Aurelia Butler

Some 2024 Toyota Tacoma owners are reporting transmission failures to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The reported failures seem to affect both manual and automatic gearboxes, with some owners reporting failure within the first 1000 miles. Car and Driver reached out to Toyota for comment on the matter, but we’ve yet to hear back from the company. Toyota hasn’t been having the best summer. After recalling over 102,000 Tundras and Lexus LX models and then agreeing to replace their engines, some Toyota Tacoma owners have now reported transmission failures in the new mid-size pickup truck.Tacoma owners began reporting transmission failures on forums this past June, according to a report by The Drive, and even more complaints have been filed through official channels with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Since the new 2024 Tacoma hasn’t been around very long, most models don’t have very many miles on them, so it’s surprising to see that some of the reports cite trucks with well below 1000 miles on the odometer.Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe problem is reportedly compounded by long wait times for replacement transmissions in the United States, according to The Drive article. On the forums, affected customers have posted wait times of two to four months. Still, it’s important to note that while multiple reports have been filed with NHTSA, currently there are no active investigations or open recalls. Car and Driver reached out to Toyota for comment on the transmission situation, but we have not heard back at the time of publishing. We will update this story if we get a response.More on the 2024 TacomaJack 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

Ford has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a system that helps law enforcement identify speeders, as first reported by Motor Authority. The patented system not only detects when speeding occurs, but it also snaps a picture of the vehicle committing the traffic violation.A Ford spokesperson said that the patent is specifically designed for use on law-enforcement vehicles and does not include sharing personal driving data.Cops could have an easier time handing out speeding tickets if a new Ford patent becomes reality. The system described in the patent application can be equipped to a Ford Police Interceptor, for example, and can identify other vehicles that exceed a set speed-limit threshold. This can trigger an onboard camera to take a picture of the lawbreaker’s car, which theoretically will help law-enforcement officers write a ticket for speeding.Ford first filed the patent application, titled “Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations,” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in January 2023. However, it was formally published by the USPTO on July 18, 2024, as previously reported by Motor Authority after that.The patent application also states that once data about the speeder’s car has been captured, the photograph can be used to determine at least one distinctive feature to help identify the vehicle, such as a license plate, a paint color, or visible damage. That info can be recorded and shared with other cop cars, and it may even determine if the situation calls for a hot pursuit. The recorded information can be sent to a computer server as well as to a roadside device that uses the Internet of Things, which is essentially a network of surveillance devices that can communicate with each other. USPTOWhile a cursory reading of the application might cause some people to become concerned that Ford’s patented system is planned for use in its passenger cars, a company spokesperson told Car and Driver that the tech is specifically intended for law-enforcement vehicles. Ford’s official statement is that “it’s a system that would automate a capability that law enforcement already have in use today, except this would utilize the built-in system and sensors in the vehicle. This patent does not state that driving data from customers’ vehicles would be shared with law enforcement, which is what some media have incorrectly reported.”Ford’s spokesperson also reiterated that patents are meant to protect new ideas and not provide insight into new products coming to market. Of course, we know that there are also plenty of patents that eventually do become features on new models, so sometimes it can be worthwhile to report on features like Ford’s speed-detection system that might one day become reality.More Patent StoriesEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Spy photos of the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 show a redesigned front bumper and new daytime running lights. The rear fascia also appears to get a redesign, but heavy camouflage obscures most of the details. We expect the facelift to arrive for the 2026 model year, which will be the fourth since the Ioniq 6 debuted in 2023. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 hasn’t been around for very long, but that isn’t stopping the manufacturer from cooking up a facelifted version. The egg-shaped electric sedan debuted for the 2023 model year to incredibly positive reviews regarding performance, even winning Car and Driver’s own 2023 EV of the Year award, though praise for the design was less universal. New spy photos reveal that Hyundai may be taking that feedback to heart by whipping up a new design for the 2026 model.Brian Williams/SpiedBilde|Car and DriverThe spy photographer has captured images of what appears to be a facelifted Ioniq 6 sedan covered in some pretty heavy camouflage. The camo keeps us from learning any real specifics about the facelift, but the car clearly maintains its overall shape. New headlights and running lights can be seen through the covering, along with new sensors that could indicate a redesigned bumper. The sides and rear of the Ioniq 6 are covered as well, which suggests new designs for the rear fascia and taillights to match the new front end. The redesign schedule may seem quick, but it follows a similar timeframe to the related Kia EV6 model, which launched in 2022 and got a refresh for 2025. Brian Williams/SpiedBilde|Car and DriverWe don’t expect much to change mechanically for the Ioniq outside of potential battery changes that could improve range marginally. The current model is available in single or dual-motor configurations that range from 149 horsepower on the low end to 320 horsepower on the high end. All-wheel-drive models are rated for 270 miles of range, and while single-motor Long Range models are rated for 361 miles of range, we recorded closer to 260 in our 75-mph real-world highway range test. More on the Ioniq 6Jack 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

Maserati revealed two one-offs created by its Fuoriserie customization department.The Maserati Quattroporte Grand Finale is the last Maserati to pack a V-8 engine.The Maserati MC20 Iris sports an iridescent AI Aqua Rainbow hue and white stripes.In the resort town of Stresa, located on Lake Maggiore in Italy, Maserati has taken the wraps off two special cars: the Quattroporte Grand Finale and the MC20 Iris. Both were crafted for the same dedicated Maserati enthusiast, who is described as an entrepreneur in the United States’ biomedical field. The Quattroporte is the final Maserati fitted with a V-8 engine, while the MC20 is a rainbow-colored take on the brand’s 621-hp supercar. The two one-off cars were built by Maserati’s Fuoriserie customization division. MaseratiMaseratiNot only is the Quattroporte Grand Finale the last Maserati with a V-8 engine, but it is also the last new vehicle to wear the Quattroporte nameplate, that is until the expected arrival of an electric successor later this decade. The Grand Finale is painted a deep blue color called Blu Nobile, with carbon-fiber trim tinted the same hue. Under the hood lives the 572-hp 3.8-liter V-8 from the Trofeo model that was last sold in 2023. The eight-cylinder motor wears a custom engine cover adorned with the signatures of the Fuoriserie team and the engineers responsible for the powertrain. The Grand Finale’s brake calipers are finished in brushed aluminum.The one-off Quattroporte’s cabin is covered in leather, with the seats and door panels wrapped in a tan hide while the A-pillar and even the trunk are shod in black leather. The interior also contains acres of deep-brown wood, which appears around the rim of the steering wheel, on the center console, and on the inner door handles. The seat headrests feature the brand’s Trident logo stitched in black, while a “Grand Finale” script lives on the center console and the door sills. MaseratiMaseratiThe MC20 Iris, meanwhile, derives its name from the Latin word for rainbow and shows off Maserati’s craftsmanship. The car is painted in AI Aqua Rainbow, a sort of iridescent light blue that also includes hints of green, yellow, and red. A white stripe runs over the hood and separate white decals flow along the sills before soaring up and over the rear haunches.The same aqua hue is found inside, decorating the sides of the seats and appearing on the stitching on the armrest, center console, and steering wheel. The steering wheel also wears a hash mark at the 12 o’clock position with a white stripe sandwiched by light blue, and the same color also appears on the “+” and “-” symbols on the paddle shifters. The door sill wears unique “MC20 Iris” badging, while the the rear trunk is lined with leather. More New MaseratisCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

The 2025 Nissan Frontier’s mild facelift includes a beefier grille and front bumper.Inside, the Frontier now has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen on all but the base S trim.The Frontier has a higher max tow rating of 7150 pounds too, which is a 510-pound increase.The Nissan Frontier receives myriad updates for 2025 in a bid to stay competitive in the hot mid-size truck segment. Over the past couple of years, Chevy and GMC launched the new Colorado and Canyon, Toyota debuted a new Tacoma with an overland-oriented Trailhunter trim, and Ford introduced a new Ranger, which was joined by a more powerful, widebody Raptor model for the first time. The Frontier was last overhauled for 2022, so the 2025 version gains a freshened appearance, a higher tow rating, and plenty of new interior equipment that includes a larger available infotainment screen.The Frontier’s new face is bolder, with the black plastic bumper trim now extending up to meet the grille. The grille itself is restyled with chunkier elements and three thin vents above the Nissan badge, a look similar to the recently revealed Nissan Rogue Rock Creek. The Frontier’s Pro-X and Pro-4X models wear a new layer of black trim across the tailgate, ride on restyled 17-inch wheels, and can come painted in the vivid hue seen here—a new color for 2025 called Afterburn Orange. The cabin sports an array of upgrades, with a lightly revised dashboard centered around a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that comes on the SV, Pro-X, Pro-4X, and SL. It’s a notable improvement over the outgoing 9.0-inch display option. Wireless Android Auto now joins wireless Apple CarPlay capability. All trims also gain a standard telescoping steering wheel.The Pro-X, Pro-4X, and SL also add a standard four-way power-adjustable passenger seat, while all but the base S model gain two-way power lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat. A sliding rear window and an overhead sunglass holder are now standard on all Frontiers. Plus, the SV gains standard 17-inch wheels. The top-spec SL also receives a wireless phone charger and a surround-view camera as standard equipment.Nissan has reorganized the Frontier’s lineup for 2025, with the crew-cab, long-wheelbase configuration now available on the SV, Pro-4X, and SL trims; it features a six-foot cargo bed. Nissan improves practicality by boosting the Frontier’s maximum towing capacity to 7150 pounds, which is up from the truck’s previous 6640-pound max rating. The off-road camera mode now works at up to 12 mph, and Nissan has made lots of driver-assistance tech standard across the range, including lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control. The 2025 Frontier continues to be powered by the same 3.8-liter V-6 producing 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. The engine still hooks up to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Nissan says the Frontier will hit dealerships later this summer, with pricing set to be revealed closer to the on-sale date.More Nissan NewsCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More