Car Reviews

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Ever since a wheezy 88-hp 2.3-liter four-banger appeared under the hood of the much-maligned Mustang II, a Pavlovian recoil occurs whenever someone says “four-cylinder Mustang.” But turbocharged 2.3-liter Mustangs are another matter—especially today. That formula got a rocky, carbureted 132-hp start in 1979, but things improved, and in 1986 the Mustang SVO made 200 horses. Cheap gas, better emissions controls, and stale CAFE targets put them to pasture as V-8s reasserted their dominance. But after almost 30 years on the bench, the turbo 2.3-liter four returned in the 2015 Mustang EcoBoost making a heady 310 horsepower.HIGHS: Goes like stink, stellar handling, impressive highway mpg.That engine carries on in today’s seventh-generation 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, with a 10-speed automatic the only transmission available. Ford substantially revised the engine, which now features direct and port fuel injection, a smaller twin-scroll turbo, and an electronic wastegate. Output barely budges, with a small bump to 315 horsepower and the same 350 pound-feet of torque. At least fuel economy is up a tick despite a slightly heavier curb weight.The optional High Performance pack doesn’t net the slight horsepower increase it did last year but otherwise includes a similar list of desirable upgrades. Chief among the goodies are 19-inch Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires, a 3.55:1 limited-slip differential of the Torsen variety, and a performance-tuned suspension. You also get sizable Brembo six-piston front calipers and four-pot rears, a strut-tower brace, and an electronic pull-up parking brake activator that can lock the rear wheels using the hydraulic brakes to make getting sideways easier. Ford markets it as a drift brake—as if we need more Cars & Coffee getaway mishaps. At $3475, this stuff comes cheaper than last year, when you had to buy the $1995 Handling package on top of the $6150 High Performance package to get the Torsen and the Brembos. To make this possible, two features are now stand-alone options: the active performance exhaust ($1225) and MagneRide adaptive dampers ($1750, but the $5525 Premium package is also required).This new EcoBoost is the quickest four-cylinder Mustang we’ve tested, with a 4.5-second 60-mph time that feeds into a 13.2-second, 103-mph quarter-mile. The Brembos and Pirellis do the business under braking, hauling the Mustang to a stop from 70 mph in 149 feet and from 100 mph in 293 feet. There’s also plenty of stick on the skidpad, with 0.95-g orbits easy to pull off.But 10 gears are too many. With narrow gear spacing and an eagerness to upshift, this gearbox acts like a wannabe continuously variable automatic transmission. Sport mode helps, but then the adaptive performance exhaust switches on too, turning the exhaust into an overactive kazoo. Get the High Performance pack, but skip the active performance exhaust to save yourself embarrassment and $1225.LOWS: Sounds like stink, CVT-wannabe 10-speed auto, incongruent digital dash.If you’re not trying to set lap times, the Mustang EcoBoost drives like a champ. It changes directions willingly, gives the driver useful steering feedback, and cruises the interstate serenely, with comfy leather-trimmed buckets courtesy of the $3000 201A equipment package. We beat the 29-mpg EPA highway rating in our 75-mph test, getting 32 mpg. With a 16.0-gallon tank, this Mustang has long highway legs that can outlast your bladder for 510 miles of range. As we cruised along, some other 2024 Mustang developments started to gnaw at us. The huge curving screen feels like a mistake. While it’s conceptually similar to those in newer BMWs we love, and we tolerate it there, this execution isn’t good enough. Response times are slow, some of the operational details are strange, and the menu logic is obtuse. The physical buttons and knobs that remain are stuffed down below the A/C vents in an arrangement that lacks the cohesion of the previous car.More on the Mustang EcoBoostThe digital cluster has a choice of five layouts, one of which is a reincarnation of the classic 1987–93 Fox-body gauges. We rolled our eyes when this Easter egg was announced, but sampling the options shows the imitation analog instruments are by far the best choice, likely because they come from a time when the design brief said: Be legible, day or night. It makes the contemporary idea of customizable gauges seem pointless.VERDICT: A fun Stang despite some imperfections.At one time, the sting of the four-cylinder Mustang was its lame performance, but the 2024 EcoBoost gallops at a hearty clip. Today’s drawbacks are the lack of a manual transmission, the automatic’s overeager upshifting, and the unsatisfying exhaust note. If those are deal breakers, well, just across the showroom, there’s a Mustang GT calling your name.SpecificationsSpecifications
2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoostVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $32,515/$48,085
ENGINE
Turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 138 in3, 2261 cm3Power: 315 hp @ 5500 rpmTorque: 350 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/14.0-in vented discTires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4255/40R-19 96Y
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.0 inLength: 189.4 inWidth: 75.4 inHeight: 55.0 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/30 ft3Trunk Volume: 13 ft3Curb Weight: 3812 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.5 sec100 mph: 12.2 sec1/4-Mile: 13.2 sec @ 103 mph130 mph: 24.7 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.4 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.9 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.5 secTop Speed (mfr’s claim): 155 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 149 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 293 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.95 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 32 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 510 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/21/29 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDTechnical EditorDan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.The Toyota GR Corolla’s assertive styling and trick all-wheel-drive system draw inspiration from rally cars, and the track-focused Morizo Edition, named for the pseudonym Akio Toyoda assumes when racing cars, commits to the motorsports bit. The rear jettisons some nonessentials: The seats, window motors, door speakers, and wiper all go (weirdly, the rear-seat floor mats stay). Weight-saving measures make the Morizo 84 pounds lighter than the Circuit trim. HIGHS: The quickest GR Corolla, sharp and agile handling, keeps the manual alive. The turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder has 300 horsepower, as in other GR Corollas. The Morizo ekes out an extra 22 pound-feet of torque for a total of 295. The torque peak starts a bit higher in the rev range, at 3250 rpm (compared with 3000 rpm), and isn’t quite as broad, finishing at 4600 rpm (not 5500). In that rev range, the Morizo feels punchy and alert. While the smaller plateau might seem like a loss, you can feel an additional power surge as you run close to the 7000-rpm redline.Light and nimble through corners, the Morizo is fitted with grippier and wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that replace Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. The stickier tires lead to 1.02 g’s on the skidpad, way up from the Circuit’s 0.94.It also benefits from a close-ratio version of the six-speed manual and shorter overall gearing. The extra oomph, shorter gearing, and stickier rubber net the Morizo a half-second advantage in the ever-important sprint to 60 mph, which it dispatches in 4.4 seconds. The sprint to 100 mph is 0.8 second better, at 11.3. However, the extra boost (1.1 psi more) to make the midrange power comes with a bit more lag, as evidenced by the 30-to-50-mph top-gear acceleration growing by 0.7 second. Although, if you’re going wide-open throttle in top gear at 30 mph, you’re GRing wrong.LOWS: It’s a $50K Corolla, harsh ride for daily driving, you can only bring one friend.Like the Circuit, the Morizo’s standard front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials deftly maximize traction, and the gearbox’s notchy shifter is a joy to work. The brake ducts are also revised, and the Morizo stops from 70 mph in 152 feet, 15 feet shorter than the Circuit, though most of the credit should go to the Cup 2 tires.Michael Simari|Car and DriverTo increase structural rigidity, the Morizo has additional bracing where the rear seat would usually reside. The suspension is retuned but remains on the hard side of firm. While this is welcome on the racetrack, the loud and teeth-clattering ride on Michigan’s pockmarked roads makes longer drives exhausting.More on the GR CorollaIt might cost $51,420, but when you sit behind the wheel and take in the interior, you can’t escape the fact that the Morizo has its basis in a $23K economy car. But the 200 lucky owners of a Morizo probably won’t notice the cheapness as they tear around a track. The GR Corolla Morizo is a hatchback, but its handling, steering feel, and power put it in the same class as two-seat sports cars, and that’s a good enough reason not to have a back seat. VERDICT: The GR Corolla is proof that when Toyota goes all-in, the results can be mighty impressive.SpecificationsSpecifications
2023 Toyota GR Corolla MorizoVehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $51,420/$52,063 Options: Wind Chill Pearl exterior paint, $425; door sill protectors, $179; frameless HomeLink mirror, $175; carpet floor mats and cargo mat, $289
ENGINE
Turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 99 in3, 1618 cm3Power: 300 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque: 295 lb-ft @ 3250 rpm
TRANSMISSION
6-speed manual
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilinkBrakes, F/R: 14.0-in vented disc/11.7-in vented discTires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect245/40ZR-18 (97Y) Extra Load
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.9 inLength: 173.6 inWidth: 72.8 inHeight: 57.2 inCurb Weight: 3185 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.4 sec100 mph: 11.3 sec1/4-Mile: 13.0 sec @ 106 mph130 mph: 21.5 secResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.0 secTop Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.2 secTop Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.4 secTop Speed (gov ltd): 144 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 152 ftBraking, 100–0 mph: 301 ftRoadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.02 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg75-mph Highway Driving: 32 mpg75-mph Highway Range: 420 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/21/28 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDAssociate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

From the August 1994 issue of Car and Driver.The ground crew for the Goodyear blimp Stars and Stripes was ner­vous. A windstorm had earlier sucked the letter “G” in their logo clean off the side of the blimp’s immense hangar. The “G” happened to be the size of my garage. Then it rained for ten hours. Then C/D showed up at the Pompano Beach Airport, in Florida, with a banana-yellow Porsche RSR 3.8. Between 120-mph blasts down runways, we began turning skidpad circles on the apron in front of the blimp, to keep the RSR’s tires warm. “Kind of a fast car,” observed an anxious blimp mechanic.”Yep,” I said, shouting over the shattering exhaust blat, a refreshing change following 18 years of turbo­charged, racing Porsches that just whooshed.Perplexed, he continued: “It won’t, you know, like swerve out of control and center-punch our blimp or any­thing, will it?” “I haven’t lost control since yes­terday,” I assured him. “Maybe, ah, you should move closer to the runway,” he suggested.We did.The car you see here—an RSR 3.8—is important. It represents Porsche’s return to grass-roots sports-car racing following acute disenchantment with multimillion-dollar GTP exotica. The company has rediscovered what it does best: build simple production-based racing coupes that run as predictably as lifelong politicians but require fewer bribes. The RSR 3.8 (named after the brutal coupes Porsche produced in 1973 and ’74) is in every sense a turnkey racing car. You could drive it on the street—although because it’s imported as a racing car, you could also go directly to jail.Owning one is simple. Place an order with the factory, then wait eight weeks as the RSR is hand-assembled in Germany. Jürgen Barth, director of Porsche AG Customer Racing in Weissach, then tests the car until he is satisfied it is perfect. Next, he parks it in the cargo hold of a Lufthansa 747 bound for Miami or New York.When this particular RSR 3.8 arrived, it didn’t even need to be washed. A mechanic topped off the brake fluid, checked the oil, filled it with 100 liters of 98-octane fuel, then twisted the ignition key. The engine fired instantly and idled happily at 1000 rpm. That weekend, the owner raced the thing at Sebring.As turnkey racing cars go, the RSR 3.8 has a shot at becoming the most successful, most reliable street-based coupe yet conceived. Directly from their Weissach shipping crates, RSRs have won outright at the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000KM of Suzuka. Interspersed was a class victory at Le Mans. Then came another overall victory at the 24 Hours of Interlagos. But it wasn’t until the car made its North American debut that doubters masticated large portions of crow. At the 24 Hours of Daytona, the RSR 3.8 not only swept the first four spots in IMSA’s GTU class, but the lead car of the four also finished third overall—six places in front of the fastest WSC prototype. Weeks later, as if to emphasize the point to remaining non­believers, another RSR won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. It was fifth overall. Our chrome-yellow test car (RSRs are also available in white, red, blue, or black) was imported by Champion Porsche-Audi of Pompano Beach for a customer who prefers to remain anonymous. Champion is owned by Dave Maraj. Dave is happy. This is because his dealership sold more Porsches in ’93 than any other U.S. dealer. Actually, that is not the complete truth. Dave sold more Porsches than any other dealer in the world. This has advantages. For starters, Dave can afford to field an IMSA 911 Turbo driven by the likes of Brian Redman, Bill Adam, John Paul Jr., and Juan Manuel Fangio II. That car’s co-sponsor, H.H. Brown, makes shoes with Goodyear’s patented Aquatred soles, which—ah, this gets complex—is how we wound up on the blimp’s runway. But Maraj, a practi­cal guy (he says it’s because he was raised in Trinidad), prefers the naturally aspirated RSR to the troublesome turbo. “It’s more simple, more reliable, and still real fast,” he says of the RSR. “My customer wanted the RSR simply for Porsche club events, then maybe to get a competition license. But the nice thing is, if he wants to go pro racing—some really flat-out stuff—he can use the same car.” True enough. The RSR 3.8, with minor mods, is eligible to race in IMSA GTU/GT2, or you can slap a turbo on it and race in the GTS category. It is also legal in the SCCA World Challenge, in SCCA club events, in Porsche Club soirees, in German ADAC GT races, in the Italian Supercar GT Championship, at Le Mans and other FIA-sanctioned enduros and sprints, and in any driving school except the one you took as a high-school sophomore. “A gung-ho guy could race it 20 times a year,” says Maraj. Your basic RSR arrives with a flaw­lessly welded roll cage, a Recaro racing seat, six-point belts, a fire­-extinguishing system, a fuel cell, a racing clutch, 911 Turbo bodywork (but with aluminum hood and doors), and an adjustable wing reminiscent of the old Porsche 935. The 18-inch Speedline wheels are 9.5 inches wide in front, 11.4 inches wide in back. Glorious details abound. Like the Porsche logos on the chrome valve stems. The pinky-finger wheel-well clear­ance. And the red button in front of the gearshift, which uncorks a reserve jelly-glass of fuel, enough to complete one final lap. The suspension is fitted with stainless Heim joints, Bilstein racing shocks, and adjustable anti-roll bars. The brakes are lifted from the existing 911 Turbo S (but with racing pads) and avoid what Norm Crosby calls “heat prostitution,” thanks to a rat’s maze of cool-air ducts. There’s also a trick anti-lock system. Barth says the racing ABS’s pulsing cycles are briefer, the system returns to standard braking more quickly than regular ABS, and pedal feel also returns sooner after one wheel has become airborne and has been fooled into triggering the circuitry. We never got our test car airborne—a small concession to its owner—but we did discover that the car will stop from 70 mph in an ear-pinning 150 feet. It will do this repeatedly, all day, tomorrow, the day after, and into next week. The stopping grip is so great that if your shoulder belts aren’t cinched like the QE2’s hawsers, your body lifts out of the seat, is suspended magically aloft, then makes a concerted effort to drag you feet-first through the windshield. In the Mulsanne chicane at Le Mans, Barth’s RSRs commenced their braking at the same point as the Group C Peugeot prototypes. More massaged than any other com­ponent is the RSR’s engine. Compared with the new Carrera street car’s 3.6-liter aluminum flat six (producing 270 horse­power), the RSR gets a 146 cc increase in displacement, lighter pistons with an 11.4:1 compression ratio, a different crankcase, dual ignition, a remapped Bosch Motronic ECU (mounted behind the driver’s seat and with the owner’s name writ formally thereupon), and new intake manifolds. The result, says Porsche—a company notoriously prone to glib understatement—is 320 hp at 6900 rpm. Yeah, sure. What makes us suspicious? After you side-step the clutch at 4600 rpm, this 2679-pound banana fractures 60 mph in 3.7 seconds of sound and fury—significantly quicker than a Ferrari F40 or a Dodge Viper. Compared with a street-going 911 Turbo 3.6, the RSR is 0.3 second quicker to 100 mph and 0.3 second quicker through the quarter-mile. Up to 120 mph, the RSR 3.8 is more than five seconds quicker than the latest 911 Carrera. C/D’s fearless estimate: this little naturally aspi­rated two-valve-per-cylinder six belts out 375 hp at 6900 rpm, which is some 55 hp beyond Barth’s claim. Top speed? Well, it’s a race car, so it depends on gearing. Opt for a final­-drive ratio of 3.55:1 and you’ll achieve 165 mph—a velocity that is suited to most U.S. circuits, with the possible exception of Daytona. Behind the wheel, what you notice first is that this car is comfortable to drive slowly—one of the signs of a tractable drivetrain—despite its ridiculously short first gear (for pit work only) and its grabby racing clutch. The switchgear is stock, right down to the stalk for the wipers, the knob for the lights, the sun visor, even a cigarette lighter for a Dick Trickle–style mid-race smoke. The steering is synapse-fast and as communicative as any we’ve encountered in the previous two decades—although below 30 mph, it’s as dimwitted and heavy as a sack of Quikrete. Dynamically, the car’s greatest drawback is its shift linkage, whose throws, by racing standards, are both long and balky (ours was, admittedly, a brand-new car). On the third-to-second downshift, in particular, this imposes a needlessly deliberate heel-and-toe ballet. At Moroso Motorsports Park, at mod­erate speeds on a damp track, the RSR tends to oversteer mildly in fast sweepers and to understeer in tight corners. At any point between 4000 rpm and the 7200-rpm redline, however, there is enough power to punt the tail east or west. But the car generally feels so bal­anced that horsing it around is a little like using a Louisville slugger on the ninth green at Augusta. So far, so good. But this is, after all, a Porsche. So it costs, what, a quar­ter-million? Pleasant sur­prise. The base price for a race-ready RSR is $160,453. Okay, okay. That’s not as cheap as a season of church bingo. But as race cars go—particularly those designed to run flat out for a full season with not much more than a couple of oil changes—it is more fun and less expensive than dating Vassar grads. It is, in fact, less than the price of your basic street-legal 911 Turbo S ($165,311), two of which were on display in Maraj’s showroom. Of course, if you’re going to race more than SCCA club events, you’ll want to set aside about 20 grand for options that­—wow, what a coincidence—Porsche just happens to offer. Our test car was fitted with center-lock wheels ($4117), so that during pit stops you need to remove only one nut rather than five lugs. To hasten the process further, it was plumbed to accom­modate pneumatic jacks ($4970). Our owner also realized he’d need two spare sets of wheels (at $1400 per wheel, you are deeply motivated to avoid striking curbs), one spare transmission ($6572), and an extra Recaro seat ($2089), so that an instructor can ride shotgun and explain in what fashion the driver might possibly maim himself. To all of this, you must remember to add the cost of extricating a race car from the border guards’ Bureau of Red Tape­worms. In this case, the owner took the coward’s route and hired a New York lawyer who specializes in customs bro­kering. The lawyer said, “The EPA has a prejudice against granting waivers, espe­cially for Porches [sic].” So, we learn here that, if you import an entire porch, you’re gonna pay. More on the Porsche RSROnce all was said and done, $4236 was spent on duty, $2295 got flushed at U.S. customs, then there were fees for “mer­chant processing,” fees for the broker, fees for the harbor, for documents, for towing, plus a fee of $56.76 for “agriculture.” (Hey, these are the feds, so don’t even ask; possibly they thought this was some sort of tractor.) All of which raised the total price of this Porsche RSR 3.8 to $180,836. As we went to press, 45 RSRs had been assembled under the dangling cigarette and watchful eye of Jürgen Barth, who claims that his employer is making no deutsche marks on this foray but is nonetheless winning races. So, snivel before a merciful bank man­ager who understands Living Large car loans, then simply show him a picture of your Porsche without numbers or decals. He’ll think it’s your street car. Next thing you know, you’re at Pompano Beach air­port passing Cessnas and aimed straight for the gondola of Stars and Stripes. It could have been Germany’s revenge for the Hindenburg.SpecificationsSpecifications
1994 Porsche RSR 3.8Vehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $160,453/$180,836
ENGINESOHC 12-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injectionDisplacement: 229 in3, 3746 cm3Power: 320 hp @ 6900 rpmTorque: 375 lb-ft @ 6900 rpm 
TRANSMISSION5-speed manual 
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 89.4 inLength: 168.3 inCurb Weight: 2679 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.7 sec100 mph: 8.9 sec1/4-Mile: 12.1 sec @ 116 mph120 mph: 13.1 secBraking, 70–0 mph: 150 ft  
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More

The all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is already a favorite, earning a spot on our 10Best Trucks and SUVs list. With strong range figures, sharp styling, and accessible pricing, it’s easy to see why. If you were looking for something with more inspiring performance, however, you’d have to look to the related Kia EV6 GT, but that all changes with the new 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which should be arriving in the U.S. this coming March.Hyundai could have taken the path of least resistance and mimicked the EV6 GT. Instead, with former BMW M division chief Albert Biermann leading the charge, the madmen within the N performance brand decided that anything worth doing is worth overdoing. The N treatment is far more than just a boost in power, a suspension retune, and some extraneous badging and spoilers. Among other things, the chassis has been reinforced with more bracing, welds, and adhesives. Additional cooling has been added to handle more demanding power needs, and as for the suspension, it has been drastically overhauled for track-ready handling.The Ioniq 5’s unique styling remains, though the N variant sits 0.79 inch lower and expands 2.0 inches in width and 3.2 inches in length, courtesy of a pronounced rear diffuser. Additional aero panels and reddish-orange accent splashes further give it a high-performance look without being garish. As far as actual performance goes, the all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 N increases its output to a maximum of 641 horsepower. That’s more than double the standard Ioniq 5’s 320-hp max rating. Battery capacity also increases from 77.4 to 84 kilowatt-hours. Standard 21-inch wheels are shod with 275-width, three-season, high-performance Pirelli P Zeros. The monoblock brake calipers have a distinct Brembo look to them in the same way the front seats resemble Recaros, but they’re both Hyundai-sourced. There is also a long list of new performance features and settings, all starting with the letter N.We had the opportunity to sample the Ioniq 5 N on an abbreviated Korea International Circuit, which hosted a few Formula 1 races last decade. Not surprisingly, acceleration is immediate. Hyundai estimates the car will reach 60 mph in less than 3.3 seconds on its way to a 162-mph top speed. What was surprising was the sound. The N Active Sound+ feature tries to approximate the sound of an internal-combustion engine with a video game–like synthesis. The sound could certainly be improved, but we found ourselves enamored with it when combined with the N e-Shift function that simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.You’re likely rolling your eyes as much as we did when we learned of this combo feature, but it fundamentally changes the 5 N’s character—for the better. Not only is it good enough to overcome our prejudice, it got us chuckling with joy. Using the shift paddles on full-throttle, no-lift shifts, you get an instant and violent race-like gearchange that snaps your head back. Lift off the pedal and you get a series of crackles and pops that reminded us of the raucous Jaguar F-Type. It adds an entirely new dimension of driver engagement that is missing in other EVs, in the way a manual transmission does for a Porsche 911 or a Mazda Miata. The sound can also be heard from the outside, but it’s not overly brash. Count us pleasantly surprised, but if you’re not convinced, you can turn these features off.Then there’s the handling. We had a Hyundai engineer riding shotgun to give us a taste of the numerous drive modes and settings during our seven laps around the track. With N mode activated, the Ioniq 5 N feels balanced and very controllable, which also equates to slightly boring for track use. Enter N Torque Distribution, which allows you to select how much power is sent to the rear wheels. We were partial to the maximum rear bias setting, as it allows for some tail-happy antics. The 5 N is incredibly easy to hustle around the curves, gently feeding in throttle and laying down thin stripes of rubber. We tried to provoke some snap oversteer with a quick lift and stomp of the foot midcorner, and the Ioniq obliged. In an instant we were pointing toward the inside of the turn, but it was easy to recover with some countersteering and measured pedal application. It behaves just as a typical rear-drive coupe might. Kudos, Mr. Biermann. His deft touch is also felt in braking, as the pedal is linear with an appropriate amount of effort. It’s as seamless as a conventional sports car when you’re trailing it deep into turns, and you can even left-foot brake if that’s your thing. The N Brake Regen feature increases the amount of deceleration when lifting off the throttle, allowing you to more gracefully weave from turn to turn. Biermann was aiming for enough regeneration to get the tail to break loose, but that was a battle he lost, at least for now. Impressively, regenerative braking is active even when dipping into anti-lock territory.Getting back to the N Torque Distribution, you can significantly change the handling behavior by shifting the power bias to the front, which dials in more understeer. This kind of adjustability is an intriguing addition, along with the many other settings. It might be a bit daunting for some, but if you’ve ever delved into tuning a car in the Forza or Gran Turismo game series, this could be geek heaven for you. If you’ve tuned your own suspension in real life, you’ll be amazed by how easy it is.Yet another feature, N Drift Optimizer, aims to allow novice drivers a limited drifting experience by selectively powering and braking specific wheels to induce oversteer. There’s also a Torque Kick Drift system that simulates a clutch dump; it’s triggered by holding both shift paddles and then releasing them. It seems plausible that this will work well, but on the skidpad, we found it challenging. We had better results by turning off all of the stability and traction nannies, sending all the power to the rear wheels, and having at it.Altogether, the Ioniq 5 N is a legitimate track-day weapon. It may not be the fastest car on track, but we’re convinced it’ll be one of the most entertaining. Outside of this specialized environment, it’s equally livable. The ride quality is firmer than the standard Ioniq 5 but not at all objectionable. Our public-road drive revealed the 5 N is just as easy to drive.Range is still an unknown, and official estimates aren’t expected until closer to the on-sale date. There are some notable drive modes to help ensure you won’t run out of juice mid-session, though. Hyundai claims the Endurance mode allowed the 5 N to complete two laps around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife without losing any performance on its eight-minute laps. The engineers also point to its 20-20-20 target (20 minutes of track time, 20 minutes of DC fast-charging, and another 20 minutes of track time). The Sprint mode throws all of that to the wind and unleashes maximum power.Related StoriesPrice is also an unknown, but considering the top Ioniq 5 Limited trim with all-wheel drive rings in just shy of $60,000, and the Kia EV6 GT stickers at almost $63,000, it’s not out of the question to assume the Ioniq 5 N will flirt with the $70,000 mark.We came away from the drive impressed by the Ioniq 5 N. It’s predictably playful and extraordinarily versatile. As the N brand’s first foray into the EV space, this apex Ioniq is an enticing portent of what’s to come. As Biermann proclaimed, “It’s like AC/DC meets BTS,” which is certainly one way to put it. Depending on price and range, it’s likely to be one of the most giggle-inducing EVs for less than six figures.SpecificationsSpecifications

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 NVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: $70,000
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 235 hpRear Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 406 hpCombined Power: 641 hpBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 84.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 10.9 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 238 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.1 inLength: 185.6 inWidth: 76.4 inHeight: 62.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/51 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 59/27 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec100 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2 secTop Speed: 162 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 74/80/70 MPGeRange: 195 miContributing EditorWith a background in design and open-wheel racing, Mark Takahashi got his foot in the door as an art director on car and motorcycle magazines. He parlayed that into a career as an automotive journalist and has reviewed thousands of vehicles over the past few decades. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 24.7 secondsBase: $99,765 | As-Tested: $107,225Power and Weight: 668 hp • 4243 lb • 6.4 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; F: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) TPC, R: 305/30ZR-19 (102Y) TPCBrakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented disc/14.7-in vented discWith 6.2 liters of supercharged V-8 crammed into the Caddy’s engine bay, power-robbing heat soak was the primary obstacle to a quick run. Well, that and traction—Oscoda’s fresh pavement posed a challenge for our more muscular rear-drivers.We kept dialing down launch control—all the way down to 1300 rpm—and there was still a whole lot of torque modulation going on all the way through first gear. But the Caddy’s 668 horsepower asserted itself at high speed with the fourth-quickest 150-mph time, and its trackworthy brakes shrugged off that speed in 664 feet and felt like they’d be happy to keep doing so all day long. The Blackwing didn’t beat the GT3 RS, but the fact that it got within 0.3 second confirms its stature as one of the ultimate sports sedans ever built.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 22.5 secondsBase: $144,280 | As-Tested: $167,605Power and Weight: 670 hp • 3672 lb • 5.5 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R ZP; F: 275/30ZR-20 (97Y) TPC, R: 345/25ZR-21 (104Y) TPCBrakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discThe Z06 is a road-course car, not a drag racer. But its performance here proved that it’s game to trip the beam at your nearest staging lights, cracking off an 11.3-second quarter-mile. The Z06’s launch control is manually adjustable, but we got the best times in auto mode, letting the car learn the surface and adjust its aggression accordingly. By about 144 mph, the numbers climb a digit at a time, so it’s relatively easy to get close to a true 150 mph. As you’d hope, the brakes are stupendous, and it’s all over a lot quicker than it started. The Z06 vanquished its natural foe, the GT3 RS, by almost two seconds, but its margin was narrower against another rival from inside its own brood—the Lingenfelter Corvette ZR1 from 1998, which completed the test in an astounding 23.3 seconds. Think about that: A naturally aspirated C4 Corvette, 25 years ago, could beat a modern Porsche GT3 RS and nearly hang with a C8 Z06. (In fact, the Lingenfelter’s 150-mph time, 15.6 seconds, bested everything at Oscoda except the 911 Turbo.) Makes you wonder what those folks could do with a C8.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 47.0 secondsBase: $34,015 | As-Tested: $34,015Power and Weight: 276 hp • 3196 lb • 11.6 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) HNBrakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/12.4-in vented discAs our own Csaba Csere pointed out in 1998, overcoming aerodynamic drag at 150 mph requires 3.38 times as much power as it does at 100 mph. That’s why Bonneville land-speed cars all look more like the sleek Elantra than the big-winged Civic, and it’s surely one reason why the Elantra N pulled ahead of the Civic by more than five seconds at 150 mph despite its 39-hp deficit. The rorty six-speed manual Hyundai was a handful off the line, requiring a 5000-rpm clutch engagement followed by judiciously managed wheelspin until it hooked up.Then, the driver had to remember that the N allows no-lift shifting—automotive abuse we avoid in testing unless the car has the no-lift feature. From there, it was a smooth ride, with the Hyundai pulling surprisingly hard above 140 mph. The brakes felt stable and strong despite recording one of the longer stops at 710 feet. Yes, the Elantra finished near the bottom of the pack. But we’re tickled that for $34,015, you can buy a four-door family sedan that can take you to 150 mph and back without a shrug.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 40.2 secondsBase: $47,405 | As-Tested: $47,405Power and Weight: 315 hp • 3419 lb • 10.9 lb/hpTires: Bridgestone Potenza S005, 235/35R-19 91Y +Brakes, F/R: 14.1-in vented, cross-drilled disc/12.2-in vented discAfter the tricky, tire-frying clutch drops of the Civic and the Elantra, launching the automatic, all-wheel-drive Golf R was as routine as clocking in for your shift at the 150-mph factory. One driver noted, “Put it in Special mode that’s labeled Nürburgring, push on the gas, push on the brake, rev it up, and it goes.” The Golf hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and a buck-fifty requires 33.3 seconds. Since we were only pointing straight, there was little opportunity to touch the capacitive steering-wheel buttons by accident, so that was nice. The Golf’s brakes gave a little wiggle on one stop but otherwise felt the same every time, essentially duplicating the Civic’s stopping performance and erasing 150 mph in 6.2 seconds.True to its origins, the pocket rocket from the land of autobahns felt like it would be happy to stay at 150 mph for as long as we pleased.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More