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The star of The Fast and the Furious movie franchise passed away in 2013, but one of his personal vehicles will play its own starring role during this year’s Monterey Car Week in August.Fully restored and looking sweet, this 1973 Porsche 911 features a 2.7-liter flat-six-cylinder engine and houndstooth black-and-white seats, all wrapped up in a bright-yellow exterior with black accents.Walker once told Jay Leno how he found this car for sale online and agreed to purchase it sight unseen back in 2011.The list of glorious vehicles that will be auctioned off at the 2022 Monterey Car Week next month is full of head-turning possibilities, from a one-of-12 1934 Packard Custom Convertible Sedan to a 2012 Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype MP1. If you’re a fan of The Fast and The Furious movies, though, there’s just one that you’ll want in your own garage: a light-yellow 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 that was previously owned by Paul Walker. Walker starred in the action movie series until his death in 2013 in a crash involving another Porsche, a Carrera GT Walker had recently purchased.

A car guy through and through, Walker talked about buying this vehicle, which he found for sale on the internet in 2011, during an appearance on Jay Leno that year. Walker wasn’t even sure the car ran when he agreed to purchase it, but the folks at Mecum Auctions are able to offer the car in fine shape now that it has been restored and refined to a level Walker would have appreciated.

Mecum Auctions

The 911 RS 2.7 has a history of being driven both fast and furious, as the model was raced on the track starting in 1972. The car’s track success gave Porsche reason to increase the number of RS 2.7 units it would make from an expected 500 to the final tally of 1580 cars. Walker’s car comes with FIA paperwork and a Porsche certificate of authenticity.On Walker’s 911 RS 2.7, a yellow exterior is decorated with black accents like the Carrera livery on the sides and chrome trim on the windows and headlights. Restorations to the powertrain, including the drivetrain and the suspension, were done by Jerry Woods Enterprises. The powertrain uses a 2.7-liter flat-six-cylinder engine that produces 210 horsepower. An 8000-rpm tachometer can be used to know when to shift the five-speed manual transmission. The odometer currently shows 93,774 kilometers (58,268 miles).

Mecum Auctions

The black interior was redone by Autobahn Interiors, which gave the 911 black-and-white sport bucket seats while keeping the rest looking clean and simple with gauges from VDO. In keeping with the original, the redone 911 features thinner steel body panels than those found on a standard 911 and also has lighter, thinner windows. Other weight-saving features include a fiberglass rear deck and a lightweight ducktail spoiler.Interested bidders need to register on the Mecum website before Monterey Car Week starts August 18. The 911 is listed on the site at Lot R290, and the auction will take place Saturday, August 20.
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• This 1978 Chevrolet Corvette, currently up for sale on the Bring a Trailer website, is a perfect example of a car with the vibe of its time.• This is a 25th-anniversary edition equipped with a 350-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed manual transmission.• With a weekend ahead of us and bidding slated to end on Monday, July 18, the top offer is currently at only $9000.Late C3 Corvettes are among the most underloved vehicles in the nearly 70-year run of Chevy’s fiberglass two-seater. They are harshed on as underpowered, smog-choked rattletraps with burdensome impact-absorbing front and rear bumper covers, and poseur-ific features like mirrored T-tops and pop-up headlamps. However, I’ve always loved them, and that’s why I chose this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette L82 four-speed to be our Bring a Trailer pick of the day. (Bring a Trailer, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos Group.)

Bring a Trailer

Perhaps my appreciation of this car is the result of generational imprinting. I was an impressionable tween when they were new. But it is hard to deny their ebullient and admirable loucheness. A Corvette—unlike predictable and unyielding long-term nameplates like the Porsche 911—is always exactly of its era, both in design and performance. These so-called “soft nose” Vettes perfectly capture both the hedonism and nihilism of the disco era.

Let’s dispense with some problematic hearsay first. While Corvette performance did reach a nadir during this era, with base small-block V-8 models producing just 165 horsepower in 1975, this particular Vette has the highest possible output of any late C3. Its 5.7-liter L82 V-8 thus pumps out a respectable 220 hp. This was enough to hustle this Plastic Fantastic from zero to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds, allowing our own Brock Yates to proclaim it in these pages “the fastest American production car.” For perspective, the 1978 Porsche 928 posts nearly identical acceleration times. And while others may debase the fastback rear window styling that debuted on the Corvette in 1978, it adds significant storage area in the rear, and became a sleazily sexy hallmark of the model’s design that remains to this day.

Bring a Trailer

Moreover, this ’78 Vette was ordered with a number of optional upgrades, including a beefier gymkhana suspension and classy two-tone silver paint, the latter a nod to the model’s 25th anniversary, which took place that fateful year. Moreover, it comes with a four-speed manual transmission, period correct 15-inch slotted aluminum wheels with proper raised-white-letter tires, a factory eight-track stereo, and working A/C. In my opinion, this is the apex of late C3 Corvettes. In fact, as I type this, I’m also texting my brother—with whom I own four old cars—to discuss bidding. Watch for my sordid senescent self to slink down a boulevard near you soon.

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Chevy has revealed pricing for the 2023 Corvette Z06.It starts at $106,395 for the base 1LZ, and the convertible is $7000–$7500 extra.Options include the Z06 package for $8995 and carbon-fiber wheels for $11,995.The new 2023 Corvette Z06’s 670-hp flat-plane-crank V-8 revs to 8600 rpm, and its pricing also rises to similarly stratospheric levels. It starts at $106,395, nearly $25,000 more than the previous-generation C7 Z06, and the options list includes big-ticket items such as a $10,495 carbon-fiber package and $11,995 carbon-fiber wheels. Orders open July 28.Three trim levels will be available, including 1LZ, 2LZ ($115,595), and 3LZ ($120,245), with varying levels of equipment. The convertible bodystyle costs between $7000 and $7500 extra over the coupe.

Those seeking max performance will want the $8995 Z07 package, which adds the FE7 suspension tune, carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Pilot Cup 2R ZP tires, and underbody strakes. To get the Z07 upgrades, you must also add the Carbon Aero package that costs either $8495 with carbon flash-painted components or $10,495 with exposed carbon fiber.Carbon-fiber wheels are also available, which Chevy says reduce unsprung mass by 41 pounds. They’re available only on Z07 cars and cost either $9995 for the flash-painted version or $11,995 for visible carbon-fiber.Loading a Z06 up with all of these extras will push its price toward the $150,000–$160,000 range, where it starts to encroach on Porsche 911 GT3 (starting price, $162,450) territory. We look forward to getting our hands on the Z06 to see how it measures up.
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Toyota has revealed an entire lineup of vehicles that wear the Crown nameplate.In addition to the lifted sedan for the U.S., there’s also a conventional sedan, a compact crossover, and a larger SUV.We don’t know if these versions are coming to the U.S., but we think they could influence future Lexus vehicles.The 2023 Toyota Crown is a segment-bending mix of sedan and SUV styling cues, but the Crown lineup doesn’t stop there. Toyota revealed three other models that will be part of the global Crown family, including a sedan that looks to ride on a rear-wheel-drive platform, a compact crossover, and a larger crossover that Toyota is calling an “Estate,” or station wagon.

We don’t think that any of these other Crowns will come to the U.S. in exactly this form, but it’s possible they could preview future Lexus models destined for our shores. Toyota hasn’t released details on the powertrains for these Crown variants, but we’d bet that they’ll all offer hybrid setups, as the 2023 Crown will come only with a choice of two gas-electric drivetrains.Crown (Sedan-type)
Given the visual similarities between this Crown sedan and the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, we’re pretty sure that this vehicle shares its TNGA-L longitudinal platform with the Mirai and the Lexus LS. Previous versions of the Lexus GS mid-size luxury sedan were related to Crown sedan models sold in Japan, so could this signify a return of the GS to our shores? We doubt it given the slow sales of that model that led to its discontinuation, but it’s interesting nonetheless.Crown (Estate-type)
Although Toyota is referring to this version of the Crown as wagon, we think it looks more like a mid-size crossover. We’re not sure of the size, or if this model has three rows of seats, but we could see something shaped like this slotting into the Lexus lineup. However, it may not be large enough to be the upcoming Lexus TX three-row SUV, and it would likely overlap with the new 2023 Lexus RX in terms of size.Crown (Crossover-type)
This red compact crossover is the smallest of the four Crown models, and it has a sloping roofline reminiscent of “coupe-like” SUVs such as the BMW X4. It also strikes us as a potential Lexus SUV, as it could slot in between the UX and NX in the lineup as a sportier crossover offering.
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The new Toyota Crown arrives for the 2023 model year with two hybrid powertrain options, standard all-wheel drive, lots of modern tech, and an unorthodox lifted-sedan bodystyle. The base powertrain is a 236-horsepower hybrid setup, while the Platinum trim comes with a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four and two electric motors, good for 340 hp. The Platinum also features an 11-speaker JBL sound system, heated and ventilated leather-trimmed front seats, and a snazzy two-tone paint option.If you’re not quite sure how to classify the 2023 Toyota Crown, don’t worry. Toyota isn’t either. The teaser video asked “Sedan or SUV?” while the press release refers to it as a “premium sedan” with a “higher ride-height design.” We’re inclined to call it a “sport utility sedan,” with the Crown’s look bringing to mind the Subaru Legacy SUS of the late ’90s and the Volvo S60 Cross Country. Whatever the Crown may be, it’s effectively the replacement for the Avalon, which bows out after 2022, and it trades the Avalon’s staid demeanor for a flashy new design, two hybrid powertrain options, and standard all-wheel-drive.

2023 Toyota Crown Limited
Toyota

Hybrid Horsepower and MPGThe 2023 Crown debuts with three trim levels. Powering the XLE and Limited is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with three electric motors powered by a new nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. This is Toyota’s familiar hybrid setup, with two motors and the internal-combustion engine joined together via a planetary gearset that allows for continuously variable ratio adjustment as it sends power to the front wheels. Plus, there’s a third electric motor that motivates the rear wheels, giving the Crown all-wheel drive. Toyota claims this setup produces 236 horsepower and will achieve a combined 38 mpg. This hybrid system also has an EV mode that permits electric-only driving over short distances at low speeds.

2023 Toyota Crown Platinum
Toyota

Upgrading to the Platinum trim brings what Toyota dubs “Hybrid Max,” a new hybrid system with a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four hybrid powertrain mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with a wet multi-plate clutch sandwiched between the engine and the gearbox, taking the place of a standard torque converter (like Mercedes-AMG does). An electric motor adds extra horsepower and torque and increases the responsiveness of the powertrain. Like the base hybrid system, another electric motor sits on the rear axle, although it is water-cooled and more powerful than the motor in the XLE and Limited.

Toyota claims that the Hybrid Max setup makes 340 horsepower, with peak torque from the gas engine arriving between 2000 and 3000 rpm. While the base hybrid operates in front-wheel drive in certain conditions, the Platinum is always in all-wheel-drive mode, sending up to 70 percent of the Crown’s power to the front wheels or up to 80 percent to the rear wheels. Fuel economy takes a hit compared with the XLE and Limited, however, with Toyota estimating a combined 28 mpg.The Platinum also gets adaptive dampers, and all Crowns have a strut front suspension and a multilink rear suspension. The Crown is also fitted with Active Cornering Assist, which uses the stability control to minimize understeer in corners. The XLE rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, while the Platinum receives 21-inch 10-spoke wheels with black accents.
Interior FeaturesInside, the Crown has a sleek and simple design. The dashboard is dominated by a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a digital gauge cluster. Thankfully, there is a row of physical buttons beneath the screen to operate the standard dual-zone climate control. The Crown comes with a wireless charging pad and plenty of USB ports, including two USB-C outlets for the rear passengers. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, and a subscription service for Wi-Fi can provide up to five devices with a 4G connection.The Crown XLE comes standard with eight-way power heated front seats wrapped in a mixture of synthetic leather and fabric. Stepping up to the Limited or Platinum adds ventilated leather seats up front and heated seats for the rear passengers. The Limited and Platinum also upgrade to an 11-speaker JBL sound system. While the interior on the XLE comes exclusively in black, the Limited can also be specced in black and chestnut or macadamia. In our brief time with a Crown Platinum, we found it comfortable and fairly roomy, but were surprised by the amount of hard plastics in the interior. Toyota also talks up the Crown’s quiet cabin, with acoustic glass and sound-proofing material throughout the vehicle, and when we sat in the car we could scarcely hear the music that was blasting in the studio.
The Platinum and Limited trims also add other goodies such as a panoramic sunroof, LED interior accent lighting, LED headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. A bird’s eye view camera also comes on the Platinum, and can be optioned on the Limited as part of the Advanced Tech package. This add-on also includes a digital key and dark metallic 21-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels. The Platinum can also be decked out in a two-tone paint job, with black paint on the hood and trunk.

All Crowns feature Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, and more. The Platinum trim comes standard with the Advanced Park system, which will park the Crown without the driver needing to touch the wheel or pedals.The Crown will reach dealerships this fall, with pricing to be revealed closer to the on-sale date. We expect the XLE to start in the low $40,000 range, with the Platinum pushing $50,000, although Toyota did say that the Crown is targeting a more affluent buyer than its predecessor, the Avalon, did.
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Hyundai has confirmed its intention to sell an N version of the Ioniq 5 that will be the company’s first high-performance electric vehicle. Pricing and release date information will come later this year.The Korean automaker also showed media a 577-hp electric sports sedan concept based on the newly launched Ioniq 6. A third N performance model shown was a 671-hp hydrogen fuel-cell/electric hybrid sports car, the N Vision 74. There’s no word yet on when (or if) either concept will see production.Car and Driver was present for a Hyundai event in Busan, South Korea, this afternoon that the company called “N Day.” The subject was performance, and the recurring theme was that Hyundai will absolutely not let performance fall by the wayside as electrification becomes ever more deeply ingrained in Hyundai’s product lineup. One production car was confirmed for the near term: a pure electric Ioniq 5 N slated to be available in 2023. We can’t show you the 5 N yet, as Hyundai did not release any details and leaves the look of it entirely up to our imaginations.The RN22e and N Vision 74 concepts were both characterized as “rolling lab” test beds that will be used to refine electric-vehicle performance technology that will be applied to future N offerings. In Hyundai-speak, a rolling lab test bed is the halfway point between a pure purpose-built racing machine and a production car, so such vehicles reflect an intent to bring certain technologies to market.Exploring the Platform’s Performance LimitsThe RN22e is an electric sports sedan concept that is based on the Ioniq 6’s streamlined body, E-GMP dual-motor platform, and 800-volt architecture, with power output bolstered to 577 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, in line with the Kia EV6 GT.

Hyundai RN22e concept.
Hyundai

Of the two concepts, the RN22e is more of a near-term effort designed to probe the performance limits of the E-GMP dual-motor electric-car platform. It also comes across as a glimpse of what an Ioniq 6 N might look like if they decide to make one. Its uprated motors and 77.4-kWh battery represents a substantial increase over the 321 hp and 446 lb-ft that the upcoming AWD Ioniq 6 will produce. The RnN22e’s motors aren’t just more powerful, the direct-drive transmission has also been fitted with dual-clutch torque vectoring to not only improve agility and corner-exit traction, but to also explore the potential benefits of torque-vectored regenerative braking at turn-in.

It’s also an attention grabber, with a tall GT-style rear wing, a massive rear diffuser, and a front grille that has been substantially opened up to admit the extra cooling air this more powerful powertrain is likely to need. It crouches some 0.7 inch lower than the production Ioniq 6, but what really sets it apart is that its front and rear fenders are substantially wider. These not only represent an extra 5.6 inches of body width and enable a healthy increase in track width, they’re also stuffed full of 275/35ZR-21 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires at each end.Like the Ioniq 6, the RN22e rides on strut suspension up front and a multilink in the rear, but the bits are substantially different owing to its wider track and a much greater emphasis on handling. Its shocks are independently adjustable for compression and rebound, but there’s also a small amount of height adjustability. The main springs are standard-looking coils, but cutaways we saw showed that each is mounted in line with a modest lift system. It’s not yet clear if this is intended to be a speed bump/driveway clearance lift system, or a system that’s meant to dynamically lower the car at speed. Since the feature appears at both ends, we’re banking on the latter. As for the brakes, the RN22e’s prodigious regenerative braking capability is bolstered by four-piston monoblock calipers and 15.7-inch two-piece ventilated rotors up front, with more pedestrian single-piston sliding calipers doing the deed out back. N Vision 74 Is the Pony Concept Coupe’s Modern DescendantWe’re even more excited by the N Vision 74 test bed, which is a two-seat, rear-drive 671-hp hydrogen fuel-cell/electric hybrid sports car. Its mid-engine proportions bring to mind the BMW M1 and Lancia 037.

Hyundai N Vision 74 concept.
Hyundai

However, its angular wedge design aesthetic actually connects back to the Giugiaro-penned 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept that never saw the light of day. This wild-looking machine that represents a more long-term view of where N-car powertrain development might go, while also paying homage to the earliest days of Hyundai’s history. The number 74 refers to 1974, the year that famed designer Giorgetto Giugiaro penned not only the Hyundai Pony, an unremarkable four-door liftback that went into production in 1975, but also the Pony Concept Coupe, a bolder two-door design that never saw the light of day. The styling of the N Vision 74 is a modern take on a car that never was, and it’s a stunner that went to the longer, lower, wider school of design. It measures 195.0 inches long, 52.4 inches high, and 78.5 inches wide with a 114.4-inch wheelbase.The N Vision 74 is a rear-drive two-seat sports car that’s powered by a separate electric motor on each side. They team up for a maximum combined output of 671 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, and because they’re independent the torque vectoring effect is produced by commanding asymmetrical output instead of adjusting clutch pack pressure. Hyundai’s claimed 60 mph acceleration of less than four seconds seems like an easy putt, but we think there’s more in it. They’re also targeting a WLTP range of some 600 kilometers, which translates into 315 miles or so in EPA terms . . . if we ever get to that point. This is, after all, a “rolling lab” test bed.Electricity to power those motors comes from two sources: a 62.4-kWh battery pack that can be charged as you would any EV (complete with the same sort of 800-volt fast charging capability of the Ioniq 5 and 6), and an 85-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell that produces electricity on demand. Ostensibly, the fuel cell is used to recharge the battery to extend range while underway and to provide overboost when demand is high, but the team will also explore deployment strategies that will reduce the draw on the battery to manage its temperature in a range of driving situations, up to and including extended lapping on a racetrack.

Layout-wise, the fuel cell stack is mounted under the hood, with the T-shaped battery running between and behind the seats. The twin motors are mounted low between the rear wheels, and a pair of hydrogen tanks sit just above, a position that puts them behind the seats and under the decklid. Those tanks hold 4.2 kg of hydrogen and can be refilled in just five minutes. Huge air intakes mounted behind each door cool the motors, the battery, and the power electronics, and there’s another intake built into the nose that feeds a heat exchanger for the fuel-cell stack. There’s a massive splitter up front to produce downforce and shovel air into the cooling system, while the rear end is dominated by a tall wing and a full-width diffuser that draws air out from under the car and through the side vents.Ioniq 5 N Expected in Near Future Now that it has been confirmed, it’s only a matter of time before we drive the new Ioniq 5 N. Performance and pricing details are being held back for now, but we should know something closer to the end of this year. As for the RN22e and N Vision 74, the future is a bit more uncertain, particularly for the more ambitious N Vision 74. Our N-Day hosts did suggest that driving opportunities for both may be in the offing in the coming months. Whenever it happens, we’re eager to see how Hyundai’s take on performance-minded EVs pans out.
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As part of its nearly $750 million investment in electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, GM is building 2000 DC fast-chargers at 500 Pilot and Flying J truck stops.The initiative will be powered by EVgo, which operates the most fast-charging locations in the U.S.The first phase of chargers should be operational by 2023, and they will be placed along highways with the goal of facilitating coast-to-coast travel in EVs. Remember the Smokey and the Bandit song about a 28-hour bootleg road trip, “Eastbound and down, loaded up and EVing”? Wait, those aren’t the lyrics. But they could be in the near future, as GM looks to make cross-country travel in an electric car easier. And who better to do that with than the country’s largest truck stop chain? The American automotive giant is partnering with Pilot Company, the majority owner of Pilot Flying J, to build 2000 DC fast-chargers capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts, at 500 Pilot and Flying J truck stops.Pilot Company CEO Shameek Konar said that the joint initiative was designed “to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand.”

EVs’ U.S. market share doubled from the start of 2021 to the start of 2022, and that figure keeps growing. However, existing charging infrastructure heavily favors metropolitan areas, and a limited quantity of rural and highway-side fast-chargers hinders EV owners’ ability to drive cross-country. GM and Pilot Company want to alleviate that, as they intend to install their 2000 chargers at 50-mile intervals along highways. They’re Joining the EVgo Charger Network To do so, GM and Pilot Company are employing EVgo, which, with over 850 locations, is the most extensive fast-charging network in the country. EVgo will install, operate, and maintain GM and Pilot Company’s charging network through its eXtend program, with the first wave of chargers expected to be operational by 2023. Along with the EVgo logo, the chargers will be branded with both the Pilot Flying J logo and GM’s charging brand, Ultium Charge 360.

EVgo

The charging network is part of greater initiatives from both GM and Pilot Company. GM has pledged to invest nearly $750 million, alongside public grant money, into improving EV charging infrastructure, especially, as they said in 2021, in “underserved, rural, and urban areas where EV charging access is often limited.” This goes hand in hand with the automaker’s goal of only producing zero-emissions vehicles by 2035. Meanwhile, Pilot Company is in the process of updating its Pilot and Flying J truck stops with expanded seating, nicer restrooms, free Wi-Fi, and more. Both these initiatives are good news for EV owners, as it means more charging locations and cushier amenities while you wait, even if the chargers’ 350-kilowatt capacity will only keep you there for a few minutes.
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The Nissan Leaf was the first modern, mass-produced electric vehicle to reach the U.S. market, arriving in the 2011 model year. Reports say production of the Leaf is to be phased out sometime in the mid-decade. Although the Leaf’s chapter is drawing to a close, Nissan projects that 40 percent of its U.S. sales will be EVs by 2030. No car stays around forever, even if we hope some of them do (see Porsche 911). From the looks of things, there is another car whose appointment with the gallows pole is drawing near. Automotive News reported that the Nissan Leaf will be phased out over a period of the next few years even as Nissan ushers in an arsenal of fresh EVs—starting with the new Ariya. When it came to market in the 2011 model year, the Nissan Leaf was the first modern, mass-produced electric vehicle in the U.S. It was inexpensive, had funky styling, and was an exciting look into the future of electric cars. The issue was that it didn’t sell well. Although the Leaf has been part of Nissan’s U.S. lineup for a dozen years now, fewer than 175,000 units have been sold.
Opinions of the Leaf have varied. Some called the styling cute, while others were more disparaging. No matter where your opinion on the Leaf lies, you would ignore the history by calling it insignificant. Despite lackluster sales numbers, the Leaf really was a venture into the unknown of living with an electric car in the modern age. It came just before the Chevy Volt plug-in-hybrid and a full 18 months before Elon Musk and his Tesla Model S barreled onto the scene.

The dull driving demeanor and modest range have hampered our enthusiasm for the Leaf and likely kept it from reaping the benefits of surging interest in EVs. While high-end EVs are now seeing as much as 400 and even 500 miles of range, the 2022 Leaf offers 226 estimated miles in its larger battery and 149 in the base version. Although the bet Nissan made on the Leaf hasn’t really panned out, as the car enters the autumn of its years, we’d do well to acknowledge its role in mainstreaming the notion of electric cars in America.
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