Motor News

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A massive number of Ford Broncos have been spotted parked up outside of Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant. The build-up of SUVs is directly tied to the global semiconductor shortage, Automotive News is reporting this week.Bronco fanatics may actually recall this parking lot, as it gained a bit of notoriety during last year’s hardtop-related delays. Back then it garnered the nickname Dirt Mountain, though Michigan’s winter weather has made it harder to see the large earth pile for which the lot is named. As such, some members of the various Bronco forums have begun referring to the area as Ice Mountain. Regardless of what you call it, recent videos uploaded to the Bronco6G forum confirm that Ford has once again packed the lot full of completed trucks.

Thankfully for the frustrated Bronco fans out there, one dealership owner was more willing to speak on the matter. According to Ford dealer council chairman Tim Hovik, who owns San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Arizona, the production issues are related to ongoing chip shortages. Hovik told Automotive News that these issues are not exclusive to Ford or the Bronco, but that certain semiconductor chips have become more difficult to acquire from suppliers. Without official confirmation from Ford, there is no way for us to be entirely certain about the situation at hand outside MAP. That said, the act of parking completed vehicles while waiting for chips isn’t new in the pandemic era.
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While the auto industry as a whole continues to struggle with production and supply chain constraints, the visuals of this parking lot are tough to see. That is especially true when you consider the markup prices that have arrived as a result. Road & Track has reached out to Ford for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week it has opened an investigation into over 400,000 Teslas—all 2021 and 2022 model year Tesla Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles—for problems with their automated emergency braking systems.This isn’t the first time Tesla has had to deal with NHTSA about its potentially faulty AEB technology. In October, Tesla recalled almost 12,000 of its EVs because an over-the-air update caused communication problems between two chips that help run the AEB systems.Other automakers, including Nissan and autonomous shuttle company EasyMile, have also had problems with their AEB systems.New technologies can lead to new problems, for which we sometimes have to invent new terminologies. In the automotive world, the growing number of cars with automated emergency brake capability has led to something called “phantom braking,” which is when the AEB system thinks it needs to brake in order to prevent a collision, but there’s actually nothing there to hit.

This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received 354 complaints from Tesla drivers concerning these unexpected automatic braking incidents over the past nine months. NHTSA said that Tesla drivers have reported “that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle.” The issue potentially affects around 416,000 vehicles, all 2021 and 2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles, and the rise in complaints broadly tracks Tesla’s shift away from multi-sensor perception systems that use both radar and cameras to the new Tesla Vision system that relies solely on cameras. Since May 2021, Tesla has not installed radar sensors in its Model 3 and Model Y cars built for the North American market. Tesla CEO Elon Musk still champions the camera-only system, tweeting last December that “Whereas radar has trouble seeing small pedestrians, they’re obvious to Tesla Vision.” NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened a Preliminary Evaluation into the issue and said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue.
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This isn’t the first time that NHTSA has looked into Tesla’s phantom braking problem. Last October, NHTSA announced Tesla would recall some 2017–2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020–2021 Model Y vehicles (a total of 11,728 units) because a “communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.”NHTSA said at the time that the problem was an over-the-air software update that introduced a communication problem between two onboard chips when the vehicle would come out of Sentry mode or Summon Standby mode. At these times, one of the chips could remain in a low-power “sleep” state, NHTSA said, with the effect that the video neural networks that operate on one of the chips then wouldn’t correctly communicate with the other chip and then “run less consistently than expected.” When this happened, an affected vehicle could incorrectly identify objects around it, and this happened enough times that Tesla drivers soon reported a noticeable increase in the number of problems with forward-collision warnings and AEB events. Tesla told NHTSA it resolved the issue with a follow-up OTA update. Tesla isn’t the only automaker facing questions over phantom braking problems. In 2020, autonomous shuttle operator EasyMile was forced to suspend operations when one of its vehicles injured a passenger in an abrupt stop. In 2019, NHTSA looked into phantom braking problems in 2017–2018 Nissan Rogue SUVs following driver complaints. NHTSA announced in late 2020 that it was working with 20 automakers on a voluntary basis to make low-speed AEB and forward-collision-warning systems standard on “almost all new passenger vehicles” by August 31, 2023.
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The ship that caught fire Wednesday with around 4000 vehicles on board is still ablaze and adrift in the Atlantic Ocean today.Firefighters are on their way to the ship, which might—repeat, might—be challenging to put out because of some electric vehicles on board. We have no idea yet what caused the fire.Whatever caused the blaze, the kinds of roll-on-roll-off (RORO) ferries that can transport thousands of cars at once are at high risk for total loss once a fire starts on board.The Felicity Ace, the cargo ship that is still on fire in the Atlantic Ocean, does have thousands of new vehicles from the Volkswagen Group on board, but the impact of any electric vehicles is not yet known.To recap, the car carrier was on the way from Europe to the U.S. with a load of new vehicles on board when it caught fire Wednesday near the Azores. All 22 crew members were rescued, and the ship was left adrift and burning. There were reports that the ship would be towed to the Azores, but the 650-foot-long ship is too big for the port of Horta there. The ship is likely to be towed back to Europe or to the Bahamas, Captain Joao Mendes Cabecas from Port of Horta told Reuters.
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Firefighting crews and salvage teams are on their way to deal with the massive fire, which could be more difficult to get under control with EV batteries on board. There is no confirmation yet that this is the case, but it is likely that EVs were part of the cargo. Both Porsche and VW import some vehicles from Europe to the U.S., but as VW only imports the GTI, Golf R, and ID.4 from Europe, the automaker most likely to be affected is Porsche, which imports the Taycan from the plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany. A Porsche spokesperson told Car and Driver, “It is too early to speculate on the cause of the incident.”Lamborghini declined to give a comment to C/D, but a VW spokesperson told us that the U.S. arm doesn’t know much more about the situation on the ship other than what’s available in media reports. Bloomberg, which managed to get access to an internal email from Volkswagen AG’s U.S. operations, reported there were 3965 vehicles on board. Around 100 of the vehicles are apparently VW models destined for the U.S.Porsche spokesperson Luke Vandezande told Bloomberg that the automaker estimates it had around 1100 vehicles on the Felicity Ace, and 189 Bentleys have also been confirmed as being part of the cargo list.The software company Skytek issued a short report today that claims the estimated market value of the Felicity Ace is $24.5 million, while the total value of the 3965 vehicles could be over $500 million.Cargo vessel fires were the number three cause of shipping losses over the past decade, and there were 10 “total loss” cargo ship fires in 2020, according to Reinsurance News. While, overall, the shipping industry has improved its safety record in the past 10 years, roll-on-roll-off (RORO) ferries are at high risk for fire.”To facilitate carriage of automobiles the internal spaces are not divided into separate sections like other cargo ships,” said Rahul Khanna, global head of marine risk consulting at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, told Reinsurance News. “The lack of internal bulkheads can have an adverse impact on fire safety and a small fire on one vehicle or battery can grow out of control very quickly. Vehicles are not easily accessible once loading has been completed.”

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The cool factor of this 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16, currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer, cannot be denied.The car, built to satisfy the DTM touring-car homologation requirement, has a 167-hp 2.3-liter inline-four and a five-speed manual transmission.Bidding is up to $8100 so far on the 130,000-mile Mercedes, with the auction scheduled to end on Tuesday, February 22.Performance cars from the ’80s and ’90s are very hip these days, and while I am not immune to trends, I like to think that my fondness for sporty cars of this era was formed in my youth. Interestingly though, there are very few Mercedes from this era that I pine after. Sure, there are late-20th-century Mercs that I want, but the two at the top of the list from my youth are the Porsche-engineered and -built 500E and this car, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16. Mercedes manufactured it so that it could compete in the DTM championship, and homologation cars have a cool factor that can’t be replicated. This example is for sale now on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

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When the 2.3-16 came out in the mid-’80s, it was unlike any other Mercedes sedan that preceded it. As its name suggests, it had a high-strung 2.3-liter engine fitted with 16 valves. Mind you, this was a time when four valves per cylinder was practically exotic. Mercedes leveraged the expertise of engine giant Cosworth to supply the DOHC head design for the M102 engine. It was crazy expensive at the time, costing more than double what a Merkur XR4Ti cost. But it got you class-leading performance in every metric, save fuel economy, according to our March 1986 road test.

This example is a U.S.-spec car, which means it has a 167-hp tune, whereas the European models have 185-hp engines. Not a big deal for me as this car is more about the experience. Plus, it isn’t perfect. The taillamps aren’t original, the rear parcel shelf is missing some trim, and the sunroof doesn’t work. It has an aftermarket Blaupunkt stereo that is meant to look old but can’t replicate the coolness of the Becker Grand Prix head unit that came from the factory.

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The videos posted by the seller indicate that this one appears to be mechanically sound with just enough wrong that it won’t set a record price. This is ideal for me as it would keep me busy searching for period-correct parts. And it isn’t so nice that I would be nervous or have regret driving it. The first thing I would do is replace all the rubber in the suspension—make it feel new even if it doesn’t quite look new. Whoever wins it will enjoy it, that much I know.

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Leaked images purport to show the new Dodge Hornet small crossover.It will be closely related to the Alfa Romeo Tonale and will also offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain.The Dodge Hornet is expected to debut sometime in 2022 and could go on sale as soon as 2023.The first new product from Dodge in some time is rumored to be a new compact SUV called the Hornet, and we now have a better idea of what it might look like. Leaked screenshots from a Facebook video posted on Italian forum site Autopareri confirm previous reports that the Hornet would be closely related to the recently revealed Alfa Romeo Tonale.The original video, which looks to be taken on the factory floor, has since been taken down. But images circulating on forums and social media show a front end and interior design that are nearly identical to the Alfa’s. The key changes include a Dodge badge on the steering wheel, reshaped headlights, and extra vents and scoops suggesting that this red example could be a performance-oriented R/T model.
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The Dodge and Alfa Romeo siblings are expected to be built alongside each other in Italy, meaning they will likely share powertrain options. The Alfa will offer a 256-hp turbo 2.0-liter inline-four as the base engine and a 272-hp plug-in-hybrid setup with a turbo 1.3-liter gasoline engine. It’s possible the Dodge version will offer a lower-powered base engine as a cheaper option to compete with mainstream crossovers rather than the Alfa Romeo’s more upscale targets.We should learn more about the Hornet later this year, as previous reports said it would debut in 2022. The Tonale is scheduled to go on sale in early 2023, so the Dodge could hit U.S. dealerships a few months later than that.
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Subaru has announced pricing for the new 2022 WRX sedan.It starts at $30,100 and ranges up to $42,890 for the top GT model.A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a CVT automatic is an $1850–$2250 option.The new 2022 Subaru WRX is more expensive than before—especially the new range-topping GT trim level that crests $40,000. The WRX’s base price rises $1680 to $30,100, and the new model will also offer $32,600 Premium and $36,990 Limited trim levels in addition to the new $42,890 WRX GT that is unfortunately only offered with the optional CVT automatic.#SavetheManuals enthusiasts shouldn’t worry too much, though, because a six-speed manual transmission is still standard on all other trim levels, with the CVT available as an $1850–$2250 option on the base, Premium, and Limited. All-wheel drive and a 271-horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four are standard across the board.

Certain performance options are reserved for the automatic-only GT, including adaptive dampers and larger 18-inch wheels (17-inchers are standard on other models). The GT also has desirable Recaro front seats and additional drive modes compared with the base cars.Subaru previously told us that automatic-transmission WRX models were affected by supply-chain issues, so you may have better luck finding a car with a clutch pedal as they start arriving at dealerships. Subaru is now taking reservations on its website but hasn’t said exactly when deliveries will start.
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It’s still too early to know for sure how many vehicles were on board, but the car carrier sent out a distress call February 16 and had to be towed to the Azores. All crew members on board have reportedly been rescued, and the data website FleetMon is updating the ship’s status.According to people who claim to have ordered some of the Porsches on board, the automaker is aware of the situation and is telling people to hold on for more information once Porsche “know[s] the full scope of the issue.”This is also a bit of a flashback to 2019, when another ship caught fire with Porsches on board. That ship sank, and Porsche even restarted production for the small number of limited-edition Porsche 911 GT2 RS cars that were lost.UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: A Porsche Cars North America spokesperson sent Car and Driver the following statement: “Our immediate thoughts are of relief that the 22 crew of the merchant ship Felicity Ace are safe and well. A number of our cars are among the cargo. We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known. Customers affected by the incident are being contacted by their dealer. While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we are—along with our colleagues at Porsche AG—supporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions. Anyone concerned by this incident and the implications on the car they’ve ordered should maintain in contact with [the] dealer with which their order was placed.”A spokesperson for Lamborghini told C/D that the company is “aware of an incident involving a third-party cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic. The vessel was on its way to North America. At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident.”The Ever Given. The Golden Ray. Every now and then, the name of an ocean freighter becomes important in the automotive world. The latest entry is the Felicity Ace, a car-carrier that was carrying an unspecified number of Volkswagen Group vehicles, including Porsche models, from Germany to Rhode Island. That was the ship’s mission until yesterday, when a fire broke out on board. The flames were bad enough that the captain had to abandon ship, and we do not yet know the fate of the vehicles on board. Details are coming in—we don’t yet know the cause of the fire, for example—and more information will need to be confirmed by VW and other authorities to determine the cause and eventual result of this incident. Here’s what we know at the moment. First, the good news. The roll-on-roll-off (RORO) car carrier was around 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azore Islands when it issued its first distress signal on the morning of February 16. According to FleetMon, which tracks ocean vessels, all 22 crew members were safely evacuated from the ship by helicopter and lifeboat. The Felicity Ace has been towed to the Azores, and ships from the Portugal Navy and other nearby vessels assisted with the rescue.
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“We are aware of an incident today involving a cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic,” VW toldCar and Driver in a statement. “The vessel had a loading capacity of nearly 4000 vehicles and was on its way to North America. At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are working with local authorities and the shipping company to investigate the cause of the incident.”Despite the 650-foot-long Felicity Ace’s 4000-vehicle capacity, we do not yet know if it was full of cars or a mix of cars and other cargo. A statement posted to Porsche’s Track Your Dream app, which allows people who have purchased a new Porsche to follow their vehicle’s journey from production facility to local dealership, and then on Twitter by self-described “occasional auto/motorsport writer” Zerin Dube, makes it clear that some Porsche buyers will need to wait longer than anticipated for their new cars.
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“We are aware of an incident aboard the Felicity Ace, a specialized cargo ship carrying certain Porsche vehicles,” the statement said. “Your dealership will provide you with additional information on how this impacts you as soon as we have additional information and know the full scope of the issue.”Another automotive journalist, Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire, posted that his dealer let him know that the Boxster Spyder he ordered was on the ship and that everyone now has to wait to see how Porsche will handle the situation. The Drive quoted Farah in an earlier news story about the incident.

There’s history to suggest that Porsche will make sure its customers will get the cars they ordered, since this isn’t the first time Porsche has had to deal with some of its vehicles not surviving their transoceanic journey. In 2019, the ship Grande America caught fire and sank with four limited Porsche 911 GT2 RS cars on board, along with 33 other Porsches and 2000 or so brand-new Audis that were on their way from Germany to South America. Porsche had already finished making any more of those limited-edition 911s, but it restarted production for the four GT2 RS buyers to keep its commitment to its customers willing to spend $300,000 on a car.This is a developing story; we will update when we have more information.

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This Daihatsu Midget II, on sale now on the auction site Bring a Trailer, was recently imported to the U.S. and comes with a die-cast model of itself. The Midget was first introduced in 1957 as a three-wheeler. The Midget II was introduced in 1996 and offered until 2001. With no reserve, and a current bid at $2996, it’s possible this little truck will go for a little price. Bidding ends on Wednesday, February 23.Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz who? You want a small truck, nobody does ’em better than the Japanese kei class. And this desirable example of the genre is currently listed on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—in an auction ending Wednesday, February 23.

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Originally based around three-wheel motorcycle-based scooters, Japan’s kei cars and trucks have been around since the 1940s. With small footprints and miniature horsepower, they are useful around loading docks, farms, and factories, but they are also adorable, and street legal, even here in the States. In fact, it was one of our 12 Cool Cars Finally Legal for U.S. Import in 2021.This 1996 Daihatsu with its googly eyes and big spare-tire proboscis is a recent import to the U.S. I’m pretty much a sucker for any half-size auto, but even for a kei, this thing is a kutie. The super ’90s graphics on the spare tire cover, the super ’90s teal paint and chrome tubular bumpers and bed bar. It’s like someone looked at a Suzuki Samurai and said, “Sure, it’s okay, but does it have to be so large?”

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Kei-car regulations limit the size of the engines they come with, as well as how much power they can make, so the Daihatsu offers a nice even 30 ponies out of a 660-cc inline three-cylinder backed by a manual four-speed. I’ve driven the Honda Acty version of these trucks, and you’d be surprised how quickly you can get 1200 pounds moving with 30 horses. There were even racing series that featured the Midget II in all its leaning, barely powered glory. If you buy this one, you only need one more to start your own racing series. Or line it up against the kids on their bikes and see if they can outrun you.

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The Midget II is a single-seater, which means you won’t have to share its air-conditioned gray cloth interior with anyone. If you have friends, they can ride in the back, as the truck lords intended. All jokes aside, kei trucks make awesome runabouts near vacation houses or beach rentals, or just to pop out to the store for one forgotten ingredient. They are legal to register and drive on the street, and while I might not attempt Los Angeles freeways with one—although, on second thought, you could probably lane split; they aren’t even five feet wide—they’d be great for a busy city. You could park in all those tiny spaces left by people who don’t pull up far enough.

This Midget II looks to be in good shape, although it’s wearing mismatched tires on its 10-inch chrome wheels. Along with air conditioning, you get a Pioneer stereo, original sales literature, a Tomy model of a Daihatsu Midget II, and an alternate soft spare tire cover that says, “Midget II, the car that was so popular in the 1960s.” It probably sounded better in Japanese. A casual look at other Midget II ads leads me to believe that they go for between $4000 and $7000, so with a week to go and three bids so far, this little guy could still be a big bargain.

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