Motor News

U.S. Department of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, clearly has a strong vision of an EV-friendly America, but he is well aware there’s a bit of mental adjustment people will need to do first. Buttigieg told Car and Driver on Wednesday how much he liked the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV his security detail was just issued, and noted that, along with the keys, they were handed a gas card—standard issue for a government vehicle. “I love the fact that we’re never going to have to use that gas card,” he said. “Unlike with gas, we can fill it up right here in the basement at DOT headquarters.”
We spoke with Buttigieg in conjunction with the Department of Transportation’s announcement today that it will make available nearly $5 billion to states to expand the EV charging network along the country’s interstate highways. Buttigieg answered some of our questions, adding important details to the DOT announcement of the program. For instance, will all that money go just to build out charging stations, or will some be earmarked to ensure reliable operation of those stations once they’re in place? The Secretary clarified that states can use some of these funds for maintenance and operations and added, “Clearly the trajectory here has to be toward a very high standard of reliability.”

U.S. Department of Transportation

The feds are looking to ensure that all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are made up of “corridors fully connected to each other where you have all of the alternative fueling that you need,” as Buttigieg described it to C/D. “Right now it’s patchy—some places where you wouldn’t have a problem, other places where you would. We need to make [EV charging] universal.” The goal, he said, is to have enough charging stations that range anxiety becomes a thing of the past. “Success looks like a world where you never have to think twice about whether you’ll be able to get to where you’re going based on whether there are chargers there,” as Buttigieg described it. We had a few questions: What kind of charging technology is envisioned, and will they work for every EV? Buttigieg stated a preference to have such a network, mainly set up along major highways, to have “efficient fast chargers” but was light on details, saying “We’re going to look at all of this. I think we’re more interested in the standard than we are in picking and choosing technologies . . . It feels a bit like we’re living through the days when you still have VHS and Beta out there, and obviously over time that needs to be resolved.” How about Flexibility for EVs + a Trailer? With a slew of electric pickup trucks due to hit the market, we inquired if there were plans to create pull-through chargers that could accommodate trailers. We had found in our recent test of the Rivian R1T that the current nature of most chargers, situated at the edge of parking lots, requires decoupling the trailer before plugging in. “These are the kinds of questions that I think [a newly formed Joint Office of Energy and Transportation] will take up,” Buttigieg responded. “I think we’re still as a country maybe a little bit too likely to assume [EV charging stations] are all the same as gas stations—just electrons instead of gas. The truth is that the profile for charging may look quite different.” That would seem to leave open the possibility that areas that see more commercial or recreational vehicles may get charging stations better suited for them to use.

Secretary Buttigieg also stressed that outreach still needs to be made to make sure consumers understand what life will be like with an EV. “If you’ve never needed to charge up an EV, you don’t think about or notice all of the EV infrastructure out there,” he said. “There’s a lot more out there now than people realize, but we need to raise the visibility of it.” How about a Single Payment Method?We pointed out that one issue is the payment structure with EVs. C/D editors tend to have five or six EV charging apps on their phones to make sure that when we find a charging station, it will accept one. “We’re taking a good look at this,” Buttigieg acknowledged. “Part of this program is going to be a shared standard. If we’re going to use taxpayers’ dollars to help private actors put in charging stations, then of course we need to make sure the citizen is getting good value out of it. There may be any number of network benefits through loyalty programs. That’s fine,” he said, “but we’ve got to make sure . . . everybody can benefit.” Plug It in to the Wall: It’s a StartButtigieg was also keen to point out that despite all this spending on public charging stations, charging an electric vehicle at home is still a thing, and it will continue to be a thing. In fact, pointing that out will be a major part of the push to expand rural charging, Buttigieg explained, saying that “the very areas where people stand to gain a lot from EVs because they’re spending a lot on gas because they drive more” are also the areas with more single-family homes where they can plug in their car using household current. This may presume that people in those homes are very, very patient, since charging from a wall outlet takes a lot longer, but as the DOT explained in its announcement today, spending plans include a strong focus on underserved and rural areas. So public charging is coming to the countryside, albeit perhaps a bit more slowly. Meanwhile, “The biggest thing [people] don’t know about charging infrastructure is they already have it: it’s the outlet on your wall.”

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Nissan is rolling out three Frontier concept pickup trucks for the 2022 Chicago auto show today.The Project Hardbody concept, which pays homage to the late-1980s Nissan Hardbody, sports a set of wheels inspired by the Desert Runner pickup of similar vintage.The Project 72X recalls the Datsun 720 pickup with white wheels and 1970s-inspired body side graphics; the Project Adventure is the more modern of the three and is aimed at overlanding enthusiasts.Vintage-pickup-truck fans will immediately recognize the influence for two of the three Nissan Frontier concepts at this year’s Chicago auto show. The red Project Hardbody concept and gray Project 72X concept are both inspired by pickup-truck models that helped the Japanese brand establish itself in North America in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Project Hardbody truck draws inspiration from the Nissan pickup of the late 1980s and is probably most recognizable of the concepts. Its wheel design is custom and clearly inspired by the Desert Runner model of the old Hardbody pickup. Nissan also has outfitted the concept with a unique gloss-black grille surround, special 4×4 graphics, and a bed-mounted full-size spare tire.
Eagle-eyed readers will recognize the Project 72X’s inspiration as the Datsun 720 pickup from the late 1970s. This simpler concept features gray exterior paint with vintage-style custom side graphics. The Project 72X’s wheels are actually repurposed spare wheels from the regular 2022 Frontier pickup truck, just painted white.
If old-school pickup truck looks aren’t your thing, Nissan also is showing the Project Adventure concept, which is based on the PRO-4X trim of the 2022 Frontier and wears knobbier off-road tires, a custom carbon-fiber snorkel, and a host of camping accessories that are intended to showcase the Frontier’s overlanding capabilities.Besides the custom body wrap and the snorkel, the Project Adventure wears upgrades that are currently available either through aftermarket suppliers or through the Nissan accessory catalog. All three of the concepts here feature a lifted suspension, with the 72X getting 2.5-inches of lift, the Hardbody raised by 3 inches, and the Adventure by 5 inches compared with the standard Frontier. It’s unlikely that any of these three concepts will make it to series production as a special edition or limited trim level of the new Frontier. But given that the majority of modifications can be done aftermarket, consider these concepts as inspiration for your own special build.
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Since its founding in 2009, Singer Vehicle Design has made its legend primarily with “reimagined” versions of the long-hood 911 made by Porsche from 1964 to 1973. Now, it’s presenting its reinterpretation of another Porsche classic: the original 911 Turbo, the 930. Typical of Singer’s restorations, its Turbo is based on a 964 chassis—the 911 built from 1989–1994—but gets custom wide carbon-fiber bodywork. The engine is an air-cooled twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six with electric wastegates and water-to-air intercoolers mounted in the intake plenums. It makes 450 horsepower as standard, though customers can specify more, and there’s a choice between rear- and all-wheel drive. The 930’s iconic “shark fin” on the rear fender has been repurposed as an intake to feed cool air into the engine bay. Naturally, a six-speed manual is standard.”I think certainly for folks of my generation, the 930 Turbo was the pinup Porsche 911 of the era, it was the mythological icon, wasn’t it?” Singer founder Rob Dickinson said in an interview with Road & Track. “It was certainly on my bedroom wall as an impressionable youth in the Seventies, and obviously on millions of others as well.”

Singer Vehicle Design

Singer is positioning its reimagined 930 as a GT car, just like the original. “Porsche launched the Turbo as their grand tourer, as their intercontinental, high speed, luxury, top-of-the-range supercar and that’s very much how we have reimagined it ourselves,” Dickinson said. “And with the idea of presenting a car which takes the very essence of the 930 Turbo and takes it to its logical conclusion really.”

Singer Vehicle Design

To that end, the car comes standard on a “touring” suspension, though a stiffer “sport” suspension is available as an option. The car also gets a luxurious interior with leather everywhere, wood trim, air conditioning, and heated power seats. Despite the luxuries, Dickinson said the car shouldn’t weigh more than 2800 pounds, and optional carbon-ceramic brakes can help save even more weight. The tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ses measuring 245/35R18 in the front and massive 295/30R18s at the back. Traction control and ABS are also standard to help keep things in control.There are all sorts of details that reference the original 911 Turbo beyond the repurposed shark fins on the rear fenders. The front bumper has three slats that ape the iconic 5-mph impact bumpers of 1974-1989 911s, while the seats are made to look like late-Seventies 911 sport seats.
So far, 70 customers have put down deposits for a Singer-reimaged 911 Turbo, and while prices haven’t been announced, expect it to cost well over $500,000.”This is a big thing for us after 12 years of doing what it is that we do,” Dickinson said. “It’s an important moment for us to present a new idea like this, which is from the well of what we do, in trying to both understand the car that we’re celebrating and take it to a logical level, which will be respected by our peers and all the other 911 fans on planet Earth. ‘Can we get this right? Can you update the 930 Turbo and make it a little bit more applicable for the 21st century?’ A fascinating opportunity.”

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The 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 shown here has a current bid of $25,000 on the Bring a Trailer auction website.The car shows just 1300 miles on its odometer.Bidding ends Tuesday, February 15. Corvette fans are a nostalgic lot, and today’s Auction Find of the Day on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—surely will bring back memories: a 1990 Chevy Corvette ZR-1 with a mere 1300 miles on its odometer. While we await our turn to slip behind the wheel of the latest super Vette, the 2023 C8 Z06, we can’t help reminiscing about the hot-rodded fourth-generation model that vaulted America’s sports car into the modern high-performance realm.

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As with just about any 30-year-old sports car, the fourth-gen ZR-1 was limited by the technology of its day. Its aluminum-construction, 32-valve 5.7-liter LT5 V-8—co-developed with Lotus and built by Mercury Marine in Oklahoma—produced only 375 horsepower at first (later versions received a bump to 405). Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the car’s resulting 4.5-second run to 60 mph would see the ZR-1 get smoked by some of today’s pickup trucks in a drag race.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

Despite the handling precision brought in part by its FX3 suspension setup and adaptive dampers, the grip from its 17-inch Goodyears amounted to only 0.89 g and made for a 170-foot stop from 70 mph—hardly worldbeating by modern standards. But those were heady stats back in the ZR-1’s era, and they were accompanied by an impressive degree of sophistication on the road. A base price of less than $60,000 in 1990 also made it massively cheaper to own than a Porsche 911 Turbo, which the ZR-1 managed to beat in our 1991 comparison test. As of this writing, bids have reached $25,000 with six days left in the auction.

Although it takes a keen eye to spot the C4 ZR-1’s discreet badges, widened rear fenders, and big 315-section-width rear tires, the C4 Corvette’s smooth, long-hood proportions have aged surprisingly well. The finishes inside the cabin didn’t impress even back in the ’90s, but comfort is good and the huge side sills and digital dash make it an effective time capsule. And don’t forget the pop-up headlights.

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This particular Bright Red example with tan leather was originally sold in California and has an accident-free Carfax report and a clean Arizona title. Bring a Trailer’s bidding page indicates that a recent service included fluid changes plus the replacement of the alternator, thermostat, water pump, fuel sending unit, fuel pumps, and spark plugs. It also includes the video clip below.
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“The ZR-1 makes every previous Corvette seem antediluvian,” we wrote in our 1990 road test. “Driving the ZR-1 reminds you that it is possible to create a car that is bewilderingly fast but that maintains an air of civilization about it.” We can say much the same about every hot-rod Corvette since, including two subsequent ZR1 iterations that built on the C4 model’s legacy.

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94.9 FM is a nice place on the radio dial if you’re in Seattle; it’s where the National Public Radio station KUOW can be found.But owners of 2016 model Mazdas have been complaining for a couple of weeks that they can’t get their infotainment systems to access anything but that station, and nobody knows why.”We didn’t mean to ruin your Mazda’s stereo,” the station’s website reports, apparently only partly kidding.Radio station KUOW-FM in Seattle has acknowledged a problem they’ve been hearing about for a few weeks: listeners who drive 2016 model Mazdas can’t get their radios to stop playing the NPR station.”Permanently stuck” is how the station describes the problem, saying it has heard from “Mazda owners from around the Puget Sound region.” The station cited one Scott Smith, whose 2016 Mazda CX-5 has an infotainment screen that freezes on to the station and won’t let him use Bluetooth, navigation, or any other station. Yes, he tried rebooting it.On the bright side, Smith says he is able to adjust the volume. “Luckily,” says the Seattle resident, “I am an NPR listener so that’s fine,” he said. (What were the chances?)

2016 Mazda 6.
Mazda

There’s a lively discussion thread on Reddit in which others describe the issue in detail. The radio station’s technical director said on the thread that the station has shut off its data for the HD Radio service. KUOW issued an official statement as well saying the company has given “complete access to our transmitters” to Xperi, the company that developed HD Radio technology, to look into the problem. Another possibility mentioned by the radio station is that a recent switch to a 5G signal may have caused the older infotainment system to be glitchy. Mazda dealers acknowledged hearing about the problem from owners but don’t have a fix to suggest yet. One of the owners was Smith, who says he’s far down on a waiting list to have the issue looked at.In the meantime, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” is very entertaining.

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Ford has shown off the 2022 GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition, which celebrates two lightweight GT40 prototypes created by Alan Mann Racing.The special model is paint in a red with white and gold accents and the prototype’s racing number emblazoned on the bodywork. The Alan Mann Heritage Edition also features red and gold trim inside, as well as black and red Brembo brakes.The Ford GT is in its final year of production, and as the company bids adieu to its brilliant supercar, it has revealed another special Heritage Edition. The 2022 Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition pays tribute to two lightweight prototype versions of the original 1966 GT40 Mk I created by Alan Mann Racing. Although neither prototype was victorious in a major race, their lightweight philosophy helped inspire the GT Mk II that famously dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.
The Alan Mann Heritage Edition recalls the original AM GT-1 prototype with red exterior paint accentuated by twin gold racing stripes running the length of the car. There are also white accents adorning the hood, front fender, and rear wing, and gold “Ford” badging on a white background just ahead of the rear wheels. The AM GT-1’s racing number, 16, is found on the hood, doors, and rear wing.

The special edition GT also features exposed carbon fiber inside and out, including on the 20-inch wheels. The Brembo brake calipers are black with red accents, and the Alcantara-wrapped carbon fiber seats have red and gold stitching. Gold trim is littered throughout the interior while the paddle shifters match the red color of the exterior. The Alan Mann Heritage Edition is the latest in a line of commemorative GTs. Ford did not say how many examples will be built or how much they will cost, but a healthy increase over the standard GT’s $500,000 price is likely.
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Mini is launching three special edition models for 2023 with bold graphics and shiny metallic trims.The Resolute, Untamed, and Untold editions are available for the Cooper, Countryman, and Clubman models, respectively.The cheeky small-car brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary of U.S. sales this March.To celebrate its 20th anniversary of selling small cars in North America, Mini is readying three special-edition models that will be available for nearly its entire lineup. While 20th anniversary gifts are traditionally made of china, Mini has taken a new route and applied brass and frosted bronze accents to differentiate these special models.
The Cooper Hardtop and its convertible variant can be ordered as the Resolute Edition, which comes painted in Rebel Green with Pepper White paint for the mirror caps and roof; the convertible comes with a black cloth top. The package is also available on the electric Cooper S E hatchback, but that car eschews the gasoline-powered model’s 18-inch black wheels for a set of aerodynamic-focused 17-inchers. Hood stripes, pin-striped door-sill protectors, and yellow-and-cream tweed upholstery complete the package.
Countryman models can be had with the new Untamed Edition package, which applies a Momentum Grey exterior color that serves to highlight a bodyside graphic. Inside, a backlit panel displaying a mountain scene stretches across the dashboard and Highland Green leather upholstery graces the seats.

Perhaps the most attractive of the bunch is the Untold Edition Cooper Clubman, which wears Sage Green paint with color-matched plastic body cladding, brass-accented 18-inch wheels, and a striped hood graphic. The Clubman’s interior is decorated with Sage Green leather upholstery as well as brass-accented door sill protectors and dashboard vents.
Mini says that 60 percent of its sales are custom-built cars and hopes that these three special-edition packages will give customers even more choices. Production of these updated Minis starts in March and the company says inventory should be available at dealers in April 2022. Pricing for the Resolute Edition Mini Cooper start at $36,750 for the Hardtop and $41,250 for the convertible. The Untold Edition Clubman starts at $42,500 and the Untamed Edition Clubman starts at $42,750.
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Other Subaru Bajas have come across the pages of the Bring a Trailer auction site in the last year, but none of them as low-mileage as this one. With less than 8000 miles on the odometer, this particular Baja is basically brand-new.Except it’s not new, and that’s what’s getting people excited, a nostalgia for a time when Subaru’s part-truck, part-sedan hit the scene.The auction is currently at $17,250, well under the car’s original selling price of $23,120. The big question is where things end up over the next five days until the auction ends on Sunday, February 13.Sometimes, you can just feel automotive enthusiasts gushing over a particular vehicle that’s listed on the auction site Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—and this 2006 Subaru Baja Sport checks a lot of boxes. Quirky model from 15-plus years ago? Yep. Low mileage but in excellent condition? Check. Original documentation and CD stereo? Sign us up.

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In our review of the 2002 Baja when it was new, we noted that there are certainly some compromises with a bed this short in a sedan, but the decades have made us look at these cars with nostalgia and then some. Smaller pick-ups like the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick have recently entered the market to kind of fit in the same space as the Baja, but there’s really nothing quite like these Subarus. With a raised suspension, fog lights, and sunroof, this is a Baja that might be the closest thing that can take you back to 2006 in an instant. Just take a look at those tinted rear windows. The example for sale is painted in Atlantic Blue Pearl exterior color with lower-body cladding and a black and gray upholstered interior with front bucket seats. Five-spoke, 16-inch alloy wheels wear 225/60 Bridgestone Potenza tires.

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The 2.5-liter SOHC engine offered 165 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque when it was new, and with only 8000 miles on the odometer, there shouldn’t be too much to worry about as long as you know a mechanic who’s familiar with head gaskets. The five-speed manual transmission and all-wheel-drive capability should still offer some of the fun to whoever gets to sit behind the wheel when all is said and done.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

Which brings us to the point that the two previous owners of this vehicle seemed not to have been very interested in sitting behind the wheel. BaT’s documents say that this Baja was originally delivered to Anchor Subaru of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, and has mostly remained in Connecticut. It was bought by a dealer in 2021 that prepped it for online auction.

BaT sold four Bajas last year, with the final prices ranging from $14,250 to $25,550. All of them had either around 50,000 or more than 100,000 miles on their odometers. This low-mileage 2006 Baja that’s currently for sale is sitting at just over $17,000 right now, but the expectation is that this vehicle’s price will climb to at least $20,000 by the time the auction ends on Sunday, February 13. The car’s original selling price was $23,120, and we feel obliged to acknowledge that there’s a reasonable chance the auction price will climb up another 10 grand or so on top of that. It’s so difficult to judge used-car prices these days, which is what makes auctions like this so fun to watch.
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