Motor News

What’s the Powerball lotto up to this week? Any amount we might consider noteworthy, like $100 million? Because there’s something we want to buy, and it’ll probably require a fair old stack of greenbacks. But it’ll be worth it. And when we win, we’ll invite all of you over to check out the fruits of our good fortune: a Michael Schumacher Formula 1 car. Specifically, Ferrari F1-2000 Chassis 198, which he drove to two pole positions and one victory on his way to the 2000 F1 Driver’s Championship. Sotheby’s is auctioning it via sealed bid next month in Hong Kong, and when the bidding ends on April 12, somebody (us!) will have possibly the coolest thing on Earth to park in their garage. Not the coolest car, or the coolest Ferrari—the coolest object ever made by human hands. We will brook no argument on this point.ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC @2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s|Car and DriverBack in 2000—or, as we called it before that, “the year 2000″—Formula 1 cars didn’t have V-6s, or forced induction, or energy recovery systems. They were powered by 3.0-liter naturally aspirated 90-degree V-10s that made maybe 800 horsepower and revved beyond 17,000 rpm. Racing toward an upshift, such an engine made a sound like an alien power drill boring to the center of the earth. Downshifts sounded like the concussive atmospheric aftermath of a nearby lighting strike. You really wondered how it all held together, and often enough, it didn’t. But this car did, plenty of times, after it got called in from the bench at the Brazilian Grand Prix, replacing the primary car that was damaged when Schumacher ran wide on a corner during qualifying. Yes, Chassis 198 was a backup. And one that went on to win that race, very likely inspiring Tom Brady to do the football version of that the very next year. But F1-2000 198 did it first. Why is our Ferrari F1 car not lined up with the door of our garage? Find out who is responsible at once and demote them to stacking our many wooden crates.ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC @2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s|Car and DriverLater in the season, Schumacher drove car 198 to pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix and again at Monaco. In a video from that Monaco qualifying, the tachometer overlay on the screen appears to occasionally show 18,000-rpm upshifts. Imagine: you could be doing that, in that very car on some track that you enjoy, if you outbid us! (Which is unlikely.)You’d probably drive this thing pretty fast too, though.ANDREW TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC @2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s|Car and DriverThat’s because this car has been restored and is part of Ferrari’s F1 Clienti program, wherein former race cars are brought to the track with full factory support. So you won’t be crawling under Chassis 198 and tightening bolts and whatnot, and not just because it’s far too low to the ground—no, you’ve got people for that! You should go get a massage or some driving tips from F1 drivers on site, two possibilities that are actually part of a normal F1 Clienti track day. Rubbin’ (those knots out of your trapezius muscles) is racin’!But anyway, if you want this car, you’d better set aside something in the eight-digit range, we think. Or, as we like to say, “a pittance.” Because really, is there any car cooler than this? There is not.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 EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

Ram shared with dealers its idea of a concept for a mid-size EV pickup truck. The electric concept reportedly would share a lot of visual features with the 1500 Revolution concept (pictured above) that Ram showed at CES earlier this year. The mid-size concept would fill a Dakota-shaped hole left in the company’s lineup since the Dakota was discontinued in 2011. Ram is getting dealers ready for a possible mid-size EV pickup to enter the lineup in the near future. The company showed dealers at a meeting in Las Vegas its ideas for a mid-size EV pickup concept, according to a report from Automotive News. The new concept evidently shares a lot of its aesthetic with the full-size 1500 Revolution concept that Ram first revealed at the CES technology show in January. Dealer Randy Dye described the concept as “the future” in a statement to Automotive News. “We’re going to be back in that [mid-size] game,” Dye told the publication. “Without a doubt, it looks like a Ram,” he said.More on RamDye, who owns Daytona Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram and Maserati-Alfa Romeo of Daytona in Daytona Beach, Florida, explained to Automotive News that Stellantis officials previewed 30 new products for multiple brands during the meeting. The meeting was apparently the first of its kind in eight years for retailers who were with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles before it was merged with the PSA Group to create Stellantis. Ram debuted the full-size 1500 Revolution concept to a lot of excitement in January. The design was imaginative and innovative, with a highly configurable interior and third-row jump seats. But when the production version was revealed a month later, many of the exciting features shown in the concept were gone. The folding midgate along with its integrated third-row jump seats were seemingly set aside. A new mid-size EV pickup would likely be received well. Small and mid-size trucks from other manufacturers have sold in large numbers in recent years, and Ram could make up for the 11-plus years it has been without one since the Dakota was discontinued.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

The Ford F-150 Lightning will be followed by a new electric pickup truck that will start production in 2025.Codenamed Project T3, Ford says the second-generation truck will and benefit from simplified manufacturing.The follow-up to the Lightning will be built at Ford’s huge Blue Oval City factory in Tennessee.Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company’s next electric pickup truck is going to be “like the Millennium Falcon”—whatever that means.Farley’s comments come with today’s announcement that Ford plans to follow-up the F-150 Lightning with a new EV truck that will go into production in 2025. While details about the second generation are scarce, we’re told it is codenamed Project T3 (as in Trust the Truck).Besides improving on the current Lightning’s driving range and towing capabilities, Ford says the next-gen truck will be “fully updatable” and “constantly improving.” These types of features are expected to be made possible by a new electrical platform and the expanded availability of over-the-air (OTA) updates.More on Ford’s EV PlansFord’s second electric pickup truck will be built at its Blue Oval City factory, a $5.6 billion, 3600-acre campus outside Memphis, Tennessee. The new state-of-the-art campus also includes a battery plant as part of a partnership with energy company SK Innovation. Not only are the benefits of all of this said to include simpler, more efficient, and more cost-effective manufacturing processes, but they’re claimed to allow Ford to build up to 500,000 EV trucks per year at peak production.Today’s announcement about the F-150 Lighting follow-up come on the heels of Ford forecasting a loss of $3 billion on EV sales in 2023. The increased losses are partly due to the company’s big investments in its facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee along with the money its spending on alternate battery chemistries. Of course, Ford understands this is part of the process of expanding its EV division, and it will continue to ramp up production of the Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E.Earlier this month, Ford said it hopes to build 150,000 Lightnings annually by the end of this year. That would triple the truck’s production. The Mach-E will also be built in higher volumes, with the company in January saying production will increase nearly 67 percent, from 78,000 units last year to 130k 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.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

Kia and Hyundai are recalling 570,000 vehicles with a potential fire hazard while parked. Affected models include the 2019–23 Santa Fe crossover, 2022–23 Santa Cruz pickup, and 2022–23 Kia Carnival minivan, totaling over 570,000 vehicles.Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire. Hyundai and Kia issued a warning for owners of over 570,000 vehicles across multiple models and years to park away from structures, due to a fire risk. Hyundai Santa Fe models from 2019–2023 are at risk, as are 2022–2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz and Kia Carnival models. The fire risk stems from a defect with tow-hitch harnesses installed either as original equipment or purchased as a dealer accessory. The potential fire risk occurs through water accumulation on the tow hitch harness circuit board, which may cause an electrical short, and ultimately a fire. Hyundai reports a total of 567,912 affected vehicles combined across models, though the estimated percentage of vehicles with the defect is only one percent. NHTSA documents show Kia reporting 3555 vehicles potentially involved, also estimating a one percent defect rate.HyundaiNHTSA documents show that Hyundai has identified six total incidents related to the recall, with one report of a fire and five reports of thermal damage isolated to the trailer harness. NHTSA documents also show that there have been no reported instances of fires with the Kia Carnival. Neither manufacturer has identified injuries related to the recall. Owners of any of the affected vehicles are advised to park their vehicles outside, and away from any structures or other vehicles until a repair has been completed. Documents show that Hyundai plans to inspect affected vehicles and remove the tow hitch harness as necessary while working on a long-term solution. Once the final repair is available, dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit. Documents from Kia show a plan to verify whether the vehicle has a genuine Kia accessory tow hitch, and install a new fuse and wire extension kit where necessary. Owner notification letters will be mailed to those affected in May, 2023. Concerned owners can always check their VIN number on the NHTSA website.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

Ford expects to lose roughly $3 billion from the electric-vehicle arm of the company this year. The increased losses are expected due to money being spent on manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as the addition of alternate battery chemistries. Ford issued the bleak forecast in a Thursday morning call with reporters. Ford is projecting an increase in losses from its EV unit, labeled Model e, up from $2.1 billion last year to total nearly $3 billion in 2023. The increase in losses is expected to come even as sales of the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover and F-150 Lightning full-size electric pickup truck grow and the company invests further in increased production. The forecast came in a Thursday morning call with reporters where Ford outlined a new financial-reporting structure. The company announced a new reporting structure broken into Ford Blue (gas/hybrid vehicles), Ford Model e (breakout EVs), and Ford Pro (commercial vehicles). Ford”We’ve essentially ‘refounded’ Ford, with business segments that provide new degrees of strategic clarity, insight and accountability to the Ford+ plan for growth and value,” CFO John Lawler said. “It’s not only about changing how we report financial results; we’re transforming how we think, make decisions and run the company, and allocate capital for highest returns.”Losses from the EV division will be covered by an expected increase in profits for the other two Ford divisions, with Lawler projecting $7 billion in earnings before interest and taxes this year for Ford Blue, and roughly $6 billion for Ford Pro. Speaking to reporters, Lawler explained the reasoning behind the expected losses for the Model e arm of the business.More Ford Stories”Ford Model e is an EV startup within Ford,” he said. “As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capabilities, develop knowledge, build volume, and gain share.”Those mounting losses will come as Ford continues to invest in ramping up EV production numbers. The company is planning the construction of two new battery-cell factories in Kentucky and a third in Tennessee, along with the $3.5 billion lithium-iron-phosphate battery plant it will build in Marshall, Michigan. 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

Aston Martin has filed a trademark in the U.S. for the nameplate “DB12,” as first reported by CarBuzz.The DB12 is expected to be revealed this year as a refreshed version of the DB11, which has been on sale since 2017.We expected the DB12 to retain the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, but it may gain a 48-volt hybrid system.Aston Martin’s aging sports-car lineup is due for a major overhaul, and a new trademark filing—first reported by CarBuzz—suggests that this update will usher in a new nameplate. The British automaker has filed for the name DB12 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which will presumably be applied to a heavily refreshed version of the DB11 expected to make its debut later this year.Jessica Lynn Walker|Car and DriverLast year, Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll said that all of the company’s sports cars—the Vantage, DB11, and DBS—would be overhauled in 2023. Stroll revealed that the changes would be so drastic that they would essentially be “all-new cars,” and the new trademark seems to confirm that. This would be the first time since the DB6 went out of production in 1970 that one of Aston Martin’s DB series of sports cars would bear an even-numbered badge. More Aston Martin NewsAlong with revised styling, the update is expected to bring a more modern infotainment system that will scrap the touchpad setup and be better differentiated from the Mercedes-Benz system on which it is based. The DB12 will likely retain the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8—also borrowed from Mercedes—although it could gain a 48-volt hybrid setup like in the Mercedes-AMG GLS63. It’s unclear if the V-12 will live on in the DB12. More details should arrive 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

If you’ve ever driven one of the newest Ford Mustangs, you’ll know that there is a mode that enables line lock, essentially a way of keeping the brakes on the front wheels while letting the rear wheels do a burnout to heat the tires for the optimum drag strip launch.Now, Ford has patented a system for EVs that’ll allow a different sort of line lock, one that’ll work on all-wheel-drive models. It’ll brake the front wheels to spin the rear tires, and then it can brake the rear wheels to spin the front tires. The patent, published March 2, specifies it’s for track use only, of course, and for tire heating. It’s also said that this is achievable with current hardware, so it could be a software update that makes it function.U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeThe patent drawing shows a Mustang Mach-E, so perhaps the GT model would be the first recipient of a mode like this.Of course, Ford did make a drift-ready Mach-E, which had seven motors and 1400 horsepower, so it wouldn’t be the first tire-smoking electric crossover from the brand.World of MustangsEditor-at-LargeTravis is an editor at Road & Track. He was previously the Editor-in-Chief of Jalopnik.com and is a little too fond of the Mazda Miata. More

The 2002 Chrysler 300M Special was the most performance-oriented of the LH cars. The Special isn’t much more powerful than the standard 300M, though, with just five more horsepower and three more pound-feet of torque, but the overall package stands out. This well-preserved example is up for sale on Bring a Trailer, and the auction ends on March 26. Bring a TrailerWhen Chrysler released the 2002 Chrysler 300M Special, our foredrivers felt it was an obvious effort to win back their adulation after our affection for the 300Ms began to wane. The model made our 10Best list in 1999 and 2000, then fell off as more potent competitors appeared on the scene. The Special’s smidge of extra horsepower and torque weren’t quite enough to totally do the trick, however. Still, the 300M’s “cab-forward” design was advanced for its time, and it’s aged well. This fine-looking example, currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), could turn heads even today.As recounted by one of the commenters, the 300M was a last-minute addition to the Chrysler brand’s LH lineup. Supposedly, the car was designed as the second-gen Eagle Vision, but when the Eagle division was dropped, Chrysler ended up with the model, to sell alongside the Concorde and the LHS. Compared to those two, the 300M was a more tidy, international size, at just five meters long.Bring a Trailer Chrysler put a slightly more powerful version of the 3.5-liter SOHC V6 engine in the Special than it did in the standard 300M. The Special version produced up to 255 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, compared to 250 and 255, respectively, in the standard 300M. The Chrysler 300M Special also came with a stiffer suspension, and the four-speed automatic transmission had a shorter final-drive ratio (3.89 compared to 3.66). There was also a Special-specific dual exhaust system. And, unusual for a front-wheel-drive car, the engine was mounted longitudinally in the 300M, which helped create a roomy and comfortable interior.Bring a TrailerThis car features a retro-tastic four-disc in-dash CD player and a factory cassette stereo, and its Light Taupe leather interior appears in fine shape. This Chrysler is also equipped with a power sunroof, heated and power-adjustable front seats with position memory, and HID headlights. The exterior is painted in Bright Silver Metallic, and the car has 18-inch alloy wheels with 245/45 Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 3 tires.Chrysler 300, from the Late 20th CenturyThe example up for auction has seen some use, with around 60,000 miles on the odometer and a repainted front bumper cover. It was originally sold in California and has a Pennsylvania title. It also has a clean CarFax record, but there is some corrosion on the exhaust and suspension components. At the time of their debut, the LH cars were a big deal, and even the second-generation models were well ahead of their domestic competition, at least in terms of design. This car is the sportiest of the bunch and would have been a stylin’ ride in the post-Y2K era.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