Motor News

• Here’s a clever 1960s solution to last-mile mobility: A fizzy little 53cc motorbike that folds up into its own carrying case for portability.• Often mistakenly thought to be part of Subaru’s history, this scooter has roots in early Nissan heritage and Hitachi aircraft.• This Bring a Trailer auction ends January 15.There’s a childlike wonder to folding mobility, be it Honda’s Motocompo scooter, the WWII British paratrooper Welbike, or even Mazda’s ill-fated suitcase car. Up for auction this week on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a combination barstool and minibike, straight out of the 1960s, with some pint-size two-stroke fun that packs up into its own carrying case.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIt’s a Go-Devil (not to be confused with the early four-cylinder Jeep engine of the same name). With a bright-red exposed frame, a 53cc two-stroke single-piston engine, and 5-inch wheels, it’s pocket-size hilarity that folds up into a little cube. Store it in your trunk and, when you’re ready to use it, unfold it, pull-start the engine, and go zipping around the paddock or parking lot with the kind of grin you haven’t felt since borrowing a friend’s minibike on your tenth birthday.Bring a TrailerThe Fuji Go-Devil is a not-infrequent listing on Bring A Trailer. This example is the seventh such scooter to cross the BaT block in the past year, but it is a pretty exceptional one, featuring fresh powdercoating, new seat foam, new tires, and new wheel bearings. It’s ready to roll.Go-Devils were exported to North America from Japan from 1964 to 1967. Because the company that manufactured them was called Fuji Motors, there is a tendency to conflate its origins with Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. Indeed, at the same time the folding Go-Devil was being made, FHI was producing the Fuji Rabbit, one of the first Japanese scooters able to approach 60 mph. The Fuji Rabbit resembles a duck crossed with a Vespa and is unrelated to the Go-Devil.Instead, to dig up the Go-Devil’s parentage, we have to delve back into the primordial soup of Japan’s bubble-car era. As in postwar Germany, many former aircraft manufacturers turned to the production of tiny proto-cars, designed to sip fuel in an era of rationed gasoline.One such manufacturer was the Hitachi aircraft company, which built engines for wartime trainers and bombers. Forced to shift its efforts to peacetime mobility, Hitachi Aviation changed its name to Tokyo Gas and Electric Manufacturing Company, and it started building 60cc engines for various applications, including motorcycles. At the same time, a former subsidiary of Nissan called Fuji Motors had lucrative contracts for refurbishing and repairing the vehicles of the U.S. occupying forces. The two companies merged. Engines were provided to outside motorcycle companies and also used in the in-house brands FMC and Gasuden.Fuji CabinBrendan McAleerFlying FeatherBrendan McAleerOne of the best-known automotive products of Fuji Motors is the wonky little Fuji Cabin, which looks like someone fitted wheels to one of Gru’s Minions. Penned by the oft-overlooked Ryuichi Tomiya, an early Nissan designer sometimes called the “Leonardo da Vinci of Japan,” the Fuji Cabin was tiny and cleverly constructed but not ultimately a success. Consider it a cousin to the BMW Isetta or Messerschmitt Kabinenroller, but one that never got off the ground.Tomiya had designed Nissans before WWII and was a contemporary and friend of Yutaka Katayama, the “Mr. K.” of Datsun 240Z fame. Before the Cabin, the two had collaborated on a very light prototype car called The Flying Feather, considered an early indication of Katayama’s forward thinking.To come back to the Go-Devil, its scooter heritage is thus tied to a thoroughly inventive period in Japanese automotive history, long before the government moved to consolidate a constellation of car companies into a handful of mega-conglomerates. In the mid-1960s, FMC and Gasuden were a household (in Japan, anyway) supplier of small two-stroke engines for chainsaws, scooters, and all manner of applications. FMC/Gasuden was eventually snapped up by the heavy equipment manufacturer Komastu, and the motorcycle engine department was spun out and much later acquired by Husqvarna. So, the Go-Devil has nothing to do with Subaru but is fascinating in its own right. As a product, it is fun to ride, folds away, and is a wonderful conversation piece. It’s also a link to a time in Japanese automotive history when innovators were just throwing things at the wall and seeing what stuck. More

Mercedes-Benz is expected to stop using EQ branding on new EVs by 2024, according to a report today from the German publication Handelsblatt. The paper cites unnamed sources at Mercedes who claim the branding will become redundant with the switch to electric-only models.We reached out to a company spokesperson to confirm the report, but they have yet to respond to our request for comment. It’s currently pretty easy to identify an all-electric Mercedes-Benz model from a gasoline-burning one. Not only does the former feature aerodynamically optimized, albeit blob-like, bodywork, but it also bears a badge with the prefix EQ. By the end of next year, that will no longer be the case for Mercedes’ new EVs, according to a report today by the German daily newspaper Handelsblatt.The scoop, which has now been picked up by numerous media outlets, is based on sources within the company who claim the EQ branding will become redundant once Mercedes switches to an electric-only lineup. It makes sense. For example, there will be no need for an electric version of the S-class to be called the EQS when there is no gas-fed S-class.Of course, Mercedes’s complete adoption of electric models will still take some time, so we don’t expect to see a full eradication of the EQ subbrand for a while. Instead, we believe new electric models will begin adopting traditional nameplates within the next couple of years or so as their existing combustion-powered counterparts finish out their current generations.We reached out to a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson to confirm the report about the company’s plans. We have yet to hear back, but we’ll update this story if we do.The Evolution of Mercedes EQThis 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

Mercedes-AMG revealed a special edition SL63 that it says is meant to mark the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season.Labeled the “Motorsport Collectors Edition,” the Silver Arrows–colored SL takes inspiration from the W13 E Performance racing car that brought Mercedes a third place finish last season. The special edition will have an extremely limited run, with Mercedes-AMG only planning to produce 100 units globally.Mercedes-AMG is breaking out the silver paint buckets for an extremely limited run of special-edition SL63 roadsters called the “Motorsport Collectors Edition.” Mercedes-AMG is planning a run of only 100 units globally of the roadster, which takes inspiration from the 2022 W13 E Performance Formula 1 car, piloted by British driving duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. After two seasons running a black paint livery, the company reverted to its historical Silver Arrows livery. The 2022 season saw the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team struggle to rise to the same levels of success it has become accustomed to in recent years. It did manage to produce a third-place finish, with enough points to end the season well ahead of the fourth-place Alpine and nearly enough points to claim second place from Ferrari. More on the SLMuch like the race car that inspired it, the limited-edition roadster features two-tone paint, graduating from high-tech silver metallic to obsidian black metallic at the rear of the car. The SL63 also features blue Petronas accents along the front apron, side panels, and rear diffuser. As a special touch, Mercedes-AMG added the Mercedes star pattern to the rear of the car in a nod to the engine cover of the Formula 1 car. AMG added an Aerodynamics package that sensationalizes the looks of the car, giving it larger flics on the front and rear apron, a larger rear diffuser, and a reworked underbody to improve aerodynamics. The AMG Night package adds gloss black to the front splitter, side sills, mirror caps, and decorative trim of the rear diffuser. Its twin, the AMG Night package II, adds black chrome for the typography and a Mercedes star at the rear, along with the radiator grille. Mercedes has not released pricing information, but fun fact: an AMG customized indoor car cover comes with each car. That should allay any fears of overpricing. 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

Cadillac is preparing for the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, showing off the gold, blue, and red liveries that its three V-LMDh endurance cars will wear at the iconic event.The blue number 02 car will also run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with new rules for endurance racing in 2023 making IMSA SportsCar racers eligible for the World Endurance Championship.The V-LMDh car uses a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter DOHC V-8 and a spec hybrid system, sending up to 670 horsepower through a seven-speed sequential gearbox. Cadillac may not be the first brand you associate with motorsports, but the American automaker has found success in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in recent years, winning the premier American endurance racing series three times since 2017. With the first race of the season—the grueling 24 Hours of Daytona—fast approaching, Cadillac has revealed the liveries that its three V-LMDh race cars will wear as they rocket around tracks across the nation.CadillacEach car flies one of the colors found in Cadillac’s V-Series logo. The number 01 and 02 cars—run by Chip Ganassi Racing under the Cadillac Racing banner—are gold and blue, respectively. The 01 will be driven by Sebastian Bourdais, who won Daytona in 2014, and Renger van der Zande, who triumphed at Daytona in 2019 and 2020 in a Cadillac, with six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon joining for the opening round.The 02 will be piloted by two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, and Richard Westbrook. Following the 24 Hours of Daytona, the trio will head over to Sebring to begin the World Endurance Championship, going after overall victory at Le Mans later in the year thanks to new rules that allow the top class endurance race cars in IMSA to also compete in the WEC.CadillacThe number 31 car, painted red, will be fielded by Whelen Engineering Racing, with 2021 IMSA champion Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims at the helm. Jack Aitken, who substituted for one Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2020, will help out during the longer endurance events, including Daytona.See the Other Daytona CompetitorsThe V-LMDh car was first previewed last summer with the Project GTP Hypercar, and is powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter DOHC V-8, mated to the standardized hybrid system that all LMDh competitors use. The powertrain combines for up to 670 horsepower, routed through a seven-speed sequential gearbox. Cadillac has four wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona since 2017, and will look to capture a fifth victory when the race kicks off on January 28. 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

This conversion van is pure 1990s vibes, with a few tasteful modern upgrades like a flat-screen smart TV.Are there abstract vinyl graphics on the side? You betcha!Slide into this slice of pre-internet life on Bring a Trailer, where the no-reserve auction runs until Monday, January 16.The upfitted-cargo-van cohort might be all about #VanLife these days, but before glorified homelessness flashed in the pan, there was the humble conversion van. Established under the same premise—turning a cargo van into something much more livable—these third-party-modified vehicles formed the basis for many an elder Millennial’s childhood road trips. Pining for a time when Saturday morning cartoons were good and Comedy Central played actual standup? Here’s your chance to go back.This van started life as a stock 1998 Chevrolet Express cargo van, retailing for $24,880 ($45,442 in 2023 dollars). But it made the jump from work vehicle to family-friendly machine courtesy of a Rocky Ridge conversion kit, which included a higher roof, an upfitter staple that came to define the shape of late-20th-century conversion vans.Bring a TrailerOpen the passenger-side clamshell doors­—Chevrolet didn’t start selling Express vans with a driver-side door until the 2003 model year—and you can practically hear Mark Mothersbaugh’s Rugrats theme through the screen. The 1990s never went away in here. Every extremely well-padded throne is wrapped in the beigest of beige leather. The carpet is roughly the color of ground beef that’s past its sell-by date. The stained wood throughout is, um, vibrant.Somehow, there are still fewer cupholders in this van than there are in a Subaru Ascent. Bring a Trailer|Car and DriverThere have been a few tasteful 21st-century additions as well. Whatever tired old CRT came stock has been swapped out in favor of a Roku-enabled smart TV. Jutting out from the dashboard is an upgraded Alpine head unit with touchscreen capability, while a modern backup camera should make this thing a heck of a lot easier to park. Which is good, because you’ll have a hard time finding period-correct abstract vinyl graphics if you start scuffing the panels.Perhaps the single greatest AV upgrade in this Express resides behind the third row, where a wooden enclosure houses not one, but two Sony Xplod subwoofers. If you are not listening to Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” on repeat, you’re not living. Car and DriverUnder all this wood, metal, and leather is one properly preserved powertrain. The 5.7-liter Vortec V-8 residing up front has just 24,000 miles on it. While it’s unclear how judiciously the previous owner followed service schedules, the current owner did take the van in for some work before offering it for sale, spending about $3100 on a smattering of replacement parts, including a good ol’ Freon recharge. Mother Nature’s favorite.Even for something as left-field as a Chevrolet Express conversion van, a low-mileage example like this won’t be had for a song. As of this writing, there are six days left on the auction, and it’s already commanding $10,250, which is dear for what it is. But perhaps no price is too high to pretend Y2K is still a thing worth worrying about.Vans, Vans, Vans!This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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

BMW is issuing a recall of 14,086 iX, i4, and i7 vehicles due to a potential issue regarding a high-voltage battery.The issue stems from a misdiagnosis in the battery management electronics, which could cause the control unit to reset and in turn create an interruption in electrical power. A separate recall affecting 367 2022–23 iX xDrive50, iX M60, and 2022 i4 eDrive40, and i4 M50 vehicles includes a Stop Drive order due to a fire risk. BMW has issued a recall through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on certain 2022 and 2023 iX, i4, and i7 models, totaling 14,086 vehicles. The recall issue relates to a misdiagnosis in the high-voltage battery management electronics system, which has the potential to cause the control unit to reset. The resulting reset in turn creates an interruption in electrical power, leading to an increased risk of crash. Only 1 percent of potentially affected vehicles are expected to carry the defect, though owners of all the affected vehicles will be notified by mail of the potential defect. As of the December 20 filing date, BMW said it was not aware of any accidents related to the recall issue. Documents for the recall can be found here. A separate recall affecting 367 BMW vehicles specifically involves the 2022 i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50, as well as the 2022 and 2023 iX xDrive50 and iX M60. NHTSA issued a Stop Drive warning and advised owners against charging their vehicles. Owners are also advised to park outdoors and away from structures due to an increased fire risk from a potential short circuit in the high-voltage battery. Owners were first notified of the recall by phone and email in August before notification letters were sent in September and December 2022, warning about the fire risk. BMW provided alternative transportation in the interim while owner vehicles awaited the remedy. Documents for this recall can be found here. This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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

2024 will be the Jaguar F-type’s final year, with the British automaker revealing the 75 final edition, available on both the P450 and P575 models.Unique wheels and special badges inside and out separate the 75 editions visually from the R-Dynamic P450, which is also offered for 2024.There is also updated suspension designed to bring increased steering feel, and the 75 editions come standard with luxurious interior options.Last fall, Jaguar confirmed that the 2024 model year would be the last for the slinky F-type coupe and convertible. A special edition was unveiled for Europe, and now the British automaker has revealed that this final version, called the 75 Edition, will also make its way stateside as the F-type bows out.JaguarThe F-type lineup became V-8–only in 2023, and the 75 Edition will be offered both for the 444-horsepower P450 and 575-horsepower P575 models. Although it’s difficult to make out in the shadowy photos, the 75 edition brings badges depicting the F-type’s silhouette on the front fender, door sills, and center console. You can also find “75” emblems throughout the interior and an “R” etched into the R 75 P575 model’s quad exhaust pipes. Every 2024 F-type rides on 20-inch wheels, with the 75 P450 set apart by gloss black five-spoke rollers and the R 75 P575 differentiated with 10-spoke designs. The 75 edition also comes standard with the “Performance” seat design, Windsor leather, and the Ebony suede headliner. JaguarThe special edition brings a few mechanical upgrades, with new lightweight rear knuckles, larger wheel bearings, and redesigned upper ball joints, which Jaguar claims will make the steering more communicative. All-wheel drive is optional on the 75 and standard on the R 75, and both come with a rear electronic active differential and adaptive dampers. The R 75 also adds Pirelli P Zero tires measuring 265/35 at the front and 305/30 at the rear. Other Dead Sports CarsDeliveries of the 2024 F-type begin in the spring, and the R-Dynamic P450—without the special edition package—is also still available, starting at $79,175. The 75 P450, meanwhile, will cost $91,175 while the R 75 P575 will subtract $114,275 from your bank account, with the convertible versions adding $2000 to the price for each model. Minor color and trim changes also occur across the entire lineup for the F-type’s final trip around the sun.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.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

McLaren is ending production of the 720S supercar after a roughly five-year run, with a yet-to-be-named replacement already sold out well into 2024.The 720S was unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show, and went into production for the 2018 model year, replacing the 650S.A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that production for the 2023 model year officially ended in December 2022.McLaren has sounded the death knell for its iconic and beloved 720S supercar. Production of 2023 model-year vehicles officially ended in December 2022, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to Car and Driver. No official replacement has been announced, but speaking with Automotive News, Nicolas Brown, McLaren’s president of the Americas region, told the outlet, “… Customers, of course, they see that, ‘OK, well, you can’t order a 720 anymore.’ They realize that production is ending. So putting two and two together, something is coming.”Despite no official replacement being revealed, or even announced, Brown told AN that the company has taken deposits on the new car. In fact, he confirmed that the replacement vehicle is sold out “through deep into 2024.”More on McLarenThe 720S was first unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show as a replacement for the 650S supercar. The twin-turbocharged V-8 powering the wheels is mounted behind the passenger compartment and makes 710 horsepower. Unleashing that power propels the 720S to 60 mph in well under three seconds, and on to 120 mph in less than seven seconds.We lapped a 2018 720S at our annual Lightning Lap testing, where we deemed it “Wonderfully fun and scary fast.” Not only did it clock a 2:39.7 around the VIR Grand Course, joining an elite group of cars under 2:40; but it also recorded a mind-warping speed of 171.7 mph on the front straight. We’re always sad to see cars we love die off, especially with a car as fast and fun to drive as the 720S. The brand’s newest car, the Artura, is quicker to 60 mph, but swaps the 4.0-liter V-8 for a hybrid V-6 paired to an electric motor. It’s a cheaper entry, sure, but it’s heavier and less powerful than the 720S. And it loses the sensory experience granted by the 720S. We’ll surely miss the 720S as it exits stage left after 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.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