Motor News

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 owner Marco Garcia hasn’t had an ideal experience with his mid-engine sports car thus far. After traveling just 52 miles in the car after taking delivery, the Z06’s 5.5-liter LT6 V-8 engine failed, leaving Garcia stuck on the side of the highway. After his initial videos related to the event caught the attention of fans online, GM has opted to make the situation right. Garcia says the car will be repaired free of charge.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.I ❤️ my C8 Z06 again, but she needs some TLC.Watch onThis Z06 fiasco began back on December 23, when Garcia purchased the black-over-black Z06 from Covina Hills Chevrolet in Covina, California. Garcia paid $182,457.38 for the car, a price bolstered by nearly $50,ooo in dealer markups. Following the purchase process, a dealership employee offered to follow Garcia back home in the C8 Stingray he arrived to purchase the Z06 in. The pair dropped the modified Stingray off at Garcia’s construction yard before the two jumped into the Z06 and headed back to the dealer. After returning the employee, Garcia began his trek home. That didn’t last long before the engine let go in a cacophony of smoke and stressed metallic sounds. Garcia walked into town to get some charge on his phone, which led to a calamity with OnStar. That continued on day two, as the Z06 was “too new” to appear in the OnStar warranty system. Good News and Bad NewsThe whole situation left Garcia with a bad taste in his mouth at first, with the new Z06 owner initially noting in now deleted YouTube videos that he was done with the car. Things changed once GM corporate stepped in and got in contact with Garcia. The automaker acknowledged the issue and gave Garcia three options. His choices were to get a full refund, have the car repaired for free, or spec an entirely new Z06 to replace his faulty unit. Garcia originally bought the car to enjoy and modify, and he wasn’t ready to let the LT6-powered car go after less than a day of proper ownership. A new Z06 would take about six months to build, and GM estimated a wait of just two months for the necessary parts to repair the car. Garcia ultimately opted for the repairs, which came with a Platinum Protection Plan from GM tossed in. That plan covers the car bumper to bumper for 100,000 miles, which should bring some peace of mind when the new engine is installed. Garcia chose to remove his earlier videos following the conversation with GM. It’s unclear if that was requested by the automaker. Nobody should have to go through the new-car experience that Garcia faced with his Z06. Let’s hope this particular LT6 engine gets a full teardown, so Z06 enthusiasts can get the full story on what happened with this faulty car.DW Burnett More

Seeking to preserve its heritage for a greener future, Toyota just unveiled two restomodded classic 1980s hatchbacks at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, one powered by hydrogen, the other a pure battery EV.The Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno are both Japan-market variants of the sporty yet economical Corolla GT-S that was sold in the U.S.These cars were lightweight but low on power, and they are commonly known by their chassis code, AE86. While simple and relatively low-tech, these rear-wheel-drive machines became pop-culture icons in the 1990s thanks in part to the popular anime series Initial D.If asked to list Toyota’s most important heritage vehicles, you might jot down the mighty twin-turbo Mk IV Supra, the unkillable Hilux pickup truck, the wafting Toyota Century (Japan’s only production V-12), or perhaps the million-dollar 2000GT. However, the most famous Toyota of all time is an underpowered hatchback with pop-up headlights and a speed warning chime that comes on if you exceed 64 mph. At this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota moved to preserve the heritage of this little car, building a pair of restomods at great expense: one powered by liquid hydrogen, the other with a battery and electric motor.Out of context, Toyota’s efforts seem a little like GM’s engineers showed up and said, “Good news, everyone, we’ve saved the Chevette for future generations!” However, the Corolla Levin and (more important) Sprinter Trueno shown off this week are far more than mere sporty commuters. In North America, these cars were sold as the Corolla GT-S, and they had a small but enthusiastic following. In Japan, they were known by their chassis code—AE86 or hachiroku, Japanese for eight-six—and they were rock stars.Then and NowThat hero worship didn’t arrive immediately. The fifth-generation Corolla arrived in 1983 with rear-wheel drive, not because that was the fun option, but as a carryover from the 1970s, when the front-wheel-drive Civic was the exception to the rule. For the 1984 model year, Toyota stuffed in a twin-cam 1.6-liter engine shared with the first-generation MR2 and fitted a five-speed manual gearbox. In Japan, the car was sold as the Corolla Levin (with fixed headlights) or the Sprinter Trueno (pop-up headlights, same as the U.S. Corolla GT-S).AE86s made for popular race and rally cars, for the same reasons that the first- and second-generation Ford Escorts were popular in Europe. An 86 was cheap, it was easy to hammer back together after a shunt, and the handling was lively. One of the engineers during development was Nobukai Katayama, who came from a background in Toyota Motorsport, so the 86 had been bred to transcend its humble roots.Pardon Us While We Veer into a Discussion of MangaEven so, we’re talking about a car with scarcely 128 horsepower on high-octane JDM fuel. Where the AE86 really came into its own was in manga, the serialized graphic novels that are ubiquitous in Japan.Created by Shuichi Shigeno, Initial D tells the story of a naturally skilled driver getting into the illegal street racing scene around the fictional Mount Akina. Shigeno based the manga around his first car—a Sprinter Trueno, which he still owns after more than 25 years—and wove in a tale of disaffected youth in post-bubble-economy Japan, cold nights and hot turbochargers, drift battles on narrow mountain roads. Basically, think Japan’s American Graffiti, but with Skylines and RX-7s.The hero of the story, Takumi Fujiwara, battles his way to the top of the pile despite driving an underdog Sprinter Trueno. That car, painted “panda” black and white and bearing the name of the Fujiwara tofu shop, is now easily the most famous car in Japanese culture. Regrettably, the explosion of popularity in drift culture and Initial D’s rising overseas popularity means that many AE86s have been written off. That makes the survivors valuable.Further, the notoriety of the hachiroku is sufficient for Toyota to both name its Subaru collaboration after it—hence, GR86—and to try to make sure that the AE86 will still be on the road long after the last fuel pump closes.Now Back to CorollasTo that end, these two Corollas have been futureproofed with alternative powertrains. The Corolla Levin has been fitted with the electric motor out of a Tundra hybrid, with a Prius-sourced lithium-ion battery. Power is around a lowly 50 horsepower, but torque is plentiful at above 180 pound-feet. The standard five-speed couldn’t handle the twist, so Toyota swapped in the six-speed out of a GR86. Engineers were quick to point out that donuts were most definitely on the menu.The Sprinter Trueno retained its twin-cam 4A-GE engine but was converted with Mirai parts to run on liquid hydrogen. Toyota already ran a current Corolla converted to hydrogen power in last year’s Fuji Super TEC 24-hour endurance race. In this case, the 4A-GE’s antiquated engine management saw a drop in power over stock, but the car still runs, drives, and drifts.The best part of both machines is that the weight penalty is minimal. EV swapping a conventional ICE-powered car often blunts the character, but Toyota’s proof of concepts are still sub-2200 pounds. With both also being manual-transmission, perhaps there’s hope for the lightweight sports car yet.For fans of the AE86, both machines are proof that Toyota actually cares about the enthusiasts in the audience. We know that the company will sell more examples of the Corolla Cross than they ever did AE86s. Even so, the plucky hachiroku is an important part of the Toyota story. Long may it reign. More

Tesla announced large price cuts for its U.S. vehicles today, with the biggest drop affecting the base Model Y. The entry-level EV costs $13,000 less today than it was yesterday (a 20 percent drop), and it should also now qualify for a $7500 federal tax credit.Tesla also reduced the prices of its vehicles in Europe, where its lowest-cost Model 3 is now about the same price as the VW ID.3.China-market prices were cut as well earlier this month, and people there have been protesting the cuts, even staging protests over the weekend demanding some money back. The company did not respond to that request.First, some tidbits to set the stage. At the end of 2022, the price of new cars in the U.S. finally started moving downward. Only a little, but it was the reversal of a trend. Also, last year, electric vehicle sales made up 5.8 percent of all vehicles sold, up from 3.2 percent in 2021. Finally, Tesla’s share of those EV sales dropped from 72 percent in 2021 to 65 in 2022, and the automaker did not hit Wall Street’s delivery estimates for last year. There’s also the matter of Tesla’s recent falling stock price.EV Market Finding Its WayJust how all those facts impacted Tesla’s decision this week to take a big red marker to some price tags isn’t something we want to speculate about, but it’s worth having context when learning that Tesla made dramatic cuts to the MSRP of its vehicles this week. The automaker cut between 6 and 20 percent off its prices, with the biggest discount going to the Model Y. The entry-level Model Y got a $13,000 (20 percent) price cut and now starts at $54,630. This brings us to another related tidbit: the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that changed the federal tax incentive structure for EVs has a new maximum price limit for passenger cars in order for them to qualify. That limit? $55,000. The IRA made other changes to the rules, which means that Tesla EVs can qualify again, at least until March.Tesla Model Y.TeslaU.S. Prices Return to Pre-2022 LevelsIn the U.S., all Tesla models cost less today than they did earlier this week, and the discounts mean the price for a new, 2023 Tesla has returned to about where it was before the company made two notable price increases in 2022. Tesla also cut prices of the Model 3 and Model Y in some European countries (Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the UK, according to CNBC. The price cuts bring the Model 3 to roughly the same price as the ID.3, Volkswagen’s entry-level EV, in those markets.Customers Mad about Sudden Price Cuts in ChinaEarlier this month, Tesla cut prices in China. As you might suspect, people who recently purchased a new EV from the company are not happy. Last weekend, hundreds of Tesla owners protested at Tesla showrooms across the country, Reuters reported. Tesla EV prices there are between 13 and 24 percent lower than they were in September. Protestors chanted, “Return the money, refund our cars,” in one protest captured on video. Police were involved in monitoring the protests in some cities, even facilitating a meeting between protestors and Tesla staff, Reuters said, but there was no public announcement about offering refunds or any other benefit to people who recently paid for something that costs a lot less today.Since it doesn’t have a dealer network, Tesla can’t hide behind any dealer markups when it comes to price changes. Given the global nature of the cuts, there should be plenty of interest in the EV automaker’s delivery numbers when Tesla is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter 2022 results later this month. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Mitsubishi showed off seven outdoor-inspired vehicles at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, most of which won’t be available in the United States. The Japanese automaker displayed a mix of all-electric kei cars and large SUVs with Ralliart dealer-installed accessories.An Outlander Vision concept featured a more powerful plug-in-hybrid powertrain with big wheels, brakes, and a wider stance that made the three-row SUV look aggressive and intimidating.While Mitsubishi’s lineup here in the U.S. is barely large enough to rub together to start a fire, its selection of kei cars and Delica minivans available in Japan flourishes. Seven vehicles debuted at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, ranging from an all-electric concept to a plug-in-hybrid Outlander with all-terrain tires and a roof-mounted tent canopy. More Stories About the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon and Mitsubishi:The K-EV concept X Style is Mitsubishi’s next-generation all-electric kei car, or compact city car. While it’s not something that’s available here, the K-EV is interesting because of the way its toaster-like shape maximizes space in a small package. The copper-colored roof is meant to honor the complex guts of the electric motor that drives it. The Japanese government regulates the exterior dimensions, horsepower, and displacement of these cute-size kei cars. Think Mitsubishi Mirage, but slightly smaller and better looking. Due to those regulations, this concept uses smaller hardware including 15-inch wheels bolted to hubs with just four lugs. Mitsubishi K-EV Concept X StyleMitsubishiThe Delica, which hasn’t been on sale in the U.S. since the 1990s, is still offered in the Japan market as a compact minivan. The Delica D:5 Tough x Tough for the Tokyo salon is fitted with Ralliart accessories that don’t quite transform it into the Hulk but add a lifted suspension, 16-inch wheels, bumper guards, and a rooftop tent. While it might look more like a lunchbox next to a camp-ready Toyota Tundra, the Delica’s second and third rows can be folded flat to allow for sleeping and essentially turn this minivan into a double-decker tent.Mitsubishi Delica D:5 Tough x ToughMitsubishiOn the especially funky side of Mitsubishi’s exhibit is this Minicab-MiEV B-Leisure kei car. The spirit of self-sustainability is alive in this one-person metal tent, built with a flat load floor, table, and chair for remote work. The Minicab also acts as a power supply to power kitchen appliances such as a kettle or a coffeepot while being able to keep a laptop from running out of juice. Maybe it’s not as impressive as an electric Ford F-150 Lightning that can power an entire home, but it would still be useful for the casual camper. Thanks to its electric drivetrain, the rear-drive Minicab is also especially quiet so as not to wake other campers or disturb the peace around it.Mitsubishi Minicab-MiEV B-Leisure StyleMitsubishiMitsubishi also showed a handful of vehicles that are also available here in the U.S. A Ralliart Outlander plug-in-hybrid SUV and the smaller Eclipse Cross highlighted a subtle appearance package. The Ralliart accessory catalog that provides an homage to the legendary motorsports division offers a fun selection of rally-inspired bits and pieces. Ralliart decals, bright mud flaps, and tailgate spoilers can be added as dealer-installed options—if you’re shopping in Japan, that is.A less dramatic Outlander was also shown in Black Diamond paint with camping accessories from Ogawa, the Japanese outdoor brand. A roof basket, trailer hitch, and additional camping accessories help get this PHEV ready for any neck of the woods, but the white-letter Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires help signify its specialty. If you’ve wondered what the Outlander might look like after taking a creatine supplement for a few months, the Vision Ralliart concept solves that mystery. More ground clearance, massive JDM wheels, and a dramatic rear diffuser attempt to match this sport-tuned SUV’s intentions. Mitsubishi says the Ralliart concept has additional horsepower and larger brake discs clamped by huge six-piston front calipers. The huge 22-inch wheels and wider Yokohama Advan Sport performance tires give the Outlander a more aggressive look and stance. A new front fascia and wider fenders make the Outlander look nearly as intimidating as a Lexus LX F Sport. Open GalleryWe hope some of these accessories and excitement inside Mitsubishi’s exhibit at the Tokyo Auto Salon will translate into something fun on our side of this giant rock. Until then, outdoorsy Outlander enjoyers will be forced to add accessories to their SUV the old-fashioned way: with a couple of self-taping screws and way too many trips to Harbor Freight. 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

Lexus revealed four concepts at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, including modified versions of the RZ, RX, GX, and an updated ROV concept from 2022.The RZ Sport concept brings motorsports-inspired bodywork to Lexus’s first EV, as well as a more powerful rear motor.The RX and GX Outdoor concepts are fitted with rooftop tents and tons of off-road goodies; the repainted ROV rides on airless tires.Lexus has brought four flashy concepts to the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, which opened today in Japan’s capital city. The concepts use Lexus’s SUV lineup as a canvas, showing off what the company’s high-riding vehicles could look like with an array of aftermarket parts bolted on.LexusLexusThe RZ Sport concept is based on the Japanese brand’s first EV, due to arrive in the United States early this year, and brings exaggerated bodywork. Two carbon-fiber wings protrude from the roof and trunk while the aggressive front end features blue accents and massive vents carved out of the hood and fenders. The RZ has also been lowered by 1.4 inches, with aero blades channeling the airflow behind the black 21-inch Volk Racing wheels shod with 295/35 rubber. The changes are more than skin-deep, with the rear electric motor upgraded to match the 201-hp front motor, boosting combined output from the standard 308 horsepower to 402. Front and rear bucket seats complete the motorsport-inspired changes. LexusLexus also revealed three adventure-ready concepts. The RX Outdoor concept, built off of the new RX 450h+, gains an aluminum skid plate, LED spotlights in the front bumper, and an aluminum roof rack supporting a rooftop tent. The custom black 18-inch Rays wheels wrapped in 265/60 off-road tires are matched with black trim across the crossover’s expressive bodywork. More on LexusThe RX Outdoor is joined by the ROV Concept 2, an updated version of the side-by-side revealed early last year. The ROV is mechanically unchanged, still powered by an innovative 1.0-liter inline-three burning compressed hydrogen gas, but now the buggy has been repainted the same tan “Regolith” color as the RX concept and rides on unique airless tires. LexusFinally, the GX Outdoor concept takes the GX 460 SUV and adds a roof rack carrying a tent, supply containers, and a Rigid light bar. A Warn electrical winch and LED lighting have been fitted to the front bumper, which also adds a skid plate. Rocker panel guards protect the beautiful green paint, and the GX rides on customized suspension by Australian firm Old Man Emu. Off-road-oriented 275/65 Toyo Tires round out the changes for this special GX. 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

Nissan unveiled the 2024 GT-R at the Tokyo Auto Salon on Thursday, showing off another facelift for the 16-year-old sports coupe. Nissan is bringing back the T-spec, along with Millenium Jade and Midnight Purple paint colors. The 600-hp Nismo gets a new rear wing, which has grown by 10 percent, along with a unique carbon appearance package, it also earns a front limited-slip differential for the first time. Nissan pulled back the cover of the 2024 GT-R at the Tokyo Auto Salon on Thursday, with new (old) paint options, revised aerodynamics, and other minor improvements for the R35 generation that has remained largely unchanged over its 16-year lifespan. The Premium and T-spec have the same 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque from the hand-assembled twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6, and the upgraded Nismo variant continues to tune those figures up to 600 horsepower and 487 pound-feet. Power is still sent to all four wheels through the standard ATTESA ET-S all-wheel-drive system which can vary its front-rear torque split depending on driver preference and scenario. Shifting continues to occur via the rear-mounted six-speed dual-clutch transmission.Tales of GodzillaThe front and rear fascias have been redesigned, with the GT-R now using a thinner mesh in the front grille that’s meant to improve cooling and reduce drag. Despite a reported increase in downforce, Nissan was able to keep the GT-R’s coefficient of drag completely unchanged at 0.26.The T-spec trim level returns for 2024. It comes in two exclusive colors. The first, Millenium Jade, was previously only available on the R34 V-Spec II Nür, while the second, Midnight Purple, is a modern take on the Midnight Purple III from the R-34 GT-R V-Spec, according to Nissan. The T-spec also receives carbon-ceramic brakes from the Nismo, as well as wider front fenders, Nismo dynamic vehicle control, and a gold-painted version of the RAYS 20-inch forged Nismo wheels. It has unique T-spec badging inside and out and comes with dark Mori Green upholstery inside.The track-focused Nismo variant of the GT-R once again has wider tires, six-piston front brake calipers, four-piston rear calipers, carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and a host of other carbon goodies. The rear wing of the Nismo is roughly 10 percent larger than before and sits on swan-neck supports. The Nismo team also redesigned the font lip, rear diffuser, and canards in an effort to increase downforce without hampering drag. A new Nismo appearance package is available with exclusive red-accented RAYS forged 20-inch wheels, a carbon-fiber hood, and an exclusive engine cover design. A Stealth Gray paint option is exclusive to the Nismo trim. Nissan is planning to ship the newest Godzilla cars to dealerships in the spring, though if you are after the more focused Nismo, you will have to wait until the summer. There’s no word on pricing yet, but current models start at $115,435 for the Premium and $212,635 for the Nismo. 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 Tokyo Auto Salon is not your average auto show. While automakers are no strangers to bringing the same kinds of concepts we might see in Detroit or New York, modified cars and the aftermarket parts they carry are the true stars. Subaru brought its A-game for 2023, trotting out a whole range of neat vehicles that include new models, concept parts, and a whole bunch of motorsports goodies.Residing front and center in Subaru’s Auto Salon display is a modified version of the next-generation Impreza hatchback that made its debut in Los Angeles in November. Rather than just rolling out the same bone-stock car from L.A., Subaru fitted this Japan-market Impreza with several STI accessories under development.Details are light—and we’re waiting for Subaru to get back to us with a more comprehensive list—but a report from Carscoops said the Impreza concept carries STI-specific bumpers and side skirts, as well as a more pronounced roof spoiler. Gloss black paint can be found nearly everywhere the car’s Sunbrace Pearl Orange paint isn’t. But perhaps the coolest part of the whole concept can be found all the way aft, where a pair of center-mounted exhaust tips hang out.More Details and SpecsFurthering the forbidden-fruit vibe is the Levorg STI Sport prototype, a hopped-up wagon with a limited production run and a whole host of upgrades over the Levorg STI Sport R EX on which it’s based. This sharp little longroof picks up a transmission oil cooler, a flexible draw stiffener and other chassis bracing, 19-inch BBS wheels, and Recaro front bucket seats.If a beefcake off-road aesthetic is more your hang, check out the Boost Gear concepts. Essentially, Subaru took a subcompact Rex (below) and a larger Crosstrek and fitted both vehicles with all manner of rough-and-tumble bits like chunkier all-terrain tires and large mud flaps. In Subaru’s own words, these parts “excite a more active and positive adventurous mind,” a line we’re pretty sure we’ve also seen on packaging for those pills you buy at a truck stop.View PhotosSubaru Boost Gear Rex at the Tokyo Auto Salon. SubaruThere’s a little something for motorsports geeks in here too. Subaru’s Tokyo Auto Salon booth will also play host to the WRX Rally Challenge 2023, which is slated to tackle Japanese rallies later this year. Attendees will also be able to check out the BRZ GT300 car that participates in the Super GT racing series, as well as another WRX destined for the Nürburgring 24 Hours. More

Mazda has revealed a plug-in-hybrid version of the MX-30 called the e-Skyactiv R-EV.It adds a small rotary engine that serves as a generator and a 13-gallon fuel tank to extend the car’s driving range.We don’t know yet if or when the R-EV version is coming to the U.S.Mazda has found a unique solution to the MX-30 EV’s short driving range, and it involves the company’s first rotary engine since the RX-8 sports car. The new Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is a plug-in hybrid with a small single-rotary gasoline engine that serves as a generator to charge the battery pack and allow for longer drives.Mazda reduced the size of the lithium-ion battery pack, as the R-EV has a 17.8 kWh lithium-ion pack compared with the EV version’s approximately 32.0-kWh pack. This allows it to go a measly 53 miles on a charge per the WLTP. But when the battery is depleted, the 830 cc, 74-horsepower rotary engine kicks in to supply charge while on the move. The Mazda’s 13 gallon fuel tank is larger than other such “range-extender” setups including the BMW i3 and Chevy Volt, but Mazda hasn’t provided a longer range estimate that includes the gasoline engine’s range boost.More on the MX-30The R-EV’s electric motor is also more powerful than the EV version’s, with its electric motor providing 167 horsepower to the front wheels. Mazda claims it will get to 62 mph in 9.1 seconds, which would be roughly equivalent to the already sluggish EV version’s acceleration. The 3674-pound MX-30 EV got to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds in our testing, and the R-EV’s extra 24 horsepower would likely be offset by the extra weight of the rotary, as the claimed curb weight is 3920 pounds.Visually, the MX-30 R-EV looks nearly identical to the EV other than its different wheel designs and badging. Mazda is offering a few special color combinations, and there’s a trim level called the Edition R that plays up the rotary theme with embroidered logos inside for the floor mats and seats.It’s unclear whether or not the MX-30 R-EV will be sold in the U.S. For now, Mazda has only released information on the 2023 MX-30 EV, which is unchanged compared and will again be sold only in California in limited quantities. The company had previously said it was bringing the rotary PHEV here, but now says it has “no update to share on U.S. availability,” which makes us think it could be a while—or never—before this new powertrain gets certified on our shores.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