Motor News

• Up for auction at Bring A Trailer this week is an absolute time capsule of a Nissan pickup truck—it even still has the original oil.• Small pickups from this era were workhorses first, and this one is as basic as they came, with a manual transmission and a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine.• There’s no reserve on this auction, which ends on Tuesday, January 10.For all the stories about Mr. K. (Yutaka Katayama) and his obsession with racing, the Datsun brand established its foothold in the U.S. by selling tiny trucks. The 240Z would come later, and the 510 still has a cult following, but a cheap-to-buy and cheaper-to-run pickup truck was core to Datsun/Nissan’s success into the 1990s. To get a sense of what those vehicles were like, check out this 1987 example up for auction on Bring a Trailer, which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. This pickup is preserved in astonishingly original condition as if trapped in amber.More Nissan Hardbody LoreThis 1987 Nissan Hardbody pickup truck has just 1100 miles on the odometer. This is a bare-bones pickup of the honest sort popular with many a handyman or gardener of the era. It’s a regular-cab model equipped with a fiberglass cap over the cargo bed, some fog lights, a tow package, and that’s about it. Never mind Marty McFly’s fancy Toyota; this pickup is all business, with rear-wheel drive, and a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine backed by a five-speed manual transmission.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerThis little pickup isn’t just a useful rig but a snapshot from simpler times. The D21-chassis Nissan pickup was produced from 1986 until 1997, when it was replaced by the Frontier. Like the Toyota, Nissan’s offering was rugged, and it soon picked up the moniker Hardbody, both for its fender-flared looks and for the tough double-walled bed. It was a strong seller for Nissan and, perhaps even more important, provided the underpinnings for the first-generation Pathfinder.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerThe Hardbody was popular enough to enter popular culture in the oddest way. The 1997 documentary Hands on a Hardbody documents a Texas-based contest where the person who can keep their hand on a Nissan pickup for the longest time—no squatting or leaning—wins the truck. It won the best documentary award at the 1997 Los Angeles Film Festival.The previous owner of this pickup didn’t have to endure any stunts but simply ordered it new in Colorado as a fishing and camping rig. It didn’t see much use, even on the weekends, and reportedly spent much of its time tucked indoors alongside a collection of vintage Corvettes.Bring a TrailerMost of these pickups never got such pampered treatment, and as a result, many rusted away. This one would need an oil change and some new tires if you planned to actually drive it, but for a certain type of collector, it would tuck right in among a collection of vintage Japanese cars. Or heck, maybe Nissan wants to put it in its museum.If you want to get your hands on this Hardbody, head on over to Bring a Trailer.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

General Motors will partner with American racing powerhouse Andretti Global to field a new Formula 1 team, set to be called Andretti Cadillac.Andretti Cadillac will submit an official Expression of Interest when F1’s governing body begins the process of considering new teams in the coming months.There is still a long way to go before the team becomes official, but the growth of F1 in the U.S. and the involvement of GM is bound to help the team’s bid get through.In a shock announcement, General Motors and Andretti Global have declared their intentions to enter the Formula 1 championship. The FIA—Formula 1’s governing body—recently revealed it was planning to open the door for new teams to join the grid. Set to be called Andretti Cadillac, the new team will submit an official Expression of Interest when the FIA starts the formal process, the first step towards eventually fielding an entry in the world’s most prestigious form of motorsport.There is still a long road ahead before this American juggernaut can get its cars on track, and no specific date was set for when Andretti Cadillac expects to enter its first race. If the application is accepted, the team says it will “compete as soon as practical” and will field at least one American driver. Formula 1 race cars in 2022 at the Miami Grand Prix.Jamey Price|Car and DriverAndretti—which races in IndyCar and Formula E among other series—previously sought to enter the championship on its own but struggled to gain traction. The addition of General Motors—which reclaimed the crown of the biggest automaker in the U.S. in 2022—will likely tip the scales in favor of the new team, since the Cadillac name should help draw more American eyes to the series. The team would be based in the United States, with a support facility in the United Kingdom, similar to the approach taken by the Haas F1 team which is headquartered in North Carolina.More F1 NewsThe popularity of Formula 1 has exploded in the United States since the docuseries Drive to Survive debuted on Netflix in 2019, and the 2023 season is set to feature three Grands Prix on American soil. But American F1 fans haven’t really had a hometown hero to root for—neither the drivers nor the team principal for Haas hail from the U.S., and the name isn’t familiar unless you follow NASCAR or work with CNC machine tools. The Cadillac brand promises to bring name recognition for new American fans, and the Andretti name still holds weight among certain demographics who recall the triumphs of Marco Andretti in F1 and IndyCar in the 1970s and ’80s. While this would be the first time the Cadillac name appears in F1, the brand has a lengthy motorsports history and has found success over the past decade in endurance racing. Cadillac’s DPi race car won the IMSA SportsCar championship in 2017, 2018, and 2021, and took top honors at the 24 Hours of Daytona every year from 2017 to 2020. Along with its newfound desire to race in F1 in the near future, Cadillac will compete in the new GTP class (which replaces DPi) with a new car starting at the 24 Hours of Daytona 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.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 2024 Polestar 3 will be the first vehicle to have Google’s new HD map, the company today announced at CES 2023.Along with aiding the 3’s driver assists, Google’s HD map provides greater detail and more up-to-date info.Polestar 2 models can now be remotely controlled via devices with Google Assistant, allowing people to precondition the cabin and more.When the sleek-looking Polestar 3 arrives sometime near the end of 2023, not only will it be the brand’s first SUV, but it’ll be the first vehicle ever to have Google’s new HD map. Polestar today made the announcement at CES 2023 and provided several other details about fresh features.CES 2023: Read All About It!Teamwork Makes the Dream WorkGoogle and Polestar have been collaborating for a while now, and the tech company’s new HD map is the most recent result of that team-up. The 2024 Polestar will mark the debut of Google’s HD map, which will also be featured in the upcoming Volvo EX90, which is set to arrive in early 2024. Since Google’s Android Automotive operating system is also being adopted by other automakers—such as Ford and GM—we expect the map to eventually proliferate as well.The HD map is said to provide greater detail than traditional maps and be more precise, too. This contributes to what is arguably the most notable function. Working in conjunction with Polestar 3’s driver-assistance technology, the Google software can improve the EV’s Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive mode through better recognition of lane markings, real-world objects, and road signs. The teamwork is also expected to play a big role in future autonomous driving.Talking to the Polestar 2The Polestar 2 was the first vehicle to feature Google’s operating system, called Android Automotive OS. While it has continued to feature an in-car voice assistant, the system now adds “remote actions” that allow people to control vehicle functions via devices with Google Assistant.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverMarc Urbano|Car and DriverSimply speaking to your Google Assistant now lets people remotely operate their Polestar 2 as well as check its status. For example, you can now precondition the car’s cabin, unlock the doors, check the battery’s state of charge, and more, all while you lay around on your couch.Polestar says this new functionality will initially only be offered in the U.S., but eventually, it will be available in other markets, too.Polestar Priority ReadingThis 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

Volvo’s first purpose-built EV, the 2024 EX90 SUV, made its North American debut today as part of CES 2023. Scheduled to arrive in 2024, the EX90 will feature lidar, cameras, and radar to provide information for the newly announced Google’s HD map feature. The Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 will be the first two vehicles available with this technology from Google. Over the last few years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has followed roughly the same trend as the automotive industry as a whole, blurring the lines between what can be deemed part of the car world, and what lives solely in technology. For 2023, Volvo brought its first purpose-built EV, the 2024 EX90 SUV, to CES for its North American debut. But CES is about technology, not cars. So Volvo is mainly showing off its newest Google mapping software.Google’s HD map was designed specifically for automakers to integrate into their vehicles. In the EX90, it utilizes the SUV’s lidar, camera, and radar systems along with lane-level and local data from Google. Lane markers and objects like signs, or other vehicles are combined with the data from the EX90’s sensors before the software gets processed through the vehicle’s native computers, and is powered through NVIDIA DRIVE AI Platforms Xavier and Orin. More On the EX90 and LidarVolvoWe haven’t yet used the technology in the real world, but we can tell that the HD map looks and seems to function similarly to the display we’ve experienced in Teslas. The radar and camera systems of the car take in images and provide the driver with real-time information on their surroundings. The Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 will be the first two cars to get the technology, before moving to other Volvo vehicles and partnering brands. Volvo is also rolling out over-the-air updates (OTA), which will increase the number of functions Google-enabled Volvos can utilize. The new update adds connectivity between personal Google devices such as Google Home products and your car. Owners will now be able to use their devices for things like checking fuel levels, battery levels, charging status, or asking their car to heat up on cold mornings. VolvoIn addition to the new Google features, Volvo is introducing or updating various other tech features. Access to Volvo’s Care Key function is expanding, and details about over-the-air updates will now be available on the Volvo Cars app, among other infotainment tweaks. 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

At the CES electronics show in Las Vegas this week, auto supplier ZF is showing a Heat Belt—basically a heated driver’s-side front seatbelt.What’s the point? It lets EV owners keep their cabin heat turned down, potentially improving range during cold weather.As far as future vehicles that might have this innovation, ZF said no automaker has signed on yet.Low temperatures and electric vehicles don’t play well together. The cold takes a toll on range, in part because electrons move slower when it’s chilly but mostly because heating up the cabin costs extra energy in an EV. ZF’s Heat Belt, announced at the 2023 CES (formerl known as the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, is the automotive equivalent of a heated blanket, warming you directly so you can keep the thermostat a few degrees lower and save precious miles on your winter drive.More from CES 2023Woven into the Heat Belt are conductive wires that warm up to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit when activated. ZF says the wires add minimal thickness to the belt and that it works with existing seatbelt hardware. When combined with a heated seat and steering wheel, it could improve the cold-weather range of an EV by up to 15%. Which, on the one hand makes you wonder how much of that comes from just the heated belt. On the other hand, why not heat the front of your body along with your paws and backside? Forget range anxiety, some of us just like being cozy. And on that note, ZF points out that the Heat Belt encourages people to remove bulky winter coats, which helps the seatbelt fit better, enhancing safety in a crash.This Heat Belt won’t be appreciably thicker than a normal seatbelt, says ZF.ZFWe’ve Seen This BeforeMercedes-Benz previewed this idea back in 2019 but never brought it to a production car, leaving the warmed armrest first seen on the S-class cabriolet in 2007 as the last major innovation in heated cabin surfaces. While the cost is similar to adding heating elements to a steering wheel, ZF says it doesn’t have an automaker as a partner for the Heat Belt yet, so we can’t say when you should expect this as an option. 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

The BMW i Vision Dee is a color-changing concept car revealed today as part of CES 2023.Inside, the i Vision Dee’s entire windshield can act as a screen, offering different levels of augmented reality.While most of the car is conceptual, BMW said some features will start arriving in 2025.The BMW i Vision Dee concept debuting at CES 2023 bears little resemblance to anything in the automaker’s current lineup. That’s by design, as the small sedan’s simplistic styling aims not to distract from the myriad digital and virtual elements that make it so innovative. From body panels that change colors to an interior where the entire windshield acts as a display, the i Vision Dee concept previews the road ahead for BMW’s future technology offerings.CES 2023: Read All About It!A Chameleon-Like Concept Car The i Vision Dee isn’t the first BMW that can change colors. At CES last year, the company revealed the iX Flow, which was wrapped in a material used by e-readers. It’s called E Ink. Unlike the iX Flow, though, the i Vision Dee can shift beyond shades of gray. In fact, BMW says the chameleon-like sedan offers up to 32 different colors with essentially endless possibilities for different patterns, each of which can be controlled on the car’s 240 individual E Ink panels.If the i Vision Dee’s color-changing abilities weren’t interesting enough, the car can also make faces on its digital interpretation of BMW’s kidney grill. This lets it make expressions of astonishment, visual approval, and more. It reminds us of characters from the Pixar franchise Cars, but we’ll leave it for others to decide whether it’s cute like Lightning McQueen or creepy like Mater. Along with a new take on its trademark grille shape, the concept incorporates a version of the Hofmeister kink, albeit with a digital twist. While the i Vision Dee’s appearance is otherwise pretty plain when it’s not wearing a crazy color, BMW says the sedan was inspired by the 2002 model that was so iconic, and we can see hints of it in the sedan’s proportions.When people approach the concept, it’s designed to display an image of the driver’s avatar on the side window. That sounds silly to us, but it’s part of a greater plan to make the car more personalizable. The doors will even automatically open and greet you when the car senses that the driver is approaching.See Inside DeeDee stands for Digital Emotional Experience, which BMW says is its new philosophy for the development of future models. It’s about forming a closer connection between people and machines. With Dee—as BMW likes to call its concept—this is accomplished through visual elements and verbal communication such as voice commands.The i Vision Dee’s interior is virtually void of physical switchgear, which is meant to put an emphasis on using voice commands and keeping your eyes on the road. Sure, there’s a steering wheel with vertical spokes and dual touchpads, but BMW focuses most of the attention on the windshield, which acts as an enormous digital display. All the information that would normally be shown on a traditional gauge cluster or center touchscreen is now projected onto the entire width of the front glass. Essentially, the i Vision Dee’s windshield is a huge head-up display. However, there’s more to it than that. The amount and type of content that appears can be chosen by the driver through touch-sensitive controls on the dashboard. BMW calls it the Mixed Reality Slider. It includes five different levels that include analog, driving information, and more.BMWBMWThe more immersive levels venture into augmented reality, with the top setting dimming all the windows and transforming the interior into a fully digital environment. Think of it like virtual reality, but without the clunky headset. Coming to Cars in 2025While it’s obviously important to remember that the i Vision Dee is merely a concept car, BMW says some features will become available on production models as early as 2025. For example, that’s when customers can expect to see the first production version of a head-up display that runs the entire width of the windshield (just don’t expect anything near the concept’s full virtual mode). That’s going to be cool, but we’re still more excited for the day when we can create our own custom liveries on a brand-new Bimmer.Other Cool BMW ConceptsThis 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

Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between the two Japanese companies, has revealed a prototype of a handsome new electric sedan that it plans to sell in the U.S. as soon as 2026.It will be part of a new brand called Afeela, but we don’t yet know what name the production version of this prototype will use.Afeela will start taking orders in 2025, and says that deliveries will start in North America in 2026.Sony has entered the EV chat. After a number of interesting electric-vehicle prototypes over the past few years, the consumer electronics giant made its EV ambitions clear with the announcement of a new EV brand called Afeela at CES in Las Vegas.SonySonyTechnically, the new EV concept comes from Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between the two Japanese companies. Together, they revealed the prototype of a handsome new electric sedan that they plan to sell in the U.S. as soon as 2026. It will be part of a new brand called Afeela, but we don’t yet know what name the production version of this prototype will use. Afeela will start taking orders in 2025, and says that deliveries will start in North America in the spring of 2026.SonyAs you would expect from an EV presented by the electronics giant, the prototype EV has a whopping 45 cameras and sensors placed inside and outside the vehicle. Paired with the 800 TOPS of maximum computing power for ECU, the Afeela concept is more than just a new way to think of EVs. The EV embraces entire suites of next-generation software, from Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Digital Chassis for ADAS and telematics solutions to a collaboration with Epic Games on the entertainment side of things.The concept itself is a relatively standard-issue EV design with a low profile and aerodynamic wheels. Claiming that the EV concept is here to “create a new value standard for mobility,” Sony and Honda don’t want you to think about the car in traditional terms like power and performance. Instead, the highlights here should be on “software, networks, and user experiences.” In other words, areas where Sony has some experience.SonyDigital features in the concept can be changed via over-the-air updates, but Afeela’s initial statements include the expected claims about autonomous driving and other connectivity features. Level 3 automated driving will be offered “under limited conditions” with Level 2 driver assistance available in more situations, including urban driving.More on Sony CarsSonySony also plans to open up the EV to partnerships with customers and “our automotive industry partners,” Sony said, with Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Digital Chassis system-on-a-chip providing the technological support for this ability. Back on planet Earth, we can see that the Afeela concept’s exterior uses a “Media Bar” to communicate with nearby humans and the simple interior was designed to “[wrap] occupants in a soft cocoon.”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

GM passed Toyota in 2022 U.S. auto sales, recording 2.2 million units sold.Toyota had beaten GM in 2021, dethroning the American automaker from the top spot for the first time since 1931.Chevy’s Silverado pickup was the best-selling GM model, while the RAV4 was the top Toyota.Order has been restored in the U.S. auto sales race. After Toyota’s 2021 total put it ahead of General Motors, breaking GM’s longstanding winning streak that stood since 1931, the American automaker once again overtook its Japanese rival in 2022. GM sold 2,274,088 units in 2022, recapturing the number one spot with a winning margin of 165,630 units.Three of GM’s four brands saw year-over-year increases in 2022, with Buick being the only brand to decline, by 42 percent. Chevrolet sales grew by 6 percent, GMC sales by 7 percent, and Cadillac sales by 13 percent. Unsurprisingly, the Chevy Silverado full-size pickup was the top seller, with 513,354 units sold, but other mainstream Chevrolet models including the Equinox SUV (up 28 percent to 212,072 units) and Malibu sedan (up 193 percent to 115,467 units) increased significantly compared with 2021. GM credited strong demand combined with additional manufacturing capacity for its overall 2.5 percent increase compared with 2021.Chevy EquinoxChevroletToyota TundraToyotaMore Sales DataToyota, meanwhile, declined pretty much across the board, citing continued parts shortages that forced it to adjust its production plans downward throughout the year. The Toyota brand was down 9 percent, and the Lexus luxury brand was down 15 percent. The only high-volume model within Toyota’s portfolio that gain sales compared with last year was the Tundra full-size pickup, which recorded 104,246 sales, an increase of 27 percent. The RAV4 compact crossover was Toyota’s top seller, with 399,941 units sold, a 2 percent decrease compared with 2021.As more sales reports come in, we’ll be updating our list of the top 25 best-selling models, so stay tuned.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