Motor News

Tobias Moers is replaced as the boss of Aston Martin after less than two years. Former Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa is the new Aston boss. Another ex-Ferrari exec, Roberto Fedeli, is set to become Aston CTO.It has not quite been two years since we last told you about Aston Martin ousting a CEO and installing a replacement from another automaker. Now history is repeating with confirmation that the AMG executive who took the top job at the British sports-car maker in 2020, Tobias Moers, is himself leaving—and is being succeeded by one-time Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa.The official release announcing the change thanked Moers for his service to Aston, and said that—although he has already left the company’s board—he will continue to support the leadership team until the end of July. Felisa is already a non-executive director of Aston Martin, but previously worked at Ferrari for 26 years, leading road car development for much of that time and latterly as the Italian company’s CEO. Yet at 76 years of age, Felisa seems unlikely to be taking on such a demanding and likely stressful new job for the long haul. He will be joined at Aston by another former Ferrari executive, Roberto Fedeli, who will serve as Chief Technical Officer.

While Moers’s sometimes abrasive management style was at least partially responsible for some of Aston’s executive exodus (chief designer Miles Nurnberger, chief engineer Matt Becker and head of Special Operations David King all left last year) the German did help to bring some much-needed stability to the brand and also to increase sales. Aston’s first-quarter results for 2022, released alongside news of Moers’ departure, show that although the company is still losing money it has increased revenues and is on track to deliver more than 6600 cars globally this year. Last year it managed 6182. Moers also spearheaded development of the well-received Vantage F1 Edition, DBX 707 and the sold-out Vantage V12.

Aston Martin DBX 707
Aston Martin

But Moers also seems to have had a strained relationship with Aston’s executive chairman, Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who also owns a substantial stake in the company. In January Autocar reported that Moers’s future was in doubt, and although the company responded with a statement denying the claims, the relationship only lasted for another five months.What does this mean for Aston products? In the short term, probably not a great deal: development of revised versions of the company’s sports-car range is well underway, and Aston has already agreed a deal with Mercedes for widespread technology sharing. But Felisa’s arrival suggests there may well be another change of direction for Aston’s supercar projects, with the company having previously committed to developing two mid-engined models around a hybridized powertrain. The original plan had been for Aston to develop its own electrically assisted V-6 for these, one that Moers switched to proposed use of an AMG-sourced V-8. Given Felisa and Fedeli’s long association with Ferrari, another new direction may be on the cards, with Aston insiders saying consideration is already being given to opening an engineering center in Italy. Whether those models can bring the volumes that Aston needs for long-term viability is a different question: the official target is to move production to 10,000 cars a year, something that would doubtless be made easier in the current market with more SUV variants than pure-blooded sports cars.One thing we can safely predict is that Aston’s future will continue to provide plenty of drama, as well as—we hope—compelling products. We promise to report all of it.

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Fisker has shown a teaser image for what will be its third model, after the Ocean and the Pear, called Project Ronin.The slinky sports car is aiming to have the longest range for a production EV and will include active aerodynamics and snazzy doors. A full reveal will come in August of 2023, with Fisker aiming for production in the second half of 2024.Production of Fisker’s first new electric vehicle, the Ocean crossover, is set to begin this November, but before the Ocean officially arrives Fisker has already announced what it hopes will become its third model. Dubbed Project Ronin, the vehicle will be an electric sports car with seating for four and dramatic proportions, as revealed by the accompanying teaser image.

The Fisker Ocean.
Fisker

The name is a reference to the 1998 action film Ronin, starring Robert De Niro and remembered for its realistic car chases featuring European sedans sliding around Paris and the French countryside. Development of the grand touring sports car began last year, and Fisker’s lofty goal is for the Ronin to have “the world’s longest range for a production EV.” That means it will have to beat the Lucid Air, which is rated to deliver up to 520 miles of range by the EPA. Fisker claims that Project Ronin will have “an innovative battery design” that incorporates the battery pack into the structure of the vehicle. The sports car will also feature active aerodynamics and lightweight materials.

Fisker also says the Ronin will have unique doors that improve ingress and egress, but didn’t reveal what form these apertures will take. The cabin is described as “a luxurious, sustainable vegan interior.” Fisker says that Project Ronin will be fully unveiled in August 2023, with production beginning in the second half of 2024. Before then, Fisker is expected to reveal its second crossover, the Pear, with sales also planned for 2024.
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• We chose this 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 as our Bring a Trailer pick today. (BaT, like Car and Driver, is owned by Hearst Autos.• The Chevelle has a four-speed manual and a 402 cubic inch V-8 engine.• The auction ends in four days and bidding currently sits at over $55,000.Let us tell you what Melba Toast is packin’ here, all right. We got 3:31 Positrac out back, 402 cubic inches, 10.25:1 pistons, single four-barrel carb, Turbo-Jet 350 horsepower. We’re talkin’ some muscle. Say, do you own this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 that’s on Bring a Trailer? No? It’d be a lot cooler if you did.

Bring a Trailer

That’s because this car has a Muncie M-21 four-speed transmission, front disc brakes and cowl induction, for when your buddy rolls up alongside in White Lightning and wants to prove he’s got better shoes. But this isn’t some stripped down racer, no sir. It’s got luxury, too—check out the vinyl roof and AM/FM radio. And that trunk would look just right filled with ice and your favorite beverages when there’s a fiesta in the making out at the moontower. The spare tire is in there, too.No need to have your friends watch the leather, man, because the interior is black vinyl. It used to have a white interior, but black was the original so they put it back that way. Crazy. Speaking of, what’s up with the badges saying “396” but the engine is a 402? Did it get bored out or something along the way? No, that’s just what Chevy did back in ’70. They stashed an extra six cubes in there and didn’t tell anybody. Right on. That’s what we call livin’, man: L-I-V-I-N.

Bring a Trailer

The older you get, the more rules they’re going to try to get you to follow, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding whether to bid on one of the last great Heavy Chevys. Maybe your financial advisor says not to invest in Chevelles, but that’s what a square would say. A car like this keeps getting older, but it’ll always make you feel the same age. Alright, alright.

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UPDATE 5/4/2022: DeLorean’s revealed even more of the upcoming EVolved’s rear end, including the vehicle’s full-width taillight and badging.UPDATE 4/4/2022: DeLorean revealed the first image of the upcoming EVolved. The company plans to reveal this new model at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18, a few days before its originally planned reveal on the event’s Concept Lawn. The image shows the left-rear corner of the electric car, including its wide rear fenders, louvered rear roof panel, and silver and black two-tone paint job, which appears to be a nod to the original DeLorean’s stainless steel body panels and black trim pieces.Not everyone is familiar with the DeLorean Motor Company name, but most people know the automaker’s now legendary product: the DMC DeLorean. Although sold only for the 1981–1983 model years, the sports car’s stainless steel body panels and gullwing doors made it—and continue to make it—a wholly unique and head-turning vehicle. No wonder director Robert Zemeckis chose the car to serve as the time machine in the Back to the Future movie franchise.

It was only a matter of time, then, until another entity brought the notorious vehicle back to life. DeLorean Motors Reimagined is doing just that. The company, whose largest shareholder is the DeLorean Motor Company that sells parts for and restores original DeLoreans, is set to reveal its new-age take on John Z. DeLorean’s classic coupe at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.

DeLorean

The car DeLorean parks on the Concept Lawn at the Concours will bear the name EVolved and is set to preview the company’s low-volume production vehicle. Unlike the gasoline-powered DeLorean of yore, the EVolved will receive motivation from a battery-electric powertrain. Company officials are keeping mum on most of the car’s key details at the moment, but chief executive officer Joost de Vries, who previously held positions at companies such as Volvo and Tesla, shared with Car and Driver that the reborn DeLorean is expected to offer at least 300 miles of driving range.The finished product ought to crib styling cues from its forebear without recycling its looks. As chief marketing officer Troy Beetz said, the car the company plans to show off at Pebble Beach imagines what a modern DeLorean might look like “had it been around for the last 40 years.”Whether this results in a car that turns heads in the same way its predecessor did remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the company wants to create a vehicle that caters to people’s emotions, with de Vries divulging that the forthcoming DeLorean sacrifices some aerodynamic efficiency in the name of style.

Nicole Rivelli Photographie

Despite its looks, the original DeLorean’s performance was rather unimpressive. Don’t expect that facet of the old car to carry over to the new one. Although de Vries was adamant about the DeLorean redux “not [being] a hypercar,” he did state that the company is engineering the vehicle to appeal to “people who want to drive.”It’s clear the folks spearheading this project possess the experience and passion to theoretically create a competitive high-end electric sports car. Still, it’s neither easy nor inexpensive for a rather small organization to build and produce a new and profitable vehicle. We certainly want to believe in the promise of a modern-day DeLorean, and we’re excited to see what the company brings to Pebble in August. That said, we’ll likely maintain a bit of healthy skepticism until we see the operation start delivering vehicles to customers.
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Kia has updated the Soul for 2023 with new front- and rear-end designs.The Turbo model and X-Line trim level have been dropped from the lineup.The 2023 Soul will arrive at dealerships in late summer.Kia has been working to simplify the Soul lineup for a few years now: after dropping the base model’s manual transmission last year, it’s now killing off the optional 201-horsepower Turbo engine and the rugged-looking X-Line trim level along with the 2023 Soul’s facelift.

This leaves the Soul’s sole engine option as a 147-hp naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four with a continuously variable automatic transmission. In our testing, this version got to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds, while the Turbo did the deed in 6.4 seconds. The trim levels that remain include LX, S, EX, and GT-Line.
All of those models benefit from new styling for 2023, which includes reshaped headlights and a different front bumper, along with new taillights and a revised rear fascia. New 17- and 18-inch wheel designs complete the new look. Kia is offering two new two-tone color combinations: Surf Blue with a black roof, like you see here, and Clear White with a black roof.Kia has yet to announce pricing, but we think it’ll rise slightly from the current model’s starting price of $20,545.
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BMW M has posted photos of a prototype for the next-generation M2.It has a wider body than the 2-series coupe and is packing considerably more horsepower. A manual transmission is rumored.We expect the new M2 to debut later this year.We like the latest generation of the BMW 2-series coupe quite a bit, but the high-performance M2 is what enthusiasts are really waiting for. BMW M gave us a taste of what’s to come by posting these photos of a camouflaged M2 prototype on Instagram and announcing that it will start production at the company’s plant in Mexico by the end of this year.
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The M2 has a considerably wider body than the 2-series coupe, with the difference especially noticeable around the rear haunches. We can also see quad exhaust tips, larger wheels and tires, and a few extra vents for enhanced cooling. The M2’s interior likely won’t be that different than the standard 2-series coupe’s, meaning it’ll offer a usable set of rear seats unlike many of its sports-car competitors.

The outgoing M2 used the S55 twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, which produced 405 hp in the Competition model. BMW may switch the new model to a version of the S58 twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 473 hp in the base version of the M3 and M4. It likely won’t have as much power as those cars, but it’ll have to sit somewhere in the mid-400-hp range in order to provide a significant boost over its predecessor and the current M240i’s single-turbo B58 engine, which makes 382 hp.Thankfully, we’ve heard rumors that BMW will continue to offer a manual transmission in the M2 despite removing that option from the base 230i and M240i models. It’ll likely be the same six-speed unit from the M3. We’re not sure if the automatic-transmission option will be a dual-clutch unit, like the last M2’s, or the torque-converter eight-speed auto from the M3 Competition.Look for more official information to come within the next few months, as we expect BMW to reveal the new M2 in the fall before it goes on sale by the end of the year.
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Several stolen Chevy Camaros led authorities on a high-speed chase that ended in multiple arrests, according to Twitter posts by the Michigan State Police.The Camaros, including at least two 650-hp ZL1s, were stolen from an assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan.Other local news outlets, such as the Detroit Free Press, reported that the chase included a drone, a helicopter, spike strips, and speeds of over 100 mph. A heist involving multiple brand-new Chevy Camaros leads to a wild police chase that includes a drone, a helicopter, spike strips, and triple-digit speeds. That’s not a scene from a new Fast & Furious film or Grand Theft Auto video game, it’s a real-life incident that occurred early yesterday morning, according to posts on social media by the Michigan State Police as well as reports from local news outlets.

Just after midnight on Monday, the MSP posted on Twitter that multiple vehicles had been reported stolen from GM’s Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan, and that officers were patrolling I-96 for the suspects. As it turns out, the stolen cars were five Camaros, including at least two 650-hp ZL1 models that have a claimed top speed of 190 mph. When it became clear that the suspects, who were allegedly traveling at speeds over 100 mph, weren’t stopping, an epic chase ensued. It eventually spread across three different counties, with the suspects at some point splitting into two separate groups of two to four cars.

Michigan State Police

Michigan State Police

At least eight different police departments were involved in the pursuit, according to the MSP. Along with a police helicopter, the Detroit Free Press reported that drones were also used during the chase. Authorities were able to stop some of the Camaros with spike strips while others lost control and crashed. Some of the suspects tried to flee on foot before finally being arrested. Photos on the MSP’s Twitter page show four different models either crashed or disabled on the side of the road. We recognize a coupe and convertible ZL1 plus two other black coupes that could be V-8-powered SS models.

Michigan State Police

Miraculously, no pedestrians and none of the suspects or police officers involved in the hot pursuit were injured. The MSP said that nine men between the ages of 20 and 24 were arrested and taken into custody. They face multiple charges that include fleeing and eluding police as well as receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle. It’s estimated that the total value of the stolen Camaros is around $375,000.
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The 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate features a dark chrome look for the exterior and an interior with nicer leather.The 16-way power front seats feature a massage function and speakers built into the headrests.The Denali Ultimate can also be had with the Super Cruise driver assistance technology and a rear-seat entertainment package. The GMC Yukon Denali is already one of the blingiest SUVs on sale thanks to its glitzy chrome grille and well-appointed interior. But now GMC is turning the Yukon’s opulence up a notch with the 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate, a new range-topper that brings subtle exterior tweaks, nicer interior materials, and even more technology to the already luxurious Denali.
You might expect every inch of an even swankier Denali to be coated in chrome, but in fact the Denali Ultimate gets a more understated look, with much of the trim bearing a darkened “Vader” chrome look. The GMC badges feature a darker finish, but GMC did leave some trim in a brighter coating, such as around the windows, for contrast. The Denali Ultimate also gains unique, 22-inch, seven-spoke wheels. The biggest upgrades are to the interior. All three rows of seating are wrapped in richer leather with plaited stitching, and the front thrones are 16-way adjustable and equipped with a massage function. The dashboard features Paldao wood trim with a topographical map of Mount Denali etched in, which is echoed on the seat backs. Aluminum trim completes the look.The Denali Ultimate is also packed with features. There’s a new 18-speaker Bose sound system with speakers built into the headrests and an optional rear-seat entertainment package that attaches screens to the back of the front seats. But the real highlight is the optional Super Cruise driver assistance tech, which includes automatic lane changing and a setting designed for towing.

The 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate comes with the 6.2-liter V-8 or an optional Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel, with both engines mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Magnetorheological dampers and an air suspension also come standard.The Yukon Denali Ultimate goes on sale this fall. GMC has yet to release pricing, but given that its pickup-truck sibling, the Sierra Denali Ultimate, carries a $20,000 premium over the standard Sierra Denali, we expect the Yukon Denali Ultimate to ring in close to $92,000.
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