Motor News

Toyota announced a recall for the bZ4X electric vehicle in June, acknowledging that wheels might detach from the car because of malfunctioning hub bolts and asking customers to stop driving the vehicle.The automaker had been offering free loaners to affected bZ4X owners, but the deal has now been increased with more sweeteners as well as a new offer: Toyota will buy back the bZ4X outright.Only 258 bZ4X EVs were sold before the recall was announced, but the vehicle has an outsize role to play in Toyota’s slow embrace of all-electric vehicles.When Toyota first announced a recall for its new, electric bZ4X SUV, it said that the hub bolts used on the wheels might loosen “to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle.” That was a noticeable black eye for one of the world’s largest automakers launching a crucial new model.The bZ4X is Toyota’s first all-electric vehicle since the company worked with Tesla on the RAV4 EV around a decade ago. The RAV4 EV was discontinued in 2014, and Toyota has been on the outside looking in when it comes to EV sales ever since. The bZ4X is expected to change things.The recall was announced after Toyota sold 258 units. Toyota’s first offer for buyers was to have local dealers give them a loaner vehicle free of charge until a remedy could be found for keeping the hub bolts connected. “The cause of the issue and the driving patterns under which this issue could occur are still under investigation,” Toyota said in June. After a few months of research, Toyota has now sent a letter to bZ4X owners (and then posted it to Reddit) expanding the benefits it is offering, including a complete buyback. For starters, bZ4X owners can continue to drive a loaner vehicle while the dealer stores their EV at no cost to the driver. Toyota will pay for the fuel used in these loaner vehicles and will also offer buyers $5000 toward their lease payments or as a check if the EV was purchased outright. Toyota is also extending the time frame for bZ4X drivers to get complimentary charging at EVgo stations and is extending the warranty period.If all of that’s not enough for you, then Toyota will buy back your bZ4X, although the details might vary depending on the situation. Toyota has not said how it will handle any dealer markups originally applied to the purchase price, for example, but the fact that it’s offering to completely take back a brand-new EV over something as seemingly routine as hub bolts is notable. Toyota has also issued a recall for the 2022 Tundra because of a problem with the nuts on the rear axle assembly that can loosen over time.The bZ4X recall also includes 403 units of the 2023 Subaru Solterra, which shares the Toyota’s platform, although documents filled with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state that none of those have gone out to dealers or customers yet.Problems with selling new units of the bZ4X could hit Toyota extra hard because any EVs purchased from the automaker after September 30 are not eligible for the full federal tax credits under current law. While the rules are likely to change under the Inflation Reduction Act, as it stands now, Toyota is running out of time to offer its buyers a $7500 credit if they can’t buy a new bZ4X any time soon.In the meantime, owners of this EV who want to keep abreast of the situation can check the NHTSA recalls website for updates.

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• This 1971 Fiat 500F Jolly clone on Bring a Trailer looks like an ideal vacation vehicle.• It has wicker furniture for seats, basically a big beach towel for a roof, and no doors, but also—sadly—no cupholders.• With six days left until the auction ends on Thursday, August 11, time is running out to move to a tropical locale by the time you buy it.If I had two tickets to paradise—hell, if I even had one—I’d want something cool to cruise around in. While cool might suggest something exotic like the red Ferrari 308GTS that Tom Selleck used to race around Hawaii in Magnum P.I., I’m actually thinking of something equally Italian, albeit infinitely more leisurely. Enter this 1971 Fiat 500F Jolly conversion that’s currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

If you’ve never heard of a Fiat 500 Jolly before, join the club. I’ve probably seen the quirky cruiser in some movie or another, but the first time I realized what I was looking at was today when I scrolled upon this example on the BaT website. I was instantly struck by its tan-tasseled canopy, tiny whitewall tires, and jolly orange paint that perfectly encapsulates its namesake. A quick Wikipedia read-through taught me that the original Jolly versions of the Fiat 500 were custom-built by the Ghia design house. History!

Bring a Trailer

The one that’s up for auction in these photos isn’t a real Jolly, though, it’s a clone based on what was once an ordinary ’71 500F. While collectors will obviously care about that, I couldn’t care less. I just want to buy it and have the seller ship it from its current home in Italy to someplace warm and tropical where I can immediately retire and spend the rest of my days putzing around paradise.Sure, this Jolly won’t get me anywhere in a hurry, not with its half-liter two-pot engine that likely has fewer horses than most farm stables, but that’s fine because I’d have nothing but time. I could also keep my left leg in shape by exercising its third pedal, but I can’t imagine going so fast that I’d ever need to reach top gear with its four-speed. Although it’d be interesting to see what would happen if it did go 120 km/h (about 75 mph), the peak indicated by its speedo. With its super light curb weight and big cloth top, could this Jolly Fiat turn into a flying Fiat? It’s probably best if no one finds out.

Bring a Trailer

My biggest complaint is that I don’t see any beverage holders inside the buggy. Where am I supposed to secure my piña colada (non-alcoholic, obviously)? I guess I’ll just have to hold the glass between my legs while I sit on the Jolly’s wicker furniture that replaces traditional seats. I won’t lie, they’re my favorite feature. However, I’d be fibbing if I said they look comfortable. Chalk up another reason to keep this thing at a golf-cart-safe pace. With six days left to go before the auction ends on Thursday, August 11, this jolly-looking Fiat 500F currently has a high bid of $15,000. I would love one for myself, but that love is mostly dependent on the location I get to drive it in. A wonderful vacation vehicle? Definitely. As primary transportation in southeastern Michigan? Not so much.
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One month before the royal couple married in the summer of 1981, Prince Charles gave Lady Diana Spencer a silver engagement present. No, not jewelry; it was a Ford Escort Ghia sedan, with the 1.6-liter engine. The car had four doors and 79 horsepower and was in all respects quite ordinary and even deeply boring. In an era of austerity for many British commoners, Charles’s gift broadcast a message of respectability: the newest addition to the royal household would upset no teacups. But as we now know, a coming tempest was brewing, and just four years later, Princess Di was coming on boost.

Silverstone Auctions

Specifically, Her Royal Highness was spooling up the boost on this little rocket, her 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo, which coming up for sale at auction this month. It was never sold on this side of the pond, but any fan of performance-oriented Fords will have clocked the RS designation and correctly deduced that the princess’s tastes extended to a pretty serious hot hatch. Perhaps even to some royal hoonery?

Silverstone Auctions

Diana’s Escorts were third -eneration cars, and she had three of them. After the rear-wheel-drive Mark I and Mark II Escorts—both still popular with collectors and vintage rally racers—Ford’s European small family car now came with front-wheel drive. It was a modern choice for a modern British family. It took the Escort just two years to be crowned the bestselling car in Britain.

Seeking to stir up a little excitement to fend off the likes of the Volkswagen GTI, Ford developed a tuned version of the two-door Escort hatchback called the XR3 (later XR3i, as fuel injection arrived). The XR3 was scrappy enough for its day, but the relatively new technology of turbocharging promised performance dividends.The Escort RS Turbo was the fastest the third-generation Escort got. Thanks to an aluminum head, an uprated camshaft, and factory turbocharging, output was 132 horsepower at 6000 rpm, with a boot of 133 pound-feet of torque at 3000 rpm. Not huge figures by today’s standards, but pitted against a curb weight that was barely over 2000 pounds, the RS Turbo was plenty quick.Initially, Diana replaced her meekly humdrum Ghia with a bright-red convertible Escort, but the move upset her security detail. The droptop was simply too high-profile. Messages passed back and forth between the Royalty Protection Command and Ford’s PR division, and a compromise was reached. Diana would get the Escort RS Turbo she wanted, painted black on the production line, the better to fly below the radar.While almost all other Escort RS Turbos were white, the three black cars were built for Diana and her protection detail. She drove hers often between 1985 and 1988 and was often spotted driving around London, usually with the young princes William and Harry in the back seat. A plainclothes detective rode shotgun.One of the three, the car Diana herself drove, crosses the block at Silverstone Auctions on August 27. The car is offered at no reserve and is expected to fetch at least six figures, owing to its connection to a still beloved public figure.In a time when fractures were appearing in her fairy-tale marriage, this unlikely hot hatch represented one more facet of Princess Diana’s independence. The expectation was that she would be modern but dutiful, a four-doored People’s Princess. What emerged was a freer spirit, one determined to keep her own hands firmly on the wheel.In her hot little turbocharged Escort, out running around town, Diana did just that. Revs climbing, turbo spooling torque, bodyguard nervously reaching for the grab-handle on the roof as the next sharp corner approaches. She lived her life like a cambelt in the wind.

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The Ringbrothers tuner firm has turned its hand to the famous 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang with a handbuilt body shaped to update the original’s appearance by widening and lengthening it one inch. A 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 crate engine puts power down through a 10-speed automatic transmission and connects to a Flowmaster exhaust.The creation of “Caged” took over 4200 hours and is built with nearly 100 percent Ringbrothers one-off pieces.The Ringbrothers have taken the cloth off their most recent restomod, a Mustang convertible they’re calling “Caged.” The car was designed in conjunction between the firm and the customer, who asked for a “subtle, stock-like appearance.” Hidden under the familiar body lines is an extensively reworked chassis. The bodywork was widened and lengthened by one inch, and the chassis was converted into a unibody.

Ringbrothers

Putting more than 4000 hours into the process of building the car from start to finish, in Ringbrothers fashion, the end product is one of a kind. The only factory Mustang parts used in the build are the center caps for the wheels. “Every piece of this car has been touched and updated with the original design cues in mind, down to the iconic Mustang taillight bezels, gas cap, and running horse emblems,” according to Jim Ring of Ringbrothers.Tucked under the hood and behind a redesigned front grille sits a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 crate engine paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Exhaust is handled by custom-built headers and a Flowmaster exhaust system. “Caged” rides on a set of 18-inch Evod Industries wheels meant to mirror the style of the original rally wheels, while shock absorption is performed by Penske Racing Shocks RS Edition coil-overs. The car also features an independent rear suspension and a set of Baer brakes to slow the new old horse down.

Ringbrothers

“Caged” is a passion project built with the objective to evolve and modernize the original Mustang’s bodywork while also staying true to its aesthetics, and according to Jim Ring, “There’s a lot of nuances that went into the design, and we’re proud of that aspect of the build. Only the expert eye will be able to discern the subtlety of the differences.”
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Ferrari has recalled 23,555 vehicles for potentially leaking brake fluid, which could lead to partial or complete loss of braking ability. The recall affects a variety of models spanning 2005 to the present, including the multimillion-dollar F60 America and LaFerrari cars.The NHTSA report was filed on July 26 and includes a relatively simple remedy of replacing the brake fluid reservoir cap. Ferrari has recalled 23,555 vehicles from the 2005 model year to 2022. Ferraris up and down the model line are affected by the recall, including multimillion-dollar limited-production cars like the F60 America and LaFerrari. The full list is included in the article. The scope of vehicles affected represents a sizable portion of Ferraris produced since 2005.A similar recall detailing brake failure risk was issued in October 2021, and it affected certain 2010–2015 Ferrari 458s and 2016–2019 Ferrari 488s, totaling nearly 10,000 vehicles. However, those models are not included in this recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filings indicate a problem with the brake fluid reservoir cap of affected vehicles, where it fails to vent properly, creating a vacuum in the reservoir which can cause brake fluid to leak. If enough fluid leaks, the car could lose partial or complete braking ability, which is dangerous for the driver. The remedy stated in the documents involves replacing the reservoir cap with a modified version that should vent properly, as well as installing software to provide an alternate warning should brake fluid levels still reach dangerous levels. Dealers and owners will be notified on September 24. In the meantime, owners should pay attention to any brake or brake fluid warnings, and in the event of a warning, pull over and wait for Ferrari Roadside Assistance to tow the vehicle to the nearest dealer. As always, owners can check the NHTSA recalls site to see if their car is affected. Below is the full list of affected models from oldest to newest:2005–09 Ferrari 4302005–11 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti2009–17 Ferrari California2010–11 Ferrari 6122012–16 Ferrari FF2013–17 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta2013–15 Ferrari LaFerrari2015–17 Ferrari California T2016 Ferrari F60 America2017 Ferrari F12 TDF2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta2017–20 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso2018–20 Ferrari GTC4 T2018–22 Ferrari Portofino2018–22 Ferrari 8122019–20 Ferrari 488 Pista2020–22 Ferrari F8 Spider2020–22 Ferrari F8 Tributo2021–22 Ferrari Roma
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For the tens—no, make that dozens—of people who enjoy Car and Driver’s Window Shop, the 100thepisode is a milestone worthy of quiet reflection. Think about how much the world has been changed by petty arguments about obscure cars on a Zoom call. How perspectives have shifted, assumptions shattered, and conclusions overturned. It’s one thing for friends to indulge in obscure banter, another thing to expect others to watch.But several of you have watched. Spending valuable moments of your life watching us obsess over trivial things. For that, we thank you.For this gala 100th episode, editor-in-chief Tony “T.Q.” Quiroga has issued a diabolical challenge: find a running vehicle that costs $1000 or less. Originally the idea had been to find something under $100, but that won’t even buy a tank of gas. So $1000—ten bucks for each of the 100 episodes—is this week’s challenge. As if this “weekly” show is produced with scheduled regularity.The panel expands this time with all the usual gang of goofballs. Besides T.Q. himself, there’s senior editor Elana Scherr once again proving that her inherent sensibility is undermined by a passion for ancient things held together with spray paint. Road & Track’s John Pearley Huffman continues Window Shop’s tradition of featuring a Buick someone has surely been murdered within. Favorite C/D contributor Jonathon Ramsey apparently thinks old Ford Explorers need to be bought in pairs. Executive editor K.C. Colwell offers up something or other. Senior editor Joey Capparella goes with a fermented, ancient Korean thing—like kimchi for the automotive soul. And deputy editor of video Carlos Lago also participates.That’s 100 irregularly issued episodes down, and nothing but an indefinite future laying in front of us. Such are the vicissitudes of YouTube.

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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Each year, a panel of self-proclaimed experts denies 800 very wealthy people the right to park their old cars on a lawn. They’re denied entry to the nation’s most exclusive car show, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For the rest of us, we might feel bad that we’re scrolling instead of strolling the fabled lawn. It’s true that a few of us from Car and Driver will be there to report back on all the action and the cars, because it’s what we do. And again this year, we’ll also be live-blogging the entire weekend here on our site.But we’re not like the 200 owners who compete with the fanciest, most pristine automobiles in the country. Winning a Pebble ribbon is a social and economic triumph among collectors, whose cars receive an instant jump in their assessed values and whose mailboxes will receive invitations to private events we could never enter. The rest of us, however, can still enjoy the automotive cornucopia of Car Week from the comfort of home. Follow us here and at @caranddriver on Instagram for the inside scoop, and also try the options below.

Pebble Beach Motoring Classic

Pebble Beach Motoring Classic (August 8-17)Many of the Pebble cars won’t drive more than a mile from their enclosed trailer to the lawn, but those on the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic run for 1500. Starting August 8, a group of 30 cars will start from Kirkland, Washington, and take nine leisurely days to reach Monterey, California. If you live along the route, you may spot them. Last year’s entry fee was $14,000, and given that the entrants are real owners who likely are busy just keeping these antiques running, you probably won’t see them on Instagram.
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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (August 21)Without spending $525 per ticket and lots more on hotels and food, you can stream the Concours d’Elegance starting at 1:15 p.m. Pacific time on August 21. Bookmark the official Pebble Beach livestream and settle in for a few hours. No one will charge you $25 for a cocktail or kick you out of the VIP section. Follow on social media using these tags: #PebbleBeach and #PebbleBeachConcours.

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (August 17–20)The rarest Le Mans race cars will lap Laguna Seca over four days between August 17 and August 20. These cars are the featured marque for 2022 and are divided into four classes spanning 1923 through 2005. That’s in addition to historic Formula 1 and Trans Am racers. Radwood will also be there on August 19 with about 50 cars. You can stream the races live on YouTube (this is the 2021 stream) or follow on social using these tags: #RolexReunion #MontereyCarWeek #WeatherTechRaceway #Radwood.Legends of the Autobahn (August 18)A trio of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz clubs host their own all-German show on August 18 at the nearby Pacific Grove Golf Links. Follow these tags and accounts: #legendsoftheautobahn @bmwcca @audiclubna @mercedesbenzclubofamerica.The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (August 19)The Quail positions itself as the glitziest of Pebble events, and it’s plenty sparkly, even if the main reason everyone’s there—the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance—is happening two days later. There’s a reason for the confidence: The Quail is impeccable. Follow #thequail on August 19.
Bid on a Classic (August 19–20)Gooding & Company is the exclusive auction house at Pebble Beach. Last year, buyers blew $107 million in one day (one-fifth of that total went to one car, a 1995 McLaren F1). The bidding isn’t televised, but if you sign up as a registered bidder, you can watch online and bid while you’re boiling macaroni. A stipulation: You’ll need a letter of guarantee from a bank willing to pay any debt you’re unable to finance. That’s not something a neighborhood credit union will underwrite, and Gooding will ask a lot more questions before they accept an application. Also, be prepared: Any bid is final and any winning auction price must add a 12 percent buyer’s premium for cars under $250,000. Add another 10 percent to the balance if it’s over that amount. Then the car ships to your home. Easy!
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Concorso Italiano (August 20)In person, you can eat lasagna on a golf course next to a sea of 1000 Italian cars. This is the 35th year, and no doubt people will be posting about it. Find the show at the Bayonet Golf Course on August 20. Follow @concorsoitaliano and #concorsoitaliano.Concours d’Lemons California (August 20)Hagerty has bought out concours and car shows across the country, from Greenwich to Amelia Island, from Radwood to the Concours d’Lemons. We say this because the Lemons guys are not quite the rambling band of misfits they started out as. Hey, cash rules. But the cars at this show are still trash, deliberately so. Follow @concoursdlemons and #concoursdlemons on August 20.

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Nissan will end production of the Maxima sedan in mid-2023.The current model arrived for 2015 and is the eighth generation of the sedan.Nissan suggests that an upcoming electric model could adopt the Maxima name in the future.After more than four decades and eight generations, the Nissan Maxima will end its run next year. Nissan confirmed to C/D that it will end production of the sedan in mid-2023. Sales have fallen recently, as Nissan only moved 3753 units of the Maxima in the first half of 2022, compared with 78,610 Altimas sold over the same time period.

Another Maxima may still be in the cards, however, as Nissan’s official statement says that the company is “prioritizing electric vehicles” and advises us to “stay tuned for future Nissan Maxima news.” We think this means that the upcoming Nissan EV sedan, slated to arrive in 2025, will wear the Maxima name. It will be built in Mississippi alongside an Infiniti sedan, and teasers show a futuristic face similar to the Ariya crossover’s, plus a curved roofline.

Nissan

Still, the Maximas of yore as we best remember them—as sporty sedans with V-6 engines and available manual transmissions—are no more. As a three-time 10Best winner (both the second- and third-generation Maxima SE models were awarded), the Maxima has long been one of our favorite Nissans. It even graced the cover of Car and Driver, for the June 1994 issue.

The current generation was our top-ranked large sedan for some time, but it has become more irrelevant as it has aged. Its segment, too, has dwindled, with Ford dropping the Taurus and Hyundai and Kia also discontinuing the Azera and Cadenza. Toyota persists, as it is replacing the Avalon with the Crown for 2023, and Dodge and Chrysler still sell the aging Charger and 300 sedans.We’ll see what the future holds for a possible Maxima EV, as we may soon hear more news about this upcoming model that could debut within the next few years.
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