Aurelia Butler

Audi is honoring 150 years since manufacturing began in Neckarsulm, which has gone from building knitting machines to hosting the assembly of the Audi A4, among other models.For the anniversary, Audi had its trainees turn a 1971 NSU Prinz 4 into an electric sports car, widening the square body and adding modern touches like LED lighting.In place of the two-cylinder engine, the apprentices fitted a 240-hp electric motor from an Audi e-tron, hooked up to the battery from a plug-in-hybrid Q7 SUV.If you have fond memories of nerdy school science projects like we do, then just wait until you see the awesome project recently given to 12 Audi apprentices. A set of trainees were tasked with creating an electric restomod to honor the 150th anniversary of Audi’s factory site in Neckarsulm, Germany, which originally produced knitting machines in 1873. The eye-catching result, the Audi EP4 concept, was revealed this past weekend.AudiThe project began in January with a 1971 NSU Prinz 4 that had been sitting, neglected, for decades. NSU was a German automaker subsumed by Volkswagen in 1969 before being merged with Auto Union to create the Audi brand we know today. The Prinz was assembled in Neckarsulm from 1961 until 1973, making it the perfect canvas for the celebratory reinterpretation. While the boxy shape and strong beltline of the original Prinz remains, the details have been thoroughly reworked. The circular headlights were swapped for oval LED units, while the front bumper gained a splitter and a large intake feeding air through a vent in the hood. Signal Yellow accents pop against the Suzuka Grey paint, and the rear wing sprouting from the back edge of the roof is mounted not to the body but to the roll cage itself, with the wing supports passing through the rear window.AudiAlong with fixing rust spots in the body and solidifying the 50-year-old chassis, the trainees also tore out the original 30-hp two-cylinder gasoline engine from the rear compartment and replaced it with a 240-hp electric motor from a 2020 Audi e-tron. While the weight of the motor rests in the rear of the car, the battery balances it out by residing under the hood where the fuel tank originally lived. The apprentices took the 17.9-kWh battery from a plug-in-hybrid Audi Q7 SUV. All of this extra power required some structural modifications. The floor plan, including the brakes and axles, were borrowed from an Audi A1, and the wider fenders were 3D-printed to house the old-school white wheels and sticky performance rubber. The trunk can also be set to a half-open position to allow cool air to enter while also serving to show off the electric powertrain. The EP4 concept has no bearing on any future Audis, but the neat project car shows the promise of the next generation of Audi designers and engineers.More Electric RestomodsThis 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 EditorCaleb 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

Porsche has updated its Apple CarPlay support, integrating My Porsche features directly into the Apple software.Users can now change features including sound profiles, climate control, and ambient lighting with the Porsche app while using Apple CarPlay.The updated software is available now in the Porsche Cayenne, with plans to roll the changes out to other models soon.Apple CarPlay just got a little more useful for Porsche owners. Underscoring further just how much owners prefer third-party software like CarPlay over the native manufacturer systems, Porsche has updated its My Porsche app software, allowing for further support within Apple CarPlay. Users can now make changes to things that would otherwise only be controlled by the manufacturer software. That means things like cabin sound profiles, climate control, and ambient lighting in the cabin can now be changed directly from Apple CarPlay menus.The new functions can also be added to new “wellness modes” like Relax, Warmup, and Refresh, all using CarPlay. Possibly the most exciting part of the update comes from the ability to use voice activation and Siri for things like changing climate control or radio settings.PorscheThe added level of integration comes on the heels of a similar update Porsche launched in May. In that update, Porsche added support for finding EV chargers in the native Apple Maps software for the Taycan. The updated system allows users to view things like the vehicle’s state of charge (SOC), expected traffic conditions, and average speed, in Apple Maps, rather than the built-in Porsche version. Owners can activate the new feature with a QR code in the PCM (Porsche Communication Manager). The updated software is free and available now for the new Cayenne SUV. Porsche promises to roll the new version to more models in the future. More Porsche NewsAssociate 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

The Little Car Company in the U.K. is building a full-size version of the 1:10-scale Tamiya Wild One RC car.Its eight swappable battery packs will offer a claimed 124 miles of range.The Wild One will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next weekend and will be priced at the equivalent of around $45,000.Many kids wish their remote control cars could become real, and now a British company has managed that magical transformation. Yes, this is indeed a fully drivable adult-size version of the rugged 1:10 Tamiya Wild One RC off-roader that was a smash hit when it was launched in 1985. It has a top speed of 62 mph and will be street legal in Europe, although not, sadly, in the U.S.Related StoriesThe Wild One Max is set to meet the public for the first time at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Behind the Tamiya branding, it is the work of The Little Car Company in England, the same outfit that has made tiny, beautiful, and very expensive EV versions of classic cars, like the Bugatti Baby II that we sampled in 2020. While LCC’s earlier products have been downsized, this one is substantially larger—both when compared to the original RC car that inspired it and against LCC’s original proposal.The Little Car CompanyThe Little Car CompanyThat one was announced in 2021 as a single-seater without a windscreen, powered by a 5.5-hp electric motor that was supplied from a tiny 2.0-kWh battery pack. LCC said it was targeting a range of 25 miles, and performance was more mild than wild: a top speed of just 30 mph. It was also going to be sold as a build-it-yourself kit (like the original Wild One RC car) with the anticipated retail price being $8250. The Little Car CompanyBigger, Brawnier, PricierMuch has changed in two years. The finished Wild One Max is bigger, brawnier, and far more expensive than the original proposal. It is both longer and wider, the cockpit now broad enough to allow two occupants, with an overall length of 141.7 inches. It also gets a revised front suspension, with double wishbones replacing trailing arms and long-travel Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers at each corner.The Little Car CompanyPerformance has been increased substantially as well. The finished car uses a single motor capable of delivering a 37-hp peak, and with a 19-hp “continuous” rating, now powered by an intriguing-sounding battery system incorporating eight individually swappable packs with a total capacity of 14.4 kWh. LCC says it is enough for up to 124 miles of range, although that is a prediction rather than a validated number. The total weight is a claimed 1100 pounds.Can Be Used on the Road in the U.K.Buyers in Europe will be able to specify an optional Road Pack that adds a windscreen and a dinky little pair of “handclap” wipers, plus mirrors, mudguards, and light—the ones at the front seeming to be rally-style spots under covers. Selecting this means that the car will qualify as a “quadricycle,” allowing it to be registered for road use, although not to be operated on higher-speed highways. (In some European countries it also means that 14-year-olds will be able to drive it.) Sadly, it won’t pass U.S. federal standards to allow the same legality in the States, although it may qualify for neighborhood-only use in some areas.The Little Car CompanyThere are plenty of other neat details; we love the fact the Wild One Max’s decals will arrive on a huge sticker sheet like the original kit. The cabin also gets an instrument display screen and a rugged set of waterproof switches for both direction selection and various functions. The limited-to-100 Launch Edition will also have carbon-fiber trim.Should Be Fun Off-RoadLike its inspiration, the Wild One Max should be pretty talented in the dirt thanks to 10.6 inches of ground clearance, a 34.1-degree approach angle, and a 50.8-degree departure. The 14-inch wheels wear road-spec tires up front but aggressive Maxxis Bighorn off-road rubber at the rear. It looks like it would be a blast to throw it around in the dirt, although—unlike the RC version—it isn’t going to be easy to turn over by hand if over-exuberance leads to a roll.But the many upgrades from LCC’s original proposal have come at a hefty price. In the U.K. the Tamiya Wild One Max will start at around $45,000 at current exchange rates. That’s serious money for a toy, but then, this does look to be a very serious toy. Senior European CorrespondentMike Duff has been writing about the auto industry for two decades and calls the UK home, although he normally lives life on the road. He loves old cars and adventure in unlikely places, with career highlights including driving to Chernobyl in a Lada. 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

The Ferrari 400i was never officially sold in the United States, but many found their way here as gray-market imports.Styled by Pininfarina, the four-seat coupe featured a 4.8-liter V-12 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. This example sold two years ago for $49,750.Car and DriverMost famous for the chrome-festooned 1949 Buick Roadmaster that appears in so much of the movie, 1988’s Rain Man also features some pretty choice machinery in the opening credits. Today’s pick from Bring A Trailer, which like Car and Driver is part of the Hearst Autos Group, is a 1982 Ferrari 400i that’s a near-match for the first car Tom Cruise’s character drives in the movie. A European-spec coupe imported into the U.S. in 1982, it is as imposing in all-business black as il Commentadore himself, soft-spoken, but with a 4.8-liter V-12 under the hood.More 4-seat FerrarisThe opening to Rain Man reveals a red Lamborghini Countach flying through the air—actually, it’s being unloaded from a ship via an overhead crane. The car is lowered to join three other Countachs, each one a bewinged adolescent fantasy, as Tom Cruise looks on, dressed like a “Miami Vice” extra. The cars are gray-market imports, and they’re being held up at customs by the EPA, which is central to the initial tension of the film. Cruise drives away in a silver 1983 Ferrari 400i.Bring a TrailerMany Italian exotics weren’t officially sold in the U.S. in the 1980s, and gray market importing frequently involved a little hustling. Ferrari never bothered selling its V-12 gran turismo in the U.S. in the 1980s because why would you? A national 55-mph speed limit and tough environmental regulations made the States an ill-suited environment for such a car.Still, there were plenty of speed-obsessed Ferrari aficionados willing to jump through hoops or cut corners to get their hands on the forbidden fruit. This 1982 Ferrari 400i evidently is the product of such determination, as it was imported in January 1982.Bring a TrailerThe 400 replaced the 365 GT4 2+2 as Ferrari’s front-engine V-12 grand tourer and was the first Ferrari available with an automatic transmission. This later 400i got fuel injection for its 4.8-liter Colombo V-12, making it good for 306 horsepower. With its wedgy Pininfarina body and five-spoke wheels, it just oozes class. This Ferrari is all business.Bring a TrailerWith 51K miles on the odometer and a few discreet stone chips, this is not the kind of Ferrari you park in a glass-windowed garage and never use. This is the kind you drive, and if the three-speed automatic might dissuade any would-be Michael Schumachers in the audience, it’s perfect for weekend cruising.Bring a TrailerFurther, with 2+2 seating, you can bring the whole family along. Although given how lovely those tan seats look, no ice cream cones in the car—sorry, kids. This auction ends on July 13.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