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Mix yourself the biggest Mai Tai and stick a flower behind your ear for this episode of Car and Driver’s Window Shop, the videocast that shows up somewhat weekly, depending on how many of us have managed to finish our real work. It appears that someone has vacation on their mind this week, as our challenge was tropical: Find a car for sale on any of the Hawaiian Islands. The budget was $15,000, with a $5000 bonus unlockable by wearing a Hawaiian shirt for the filming. Did anyone pay attention to these caveats? Is this your first time here?Our would-be vacationers included the surf-happy K.C. Colwell, friend of seat turtles Jonathon Ramsey, professional hula-dancer John Pearley Huffman, Pina-Colada-drunk Elana Scherr, and potential volcanic sacrifice Tony Quiroga. Things started off with a minty Volkswagen—that’s minty as in toothpaste-colored, not so much on the collector condition. “Is that a check engine light?” It might have been, but as Pearley pointed out, it only had to last through his vacation. Scherr chose small, but got big points for finding a car with graphics that suited island living, as well as making a map marking every racetrack on every island. Ramsey and Colwell made sensible choices, and at first it seems Ramsey has a slam dunk with a truck that has everyone oohing and ahhing—almost as much as they are over his on-theme wardrobe choice—he quickly loses ground for being both over budget and choosing a vehicle that isn’t actually in Hawaii. Colwell wins over Pearley by appealing to his deep brand loyalties. Quiroga comes in hot with a choice that horrifies most of the team, except Scherr, who is clearly angling for a raise. He has the last laugh though, as the only member of the group with actual tickets to actual Hawaii in the next month. Instead of voting, the gang argues about frog-licking and the exact conversion between “island time” and mainland time as it applies to zero-to-60 runs, and in the end we might have picked a winner or we might have just called it so Pearley could catch a flight. Not to Hawaii. Let us know what you’d choose for a Hawaiian road trip, and what beaches you think Quiroga should visit on his upcoming vacation.

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This 2005 Ferrari F430 is equipped with the six-speed manual and shows 13,000 miles on the odometer. It’s powered by a 483-hp 4.3-liter V-8 that revs to 8500 rpm. Bids are up to $125,000 as of May 12, and the auction ends on Tuesday, May 17.Ferrari hasn’t sold a manual transmission in about a decade, so I often find myself daydreaming of ripping an Italian V-8 and rowing the gears myself. A convertible would be the icing on the cake, so that’s why I’m salivating over this 2005 Ferrari F430 Spider manual that’s up for bidding on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is owned by Hearst Autos.

Bring A Trailer

Bring A Trailer

After the F430 came the 458 Italia, which was the last of the high-revving naturally aspirated mid-engine V-8 Ferraris. But that car wasn’t offered with a manual transmission, just a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox since less than 1 percent of F430 buyers went for the stick. Shame. Good thing this F430 with the six-speed manual is up for grabs. Or you could go for this six-speed conversion, but we wouldn’t.

The F430 was powered by a 4.3-liter F136 V-8 that revved to 8500 rpm and produced 483 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque, sent to the rear wheels through the six-speed and electronically controlled limited-slip differential. In Car and Driver testing, an F430 Spider with the F1 automated manual gearbox reached 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. This is classic Ferrari spec. It’s finished in Rosso Corsa red with tan leather Daytona seats with the prancing horse embossed into the headrests. The silver wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, and there are optional red-painted brake calipers. Rounding out the quintessential Ferrari look are red-stitched F430 floor mats and aluminum pedals.

Bring A Trailer

Showing 13,000 miles, this F430 Spider has had three previous owners, and I wish that I could be the next. When new, this F430 cost $203,885. On the BaT website, bidding is currently at $125,000 and sure to go up before bidding ends on Tuesday, May 17.

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The Subaru Legacy has been refreshed for 2023 with a fresh grille, headlights, and front bumper.The Sport trim should get sportier, gaining the 260-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four as standard instead of the 182-hp naturally aspirated unit.The 2023 Subaru Legacy will go on sale this fall, with pricing details still to come. After three years on sale, the Subaru Legacy is getting a refresh for the 2023 model year. The update brings revised styling, adds the latest driver-assistance technology, and sees the Sport trim gain the more powerful turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four as standard.
The most obvious changes are on the front fascia, where a new trim piece in the grille spans nearly the width of the car and links the more intricate LED headlights. The grille has also swelled in size, while the front bumper has redesigned fog-lamp housings. The rear of the Legacy remains unchanged.The Sport trim now comes standard with the 260-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four, replacing the base engine, a 182-hp 2.5-liter flat-four. Hopefully this adds more sportiness to the Sport trim—the last Sport we tested took a glacial 8.0 seconds to hit 60 mph, while the pre-facelift turbocharged models were able to sprint to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds. The Sport model is differentiated by a red accent in the grille, magnetite gray side mirrors and trunk spoiler, gray 18-inch wheels, and a black-and-gray two-tone cloth interior with red stitching. The Sport also includes what Subaru describes as a “sport tuned” suspension.
As before, the Legacy comes standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assistance technology, such as automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Certain models will also add automatic emergency steering, designed to help prevent collisions with objects at speeds below 50 mph. The Touring XT model also gains a wide-angle camera that expands the field of view for the EyeSight system, working in conjunction with the pre-existing dual-camera setup.

Inside, the Sport and Touring XT trims gained a standard 360-degree heated steering wheel, and the Touring XT now features Slate Black nappa leather with silver stitching and other trim enhancements. Models equipped with the 11.6-inch touchscreen also now come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability as standard. Subaru says the infotainment display has revised controls for audio, climate control, and other settings. The 2023 Subaru Legacy will reach dealerships this fall, and pricing details will be revealed closer to the on-sale date.
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The revised 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom gets an illuminated grille and an option for darker trim. There’s also available split material for the cabin that installs leather up front and fabric in the back.The twin-turbo V-12 powertrain is unchanged.Lesser automakers might give their cars facelifts, but Rolls-Royce clearly feels itself above such gimmicky marketing. So although the eighth-generation Phantom sedan has been given a subtle set of revisions after five years on sale, there is no mention of anything redolent of cosmetic surgery in the official announcement. Rather the Phantom has been given “a new expression.”Based on the images that have been released, the new car’s physiognomy is very similar to that of the outgoing version, but there are some subtle differences. The revised Phantom’s front end now gets a horizontal line above the strakes of its Parthenon-inspired grille, this intended to give “a new and assertive modernity, reflecting [the car’s] driver-focused character.” The grille itself is now illuminated, the headlights have star-light detailing, and the winged Spirit of Ecstasy mascot is slightly more prominent.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce has also responded to customer demand for darkened finishes, with the ability to specify a blackened trim for the grille bezel, windshield surround and side glass finishers. The result is hardly murdered out, but it is certainly less chintzy than the more traditional chrome accessories. It will also be possible to order two new wheels, one having a milled stainless steel finish, the other a disc wheel inspired by the company’s 1920s era.The interior design is barely changed. Rolls cites a slightly thicker steering wheel rim as the most significant difference, and the company has broadened its range of trim offerings with the arrival of what it calls Phantom Platino. This combines leather seats up front for the chauffeur and softer fabric trim in the rear that’s made from a combination of bamboo and cotton. The Phantom’s dashboard clock is now surrounded with a new 3D-printed ceramic finish.

Rolls-Royce

There are no mechanical changes for the revised car. But nor, to be honest, did there really need to be. The 563-hp twin-turbo V-12 has the manners of an attentive valet and the Phantom’s cabin refinement is probably the best in the world.No official Rolls-Royce announcement can seemingly be made without the brand’s enjoyably verbose official style, what we like to think of as a periphrastic prolixity of pleonasm, and the Phantom II’s release is no exception. The revised car is aimed at pretty much anybody with the considerable funds to afford one. Or, as Rolls-Royce puts it: “Self-evidently, there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Phantom client. Spanning the ‘poles of luxury’, they may be ever-younger or older, modern or traditional, self-made or from long-established wealth. Their commissions reflect a full spectrum of interests and influences. At one extreme, Phantom takes on a subversive, almost rebellious character–youthful, dynamic and daring. At the other, Phantom transforms into an ode to luxury grandeur and timelessness.”This ability to indicate a preference for subversive rebellion will continue to come with serious pricing, of course, as the Phantom sits at the pinnacle of the Rolls-Royce range. We don’t have any official confirmation on pricing yet, but can safely predict this subtly revised Phantom will be at least as expensive as the model it replaces.

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The 2023 Audi S6 sedan and S7 four-door hatchback are available with a new Design Edition package.The kit includes exclusive paint options, black and dark chrome exterior trim, and more microsuede interior surfaces.The Design Edition package costs $2500, and Audi says it’ll only be offered for the 2023 model year.Black appearance packages are currently trending. Actually, the sinister-looking treatment has been popular for quite some time, but now even minivans like the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey can be made to look like the Batmobile. For 2023, the Audi S6 and S7 capitalize on the fad with the new Design Edition package.

Based on Audi’s widely available Black Optic package, which basically swaps all shiny body trim for black bits, the Design Edition also adds dark chrome accents and blacks out the brand’s four-ring logo on the grille and rear decklid. The roof is painted Brilliant Black, too. While shoppers can choose one of the many normal paint options, only models with the Design package are available with Liquid Chrome Dark or Arrow Gray (pictured here).

Audi S6
Audi

The package includes a few interior differences, too. The kit covers more surfaces with microsuede—or Dinamica in Audi parlance. This includes the shifter, the bottom of the console, and the knee pads. The steering wheel is also covered in faux-suede, and it has red contrast stitching that also appears on the leather seats, door armrests, and other parts of the cabin.
The Design Edition package is priced at $2500 and will only be available on the S6 and S7. Audi says the appearance package will only be offered for the upcoming model year, with orders opening in June 2022. The 2023 S6 starts at $73,795 and the S7 starts at $83,595.
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Volkswagen will join the electric off-road market by creating a new company with the long defunct Scout nameplate, once used by International Harvester.The Scout brand will begin production in 2026, with an electric pickup truck and SUV duo.Prototypes will be revealed next year, and the vehicles will be based on a new platform and designed specifically for the U.S. market. Volkswagen is entering the electric off-roader scene, and in doing so will revive a legendary nameplate: the Scout. Made famous by truck and tractor maker International Harvester in the 1960s and 1970s, the Scout moniker will return on an electric SUV and pickup truck designed for the American market, with production planned for 2026.

The 1978 International Scout II family.
International

The Scout name will be bestowed upon a new company under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, which will be established this year with the first prototypes unveiled in 2023. Along with the announcement, Volkswagen provided sketches of a rugged, boxy SUV and pickup truck duo, with an upturned window line that recalls the rear glass from the ‘60s original. VW says the new Scouts will be based on a new EV platform, and more details will presumably arrive next year when the sketches come to life.

The return of the Scout name had been rumored recently in a report from the Wall Street Journal, which hints at other details of the Scout’s rebirth. According to the report, VW is aiming to ultimately end up selling 250,000 Scout-branded vehicles per year in America. Volkswagen came by the Scout moniker when its Traton truck division took control of Navistar International, the descendant of International Harvester, in 2020.The report also suggested that the Scout brand will have its own factories and that these are likely to be in the United States. A separate listing on a stock exchange for the new company is also rumored. By the time the Scout duo arrive, the electric off-roader space will be fairly crowded, with the current players—the GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T—set to be joined by an electric Jeep Wrangler and others.
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Electric-vehicle startup Canoo writes in its first-quarter earnings report that “there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”The company lost $125.4 million over the first three months of 2022 and says it has just $104.9 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31.Canoo had planned to begin production this year of its Lifestyle Vehicle in Arkansas, with the goal of building between 3000 and 6000 units. It still claims to have money set aside for start of production.This was supposed to be the year that American startup Canoo would start building its podlike electric Lifestyle Vehicle, but it’s now looking like the project may never get fully off the ground. In its first-quarter earnings report, Canoo acknowledged that it is running out of cash, writing that “there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

Canoo MPDV.
Canoo

According to Canoo, the Arkansas company has $104.9 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31. Meanwhile, Canoo says that in the first three months of this year, it lost a whopping $125.4 million, versus the first quarter of 2021 when Canoo lost $15.2 million. Canoo was founded in 2017 under the name Evelozcity after former BMW executive Stefan Krause jumped ship from perennially troubled startup Faraday Future. Canoo unveiled the Lifestyle Vehicle in 2019, revealed a delivery van called the MPDV in 2020, and showed a pickup truck in 2021.

Despite the dire financial circumstances, the earnings report also stated that the company has “more than $600 million in accessible capital to support Start of Production.” Canoo claims it built 17 production-intent prototypes in the first quarter, bringing the total prototype count to 39 vehicles, and completed more than 2000 miles of winter testing. Canoo also says it constructed battery modules for 43 test vehicles. The startup claims it has more than 17,500 preorders and did not explicitly revise its plans to start production this year in Arkansas. Canoo had previously announced that it was aiming to build between 3000 and 6000 units in 2022, but we would be surprised if even one consumer-ready Canoo ever rolls off the production line.
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The 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V debuts with a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque.Cadillac says it can hit 60 mph in under 4.4 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 110 mph.The Escalade-V will start at $149,990 when it goes on sale late this summer.Certain Cadillacs are meant to be driven at the track, and others are meant to be driven to the track. The new 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V falls into the latter category. However, this three-ton SUV still makes for one helluva shuttle thanks to the 682-hp supercharged V-8 hiding under its hood.

This marks the first time an Escalade has worn the brand’s V badge, which broadcasts its high-performance nature. Its 6.2-liter V-8 is essentially the same engine used by the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In fact, they’re both hand-built at the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The biggest difference is the SUV has a 2.7-liter supercharger versus the sedan’s 1.7-liter unit. This helps the Escalade-V generate 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque—14 more horses and 6 fewer pound-feet than the CT5-V Blackwing.

Cadillac

All that power is channeled through a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, there’s no setting to route torque exclusively to the rear axle, so smoky burnouts sound like a no-go. The Escalade-V does have an electronic limited-slip differential for maximizing traction, though, and it also has a launch-control feature that can be activated in V-Mode. Cadillac estimates the super Slade can hit 60 mph in under 4.4 seconds and quotes a quarter-mile time of 12.7 seconds at 110 mph. We’ll verify those claims once we have the chance to test one.Every Escalade-V has specially tuned adaptive dampers and air springs at all four corners, with stiffer springs in the rear. Drivers can also choose between Tour and Sport settings for the suspension, steering, brake-pedal feel, and engine sound. There are multiple adjustments for the all-wheel-drive system and engine performance that include a snow/ice mode. These can be accessed by punching the V-Mode button on the center console, which also automatically lowers the ride height by 0.8 inch.
Compared with the blingy standard Escalade, the 2023 Escalade-V has a more menacing appearance. There’s no chrome trim or brightwork. The huge mesh grille is black (obviously), as are the window moldings, the lower trim pieces, and the quad exhaust tips that flank the faux rear diffuser. A set of gigantic 22-inch rims comes standard, available in black or gray. Behind the wheels are red calipers; a pair of Brembo six-piston units pinch the massive 16.1-inch iron front rotors, and single-piston calipers clamp the 13.5-inch rear rotors. Cadillac says it won’t offer summer tires on the Escalade-V. Instead, all models come with a set of 275/55R-22 all-seasons. The V is also rated to tow 7000 pounds, which is 1000 pounds less than the non-supercharged V-8 model with all-wheel drive. When the 682-hp, 6200-plus-pound three-row SUV isn’t shocking unsuspecting passengers with its heart-stopping takeoffs and snarling, supercharged soundtrack, Cadillac’s luxury pedigree should be on full display. Every Escalade-V has black or Dark Auburn leather in all three rows plus shiny zebrawood trim, and front-seat riders are treated to heated and ventilated cushions with massage functions. As on other Escalades, the V has an enormous curved OLED display with three screens measuring a total of 38 inches. The screen size is almost matched by the 36 speakers that come with the AKG audio system. The Caddy’s other marvel is its optional $2500 Super Cruise hands-free driving tech. However, due to the chip shortage, it’s expected to have late availability.
Cadillac says the Escalade-V is “the industry’s most powerful full-size SUV,” but that’s an easy claim to make when there’s no direct competition. The company shouldn’t have any problem selling them, either, even with a startling starting price of $149,990. (Compare that to the regular Escalade, which starts at $77,840.) The long-wheelbase ESV also receives the V treatment, and opting for it is expected to cost an extra $3000. Both models will have limited availability based on volume, but Cadillac wouldn’t disclose numbers and insists the decision is based on keeping the Escalade-V “exclusive and exciting” and not the chip shortage. Whatever the reason, the company won’t be taking reservations before the 2023 Escalade-V and Escalade-V ESV go on sale late this summer.
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