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Here’s the plan. First, sneak into the lot where the automaker keeps the expensive vehicles that it just built but hasn’t shipped out to customers yet. In this case, Stellantis.Second, find the keys stored in the vehicles, and, even though these are secured lots, smash your way through a gate or a fence and drive away.Third, do it again a few nights later. Just watch out, as police are investigating.Brand-new trucks are disappearing out of the parking lot outside Detroit-area assembly plants in a new twist on car theft—so brand-new, they are still in the custody of the manufacturer. Truck thieves have targeted at least three locations full of new vehicles in the metro Detroit area recently. The details of these thefts are under investigation, but the general plan seems to be that the thieves break into the lot somehow and then drive the new trucks away, maybe by smashing a gate or fence on the way out. A Stellantis spokesperson responded to Car and Driver’s inquiry about these news reports with a short statement on the situation. The statement said Stellantis is working with the Sterling Heights Police Department on the theft of several vehicles from a shipping yard that services the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant managed by a third party.”As this is an open investigation, the Company is not commenting any further on what vehicles were stolen or how they were stolen,” the spokesperson said.

According to an Instagram post by Metro Detroit News, however, at least 15 vehicles have been stolen in the past month, including new Ram trucks, a Jeep Wagoneer, Charger Hellcats, and a Jeep Trackhawk. Stellantis locations that have been claimed to have vehicles stolen recently include a lot in Shelby Township, the Chrysler plant in Auburn Hills, and the Jefferson Assembly plant in Detroit. At least four trucks were stolen from one location in a single night, including a Ram TRX worth more than $100,000. The thief driving one of the trucks quickly crashed the new car into a nearby semi truck before being picked up by a thief in a different stolen truck. Metro Detroit News said it can’t confirm if all of these thefts are connected, but there are definite connections between some of them. They claim that two high-end vehicles, including a $90,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, were stolen from the Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant a few weeks ago and then, in an unusual twist, the thieves used the Trackhawk to go back to the lot and steal a Dodge Challenger Hellcat a few days later.It might be easier to steal these new vehicles than outsiders assume, according to a report by Detroit’s WDIV news channel that notes that Stellantis and its partners do use prominent security guards at these locations. But the automaker could possibly change a policy to make these new vehicles more difficult to steal.”Insiders tell us it’s really no secret that keys are put in these brand-new, high-dollar trucks and thieves sneak onto the property, somehow undetected, get into the trucks, and wait for the key moment to drive off,” Click On Detroit reporter Shawn Ley said in a video report.Thieves have targeted Detroit-area car factories as easy targets in the past. In 2018, for example, as The Detroit Bureau reported at the time, a group of thieves first stole a 2003 Ram truck, then used that truck to approach the Fiat Chrysler plant in Warren, Michigan, in the middle of the night. From there, they cut a hole through the fence and then drove away with eight new trucks that had recently come off the production line. At the time, there were questions about why the thieves could so easily steal those trucks and it was assumed that the keys were kept in the vehicles. Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on that policy at the time and declined again for this article, but this new wave of thefts will certainly raise that question again.
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Lego will release a Back to the Future Time Machine kit on April 1, saying it was “inspired” by the car used in the films, but we all know it’s a DeLorean.The new building set can be used to make the three versions of the BTTF DeLorean seen in the three movies, but not at the same time.Lego first released an official Back to the Future DeLorean set in 2013, but the new version is larger and way more screen-accurate. It goes on sale next month for $170.Somewhere near the top of the list of instantly recognizable movie cars is the Back to the Future Time Machine, a.k.a. a modified 1981 Delorean DMC-12. Plenty of scale models and toy versions of this iconic vehicle have been released in the past, but a new building set from Lego gives movie fans the chance to build all three versions of the vehicle from the three films.The DeLorean Time Machine most people are familiar with is the one from the first movie, and the Lego version includes a light-up flux capacitor and a box of plutonium to re-create scenes from that movie. You’ll have to buy three sets to display the three versions at the same time, as each box includes different greebles and other design elements to make the car look more like it did in the movie’s future timeline from the second film and the Wild West from the third, including Marty McFly’s hoverboard and either railroad-ready wheels or wheels that fold so the car is ready for flight mode. After all, where we’re going, we don’t need roads.

Lego

The new set comes with two Lego minifigures—of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, of course—even though the car model is nowhere near minifig scale. These are not the first time characters from the Back to the Future films have appeared in Lego form. The company previously released both Doc and Marty as BrickHeadz and, back in 2013, released a minifig-scale DeLorean with the different minifig versions of the two characters. Lego also released two Back to the Future—themed sets for its short-lived Dimensions video game.

Lego

Lego

The Lego Back to the Future Time Machine set goes on sale April 1 and will cost $169.99 for 1872 pieces. While there will be minor differences between the three versions of the DeLorean you can build, the main model ends up being over four inches tall, 15.5 inches wide, and 7.5 inches deep.

LEGO 21103 The Delorean Time Machine Building Set

LEGO
amazon.com

$284.00

Despite the fact that it can’t ever go faster than 88 miles per hour, the Back to the Future DeLorean is a pop-culture superstar. Last year, the National Historic Vehicle Register made the car the 29th entry on its short list of vehicles highlighting “America’s automotive past for future generations.” Another movie car, the 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S seen in The Cannonball Run, was the 30th car added to the list.

The Back to the Future brand has been strong enough to get applied to non-DeLorean vehicles as well. In 2015, Toyota used the movie car’s famous license plate (which reads OUTATIME) on a modified Mirai for display at SEMA that year. Instead of a hydrogen fuel cell, this version was supposedly powered by a cute Mr. Fusion prop created with help from MV Designz. The Mirai was also modified with gullwing doors, something that will be easier to build with Lego bricks than in the real world. Toyota also featured actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in a BTTF-themed ad for the Mirai at the time.
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The 2022 Bentley Bentayga Space Edition is a bespoke model built by Mulliner, the brand’s in-house design division, for one special customer.The Space Edition wears a special greenish-gray Cypress paint job with orange accents inspired by comets’ dust trails.The Bentley’s space theme continues inside with details such as a solar system depicted on the illuminated doorsills.Can you bankroll the 2022 Bentley Bentayga’s six-figure asking price? Do you have a fondness for astronomy, Star Wars, or any other outer-space-related subject matter? Well, apparently one Bentley customer answered yes to all of the above, because someone has commissioned the brand’s in-house design division, Mulliner, to custom-build them a space-themed version of the $262,125 Bentayga Speed.

For those who don’t know or never had a reason to learn, the Bentayga Speed is powered by a 626-hp twin-turbocharged W-12 engine. When we tested a 2017 model–back when it had only 600 horses–it rocketed from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. That’s pretty quick for something that tipped our scales at 5672 pounds. Obviously, we don’t expect the 2022 Bentley Speed to be any slower, but we do expect it to shove its well-heeled passengers into the back of the SUV’s richly appointed seats.
Along with the rest of the cabin, the seats in the bespoke Bentayga (simply dubbed the Space Edition) are wrapped in beautiful materials. Bentley says the “Beluga and Porpoise” color scheme is intended to evoke the night sky. A similar aesthetic inspired the black satin speaker grilles with their illuminated badging, which are meant to resemble stars. Perhaps our favorite detail is the illuminated design in the doorsills depicting planets in a solar system. Can you guess what the splashy orange accents on the bottom spokes of the steering wheel and on the shift lever are designed after? If you guessed burning rocket fuel, you’re wrong. If you guessed solar eruptions, you are correct!
From the outside, the Bentayga Mulliner Space Edition doesn’t have any gaudy graphics or overt references to a galaxy far, far away. But the SUV does look striking in the photos that Bentley released, especially with the starry sky as the backdrop. While the bespoke Bentley’s space theme is more apropos when the sun goes down, a brighter light might shine more attention on its paint job. We’re told its greenish-gray Cypress paint is the same shade that was worn by the first-generation 2003 Bentley Continental GT. Mulliner also replaced the Bentayga’s shiny exterior trim with gloss-black pieces. In another nod to space, the Orange Flame accents on the lower bodywork are likened to comets’ dust trails.
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• The 2006 Ford GT shown here has a current bid of $497,777 on the Bring a Trailer auction website.• The car shows 15,000 miles on its odometer. • Bidding ends Monday, March 21. Ford made quite a stir with the current second-generation of its GT supercar, which is now in its final year of production after being developed in secret for its 2017 model-year debut. Along with generally wowing the automotive masses with its distinctive flying-buttressed rear fenders, it won its class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race on the golden anniversary of Ford’s first overall victory in 1966. But as tributes to Ford’s original GT40 go, the first-gen GT that launched for 2005 remains just as striking and arguably even more iconic. It is with that in mind that we highlight this 2006 Ford GT as our Pick of the Day on the Bring a Trailer auction website—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

Bring a Trailer

Ford’s first GT earned its share of accolades over the course of its life cycle. We called it “a skillful reincarnation of a classic sports racer” in a 2005 comparison test. Impressively well-mannered for a mid-engine beast, its 550-hp supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 could launch it to 60 mph in a little over three seconds. The GT’s low-slung bodywork—including door cutouts in the roof and a nearly horizontal rear window—remains effortlessly cool, and its visceral appeal is bolstered by a standard six-speed stick and a spinning blower right behind your head.

Bring a Trailer

Compared to today’s carbon-fiber-intensive GT and its escaped-racecar levels of refinement, this mostly aluminum-constructed version from earlier in the century is more livable day-to-day yet still drops jaws like an exotic car should. This particular example was built towards the end of the first GT’s two-year production run and wears the $13,000 Heritage Edition getup, its light-blue-and-orange paint harking back to the Gulf Oil liveries worn by the GT40 racers of the 1960s. Inside the black leather-trimmed cabin you’ll find toggle switch controls, a tilting and telescoping steering column, and carbon-fiber-shelled sport seats. Factory options include a McIntosh audio system upgrade and forged BBS wheels measuring 18 inches in front and 19 inches in back, though we’ll argue those rollers should be finished in orange to complete the retro-racer look. While originally registered in New York, this car found its way to California and Nevada, and currently is for sale in Arkansas with a clean Carfax report, a California title, and an indicated 15,000 miles on its odometer.

Bring a Trailer

Underscoring the GT’s attraction, the current bid on its Bring a Trailer page is $497,777—more than three times its $150,000 base price in 2006 and close to what the newer GT costs in its standard trim. With three days left in the auction, we wouldn’t be surprised if the original GT’s heritage pushes that figure even higher.

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There are moments each of us will cherish for a lifetime. Why not accumulate one more by watching this week’s episode of Window Shopping on YouTube? It won’t change your life in a magical way, or any other way, really. But with some luck you’ll enjoy a few minutes of automotive goofball conversation.This week’s challenge? Find an example of a vehicle that got much, much, much better with the introduction of a new generation. That is, something that was garbage but suddenly got good when the nameplate was pried off and applied to a new vehicle. For instance, the original Toyota Celica Supra was kind of a dopey nose extension of the Celica to accommodate a six-cylinder engine that was then finished off with tufted velour upholstery. But the second-generation Supra, introduced as a 1982 model, was a 10Best winner and instantly beloved.And the Supra is not mentioned in this episode. Go figure. So watch this episode to find out what vehicles did pound through our thickening skulls.Join Carlos Lago as “Sam Malone,” Tony Quiroga as “Coach,” K.C. Colwell as “Frasier,” Jonathon Ramsey as “Norm,” and, of course, John Pearley Huffman as “Cliff.” Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? After all, this is where everybody knows your name. Assuming you’re a subscriber and we can pull that out of the computer.

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Mansory, the German tuner known for its extreme modifications, has turned its attention to the Ferrari Roma.Mansory’s take on the Roma includes lots of carbon fiber, a low-profile rear wing, and a large diffuser.Horsepower is increased to 710 and torque is up to 640 pound-feet, yielding a slightly quicker sprint to 62 mph and an extra 7 mph of top speed, up to a claimed 206 mph.German tuner Mansory is not known for subtlety, and while the tricked-out Ferrari Roma seen here may look extreme compared to the stock sports car that rolls off the production line in Maranello, it’s actually fairly discreet by Mansory standards. Mansory’s “complete conversion” for the Roma is the company’s latest creation, following three modified Ferraris unveiled last year: the 812 GTS, F8XX, and Portofino.

Mansory

Mansory’s Roma gets carbon fiber galore. The hood is made entirely of the lightweight material, with a black boomerang-shaped piece reminiscent of the carbon blade on the hood of the Ferrari 812 Competizione. Mansory has also ditched the Roma’s body-color egg-crate grille for black mesh. The body is festooned with carbon-fiber trim pieces on the front bumper, fenders, and side skirts, while the rear features a relatively mild carbon wing and a protruding diffuser. The interior is draped in red and black leather.

Mansory

Mansory

Mansory hasn’t only covered the Roma in carbon-fiber doodads, however. Under the hood, the turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8 has nearly 100 more horsepower than the stock Ferrari at 710 hp, with torque up to about 640 pound-feet from 561. Mansory claims that these engine modifications increase the top speed by 7 mph to 206 mph, with the zero-to-62-mph sprint taking 3.1 seconds, making it slightly quicker than before. The Roma starts at $222,620 from Ferrari, but the tuner didn’t release pricing for its modified version.
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Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told media at a roundtable interview on Thursday that when the hybridized 911 arrives, it will not be a plug-in hybrid.Blume called it a “sporty hybrid” and said it takes inspiration from the Le Mans–winning 919 Hybrid race car.Blume also reaffirmed that the 718 will be electrified while maintaining its mid-engine proportions.Porsche has been mulling a hybridized 911 for a long time. Back in 2017, when the current 992 generation was still under development, Porsche was going back and forth on whether it wanted to sell a 911 hybrid and what form that hybrid would take. Three model years into the 992’s production run, the hybrid model has yet to appear, but at a roundtable interview yesterday, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed its existence and dropped a few hints about what we can expect from a 911 hybrid.

Previous reports had suggested that the electrified 911 would arrive as a plug-in hybrid, but at the roundtable Blume explicitly said that the 911 will not be plug-in, with that duty left to the Cayenne SUV and Panamera models. Instead, he described the 911 as a “sporty hybrid” and even said it was inspired by the 919 Hybrid, an endurance race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015, 2016, and 2017. When asked whether the 911 GT models, such as the GT3, would receive hybridization in the future, Blume simply responded that we should expect “surprises” from the 911 down the line. At the roundtable, Blume also reaffirmed that the smaller 718 lineup will spawn an all-electric model in 2025, which will retain the classic mid-engined roadster dimensions. The Macan EV that will arrive for the U.S. in 2024 was confirmed again, and Porsche also reiterated its ongoing development of synthetic fuels. The automaker said it is aiming for 80 percent of its sales to be fully electric by 2030, with synthetic fuel helping bridge the remaining gap.
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A 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid just lapped the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) Grand Course in 2:50.7.That’s a notable 4.5 seconds quicker than we recorded with a Porsche Taycan Turbo S at our 2021 Lightning Lap.The Model S Plaid had aftermarket carbon-ceramic front brakes and was driven by a professional, but it wore standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.We’ve long known that Teslas can be absurdly quick in a straight line, but they’ve never really shone when they had to turn a hot lap. That type of performance has so far been reserved for Porsche’s all-electric phenom, the four-door Taycan. However, the tables have turned, because a Tesla Model S Plaid just posted a quicker lap time around a big-time racetrack than a Porsche Taycan Turbo S.

With a professional driver behind the yoke, and some aftermarket front brakes, Carmine Cupani’s privately owned ’22 Model S Plaid on stock Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber lapped VIR’s Grand Course in 2:50.7, according to a video posted on Cupani’s YouTube channel. That means the Plaid’s time beats the 2:55.2 lap we set with a 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S at last year’s Lightning Lap. The 4.5 ticks that separate the Tesla from the Porsche are especially impressive since a 2016 Model S P85D we tried to run at VIR several years ago couldn’t even complete a single lap under full power, let alone set a record. In a phone interview with Car and Driver, Cupani says the Plaid’s Track mode played a big role in breaking the record because it effectively kept the battery and electric motors cool during each 20-minute session. He said in Track mode that the Plaid’s prodigious power felt easier to manage and that the accelerator’s responses felt more linear. It all went down at Car and Driver’s track-day event held on March 15 at VIR, which gave regular folks a chance to test their skills in their cars on the same Grand Course configuration that we use for our annual Lightning Lap. In the case of the Model S Plaid, Cupani had his friend and pro driver Johan Schwartz set the record lap. In between track sessions, the two would drive to the nearest Tesla Supercharger about 25 minutes from VIR, spend another 40 minutes getting a full charge, and then drive back, all the while discussing different strategies to take down the Taycan.As shown in the video, Schwartz does a masterful job driving the Model S Plaid around the Grand Course, including one sphincter-clenching moment when disaster almost struck. At the 1:03-minute mark in the video, Schwartz can be seen climbing the esses at about 120 mph when he nearly loses control. For a split-second, Schwartz frantically saws at the Tesla’s much-derided yoke before somehow saving the car and the lap. “I was shitting my pants looking at that video,” Cupani laughed nervously over the phone.Also detailed in the three-minute video that was posted on YouTube today are modifications Cupani made to the Tesla. The Model S Plaid is apparently fitted with Unplugged Performance’s carbon-ceramic front-brake kit, which Cupani says has smaller-diameter rotors and smaller-size calipers than Tesla’s upcoming $20,000 carbon-ceramic brake package. It is also claimed in the video that the rear calipers and rotors are completely stock. As previously mentioned, the wheel-and-tire setup is said to be stock, too, featuring 21-inch Arachnid wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that are currently part of a $4500 package on the Model S.The ’22 Model S Plaid currently starts at $131,440. It’s the first Tesla that’s powered by three electric motors (one at the front and two at the rear), which combine to generate 1020 horsepower and 1050 pound-feet of torque. The version we tested hit 60 mph in 2.1 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 9.4 seconds at 151 mph. For comparison, a 2022 Taycan Turbo S starts at $186,350 and has a 750-hp dual-electric-motor setup with a unique two-speed transmission. The last Taycan Turbo S we tested hit 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and finished the quarter-mile in 10.5 ticks at 130 mph.
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