Motor News

Volkswagen says its performance R sub-brand will be an EV-only lineup by decade’s end, according to a report in the U.K.’s Autocar.The transition is planned to occur gradually, and on a new EV platform, with several unnamed electric R models in planning already, VW reportedly said.Volkswagen as a whole is targeting 2035 to be a fully electric brand.Volkswagen, like so many other manufacturers, bound by regulations, and driven by an arms race of sorts, promised future electrification across the brand. For Volkswagen, that date is 2035, the year that sales of new gasoline- and diesel-powered vehices will become outlawed throughout the EU. Unfortunately, that also includes Volkswagen’s R performance sub-brand. The company confirmed in a recent interview with Autocar that the R performance brand will make that switch a full five years before the rest of the brand—in 2030.R Themed CarsThe only R brand model currently on sale in the United States is the Golf R, although vehicles including the Tiguan R and Arteon R are sold in Europe. Volkswagen confirmed to U.K. publication Autocar that the company is currently in the planning stages for multiple electric R models. “One thing is certain: the future of R is electric,” a company spokesperson is quoted as saying. VW also said future electric R models will receive trickle-down technology much like their internal-combustion counterparts. We hope that means seeing performance figures anywhere in the same universe as the prototype I.D. R, which set a Nürburgring EV record in 2019.Volkswagen”In order to become a fully electric brand by the end of the decade, we’re already taking the necessary steps today for the forthcoming transformation,” VW’s Reinhold Ivenz told Autocar. According to this story, future R models will be built on a version of the Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which is the company’s EV platform set to succeed the current MEB platform in 2026. What does that mean for the current Golf R? It indicates that it’s unlikely the Golf R as we know and love it will make a direct transition to an electric vehicle, and the same goes for R versions of any vehicles that are going to be sold as ICE in the shorter term. However, VW does say it has “several” of the new R models in the works, so we can likely expect to start seeing those before too long.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 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

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R has a starting price of $43,990—about $5k more than its predecessor.The redesigned CTR is still about $1000 less than the limited-production Limited Edition from the previous generation.Honda says the 2023 Civic Type R will start hitting dealerships in the U.S. tomorrow.Those who want to live fast and furiously with the 2023 Civic Type R will have to shell out at least $43,990. That’s the starting price—before any dealer markups—that Honda is asking for its hottest hatchback, which the company says will start hitting U.S. dealer lots tomorrow.The redesigned CTR’s raised base price means it costs about $5000 more than its predecessor, which opened at $38,910 for the 2021 model year. Still, the ’23 Type R isn’t the most expensive Type R ever sold in America. That title goes to the previous-gen Limited Edition that cost around $45k during its limited production run.HondaWith today’s news, the new Civic Type R is now in the same monetary territory as the all-wheel-drive 315-hp 2023 Volkswagen Golf R and its $45,385 base price. Obviously, the big difference between the two hatches is the mightiest Civic only comes with front-wheel drive. In that regard, the 2023 CTR costs just over $10,000 more than the front-drive-only 286-hp Hyundai Elantra N.R-equired Type R ReadingLike the outgoing model, we don’t expect the 2023 Honda Civic Type R to offer many options. However, we’re told its standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber can be swapped for an even stickier set of Cup 2 tires. We just don’t yet know how expensive of an upgrade that will be because Honda hasn’t said.For anyone who cares, the ’23 Type R’s EPA fuel-economy figures have also been released. It’s rated at 22 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined. Those ratings are almost identical to the previous generation which had a higher combined estimate of 25 mpg.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 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

Ford announced towing capacities for its Super Duty heavy-duty truck lineup, with the top-spec F-450 able to haul 40,000 pounds with a gooseneck trailer.Ford also says the Super Duty has a payload rated up to 8000 pounds, besting its competition from Chevrolet and Ram.Horsepower and torque figures were also revealed for the new 6.8-liter V-8 and the High Output version of the Power Stroke diesel, which makes 500 hp and 1200 pound-feet.Ford recently took the wraps off the 2023 Super Duty pickup trucks, revealing a fresh design with a squared-off face and bold grilles, as well as upgraded interiors with an available 12.0-inch touchscreen. The Super Duty also arrived packing a new 6.8-liter gas-powered V-8 that joins the gas-fed 7.3-liter V-8 and diesel-sipping 6.7-liter V-8. Now Ford has announced the official towing ratings for the 2023 Super Duty lineup, blasting its competitors out of the water with a maximum available 40,000 pounds of towing capacity. FordThat 40,000-pound figure is for the largest Ford F-450 pulling a gooseneck trailer. This puts the Blue Oval well ahead of its heavy duty competition, with the Chevrolet Silverado HD topping out at 36,000 pounds and the Ram HD maxing out at 37,090 pounds. Even stepping down to the Ford F-350 allows you to haul 38,000 pounds via a gooseneck trailer. Ford also claims to be best in class with a conventional towing setup, topping out at 30,000 pounds, and says the Super Duty maxes out at an 8000-pound payload, several hundred pounds higher than its competitors from Chevy and Ram. FordFord has also unveiled the horsepower and torque ratings for the 2023 Super Duty. The new 6.8-liter starts things off with 405 hp and 445 pound-feet, while the beefier 7.3-liter carries over with 430 horses and 485 pound-feet. But the real towing king is the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel, offered in two outputs. The standard version still makes 475 hp and 1050 pound-feet, but a new High Output specification ups that to a massive 500 hp and 1200 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the only transmission choice, and four-wheel-drive is standard starting on the XLT trim.More Ford NewsThe Super Duty trucks will come packed with tech to make towing easier, such as Pro Trailer Hitch Assist to help you affix the hitch ball to the receiver, and an optional 360-degree camera and on-board scales to help even out the weight distribution. There is even a specific trailer navigation setting that chooses the easiest route for towing. Deliveries of the 2023 Super Duty will start early next year, and Ford has now announced that the truck lineup will start at $45,765.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 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

Dodge muscle cars, in addition to their other virtues, have an irrepressible charm, and so does Dodge’s latest marketing idea, a “Horsepower Locator” at DodgeGarage.com.It’s an online tool to find one of the Last Call special editions that are being doled out in limited quantities to dealers around the country.There are about 4600 Charger and Challenger special editions, all of them preconfigured, but thanks to the Horsepower Locator, they’ll find their owners—and vice versa—soon.The writing is on the cardboard for the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars as we know them—the end is near. And while their legions of fans have only a concept of what the next iteration will look as they dry their 93-octane tears, Dodge has given every 2023 Challenger and Charger a Last Call plaque under the hood to commemorate this final chapter. The automaker has also rolled out six special editions. But for those who want to buy one, finding it is is another matter. Dodge’s solution: the Horsepower Locator. This tool gives would-be muscle-car mavens the tools necessary to harass any dealership with an allocation and fulfill their insatiable desire for horsepower.Every Last Call Has an After Party:Shakedown, Super Bee, Scat Pack Swinger, King Daytona, and Black Ghost are all names that carry us back to the carbureted days of muscle. Dodge is divvying these special editions out to 500 of its top-selling dealerships. Supplies are limited to 12 special editions for the top 200, 10 special editions for the following 100, and the remaining top dealers will have access to just six.Dodge says these Last Call special editions come preconfigured, and that’s why the Horsepower Locator should come in handy for about as long as the available 4600 special editions are available. However, knowing Charger and Challenger fans, that tank shouldn’t take long to empty. StellantisHow to Use the Horsepower LocatorThe Horsepower Locator can be found at DodgeGarage.com. It doesn’t just track which dealerships will get which special editions, but how many of each remain available. This tool searches dealership allocations, giving buyers a head start on ordering as they’ve never had before. According to an earlier report from DodgeGarage, the Horsepower Locator will also allow you to specifically order from Dodge’s Power Broker dealerships, should you want to add more dynamite to your order from their factory-backed performance parts lineup.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.Last Call | 2023 Dodge Horsepower LocatorWatch onTo expand ordering options during this last and hoedown, all 2023 SRT models will receive the (including SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye). This expands the personalization limits for paint, interior trim, wheel options, and many others. B5 Blue, Plum Crazy purple, Sublime green, and Destroyer Gray are all back for 2023 as well. Charger SRTChallenger SRTpreviously announced Jailbreak designationPricing for each of the so-far-announced 2023 special-edition Last Call models is as follows:2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee: $63,4002023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown: $65,185 2023 Dodge Challenger Widebody Swinger: $67,785 2023 Dodge Charger Widebody Super Bee: $68,8952023 Dodge Challenger Widebody Shakedown: $69,085 2023 Dodge Charger Swinger Widebody: $71,285 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona: $100,015 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost: $100,910Earlier this year Dodge announced the debut of its seventh and final Last Call edition, which was originally planned for November’s SEMA show, would be delayed due to supply problems. Mopar fans want the Super Bee wing with a Richard Petty paint option, but it’s really anyone’s guess as to what Dodge might have hidden behind closed doors. If they’re clever enough to make the MSRP of the Charger Swinger a not-so-innocent $69,690, we should all be in for a pretty spectacular goodbye. 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

According to a report from Reuters, American EV giant Tesla is now facing a criminal investigation from the Department of Justice. The criminal investigation joins a series of probes into the company from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) option now costs $15,000 but has not reached regulatory approval. EV maker Tesla is under criminal investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice over its claims that its cars are “Full Self Driving.” That news comes in an article just published by the Reuters news service, which cited unnamed sources it described as “three people familiar with the matter.” The report says the feds have been conducting the investigation since 2021 after more than a dozen crashes were suspected of being related to Tesla’s self-driving technology. According to the Reuters story, the Justice Department’s prosecutors will be looking to discover “whether Tesla misled consumers, investors, and regulators by making unsupported claims about its driver assistance technology’s capabilities.” The investigation could culminate in criminal charges, civil penalties, or the end of the matter, depending on what they find out, Reuters said.Controversial from the StartTesla has come under fire from many quarters over the implication that its vehicles can drive themselves, given the company’s use of the name “Full Self Driving.” Because Tesla’s Full Self Driving system relies on the driver of the vehicle to remain alert at all times, it is effectively a Level 2 driver-assist technology, not fully automated.on AutopilotHowever, it could be argued that Tesla has allowed customers to believe otherwise. For instance, a video on the Tesla Autopilot website reads: “The person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself.” Further down, the website reads, “Autopilot enables your car to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within its lane. Current Autopilot features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Tesla does warn drivers that they must remain alert even with Autopilot activated. This, Reuters speculates, may protect Tesla in the Justice Department probe. What the warnings do not seem to do is keep drivers from paying less attention to the road. A study conducted by MIT last year found that drivers using Autopilot remove their eyes from the road for longer, and more often than when they are not using the system.The criminal investigation from the DOJ is not the first investigation Tesla is facing over Autopilot and FSD. NHTSA opened a probe into over 800,000 Teslas with Autopilot in June of this year, and in July, the California DMV accused the company of falsely advertising the capabilities of its driver-assist features.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

Rivian has notified R1T reservation holders that it is removing the powered tonneau option on the electric truck and will “upgrade” the system to reintroduce it at an unspecified future time.Reservation holders waiting for an R1T who want to receive their truck as scheduled will need to choose between getting a manual cover or no cover option at all. Choosing no tonneau results in a $1500 reduction in price, while choosing the manual cover option reduces the price by $700.It’s no secret that EV startup Rivian has had some growing pains in its first year of delivering vehicles. Deliveries of the highly anticipated R1S SUV experienced delays earlier this year, and Car and Driver experienced our share of electronic glitches throughout our testing process earlier this year. In September, Rivian reached out to R1T owners to lay out plans for a replacement tonneau cover due to a litany of issues cropping up for owners. On Friday the company announced that as it works on a solution, or as they put it, an “upgrade,” the current tonneau will be pulled from production. The company plans to reintroduce the option in the future but has not indicated how long before that happens.Preorder holders are being given two options: choose a manual tonneau cover and see the price of the R1T drop by $700, or forgo the tonneau option entirely and have the price drop by $1500. Rivian made it clear in a statement to C/D that neither choice will affect vehicle delivery date. The company is still working on updating its online configurator, something it expects to complete later this month.More on the R1TThe manual tonneau will consist of four interlocking panels, which can be stored in an accompanying cargo bag when not in use. It will be fully lockable and should protect cargo from “light weather.” According to the statement sent to owners, any customer with a preordered R1T slated for delivery soon will not receive a manual tonneau for the truck until sometime in early 2023.Strangely, considering there’s the option of no tonneau cover, Rivian is planning to remove the integrated side rails starting in 2023. A Rivian customer service representative is quoted on the Rivian forum saying that there will be no option to retrofit a powered tonneau in the future. Either you already got your truck and have the option, or you have to wait until “the foreseeable future” is over and then configure a truck with the powered 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 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

Lucid is now selling an at-home wall charger along with a few other accessories for the Air EV.The charger can support up to 19.2 kW of AC power, a figure which Lucid claims provides up to 80 miles of range per hour. The Level 2 charger comes at a price of $1200, but attention: there may be additional costs to make it work with your home’s electrical system.Charging at home can be one of the best perks of owning an electric vehicle. There are tons of options for at home charging, ranging from a few hundred dollars for Level 1 overnight charging, to several hundred for the more capable Level 2 charging. Now, Lucid Motors, the young automaker known for having the longest-range luxury sedan available today, is offering an at-home charger of its own. The wall-mounted charger provides Level 2 charging, and when operating at its peak can provide 19.2 kW of electrical power. According to Lucid, that amount of power equates to roughly 80 miles of range per hour for the Air. It can be ordered for $1200, though prospective buyers should remember that buying a home charger for your EV is not exactly plug and play. Beyond permits, inspections, and installation, changes to your home’s electrical system could cost thousands on top of the cost of the charger. Lucid MomentsElectrical codes require that circuits can only deliver 80 percent of their stated maximum to an appliance. This means that Level 2 charging—which utilizes an AC current of 80 amps, as is the case with 19.2 kW charge equipment like Lucid’s—requires a dedicated 100-amp circuit breaker. One EV user we know recently installed a 50-amp breaker, which was required to support a 40 amp, 9.6-kW charger at his California home. All told, this part of the installation process cost $3500 because he had to double the capacity of his home’s main circuit panel to allow for the charger’s safe operation. Lucid promises that its charger will utilize a 24-foot cable, which it promises will be thinner and more lightweight than competitors’. The charger is housed in a sleek black unit which can be mounted either indoors for people who park in a garage, or outdoors for those who may charge in their driveway.LucidCargo-Carrying Choices IncreaseIn addition to the new at-home charger, Lucid is now offering an 11-cubic-foot cargo capsule for the roof as well as a set of crossbars. According to Lucid, the cargo capsule was designed to optimize aerodynamics and limit impact to overall range. It can be opened from either side of the vehicle and includes interior lighting for when you need access to your items at night. The crossbars are rated for up to 165 pounds and are compatible with Yakima bike, surfboard, and kayak mounts. The cargo capsule is $2000, with the crossbars priced at $500. 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 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

• Today’s pick from the Bring a Trailer auction site is this Volvo 244DL, a tribute to road cycling’s greatest hero.• This era of Volvo sedan is a design icon: simple, boxy, honest.• It was notably durable, if not exactly swift, one reason that the 240-series Volvo has a huge fan base. This one’s cycling support vehicle livery just adds to the charm.The appeal of a boxy Volvo is easy to understand. They are simple, immensely pragmatic, durable, and safe. Thanks to a total lack of pretentiousness and a two-decade production run, the 240 is familiar and beloved. It’s the car that makes being square and nerdy actually kind of cool. And the example up for auction this week at Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a machine that combines the worlds of car geeks and cycling nerds. Bring a TrailerFinished in the orange livery of a Team Molteni support vehicle, this 1977 240DL comes complete with a roof-mounted bicycle rack bearing a road-racing bike set up like that of Tour de France legend Eddy Merckx. The whole package is a fun tribute to a bit of Swedish-Belgian-Italian cycling history.Thinking inside the BoxThe Greatest Road Rider Édouard “The Cannibal” Merckx was the sort of champion cyclist to make anyone with more than one pair of clip-in cycling shoes swoon. Born in Belgium just a month after the end of World War II, he started riding at an early age and found success almost immediately. By the end of his career in the late 1970s, Merckx had won five Tours de France, five Giros d’Italia, and Spain’s grand tour, La Vuelta. He also won three cycling World Championships and followed up a double grand-tour win in 1974 with a win at the UCI Road World Championships, thus making him the first rider to win cycling’s triple crown. Basically, we’re talking Mario Andretti in Spandex.The “Cannibal” nickname was bestowed by the daughter of a teammate and referred to his tenacious refusal to let anyone else win. This laser focus made him a household name at the time, at least among cycling enthusiasts, and Merckx is still regarded as the greatest road rider of all time.Many of his wins came while riding as a professional for the Italian team Molteni. The team favored a striking orange racing livery on its jerseys, and the support vehicles were likewise painted bright orange. In the club’s early days, Simcas and the like carried the bikes to race day. When Merckx was at the peak of his career, Molteni was mostly Volvos.Bring a TrailerThis 1977 Volvo DL is a couple model years too new for an exact match, but it nonetheless wears the Team Molteni colors with pride. Powered by a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine punching out a little over a hundred horsepower and fitted with the four-speed-plus-overdrive manual transmission, this is very much a Volvo of the “world’s fastest tractor” variety.Bring a TrailerSome cosmetic issues with peeling clear-coat are mentioned in the listing, and there’s some corrosion noted. At heart, this 244 is a Volvo with 237,000 miles on the odometer, and it has its fair share of wear. Then again, Volvos from this era tend to have the durability of granite. This thing will still be on the road when the last gallon of gasoline is produced or until the heat death of the universe. Whichever comes first.Complete with the Eddy Merckx tribute steel-frame road bike on the roof rack, this car can’t be beat for charisma-per-dollar appeal. All the Cars and Coffee folk’ll love it and so will the Sunday-morning pack cycling crowd. And so will the Volvo geeks. Expect thumbs up from everyone.With four days to go until the auction ends on Sunday, October 30, bidding sits at $4444. Don’t miss out on your chance to snap it up. The Cannibal would never forgive you.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