Motor News

The Zeekr 009 is a new electric minivan built by Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.The 009 packs either a 116.0- or 140.0-kWh battery, and the dual-motor setup produces 536 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque.The interior features a 15.6-inch screen for the second-row captain’s chairs and a 20-speaker Yamaha surround sound system.While Volvo’s path into the era of electric cars is being led by a slew of SUVs—from the XC40 and C40 Recharge to the upcoming full-size EX90—another brand owned by Volvo’s parent company Geely is taking a different approach. Zeekr, sold exclusively in the China market, started production of its first EV last year, with the 001 taking the form of a slinky station wagon. Now Zeekr has revealed its second electric vehicle, the 009, which arrives sporting a block minivan body with brutalist styling.GeelyThe 009 rides on the same platform as the 001, which also underpins the Smart #1. Two versions of the electric minivan are available. One packs a 116.0-kWh battery that provides 436 miles of range, and upgrading to a massive 140.0-kWh battery nets 511 miles of range on China’s test cycle, which typically produces more optimistic results than the test run by the EPA. Zeekr claims the 116.0-kWh battery can recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 28 minutes. The 009 also shares the dual-motor powertrain found in the 001, giving the all-wheel-drive minivan 536 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough shove to scoot this brick to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds.ZeekrAlong with impressive performance figures, the 009 stands out thanks to its unorthodox design. The blocky front grille features a series of vertical LED light strips and a shiny chrome finish, and while the front lights are a simple upside-down U-shape, the taillights feature dozens of intricate LED units. Despite the chunky styling, Zeekr claims a drag coefficient of 0.27 for the 009. The 20-inch wheels are supported by an unequal-length control arm suspension up front and a multi-link design in the rear and air suspension all around.ZeekrZeekrWith the 009 stretching 205 inches long, its interior is cavernous and luxurious, with space for six and leather-wrapped, massaging captain’s chairs in the second row. The dashboard centers around a 15.4-inch touchscreen, with a 10.25-inch screen in place of a gauge cluster, while the second row is treated to a 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted screen. There’s also a 20-speaker Yamaha surround sound system. The 009 is dripping in futuristic tech, with voice and face recognition, an artificial-intelligence virtual assistant, and 30 advanced driver-assistance systems operating via a dozen cameras and 13 radar sensors. More New EVsThe 116.0-kWh version will start at the equivalent of $68,450 at current exchange rates, while the 140.0-kWh 009 will cost $80,660. Deliveries are to start in January, and while the 009 will most likely never reach U.S. shores, we hope that the outside-the-box thinking migrates to Geely’s other brands: Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.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

• With a Holman Moody 427-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed manual transmission, this Cobra is the apex of American 1960s performance machinery.• Cobra production wound down in December 1966, so this is one of the last of a breed.• The 427s were better sorted out than the narrow-body cars, though both are highly desirable. This auction on Bring a Trailer will be one to watch for any Cobra fan. It ends on November 14.There’s an old joke that goes, Q: How do you know if a Cobra is real or a replica? A: It’s a replica. One of the most beloved 1960s racing machines is also one of the most copied, and there’s nothing wrong with that. A well-set-up Cobra replica is just the thing for blowing out the fall cobwebs with some V-8 thunder. But here comes the real deal.Bring a TrailerUp for auction this week at Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a genuine 1966 Cobra 427 Mk III. Yep, that’s 427, as in cubic inches of displacement, some seven liters of Ford side-oiler muscle in a chassis that weighs just over 2500 pounds. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, that is the Big Stove option.Bring a TrailerWith 10 days to go, bidding sits at a very satisfying $950,000. But grab your popcorn, folks, because this is one of those auctions where the dollar value quickly exceeds “I could buy a house for that kind of money” and sky-rockets into “This, or a P-51 Mustang and a hangar to put it in?”From Our ArchivesWhen Car and Driver road-tested the Cobra 427 in 1965, driving impressions included noting the more refined handling. Early Cobras were a handful and a half. “Everyone at Shelby is more than candid about admitting that the handling of the original Cobra was considerably less than optimum.” With a fully independent suspension, the Cobra 427 got that power to the road.Bring a TrailerAnd what power it was. Clocked through the quarter-mile in just 12.2 seconds, this broad-shouldered machine was unrivaled by anything other than the big-block Corvettes, and perhaps not even them. The Cobra might have been a more resolved product, but it was still punchy and raucous. There’s a reason so many companies will sell you a photocopy of this icon of 1960s performance.Bring a TrailerThe example for auction at Bring a Trailer is particularly tasty. Chassis number 3283, it left Shelby American with a tamer 428-cubic-inch V-8 but was almost immediately treated to performance upgrades. Ford’s official race-car contractor, Holman Moody, was tapped for a built 427-cubic-inch engine, fitted with dual four-barrel carburetors. With the exhaust routed out the back, rather than side-exit, the driver can more properly hear the induction roar of fuel and air being sacrificed on the altar of speed.Bring a TrailerIt was returned to its original factory shade of dark green in 2013, and there’s a brutish elegance to this Cobra. The subtlety evaporates, of course, the moment you start up that big V-8, but the green-on-black color treatment pays homage to the original British ACs from which Cobras were born.For the lucky auction winner with the deepest of pockets, this car will provide an unmatched driving experience. And, should you be out and about on a sunny morning, and this Cobra rumbles past you, maybe you’ll recognize it for what it is. Because statistics say that any Cobra you spot is a replica. But the real ones are out there too. 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

Alfa Romeo has shown updated versions of the Giulia and Stelvio.They feature new headlights and taillights and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster inside.We expect these changes to arrive in the U.S. for the 2024 model year.You might think that Alfa Romeo’s Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV would be due for a redesign soon, given that they’ve both been out for around for five-plus years with few changes. But it appears that the 2024 editions of these models will feature minor changes, as previewed by these Europe-market updates. An Alfa Romeo spokesperson told C/D that U.S.-specific information about the 2024 Giulia and Stelvio will be coming in the middle of next year.Alfa RomeoNew headlights and taillights highlight the exterior changes, and the headlights feature LED matrix technology. The “3+3” accent lights are meant to tie these models in with the new Tonale crossover’s lighting signature. The taillights, meanwhile, have rearranged LED elements. The interior benefits from a new 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with three display modes: Evolved, Relax, and Heritage.Alfa RomeoAlfa RomeoMore on Alfa RomeoThere aren’t any changes to the cars’ base powertrain, a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 280 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Alfa hasn’t made any announcements about changes to the Quadrifoglio performance variants, which feature a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 with 505 hp.Look for these updated Alfa Romeos to arrive in the U.S. late in 2023, with base prices slightly higher than the current versions which start at $45,875 for the 2023 Giulia and $48,170 for the 2023 Stelvio.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

Porsche tested two 911 prototypes with jacked-up suspensions and off-road tires on the side of a volcano.The prototypes were heavily modified versions of the 911 Carrera 4S, which has all-wheel drive and 443 horsepower.Along with stripped-down interiors and safari-esque styling, the prototypes scaled the volcano with an enhanced drivetrain and a handy winch. The Ojo del Salado in Chile is the highest volcano in the world. With slopes made of treacherous terrain and areas where temperatures are well below freezing, it’s the last place anyone would expect to see a Porsche 911. Well, look again, because as these photos show, Porsche has literally taken its iconic sports car to new heights by testing a pair of safari-style 911 prototypes on the side of a volcano. Are they a sneak peek at the rumored Dakar version? It kinda seems that way.PorscheNot Your Lawyer’s 911Obviously, the two prototypes involved in this wild experiment aren’t ordinary 911s. While they’re both based on the 443-hp all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S, the 992-generation coupes have been heavily modified. Porsche did keep their original seven-speed manual gearboxes, though. Bravo! On the other hand, the rest of the cars are barely recognizable with their extensive exterior alterations that include flared fenders, meaty off-road tires, rooftop cargo racks, and custom liveries. One of the latter’s color schemes is the same as Porsche’s 963 LMDh race car and the other features a 911 theme created by Weissach designers. PorscheVolcano-Scaling HardwareFitted with heavy-duty portal axles, the 911 prototypes have a towering 13.7 inches of ground clearance. That’s a half-inch more than the Ford Bronco Raptor. The high-riding Porsches also feature lower gear ratios for improved crawling ability at low speeds and manual locking diffs for max traction. The 911s have underbody protection made of tough heat-resistant synthetic fibers, too. We’re not sure if it can protect against lava, but the Ojo del Salado is a dormant volcano—so we’re told.PorschePorscheIt’s not clear what type of suspension the 911 prototypes are using, other than it’s clearly not a stock setup. It buoys a quartet of 12.2-inch-wide tires, all of which are mechanically linked by a device that Porsche calls a “warp connector.” We’re told it’s designed to maintain maximum traction during extreme wheel articulation. Should either of the lifted 911s get stuck (as seen below), both have a front-mounted winch to yank ’em out. PorscheHow’s the Weather Up There? The team that tested the Dakar-esque 911 prototypes was led by adrenaline junkie, er, adventurer and endurance racer Romain Dumas. He took the jacked-up sports cars as high as 19,708 feet. Not only were temperatures said to be around -22 degrees Fahrenheit, but the air was paper thin. The journey included such obstacles as boulder-strewn slopes, ice fields, and walls of snow. You know, typical stuff that 911 drivers encounter. However, Porsche says Dumas and his team accomplished their mission. Porsche”This was a truly memorable and special moment in a place that’s both beautiful and brutal at the same time, ” said Dumas. “I guess the only machines anywhere in the world higher than us today were aircraft!”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

Toyota is looking to increase pricing at a rate “limited by customer expectations” pertaining to individual models, Automotive News reported.The expected increases are coming after the company experienced regional operating losses in its fiscal year which ended in September.The price increases are also expected in Europe, where the company also experienced regional quarterly losses. Death, taxes, and rising car prices: three unending guarantees. Following quarterly regional losses and sharply increasing input costs, Automotive News reports, Toyota is planning to pass rising costs down to the consumer. The paper reports that Toyota executives just need to decide exactly how significant the increases will be. A Toyota spokesperson contacted by Car and Driver declined comment.”We are really racking our brains trying to come up with the appropriate pricing level,” chief communications officer Jun Nagata said at Toyota’s November 1 quarterly earnings announcement. “We have begun to reflect those higher prices into the vehicle as much as possible.”More on PricingIt’s common for new-vehicle MSRPs to increase by amounts at least by a few hundred dollars every year, and in some years, to see an increase midyear. One solution Toyota is looking into, according to the report from Automotive News, is increasing the frequency of price jumps. Another method of raising prices that a lot of automakers, including Toyota, have been using recently is to drop base models, effectively raising the price of entry. Just last month, the company dropped the base L sedan from its Corolla lineup, resulting in an $1125 higher starting price . Pricing for the hatchback Corolla jumped by $1800 on the SE, and $2315 on the XSE—although Toyota also cut the starting price of the Corolla hybrid by $1250. Dropping the base option generally means losing the car with the lowest profit margin for manufacturers. It also effectively raises the floor of ownership for buyers. According to the report, consumers’ expectations of pricing is one of the factors Toyota executives are using to gauge increases. The warning of impending price increases came during a quarterly earnings announcement on November 1. According to the report, the company needs to make adjustments to offset regional operating losses for the North American arm of the company. Automotive News Europe notes that Toyota is also considering price increases are also in Europe, and for similar reasons.The automaker has revised its annual production target downward, with purchasing chief Kazunari Kumakura partly blaming an ongoing semiconductor-chip shortage and commenting, “I don’t know when the chip shortage will be resolved.” 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

Subaru has teased the next-generation 2024 Impreza, showing off its hatchback roofline in a darkened image.Only a hatchback is shown in the image, so the sedan model may not be returning for 2024.The new Impreza will make its debut at the Los Angeles auto show, which starts November 17.Many automakers have abandoned their compact cars in favor of pint-sized SUVs. The Ford Focus has been dead since 2018, and Volkswagen now only offers the Golf in GTI and R performance trims in the United States. Subaru could easily follow a similar path, with the Crosstrek vastly outselling the Impreza hatchback upon which its based—128,979 units versus 25,490 units, respectively, through October 2022. But Subaru remains committed to its compact car, releasing a teaser for the next generation 2024 Impreza which will make its full debut at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show. The teaser doesn’t show much, with only the roofline visible in the dark expanse. The illustration shows a hatchback body style. While a sedan version of the Impreza could debut later, it’s also possible that the sedan won’t be returning for the 2024 model year and the Impreza will come exclusively with a hatch. 2024 Subaru CrosstrekSubaruMore Subaru NewsSince we have already seen the next generation Crosstrek, we have a pretty solid idea of what to expect from the 2024 Impreza. The design should mirror the new Crosstrek—squinty headlights, chunky taillights, and sharp bodywork—minus the plastic body cladding around the wheel arches and on the bumpers. We expect the 152-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder to carry over, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Crosstrek’s plug-in hybrid setup migrate to the hatchback as well. We’re also praying that the five-speed manual returns, hopefully mated to the Crosstrek’s 182-hp 2.5-liter four-pot. More details on the Impreza’s future will be unveiled when the Los Angeles auto show kicks off on November 17.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 U.S. Justice Department yesterday said it busted a nationwide crime network responsible for stealing countless catalytic converters.The theft ring is said to have made tens of millions of dollars off of the stolen catalytic converters.The feds have arrested 21 people in five states and are seeking over $545 million in forfeitures. If you’re one of the people who recently had their catalytic converter ripped out and stolen from underneath their car, the feds might have just busted the criminals who did it. That’s because the U.S. Justice Department yesterday announced that it took down a nationwide catalytic converter theft ring.What’s a catalytic converter? It’s essentially an anti-pollution device that’s part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, and it contains precious metals that can be sold for a lot of money. If you’re wondering how much money, the FBI said the network of thieves, dealers, and processors made tens of millions of dollars off the stolen parts.Dude, Where’s My Cat?As part of the takedown that involved law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal levels, 21 people in five states have been arrested and charged in two separate indictments. Federal grand juries in California and Oklahoma have filed separate charges for conspiracy to transport stolen catalytic converters and conspiracy to commit money laundering, among other similar chargers. In total, the U.S. government is seeking over $545 million in forfeitures.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

Stellantis has issued a statement asking customers to stop driving 2005 through 2010 Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Magnum and Chrysler 300 cars that haven’t yet had their old Takata airbags replaced.The automaker said there are about 276,000 vehicles on the road that meet that description, even though Takata airbags have been under active recall for several years.The company said it has “sufficient inventory” of replacement airbags to service all those that need the recall.Stellantis, maker of Dodge and Chrysler vehicles, has issued a strong statement urging owners of older cars to stop driving them if they have not yet had their Takata airbags replaced. Issuing the statement under former corporate name FCA, the automaker said this affects 2005 through 2010 models of the Dodge Challenger and Charger and the Magnum, as well as the same model years of the Chrysler 300 sedan.The stop-drive announcement was issued as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement today saying two people have died this year in separate crashes where the Takata driver’s-side airbag in 2010 Dodge Chargers exploded. These are the only FCA models that are under the new stop-drive order, a spokesperson told Car and Driver.The TimelineTakata airbags have been an industry-wide problem since 2013, with millions of cars from dozens of brands being recalled worldwide over danger they could explode in a crash. FCA discontinued using the problematic airbags in 2010 for these models, the spokesperson said. The automaker started issuing recalls and offering free replacement airbags in 2015, and, it said in a statement today, has been “aggressive” about trying to get them replaced in its vehicles in the U.S., including “millions” of letters, phone calls, and home visits to potentially affected vehicle owners.However, according to the statement, there are still more than a quarter-million cars that have not had the defective airbags replaced.FCA says owners of potentially affected vehicles should stop driving them and contact the NHTSA recalls website or the automaker’s own Mopar Recalls site for more information.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