Aurelia Butler

Porsche revealed the 2022 911 GT3 Touring this week—a comfier, more subtle version of the razor-sharp new GT3 that was introduced earlier this year. Buried at the bottom of Porsche’s press release was a jarring, disappointing admission: “The seven-speed PDK gearbox will be the only transmission offered in California with the 911 GT3.” That’s right: The six-speed manual, a no-cost option that would seem to be ideal in the raw, visceral, naturally aspirated GT3, can’t be sold in California, the state where you’d expect to see the greatest number of this sports cars sold.It all comes down to noise. According to a Porsche spokesperson, the GT3 passes California’s drive-by noise test when equipped with the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; with the six-speed stick, it fails. It’s a factor of the way the test is performed—and which testing method California chooses to employ.

The California Code of Regulations specifies that highway vehicles must pass a drive-by noise test designed by SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers—specifically, SAE J1470, “Measurement of Noise Emitted by Accelerating Highway Vehicles.” This SAE paper goes into extreme detail explaining the design and layout of the ideal testing environment, the proper arrangement of the measuring equipment, the exact condition of the vehicle to be tested, and on and on. But basically, the test boils down to this: A vehicle accelerates past a microphone, and the sound pressure level, in decibels, is recorded. SAE J1470 aims to measure “the highest noise level consistent with urban driving.” The exact testing method varies based on vehicle size, power output, peak acceleration rate, and gearing, but generally, it involves a full-throttle run starting at 50 km/h (31 mph) and continuing until the engine reaches its peak-power rpm. Manual-transmission vehicles are tested in either second or third gear; given the GT3’s curb weight and power output, the procedure calls for third. Here’s the thing: Automatic-transmission vehicles aren’t necessarily tested at wide-open throttle. The method specified in J1470 states that “the throttle shall, as rapidly as possible, be opened as fully as will ensure maximum acceleration without operating kickdown” (emphasis added), and held at that position until the car reaches the end of the testing area. “Kickdown,” as defined by the SAE, means “a forced downshift to the lowest possible gear (first or low gear).”You see the problem here. The PDK-equipped GT3 can do nearly 80 km/h in first. Certainly, flooring the accelerator in an automatic GT3 would trigger a multi-gear downshift all the way to first. So while the procedure calls for the manual GT3 to run full-throttle nearly to redline in third, the same procedure prohibits full-throttle acceleration in the automatic version of the very same car. Hence, the PDK passes the test, while the manual fails.Porsche’s spokesperson would not answer any specific questions about how the manual or automatic GT3 performed in California’s noise tests. But the Porsche representative did highlight something notable: SAE J1470 is no longer the most up-to-date testing method when it comes to measuring drive-by noise.See, SAE J1470 was first published in late 1984. The paper reveals itself to be relatively out of date when it comes to automotive drivetrain technology: the standard test procedure assumes that the typical stick-shift vehicle is “equipped with a manually operated gearbox having not more than four forward gear ratios.” There are alternative testing parameters for vehicles with highfalutin gearboxes with more than four forward ratios, and SAE has published updated versions of the test method since 1984. But the basic framework of J1470 seems insufficient for testing modern vehicles in 2021.SAE International addressed this with an entirely new vehicle standard: SAE J2805, published in 2008 and updated as recently as May 2020. J2805 completely revamps the drive-by test procedure. Rather than a full-throttle (or nearly full-throttle) drive-by, J2805 lays out a hugely complex method of calculating the appropriate rate of acceleration for each individual vehicle being tested. As the very first paragraph of J2805 states, this updated procedure “is based on extensive statistical investigations of vehicle operation in real traffic.” J2805 includes techniques appropriate for hybrid vehicles and other advanced drivetrain designs that did not exist when J1470 method was published. Long story short, J2805 more accurately simulates “acceleration at a partial throttle condition in urban traffic.”Here’s the problem: California doesn’t use J2805. Vehicle noise testing is performed by the California Highway Patrol, as defined by California Code of Regulations Title 13, Section 1046. That regulation specifies SAE J1470 as the official testing procedure. So while Porsche assumedly engineered the GT3 to pass the updated J2805 test with both available transmissions, in California, the old method is still the law of the land. (Porsche’s spokesperson indicated that CHP has been planning to update its testing regulations to incorporate the new SAE procedure; Road & Track reached out to CHP for comment but did not receive a reply at publication time.)So for now, Porsche can’t sell you a 502-horsepower 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual in California—despite the fact that the PDK-equipped GT3 has the same engine, the same exact exhaust system, and, as far as we can tell, makes the same amount of noise. “We don’t know when the new SAE J2805 procedure will be adopted by California, therefore we can’t guarantee the sale of the manual gearbox on the 911 GT3—and where there’s doubt, we’re always cautious,” Porsche’s spokesperson told Road & Track via email. Our contact at Porsche was eager to point out that the noise regulation issue does not affect any other 911 variant, nor does it apply to the 718 Boxster or Cayman. So if you want a brand-new Porsche sports car with a manual transmission, and you want to put a California license plate on it, you’ve got every model available to you—except the one you really, really want.

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With Cadillac’s hotshoe Bill Wise behind the wheel, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing lapped the Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in 2:52.5 seconds. At Car and Driver’s annual Lightning Lap, the CT4-V lapped the 4.1-mile circuit in 3:06.2 seconds. The CT4-V Blackwing is powered by a 472-hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 backed by a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission.
Remember in elementary school when paper chain-link countdowns were the buzz? Those simple craft projects counted down the most important days such as holidays and birthdays. For us, they’re used to measure how many rotations around the sun remain before we arrive at the greatest days of our year: Lightning Lap. Cadillac just dropped a video of the CT4-V Blackwing lapping our home track, giving us 172 reasons to get excited for this year’s event.

With Cadillac hotshoe Bill Wise manning the controls, the CT4-V Blackwing got around the 4.1-mile Grand Course in a speedy 2:52.5 seconds. For reference, we lapped the circuit in the junior CT4-V in 3:06.2. Development drivers have many talents, one of them being, of course, that they’re extremely good at driving. Typically, we at C/D trail their times by a few seconds. Not because we’re slugs, but because the sheer amount of seat time they have trumps the five or six sessions that we might get behind the wheel. The Blackwing’s predecessor, the Cadillac ATS-V, spun a 2:59.8, and we expect to lop a good bit of time off that. What else did Bill Wise beat? Check out the list here.

CT4-V Blackwing. Photo not from VIR run.
Cadillac

Though we have yet to drive the CT4-V Blackwing, we do know its details. Motivation will come from the same twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 that powered the ATS-V. A freer-breathing intake and other engine revisions have uncorked an additional 8 horsepower for a total of 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a 10-speed automatic (which Cadillac set the time with) will cost an extra $2275. The Blackwing will feature larger brake rotors squeezed by Brembo brake calipers–six pistons up front and four in rear. It will roll on Blackwing-spec Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, which we’re told will perform more like Michelin’s Cup 2 gumballs. Watching the CT4-V and Blackwing laps side by side reveals the obvious: More power equates to more speed. At the start/finish line and on the back straight, the Blackwing carries roughly a 13-mph advantage. When the 325-hp 2.7-liter CTS-V runs out of steam through the uphill esses, the Blackwing continues to gain speed. And the Michelins simply outperform the junior V’s Continental SportContact 6s in every dynamic function. More grip grants greater cornering speeds and the ability to stomp on the Brembos deeper into the braking zones. We’re ecstatic to get behind the wheel of the new Blackwing. It should arrive in dealer showrooms sometime this summer for an intriguing $59,990 starting price. And if the CT4 is capable of this, what about the 668-hp CT5-V Blackwing? There goes another link in our paper chain.

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The flashy new Kia logo is on display on the Telluride’s wide-mouthed grille, which undergoes a minor revision.Lower trim levels gain bigger screens and more tech, while Kia’s navigation-based adaptive cruise control is applied across the lineup.The Telluride is only a bit more expensive across the board, with the LX and S trims up $600 and $700 respectively, while the higher-end EX and SX models only increase by $200.The Kia Telluride has been a booming success. The mid-size SUV was named to Car and Driver’s 10Best list for 2020 and 2021, also collecting an Editors’ Choice award both years, and the excellence that earned those accolades has also been reflected in strong sales. Despite being initially introduced back in 2019 (for the 2020 model year), the Telluride’s sales have only improved, up 68 percent so far in 2021 compared to 2020. Kia now seeks to build on that success with the freshened 2022 model, which features Kia’s snazzy new logo, among other enhancements.

The only exterior changes occur on the Telluride’s already assertive front end. Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille is now adorned by the updated logo, which does away with the previous oval surround in favor of a more dynamic font with the letters K, I, and A linked together. The only other discernible exterior change is that the grille’s mesh is now blacked out rather than chrome.
The other upgrades appear in the Telluride’s upscale interior. All trim levels now gain Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control-Curve, a form of adaptive cruise control that uses navigation data to adjust speed for upcoming bends in the road before returning the vehicle’s speed to the preset level. Kia has also made some of its more luxurious features standard on the lower LX and S trims, among them a 10.3-inch touchscreen, automatic climate control, and semi-autonomous highway-driving assist. Under the hood, the Telluride retains the same 291-hp naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6, which is used on every trim level in the Telluride lineup.Prices have increased only slightly for 2022. The base LX FWD trim now costs $34,015, a $600 bump versus 2021. The front-wheel-drive S is now $36,515, up $700 compared to last year, while the EX FWD only increases by $200, to $39,015. The top-of-the-line SX trim, in FWD guise, is now $43,915, also $200 more than the 2021 version. All-wheel drive still adds $2000 to the price of each trim level.
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Honda will end production of the Clarity fuel-cell and plug-in-hybrid models in August 2021.The Clarity was initially available as an EV as well, but that model was dropped last year.Honda says the Clarity will still be available to lease through 2022.The Honda Clarity, initially available as a plug-in hybrid, a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, and an EV, will end production in August 2021. The announcement was first reported by Nikkei and Honda confirmed the news to C/D. The EV version was dropped last year, and now the PHEV and hydrogen versions will soon disappear from the lineup as well.

So far in 2021, Honda has only sold 1896 examples of the Clarity, and full-year sales in 2020 totaled just 4215 units, down from 11,654 units in 2019. Honda does not break out sales of the hydrogen fuel-cell Clarity, which is available only for lease in certain states. The company does say that production through August of this year will allow for the Clarity to be available to lease through the 2022 calendar year. This will leave the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo as the remaining hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on sale in the U.S.We don’t think that there is be a direct replacement for the Clarity on the horizon, but Honda is planning several new electric vehicles. A new Honda EV SUV model using GM’s Ultium battery packs will arrive for the 2024 model year, and the company has set a goal to gradually increase its electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle offerings over the next two decades. By 2040, Honda says it will sell only battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles.
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Acura has confirmed specs for the 2022 MDX Type S three-row SUV.It has the same 355-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 as the TLX Type S sedan.The MDX Type S will go on sale later this year.The Acura TLX Type S sedan’s SUV stablemate, the 2022 MDX Type S, is on its way and will arrive at U.S. dealerships later this year. Before it goes on sale, Acura has confirmed more specs for the new performance version of the three-row SUV and released a few more photos of it in the eye-catching Tiger Eye Pearl exterior color.

With the same turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 as the TLX, the MDX Type S has 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 65 hp and 87 pound-feet over the base MDX’s 3.5-liter V-6. As such, we expect it to be significantly quicker than the standard model, which got to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds in our testing. When equipped with an optional towing package, the MDX Type S is rated to tow up to 5000 pounds, matching the rating for the SH-AWD version of the base model.

Acura

A ten-speed automatic transmission and SH-AWD are standard on all Type S models. The front brakes are upgraded and feature Brembo calipers, and the Type S also features an extra driving mode called Sport+ that’s said to sharpen the steering and throttle response. Acura previously told us that it won’t offer a summer-tire option for the MDX Type S like it does for the TLX Type S, so we expect to see all-season tires as standard.We still don’t have pricing for the MDX Type S, but we anticipate it will start around $65,000. More info will come later this year.
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