Motor News

It might seem like a lot of the economic news these days is glum, what with inflation and rising interest rates and the collapse in value of your NFT of Tesla stock (real double whammy there). But turn that frown upside down, because 2022 was a record year for Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce! Which means that rich people are still feeling optimistic about the economy. And if rich people are optimistic about the economy, well, what could go wrong? Ferrari is still languidly crunching its numbers after a second cappuccino and Porsche says it’ll tally its scores after just a few more laps of the Nürburgring, but at least some of the results are in, and they’re rosy. Let’s start with the Bovine from Bologna, Lamborghini.Stratospheric ShoppingLast year, Lamborghini delivered 9233 cars, a new high score. The US was the number one market, with 2721 cars delivered (U-S-A! U-S-A!) and overall sales were up 10 percent from last year. Even the Aventador had a record year (753 cars) despite production ending last September. Like former Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, the Aventador retired at the height of its abilities—in this case, the ability to get the newly rich to part with hundreds of thousands of dollars for a car with a single-clutch automatic transmission. The most popular Lambo? We regret to inform you that it was the Urus.Where is Emea? If you have to ask, you can’t afford to live there.stefano.rutigliano@lamborghini.com|Car and DriverBentley delivered 15,174 cars in 2022, which beat 2021’s 14,658 cars, which was also a new record. At this rate there will soon be more actual Bentleys than dogs named Bentley, which is saying something since that was the 15th most popular name for male dogs last year. The Americas was Bentley’s biggest market, and although Bentley very charitably doesn’t break out the most important country on those two continents, we’d bet it rhymes with “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and isn’t Uruguay. The most popular Bentley model? We’re terribly sad to report that it was the Bentayga. Some Bentleys, as seen in the company’s second-biggest market. Hint: Unlike Bentley’s biggest market, it doesn’t include a single Waffle House location.Car and DriverElsewhere on the Island That’s Surrounded By Europe but Isn’t Part of It, Rolls-Royce sold 6021 of its extremely comfortable vehicles in 2022, also a record. Rolls also brags that, besides selling a pile of cars, that mix included a lot of really expensive ones from its Bespoke outfit, saying, “commissions were also at record levels last year, with our clients’ requests becoming ever more imaginative and technically demanding”. Is it us, or do we detect a hint of exasperation in that statement? “Mummy, I shall be simply inconsolable unless you buy me a Rolls-Royce Boattail and a pony with six legs!” Rolls says the average Bespoke car cost half a million Euros, to which we say: Try harder, rich people. Rolls is cagey about how much money it made, but it seems like it might tell us after a third glass of wine, claiming, “the marque will make a significant contribution to its principal shareholder”. That would be one Chester P. Larvae-Smoot, Lord Duke of Underbottom, the demanding but ultimately kindhearted aristocrat who won Rolls-Royce in a game of snooker in 2003. Wait, sorry—no, they’re talking about BMW. They’re saying they send money home to Germany, and they’d better or else. The most popular Rolls-Royce last year was, we simply hate to tell you this, the Cullinan.The Rolls-Royce Ghost was the bestselling model in the Asia-Pacific region. We didn’t have a photo of one there, though, so here’s a chicken climbing into one.Ezra Dyer|Car and DriverAs we said, we’re still awaiting numbers from some other companies, but as of the latest reports (Mercedes-Benz S-class sales up 24 percent at the end of Q3), things were looking great. Based on all this good news, maybe you should stop asking yourself whether you can afford to buy a Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica and ask yourself whether you can afford not to. But just try to stay realistic about how great everything is going. Lamborghini’s 10 percent year-over-year sales increase is good, but not as good as the 15 percent increase it saw in another record year, 2007.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

Goodyear unveiled a tire with 90 percent sustainable materials at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week.The new tire, which has passed all regulatory and internal tests for road use, makes use of sustainable products such as soybean oil, rice husks, and pine resin, in place of standard compounds. Goodyear still needs to figure out scaling measures before bringing the demonstration tire to market. The company plans to first bring a 70 percent sustainable material tire to market this year.Goodyear’s company cafeteria schedule just got leaked. We hope you’re excited about three meals of tofu a day stretching into eternity. We jest, but if Goodyear’s newest tire reveal is anything to go on, the tire giant will need all the soy it can get in the coming years. An increase in awareness and consideration for the environment over the last few years is leading tire manufacturers to create more aggressive sustainability goals. Goodyear, which has a stated goal of introducing its first 100 percent sustainable tire by 2030, is making strides toward that future with a demonstration tire showcased at CES last week. Produced with 90 percent sustainable materials, the demonstration tire has already passed all regulatory and internal tests needed for road use. Of course, passing regulatory tests means nothing in terms of tire performance, as plenty of terrible tires are approved for road use. But we do know the demonstration tire excels in at least one measure: rolling resistance. Goodyear claims its sustainable tire rolls more easily than that of a comparison tire with traditional materials.All Things TiresBesides natural rubber, modern tires utilize steel, textiles, synthetic polymers, and a laundry list of chemicals to keep your car in contact with the tarmac below. This hodgepodge of materials has an adverse effect on the environment, though. As tires wear, they leave behind bits of rubber and chemicals that pollute the environment. Not Goodyear’s newest tire, though. It leaves behind a whiff of tofu, and oddly, a hint of pine schnapps.GoodyearTire manufacturers are notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to the chemical makeup of their tires’ compound. So much so in fact, that these companies often avoid filing trademarks on the subject in order to keep competitors from stealing this information. Goodyear, however, shared the 17 key ingredients across 12 components that make these tires roll. This recipe includes soybean oil, to keep the tire pliable in changing temperatures; rice husk ash silica, to improve grip; and pine resin, which replaces standard petroleum-based resins. Goodyear conceded it has yet to determine the scale needed to bring the demonstration tire to market yet. Even so, the company plans to bring a tire that’s 70 percent sustainable to market by the end of the year. If Goodyear has its way, then its sustainable tires ought to bring new meaning to the phrase “eat my rubber.”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

Adding a permanent, connected device to your car might have some upsides. It also introduces a new way for hackers to track you or collect personal information, as first reported by Vice.A group of cybersecurity researchers recently published a report on various weaknesses they’ve discovered in connected cars. The hackers found ways to precisely locate cars from major OEMs, including customer names, phone numbers, email addresses, and loan statuses.For Reviver’s RPlates, the hackers discovered they could change the message the plates displayed and, yes, track the cars. The vulnerability has been fixed.Well, that didn’t take long. The California DMV approved new digital license plates from Reviver in October, and now we’ve learned how vulnerable they could be to outside hacking attacks.One More Thing That’s DigitalReviver, the only company that offers digital license plates, points out that they provide some technical benefits over traditional metal plates, like automatic tag renewals and the ability to change what they say to things like STOLEN in case the car it’s attached to is, well, stolen. But there have always been downsides, including higher cost and added complexity.Last week, as Vice reported, a group of cybersecurity researchers interested in finding access points to connected vehicles announced they had found vulnerabilities in several brands and services. This included the ability to locate and track vehicles from multiple brands, including Kia, Honda, Infiniti, Nissan, Acura, Hyundai, and Genesis. They could also find personal details on customers of many brands, including the loan status of Toyota customers, according to the published report.When it came to a connected vehicle network called Spireon that is mainly involved with fleet-management applications, the hackers said they “had access to everything.” For Reviver, the team accessed the network without too much apparent hassle.The cybersecurity researchers published the details of how they gained access to Reviver’s back end, which involved viewing how the app and other online services behaved during a password reset request. People with more understanding of lines of code can see the details here. ReviverOnce inside Reviver’s network, the researchers had “full super administrative access” to all user accounts and vehicles for all Reviver-connected vehicles. This would have allowed them to track the physical location of these plates, change the plate to say whatever they wanted, and access all user records, “including what vehicles people owned, their physical address, phone number, and email address.”Officially, Reviver admits that the customer data it collects might be vulnerable to outside actors. “We have adopted reasonable and appropriate security procedures to help protect against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access to the information you provide to us,” the company said on its website. “Please note, however, that no data transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your information and privacy, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you disclose or transmit to the services.”Reviver Responded QuicklyThings appear to be solved, for now. The cybersecurity researchers said they reported the vulnerability to Reviver, and it was quickly patched. Still, had these white-hat hackers not been trying to fix problems, they had the power to “remotely update, track, or delete anyone’s Reviver plate.” The researchers said they “could additionally access any dealer (e.g., Mercedes-Benz dealerships will package Reviver plates) and update the default image used by the dealer when the newly purchased vehicle still had Dealer tags.” They also gained full access to Reviver’s fleet management functionality.In a statement, Reviver told Car and Driver it met with a member of the cybersecurity research team after being informed of the potential application vulnerability. After the meeting, Reviver not only patched its application in under 24 hours, it also “took further measures to prevent this from occurring in the future.” Reviver said no customer information was affected. “As part of our commitment to data security and privacy, we also used this opportunity to identify and implement additional safeguards to supplement our existing, significant protections,” the company said. “Cybersecurity is central to our mission to modernize the driving experience and we will continue to work with industry-leading professionals, tools, and systems to build and monitor our secure platforms for connected vehicles.”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

Chevrolet has released the first official teaser for the 2024 Corvette E-Ray.This hybrid version of the C8 Corvette will have all-wheel drive.It debuts next week, on January 17.The latest version of the C8 Corvette will break ground in many ways. It’s a hybrid and features all-wheel drive, both firsts for any production Corvette, and we now know it will make its official debut January 17, thanks to this official teaser video that shows a blue E-Ray driving through snowy conditions.The E-Ray had leaked previously on Chevy’s configurator tool, which gave us a glimpse at its widebody appearance shared with the Z06. We also saw “ERAY” badges and a button inside suggesting adjustable regenerative braking. This teaser video also shows a new function called Stealth mode, which we figure is a way of keeping the car in electric mode to minimize the sound of the V-8 gasoline engine.More on the E-RayWe’ll learn lots more about the E-Ray soon enough, as it will make its debut next week. We expect it to go on sale sometime later this year as a 2024 model. Check back here for full coverage of this exciting new version of the mid-engine Corvette.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

Porsche unveiled the off-road-focused 911 Dakar last fall; now the company is showing off three wraps that owners can have added to the special 911.Each focuses on emulating a different rally car that raced in the East African Safari Rally in the 1970s, with the red and blue wavy look of the Rallye 1978 package catching our eye the most.All three wraps can be ordered from the factory through the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur program. The Porsche 911 model range is already incredibly complex, with more than two dozen variants ranging from comfy grand tourers to hard-core track tools. But late last year the German automaker added yet another version to the 911 lineup, the limited-production Dakar. Now Porsche is showing off three exclusive wraps that lucky owners can spec their 911 Dakar in to emulate the race cars that competed in the 1971, 1974, and 1978 editions of the East African Safari Rally.Porsche1971: Zasada/Bień The first package, which bears the number 19, recalls the 911 piloted by Polish drivers Sobiesław Zasada and Marian Bień to fifth place over 3100 miles of Kenyan wilderness in the 1971 rally. Mimicking the original race car, the Rallye 1971 wrap adds a black hood, black fender flares, and a few other period-accurate graphics for $5260.Porsche1974: Waldegård/Thorszelius The Rallye 1974 decal set also goes for $5260. It is a tribute to the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS that Swedish rally champion Björn Waldegård and co-driver Hans Thorszelius brought home in second place, after leading most of the 1255-mile 1974 trek that saw only 16 of the 99 starters finish. This package brings a pair of blue stripes along the beltline of the car, along with other motorsports-inspired decals.PorscheMore on Off-Road 911s1978: Waldegård Is BackThe last decal set honors the 1978 running, which saw Waldegård return to Kenya in a 911 SC Group 4 car, although the driver had to settle for fourth place while two South Africans, Vic Preston, Jr., and John Lyall, took another 911 to second place. The Rallye 1978 wrap features the iconic look seen on the original race cars, with red and blue waves cascading over the bodywork and the number 14 emblazoned on the doors. This package will cost 911 Dakar owners $7510, and all of the decal sets will be available from the factory via the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur program. 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

Mazda’s European branch announced this morning that the rotary engine will return on the 2023 MX-30 R-EV, set to be revealed on Friday, January 13.The company also unveiled a new logo featuring a lowercase “e” inside a triangle that mimics the shape of a rotary engine.The new powertrain should bring added utility to the MX-30, previously sold as an EV in the U.S. with a disappointing 100 miles of EPA-estimated range.Despite a stylish exterior and Mazda’s typical athletic handling, the company’s first electric vehicle, the 2022 MX-30, fell short on the key attributes of a successful EV. The $34,000 crossover returned a mere 100 miles of EPA range and an even more paltry 70 miles on our highway range test, and trudged to 60 mph in a 8.7 seconds. But the MX-30 will soon be rejuvenated, becoming a plug-in hybrid as the rotary engine returns to Mazda’s lineup for the first time since 2012. MazdaDetails are still scarce, but Mazda in Europe announced this morning that the updated crossover, set to be called the MX-30 R-EV, will be revealed in full on January 13. The automaker also showed off a new logo that will presumably adorn the plug-in hybrid, featuring a lowercase “e” inside a triangle that represents the shape of a rotary engine.More Mazda NewsComing to U.S.?While the MX-30 had been sold in the United States purely as an EV, a mild hybrid version with Mazda’s Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter inline-four was offered in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Mazda’s U.S. division has yet to mention the MX-30 R-EV, but we expect the plug-in hybrid version to arrive in the United States for the 2023 model year and sales will likely expand beyond California, where the all-electric MX-30 had been limited to. More details on U.S. availability should arrive after the rotary-engined crossover is revealed this Friday. 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

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.Hennessey is releasing a lighter, track-focused version of its hypercar that is still road legal. Power is unchanged at 1817 horsepower from the twin-turbo 6.6-liter V-8.The Revolution will be priced from $2.7 million, and just 24 will be built.While the Hennessey Venom F5 has yet to deliver on John Hennessey’s promise it will prove itself the fastest production car in the world, that hasn’t stopped the Texas company from creating an even harder-core version. According to Hennessey, the F5 Venom is more track focused than the regular version, but it will still be street legal. Texas-Size AmbitionsAlthough Hennessey hasn’t made any top-speed claims for the Revolution, it will almost certainly be slower than the existing F5, which John Hennessey previously told C/D is targeting a top speed of over 311 mph (that’s 500 km/h in metric). That’s because the Revolution is carrying substantial aerodynamic modifications, with these claimed to substantially increase its peak downforce abilities. The new adjustable rear wing, with patriotic stars-and-stripes endplates, is claimed to be capable of making more than 800 pounds of positive aero assistance at 186 mph, and over 1400 pounds at 249 mph. When Hennessey first showed the F5 in 2020, it promised a track pack with a raised rear wing would follow, and the Revolution seems to be that. Although the company hasn’t released any claims for total downforce, the fact that the Revolution has substantially large diffusers front and rear suggests the combined figure will be even more impressive. There are also dive-plane elements on the front bumper to help move the aerodynamic balance forward, which sounds exciting.Power hasn’t increased over the regular F5 Venom coupe or the Roadster version that was announced last year. But it probably doesn’t need to; a peak 1817 hp sounds like plenty, even in these inflated times. The Revolution will use the same mid-mounted 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged pushrod V-8 as other F5s, with the engine making its power peak at 8200 rpm and accompanying it with a maximum 1193 pound-feet of torque at 5500 rpm. Power will reach the rear wheels through an automated single-clutch transmission and a limited-slip differential.Mass has been trimmed from the other side of the scale, with the F5 Revolution’s carbon structure claimed to be lighter than the already svelte F5. Hennessey promises that it will weigh less than 3000 pounds, 50 pounds less than it claims for the existing car. That’s despite the arrival of a new high-level engine air intake that sits above the roof. Suspension settings are also promised to be more aggressive and designed for hard track use.Just 24 of the F5 Revolution will be produced, with prices running from $2.7 million. That’s a figure that will likely make anybody who paid the $2.1 million that was asked for the regular F5 Venom feel like they nabbed a bargain. Or possibly that they should have waited a little longer for one of these. 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

Bring a Trailer offers more than (sometimes unusual) used cars, and we’ve rounded up a few interesting examples of things that you don’t actually need a trailer for. Maybe.Nonfunctioning Ferrari display engines, a toy version of a 1958 Series II Land Rover, and some classic Ferrari service manuals can all be had on the site.There are also vehicles that kind of defy trailering, at least under normal circumstances, like the old U.S. military Unimog (pictured above), complete with a hydraulic front-end loader.Vehicle auction site Bring a Trailer sold more than 24,000 vehicles last year, but not everything on the site really needs a trailer. Sure, some of the vehicles for sale do need to be towed to a repair shop before they can move, but there are items available on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—that would fit into your pocket. They’re mainly items from across the broader automotive world, though, and we chose some of our favorites currently available on BaT, like these non-cars currently being auctioned off.Bring a TrailerBring a Trailer We’ll start with some pocketable items: four printed Ferrari manuals and catalogs from the mid-1960s. These now classic printed items relate to the beloved Ferrari 275 grand tourer, specifically the 275GTB, 275GTB4, and 275GTS versions. There’s an operation and service manual, two spare parts catalogs, and a 275GTS sales brochure. Printed in Italian, English, and French, these old manuals come with a fabric-covered pouch featuring the prancing-horse logo and a leather closure tab if you don’t want to actually put these pieces of automotive history in your pocket. The current bid is $275, with seven days left in the auction.Bring a TrailerMoving on to larger items, we’ve got a gorgeous 3.6-liter F131 V-8 engine, the kind used in another Ferrari, the 360 Modena. But this engine hasn’t yet powered any car. It can’t, actually, since it’s a display piece without any internal parts, the kind Ferrari must have used at some sort of promotional event. The display engine is fitted with red Ferrari-branded intakes, a non-functioning intake manifold and cylinder heads, and other components. Whether a trailer is required for this piece depends on the size of your vehicle, but it does come with a pedestal-style display stand when it comes time to show off your new purchase. With a week left until the auction ends on January 15, bidding currently stands at $1500.Bring a TrailerMoving away from things Italian, we also found this pint-sized 1958 Series II Land Rover toy replica that was made in 2020. The Toylander Series II kart actually moves thanks to two 24-volt electric motors on the rear axle with a direct-drive transmission. While commenters on BaT bemoan the lack of authentic details like an oil leak, the toy car does come with eight-inch steel wheels and working headlights, taillights, and turn signals. The fiberglass body is about 63 inches long and 29 inches wide, big enough for one adult and two children, the manufacturer said. The Toylander Series II has a top speed of just 5 mph. The current bid is $1200, and while there’s some room for higher bids, new Toylanders like this can be had for around $2000.Bring a TrailerFinally, in our non-car BaT roundup, we’ve got something from the other end of the size spectrum: a Freightliner Unimog workhorse with a detachable hydraulically operated front-end loader. Originally a U.S. military vehicle—it’s still painted in camouflage—this Unimog was overhauled in 2005 and had some maintenance done in 2022, including replacing a hydraulic boom cylinder. Work tools including a hydraulic chain saw, hammer drill, and pavement breaker are included in storage lockers on the right side of the vehicle. We’ll see where this one ends on January 15, but the current bid is $10,666.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