Motor News

The 2022 Ford Mustang and 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E are getting a Nite Pony appearance package.The kit adds dark details such as black badges, exterior trim, and rims, but the Mach-E gets some other unique bits.We don’t know how much Nite Pony Mustangs will cost, but they should become available this fall.For those who want a Mustang with a darker vibe, Ford will soon offer an appearance package to address that. Called the Nite Pony, it’s designed to make the 2022 Mustang pony car and 2023 Mustang Mach-E electric SUV look more sinister. However, we have to admit, the name Nite Pony sounds adorable.

On June 1, Ford announced a black accent package for the current Mustang’s final model year (the new S650-generation ‘Stang is set to arrive on September 14). At the time, Ford began soliciting submissions for the unnamed package, and it seems that Nite Pony was the winner. What’s interesting, though, is that the automaker on June 22 also filed a trademark for “Mustang Dark Horse” in the U.S. and in other countries, so it remains to be seen if that will come to fruition as well.Since Ford hasn’t yet announced official details about the new Nite Pony editions, we’ll have to wait to find out if the Mustang Dark Horse is the Nite Pony or if it’s something else entirely. Until then, we can only go off of photos posted today on the company’s media site that give us a pretty good idea of what to expect with the Nite Ponies. They have various black or dark badges, exterior trim, and rims. Does the kit include any interior alterations? We can’t say because there were no photos of the cabin.
What we can say is that the package appears to only be available for the 2022 Mustang coupe, with close-up shots of the V-8 model’s “GT” and “5.0” badges, painted black, of course. We can also see shots of a black “Mustang” logo in the front grille as well as glossy black five-spoke wheels that appear to have a unique design.
The 2023 Mustang Mach-E will also receive the Nite Pony package, with pictures showing versions of the all-wheel-drive Premium trim and GT Performance. The former is shown in all black, from its paint to its wheels. Unlike on the gas-burning Mustang, the front and rear logos on the Mach-E Premium look white with stripes instead of all black. The front badge on the GT Performance is black with a white outline and features an illuminated silhouette.

Ford

Ford

We don’t know how much the Nite Pony package will cost, however. But the captions for the photos on Ford’s media site indicate that it’ll be available starting this fall.
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The 2024 Bugatti Mistral roadster is more than a roofless Chiron, as we learned from Bugatti designer Jascha Straub.Bugatti says the $5 million Mistral will “become the fastest roadster in the world,” and its unique wraparound windshield was designed for that.The Mistral’s other standout details include reworked body lines, distinct lighting elements, and special interior materials.Bugatti has revealed its latest masterpiece, the Mistral roadster, which also serves as the send-off for the French automaker’s famous W-16 engine. As a topless version of the Bugatti Chiron, the Mistral brings a wind-in-the-hair option to the marque’s privileged plutocrats—just in case their Gulfstream G800 Landaulet is in the shop.”Our customers asked for this, something that has been missing in the Chiron line,” said Bugatti designer Jascha Straub, as he walked us around a prototype mockup during an exclusive preview on the grounds of the Bugatti Château last month before the reveal. We also got an up-close look at five cool design elements, which are detailed below. An Expensive Haircut

Bugatti

One thing that will not be available is an actual roof. “There will be a foldable soft top of some kind, for emergencies,” Straub said. “We wanted a real roadster. And a real roadster has no top.” Creating the $5 million Mistral roadster was not as simple as targa-ing the Chiron’s roof panel. “That aero wouldn’t work for our top speeds,” Straub said. Such a workaday solution was a no-go aesthetically as well. “It would remove the Bugatti signature line,” he added, referring to the delicate ovoid curve that ensnares the A-pillar, roofline, air intake, and rocker panel. Staying in Character

Bugatti

The Chiron’s “signature line” is one of its defining design features, and it echoes the designs penned by the company’s founder, Ettore Bugatti, in interwar masterpieces like the Type 41 and Type 57. To preserve that important body line, the Mistral’s designers created a visor-like, wraparound windshield and integrated a lower, wider, flatter character line, inspired by those seen on the track-only Bolide and the one-off Voiture Noire.A Familiar-ish Face

Bugatti

There’s no mistaking the Mistral’s horseshoe grille, which is a Bugatti trademark. However, the rest of the roadster’s face is more radical, with design language that looks to be derived from the ultra-limited Bugatti Divo and Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The Mistral’s slat-like front LED lighting elements are another facial feature that makes it look unique. Taillight Show

Bugatti

Among the most eye-catching details on the Mistral are the red X-shaped taillights with Bugatti illuminated in between, so those who are inevitably passed by one of these rockets will instantly know what just blew by them at 250-plus mph. Along with quad center-mounted exhaust tips, the roadster has a very short rear overhang that provides an ideal view of the outgoing W-16 engine. The Inside Scoop

Bugatti

The interior of the Mistral looks a lot like the Chiron’s cabin because they’re one and the same. The roadster gets special materials such as hand-woven leather that can line the seats and dash, and the aluminum and rosewood gearshift knob features a Bugatti standing elephant mascot housed in glass, like an ancient insect caught in amber.
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The new Bugatti Mistral roadster will be the final W-16–powered car from the legendary brand.Bugatti says the roofless Mistral, which is based on the Chiron coupe, will be the fastest open-top production car in the world.The Mistral costs $5 million and deliveries should start in 2024, but it’s already sold out.The Bugatti quad-turbo W-16 is an engineering masterpiece and a symbol of pure excess, but the end of the incredible engine is nigh. When Volkswagen Group ceded control of Bugatti to Croatian EV maker Rimac, it was a clear acknowledgment that the ultra-luxury brand’s future will be fully electric. As the last model to feature the W-16, the new Bugatti Mistral—freshly unveiled at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week—is the car that signals that transition.Although it carries a different name, the Mistral also completes the life cycle of the Bugatti Chiron, as it’s essentially a convertible version of that hypercar, which hasn’t been offered until now. Only 99 Mistrals will be produced and priced at $5 million apiece, based on the current U.S. exchange rate. Bugatti says they’re already sold out ahead of deliveries that are slated to start in 2024.
Although it’s closely related to the Chiron, the Mistral is far more than a roofectomy. The design team gave it a radical new front end, one that evokes the predatory design language pioneered by two previous ultra-limited editions—the Bugatti Divo and the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The Mistral is not a natural beauty, with fender-mounted lights and the trademark horseshoe grille at the end of an elongated snout. Still, it has more road presence than a parade float.

The Mistral’s cut-down windshield curves like a visor and matches up to shallow side panels. A roof isn’t shown in any of the official images, but Bugatti told Car and Driver that the car will be offered with a temporary clip-in panel rather than a full top. The last open-topped Bugatti, the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, was effectively a targa with a lift-off roof section. The Mistral can be considered permanently converted. Behind the cockpit are twin raised intakes that channel air to the engine compartment while adding a ram effect. They are connected by a high-level spar. At the rear, the X-shaped taillight elements cross almost the entire width of the car and incorporate illuminated red Bugatti branding.

Bugatti

Bugatti

The engine is the existing 8.0-liter W-16, which features four turbochargers and produces 1578 horsepower. That’s the same output as the Chiron Super Sport 300+ that set an outright production-car speed record in 2019. Power reaches the road through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. Bugatti hasn’t released detailed performance claims for the Mistral but did say the car will have a top speed of at least 260 mph. We’re also told the company wants the Mistral to “become the fastest roadster in the world.” However, that would require officially beating the 254-mph record set by the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse in 2013.
The Mistral’s interior design appears to be what’s least changed from the Chiron, sharing the same dashboard, instrument cluster, steering wheel, and center console. At least this should make it a comfortable place to spend time, although a much breezier one compared with its coupe counterpart. The car shown at Pebble Beach wears a striking yellow and black color scheme that was inspired by the similarly roofless 1934 Type 57 Grand Raid. The latter had bodywork by coachbuilder Gangloff, and it’s now part of the collection at the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands.Bugatti’s W-16 was willed into existence by Ferdinand Piëch, one of the most famous and ambitious automotive engineers of all time. Piëch’s goal was to create what he believed would be the most powerful engine ever fitted to a homologated road car, something that both the Veyron and Chiron achieved. With the end of the combustion era rapidly approaching, the 16-cylinder’s position on top seems unassailable. Once production of the Mistral is complete, Bugatti will become an EV brand, albeit one that still makes ultra-luxury cars with ultra-high performance.
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EV maker Lucid revealed an even higher-performance version of its Air luxury sedan, the Air Sapphire, today during Monterey Car Week in California.This latest, three-motor version will make more than 1200 horsepower, compared with 1111 hp for the Air Performance.The Sapphire will be priced starting around $250,000. Orders will be taken starting in August, with production starting in mid-2023.Lucid hasn’t nailed down an exact number yet, but the Air Sapphire, the new performance version of the Air, is the most powerful sedan in the world. Even without a final horsepower number to tout, the company is confident of the claim, because Lucid knocked its own car off the pedestal.At over 1200 horsepower, the Air Sapphire pulls ahead of the 1111-hp Air Performance. The difference in the powertrain between the two is the Sapphire’s new dual-motor rear end. Lucid doubled up on its own compact motor, and the two-motor setup bolts up into the existing rear subframe without any modification to the car. Having two motors driving the rear wheels allows for torque vectoring, which Lucid claims helps make the car seem smaller and lighter than it is. Up front, the 670-hp motor from the Air Performance adds to the acceleration.

Lucid Motors

To 60 MPH in Less Than Two SecondsLucid is making some shocking acceleration claims. According to the company, 60 mph will be gone in less than two seconds, 100 falls before the stopwatch hits four seconds, and we’re told to expect a sub-9.0-second quarter-mile time. Keep on it and the Sapphire will reach a top speed well over 200 mph. For comparison, the quickest Tesla Model S Plaid we tested hit 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, 100 mph in 4.3, and passed the quarter in 9.4 seconds. Lucid tells us that acceleration runs can be done repeatedly without requiring a long cool-down. Max acceleration will come via a mode that will prepare the battery pack for straight-line speed. If the Sapphire is as quick as the company says it is, it’ll outaccelerate a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.

To keep the speed and power in check, the Sapphire comes with a retuned suspension that has new springs, anti-roll bars, and damper tuning. New suspension knuckles increase front track width by 12 mm, and the rear track adds 24 mm. Tire width goes up enough to require small fender flares. Michelin formulated a Pilot Sport 4S tire for the Sapphire that has a low-rolling-resistance compound on the inside of the tire and a Cup 2–like material on the outside to improve grip. Front tires go from 245 to 265, and the rears widen from 265 to 295.Those tires wrap wider forged wheels that have been designed to maximize airflow to the massive carbon-ceramic brakes, which measure 16.5 inches up front and 11.8 inches in back. A 10-piston caliper does the squeezing up front, with a four-piston caliper clamping the rear rotors. For drivers who will primarily use their Sapphire on the street, Lucid will offer a disc-like wheel cover to increase driving range and aerodynamic efficiency.Range hasn’t been set yet, but Lucid clearly wants to beat its closest competitor, the 396-mile Model S Plaid. The 118.0-kWh battery is straight from the other Air models. Aside from the fender flares that bulge out slightly, the only other exterior changes are the large duckbill-like spoiler that Lucid says creates a net downforce. The diffuser and smooth underbody carry over from the other Air models.

Lucid Motors

To give it a mean appearance, the Sapphire gets the newly available Stealth Look standard. It’s not a murdered-out, blacked-out look but rather a blend of black and dark gray exterior trim pieces. Inside, there are new sport seats that have larger side bolsters and an integrated headrest. An Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel faces the driver, and the digital gauge cluster now has a blue hue. Initial production of the Sapphire will all have a blue exterior with the gray/black Tahoe interior.Pricing is set at $249,000, a number that does not include destination. Orders begin August 23, and customers will be required to put down $24,900 for a spot on the list. The Sapphire will begin rolling off the assembly line at some time before the middle of next year and is the first of what is expected to be a performance brand within Lucid. So, even if it’s as quiet as the other Lucid models, the Sapphire is set to make a lot of noise. More

Porsche will offer a special version of the new 2023 911 GT3 RS called the “Tribute to Carrera RS” package.It is painted in white and has Python Green accents, along with other visual touches.This will be offered only in the U.S. as part of the Exclusive Manufaktur customization program.Porsche loves to play up its rich heritage, and the newest version of the just-revealed 911 GT3 RS is meant to do just that. Called the Tribute to Carrera RS package, this special edition is visually inspired by the 1970s-era Carrera RS 2.7 that was the first RS-badged 911.

To that end, the new GT3 RS is finished in white paint and has its wheels, side mirrors, and a few other exterior elements painted in Python Green. There’s also a large green stripe on the side with “GT3 RS” script in a slightly modernized version of the “Carrera” font from the original. The giant rear wing has “RS” logos in green on each end. The interior matches the white and green theme as well, with different stitching and other painted trim pieces.

Porsche

Porsche will offer this option only in the U.S. market, which it says is the “second home” of the 911. It’ll be part of the Exclusive Manufaktur customization program, and although Porsche hasn’t yet provided a price, we imagine it won’t be a cheap option on top of the GT3 RS’s $225,250 starting price (before gas-guzzler tax). It should be rare, too, as Porsche says it will have limited availability. More

The Kia EV6 GT will go on sale in the U.S. later this year.It has 577 horsepower and an upgraded chassis to provide better performance than lesser versions of the EV.Kia claims it will get to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and that its top speed is 161 mph. The Kia EV6 is about to gain a far more powerful variant called the GT. With 577 horsepower, all-wheel-drive, and some heady performance claims, it will sit at the top of the EV6 lineup above the Light, Wind, and GT-Line trims. This model also likely previews much of what the upcoming N version of the related Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will offer. We’ve already driven the EV6 GT in Europe, and now we have confirmation of its U.S. specs ahead of its arrival on our shores later this year.

Kia

The EV6 GT’s front and rear electric motors provide a total of 577 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque. That’s a whole lot more than the current most powerful version of the EV6, the 320-hp dual-motor version. That model already got to 60 mph in an impressive 4.5 seconds in our testing, but the GT will be quicker still, and faster on the top end. Kia claims that the EV6 GT will get to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and go on to a top speed of 161 mph.

The increased focus on power and performance hurts the EV6 GT’s range estimate, which sits at a paltry 206 miles. It has the same 77.4-kWh battery pack as other versions, but that’s 104 miles less than the longest-range version of the EV, the rear-wheel-drive Long Range model, EPA-rated at 310 miles. Even the EV6’s base model, the rear-wheel-drive version with the smaller 58.0-kWh battery pack, outpaces the GT with its 232-mile range rating.

Kia

Adaptive dampers, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and larger front and rear brakes are standard on the GT. 21-inch wheels are wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, although Kia hasn’t specified if they’re summer tires or all-season rubber. There’s also a special set of drive modes that includes a Drift mode that directs more power to the rear wheels for powersliding antics. There are also newly available artificial sounds meant to make the EV’s soundtrack more dramatic.Inside, the main differences include sport seats, neon-green accents, and GT logos. The front and rear ends also have a slightly different look, although the GT isn’t all that easy to distinguish from the less powerful GT-Line version that also benefits from appearance tweaks over lesser models.

Kia

Kia hasn’t yet announced pricing for the GT, but we reckon it will start at over $60,000 given that a GT-Line costs $57,695. It will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Acura has announced that its first electric vehicle will be named ZDX.It’s a joint venture with General Motors and powered by Ultium batteries.The Acura ZDX features styling cues from the Precision EV concept.Acura is on a revival kick as of late, resurrecting the cherished Integra title for its compact sedan after a 20-year hiatus. Now Acura is at it again as it dusts off an unlikely nameplate for its first electric model: the ZDX. Built from 2010 to 2013, the original ZDX was a delightful, impractical oddball that struggled to find an audience. While it rode on an SUV chassis, its cargo space was extremely compromised by its swoopy fastback proportions.

Cognizant of this legacy, Acura stressed that this new ZDX would provide versatility and utility that’s more in line with the current Acura RDX and MDX SUVs. Though no photos yet exist of the ZDX, its styling and proportions will borrow heavily from the Precision EV concept, an MDX-sized vehicle that features a spacious, upright greenhouse. The ZDX rides on a platform developed in conjunction with General Motors and powered by GM’s Ultium battery packs. This scalable EV platform offers multiple motor and battery configurations, and provides a range of up to 450 miles. Acura hasn’t provided any additional technical details, but we predict the launch edition Type S variant will feature a dual-motor AWD setup and larger battery, with FWD base models to follow. It’s highly unlikely that Acura will offer a RWD version. Acura says that the ZDX will arrive in calendar-year 2024. More

Lincoln pulled the wraps off of the Model L100 concept at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.The big concept car is an autonomous grand tourer with an emphasis on the passenger experience.The Model L100 celebrates the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor’s purchase of Lincoln.Depending on who you ask, Lincoln is celebrating either its 100th anniversary or its 105th. Ford Motor Company prefers the former, as the Blue Oval purchased the luxury brand from Henry Leland in June of 1922. The latter year, however, marks the date of Lincoln’s actual founding.

At its inception, Lincoln strictly produced aircraft engines for the United States government. However, by September 1920, the company kicked off production of its first car: the Model L. Maybe this is the date to mark Lincoln’s anniversary, then? In that case, this means 2022 marks the brand’s 102nd anniversary. No matter, Lincoln has declared 2022 its 100th anniversary, and the American luxury brand is gifting itself a concept car in honor of this occasion. The Model L100 concept shares its ethos with the aforementioned Model L.
Like Cadillac’s upcoming Celestiq, the Model L100 is a massive machine that prioritizes personal luxury above all else. Unlike the Celestiq, which previews a forthcoming production model, the Model L100 is purely a concept car. We doubt features such as the big grand tourer’s two rearward opening doors, as well as its glass canopy roof that raises to further ease egress and ingress, have any chance of seeing the light of day. Nor do we foresee its autonomous driving capability going into production anytime soon.The Model L100 concept instead presents itself as a vision of a future Lincoln hopes it—and to some degree, society—will be able to achieve. There’s no steering wheel or pedals. Instead, those within the Model L100 let the car do the driving. Should the need to override the Model L100’s autonomous driving arise, then passengers can use a miniature model of the car (what Lincoln calls a “chess piece”) that rests on a center-console screen (the “chessboard”) to accelerate, stop, and steer the vehicle.
With driving largely removed from the equation, Lincoln’s design team was able to create a cabin that caters primarily to the passenger experience. This includes a front seating space capable of switching between a typical forward-facing position or a more sociable, but also potentially more nauseating, rearward-facing position that allows front and rear passengers to face one another. A massive floorboard-mounted screen helps set the cabin ambiance, as well, with the display projecting the likes of clouds to create a more serene setting.Though the Model L100’s interior caters toward a fantastical future, the exterior design is far more realistic. While we wager the open-glass frunk area—replete with a 3D-printed greyhound ornament mounted below—and massive wheel covers may serve as concept-car fancy, we think the basic design and decor of the Model L100 are set to influence Lincoln models in the not-so-distant future.We hope this is the case, at least, as the aerodynamic shape, wide rear haunches, Kammback rear end, and complex but understated surface treatment make for a compelling combination. It certainly helps that Lincoln’s design team refrained from fitting the Model L100 with an overabundance of decorative exterior pieces. Instead, the Model L100’s body panels are largely free of fuss. A big Apple MacBook-inspired Lincoln badge residing on the car’s front end, not to mention another Lincoln star on each front fender, reminds passersby what type of vehicle they’re looking at.
Befitting its futuristic nature, Lincoln designed the Model L100 concept with the intention of fitting a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, with power to those motors coming courtesy of a solid-state battery built into the structure. Although solid-state batteries do not power any electric vehicle sold today, the technology is due to power future EVs within the next few years. Many of the features of the Lincoln Model L100 concept may not arrive for years or decades to come. Nevertheless, we expect the car’s basic styling and some of its more practical fanciful features to make their way to future Lincoln vehicles. Who knows? Maybe the Model L100 will even inspire Lincoln to build and sell an ultra-luxury electric vehicle, too. The brand’s done it before with the Model L, after all. Now may be the time for Lincoln to prepare to produce such a model once again.
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