Motor News

Lego Technic has revealed its newest set: a 1:10-scale version of Peugeot’s 9X8 Hybrid Hypercar set to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The 1775-piece model measures 5.0 inches high, 9.0 inches wide, and 19.5 inches long. It was built through a collaboration between Lego and Peugeot Sport, and from photos it seems they’ve done a fantastic job replicating the car’s design ethos as a sleek, futuristic racer. We’re especially fond of the glow-in-the-dark lighting elements up front, giving the Lego Technic 9X8 a more realistic vibe. It’s not just the design Lego got right. The building block company also managed to fit a scale version of the V-6 engine sending power to the rear wheels, along with a replica of the electric motor sending power to the front wheels (though there’s no actual battery power, unfortunately). Open Gallery“Our two brands have come together to create a product that celebrates a new era of hybrid racing and engineering,” Lego designer Kasper René Hansen said in a statement. “Re-creating the shapes and details of such an elegant car using Lego Technic elements wasn’t an easy feat, but it’s been an honor to work so creatively with the Team Peugeot TotalEnergies on this one and I’m proud that together we have been able to build the hypercar for real in Lego Technic form.”Lego says the Technic 9X8 will go on sale at Lego stores and Lego.com starting May 1, priced from $199.99.More Lego CarsRoad & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing. More

Chevrolet Performance engineers showed a camouflaged ZR2 Colorado to an assembled group of journalists that had just finished a first drive of the 2023 Colorado ZR2.They did not expressly admit that it was the new ZR2 Bison, but we discovered the word “Bison” on a sticker attached to one of the prototype DSSV Dampers that was on the truck.No longer an accessory showcase, the Bison is now a higher-performing ZR2 variant that rides on unique long-travel suspension and 35-inch tires that conspire to raise the truck an estimated two inches over a standard ZR2.play iconThe triangle icon that indicates to playMcCarran, Nevada—Just as we were catching our breath and celebrating the finish of a three-day Vegas-to-Reno off-road blast across the Nevada desert, Chevrolet Performance engineers rolled out a distinctive camouflaged ZR2 that sent our jaws dropping. That it had massive 35-inch tires (actually, LT315/70R-17) on beadlock-capable rims was unmistakable, but a quick look underneath showed this to be much more than a garden-variety ZR2 with taller tires.Two Inches Taller For one, the truck stood about two inches taller than a regular ZR2 parked next to it. The one-inch-larger radius of the 35s explains half of that, so the rest is an additional inch of suspension lift. The Multimatic DSSV dampers were engineering sample “take-apart” pieces, which indicates this new ZR2 variant will have unique suspension tuning, which makes sense considering the taller stance and larger tires.But it also appeared that the new high(er)-performance ZR2 also had extra suspension travel above and beyond the 9.9 inches of front travel and 11.6 inches of rear travel found on a regular ZR2. This speculation was not merely due to the higher stance and extra fender gap, but also by the presence of unique Chevrolet Performance–branded hydraulic front and rear bump stops, there to cushion the landing and soak up the extremes of compression travel when driven at high speeds off-road.Why We Recognized This as a BisonWhat makes us think this higher octane ZR2 is a Bison? For one, the new ZR2 Desert Boss is the accessory showcase variant this year, and that leaves headroom for the Bison to be transformed into an extreme performance model. Secondly, and most certainly, we found the word “Bison” on one of the ID stickers affixed to one of the tunable engineering-sample DSSV dampers.Inside, there wasn’t much to see except different seat trim: black with a dash of red. No badges or embroidered logos were in evidence. And we didn’t see anything remarkably different under the hood during the brief, almost accidental glimpse that we got. But that’s not definitive because the usual plastic cover was there, and the standard ZR2’s 2.7-liter turbo engine’s output—310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet—could be ratcheted up by less obvious means involving software and turbo boost.Now We’re ExcitedWhatever the engine story turns out to be, the prospect of a genuine ZR2 Bison with a tangible performance difference has our motor running. And that is exactly what we feel the new ZR2 Bison will become, thanks to the prototype we saw with a taller stance, 35-inch tires, and long-travel suspension with hydraulic bump stops. The mid-size truck performance wars are in full swing, and we’re here for it. Technical 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

The never-ending TikTok-challenge saga is actually, slowly coming to an end.Hyundai has announced that its software updates, which make the cars no longer as easy to steal as they are in the popular videos, are now available for all affected models, a few months ahead of schedule.AAA also announced that it will offer owners of affected models insurance options, following the news earlier this year that both Progressive and State Farm either raised rates on the affected models or simply declined to offer new policies.Hyundai just finished rolling out a series of model-by-model software updates for the nearly 4 million of its vehicles that, until the update, remained vulnerable to an ultra-easy theft method popularized on TikTok. The ProblemThe software rollout started in February, and availability for the later models is happening a few months earlier than Hyundai’s previously announced schedule. Hyundai’s new code is meant for affected vehicles without a built-in electronic immobilizer. The update makes it so that the TikTok method won’t work because the cars now require a physical key to deactivate the new “ignition kill” feature. Hyundai (and Kia, which also has affected vehicles) has made it clear how important it is to install this update and said any Hyundai dealership could perform the update, which should take less than an hour.One Insurer That’s Not Walking AwayIn addition to that, the automaker announced last week it is partnering with AAA to offer insurance coverage for affected vehicles. That may not sound like much of a deal, but earlier this year, both State Farm and Progressive said they would no longer accept new policies for the easily stolen models or raised prices, so having at least one guaranteed coverage provider sure is better than none. Granted, now that the software solution is rolling out, the vehicles are no longer as virally tempting, which should mean AAA won’t have to pay out as many potential dollars to recover stolen Hyundais as insurers were facing before.Hyundai and AAA said the new coverage options would be available in “most” states, excluding Alaska, Massachusetts, and Washington, because AAA does not operate in those states. How to Know If You Have an Affected VehicleIf you have an affected vehicle or think you might, you can get more information at the official HyundaiAntiTheft.com website. If you aren’t able to get the software update for your car, Hyundai is offering a program for no-cost steering wheel locks or other anti-theft devices, like alarm kits. Every Hyundai vehicle built since November 2021 has a built-in engine immobilizer.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.The Best Cars For Starting A YouTube Channel | Window Shop with Car and Driver | EP111Watch onYouTube IconYouTube Icon”Window Shop” or “Window Shopping” or whatever it’s called at any moment is something watched on YouTube. And that is a beast always craving fresh content. So, let’s be fresh and contentious.Working from a suggestion from a WS viewer (no one here dares to claim they’re a “fan”), the Car and Driver panel was tasked with finding one car on the Internet around which to build a YouTube presence that attracts millions of eyeballs, leads to the establishment of yet another car auction site, and then results in massive wealth when Peter Chernin throws money at it. Hey, it’s happened once. It can happen again.Join senior editor Elana Scherr (who already has a YouTube channel called “Challengeher”), executive editor K.C. Colwell (whose channel would include cow tipping), blessed contributor Jonathon Ramsey (who earns his love), editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga (from atop Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs), and the wholly tertiary John Pearley Huffman (pre-emptively banned by YouTube before actually uploading a video) in a challenge that allows blowing up to 30,000 pretend dollars.Among cars mentioned: a Porsche model designated greater than a 913 but not quite a 915. A Frankenstein mash-up of Lincoln and Lamborghini, which is insane but alphabetically compatible. An old near-truck from a company that’s long dead. Either a Suzuki dump truck or an Autozam, depending on the moment. And a Fisker, picked by some lunatic.More Window ShoppingCar and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoSenior EditorJohn Pearley Huffman has been writing about cars since 1990 and is getting okay at it. Besides Car and Driver, his work has appeared in the New York Times and more than 100 automotive publications and websites. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he still lives near that campus with his wife and two children. He owns a pair of Toyota Tundras and two Siberian huskies. He used to have a Nova and a Camaro. More

Porsche has teased the refreshed Cayenne’s front end before its Shanghai auto show debut next week. In addition to a freshened-up exterior, the 2024 Cayenne has a slick new cabin, as well.We’ve already driven a prototype, and the refresh also picks up some engineering tweaks.The 2024 Porsche Cayenne will make its official debut at the Shanghai auto show early next week (Monday, April 17, in U.S. time zones). Even though we’re just a couple days away from that reveal, Porsche has seen fit to throw one last teaser into the mix.The teaser reveals a small portion of the Porsche Cayenne’s mid-cycle refresh, and none of it really comes as a surprise. The headlights, which we’ve seen under camouflage, look a lot closer to those of the electric Taycan. The recently refreshed Macan appears to have loaned the Cayenne its full-width lower front fascia too. On the whole, things shouldn’t look too different, but it’ll bring Porsche’s larger SUV up to date with the rest of its lineup.More Specs, DetailsThe Cayenne’s interior will pick up a healthy dose of new tech. Analog gauges are dead and gone, and in their place is a 12.6-inch curved display, again similar to the Taycan. There’s also a 12.3-inch dashboard touchscreen running the Porsche Communication Management infotainment system, in addition to a 10.3-inch optional passenger touchscreen—because reaching an extra three inches to change the radio is so last year.Looks only tell part of the 2024 Porsche Cayenne’s story, though. Earlier this year, we took a prototype for a spin to get an early taste at what’s to come. In addition to some adjustments to the tire and suspension setup, Porsche’s engineers also went to town on the powertrains; power is up on both ends of the trim spectrum, while the mid-tier 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 is gone and replaced with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8. Hell yeah.The 2024 Porsche Cayenne makes its debut at 10:40 p.m. ET Monday night. Schedule your coffeemakers now.Senior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

• Not the usual choice for an affordable sports car, the Toyota MR2 Spyder answers the question, “What if Toyota built a Boxster?”• This example has low miles and an attractive appearance package.• The auction runs through April 17.Car and DriverThese days, affordable sportscars are thin on the ground, but in the mid-2000s, life was good. Then, if shopping for a wallet-friendly roadster, you could stroll right past the Mazda dealer and over to Toyota, where Miata Isn’t Always The Answer. Up for auction this week at Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is this low-mileage Toyota MR2 Spyder, a dependable and thrifty alternative to the likes of a Porsche Boxster or Lotus Elise.Bring a TrailerWhen new, you could have bought two MR2 Spyders for the price of one Porsche Boxster and worn them like shoes. Mid-engined, light on its feet, and shorter even than the contemporary second-gen Mazda MX-5, the MR2 was zippy, fun, and friendly.Related StoriesYou can of course pick used early Boxsters up on the cheap these days, but water-cooled Porsche complexity and parts pricing can still unexpectedly mug you for a month’s salary. That’s not true for the simple Toyota. The MR2’s engineer took their third-generation sports car back to its cut-priced roots with some compact packaging and an economical and durable 1.8-liter engine shared with the Celica GT.The initial plan for the first-generation MR2 was accessible fun for the everyman, and it resulted in a pint-sized cross between a wedge of cheese and a Star Wars A-Wing interceptor. The second generation followed up with speed and turbocharged complexity, along with somewhat trickier driving dynamics.The third-gen car was back to easy mode, with 138 horsepower pitted against 2200 pounds. That’s not quite Lotus Elise levels of power-to-weight, but the MR2 will start right up on any given Sunday, faithful as a Corolla, which is unfortunately not the case for a company whose fans often quip, “Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious.”Bring a TrailerThis example is from the second last year of production and is equipped with the preferred five-speed manual gearbox (an SMG was also available). It has just 18,000 miles on the odometer and presents in excellent condition. Even better, it’s one of the rare Red Collection editions which—please hold for applause—has more red. Specifically, it comes with red seats and a red convertible top, which seem like minor enhancements but really subtly brighten up the car’s otherwise gray livery.Drawbacks to the last generation of MR2 are few. It’s tuned to be slightly more civilized than raw, so there are more hardcore driving experiences out there. And the storage capacity is hilariously small. If you take a friend for a drive, there’s basically only enough space for one sandwich—you’ll have to split it.Compared to a Mazda MX-5 of similar year and condition, this MR2 will likely fetch a higher price simply because it’s more rare and unusual. Meanwhile, we can all dream about the kind of mid-engined roadster Toyota could build today using the GR Corolla’s turbocharged three-cylinder engine…Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

Bentley is making an extremely limited run of the Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible called the Le Mans Collection.The special-edition cars, limited to a total of 48, mark the 20th anniversary of Bentley’s sixth win at Le Mans as well as 100 years since the first running of the event.The cars are powered by Bentley’s 650-hp 6.0-liter W-12 engine.Sometimes resting on your laurels and embracing warm memories is enough. Other times you build an extremely limited run of special-edition vehicles commemorating your success. Bentley went for the latter. The manufacturer has revealed limited-edition versions of the Continental GT and GTC, which mark the 20th anniversary of Bentley’s sixth win at Le Mans and 100 years since the event began.BentleyThe limited-edition cars are referred to as the Le Mans Collection and were built by Bentley’s Mulliner coachbuilding division in honor of the race-winning Speed 8 of 2003. Each Le Mans Collection Bentley is powered by the 650-hp 6.0-liter W-12 engine from the Speed models. According to Bentley, that power will urge the Le Mans collection to a top speed of 208 mph, and a sprint to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The compliant three-chamber air springs with active damping from the standard GT are back for the Le Mans Collection. Newly developed optional carbon-ceramic brakes offer stopping power, while all-wheel steering and an electronic limited-slip differential help with agility.The three-way rotating central display from the standard Continental GT is back with a twist. Since the Le Mans Collection honors the Speed 8’s victory 20 years ago, Bentley saw it fitting to include a piece of that car in each special edition. The Speed 8’s engine was removed after the winning Le Mans in 2003, and 24 of the 32 valves from the engine were taken and cut in half. Each Le Mans Collection car houses a valve in the central display where the the central dial on the three-gauge analog cluster normally lives. The display also shows the car’s specific production number, identifying it as a Le Mans Collection vehicle. The standard 12-hour analog clock found on the dash is replaced with a digital clock, showing only 24-hour time. The cars come in two versions. The Blackline specification pays homage to the black and green livery of the Speed 8, while the Styling model makes more extensive use of exposed carbon fiber and a pinstripe in a color called Moonbeam. The front grille shows a painted “7” to honor the winning number of the 2003 Speed 8 car. There’s no mention of price or even availability for the Le Mans Collection, but we expect these to sell quickly, if they haven’t already. Even if they carry a premium over the $291,225 starting price of the normal Continental GT Speed Coupe. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorJack 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

From the May 2023 issue of Car and Driver.When Volkswagen announced in May 2022 that it had acquired the rights to the long-dead Scout nameplate to build electric vehicles for the U.S., our inner monologue was: “Okay. Take a drag. Let’s see where this goes. Exhale.”If Scout’s plan comes together, groundbreaking on a South Carolina assembly plant will happen later this year, we should see the first prototype SUV in 2025, and customer deliveries will commence in late 2026. Underneath the stubby and undeniably International Harvester Scout–inspired styling, you’ll find a lot of VW Group parts, but no unibodies. The Scout SUV (and pickup that comes later) will use a skateboard-style ladder frame that incorporates all the major drive components. Expect at least two motors, a battery big enough to earn a 300-mile range on an EPA report card, and optional off-road skid plates and tires. More on the Return of ScoutScout is billing itself as an American company, but don’t be fooled. Scout will have its pick of whatever VW Group parts it wants, including the latest EV tech. While this doesn’t sound that exciting—because an SUV EV isn’t terribly exciting—a startup brand with the backing of VW could produce a compelling product out of the gate. Think Rivian, but with the manufacturing know-how and the resources that come with the world’s second-largest automaker. Scout MotorsThe Scout will compete with other on-/off-road battery-electric SUVs, mainly the Rivian R1S and GMC Hummer EV SUV. It will surely be priced to take advantage of federal tax credits, so expect a volume model to come in under $80,000. Now our inner monologue is us wondering, “Is someone in Switzerland already working on a Monteverdi Safari version?”Executive EditorK.C. Colwell is Car and Driver’s executive editor, who covers new cars and technology with a keen eye for automotive nonsense and with what he considers to be great car sense, which is a humblebrag. On his first day at C/D in 2004, he was given the keys to a Porsche 911 by someone who didn’t even know if he had a driver’s license. He also is one of the drivers who set fast laps at C/D’s annual Lightning Lap track test. More