Motor News

Honda issued a stop sale on the Civic Type R Friday over faulty welds in the driver’s side seat cushion frame, according to a dealer communication from the automaker. The issue means that the frame could fail to secure the seat during a collision, reducing the effectiveness of restraining safety measures, according to a dealer notice posted to the Civic XI forum and filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Friday.The weld issue is a result of “improper manufacturing,” the document says. While a failure during a crash is the most catastrophic risk, the weld issue can also lead to squeaking and rattling noises that have been noted by Civic Type R owners on the same forum since November. No specific VIN range or build window is included in the notice, but the document does clarify that an internal system would return which cars do and do not need the repair. At least one user on the Civic XI forum thread has already reached out to their dealer and found that their car is not impacted.The document claims that parts for the repair are not yet available and says that Honda will not begin notifying owners of cars with the relevant issue until mid-May. The stop-sale is dated as starting on March 31 and set to continue “until further notice,” presumably when a repair procedure is set and completed. Owners can check the NHTSA recalls site, where information on the recall should be posted soon. More

Even though phone mirroring is one of the most popular tech features in today’s cars, GM said it will eliminate Apple CarPlay from its electric vehicles.The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV will be the first to get this downgrade, but other EV models will follow. GM will not remove CarPlay from any of its gasoline-powered models, which it only plans to build until 2035.GM said the change is needed to keep future EVs as integrated and connected as possible. The automaker will rely on a system co-developed with Google to operate its EVs.The battle for the dashboard continues. GM will eliminate Apple CarPlay from its electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV that’s arriving in the fall. CarPlay, which operates like Android Auto to mirror iPhone content on the vehicle’s dashboard, has been a consumer favorite for years, and even holdouts such as Toyota have recently added the technology to their models.CHEVROLETChevroletIt’s not as though EVs need CarPlay integration to succeed—just ask Tesla—but the reason for the reduction in vehicle capability is, in GM’s view, actually an expansion in vehicle capabilities. GM said it intends to remove CarPlay from new EVs because its vehicles need better integration between the navigation system and the rapidly growing network of chargers to help out EV drivers. GM has been developing its own built-in infotainment system in collaboration with Google since 2019.”We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation,” GM’s executive director of digital cockpit experience, Mike Hichme, told Reuters. “We don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.”Of course, Apple CarPlay never needed to know how much gas was in the tank, and it could still function as a map. Note that Hichme didn’t say anything about GM keeping CarPlay as an option for EV drivers while also offering its own advanced in-house integrated EV-focused navigation. The best of both worlds, in other words, and one where we wouldn’t need to rely on an automaker’s built-in devices all the time. Remember when the 3G network went away last year?Music and phone calls will still work over Bluetooth in GM’s CarPlay-free cars, GM said, and CarPlay tech will remain available in GM’s internal-combustion-engine vehicles. Of course, GM has announced it will stop building ICE vehicles after 2035. GM also said it won’t disable CarPlay in any vehicles that currently have it. Around 50 percent of Americans with a cellphone have an iPhone.Is GM Just Looking to Get More Info on You?Initial reaction online to GM’s move skewed decidedly negative. Consumer data proves it will be challenging for automakers to navigate the line between offering features and retaining consumer data. In March, AutoPacific released data from its latest Future Attribute Demand Study and found that potential EV and PHEV shoppers are the groups that are most open to paying for subscriptions for connected features. AutoPacific research also found that new vehicle shoppers rank wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections as the second-most desired infotainment and connected tech feature. There’s another reason people are unhappy with GM canceling one of the most-liked features. When you mirror your smartphone (which is what CarPlay and Android Auto are doing), some of your data bypasses the car, leaving GM out of the loop when it comes to learning your coffee-shop habits or gym schedule. With a built-in system, GM would have an easier time generating revenue through various subscription services if it knew more about you. GM said it will include eight years of Google Maps and Google Assistant access with the purchase of a new vehicle. Spotify, Audible, and other subscription services will be part of future infotainment systems, GM said. GM CEO Mary Barra has said she expects $20 to $25 billion in annual subscription revenue by 2030, Reuters said.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

Shell has plans to increase its electric vehicle charging network, Shell Recharge, from 140,000 global charge points today to over 500,000 by 2025.Last week, the oil company finalized its purchase of the Volta charging network, which operates in 31 U.S. states. Shell now “owns and operates one of the largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in the U.S.”Shell paid $169 million cash for Volta. Shell made $40 billion in profits in 2022.The EVs haven’t taken over just yet, but oil companies are interested in being there whether you’re pumping fuel or electrons into your car.This week, Shell USA finalized its acquisition of Volta. This electric-vehicle charging network company specializes in pairing charging plug locations with advertising screens, often at high-traffic areas like retailers and stadiums. These ads cover most of the cost of charging at Volta stations, but Volta did have plans to offer more paid DC fast-charge outlets. Volta said late last year that it had more than 5700 of these “out-of-home screens” in its network of over 3000 charging stalls in the U.S. Volta operates in 31 U.S. states and territories and regularly supplies around 112,000 charging sessions to EV drivers each month.This content is imported from twitter. 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.Volta and Shell announced the $169 million acquisition in January. That comes out to just 86 cents a share. This purchase price was well under the stock’s $15 high from early 2021 and was also below the $2.50 share price Volta was hovering at in mid-2022 before it dropped in September and October.Learning the RopesEven though Volta’s value was already declining, the market saw January’s announcement as troubling news, causing multiple EV charging company stocks to lose value, at least temporarily. On top of the $169 million in cash that Shell paid to acquire Volta, the oil company also repaid Volta’s $11 million in third-party debts and also gave Volta $20 million in subordinated secured term loans “to support Volta’s balance sheet and bridge Volta through the closing of the transaction.”Shell Can Afford It . . . Buying Volta wasn’t a financial challenge for Shell, which made more money selling oil last year than at any point in its long history. The company recorded $40 billion in profits in 2022, due partly to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that led to dramatically higher oil and gas prices. The company paid its CEO almost $12 million last year. Shell is not entering the EV charging game with this chump-change purchase of Volta. The oil company will roll Volta’s charge points into its existing EV charging network, the Shell Recharge network. Currently, in the U.S. Shell Recharge is primarily geographically limited to California. Following the Volta deal, Shell said it “now owns and operates one of the largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in the U.S.” Globally, Shell operates over 140,000 public and private charge points, and the oil company has announced plans to expand its global EV charging network to more than 500,000 charge points by 2025. It has an even more ambitious target of around 2.5 million charge points installed by 2030.This content is imported from twitter. 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

The TVR Cerbera Speed 12 is the wildest TVR ever to be unleashed on the street.Built to compete in the GT1 racing series, this one-off road-legal version of the Cerbera has an 800-plus-hp 7.7-liter V-12 and weighs less than 2200 pounds.This car, the lone surviving example, is coming to Silverstone Auctions this May.The TVR Cerbera, introduced in 1996, was a powerful fiberglass-bodied sports car that could be seen as the U.K.’s Chevrolet Corvette—or maybe its Dodge Viper. In stock form, the Cerbera topped out at 450 horsepower. It also lacked such rudimentary driver assists as traction control or anti-lock brakes. We called the Cerbera “equal parts terrifying and awesome.” What, then, to make of this one-off that nearly doubles its output?Related StoriesWith the Speed 12, TVR built a 7.7-liter V-12 engine out of two of its inline-sixes and crammed that engine into a Kevlar and carbon-fiber body that weighed roughly the same as a first-generation Mazda Miata. Dangerous? It’s like playing cricket with hand grenades. But now, this lone survivor Speed 12 can be yours.Silverstone AuctionsSilverstone AuctionsBlackpool-based TVR does have a reputation for building brutishly insane vehicles, but the Speed 12 was not merely a fit of madness. Instead, it was built as a potential competitor to the likes of the McLaren F1, the Porsche 911 GT1, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Today, those three are some of the most desirable road cars ever built, homologation specials exactingly engineered for racing dominance at Le Mans.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.2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12Watch onYouTube IconYouTube IconTVR’s take on the GT1 class was less a racing scalpel and more a board with a nail sticking out of it. There were a few teething issues in getting this English-bred mad dog into production. First, the FIA took one look at the monster engine of the Speed 12 and slapped a couple of intake restrictors on it, knocking power down to 675 horsepower. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz had huge R&D budgets next to tiny TVR, and in this case, the German Goliaths stomped David into jelly. The Speed 12 did win a few races in Britain but never competed at Le Mans as intended.No problem, said TVR. If we can’t build the world’s fastest race car, let’s build the world’s most homicidal road car. Its engineers strapped an unrestricted version of the 7.7-liter V-12 onto the dyno—and the dyno promptly exploded. Eventually, power was confirmed to be in the mid-800-hp range.Silverstone AuctionsAt the time, TVR was headed by Peter Wheeler, a chemical engineer who made his fortune in the U.K.’s North Sea oil boom. Wheeler was something of a larger-than-life character—in one instance, his dog attacked the prototype body shell of the Chimera, and he liked the resulting holes so much the production car got them. He was imposing in person and capable behind the wheel. But the Speed 12 was too much even for him.Silverstone AuctionsReturning from a drive in the prototype, Wheeler declared the Cerbera Speed 12 to be too outrageously wild for the road, and the production-car program was scrapped. The road cars were scavenged for parts for the limited racing the Speed 12 did, and that was that. However, one prototype shell survived, and in 2003, TVR put this lone example up for sale. Wheeler personally vetted the buyer.Silverstone AuctionsNow, the Cerbera Speed 12 is up for sale at Silverstone Auctions, ready for a new owner. If you are the sort of person who just read that bit about a car’s design being based on a dog attacking the bodywork and thought, “That sounds fine and normal,” then this is the car for you. Massively powerful, dangerously fast, and a complete handful, the Speed 12 is essentially the most TVR of all the TVRs. It can be yours—if you dare.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

GMC and EarthCruiser are working together to create an overlanding version of the Hummer EV pickup. They plan to reveal it as a concept late this summer.A teaser image shows a Hummer EV with a taller roof blanketed in solar panels, which should help the overlanding vehicle stay off the grid for longer periods of time. GMC claims a 329-mile range for the Hummer EV pickup, but the overlanding setup will add weight and is likely to drop that figure significantly.GMC is teaming up with Oregon-based EarthCruiser Overland Vehicles—purveyor of burly all-terrain RVs—to create a special version of the Hummer EV pickup. The concept, set to be revealed late this summer, is meant to preview the future of overlanding, a hobby that combines off-roading and camping and has exploded in popularity in recent years. The concept is expected to lead to an overland upfit for the Hummer EV pickup that will eventually be available to customers.GMCThe announcement of the collaboration was accompanied by a shadowy teaser image showing the Hummer EV concept from the side. The vehicle appears to have a higher roofline than the stock Hummer EV SUV, which is supposed to reach dealerships this spring. We can also spy several solar panels covering the roof, which should boost the overlanding Hummer’s range, allowing for more time off the grid. A protrusion along the side of the vehicle should also allow for more space in the back of the off-road camper.More Cool Exploration VehiclesWeight Should Be Impressive While the Hummer EV certainly has the off-road chops to conquer challenging terrain, the biggest question surrounding this concept and its future production potential will be the driving range. The Hummer EV is already an incredibly heavy vehicle, with the pickup weighing in at 9640 pounds, and adding the overland setup will only increase the weight, in turn reducing the efficiency of the electric powertrain. GMC estimates 329 miles of range, while a 2022 Hummer EV pickup traveled 290 miles in our 75-mph highway test. Hopefully GMC and EarthCruiser will be able to provide some answers when the concept is shown later this year.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

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 Lightning Lap Cars for $40k | Window Shop with Car and Driver | EP109Watch onYouTube IconYouTube IconIn a world of constant change and turmoil, it’s comforting to have some constants. Some things to rely upon. Some things that will always be there regularly, predictably, on schedule. Well, that’s not Car and Driver’s YouTube spectacular, Window Shop.But here it is, after more than a month of hibernation, back again. It’s not the world’s most beloved Zoom-based content, but it’s fun for us anyhow.This episode’s challenge was to find a vehicle that would be fun to drive around Virginia International Raceway, the road course that has long been home to C/D’s beloved annual Lightning Lap feature. Not that all of the participants have actually been welcomed to Lightning Lap.The Real ThingSo join us for about an hour’s worth of sniping, snipping, sniveling, and navel gazing about finding the right fun thing for less than $40,000.Aboard for this episode are major domo Tony Quiroga, minor domo K.C. Colwell, senior doma Elana Scherr, favorite contributing domo Jonathon Ramsey, and some guy named John Pearley Huffman.In color! Often hazy and washed out. But color nonetheless.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

UPDATE 3/31/2023: A Ford spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that prices have increased for the 2023 F-15o Lightning. They also said the company did it to address supply-chain issues as well as the current cost of materials and market factors.When will Ford stop raising prices of the F-150 Lightning? At the rate things are going, the electric pickup truck will likely cost even more before we find out. Since the F-150 EV debuted for the 2022 model year, its base MSRP has risen by about $20K (from $41,769 to now $61,869).While there were several step increases in between then and now, it’s an eye-opening difference nonetheless, especially given it all happened after one model year. Since August 2022, Ford has now increased Lightning prices no less than four times, with the latest bump first reported by Automotive News. The starting price of the base-level Pro has risen by $4000, from to $57,869 to $61,869.Lightning Prices: Up and Up and UpThe other three 2023 F-150 Lightning models cost more too, albeit by smaller margins. The XLT with the standard-range battery only costs an extra $175, whereas the base prices of the Lariat and Platinum jump by $1500 and $1200, respectively.A Ford spokesperson has confirmed the Lightning’s price hikes to Car and Driver. They also said the company is raising costs to address “current material costs, market factors, and supply chain constraints.” Ford has issued similar statements for past Lightning price increases.Earlier this month—following a weeks-long stoppage due to a battery issue that has since been fixed—Ford announced plans to triple the number of F-150 Lightnings it builds this year. With full production resuming this week at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, and trucks now being shipped to customers, Ford says it has reopened order banks for the next wave of reservation holders. However, the Lighting Pro is said to still be sold out to retail customers.Now the question remains: How many more times might the company raise the truck’s price in 2023? Watch this space to find out.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.Senior EditorEric 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 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

Porsche has built a new track at its Experience Center in Atlanta, which will open to the public on April 1.The track includes corners meant to emulate the famous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, Bus Stop at Daytona, and Karussell at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.We sampled the track at a recent media event, along with other features such as a wet skidpad and an autocross course.Seven thousand five hundred miles. That’s about how far you would’ve needed to travel to drive the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, scythe through the Bus Stop chicane at Daytona, and slingshot around the Karussell at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife—until now. On April 1, a new track at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta that includes re-creations of all three iconic corners will open to the public, part of a multimillion-dollar expansion at Porsche’s North American headquarters.PorscheSince its launch in 2015, the Experience Center has hosted almost 400,000 visitors, according to Porsche. The facility had featured a handling circuit, a restaurant, a gift shop, and a small museum space displaying classic Porsches, but it now adds a new course designed by Hermann Tilke, who has been the brain behind several Formula 1 track layouts such as the Bahrain International Circuit. The 1.3-mile West Track will be used for 90-minute one-on-one lessons in Porsche’s sports cars and can be combined with the original circuit or run on its own, which is how we experienced it during a media event ahead of the official opening. We drove the course in a variety of Porsches—including a 911 GT3 and a Taycan—and also experienced it from the passenger seat of the 1073-hp 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance prototype, which we first rode along in at Porsche’s Experience Center in Franciacorta, Italy, last year. While the new Atlanta circuit doesn’t have a straight section quite as long as in Italy—where we saw the ePerformance top out around 150 mph—it feels more dynamic due to its hilly topography. PorscheThe Track ExperienceExiting the pits, you climb through a series of quick esses before dropping back down for a sharp 90-degree right hander. You then ascend 30 feet to the Laguna Seca–like Corkscrew, which features a stomach-churning 25-foot drop through the chicane. A twisty section on the back half of the track emulates the famous Tail of the Dragon road in the Great Smoky Mountains, before you get to the bumpy and banked Carousel (Porsche opts to use the English spelling), which tries its hardest to unsettle the chassis. Within the confines of the West Track are three other setups that will support other driving lessons. A skidpad, which Porsche calls a low-friction circle, with wet, polished concrete covers 196 feet in diameter and allows drivers to explore the limits of grip and learn how to manage understeer and oversteer. We spent our time on the skidpad holding a prolonged drift in a 718 Cayman GT4 with a goofy grin plastered across our face. PorscheClimbing Ice Hill There is also the Ice Hill, which mimics an icy climb that one might encounter in the wintry months in the northern United States. Tackling its 8 percent slope and watered, polished surface teaches drivers how to smoothly apply throttle, brakes, and steering input in dicey conditions. We sampled it in a variety of cars: a rear-wheel-drive Cayman required a delicate right foot to make it up the hill, while an all-wheel-drive Macan allowed us to execute drifts while easily remaining in control. More Porsche NewsLastly, an autocross course with cones in an expansive paved area allows for a variety of lessons, from practicing launches and heavy braking to precise steering in tight corners. We tested the launch control in a glorious-sounding 911 GT3 and in the hushed but face-melting Taycan Turbo S.When combined with all available track surfaces—including the original circuit—the new handling course forms part of a 2.9-mile road. The track will be open to both Porsche owners and others, and the Experience Center sits just a few miles away from the busy Atlanta International Airport.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