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The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor carries a starting price of $69,995.Ford has yet to release option prices or details about trim levels, but we imagine a fully equipped model will be considerably more expensive.Ford says deliveries will begin this summer, and those with an existing Bronco order can choose to upgrade to the Raptor.The new 2022 Bronco Raptor is the ultimate version of the Ford Bronco (at least for now), and it carries an appropriately heady base price of $69,995—nearly $20,000 more than a standard Bronco Wildtrak four-door model. Ford has yet to release details on options and trim levels, but we imagine a fully loaded model will reach above $80,000. The Raptor comes only as a four-door with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine that Ford claims will make around 400 horsepower.

This starting price makes the Bronco Raptor slightly more expensive than the F-150 Raptor pickup, which starts at $67,070. The F-150 is powered by a larger-displacement twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 450 horsepower, giving it a power advantage over the Bronco. But it’s worth noting that the Bronco Raptor comes standard with 37-inch tires, whereas a 2022 F-150 Raptor requires adding some expensive options to get equivalent 37-inch rubber: the $5250 37 Performance package and $6150 801A package, which together bring the truck’s price to $78,470.The other important point of comparison is with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, which has a 6.4-liter V-8 that makes 470 horsepower. The Rubicon is more expensive than the Bronco Raptor, starting at $76,395, which is to be expected given its extra power. Tire-wise, the Wrangler 392 comes standard with 33-inch tires and offers a 35-inch tire option as part of the $3995 Xtreme Recon package.Ford says that deliveries of the 2022 Bronco Raptor will start this summer. Customers with an existing Bronco order will be offered the chance to upgrade to a Raptor.
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There are no self-driving cars available to own today, but that isn’t stopping automakers from hyping that these Level 2+ systems are offering more than they’re capable of.Now, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) wants to see just how good these “partial automation” technologies are at identifying distracted drivers, the ones who are supposed to be actively participating even if the car can change lanes or drive the speed of other cars automatically.IIHS will issue its first ratings later in 2022 and doesn’t see any automaker’s system getting top marks just yet.Some drivers might call it Level 2+ autonomous driving, or perhaps a partially self-driving vehicle. Companies call the technology these cars use things like Autopilot (Tesla), Pilot Assist (Volvo), and Super Cruise (GM). Whatever name you give the fancy driver assistance systems in today’s cars, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is going to start figuring out just how safe they really are, especially when it comes to reducing intentional or unintentional misuse.IIHS announced this week it will create “safeguard ratings for partial automation” technology and will rank these features with one of four ratings: Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. The reason, IIHS said, was because the group has not seen all of the benefits in safer driving that partial automation promises. In 2020, a study of 2013–2017 BMW vehicles by the IIHS’s Highway Loss Data Institute, for example, found that front crash prevention sensors and the addition of adaptive cruise control did reduce the amount of property damage and bodily injury, but “the further addition of lane centering as part of the company’s partially automated driving package had little impact,” the group said at the time. When Car and Driver tested driver-assist features in 2021, we found that all of them had problems identifying inattentive drivers.

“Partial automation systems may make long drives seem like less of a burden, but there is no evidence that they make driving safer,” said IIHS president David Harkey in a statement. “In fact, the opposite may be the case if systems lack adequate safeguards.”To earn a Good rating, a driver assist system will have to be able to track where a driver is looking, and it needs to make sure drivers are watching the road with their hands on the wheel—or are ready to grab it—during the entire drive. IIHS will also require a car to offer “escalating alerts” and have “appropriate emergency procedures” in place whenever the driver isn’t paying attention. IIHS said that different kinds of warnings—”chimes, vibrations, pulsing the brakes or tugging on the driver’s seatbelt”—are better than just one type, and that a driver who fails to respond to these alerts “should be locked out of the system for the remainder of the drive, until the engine is switched off and started again.”IIHS doesn’t expect any automaker’s system to get a Good score when the first ratings are assigned later this year. “While most partial automation systems have some safeguards in place to help ensure drivers are focused and ready, none of them meets all the pending IIHS criteria,” the group wrote in a statement.

IIHS

IIHS

This would be a good place to mention that there are no fully self-driving vehicles available to buy in the U.S. today, even as some automakers hype their systems’ capabilities beyond what’s real. “Some manufacturers have oversold the capabilities of their systems, prompting drivers to treat the systems as if they can drive the car on their own,” IIHS wrote. “In egregious cases, drivers have been documented watching videos or playing games on their cellphones or even taking naps while speeding down the expressway” before citing a 2018 example of a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model X where the driver was likely playing video games while “driving.”
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Koenigsegg takes its carbon fiber seriously. One look at any of the Swedish supercar company’s creations up close, and you’ll understand just how much effort is put into each and every weave. Whether we’re talking about monocoques, body panels, or even wheels, Koenigsegg’s carbon is perfectly aligned and masterfully crafted. It’s a major reason why all of the company’s cars sell out so quickly. Previously, if you wanted a car with carbon fiber made by Koenigsegg, you’d have to shell out several hundred thousand dollars to buy a Koenigsegg. Now, though, all you’ll need is a Tesla to make use of Koenigsegg’s ultra-high-quality carbon. That’s thanks to a new collaboration between Koenigsegg Advanced Manufacturing and Tesla tuner Unplugged Performance. Unplugged Performance is one of the most popular suppliers of aftermarket Tesla parts, offering things like high-performance braking systems, suspension upgrades, and exterior modifications. It’s also the company behind that highly modified Model S Plaid that attacked Pikes Peak in 2021. Furthermore, Unplugged Performance is an officially authorized service provider for Tesla vehicles, according to Electrek. So it’s only natural Koenigsegg would team up with it to provide parts to customers.

As a part of the launch, Unplugged Performance is offering a handful of carbon-fiber spoilers for the Model S, Model 3, and Model X. Additionally, carbon-fiber front fenders are available for the Model 3. Pricing for the spoilers range from $1745 to $2495, while the fenders come in at $8895 per set before taxes and shipping. That sounds like a whole lot of money for body panels, we know. But once you consider the parts are made from Koenigsegg’s proprietary carbon-fiber weave and built on the same assembly line as the aerodynamic parts destined for Koenigsegg’s newest hypercars, it starts to make sense. Unplugged Performance says it plans to debut more parts in collaboration with Koenigsegg later in 2022, so if you don’t see anything you like just yet, stay tuned.

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Chased by deadlines, haunted by chaos, and thrilled by the possibilities right in front of them, the usual gang of goofs are back for another round of Window Shopping mayhem. Yes, it’s a recorded Zoom call blended with obsessive-compulsive car nuttery and a game show where nothing everything is at stake.This episode’s online challenge? Find a vehicle for $40,000 or less that will introduce the non-car-obsessed to the world of vehicular fascination. In sum, a gateway drug. A machine so good that it will get them hooked on the sweet, sweet addiction of car enthusiasm. Yes, we’re out to wreck normal people and turn them into versions of us.Let’s meet the panel! There’s this guy who hosts the show and edits and writes for Car and Driver. And that guy who does “testing” for Car and Driver. Plus here’s another dude who is “on staff” for Car and Driver. Then there’s the guy who “contributes” to Car and Driver from a bunker in Hebron, Kentucky. Finally, there’s this last guy who works for the more sophisticated, more erudite and generally superior Road & Track and who also sells his Hot Wheels toys collectibles here.The goal is to do one of these every week. Because if the YouTube viewership numbers mean anything, well, let’s not worry too much about the numbers. This is too much fun.Join us. We’re mostly harmless.

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Cadillac released the first full images of the 2023 Escalade V after teasing the sporty SUV in a video yesterday. The Escalade V gets a revised front bumper, quad-tip exhaust, lots of black trim, and a faux-rear diffuser. Power is expected to come from a detuned version of the supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 found in the CT5-V Blackwing sedan.Cadillac teased the Escalade V yesterday with a short sound bite of its snarling V-8 engine, and now Cadillac has shown the first images of the new high-performance SUV. The 2023 Escalade V will be the first SUV to bear the “V” badge, and while Cadillac has yet to release any technical details, the design of this burly beast is on full display.

The front bumper of the Escalade V is revised. Instead of a long trim piece stretching across the bottom to link the LED running lights, a chunky lower grille juts out, flanked by the LEDs which gain a vent-like trim piece and are carved into the bodywork with a sharp character line. There is also a new front splitter and multi-spoke grey wheels. Quad-tip exhaust and a faux diffuser make up the changes around back, and all of the SUV’s trim is blacked out. Of course there are prominent “V” badges on the rear hatch and front doors, and the only interior shot shows another “V” at the base of the steering wheel. Cadillac also released a brief video, providing another chance to listen to the supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 that is expected to reside under the hood. The same engine powers the CT5-V Blackwing sedan, where it produces 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque. It will likely be detuned in this application, but the Escalade V should maintain a healthy horsepower advantage over the 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 powering lesser Escalades. The video reveals the Escalade V will have a redline around 6200 rpm, 300 rpm lower than in the CT5-V Blackwing.

While both of the Escalade V models seen in the new photos are the standard-wheelbase model, our spy photographers recently caught a long-wheelbase Escalade ESV version of the V during testing. Cadillac had previously said that the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings would be the final gas-powered V cars. Unless Cadillac gets the sudden urge to build V models of the XT4, XT5, or XT6, the Escalade V could be the last gas-powered V-series model ever. More detailed technical information should arrive soon, but until then we will have to be satiated by the sound of the growling V-8.
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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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