Motor News

Travis Pastrana, who has taken over the helm of the Gymkhana YouTube series from Ken Block, has shown off his latest drift car, a 1983 Subaru GL wagon.This is no ordinary GL wagon, however, gaining beefy wheel arches, a roll cage, gold wheels, and a fully carbon fiber body.No technical details have been released, and the dramatic GL drift wagon should have its full Gymkhana debut later this year.Late last year, drift maestro Ken Block—known for his viral Gymkhana Youtube series—revealed his latest toy, the all-electric Audi S1 e-tron Quattro Hoonitron, which will star in a new video called Elektrikhana coming this year. But while Block has transitioned to electric power, rally driver Travis Pastrana, who took over the Gymkhana series two years ago, is sticking with internal combustion and has unveiled his latest drift machine, a heavily modified 1983 Subaru GL wagon.
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While we don’t yet have details about the Subaru’s modifications, we can clearly an awesome set of gold wheels and that GL’s body has been radically modified, sprouting wide wheel arches. The body is entirely built from carbon fiber and the work was completed by Vermont SportsCar, Subaru’s U.S. motorsport partner. You can catch a quick glimpse of the car at the beginning of the preview video above, where Pastrana calls it “the coolest car I’ve ever driven.”

The second-generation GL first went on sale in 1979 and was powered by a series of flat-four engines. The GL was offered in a variety of body styles, including coupe, sedan, wagon, and three-door hatchback, and the compact BRAT pickup truck was spun off the same platform. Pastrana has gone for the wagon variant, and while no technical details have been released, we’d wager that the flat-four has been extensively tuned for this drift machine.
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GM is working with a company called Renewable Innovations to build tools that will bring its Hydrotec hydrogen fuel-cell technology to generators. The automaker’s mobile power generator (MPG) and Empower rapid charger offer ways to charge as many as 100 or more EVs without refilling or tapping into the electrical grid.With the U.S. hydrogen infrastructure still in its infancy, these systems are not very cost-effective, at least for now, but they’re intriguing.General Motors announced Wednesday that it is planning to bring its Hydrotec hydrogen fuel-cell technology to generators. The company plans to test the waters with a hydrogen-powered mobile power generator, or MPG, and a rapid charger called Empower.While GM foresees multiple use cases for its Hydrotec-based generators, it is primarily highlighting this technology’s potential to help today’s gas stations transition to electric-vehicle charging stations. That said, GM also sees the versatile MPG playing a military role, with its palletized prototype designed to provide power to temporary camps.

General Motors

Credit the hydrogen generator’s quieter operation and lower heat signature relative to its gas- or diesel-powered counterparts. In theory, these features ought to reduce the chance of enemy combatants coming across makeshift military sites.

Charge ItYet, it’s the MPG’s potential role as a mobile fast charger for EVs that interests us most. As described by Charles Freese, GM’s executive director of its global fuel-cell business, the MPG provides the ability to add an EV fast charger without the need to connect to the grid or break ground to install fixed charging stations. The Empower rapid charger, meanwhile, takes the basic concept of the MPG and kicks it up a few notches—notably, because of its ability to fast-charge four EVs at the same time. With its internal hydrogen tanks at full capacity, the rapid charger can charge north of 100 cars before needing a refill, according to GM.Hydrogen HighwayGM intends to offer its hydrogen-powered generators in a variety of outputs, from as few as 60 kilowatts to as much as 600 kW, in order to satisfy varying commercial needs. Even so, the potential success of these emissions-free tools is stifled by the hydrogen infrastructure limitations of the United States. As such, refueling either of them is likely to be costly in many areas of the country.

General Motors

In fact, Freese acknowledged as much during a media call, saying that today’s practice of trucking hydrogen is often cost-ineffective due to the vast distances traveled. However, Freese believes hydrogen production will eventually happen closer to points of use, which ought to afford shorter trucking routes and bring down the price. Nevertheless, GM and its manufacturing partner Renewable Innovations are continuing to develop these hydrogen-powered generators, with the two companies planning to start public demonstrations of the MPG later in the year. Renewable Innovations is also working to place 500 Empower rapid chargers across the U.S. before 2026.Despite this progress, GM is keeping coy about the potential price of the MPG or Empower generators. Likewise, the company’s not quite ready to discuss the possibility of producing a smaller hydrogen generator for personal use. Regardless, it seems it’s only a matter of time until gas- and diesel-powered generators are replaced by zero-emission alternatives.
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Thor Industries’ Vision Vehicle RV concept promises 300 miles of range, although the company provided no specifications as to battery size or type.The Ford Transit–based RV concept also includes a fuel cell that powers a range extender.No word on whether the Vision Vehicle RV is intended for production, but at the very least it proves RV makers are entering the EV era with the rest of us.Even recreational vehicle manufacturers are preparing to bid adieu to the internal-combustion engine. Need proof? One day after Winnebago revealed its battery-electric e-RV concept, Thor pulled the wraps off of its plug-in Vision Vehicle concept.Like the e-RV, the Vision Vehicle concept uses Ford’s Transit full-size van as a base. However, whereas the Winnebago concept packs a mere 125 miles of manufacturer-estimated range (one less than Ford’s estimate for its most efficient E-Transit model), Thor claims its RV offers up to 300 miles of driving range. Credit the hybrid nature of the Vision Vehicle concept’s powertrain, which consists of a “high-capacity” battery pack (Thor’s mum on the pack’s actual energy capacity) and a range-extender with its own onboard fuel cell that allows “for a variety of fuel options,” including hydrogen, per a Thor spokesperson.

Thor

Inside, Thor fits the Vision Vehicle concept with a bespoke dashboard fit with multiple digital displays. This includes a digital gauge cluster ahead of the driver, a large center-mounted infotainment screen, and a pair of displays mounted at the top corners of the dash, each of which displays a feed from the RV’s rear-facing cameras that serve the role of rearview mirrors.Those are far from the only highlights of the Vision Vehicle concept’s insides, as Thor fits this RV with luxurious living quarters that include plenty of niceties, including a kitchen replete with a large display that rises from the countertop and adjustable frosted glass windows for additional privacy.No doubt, Thor seems intent on eventually producing a model like the Vision Vehicle concept. When the company plans to actually reveal a production-ready vehicle of this nature, however, is anyone’s guess. Regardless, the Thor Vision Vehicle concept certainly proves that the EV-era will not mark the death of the RV.
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GM already sells 5000 different parts online, but now you can get almost any part the company sells delivered direct to your door or to your local dealer, directly on GM’s various brand websites.It’s not about saving you money on purchases—whether that’s new wiper blades or a personalization theme for your vehicle’s infotainment screen—but ensuring you have genuine GM parts and can get GM brands’ reward points for buying them.In the future, customers may order such things as over-the-air upgrades and even electric vehicles directly online from GM.General Motors is making it easier to buy replacement parts for its vehicles online. GM isn’t giving its new official parts portal a fancy name like CarBravo, the company’s new used-vehicle portal. Instead, the catalog of 45,000 repair and maintenance parts is simply being added to the automaker’s brand websites—such as Chevrolet.com, where GM has been selling some accessories online since 2015 and currently offers 5000 different products.Shipping to Your Home or the DealershipThe automaker is touting two benefits for people who buy their parts directly from the company, and cost savings isn’t one of them. Instead, GM says that shoppers can be certain that the parts are “original equipment ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts that are compatible with their vehicles” and that purchases made through the online catalogs will be eligible for Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC rewards programs. Ordered parts can be delivered to a home or buyers can get those parts shipped to a local participating dealer. More than 800 GM dealers will participate in this program, and GM said it expects that online sales of parts and accessories will become a $40 billion marketplace by 2030.

GM

You can see hints of GM’s overall plan in this move. By adding tens of thousands of parts to its online digital shopping sites, GM is expanding its digital storefront, a place where the automaker plans to sell not just these components, but also “accessories, digital products delivered over the air, and subscriptions through a single digital storefront,” the company said. In other words, today you buy an air filter, tomorrow you pay for some bonus safety feature for your connected car, and it’s all done through one e-commerce interface where your contact and payment information are already on file. Subscriptions and Digital UpgradesToday, GM requires subscriptions to access some parts of its connected services, including OnStar and the myChevrolet mobile app, but this segment of the industry is growing. GM offered up two examples of how customers could use the new digital store “to purchase upgrades such as improved capabilities for the Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system and personalization themes for in-vehicle screens.”

Future electric vehicle purchases could also be done entirely online as well. Last October, during its investor day, GM said it expects its annual software and subscription services could give the company “$20 billion to $25 billion in opportunities” in the future. “We are placing software and digital services at the center of every part of our business,” GM chief digital officer Edward Kummer said in a statement. “The future of GM retail lies at the intersection of digital and physical e-commerce. Whether it’s selling parts or vehicles, GM will meet our customers where it’s most convenient for them.”
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The eStream concept RV comes from Airstream parent company Thor Industries, and it has an electric powertrain developed by ZF.A pair of electric motors produce a peak combined output of 242 horsepower, and integrated batteries offer 80.0 kWh of energy capacity.The Thor eStream is just a concept, but it sure looks to us as though the maker is ready to start planning a production model.It’s no secret that towing affects a vehicle’s driving range. Thor Industries’ Airstream eStream concept attempts to offset this by way of an integrated electric powertrain. This concept camper packs 80 kilowatt-hours’ worth of energy by way of its batteries, which then feed a pair of electric motors (one at each wheel) that are capable of producing a maximum combined output of 242 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Those electric motors do more than just take some of the load off the powertrain of the tow vehicle; they also have a Move mode that allows the eStream to maneuver remotely.

Thor

Although the electric-assist tech is surely the eStream’s feather in its cap, the trailer’s ZF-developed powertrain is far from the camper’s only interesting bit. Credit its 900 watts’ worth of solar panels that feed energy to those aforementioned batteries, as well as various other systems. This feat allows eStream users to live off the grid for up to two weeks while maintaining many of the camper’s various electrically powered niceties. This includes the likes of the eStream’s voice- and touchscreen-activated climate and lighting controls, as well as its kitchen amenities and various entertainment equipment.

Thor

While the Thor Airstream eStream is officially a concept camper, it seems like an idea that ought to go into production. We imagine the mass-market eStream will wear a rather high price relative to other campers of this size, but we also think the model’s trick integrated EV powertrain and large capacity batteries offer peace of mind that’s worth its upcharge. Well, provided Thor doesn’t go too crazy with the sticker sum, that is.
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Volvo is updating its plug-in-hybrid powertrain found in the 60- and 90-series models.A more powerful electric motor and larger battery pack provide more horsepower and a longer electric driving range.This applies to the S60, V60, S90, XC60, and XC90 Recharge models.Volvo released details about an updated version of its plug-in-hybrid powertrain a few months ago, and it appears that these upgrades will be reaching U.S.-market Volvo models in the near future. The S60, V60, S90, XC60, and XC90 PHEV models, which are called Recharge in Volvo-speak, will benefit from a more powerful electric motor and a larger battery pack. Total horsepower will increase to 455 hp and electric driving range should increase by 13 to 16 miles depending on model, though official EPA ratings aren’t yet available.

The combination of a turbocharged and supercharged turbo 2.0-liter engine and an electric motor previously produced 400 horsepower in these hybrids (or 415 hp in the V60 Polestar Engineered), and the extra grunt is courtesy of a more powerful electric motor. The battery increases from a total energy capacity of 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh (Volvo hasn’t provided the usable capacity of the new battery) and estimated electric-only range is expected to increase to 38 miles for the V60 and 32 miles for the XC60 and XC90. Official EPA range estimates haven’t been released yet, but these 2022 Volvo Extended Range models are listed on the EPA’s guide for federal tax credits.Volvo will be using the “Extended Range” nomenclature to differentiate models with the updated powertrain, although we expect these models to replace the outgoing hybrids. We’ve reached out to Volvo for more information on these changes and will update this post as more details become available.
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Porsche unveiled the Taycan GTS Sport Turismo back in November and has now added base, 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S models for the low-slung wagon.A spokesperson for Porsche confirmed to Car and Driver that the U.S. market will only receive the Sport Turismo in GTS guise.Porsche says the Turbo S can hit 62 mph in 2.8 seconds, while the 4S has the longest range in the lineup at 309 miles on the European WLTP testing cycle.At the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, Porsche took the wraps off a new bodystyle for the electric Taycan called the Sport Turismo, essentially a Cross Turismo wagon without the “off-road” plastic cladding. At the time Porsche only showed a Taycan Sport Turismo in GTS trim, but now the German automaker has unveiled four more versions of the Sport Turismo: base, 4S, Turbo, and a top-dog Turbo S. Sadly, these new variants will not reach our shores.

Porsche

A Porsche spokesperson told Car and Driver that “the Taycan Sport Turismo will continue to be offered solely as a GTS in the United States,” citing its “optimal blend of performance and utility.” Still, we wish Porsche would bring us more gorgeous electric wagons, especially the all-wheel-drive 670-hp Turbo and 750-hp Turbo S variants. The base model, which sends 375 hp to the rear wheels with the optional Performance Battery Plus, would also be welcome stateside.

Porsche claims the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo will hit 62 mph in 2.8 seconds, slightly behind the 2.4-second 0-60 mph run we recorded in our testing of a standard Turbo S. The 4S model, meanwhile, achieves the best range of the lineup, traveling 309 miles on a charge based on the European WLTP testing cycle. The full Sport Turismo lineup will arrive in March for European customers, but we will have to make do with the 590-hp GTS Sport Turismo when it goes on sale in the U.S. in the first half of this year.
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Bring a Trailer has set another record for most expensive car sold.The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT sold for $2 million, and it did so with no reserve.This Porsche took the crown from another Porsche Carrera GT that sold earlier in January.Just two weeks ago, we told you that the online auction site, Bring a Trailer, had sold its most expensive car ever, a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that went for a little over $1.9 million. That title has now been usurped. Another 2005 Porsche Carrera GT just sold for $2 million.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

Whereas the earlier record-setting Porsche had 780 miles on the clock, this latest one had been driven just 250 miles. Against that, the $2 million Carrera GT is finished in GT Silver metallic, a more common color than the other car’s Guards Red. Then again, to our eyes, the silver car’s Terracotta interior is preferable to the red car’s black leather.

Bring a Trailer

Mechanically, of course, the cars are identical, with a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V-10 with dry-sump lubrication and an 8400-rpm redline; a six-speed manual transaxle; a twin-plate ceramic clutch; and rear-wheel drive. The Carrera GT also boasts a carbon-fiber central-tub chassis over which is stretched carbon-fiber bodywork.This later car benefits from a fresh, $18,000 service that included a new water pump, battery, belts, plugs, tires, and TPM sensors—so maybe that accounts for some of the $98,000 price difference versus the earlier car. Or maybe that just represents two weeks’ worth of price appreciation for under-1k-mile Porsche Carrera GTs.
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