Motor News

The 2022 Audi RS7 will be offered as a fully loaded Exclusive Edition that’s limited to 23 copies for the U.S. market. The Exclusive Edition’s exclusive bits are Mamba Black Pearl paint, blue brake calipers, and blue stitching inside.The RS7 Exclusive Edition will be priced at $166,495 when it goes on sale later this summer.With a starting price approaching $120,000, 2022 Audi RS7s aren’t thick on the ground anywhere. While that high-dollar price and the fastback hatchback’s ultra-high performance make every example relatively exclusive, Audi is releasing a more exclusive, limited-production version appropriately dubbed the RS7 Exclusive Edition.

How Exclusive Is the RS7 Exclusive Edition?The 2022 Audi RS7 Exclusive Edition will be limited to 23 copies, all of which are earmarked for the U.S. market. That means only 22 other people in America will have a ’22 RS7 like yours, unless, of course, you plan on buying more than one. What’s so exclusive about this special RS7? Actually, it’s really just unique styling cues. No other 2022 RS7 will have this Mamba Black Pearl paint that combines with the car’s standard-equipped Carbon Optic package to make the thing look seriously sinister. That means every model has blacked-out exterior trim and 22-inch V-spoke wheels mounted on summer rubber.

Audi

With every RS7 Exclusive Edition comes virtually every available option. The list of obligatory upgrades includes everything from a powerful Bang & Olufsen sound system and night vision to an air suspension and a sport exhaust. The latter helps provide the soundtrack for the RS7’s 591-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, which pairs with an eight-speed transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. Also included on the Exclusive Edition are carbon-ceramic brakes that feature blue-painted calipers, another RS7 exclusive.

Audi

The RS7 Exclusive Edition gets exclusive (there’s that word again) Sepang Blue stitching throughout the cabin. The color traces the diamond pattern on the seats as well as parts of the dash, doors, and other leather-covered surfaces. The floor mats and some of the controls are also accented with blue. This is the only thing inside the car that separates the Exclusive Edition from any other 2022 RS7.Audi says the RS7 Exclusive Edition will cost $166,495 when it goes on sale later this summer. The regular ’22 RS7 starts at $119,595; adding every option pushes the total price to about $156,000. That begs the question: Are the Exclusive Edition’s exclusives enough to justify its roughly $10K price premium? That’s up to the people who can afford one.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

News of planned electric-vehicle battery plants has become increasingly common as automakers including Tesla, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, and others move forward with ambitious EV plans.The latest is VW, which announced plans to open six battery-cell production plants starting with Salzgitter, or project ‘SalzGiga,’ which it calls “the blueprint” for the six total battery plants it plans to open.The first plant will start production in 2025 and is meant to supply battery needs for about 500,000 EVs once up and running.Volkswagen Group held a “symbolic groundbreaking ceremony” this week for what it calls SalzGiga, the first of six identical battery-cell production plants it expects to build in Europe and North America over the rest of the decade. The new plant, with planned capacity up to 40 gigawatt-hours, will supply roughly half a million electric vehicles. It will start production in 2025.The cell plant will be operated by PowerCo, a VW Group subsidiary for battery manufacturing established in January. Ultimately, VW expects to build 240 GWh of battery production capacity for up to three million EVs by 2030.

VW

VW Follows Tesla, BYD, GMIn doing so, VW follows in the footsteps of Tesla, BYD, General Motors, and other makers. Tesla has Gigafactories for cells and/or vehicles up and running in Reno, Nevada; Austin, Texas; Berlin, Germany; and Shanghai, China, totaling up to 150 GWh at full tilt. More are on the drawing board. CEO Elon Musk first cited the need for a “gigafactory” to build huge volumes of cells back in November 2013, as Tesla still struggled to ramp up its Model S production.

VW

Chinese maker BYD actually started as a battery company in 1995, then branched into vehicles in 2003 after acquiring a small Chinese automaker. At first it sold only cars with internal-combustion engines, then added plug-in hybrids. It built its last car without a plug this past March.

Similarly, GM plans five joint-venture battery factories with its longtime cell partner LG Energy Solutions. The first, in Lordstown, Ohio, should start production this year. Two more sites have been announced, in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Lansing, Michigan. All will provide cells to a growing number of EVs planned for the company’s Ultium platform. Cells for the currently low volume of GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriqs are now produced on a small pilot-production line operated by the partners in Michigan. Total capacity across the five will be roughly 150 GWh.As of this year, BYD sells more plug-in vehicles (both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid) than even Tesla—let alone GM—so VW Group is coming from behind. In part, this is because of the political sensitivity of its massive employment to the German economy. A substantial share of the company is held by the state of Lower Saxony, and Works Council (union) representatives sit on the company’s board. Assuaging Employee, Political ConcernsThe location of VW’s first “giga” factory thus carries great symbolic importance. It is being built at Salzgitter, the massive plant where more than 6800 employees now assemble roughly a million combustion engines a year. The site has built more than 62 million engines to date, ranging from four to 16 cylinders. But with many markets committed to ending sales of vehicles with tailpipes by 2030 or 2035, those jobs are clearly threatened—so VW put what it calls its global center for battery development in the heart of Lower Saxony, at this plant. Thursday’s carefully choreographed event, attended by employees, executives, and dignitaries alike, was intended to underscore the message that jobs would be preserved.Many dignitaries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, spoke at the SalzGiga ceremony. One was the premier of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, who used automotive history in an analogy for this latest evolution of Salzgitter. He noted the 1970 Volkswagen K70, the first VW in history to be powered by a water-cooled inline-four-cylinder engine—driving its front wheels, even—had been built at the Salzgitter plant. It presaged the company’s subsequent, successful Golf and Passat.That analogy was unexpectedly apt, since the intellectual property represented by the K70 hadn’t been developed by VW at all. The model came from NSU, which VW acquired after the company was effectively bankrupted by the development and warranty costs of its Wankel rotary–powered Ro80 luxury sedan.Similarly, VW does not have sole ownership of the cell chemistries that will go into the large volumes of batteries fitted to the millions of EVs it will be producing by the end of this decade. Tesla partnered with Panasonic and GM partnered with LG, but VW notably omitted any discussion of its cell partners from today’s ceremony.Instead, while CEO Diess proclaimed the company is “bringing the leading-edge technology of the future to Germany,” today the source of that technology remains predominantly in Asia.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X will get the AEV treatment, which includes special steel bumpers and tougher skid plates.The AEV upgrades also allow increased clearances and bigger 33-inch mud-terrain tires like on the Chevy Silverado ZR2.The AT4X AEV Edition will arrive later next year, and GMC says the beefy bolt-ons will eventually be standard on every 2023 AT4X.When GMC pulled the covers off the new-for-2022 Sierra 1500 AT4X, it was billed as the brand’s most off-road-capable model ever. It was essentially the GMC version of the rugged and ready Chevy Silverado ZR2. While the two shared exclusive equipment, such as Multimatic spool-valve dampers and electronic locking front and rear differentials, the AT4X’s compromises made it somewhat inferior to the Chevy for off-roading. That changes with the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition and its beefy bolt-on hardware.

ZR2 vs. AT4X vs. AT4X AEV EditionThe most notable difference between the ZR2 and the regular AT4X is their drastically different front bumpers. The former looks like it was designed to clear tall obstacles, while the latter looks like it was designed to crash into tall obstacles. During our first drive of the AT4X, we learned that GMC decided against adopting the wilder front bumper because the company felt it deviated too much from the front styling that customers preferred. Not only does this limit the truck’s approach angle to 25.5 degrees, but it also means the AT4X can’t accommodate the 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud-Terrain tires found on the ZR2. Instead, the regular AT4X is stuck with slightly smaller mud-terrain tires.

GMC

GMC

But the AT4X AEV Edition is different. With its specially designed steel front bumper from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), this version of the Sierra can fit the bigger Goodyears. Its approach angle also increases to 32.5 degrees, earning bragging rights over the ZR2’s 31.8-degree pitch. The factory-installed, AEV-supplied front bumper includes a section to install a winch, too, which GMC claims no other half-ton pickup truck offers. The AEV-enhanced AT4X also has a unique steel rear bumper and a 23.4-degree departure angle (0.4 degrees higher than before). Along with a slighter higher breakover angle (23 versus 22.7 degrees), the AEV Edition raises the AT4X’s ground clearance an extra 0.4 inch to 11.2 inches. Under Armor for PickupsTo help protect the underside of the Sierra 1500 AT4X, AEV provides five skid plates that armorize critical parts such as the differential, fuel tank, transfer case, and steering gear. These hot-stamped boron steel plates are said to be 3.5 times stronger than similar cold-stamped steel plates. Who knew? The AEV extras don’t end there; the AT4X has its own gloss-black 18-inch wheels featuring recessed valve stems that are better protected from rocks. The AEV treatment is further identified by subtle front-end restyling as well as a black element on the tailgate. Inside are all-weather floor mats and embroidered headrests.

GMC

As with the regular AT4X, the 2023 AEV Edition only comes with the 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, 10-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. GMC says it will announce pricing for the specialized truck closer to its launch later next year. The regular ’23 Sierra 1500 AT4X is set to start at $79,295, and you can expect the AEV version will cost several thousand dollars more. A GMC spokesperson said the company intends to make the AEV enhancements standard on every 2023 AT4X, but that won’t happen until later in the model year.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Volkswagen has released images of a once-planned successor to the Phaeton, showcasing a stylish sedan that could’ve been.The Phaeton was the brand’s flagship luxury sedan, intended as a competitor for the likes of the Mercedes S-class and BMW 7-series.Debuting in 2002, the Phaeton sold just a few thousand units in the U.S. from 2004 to 2006, and it was discontinued globally in 2016.

Much like the horse-drawn carriage with which it shared a name, the Volkswagen Phaeton faded into the fog of history after just one generation. But as Volkswagen celebrates 20 years since the luxury sedan’s initial debut at the 2002 Geneva auto show, the company is now releasing never-before-seen photos of the second-generation Phaeton that might have been. Sold in the U.S. from 2004 to 2006, the first-generation Phaeton was eventually discontinued globally in 2016. At that point, Volkswagen says, a successor known as the Phaeton D2 was already in the works, but it never came to pass.

The original Phaeton (left) pictured next to the successor concept (right).
Volkswagen AG

What you see here is a concept version of the D2 model. At first glance, the “new” Phaeton is characterized by longer, sharper lines than the original, and it forgoes the round, doe-eyed tail lights of the previous generation for narrower, angular ones.

Volkswagen AG

On the inside, generous wood and chrome accents give the D2 a similar feel to the original. But the use of quilted upholstery throughout, a curved-glass display, and sleeker styling update the lounge-inspired interior for the modern day. That curved display eventually was used in the third-generation Touareg, which also never made it to the U.S. The Phaeton’s rear seats also feature two entertainment screens mounted on the headrests.

Volkswagen AG

While the company didn’t release much in the way of specs for the Phaeton D2, the concept was based on the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform, used for many Audi models and the Porsche Macan. In an alternate universe, maybe we would have seen the shiny new Phaeton riding down the highway alongside those cars, but for now, we’re left with a glimpse at a hypothetical luxury Volkswagen that never was.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Fundamentally, the 2022 Subaru BRZ and the 2022 Toyota GR86 are the same car. The two have the same engine and body structure. It can even be tricky to tell them apart at a distance. Drive the two at speed, as we did for the most recent Lightning Lap at Virginia International Raceway, and you’d be too consumed by fun to notice any differences in handling.But on the road, these two sports coupes don’t drive the same way, and that difference interested our resident suspension expert (and former engineer) Dan Edmunds. He drove both cars over the same twisty canyon two-way and then crawled underneath to try and find the changes. Beyond the usual tuning differences (shocks, springs rates, and anti-roll bars), the BRZ and GR86 diverge in more ways than we expected. For example, the BRZ not only uses a hollow front anti-roll bar but it also has a lighter aluminum front knuckle, indicating that Subaru was willing to spend extra money to save weight.

At the rear, we found two entirely different rear anti-roll-bar mounting points, meaning different subframe designs for the Subaru and the Toyota. This means more complexity and cost in the assembly process, even if the two cars are built on the same assembly line as the Subaru WRX and Crosstrek. It might also speak to how firmly Subaru and Toyota believe in their respective suspension design philosophies.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The global debut of the VW Amarok reveals a mid-size pickup closely related to the next-gen Ford Ranger.It’s not destined for the U.S., with most sales expected in Australia, Europe, and Africa.It will offer a range of diesel engines including a V-6, plus a 298-hp gasoline turbo.The thinking behind automotive product strategies often seems like a mystery to those on the outside looking in, and we’ve certainly never understood why Volkswagen chose not to bring the Amarok pickup to the market that buys more pickups than anywhere else in the world—the U.S.

Now Volkswagen is revealing a new second-generation Amarok, one that also seems set to be denied to us, despite the fact it shares its underpinnings with the Ford Ranger and was developed alongside it by teams working in Germany and Australia. The finished truck is set to be produced in South Africa, with Volkswagen saying it will be sold “in Australia and New Zealand, numerous countries of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.” You’ll notice that no part of the Americas is on that list, despite the previous version having been offered in some Central American and South American markets.

Volkswagen

So what are we missing out on? Although larger than its predecessor, the new Amarok would be regarded as a mid-size pickup if it were to reach the U.S. Overall length of 210.6 inches is 3.8 inches longer than the old Amarok but 0.8 inch shorter than the 2023 Ford Ranger. The new truck’s 128.7-inch wheelbase is, unsurprisingly, identical to that of the Ford. Both single- and double-cab versions will be offered, with the two-door having a cargo bed 90.7 inches long and the four-door having a 60.8-inch bed. Maximum width between wheel arches is 47.5 inches. Volkswagen says it will be able to carry up to 2550 pounds, depending on specification, and to tow up to 7700 pounds.It should be pretty decent off-road, too. Shortened overhangs compared to the old Amarok have improved its ability to tackle a modest level of wilderness, with a 29-degree approach angle, 21-degree departure angle, and 21 degree ramp-over angle. Volkswagen also says it can safely pass through up to 31.5 inches of water—the same figure claim Ford makes for the next Ranger.Powertrain Choices Mainly DieselVolkswagen is planning to offer a multitude of powertrain options. A basic rear-wheel-drive version combining a 147-hp 2.0-liter diesel engine and a five-speed manual gearbox will be offered in certain African markets, with a more powerful 167-hp version of the same engine being sold elsewhere with the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, together with either rear-wheel drive or selectable four-wheel drive. Beyond that, a twin-turbocharged diesel will make 200 horsepower and drive though what Volkswagen says is a permanent all-wheel-drive system—although with the ability to disconnect drive to the front for improved economy—while working with either the six-speed auto or a 10-speed auto that is the Ford/GM gearbox. In other countries a slightly more powerful 203-hp version of this engine will get selectable four-wheel drive and the 10-speed gearbox.Beyond this, Volkswagen will continue to offer the option of its long-serving 3.0-liter V-6 diesel. That’s a developed version of the one fitted to the previous-generation Amarok we drove in Europe in 2018. This makes 246 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque and gets the 10-speed auto and AWD as standard. Volkswagen will also offer a gasoline engine in some markets, although non-diesel pickups are still a rarity in Europe. It’s seemingly Ford’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder making 298 hp and 333 pound-feet, and again shipping with the 10-speed and permanent AWD.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen will sell the Amarok in a wide variety of grades reflecting its use as both a utility and a lifestyle truck. Even the most basic versions will have digital instruments, a 10-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen, LED headlights, and adaptive cruise control. At the top of the range, the much plusher PanAmericana and Aventura will add such luxuries as a bigger 12-inch display screen, Harman/Kardon audio systems, soft-touch cabin materials (described as “leather look” rather than leather), and even 21-inch alloy wheels.While the Ranger and Amarok have many shared components, including column stalks, the autobox gear selector, and various bits of minor switchgear, there are substantive changes, too, such as different dashboards. The Amarok follows the example of other recent Volkswagens by having temperature and climate control through its touchscreen; the Ranger keeps physical function buttons.Why will we be denied it? Beyond the difficulty faced by automakers outside the big three selling trucks in the U.S., pricing seems to be the big issue: the previous Amarok started at the equivalent of over $40,000 in Europe. Yet the fact the closely related fifth-generation Ford Ranger is set to be sold here does leave the door open. We still love the idea of a Volkswagen Truck.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

This 1960 Pontiac Catalina Safari is up for sale on the Bring a Trailer auction site, with bidding currently at $17,000 with five days left on the auction.This Safari can seat nine people and features a 6.4-liter V-8 driving the rear wheels through a four-speed Hydra-matic automatic transmission.The Copper Metallic paint job combines with the oodles of chrome trim and white wall tires to create a beautiful flashback to a bygone era of automative design. I grew up in the back seat of a station wagon, traversing national parks on monthlong cross-country treks, hauling catcher’s gear to travel baseball games in the spacious trunk, and learning to drive the nimble longroof on the chaotic streets of New York. But while I loved my parents’ 2003 Volkswagen Passat, it can’t measure up to the decadent style of this 1960 Pontiac Catalina Safari currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

Bring a Trailer

The Catalina name first appeared in 1950 and became a standalone model line in 1959. It received a slight refresh the following year, trading a split-grille design for the cleaner, one-piece look seen here and toning down the rear fins after the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz took that design trend to the extreme. Safari was the moniker given to Pontiac’s station wagons at the time, and this example was fitted with nine seats thanks to a first-row bench and a rear-facing third row. Along with being capacious, this Safari is a stunning vehicle, with handsome, horizontal character lines stretching the length of the car, a wrap-around windshield providing an airy cabin, and plenty of brightwork to accentuate the Catalina’s distinguished appearance.

Bring a Trailer

This Catalina Safari is painted in a pleasing Copper Metallic hue, with the interior decked out in a Fawn vinyl upholstery. This example is fitted with luxuries (for the time) like dual sideview mirrors, a power rear window, power-assisted steering and brakes, and a “Super Deluxe” AM radio. The interior also includes contrasting brown carpeting, a heater, and the latest in safety equipment: lap seatbelts.

Power comes from a 6.4-liter (389 cubic inch) V-8 engine and is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The listing does not specify which version of the 389 V-8 this vehicle comes with, but on this generation of Catalina, the V-8 could make anywhere between 215 and 345 horsepower. The Safari rides on 14-inch steel wheels with chrome covers, shod in period-appropriate American Classic whitewall tires. The listing notes a few chips and scratches, but you can’t expect a 62-year-old car to be pristine. The five-digit odometer reads 12,000 miles, although the true mileage is lost to time. Regardless, this 1960 Pontiac Catalina Safari is a beautiful vehicle and makes us long for the days when station wagons were the choice of family car instead of the now ubiquitous crossover. Bidding currently sits at $17,000, and the auction ends on Monday, July 11.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Ferrari is set to make its return to top-flight endurance racing next year, and today, we’re getting our first look at its challenger. The automaker released a teaser photo of the car Wednesday, and images from the car’s first shakedown test at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit have also surfaced online.

This car is built to Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations, which, unlike LMDh rules, offer a great deal of technical freedom. The chassis will be made in-house by Ferrari, rather than a specified partner, and the car will have an electrified front axle. Based on spy photos, it appears Ferrari is taking a fairly radical approach with the car’s rear aerodynamics. There are three huge fins, one in the center, the others on the sides, and they’re connected by a multi-piece wing that sits a few inches from the top. There also appears to be an additional wing below the fin. Unfortunately, and no doubt by design, you can’t see any of these details in the official Ferrari teaser.

Ferrari LMH on track at Fiorano, Italy.
Ferrari

The LMH ruleset is fairly prescriptive with overbody aerodynamics, and it seems Ferrari is taking a similar approach as Peugeot in emphasizing underbody aerodynamics and an unorthodox setup at the rear. (The Peugeot notably has no rear wing whatsoever.)Unsurprisingly, Ferrari hasn’t yet released any further technical details, though it did confirm to Autosport that factory driver Alessandro Pier Guidi was the one at the wheel today, and the test was just a simple shakedown with the car running a handful of in and out laps. Autosport additionally reports that Ferrari will conduct a more comprehensive test later this month at an outside circuit.Ferrari will join the aforementioned Peugeot, along with Toyota, Glickenhaus, and possibly privateer ByKolles in fielding LMH cars in next year’s World Endurance Championship. LMH cars will compete next year in the WEC with LMDh cars, with European entrants expected from Cadillac and Porsche. (Acura and BMW only have plans to run the IMSA WeatherTech series for 2023, though BMW should make an appearance at Le Mans.) Joining the LMDh ranks in 2024 are Alpine and, most notably, Ferrari’s longtime rival Lamborghini.Ferrari hasn’t announced plans to run its LMH car in the U.S., though it has the option to do so starting next year in IMSA’s new GTP class, which is open to both LMH and LMDh cars.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More