Motor News

The McLaren Artura and 750S MCL38 Celebration Edition pay tribute to McLaren’s 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship win, its first since 1998.The two supercars wear Papaya Orange paint and special badges inside and out, including a plaque made of carbon fiber from the MCL38 F1 race car.Only nine examples of each MCL38 Celebration Edition will be built, representing McLaren’s nine Constructors’ Championships since its founding in 1963.While Red Bull phenom Max Verstappen handily won the 2024 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, things were less straightforward in the Constructors’ Championship. A poor showing from Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, allowed the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to lead the British team to its first Constructors’ title since 1998. Now, to celebrate the win, McLaren is releasing a pair of special editions based on the Artura and the 750S to commemorate the win.Dubbed the MCL38 Celebration Edition, the cars feature a bespoke livery meant to evoke the look of the Formula 1 race car. The front end is painted a dark hue called Anthracite while the bright Papaya Orange that has become synonymous with the team adorns the rear half of the car. The first part of the special edition’s name is shared with the team’s 2024 car, which racked up eight pole positions and six Grand Prix wins over the course of last season.McLarenJust behind the front wheels is a logo featuring nine stars, one for each of McLaren’s Constructors’ Championships. The orange racing stripe bisecting the hood also features a “Champions’ Laurel” logo and a diagonal stripe design meant to echo the appearance of the F1 car’s livery. The brake calipers have also been painted Papaya. Raising the dramatic doors on either the 750S or Artura reveals the signatures of both Norris and Piastri on the carbon-fiber door sill cover on the driver’s side. Inside the cabin, the Champions’ Laurel appears once more on the headrest of the seats. A 12-o’clock hash mark on the steering wheel also comes in Papaya Orange.McLarenEven cooler, there’s a plaque dedicated to the MCL38 race car that uses a real section of carbon-fiber bodywork taken from the triumphant F1 car. In the storage area beneath the hood, there is a second plaque that lists the pole positions, race wins, and fastest laps achieved by McLaren last year.McLaren will only build nine examples of each, a nod to the 2024 title being McLaren’s ninth Constructors’ Championship win. There’s no word on pricing, but with so few being built, the MCL38 Celebration Edition will likely require a significant chunk of money atop the supercars’ base price. The 2025 Artura starts at $254,100, and the 2025 750S starts at $318,085.More on McLarenCaleb 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

The first Prospector XL Tray Bed was a concept built for AEV’s president.AEV is reissuing the Tray Bed variant in limited quantities.The HD Ram-based Prospector XL rides on 40-inch tires and packs a Cummins diesel.We’ve described off-roading outfitter AEV’s Prospector XL as the diesel Power Wagon that Ram won’t build. Now, you can get a version of the Prospector XL that AEV only builds small quantities of—and only occasionally. It’s called the Prospector XL Tray Bed, and it is magnificent.At the metaphysical heart and physical rear of the XL Prospector Tray Bed is its titular cargo carrier. This aluminum piece has drop-down sides and is supplied by a company appropriately named Ute. It’s affixed to the rear of a Cummins-powered regular-cab Ram 2500; standard Prospector XLs come with four doors and a conventional bed, although AEV will sell you a two-door chassis cab to which you can attach the backpack of your choosing.AEVAEV has offered the XLPTB in limited quantities before. Originally a pet project and personal vehicle of company president Dave Harriton, the first Tray Bed was shown as a concept at the company’s 2013 SEMA booth. A run of 10 or so was offered in 2017, and now AEV is building a handful based on the latest HD Ram.The asking price for the conversion is a not-insignificant $32,203 on top of the Ram 2500 donor vehicle, which will run you at least $63K. For that outlay, you get the tray bed, of course, as well as an AEV front bumper with integrated 20k ComeUp winch, a custom rear bumper, the company’s 3-inch DualSport on-road/off-road suspension system, and 40-inch BFGoodrich HD-Terrain tires on AEV Salta XD wheels. The result is a truck that can go just about anywhere and carry just about anything.AEVAEV says it will only build a very small batch of Tray Bed Rams this time around. Since there’s no telling when or even if they will be offered again, it’s probably best to stock up.More AEV-Modded TrucksEver since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs. More

The Rolls-Royce Spectre has a new Black Badge variant that adds 73 horsepower, making it the most powerful Rolls ever. The additional power is accessible with a new Infinity drive mode, while a new Spirited mode enables launch control. Rolls-Royce claims that client demand for a sportier Spectre prompted the creation of a secret fleet of early Black Badge models.The most powerful Rolls-Royce to ever saunter down the motorways is here and isn’t powered by a silky-smooth V-12. Instead, the crown goes to the new Black Badge version of the Rolls-Royce Spectre electric coupe. The legendary automaker has been using the Black Badge moniker to denote its high-performance models for nearly a decade, but the Spectre is the first EV to get the title.As with the standard Spectre (if anything about the Spectre can be called standard), the Black Badge comes with all-wheel drive and a pair of electric motors. The standard car’s 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque are more than enough to hustle the grand two-door down the boulevard, and the performance version should be even quicker, as it packs 650 horsepower and 793 pound-feet of torque.The maximum number of horses is only accessible via the new Infinity driving mode that improves accelerator response and gives the gauge display a sportier arrangement. The max torque comes into play with a new Spirited drive mode that essentially acts as a launch-control system. The mode is engaged by pressing the brake and accelerator to the floor at the same time, waiting for the go-ahead from the car, and then letting it rip. Rolls says that the increase in power and the launch system mean the Spectre Black Badge can sprint to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, but considering we managed just 3.7 seconds in our testing of the standard car, we expect the performance model to do even better.To “inspire clients to wield the unprecedented power of Black Badge Spectre with confidence,” Rolls-Royce engineers increased the steering weight and fiddled with the dampers to reduce body roll and squatting under acceleration.We’re not sure exactly how much Rolls-Royce is asking for the Black Badge version of its EV coupe, but we imagine it’s a sizable increase compared with the 2025 Spectre’s $422,750 starting price.More on the RR SpectreJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

The Chevy Camaro’s revival is reportedly being considered at GM, but those plans recently hit a roadblack, per GM Authority.Despite the support of some GM executives, a proposal for a seventh-gen Camaro didn’t make enough financial sense to impress the top brass.The sixth-gen Camaro was discontinued after the 2024 model year, but Chevy promised the nameplate would live on.The Chevy Camaro might not have sold very well during the last few years before the sixth generation was finally laid to rest, but it still has a passionate fan base. Unsurprisingly, some of the Camaro’s most ardent supporters still work for GM, including some executives. A group has reportedly been working on a proposal to revive the iconic pony car for its seventh generation, but that initiative recently hit a roadblock, according to a report by GM Authority.Citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation, a group of people at GM came up with a business case to resurrect the Camaro. The plan was reportedly supported by some of the company’s executives, but apparently it wasn’t strong enough to convince the top brass to give the project the green light. A source told GM Authority that the project’s outlook is “dimmer,” but it’s still being considered, so it’s not completely dead. ChevroletWhat would it take for the decision-makers to say yes to a new Camaro? While those details are unclear, it is clear that the outgoing generation’s poor sales were part of the reason it was discontinued. Obviously, the next-gen Camaro will need a viable path to profitability to move forward. An earlier report by GM Authority claimed a big priority is making the next car more “affordable and attainable.” If that becomes possible, perhaps we’ll see the Ford Mustang’s archrival return to the road.It’s worth noting that when Chevy announced it would stop building the Camaro after the 2024 model year, the bowtie brand left the door open for a successor. It promised that the nameplate would live on and a replacement would be announced in the future. While it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon, at least it sounds like some people at GM are still trying to make a next-gen Chevy Camaro a reality.Relive the Camaro’s RivalriesEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

The Volvo XC60 and its plug-in-hybrid twin, the XC60 Hybrid, have been refreshed for the 2026 model year. Both models have identical redesigned front ends, with the grille taking after the larger XC90 SUV’s new look.The interior adds a larger touchscreen that Volvo says is more than twice as fast as the outgoing system.Following a reserved 2025 model year that saw no changes, Volvo’s set of XC60 compact luxury SUVs gets a facelift. Changes are identical between the gas-powered and plug-in-hybrid models, with the updates focused on exterior styling and interior technology. The exterior styling tweaks are subtle enough, but they bring the XC60 more in line with Volvo’s flagship XC90, which was updated last year. The front grille now uses the same diagonal motif, highlighting Volvo’s iron mark logo on the grille. Changes at the rear of the SUV are even harder to spot, with the Scandinavian brand simply darkening the taillight shroud. The new look is capped off with new wheel options and a trio of paint colors that includes Forest Lake, Aurora Silver, and Mulberry Red.Unsurprisingly, changes to the interior similarly follow those bestowed on the XC90 last year. The highlight is the inclusion of a new 11.2-inch touchscreen, which replaces the XC60’s outgoing 9.0-inch unit. Volvo says the new screen’s pixel density is 21 percent better than the outgoing screen. More important than the new hardware is the improved software. The XC60 gets Qualcomm’s updated Snapdragon Cockpit software, which is claimed to be more than twice as fast as the outgoing system. The result should be a more responsive touchscreen.The refreshed XC60 is already available to order in select markets, though North America does not seem to be part of that yet. Volvo confirmed to Car and Driver that the reveal was for the global market and we’ll need to wait a bit longer for U.S. pricing and availability. If the XC90 can be used as a bellwether for pricing, we don’t expect the facelift to cause either the XC60 or the XC60 Hybrid to jump too far from their respective $48,345 and $59,345 starting prices.More on the XC60Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

The 2026 Volvo EX30 is the first electric model to get the brand’s rugged Cross Country treatment. The new EX30 CC has standard all-wheel drive, a raised ride height, skid plates, and available all-terrain tires. Volvo hasn’t yet announced pricing, but we expect the rugged subcompact electric SUV to cost around $50K when it goes on sale later this year.When Jack Frost—or Kung Bore, his Swedish title—arrives in Lapland, it can be a nasty affair. Winters are frigid, dry, and unsympathetic; noses turn blue, breath lingers in the air, and oversized down jackets become a regional uniform. Ice-caked roads and blood-freezing temperatures are merely obstacles to work around for the Swedes. Volvo is native to the country and well-versed in making vehicles that can handle hostile conditions. The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country is the latest to get the brand’s all-terrain-ready Cross Country treatment. It’s also the first electric model to wear the badge.Volvo’s First EV Cross CountryThe Cross Country nameplate has largely been reserved for Volvo station wagons, appearing on models such as the V60 and V90. All of them have featured standard all-wheel drive, a raised ride height, and rugged bodywork, making them more capable in adverse conditions and SUV-like enough to expand their market appeal. Volvo has experimented with some other segment-blending Cross Country models as well, from the V40 Cross Country hatchback to the S60 Cross Country sedan. While the V40 CC stuck around for seven model years, the S60 CC bit the dust after just three.When it comes to the Cross Country version of the EX30, it features the same electric powertrain as the standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive model, producing 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Juicing its electric motors is a 64.0-kWh battery pack that Volvo estimates can deliver 264 miles of range on a single charge. When the electrons run out and the EX30 CC is plugged into a DC fast-charger, Volvo claims it can go from 10 to 80 percent in 26 minutes.Of course, the Cross Country recipe remains nearly the same as it always has been. Its ride is raised 0.7 inch compared with the standard SUV. Volvo also softened its springs and rear anti-roll bar for added comfort and more predictable low-grip handling. Front and rear skid plates protect its belly, and flared overfenders give the little off-roader a more assertive appearance. The Cross Country EX30 also has exclusive 18-inch wheels that can be had with available all-terrain tires for an extra fee. So, despite an unfamiliar powertrain, it’s business as usual.The EX30 CC also adds unique boreal flair inside and out. Its front and rear body panels feature a dark grey color that adds dimension to the EV’s otherwise one-note exterior. The front one adds texture too, with a topographic etching of the Kebnekaise mountain range in Arctic Sweden. The EX30 CC also wears its heritage on its door panels, which were designed to resemble a type of granite stone native to its home country. We recently got a taste of the EX30 Cross Country’s specialized capabilities on rather unique terrain in its native environment. Driving on over a meter of ice atop a frozen lake in Lulea, Sweden, the Cross Country felt in its element and remarkably composed. While studded Michelin X-Ice North tires provided our sample car with massive traction, its nimble chassis is what gave us the confidence to flick the CC into slick corners without the fear of frosty repercussions. Its cushy springs ate up icy bumps and its 10-percent-softer rear anti-roll bar helped make quick direction changes smooth and pleasantly uneventful. On particularly slippery sections, the Cross Country’s electronic stability control system did a good job of tempering torque and keeping the car moving in the right direction but admittedly we didn’t keep it on for long. Even with ESC and traction control partially off, it was exceedingly easy to catch slides and maintain control while sending it sideways on the sub-zero test track. Since we didn’t have an opportunity to drive the EX30 Cross Country on dry pavement, it is hard to say how its tweaks will translate to non-winter conditions. But even on ice, it is obvious that the Cross Country is tuned to ride comfortably and handle playfully on any surface. To encourage customers to embrace the EX30 Cross Country’s adventurous side, Volvo wants customers to think of the EX30 Cross Country as an experience rather than just an SUV, so it will offer a “Cross Country Experience” package along with the purchase. Part of the package includes special incentives for outdoorsy accessories, including discounts on the aforementioned A/T tires, a roof basket, and mud flaps. There’s also an opportunity to rent out a fully equipped cabin in Swedish Lapland to experience firsthand the conditions that inspired the EX30 Cross Country. Volvo says that if you book the cabin, which is available from February 21 to March 21, 2025, it will have a car waiting for you and will recommend a selection of outdoor activities to fully immerse you in the Scandinavian winter experience.When and How Much? The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country is expected to go on sale in the United States sometime later this year. U.S. customers only recently started taking delivery of the standard EX30 Twin Motor Performance models after a whirlwind of changes were made to the rollout schedule since last June. With underpinnings borrowed from Chinese parent company Geely, standard EX30 models were initially manufactured in Zhangjiakou, China—making them susceptible to tariffs recently imposed on Chinese-built EVs by the U.S. government. While it is unclear where the EX30 Cross Country is being built, Volvo is moving production of U.S.-bound EX30 models to its factory in Ghent, Belgium, this spring. The move could reduce import woes and keep costs down for both the standard EX30 and Cross Country models.Volvo hasn’t yet released pricing for the new EX30 Cross Country. However, we expect it will cost more than the current Twin Motor Performance trim it’s based on. Since that model starts at $46,195, the Cross Country will likely approach the $50,000 mark.Extra EX30 ReadingAustin’s car fixation began at a young age and at 1:64 scale. Eventually, Hot Wheels weren’t cutting it anymore, so he developed an obsession with his father’s full-sized 1965 Ford Mustang instead. Desperate to break into the automotive industry, he bartered his way into a job at a local BMW dealership by promising to stop hurling nerdy technical facts at the salesmen who came into the neighboring coffee shop where he worked.

That was also around the time when he started writing automotive reviews, news articles, and technical guides for a number of local and international publications. Now at Car and Driver, Austin brings more than 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and an all-so-common love-hate relationship with German engineering to the table. More

This Renault 5 restomod comes with a modern electric powertrain and a specially built digital gauge cluster.In keeping with its adorable size and looks, the 22.0-kW battery ekes out just 50 miles of estimated range. The entire project reportedly took four days to complete, with the finished work showcased last year on French television.Picture this: You’re enjoying your second coffee of the day outside of a lovely cafe in the French countryside. You finish your coffee and head down to your adorable yellow and red Renault R5 GTL restomod. Your house is a pleasant 30-mile drive away. Merde! In all your excitement to get to the cafe, you forgot that the tiny 22.0-kW battery in your EV-converted R5 only has 50 miles of range. At least it’s adorable. IncariThe tiny battery is reportedly due to France’s insistence that combustion cars converted to EVs maintain their original weight. The conversion took four days and used the pre-homologated ‘Retrofit’ EV switch kit from French conversion firm R1 Fit.The real prize of this particular conversion is in the interior. The throwback cabin houses a digital gauge cluster finished in a retro style that replicates the original analog look. The system was designed and installed by the software company Incari, who said it took about eight weeks to work out all the bugs. IncariIncariWe love the spirit of the project and think it would make a great grocery-getter for around town. Just don’t go too far for your baguettes. You’ve only got 50 miles of range, after all. More Restomod StoriesJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

The 2026 Kia EV4 is a forthcoming electric sedan from the Korean brand, and now we have our first look at the production car.Along with the sedan body style, Kia will offer the EV4 as a wagon-like hatchback.Kia hasn’t yet confirmed if the EV4 will be sold in America, but the company plans to release more detailed information on February 27.Kia is going against the grain. Not only because its new design language diverges from many mainstream automakers, but because the Korean brand is actively working to keep the sedan alive. Sure, you can still buy a new Honda Accord or Toyota Camry or several others, but the body style has been incrementally replaced in the United States by the more popular SUV format. The new 2026 Kia EV4 could help counteract that trend—if the company sells it on our shores—and now we have our first look at the production-intent version.KiaKia first revealed the EV4 concept back in 2023 at its EV Day event. That version featured a face that’s familiar with some of the brand’s other electric models, including vertical headlights such as those on the three-row EV9 and a sloping hood with peaked fenders that’s a lot like the sleek EV6’s. Flash forward to the EV4 models that Kia has now revealed and it’s clear the production version doesn’t look too different from the concept. While the wheels aren’t as big and there are real-life side mirrors, the exaggerated fenders and raked rear roofline remain. We also get our first glimpse of the EV4 GT-Line model (the blue car below). It wears unique 19-inch wheels and will likely have a power bump compared with other trims.KiaKiaKia also showed off a hatchback version of the EV4 (pictured above), which appears to have a wagon-like shape—another disappearing body style. While Kia hasn’t revealed any details about the EV4’s powertrains, we expect it to ride on the company’s ubiquitous E-GMP platform, which is shared with electric Hyundai and Genesis models. Existing configurations offer rear- and all-wheel-drive setups and power ranging from 168 to 641 horsepower. There are also several battery sizes, with the bigger ones boasting between 84.0 and 99.8 kWh, which could give the EV4 over 300 miles of driving range.We’ll learn more details about the EV4’s design and features as well as Kia’s future plans at the end of the month when the company hosts its annual EV Day event on February 27.Related StoriesEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More