Motor News

Schedoni is a 142-year-old leather maker in Modena, Italy, that supplies custom factory luggage for the hottest supercars. This three-piece set originally came with a new Ferrari F50. It’s available on the Bring a Trailer auction site for a small fraction of a F50’s $3 million-plus present value. But hurry: the auction ends on June 4.Second only to cold-starting a 12-cylinder Ferrari is sinking into the driver’s seat and taking a long, deep inhale, preferably before any unburned gas enters the cabin. It’s the leather. Rich, aromatic, and impossibly supple, Italian leather is as intoxicating as the country’s fashion, design, art, and food. Of course, it’s expensive as hell.

Our latest auction pick on Bring a Trailer (which like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is this original factory luggage set for a Ferrari F50. For only thousands of dollars, you could own a few pieces from one of the rarest Ferrari supercars—and, we imagine, not do anything so brash as to use them for travel.

Bring a Trailer

A couple dozen Ferrari luggage sets have already sold for thousands on Bring a Trailer, and it’s not just the Ferrari name behind the money. The bags come from Ferrari’s Modenese neighbor Schedoni, a 142-year-old leather maker that began making shoes and now exclusively crafts luggage to hug every last curve of a supercar’s tight trunk. Schedoni, interviewed in 2021 by StirWorld, said he started working with Ferrari in 1977 and has since made luggage sets for every Ferrari since the 308GTB. Even Ferrari Formula 1 drivers get Schedoni suede on their backsides. Lamborghini, Pagani, and Bugatti run with Schedoni luggage, as do the British—Aston Martin, Bentley, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce.

Bring a Trailer

This three-piece F50 set includes a suitcase, garment bag, and duffel to match the same black leather and fiery red ribbed suede as the car’s seats. Everything, from the black nylon liner with prancing horses to the buckles, has the exacting detail and quality that cannot be copied by machines or knockoffs. President Simone Schedoni still uses his great-grandfather’s sewing machine to finish the last stitches.The F50 bags look remarkably unworn and come with yellow storage bags (yes, a fine bag needs its own bag) plus the original luggage tags, straps, and locking keys. After handling these bags, you may not miss the actual car. Who are we kidding? But still, these are worth bidding on. With two days to go before the auction is set to end on Saturday, June 4, the top bid is at $9000.

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The Mercedes-Benz EQB300—which features a single, front-mounted 225-hp electric motor—will start at $56,800.The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 288-hp EQB350 will start at $60,350.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB will go on sale this summer.Last year, Mercedes unveiled the EQB, an electric crossover derived from the boxy, compact GLB. The EQB shares much of its chassis with its gasoline-powered brother but trades the four-cylinder engine for a 66.5-kWh battery and either a single or dual-motor setup. Now Mercedes-Benz has revealed pricing information for the 2022 EQB before it goes on sale later this year.

Mercedes-Benz

The EQB will come with two powertrain options, with each offering two trim levels. The EQB300 features front-wheel drive and an electric motoring producing 225 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. The entry-level EQB300 Exclusive will start at $56,800, while stepping up to the EQB300 Pinnacle will cost you $59,350.

To get all-wheel drive, buyers will need to upgrade to the EQB350, which includes two electric motors good for a combined 288 horsepower and 324 pound-feet. In Exclusive guise, the EQB350 will start at $60,350, while the Pinnacle will go for $61,400. In both the EQB300 and EQB350, opting for the Pinnacle will add features such as a Burmester surround-sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and a surround-view camera. The EPA hasn’t released range figures for the EQB, but on the more generous European WLTP test cycle, the dual-motor EQB achieved a 260-mile rating. Mercedes says that the EQB will go on sale in the United States this summer.
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The Ford brand will transition to exclusively online, fixed-price, delivered-to-your-door sales for EVs, CEO Jim Farley said, in a statement reported by USA Today.”We’ve got to go to non-negotiated price. We’ve got to go 100 percent online. There’s no inventory [at dealerships]; it goes directly to the customer. And 100 percent remote pick up and delivery,” he said during Bernstein’s Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, the paper reported.It’s unclear if Ford also plans to implement this sales strategy shift for its non-EV products. Farley went on to say that he sees the physical locations of dealers as a huge opportunity to push an edge over competitors, but that the current stores will have to radically evolve. Dealers can do it, he said, “but the standards are going to be brutal.”

The fixed-price model has been tried by countless new car dealerships, used-car chains, and even manufacturers like Saturn. Yet it was Tesla that showed that a successful automaker could fully rely on fixed-price sales. The EV juggernaut also pioneered an online ordering system that so-called legacy automakers have been struggling to replicate. If Ford wants to be a huge player in this and take advantage of what Farley sees as a historically significant market-share land grab, the company has to adapt to give the customers what they want. Right now, as USA Today notes, Ford estimates that it spends $2000 more than Tesla per car on distribution.The company also intends to massively scale back advertising for its EVs, another way it has to adapt. “If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock,” he said. For the full breakdown of Farley’s remarks, check out the USA Today story which explores post-sales service, the role of the Super Duty and other gas guzzlers, EV profitability, custom cars for Uber and Lyft, Chinese EVs, and “very large consolidation.”Road & Track has reached out to Ford for additional comment on Farley’s statements.

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The 2023 Polestar 2 lineup will include a limited-production BST edition 270.Along with exclusive chassis modifications and 502 pound-feet of torque, it’s available with a choice of a matte-black stripe or a full-body wrap.The ’23 Polestar 2 BST is limited to 270 copies worldwide (up to 47 in the U.S.) and is priced at $76,900.Even when equipped with the optional Performance pack, the 2023 Polestar 2 hardly gives off race-car vibes. That changes with the introduction of the limited-production BST edition 270, which is available with a single matte-black stripe and the number “2” on the hood. It doesn’t get much racier than that. Well, actually it does.

The stripe is a $1000 option, allowing BST buyers to avoid the look if it’s too over the top. What’s unavoidable is the extensive list of modifications made to this special Polestar 2 that make it a better track ‘Star—see what we did there? Compared with non-BST versions, its dual electric motors are tuned to make an extra 15 pound-feet of torque (502 total); their combined 476-hp rating remains.
More notably, the Polestar 2 BST is chock-full of chassis mods. Its ride height is almost an inch lower than stock, its suspension springs are 20 percent stiffer, and a front strut bar has been added. Likewise, the manually adjustable Öhlins dampers that are normally included with the Performance pack are said to be specially tuned for the BST, and they’re supplemented by auxiliary adjustment chambers under the hood. They’re easy to spot because they’re gold. Finally, the BST rolls on a set of Polestar 1–inspired 21-inch wheels, which are matte black to match the stripe. The rims are shod with Pirelli P Zero rubber that Polestar says was specially designed for the BST.

Polestar

Polestar

Unfortunately, this racy Polestar 2 isn’t available with the snazzy goldish-gray Jupiter paint color that’s now offered on ’23 non-BST models. Instead, the only two paint options are Thunder or Snow. There’s also a $5000 full-body Battleship Gray satin wrap that’s exclusive to the BST. Inside, every version has Charcoal WeaveTech upholstery.As its name suggests, the 2023 Polestar BST edition 270 has a limited production of 270 examples worldwide, with as many as 47 planned for U.S. consumption. Interested parties will need to contact Polestar through its website where they’ll be put in touch with a specialist for a “personalized sales process.” The BST will have a starting price of $76,900, and deliveries start near the end of this year.
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The Buick Electra-X, designed at General Motors’ Shanghai studio in China, previews the future of the brand for the lucrative China market.Buick recently revealed that its upcoming EVs will fly under the Electra banner, so this concept may also suggest the design direction for the U.S.-bound SUVs.The concept rides on the Ultium platform, as will the production EV that will arrive in the U.S. for 2025 and will share bits with the Cadillac Lyriq.Buick has become a bit of an afterthought in the United States, with sales tapering off since the late 1990s. Meanwhile, the premium American brand has become a hit over in China. Over a million Buicks were sold in China as recently as 2018 (just over 200,000 Buicks found homes stateside that year), and Buick has registered more than 10 million sales there since its arrival in 1998. Given Buick’s significance in that market, the company has now previewed its electric future for China with the Electra-X concept, which may also hint at what’s coming for the recently announced Electra sub-brand in the U.S.

Buick

The Electra-X is an SUV with sleek bodywork and a sloping roofline. The design was produced by General Motors’ team in Shanghai, and the crossover is based on the Ultium platform that also underpins GM’s Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EVs. The slim headlights sit above a wide-mouth grille with intricate triangular elements, while the rear features a trendy full-width light bar. Buick’s new logo, which does away with the circle that traditionally surrounded the tri-shield design, adorns the nose, and the concept rides on 21-inch wheels.

Buick

Buick

The interior is airy thanks to a glass roof and thin pillars, and the dashboard features hidden air vents and a 30-inch screen with up to 6K resolution. The Electra-X’s four seats are upholstered in a knit fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, and the voice control system can command nearly 50 different functions. The concept also features GM’s Super Cruise driver-assistance technology that is already found on EVs including the Hummer and gas-powered vehicles including the Escalade. There’s no word on how much of the Electra-X’s design will make it to the first U.S.-market Electra SUV. That vehicle will be unveiled for the U.S. in 2024 and will share a platform with the Lyriq, but between the Electra-X and the Wildcat concept, we are starting to get a pretty good sense of what Buick’s future will look like.
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The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has published patent images of what appears to show the production Polestar 5.The electric sedan was previewed by the Polestar Precept concept.Look for the Polestar 5 to debut before year’s end.It’s no secret that the upcoming Polestar 5 electric sedan will share its basic style with the brand’s Precept concept from two years ago. Now, we have our best look yet at how the Precept’s slinky lines will translate to production, courtesy of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, which published patent images of a vehicle that’s almost certainly the forthcoming Polestar 5.

Though there’s no model name included within the design filing submitted by Polestar Performance AB to the EUIPO, it’s easy to see how the looks of this big sedan evolve the style of the Precept. Comparing it with the earlier concept, the vehicle in these images shares a fastback shape, split boomerang-shaped headlights, and a full-width taillamp. The Precept’s rear-opening back doors, however, appear to have fallen to the cutting-room floor.
Polestar’s new flagship is due to ride on a bespoke bonded-aluminum platform. Look for the model to feature standard all-wheel drive courtesy of at least two drive motors (one at each axle) and a driving range of more than 300 miles by way of a large battery pack with an energy capacity of greater than 100 kWh.Expect more information about the Polestar 5 to come to light in the coming weeks and months, as we wager this big EV is due to debut before the end of the year.
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The 2023 Chevy Bolt EV will start at $26,595, $5900 less than the 2022 model.The 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV will open at $28,195, a $6300 decline compared to 2022.The Bolt EV and EUV now cost less than the Nissan Leaf before federal tax credits, making them the cheapest EVs in the United States for 2023.The Chevrolet Bolt spawned a slightly larger variant for 2022 called the EUV, which does its best to cosplay as an SUV with more upright, boxier styling. Since going on sale for the 2017 model year, the Bolt’s base price sat around $37,000, but the 2022 facelift also brought a significant price cut to a $32,495 starting price, with the EUV arriving just above at $34,495. But now for 2023, the Bolt duo is getting an even more drastic price decrease, into the $20,000 range.

Chevrolet

The 2023 Bolt EV hatchback will start at $26,595 for the 1LT trim, with the 2LT trim coming in at $29,795. That represents a $5900 decline for each model versus 2022. The EUV, meanwhile, will start at $28,195 for the LT and $32,695 for the Premier—$6300 less than the previous year. There are only a few other changes for the 2023 Bolt EV and EUV: the addition of a new extra-cost paint color, Radiant Red Tintcoat, and a new Redline Edition appearance package for the EUV, seen in the top image.

This now makes the Bolt the cheapest EV in America, undercutting the 2023 Nissan Leaf, which starts at $28,425. The Leaf does still qualify for federal tax credits, which dramatically drops the price, but Nissan is expected to hit the 200,000-vehicle cap later this year that General Motors already has. Production of the 2023 Bolt EV and Bolt EUV will start this summer, with vehicles arriving at dealerships soon after.
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Behind similar styling, the new 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC is bigger than its predecessor.Mercedes says the new MBUX infotainment interface is quicker and smarter.A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with a 48-volt hybrid system will be the only U.S. powertrain option at first.Where the Mercedes C-class leads, the GLC crossover follows. Given the close relationship between the two cars, which sit on the same platform and share the same powertrain, it’s no surprise that the new GLC that you see here features most of the same technical innovations as its sedan sibling.Not that we were expecting anything radical. The previous-generation GLC sold well for most of its life thanks to its entirely predictable combination of the typical Benz virtues of handsome design and peppy performance. The styling of the all-new version has evolved so gently that we suspect many will struggle to spot the generational shift; reshaped headlights frame a single horizontal metal strip on the radiator grille, where the outgoing version had two, while the narrower taillights are the giveaway at the back.

Mercedes-Benz

Dimensions have expanded slightly. The new GLC is now 185.7 inches long, making it 2.4 inches longer than its predecessor. The wheelbase has also expanded by 0.6 inch to 113.7 inches. Passenger accommodation is barely changed, with Mercedes claiming that rear legroom has increased by 0.1 inch. The most obvious result of the growth is a useful increase in luggage capacity, with the new car’s 22 cubic feet being 3 cubic feet more than the last one.

The new GLC300 that will be offered in the U.S. initially will have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine working in conjunction with a 48-volt hybrid system through an integrated starter-generator. Similar to the C300 sedan, this engine delivers peaks of 258 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and drives a standard nine-speed automatic gearbox. The only significant driveline choice that buyers of the new car will need to make is whether or not to go for the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system; by Mercedes’s claims, both versions are capable of identical 6.2-second sprints to 60 mph (we ran the previous-generation AWD GLC300 through the benchmark in a more impressive 5.4 seconds). Future versions will likely include both AMG 53 and 63 variants, although both of these will use hybridized four-cylinder engines. Mercedes confirms a plug-in-hybrid powertrain will also be offered in the U.S. eventually.

Mercedes-Benz

More substantive changes are found inside the cabin, with the new GLC moving to Mercedes’s new MBUX infotainment system. This uses twin digital displays, an 11.9-inch portrait-oriented central touchscreen (angled slightly toward the driver) and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. MBUX supports high-level voice inputs plus the option of an augmented-reality navigation system that superimposes instructions on a live video feed to show you exactly where to go. We are mildly disappointed, although not surprised, that the GLC will follow the S-class and C-class in ditching both physical HVAC controls for touch-sensitive panels and that it also lacks a physical volume knob. Other high-tech functions include a Mercedes’s Level 2 Drive Pilot driver-assistance system, standard LED headlights, and a 360-degree camera system that includes what is described as a “transparent hood,” using cameras to deliver a view under the front of the vehicle to help with maneuvering of the sort of mild off-roading a GLC300 might encounter. There is no word on pricing yet, but we anticipate the new GLC’s increase in standard equipment will be reflected by an increase over the old car. It will begin reaching the U.S. in 2023.
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