Evelyn Reynolds

Kia’s second-generation Niro marks more than just a redesign for the small SUV; it rethinks the model’s powertrain hierarchy. Although it continues to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric variants, the 2023 Niro now clearly positions their importance by performance. The Niro EV remains the performance leader of the bunch courtesy of its 201-hp front-mounted electric motor. The two gasoline-electric options, however, no longer share the same horsepower rating. Whereas the standard Niro hybrid’s 104-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and 43-hp electric motor together produce a peak output of 139 horsepower, the pricier Niro plug-in hybrid (PHEV) now makes a total of 180 horsepower courtesy of its more powerful 83-hp motor. In addition to the ability to drive some distance on battery-electric power alone, the PHEV also delivers additional performance. Michael Simari|Car and DriverThe PHEV Powers AheadAlthough our testing showed that neither the Niro hybrid nor the Niro PHEV accelerates with exceptional fervor, the PHEV offers enough grunt for merging onto freeways or passing at highway speeds with relative ease. Its 7.3-second run to 60 mph and 5.0-second sprint from 50 to 70 mph are perfectly adequate. Related StoriesThe Niro hybrid hit the same marks in a much more languid 8.9 and 6.2 seconds, respectively. Unlike the PHEV, overtaking slower-moving traffic in the Niro hybrid requires careful planning. Boot the accelerator, and the little four-cylinder engine strains to reach its 6000-rpm redline. Hybrid’s Fuel Economy Falters So limited is the hybrid’s output, its six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox often holds fifth gear at highway speeds. This trait likely played a part in the Niro hybrid’s 39-mpg result in on our 75-mph fuel-economy test, which fell 6 mpg short of the EPA’s highway estimate. It’s also 7 mpg worse than we saw with the last Niro hybrid.HIGHS: Strong braking performance, PHEV’s power and decent battery range.Even so, the Niro hybrid bettered the 37-mpg highway figure its PHEV counterpart managed (in its hybrid mode). The PHEV’s 249 pounds of extra mass surely was a factor—a portion of that is due to the PHEV’s larger lithium-ion battery pack. In its EV mode, the Niro PHEV was able to do 25 miles, which is a bit shy of Kia’s 33-mile range estimate but does improve upon the 18 miles we squeezed out of the outgoing PHEV’s battery pack.City SlickersThe PHEV’s extra pounds exacted a minor toll on its handling and braking performance. Fit with the same 18-inch Continental ProContact RX all-season rubber as its hybrid sibling, the plug-in Niro pulled 0.85 g around our 300-foot skidpad and came to a halt from 70 mph in 171 feet. Meanwhile, the Niro hybrid circled our skidpad at 0.87 g and stopped from 70 mph in 168 feet, the latter of which equaled the stop we measured in a Hyundai Kona N on summer tires.Admittedly, neither the Niro hybrid nor PHEV is particularly exciting to drive. Kia attempts to will some athleticism into both Niros by way of a Sport drive mode, but engaging this setting seems to do little more than improve accelerator response ever so slightly, make the steering heavier, and afford manual control of the six-speed gearbox via the paddle shifters. Stick to the default Eco mode and the right pedal lethargically reacts to inputs, the steering effort feels more natural, and the steering-wheel-mounted paddles function as tools for adjusting the level of regenerative braking. No matter the drive mode, the long-travel brake pedal of both Niros predictably and progressively blends the vehicles’ regenerative and mechanical braking functions.LOWS: Hybrid’s turgid acceleration, lethargic default drive mode, noisy at highway speeds.Both gasoline-electric Niro models feel more attuned to urban settings. Credit the 125 and 150 pound-feet of torque produced from the respective electric drive motors of the hybrid and PHEV that help these Kias deliver reasonably brisk low-speed acceleration.Their cabins also are calmer at urban driving speeds, in contrast to the din suffered on the highway. The hybrid is particularly noisy and registered 73 decibels at 70 mph. That’s 3 decibels more than the PHEV and 5 decibels more than its forebear.Michael Simari|Car and DriverInside the NiroLittle differentiates the two Niros inside. Unlike our early-build example, the production hybrid has a T-handle shifter while the PHEV gets a rotary-style setup. Both these pre-production cars included a 10.3-inch instrument-cluster screen, but the production models have a smaller 4.3-inch info display that’s bookended by digital gauges. (Kia reserves the full-digital single-element display for the Niro EV.) Despite casting a 2.5-inch-longer shadow and sitting on a 0.8-inch-longer wheelbase than its predecessor, the Niro held the same number of carry-on-size suitcases as its predecessor: six with all seats in use and 18 with the rear seatbacks folded. (The Niro hybrid offers additional under-floor space compared to the PHEV, which uses this area to house its bigger battery.) Rear-seat legroom, though, has improved by more than two inches relative to the prior Niro.With a starting price of $27,785, the 2023 Niro hybrid undercuts the base PHEV by $7250. The PHEV, however, skips the hybrid’s entry-level LX trim, instead starting off in EX guise. Looking EX to EX, the PHEV’s premium falls to $4590. Considering the PHEV pairs ample electric-only driving range with greater power and acceleration, it justifies its upcharge over its more sluggish hybrid sibling.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Kia NiroVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motors, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $27,785/$32,685Options: EX Touring (paddle shifters, 18-inch wheels, fog lights, power folding and heated mirrors, sunroof, LED interior lighting, aluminum pedals, leather seat trim, heated front seats, second-row vents, 10.3-inch touchscreen, wireless device charging, push-button start), $4900
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter inline-4, 104 hp, 106 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 11 and 43 hp, 26 and 125 lb-ft (combined output: 139 hp, 195 lb-ft; 0.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, C/D est)Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.0-in vented disc/10.3-in discTires: Continental ProContact RX225/45R-18 95V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.1 inLength: 174.0 inWidth: 71.8 inHeight: 60.8 inPassenger Volume: 102 ft3Cargo Volume: 23 ft3Curb Weight: 3217 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.9 sec1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 82 mph100 mph: 27.4 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.2 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 106 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 168 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
75-mph Highway Driving: 39 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 430 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 49/53/45 mpg
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2023 Kia Niro Plug-in HybridVehicle Type: front-engine, front-motors, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $35,035/$36,225Options: EX Cold Weather package (heated steering wheel and outboard rear seats, heat pump), $600; Snow White Pearl paint, $395, black C-pillar trim, $195
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter inline-4, 104 hp, 106 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 11 and 83 hp, 26 and 150 lb-ft (combined output: 180 hp, 195 lb-ft; 8.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, C/D est)Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 11.0-in vented disc/10.3-in discTires: Continental ProContact RX225/45R-18 95V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.1 inLength: 174.0 inWidth: 71.8 inHeight: 60.8 inPassenger Volume: 102 ft3Cargo Volume: 19 ft3Curb Weight: 3466 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.3 sec1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 89 mph100 mph: 20.0 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.5 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 120 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 171 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.85 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
75-mph Highway Driving, EV/Hybrid Mode: 81 MPGe/37 mpg75-mph Highway Range, EV/Hybrid mode: 25/360 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 47/51/43 mpgCombined Gasoline + Electricity: 108 MPGeEV Range: 33 miThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

Praga is a Czech automaker on the verge of launching a spectacular hypercar with a power-to-weight ratio that makes the McLaren Senna look obese. We’ve now driven that car, the Bohema, in prototype form on a circuit in the U.K.Although its name might not be familiar, Praga has a long history. Before the Second World War, this Czechoslovakian company hand-built modest numbers of elegant and expensive automobiles and motorcycles. At the end of the war, now on the communist side of the Iron Curtain, there was no need or demand for such automotive decadence, and so Praga became a manufacturer of military vehicles and armaments. After communism fell, the company diversified into making trucks, aircraft, racing carts, and actual race cars—with no fewer than eight of its Praga R1 sports prototype cars competing in a dedicated championship in the U.K. last year.The motorsport experience has been incorporated into the Praga Bohema, a limited-edition model that is definitely better thought of as road legal rather than street-sensible. For proof look no further than its invigorating combination of a 2164-pound dry weight (without fuel) and a 700-hp output, this coming from a dry-sump version of the Nissan GT-R’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6, the engine reworked by well-known U.K.-based tuner Litchfield. Praga is also keen for you to know that the power output is just regarded as a starting point with the strong possibility of more powerful versions to follow—potentially even including one that would make 982 horsepower, giving the car a power-to-weight ratio of a single horsepower per kilogram of mass. Power reaches the rear axle through a race-grade six-speed Hewland sequential transmission.It looks like a race car, but the Bohema is unrelated to the existing R1, as it uses an entirely different carbon-fiber core structure. As with the Aston Martin Valkyrie, it has been designed around a teardrop-shaped cabin pushed as close to the car’s center line as possible to improve aerodynamic performance. Standing next to the car first impressions are of how much isn’t there, given the size of the spaces behind the minimal bodywork, which create channels to sculpt airflow. Praga claims that the combination of a huge underbody diffuser and the rear wing help the car make a peak 1980-plus pounds of downforce at 155 mph. Getting into the cabin with any degree of dignity is impossible, and the Praga makes even other hypercars look spacious and practical. The doors would be better described as windows, being small glazed panels on either side of the canopy cockpit that open upward. Entry is made by ass-shuffling across the sidepod, bracing on the roof and bodywork, and then sliding down into the seat; all but the smallest pilots will likely need to remove the removable steering wheel before attempting to get in. When riding two-up, the passenger will need to carefully fold their arms so as not to impede the driver’s ability to turn the wheel. Once in the driver’s seat, the view is mostly of a slightly incongruous leather-trimmed steering wheel that incorporates a digital dashboard and has carbon-fiber buttons on each side. The car we drove was a prototype, but beyond its tuxedo tightness, the cabin felt impressively well-finished.PragaOur drive took place on the Dunsfold track in Surrey, England—best known for its use by the Top Gear TV show. Running in a figure-eight layout of the sort favored by demolition-derby promoters, we were lucky to have the circuit to ourselves. But although there are tire walls and gravel traps in some of the most obviously crashable areas, it isn’t a true racetrack, and there are still plenty of obstacles it would be easy to hit at speed. Fortunately, the Bohema proves to have an abundance of grip—both mechanical and aerodynamic—and also the sort of handling balance that brings reassurance in something so potent. The transmission shifts with a clunk at low speeds, and the Nissan V-6 brings a buzzing vibration into the cabin. But unlike Aston’s Valkyrie, which is almost painfully noisy inside even when wearing a helmet, the Bohema is not excessively loud. Visibility is good for something so low and narrow, with the view through the curved windshield pretty much like looking through the visor of a helmet.While hugely fast, the Bohema prototype also felt reassuringly stable. As in the GT-R, the Nissan engine isn’t a big revver, meeting its redline at just 7000 rpm. But it has a breadth of midrange muscle that helps fill the gaps between the Bohema’s ratios, and that means there’s little penalty in either upshifting early or downshifting late. Top speed is gearing limited to a relatively modest 186 mph, on the basis that it would be hard to go faster on almost any racecourse.Related StoriesIt took the car’s Pirelli Trofeo R semi-slick tires a few corners to warm up, but from that point on, the grip and traction levels are huge. The Bohema is also tolerant of what feels like should be daringly early throttle applications, staying hooked up even as the rear end lightens to indicate grip is running short. While the Bohema’s steering weighting is lighter than the norm for this macho part of the market, we appreciated the assistance as speeds rose to the point where the wings and diffuser started to produce significant downforce. Once this happened, it could be flung at Dunsfold’s faster corners at what seemed to be impossible speeds. Stopping was equally assured, with the combination of carbon-ceramic brakes and the car’s minimal weight allowing it to shed speed at close to painful rates.PragaIndeed, beyond the discomfort caused by prolonged exposure to huge lateral g-forces, the Praga Bohema feels well suited to spending its life on track. But on the road? The jury is still deliberating that one; it does seem refined for one of the fastest cars in the world—and even features luggage storage in pannier compartments next to the rear wheels—but it is hard to imagine spending long stints in the tiny cockpit without the onset of claustrophobia. There is also the small matter of paying for one. Praga reckons that up to a quarter of its planned run of 89 Bohemas will go to the U.S., but buyers will need to find $1.31 million to realize the dream. Yet that’s less than half of what Aston is charging for the Valkyrie, so by the mad standards of this market, the price is not outrageous, even if the car certainly is.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Praga BohemaVehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $1,310,000
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 232 in3, 3799 cm3Power: 700 hp @ 6800 rpmTorque: 535 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed sequential automated manual
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.9 inLength: 177.4 inWidth: 78.9 inHeight: 41.7 inPassenger Volume: barelyTrunk Volume: 4 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 2300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.0 sec100 mph: 4.9 sec1/4-Mile: 9.6 secTop Speed: 186 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/18 mpgThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

From the September 1990 issue of Car and Driver.Okay, sure. This is the most technically fascinating minivan extant, what with its twin-cam engine prostrate, heeled over at a radical 75-degree angle and situated about an inch below the walkway between the front seats. (Every time we ambled to the rear of the van, we’d get all adolescent: “Okay, here I go; right now I’m walking on top of the engine.”) But the wholly hidden four-cylinder powerplant isn’t what you notice when the Previa passes on the highway, is it? And the mid-engine layout isn’t what prompts neighbors to demand you turn off the lawnmower so they can ask about the vehicle parked in your driveway. No, sir. What they want to talk about is how neat this minivan looks. And what they want to hear is whether it works.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverWe have here a minor breakthrough in packaging. And the best part is that it’s okay to be all patriotic and teary-eyed, because the Toyota Previa was styled in America—well, at the CALTY design studio in California, which is pretty close to being in America.With a drag coefficient of only 0.34, the Previa qualifies as aerodynamic. It has a steeply raked windshield, like GM’s APVs, yet the distance from the Toyota’s steering wheel to the base of its windshield is eight inches less wasteful. And the luscious jellybean curves are in such perfect proportion that the Previa looks like the smallest minivan on the market. It isn’t. In fact, it still swallows God knows how many of the obligatory four-by-eight-foot sheets of plywood. Or, with its bench seats locked in place, it accommodates seven adults—giving those folks in the middle seats, by the way, more than two inches more headroom than they’d enjoy in a Pontiac Trans Sport. Stand by while we wave the stars and stripes.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverClimb inside and it gets even better. The Previa’s lovingly assembled interior stands as a high-water mark for minivan tastefulness and functionality. The A-pillars and their angled supports are expensively upholstered. The admittedly large dash—with a center bulge that makes it look pregnant—is finished in a brushed gray plastic that looks like titanium. The defroster outlets are so painstakingly countersunk and pressure-fitted into the dash that the two appear to have come from the same injection-molded piece. The backs of the door grab-bars are covered in a supple urethane that feels like ultrasuede. The retractors for both front seatbelts are hidden within flush, upholstered wall panels. The soft-drink holder, ashtray, and center storage bin (the latter a perfect place to hide a radar detector or eight stereo cassettes) are so cleverly integrated they’re almost hidden. All of the switch gear is up high, located where you expect to find it. (One of the benefits of the pregnant dash is that the radio and ventilation controls are thrust within ten inches of the right edge of the steering wheel.) And the sliding cargo door opens with less resistance than the passenger doors on many luxury cars.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverAARON KILEY|Car and DriverThere’s more. Get down on your hands and knees and you’ll notice that the upholstered left-side wall panel, a huge thing that runs from directly aft of the front seats all the way to the tailgate, is a single piece. So is the liftgate liner. So is the downy headliner. So is the carpet. Not only do these one-piece trim panels eliminate a lot of cutlines and visible fussiness in the interior, they also reduce the potential for rattles.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverOne of Toyota’s goals was to build “the sports car of minivans,” which is what motivated the company to pursue a mid-engine-rear-drive layout. That scheme lends the Previa a low center of gravity, reduces the polar moment of inertia, and distributes weight evenly. In theory, at least. When we parked our Previa LE on the scales, its weight distribution worked out to about 53/47 front/rear. That’s a good figure, but the front-engined Ford Aerostar and the rear-engined Volkswagen Vanagon are every bit as well balanced.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverOn the skidpad, the Previa doesn’t exactly wade into sports-car territory, clinging to Mother Earth with 0.70 g of grip. That’s not as much as is generated by either the Pontiac Trans Sport or the Mazda MPV, but perhaps the trade-off is ride comfort. The Previa jostles its occupants far less fervently than the Pontiac. Still, we wish the Toyota were fitted with fatter, lower-profile rubber.And yet, on twisty two-lanes, this most modem of minivans does feel better-balanced and more agile than any of its competitors, save the Trans Sport. Behind the wheel, you detect no twitches that reveal whether this is a front- or rear-drive vehicle. The Previa tracks determinedly down the road, its path unaltered by scabrous pavement or truck ruts. It takes a confidence-inspiring set through corners, requiring a minimum of corrections. The steering, in fact, is the best of any minivan on the market: nicely weighted, eager to self-center, and almost perfectly linear.Understeer appears earlier than we’d prefer. And although lateral body motions are satisfactorily damped, dive and squat are not. A sudden application of the brakes, for example, induces unnecessary forward pitching.At the test track, our Previa required only 198 feet to bring itself to a halt from 70 mph. And it didn’t even have ABS. That’s very good stopping performance for a minivan. The chief drawback to the mid-engine layout is that the cubbyhole for the powerplant is big enough to accommodate only a four-cylinder engine. Yes, Toyota’s 138-hp, sixteen-valve powerplant is a fine piece of work—or it would be fine if it were installed in, say, a Celica, where you could plumb its charms in the 4000-rpm-and-beyond range. But when you’re driving a minivan, what you want is plenty of torque at step-off, and the Previa simply can’t supply it. A foot-to-the-floor braketorque launch won’t even chirp the tires. The 0-to-60-mph sprint requires 12.2 seconds, which isn’t exactly disastrous; three of the Previa’s V-6-powered competitors make the same trek in the high eleven-second range. It’s just that the Toyota’s four-cylinder engine huffs and puffs and screams its guts out, making surprisingly raucous, unrefined noises in the process. Moreover, to keep the engine on the boil, the four-speed automatic kicks down at the slightest provocation and with more harshness than we have come to expect from Toyotas.There are a couple of other detail imperfections that merit mention. The engine’s idle, for example, bogs and surges as the air-conditioner compressor kicks in and out. (As an aside, we discovered that, with the A/C running, a light application of the throttle induces an annoying whistle from a vacuum line. Toyota confirms an identical problem in about half of the Previas shipped to date, and dealers will reroute the line “for any owner who complains.”) And on its high-speed setting, the rear ventilation blower, mounted on the headliner just aft of the front seats, sounds like a Huey gunship on takeoff.AARON KILEY|Car and DriverCounterpointsThe year 2000 is fast approaching, and Toyota is ready. The Previa is the best example of forward thinking in minivan design thus far. This package shows off a sleek and seductive skin, complemented by an amalgam of futuristic and exciting shapes inside. Sitting in the driver’s seat is like being on the bridge of the starship Enterprise. Although spartan, the instrument panel looks space-age; its sweeping and sculptured contours are very pleasing. And all of the Toyota’s panel textures feel good to the touch. The Previa is as capable as it looks. It has a good ride, predictable handling, and delicious steering. I would like it more if it had a larger, more powerful flat-six engine and a tachometer. But for now, the Previa is as good as minivans get. —Nicholas Bissoon-DathWhen I go vehicle hunting, two of my priorities are versatility and adaptability. I think the clever (but expensive) Previa meets these criteria better than any other minivan. And I would really like Toyota’s slick new people-and-stuff-mover if it weren’t for one glaring shortcoming of minivans in general: utter nerdiness. Some research supports my view. Chrysler, which sells the most minivans these days, says minivan buyers are more like owners of wood-sided, white-walled station wagons than any other shoppers. One reason these buyers enjoy minivans is height—the vehicles are tall enough to provide a view over traffic. But once minivans and sport-utility vehicles pack our roads, nobody will be able to see over anybody. Already, from the seat of an MR2 you can’t see through the tinted windows of a Previa in front of you. And it’s going to get worse. My fear is as gripping as walking down the hall in high school beleaguered by seven-foot-tall chess club members all wearing pocket protectors. No doubt they arrived at school in Previas. —Phil BergI haven’t been this excited about a van since the original VW Microbus limped its way down the back roads of my anti-establishment consciousness more than twenty years ago. That old VW said “screw you” to everyone with conventional ideas about transportation, and the Previa does the same—albeit in a much friendlier way. Friendliness, in fact, is what the Previa is all about. From its friendly ladybug shape to its user-friendly space-pod control clusters, it carries out its mission of utility with consummate pleasantness. Toyota has made sure that passengers are well cared for and that cargo is swallowed whole—and that converting from people mover to cargo hauler is a nearly effortless task. All this and a thoroughly artful interior make the Previa a low-stress, high-pleasure transporter. The Previa demonstrates the kind of future-think that GM’s new minivan triplets hint at but can’t deliver. Toyota’s New Age design does more than just look good, it advances the minivan science to a new plane of . . . friendliness. As I used to say about the VW Bus: “It’s far out, man, far out.” —Rich Ceppos 90’s PricingPrevias are available with more seating variations than Madison Square Garden: a base version with no rearmost bench seat, mid-line models with the twin-bench, seven-passenger layout (like the version tested here), and yet others with two swiveling captain’s chairs mounted amidships. The least expensive Previa is the manual-transmission Deluxe ($13,998), followed by the full-time four-wheel-drive Deluxe All-Trac ($16,608), the LE ($18,698), and the flagship LE All-Trac ($21,308). The rear-drive LE model promises to become the best-selling Previa. Standard equipment is exhaustive. Were we ordering the vehicle for ourselves, the only options we’d specify would be ABS ($1130), power windows and mirrors ($380), and—forgive us for this, but we can’t help ourselves—the gargantuan power sunroof ($1370) above the middle seat. We usually sneer at sunroofs, but this one is a jewel, offering a 32-by-40- inch hole through which to study matters celestial. What’s more, Toyota adds 30mm of extra roof height to all sunroof-equipped Previas (Previi?), so that interior headroom is unmolested. Some folks really do sweat the details.All of which brings the price of our wish-list Previa LE, including freight, to $21,843. That’s $2128 more than our “Best Buy” Mazda MPV V6 3.0i (C/D, May), a machine we still regard as the most versatile and carlike minivan on the planet. Of course, the Mazda MPV can’t compete with the Previa’s inspired styling, nor can it match the fit and finish of the Previa’s cockpit, which seems to have been hand-assembled by 30 or 40 Japanese craftsmen who have no regard for Toyota’s profits and have never punched a clock in their lives.All that the Previa needs now is a six-cylinder engine. But unless somebody ships a load of acetylene torches to Toyota’s indefatigable product planners, that’s an improbable upgrade. Hold on. How much are acetylene torches?This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

From the December 2022 issue of Car and Driver.Wide, wedgy, and outrageous, the Countach wasn’t the first Lamborghini, but Marcello Gandini’s jaw-dropping design created the archetype the company has followed ever since. No new Countach could ever match the original in terms of the awestruck reaction that greeted the vehicle, named for a Piedmontese expletive uttered at the concept car. Which is why Lamborghini’s decision to produce a new Countach, the LPI 800-4, seemed dangerously close to heresy. The question is: Can the LPI 800-4 compare as an experience?To answer it, we drove the LPI 800-4 alongside a historic Countach from Lamborghini’s own collection. This 1990 25th Anniversary Edition is the final original Countach built, and it’s normally exhibited in the factory museum. With just 6000 miles, it’s practically box-fresh. As the last version of the first Countach, it’s the most appropriate example to match with the new car. Park them next to each other, and the differences are at least as obvious as the similarities. The LPI 800-4 Countach sits on the Aventador’s platform and shares its carbon-fiber tub. Years of evolution make it bigger in every plane. Yet there is also a visual kinship across the decades, with the LPI 800-4 clearly an homage rather than an attempted replica.More on the CountachMitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s design director, was able to riff on themes from throughout the Countach’s long life. There’s an LP5000S-like front end (despite the absence of pop-up headlights), hexagonal wheel arches, and raised air intakes reminiscent of the mid-’80s Quattrovalvole. According to the principles of modern car design, the new Countach features better proportions and more harmonious details than the clad-and-straked 25th Anniversary. But the older car is the one you can’t stop looking at.LamborghiniIn performance, it isn’t even close to being close. The LPI 800-4 gets the brawniest version of the Aventador’s magnificent 6.5-liter V-12, along with the supercapacitor hybrid system used in the Sián hypercar. The car drives like a turned-up Aventador, as the all-wheel-drive system delivers massive thrust with assurance. The closer the engine gets to its 8700-rpm limit, the angrier and more savage it becomes. While the electric motor’s modest 34-hp contribution is indiscernible from the V-12’s 769 horsepower, its torque does smooth the single-clutch automated manual’s gear changes, which are far less brutal than in the Aventador. Like every other modern Lambo, the LPI 800-4 has selectable drive modes, with the punchiest Corsa setting making it feel impressively wieldy on the small, tight 1.3-mile Autodromo di Modena we used for photography.By comparison, the original Countach is woeful. The cramped cockpit is uncomfortable, and all but the shortest pilots will find their head grazing the roof, even with the seat in its lowest and most reclined position. It hails from a period before ergonomic considerations in supercars, and the driving position is heavily offset toward the center of the car due to the intrusion of the front wheel well. The footwell is so packed with its three pedals that there’s nowhere to put a resting clutch foot. The dogleg gearshift features a foldable tab to prevent a first-to-reverse flubbed shift; in a good indication of the cabin designers’ priorities, it sits ahead of a huge ashtray. Rated at 449 horsepower, the old car’s V-12 is quieter at startup than the LPI 800-4’s and idles with a carbureted wuffle. U.S. Countaches as early as ’83 models got Bosch fuel injection to meet emission regs, but European models stuck with six Webers until the end. The throttle pedal is light, and response is immediate and keen. The engine pulls cleanly from low down and with impressive vigor as revs rise. It sounds great too—much softer than the newer car, with valvetrain clatter audible over the exhaust.Yet everything else is just so much hard work. The clutch is a leg-press machine set to Lou Ferrigno. The unassisted steering is so heavy at maneuvering speeds that turning the wheel is painful. Even once the car is moving, tight corners bring it back to full Hulk weighting, and in Autodromo’s tight corners, few of the apexes are even grazed, let alone clipped. Between-corner speeds are limited by stopping rather than going, and the brake pedal’s mushy responses impart none of the confidence you’d want when pushing a valuable supercar on a tight track. Does it have ABS? Our chaperone, Mario Fasanetto, who started at Lamborghini in 1985 building Countach engines and today is the company’s chief test driver, just laughs.LamborghiniThe team in Sant’Agata never designed the Countach for the track, and it shows. The car is vastly better on roads, especially fast highways from the days when European limits were either nonexistent or largely discretionary for supercar owners. The 25th Anniversary’s claimed 183-mph top speed was likely just Ferrari baiting—the top speed we observed in a 1983 Countach 5000S was 160 mph. But even traveling at the lower velocities of the tamer 21st century, the Countach has the solid, planted feel you want for serious cruising pace.Reaching a mountain road gives the modern car another chance to prove its dynamic superiority. The Strada Provinciale 26 near the Modenese village of Samone is a quiet road that combines hairpins and scenic views. It’s a backdrop that draws all the local supercar makers (we’ve previously been here with Ferrari and Pagani, as well as Lamborghini). But the Countaches have it to themselves today. After the vein-popping workout of the 25th Anniversary model, the new car feels lighter and more agile than a V-12 Lamborghini has any right to. The original Countach is one of those cars that is awesome both despite and because of its flaws. Justifying its divinity requires the sort of tortuous logic that corrupt medieval priests would employ to render the unholy holy, and even one of the less loved versions of this unarguable icon still offers an unforgettable experience. By contrast, the LPI 800-4 feels too good—too well-engineered and slick to be a true successor to such a flawed gem, regardless of the new car’s handsome design. It’s a Countach, but it will never be the Countach.Car and DriverThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

From the December 2022 issue of Car and Driver.Once it was established that high-performance SUVs were not an oxymoron, there was only one direction to go: up. More speed, quicker acceleration, greater grip, more tenacious braking, and—most of all—higher prices. At Porsche, the progression of high-test versions with more horsepower and compound badge extensions has led to the 2022 Cayenne Turbo GT, a veritable sport-utility weapon capable of amazing things on the track, up to and including the vaunted Nürburgring.Other high-end carmakers have joined in—even Ferrari with its upcoming Purosangue. Aston Martin entered the fray a couple of years ago with its DBX. We’d surmise, however, that the beastly 2023 DBX 707 was in the model plan from the outset.These Cayenne and DBX models make an excellent pairing, and not just because our samples were painted focus-group white to prevent color bias from creeping in. Ferocious twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engines vigorously propel both, with the Porsche’s 3996-cubic-centimeter powerplant generating 631 horsepower and the Aston wringing 697 horsepower from a mere 3982 cubic centimeters. Beyond that, both vehicles have all-wheel drive and ride on air springs augmented with electronically controlled dampers and active anti-roll bars. Both feature high-stance terrain modes of dubious relevance, and they also command sky-high prices. The lightly optioned Porsche in our test goes for $189,090, while the glitzier Aston Martin commands $290,086.2nd Place: Aston Martin DBXIf we determined a champion based on onlookers’ attention, the Aston would take this win, hands down. People stopped us at gas stations, wanting to know what it was and snapping photos. When you view the vehicles side-by-side, this makes sense. The 707 has presence. Its fresh, modern styling is festooned with intriguing details, although the diffuser’s fiddly spoiler is one we could do without.HIGHS: Undeniably fast, rorty soundtrack, stunning design. LOWS: Insufferable infotainment, eye-watering price. VERDICT: If money were no object, we wouldn’t object.The same is true inside, where the DBX comes across as interesting and layered. The seats and dashboard look as if some design capital was spent on them, and the carbon-fiber center console is far more intricate and deliberate than the perfunctory stuff tacked onto the Porsche’s door panels. But, as on the outside, the design would come off better if it were reeled in about 5 percent. Underway, the Aston delivers the crushing performance its aggressive looks imply. It rushes to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, reaches 100 mph in 7.6 seconds, and runs an 11.4-second quarter-mile at 121 mph. Its willing nine-speed automatic helps it rip 30-to-50-mph passing maneuvers in 2.6 seconds and 50-to-70 ones in three seconds flat.The Aston is an adept hustler in the twisties too. Precise steering response and strong brakes allow you to push as hard as you dare, with the V-8’s kick, glorious wail, and upshift crackle available when you boot it upon corner exit.The Aston is an adept hustler in the twisties too. Precise steering response and strong brakes allow you to push as hard as you dare, with the V-8’s kick, glorious wail, and upshift crackle available when you boot it upon corner exit. Despite some 5138 pounds of British engineering, the chassis feels lithe and balanced, and the active anti-roll control ensures that body lean is held to a minimum as you flow into the next corner. The brake engagement point is a bit lower than the Porsche’s, and slightly more turn-in lock is necessary because the Aston’s steering ratio feels a tad slower, but you’d never pick those nits without aggressively driving these two back-to-back. At the track, massive 23-inch Pirelli P Zero PZ4s help the Aston record 70-mph stops of 155 feet and a healthy 0.97 g of orbital stick.The Aston is a steady and calm interstate cruiser, with a smooth ride and a steering system that imparts a clairvoyant sense of straight ahead through its nicely contoured wheel. But we did miss a head-up display in this driving scenario, and over time the attractive seats proved to be less comfortable than they appear, with obtuse side-bolster and lumbar controls we never came to grips with. But the biggest gaffe has to be the infuriating infotainment system, which is controlled only by a touchpad or a half-hidden knob that is utterly inaccessible if you actually use the cupholders. Perhaps Aston should move them ahead of the controller and add a bona fide touchscreen to give the driver choices. What’s more, phone mirroring requires a cable, even though the center console’s handy open basement contains a wireless charging pad.More on the DBXMeanwhile, those seated in the rear will be happy as clams back there. Space is abundant, and climate-control vents are mounted in the center console as well as attractively set into the door pillars. At the end of the day, the biggest thing holding the Aston back is its near-$300,000 price tag. If you’re able to scoff at that sentence, well, don’t let us stop you from making a purchase.1st Place: Porsche CayenneCompared with the Aston, our white Porsche’s rounded-off styling suggests a used bar of soap, with a grille opening that looks like a hockey player’s wide grin with dentures out. Tellingly, an influencer snapping pictures of our DBX framed the Cayenne out of his shots.But the Turbo GT has got it where it counts, making it a superior sleeper. Despite having 66 horsepower less, the Porsche bolts out of the gate harder, reaching 60 mph in a mere 2.9 seconds and maintaining that 0.2-second advantage through 100 mph and across the line at the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds at 120 mph. The more powerful Aston starts to outrun it after that, but it’s a close-run thing in a speed realm that has zero daily relevance. Back on earth, the still delivers heady passing performance and benefits from a smooth-shifting gearbox. HIGHS: Immediate control response, grip for days, lower price leaves room for options. LOWS: Forgettable styling, flintier ride, seats only four. VERDICT: The Porsche of haul-ass SUVs.The Porsche’s 30-to-50- and 50-to-70-mph passing times trail the Aston by a tenth and two-tenths, respectively. That’s probably due to the fewer ratios of its eight-speed automatic, but the GT still delivers heady passing performance and benefits from a smooth-shifting gearbox.In the mountains, the Turbo GT’s standard rear-wheel steering and active roll control team up to make quick work of tight hairpins, flowing esses, and long sweepers alike. The steering response is laser sharp, and the brake pedal feels immediate and intuitive. You just think about doing things and they get done. It’s a oneness the Aston can’t match. There’s also grip for days, and that’s not just in our head; a monster 1.03 g’s around the skidpad proved it.More on the Cayenne SUVBut there’s a catch—one that likely accounts for the launch advantage, the immediate turn-in response, and certainly the lateral grip, but curiously no significant stopping-distance superiority. The Turbo GT’s Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 tires have a scant 80 treadwear rating (the Aston’s are 280). That’s so extreme, they wouldn’t be legal at an SCCA autocross. Tire Rack classifies them as Streetable Track & Competition tires, and we doubt they’ll last 10,000 miles. Still, perhaps from the perspective of the happy side of a $100,000 price gap, chucking a lot of them at the Porsche feels affordable. That “yes, but” theme continues on the open road, where the Turbo GT’s standard Alcantara steering wheel feels like, as senior editor Elana Scherr put it, “an elderly cat, all bones and fur.” Rest assured, there’s a more comfortable (and heated) wheel on the typically extensive Porsche options list. The same can be said of the dual-zone climate control, which can be upgraded to four zones with a comparatively modest spend (the DBX has a standard three-zone setup), and our Porsche’s lack of adaptive cruise control. The standard eight-way sport seats are comfortable over the long haul, though, and they do much to take the edge off rougher roads. That said, you could also upgrade to 18-way chairs.What you can’t option away is the slightly less compliant ride, the four-place seating, and the 1-mpg-worse EPA combined fuel-economy rating, which relates back to the gummy tires and the cog-deficient eight-speed automatic. But there are 100,000 reasons why this doesn’t matter, and there’s no denying that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the more potent and rewarding sport-utility weapon. Plus, if that interested influencer is any indication, the local constabulary will likely direct their attention to the Aston instead. SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Aston Martin DBX 707Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $239,086/$290,086Options: Satin Lunar White paint, $8900; dark grille, $800; rear privacy acoustic glass, $1900, smoked tailights, $1200; gloss 2×2 twill carbon fiber upper package, $9200; 23-inch forged satin black, diamond-turned wheels, $5100; Inspire Sport Duotone interior, $7600; Blue Haze Metallic leather, $2800; 2×2 twill carbon fiber with dark chrome jewelry, $3400; gloss 2×2 twill carbon fiber trim inlay, $4500; Dark Knight 720gsm carpet, $1900; lime green contrast stitching, $2100; black chrome badges and script, $1600.
ENGINETwin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 243 in3, 3982 cm3Power: 697 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 663 lb-ft @ 2750 rpm 
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink, air springs, active anti-roll car/multilink, air springs, active anti-roll barBrakes, F/R: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic discTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4F: 285/35ZR-23 (107Y) A8A, R: 325/30ZR-23 (109Y) A8A
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.5 inLength: 198.4 inWidth: 78.7 inHeight: 66.1 inPassenger Volume: 110 ft3Cargo Volume, behind front/rear seats: 54/23 ft3Curb Weight: 5138 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 1.1 sec60 mph: 3.1 sec100 mph: 7.6 sec150 mph: 19.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.4 sec @ 121 mphResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.6 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.0 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 193 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 155 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 315 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.97 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 17/15/20 mpg
— 
2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GTVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $182,150/$189,090Options: PCCB with high-gloss black calipers, $900; comfort access, $940; 22-inch GT Design wheels in Satin Deep Sea Blue, $600; lane change assist, $950; LED Matrix Design headlights in black with PDLS+, $580; smartphone compartment with wireless charging, $690; head up display, $1720; Porsche logo on side, $560.
ENGINETwin-turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V-8 aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 244 in3, 3996 cm3Power: 631 hp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 626 lb-ft @ 2300 rpm 
TRANSMISSION8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink, air springs, active anti-roll bar/multilink, air springs, active anti-roll barBrakes, F/R: 17.3-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic disc/16.1-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic discTires: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4F: 285/35ZR-22 (106Y) N0R: 315/30ZR-22 (107Y) N0
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.9 inLength: 194.6 inWidth: 78.6 inHeight: 64.4 inPassenger Volume: XX ft3Cargo Trunk Volume, behind front/rear seats: 52/19 ft3Curb Weight: 4972 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS30 mph: 1.0 sec60 mph: 2.9 sec100 mph: 7.4 sec150 mph: 19.8 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2 sec @ 120 mphResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.7 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.2 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 186 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 154 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 312 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.03 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/19 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

Well, this is finally the end. Both for Audi’s 5.2-liter V-10 screamer—and V-10s in general—as well as its mid-engine R8 supercar. It seems 2023 is the last model year, and this limited-edition R8 GT, which lives among the rest of the R8 coupe and spyder lineup, the last variant.While that previous cluster of words is enough to sour the mood, the R8 GT will do just the opposite. It’s easy to drive, controllable on the throttle. Sweeping through a corner, we could quickly place it right at the limit of the rear end’s traction, where adding a touch more power caused the back end to step out. Playfully, never frightfully. We still miss the gated manual from the first-generation R8, but the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in the GT nevertheless shifts even faster than before. In its most aggressive modes, the ferocious energy of a wide-open-throttle upshift at the 8700-rpm redline reverberates through the carbon-fiber and aluminum monocoque structure. Audi is selling just 333 GTs worldwide, with 150 coming to the U.S. There will be 50 each in red, gray, and black, which amounts to one for only every other Audi dealer. Each car is labeled with its build number, the sequence sunk beneath the surface of the carbon-fiber center-console trim. We spent a day in southern Spain at Circuito Monteblanco, where Audi had cars 62 through 64 on hand for lapping, plus a few more pre-production units that aren’t part of the official count. That’s right—the more desirable early-number cars get built later in the production cycle.Getting the 602-hp state of tune that was previously only available in all-wheel-drive R8s, the GT is 40 horses stronger than the regular rear-drive R8 and the most powerful rear-drive car ever from Audi. Maybe that’s why the Quattro brand is really leaning into drifting talk. In fact, the R8 GT is the only R8 to get a new feature called Torque Rear—Audi officials say labeling it drift mode is too iffy from a regulatory perspective—with seven settings of escalating allowability of rear-wheel slip. It’s more of a fun mode than a track tool, programmed to allow a goodly amount of wheelspin while making it a bit more difficult for an under-skilled driver to go all Mustang exiting Cars & Coffee. Click the new checkered flag button that’s sprouted on the steering wheel and then turn a knob to adjust. Level 1 doesn’t allow enough slip for a recognizable drift while Level 7 provides only the lightest touches of power reduction. Unlike Ferrari’s Side Slip Angle Control, however, Torque Rear isn’t a spin preventer. Ask us how we know.Audi|Car and DriverThe GT isn’t entirely a parts-bin car, but it does borrow more than a few bits from the existing lineup. The carbon-fiber front anti-roll bar, for instance, is an $1100 option on other R8s. It has exactly the same stiffness as the bar it replaces and saves 4.4 pounds. The GT also gets the shorter gearing from the all-wheel-drive variants, with the third through seventh ratios shorter by 4 to 29 percent, and standard carbon-ceramic brakes and bucket seats, which are part of the $12,900 Dynamic package on other R8s. Forged 20-inch wheels are new for the GT and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber in the same sizes as the rest of the lineup. European R8 GTs get an optional coil-over suspension that’s adjustable for height and damping, but it’s not available on U.S. cars. Ours stick to a fixed setup, skipping even the adaptive dampers from the all-wheel-drive variants.The End of an EraIf the GT’s $253,290 price seems dear, it’s probably because it’s $91,895 more than a regular 2023 rear-drive R8 coupe. But after checking all the option boxes that are included on the GT, the premium drops to $53,900. GTs also wear a comprehensive carbon-fiber aero package, including a large, fixed rear wing, front diffuser and canards, and an element behind the rear wheels. U.S. cars come fairly loaded, which is why they’re slightly heavier than their Euro counterparts. Standard equipment includes laser headlights, sport exhaust, dynamic steering, a B&O stereo, and carbon-fiber mirror caps, door sills, and side blades. Still, the GT is a claimed 55 pounds lighter than the regular rear-drive R8 and roughly 120 pounds lighter than the all-wheel-drive coupe. Part of the weight loss is a reduction in sound deadening that makes the R8 louder, and U.S. cars are louder still, thanks to the removal of the particulate filters required in the European market. It was hard to get a good read from the Euro-spec cars we drove, as the V-10’s sweet escalating melodies were always muffled by a helmet.Acceleration won’t be able to match that of the all-wheel-drive R8; plan on a 60-mph time in the very low threes and a quarter-mile right around 11 flat. The GT’s fixed-back bucket seats are relaxed fit for their genre; they’re neither narrow nor have steep bolsters on their periphery. They retain a power height adjustment and manual fore-aft. But this seems to fit with the R8’s more daily-drivable vibe—including a luggage shelf behind the front seats—compared with its relentlessly manic corporate cousin, the Lamborghini Huracán. Speaking of which, the GT is similar in concept to the rear-drive Huracán Tecnica.If you’re wondering how this last, best R8 might stack up to the Corvette Z06, Audi says you’re not one of its customers and claims there’s next to zero overlap with Corvette buyers. Nevertheless, you won’t be surprised that the R8 struggles to justify a price that’s more than twice as expensive as the Z06. The Z06 makes more power (although it’s more than a hundred pounds heavier) and revs nearly as high. The R8’s grip levels sure didn’t feel as lofty as the Z06’s, although a slightly damp track during our drive certainly had something to do with it. But we feel confident saying it would be hard to find a track where the Z06 wouldn’t win. Audi|Car and DriverThe R8 GT will arrive in early 2023, and the entire R8 line will depart by the end of the year. It’s been a good run.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Audi R8 GTVehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $253,290
ENGINE
DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 318 in3, 5204 cm3Power: 602 hp @ 8000 rpmTorque: 413 lb-ft @ 6400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.3 inLength: 177.0 inWidth: 77.3 inHeight: 48.2 inPassenger Volume: 50 ft3Cargo Volume F/R: 4/8 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3550 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec100 mph: 6.6 sec1/4-Mile: 11.0 secTop Speed: 199 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 17/14/21 mpgThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

Porsche loves to pay homage to its past. When your halo model has been in production since the 1960s, there’s a rich history to tap into. The 2023 911 Carrera T is the latest to get the retro treatment, although it’s certainly no old-school sports car. Intended to evoke the feeling of the original 1968 Carrera T, the new one adds performance-enhancing goodies from elsewhere in the 911 lineup while reducing weight and trimming luxuries to create a purist’s sports car.This isn’t Porsche’s first contemporary T model for the 911, as it relaunched the trim during the 991-generation car’s tenure. More recently, Porsche has introduced a Macan T SUV, as well as 718 Boxster T and 718 Cayman T models, all using a similar lightweight, performance-enhanced formula. The 911 Carrera T feels focused and provides just enough modern-day amenities to avoid being under-equipped. Base Carrera Meets Carrera SThe entry-level 911 Carrera has a 379-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine but comes only with an eight-speed PDK automatic transmission, whereas the more expensive Carrera S ups output to 443 horsepower and can be had with Porsche’s excellent seven-speed manual. The Carrera T essentially splits the difference, sticking with the 379-hp version of the flat-six but opening up the availability of the seven-speed manual. Porsche will build you a Carrera T with the PDK, but doing so negates some of the T’s weight savings. For what it’s worth, the automatic car is said to be quicker, with Porsche claiming a zero-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds for the PDK and 4.3 for the manual. In addition to the standard stick shift, the Carrera T adds a mechanical limited-slip differential, Porsche’s PASM active suspension system with sport-tuned dampers, and staggered-fitment wheels and tires. The 20-inch front wheels wear 245-section-width rubber, while the 21-inch rears wear wider 305s. A rear-axle-steering system is optional, although our Gulf Blue example didn’t have it. All Carrera Ts come standard with the popular Sport Chrono package and feature Agate Gray exterior trim and a sport exhaust system with gloss-black tailpipes. PorschePorsche says the Carrera T weighs 100 pounds less than the base model despite the extra equipment. Weight-saving measures include deleting the rear seat, reduced sound deadening, a smaller battery, and thinner window glass. More sound permeates the cabin as a result, which is both a good and a bad thing. When hustling, you hear more of the engine’s melody, including the turbos spooling, but when cruising at steady highway speeds the engine note booms inside the cabin and can be a bit fatiguing. The Carrera T is surprisingly approachable, and even novice drivers will find it easy to wind through corners with surgical precision. At the same time, its ride is surprisingly compliant, and the suspension does a good job managing rough stretches of pavement, rounding off the sharp edges of most bumps.Twisty canyon roads—like the one where we drove the Carrera T near Los Angeles—are where the car feels most at home. Its steering is crisp and communicative, and so is the manual transmission, which has an unambiguous clutch takeup point. Although these controls feel entirely natural, the brakes take some getting used to. Early in the pedal travel, the brakes bite aggressively, and smooth modulation is a learned behavior. Stripped to BasicsThe all-black cabin of our test car appeared a little drab. While it’s nicely put together, it’s not quite flashy enough for the Carrera T’s $118,050 starting price. Besides removing the rear seats, Porsche has also stripped down features to save weight. That helps with the Carrera T’s purist-focused feel, but we’d have appreciated full-power-seat adjustments rather than power recline combined with manual fore-aft movement. Related StoriesThe seats themselves are comfortable and supportive, with bolstering suitable for hard driving but not uncomfortable for daily use. The optional Interior package adds some color inside by way of stripes on the seats, seatbelt coloring, and embroidered logos on the headrests and floor mats in your choice of Slate Gray or Lizard Green. Leather upholstery for the doors and dashboard is also available, as are 18-way power-adjustable seats. Porsche’s extra-aggressive carbon-fiber racing-style seats are also available.As with other 911 models, there are few places to stash small items throughout the cabin, but the upside is that there’s a generous parcel shelf where the rear seats would normally be, offering space for a suitcase or a pair of duffle bags. Rear seats can be added back at no additional cost if you want them, but we’d guess most drivers would welcome the additional cargo room instead.PorscheOverall, the Carrera T captures the spirit of the stripped-down ’60s original despite being a thoroughly modern car. The 911’s lineup is broad already, and it seems as though yet another variant would have trouble finding a niche. But Porsche’s aim with the Carrera T is to blend performance, simplicity, and relative affordability. For true enthusiasts, it’s a niche worth filling.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Porsche 911 Carrera TVehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $118,050
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 182 in3, 2981 cm3Power: 379 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 331 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
7-speed manual, 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.5 inLength: 178.3 inWidth: 72.9 inHeight: 50.8 inPassenger Volume: 72 ft3Cargo Volume, F/R: 5/9 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3250-3350 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.5-4.0 sec100 mph: 8.0-8.3 sec1/4-Mile: 11.6-11.8 secTop Speed: 181 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 20-21/18/24-25 mpgThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

Rejoice, influencers who live in a van down by the river! Your hashtag van life just got a little bit easier, because the 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 is all-wheel drive, rather than four-wheel drive. Which means that, when you’re heading to that Insta-friendly camping spot atop a glacier, on the rim of a volcano, or in the middle of a gurgling trout-filled river, you no longer have to push a button to engage the front axle. Nope, the Sprinter’s full-time transfer case will do the job for you, shuffling torque to the front axle as needed. This leaves more time for you to try on different hats, dry your bamboo underwear next to your idyllic campfire, or proposition a camp toilet company about sponsoring you so you can stop digging dang holes in the woods every day. Van life is busy. So it’s also nice that the 2023 Sprinter diesel is probably faster than the outgoing model. We say probably because we haven’t yet done any instrumented testing, but it looks good on paper. The outgoing V-6 diesel offered 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, while the new Sprinter diesel brings 211 horsepower at 3600 rpm and 332 pound-feet from 1600 to 2400 rpm. What’s more, that increased output comes from a much-downsized engine, which is now a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rather than a 3.0-liter six. The buff four-banger is hooked to a nine-speed automatic in place of the 2022 model’s seven-speed. Thanks to the nine-speed’s wider ratio spread, Benz says that first gear is the same as in older Sprinter 4x4s that had a five-speed when their transfer case was in low range. That’s good since the 2023 Sprinter doesn’t have a low range. Even so, the new system actually is more capable. For instance, with four-wheel drive engaged, the prior Sprinter 4×4 only sent 35 percent of its torque to the front axle. The new one can send 100 percent to the front, or 100 percent to the rear, or divvy it up anywhere in between, as needed. From launch, it’ll aim for 50-50 front-to-rear, but during highway cruising, it can dismiss the front axle and run in rear-drive mode until conditions call for some front-end assistance. It’s all completely transparent, and there are real-world advantages, especially on pavement. Say the road is wet or intermittently dry with icy patches—you don’t have to monitor the surface and engage four-wheel drive when things look slippery. The traction is always there.And that’s helpful now that there’s a little bit more power. It’s not like the Sprinter will give you whiplash off the line, but the 2.0-liter feels admirably feisty, even with about 1200 pounds of ballast strapped into the cargo bay. Really, it feels quite a bit like the outgoing V-6 but presumably delivers better fuel economy. (The Sprinter, like heavy-duty pickups, is large enough to escape EPA fuel-economy ratings.) Four-cylinder compression-ignition rattle and vibration are mostly absent, with little noise making its way into the cabin. The max tow rating of 7500 pounds matches the outgoing model, so there really doesn’t seem to be any downside to the Sprinter’s cylinder-ectomy under the hood.As for the off-road chops, Benz had grand plans for us to evaluate the new all-wheel-drive system on trails at a dirt-bike track near Stuttgart, but heavy rain turned the terrain into a soupy mess, such that the route was much abbreviated. But we can say that the all-wheel-drive Sprinter handled a bit of mud with aplomb, despite wearing winter tires that quickly packed their tread blocks with sticky Swabian clay. As before, this vehicle’s off-road abilities are defined by its size more than its ground clearance or traction—you need a big trail to accommodate a machine that can be more than 24 feet long and nine feet tall, depending on configuration.Related StoriesDespite the Mercedes star on the grille, the Sprinter remains a workhorse, with a spartan interior—manual seats, manual handbrake, lots of hard plastics. There’s still a value-leader gasoline model that uses a 188-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder and costs $46,795 in cargo-van form. The entry-level diesel is tuned for 170 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and costs $49,295 as a cargo van or $54,905 as a passenger van. All-wheel drive is a $6400 option. That’s a significant discount from the outgoing four-wheel-drive system, which was $8500. Evidently, ditching that low range really saves a few bucks. The minimum price for a high-roof all-wheel-drive cargo van with the high-output engine and a 170-inch wheelbase is $64,635.When we initially heard that the top-of-the-range diesel Sprinter was losing two cylinders and a liter of displacement, that sounded like folly. But in practice, most people won’t notice the difference one way or the other, even though the 2023 model is modestly more powerful and has a nine-speed transmission. So if you bought a diesel V-6 2022 Sprinter, you needn’t indulge in any buyer’s remorse. And if you end up with a diesel 2023 Sprinter 4×4—which is at dealers already—you shouldn’t feel like you missed out on the last great Sprinter engine. The biggest difference, really, is having all-wheel drive instead of part-time four-wheel drive, but that’s an evolution rather than a revolution. For the latter, we’ll have to wait for the electric Sprinter coming next year. In the meantime, we wish we could convince Mercedes to bring the super-funky Sprinter crew-cab 4×4 pickup truck to the U.S. market. Influencers, get working.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo VanVehicle Type: front-engine, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 5-door van
PRICE
2500 standard-roof, 144-inch-wheelbase, rear-drive gasoline, $46,795; 2500 high-roof, 170-inch-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive high-output diesel, $64,635
ENGINES
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4, 170 hp, 295 lb-ft; DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 188 hp, 258 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4, 211 hp, 332 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 144.0 or 170.0 inLength: 234.0, 274.0, or 290.0 inWidth: 80.0 inHeight: 96.0-111.0 inCargo Volume: 533 ft3 maxCurb Weight (C/D est): 5500-6000 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 12.0-13.5 sec1/4-Mile: 18.0-20.0 secTop Speed: 90 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Exempt from EPA testing and labelingThis content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More