Motor News

Next year will mark 75 years since the first Land Rover, the Series I, was shown to the public at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show.The commemorative Defender, known as the 75th Limited Edition, will be available in two- and four-door configurations but will only come with the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine.Standard features include a folding fabric roof and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, but the signature feature is the Grasmere Green paint exclusive to this model.Launched to a motoring public used to post–World War II austerity, the original Land Rover blended the ride quality of a tractor with the creature comforts of a tin garden shed. It was a sort of Wellington boot on wheels, capable of everything from farm labor to pan-global exploration. Every single early Land Rover exudes a deep sense of British pluck. And probably a minor oil slick.To celebrate the lasting charm of the original effort, Jaguar Land Rover has launched a commemorative edition of the current Defender. A modern Land Rover is an entirely different beast than its agricultural ancestor, like a high-rise apartment at London’s opulent One Hyde Park compared to a thatched shepherd’s cottage. Nevertheless, the new Defender is still charming in its way, and here’s a special one.The 75thLimited Edition will be available in either 90 or 110 trims, Land Rover’s terms for the short-wheelbase two-door and the longer four-door version. Regardless of the door count, every one will be powered by the P400 class 3.0-liter inline-six. A turbocharged and supercharged hybrid, this engine is good for 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is—of course—on-demand four-wheel drive.C/D TestingThe standard interior features on the Defender 75th Limited Edition are a blend of luxury and off-road intent. There’s a retractable folding fabric roof to let in the great outdoors, and the center console is trimmed in material designed to take abuse. At the same time, the 75th gets heated seats and steering wheel, a head-up display, an upgraded stereo, and an 11.4-inch touchscreen to handle infotainment duties.Land RoverThe real story is the paint, dubbed Grasmere Green. We last saw this shade on the Heritage Edition Defenders, and it’s a direct link to the early Land Rovers. The sort of semi-institutional color you might see in a 1950s British hospital, it’s quite a bit lighter and less metallic than greens found elsewhere in the automotive landscape.Heritage Edition Land Rover Defenders.Richard Pardon/Land RoverLand RoverFor the 75thLimited Edition, the green extends to painted wheels and interior accents as well. It’s still a Wellie on wheels. But a really very nice one. Pricing is expected to be announced shortly. Meet the FamilyThis 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

All 2024 Ford Mustangs feature a digital gauge cluster, and as you’d expect, it’s highly configurable. There are settings or “themes” tied to various drive modes to highlight different bits of information. Delve a little deeper into the menus and there’s one theme that’ll delight tons of Mustang fans: Fox Body. No, really. The Fox body ran from 1979 through 1993 and became an icon in its own right. It was a return to form for the nameplate after years of emissions-choked power outputs. In 1984, Ford introduced the high-tech 2.3-liter turbo-powered Mustang SVO—developed by the team that eventually evolved into today’s Ford Performance—and the 5.0-liter V-8 finally crested 200 hp for the first time in years. The Fox also lent itself to the first SVT Cobra and Cobra R near the end of its run. Over the years, the Fox has proved itself to be a robust platform for all sorts of modifications, and a mainstay in pop culture.A 1987 Ford Mustang GT ConvertibleFordSo why not pay tribute? “I grew up with Fox bodies,” says Craig Sandvig, interaction design manager for Ford. “I didn’t own one, I wanted to own one. It was really an aspirational thing. I had lots of friends that had them, I had a girlfriend that had one, it was really cool.”All about the 7th-Gen MustangSandvig tells Road & Track the idea for a Fox-body theme came about early on in the design process. “Taking advantage of a digital screen, it’s fully reconfigurable, right? So what can we do? We experimented with it for a little bit and had some fun.”1988 Mustang GT gauge cluster.Richard M. Baron/R&T ArchiveFord chose to specifically re-create the white needles of the face-lifted Fox body built from 1987 to 1993. Thankfully, it didn’t re-create the 85-mph speedometer fitted to many Fox Mustangs over the years. And yes, when you turn the headlights on, the gauges are “backlit” in green. Sandvig says that there wasn’t enough time to create a gauge cluster paying homage to every prior Mustang generation, so the Fox was chosen, given the popularity of Eighties and Nineties cars at the moment. We suspect a lot of new Mustang owners will choose this gauge cluster theme. Especially if they buy a white 5.0-liter convertible.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 Car and Driver last issued an episode of Window Shop, Great Britain had recently celebrated seven decades of its Second Elizabethan era. But it has been so long since this august series about finding lust-worthy cars on the Internet last posted that the Second Elizabethan era has ended. Welcome to the first Window Shop of the new Carolean era, the first under the monarchical gaze of the new King Charles III. Long live the King!And yet none of this episode’s panel chose a British machine. Pity. The challenge this time was to find that one car or truck powered by an internal-combustion engine worth holding on to, cherishing, and driving as the world—for better or worse—embraces a whole bushel of ions scattered around tons and tons of lithium.C/D’s anointed royalty this episode includes editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga III, senior editor Her Grace Elana Scherr, most worshipful contributor Jonathon Ramsey, young senior editor and heir apparent Joey Capparella, and some dude who doesn’t even work for C/D, John Pearley Huffman.Who won? The Court Jester, who picked the most obvious choice and fully spent the $200,000 budget. But there were no losers here, as all five machines we featured would be fine additions to any royal stable. Also, no turbochargers were harmed in the making of this Window Shop. Go figure. 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

The next generation of the Ford Super Duty pickup trucks will be revealed on September 27.Ford announced the heavy-duty truck’s reveal date with a short teaser video posted today on its social media accounts.The 11-second clip provides a clear glimpse of the new Super Duty’s headlight design, but that’s about it.After revealing a new seventh-generation Ford Mustang, the Blue Oval brand will follow that up with the debut of the next-generation Super Duty pickup trucks. The reveal will happen on Tuesday, September 27, according to a short teaser video posted today on Ford’s social media accounts.This content is imported from twitter. 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.Not only does the 11-second clip officially tell us when the new Ford Super Duty will be revealed to the world, but it also gives us a glimpse at a couple of details on the upcoming heavy-duty trucks, which will likely continue to include the F-250, F-350, and F-450.Super Duty News and ReviewsWhile there’s not much to make of the quick shots of the truck’s front tire and lower valance or the distorted view of the Ford logo on the grille and the front edge of the hood, we do get a crystal clear view of the Super Duty’s headlight design. It’s not anything revolutionary, but it’s an obvious departure from the units that appear on the current generation.FordThe 2022 Ford Super Duty is currently available with multiple cab styles and cargo-bed lengths. It’s also offered with a gas-burning 385-hp 6.2-liter V-8 and 430-hp 7.3-liter V-8 as well as a Power Stroke diesel with 1050 pound-feet of torque. We’ll just have to wait and see if all of those engines carry over to the next generation (and also, what new features will join the party) when the new Super Duty debuts on September 27. 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

Lexus is adding new colors and appearance packages to the IS lineup, including a striking orange hue named Molten Pearl for the IS500 F Sport. The IS350 is getting its own two-tone appearance package featuring Incognito gray paint paired with a black hood and black roof. The special appearance packages will be offered in limited numbers. Both will go on sale later this fall. The Lexus IS has sharp, modern styling thanks to its refresh for the 2021 model year. That isn’t stopping Lexus from spritzing up the look further by adding new appearance packages for the 2023 IS lineup. The V-8–powered IS500 F Sport gains a flashy new orange paint color called Molten Pearl, while the V-6–powered IS350 gets its own appearance package complete with a two-tone exterior.There will only be 150 units of the IS500 built in Molten Pearl, and the orange exterior is paired with 19-inch matte-black BBS wheels and a black NuLuxe interior. Both the floor mats and key sleeve will match the color scheme, too. It’s available only for the better-equipped Premium trim level.LexusThe appearance package for the IS350 pairs gray Incognito paint with an Obsidian Black roof and hood. It also has a black NuLuxe interior and 19-inch Enkei wheels with a dark finish. Only 480 units will be produced in total.Lexus has also split the 2023 IS350 F Sport into two versions: the F Sport Design, which features mostly appearance upgrades, and the F Sport, which includes an upgraded exhaust, a different gauge cluster, and other equipment. The rear-wheel-drive F Sport also offers a handling package with mechanical upgrades such as a limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers for an extra $1610; this same package costs $770 for AWD models because it doesn’t include the limited-slip differential.The 2023 IS lineup will go on sale this fall, Lexus says. Pricing starts at $40,585 for the four-cylinder IS300, with the IS350 F Sport Design starting at $43,660 and the IS500 F Sport Premium starting at $62,770. More on the ISThis 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

Ram will end production of the 1500 pickup’s EcoDiesel engine in January 2023.The turbodiesel 3.0-liter V-6 is still available to ordering for the time being in a variety of trim levels.This leaves the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra as the only light-duty diesel pickups, as the Ford F-150 previously discontinued its diesel offering.The light-duty full-size pickup segment will soon have only one diesel engine left, as Ram announced that it will stop building the 1500 pickup’s EcoDiesel V-6 engine starting in January 2023. All three of the domestic pickups offered light-duty diesels at one point, but Ford previously discontinued the F-150’s PowerStroke diesel and Ram’s diesel exit means that the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra’s Duramax turbodiesel 3.0-liter inline-six will be the only diesel offering in this segment going forward.More on RamThe Ram’s EcoDiesel powertrain is a turbodiesel 3.0-liter V-6 with 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. It is rated at up to 33 mpg in its special HFE trim with rear-wheel drive and a few other tweaks to improve aerodynamics. Without the package, it’s rated at 32 mpg with rear-wheel drive and 29 mpg with four-wheel drive. In our real-world testing, however, it missed these EPA ratings by a fairly wide margin.The engine costs $4995 extra and is still available for ordering, Ram says, for the Tradesman, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Limited Longhorn and Limited trim levels.The upcoming electric version of the Ram 1500 will effectively serve as the EcoDiesel’s replacement. Ram claims it will arrive in 2024, and we’ve seen some teasers previewing its styling. There’s also a website called RamRevolution.com where the company is asking buyers for input, and a range-extender version of the pickup may arrive in the near future as well.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 Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency will work together on the massive task of implementing President Biden’s previously set goal of net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.The agencies will present the details of their decarbonization plan in the next 90 days, but we can already tell that it will focus on getting more EVs onto the roads as well as making other transportation options safer, cleaner, and more accessible.Two cities, Denver and Detroit, announced plans this week not to simply add more highways through their downtowns, but to rethink what can be done with that space.Bill Pugliano|Getty ImagesIt’s not just electric vehicles that will reduce the amount of carbon generated by the U.S. transportation system. The Biden-Harris administration announced today that four federal agencies—the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency—have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and “ensure resilient and accessible mobility options for all Americans.”Related StoryPresident Biden (pictured, above, at the Detroit auto show this week) previously set a goal of net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050. Reaching that will take a lot more than just getting lots of EVs and hydrogen semis on the road. The MOU says the four parties will work together “to achieve better integration of transportation, housing, and community development investments in underserved or disadvantaged communities.” Detailed Blueprint Is Coming SoonThe four agencies now have 90 days to release a “comprehensive blueprint for decarbonizing the transportation sector.” This plan will almost certainly include projects that increase access to what the government deems to be safe and clean transportation options, as well as updating the electric grid for more EVs and reducing emissions from construction, the government said.Some of this work is already starting, thanks to billions of dollars in clean transportation investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act this past summer. The government’s announcement says the four agencies will increase access to “more efficient modes of transportation like walking, biking, transit and rail, while lowering the costs of electric vehicles and other zero emission vehicles and fuels to allow American families and businesses the opportunity to immediately enjoy the benefits of the affordable, clean energy revolution.”Downtowns Are ChangingThat kind of transition can be seen in some potentially tangentially related news. Two large American cities announced plans this week to turn downtown highways into more livable city spaces. Michigan will use a $104.6 million grant from the Department of Transportation to replace the I-375 freeway in Detroit with a lower-speed boulevard, the Detroit News reported. In Denver, plans to expand I-25 Central were replaced with a plan to spend more than $100 million to boost the region’s rapid transit systems and improve street safety along the I-25 corridor.These are the kinds of plans that HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge might have been referring to in her statement about the four-agency MOU.”The people HUD serves deserve clean, affordable transportation options,” the Secretary said in prepared remarks. “HUD is proud to join our federal partners at Energy, DOT, and EPA to ensure that clean transportation investments are made equitably and include communities and households that have been most harmed by environmental injustice.”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

Revealed without camouflage, this Maserati GranTurismo is the heir to the postwar grand tourers that built Maserati’s road-car reputation.While a battery-powered EV called the GranTurismo Folgore is in the pipeline, this version gets the twin-turbo V-6 out of the mid-engine MC20.The livery here pays tribute to Maserati’s first road car, the 1947 A6 1500.Maserati’s MC20 generated genuine excitement when it broke cover, promising a pared-back and lightweight take on the supercar experience. It was a breath of fresh air, and it brought new vitality to the brand. Now the 621-hp 3.0-liter V-6 finds its way into a more traditional effort from the company with the three-pronged trident badge up front: a two-door coupe set for long-distance travel.MaseratiAs trumpeted by the 75th-anniversary decals on the GranTurismo revealed today, Maserati has been at this game a long time. The company’s first road cars arrived just after World War II; specifically, Maserati mentions the A6 1500 of 1947 as a direct ancestor of this new car.The A6 series of cars were coachbuilt by the likes of Pininfarina and Zagato, and they are stunning machines. Perennial favorites on the lawn at Pebble Beach, A6s set the recipe for elegant Italian coupes, long of hood with gracefully curving sheetmetal.MaseratiThe styling of the GranTurismo does a good job of harking back to past glory. It’s not overwrought, and it would certainly be appropriate transportation for getting you to Monterey to gaze appreciatively at this car’s grandparents.The MC20’s V-6The big news is confirmation that the MC20’s engine will be the combustion-engine choice for this coupe. Maserati has already confirmed a fully battery version called the GranTurismo Folgore is on the way, fitted with three motors cranking out a staggering 1200 hp. The MC20’s V-6 makes a little over half that horsepower but should certainly be lively enough mounted up front in this combustion-engined GranTurismo.A few Maserati employees will know, as the company has been testing the GranTurismo on the road ahead of its official reveal. It’s set to arrive as a 2024 model, and this is probably the last hurrah for a combustion-powered Maserati coupe since 2030 is the stated goal for fully electric power across the range. If you like your Maseratis faithful to the originals, the GranTurismo will likely be the last of the breed. 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 MaseratiThis 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