Motor News

Ford CEO Jim Farley posted a video to Twitter showing the company’s upcoming Mustang GT3 race car lapping at Sebring.This is the first we’ve seen (or heard) anything about the upcoming factory GT3 car since Ford announced it in September.Farley also tweeted a rhetorical question, hinting at a potential future roadgoing version of the GT3 racer. 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.Wherever you are right now, stop. Now turn your volume as high as it will go and enjoy the beautiful soundtrack of a naturally aspirated V-8. Ford CEO Jim Farley took to Twitter today to show the company’s upcoming Mustang GT3 race car turning laps at Sebring, and the audio is glorious. This is the first we’ve seen (and, more important, heard) of the factory GT3 Mustang since Ford announced its plan to launch six new racing versions of the S650 Mustang back in September. The GT3 won’t officially debut until the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024, but that isn’t stopping Ford from building hype now. Ford RacingThis version of the GT3 is being developed jointly by Ford Performance and Multimatic, and it will be powered by a revised version of the Coyote V-8 bored to 5.4 liters. The images show a Mustang that has undergone serious and necessary modifications to complete 24-hour races like Daytona and Le Mans. Huge fenders wrap around a set of meaty racing tires, while every visible piece of bodywork looks to be made from lightweight carbon fiber. The car has an extremely aggressive lip at the front, and a large diffuser at the rear. Visually, the real show stopper is the rear wing mounted not to the rear decklid, but instead to the rear pillars of the car. Ford made sure to remind us that the despite being a thoroughbred race car, the GT3 car shares DNA with the upcoming Mustang Dark Horse. Wes Dunkel, Ford PerformanceWes Dunkel, Ford PerformanceBut we already knew race cars looked and sounded great. The really interesting part came from Farley’s second tweet. The Ford CEO got back on Twitter an hour after he posted the clip of the GT3 and asked his followers if Ford should make a road version. Mr. Farley, I think we all agree. The answer is a resounding yes. Please send your first example to the Car and Driver office ASAP.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.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

Built as a double celebration of Subaru’s 40th anniversary and triple wins of the WRC manufacturer’s championship, the 22B is the ultimate STI.All the Subaru rally-racing goodies are here: a driver-adjustable all-wheel-drive system, wider bodywork, a huge rear wing, and World Rally Blue paint. The auction runs through March 28, with bidding already approaching $100K. Car and DriverIn 1998, Subaru turned 40 and gave itself pretty much the best birthday present ever. Subaru was riding high in its middle age, with three consecutive WRC manufacturer championships between 1995 and 1997. To celebrate, it announced what would become the most desirable car ever to wear the six-star Subaru badge: the rally-bred 22B. One of these late 1990s World Rally Blue beauties is now up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. Bring a TrailerThis 22B is #135 of the 400 examples sold in Japan (a further 25 were split between the U.K. and Australia). The car has been imported into the U.S. under “show and display” rules. Under show and display rules, a gray-market car like the Subaru 22B is limited to 2500 miles a year. Related StoriesThis generation of the WRX/STI never officially came to the U.S., and the closest we got on this side of the Pacific was the 2.5RS. Even those have increased in value of late, as Subaru enthusiasts seek out clean donor chassis to build tribute cars.Car and DriverWhen it comes to a real 22B, things are about as tasty as any gravel-spattered rally otaku could hope for. No Subaru STI has ever looked better, and at just over 2800 pounds, few have been lighter. The blister fenders house 235-series tires for maximum grip —Car and Driver managed 0.96 g on the skidpad in a 1999 test—while tucked under that functional hood scoop is a turbocharged and intercooled 2.2-liter flat-four engine with a redline of 7900 rpm. Water injectors are controlled by a dashboard switch. Subaru listed the 22B at the 280-hp rating common at the time, but it’s widely believed that the peak power figure was somewhere between 300 and 350 horsepower.Bring a TrailerThat power is doled out through an all-wheel-drive system with an adjustable center differential, making for all kinds of back-road pace or big, fun sliding. It’s the kind of driving experience that still echoes today in rally-inspired machinery like Toyota’s GR Corolla, or, yes, Subaru’s own WRX sedan. Pause here to pour out a gallon of vape fluid for the much-missed STI versionThis car has 186,000 kilometers (115,000 miles) on the odometer and has just completed a comprehensive engine-out service. Despite the six-figure mileage, bidding has already hit $90,000 with seven days to go.Bring a TrailerIf the thought of a six-figure Subaru is surprising, that number is only going to tick upward. The 22B is basically the Subaru equivalent of the Ferrari F40, an anniversary gift of a type that will likely never be seen again. Besides, can you drift your 401K on gravel, then take it home to wash the bugs off your side windows? In these uncertain times, when even blue-chip investments can falter, maybe it’s time to consider World Rally Blue–chip ones. No matter what happens in the financial markets, you can bank on the fact that a dirt-road blast in a 22B is sure to make you feel like Colin McRae.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 Mini Cooper S Clubman Final Edition is a send-off to the brand’s funky station wagon.The Final Edition will be limited to 1969 examples, a reference to the first year of the original Clubman.The Cooper S Clubman Final Edition features special graphics and badging to differentiate it from regular variants. It comes as no surprise the Mini Cooper Clubman is headed for the big farm upstate. Sales have been in a downward spiral since they peaked in 2016, with the Clubman now the worst-selling vehicle Mini makes. Before officially bowing out, though, the Clubman is celebrating the past with the 2024 Mini Cooper S Clubman Final Edition. MiniThe Final Edition pays homage to its roots by limiting production numbers to 1969 units, a figure that representative the first year Mini introduced the Clubman nameplate. The special edition is only available with three exterior paint options: Nanuq White, Enigmatic Black, and Melting Silver. Its interior features a special Final Edition color scheme. Special graphics running along the hood and doors of the car are intended to accentuate the classic Mini shape of the Clubman. Unique copper-colored badging is also found outside and in, denoting the significance of the Final Edition. Inside the new Clubman, the Final Edition maintains an earthy tone, with dark brown leather bolstering and anthracite fabric inserts in the seats. The door sills along with the base of the steering wheel read “Final Edition.” The floor mats and dashboard feature a serialized badge (“1 of 1969,” for example) denoting the number of each specific car in the limited-production run. MiniMiniThe Final Edition is mechanically unchanged from the standard Mini Clubman, with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing a peppy 189 horsepower. Mini overlooked the Clubman when it added the manual back to the Cooper last year, so all Clubmans have a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive comes standard, while all-wheel is optional. After the 2024 model year, the Clubman will be put to rest, but the gap left in Mini’s lineup will be filled by a production version of the incoming fully electric Aceman SUV. The Clubman’s life was a bit rocky when it came to sales, but we’re always sad to see another wagon leave the U.S. market. So long, Mini Clubman, you will be missed. Reviews to Remember the Club’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 sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro will go out of production in January 2024, the automaker announced today.For its final model year, Chevy will introduce a Collector’s Edition, although no details on the package have been revealed yet. Chevy says that the Camaro nameplate will live on and that a successor will be announced in the future.Chevrolet announced today that the sixth-generation Camaro will end production after the 2024 model year. The last examples of the muscle car are set to roll off the line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in January of next year. While there is no direct successor waiting in the wings, Chevy promises that “this is not the end of Camaro’s story.” The sixth generation ran for nine years, selling a healthy 72,705 units in its first full year on sale in 2016. Yet it was never able to reach the heights of the fifth generation—which crested the 80,000-unit mark in five different years—and sales dwindled to just 24,652 vehicles in 2022.ChevroletA special Collector’s Edition will arrive for the Camaro’s final year, although Chevy has yet to provide details on what it includes. For now, we just have a shadowy teaser. The automaker did divulge that it will have “ties that date back to the development of the first generation Camaro in the 1960s” and referenced that Camaro’s original codename, Panther. The package will be fitted to the RS and SS models, as well as a limited number of the ZL1 variant. More on the CamaroWith the Dodge Challenger biting the dust after 2023, the Camaro’s demise leaves the Ford Mustang as the only remaining American muscle car. But Dodge is promising an electric competitor, inspired by the Charger Daytona SRT concept, and we expect that whatever Chevy cooks up to wear the Camaro nameplate next will include some form of electrification. The muscle car world is in for some major changes.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

Rolls-Royce has revealed the Wraith Black Arrow, a limited-run send-off to the automaker’s V-12–powered coupe.The Black Arrow is a reference to a 1930s land speed record car that used Rolls-Royce engines, with an etching of that motor appearing on the Wraith’s dashboard.The special edition also features a gradient paint job, going from silver to black, accented by yellow trim.After a ten-year run, the Rolls-Royce Wraith is finally bidding adieu for good. Although the coupe departed the U.S. market in 2021, it had lived on overseas, and the newly revealed Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection represents the end of the line for the company’s V-12–powered coupes. The electric Spectre takes over the mantle later this year, but before then Rolls-Royce will build 12 examples of this special Wraith as a final hurrah.Rolls-RoyceThe car pays homage to Thunderbolt, an eight-wheeled land speed record car powered by two Rolls-Royce V-12 airplane engines. In 1938, Thunderbolt rocketed to 357.497 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a record that it held for nearly a year. The onset of World War II curtailed efforts to recapture the top spot, but changes in propulsion technology following the conflict mean Thunderbolt has remained the fastest V-12–powered car ever. According to Rolls-Royce, Thunderbolt’s bright aluminum body reflected the glaring Utah sun’s rays so much that it couldn’t be picked up by timing equipment, leading the driver to paint a massive black arrow and with a yellow circle on the side of the car, inspiring the name and design of this limited-production Wraith. Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce says that the Black Arrow’s snazzy gradient paint finish—with the Celebration Silver front end blending into the Black Diamond rear—took 18 months to perfect. It is accented by bright yellow trim in the front bumper and adorning the wheels. Yellow also appears on struts visible through the grille and on the base of the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament above. Rolls-RoyceRolls-RoyceThe decadent interior continues the color scheme, with yellow leather gracing the seats, steering wheel, and dashboard. The headrests are embroidered with a stylized arrow, while the analog clock set into the dashboard proudly displays Thunderbolt’s top speed. The coach doors feature a dark wood finish consisting of over 320 layered pieces designed to emulate the rough surface of the Salt Flats, while a depiction of the Thunderbolt’s V-12 is etched into aluminum and set behind glass on the dashboard. A small aluminum model of the Thunderbolt also resides under a pane of glass in the center console.Rolls-RoyceRolls-RoyceRolls-Royce also went the extra mile with the starlight headliner, stitching 2117 fiber-optic lights into the ceiling, the most Rolls-Royce has ever fitted to one headliner. The “stars” are arranged to mimic the constellations as they would have looked on the date in 1938 when the Thunderbolt set its record.More on Rolls-RoyceA plaque on the engine cover notes that this is the last V-12 coupe from the automaker. Unsurprisingly, all 12 Wraith Black Arrows are already spoken for. There’s no official price, but we are certain that those lucky owners paid a substantial sum more than the Wraith’s $343,350 starting price.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

Ford has revealed a new EV model for Europe called the Explorer.This compact SUV will be built in Germany and is based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform.There is also an Explorer EV slated for the U.S., but it will likely be considerably larger than this one.Ford has promised that an electric version of the familiar Explorer three-row SUV is coming to the U.S. sometime soon, but this is not that car. Instead, this Ford Explorer is a new, smaller electric crossover built in Germany that’s exclusively for the European market. It uses Volkswagen’s MEB platform as part of a partnership between Ford and VW and is set to go on sale later this year.More on Ford EV SUVsFord hasn’t provided exact dimensions for this Explorer EV, but to us it looks like a compact SUV in the vein of the Escape or Bronco Sport that we get in the U.S. It has a modern-looking grille-less face, a relatively low-slung but still boxy shape, and interesting details including a slatted design element on the C-pillar and chunky wheel patterns. Inside, it has a large 14.6-inch vertical touchscreen and a digital gauge cluster, plus a spacious center console and a lockable compartment behind the screen. It’s a two-row setup with five seats, and Ford claims 17 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat.We don’t know the powertrain specs on the Explorer yet, either, but we figure it will have similarly sized battery packs as the Volkswagen ID.4, which offers 58.0-kWh and 77.0-kWh battery packs. Ford says it will offer rear- and all-wheel drive versions, so we figure outputs will range from under 200 hp for the base version up to over 300 hp for the top models.Ford will produce the Explorer in Cologne, Germany, and it’s slated only for Europe at this point. Pricing starts at the equivalent of $48,000 and Ford is taking reservations now. We doubt we’ll see this model come to the U.S., but it could give us an idea of how the Blue Oval’s future electric SUV models will look. A second larger MEB-based Ford electric crossover is set to arrive in Europe next year, and we’ve previously speculated that that one could end up in the U.S.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 EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

Polestar has added a limited-run BST edition 230 to the 2023 Polestar 2 lineup. The BST edition 230 shares the same chassis modifications as the earlier BST edition 270 and produces 469 horsepower.The new BST edition will be limited to 230 examples for the European and North American markets. Polestar introduced another limited-run version of the performance-inspired BST edition and is assuming buyers wont mind its lack of substantive changes. While a regular Polestar 2 equipped with the Performance pack is quick on its feet, it’s hardly a thoroughbred racer. The BST edition 230 fixes that, but just in the same way that the BST edition 270 before it did.PolestarLast June, the company announced a specialized performance version of the Polestar 2. The special edition would be called the BST edition 270 and would aptly be limited to 270 units worldwide. This 2 came with chassis modifications and extra power at a hefty premium over lesser editions.According to Polestar, the BST edition 230 “puts more focus on the performance design details.” The edition 230 comes in Space Black or a new exclusive Green Nebula exterior paint with the option to add a full-length racing stripe over either color. The unique design elements inside the car are finished in microsuede, with steering wheel inserts made from partly recycled nubuck leather.PolestarPolestarCompared to the standard dual-motor setup, the BST edition 230 adds 67 horsepower and 15 pound-feet of torque for a total of 469 horsepower and 502 pound-feet. Those figures put the new version toe to toe with the BST edition 270 from last year, which had the exact same figures. The shared specs don’t end there. Underneath the bodywork, the two BST editions have identical chassis modifications. Ride height for both is nearly an inch lower than stock, the suspension springs are 20 percent stiffer, and a front strut bar has been added. The specially tuned Öhlins dampers from the edition 270 are back for the edition 230, as are the Pirelli P Zero tires that Polestar says are specifically designed for the BST editions. In other words, these are basically the same car.Owners of the Polestar 2 BST edition 270 may be tempted to complain since the production numbers of the limited-edition car they bought have effectively doubled. (It has happened before in the world of collector’s editions.) On the other hand, the new edition 230 starts at $80,900—$4000 more than the former. 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

After months of hyping up its reveal, Dodge finally announced the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.The Demon 170 carries a starting price of $100,361 after destination fees and the federal gas-guzzler tax.Dodge is only planning to make around 3000 Demon 170s between production starting in July, and the curtain closing on V-8 Hellcat engines in December.It’s been roughly seven months since Dodge announced the first of the “Last Call” Chargers and Challengers, and the company finally revealed the seventh—along with its pricing. Dodge couldn’t help itself when deciding on pricing for the Demon, which carries a base price of $96,666 (get it?), before destination fees and the gas-guzzler tax are accounted for. Add $1595 for shipping, and the $2100 gas-guzzler tax brings the actual base price of the new Demon to $100,361. If you recoiled at the thought of spending $100,000 on a Challenger, you probably aren’t alone, but the new Demon makes up for the high price with a four-figure horsepower rating and the necessary chops to go racing. Dodge did a lot of tinkering with the Hellcat during production, and accidentally blew up seven engines, according to CEO Tim Kuniskis. The work paid off, with the new Demon making 1025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque in the correct setup. Freeing up the full capability of the Demon 170 requires a mixture of E85 flex fuel, but the Demon produces an impressive 900 horsepower and 810 pound-feet on standard pump gasoline. DodgeDespite carrying such a large price tag, the Demon 170 has options. Just like the old Demon, the 170 comes standard with a single, cloth-covered driver’s seat. Adding a passenger seat in the former ran $1. The car we sat in ahead of its reveal had two front bucket seats, both covered in available nappa leather, while the rest of the interior mirrored every other standard Hellcat Challenger. An $11,495 set of aluminum and carbon-fiber wheels is available. The upgraded wheels share the same design as the standard set but save a combined 25 pounds. We know that Dodge has a street-tire package available as well, but we don’t have pricing for it. Production is scheduled to begin this July, and will be limited to some figure under 3300. Dodge hopes to build up to 3000 for the U.S. and 300 for Canada before production ends on December 31.More on Demons and HellcatsThis 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