Motor News

Government figures for traffic fatalities show a higher number in the first half of 2022 than in 2021, but that’s not the whole story.After seven quarters of continued growth, traffic fatalities dropped in the second quarter of 2022.To bring about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s call to prevent as many deaths as possible, NHTSA has been updating—or will update—rules around safety features in new cars as well as considering factors outside the car, such as bikers and pedestrians.Last year, 2021, experts recorded the most traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 16 years. The 42,915 people who died last year might represent a new high-water mark if the predicted trend for 2022 proves itself out and continues.Stay Safe Out ThereThis month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that its early estimates of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2022 were up a tiny bit, around 0.5 percent. Compared to the first half of 2021, when an estimated 20,070 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, the first half of 2022 saw a projected 20,175 fatalities. That’s obviously an increase, but NHTSA found good news hiding in that higher number: the second quarter of 2022 represents the first decline in deaths in almost two years. The number had been steadily climbing since the third quarter of 2020, or for seven straight quarters.”These deaths are preventable, not inevitable, and we should act accordingly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. He added that even with the decline, NHTSA still has work to do—and is doing it—to protect all road users. How to Make Streets Safer?For example, Secretary Buttigieg unveiled a National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) in January. The NRSS states that almost 95 percent of the transportation deaths that occur in America happen on streets, roads, and highways, compared to traveling by things like trains or planes. To reduce the number of road fatalities, NHTSA is helping states develop a “complete streets” project and is also considering making changes to new-car rules to make them even safer than today’s models.So far this year, NHTSA has also taken steps to improve child safety seat test standards and increase underride protection on semi-truck trailers. The agency also found that to combat the greater risk to women in crashes, it helps to make crash test dummies that are more accurately represent both male and female bodies.Understanding the ProcessMore Driver-Assist Tech?NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program might also be updated by adding four more recommended advanced driver assistance system technologies: blind-spot detection, blind spot intervention, lane-keeping assistance, and pedestrian automated emergency braking. NHTSA said it will update the NCAP over the next 10 years and will “potentially incorporate consideration of the vehicle’s safety features for people walking or biking around the car.”Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said all new vehicles should come with alcohol impairment detection systems. The NTSB recommended to NHTSA that it require passive alcohol impairment detection systems, better driver monitoring systems, or some combination of both in order to stop inebriated people from driving.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 Wall Street Journal reports that Ford expects to be sitting on 40,000 to 45,000 trucks at the end of the third quarter because it doesn’t have enough badges to put on them.The problem might not be related to the supply-chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Instead, the cause might be a chemical spill in Michigan last month by Tribar, a company that has supplied badges to Ford in the past and needed to limit operations temporarily.Ford reportedly considered using 3D printing technology to provide short-term replacement badges but didn’t think the quality would be good enough.When someone in Springfield pranked Superintendent Chalmers by removing the hood emblem from his 1979 Honda Accord, he complained, “That’s how people know it’s a Honda.” Good for a laugh on The Simpsons, but it’s unlikely that anybody will fail to recognize the bestselling vehicle in the U.S. for decades if it doesn’t say “Ford.” Still, the automaker is holding back tens of thousands of new F-series pickup trucks because the automaker doesn’t have enough badges.Ford’s Good NamePeople familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal that the shortage applies to the famous blue oval Ford badges as well as those that identify the model. A Ford spokesperson told the Journal that some vehicle shipments are still happening as planned and that it is retrofitting vehicles that don’t have the correct badges before delivering them to dealers. Ford said it expects to have between 40,000 and 45,000 pickups waiting for badges at the end of the third quarter. Ford reportedly considered 3D printing to make temporary badges but dismissed the idea because it could not guarantee the short-term replacements would look as good. The company declined to comment on the 3D printing proposal to the paper. We have asked Ford for more details about these issues.Ford, and other automakers, had previously held back shipments of numerous models because of a lack of silicon semiconductor chips, which have been difficult for some automakers to obtain for their products since 2020 because of the pandemic. But the lack of badges might not be directly tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal noted that one of Ford’s badge suppliers is Tribar Technologies. That name likely rings a bell for readers in mid-Michigan, because that’s where Tribar “released several thousand gallons of a liquid containing 5 percent hexavalent chromium into the sewer system” in August, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Hexavalent chromium is a form of the metallic element chromium and has been shown to “cause a number of adverse health effects through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation,” the MDEGLE said.As part of the chemical cleanup, Tribar was forced to “limit operations” in August, the Journal said. This might have caused a drop in the supply of new badges. Both Ford and Tribar confirmed their badge-supplying relationship, but neither would talk to the paper about the current situation. 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 Brabus P 900 Rocket Edition is a heavily revised Mercedes-AMG G63 featuring a pickup truck bed and a very angry front fascia.900 horsepower and 922 pound-feet of torque are shot out of the twin-turbo 4.5-liter V-8 through a nine-speed automatic, with this brick able to hit 62 mph in a claimed 3.7 seconds.The interior features Rocket Red accents and plenty of black leather with a “Seashell Diamond” quilting pattern.What do you buy if all of your friends own Ford Raptor Rs and Ram 1500 TRXs and you want to stand out? The latest creation from German aftermarket tuning company Brabus would be a great choice—along with its over-the-top styling and a prodigious power output, the P 900 Rocket Edition will also be limited to a production run of just ten units. The P 900 Rocket Edition is based on Brabus’s XLP pickup truck conversion of the Mercedes-AMG G63, with a large, boxy four-door cabin and a stubby bed. Powering this beast is a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V-8 blasting out 900 horsepower and 922 pound-feet of torque, routing that through a nine-speed automatic. That’s enough oomph to fire this Rocket to 62 mph in claimed 3.7 seconds and on to a 174 mph top speed.The P 900 Rocket Edition has one mean-looking mug, with blocky vents in the bumper and a carbon-fiber front splitter with red end plates. The carbon grille also includes red-accented strakes and is even backlit red at night, creating an ominous, bloodthirsty appearance. The aggressive front end is topped off with the “PowerView” hood, fashioned yet again from carbon fiber. The fender flares have also been redesigned with protruding vents sporting a carbon weave, and lo and behold, there is more carbon fiber adorning the tailgate, which sits above a small rear diffuser.More Bonkers Brabus G-wagensThe side-exit valve-controlled exhaust—decked out in carbon fiber with red ambient lighting—is said to deliver “earth-shattering sounds.” Owners might want to be careful with their right foot if they find themselves in one of the six California cities with camera-automated exhaust noise enforcement, or at least set the adjustable sound management to the “Coming Home” mode. The P 900 pickup rides on ginormous 24-inch Monoblock Z “Aero-Disc” wheels, which are hooked up to an aluminum coilover suspension that can adjust the ride height by 1.8 inches.The interior is just as crazy as the exterior, with oodles of black leather sporting a so-called “seashell diamond” quilting pattern, which even spreads to the footwells. “Rocket Red” accents appear on more than 206 interior components, such as the A/C vents, seat adjustment controls, and gas and brake pedals. The cabin also, of course, features its fair share of carbon fiber. There’s no word on price for Brabus’s monstrous creation, but we would expect it to cost well over $500,000.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

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.When it comes to cars, the only thing stranger than French exterior design is French intake runners. That’s what the crew found out this week with a challenge to find something from the land of brie for la somme généreuse of $50,000. They went everywhere but France to do it.Road & Track senior editor John Pearley Huffman headed to Belgium for a chunk of French history: a Panhard Dyna Z rarer than a truffle and no more pleasant to look at. Panhard was an innovator, creating some of the earliest clutch pedals and steering wheels, building the first series production car, and inventing us the Panhard Rod. This Dyna Z was avant garde all over until it opened its hood. Then it was a Hungry Hungry Hippo, a look that has no French translation. Senior editor Joey Capparella, who used this show to reveal he has a degree in French, opted for beauty and another hemisphere over innovation. His Peugeot 406 Coupé located in Argentina could be considered the least French car of the lot, designed as it was by Pininfarina without a weird line on it. It could also be considered the most French car of the lot in that it’s gorgeous, comfortable, and underpowered. Contributor Jonathon Ramsey alighted on a Peugeot 505 Turbo sedan pulled out of a barn in Vermont. The 505 was the standard bearer of Peugeot’s misadventure in North America, but panelists were more interested in peculiarities like the hub bolt pattern, the umbrella in the back seat, and the startling fact that Pug set up assembly operations in 14 countries.Executive editor K.C. Colwell went to that most French of American cities, Phoenix, Arizona, to cruise the boulevards in a Paris icon, the Citroen XM Berline. A set of anonymous 1990 aftermarket wheels couldn’t hide the ultimate Frenchness of Syd Mead sci-fi lines, a pneumatic suspension, and an ashtray half as large as the radio. The manual transmission might make it tough to enjoy a café au lait on the morning commute through Scottsdale, though.Editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga swung by Portugal for a French legend, the Peugeot 205. The rally maestro was almost everything you’d want from a hot hatch named “GTI,” including a (more) reasonable price. Shame about the ride quality, but Quiroga set a new benchmark for accessory shopping to allay that. Cue up the latest weekly episode for diversions into Michelin, European versus U.S. headlights, Capparella’s French translations, and how long it takes air in a 205 engine to travel from the intake to the manifold. No Le Cars were hurt in the making of this video. Although they were insulted.More Window ShoppingThis 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

Mercedes has created a special one-off AMG GT 4-Door to honor tennis player Roger Federer’s retirement.The special model is a GT63 S E-Performance hybrid that’s painted in tennis-ball yellow.Federer will play his last match today at the Laver Cup, a team competition held in London.Mercedes offers a wide range of colors as part of its Designo customization program, but this particular shade of tennis-ball yellow is not one of them. That’s because this special one-off version of the AMG GT 4-Door was created specially to honor tennis great Roger Federer’s retirement, which he recently announced on social media. Federer is scheduled to play his last match today at the Laver Cup, a team competition held in London of which Mercedes-Benz is a sponsor.Aside from the color, the AMG GT will also feature Federer’s “RF” logo. Naturally, it’s the top version of this AMG model, the new GT63 S E-Performance hybrid that pairs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with an electric motor on the rear axle for staggering output figures. It produces a total of 831 horsepower and 1082 pound-feet of torque. The plug-in-hybrid model isn’t on sale in the U.S. yet but is slated to arrive here sometime next year.More on AMG HybridsFederer is a 20-time Grand Slam champion and will play alongside longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a doubles match at the Laver Cup later today. His retirement announcement follows that of fellow tennis legend Serena Williams, who announced last month that she is “evolving” away from tennis. A 23-time Grand Slam champion herself, Williams played her last match at the U.S. Open just a few weeks ago. She is a spokesperson for Lincoln and has been seen in ads for the Navigator SUV, but we haven’t seen a special version of that vehicle in her honor—yet.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

• This 2011 BMW 328i Sports Wagon is one of fewer than 400 3-series wagons fitted with the M-Sport package.• The wagon’s naturally aspirated 3.0-liter straight-six makes less power than BMW’s turbocharged engines, but it is less complex and thus more reliable.• The result is a car that’s quick, practical, and fun to drive, and the icing on the cake here can be found between the seats: a six-speed manual transmission.”They don’t make them like that anymore” is both a cliché and a double-edged sword. Hyundai, for instance, would be positively eager to point out that its factories don’t make ’em like the old Sonata or Excel any more, and good thing too. In the case of BMW, however, power and sheer speed have increased, but the 3-series is now styled like a visual head butt. Here, on the other hand, is the kind of enthusiast secret handshake that BMW used to be so good at.Up for auction at Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), this 2011 BMW 328i wagon checks all the possible boxes. First of all, this North America–spec wagon is one of only a few equipped with the desirable M-Sport package. Along with 18-inch wheels and some more aggressive bodywork, the M-Sport also got sportier seats and a lovely leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel.Bring a TrailerEven better, and rarer, it’s a manual. The bulk of 3-series sold in 2011 were, of course, equipped with automatic transmissions. Today, it’s rare to see even an M-car with a stick shift. In this case, the six-speed manual and three-pedal setup unlocks quite a bit more fun when seated behind the wheel.From the C/D ArchiveSpec-wise, the engine seems unremarkable, but it’s a trick. Peak power from the naturally aspirated straight-six is 230 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. Even with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive sapping some power through parasitic losses, it’s still plenty. It’s a BMW straight-six, after all: an inherently perfectly balanced engine built by a German company whose middle initial is literally “Motoren.”Bring a TrailerIn an M4, stomp the throttle and go directly to jail, do not collect $200. But in this wagon, you could wind it out on your favorite back road, taking that straight-six to redline again and again. You paid for the whole tachometer, so why not use it? Then, back to work on the Monday rat race, it’s a competent cruiser with gutsy torque. Plus, there’s enough cargo room to haul groceries or the dog or your road bike. Throw in all-wheel drive for four-season drivability, and you’ve got a Munich-built Swiss Army knife of a car.Bring a TrailerAs far as the rest of the crossover-driving masses around you know, it’s just another car on the road. But show up at your local Cars and Coffee event in this wagon, and those gathered there will know. Nods of approval. Knowing smiles. Oh, is that a manual? Sweet. Too bad we don’t get the wagon over here. Yeah, they just don’t make ’em like that anymore. With six days to go on the auction—which ends on Thursday, September 29–early bidding stands at $13,400. Whoever wins the auction will be getting a very special machine.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

BMW has taken the wraps off its M Hybrid V8 prototype race car, which will make its racing debut in the IMSA GTP Class at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2024, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, including a return to the top class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a 25-year absence. The BMW M Hybrid V8’s body rides atop a chassis from Italian race-car supplier Dallara. As the model name suggests, it’s powered by a 4.0-liter V-8 producing up to 640 horsepower and is mated to an IMSA-spec electric motor for a hybrid setup.Hot on the heels of Acura’s ARX-06 recent debut, BMW is the latest manufacturer to showcase the official livery of its LMDh prototype. Festooned with more BMW design cues than a knockoff track suit, the colorful BMW M Hybrid V8 is set to enter the inaugural IMSA GTP class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where Acura has long reigned supreme.With the GTP class, IMSA is encouraging manufacturers to incorporate styling cues from its roadgoing cars, and BMW heeded that call (and then some) with the design of the M Hybrid V8. Up front, the M logo cascades into an angled concave channel that slopes down from the prow. Twin gaping snouts are laser-lit and rake backward at the outer edges, evoking a hint of a snarl when viewed at an angle. The windshield wraps around into the side windows, terminating in a Hofmeister kink. Out back, the massive diffuser sweeps up into the taillights, which resemble a set of interlocked hockey sticks. The intriguingly asymmetrical livery takes the BMW-ness to the next level. On the right side, the M colors flit about the bodywork like a flock of butterflies. When viewed straight on, the fractal shades accentuate the angular lines of the bodywork. It’s only when you take a few steps to either axle that you notice the “M” flowing along the rear of the cockpit. The left side is far less subtle, with the impossible-to-miss M stretching across the entire rear quarter and atop the edge of the rear wing.Blessed with an array of race-ready powerplants, BMW engineers opted to develop an existing engine to meet LMDh specs rather than build one from scratch. After evaluating the P48 four-cylinder from the 2020 M4 DTM (too small) and the P63 turbo V-8 from the M8 GTE (too big), they found the naturally aspirated P66 V-8 from the 2018 M4 DTM to be just right. Now featuring twin turbos, this 4.0-liter V-8 features a redline of 8200 rpm and delivers up to 640 horsepower. It’s mated to an IMSA-specified hybrid system, while a separator clutch between the two engines allows for electric-only driving at pit speeds.BMWBMWThe BMW M Hybrid V8 will see a lot of pit time starting in 2023, making its competitive debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona. With returning stalwarts Acura and Cadillac being joined by entries from Ferrari and Porsche, it’s bound to be a hotly contested race. In 2024, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will enter the Hypercar category of the FIA World Endurance Championship. For the first time since 1999, BMW will field a top-class entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.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 Renault R5 Turbo 3E uses the body of the iconic Renault 5 Turbo from the 1970s and mates it with an electric powertrain.The 42.0-kWh battery powers two electric motors, with a total output of 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.The body work is wildly exaggerated with a towering rear wing and a snazzy yellow and purple livery.Renault is poised to revive the 5 nameplate—which adorned the automaker’s bestseller in the 1970s and early 1980s—on a new electric hatchback due in 2024 and previewed by a concept shown in 2021. This year also marks five decades since the Renault 5’s introduction, and the French brand celebrated earlier this year with the quirky but stylish 5 Diamant concept. Now Renault gone even wilder with the R5 Turbo 3E, an electric drift car that reimagines the iconic Renault 5 Turbo rally legend and takes inspiration from retro video games.The body shape of the Turbo 3E remains loyal to the original 5 Turbo, but the details have been entirely revised. The mesh side air intakes are replaced by a pair of NACA ducts that pop in a lurid shade of yellow, while a gigantic rear wing sprouts from the hatch and a cavernous diffuser replaces the rear bumper. The headlights and taillights are swapped out for thin LED strips, and four square pixel fog lights are mounted on the front bumper. The front end also includes three rectangular yellow vents and purple tow hooks mounted above a protruding front splitter.Despite the classic squared-off bodywork, the Turbo 3E is all-electric underneath, with a 42-kWh lithium-ion battery feeding two electric motors, each powering one rear wheel. Total output is 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, allowing the psychedelic restomod to hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds en route to a 124 mph top speed according to Renault.Based around a tubular chassis with an FIA-approved roll cage and fashioned from carbon fiber, the R5 Turbo 3E weighs in at 2161 pounds, with 1146 pounds of that coming from the battery. Renault claims that the battery can provide enough juice for “several laps,” but fails to specify whether those are laps around NASCAR’s half-mile Martinsville Speedway or the nearly 13-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. Along with track driving, Renault envisions the Turbo 3E partaking in gymkhana, a time trial competition involving drifting, jumping, and other rally-style maneuvers. The 3E comes with a drift mode, with the 62-mph sprint lasting 3.9 seconds in that setting. The Turbo 3E’s trippy purple and highlighter yellow livery also seems clearly inspired by the drift machines that Ken Block used to make gymkhana popular on YouTube. Renault certainly had internet virality in mind when designing the Turbo 3E, fitting it with 10 mounting points for cameras on the interior and exterior, and the LED lights flash while the car is drifting. The interior is dotted with more yellow and purple accents, and Renault worked with Sabelt on the carbon fiber bucket seats, safety harnesses, and steering wheel. The handbrake lever stands tall, urging the driver to induce a smokey drift, and the gauge cluster consists of 10 digital screens with video-game-inspired graphics. The floor is fashioned from black cork while the dashboard and door panels are draped in Alcantara. Renault also bizarrely includes a teddy bear named “Drifty” in the cabin, ostensibly to “relax and comfort passengers overwhelmed by the show car’s muscle.”More Stylish RenaultsThe R5 Turbo 3E will make its debut at the 2022 Chantilly Arts & Elegance competition on September 25. In typical 2022 fashion, Renault will also issue a collection of NFTs based on the vehicle, but we’re more interested in hopefully seeing the R5 Turbo 3E burn large quantities of rubber in the near future.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