Aurelia Butler

A 2003 Toyota Tacoma that’s been restored and modified is up for auction on Bring a Trailer until Friday, April 7.Along with a repainted body and replaced frame, this fresh first-generation Tacoma features genuine bronze TRD wheels. Its other tasteful mods include an upgraded front suspension, a grille guard and rock rails, and a steel rear bumper with a swing-away tire carrier.Car and DriverDuring its nearly 30-year history, the Toyota Tacoma has become synonymous with off-roading. Its status in those circles has steadily grown since the first generation debuted for the 1995 model year, and the 2003 Tacoma SR5 double cab that’s being auctioned off on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a tastefully modified example that epitomizes the Taco’s ethos.Fresh TacoThe ’03 Tacoma listed on BaT looks as minty as it does due to a fresh coat of paint, which was known as Impulse Red from the factory. It has a color-matched bed cap with a roof basket on top that’s fitted with perimeter LED lights. The truck also has a replaced frame that’s said to be sourced from a 2004 model and then coated in POR-15 to help protect from rust.Bring a TrailerContributing to this Tacoma’s freshness is an updated suspension. Not only does it feature upgraded front upper control arms, but they mate with a new set of Fox 2.0 coil-overs. The truck’s solid rear axle is also buoyed by enhanced shock absorbers and a leaf-spring kit that raises the ride height.There aren’t any explicit changes to the Taco’s drivetrain or powertrain. With around 89,000 miles on the clock, it features a four-wheel-drive system paired with a five-speed automatic transmission and a 3.4-liter V-6 that was rated at 190 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque when new.Taco DressingsWhat makes this Taco truly tasty is its myriad modifications. The bronze-painted 17-inch TRD wheels with simulated beadlock rings perfectly complement its red paint. They’re mounted on a set of BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02s, sized 265/75R-17. There’s also a spare mounted on the rear tire-carrier that shares space with a hi-lift jack and extra fuel tanks. Bring a TrailerThe rear assembly swings open for easy access to the covered cargo bed. Below it is a steel bumper with red tow hooks. Further body protection is provided by third-party rock rails and a full-length front grille guard with an integrated light bar. The prominent front skid plate is just one of several underbody pieces designed to take abuse from rocks and such.Inside, the Taco’s throwback design reminds everyone this truck is from the 2000s, but the charcoal upholstery looks clean and the dashboard is said to have been refinished to fix previous sun damage. For folks who don’t want to deal with cassette tapes or CDs, this 2003 example features a Pioneer stereo system with SiriusXM satellite radio and access to Spotify music. The unit also acts as the display for the backup camera.Bring a TrailerAs of this writing, the 2003 Toyota Tacoma SR5 double cab on Bring a Trailer currently has a bid of $17,000. The auction is set to end on Friday, April 7.Taco News You Can UseThis 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

What’s it like owning the slowest BMW M3 you can buy new? You might be surprised. As you might have already read in our long-term conclusion, our 2022 BMW M3 hit the sweet spot over our 40,000-mile test, delivering plenty of driving satisfaction and few, if any, issues. What few criticisms we had about the steering feel or the design of the fascia were overwhelmed by the feeling of routing 473 horsepower to two rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.play iconThe triangle icon that indicates to playIn the video, we dive deeper into the driving experience, explaining how the simple act of interacting with a manual transmission makes any time you’re behind the wheel more interesting. We also cover what it was like to live with during winter and how difficult (and expensive) it was to source winter tires. Other topics include the positive attention our M3 received and how quickly it wore through rear tires. Okay, maybe that last one was our fault for trying to achieve a five-star drift rating from the M3’s M Drift Analyzer feature (we only ever managed four and a half). While we expected the tire wear, the wear marks on the top of the front brake calipers were a surprise. In the video, we delve into a few potential causes.Overall, our M3 proved a reliable machine that enjoyed devouring miles and miles of interstate. There are certainly quicker and more powerful—and much pricier—variants, but our time with this Isle of Green M3 certainly delivered the most fun. Multiple MsDeputy Editor, VideoFrom selling them to testing them, Carlos Lago has spent his entire adult life consumed by cars. He currently drives the creative behind Car and Driver video. More

The next-generation Maserati Quattroporte will spawn an EV variant called Folgore, as first reported by AutoCar.It will replace the current Ghibli and Quattroporte and serve as Maserati’s sole sedan offering.We expect it to arrive for the 2025 model year in the U.S.Today Maserati has two sedans—the smaller Ghibli and the larger Quattroporte—but a single model will replace the pair to compete in the sedan landscape that includes the BMW 5-series, the Audi A6, and the Mercedes E-class. The Quattroporte nameplate (it literally means “four doors”) wins out over the Ghibli. Sorry, not sorry, Ghibli.We can hear you saying, “Is a Maserati sedan really worth waiting for?” Yes. Well, assuming it’s done right. But after our recent exposure to the GranTurismo, we’re confident the new Quattroporte will deliver. The current cars feel a bit too Fiat-Chrysler, like the investment was made only for the trident grille and not for exceptional engineering or dynamics. There is a lot of passion associated with Maserati, and the new QP may refire those passions.More New MaseratisLike the new GranTurismo, the Quattroporte will offer a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine in at least two states of tune. Call it around 480 horsepower to start and 540 horsepower at the top. The highest-priced model, the Folgore, will offer an 800-plus-hp experience with three electric motors. Unfortunately, the V-8 may die out with the current Quattroporte.The interior will also mimic the GT: lots of leather (some quilted), sporty seats, and Uconnect-based infotainment. Maserati won’t crib the new QP’s switchgear from Dodge this time around—a must for a car that will start around $150,000. Maserati’s SUVs are selling well, but we’re glad it remains committed to making cars.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.Executive EditorK.C. Colwell is Car and Driver’s executive editor, who covers new cars and technology with a keen eye for automotive nonsense and with what he considers to be great car sense, which is a humblebrag. On his first day at C/D in 2004, he was given the keys to a Porsche 911 by someone who didn’t even know if he had a driver’s license. He also is one of the drivers who set fast laps at C/D’s annual Lightning Lap track test. More

Ford has announced that the 2024 Mustang will get an optional drift brake—basically a hydraulic hand brake for the rear wheels.To get one, Mustang buyers will need to choose the Performance Pack with its included Performance Electronic Parking Brake.We know that Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr., was involved in this feature’s development; we don’t know yet how much extra it will cost.As the seventh-generation Ford Mustang inches closer and closer to production, the trickle of information out of Ford has resumed. The Dearborn-based brand has just unveiled a braking feature that will help young would-be drifters hone their skills—in a closed course, of course. Ford calls it a drift brake, but it’s essentially a hydraulic hand brake for the rear wheels. (We know there is a joke about a Mustang losing control in a crowd-pleasing drift; stand by.) The drift brake comes on Mustangs equipped with the Performance Pack that also includes the Performance Electronic Parking Brake (PEPB, henceforth). The PEPB looks like a normal hand lever for the parking brake, but it is actually an electronic switch. There is no cable connected to the rear brakes like you’d see in most late-model cars. Instead, its normal action activates an electronic parking brake. But when you activate the drift brake, it takes on another role. Ford Motor CompanyWhen turned on, the drift brake overrides the stability-controlled controller—the device that controls all the brakes when ABS or stability control is activated—to lock the rear brakes with hydraulic line pressure. Pro drift cars have a similar system, but theirs is a mechanical lever. Ford Motor CompanyWhy not use the hand brake like you’ve been doing since the 1980s in a Fox-body? Well, you can, but old cable-actuated parking brakes use either shoes in the hat of a disc brake, a totally separate and tiny caliper, or they use a mechanical system on top of the hydraulic rear sliding calipers. None of those are intended to be pulled multiple times at speed.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.’24 Mustang: Developing The Electronic Drift Brake | Ford PerformanceWatch onYouTube IconYouTube IconFord released this video of pro drifters Vaughn Gittin, Jr., and Chelsea DeNofa discussing the ins and outs of tuning the drift brake. At one point you can hear “100 bar” mentioned. This is a direct reference to hydraulic line pressure, but we’re guessing that’s far from the maximum available to the drift brake because this isn’t the first time Ford has used the magic of computers to emulate a hydraulic hand brake. Ford Performance formerly sold the Drift Stick for the Focus RS (RIP). Its similar function used a separate lever that bolted into the cabin. The Drift Stick, which is no longer available from Ford, delivered about 180 bar to the rear brake calipers of the Focus.More Specs, DetailsKudos to Ford for developing a fun feature targeted at the enthusiast market. We guarantee some will get it super wrong at first, so if you get a 2024 Mustang, just make sure you practice when no one is around before you try to show off for a crowd. There it is. Executive EditorK.C. Colwell is Car and Driver’s executive editor, who covers new cars and technology with a keen eye for automotive nonsense and with what he considers to be great car sense, which is a humblebrag. On his first day at C/D in 2004, he was given the keys to a Porsche 911 by someone who didn’t even know if he had a driver’s license. He also is one of the drivers who set fast laps at C/D’s annual Lightning Lap track test. More

Honda issued a stop sale on the Civic Type R Friday over faulty welds in the driver’s side seat cushion frame, according to a dealer communication from the automaker. The issue means that the frame could fail to secure the seat during a collision, reducing the effectiveness of restraining safety measures, according to a dealer notice posted to the Civic XI forum and filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Friday.The weld issue is a result of “improper manufacturing,” the document says. While a failure during a crash is the most catastrophic risk, the weld issue can also lead to squeaking and rattling noises that have been noted by Civic Type R owners on the same forum since November. No specific VIN range or build window is included in the notice, but the document does clarify that an internal system would return which cars do and do not need the repair. At least one user on the Civic XI forum thread has already reached out to their dealer and found that their car is not impacted.The document claims that parts for the repair are not yet available and says that Honda will not begin notifying owners of cars with the relevant issue until mid-May. The stop-sale is dated as starting on March 31 and set to continue “until further notice,” presumably when a repair procedure is set and completed. Owners can check the NHTSA recalls site, where information on the recall should be posted soon. More

Even though phone mirroring is one of the most popular tech features in today’s cars, GM said it will eliminate Apple CarPlay from its electric vehicles.The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV will be the first to get this downgrade, but other EV models will follow. GM will not remove CarPlay from any of its gasoline-powered models, which it only plans to build until 2035.GM said the change is needed to keep future EVs as integrated and connected as possible. The automaker will rely on a system co-developed with Google to operate its EVs.The battle for the dashboard continues. GM will eliminate Apple CarPlay from its electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV that’s arriving in the fall. CarPlay, which operates like Android Auto to mirror iPhone content on the vehicle’s dashboard, has been a consumer favorite for years, and even holdouts such as Toyota have recently added the technology to their models.CHEVROLETChevroletIt’s not as though EVs need CarPlay integration to succeed—just ask Tesla—but the reason for the reduction in vehicle capability is, in GM’s view, actually an expansion in vehicle capabilities. GM said it intends to remove CarPlay from new EVs because its vehicles need better integration between the navigation system and the rapidly growing network of chargers to help out EV drivers. GM has been developing its own built-in infotainment system in collaboration with Google since 2019.”We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation,” GM’s executive director of digital cockpit experience, Mike Hichme, told Reuters. “We don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.”Of course, Apple CarPlay never needed to know how much gas was in the tank, and it could still function as a map. Note that Hichme didn’t say anything about GM keeping CarPlay as an option for EV drivers while also offering its own advanced in-house integrated EV-focused navigation. The best of both worlds, in other words, and one where we wouldn’t need to rely on an automaker’s built-in devices all the time. Remember when the 3G network went away last year?Music and phone calls will still work over Bluetooth in GM’s CarPlay-free cars, GM said, and CarPlay tech will remain available in GM’s internal-combustion-engine vehicles. Of course, GM has announced it will stop building ICE vehicles after 2035. GM also said it won’t disable CarPlay in any vehicles that currently have it. Around 50 percent of Americans with a cellphone have an iPhone.Is GM Just Looking to Get More Info on You?Initial reaction online to GM’s move skewed decidedly negative. Consumer data proves it will be challenging for automakers to navigate the line between offering features and retaining consumer data. In March, AutoPacific released data from its latest Future Attribute Demand Study and found that potential EV and PHEV shoppers are the groups that are most open to paying for subscriptions for connected features. AutoPacific research also found that new vehicle shoppers rank wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections as the second-most desired infotainment and connected tech feature. There’s another reason people are unhappy with GM canceling one of the most-liked features. When you mirror your smartphone (which is what CarPlay and Android Auto are doing), some of your data bypasses the car, leaving GM out of the loop when it comes to learning your coffee-shop habits or gym schedule. With a built-in system, GM would have an easier time generating revenue through various subscription services if it knew more about you. GM said it will include eight years of Google Maps and Google Assistant access with the purchase of a new vehicle. Spotify, Audible, and other subscription services will be part of future infotainment systems, GM said. GM CEO Mary Barra has said she expects $20 to $25 billion in annual subscription revenue by 2030, Reuters said.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.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More