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The McLaren F1 turned 30 last month. To celebrate, some owners took their cars on a tour around Italy’s Lake Garda. F1 designer Gordon Murray showed up with his new creation, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, and it made an impression. Listen to it rev towards its 12,100-rpm redline in one of the many tunnels surrounding the Italian lakes. As far as V-12 cars go, the F1 and T.50 sound quite different. It’s not just because the T.50’s 3.9-liter V-12 revs quite a bit higher than the F1’s 6.1-liter, which redlines at 7500 rpm. The T.50’s parallel three-into-two-into-one exhaust system makes it sound like it’s revving even higher still, evoking old-school Formula 1 cars in the process. Except for the long-delayed Aston Martin Valkryie—which also uses a high-revving Cosworth V-12—there’s never been another road car that sounds like this.

As good as the T.50 sounds on the outside, it should be even better in the cabin. There’s a RAM intake just above the driver’s head that feeds four throttle bodies. Murray’s big on intake noise, and with a setup like this, the T.50 should have a lot of it. In-car video from GMA test driver and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti lapping the T.50 at the Goodwood Members Meeting last year gives us an idea of what to expect.
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Thankfully, GMA is committed to using this V-12 for as long as regulations allow. So we’ll get to hear it for years to come. Lucky us.

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Honda has fully revealed the 2023 HR-V, the second generation of its subcompact crossover, with funky new styling and larger dimensions. This is thanks to the HR-V ditching its Fit hatchback underpinnings to instead borrow the latest Civic’s platform, and all 2023 HR-Vs are powered by the Civic’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. While there is only one engine option in the new HR-V, the crossover comes in three trim levels—LX, Sport, and EX-L—so we asked our editors to each pick one of the trims and spec it to their liking. Using Honda’s online configurator, here’s what we ended up choosing.

Tony Quiroga’s $26,790 2023 HR-V LX

Honda

Honda

A Honda HR-V is a value play. With that in mind, my goal is to make the most of every dollar which is why I’m choosing the HR-V LX. At $24,895, the LX is the least expensive way to get an HR-V. Okay, so it doesn’t have heated or power seats and my front-seat passenger will be at my mercy since there’s only single-zone climate control. I won’t miss any of those things. I also don’t want an automatically dimming rearview mirror. I can dim my own rearview mirror, thank you. And I’m of the belief that ambient lighting makes cars look like cheap nightclubs, so I’m more than happy that the LX does without. I prefer extra headroom to moonroofs. The only bit I’ll miss in my basic LX is the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Every time I touch the plastic steering wheel rim I’ll be reminded of my cheap ways.To help inattentive drivers, even the most basic HR-V comes with forward-collision warning, collision-mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance. I don’t particularly want any of those things, but the HR-V comes very well equipped should you be prone to zoning out when you’re driving. Since I know how to adjust my mirrors to avoid blind spots, I won’t miss the Sport and EX-L’s blind-spot monitoring system. No matter the trim level, every new HR-V gets the same 158-hp 2.0-liter four and CVT automatic. In the interest of being able to accelerate from a stop without any wheelspin, my sole factory extra will be all-wheel drive for $1500. All-wheel drive might help resale value too, maybe. Probably. All HR-Vs have identical LED headlights, the same four-wheel disc brakes, and even the suspension setup is identical from the base LX to the top-dog EX-L. Clearly, the best value is in the base version. Too bad there aren’t more colors available. The LX offers two whites, black, gray, and a very light green called Nordic Forest Pearl for $395 to bring the total to $26,790. I’m willing to pay to put a little color in my life and maybe for someone to wrap the steering wheel in leather. —Tony QuirogaAustin Irwin’s $27,480 2023 HR-V Sport

Honda

Honda

I’d be ecstatic if the new HR-V ended up being as fun to drive as the 11th-generation Civic it shares a platform with, but until we’ve driven one, we can’t say for certain. Admittedly, the use of the Civic’s base 158-hp powertrain and a CVT doesn’t give us much hope, but where other equipment is concerned, the HR-V Sport is like a Civic with extra real estate. At least on paper. The HR-V Sport starts at $26,895 (just $250 more than the similarly equipped Civic EX) and comes standard with black 18-inch wheels, remote start, and heated front seats. I don’t think all-wheel drive is necessary here. For the $1500 it costs to add all-wheel drive, I’d put that cash toward a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 winter tires that would be more effective where traction is needed. Front-wheel-drive HR-Vs get an EPA-estimated 32 mpg on the highway, which is a 2-mpg advantage over the all-wheel-drive model, but far from the efficiency of a Civic hatchback or sedan with the same engine and transmission. The HR-V Sport is only available with black wheels, which go really well with the Nordic Forest Pearl paint ($395). Why choose a black cloth interior? Simple, it’s the only choice. Unlike both the cheaper LX and top-trim EX-L, the Sport comes with a chrome exhaust tip, giving it some much-needed zest to an otherwise very normal and polite-looking subcompact crossover. For $27,480, my HR-V is a less efficient yet more practical Civic. —Austin IrwinCaleb Miller’s $35,614 2023 HR-V EX-L

Honda

Honda

The HR-V’s exterior design doesn’t exactly appeal to me with its dowdy, overbite front fascia, so the only way to make the HR-V palatable was to throw all of the options at it. I started with the top EX-L trim at $27,450, which includes goodies like an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, nine-inch touchscreen, leather-trimmed seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, and an eight-speaker sound system. I spent $1500 for all-wheel drive and $358 for the All-Season Protection package II, necessities for the harsh Michigan winters.I then went for the most outdoorsy look possible, choosing the Nordic Forest Pearl paint ($395) and the 17-inch HPD bronze wheels ($1400). I then added the $1402 HPD package, which includes silver trim around the base of the car, HPD badges, and a decal on the rear fender. I also specced the Rugged package for extra “ruggedness,” spending $1100 for chunky fender flares, door trim, and a grille surround trim piece. I blacked out the badges for $105, and spent $395 on a roof rack and $264 on a kayak attachment for the weekend adventures that I’ll probably be too lazy to take. At least I’ll look like I have an “active lifestyle.” After destination and handling, my HR-V came out to a total of $35,614. —Caleb Miller

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The 2022 Ram 1500 TRX lineup is joined by a new Sandblast Edition, which is essentially a design kit.The kit has exclusive Mojave Sand paint, unique 18-inch wheels, and distinctive interior appointments.Based on the TRX with the loaded Level 2 Equipment package, the Sandblast Edition starts at $100,080.A heavy-metal band like Metallica would be the perfect group to promote a heavy-metal pickup like the 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX, especially with the truck’s newly introduced Sandblast Edition. After all, its sand-colored design theme would pair nicely with the roaring soundtrack of the TRX’s supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 and James Hetfield’s supercharged vocals on “Enter Sandman.”
Instead of teaming up with a rock legend, Ram chose Ken Block to promote the 2022 TRX Sandblast Edition. True to his brand, Block thrashed the latest version of the supertruck on his YouTube channel in bits such as “Dune Hoon” and “Can it Khana?” It’s all good fun, but it doesn’t really demonstrate anything unique about the Sandblast Edition since it’s just an appearance package. Thanks to Block, though, we now know the kit’s exclusive Mojave Sand paint will make the TRX disappear after a series of especially enthusiastic desert donuts.
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Along with the unique paint color, the Sandblast Edition comes with black 18-inch beadlock-capable rims you won’t find on any other TRX. Ram also says it has special graphics, but we couldn’t spot them in the press photos, so you’ll have to take the company’s word for it. The interior is decorated with Light Frost contrast stitching and unique carbon-fiber trim. There’s also a badge on the center console that lets everyone know the truck is a Sandblast Edition, along with reminding them it has 702 horsepower and was designed in America.

The Sandblast Edition is only available on trucks with the Level 2 Equipment package. This means it’s loaded to the gills with all the best luxury amenities, tech options, and driver-assistance features. It also contributes to a lofty price. The ’22 TRX Sandblast Edition starts at $100,080 and goes on sale this summer.
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Polestar has released the first official image of the 2023 Polestar 3 electric SUV.This new model will be built at Volvo’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina.More details are coming in October, when the car will be officially launched.Polestar’s next model is called the 3, a logical follow-up to the brand’s first cars, the 1 and the 2, in more ways than just its name. The 2023 Polestar 3 is an electric SUV that will compete with the likes of the BMW iX and Jaguar I-Pace, and from the looks of this official image, it should be an attractive entry into this growing segment.

More details are coming in October, when the Polestar 3 will be fully revealed, but we already know it will offer a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain and a large battery pack. Polestar promises 372 miles of range on the optimistic WLTP cycle and we figure it’ll offer a range estimate of at least 300 miles on the U.S. EPA cycle. It will have two rows of seats and its interior is likely to follow a similar minimalist aesthetic as the Polestar 2’s cabin.Polestar, which is Volvo’s electric subbrand, says that production will begin in 2023 at Volvo’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina. The 3 will also be built in China. Ordering will open when the car debuts in October, and we think it’ll start at around $75,000, at least initially. A less expensive single-motor version may arrive later, as was the case with the Polestar 2.The Polestar 3 will be follow by two other new EVs: the Polestar 4 will come in 2023 as a smaller SUV model, while the Polestar 5 sedan is set to arrive in 2024 and will be similar to the Precept concept shown in 2020.
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Apple revealed the next generation of CarPlay at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2022) today.The next iteration will be able to display content on more than one screen, taking over gauge clusters to show driving speed and fuel level and integrating with climate-control functions.The vehicles that will arrive with this next version of CarPlay will start to be announced late next year.UPDATE 3:40 p.m.: Volvo announced via Twitter that it will adopt the new-gen CarPlay for its vehicles “in the future.” While built-in infotainment systems are a given in current new vehicles, many drivers, if their car is equipped with it, end up relying more heavily on Apple CarPlay for their entertainment and navigational needs. At the moment, CarPlay is limited to those functions on the center screen, but it will soon spread behind the steering wheel as well. At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference today, the Silicon Valley tech giant revealed updates to the next generation of CarPlay that will arrive in the near future.
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The big news is that CarPlay will now be able to display content on multiple screens within a vehicle’s cabin, so that digital gauge clusters will now be able to join the infotainment screens with Apple-designed graphics. CarPlay will use vehicle data to show speed, fuel level, and engine temperature measurements as well as allow users to control settings including radio or climate.

CarPlay will also allow drivers to customize their gauge cluster by adding widgets like the Weather or Music apps onto the dashboard. A video posted to Twitter from the conference gives a taste of what the new CarPlay graphics will look like, and more information will arrive soon. Apple also said that the vehicles that will be equipped with the next generation of CarPlay will start to be confirmed late next year.
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For 2023, the Bentley Continental GT and GTC convertible are adding a new S trim for the V-8 models.While the engine remains unchanged, the S gains a sport exhaust and new 22-inch and 21-inch wheel designs.The exterior is decked out in black trim while the interior is two-tone, and S badges abound.Bentley is sharpening its luxury cruiser with the new 2023 Continental GT S and convertible GTC S, with Bentley saying that the new submodels are catered to improving the “driving performance and visual presence.” The S trim will only be available with the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8; the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 was excluded due to its hefty weight. The mechanicals remain largely the same, but the GT S and GTC S get bolder visual accents to help the opulent coupe stand out.
Horsepower and torque figures are unchanged, but that still means a healthy 542 ponies and 568 pound-feet. In Car and Driver testing, a 2020 model with the V-8 ran to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, mightily impressive for a car weighing around 5000 pounds. While the engine is the same, the S comes fitted with a standard sport exhaust that should help remind onlookers of the 542 horses that the V-8 beast is producing.

Visually, the grille and all other exterior trim is blacked out, including the S badge on the front fender, with only the Bentley logo and lettering remaining chrome. The headlights and taillights are also tinted, as are the quad exhaust pipes. The S is offered with two unique wheel choices: a 22-inch wheel that comes in either black or Pale Brodgar Satin, or a 21-inch design that features both black and bright finishes. Red-painted brake calipers peek out from behind the new wheel designs. The interior gains a two-tone look, plenty of sumptuous materials, and S badges embroidered on the headrest, and adorning the dashboard and door sills. Bentley has not revealed a price, but we imagine it will cost somewhere between the standard V-8 model’s $220,525 starting price and the Speed’s $280,225 base cost, with the convertible adding about $20,000 to the price tag.
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BMW has revealed its prototype race car for the 2023 season, the M Hybrid V8, although it has cloaked it in a camouflage of sorts.Still, we can make out the massive kidney grille, large headlight housings with twin LED strips, and detailed taillight design. The M Hybrid V8 will be eligible to race at both the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans, although BMW will focus on the former and the accompanying full IMSA championship.The battle in endurance racing is heating up. Major manufacturers—including Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Acura, and BMW—are preparing prototype race cars for both the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), which features the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now BMW has given the first full look at its entry, still wrapped in a camouflage of sorts, as it begins testing on its top-class racer.
Dubbed the BMW M Hybrid V8, the car has traditional endurance-racing proportions with a low hood, narrow cockpit, flared wheel arches, and towering rear wing. But the gaping nostrils dominating the front end are distinctly BMW, and the two LED strips in the chunky headlight housings attempt to mimic the twin lights on production BMWs. The BMW Motorsport 50th Anniversary badge lies in a canyon on the hood between two extreme character lines, just like on 2023 M3s and M4s. The intricate LED taillights echo the units found on the latest M4 CSL, and BMW even designed the window shape with the iconic Hofmeister kink design.The M Hybrid V8 is being developed for the GTP class (originally named LMDh) in the IMSA championship. Both the GTP cars and the LMH cars—being designed for WEC—will be eligible to race in IMSA and WEC, but there are some differences.
The GTP cars are rear-wheel-drive only, and will use a standard hybrid system, with teams mating it to a gas engine of their choice. As the name implies BMW has chosen a V-8, but no specifics have been provided yet. Each team must also choose a chassis from one of four suppliers, and BMW is partnering with Dallara.

The LMH cars allow for far more freedom but will also cost much more to develop. They can be rear- or all-wheel drive, and the manufacturers can design their own hybrid system if they choose to use one. The chassis is also up to each team. Since the LMH class is much more open ended, any LMH car that wants to compete in IMSA will have to be performance balanced to play on the same level as the GTP cars.The M Hybrid V8 is set to make its competitive debut at the opening race of the 2023 IMSA season, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and its official livery will be revealed in due course.
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No injuries or deaths have been recorded because of the issue, but NHTSA is publishing a recall announcement after Mercedes has discovered a potential problem with brake performance in several older models due to corrosion from water exposure.The list of affected vehicles is long (see it below). It includes ML-class, GL-class, and R-class Mercedes vehicles built between 2006 and 2012. Nearly 300,000 vehicles are being recalled in the U.S., with another 700,000 in other countries. While rare, in some cases the problem could result in the brakes not working at all, which is why NHTSA has issued a stop-drive notification for these vehicles.If you have a Mercedes ML-class, GL-class, or R-class built between 2006 and 2012, you might want to hang up the keys for a bit, especially if you’ve been hearing any hissing-type noises when you use the brakes or if the brakes have been acting unusual lately. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall for 278,000 of these vehicles, and it’s not a standard recall. Instead, it’s the scary kind with the red-letter warnings that signifies the cars should not be driven until the problem can be fixed.

NHTSA

The problem, and the reason this recall is serious, is that brake boosters might not work as intended “due to advanced corrosion in the joint area of its housing.” Because of the age of these cars, and the potential for prolonged water exposure, NHTSA has determined that the corrosion could lead to a vacuum leak at the brake booster, which would make the brakes not function as expected, i.e., requiring more pedal pressure or more distance to come to a stop. If the corrosion is “very severe,” NHTSA said, “it might be possible for a particularly strong or hard brake application to cause mechanical damage in the brake booster, whereby the connection between brake pedal and brake system would fail.” While NHTSA says this situation is “very rare,” if it does happen, then the brakes might not work at all. Hence the stop-drive notification. Mercedes has not yet clarified instructions for owners to get their cars to a dealership, given that they’re not supposed to be driven. The best way to determine if your car might be affected is to enter your vehicle identification number (VIN) into the NHTSA database, but here are a few of the 53 different products affected by the recall in the U.S.: the 2007 AMG R63, GL350s from 2010 through 2012, and ML350s built between 2006 and 2011. We’ve included a list of affected model and model years below.If you have a vehicle on the recall list, then it’s time to bring your car in to be inspected. Mercedes-Benz said the fix includes authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers removing the rubber sleeve from the brake booster housing in order to check the brake booster. If the booster is in rough shape, the mechanics will replace them as necessary.While there are almost 300,000 affected vehicles in the U.S., Mercedes is dealing with a global recall of a million vehicles, and it was overseas that the problem was first detected. Based on one customer’s car, the automaker started an investigation in July 2021, which led to a field study in September and then more tests in November and December. Mercedes found one case in the U.S. “where poor brake performance was caused by a corroded brake booster” but decided in early May that the safety risks were high enough to issue a recall. Mercedes said it has confirmed that there were “no crashes, injuries, or deaths related to this defect.”List of Affected Vehicles in U.S.:2007 AMG R632007–2009 GL3202010–2012 GL3502007–2012 GL4502008–2012 GL5502007–2009 ML3202006–2011 ML3502010–2011 ML4502006–2007 ML5002008–2011 ML5502007–2009 R3202006–2007 R5002007–2011 AMG ML632006–2012 R3502008 R550
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