Motor News

Lego Technic introduces a 1:8-scale replica of a red Ferrari Daytona SP3.The Ferrari model has working parts like moving pistons and doors that open.The entire set includes 3778 pieces and costs $399.99.Who doesn’t want to own a Ferrari? Okay, maybe not Lewis Hamilton or Bruce McLaren, but this new Lego Technic set of a red, 1:8 scale Ferrari Daytona SP3 isn’t for them. It’s for builders who love supercars and have the time to assemble 3778 pieces and the coin to spend $399.99.

If you haven’t heard, the real-life Daytona SP3 is one of the most special Ferrari’s ever built. It’s an ultra-limited edition that’s based on the design of the sports-prototype racers that finished 1-2-3 at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours. The actual SP3 is powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 that produces an expletive-inducing 829 horsepower.

Lego

Lego

Ferrari Daytona SP3

Technic™
lego.com

$399.99

While the Lego version makes 829 fewer horses, its model engine does have moving pistons. The miniature Daytona SP3 also features a functioning replica of the real car’s eight-speed automatic transmission. A set of butterfly doors, as well as the front and rear hoods, can also be opened and closed at your leisure. Of course, someone first has to piece the whole thing together.Once it’s completely assembled, Lego says its Daytona SP3 measures 23.0 inches long, 9.5 inches wide, and 5.5 inches tall. Along with the aforementioned working parts, the Lego model has rolling wheels covered in silver lacquer. Removing the model’s black roof panel reveals a pair of blue seats inside.

Lego

Lego

Ferrari isn’t likely to build more than 500 copies of the Daytona SP3, all of which have likely already found homes with the brand’s wealthiest and most loyal customers. Luckily, Lego will sell a lot more of the red Ferrari when the first sets go on sale worldwide in the company’s stores on June 1, followed by the retail release on August 1.
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Honda has released teaser images showing the 2023 CR-V.It will have new styling and what Honda describes as a “more advanced hybrid system.”More information will come this summer, and we expect the new CR-V to go on sale in the U.S. by the fall.Honda is redesigning many of its SUV models this year, with a new 2023 HR-V on its way and a new Pilot slated to arrive later this year. For now, it’s the bestselling CR-V’s turn, and Honda has just released the first photos of the 2023 CR-V. These teaser images show the compact SUV’s new front- and rear-end styling. Based on previous spy photos, we expect the new CR-V to grow a bit compared with the current model, and its new headlights and taillights, along with a larger grille, should give it more presence on the road.

Honda

With this new generation, Honda will emphasize the CR-V’s hybrid powertrain more than before, as it intends for this model to become half of the sales mix. We expect the new hybrid setup to be a bit more powerful than the current CR-V Hybrid, which makes a combined 212 horsepower. EPA combined fuel economy, which currently sits at 38 mpg, may improve as well; in our long-term test of a 2021 CR-V Hybrid, we averaged 30 mpg overall.We expect the CR-V’s nonhybrid powertrain to be the same turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four that’s currently standard, possibly with a bit more grunt than the 2022 CR-V’s 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. It will likely continue with a continuously variable automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive.Honda is also describing the new CR-V as more “rugged” and “adventurous,” which suggests that it may gain a TrailSport trim level similar to the larger Passport and Pilot SUVs. In the CR-V’s case, this is likely to include mostly appearance tweaks, along with different tires and possibly minor enhancements to the all-wheel-drive system or drive modes. The existing LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring trim levels should carry over as well.Look for more concrete information to come on the CR-V within the next few months, including engine specs, pricing, and feature details.
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The 2023 Toyota 4Runner adds a 40th Anniversary Special Edition.Limited to 4040 copies, the special edition includes cool tri-colored stripes and bronze 17-inch rims.For 2023, Toyota makes blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard on all 4Runners.We may poke fun at the current-generation Toyota 4Runner for not changing much over the past decade-plus, but—as our mothers would say—never forget where you came from. Along with body-on-frame construction, its combination of a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V-6, archaic five-speed automatic transmission, and available four-wheel drive prove the 4Runner not only sticks to its roots, but it also embraces them. For 2023, the off-road icon turns 40 years old, and Toyota is celebrating that milestone with a special edition that’ll be limited to 4040 copies.

The 2023 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition is immediately distinguished by the tri-colored stripes on its body, which are complemented by unique bronze-colored 17-inch rims. The example seen in these photos is painted in Midnight Black metallic, but it’s also offered in Barcelona Red metallic and white. The bronze wheels contrast nicely with the black exterior paint, but the retro-styled graphics are especially eye-catching, with the yellow, orange, and red stripes appearing on the body sides and as a hash on the bar in the grille.
The 40th Anniversary Special Edition is based on the 4Runner’s SR5 trim. However, it receives the TRD Pro’s heritage grille with Toyota script. There’s a commemorative badge on the rear liftgate and the “4Runner” lettering on the back is bronze. Bronze accents are also sprinkled throughout the cabin, including for the stitching on the shift knob and black leatherette seats (cloth upholstery is otherwise standard on the SR5). Further references to the 4Runner’s 40th birthday are seen on the floormats, the logos on the front headrests, and badges on the center console and above the glovebox.
Along with the addition of the 40th Anniversary Special Edition for the 2023 model year, Toyota is making blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard across the lineup. The company hasn’t released pricing for the 2023 4Runner, but we expect that to be announced by the time it goes on sale this year.
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• Dressed in Lancia Blue, this 1968 Fulvia coupe is a rare and handsome little car with surprisingly advanced engineering. • The tiny 1.3-liter narrow-angle V-4 charges out about 87 horsepower and (when new) propelled the roughly 2000-pound car to 60 mph in 12.6 seconds, according to a period test in Road & Track.• An interesting and more affordable alternative to an Alfa Romeo GTV of the same vintage, the Fulvia is so rare that you’re almost ensured that you’ll never see another one outside a Lancia club meeting. It’s up for auction on Bring a Trailer, with bidding ending on Tuesday, May 24.It’s more than a little strange when explicit photos of your ex appear on the internet. But that’s exactly what happened this week when 150 photos of my ex–Lancia Fulvia popped up on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. It was my first classic. I bought the Lancia Blue on tan vinyl 1968 Series 1 Fulvia after spotting it on Bring a Trailer at the end of 2008. Back then, Bring a Trailer listed interesting and oddball cars; the addictive auction site it has now become was still a few years away.

Bring a Trailer

Purchased on the sage advice of contributor Jamie Kitman, who assured me that his Fulvia would likely be the last car he’d sell out of his 30-plus-car collection, I drove out to Connecticut from Michigan in C/D’s long-term Jaguar XF to see and drive the Fulvia. I enlisted the help of Lancia mechanic Frank Spadaro of Dominick European Car Repair in White Plains, New York, to give me another set of eyes and an expert’s opinion. Although we spotted some rusty floorboards, the car came with a replacement set. Spadaro noted a few other minor issues, including a carburetor feeding a bit too much fuel.

Bring a Trailer

The seller had imported the car from Italy, painted it, retrimmed the interior, and swapped in a newer engine. While it’s never a good idea to look at a car in the rain—everything seems nicer and cozier when it’s wet out, and it’s tough to properly examine the paint—the weather didn’t cooperate. I missed a few paint cracks, but overall the Fulvia appeared as advertised. A few days short of my 35th birthday, I bought it, and the car went directly to White Plains for a minor restoration that included a few rust repairs, fuel-system cleaning, and tuning to bring it up to tip-top mechanical shape. A strong-running Fulvia is a joy to command. A ridiculously long shift lever sprouts from the firewall, but the movement through the four forward speeds is slick and precise. Rushing the one-two shift results in a graunch from the synchros, something noted in the Road & Track test of the Fulvia coupe. A delicate precision is infused throughout the machinery, from the way the doors click shut to the unassisted steering’s surprising feedback when bent into a corner. There’s nothing particularly interesting about the control-arm front and beam-axle rear suspension other than the transverse leaf spring that suspends the front. Push as hard as you like, the Fulvia simply gobbles up abuse, a trait that helped make it a world-championship-winning rally car.

Bring a Trailer

Credit for the light feel is part tuning, but it’s also the 2000-pound curb weight, a number that’s only about 100 pounds heavier than the 2005 Lotus Elise that replaced the Lancia. Fixed exterior panels are steel, and mine came with aluminum doors, hood, and trunklid. Opening the hood shows off the narrow-angle V-4 that sits canted at about 45 degrees, and the entire powertrain and front suspension mounts to a subframe. Power travels to the front wheels, and the longitudinal four-cylinder hangs out in front of the front-axle line as in most modern Audis.

On the highway, the Fulvia cruised happily at 80 mph, and the narrow-angle four hummed a happy thrum, snarled through the intake, and rumbled out the exhaust. Around town the 1.3-liter engine made enough power to accelerate briskly when floored. R&T clocked a 12.6-second time to 60 mph and an 18.6-second quarter run at 75 mph. The mechanical tune it sings is one that you want to last, and since it’s not quick, you get to hear the engine working and the transmission humming. Unassisted four-wheel disc brakes stopped the little coupe quickly and offered a nice firm pedal with strong bite.I’d intended on using it as a daily driver after moving to Los Angeles, but a brake master-cylinder failure early on in its time in SoCal made me a bit gun-shy about using it to run out to buy kale salads and avocados and all the things you do when you live in California. Parts are surprisingly plentiful and aren’t expensive. Other than a generator rebuild in 2010 or so, the Fulvia never asked for any attention. The Lancia community is tiny, so when I started talking about selling, a buyer quickly emerged whose enthusiasm for the car gave me confidence that it would be looked after. Over the years the current owner, and now seller, invited me to visit and drive the Fulvia. Check-ins have always included a report on all of the work and love he’s poured into it. Lancia made the Fulvia coupe from 1965 to 1976. It’s much more commonly seen in Europe than in the States, where it’s an exceedingly rare vehicle. Take one to a car show and be prepared to answer a lot of questions including, “What kind of Corvair is this?” But, the upside is you’ll meet a lot of memorable people because this is an interesting car that attracts interesting people. The auction ends on Tuesday, May 24, so at this point there are only a few days left to score one of the most beautiful and special little cars I’ve ever owned.

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• Any DMC-12 is an icon of its time, but this twin-turbo DeLorean dials up the 1980s by being formerly owned by the late actor Jim Varney, who played Ernest P. Worrell in a series of beloved movies.• DeLoreans are often unfairly derided for the modest 130 hp produced by the 2.85L V6. Here, a twin-turbocharging system takes power to a healthier 200 hp.• Because of their popularity, parts availability for these cars is quite good. This example has the potential to be an excellent weekend driver, and comes with a great story for your local Cars and Coffee meet. Bidding ends on Friday, May 27.If you are a child of the 1980s, the first rubber-faced comedian you fell in love with was not Jim Carrey, but Jim Varney. Despite training as a serious Shakespearean actor, Varney found breakout success with the goofball slapstick of the Ernest movies. Ernest Goes to Camp. Ernest Saves Christmas. Ernest and the Flimsy Pretext for Another Weirdly Profitable Movie. The DeLorean shown here belonged to the late actor, and it’s currently listed on the auction site Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

By all accounts a kind, keenly intelligent, and sensitive man, Varney made his fortune pretending to be a complete idiot. But at least a lovable idiot. Armed with his signature catch phrase, “KnowhutImean, Vern?” he blundered through life, wrecking everything before setting it right again. When you’re eight, there’s not much funnier than watching a grownup fail spectacularly at unplugging a toilet. Ernest was a household name, and Varney made millions.

Bring a Trailer

As he was born and lived in Kentucky, you’d expect the money to have gone toward a sprawling ranch and some kind of pickup truck. It did, but Varney clearly had more stylish tastes. At some point, he purchased this 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, and later had it fitted with an Island Twin Turbo system from Turbo Manifold Inc, in New York.In 1981, Car and Driver tested the DMC-12 against the Ferrari 308GTSi, the Porsche 911SC, the Datsun 280ZX, and the Chevrolet Corvette. The DeLorean was the slowest, but not by a huge margin, and the car’s unique exterior design and interior appointments impressed. “What DeLorean has here is no less than the executive sports car,” we gushed.Sadly, that conclusion was based on some wishful thinking. “Its performance is likely to do a complete about-face if John Z.’s deal with Legend Industries, the builders of Fiat’s turbo roadsters, bears the twin-turbocharged fruit he’s counting on.” It didn’t.

Bring a Trailer

John Z. DeLorean’s spectacular fall from grace has been well documented, the subject of two movies in recent years. In a way, this car is the answer to the question, What might have been? Turbo Manifold Inc. grew out of the ashes of Legend Industries, after the DeLorean collapse bankrupted that company. While the system is relatively simple and safe for only low-boost operation, 200 horsepower with a DMC-12’s 2700 pounds would have been excellent performance for the mid-1980s. It’s not far off what you got in the previous generation Subaru BRZ.While Varney clearly enjoyed his DeLorean, and there are photos of him with it, at some point the car got parked. But just as Jim Varney was much more than a hick in a denim vest and khaki cap, the DMC-12 is better than its reputation would have you believe. This example with its period-correct turbos lets you imagine a world where, just maybe, Ernest Saves DeLorean. KnowhutImean, Vern? As of May 21, with six days left in the auction, bidding was at $32,000.

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The 60 Years of Bond Moke Edition celebrates the vehicle’s connection to the famous spy.Bond has driven a Moke in multiple films.The price is $28,975 plus destination.The Moke is probably not the first car that comes to mind when one thinks of James Bond’s famous rides. There’s the well-known A-brand, of course, but the prolific fictional spy has probably run through more vehicles than he has Bond girls. And on that long list, the Moke appears four times, making appearances in You Only Live Twice, Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker.

Moke America

To drive home that connection, Moke America is rolling out a 60 Years of Bond special edition of its eMoke, a battery-powered low-speed vehicle (LSV). The 60 Years of Bond is actually the second 007-themed Moke, following the San Monique Edition. While that one—named after the fictional island setting of Live and Let Die—has a tropical theme with its striped surrey top, the 60 Years version is more like James Bond in a tux.

Moke America

Moke America

Moke America

It has a dark blue livery with a tan top and seats. There are also black wheels as well as 007 graphics on the hood, rear fenders, and spare-tire cover. A wood-look dash wrap and a wood-rim steering wheel fancy up the otherwise sparse four-seat interior, which also features a Bluetooth audio system and a backup camera. Top speed is no higher than the standard version, which tops out at 25 mph.

At $28,975, the 60 Years of Bond car represents a roughly $4500 upcharge over an equivalently optioned standard Moke. Then again, it represents a $115,000 savings compared to the cheapest Aston Martin. Take the extra scratch to the casino, and enjoy an evening of baccarat.

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The Japan market has a new electric Nissan called the Sakura, which fits into the kei-car class and is named after the Japanese cherry blossom.The Sakura’s electric motor puts out 63 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, while the 20.0-kWh battery ekes out 112 miles of range on Japan’s test cycle.The Sakura will cost just under $14,000 when it goes on sale in Japan this summer.Nissan has unveiled a tiny electric kei car for Japan called the Sakura, which derives its design from the IMk concept car from 2019. The Sakura, named for the Japanese cherry blossom, measures a mere 133.7 inches long, just fitting into the kei-car regulations which govern the smallest class of cars designed around Japan’s narrow city streets. Unfortunately, the Sakura’s diminutive size means the EV will never make it to the U.S. market, but we can admire the cute little box from afar.

Nissan

The Sakura is powered by a single electric motor producing 63 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque. The car weighs 2359 pounds, so don’t expect blistering performance—Nissan quotes a top speed just over 80 mph. Nissan says that “quick and steady acceleration makes merging on highways effortless,” but we’re not sure we would want to test that out on an American interstate. A 20.0-kWh battery provides a 112-mile range according to the Japanese test cycle, and it can act as a power source, with Nissan claiming it can power a home for a day.

Nissan

Nissan touts a 15.7-foot turning radius, and the Sakura is equipped with Nissan’s ProPilot driver-assistance system and automated parking system. There is also a one-pedal driving mode to make things easier when navigating city streets, while the interior gets a 9.0-inch infotainment screen and a 7.0-inch digital gauge display. The Sakura can be had in 15 different colors, including four two-tone options. The Sakura goes on sale in Japan this summer and starts at the current equivalent of just under $14,000.
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The M4 CSL’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six makes 543 horsepower, some 40 hp more than the M4 Competition, and the car is also lighter than its counterpart by 240 pounds.The handling is more track-day focused thanks to a lower stance, standard high-performance tires and carbon brakes, and more aggressive suspension tuning. This special-edition M4 CSL will be limited to 1000 units worldwide and costs $140,895.BMW’s new 2023 M4 CSL is a focused track-day special edition that is optimized for those who are willing to give up a chunk of daily-driver livability for substantially enhanced performance. CSL stands for Competition Sports Lightweight, and the specs show this to be more than a mere marketing term. They also show that this car will almost certainly be a brute that won’t appeal to everyone.It’s powered by the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six that powers the M4 Competition, but the CSL’s peak turbo boost has been raised from 24.7 psi to 30.5 psi, a 24 percent increase. The dual-circuit cooling system has been upgraded to suit not merely the extra power, but also the rigors of track use. The result is 543 horsepower, some 40 hp more than the Competition, with the same power peak of 6250 rpm. Maximum torque is also unchanged at 479 pound-feet, which means the eight-speed automatic transmission and driveline from the Competition can be used as before, right down to the automatic’s internal ratios and the final-drive ratio inside the M Sport differential. The shift points have been performance-optimized, however, and the engine and transmission mounts have been substantially stiffened. There should be far less slack and windup in the power delivery, but an increase in cabin vibration is almost certain to be a side effect.

The effects of this extra power are magnified by a massive 240 pound weight reduction. Each of the M4 Competition’s horsepower has 7.7 pounds to move around, but the extra power and lighter weight of the CSL drops that significantly to 6.7 pounds per pony. BMW claims that it will get to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, compared with the Competition’s claimed 3.8 seconds, but we think it’ll do better. The CSL is a two-seater that sheds its rear seat and seatbelts to save 46 pounds right off the top. Beyond that, its one-piece carbon front buckets save 53 pounds, but you can choose to add 32 pounds back if you order adjustable carbon seats. Another 33 pounds in savings comes from the use of lightweight sound insulation—and quite possibly less of it—in certain areas. More carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is used inside and out, including for the center console that saves 9 pounds. At the tail end of the exhaust, another 9 pound savings comes from the use of a titanium silencer that’s tuned so it “can be fully appreciated inside the cabin where it provides the driver with accurate acoustic feedback in response to movements of the accelerator and clearly conveys the engine’s performance characteristics.” Which is a roundabout way of saying it’s louder.
The CSL comes standard with the 275/35ZR-19 front and 285/30ZR-20 rear high-performance tire combination that’s optional on the Competition, but the wheels are mounted on CSL-exclusive forged alloys with slender spokes that shave off more weight. Carbon-ceramic brakes that are optional on other M4s are standard here, and the wheels, brakes, and certain lightweight suspension components add up to another 46 pounds saved, with much of this being unsprung weight.The suspension squats some 0.3 inch lower than the Competition, and it has been recalibrated with CSL-optimized springs, adaptive damper valving and software, and altered stabilizer-bar tuning. Also notable is the use of additional monoball joints in certain rear suspension links instead of rubber bushings in the interest of more precision when on the track. This last tidbit reminds us of similar suspension changes made to the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, which delivered stellar handling as a result, as well as questionable livability.All signs point to a much more capable and raw BMW M4 that will indeed be a more potent track-day weapon. There’s a single-minded approach at work here, and it should absolutely appeal to those who want to put their M4 on the track. How many BMW fans are looking for what the M4 CSL has to offer? We’ll see once we know how long it takes the 1000 units—each priced at $140,895—to sell out.
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