Motor News

The 2023 Honda Odyssey adds a Sport trim with a blacked-out appearance and unique interior bits.With a $38,635 starting price, the entry-level Odyssey now costs $4300 more than last year.Honda now includes two years or 24,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance.The minivan lifestyle is usually associated with a growing family and giving up on sleek-bodied cars that once served as primary transportation. The 2023 Honda Odyssey doesn’t change the fact, but the introduction of a sinister-looking Sport trim might remind parents of their inner rebel. That, or—more likely—it’s Honda’s way of capitalizing on consumers’ love of blacked-out appearance packages.

Either way, the ’23 Odyssey Sport comes with these exterior features in gloss black: 19-inch wheels, grille, trim around the headlights and fog lights, and the roof pillars. The taillights also have darkened covers. Its available paint colors are black (obviously), white, red, and the newly introduced Sonic Gray Pearl. Inside, the Sport has black leather that’s accented with red stitching. At night, the cabin is illuminated by red ambient lighting for a vibe that’s either sporty or spooky, likely depending on whether or not passengers still believe in the bogeyman or not.

Honda

The new Sport model starts at $42,505 and comes standard with a sunroof, a power-operated tailgate, and an eight-way power front passenger seat. It slots into the lineup between the EX-L and Touring. Since the base-level LX has been discontinued, the EX now becomes the entry-level Odyssey. This contributes to a significantly higher starting price of $38,635—$4300 higher than last year’s $34,335 LX. The other 2023 Odyssey models are priced at $41,705 for the EX-L, $45,754 for the Touring, and $50,765 for the top-of-the-line Elite.Every Odyssey is still powered by a 280-hp V-6 that pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Now, for the first time, Honda is including complimentary maintenance on the Odyssey as well as some other models. The factory-scheduled services are covered for two years or 24,000 miles and include a tire rotation as well as oil and filter changes.
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The 2023 Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase has an optional Airline Seat that will offer generous recline in back and a motorized footrest.A 542-horsepower V-8 the only engine option, and rear-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars are standard.The Bentayga EWB will be on sale later this year, but pricing has not yet been announced.When Bentley told us it was soon to introduce a fifth model we grew excited at the prospect of what we imagined might be something low, sleek, and sporty. The reality as announced today is pretty much the opposite of that—an extended version of the Bentayga SUV—although one that undoubtedly makes more commercial sense than a sports car would.The Bentayga has been a huge success for the British luxury maker, having become its bestselling model of all time in the six years since it was introduced. So a longer and more luxurious version is an obvious brand extension, with the company pitching this as being the spiritual successor to the vast Mulsanne sedan which retired a few years ago.
While there are plenty of other highlights, the most obvious difference is the 7.0-inch extension between the axles, increasing the overall length to 208.9 inches. All of this stretch is turned into extra legroom for rear-seat occupants. That has required new rear doors, side stampings, plus roof and floor panels. Having seen the finished car in the U.K., we can confirm it doesn’t look like an awkwardly stretched limo, with the modest expansion only really obvious when comparing the EWB directly to its standard-wheelbase sibling.

There are more obvious changes inside, with a new level of luxury available for rear-seat passengers. In addition to the option of two individual seats or a bench, Bentley is also going to offer what it calls its new Airline Seat—inspired by those found in private jets rather than economy class. It features no fewer than 22 different planes of adjustment plus a Relax mode that will recline it at 40 degrees while motoring the front passenger seat out of the way and deploying a footrest. It also features multi-zone climate control to regulate heating and cooling of different areas while monitoring the the temperature and humidity of occupants to, as the company puts it, “keep them at optimal thermal well-being.” There is also a postural adjustment system which applies pressure to different areas to help fight the stress and fatigue any owners might experience while being transported in the back of a luxurious Bentley.
Mechanical changes are limited, with the biggest being that Bentley is only going to offer the 542-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine from the base Bentayga rather than the brawnier W-12 of the range-topper. The official reason is that the smaller engine gives more than enough performance for the EWB’s likely mission as a chauffeur-driven limo—the quoted 4.5-second sprint to 60 mph and 180 mph top speed still seem adequately fast. But we also understand that the W-12’s approaching emissions-enforced retirement makes it hard to justify offering it in new models; it has already been dropped in most markets. Rear-wheel steering will be fitted to all versions to help improve maneuverability, and Bentley claims that the turning circle is smaller than that of the regular-wheelbase car. The EWB will also get Bentley’s active anti-roll system as standard.The longer 2023 Bentayga EWB goes on sale later this year, and although we don’t have a price yet we can safely anticipate it will carry a premium over the regular car. Bentley predicts it will make up to 45 percent of Bentayga sales. It’s the same story with a slightly different ending.
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A 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 is up for auction on the Bring a Trailer website, and it’s an interesting example.It has an over-the-top blue interior and other modifications that mean this one may possibly be an acquired taste.Having said all that, it’s a ZR-1. Check it out before the BaT online auction ends on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 10.Have you ever wanted to drive 5000 miles at an average speed of almost 174 miles per hour? We have, too. Hark! An opportunity has presented itself, and not quite like the last time we chose a 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 as our auction pick. That one was nice and all, but it was a low-mileage, all-original creampuff. It sold for $45,000. This one is different because it has been customized in a few key and not altogether pleasing ways. As we all know, custom cars can be difficult to sell, because, well, they so often lack the benefit of the corporate bean counters and focus groups who obsess over what will appeal to the largest number of people possible. A tough sell could mean a low interest from potential buyers. See where we’re going with this?

This particular car, although enhanced well in all the mechanical ways, may not be everyone’s cup of tea in the looks department. Definitely not where the royal blue interior Supermans straight into the wall of red of its slabby exterior. And let’s face it—fourth-generation Corvettes aren’t exactly the most sought after among America’s Sports Car anyway.

Bring a Trailer

That’s what makes this ZR-1 so perfect, fellow speed junkies. First off, take a look at those ugly seats. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Either you’re judging me for being judgy—beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that—or you’re thinking, “Who the heck wants a car with ugly seats?” Bear with us. Those seats look like they belong in a 1990s Greyhound bus—not surprising, since the seller says he had the seats reupholstered with cloth he sourced from a company that usually outfits coach buses. (You can almost smell the blue juice as it sloshes around in the back-row bathroom.) The bus seats, the generally unattractive late C4 interior design, the car’s many paint dings and chips, the questionable (nay, hideous) custom windshield trim, and the cracked weatherstripping are only likely to hold the price down, allowing some lucky devil to drive—very quickly and relatively inexpensively—into the next two or three sunsets, sitting in ugly seats she or he will never so much as look at while watching the road unfold beside an endless blur of receding utility poles.

Bring a Trailer

Let’s also remember that for most people, buying an all-original car—especially one that’s a beauty to behold and/or wears its ultra-low mileage like a freshness certification—carries with it the burdensome feeling that it shouldn’t be spoiled. The buyer of this car will be someone who either loves the garish updates applied to an otherwise blandly-styled car, or simply doesn’t care much about the oddness of its looks and wants a chance to flog the daylights out of an honest-to-God engineering marvel.

Bring a Trailer

Admittedly, faster, better-looking cars can be had. But they wouldn’t be examples of the car that set several FIA-sanctioned speed-endurance records—records that, to this day, haven’t been beaten by a real production car (sorry, Volkswagen W-12). A quick ZR-1 refresher: Designed by Lotus and Chevrolet and built by Mercury Marine, the 5.7-liter aluminum version of the LT5 V8 used in the early-’90s ZR-1 had dual overhead camshafts, a 12-quart oil sump, all sorts of high tech-for-the-time gadgetry, and could launch the car to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Its real beauty, of course, was its ability to keep the car going at speeds above 170 mph for hours and hours on end without failure.And according to the seller and his pile of receipts, this ZR-1 has benefited from extensive tuning by actual professionals, including aftermarket camshafts, ported heads and intake, an upgraded exhaust system, and a lowered suspension. So it’s possible, even likely, that this car is a good deal faster than it was when it rolled off the assembly line (although hopefully not at the expense of its legendary, corporate engineer-provided durability). And it even comes with a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport all-season radials.If I still haven’t convinced you, let’s consider this cartoonish offering from an economic perspective. With one day left on the auction, the price needle has barely moved past $15,000. Now could be your chance to saddle up a Superman suit-colored, faster-than-a-speeding-bullet maverick. Dig deep. Pony up. You know there are plenty of dumber things you would readily sink that money into.

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The Ford E-Transit Custom is an electric version of the popular Transit Custom commercial van.The E-Transit Custom will start production sometime next year, but it likely won’t be sold in America.It has an estimated range of 263 miles, but Ford hasn’t revealed its battery capacity or charging times.Europeans will soon be getting an electric version of the popular Ford Transit Custom commercial van. Predictably coined the E-Transit Custom, Ford has released limited details and several images of the upcoming EV, which like its gas-burning counterpart isn’t expected to be sold in America.

Photos show the E-Transit Custom painted in a snazzy blue color and wearing a distinctive grille surrounded by a striking light signature. Its face is more assertive than the bug-eyed design worn by its internal-combustion stablemate. The electrified version also has chiseled lines around its wheel arches and across its flanks. Just below the passenger-side headlight is a charging port, but Ford hasn’t revealed the van’s battery capacity or powertrain specs.

Ford

Ford Pro, which is responsible for the company’s commercial vehicles, did announce that the E-Transit Custom is expected to have a driving range of around 263 miles on a single charge—we assume this is on the WLTP standard. It’ll also have DC fast-charging capability–because obviously–but maximum charging rates and estimated charging times are currently unknown. We’re told more information will be released this fall, and Ford says the E-Transit Custom will start production in the second half of 2023 at its Otosan factory in Turkey.

Ford

As with the full-size Ford E-Transit that’s sold in the U.S., the smaller Custom model will have Pro Power Onboard, which is a built-in AC power source that’s useful at work sites or wherever electricity is needed. Whatever the E-Transit Custom is used for, we’re just bummed out it probably won’t be coming to our shores, especially if the rest of its paint options are as rad as the ’90s vibes given off by the one in these photos.
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Rivian’s stock price has fallen to around $24 per share, following a report from CNBC that Ford would be selling eight million of its shares in the company.Ford originally had an 11.4 percent stake in Rivian, equivalent to 102 million shares, and Ford would not comment on the matter.Rivian stock debuted at $78 per share last November, but has fallen by around 70 percent this year.When electric truck startup Rivian went public last November, its IPO was the biggest for an American company since Facebook debuted on the stock market in 2012, with an initial valuation northwards of $77 billion. Since then, Rivian’s stock price has fallen significantly, dropping by 72 percent this year. Now it has plummeted even further after a report from CNBC that Ford is selling eight million of its shares in Rivian.A stock lockup period—a length of time after an IPO when early investors and company insiders are prevented from selling their shares—expired on Sunday, and on Saturday CNBC reported that Ford would be shedding eight million Rivian shares. Ford previously owned around 102 million shares in the EV startup, or around 11.4 percent of the company, so it will still retain a sizable stake in Rivian. A Ford representative told Car and Driver that “We haven’t been and aren’t presently commenting on Rivian, including about CNBC’s report.”

The news caused Rivian shares to drop by more than 15 percent to around $24 per share, according to CNBC. Rivian’s stock had debuted at $78 per share in November of last year, and early on rose well above $100 per share. CNBC reports that JPMorgan Chase will also be selling between 13 and 15 million shares for an unknown seller. Rivian is expected to report its first quarter results on Wednesday.

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Toyota is finally launching a mass-market, battery-electric vehicle—the bZ4X—just as it is about to trigger a phase-out of federal EV tax credits.Toyota is reaching the 200,00-vehicle limit thanks to strong sales of its plug-in gasoline-electric hybrids, both the Prius Prime and the RAV4 Prime.If you’re interested in a RAV4 Prime or a bZ4X, you should still be able to get the full credit of $7500 until October of this year.Toyota has long made a big deal about the Prius name meaning “to go before.” When it comes to electric vehicles, though, Toyota is more accurately going third—at least in regards to it reaching the full limit federal tax credit on EVs and plug-in gasoline-electric hybrids (PHEV).

At the end of 2021, 183,000 EV and PHEV Toyotas qualified for the federal tax credit, with another 8421 cars added to the ledger at the end of the first quarter of 2022, according to Automotive News. At this rate, Toyota expects to run out of these full credits—which are limited to 200,000 for each automaker before starting a gradual deduction reduction throughout the course of a year—sometime before the summer. Once Toyota hits this mark, its newest EV and PHEV buyer will be able to nab a tax credit worth half the maximum sum for six months, followed by a tax credit worth a quarter of the original sum for another six months. After that, Toyota EV and PHEV consumers will have to purchase these vehicles sans a tax incentive from the federal government.”We’re planning for it, because Tesla’s out, and General Motors is out, and we’ll be out probably in the second quarter,” Toyota Motor North America’s executive vice president of sales, Bob Carter, told Automotive News. “When you’re out, you enter a step-down phase down, so we’re planning for that.”
On the one hand, reaching this milestone is a positive thing for Toyota. After all, this means the brand succeeded in selling 200,000 fully and partially electric vehicles. On the other hand, it’s a poor time for Toyota to be looking down the barrel of a tax credit phase-out. The brand is currently introducing its first dedicated battery-electric model across the United States (prior EVs that Toyota’s sold in the 21st-century have been limited to certain states), the bZ4X. As such, only a small batch of initial buyers will be able to take advantage of the full $7500 credit the vehicle qualifies for. Nissan, which is about to launch the Ariya electric SUV, is in a similar boat thanks to more than a decade of Leaf sales. Carter told Automotive News that Toyota is considering lowering the starting price of the EV in response to its federal EV tax credits expiration.
If Toyota indeed hits the 200,000 level in the second quarter (before July 1), then all sales through the end of October of this year will still qualify for the full credit. Come November, though, the credit will drop to $3750, then to $1875 on April 1, 2023, which means Toyota will potentially hit the federal EV tax credit ceiling by October 2023. Despite just formally entering the EV space, Toyota’s popular Prius and RAV4 PHEV models managed to cut into the brand’s threshold of 200,000 sales of electric and partially electric vehicles. As a result of these models’ smaller battery packs, the plug-in Prius of 2012–2015 qualified for a $2500 tax credit, while 2017 and newer Prius PHEVs nab a $4502 credit. The RAV4, meanwhile, takes home the full $7500 … for now, that is.
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Mechanical bits the Crawler shares with the Mercedes G-class include its powertrain, locking diffs, and front and rear axles.Brabus increases the displacement of the G63’s V-8 from 4.0 to 4.5 liters for Crawler duty.Output jumps from 577 horsepower to 888.Whether you’re a Russian oligarch dodging bullets, an African despot on a rhino hunting trip, or a Los Angeles-based movie star, you’ll soon need to find room in your budget to add the radical, Mercedes-AMG G63-inspired Brabus Crawler to your extensive collection of cars. This is assuming you’re able to claim ownership of one (or more) of the 15 Crawlers that Brabus intends to build.

While it’s technically not a G-Wagen, the Crawler relies on a few essential parts from the three-pointed star’s racy G63. Additionally, the Brabus-built dune buggy’s carbon-fiber body panels also crib styling cues from the boxy Mercedes. Notably, the Crawler uses the SUV’s twin-turbo V-8 for motivation—albeit bored and stroked to 4.5 liters and boosted to 888 horsepower (the G63’s 4.0-liter unit, meanwhile, makes do with just 577 horses)—as well as its nine-speed automatic transmission and solid rear and independent front portal axles, replete with front, center, and rear locking differentials from the G 4×42. Other G-class pieces on the Crawler include its round headlights, tiny taillights, steering wheel, and two 12.0-inch dashboard-mounted displays. The entire frame is a custom high-strength steel tube design that shares no dimensions with the actual G-class (look how narrow the front grille looks). The Crawler’s 21.0 inches of ground clearance takes the opposite approach of the slammed G63 900 Rocket, although this door-free SUV leashes itself to 99 mph.
The Crawler is also ill-equipped for overlanding. For that, you’ll want the roof rack and pickup bed of the Brabus 800 Adventure XLP. Additionally, the Crawler’s oversaturated red bucket seats are far too conspicuous for those in search of a Brabus-badged Mercedes with a more monochrome look (for that, there’s the 800 Black Ops Edition).All 15 of these tube-frame terror machines include four carbon helmets and synthetic upholstery from the company’s speedboat interiors. Where you take your Crawler is up to you, but Brabus asks you to inform its cartographers of your travel plans in advance. This way the dune buggy’s passenger-facing GPS unit will show the correct custom-made topography maps (a feature you won’t find in the G63’s MBUX infotainment system). At what price does one get to brag about owning a vehicle that looks and performs like the lovechild of a G63 and a UTV? About $800,000 at current exchange rates.
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Lucid Motors announced that it will be increasing prices for its first car, the Air, due to a bump in raw material costs and global supply chain issues.The base Pure model will cost about $10,000 more, now starting at $89,050, while the Grand Touring goes up by over $15,000 to $155,650.Reservation holders can order their Air at the original prices, and new reservations at the original prices can still be made before the new prices go into effect on June 1.Startup automaker Lucid Motors has announced that it will be raising prices for its Air sedan, citing an increase in raw material costs and issues with the global supply chain. Lucid says that all current reservation holders will have the chance to order their Air EV at the price quoted when they reserved it. The pricing adjustments will take effect on June 1, and interested customers can still put down a reservation at the current pricing before the end of this month.

The entry-level Air Pure sees its price increase by $10,150 to $89,050, while stepping up to the Air Touring will cost you $109,050, up $12,550 from its original price. The biggest price hike is for the Air Grand Touring, which will now start at $155,650, a full $15,150 more than it was previously listed at. Interestingly, the Grand Touring Performance—the new range-topping model now that the Dream Edition is sold out—only slightly increases to $180,650 due to the $150 higher destination charge. Lucid started production of the Air last fall and has delivered 360 vehicles so far in 2022. The company stays it has more than 30,000 reservations, and that its 2022 production is still on track for between 12,000 and 14,000 vehicles. Lucid had originally planned to build 20,000 Air sedans in 2022, but downgraded its outlook earlier this year.
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