Motor News

The 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee is the latest “Last Call” edition to be revealed before the current Charger and Challenger are killed off after 2023.The Super Bee uses the Scat Pack as a starting point, adding adaptive dampers with a “Drag Mode” and wide drag radial tires.The Super Bee also gets snazzy exterior graphics and will come in either Plum Crazy or B5 Blue paint jobs.After more than a decade in production, the current generation of the Dodge Charger is set to be discontinued after the 2023 model year. Before an electric replacement inspired by the Charger Daytona SRT concept arrives, Dodge is giving the Charger (and the Challenger coupe) a farewell with a series of “Last Call” special editions. The 2023 Charger Super Bee is the latest of those sendoffs to be revealed, arriving with unique graphics and performance equipment.

Dodge

The Super Bee name first debuted in 1968, based on the Coronet coupe, and migrated to the Charger in 1971. The moniker returned in 2007 using the Charger SRT-8 as the base, and then reappeared for 2012 as a 392-powered variant of the current generation, acting as a cheaper performance model below the SRT. The latest Super Bee continues in that vein, using the Scat Pack as its base and attempting to balance daily driving with drag-racing performance. To that end, the Super Bee gains adaptive dampers with a special “Drag Mode,” and rides on drag radial tires. Super Bees equipped with the Widebody design—which will account for half of production—will use 18-inch wheels wrapped in 315-width tires, while the standard narrow-body Super Bees will feature 20-inch wheels shod in 275-width tires. Other performance gear includes red-painted four-piston Brembo brakes, an SRT hood with a functional scoop and dual heat extractors, and black SRT exhaust tips.

Dodge

Visually, the Super Bee stands out with a stylized graphic on the hood and a stripe on the rear fender, along with Super Bee badges on the grille and front fenders. There is also a black Mopar hood pin kit, and Super Bee logos appear on the seatbacks and instrument panel. The Super Bee is outfitted with equipment from the Plus Group and Carbon/Suede package.

Dodge will build 1000 units of the Super Bee. The 500 Widebody examples will be painted in Plum Crazy with white graphics, while the 500 with the standard body will come in B5 Blue with blue graphics. Pricing will be shared when orders open later in the fall. The Super Bee is the second “Last Call” model to be revealed after the Challenger Shakedown, with five more special edition Chargers and Challengers coming out this fall. Dodge says the next “Last Call” variant will be revealed September 7.
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The 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 sedan has a starting price of $80,920.Currently only sold in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, the electric G80 will be available in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Washington in September.The Electrified G80 is only offered with a 365-hp dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain.Genesis has introduced an electric version of the G80 sedan, but the two look so similar it may be hard to distinguish which one runs on gas and which one runs on electrons. However, now that the company has released pricing for the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80, it can be identified by its $80,920 price tag, which is about $10k more than the priciest gas-fed G80.As with some other new electric cars, the Electrified G80 isn’t sold in every state. It’s currently only available in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. That will change in September when sales of Genesis’s electric sedan expand to four more states: Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Washington.More Genesis EVsAlthough the 2023 Electrified G80 will be sold in those eight states, it’s only available at select dealerships. For actual availability, Genesis suggests that shoppers contact their local dealer. The same applies to the GV60 electric SUV, which will also be sold in these eight states but could have limited availability.The Electrified G80 comes exclusively with a 365-hp dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain. We recently tested one that hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Not only were we impressed by its quickness, but we also lauded its quiet cabin and range. While the electric G80’s EPA-rated range isn’t yet available, Genesis estimates it’ll go 282 miles on a full charge. The one we tested went 280 miles on our 75-mph highway test.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 Mazda CX-9 is dropping the base Sport trim, making the Touring trim its new entry model.New for the 2023 model year, the Touring trim will offer second-row captain’s chairs as standard; they were previously optional.The 2023 CX-9 Touring will start at $40,025 and will begin arriving at dealerships later this fall.The Mazda CX-9 three-row SUV enters 2023 without the previous entry-level Sport trim level. The Touring will be the base model, meaning the CX-9 now starts above $40,000. As a reward for the increased barrier of entry, Mazda is offering new standard features for the Touring, including second-row captain’s chairs, a sunroof, LED fog lights, black- or sand-colored leather seats, and a wireless phone charger. Upgrading to the Touring Plus trim level, at $42,775, switches the second-row seat back to a three-place bench, though customers who won’t make use of the seventh seat can still opt for the captain’s chairs. Prices are going up slightly for other models, too, as the top Signature trim now starts at $49,735. Mazda offers three premium paint options for the CX-9: Soul Red Crystal Metallic and Machine Gray Metallic both cost $595, while Snowflake White Pearl Mica is $395.

Across all trim levels, the 2023 CX-9 will still be powered by the same 2.5-liter turbocharged engine from the previous model. Unlike other models equipped with this engine that recently upped output to 256 horsepower, the CX-9 retains its 250-hp figure. All CX-9s still features a six-speed automatic transmission and Mazda’s i-Activ AWD system. According to Mazda, the CX-9 will begin arriving at dealerships sometime this fall.
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This is the Buick Envista, a new SUV model for the Chinese market.Its size puts it in between the subcompact Encore GX and the compact Envision in Buick’s lineup.We don’t know if it will come to the U.S., but the Envista name is trademarked here.Buick is big in China, with a far broader lineup than it offers in the States. Over there, Buick sells minivans, hatchbacks, and sedans, while on our shores the range includes just three distinct crossover models. Yet another Buick crossover, called the Envista, has just been revealed for China, and it strikes us as a logical addition to the brand’s U.S. lineup. Although there are no plans to bring it here at this point, the fact that Buick has already trademarked the Envista name suggests that it’s not such a far-fetched idea.

Measuring 182.6 inches long and with a 106.3 inch wheelbase, the Envista fits neatly in between the subcompact Encore GX and the compact Envision in terms of size. It features a sloping rear roofline reminiscent of the many SUV “coupes” that exist within the luxury-crossover space. The front end, with sharply angled, slim headlights and a low-mounted grille, is the first production model to wear Buick’s new design language that was first introduced on the Wildcat concept earlier this year. It also features Buick’s new badge.

Buick

Buick

The Envista is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four with 181 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic transmission. That doesn’t sound like the most exciting combination, but it’s par for the course in the compact SUV segment.Inside, the Envista has a dashboard featuring two 10.3-inch screens, one for the digital gauge cluster and one that serves as the central infotainment touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay is available, as are over-the-air updates and a surround-sound audio system.

Buick

Buick says that the Envista will start at the equivalent of around $22,000 at current exchange rates, and orders are already open in China. We’re not sure when, or if, we’ll see this exact model in U.S. showrooms, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Buick brings something similar to this to our shores at some point.
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French president Emmanuel Macron has a plan to encourage electric-vehicle leases by subsidizing them so the user pays only about $100 per month. The plan, announced Sunday by French budget minister Gabriel Attal on the French news channel LCI, is based on a presidential campaign pledge made by Macron back in April.According to Bloomberg, the French government currently offers subsidies for electric vehicles with prices up to $47,000.If you are looking to lease a new electric car on the cheap, perhaps you’ll consider a move to France? Bloomberg reported on a plan from French President Emmanuel Macron to offer EV leases for as little as the equivalent of $100 a month. The plan was announced on Sunday by the Macron government’s budget minister, Gabriel Attal, on the French news channel LCI. We haven’t heard of stipulations surrounding these planned subsidies, but according to Bloomberg, current subsidies from the French government get as high as the equivalent of $6000 on vehicles priced up to $47,000. Bloomberg also reports that additional aid is available through a Cash for Clunkers–style program involving older internal-combustion-engine vehicles. More on the FrenchThe move is meant to aid low-income households for whom EVs remain largely out of reach, despite current government subsidies. Electric vehicles reportedly accounted for 12 percent of the market in France in the first seven months of the year. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the EV share of the auto market continues to grow, reaching 5.6 percent for the second quarter of 2022, Cox Automotive reported. The newly signed U.S. inflation-related legislation means that the U.S. will remove the 200,000-per-automaker-limit on subsidies and provide $7500 in tax credits. The U.S. tax credits come with stipulations based on amount of minerals used, where the minerals are sourced, and where the batteries are manufactured.A rollout date has not been set for the French plan, but Attal said the government is working to see how quickly both the vehicles and the subsidy can be available. 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

Back in March 2022, a flurry of spy shots came out of Detroit showing a peculiar Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 prototype sporting an absolutely ridiculous hood bulge. Opinions were mixed as to what might be hiding under the hood, but now, thanks to a new video, we know.Revan Evan on YouTube got the chance to spend some up-close-and-personal time with the GT350 mule alongside a handful of Ford engineers, getting a chance to peek under that epic hood structure. Underneath? None other than Ford’s 7.3-liter naturally aspirated “Godzilla” V-8. The Godzilla motor is available in the Ford Super Duty and comes offered as a crate motor for those looking to do their own builds. Unfortunately, this mule isn’t a prototype for a new Mustang trim. Instead, it’s a test bed for Ford’s upcoming 7.3-liter V-8 and manual transmission combo package. As The Drive points out, the company already offers this package with an automatic transmission. The engineers explain that because this drivetrain runs on its own stand-alone ECU, it could be dropped into anything, from a Fifties pickup to a brand-new Mustang. The development crew picked this Shelby GT350 to use as a tester simply because they had it sitting around. The reason for that massive bulge? Well, the prototype engine has an intake that points to the sky, so engineers needed to fit a manifold that wouldn’t clear the hood shut lines. The production manifold will come with a straight-line entrance, making clearance issues a thing of the past. The more you know. More

Introduced in the U.S. in 2017, the Nissan Rogue Sport will stop production in December, and sales will end here early next year.Nissan said in a memo to dealers that it can still cover the smaller end of the SUV market with the Kicks and the Rogue.The Rogue Sport is basically a renamed version of the global Nissan Qashqai, which will continue to be sold around the world. Just not in America.The Nissan Rogue Sport will soon be no more. The young-buyer-oriented subcompact SUV arrived in the U.S. in 2017 with a message from Nissan that it would add to the brand’s conquest sales. But that’s not going to last past this year. A Nissan spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that “As part of our Nissan NEXT plan, which is focused on prioritizing our core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, production of Rogue Sport for the U.S. will end after the 2022 model year.”Since the Rogue Sport is the U.S. version of the European Qashqai, we had been expecting Nissan to take the European SUV and use it as the basis for a fully redesigned Rogue Sport that would show up as a 2023 model.A memo to dealers, written by Nissan vice president Scott Shirley and published by Automotive News, said production of the Rogue Sport will end in December as Nissan focuses on higher-volume models and more electrified vehicles. “With the all-new Rogue and recently redesigned Kicks, we will continue to cover this part of [the] market effectively,” Shirley said. “We are also able to invest more resources in our current vehicle life cycles and next-generation products.”

The pricing and feature details meant the Rogue Sport (right, below) didn’t have a lot of breathing room between the Kicks (left, below) and the better-selling Rogue. In our overview of the 2022 model year, we noted that the Rogue Sport was using outdated infotainment and driver-assistance tech, and the anemic 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine wasn’t offering any real driving excitement.

NISSAN

NISSAN

Despite entering the U.S. market as a way to bring new buyers to the brand, that job ended up falling more on the shoulders of the entry-level Kicks. Today, the 2022 Rogue Sport starts at $26,255, almost $5000 more than the ’22 Kicks, which starts at $21,285. Both have Nissan’s Safety Shield 360. driver-assist tech as standard, and the Rogue Sport can also be ordered with ProPilot Assist. But ProPilot Assist and much more can be had in the Rogue, which starts at $28,445.Putting all of these factors together, it’s not surprising that the Rogue Sport is about to drive off into the sunset. Nissan said in its dealer memo that it will still sell the 2023 model year vehicle until inventory runs out in early 2023. As with most discontinued vehicles, Nissan will continue to make replacement parts and other support for the Rogue Sport. The automaker will provide these items through 2033.The Nissan Qashqai, which is sold around the world, first debuted in 2006. This model will continue to be produced and sold.
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Transglobal Car Expedition

The Transglobal Car Expedition is preparing for a massive round-the-world drive in 2024 and did some test drives of its heavily modified polar vehicles this spring.During that time, a modified Ford F-150 called the Arctic Trucks AT44 fell through the ice in far northern Canada. No one was hurt and the expedition ended up completing the crossing.The group has a “leave no trace” mentality, so they have spent the intervening time figuring out how best to return the AT44 to the surface. The efforts started for real this past week, and they involve divers, giant flotation devices, and a heavy-duty helicopter. We’ll update this story when they get the truck free.The Transglobal Car Expedition is a great idea that has seen some early success despite a rough start that included the loss of one adventure-modified Ford pickup. The international group of adventure drivers is in the early stages of an 18-month pole-to-pole, vertical circumnavigation drive using floating and amphibious vehicles.

The Arctic Trucks AT44 pickup.
Transglobal Car Expedition

In March, as the group was driving on the ice near the Tasmania Islands in the Nunavut territory in far northern Canada, a heavily modified Ford F-150 with 44-inch flotation tires sank into the depths “in an area of rapidly shifting ice on a heavy current,” the group would later say. No one was hurt, and the group continued north. In the end, the group managed to complete what it’s calling the world’s first overland wheeled crossing from the continental shelf of Canada to the high Arctic, just one vehicle short of a full pack.

The 16-member Transglobal Car Expedition is made up of Americans, Canadians, Ukrainians, Russians, and Icelanders. The expedition is being organized by the Swiss nonprofit group GoodGear, which has a mission to “bring innovative technologies to locations around the world for the betterment of local communities and the advancement of scientific research.” That does not mean leaving a truck at the bottom of the cold ocean, though. Andrew Comrie-Picard, a Canadian member of the group, told the CBC in March that the group’s mentality is to leave things the way they were before a fleet of heavily modified trucks passes through.
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“That’s one of the things we want to make sure of, and make sure that our tracks basically get blown away in the wind,” Comrie-Picard said in March.Which is why the group returned to the Tasmania Islands last week, to start recovery efforts for the truck. The plan is to use a team of “highly experienced Arctic divers” who will attach inflatable bags to the truck to float it to the surface. Once back on land, the truck will be inspected and then airlifted with a Coldstream Helicopters’ heavy lift helicopter to Gjoa Haven, some 186 miles away. Gjoa Haven is where the team has set up its command center for this operation and where the car will be put on a sealift vessel to be sent to Montreal.The truck’s modifications were done by Arctic Trucks, which charges $75,000 (and a donor truck) for its standard work that makes the truck more capable of driving over ice and snow.The Transglobal Car Expedition said it worked with local communities and regional and federal authorities to find safe and effective ways to recover the truck. “This incident has improved our understanding of the safety measures needed for the planned full circumnavigation of the globe in 2024,” the group said in a statement. “It has also provided important data on the viability of travel on the ice in the context of global warming, which is making traveling over the ice more dangerous for Indigenous communities and other ice travelers.”
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