and triangular black shapes in the bumper that are reminiscent of the apertures of the LFA supercar. From the side it becomes much more elaborate, with concave and convex shapes incorporated into fenders and doors. The roofline is low and coupe-like, falling gently toward the back of the car. Lexus has not released any performance numbers or claims but says that the LF-ZC is 187.0 inches long, 1.6 inches longer than the previous Lexus IS sedan. A height of 54.8 inches makes it impressively low by EV standards. The targeted drag coefficient of 0.20, if realized, is impressively sleek too. LexusOn the InsideThe concept’s interior seems to be further from production reality, unless Lexus is intending to follow Tesla with a cut-down yoke in place of a conventional steering wheel. Although not clear in the images, Lexus promises that controls have been concentrated into two touch-sensitive digital pads, with vehicle functions including drive mode selection done by the one on the left and infotainment by another on the right. Lexus says that both the LF-ZC and the larger LF-ZL will use a next-generation prismatic battery packs that will allow it to “achieve approximately twice the range of conventional EVs, alleviating range anxiety concerns.” That’s a big claim, and one we’d expect to come with an EPA rating of over 500 miles. E-Sports and AIThey will also come with the new Arene OS, which offers a high level of adaptability and even the possibility of mixing up the real and virtual worlds. Lexus’s promise that “customers will be able to engage in e-sports using steer-by-wire technology inside the vehicle” sounds close to terrifying. Arene will also bring an AI-enabled virtual function called Butler that will use self-learning functions to help customize vehicle settings for owners, and the LF-ZC will also be able to project information onto its windshield. The LF-ZL is bigger and larger than the sedan at a substantial 208.7 inches long and sitting on a huge 131.9-inch wheelbase. The images released show the combination of conventional front doors with sliding rears. It would sit at the top of the range. The clock is already ticking on Lexus’s race for electrification; the brand has committed to be EV only by 2035. In Europe, the company recently trademarked four names—LF-ZC, LF-ZL, LF-ZV, and LF-ZA—suggesting that this story is only half told at this point. We look forward to bringing you more. Senior European CorrespondentOur man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond. He has previously held staff roles on UK titles including CAR, Autocar and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend towards the Germanic, owning both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16. More

The Porsche Taycan enters the 2022 model year with new colors and technology. Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur is offering 65 additional colors, Android Auto capability has been added, a remote-park feature is newly available, and the battery packs can precondition to slightly higher temperatures to help reduce charging times. They’ll arrive by the end of the year starting at $81,250. The electric Porsche Taycan, including its new Cross Turismo ruggedized wagon model, is now Porsche’s third best-selling vehicle in North America behind the Cayenne and Macan, which will soon spawn an EV variant. It’s entering the 2022 model year with a heap of new colors to choose from, an available remote-park feature, and, finally, Android Auto capability.

Porsche

Porsche

Through Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, you can now get the Taycan in 65 additional colors including classics like Acid Green, Rubystar (pictured), and Riviera Blue. If none of those or the 17 other standard color choices fit what you desire, Porsche says it will custom paint the Taycan to almost any color imaginable.

Other updates include an available remote-park feature that can park the car without a driver in the seat via a smartphone app, similar to Tesla’s Summon feature. Android Auto capability, also newly available on the 911, Cayenne, and Panamera, joins Apple Car Play in Porsche’s infotainment system, which includes various other changes for its sixth generation. Porsche says that the Taycan’s 71.0-kWh and 83.7-kWh battery packs can now precondition to slightly higher temperatures than before, which should help them charge marginally faster. Taycans have an 800-volt architecture and can charge at a maximum of 270 kilowatts. The EPA has yet to announce the 2022 model’s range estimates, but for the 2021 model year, the packs were estimated at up to 200 and 227 miles of range depending on configuration. The 2022 Taycans will begin arriving in showrooms by the end of the year starting at $81,250 for the base rear-wheel-drive model, the same as the previous model year.

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Earlier this month, we all got to watch as racer and professional hooligan Ken Block pit his Subaru WRX STI rally car against his Baja-bound trophy truck. The unlikely competitors duked it out on a timed rally stage, with a predictable victory ensuing for the Subaru. Not satisfied with this single bout of automotive shenanigans, Block is back with another video in which his Ford Escort RS “Cossie V2” and his wife’s Ford Fiesta R2 join to compete in a 2000-hp shootout. Block and his crew decided to make things simpler this time around. Instead of sending all four cars down a rally stage, a basic out and back course was devised. All four vehicles would start from a dead stop in a box of cones before accelerating to a marked hairpin. After completing the turn, the driver simply would to accelerate back down the straightaway and get stopped in the box. Fastest time wins.
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Like the Subaru WRX STI featured in the last clip, the Cossie V2 is a serious rally-prepped machine. The Ford features a 2.0-liter Escort WRC engine, which produces around 375 hp. That is about 45 more than Subaru, but the Cossie V2 is also slightly heavier at around 3400 pounds. Both cars utilize a six-speed sequential gearbox and all-wheel drive, so the two appear evenly matched on paper. The same can’t be said for Lucy Block’s Fiesta R2, which only makes 197 hp from its 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder. The R2 is a lightweight, tipping the scales at just 2240 pounds. That’s three times lighter than the 6450-pound Geiser Bros G6 Trophy Truck, but the truck packs 1100 hp under the hood. Each vehicle brings its own set of strengths to the competition, which proved closer than one might think. Block drove his trophy truck and the WRX STI, while Jax Redline was tasked with piloting the Cossie V2. Despite taking a two year hiatus from the driver’s seat, Lucy Block was responsible for taking her R2 through the course. Less of a controlled test than last time, but perhaps even more fun as a result.

Unsurprisingly, Ken and his Subaru dominated the show, dropping a 13.7 second run through the course. The Escort RS secured second place with a best time of 14.9 seconds. The trophy truck struggled to do any better than a 15.7 second pass, rearing the front end the whole time. The plucky little R2 had significantly worse road conditions to deal with than the others, and as such a slight time deduction was made in the name of fairness. The R2’s best adjusted time was 18 seconds. While we’re not sure that this test proves anything, it does make one wonder how to get their hands on four rally-ready machines. This sort of challenge seems like it would be great fun among friends, regardless of which vehicle you’re stuck with.

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