Motor News

Chevy released more details on the 2024 Equinox EV.Pricing ranges from $34,995 to $52,395, but you’ll have to wait longer for the cheaper models.Claimed range is up to 319 miles, compared with Chevy’s previous estimate of 300 miles.Order books are about to open for the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, and that means we now have more information on prices, specs, and trim levels for the new electric compact SUV. Two different 2RS launch versions will arrive first, starting at $48,995, and the base model will begin reaching dealerships later with a lower starting price of $34,995. Chevy also upped its range estimate for the longest-range variant to 319 miles.The launch versions of the Equinox will start at $48,995 for the 210-hp front-wheel-drive 2RS version and $52,395 for the 290-hp all-wheel-drive 2RS version. These models will come standard with equipment including a 17.7-inch touchscreen, a power tailgate, heated front seats, and 21-inch wheels. Chevy also previously showed 3LT and 3RS trims that suggest there might be even more expensive models available later on.Equinox 3RSChevroletThe 1LT base model also won’t arrive until later, but it carries a far more attractive starting price: $34,995. That’s surely for the FWD model, and we don’t yet know how much extra the dual-motor AWD setup will cost. Only one battery pack will be available across the board, and we expect different range estimates depending on trim level, with the 319 mile estimate representing the longest-range variant.Chevy says dealerships will start taking orders for the launch models starting in early November. We don’t yet have specific timing on when Equinox EVs will start reaching customers. It’s possible the cheaper versions won’t arrive until the 2025 model year, but Chevy does say that deliveries of the entire range will start in the 2024 calendar year.More on the Equinox EVSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

The Nissan Safari Rally Z Tribute celebrates the Datsun 240Z that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally.Built by Tommy Pike Customs, the Z features a two-inch lift thanks to an upgraded suspension and burly Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires.The V-6 engine has been tuned to more than 400 horsepower. The modified Z also has a cat-back exhaust, cold air intake, and twin-disc clutch and flywheel. The popularity of off-roading has surged as trucks and SUVs have come to dominate the market, with automakers launching new sub-brands—Subaru with Wilderness and Honda with TrailSport, for example—to beef up their crossovers. The go-anywhere enthusiasm has spread to sports cars too, with Porsche and Lamborghini concocting the 911 Dakar and Huracán Sterrato, respectively. At the 2023 SEMA show, opening this week in Las Vegas, Nissan is showing its own take on the trend with this Safari Rally Z Tribute, built by Tommy Pike Customs. The Tribute pays homage to the rally-spec Datsun 240Z that triumphed at the 3800-mile 1971 East African Safari Rally, which Nissan previously honored with a Juke-based concept a couple of years ago. Nissan commissioned the build from South Carolina–based Tommy Pike Customs, which built a Leaf-powered 1987 Sunny pickup and a woody-wagon-inspired Ariya for last year’s SEMA show. The modified Z sports car will sit alongside a replica of the Datsun 240Z Safari.Tommy Pike Customs fitted the sharply styled sports car with some major upgrades. The Tribute build rides 2.0 inches higher thanks to a custom KW safari suspension, which also includes adjustable upper control arms, a strut tower brace, and other components from Nissan in-house tuner NISMO. Unique black 17.0-inch wheels are wrapped in chunky Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 225/65 tires.Protecting the oily bits are a front bumper guard and skid plate, while a slew of auxiliary LED lights sprouting from the front end provide extra visibility in dark or dusty conditions. Inside, the Z features a roll bar hooked up to four-point harnesses that keep the driver firmly seated in Recaro bucket seats. The V-6 engine has also been tuned by AMS Performance, pushing output beyond the stock 400 horsepower, although Nissan didn’t specify quite how much it was improved. Other under-the-hood goodies include a cold air intake, a carbon-fiber engine cover, a heat exchange, and a twin-disc clutch and flywheel. Tommy Pike Customs also added a cat-back exhaust with laser-etched NISMO branding. The look is rounded out with a livery that mimics the original rally car’s, albeit sporting the number “23” on the doors instead of the “11” worn by the 1971 car. While we doubt this off-road Z has any chance at production, hopefully some of these parts could be offered by Nissan for DIYers who want to create their own rally special.More Special NissansThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Earlier this year, a Ferrari 499P went out and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans to give the brand its first win in the race since 1965. Back then, customers could buy spectacular Ferraris like the 250 GTO directly from the Scuderia. While just about everything else about the automotive world has changed since, Ferrari apparently sees some value in that tradition. That means it will sell the 499P Modificata, a variant of the 499P Le Mans Hypercar available to customers. That does not mean customers in the racing sense, either. This is not a car for privateers looking to race a Ferrari—this is a car for people looking to purchase a 499P of their own as the ultimate track-day car. Unlike the presumably canceled Toyota GR Super Sport or the Aston Martin Valkyrie that is moving to the Hypercar class in 2025, the 499P Modificata is also not a road car. This is a pure track car, one free of the restrictions that come with racing to a ruleset. That makes the 499P Modificata something like the 919 Evo to the 499P’s Porsche 919 Hybrid. While this car is not quite as extreme as the Porsche—the 919 Evo had over 1000 horsepower and active aerodynamics—freedom from regulation allows for Ferrari to make the car more powerful and make more direct use of its hybrid assistance. The resulting car has 697 horsepower, four-wheel drive that can be activated well below the FIA-regulated 118 mph, and specially designed Pirelli tires. The hybrid powertrain’s power is also deployed differently, available at the push of a button to bring total output to a peak of 858 horsepower. Far past the standards of performance you might find in even the most extreme road cars, that puts the 499P Modificata in league only with the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and Bugatti Bolide. While both of those cars are not far from Le Mans Hypercars themselves, the Ferrari actually is one. Add in a complicated hybrid system and that makes it a fairly difficult car to run for private owners, so Ferrari has introduced the Sport Prototipi Clienti program to provide direct support. In a system similar to its F1 Clienti program for owners of historic F1 cars, 499P Modificata owners will have their car both maintained and supported by Ferrari itself. That allows the company to make a more complex and modern track car, in this case the only one in its ultra-exclusive segment that actually utilizes a hybrid setup to provide power to all four wheels. Going forward, it also means Ferrari will already have a structure in place to support projects of similar ambition.Ferrari has not announced a price for the 499P Modificata. With no other prototype racer from a major manufacturer on sale today, comparison points can be hard to find. The closest thing may be a ready-to-race Porsche 963, which comes in at $3 million for customer race teams. As the Ferrari was developed for even more complicated regulations, expect a high number.More Ferrari More

Porsche revived the 935 name in 2019 for this 911 GT2 RS–based track car, featuring a 700-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six.This example recalls the Porsche 935 that won the 1979 24 Hours of Daytona with its black paintwork accented by red, orange, and pink stripes.Porsche built just 77 units of the 2019 935. This one previously sold for $1,325,000 at an auction last year.Before we delve into the history that makes this 2019 Porsche 935 extra special, just admire it. Run your eyes over the slinky profile, marvel at the colossal rear wing, inspect the intricate vents carved into the carbon-fiber-composite body panels, and allow yourself to get lost in the deep black paint. This is a truly stunning car, and this homage to the classic 935 race car is also exceptionally rare, with just 77 units produced. It’s not every day that a 2019 935 comes up for auction, but this example is now being offered on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—and if you sell all of your worldly possessions, you just might be able to afford it.Bring a TrailerRevealed in 2018, the 935 pays tribute to the dominant race car of the same name that triumphed at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans. While the win in France has gone down as the 935’s most iconic victory, the turbocharged, slant-nosed race car was even more unstoppable in the United States, where various 935s snatched top honors at the 24 Hours of Daytona for six years straight. Even when Porsche didn’t enter a factory-backed car in 1979, the 935 won in Daytona at the hands of customer team Interscope Racing. The number zero Porsche 935 was driven to the top step of the podium by endurance legend Hurley Haywood, Danny Ongais, and team owner Ted Field, who would later co-found Interscope Records with Jimmy Iovine. Their car, painted in jet black with flowing stripes in shades of pink and red, looked particularly resplendent as it led the field past the checkered flag.Bring a TrailerThe livery worn by this 2019 example is a direct callback to the 1979 Daytona winner, with eye-catching stripes that accentuate the sleek, curvy styling. This track-only tool is based on the beastly 911 GT2 RS and pays tribute to the original, with a smooth, flat hood and a lengthy “longtail” profile capped off by that ginormous wing. Under the carbon fiber lies a steel and aluminum composite shell, with power coming courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six that sends 700 horsepower to the rear wheels via a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transaxle. The 935 was also fitted with a limited-slip differential, slotted and ventilated Brembo brakes, adjustable dampers, a roughly 30-gallon fuel cell, and a welded-in roll cage. The side mirrors were borrowed from the 911 RSR race car and the 935 rides on BBS 18-inch center-lock wheels. The driver sits in a Recaro carbon-fiber race seat and controls the vehicle with a yolk-style carbon steering wheel. The 935 also includes air conditioning, a luxury in the track-car world, and a neat wooden shift knob.Bring a TrailerUnfortunately, the modern 935 was never sanctioned to run in a racing series itself, meaning many of these track beasts have become works of art that spend more time under gleaming garage lights than tearing around the track. The original owner put just 17 miles of this 935, the 49th example built, before the selling dealer purchased it at the Pebble Beach Gooding & Company auction for $1,325,000. The dealer has since added 73 miles, bringing the total to 90. This example is being sold with a factory-suppled spare parts package that was a $44,000 option when new. Along with the Daytona-honoring race livery, which cost a whopping $27,500, this 935 cost $1,048,080 when new. Bidding has already surpassed that, sitting at $1,050,935 with 10 days remaining until the auction ends on November 8.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Approximately 7735 examples of the VW Golf Country were built over two model years.The Country is based on a concept car, but Steyr-Daimler-Puch put it into limited production.It was imported to the U.S. in 2022.Car and Driver Take a normal passenger car (rather than an SUV or pickup), jack up the ride height, and people go a little nutty. Both the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato sold out nearly immediately, and the history of “safari” 911s goes way back. If you don’t have a six-figure stash to blow on a lifted supercar, perhaps this 1991 VW Golf Country will scratch that itch.This 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country is currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like C/D, is a vassal state of the Hearst Autos empire). According to the listing, approximately 7735 of these lifted Golf hatchbacks were built. The idea started out as a concept at the 1990 Geneva auto show, but after the public went full bat guano for it, VW sent some of its four-wheel-drive Golfs to Steyr-Daimler-Puch for subsequent modification.Bring a TrailerThe modifications involve more than shoving some bricks between the springs and the shock mounts. Steyr-Daimler-Puch installed tubular subframes, brush guards, skid plates, fender flares, and a sweet trunk-mounted spare tire. The result looks like something from a new-wave zombie movie. There’s even a fun little decal on the side, not that the public needs reminding about this vehicle’s off-roading aspirations. All told, the Golf Country rides nearly five inches higher than the standard four-door hatchback, and it carries some 438 unique parts, according to a VW press release.Bring a TrailerMore Lifted NonsenseInside, the cabin is nearly as fun as the exterior. The seats and door panels are wrapped in patterned gray cloth, and the interior barely looks used. The dashboard houses some slick VDO gauges, and the odometer is showing a smidge under 100,000 miles. Don’t expect to go anywhere in a hurry; the Country’s 1.8-liter engine only makes 97 horsepower.Bring a TrailerIt’s pretty safe to say you won’t see a Golf Country roll through Bring a Trailer very often, so if you want an unconventional off-roader, you have until November 3 to swing through with a bid.Senior EditorCars are Andrew Krok’s jam, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut his teeth writing freelance magazine features, and now he has a decade of full-time review experience under his belt. A Chicagoan by birth, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree. More

The 2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray posted a 2.5-second 60-mph time in our instrumented performance testing—the quickest ever for a Vette.On the street, the E-Ray’s combined 655 horsepower, all-wheel-drive traction, and instant electric-motor torque make it a stoplight hellion, capable of brutal launches that are as easy to attain as flooring the accelerator.To see how the E-Ray would fare in a theoretical stoplight drag race, we launched the E-Ray with and without launch control to see the difference in acceleration times.Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).The time it takes a car to go from rest to 60 mph is one of the most important, best-understood, and longest-running benchmarks for judging performance—and for winning one-upmanship arguments that erupt between car enthusiasts. Our standard array of acceleration tests unearth that 60-mph time, among numerous other performance data points, as scientifically as possible in order to extract the quickest acceleration result.We test on a closed, flat, proving-ground track, utilize the driving technique that will deliver the quickest time—that can mean using a car’s launch-control system, or not—run our tests in two directions to account for the effects of wind, and then average the two best runs and also correct the results to standard weather conditions. (Temperature and humidity affect horsepower in internal-combustion engines).We Test the Hybrid AWD VetteNo Time for Launch Control?Thorough as this data-gathering is, the hybrid all-wheel-drive Corvette E-Ray got us thinking: What could it do without the effect of launch control? Activating launch control in the Corvette is a bit tedious. First, the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system must be set to Track, Race 1, or Race 2. If a burnout is required to clean off the tires, Race 2 is required. With the correct PTM mode selected, launch control is now available. From there, the custom launch-control interface is accessible through the steering wheel controls. The engine rpm can be adjusted to compensate for wheel spin, as can the target slip percentage. Or launch control can be left in Auto mode and the E-Ray will figure out what’s best.One of the things we love about the E-Ray out on the road is its brutal, instantaneous, and easily accessible acceleration. Thanks to the 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8 in its tail pumping power to the rear wheels, a 160-hp electric motor driving its front wheels, and a 1.1-kWh battery that’s almost always at a 70-percent-or-higher level of charge on the street, the E-Ray leaps ahead from almost any speed. And with all-wheel-drive traction it launches from stoplights as if shot out of a Howitzer. So how quick is it to 60 mph in a real-world driving scenario when the light turns green? What if you rolled up to a stoplight to find, say, a 797-hp Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye in the next lane and the E-Ray’s launch control isn’t prepped for battle? Could you still beat the Dodge—theoretically, of course—if all you did was slam your right foot to the floor when the light turned green? A Stoplight to 60 MPH Takes 2.9 TicksIn the interest of science we performed exactly that gas-it-and-go run with our VBox test equipment attached to the E-Ray. In a previous test of a Charger Hellcat Redeye it hurtled to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with its launch control disengaged; it was slightly slower with it on. The E-Ray hit 60 in 2.5 seconds in our track testing—the quickest time we’ve ever recorded for a Corvette—with its adjustable launch control on and optimized. However, with no help from launch control, the E-Ray clocked in at 2.9 seconds. So, the Charger driver would be watching the E-Ray’s quad exhaust pipes fade into the distance.Part of our normal testing includes a 5-to-60-mph rolling start, in which we creep at 5 mph and then smash the accelerator. This test removes the effects of a high-rpm, launch-control start. The E-Ray completes the rolling start in 3.1 seconds, just 0.2-second slower than smashing the throttle from a standstill.How would the E-Ray fare in a stoplight shootout against other hypercars like the Ferrari 296GTB or Lamborghini Huracán STO? That’s a good question; we don’t have comparative 60 mph data for other supercars, which we virtually always test with their launch control on. So be it. This fun foray into a different sort of test nonetheless underscores our subjective impression of the E-Ray’s performance: how easy it is to make the hybrid Corvette hurtle away from almost anything else on the road in a stoplight drag race—theoretically, of course.Extra Corvette E-Ray ReadingThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Director, Buyer’s GuideRich Ceppos has evaluated automobiles and automotive technology during a career that has encompassed 10 years at General Motors, two stints at Car and Driver totaling 19 years, and thousands of miles logged in racing cars. He was in music school when he realized what he really wanted to do in life and, somehow, it’s worked out. In between his two C/D postings he served as executive editor of Automobile Magazine; was an executive vice president at Campbell Marketing & Communications; worked in GM’s product-development area; and became publisher of Autoweek. He has raced continuously since college, held SCCA and IMSA pro racing licenses, and has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He currently ministers to a 1999 Miata and a 1965 Corvette convertible and appreciates that none of his younger colleagues have yet uttered “Okay, Boomer” when he tells one of his stories about the crazy old days at C/D. More

The 2024 Nissan Rogue is transformed into an off-road SUV with the Project Rugged Rogue concept for SEMA. The 2024 Nissan Sentra concept channels past SE-R models with myriad performance upgrades, such as a highly modified turbo four and manual gearbox.The 2024 Nissan Frontier at SEMA isn’t a concept, it’s a real-life off-road race truck that’s packed with NISMO equipment.Right now, the most exciting models in Nissan’s portfolio are the GT-R and Z—both offer track-focused NISMO models. With this year’s SEMA show kicking off next week, Nissan has transformed two of its most mainstream models into tantalizing concepts that are turnt up with NISMO add-ons.A Truly Rugged RogueThe regular Rogue has no business tackling tangled terrain or venturing very far from paved roads. Now imagine a world where the compact SUV has a jacked-up ride height and mud-terrain tires like the Ford Ranger Raptor—amber running lights above the grille are also aped. That’s the Project Rugged Rogue that Nissan is NISMO fitted with all manner of NISMO equipment.Wearing a livery with a Reese’s cups’ color scheme and a topographical design, the Rogue concept has a roof rack packed with a bike and a kayak. There’s a total of six front-mounted fog lights, carbon-fiber fender flares, and side rock rails as well as a front brush guard. NISMO also supplied a three-inch suspension lift and 18-inch wheels that are bronze up front and black out back. Those mount on a set of 32-inch Yokohama Geolander M/T G003 tires.While there’s no mention of any powertrain changes, the Rogue’s 201-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder breaths through a custom center-exit exhaust that, frankly, looks badass.A Modern-Day Sentra SE-RThe NISMO-badged Sentra was killed off after the 2019 model year, and if there had been funeral, we doubt many would have attended. The Sentra DET concept that was built for SEMA is worth shedding a tear for. It features a host of prototype NISMO parts as well as a heavily modified powertrain—that it pairs with a six-speed manual versus the standard CVT is the cherry on top. “DET” is an acronym for Nissan’s past performance engines, but it’s wordy enough to not be worthy of writing out.Sure, we could do without the cheesy graphics, and we prefer the wheels on our cars to have matching colors on both sides, but a Sentra with hood-mounted heat extractors has our attention regardless. Beneath those slots sits the standard cars’s MR20DD 2.0-liter turbo four. Normally it makes a wimpy 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, but this isn’t the normal engine. It has been souped-up with a higher compression ratio, a bigger turbo, stronger internals, and an upgraded fuel system. If you don’t see this Sentra coming, you’ll likely hear its cat-back exhaust setup. Nissan didn’t mention the Sentra’s new output, but rest assured its considerably more than the stock engine.NissanNissanIn addition to the overhaul under the hood, the Sentra DET concept has a revised chassis that benefits from brakes pulled from the Nissan Z and coil-overs and anti-roll bars courtesy of NISMO. It grips and rips on a set of 18-inch Yokohama Advan Neova summer tires, with front-seat passengers being better held in place with Recaro competition seats.Frontier for Off-Road RacingThe Frontier is a fine mid-size pickup truck, and we dig the new retro-inspired Hardbody model. The Forsberg Racing-developed Frontier that’s heading to SEMA is more than fine, it’s frickin’ sweet! It’s also not a concept, it’s a race-proven rig that competed in the NORRA 500 (look it up).The Forsberg Frontier features more stickers than a Lisa Frank booklet, but they’re all tastefully applied. The look is completed by black beadlock NISMO wheels wrapped with gnarly Yokohama Geolander mud-terrain tires, which are buoyed by a lifted and enhanced suspension. Current Frontier owners can also find parts such as the roof rack, light bar, and rock sliders in the NISMO catalogue to copy the off-roader’s look.Nissans We’ve TestedThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Kia is updating the Carnival minivan with a new look for the front and rear ends.We don’t know about interior updates at this point, but it may receive some new features.Look for U.S. specs on the the 2025 Carnival to be released within the next few months.The Kia Carnival’s looks were already one of its strong suits, and the minivan is getting an update for the 2025 model year that gives it an even more attractive appearance. Kia released photos of the Korea-spec Carnival with new front- and rear-end designs, plus different wheels and a new trim level called Gravity with a blacked-out color scheme.KiaUp front, the new grille texture and the larger headlights with futuristic-looking LED accent strips make a stronger statement. The taillights are also new and feature LED strips that stretch nearly the width of the car, while also extending downward into the fender. We’re particularly partial to the silver and black wheels on the pictured model, which feature a cool geometric pattern.Kia is also introducing a new trim level called Gravity that has black accents including the wheels, the window surrounds, and other bits of trim. We don’t know if this version will come to the U.S., or what name it would use if it does.KiaPhotos of the interior haven’t been released yet, so we’re not sure if it will include updates as well. We wouldn’t be surprised if Kia introduced some new features or updated the Carnival’s infotainment screen as part of this facelift. Some new upholstery and trim options might also be added.KiaWe don’t expect changes to the Carnival’s powertrain, which is a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s available only with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Look for Kia to release more details on the U.S.-spec version of the 2025 Carnival within the coming months. It should go on sale on our shores either late this year or early in 2024.More on the CarnivalSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More