Aurelia Butler

Estimate: UnknownRM Sotheby’sAny narrow-body Cobra is a special and extremely valuable thing, but this particular example may well be verging on priceless. Bought new by Henry “Hank” Williams (not that Hank Williams, but he was a jazz drummer who played with B.B. King and Ray Charles), this car was a regular at many a Shelby gathering, owned for nearly six decades by a man who would become a close personal friend of Carroll Shelby. Williams drove his Cobra 140,000 miles over his lifetime, covering the last of those miles one year before his death at the ripe old age of 99. He raced it in nearly 400 races, entered it in countless shows, and was the first Black person to drive a sports car for a lap of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in it. The car is being sold by his family trust, and few cars come with a better story. More

The electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has a drive mode that simulates gearchanges but reduces its acceleration times.With N e-Shift activated, the 641-hp EV acts like it has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and needed 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph.The Ioniq 5 N’s fake shifting made it four-tenths slower to 60 mph and 1.1 seconds slower to 100 mph, but the fakery might be more fun for some.Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).Do you remember blue ketchup? An experiment by the condiment kings at Heinz in the early 2000s turned what for nearly two centuries had been red to green, purple, orange, and, in some bottles, pink. Electric cars—not quite as old as ketchup—are having a blue-ketchup moment. Take the 641-hp Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, for example. Its ability to imitate the sounds and gearchanges of a gas-powered car make it one especially unusual tomato. To simulate the sensations of a car with a dual-clutch automatic transmission, the all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 N moves and makes noises that an electric car typically wouldn’t. With N e-Shift drive mode enabled, its software will drop torque between “gearshifts” and allow you to slam into a pseudo redline if you forget to upshift. It’s as convincing as it is cool. Pair that with the Ignition drive sound that mimics engine noise, and you could easily fool a passenger into believing they’ve climbed into the seat of some custom SEMA-show Elantra N with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. As senior editor Ezra Dyer said in his review, “Auditory cues are a practical advantage in a car that gathers speed like a Supermarket Sweep contestant gathers groceries.” That, and the imitation pops and crackles sound far more exciting than the vacuum-cleaner-has-come-unplugged sound that EVs typically make on deceleration. Configured for FunThe Ioniq 5 N is the quickest Korean car we’ve tested, launching to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, taking 6.9 seconds to get to 100 mph, and reaching the quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds at 123 mph. To achieve those times, we used the Ioniq 5 N’s Drag mode, which needs roughly 20 minutes to pre-warm the battery. We also used launch control to ensure the car was configured for maximum quickness.This time around, we threw some of that serious business out the window as we entered the depths of Hyundai’s infotainment menus to toggle on all of the fun. Due to drive-mode restrictions, we had to run our standing start twice to accurately measure the comparison with and without fake shifting.With N e-Shift mode enabled, the Ioniq 5 N won’t allow the use of N Grin Boost (good for 40 horsepower of extra oomph) or launch control. We kept the Ioniq 5 N in N mode and its softest suspension setting to allow for additional squat to help with grip, but we still used Drag mode to condition the battery. Letting the software automatically handle shifts was quicker, so we kept our greedy paws away from the paddle shifters too.The Cost to FlossWe began this test using those settings as our baseline, instead of relying on the results when using launch control. The Ioniq 5 N was only a tenth slower to 60 mph (3.1 seconds), 0.3 second slower to 100 mph (7.2 seconds), and 0.2 second behind in the quarter-mile (11.3 seconds) than when using launch mode.Then we enabled N e-Shift mode, making the Ioniq 5 N burble and pop, snapping through its make-believe gears like a WRC car starting a rally stage. But the simulated drama came at a cost. With N e-Shift activated, it took the Ioniq 5 N 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph (a four-tenth penalty), 8.3 seconds to hit 100 mph (1.1 seconds slower than without fake shifting), and 11.8 seconds to clear the quarter-mile at 117 mph (five-tenths behind our baseline). There was also a big difference in passing times. In the fake-shifting mode, the Ioniq 5 N was two-tenths slower from 30 to 50 mph and six-tenths slower from 50 to 70 mph. At least the fake-shifting N model is still a full second quicker to 60 mph than the less intense 320-hp Ioniq 5. Despite what our hearts tell us, test data proves over and over that in every modern application, the automatic transmission moves cars quicker to 60 mph than even the most impressive sleight of hand can manage in the dwindling number of cars sold today with a manual transmission. In the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, it is the virtual automatic transmission that doesn’t cut the mustard like the immediacy of an EV’s direct-drive unit. Still, since N e-Shift mode can be turned on or off, the decision to sacrifice quickness is a choice, and while the Ioniq 5 N is slower when it’s faking gearchanges, it might fool you into falling in love with an electric powertrain.More on the Ioniq 5 NAustin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He’s steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast. More

The Kia K8 is teased in new photos that show the front, side, and rear of the upcoming sedan.The K8 replaces the Kia Cadenza, which was last sold in the U.S. in 2020.While the K8 isn’t destined for America, we are still fans of new sedans.UPDATE 8/9/24: Kia has revealed the K8 for the Korean market, and these photos show the sedan’s fresh new look. The EV9-esque headlights dominate the front end, while the taillights look similar to those on the recently updated K5 and new K4 sedans that we get in the U.S. The interior looks to feature plush materials, large dashboard-spanning screens, ambient lighting, and a rotary shift knob. Kia also revealed that the K8 will continue to be powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine making 296 horsepower.KiaKiaKia’s transformation has been drastic. Once a purveyor of affordable, albeit bare-bones, transportation, the Korean automaker now proffers a lineup of well-appointed and sleek-looking models such as the popular Telluride mid-size SUV and the Carnival minivan, which is even offered with princely VIP rear lounge seats. Still, not every upmarket move from Kia has panned out in the United States. One misstep was the full-size Cadenza sedan, last sold on our shores in 2020. However, the model lives on in South Korea as the K8. Today, a new round of teaser photos were released that show how the refreshed sedan looks like it’s going to be a stunner.KiaWhile the lower bumpers are obscured by shadows, the teaser images show off most of the K8’s new design, which looks to draw heavily upon Kia’s electric vehicles. Called “Opposites United,” Kia’s latest design language has proliferated from its EVs to gas-powered vehicles like the refreshed Carnival and new K4 this year.The new K8’s thin vertical headlights looks like they were taken straight off the electric EV9 SUV. They are linked by a thin trim piece that’s adorned with a series of small illuminated hash marks. The taillights also span the entire width of the car, with a thin horizontal element ending in two vertical LEDs. The profile image shows off a slippery sloping roofline. KiaWhile we don’t expect the new Kia K8 to make it to America, we’re always fans of sedans. So it’s fun to keep an eye on what’s going to be available in other markets, especially when it’s the newest version of a car that was once sold on our shores.More Kia Sedan StoriesThis story was originally published July 30, 2024.Caleb 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

Acura is getting ready to show off a concept car at the upcoming Monterey Car Week.The concept is described as a “segment-defying sport-utility vehicle” and looks to have a sloping roofline.The car previews Acura’s next-generation EV that will ride on a new platform and be built at Acura’s Ohio plant.Acura has announced that it will return to Monterey Car Week for 2024, where it revealed the electric ZDX Type S last year. The Japanese-American luxury brand has released a teaser for the concept car that will be unveiled next week, and while little is known about the vehicle at the moment, Acura did state that it will be an electric SUV. The concept is said to preview a next-generation EV that will be the first to ride on a new dedicated EV platform and will be assembled in Ohio.The teaser image Acura shared shows the rear of the concept, finished in a vibrant blue shade. The taillight stretches the full width of the vehicle and features a series of tightly spaced vertical LED elements. Below the taillight is illuminated “Acura” badging, and while the perspective makes it difficult to tell, the concept appears to have a sloping roofline.More Acura SUVsAcura describes the concept as a “segment-defying sport-utility vehicle.” While it’s unclear exactly what the company means by this, we think this crossover may take on a high-riding coupe-like silhouette, perhaps in a similar vein to the original Acura ZDX from 2010 or the BMW X6. The concept could also look more like a lifted sedan along the lines of the Toyota Crown. Whatever form Acura’s latest concept car takes will be unveiled in roughly a week’s time. Caleb 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