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UPDATE 5/25/2022: Stellantis will pay $300 million in fines and plead guilty to criminal charges resulting from an investigation into diesel emissions cheating by the company, according to a report from Reuters this morning. The Environmental Protection Agency launched the investigation in 2017 against the company’s former business unit, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and had settled with FCA in 2019 for $800 million in civil penalties as described in the story below. The criminal charges and the plea deal are pending.Fiat Chrysler will pay $800 million in civil penalties and compliance costs to settle allegations that it installed “defeat device software” allowing its Jeep and Ram diesel vehicles to emit higher levels of nitrogen oxides while driving, the automaker said in a statement on Thursday.The settlement resolves allegations since January 2017 that the turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6 in the 2014–2016 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee had software that let the vehicles “operate in a way that produces increased NOx emissions off cycle,” according to a complaint filed separately by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Roughly 100,000 vehicles are affected; of those, more than 13,000 are in California. FCA is one several manufacturers to use similar Bosch software that Volkswagen admitted in 2015 that it co-developed to cheat federal emissions tests. However, FCA has not been charged with any crime and maintains that it never intentionally deceived regulators.”The settlements do not change the company’s position that it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests,” the automaker said. “Further, the consent decree and settlement agreements contain no finding or admission with regard to any alleged violations of vehicle emissions rules.”Settlement Includes Payments to Vehicle OwnersFCA has agreed to pay nearly $400 million in civil penalties, including $305 million to the EPA, the Department of Justice, and CARB; $6 million to Customs and Border Protection; and $72.5 million to various state attorneys general. California will receive $78.4 million, including a $19 million payment to upgrade an unspecified set of 200,000 vehicles with new catalytic converters. The remaining $400 million covers a software update and payments to current and former vehicle owners in amounts that average $2800 per person. FCA said the software update, which should be available to owners later this year, will not affect fuel economy or performance. In July 2017, the EPA and CARB approved 2017 model diesel Ram and Jeep vehicles after the company agreed to release this software update.At issue is what CARB calls “auxiliary emission-control devices” (in other words, software code) that can allow excess pollution at specific times, such as during a cold start or for dumping fuel to clean the particulate filter, that must be disclosed. CARB said FCA either did not disclose each of the eight devices on board or did not disclose them “fully or accurately.” Unlike the VW case, CARB and the EPA did not present evidence in their complaints of the exact amounts of nitrogen oxides that these vehicles emitted. Regardless, the nondisclosure of these devices makes the vehicles noncompliant with emissions laws.Since the VW scandal, CARB and the EPA have gone after other automakers and delayed their diesel-vehicle certifications. Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and General Motors are facing federal investigations and class-action suits for the same allegations. However, these automakers, including FCA, have not been found guilty of any crime. VW was found to have colluded with Bosch to pass U.S. emissions only while its vehicles sensed they were being tested by federal agencies, while otherwise they operated in a completely different driving mode that polluted up to 40 times above the legal limit. This story was originally published on January 10, 2019.

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The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor’s fuel economy ratings have been revealed, and it returns a combined 15 miles per gallon.This makes it the least fuel-efficient Bronco, thanks to its more powerful engine, bulkier bodywork, and 37-inch tires.The Bronco Raptor is more efficient than its closest rival, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, but the Jeep is powered by a roaring V-8.UPDATE 5/24/22, 4:45 p.m.: In a tweet, Ford CEO Jim Farley confirmed the Bronco Raptor’s official horsepower figure for the first time, writing that the off-roader will produce 418 ponies. Horsepower had been previously estimated at a targeted 400 hp.The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor is a beast. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 pumps out 418 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, while the bodywork swells 8.6 inches wider to accommodate 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires. While these changes make the Bronco into an even more proficient off-roader, it comes at a cost. The EPA has released its fuel economy rating for the 2022 Bronco Raptor, and it is unsurprisingly the least efficient Bronco in the lineup.
The EPA says that the 2022 Bronco Raptor will get 15 miles per gallon in the city and 16 mpg on the highway, good for a combined rating of 15 mpg. This makes it thirstier than other off-road models including V-6–powered Sasquatch, which gets a combined 17 mpg. The most efficient Broncos, on the other hand, are the base models fitted with the four-cylinder, which return 20 mpg combined regardless of whether they use a manual or automatic gearbox.

The Bronco Raptor’s closest competitor, the 470-hp Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, guzzles more gas, with 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway for a 14 mpg combined figure. However, the 392 manages this with a hulking 6.4-liter V-8 stuffed under the hood. While the 392 also gains a taller suspension and other off-road goodies, it rides on significantly smaller 33-inch tires (there is an option for 35s). While the Bronco Raptor is slightly more fuel efficient than its Jeep rival, we doubt many buyers of these all-terrain conquistadors are concerned with how much fuel their $70,000 brutes chug.
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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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