Motor News

For 2024, BMW gives the X5 M and X6 M new powertrains, updated looks, and giant dash-mounted displays.The 2024 X5 M and X6 M are now Competition only, pairing BMW’s latest twin-turbo V-8 with a 48-volt hybrid system.Matching their new-look front ends are redesigned dashboards with curved displays running the brand’s iDrive 8 infotainment software.Hybrid technology is continuing to propagate across BMW’s sacred M lineup. Perhaps to ease the inevitable proliferation into the iconic M3 and M5 sedans, the 2024 X5 M SUV and its hunchbacked counterpart, the X6 M, are the first of the brand’s highest-performance vehicles to adopt a 48-volt electrical system, which is also part of a comprehensive mid-cycle refresh.New Kind of CompetitionPreviously, the BMW X5 M and X6 M were offered with an individual Competition package that brought an extra 17 horsepower, a rowdier exhaust note, and larger-diameter rear wheels and tires—among other bits. For 2024, both models are now only available in Competition guise, meaning all that performance-enhancing hardware becomes standard.At their heart remains a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8. However, it has been heavily revised. BMW says the new S68 engine features myriad changes intended to make it more responsive and efficient than its predecessor. Peak output remains the same at 617 horses and 553 pound-feet of torque, but it’s now supplemented by an electric motor added to the eight-speed automatic transmission. The motor generates 12 hp and 148 pound-feet, with the 48-volt system also acting as a starter-generator.The transmission itself includes better cooling components and new gear ratios. Along with a wider ratio spread than before, the first three gears are now shorter. Despite all these powertrain changes, BMW doesn’t expect the ’24 X5 M or X6 M to be any quicker than the year before. Both are still claimed to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. BMW does expect them to produce fewer engine emissions thanks to new catalytic converters. Official EPA ratings have yet to be announced.BMWBMWOther mechanical changes to the X5 M and X6 M include revised dampers and rear-suspension tweaks intended to improve high-speed stability. BMW also says both SUV bodies are now more rigid due to additional bracing. Both M utes still have standard all-wheel drive and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear diff, but they can now work independently of the stability-control system.M SUVs Get a Nose JobWhile BMW’s latest design language is arguably the most divisive it’s ever been, the brand appears to avoid the brunt of the backlash with its facelifts of the X5 M and X6 M. Instead of giving them the polarizing pig nostrils worn by the four-door M3 and two-door M4, or the alien-looking arrangement seen on the X7 SUV and 7-series sedan, the M-badged mid-size SUVs have a less offensive nose job. Of course, we’re sure some people will still find ways to be offended.The front of the X5 M and X6 M now features narrower headlights with arrow-shaped accents that double as daytime running lights and turn signals. Their black kidney grilles gain horizontal slats, and the nameplate badge is larger than before. A black section now frames the grille as well as the one below it in the front bumper, creating an X-like shape. A different set of air intakes on either side contribute to the nose job.Out back, the X5 M and X6 M add taillights that echo the X motif up front. That and lower vertical reflectors constitute the rear changes for 2024. BMW also adds more metallic paint options that include Isle of Man Green as well as Brooklyn Grey and Frozen Pure Grey.A Step Up In TechFor those who don’t already know, BMW is retrofitting a giant curved screen into models that currently don’t have it, which up until now included the X5 M and X6 M. The setup combines a 12.3-inch gauge cluster with a 14.9-inch touchscreen under one piece of glass. The infotainment system supports the company’s iDrive 8 software, which provides diverse interaction controls along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The curved display takes up most of the real estate on top of the dashboard and brings a redesigned layout. The latter applies to the slimmer HVAC vents and a new ambient light strip with a crystal-like texture. The lighting element is customizable and can even alert the user of an incoming call. Other changes inside the X5 M and X6 M include new carbon-fiber paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel. Carbon fiber is also the default interior trim, but it can be replaced with wood elements.The 2024 BMW X5 M starts at $123,295. That’s $4100 more than a ’23 model with the Competition package, but it also includes a host of notable updates. The 2024 X6 M starts at $128,195—a $4200 increase versus before. Both models are slated to start production in April and will likely go on sale sometime this summer.BMW Bonus Coverage!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. More

Hyundai has announced pricing for the 2023 Ioniq 6, an electric sedan based on the same platform as the Ioniq 5.It starts at $42,715 for the Standard Range model and ranges up to $57,215 for a loaded Limited Long Range with the dual-motor AWD powertrain.The Ioniq 6 will go on sale this spring, with the Standard Range arriving in the summer.Although the number in its name is bigger, the MSRP number on the Hyundai Ioniq 6’s window sticker is smaller than its Ioniq 5 sibling’s. The new electric sedan starts at $42,715 and ranges up to $57,215, slotting in just below the Ioniq 5 crossover and offering a similar lineup that includes Standard Range, Long Range, single- and dual-motor configurations and SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels.The existence of the base SE Standard Range model is news to us, as Hyundai hadn’t previously said it would offer a version of the Ioniq 6 in the U.S. with the smaller 53.0-kWh battery pack. It comes only in a single-motor configuration with a 149-hp electric motor, and offers an estimated range of 240 miles.More on Hyundai EVsStarting at $46,615, the SE RWD Long Range is the Ioniq 6 that achieves the longest estimated range of the lineup, at 361 miles. It has 18-inch wheels, a 225-hp electric motor, and a 77.4-kWh battery pack. The better-equipped $48,815 SEL and $53,715 Limited have a lower range estimate of 305 miles owing to their 20-inch wheels and likely their heavier weight.Adding the more powerful, 320-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup to the SE, SEL, or Limited trim levels costs an extra $3500. In the SE trim, choosing the AWD configuration drops the range estimate to 316 miles, while the AWD SEL and Limited models have the lowest range estimates of the bunch, at 270 miles on a charge.Hyundai says that Ioniq 6 models will start arriving at U.S. dealerships in the spring, with the Standard Range car arriving a bit later, over the summer.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. More

The Cadillac XT4 is getting a long-awaited facelift which includes restyled front and rear fascias and updated LED running lights.The interior is also updated and is designed around a 33-inch curved LED touchscreen display.The refresh also adds revised 18- and 20-inch wheel designs, as well as three new exterior paint colors. The 2024 XT4 is scheduled to go on sale this summer, with production to take place at GM’s Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas.As the XT4 SUV rounds the corner on its sixth birthday, Cadillac is giving it a long-awaited facelift. The front end of the car is new, with a redesigned grille and distinctive vertical running lights similar to those on other Cadillac models. Changes to the rear are more subtle, with Cadillac moving reflectors and reshaping the rear bumper.More CadillacChanges to the interior of the XT4 are highlighted by the 33-inch curved LED touchscreen display spanning from the dash in front of the driver to the edge of the passenger side of the dashboard. The XT4 adopts the screen straight from the Lyriq and runs Cadillac’s latest infotainment interface—which is based on Google’s Android Automotive software—and features wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Audiophiles and tech enthusiasts should be sated by the addition of a 13-speaker AKG stereo system as an optional extra, and the upgrade of the XT4’s onboard Wi-Fi hotspot to 5G.A new lineup of 18- and 20-inch wheel designs is available, as are three new exterior paint options: Emerald Lake Metallic, Midnight Sky Metallic and Deep Sea Metallic. Interior styling changes based on selected trim, ranging from piano-black plastics in the Luxury trim, to carbon fiber, wood or aluminum in the Premium Luxury and Sport trims. Mechanically the 2024 XT4 remains unchanged. The little Caddy is powered by the same turbocharged four-cylinder producing 235 horsepower, no matter the trim, and still pairs with the same nine-speed automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel-drive systems as the outgoing model. During our acceleration test on a 2019 XT4 Sport, the subcompact took a lackluster 7.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, leaving it far behind class competitors like the BMW X1 or Mercedes-Benz GLB250. Cadillac hasn’t revealed pricing figures yet, but we expect a small bump from the current model to bring the Luxury trim starting around $38,000 and the top two trims starting closer to the $42,000 mark. The new XT4 is scheduled to go on sale this summer, with production taking place at GM’s Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas. 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. More

For kids of all ages with money to burn, may we interest you in some incredibly detailed 1:32-scale custom slot car tracks?Slot Mods Racing has produced plenty of real-world-inspired slot car tracks, but the company’s latest brings together The Blues Brothers, Animal House, Mad Magazine, and other pop culture icons to the small stage.These customer tracks start at $75,000 and come with hand-built tracks, scenery and people, and six cars to race with.Some people have all the fun. One such person appears to be David Beattie, the founder of Slot Mods Racing, a company that hand-builds bespoke 1:32-scale wooden raceways. We’ve featured his modified slot car tracks before, but his latest creation deserves a fresh look.Normal—if we can use the word—Slot Mods Raceways tracks are designed to mimic the look and feel of real-world race tracks. The team calls these Custom Scenic Megatracks and has created a 10-foot diameter Pebble Beach raceway and a 9-by-15-foot Lotman Laguna Raceway, for example. Because of space limitations, the scale versions of real-world tracks that Slot Mods creates “are built to the “spirit” rather than being a perfect replica,” the company said. The newest Slot Mods track couldn’t be modeled on anything that exists in the real world and instead takes inspiration from a dive deep into decades-old pop culture.Called the Mad Cave Raceway, this new track combines famous movie scenes including the float parade gone haywire scene from Animal House and references to The Blues Brothers alongside billboards for Mad Magazine and Spy vs. Spy. Beattie posted on LinkedIn that Evil Knievel and John Belushi also make appearances. A childhood’s worth of enjoyment is now contained in a model slot car universe. Some people have all the fun.More from the Same MakerSlot Mods’ Custom Scenic Megatracks are not cheap, with the custom builds starting at $75,000. The final price is based on size, complexity, and scenic elements, and if that’s too rich for your blood, the company offers a six-by-12-foot Standard Scenic Raceway basic offering that starts at $50,000. If you just want to focus on racing slot cars and not as much on the landscape they’re racing in, Slot Mods offers a four-by-eight-foot flat-pack Origins Series raceway. 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.But the real fun here is in the (admittedly expensive) customization. While the standard Megatrack components including cars, scenery and buildings – are built to 1:32 scale, 1:24-scale cars can also be used. Each Megatrack comes standard with hand-painted wooden tracks, as well as “period-correct grandstands, structures, signs and advertising banners, aluminum Armco railing, hand-carved and painted landscaping, shrubs and trees, lap timing system and PC tablet, slot car controllers, variable power supply, LED base lighting, and six slot cars,” according to the company’s FAQ. You can also add external LCD monitors, tablet computer controllers, and POV-in-car cameras.The Mad Cave Raceway proves that the FAQ needs at least one update. The page currently says Slot Mods would like to be able to offer custom-made slot cars in the future, but we can’t help but notice that scale Cake Float car zipping between Ray’s Music Exchange and signs showing Alfred E. Neuman. Fun times.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. More

Porsche has been talking about it since last fall, but now it has officially released this limited-edition car with the impressive name of 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS.Since the car to which it pays tribute is already special, this is . . . extra special?It will be on display to the public at the 12 Hours of Sebring in mid-March and reach customers starting in “a few weeks,” Porsche said. Porsche just pulled the sheet on the first production version of its newest special edition, the 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS package. Which is a mouthful, but when you really break it down is a special edition (RS), of a special edition (GT3), of one of our favorite sports cars. To say this is extra special isn’t incorrect.Related StoriesUnlike the 50-year-old 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from which this draws inspiration, there isn’t any extra performance for this 518-hp GT3 RS. Underneath the Python Green on white livery is a GT3 RS with the Weissach package. The Weissach package nets some exposed carbon fiber (can be painted at customer’s request), lightweight magnesium wheels (painted green here), carbon-fiber anti-roll bars and rear shear plate, and magnesium shift paddles. And that’s in addition to the active aerodynamics, wider tires, and its highly adjustable suspension, in addition to a host of other modifications that the non-Weissach GT3 RSs have. Inside you’ll find Python Green stitching and illuminated doorsill guards that read, “Tribute to Carrera RS.” The package also includes some RS-branded valve stems, custom license plate frames, a Porsche Design watch, and a pair of 1:43 scale models, one of the 2023 GT3 RS and one of the Carrera RS.Porsche foreshadowed this production tribute at the GT3 RS’s reveal last August. But we have now had it officially confirmed that the tribute package will ring in at $314,000, not including a gas-guzzler tax in an amount to be named later. That’s $55,230 more than an “off the shelf” GT3 RS with Weissach, if such a thing even exists. 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. More

The 2004 Land Rover Discovery II came standard with a 217-hp 4.6-liter V-8 and four-speed automatic transmission.This Disco that’s up for auction on Bring a Trailer, however, relies on a 5.3-liter V-8 from a Chevy for motivation. It mates to a six-speed automatic transmission.The auction ends on February 24, and bids have already eclipsed five figures.Car and DriverIt’s no Toyota Prius, but this 2004 Land Rover Discovery II is a hybrid. Don’t bother looking for any electric drive motors or high-capacity batteries, though, because this Disco’s not a gasoline-electric hybrid, but a manufacturing one. You see, this British box no longer relies on the 217-hp 4.6-liter V-8 it left the factory with. Instead, it utilizes a good old American General Motors mill from a Chevrolet.Related StoriesBring a Trailer doesn’t share the specific Chevy this Rover’s Vortec 5.3-liter V-8—or LC9 to you GM nerds—was plucked from. We presume the engine, which was factory rated to produce north of 300 horsepower, came out of a Tahoe or Suburban from the late 2000s or early-to-mid 2010s. Then again, it may have come from one of the bow-tie brand’s full-size pickups of that era. Bring a TrailerDoes it really matter what kind of Chevy this engine once pushed around, though? Why dwell on the past, when you can look toward the future?Oh, and what a potentially frustrating and fun future this near-20-year-old Disco holds for the winner of this auction. We won’t sugarcoat it; this vintage of Discovery, much like Land Rover’s in general, is no poster child for reliability. In theory, the Vortec V-8 and the 6L80E six-speed automatic ought to give this off-road-ready rig a shot at reliably running around town or motoring about off-tarmac; however, the reality is that Discos of this period often suffer from non-powertrain-related issues, too. While the LC9 and 6L80E engine and transmission are reliable workhorses, this reputation may fail to carry over to this Rover if the individual or shop responsible for its heart transplant cut corners somewhere. That said, there’s no indication of this based on the information and images provided to Bring a Trailer. Bring a TrailerWe hope this Discovery is as good as it looks, and that the winning bidder encounters next-to-know frustrations and instead manages to simply have fun pushing the limits of this machine’s off-road capability. Even in its factory form, the 2004 Discovery II was never a slouch off the beaten path, but the myriad of upgrades made to this body-on-frame SUV surely makes it an even better tool for traversing the unknown. This includes the likes of a four-inch lift, aftermarket front and rear bumpers that ought to improve this Disco’s front and rear departure angles, and 16-inch Terrafirma wheels wrapped in beefy Nitto Ridge Grappler tires.If you were hoping to score this Discovery II for cheap, then you better think again. Although this auction may still have plenty of time left until it closes on February 24, it’s generated enough interest that bidding on this Land Rover has already eclipsed five figures. We may not call this 2004 Discovery II a bargain, but this British-American hybrid is still a toy worthy of a spot in our hearts.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. More

A 2021 McLaren Elva with no windshield is up for auction on Bring a Trailer until Thursday, February 23.The limited-production Elva was also offered with a windshield, but this example was ordered in the coolest spec—without one.The Elva’s missing glass barrier is offset by a deployable deflector that directs air and debris over the cockpit, but it’s unlikely to be 100 percent effective.Car and DriverCan you imagine hundreds of ultra-rich people insane enough to spend $1.7 million on an 804-hp V-8–powered roadster without a windshield? Well, they exist, because 399 McLaren Elvas were built and sold around the globe, some of which had front glass in order to be road legal. Still, it would be great to be one of the lucky sons of guns who own an open-cockpit version. And here’s an opportunity: there’s a windshield-less 2021 Elva currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. Bring a TrailerThe Elva on BaT still has five days left until the bidding ends, and the latest offer is within spitting distance of its nearly $1.7 million starting price, suggesting that when the auction closes on Thursday, February 23, the 37-mile example will sell for more than what the original owner paid, which was $1,789,572, according to the listing.More DetailsWhat is so intriguing about a seven-figure hypercar that literally offers no physical protection from, say, a bird strike or—more likely—stray rocks shot from an 18-wheeler? Simply put, it’s because it provides a one-of-a-kind driving experience, not to mention it looks like nothing else on the road. Okay, other open-cockpit exotics like the Aston Martin V12 Speedster and Ferrari Monza exist, but neither seemingly made it to America. Bring a TrailerWe shared extensive driving impressions in our review. While McLaren incorporated a deployable deflector on the hood that’s designed to direct air and debris over the cockpit, it’s unlikely that it’s 100 percent effective. How can it be when the Elva is said to reach a top speed of 203 mph? One solution would be to wear a full-face helmet whenever doing anything more strenuous than parading around town letting everyone know you come from money.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerThe windshield issue aside, who can resist Elva’s crazy design? It looks like something the inventor of Hot Wheels would use as their daily driver. The fact that McLaren claims the mid-engine/rear-drive two-seater weighs less than 3000 pounds and hits 60 mph in under 3.0 seconds makes it even more desirable.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. More

The 2023 Chevy Colorado is an exceptional truck. With class-leading capability, good pricing, and a fully redesigned cabin, it’s my favorite mid-size truck. But that new interior has one strange compromise: There’s no physical control for the truck’s lights.To turn them on or off, the driver has to open a submenu in the truck’s standard 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display. Since the truck has automatic lights, you shouldn’t need to do that often. But when you’re on a windy two-lane and reach a “Daylight Headlight Section,” you’ll have to fiddle with the touchscreen rather than flicking a switch. And if that infotainment system fails, you’ll lose the ability to control your lights. “The main thing is, one, we understand that most customers put their vehicle[‘s lights] on auto,” Nick Katcherian, the chief engineer of the new Colorado, told Road & Track. “And, fun fact, I learned in the rain yesterday that, if your windshield wipers are on, your lights turn on as well. So we’re looking at trying to conserve space and we have the opportunity to virtualize a lot of our switches, so we really have just taken advantage of that opportunity with our new infotainment system.” Chevy says removing the switch freed up space, but there’s quite a bit of free real estate here.Mack HoganKatcherian says he isn’t concerned about bugs or issues with the light control, even though we imagine some work truck owners might be skeptical. According to the engineer, the legal requirement to make the headlight switch always available means that the light control module loads on top of the rest of the infotainment system. More Colorado”There’s no such thing as bugging in a way that won’t give you the option to turn the headlights on and off.” Katcherian claims that his team removed all possible bugs from the infotainment system. He also noted that in the long term, software-based switches can help add features to vehicles after they’re sold or support optional add-ons. “So I think you’ll see kind of a transition from more physical switches to more virtual switches overall, because it gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of what you can update and how you can update them in the future,” Katcherian said. More