Motor News

The 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 has been revealed, pumping out a peak 402 horsepower from its turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four.The C43 features a 48-volt electrical system that powers a belt-driven motor/generator and an electric motor nestled within the turbo that reduces lag.Mercedes claims a sprint to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph.UPDATE 4/26/22, 6:30 p.m.: Mercedes has clarified that the 13 horsepower boost occurs at lower rpm and therefore doesn’t increase the overall output. This makes the Mercedes-AMG C43’s peak output 402 horsepower.Mercedes-AMG just teased a performance-oriented C-class, and now its already here. Meet the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43, which uses an innovative, turbocharged inline-four with hybrid assist that makes 402 horsepower and comes standard with all-wheel drive. The C43 will eventually be surpassed in terms of performance by a new C63, but for now it represents the top of the C-class lineup.

Mercedes-AMG

The powertrain is shared with the Mercedes-AMG SL43, which has not yet been confirmed for the United States. That means the C43 is powered by the M139 2.0-liter inline-four—also found in the CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models—and has a turbocharger with an electric motor plus the typical exhaust-gas plumbing. The electric motor, about 1.6 inches thick, is attached to common shaft between the turbine and compressor wheels, so the motor can spin the shaft before the exhaust gases do. Mercedes says this will reduce turbo lag, improving response when the driver hits the accelerator, and will also maintain boost pressure on throttle lift. The turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 hybrids used by the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team feature the same technology. In the C43, the four-cylinder engine is good for 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, with a 48-volt, belt-driven starter-generator can add 13 extra horses for a quick boost. The 48-volt electrical system also powers the motor in the turbocharger, and the 48-volt motor/generator can also recoup energy under deceleration and provides a smooth stop-start function. Like in the SL43, the 2.0-liter engine is mounted longitudinally. Mercedes says the C43 will hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, with an electronically limited 155 mph top speed when equipped with the standard 18-inch wheels. Upgrading to the optional 19- or 20-inch wheels raises the top speed to 165 mph.

Mercedes’ rear-biased 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is standard, and the transmission is a nine-speed automatic with a wet clutch pack in place of a torque converter. The C43 rides on steel springs with adaptive dampers, which can adjust their response based on whether they are set to Comfort, Sport, or Sport+. The C43 also comes with rear-wheel steering as standard. At speeds up to 37 mph, the rear wheels will turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels at up to 2.5 degrees, while above 37 mph, the rear wheels will move in tandem with the front wheels at up to 0.7 degrees. The upgraded braking system includes 14.6-inch discs and four-piston fixed calipers up front and 12.6-inch discs with single-piston floating calipers at the rear.

Mercedes-AMG

The C43 doesn’t look all that different from the standard C300, gaining the AMG grille with vertical slats and a “diffuser-look” rear bumper with vents behind the wheels and round, quad exhaust tips. The interior gains a flat-bottom AMG steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather with aluminum shift paddles. The seats get Mercedes’ MB-Tex faux leather and red stitching, matched by red seat belts. The pedals, floor mats, and illuminated door sills are also new for the AMG model.Mercedes says the C43 will go on-sale late in 2022. There is no word yet on price, but given that the C300 starts just under $45,000, we predict that the C43 will start at around $60,000 when sales begin.
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The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is starting production, meaning the electric pickup truck is heading to customers.Ford has already closed retail orders on all 2022 Lightning models, citing high demand.The Lightning is built at Ford’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.The hotly anticipated 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning finally starts production today at the company’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The launch should be welcome news for customers who already reserved a 2022 Lightning, but those who haven’t will have limited opportunities to get their hands on one.

Ford has closed retail orders on all 2022 models due to high demand, according to a disclaimer on its consumer site. The company recently made a similar move by closing orders for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E, again citing high demand. However, as CarsDirect reported yesterday, people will still have the chance to buy Lightning models that are in stock on dealer lots, but it’s possible they’ll have a price markup. The other option is to wait for 2023 models, with orders expected to open this summer.
The 2022 F-150 Lightning is the second electric pickup truck to hit the market after the Rivian R1T went on sale late last year. The Lightning starts at $41,179 for the entry-level Pro model with the 426-hp dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain and standard-range battery, which Ford CEO Jim Farley said will be EPA-rated at 230 miles of range. The EPA has not yet published these official ratings on its website. The Lightning’s estimated range is said to rise to 320 miles with the available extended-range battery, which also brings more powerful electric motors with a combined 563 horses. The top-of-the-line Platinum trim level is only available with the latter configuration, and it starts at $92,669.

Ford

The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center where the Lightning is being built was recently constructed as part of a $700 million investment in the Ford Rouge Center. Ford also invested $250 million in the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center and the Rawsonville Components Plant. The former will supply the electric motors and transaxles for the Lightning, while the latter will assemble the batteries. At the Lightning’s launch today, Farley addressed the crowd at the Rouge Center and those watching via a livestream on YouTube, saying that Ford plans to produce 150,000 Lightnings per year. He also claimed that the company will produce 600,000 EVs per year by the end of 2023 and 2 million annually in four years. Farley said Ford is eventually planning to build more electric trucks at its new BlueOval City complex in Stanton, Tennessee.
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Mercedes-AMG released a brief teaser video for the next C-class performance variant.It isn’t clear if its the C43 or C63, but given the subdued bodywork, the C43 seems more likely.Both the next C43 and C63 will come with a hybrid inline-four powertrain, instead of the current V-6 and V-8 setups.Mercedes-AMG has given us the first taste of a hotter C-class variant, although it isn’t yet clear whether this new teaser video shows a C43 or the full-fledged C63. While the previous C63 packed a 503-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine and the lesser C43 came with a still heady 385-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6, we have known for some time that the new successors will instead utilize a hybridized inline-four setup.
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The teaser shows a small portion of the front fascia, with the performance-oriented C-class sporting the “Panamericana” grille with vertical slats that all modern AMG variants wear. The lower air intakes look essentially identical to those on the standard C300, making us think this might be the C43 instead of the top-dog C63. Still, without a V-8, the C63 might not have significantly different cooling needs than the other four-cylinder-powered models.

Both the C43 and C63 are expected to have a hybridized, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. Despite the smaller engine, the C63 is still expected to produce over 500 horsepower. Mercedes has already managed to eke out 416 horses from the four-cylinder engine in the CLA45 S, which isn’t sold in the U.S. The C43 won’t have quite as much power as the C63, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it move closer to the 400 hp mark. The Mercedes teaser didn’t provide any dates, but we expect to find out more about the next AMG C-class soon.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has bought Twitter for $44 billion.As a result, Twitter will become a privately held company.Twitter says the transaction is expected to be completed this year, pending the approval of shareholders, regulatory approval, and other closing conditions.Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has agreed to spend $44 billion to buy the 15th-biggest social media network in the world. That would be Twitter, a company that has made a profit in two of the past 10 years. To scrape together that pile of money, Musk leaned heavily on Tesla, a company that has turned a profit in two of the past 19 years. In the first quarter of last year, most of Tesla’s profit came from selling Bitcoin and emissions credits. Nonetheless, at year end, Tesla made a record profit of $5.5 billion. And if it does that for eight more years in a row, that will generate enough money to pay for Twitter. Or, looking at it another way, $44 billion would buy 907,403 Model 3s. Last year, Tesla delivered 936,172 cars worldwide. Of course, Mr. Musk also owns SpaceX and the Boring Company, which digs tunnels. So those are worth some money, too—about $100 billion for SpaceX and $5.7 billion for the Boring Company. And to raise the $33.5 billion that Musk is contributing personally, he’ll likely have to sell off some part of his stake in either of those. But $12.5 billion is coming from a margin loan against Musk’s Tesla’s stock, and if Tesla’s stock drops by 40 percent, he’ll have to repay that $12.5 billion. Will that factor into any decision-making at Tesla? Between Nov. 5, 2021 and March 11, 2022, Tesla stock dropped by about 35 percent. Until yesterday, it was novel to see car company CEOs on Twitter. Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see how Musk’s free-speech ideals jibe with competitors using his own platform to promote their products. When @jimfarley98 boasts about the Ford F-150 Lightning on Twitter, how will that sit with the guy behind the Cybertruck? And how will the guy behind the Cybertruck pay enough attention to that project while running yet another company that has more than 7000 employees? Guess we’ll find out!In other news, Tesla will introduce no new models in 2022.

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• This 2010 Saab 9-3 SportCombi is up for sale on the Bring a Trailer auction site, with bidding currently at $5500 with five days left on the auction.• This 9-3 SportCombi looks to be in very good condition with just 31,000 miles on the odometer.• The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four sends 210 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic.It’s been about a decade since Saab’s demise, but we still find ourselves thinking about the oddball Swedish brand often. There are many dedicated Saab owners still out there, keeping their 900s, 9-3s, and 9-5s alive and running, despite the fact that the company hasn’t sold a car in the United States since 2011. If you want to join them in maintaining Saab’s legacy, then you’ll be interested in this 2010 Saab 9-3 SportCombi that is up for sale on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

This 2010 wagon model represents the 9-3’s second generation, which was facelifted in 2008 with a sleeker front-end design. While the refreshed 9-3 had been offered with a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 pushing out either 255 or 280 horsepower, in 2010 the engine lineup was reduced to only the base turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. That motor was good for 210 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, delivered to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic in this example, although a manual transmission and all-wheel-drive were also available at the time.

This 9-3 SportCombi has just 31,000 miles on the odometer, and it shows. The Snow Silver Metallic bodywork looks pristine and the cream leather interior looks to be in equally good shape. The Saab also has goodies such as an electric sunroof, heated front seats, a power-adjustable drivers seat, cruise control, and a dual-zone automatic climate control. Luckily there’s also an aux port, since we imagine most people won’t have use for the CD player. The factory 16-inch wheels are fitted with 215/55 Pirelli Cinturato P7 All-Season tires, but with date codes from 2015, you’ll probably want to replace them. And while it might take some wrenching to keep a Saab going for years to come, this low-mile example would be a strong place to start. Bidding is currently at $5500 with five days remaining on the auction.

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The 2023 Nissan Z’s arrival date in the United States has been delayed from the spring to the summer of 2022.Nissan cited “unforeseen supply chain issues” as the reason for the setback.The Z will be powered by a 400-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, and it should start around $40,000.After the Nissan 370Z’s eleven-year production run, the arrival of its successor—now simply called Z—has been hotly anticipated. Unveiled last fall with a 400-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, the Z was originally scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. this spring. But after a press release stated that the Z was delayed for the Japanese market, Nissan has confirmed to Car and Driver that the Z’s American release date has also been pushed back to summer 2022.
In a statement, a Nissan representative told Car and Driver that “due to unforeseen supply chain issues that are affecting the entire industry, there has been a slight delay to the summer of 2022.” Nissan’s consumer website still lists “spring 2022” as the launch date.

Nissan has yet to announce pricing for the 2023 Z, but we expect the two-seat coupe to start around $40,000. The Z will offer three trim levels. The base Z Sport comes with a 12.3-inch instrument display, cloth seats with faux suede inserts, and plenty of driver-assistance features. Stepping up to the Z Performance stiffens the suspension and adds stronger brakes, a limited-slip differential, and 19-inch Rays wheels. The interior gains heated leather seats and an upgraded audio system. There will also be the Z Proto Spec, which acts as a launch edition and is essentially a Z Performance model with special colors and trim. Nissan will likely reveal detailed pricing information closer to the Z’s now delayed on-sale date.
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Genesis will offer the new 2023 G90 with a 48-volt hybrid system for its V-6 engine.The setup includes an electric supercharger that boosts the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 to 420 hp.The hybrid will likely cost extra compared with the base 375-hp version of the V-6.The new 2023 Genesis G90 sedan will offer a version of the company’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 engine with a 48-volt hybrid system in the U.S. A Genesis spokesperson confirmed to C/D that this new powertrain will use an electric supercharger, and EPA documents reveal that it will produce 420 horsepower—a significant bump over the 375 hp that this engine makes in standard form.Curiously, the addition of this hybrid setup results in a drop in fuel economy, as EPA ratings show that the “MHEV” model has a combined rating of 20 mpg, one mpg lower than the standard twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6. We’d guess that the extra mass associated with the hybrid system could account for this disparity. Both powertrains use an eight-speed automatic transmission and come standard with all-wheel drive. For reference, the Mercedes-Benz S500 with a 429-hp inline-six and a 48-volt hybrid system achieves an EPA combined rating of 24 mpg.Genesis originally said that this hybrid setup would only be used in the stretched long-wheelbase version of the G90, which is not slated to come to the U.S. But now the company says that the more powerful engine will be offered in the standard-wheelbase car that will be sold on our shores. We don’t know what kind of price premium the hybrid setup will command, but we figure it’ll be a few thousand dollars extra given its extra power.Look for more details to come on the 2023 G90, including pricing, as the flagship sedan is slated to arrive in the U.S. later this year.
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The 2023 Subaru Solterra starts at $46,220, which is $3005 more than the base 2023 Toyota bZ4X.The Subaru’s standard all-wheel drive accounts for much of the extra cost, as the Toyota comes standard with front-wheel drive.Still, a bZ4x with the optional all-wheel-drive system is $925 less to start than the entry-level Solterra.The 2023 Subaru Solterra and the 2023 Toyota bZ4X have been linked together since birth, a result of the new electric SUVs being co-developed by their respective parent companies. The bZ4X and Solterra share a platform and many other characteristics, but shoppers comparing the two will notice that the Subaru is also more expensive than its Toyota twin. The 2023 Solterra starts at $46,220 whereas the 2023 bZ4X has a starting price of $43,215.

Basic math tells us that the least expensive Solterra is $3005 more than the least expensive bZ4x. However, the price comparison is more complicated than that because much of the Subie’s extra cost is attributed to its standard dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system. The Toyota, on the other hand, comes standard with a single-motor, front-wheel-drive setup. So, what’s the price difference when the entry-level bZ4X is equipped with all-wheel drive? Well, it’s still $925 cheaper than the base Solterra.
The Solterra is available in three trim levels: Premium, Limited, and Touring. The Limited starts at $49,720 and the Touring starts at $53,220, making them the most expensive Subaru models in the showroom. The bZ4X is only offered in XLE and Limited grades. The front-drive Limited starts at $47,915, and upgrading to all-wheel drive costs an extra $2080 on both trims. The 2023 Solterra and 2023 bZ4x will go on sale this summer, with Subaru saying a limited number will hit dealer lots at first. The company also says it’s finalizing plans to offer Solterra reservation holders their pick of either a credit for EVgo charging or money to purchase and install a Level 2 charger at home.
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