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The Buick Wildcat EV concept is a pure design study that indicates the brand’s future styling direction. The Buick lineup will consist entirely of electric vehicles by 2030. Buick EVs will be sold under the Electra sub-brand. Buick has just revealed the Wildcat EV concept, a design exercise intended to establish the brand’s future styling direction with a particular focus on its upcoming electric vehicles. Curiously, Buick laid its future look on a low, wide, four-seat fastback coupe rather than on an SUV, though the brand is currently made up solely of SUVs—and will remain that way, we were told. While neither the Wildcat EV nor anything like it will go into production, the execs on hand for our private viewing confirmed that the Buick lineup will be composed only of electric vehicles by 2030, all of them SUVs. Those EVs will fall under a new sub-brand called Electra—which, ironically, is the name Buick affixed to its largest gas-swilling models for about 30 years starting in 1959.

While the Wildcat concept is touted as an EV, it was neither designed nor sized to accommodate GM’s Ultium battery pack—nor any battery pack, for that matter. During our visit, Sharon Gauci, executive director of global Buick-GMC design, emphasized that the Wildcat’s mission is to inform the styling of upcoming Buicks by giving the brand’s designers a clear design direction that they can apply to production vehicles. “This was a tremendous opportunity to come up with what a new design language and aesthetic for Buick will feel like,” she said.The Wildcat’s design team started by defining a new look for the future Electra EV line. Those elements will in turn will be phased into Buick’s upcoming internal-combustion-powered SUVs. In fact, the team that created the Wildcat EV is also working on future production Buicks, so the new-age design influence is already at work in the studio.Buick has confirmed that the first Electra EV SUV will be revealed sometime in 2024; we expect it to go on sale as a 2025 model. That vehicle, we were told, will be based on the same platform as the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq and will be similar in size. That means it could have a 100.0-kWh Ultium battery pack in its floor and a driving range of more than 300 miles; both single- and dual-motor models will likely be offered. “Not Trying to Be Trendy”If you’re thinking that the Wildcat doesn’t look like an EV, then the designers have done the job they set out to do. According to Gauci, many of today’s EVs are faceless—they’ve done away with traditional grilles because they can. Buick EVs won’t. Electras will show the world a well-defined face like the Wildcat’s, with thin, high-mounted headlights and a prominent grille made of tightly space horizontal bars—bright metal on some models. The Wildcat’s softly rounded body sides are simple and elegant, said Therese Pinazzo, Buick exterior and interior design manager, because “the forms are more timeless; we’re not trying to be trendy.” Like the new face, those body-side shapes will be echoed in future Buicks, both EVs and gasoline models. Seen from the rear, a pair of beautiful taillamps wrap up the sides of the rear glass, indicating there will be some artful taillamp designs on future Buicks as well.
It’s no surprise that the new look also includes a major update to the well-known Buick logo, which has historically been made up of three slim connected shields—mini family crests—inside a circle. The shields have now broken out of circle prison and stand separated—free, finally!—on the nose of the Wildcat, lit from behind. It’ll likely not be illuminated on production vehicles, but it does look far more modern. The new badge will show up on Buicks starting next year. Like most concept vehicles intended purely as design studies, the Wildcat contains not only visual cues that will be interpreted for production models but also fanciful ideas that will never see the light of day. The Wildcat’s interior is show-car fancy, with exotic-looking seats that would be appropriate in a Ferrari, maybe, but in a Buick SUV? Not so much. When you pull the door open, a section of the roof pops up to ease your entry; that’s sure to be another nonstarter.
The interior’s big reach is the idea of the car as mood ring: the designers propose using biometrics to monitor your feelings and vital signs. Based on that data, your vehicle would decide if it needed to automatically turn on features like aroma therapy and seat massage to bring you to back to a Zen state when, say, a cabbie cuts you off in downtown traffic or that jerk up ahead is texting when the light turns green. Good luck with that.Much more likely to make it into production are the large, curved screen sweeping across most of the instrument panel that’s not unlike the one in the current Caddy Escalade, and the flat-bottom steering wheel that’s in, well, everything from VWs to Bugattis. Buick’s new look will debut first on a conventionally powered gas-engine SUV that will be revealed later this year and go into production in 2023 as a 2024 model. The first Electra EV will roll out of an assembly plant a year later.

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The Toyota Corolla Cross adds a hybrid powertrain for its sophomore model year.The hybrid engine is available across five trim levels.Combined fuel economy is estimated at 37 mpg.For the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross, now in its second year, the big news is the addition of a hybrid powertrain to supplement the existing 169-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Whereas the base engine can be combined with front- or all-wheel drive, the hybrid is AWD only, with the rear wheels driven electrically. The hybrid powertrain’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two motor-generators make a total of 194 horsepower. Toyota expects a time of 8.0 seconds to 60 mph—which would be a significant improvement on the 9.2 seconds we measured in our test of the regular Corolla Cross.

Of course, a hybrid’s main calling card is fuel economy, and the Corolla Cross hybrid is expected to deliver 37 mpg overall. That’s 5 to 7 mpg better than the standard Corolla Cross, which has EPA combined estimates of 30 mpg with front-wheel drive and 32 mpg with all-wheel drive. It’s nowhere near as economical as the 52-mpg number posted by the front-wheel-drive 2022 Corolla hybrid sedan, however.Besides the arrival of a hybrid powertrain, the Corolla Cross sees other changes for 2023. The model adds new S, SE, and XSE trim levels as slightly sportier counterparts to the returning L, LE, and XLE models. The new S trio gets tweaked front and rear styling and a sport-tuned suspension. The SE and XSE add paddle shifters and offer a contrasting black roof along with a two-tone black and blue interior. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert join the list of standard driver assists, and the infotainment system upgrades to wireless smartphone mirroring.

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The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is gaining a track version, the Morizo Edition, which gains 22 pound-feet of torque for a total of 295 pound-feet. The Morizo also sheds a claimed 106 pounds, doing away with the rear seats, speakers, rear window regulators, and rear wiper blade and motor. The sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires should boost grip, and only 200 units of the Morizo will be built for 2023. The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla is ready to hit the track with the newly revealed Morizo Edition. This special edition shaves almost 100 pounds of weight, ramps up the engine’s torque output, and should tighten the sporty Corolla’s handling thanks to stickier rubber and increased rigidity. Just 200 units will be built for the 2023 model year, with pricing to be announced later this year.
The Morizo Edition arrives with the same 300-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine as the Core and Circuit editions, but tuned to produce an extra 22 pound-feet of torque for a total of 295 pound-feet. Peak torque is between 3250 and 4600 rpm, a slightly smaller plateau than the 3000-5500 rpm range in the standard car. The Morizo also has close-ratio version of the six-speed manual transmission with shorter differential gears.

Weight declines from 3292 pounds in the Circuit Edition to 3186 pounds in the Morizo, with Toyota ditching the rear seats and associated hardware including the door speakers, window regulators, and rear wiper blade and motor. There are also redesigned 18-inch forged wheels, which are now wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The Morizo Edition also gets special front brake ducts.
Toyota says the suspension has been retuned, and the Morizo Edition is also fitted with red-painted monotube shock absorbers. Two extra rear strut braces should increase rigidity, as will the same extra spot welds and additional structural adhesive on the frame that come on every GR Corolla. The Morizo Edition comes with standard front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials like the Circuit Edition.

The Morizo Edition’s interior is decked out with red and black Ultrasuede and leather seats, with Ultrasuede appearing on the steering wheel and shift knob, too. Despite the two strut braces stretching across the rear of the cabin, the Morizo Edition can carry four tires for a track day. The Morizo Edition will be offered in Windchill Pearl and an exclusive new matte gray paint hue, and will hit Toyota dealerships next year. Expect a price premium for this track special, although Toyota has yet to announce pricing for any GR Corolla models yet.
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The new 2023 Lexus RX is here with several new powertrains.The RX350 has a turbo-four gas engine, while the RX350h, RX450h+, and RX500h F Sport Performance models all have various hybrid setups.The new RX will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year.The RX has broken ground for Lexus ever since it first hit the scene, and now the new fifth-generation model is introducing a new variation on the brand’s “spindle” grille design. With a body-colored upper area, the 2023 RX’s face is an interesting evolution of the polarizing Lexus look that’s found across the lineup. No matter what you think of the new design, the new RX is poised to increase its coverage of the luxury-SUV spectrum with new powertrains including a plug-in-hybrid model and a 367-hp RX500h F Sport Performance hybrid variant that features a new all-wheel-drive setup Lexus calls Direct4. Rumors suggest that Lexus will introduce a new three-row crossover called the TX in the near future, so we don’t think that the previous RX’s “L” model will return this time around. This will allow the RX to occupy the two-row-crossover space somewhere between compact and mid-size that has proven so successful for this model over its history. With a 2.4-inch longer wheelbase, the new RX promises more rear-seat room but has the same overall length, meaning its overhangs are shorter and its proportions look a bit more athletic.
Toyota’s GA-K architecture, shared with many models including the Highlander, RAV4 and smaller Lexus NX, is underneath the latest RX. It introduces a multilink rear suspension to replace the previous model’s unequal-length-control-arm setup. Lexus also claims that the new model is up to 198 pounds lighter than before.

The 3.5-liter V-6 engine used in the previous RX350 and RX450h is gone and has been replaced by a variety of four-cylinder drivetrains that include a base gas engine and three separate hybrid variants. The RX350 has a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four with 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque; like in the NX350, this engine is available with an eight-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. The RX350h uses a familiar Toyota hybrid setup with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four and electric motors that combine to produce 246 hp; it comes standard with all-wheel drive and will achieve an estimated 33 mpg combined, 3 mpg better than the old RX450h’s V-6 hybrid setup.Things start to get interesting with the new RX500h F Sport Performance model. Meant to be considered in the same performance tier as the V-8–powered IS500, this version of the RX has a new hybrid system with a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four gasoline engine and a six-speed automatic transmission rather than the planetary gearset typical of Toyota hybrid powertrains. It makes a total of 367 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, and Lexus says that the all-wheel-drive system, which it calls Direct4, incorporates a more powerful electric motor on the rear axle that’s meant to improve handling performance.There will also be an RX450h+ model with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain. Lexus isn’t providing specifics, but we’d guess it’ll have a similar setup as the 302-hp NX450h+ and Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEVs. The plug-in NX provides an EPA-estimated electric driving range of 37 miles, so the RX PHEV should fall somewhere close to that.
Trim levels for the lower models will include base, Premium, Premium+, Luxury, F Sport Handling, while the RX500h F Sport Performance will sit at the top of the range. 19-inch wheels are standard across the board, with 21-inch wheels optional. The redesigned interior looks similar to the NX’s and is available with an optional 14.0-inch touchscreen that runs Lexus’ latest infotainment system. Interior color options include six different hues, including red and brown, while bamboo, open-pore wood, and aluminum trims will be available.We think the 2023 RX’s base price will rise somewhat compared with the outgoing RX350’s $46,995 starting cost. The RX350h hybrid is likely to start somewhere around $50,000, while the RX450h+ is likely to approach $60,000. There’s no precedent for the RX500h F Sport Performance model, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see that model reach into the $70,000 range. Lexus says the new RX will go on sale at the end of this year.
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The 2023 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 is a tribute to the brand’s 24 Hours of Le Mans victory in 1988.The Edition 1988 has exclusive Midnight Amethyst (purple) paint, gold rims, and other gold accents inside and out.The commemorative F-Pace SVR costs $111,150, and production is limited to 394 copies worldwide. To commemorate winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988, Jaguar introduces a limited-edition 2023 F-Pace SVR that was specially designed by the company’s Special Vehicle Operations. Called the Edition 1988, it can be easily identified by its purple paint and gold rims. However, seeing one in person will be a rare experience, as global production is capped at 394. Why only 394? Jaguar says it’s building one for each lap completed by the winning car back in 1988.

What starts out as an ordinary F-Pace SVR—if any compact SUV with a 550-hp supercharged V-8 can be called ordinary—is transformed into a unique racing tribute with the Edition 1988. Its exclusive paint color is called Midnight Amethyst, which recalls the purple in the livery that adorned Jaguar’s XJR-9 LM race car that won Le Mans in ’88. The Champagne Gold Satin that covers the SVR’s 22-inch wheels is also likely a nod to that first-place finish. While the color combo might not fit everyone’s taste, it will certainly attract attention.
Along with the standard Black Pack, which includes gloss-black exterior trim on items such as the brake calipers and mirror caps, the F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 has laser-etched logos on the front fenders. The tailgate is also emblazoned with a gold Jaguar script below the brand’s leaper logo. Also making the SVR’s rear end stand out is a set of polished quad-tipped exhaust pipes.Inside, gold accents abound, from the contrast stitching on the black leather upholstery to the trim on the steering wheel, dashboard vents, and slots in the front seatbacks. The steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that control the SVR’s eight-speed automatic transmission also get the glossy gold treatment. The other interior detail that’s specific to Edition 1988 models is a graphic that lets everyone know the car is one of 394.
The 2023 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 88 is currently available to order (while supplies last, of course) and has a sticker price of $111,150. For admirers who aren’t in the market to buy or those who just want to appreciate this powerful purple-and-gold SUV in person, the Edition 88 will be on display at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between June 8 to 12 and then again at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from June 23 to 26.
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The new 2023 BMW X1 is here with a redesigned exterior and new features.The xDrive28i model has a 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four.It starts at $39,595 and will arrive in the U.S. late this year.BMW is showing off the new X1, and the small crossover’s new look is eye-catching. With its large kidney grilles, angular surfaces, and large black plastic cladding, it’s certainly more characterful than its predecessor, although we’re not sure if we’re sold on the exaggerated design. It’s longer, wider, and taller than before and has a longer wheelbase, which should result in more interior space for passengers and cargo.

The xDrive28i model once again comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine and all-wheel drive, but there are some revisions to the powertrain. Rather than a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission, it now uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic unit. And the engine itself uses the Miller cycle and now produces 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Adaptive dampers are a new option, and they lower the X1’s ride height by 0.6 inch. 18-, 19-, and 20-inch wheels are available, and there’s once again an M Sport package with aggressive-looking exterior tweaks and different interior trim.Inside is a new curved display similar to what’s in the refreshed 3-series. It incorporates a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.7-inch central infotainment screen. There’s a fair amount of standard equipment, including navigation, a power tailgate, and several driver-assistance features. Options include a convenience package, an XLine design package, a premium package, and heated seats and a heated steering wheel.
The 2023 X1 will arrive in the U.S. late this year, and a redesigned X2 with a sleeker silhouette should follow shortly after. The xDrive28i starts at $39,595.

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Ferrari produced around 500 365GTC/4 cars between 1971 and 1972.The model lacked the spacious rear seats of Ferrari’s 2+2 models and the racing pedigree and performance of the 365GTB/4 Daytona.Bidding for this 365GTC/4 closes Tuesday, June,7. In some ways, the Ferrari 365GTC/4 served as a stopgap measure. Neither a two-seat sports car like its 365GTB/4 stablemate nor a proper 2+2 such as the 365GT 2+2 and the 365GT4 2+2 that bookended the model’s two-year production run, the 365GTC/4 incorporated a pair of vestigial rear seats under its fastback roofline. This 1972 example in excellent shape is currently offered on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos family. In March, another ’73 365GTC/4 sold on BaT for $237,000.With a week to go on the auction, bidding is currently at $160,365 and is sure to go higher.

Though it’s easy to think of the 365GTC/4 as a restyled and more versatile variant of the aforementioned 365GTB/4, this four-seat Ferrari is a far different beast than its more widely appreciated kin. Yes, the two cars share similar proportions and front-mounted V-12 engines, but both go about achieving their respective missions in far different ways.

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Notably, the 365GTC/4 ditched the GTB’s transaxle and half-dozen downdraft Weber carburetors for a five-speed gearbox mounted directly to the engine and six sidedraft Webers. Choked somewhat by our market’s emissions equipment, the GTC/4’s V-12 produced 320 horsepower—20 off its European counterpart and 32 less than the two-seat GTB/4.Despite its plentiful power, our colleagues at Road & Track found the 365GTC/4’s straight-line performance somewhat wanting. Sure, its 7.3-second run to 60 mph put it 0.2 second ahead of the similarly powerful Maserati Ghibli, but this four-seat Ferrari was still outgunned by the 300-hp four-seat 330GT 2+2 that came before it, a model we clocked hitting the mile-a-minute mark in 6.3 seconds in 1965. Certainly, the near-two-ton curb weight of the 365GTC/4 Road & Track tested didn’t help matters.

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The 365GTC/4’s real appeal, however, is arguably its grand touring ambitions. Its proportions may look as racy as the truly track competitive 365GTB/4, but the GTC/4’s Pininfarina-penned bodywork hides a comfortable grand tourer. The wide center console that covers the front-mounted transmission may lack the charm of the GTB/4’s gated shifter or dogleg shift pattern, but it houses controls for the model’s many—for the time—amenities, including those for the defrosters, power windows, and air-conditioning, ventilation, and audio systems. While the rear seats may serve little use for carrying passengers, it makes for a fine luggage area with the seatbacks folded. The 365GTC/4 may not earn the admiration of other Ferraris due to its less than stellar (by Ferrari standards) performance and somewhat forgettable styling (again, by Ferrari standards), but it’s still a vehicle bearing the prancing-horse badge. And a relatively rare one at that, with the Italian automaker producing around 500 of these machines between 1971 and 1972.With approximately 4000 miles on its odometer, as well as plenty of documentation and pictures related to its upkeep, this 365GTC/4 seemingly needs little more than a new garage to call home.
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The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid adds a special model called the Woodland Edition.It has off-road tweaks including all-terrain tires and a modified suspension.All 2023 RAV4 models receive infotainment updates including a newly optional 10.5-inch touchscreen.Toyota already offers Adventure and TRD Off-Road versions of the RAV4 with rugged appearance tweaks and off-road-oriented upgrades, but now the hybrid model is getting in on the fun with a Woodland Edition that’s new to the lineup for 2023. The Sienna minivan first introduced the Woodland name to the lineup, and the RAV4 features similar tweaks.Like the TRD Off-Road model, the RAV4 Woodland Edition has Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires and a TRD suspension with different tuning for the springs, shocks, and bump stops. It also looks a bit more adventurous thanks to bronze wheels, and chunkier roof rack, mud flaps, and black badges and exhaust tips.
Inside, rubber all-weather floor mats are standard and come emblazoned with Woodland Edition decals. There’s also a 120-volt outlet in the cargo area. It’s available in black, blue, and white exterior colors and comes only with the RAV4’s all-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain, a 2.5-liter inline-four combined with two electric motors that produces a total of 219 hp. That’s more than the base four-cylinder’s 203 hp, and in our testing the hybrid was quicker, getting to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, 0.7 second quicker than the base engine.

We’re not sure if the Woodland Edition model will receive different EPA ratings than the standard RAV4 Hybrid, which is rated at 40 mpg combined. We’d guess it might receive slightly lower ratings given that the RAV4 TRD Off-Road has slightly lower EPA estimates than other all-wheel-drive RAV4s.All 2023 Toyota RAV4 models also benefit from upgraded displays inside the cabin. An 8.0-inch touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster are now standard, with a larger 10.5-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster newly optional. The new touchscreens run an updated version of Toyota’s infotainment software.Toyota has yet to announce pricing for the 2023 RAV4 Woodland Edition, but we think it will be a bit more expensive than the TRD Off-Road model, which starts at $38,130.
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