Aurelia Butler

BMW is adding a performance model to the X1 lineup for 2024.It’s called the M35i and it has a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 312 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque.The 2024 X1 M35i will go on sale in October and starts at $50,895.BMW is turning up the wick on the little X1 crossover with a new M35i performance model for 2024. While it’s not a full X1 M, this treatment includes more than just M badges and brings on a more powerful engine, upgraded brakes, standard adaptive dampers, and sporty exterior add-ons.This marks the first time BMW has offered a sportier version of the X1 in the U.S., as the M35i model was previously reserved only for the sloped-roof X2. The X1 was redesigned for 2023, but we haven’t heard anything about a new X2 yet, so offering the M version on the X1 could suggest that the X2 spinoff won’t return to our shores for another generation.Standard equipment on the 2024 X1 M35i is a higher-output version of the base xDrive28i model’s turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. It runs the same Miller cycle as the standard engine but produces significantly more power: 312 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 71 hp. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard, and the M35i also gains a limited-slip differential. Adaptive dampers are standard equipment, and BMW’s M compound brakes are optional.More on BMW CrossoversBMW claims that the X1 M35i will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, but we think that claim is conservative. The 241-hp base X1 achieved a 5.4 second result in our testing, and the previous 302-hp X2 M35i sprinted to that mark in 4.5 seconds, so we’re confident that the new model will easily slide in under 5.0 seconds. It also has a top speed of 155 mph.Quad exhaust tips are said to add some auditory drama to the turbo-four’s soundtrack and also contribute to the M35i’s aggressive look. It also gains different side skirts, larger air intakes up front, a rear diffuser, and, of course, lots of M logos. 19-inch wheels with all-season tires are standard, but 20-inch wheels with summer rubber are optional.Inside, the M model has faux-suede trim, blue stitching, and optional sport seats. BMW has also upgraded the X1’s iDrive infotainment to run the latest Operating System 9 software. This change will apply to all 2024 X1 models, not just the M35i, and it is said to reduce complexity by offering more shortcuts and better-organized menus.BMW has priced the M35i starting at $50,895, and that will rise significantly with added option packages such as the various driver-assistance packages, the M Sport Professional package, and the Premium package. The X1 M35i is slated to arrive at U.S. dealerships starting in October 2023.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.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

The Audi RS6 Avant and RS7 Performance editions just got even cooler.Audi announced a new Bronze Edition for the Performance trim of the RS6 Avant and RS7.The new trim will be limited to 125 units for the U.S. only, including 75 RS6 models and 50 RS7 models. Audi’s ultra-cool, ultra-fast, and ultra-expensive RS6 and RS7 just got even cooler with the addition of a new Bronze Edition. The special edition comes finished in an exclusive black paint that’s matched with matte-gold wheels, and it also raises the top speed. The Bronze Edition is available on both the RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback and is based on the new Performance edition of each car, which were announced for the 2024 model year. The Bronze Edition is exclusive to the U.S. and only 125 will be made. According to Audi, the production breakdown comes out with 75 RS6 Avant Performance models and 50 RS7 Performance models. AudiThe Performance trim turns up the already powerful twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 to a monstrous 621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque thanks to a larger pair of turbos and more boost. Those figures measure out to increases of 30 horsepower and 37 lb-ft compared to the standard model. According to Audi, the increased figures launch the newer models to 60 mph 0.2 second quicker than before. The Bronze Edition cars also earn a higher top-speed limiter of 174 mph, up from 155 mph in the Performance edition. In addition to the extra top-end speed, the Bronze Edition cars come in an exclusive Sebring Black crystal-effect paint (there are no other color options), paired with a set of 22-inch matte neodymium gold wheels. More on the RS6 and RS7The Bronze Edition also adds a suite of standard equipment, including a Bang & Olfusen sound system, black brake calipers, Valcona leather upholstery, a suede headliner, and a gloss carbon package for the exterior. The limited-edition package also adds a sport exhaust system with black exhaust tips and swaps the air suspension for Dynamic Ride Control, with three-way adjustable hydraulic dampers and steel springs. Audi hasn’t released pricing for the Bronze Edition, but with starting prices of $126,895 for the RS6 Avant Performance and $128,895 for the RS7 Sportback Performance, it follows that the limited-run version will be closer to the $140,000 mark. Deliveries for both models are scheduled to begin this fall. 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

Volvo has agreed to adopt Tesla’s proprietary charing port, which will provide access to the U.S. company’s extensive Supercharger network of fast-chargers. Called the North American Charging Standard, Volvo’s electric models will have a NACS port starting in 2025; an adapter for earlier models is coming next year. Volvo is the latest—and first foreign automaker—to announce switching to the NACS port, with Ford, GM, and Rivian already making the move.A seismic shift in how electric vehicles are charged is gaining momentum after more and more automakers are agreeing to adopt Tesla’s proprietary charging port known as the North American Charging Standard—or NACS, for short. Volvo becomes the latest automaker to make the shift, as today it announced an agreement with Tesla to use the U.S. company’s charging structure.Switching In 2025Volvo says that starting in 2025 all of its electric vehicles will be equipped with a NACS port. This will allow them to charge at Tesla’s far-reaching Supercharger network in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The charging network is currently said to consist of 12,000-plus fast-chargers and is expected to continue to keep growing.“One major inhibitor to more people making the shift to electric driving, a key step in making transportation more sustainable, is access to easy and convenient charging infrastructure,” Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said in a press release. Adapters ComingWhat does this mean for the owners of Volvo models built before the NACS adoption? The company says its current lineup of EVs, which includes the XC40 Recharge, the C40 Recharge, the recently revealed EX30, and the new three-row EX90 SUV that are are currently equipped with CCS-type charge ports, will be able to use an adapter to connect to Tesla’s chargers.Volvo says the CCS-to-NACS adapter will be made available in the first half of next year, but what remains to be seen is how much it will cost, if anything. Also worth noting is that the automaker plans to offer a NACS-to-CCS adapter for future 2025 models for owners who wish to replenish their battery using that style charger.While Volvo is the first foreign brand to agree to adopt Tesla’s charging port, several U.S. automakers have already signed on. It was Ford who got the ball rolling, followed by GM signing on, and then most recently Rivian agreeing to a deal with Tesla. There’s also chatter that Hyundai and Stellantis could be next in line to implement NACS.Following the NACS Movement More

Lordstown Motors, which started producing the electric Endurance truck in limited quantities last fall, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Foxconn, which was building the Endurance at a plant in Ohio, backed out of a $170 million investment in Lordstown earlier this year, putting the nascent electric carmaker in jeopardy.Lordstown is also filing a lawsuit against Foxconn, claiming that the electronics company broke the terms of the investment agreement.The Lordstown story may be coming to an end. The embattled automotive startup filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today and is offering its Endurance electric pickup and related assets for sale. Lordstown Motors was founded in 2018 and built a handful of trucks starting in September 2022 before pausing production to address quality issues in February.The bankruptcy filing comes just a couple of months after Lordstown Motors admitted there was “substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern,” an ominous forecast prompted by a delisting warning from the Nasdaq in April. That warning—issued because the company’s share price had closed below $1 a couple of months earlier and had failed to recover—put Lordstown in apparent breach of its investment agreement with Taiwanese electronics company Foxconn. The Lordstown StoryFoxconn had purchased the Lordstown, Ohio, factory from the eponymous automaker in 2022, invested $50 million into the EV startup, and was building the Endurance under contract. Foxconn had agreed to another investment of $170 million in November 2022, but the delisting warning from the Nasdaq caused Foxconn to hesitate, threatening to back out of the agreement if Lordstown didn’t settle its stock listing situation. Lordstown countered that the terms of the contract didn’t allow Foxconn to exit the deal and that the claims of a breach in the agreement were unfounded. Along with filing for bankruptcy, Lordstown also announced today that it was filing a lawsuit against Hon Hai Technology Group, as Foxconn is known in China and Taiwan. The lawsuit focuses on “Foxconn’s fraud and willful and consistent failure to live up to its commercial and financial commitments to the company,” according to Lordstown. The startup claims that “Foxconn’s actions led to material damage to the Company as well as its future prospects.” Lordstown MotorsIts unclear what will happen to the few Endurances that were produced, and whether any are still in the hands of customers, with the February production pause also including a recall of 19 vehicles. Although Chapter 11 bankruptcy is usually structured as a reorganization that aims to keep the business alive, Lordstown’s plans to sell its Endurance truck assets leave the question of what will be left by the end of the process. Regardless if Lordstown comes out the other side intact, the bankruptcy filing serves as a stark reminder that, despite the boom of EV startups in recent years, it is incredibly hard to create an automaker from scratch and bring a car to market.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 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

The Singer DLS Turbo is a modern-day reinterpretation of the Porsche 934/5 endurance racers from the 1970s.Based on 964-generation 911s, Singer’s latest custom-built cars boast a carbon-fiber widebody, a 700-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six, and a manual gearbox. Singer offers the DLS Turbo with track- or road-oriented hardware, with the former featuring an enormous rear wing.Nearly every iteration of the Porsche 911 now comes with a turbocharger—in fact, you have to pay more for the ones that don’t—but the ones that wear the “Turbo” script out back remain very special. Porsche wasn’t the first company to adapt turbocharging for race and road, but it was perhaps the most successful. In 1977, the owner of a Porsche 930 could have driven their whale-tailed grand tourer to all eight races of the SCCA Trans American series and seen the racing version of the road car win a convincing six times. Singer, the vaunted Porsche restoration house, has now revealed a new creation that combines both into the essence of a 911 Turbo.A 934/5 RebornAs ever, Singer is very careful to point out that it is not a boutique manufacturer like RUF or Alpina, but it merely seeks to reimagine what the ideal of a Porsche 911 could be. Founded in 2009, the company now has multiple rivals but also possibly no real competition. In the classic 911 world where cost is no object, a Singerized Porsche is the standard which others attempt to achieve.Two new cars seek to raise an already high bar somewhere into the upper ionosphere. Built as tribute to the Porsche 934/5 racing machines that dominated in endurance racing, the “Dynamic and Lightweighting Study (DLS) – Turbo,” are a matched pair of rocketships, one built for the track, the other for the road. Dynamics and Lightweight Study sounds like a chapter out of an aeronautical engineering textbook, but the actual experience is more Top Gun: Maverick. The original DLS was created in 2008, infused with exotic composite materials and built around a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six built by Williams Advanced Engineering. That engine made 500 horsepower at 9300 rpm and was filled with excruciatingly painful details like each individual valve costing $30,000. The whole DLS cost $1.8 million, yet the limited number were almost immediately all spoken for.Singer also reimagined the 911 Turbo last year, slightly softened up versus the company’s previous projects. With a torque-rich and flexible turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six good for 450 horsepower, both a coupe and later a 510-hp cabriolet variant were intended to be grand tourers in the same mold as the original 911 Turbo. A six-speed manual provided two more forward gears than customers got in the 1970s.Track or Road?The new DLS Turbo, which has a name like a gaming mouse, combines the hardcore engineering of the F1-style 911 rebuilt with the tremendous power available via forced induction. Both the Blood Orange track-focused car and the Moet Black road-oriented machine have a new twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six with electric wastegates and air-to-water intercooling. It makes an estimated 700 horsepower and revs to over 9000 rpm.If being around the earliest Singer restorations was all about noticing the subtle details, the two DLS Turbo models are as wild as it comes. Huge rear fenders balloon out like in a modern interpretation of the 1970s racers of IMSA and Le Mans. The road-going car has a duckbill spoiler rather than the box-wing of the track-focused machine, but both look completely insane.The closest comparison is the Kremer K3 Strasse commissioned by F1 team owner Walter Wolf in 1980. However, where that near-800 horsepower bit of lunacy ate a set of rear tires every hundred miles and only had air-conditioning for the driver, Singer’s DLS Turbo builds will doubtless be as flawlessly executed as each one of its former creations. It is therefore to be hoped that, despite the eye-watering, multi-million dollar cost of each one of these cars, they actually get driven. After all, while the 911 Turbo is now a highly collectible car, especially the racing version, Porsche differentiated itself from the Italian exotics by building cars that were intended to endure. One of the highest-mileage 911s in existence, a 1976 Canadian-market 930 owned by original-owner Bill MacEachern of Toronto, Ontario, now has more than 800,000 miles on its odometer.As a cross-pollination between endurance racer and road-car, these are the wildest Singer-restored Porsche 911s yet. The bar is raised, the standard reset.Related StoriesThis 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.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