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The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 currently under discussion in Washington would spend $369 billion on climate change and energy security, including big changes to electric-vehicle tax credits. If it passes, of course.What matters to car shoppers is that there’d be more money for more electric vehicles: gone would be the 200,000-per-automaker limit, which GM, Tesla, and Toyota have already reached. Used vehicles would also qualify for a $4000 credit, for the first time.The bill would also encourage automakers to use batteries that are sourced and assembled in North America, limiting the value of importing EVs from China. It would also set requirements for what EVs qualify, with price and origin of components among the criteria.The surprise political revival of some parts of the Build Back Better plan brings with it the potential for massive federal action on climate change, drug costs, and corporate taxes. Now packaged as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or IRA, the bill would reduce the federal deficit by over $300 billion, according to President Joe Biden.

It’s the estimated $369 billion in the IRA that addresses climate change and energy security spending that will have a direct effect on the vehicles we buy and drive. The text of the bill is not yet final, and the Senate has not yet voted on it, but we can at least look at what would change in the automotive world if it passes as it is. Here’s a summary of how the IRA would affect the lives of car buyers. In short, middle- and low-income buyers benefit, as do automakers who build their EVs in North America.Changes for BuyersThe biggest change for the auto industry is that the IRA revamps how federal electric-vehicle tax credits work. Right now, the credits can only be applied to the purchase of a new EV and are limited to 200,000 qualifying purchases per automaker before the credits, worth up to $7500 per vehicle, start to phase out. Under the IRA, the credits would not be tied to any automaker but would continue for all qualifying EVs until December 31, 2032. This change most obviously helps General Motors, Tesla, and Toyota the most, since they’re the three automakers that have either already run out of tax credits or are now phasing them out. President Biden emphasized in remarks about the bill that the qualifying factor for $7500 tax credit is “if those vehicles were made in America.”Car buyers would also be able to get the credit as a discount at the time of sale, either as a down payment or as a price reduction, instead of needing to wait until filing their taxes.The bill also sets upper-income limits on who can get the credit. Anyone making more than $150,000 a year (single filer) or a family that makes more than $300,000 would not be eligible. There will also be limits on how expensive a vehicle can be to qualify, with the upper price limit on vans, trucks, and SUVs now set at $80,000 MSRP while all other vehicles are limited to a price of $55,000.For the first time, used EVs would be eligible for a rebate of either $4000 or 30 percent of the vehicle’s sale price, whichever is smaller. The maximum price of a qualifying used EV is $25,000 and it has to be at least two years old. Income limits exist for used sales, too, but they’re set at $75,000 (single filers) and $150,000 (joint filers).

The bill also changes the definition of what kinds of vehicles can get the credit, from a “qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle” to a “clean vehicle,” opening the door for hydrogen or other powertrain types to be considered the same as battery-only EVs from the federal tax-credit perspective.Changes for ManufacturersFinally, and this will take some time to come into effect, the bill requires automakers to use “critical minerals” for their batteries that were extracted and processed in North America or a country the U.S. has a trade agreement with. The bill requires qualifying clean vehicles to use a minimum amount of such minerals, starting at 40 percent for vehicles put into service before January 2024, then going up by 10 percent a year until it reaches 80 percent for vehicles placed in service after December 31, 2026. Similarly, all qualifying clean vehicles need to have their battery components manufactured or assembled in North America at a similar increasing scale, starting at 50 percent for vehicles put into service before January 1, 2024, and growing to 100 percent starting in 2029. Expect to hear about lots more battery gigafactories sprouting up around the U.S. if this becomes law.As for the politics of the bill, given that the bill was revived through a deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), there’s hope on Capitol Hill that the bill will pass with all 50 Democratic senators voting in favor, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to vote to break the tie if all 50 Republicans vote against, as is expected. Schumer said last week that he would bring the IRA up for a vote this week.
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Ferrari has revealed its 296 GT3 racer, which features a 24-valve V-6 like the roadgoing 296GTB but without the accompanying electric motor, to comply with technical regulations.According to Ferrari, the 296 GT3 produces 20 percent more downforce than the previous 488 GT3.The 296 GT3 will make its racing debut at the Daytona 24 Hours in January 2023.The prancing-horse brand has shown off its new competitor in GT racing, the 296 GT3. The sheet was lifted Friday morning in the paddock of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium ahead of the 24 hours of Spa, which takes place this weekend. Based on photos, the 296 looks like one hell of a race car. Photos of the car show similarities with the 296 GTB it is based on, though with a much racier presence. Pictures of the front of the car show off two layers of louvers set above the already aggressive front splitter. Seen head-on, this thing looks like an incredible aero machine. The numbers seem to tell the same story, according to Ferrari, the 296 GT3 produces 20 percent greater downforce than the 488 GT3. According to Ferrari, “The 296 GT3 lives in symbiosis with the air around it, exploiting it to maximize grip and handling, benefiting gentleman drivers and professionals alike.”

Ferrari

Power figures are down from the roadgoing model due to the absence of the hybrid powertrain. Ferrari had to forgo the electric motor to meet technical regulations in the GT championship, bringing power down from a combined 819 horsepower to an estimated 600. The engine is positioned farther forward and lower, in a 120-degree configuration with the turbos inside the V, to lower the center of gravity and improve torsional stiffness compared to the 488 GT3.

Ferrari

In a move away from the GTB, with its lightning quick eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, Ferrari’s engineers designed a unique gearbox for the GT3. Now using a single disc clutch and six gears in a sequential pattern. Like other cars in the GT championship, the 296 the clutch is controlled on the steering wheel rather than with a foot pedal. The chassis is based on the road car, but the car uses an entirely new aluminum frame. The wheelbase of the car increases slightly over the road car, from 102.4 to 104.7 inches, to account for regulatory restrictions. The braking system has also been redesigned for the GT3, now 400 mm for the front.

Ferrari

Ferrari stresses the ease of use of the GT3, noting that “Ferrari’s engineers focused on speeding up track operations on the car during the race and pre-race . . . it is easier to modify the 296 GT3’s setup than the previous model due to more accessible mechanical and elastic components.” It will also be easier (and likely pricey) to replace portions of the car should you need to. The front and rear of the car are designed to be replaced in seconds, to keep time in the pit lane to a minimum. Ferrari have developed this car with two main focuses: first and foremost, for “extreme use” typical of pro classes, but also for customers who are more focused on enjoying their car.
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Porsche has revealed the latest 911 GT3 R, a race car that will compete in the IMSA endurance series and for the first time will be eligible for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.The water-cooled flat-six grows from 4.0 to 4.2 liters, putting out 565 ponies and routing that power through a sequential six-speed transmission.Porsche focused on improving drivability with the new GT3 R, redesigning the suspension to lessen tire wear and creating broader power and torque bands.Normally, developing a new race car is all about going faster. But in the two top endurance racing categories—the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship—a system called “balance of performance” limits the cars’ abilities in order to preserve parity and prevent one manufacturer from dominating. Instead of focusing on outright speed, the new Porsche 911 GT3 R was developed with durability and drivability in mind, to give sports car racers an easier time conquering grueling races like the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The 911 GT3 R is, of course, based on the current 992-generation 911 platform, but the wheelbase has been extended by 1.9 inches and the aluminum-steel composite frame is now cloaked almost entirely in carbon-fiber body panels. The naturally aspirated, water-cooled flat-six engine comes from the road car but is enlarged from 4.0 liters to 4.2 liters. Peak output shoots up to 565 horsepower, but more crucially for Porsche’s goal of drivability, the torque and power bands are spread across more of the rev range.The engine is still mounted in the rear but Porsche leaned it forward by 5.5 degrees, allowing for more space for the rear diffuser, and the sequential six-speed gearbox has lifted from the GT3 Cup car—which races in a slower, one-make Porsche Supercup series—and modified for use in the GT3 R.
The 911 GT3 R uses an unequal-length control arm suspension design at the front and a multi-link rear suspension, while the adjustable KW shock absorbers have five settings. Porsche says the suspension has been designed to decrease degradation of the rear tires—allowing racers to drive longer stints while maintaining performance—as well as making it easier to institute setup changes. The extended wheelbase is also said to boost tire longevity and consistency of grip over longer periods on track.

Braking power is provided by six-piston, 15.4-inch front steel discs and four-piston, 14.6-inch rear discs, which clamp onto aluminum monobloc calipers. The traction control and ABS systems have also been revised to reduce brake and tire wear. Aerodynamics play a big role on the GT3 R. The front packaging was rearranged to create an elevated underbody section, working alongside the flat under tray and rear diffuser to produce downforce. The massive rear wing also contributes to creating negative lift and adopts a swan-neck mount just like the roadgoing GT3, which improves aerodynamic efficiency by allowing for cleaner airflow under the wing.
Inside, Porsche shifted the driver’s seat more toward the center of the vehicle, and the six-point harness was redesigned with new clasps to allow for quicker driver changes during pit stops. The new 10.3-inch screen comes from the GT3 Cup car, while the multi-switch steering wheel comes from the 911 RSR that currently competes at Le Mans.The GT3 R will hit the track in 2023 in IMSA and will become eligible to compete in the World Endurance Championship—which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans—starting in 2024 when GT3 cars replace the current GTE sports-car class that the 911 RSR races in. Unsurprisingly, piloting Porsche’s 911 race car won’t come cheap, with the GT3 R costing a cool $567,210.
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• The 2006 Mini Cooper JCW GP was built for one year in a 2000-car run.• The example for sale is one of only 415 sold in the United States, modified for more power and improved handling.• The Mini will be up for auction until Wednesday, August 3.The quickest front-driver we’ve ever tested is a Mini Cooper John Cooper Works GP. That’s what Mini owners call the GP3, the third generation of the most powerful and littlest car in production. The Mini here is the original GP1 from 2006. Take our word from spending three days with 700 Minis and their gallivanting owners: Any GP grants you instant respect.On Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is owned by Hearst Autos), there are so many unattainable supercars it’s starting to look like the duPont Registry. So, today, we’re delighted to feature a limited-edition foreign car that’s currently at a $14,500 bid.

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The first-gen R53 Mini was a retro design that outlasted its direct competitors, the Volkswagen New Beetle and the Fiat 500. Evolutionary changes mean this half-German Brit looks just as attractive and relevant as a brand-new Mini. It’s one of 415 GPs sold in the U.S. out of 2000 worldwide. Small cars with big power are back in vogue, but in 2006, it was basically the Mini JCW GP and the Mazdaspeed 3. The Dodge Neon SRT-4, discontinued after 2005, was a Lincoln Town Car when parked next to a Mini.

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The JCW GP was a quicker, lighter version of a quick and featherweight Mini, the John Cooper Works. An ordinary JCW came from Oxfordshire as a stock Cooper S. Mini dealers modified the engine and exhaust with a factory-supplied kit that took the supercharged 1.6-liter inline-four to 200 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque without touching anything else. The JCW GP, despite being labeled a “kit,” was built by Bertone in Italy. The Italian mods included a new Eaton supercharger, a more efficient intercooler, high-volume fuel injectors, a remapped ECU with a higher rev limit, and a sport exhaust. Total output, sent through a limited-slip diff: 218 hp and 184 lb-ft.

Upgraded suspension, unique four-spoke 18-inch wheels, larger brakes, revised bumpers, side sills, and a rear wing distinguished the GP’s exterior. Without a rear seat or air conditioning, the GP shaved an impressive 110 pounds. With cold air blowing at our faces, we measured a 62-pound savings (for 2609 pounds total). Stock, it pulled 0.90 g on the skidpad and hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds—a half-second quicker than a JCW. Every GP came in Thunder Blue with red mirror caps.Mini organizes a rally every two years called Mini Takes the States. This month, despite $5 premium gas, Mini owners trekked from Burlington, Vermont, to BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina. GP cars from every generation stood out among the sea of Coopers—especially in the back woods of Tennessee, where Mini isn’t exactly a household name.

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It’s possible that one or several of this GP’s four owners ran the Mini rally at some point and then decided stock wasn’t good enough. According to the seller, the car’s suspension has Bilstein B12 struts, camber plates, and new front control arm bushings and a rear sway bar. There’s a smaller supercharger pulley and a new air intake for an unspecified increase in output. The brakes are from the second-gen JCW. Even the silver-painted interior trim is swapped out for carbon fiber. The original trim, brakes, and a duplicate set of wheels come included. At $31,150 brand-new, the 2006 GP was priced almost $10,000 more than a JCW. The current GP stickers for $45,570. Even in the crazy used-car market, we’ll bet this GP will go for a comparatively miniature-size price when the auction ends on Wednesday, August 3.

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The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is shaping up to be one of the most exciting vehicles of the coming year. More restrained than its FK8-generation predecessor, this new FL5 Type R ditches the gobbs of fake vents and useless scoops for a more cohesive exterior package. That said, Honda hasn’t left the tuner car crowd behind entirely with this new offering. Honda Access, the company’s in-house accessories division, just unveiled a host of new accessories for the Civic Type R that bring back a bit of that overtly aggressive look.

Unveiled specifically for the JDM-market Type R, the accessory list begins with an upgraded rear spoiler. Constructed from carbon fiber, the new wing promises to shave 2.2 pounds off the car compared to the factory unit. If the wing alone isn’t enough of a visual tweak, Honda has also unveiled a new set of red mirror caps, which match the unique Type R badging. Other available exterior tweaks include items like Type R-branded door projectors, as well as a Euro-spec horn option.

Honda

This new batch of accessories also includes a few interior adjustments. The most notable of these options is the new leather-wrapped shift knob, which again comes finished in that famous Type R red. A set of new red carpets is also available, should you want to color-match them to the factory bucket seats. A carbon-fiber shifter surround is also available, complete with some red accents woven in. A few other interior trim pieces can also be had in this accented carbon finish, including the doorsills and uppers.

Honda

While this particular list of Honda Access parts is slated for the JDM market, we wouldn’t be surprised to see most of these hit U.S. shores at some point. That’s particularly true of the rear spoiler, which I think has the potential to be a rather popular option. Of course we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer before some proper aftermarket solutions start to arrive on the scene. Those folks will have no problem making the new Type R look a bit more wild, I guarantee it.

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Mercedes has announced pricing for the 2022 AMG SL-class.It starts at $138,850 for the SL55 model and $179,150 for the SL63 model.Both are powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine.Mercedes is not being shy about the latest generation of its venerable SL roadster. Not only does it sport an all-AMG lineup, its pricing is ambitiously high, starting at $138,850 for the lesser SL55 and $179,150 for the more powerful SL63. That’s a good bit more expensive than the previous Mercedes-AMG GT coupe and roadster, which were phased out after the 2021 model year and started at $119,650 for the hardtop and $131,750 for the droptop.Both versions of the SL have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine, with the SL55’s configuration producing 469 horsepower and the SL63’s producing 577 horsepower. 4Matic all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission are standard across the board.

Mercedes will offer the SL in two equipment levels, regardless of whether you choose the 55 or the 63. The Touring comes standard with equipment including massaging seats, a heated steering wheel, and a Burmester sound system. The Performance trim adds a front-axle lift system and, for the SL55, Mercedes’ Active Ride Control system and an AMG Dynamic Plus package with a limited-slip differential, yellow brake calipers, and different drive modes (these features are standard on the SL63).The AMG SL’s pricing puts it right in line with the Porsche 911, as the SL55 matches up with the 443-hp 911 Carrera 4S cabriolet ($138,550 base price) and the SL63 is relatively close to the 572-hp 911 Turbo cabriolet ($188,450 base price). We look forward to getting our hands on an SL to test so that we can see how it measures up to the Porsche in terms of performance.
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Ford has just revealed its first electric police truck, the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV, claiming it will help reduce costs and increase efficiency for police departments.Among the purpose-designed features, the SSV will come with police-grade heavy-duty cloth seats that feature lower bolsters to allow officers to enter and exit the vehicle more easily.Ford has not released information regarding pricing or when the SSV will start to go on sale and ship to police departments around the U.S.Sometimes cars are so good at what they do they become the first image in your head when you hear that thing. For police cars, that is easily the Crown Vic. Of course, police departments have had other choices, including police cruisers like the Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles. Many departments are also leaning toward the do-it-all capabilities offered by trucks. They should be interested in the new police version of the F-150 Lightning, the Pro SSV (for Special Service Vehicle), and it will be interesting to see how many municipalities will become early adopters of the EV as police vehicle.
The SSV version of the Lightning is not so different from the EV pickup it’s based on, itself very new on the market. The 12.0-inch display in the center of the dash is the same found in the normal Lightning. Performance numbers remain the same across the lineup as well, with 452 horsepower out of the standard-range battery, and 580 crime-fighting horses from extended-range models. Also shared with the normal Lightning is the claimed 4.0-second time to 60 mph, which would beat all police vehicles but the Ford Mustang Mach-E police prototype tested by the Michigan State Police, also at 40 seconds to 60 mph. Range figures are likely to be similar to the standard Lightning at 230 miles for the smaller pack, 320 for the larger, though exact numbers have not been confirmed.
The SSV will come equipped with the same “police-grade heavy-duty” cloth seats from the F-150 Police Responder along with the expected roof-mounted LED warning beacons and steel “intrusion plates” in the front seatbacks. And it will have the Lightning’s much discussed Pro Power Onboard, which Ford notes could serve as a mobile power source at accident scenes.

More to the point, Ford says the new electric pickups will use Ford Pro software—which it says 12,000 police departments are already using—that will integrate “seamlessly” with management of existing internal-combustion police vehicles in a department’s fleet. Ford also intends to offer municipal loan programs to help police departments get charging stations purchased, installed, and operational. Ford has yet to release details regarding pricing or delivery dates for the Lightning SSV, though more details are expected some time later this summer. Range figures should also be released at that time.
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The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning may be the brand’s most significant vehicle in recent memory. Not only is the Lightning an all-electric version of Ford’s bestselling nameplate, it’s also a pickup truck, so it must satisfy a wide range of expectations from buyers. To see how it measures up to those expectations, we evaluated an F-150 Lightning for two weeks and subjected it to every test procedure at our disposal.The video explains the results of our exhaustive testing, which includes acceleration, braking, interior noise, real-world highway range, charging speed, and storage. (We’ve already published the full test results elsewhere.)

The fully loaded Lightning Platinum we tested posted remarkably quick acceleration results, essentially tying the Rivian R1T—the quickest pickup we’ve tested—in real-world acceleration from 30 to 50 mph and 50 to 70 mph. On the other hand, the Lightning showed more brake fade in stopping tests than the Rivian. Measuring Range, Charging, TowingIn our real-world EV range test, where we drive at constant freeway speeds, the Lightning returned 230 miles against the Platinum’s 300-mile EPA rating. That result leads us to wonder how far a Lightning equipped with the standard 98.0-kWh battery might be able to travel versus the 230-mile EPA rating. To measure charging, we hook up an EV to the fastest charger it will accept and record the rate from a 10 to 90 percent fill. The Lightning’s 106-kW average exceeded that of the first R1T we tested, at 98 kW. How about towing? We loaded the Lightning with a 5100-pound trailer and set off on the freeway. While the power and stability were excellent, the range was lacking, falling to a mere 130 miles. Given the nature of the charging infrastructure and the fact you don’t start charging at empty, you wouldn’t want to travel more than 100 miles between stops.

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