Motor News

The 2023 Lexus RZ450e debuts as the first electric vehicle the luxury brand has offered in America.It shares a platform with the Toyota bZ4X, but the RZ450e has more power and a ritzier interior.The RZ450e’s dual electric motors combine for around 300 horsepower, and Lexus estimates a 225-mile range.With the reveal of the 2023 Lexus RZ450e, the luxury automaker introduces its first electric vehicle to U.S. customers. While it shares a platform with the Toyota bZ4X, this Lexus EV pumps up the performance and increases the overall opulence compared to its mainstream counterpart.

The first thing that stands out about the RZ450e is its sharply creased sheetmetal, particularly its angular face. The lighting signature is similar to other Lexus models, and its grille features the brand’s distinctive spindle design, but something’s different. Now called the “spindle body,” the surfaces are mostly smooth for aerodynamic purposes, and Lexus says the RZ450e’s design language prefaces future EV models.
As with the bZ4X, the RZ450e rides on the e-TNGA platform that Toyota co-developed with Subaru. Lexus calls its dual-electric-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain Direct4. The motor up front is rated at 201 horsepower and the one in the rear is rated at 107 horses, so we expect their combined output to be about 300 horses. That’s considerably more powerful than the 214-hp bZ4X. Another component the electrified Lexus and Toyota share is a battery pack. The RZ450e’s battery has approximately 65.0-kWh of useable capacity, which Lexus estimates will earn about 225 miles of range per charge. The company hasn’t yet released details about peak charging rate or estimated charging time.
Inside, the RZ450e looks like it caters to a more affluent clientele than its Toyota cousin. The cabin is said to be styled with simplicity in mind and is lined with upscale materials. While Lexus has confirmed that the RZ450e will be offered with a yoke-style steering wheel, these photos only show the standard, circular wheel. A 14.0-inch touchscreen controls the infotainment system, which has the same new software we’ve seen on the Lexus NX and LX models. The RZ450e also comes standard with a panoramic sunroof that includes a dimming function and a host of driver-assistance technology, such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. Among its more desirable options are a head-up display as well as a feature that allows drivers to remotely parallel park the vehicle.Lexus hasn’t yet announced pricing for the 2023 RZ450e, but we expect it to start at around $50,000 when it goes on sale closer to the end of this year.
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Hyundai has revealed a camper version of the cool-looking Staria van.It has lay-flat seats, a mattress, a sink, and a refrigerator.The Staria Lounge Camper will be sold in Korea for the equivalent of between $40,000–$50,000.Hyundai’s futuristic-looking Staria was begging for the camper treatment, and the company has finally indulged adventurers by building a factory pop-top version of the Korea-market van. It’s called the Staria Lounge Camper and will be offered with up to eleven-passenger capacity and a variety of modifications.

The most obvious change is the electrically operated pop-top roof, which creates space for a two-person mattress—included with the camper version—to fit up there. There’s also an extendable awning with built-in LED lights. The seats inside the cabin can also lay flat to provide more sleeping space. A water tank is included for the sink, and there’s a built-in refrigerator that runs off an external power supply.

Hyundai

The Staria Lounge Camper is only offered with either white or black exterior paint, but the interior is available in either black or brown. Hyundai hasn’t said which engines the camper version will offer, but the standard Staria has either a 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 or a 2.2-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder.We’re not expecting to see the Staria make its way to the U.S. in any form, sadly. But the camper version will be sold in Korea starting at around $40,000, with loaded versions costing around $55,000. Apart from the Mercedes Weekender that’s currently offered here, American outdoors enthusiasts’ best hope for a futuristic-looking factory camper van is the VW ID.Buzz, which may eventually be offered on our shores with a pop top.

Hyundai

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GM has filed a patent for autonomous driver-training technology, as first reported by Motor1.Instead of a human instructor, the system evaluates and trains novice drivers using various methods.GM’s system can give greater control to the driver-in-training if they achieve a high enough score.Human driving instructors might soon be replaced by computerized ones. No, not full-blown robots, but rather autonomous vehicles. That’s the idea behind the driver-training technology that’s described in a patent that General Motors filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as first reported by Motor1.

GM’s patent describes autonomous technology that doesn’t require a living, breathing driving instructor. Instead, the system is designed to evaluate and train novice drivers by using a combination of sensors for the car’s autonomous features as well as monitoring how the driver-in-training operates controls such as the accelerator, brake, and steering. The system also uses a processor with a driving algorithm stored in the car’s memory. By comparing the trainee’s manual inputs with recommended driving instructions, the processor calculates a score.

USPTO

From the sound of it, the score that GM’s autonomous driver-training feature calculates is similar to a grade given by a human instructor. The patent states that this score can be shared with third parties, too. Most importantly, it’s used to determine if the driver meets predetermined thresholds. It then selectively gives the driver greater control of various vehicle functions based on how their score compares with the preset thresholds. That sounds a lot more intuitive than the trial-by-fire method of letting young Kyle or Kelly learn how to navigate busy intersections or merge onto the freeway before they’re fully prepared.

While we’re not entirely sure if this system will be offered on personal vehicles, the patent points out that the technology could be used as part of a fleet for driver-education purposes. It also mentions the possible advantages of using autonomy to teach new drivers versus human instructors. Not only can real people be prone to bias, the patent suggests, but traditional training techniques might be more expensive and less efficient than autonomous techniques. We also don’t know if GM has any kind of timeline for rolling this technology out to the public, but it is encouraging to see that in the future the technology can be used to train people how to drive rather than mainly taking that ability away from them.
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• If your Aventador Ultimae went down with the ship, consider owning this Countach in a few days for the same money.• Lamborghini produced only 610 Quattrovalvole models from 1985 to 1988, and this one is up for auction until Monday, April 25.• Countach ownership comes with lifetime rights to valet in front of any Miami nightclub.Scissor doors started with the Lamborghini Countach. Technically, they debuted on another Marcello Gandini masterpiece a few years prior, but never had a car designer insisted on vertical hinges and hydraulic struts to hold a door in place. It made no practical sense in 1974, and it still makes insurance adjusters squeamish in 2022. This 1987 Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole is selling for twice the price of the new Huracán Tecnica because it has two doors that open the right way. It’s on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—and quietly sitting in Seekonk, Massachusetts, ready to re-enact Cannonball Run.

Bring a Trailer

The winning bidder gets a DVD of that 1981 film, itself a reenactment of our very own Cannonball Run. Even better are the new spark plugs, fresh period-correct Pirelli P7s with the most extreme stagger ever (225 front/345 rear), and everything in dizzyingly immaculate condition except a power mirror switch. Not that mirrors matter on a Countach.

The red over tan scheme is called Rosso Siviglia sull Senape, so practice those words during the first few miles (there are about 4500 on the odometer, which reads in kilometers). And then, it’s a Quattrovalvole: Four valves per cylinder, 48 in total, coaxing even more power out of the 5.2-liter V-12 and helping produce the most godly vocals of any 1980s supercar. Lamborghini built 610 Countach models to QV spec between 1985 and 1988 and just 66 with fuel injection. This is one of them.

Bring a Trailer

As with every V-12 Lamborghini built until a few years ago, handling and agility were not included by the factory despite the two seats hovering inches above the ground and the OZ wheels with their punch-hole “phone dial” design. There is no lightness to the controls. A few Countach owners are so exasperated from working the pedals and steering that they’ve retrofitted electric power assist and looser throttle cables. The seller of this Countach is not one of them.

Bring a Trailer

With a week to go before the auction ends on Monday, April 25, bidding is at $500,000. A little advice for the Countach’s next owner: We recommend the immediate removal of the American bumper extensions that tarnish a Bugatti Chiron or Aston Martin Vantage as badly as this 1987 Lambo. Gandini wasn’t concerned with our 5-mph bumper laws designed to help Oldsmobile drivers back into another car at Sears without damage. For parking, however, Lamborghini believed the scissor doors aided in rearward visibility so a driver could lean their head out and rest on the sill while feathering the clutch. Wisely, instead of some atrocious add-on backup camera from Amazon, the seller replaced the driver’s-side door strut. It’s the most important part on a Countach.

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Ferrari has converted the 296GTB into a convertible, the 296GTS, and it uses the same 819-hp hybrid V-6 setup as its coupe counterpart.The car’s retractable hard top can deploy or retract in 14 seconds at up to 28 mph.The 296GTS can also be had with the weight-saving Assetto Fiorano package and can match the GTB on acceleration and top speed. Last June, Ferrari unleashed the 819-hp 296GTB, powered by the first roadgoing Ferrari V-6 engine since the Dino of the late 1960s and early 1970s and featuring a Formula 1–inspired hybrid system. Now, with summer on the horizon, Ferrari has unveiled the 296GTS, which turns the GTB coupe into a hardtop convertible claimed to offer the same scintillating performance.
The powertrain of the 296GTS remains unchanged from its fixed-roof brother. That means a 120-degree 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 good for 654 horsepower. This engine is coupled with an MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic) that draws on Ferrari’s extensive Formula 1 knowledge and adds an extra 164 hp. Although the GTS weighs 154 pounds more than the GTB in its lightest configuration, Ferrari still claims a sprint to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and a 205-mph top speed.

The biggest change, of course, is the roof. Now called GTS—for Gran Turismo Spider—the 296 gains a retractable hard top that can go up or down in just 14 seconds at speeds up to 28 mph. With the roof up, the GTS is virtually indistinguishable from the 296GTB. With the press of a button, the roof folds in two and nestles in above the engine bay, although a window at the rear still allows for a peek at the 120-degree V-6. Ferrari also redesigned the chassis for the GTS, working on the A-pillar, B-pillar, and side sills to maintain torsional rigidity and bending stiffness. Inside, Ferrari has reworked the seats and added aerodynamic flaps on the rear trim structure to minimize buffeting and make for a more comfortable top-down experience. Like the GTB, the GTS is available with the Assetto Fiorano package, which shaves off weight and prepares the 296 for track duty. There’s no word yet on when the 296GTS will go on sale or how much it will cost, but we would expect at least a $20,000 increase over the GTB’s $322,986 starting price based on Ferrari’s previous droptop offerings.
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The Audi Urbansphere is a concept car that looks a lot like a minivan to us.It has a 396-hp electric powertrain and a 120.0-kWh battery pack.A production version of this could be sold in China eventually, but we doubt it would ever reach the U.S.The third of Audi’s “Sphere” concepts, following the Skysphere convertible and Grandsphere sedan, is something completely different. Called the Urbansphere, this latest vehicle can’t be mistaken for anything other than a minivan.

While many of the Urbansphere’s styling cues, including the headlights and the closed-off grille, appear to be cribbed from the Q4 e-tron electric crossover, the concept’s proportions scream family hauler. It has a short hood, a swept-back windshield, lots of glass, and an upright tailgate. The Urbansphere is a massive 217.0 inches long and 79.1 inches wide—significantly bigger than any other vehicle Audi has ever made—and Audi says it has a huge 70.0 inches of headroom. The fanciful concept-car-style interior only has four seats, but each is an elegant-looking lounge chair that can swivel and recline in several different ways.
The Urbansphere is electric, naturally, and rides on the VW Group’s PPE platform that will underpin future Audi EVs including the A6 e-tron. Audi says its battery pack measures about 120.0 kWh and claims its electric motors produce 396 hp and 509 pound-feet of torque. The wheels measure a huge 24 inches, the suspension uses air springs, and there’s a rear-wheel steering system to aid maneuverability.Audi is upfront about how the Chinese market is the focal point for this concept car, as this type of vehicle is popular there as a way of chauffeuring people around. Lexus also launched a van for China, and Buick offers many luxurious versions of its GL8 minivan for Chinese customers. We wouldn’t be shocked if Audi builds a production version of the Urbansphere, but there’s no chance it would ever reach the U.S. if so. An Audi minivan may not have been on our bingo card for 2022, but the Urbansphere is nonetheless a cool concept car that takes the brand in an unexpected direction.

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The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is the latest model in the Mercedes EQ electric lineup.It has an optional third row that allows seating for seven and, in the dual-motor EQS580 4Matic version, has 536 horsepower.Mercedes hasn’t released an official range rating for the EQS SUV, but we expect it’ll go at least 300 miles per charge.Mercedes is finally ready for the world to meet the 2023 EQS SUV, the third model on the automaker’s dedicated battery-electric EVA2 platform after the EQS and EQE sedans. Because obedience to aerodynamics forbids anything like the grandiose form factor of the GLS-class, the EQS SUV looks more like a svelte but stout wagon. Think of this as an EQS sedan and then some.

That starts with output. The single-motor, rear-wheel-drive EQS450+ SUV makes 355 horsepower, 26 horses more than the equivalent EQS sedan, and 419 pound-feet of torque. The dual motors in the EQS580 4Matic SUV produce 536 hp, 20 horses more than in the comparable sedan, and 633 pound-feet of torque. With an already prodigious benchmark in the EQS sedan, we suspect the SUV’s accretions will be too meager to be felt in the seat of any banker’s slacks.

Mercedes-Benz

What will be felt is the extra room inside, packed into a shell that’s not too far off the sedan’s, sizewise. The five-seat EQS SUV’s 126.4-inch wheelbase is the same as the sedan’s, but the SUV’s body is 3.4 inches shorter, at 202 inches. The roof stands 8.5 inches higher than the EQS sedan, at 68 inches, but front-row headroom with the panoramic sunroof (standard for the U.S. market) is 0.6 inch more. Compared to the ICE-powered GLS SUV, the EQS SUV is three inches shorter in length, its roof sitting 3.8 inches lower.Optional third-row seating makes this the second all-electric EQ sub-brand vehicle that can carry seven, joining the EQB on the water polo team shuttle run. The second row can slide five inches, and the backrest moves forward to ease ingress to the third row. Mercedes hasn’t given a legroom measurement for this ultimate pew, but the automaker does not advise the same 5’4″ maximum height recommendation here as it does with the EQB. We were able to slide our hale 5’11” frame into the third row during an EQS SUV walkaround in Germany, but we wouldn’t want to be back there long.

Mercedes-Benz

Load space in the five-seat version ranges from 23 to 31 cubic feet behind the second row, and the middle bench seatback can incline 14 degrees forward to make room for bulky cargo without having to be completely lowered. The seven-seater tops out at 28 cubic feet with the third row down. If you raise the last row, shopping-bag space shrinks to seven cubic feet. Battery specs for the 12-module pack in the floor hew to those of the sedan: 107.8-kWh capacity, 9.6-kW onboard charger, 200-kW maximum DC fast charging speed, 31 minutes at full juice to get from a 10 percent to an 80 percent state of charge. As Mercedes continues to fine-tune the production model, engineers are not yet ready to offer a curb weight, coefficient of drag, or range figure. The U.S. EPA rated the EQS450+ sedan at 350 miles on a charge and the EQS580 sedan at 340 miles. Figure a small drop from those numbers for the SUV because of the less slippery form factor and likely greater weight.

Mercedes-Benz

When we got a shotgun-seat ride in a camouflaged prototype a month ago, Mercedes showed us the Off-Road driving mode but wouldn’t tell us much about it. It will only be available on the EQS SUV, not the sedan, and is limited to trims with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Developed for the few times the EQS SUV finds itself on an unbeaten track, the Off-Road settings raise the SUV up almost an inch, a feature Mercedes believes might be useful “for steep driveways or speed bumps.” We think the variable ESP settings will do more good. In the Off-Road mode with ESP on, the EQS SUV limits wheelspin on wet ground; with ESP off, the vehicle permits the kind of copious slip necessary to trudge through sand.The 2023 EQS SUV hits the market later this year, with pricing to be announced closer to launch.
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The Ford Bronco is one of the most capable and desirable off-roaders on sale today. As such, we’ve all gotten to watch videos of these SUVs pulling off some incredible feats on the trails. That said, one Bronco driver out in Bar Harbor, Maine, learned the limits of their new 4×4 the hard way when it became lodged on a sandbar over the weekend. Unfortunately for them, that ill-advised parking spot has seen the truck drowned in several feet of deep Atlantic water. According to WDEA, the Bronco became stuck on the sandbar this past Saturday afternoon. The driver was reportedly doing donuts with the 4×4 before becoming unable to free themself. While simply getting stuck on a beach might not always be the worst case scenario, this particular owner seems to have missed the nearby warning signs that point out the dangerously high tides in the area. Perhaps that lack of local knowledge can be explained by the truck’s New Jersey plates. Either way, things became very expensive shortly thereafter.

Regardless of how it was placed there, the Bronco could not be extricated before the deeper water returned from the sea. The incoming tides drowned the 4×4 up to the base of the windshield, which had to be an awful sight for the owner. The Bronco might be able to survive fording through 33.5-inches of water, but there isn’t a chance it will survive this ordeal. Attempts were once again made to rescue the SUV on Easter morning, though you can watch how that ended in the video.It can be hard not to feel invincible when you’re behind the wheel of something like the Bronco. With the capability on offer from a modern 4×4, it isn’t hard for an inexperienced owner to get a bit overconfident. Hopefully the owner of this particular Bronco doesn’t have to wait terribly long for a replacement.

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