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• Mercedes sold its W124 mid-size sedan in the United States during the 1986–1995 model years.• This final-year W124 is a Canada-spec E320 and is offered without a reserve.• Bidding ends on March 14. As of March 9, it’s only at $6320.Sure, this rather plain 1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 is not the flashiest or rarest machine currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, but it still strikes a chord in the hearts of those nostalgic for the W124-era of Mercedes-Benz mid-size sedans. The Porsche-tuned, V-8–powered 500E or the AMG Hammer are arguably among the most exciting of the W124’s variants to emerge throughout the sedan’s decade-long run, but these models’ inherent rarity makes them all but unaffordable to the average enthusiast these days.

That’s part of what makes this E320 so charming—its relative affordability. Of course, we won’t know what this Azure Blue Benz sells for until the auction closes next week. That said, this E320’s prior turn on Bring a Trailer in May 2020 saw it trade hands for $10,270.

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Even if it sells for 50 percent more this time around, this Mercedes still falls firmly in the affordable camp for classic-car sales. (Don’t worry, we are fully aware that $15,135 is by no means chump change outside the microscopic lens of classic-car sales.) Plus, with around 69,000 miles on its odometer, this old E320 still has plenty of life left in it. Excuse our jingoism. We meant to write “around 111,000 kilometers on its odometer,” as this E320 comes from Canada, America’s metric-system-using neighbor to the north.

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Despite starting its life in cold and snowy British Columbia, this final-year W124 appears to have lived a pampered life, with no noticeable signs of rust on its metal bits. How aboot that? Still, there are some flaws to this machine, including a noticeable crack in its left taillight lens and a chip in the car’s windshield. Reasonably easy fixes in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it’s our nostalgia for—or our desire to cosplay as a midlevel Canadian executive from—the mid-’90s, but we cannot help but adore the 1994–1995 E-class sedan, a vehicle that helped usher in the alphanumeric naming scheme the German automaker still uses today (previously W124s bore the name 300E). With its 217-hp 3.2-liter I-6, comfort-oriented ride, and square and stately styling, this E320 marks the end of one era of Mercedes models while also alluding to the coming of a new one.The fact this low-mileage E320’s exterior and interior condition look nearly new, too, only betters its position as a potentially affordable way for the eventual high bidder to dip their toe into the world of classic car ownership.

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Chevrolet released a teaser video for the Blazer SS, a performance variant of the Blazer EV due next year.The teaser video shows little beyond the charging port and an SS badge affixed to the six-spoke wheels.The Blazer SS will be revealed later this year before going on sale in the spring of 2023.Chevrolet’s Blazer crossover is going electric for the 2024 model year with the launch of the Blazer EV and a teaser video released today indicates a performance-oriented SS trim will be part of the lineup. The Blazer follows an onslaught of other electric vehicle announcements from General Motors, including the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV pickup trucks, all of which use the company’s Ultium battery technology.

Earlier this year, Chevrolet revealed the first images of the Equinox EV, an electric SUV sharing the name of the company’s popular compact crossover. Sporting a distinct design, the Equinox EV will go on sale in fall 2023. At the time, Chevy also mentioned a Blazer EV arriving in 2023, and now the automaker has given the first visual taste of the Blazer EV, which will arrive with a performance SS model.

The gas-powered 2023 Blazer.
Chevrolet

Unfortunately, the teaser video doesn’t show much. The video opens with a shot of a charger being removed from a port behind the front left wheel, with a second shot of the charging port also showing black plastic cladding around the wheel well and what appears to be a sharply raked hood. We also catch a glimpse of an SS badge at the base of one of the wheel’s six spokes.

Chevy says that the Blazer will be the company’s first EV to gain a performance SS badge when it debuts later this year. Although Chevy didn’t explicitly say this, we assume the Blazer EV will be offered in tamer, more comfort-oriented trims as well. The Blazer SS will go on sale in spring of 2023, and we expect it to also make use of the Ultium battery platform.
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The 2022 Jeep Cherokee adds a new trim level called X that features off-road appearance tweaks.The base 2.4-liter inline-four is gone, and the starting price rises significantly, to $35,590 for either the X or the Latitude Lux.The Cherokee X will be available later this spring and comes standard with all-wheel drive and the 3.2-liter V-6 engine.The 2022 Jeep Cherokee gains a new trim level that’s less off-road-capable than the Trailhawk but comes with a similar look. The Cherokee X you see here has a tweaked front fascia and visuals including an “X” badge on the sides, a hood graphic, and retro “Four Wheel Drive” text on the rear, while also benefiting from a 1.0-inch suspension lift and all-terrain tires.The Cherokee X starts at $35,590 and comes standard with a 271-hp 3.2-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive, although not the Cherokee Trailhawk’s more sophisticated Active Drive II system with a transfer case.

Jeep

Jeep

Due to other changes to the Cherokee lineup for 2022, the Cherokee X is now the cheapest model you can buy. It has the same starting price as the front-wheel drive Latitude Lux, which also comes standard with the V-6 but unlike the X offers a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as a $695 option. The base Altitude and Latitude trims from last year are no more, and we won’t miss their underpowered base 2.4-liter inline-four with only 180 horsepower. But this does mean the Cherokee gets a significant price hike, as the X and Latitude Lux are $6105 more expensive than the 2021 Cherokee Altitude FWD.The 2022 Cherokee Trailhawk starts at $38,640 and the Limited starts at $40,340. Jeep says the Cherokee X will be available later than other 2022 models and that it should start arriving at dealerships sometime in spring.
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The 2023 Ram ProMaster receives revised front-end styling and new optional features.Ram’s full-size commercial van now offers a third, higher roof option and a roll-up-style rear door.The ProMaster also now offers a park-assist feature for parallel and perpendicular maneuvers.The most notable change to the 2023 Ram ProMaster lineup of full-size commercial vans is that they all have prettier faces. That’s because Ram replaced the ugly old headlights with a pair of brighter and sleeker ones. Along with the new front-end design, the ProMaster benefits from a handful of new options and appearance upgrades.

Ram says the redesigned standard halogen headlights are 29 percent brighter and provide 15 percent more range than the ones they replace. Likewise, the optional LED headlights are 70 percent brighter with 50 percent more range. Below the main lighting elements is a revised front fascia that looks more modern. It also incorporates a modular bumper that now includes a built-in step that’s meant to make cleaning the windshield and changing the wiper blades easier.
Along with the new face, the ProMaster lineup adds more appearance options. Paint choices now include Ceramic Gray and Spitfire Orange, and there are newly optional wheels that come in silver or black. For the most sinister look, the new Black Appearance package includes dark trim for the exterior badges, grille, and rims. The 2023 ProMaster lineup also now offers a third roof height that’s taller than the existing low and high options. Dubbed the super high configuration and only available on the 13-foot cargo van, Ram says it provides the most cargo volume and headroom in the segment. Last year, Ram enhanced its full-size vans with a plethora of new modern safety features. The list of available upgrades ran the gamut from a 360-degree camera system to adaptive cruise control to lane-keeping assist. For 2023, the ProMaster can new be equipped with a park-assist feature that helps the driver execute parallel and perpendicular parking maneuvers.
The 2023 ProMaster is still only offered with front-wheel drive. A 3.6-liter V-6 with 276 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque continues to pair with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The ProMaster’s hauling capacities also remain the same as last year, with a maximum towing capacity of 6910 pounds and a payload rating of up to 4680 pounds. The addition of an optional aluminum roll-up-style rear door is intended to make the process of loading and unloading payload more efficient.The 2023 Ram ProMaster will be available starting in the third quarter of this year. While Ram hasn’t yet announced pricing, we don’t expect a significant increase compared with the 2022 lineup. For context, the ProMaster 1500 cargo van with the standard low roof and short 118.0-inch wheelbase started at $38,320; the 3500 passenger van with the high roof and 159.0-inch wheelbase started at $47,315.
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Road & Track has just published a book for kids, and I got a special advance copy. Big & Fast Cars was interesting, and I learned a lot. Like that you can’t have a gorilla in the back seat of your car in Massachusetts, or that Porsche’s headquarters are in Stuttgart, Germany, and built on the grounds of a horse farm, or that there’s a bucket loader that can dig a swimming pool in three scoops. This is a big book, so I also found out about some cars I hadn’t heard of, like the Sherpa off-roader and the Citroën 19_19 concept car.It’s not all about cars, either. It’s got roller coasters, Mars rovers, tanks, a jet-powered school bus, monster trucks and a life-sized Mario Kart (that would be so fun).

Road & Track Crew’s Big & Fast Cars: 701 Totally Amazing Facts!

amazon.com

$25.00

$21.06 (16% off)

And it’s funny. I liked the chart where you figure out what kind of space traveler you’d be, or the fill-in-the-blanks about a top-secret spy mission. The chart where you figure out which type of paint job matches your personality told me I’m a wild custom hot rod. I think that’s right.Finn Dyer is 10 but already owns an impressive fleet of cars (in Forza Horizon 5). In real life, he likes going fast and getting big air on his bike, or skis, or pogo stick. His dream car, right now, is a Ford Bronco Raptor.

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Patent images of the Lotus Type 132, the company’s first SUV and second EV, were submitted to IP Australia, revealing the car’s design, as first reported by Motor1.The Type 132 will feature active aerodynamics and prominent lidar sensors affixed to the front and rear of the roof.The Lotus Type 132 will be revealed in full on March 29.While Lotus is best known for lithe, lightweight sports cars, the British automaker is approaching a major inflection point. The Emira is the final gas-powered Lotus and a lineup of electric vehicles is now on the way. New patent images submitted by Lotus to IP Australia have given us our first glimpse of Lotus’ electric future, showing the Type 132 SUV that’s due to be revealed on March 29.

IP Australia

The Type 132 will be Lotus’ first SUV and it appears to be fairly compact. It will likely sit somewhere between the Porsche Macan and Cayenne in size. It takes advantage of its electric architecture with a short, sloping hood and stretched cabin and appears to have a surprisingly long rear overhang for an EV. The crossover appears to have eschewed traditional sideview mirrors for cameras—although this setup still isn’t legal in the United States—and a lidar sensor is prominently mounted above the windshield.

IP Australia

IP Australia

We can also pick out details that Lotus has teased over the last couple of months. The Type 132 will feature advanced aerodynamics—the snazzy triangular pattern in the lower front bumper is actually a bank of active grille shutters which work in conjunction with air ducts in the hood. Lotus is following current design trends with flush, pop-out door handles and a full-width taillight bar. More unconventionally, the rear wing is split in two, with another lidar sensor emerging from the roof in between.

The Type 132 will ride on a platform that can house batteries ranging from 92.0 to 120.0 kWh and promises rapid charging thanks to an 800-volt electrical system. We also expect the new SUV to become the heaviest Lotus ever, superseding Lotus’ first electric vehicle, the 3,700-pound, 1972-hp Evija supercar. More details will come when the Lotus Type 132 is revealed later this month.
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The 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will have only four-cylinder engines for 2023, swapping out its diesel 3.0-liter V-6 for a twin-turbo diesel 2.0-liter inline-four. Compared with the old V-6, its new twin-turbo replacement has higher horsepower and torque figures.Along with updated diesel powertrains, Mercedes-Benz offers the van with a new all-wheel-drive system.Judging by photos of the updated-for-2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which include shots of it charging down trails and splashing through mud, one might think a new off-road model is joining the lineup. Sorry, Travis Pastrana. The ’23 Sprinter isn’t ready for rallycross, but the full-size van does add a new drivetrain and different powertrain options.

Mercedes-Benz

Starting with the 2023 model year, the Sprinter is no longer offered with a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6, which was good for 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Instead, the van only offers a trio of four-cylinder options. The standard powertrain remains a gas-fed 188-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive remains the lone drivetrain with this setup. The other two engine options are Mercedes’s new diesel-powered 2.0-liter engines, which use the engine code OM654. One features a single turbocharger and makes 168 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The other one is twin-turbocharged and develops 208 horsepower and 332 pound-feet. Those figures beat the old diesel V-6 by 20 horses and 7 pound-feet. Unlike the V-6 and the outgoing diesel 2.0-liter that have been replaced, the new versions are paired with a nine-speed automatic instead of a seven-speed unit.

Mercedes-Benz

While the lower-output diesel engine is limited to a rear-wheel-drive configuration, its high-output counterpart can be configured with rear- or all-wheel drive. The latter is a new system derived from the Mercedes passenger-vehicle lineup. Previously, the diesel V-6 was available with selectable all-wheel drive that would send 35 percent of the torque to the front axle and 65 to the rear when engaged. The new all-wheel-drive setup automatically sends up to 50 percent of torque to the front wheels when necessary.Mercedes says the 2023 Sprinter will go on sale in the U.S. sometime early next year, but the company hasn’t announced pricing yet.
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• We chose this 1967 Saab 96 as our Bring a Trailer auction pick of the day; the online auction ends March 13.• This Saab 96 features a V-4 engine and a four-speed manual transmission.• This example has been mechanically refurbished and is located in New Hampshire.Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—isn’t all multimillion-dollar Porsche supercars, six-figure Italian roadsters, and high-end modern classics. There are also affordable, offbeat finds, like this 1967 Saab 96. With five days still to go in the bidding (it ends on March 13), we can’t say for sure exactly how affordable it will be. We are, however, feeling pretty strong about the “offbeat” part. This Saab is located, fittingly, in New Hampshire, as the New England region’s snow and mud showed the front-wheel-drive Saab to its best advantage. This car even has the Saab-logo mud flaps that were a de rigueur accessory in the brand’s heyday.

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Bring a Trailer

Front-wheel drive also lends the 96 a completely flat floor, giving the small car a surprisingly roomy interior. That flat floor is uninterrupted by a center console, as the Saab’s four-speed manual transmission is operated via a column shifter. Unusually, the transaxle allows the engine to “freewheel” (disconnect from the drive wheels) when the accelerator is released. That engine is a V-4, and a peek under the front-hinged hood shows it situated ahead of the front axle.

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Bring a Trailer

This Saab is said to have had recent mechanical work including an engine and transmission overhaul and a new clutch. The car also received new brakes and new suspension bushings. Interior refurbishment includes later-model Saab front and rear seats, with the seats and door panels upholstered in red velour (deviations from stock being more accepted in the Saab community than some others). This car also has been tweaked with engine-turned dash trim, a wood shift knob, and Ronal mag wheels.Adding to the appeal for those of a literary bent, these early Saabs have a connection with author Kurt Vonnegut, who at one point before his literary career took off owned a Saab dealership in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. As his daughter Edie recalled: “He would look after his cars and business and write when there was nothing else to do. Though mainly I think he spent his time smoking and worrying whether he’d sell any cars or not.”No need to worry whether this Saab will sell. The auction is no reserve.

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