Motor News

Acura is making an additional 50 TLX Type Ss in a 2023 TLX Type S PMC Edition.The limited-run PMC Editions are mechanically identical to the standard TLX Type S, but these will be finished in a limited-run color, Gotham Gray.The Gotham Gray versions will run at a hefty premium over the standard TLX Type S, starting at $66,995. Acura allowed barely enough time for the red, white, and blue paint to dry on the TLX Type S PMC Edition, which was limited to 300 copies, before announcing an additional 50 in Gotham Gray. PMC stands for Performance Manufacturing Center, the same facility that built the NSX Type S supercar and will now build the special edition TLX Type S PMC Edition. We thought the price of the red, white, and blue PMC Edition was steep when we saw the $7550 premium over the mechanically identical TLX Type S. We still think that—but now Acura is charging an additional $3000 for the honor of owning one of 50 PMC Editions in Gotham Gray. Like the other three PMC Editions, Acura pulled this color from the NSX, this time from the now out of production NSX Type S, where the matte gray paint is a $6000 add-on and is limited to 70 cars. Mechanically, all that extra cash doesn’t do a whole lot for you. Mostly it gives you the peace of mind that your TLX is one of 50 in Gotham Gray. Underneath the bodywork, the components are the same as what you’ll find in the standard TLX Type S. That means a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine with 355 horsepower, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and Acura’s SH-AWD system with torque vectoring. Limited Edition, Hand-AssembledAll PMC Editions are hand-assembled at the eponymous Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. The limited-edition PMC car does get a handful of visual tweaks from black wheels, badging and door handles to a carbon-fiber decklid lip spoiler and rear diffuser. Inside, the PMC Edition has a red leather interior with black contrast stitching, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a host of carbon-fiber trim pieces. After production, each PMC Edition goes through the same quality control process the NSX did, including a dyno check, paint inspection, and rough-road simulation. Each of the limited-run cars comes with a unique PMC Edition serial plaque and a special shipping process that includes a cover to protect the paint and delivery to dealerships in an enclosed single-car carrier.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

Looking for the fastest way to haul several cases of tasty salad dressing or spaghetti sauce home from the grocery store? Consider this 1988 Volvo 740 wagon.Formerly owned by Paul Newman, this brick-shaped Volvo packs a surprise under the hood: a turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 from a Buick Grand National. This 740 is one of a series of modified Volvo wagons the legendary actor and racer owned, and it’s now for sale.Car and DriverWickedly fast at the wheel of a racing car and possessed of an effortless cool, Paul Newman was basically Steve McQueen without the unpleasant personal baggage. To most people, he was the star of films like Cool Hand Luke or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but Newman was more Lime Rock than Hollywood. A favorite son of Westport, Connecticut, and a family man with a marriage that lasted half a century (until his death in 2008), he had a penchant for Volvo station wagons. Newman, though, liked his Swedish iron extra-spicy underneath, as shown by his 1988 Volvo 740 wagon, up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos).Related StoriesA copy of the title indicates that Newman purchased this 740 in July 1988, and it’s thought to be the first Volvo he had modified to his specifications. Those extended to the fitment of a turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 out of a Buick Grand National hooked to a five-speed manual transmission sourced from a Pontiac Firebird. Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIn 1988, a factory-spec Volvo 740 Turbo wagon came with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder good for roughly 150 horsepower. Newman’s swap more than doubled the available power to approximately 320 horses (thanks in part to a chipped ECU).Bring a TrailerSubtle bodywork is complemented by a mild lowering on Bilstein dampers and springs and anti-roll bars from Volvo specialist IPD. The five-spoke 16-inch wheels are classic 1980s Volvo and wear BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S tires. Despite these clues, any bystander would think they were looking at an ordinary old boxy Volvo, right up until this thing smoked its rear tires and hammered off toward the horizon.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerNewman, who reportedly got his first taste of racing while filming the Indy 500–themed 1969 film Winning, went on to own Volvo 960 wagons with V-8 transplants. He turned his Connecticut neighbor David Letterman on to them, too, and Jerry Seinfeld would drive one of those for an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.Besides movies and racing, Newman’s philanthropic work is what really puts the final gloss on his legend. His Newman’s Own brand has contributed some $600 million toward charitable causes since its founding in 1982. In 1988, the year this Volvo was delivered, he founded the Hole in the Wall Gang camp, a place where children dealing with serious illness could enjoy the freedom of summer camp. As a nod to this charitable spirit, the seller of this ex-Newman Volvo will donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale to the Hole in the Wall Gang camp. If a Grand National–powered sleeper wagon with celebrity provenance wasn’t enough, casting the winning bid on this Volvo will do a little good in the world. It’s doubtless what Newman himself would have wanted. 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

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe follows its squarer counterpart into a new generation.Along with new exterior and interior styling, the GLC Coupe has slightly bigger dimensions than its predecessor. It features a 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a 48-volt hybrid system, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.In the past two years, Mercedes has introduced new generations of the C-class sedan and the GLC-class SUV. Now the German luxury brand debuts the latter’s sloped-back counterpart, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. We liked the old GLC Coupe for its curvaceous styling as well as its generous list of standard features, two things that make the jump to the new version. The 2024 model’s styling has the same silhouette as its predecessor and shares many similar design cues too. In fact, without pausing to seek out the differences, we think a lot of people will struggle to differentiate the two. Reshaped headlights and taillights are the quickest way to spot the new GLC Coupe, with the running lights now angling downward along the top edge of the housing.Just like with the more traditional-looking GLC, the coupe alternative is slightly bigger than its predecessor. At 187.5 inches from stem to stern, it’s 1.2 inches longer than before. The track widths have also grown by 0.2 inch in the front and 0.9 inch in the rear. The growth spurt helps expand the SUV’s cargo area. Its 19 cubic feet of space is 1 cube more than before.Plentiful Standard FeaturesThe ’24 GLC Coupe adds a host of new standard features to an SUV that was already rich with them. The AMG Line package is now standard along with wireless phone charging, heated seats, and a Burmester 3D surround-sound system. Mercedes has also simplified frequently combined options into single packages—a move we expect to be somewhat polarizing. As with the C-class sedan and the regular GLC-class, the SUV coupe features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a 48-volt hybrid system. The engine generates 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. That power is fed through a nine-speed automatic transmission. One differentiating factor between the standard GLC and the coupe is that the former can be optioned with rear- or all-wheel drive, whereas the coupe is only offered with Merc’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.More on MercedesA New Look InsideThe most obvious changes to the GLC Coupe follow those of the SUV version, revealing themselves once the doors are open. The twin digital displays use Mercedes’s newest MBUX infotainment system, making use of a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a portrait-oriented 11.9-inch touchscreen, which is slightly angled toward the driver. The door panels are redesigned to include a floating control cluster that contains the controls for both the door handles and seat adjustments. The controls for the exterior mirrors and windows are now on a peninsula that can be grabbed when closing the door.Mercedes hasn’t yet announced pricing for the 2024 GLC Coupe, but we expect it’ll cost several thousand dollars more than its boxier sibling, so we’d wager it’ll start around $60K when it begins reaching dealerships later in 2023.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

Lamborghini shows off its new carbon-fiber front crash structure for the upcoming successor to the Aventador.The new car will be stiffer and lighter than the Aventador.An important change is that there’s no more pushrod suspension but instead, upright springs at each corner.The recently retired Aventador was the first Lamborghini road car to use a carbon-fiber structure. Now the Italian supercar maker has shown us the lighter and stronger “monofuselage” that will sit at the heart of the Aventador’s successor, the as yet unnamed model known only by its LB744 engineering code. Coming Soon, Looking BackStay WedgyWhile we need to wait a while longer to see the whole car, images of the new structure make clear that it sticks to the combination of a low roof and the wedgy proportions of its famous predecessors. We would be very surprised if it didn’t. The images also give the chance to see how the new hybridized V-12 and front electric motors will fit into the platform.LamborghiniThe LB744’s chassis will be both lighter and stiffer than the Aventador’s. The structure combines parts made out of hugely strong forged composite—a technology that was pioneered by Lamborghini and the Callaway golf equipment company—as well as carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic parts. The most obvious difference over the Aventador is a new carbon front impact structure ahead of the passenger compartment that is both lighter and tougher than the Aventador’s crash frame. LamborghiniBehind the tub, the LB744 continues to use a aluminum structure to mount its engine, transmission, and rear suspension components. The images also reveal that the new car is going to move away from the Aventador’s supremely elegant pushrod suspension, using more conventional upright springs for the double wishbone suspension at each corner. They also show it rides on Bridgestone Potenza tires. While we don’t have a weight figure for the Monofuselage yet, Lamborghini’s claim of a torsional rigidity of 29,502 pound-feet/degree represents an improvement of 25 percent over the Aventador, and is 100 percent better than the 14,751 pound-feet/degree the company quoted for the Murciélago. Although the LB744’s core structure is lighter than the Aventador’s, we anticipate overall weight will increase due to the mass brought by the hybridized powertrain’s three electric motors and 3.8-kWh battery pack. LamborghiniThe images also show off the straked design of the new car’s roof, which should help to improve headroom compared to the tight-fitting Aventador. We will see the finished car in full, and learn its new name, at the end of the month. 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.Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoEuropean EditorMike Duff has been writing about the auto industry for two decades and calls the UK home, although he normally lives life on the road. He loves old cars and adventure in unlikely places, with career highlights including driving to Chernobyl in a Lada. More

The China-market Nissan Sylphy has been a bellwether for the North America–bound Sentra in the past: When the new generation debuted at the 2019 Shanghai auto show, it gave us our first look at what to expect from the 2020 Sentra.The U.S.-market Sentra is definitely due for a facelift.Nissan China has just revealed an updated Sylphy, and for starters, we can see an updated infotainment screen that will likely make it to the 2024 Sentra. Moving into the fifth year of its current generation, the Nissan Sentra is due for a facelift. From the look of things, that update is coming next year in the form of a refreshed interior with an updated infotainment screen. We’re looking at the China-market Nissan Sylphy and picking up hints to predict changes for the Sentra. It worked in 2019, when the Sylphy debuted in Shanghai, and we think it will work just as well today. More NissanIn 2019, the Sylphy and Sentra were both gearing up for brand-new generations. Now, it looks like the Sentra is only due for a mild facelift. We spotted a 12.3-inch HD infotainment touchscreen and what looks like a row of haptic control buttons running along the bottom. The new display is considerably larger than the 7.0- and 8.0-inch screens available in the current Sentra. We’re hoping the addition of the new screen signifies Nissan may be making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless, which they aren’t in the current Sentra.Nissan ChinaBased on the Sylphy photos, the rest of the interior will be refreshed as well. The gear selector has been restyled from the standard grab-handle shifter mounted on the transmission tunnel, to a low-profile shifter in the same place. Interior ambient lighting has been added to the front doors, center armrest, and front A/C vents. The changes look quite minimal, but compared to the 2023 model, which arrived unchanged from the year before, any update is welcome. 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

Porsche confirmed that an electric version of the Cayenne is on its way in a press conference today.The Cayenne EV will come after the electric 718 sports cars that are due in 2025, and is expected to ride on the PPE platform.An update on the gas-powered Cayenne will be launched this year and will include three plug-in hybrid versions with improved all-electric range.Porsche laid out its plans for upcoming models at a press conference this morning, but the future vehicles won’t take the form of a new sports car. Instead, Porsche’s announcement focuses on the continued expansion of its crossover lineup, confirming an electric version of the Cayenne for the first time, which will slot below a new flagship electric SUV that Porsche confirmed last year.The revised gas-powered Cayenne arrives this year.PorscheA Growing Electric LineupNo further details were provided on the Cayenne EV, which has been rumored since 2021, but the electric crossover is expected to share the same PPE platform as the upcoming Macan EV. Porsche will, however, continue to offer the Cayenne with an internal combustion engine, with a “new version of the third generation” launching this year. This update will bring three plug-in hybrid models promising increased electric range.Porsche did provide a few new specifics on the electric flagship SUV. While the automaker had previously said it would use technology developed on the 2021 Mission R concept, Porsche has now announced that it will ride on SSP Sport, a variant of the Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform. Porsche insists that the EV will have “strong performance” and will be fitted with “automated driving functions.”The Cayman GT4 ePerformance previews the electric 718 sports cars.PorscheWhat’s Coming for the 718?Porsche also reaffirmed that deliveries of the electric Macan will commence in 2024, with an electric version of the 718 sports cars coming the following year. At first it will exist in parallel to the gas-powered Boxster and Cayman, but Porsche announced that “in the medium term” it will be exclusively available as an EV. More Porsche EV NewsIn a media roundtable, CEO Oliver Blume said that while it will depend on the region and the local regulations, the gas-powered variants have approximately two years left before their demise once the EV is launched, with a similar timeline for the Macan and Cayenne. But, he maintained, the electric 718 “will be a fantastic car in terms of sportiness and in terms of driver experience and in terms of agility.”Lastly, Porsche is doubling down on its Sonderwunsch program, which crafts exclusive one-off vehicles for the brand’s luckiest—and wealthiest—clientele. Porsche aims to expand the customization department in the future, so look forward to more unique creations like the 911 Classic Club Coupe or Le Mans-inspired 911 GT3.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 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

Here’s a great example of the classic MG motoring experience.MGs and other postwar sports cars offered high-quality driving at affordable prices.Check out the auction, which ends on March 14, on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.Car and DriverMorris Garages started life as sporting specials, lightweight bodies perched on the chassis of heavier Morris cars. Early MGs were lively handlers and helped spur the postwar sportscar craze on both sides of the Atlantic. Up for auction this week is a lovely slice of vintage MG life.From the C/D ArchiveThis 1954 MG TF 1500 is essentially an updated version of an idea that started in the 1920s. It followed the MG TD, which was preceded by the TC, and it by the TB. The MGA that immediately followed it in 1955 was the first modern MG, and it gave rise to a breed of cars that would create a new generation of enthusiasts.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerReturning GIs brought a few MGs back from England’s green and pleasant land, and MG also had success as an exporter. They weren’t Jaguars or Austin-Healeys, but they were more affordable to buy and relatively simple to work on. That simplicity is necessary, as owning a vintage British car requires a certain mechanical aptitude—and an even deeper knowledge of creative vulgarities. This TF example wears a little more chrome than may be acceptable in collector circles, but it is well restored and has the desirable 1.5-liter engine. The twin-carburetor four-cylinder is good for 62 horsepower, which makes the octagonal, 105-mph speedometer seem a trifle optimistic.Cars the likes of the TF weren’t built for interstate drudgery. They were made for zipping around on country lanes at a pace that feels criminal but won’t raise concern with the constabulary.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIt’s the wind in your hair, bugs in your teeth, what’s-that-funny-smell, sheer exhilaration of motoring that has kept these vehicles popular into the current day. An MG T-series feels more alive at 30 mph than a Porsche Boxster does at 70.MG left the U.S. market with the rubber-bumper MGB, which had a crash-test-mandated ride height like a Porsche 911 Dakar. The MG brand is currently part of Chinese manufacturer SAIC’s portfolio, and its U.K.-market electric MG4 crossover is reportedly pleasant to drive and comes in at about three-quarters the price of a VW ID.4. But the present is not the past, and while the future of the U.K. auto industry has glimmers of optimism, experiencing an MG T-series like this one will take you back to the brand’s golden age.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

Jeep showed off two new teasers ahead of the 2023 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah.The brand uses the event, now in its 57th year, as a showcase for new concept vehicles.The company released the first two “trail markers” hinting at what it will bring to the event scheduled for April 1–9, 2023.Jeep Nation rejoice! The Easter Jeep Safari is nearly upon us. This year will mark the 57th Safari, and true to form, Jeep has started hinting at the wild concepts it will bring. The first two teasers—or “trail markers,” as Jeep is calling them—were released today. Rather than images or renderings, the company showed off two eye-catching sketches. The first sketch shows what looks to be a muscled-up two-door version of the Gladiator truck wearing a wide set of knobby off-road-ready tires hiding under what look to be the largest fenders we’ve ever spotted on a Jeep. From what we can tell by squinting through the blinding green haze of the sketch, the driver’s-side mirror has migrated from the A-pillar and now rests directly in front of the enlarged front fender. Jeep/StellantisThe second sketch has a bit more muted color scheme, which seems to be Jeep’s way of showing off the blue-trimmed 4xe font. This concept looks like a more straightforward Wrangler Rubicon off-roader, and we can once again spot enlarged fenders. Unlike in the Green Giant sketch, the mirror placement in this sketch look standard. One element that’s not standard is that the doors have been replaced by tube half-doors, while the rear windows are replaced by some sort of Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) utility rack. Last year Jeep brought a whopping seven concept vehicles to the event. We think it’s a safe bet that they will bring at least that many this year as well. Two more each week between now and the start of the Easter Jeep Safari would bring the total to eight, topping last year’s figure. 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