Aurelia Butler

• Please don protective eyewear before viewing this Alfa Romeo, an avant-garde roadster with out-of-this-world wedgy styling.• The RZ roadster and related SZ coupe were supposed to galvanize Alfa Romeo styling in a new direction. • The auction runs through April 24.Car and DriverHistorically speaking, Italian coachbuilders have created some of the most beautiful machines to ever roll into a concours d’elegance. Zagato, founded more than a century ago, is among the best of them, and when its signature Z is paired with an Alfa Romeo, the result is always stunning. In this case, stunning can be read in a literal sense, like having an anvil fall on your head.Related StoriesToday’s pick from the auction site Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is an Italian wedge of formaggio that is definitely not going to be to everyone’s taste. In fact, more than a few readers have probably already scrolled directly to the comment section to voice disbelief and/or complaint. What is this crazy thing? Answer: a 1993 Alfa-Romeo RZ, the “RZ” standing for Roadster Zagato.Dubbed Il Mostro—the Monster—on its debut in 1989, the Alfa Romeo SZ was intended to shatter preconceptions and set Alfa design on a new path. The SZ (for Sport Zagato, the hardtop released before this rarer roadster version) was certainly uncomfortably electrifying. Utilizing computer-aided design rather than the hand sketches of some Italian artisan, its snub-nosed styling was finished in-house by Alfa’s then-parent company Fiat, with assembly farmed out to Zagato.Bring a TrailerIn fact, the SZ/RZ’s design is French in origin. The original concept was styled by Frenchman Robert Opron, who is also credited with Citroën’s SM, GS, and SX. This roadster is number 184 of just 284 built, a total that is about a quarter of SZ production. Build quality is—well, it’s a boutique car assembled in Italy during the 1990s. The indifference to precision can be neatly summed up by the slightly crooked angle of the limited-series metal plate below the gearshift.But in terms of personality, the RZ has about as much as you can handle. Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIf you can embrace or at least get past the styling, then it’s a proper rear-wheel-drive Alfa, the quickest of them in its day. Under the clamshell hood is a 3.0-liter Busso 12-valve V-6, feeding a little over 200 horsepower to a rear-mounted five-speed manual transaxle. The RZ is a hair slower to 60 mph than the SZ, but both are lively and quick. The V-6 raises its voice in a gloriously mechanical crescendo, better heard with the roof down. This is Italian motoring con brio.Slightly fewer than half of total RZ production went to Japan, because of course it did. The RZ is exactly the sort of car to appeal in the country that produced the Mitsuoka Orochi. This example was brought back across the Pacific in 2010 and was purchased by the current owner (a serial Alfa owner) sometime last year. The timing belt and clutch and associated service were performed about ten years ago.Bring a TrailerAs a conversation starter at any car meet, this giallo ginestra wedge is sure to be polarizing. Bystanders are going to Have Opinions, and some of those opinions are not going to be very flattering.But so be it. The RZ is incomprehensible madness with a lusty Alfa Romeo V-6. It’s the antidote to automotive boredom.Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing 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

The Land Rover brand isn’t dead, despite reports that misinterpreted the British automaker’s new branding strategy.In a statement to Car and Driver, Jaguar Land Rover (now JLR) confirmed the Land Rover name will carry on. JLR yesterday announced plans to divide the Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, and Jaguar brands into four subbrands.Reports circulating online about Land Rover’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. After news surfaced earlier today that the storied brand was dead, Car and Driver reached out directly to Jaguar Land Rover (now officially called JLR), who confirmed the beloved Land Rover name will live on.”We are not losing the Land Rover name; its spirit is—and will continue to be—a crucial part of our DNA,” the company said in a written statement.With JLR yesterday announcing a new branding strategy, it appears the fake news resulted from misinterpreted details. Those include the company’s plans to bring the Defender and Discovery nameplates to the forefront. Range Rover and Jaguar are also included in this four-pronged approach, which is part of what JLR is calling its “House of Brands” strategy. The goal of this initiative is said to help make each brand more distinctive. So don’t expect to see any more models using the clunky Land Rover Range Rover nomenclature.JLR’s New FutureThe British automaker’s rebranding is also part of a larger plan that includes making its Halewood plant in the U.K. an all-electric production factory as well as introducing its new medium-sized EV SUV platform, which will be based on the company’s Electrified Modular Platform (EMA). JLR says later this year it will start accepting pre-orders for the upcoming electric Range Rover, which is slated to launch in 2025. Alongside its new EVs, JLR will continue to offer gas-burning and hybrid models.Finally, Jaguar will add three new models, the first of which will be an electric four-door grand-tourer built on a bespoke platform dubbed JEA. This future GT is touted as being more powerful than any Jaguar before. It’s also claimed to offer up to 430 miles of driving range and cost roughly $124,000.More on JLRThis 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 EditorEric 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 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

Mercedes-Benz has now built 500,000 G-wagens in 44 years, and it celebrates the occasion with a retro-themed one-off.The one-of-a-kind G-class features a vintage look inspired by the 1986 280GE model.Along with Agave Green paint, the boxy SUV has amber turn signals, enlarged badges, a roof rack, and throwback interior details.Forty-four years after the first Mercedes-Benz G-class rolled off the assembly line in Graz, Austria, the 500,000th example does the same in memorable fashion. To commemorate hitting the half-million mark, Mercedes has transformed the milestone model into a one-of-a-kind G-wagen with a vintage look.The German automaker obviously has a long history of Geländewagens it could have used for the inspiration behind this retro-themed one-off. In the end, the company selected the 1986 280GE. While it’s unclear why exactly Mercedes chose that model, the 280GE featured the top gas-burning powertrain during the W460 generation (1980—1991). Its modern counterpart also wears Agave Green paint (one of the first colors available on early versions) and sees its clear turn signals on top of the fenders revert back to their classic amber color.Mercedes-BenzAlong with the throwback paint job, the half-millionth G-class has a black front fascia with guards protecting its round headlights. The black treatment extends to its fender flares and traces the lower body molding to the rear bumper. Out back, there’s a spare-tire carrier with an enlarged version of the brand’s three-point star logo. There’s also a rear-mounted ladder to provide easier access to the roof rack. A set of silver five-spoke wheels round out the one-off’s most notable details.Mercedes didn’t provide any interior images of the special G, but the company says the seat inserts feature fabric with a checkered pattern reminiscent of past models. There’s also said to be Agave Green lettering on the passenger-side grab handle that reads “No. 500,000.”A refreshed version of the Mercedes-Benz G-class sounds like it’s in the works for the 2024 model year. Of course, there’s also an all-electric variant coming. We’ve only seen the EQG concept, but Mercedes has said the production version won’t be dramatically different. Either way, if the company ever makes it to 1 million G-wagens, the majority of the next 500,000 models will likely be electric.G-Wagen: Past, Present, and FutureThis 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 EditorEric 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 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

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R has set the record for the fastest front-wheel-drive production car at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.Honda says the new Type R circled the 12.94-mile course in 7:44.881, beating the 2019 Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R’s time of 7:45.399.The record-setting CTR wore a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track tires, which are offered as a $1780 dealer-installed option.The new Honda Civic Type R is a front-wheel-drive beast. We’ve known this for awhile now, and today the rest of the world is reminded of its greatness as Honda announces it’s the fastest front-drive production car to lap the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife.HondaThe 315-hp hatchback circled the 12.94-mile track in 7:44.881. That time beats the previous FWD record of 7:45.399, which was set by a 2019 Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R. While the Trophy-R wore Bridgestone S007 rubber, the CTR lapped the ‘Ring wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s. Those race-focused tires can be purchased by regular customers as part of a $1780 dealer-installed option. Watch the R-rated Civic set the lap record from inside the cockpit in the video below.This content is imported from youTube. 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.2023 Honda Civic Type R Record Lap of Nürburgring NordschleifeWatch onYouTube IconYouTube IconPeople who remember a last-gen 2017 Civic Type R posting a quicker Nürburgring lap time of 7:43.80 might be scratching their heads right now. That’s because some things have changed at the Nürburgring since then, as our colleagues at Road & Track have detailed. In a nutshell, the people who operate the track have started regulating lap times, which includes new rules about where a lap starts and finishes.Previously, the Nordschleife’s was 12.8 miles from beginning to end, but now it’s 12.94 miles. The added 0.14 mile and official timekeeping obviously means lap times set before the 2019 rule changes can’t be directly compared to those that came after.HondaSo, no, the new CTR isn’t slower than its predecessor. We saw this firsthand during our most recent Lightning Lap, where the 2023 Civic Type R became the quickest FWD car we’ve ever lapped at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Its time of 2:58.8 was also 1.9 seconds quicker than the old Type R Limited Edition. Keep Reading About the Civic Type RThis content is imported from youTube. 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 EditorEric 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 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

Kia brought a display of lights and mirrors, but no actual cars, to the Milan Design Fair, where the focus was on design philosophy. We sat down with the brand’s Global Head of Design, Karim Habib, to learn more about the direction he has in mind for Kia design. Habib’s “Opposites United” philosophy, showcased at the fair, is an abstract look at his inspiration for the brand as it revamps its global image.Kia is in an interesting spot in the United States right now. The Korean manufacturer entered the U.S. in the early 1990s as a somewhat dull but cheap alternative to the bargain-priced Japanese and American cars of the day. Thirty years of focus on that side of the market has burned the “cheap car” reputation into the hippocampus of just about every American. But in the past few years the company has started to look upmarket. What started as a slight shift is becoming a full turn of the tides. At least, that’s Kia’s hope.Opposites UnitedWith its fully modern EV6 and Telluride already here and the recently revealed EV9 on the way, Kia is trying to warm customers to the idea of spending $40,000 or $50,000 or more for its products. At the Milan Design Fair, Car and Driver talked to Kia’s design chief, Karim Habib, about this revised design philosophy and the effort to build a new brand image. Habib brought the automaker’s “Opposites United” showcase to Milan to show people the inspiration behind new products like the EV6 and EV9. Kia and Habib didn’t bring any actual vehicles or concepts to the design fair, opting instead to focus entirely on design ideas. Kia’s “Opposites United” at the Milan Design Fair.Jack Fitzgerald|Car and DriverMore Kia/Hyundai DesignHabib, who previously spent nearly 20 years with BMW including as its design chief, told us that he enjoys the challenges posed by designing vehicles for a brand in the midst of a rebirth. “Different brands have different possibilities,” he said. “If you are a very traditional brand with a strong heritage, that bandwidth can or must be a little narrower, but for us it had to be wide.”That wide “bandwidth” for design language leads Habib to view his Opposites United model as a challenge to himself and his team that they should make the cars “more futuristic” and “more challenging.” He feels that he has a mandate to push the proverbial design envelope as far as he can. “At Kia, we are pretty fortunate as designers because there is a real desire to push forward and to look ahead.” Habib is confident that he’s taking the brand in the right direction, saying, “There are few moments where people say we are going too far.” A Stronger Look The company is no stranger to boxy styling: take the Soul, which has been around since 2008 and has always maintained its reputation for being a funky and fun vehicle. But looking ahead, Kia is embracing a stronger styling approach for its EVs. Spurred by the success of the Telluride, with its bold departure from the company’s usual look and feel, Habib and his team set to work on the EV5 concept and the EV9 three-row SUV destined for U.S. shores next year. KiaTalking about what we can expect to see from future design, Habib described the sort of vehicle that many enthusiasts dread. “We’re moving, generally in car design, from a cockpit to a moving living space,” explained Habib, who said team members are working on potential future products. “Can these become temporary dwellings where these vehicles become your living space?” We’ve heard of that sort of thing before. But we generally just call them RVs. Back in current reality, Kia’s new vehicles feature taller, squared-off front ends, contrasting against jagged strips of lighting. Thin light bars in and around headlights have become more popular in recent years and are hardly unique to Kia, but the automaker will use this and other small changes to build a recognizable style for the brand. We’re looking forward to it.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 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