Motor News

The 2022 Fiat 500X goes nautical with the Yacht Club Capri special-edition model.A large cloth top offers open-air motoring, and the interior is upgraded with ivory-colored leather and wood accents.Blu Venezia paint, unique 18-inch wheels, and special edition badging give the 500X a striking look.The 500X was already pretty exclusive for a small SUV—Fiat has only sold 980 of them this year through September—but for 2022 it receives a special Yacht Club Capri model that’s sure to be even rarer. The nautical-themed model is based on the Sport trim but includes several upscale touches that push its price over the $34,000 mark.

All of the Yacht Club Capri models come draped in Blu Venezia paint and wearing 18-inch wheels with color-matched detailing. Bright satin accents on the SUV’s bumpers and exterior mirrors look nice against the dark-blue paint. The 500X’s panoramic glass sunroof has been swapped out in favor of a power-operated cloth top that provides a larger opening. The cloth top, which Fiat is cleverly calling the Al-Fresco top, is also available on cheaper Pop, Sport, and Trekking models for 2022, but the blue-colored fabric is exclusive to the Yacht Club Capri.If those changes to the 500X’s exterior weren’t enough to indicate its specialness, the SUV’s B-pillars are adorned with a special Yacht Club Capri badge. The 500X’s interior also sees upgrades including ivory-colored leather upholstery with blue piping, a lovely dark wood dash panel, and a gearshift knob with wood and satin trim.
Fiat is no stranger to nautical special editions. In Europe, the 500 minicar was offered with a similar treatment, with design inspiration and branding from yacht builder Riva. A high-performance 500 Abarth was fitted with a Riva-inspired design in 2017, and only 350 were made.While the 500X Yacht Club Capri isn’t nearly as exciting as the 500 Abarth version that precedes it, its new cloth top and unique styling are still kind of cool, and it looks far more stylish than several subcompact SUV rivals. Just how many will find homes in North America remains to be seen, but at the very least, it’s a fresh, handsome choice.
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Kia filed trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Sorento X-Pro” and “Telluride X-Pro.”The brand also filed a Trademark for “Telluride X-Line.”Kia previously introduced the X-Pro trim on the 2023 Sportage.The 2023 Kia Sportage’s off-road-oriented X-Pro trim is likely expanding to the brand’s larger Sorento and Telluride SUVs, as evidenced by recent trademarks Kia filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Sorento X-Pro” and “Telluride X-Pro.”If the Sportage X-Pro is anything to go by, then the potential Sorento and Telluride X-Pros will add an extra dose of off-road-readiness to the brand’s three-row models. Expect the Sorento and Telluride X-Pro models to wear all-terrain tires and offer additional drive modes relative to their lesser kin—both SUVs may even sport a slight suspension lift, too.

2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro
Kia

Those in search of the X-Pro’s basic looks sans the off-pavement hardware can always opt for the pavement-focused X-Line trim. But wait, the Telluride isn’t available in X-Line guise. True, but this may change shortly, too, as Kia also filed a trademark for “Telluride X-Line.”

Of course, there’s always the possibility that Kia simply filed these trademarks with no intention of making such models—it happens all the time. Nevertheless, given the trim’s appearance on the 2023 Sportage, as well as the recent rush by other automakers to offer off-road-friendly variants to their SUV model lines (we’re talking the likes of Subaru’s Wilderness and Honda’s TrailSport monikers), it seems only fitting that Kia intends to expand the X-Pro line to vehicles such as the Sorento and Telluride. We’ve reached out to Kia for more information about these trademarks, but have yet to hear back and will update this space when we do.
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Car and Driver talked to John Hennessey about this latest wild design from Hennessey Performance, Project Deep Space.It has a central driving position, but still manages a total of four seats in a diamond configuration.The vehicle will be priced above $3 million with deliveries to start in 2026. We haven’t driven the production version of Hennsessey Performance’s F5 hypercar yet, but the Texas company has already announced what it is planning to build next. And even by the brand’s high standards of showmanship the grandly named Project Deep Space is outlandish enough to have us checking calendars to see if April 1 has come five months ahead of time.Project Deep Space is set to be a street-legal, six-wheeled EV “hyper GT” which will feature a carbon-fiber structure, a central driving position, a diamond-shaped four-seat layout, and a power output that is likely to be somewhere around 2400 horsepower. It will cost at least $3 million, no more than 105 will be made, and production is scheduled to begin in 2026.

Hennessey

Hennessey Performance has only released these two sketches to illustrate the basics of the car’s layout and proportions, but Car and Driver has been given both a closer look at more detailed designs and the chance to talk to John Hennessey about what, if delivered, will be his company’s most extreme vehicle so far. “I’ve been looking at electrification since Tesla came out, but the biggest thing that’s bothered me about EVs is always the weight,” he said. “They can be as fast as a dragster in a straight line, but when it comes to turning or stopping you can’t bend the rules of physics . . . Then I thought, what if our next car isn’t a hypercar like the F5 and we accept the fact it is going to weigh something more than 4000 pounds—that maybe it could be something that carries more than two people.”

The project began as a sketch on the back of an envelope. Hennessey described his idea to head of design Nathan Malinick, with the proposal including both six driven wheels, to maximize traction, and a central driving position. This is flanked by two passenger seats, in the style of the McLaren F1 and GMA T.50, but also includes a full reclinable “VVIP” seat in back. “When we realized the six-wheel configuration would give a very long wheelbase, the idea evolved,” Hennessey says. “What if we built the modern equivalent of something like a Bugatti Royale? Something long, sleek, quiet, and with world-class NVH. So the rear seat will be like the executive seat in a private jet.”The few previous road cars to feature six-wheel drive have tended to do so for theatricality rather than practicality; the Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 is the best recent example. But increasing the number of driven wheels does bring traction benefits for ultra-high-performance powertrains. “We’re not making any announcements on horsepower yet, but it is pretty common to be able to generate 400 hp per electric motor,” he says, “so doing the math suggests a serious amount of power if we do that.” If those numbers are achieved (or bettered), then the 2400-hp Deep Space would outgun the 1880-hp Rimac Nevera and even the 2000-hp Lotus Evija. Hennessey says the car’s structure will be made from carbon fiber, and it will be around 20 feet long. In addition to its human cargo, it will be able to transport both four flight bags and four full-size golf bags, and the cabin will be accessed through split-opening gullwing doors, with the top 2/3 moving upward while the bottom section moves down. The battery will be mounted under the floor, within the space between the front and middle axles. Hennessey says that Delta Cosworth and Shell Pennzoil will be helping to develop the electric drivetrain. There are no detailed performance claims yet, but Hennessey says the plan is to create the fastest ever four-seater from rest to 200 mph. Nor is there any word on range or charging capacity. “We’re not ready to talk about that yet,” Hennessey says, “but we do believe Project Deep Space will have a range greater than what currently exists.”The first version has already been sold, after Hennessey showed the concept sketches to an existing customer. “He’s the guy who owns the gold car [a Venom F5 in Mojave Gold] we revealed at Pebble Beach back in August,” he says. “He was my one-man focus group, and he immediately ordered the first car. How many more guys are out there? I’m not sure, but I do know that in this part of the market people want to have something completely different from what their friends and rivals own.”If you’re a thrill-seeking EV enthusiast billionaire who gets upstaged by your buddies, this is clearly the car for you.
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Mazda has released pricing and other info on the updated 2022 CX-5.It starts at $27,125, a $580 increase, and now comes standard with all-wheel drive.The optional turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four engine now makes 256 hp, an increase of 6 hp.Despite adding all-wheel drive as standard equipment and benefiting from numerous updates for 2022, the Mazda CX-5’s base price doesn’t rise much for the new model year. It now starts at $27,125, a $580 increase, and most 2022 models are actually a bit cheaper than equivalent 2021 CX-5 AWD models; all-wheel drive was previously a $1400 option on most versions of this compact crossover.

The CX-5’s trim levels are rearranged, as the previous Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring monikers are gone. The base model is now the CX-5 2.5 S, and various packages including Select ($29,125), Preferred ($30,385), Premium ($33,535), and Premium Plus ($35,175) add increasing levels of equipment. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four with 187 hp is the base engine, while the turbocharged version of that engine starts off with the $36,510 CX-5 2.5 Turbo model. That turbo engine, by the way, gets a slight power bump and now makes 6 more horsepower for a total of 256 hp. That’s when running on premium fuel, as Mazda still quotes the same 227 hp output on regular fuel, and torque is unchanged.The loaded 2022 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo Signature starts at $38,630, which is $50 less than last year’s Signature model. The Carbon Edition, which has a unique color scheme, continues on and starts at $31,505 but is no longer available with the turbocharged engine. Mazda says the 2022 CX-5 will go on sale this winter, but it isn’t yet available to build on the company’s online configurator.
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The Roofnest rooftop-tent lineup includes two Condor tent products made of plastic and now adds an aluminum version, priced only a bit higher at $3595.The Condor Overland rooftop tent is sturdier—and slightly heavier—than the plastic models, and it includes a foam mattress with a washable cover.Orders are being taken now for the Condor Overland, with the company promising both free shipping and a discount for orders placed before December 3.Roofnest’s Condor line of rooftop tents welcomes a third member to the fold: the Condor Overland. Priced above the $3295 Condor and $3495 Condor XL, the $3595 Condor Overland trades those model’s plastic panels for stronger aluminum pieces.

The Colorado-based company claims the Overland’s top shell and floor, which consist of 1.0-inch honeycomb aluminum, as well as its extruded aluminum side panels, allow the tent to better handle strikes from hail or rocks relative to the plastic panels of its cheaper siblings. You know, the sort of debris overlanders might encounter on their journeys—hence the reason this Condor model bears the Overland nameplate.
Despite its status as the priciest member of the Condor clan, the Overland is far from the biggest. That title goes to the appropriately named Condor XL, which is capable of sleeping up to three adults. Credit its overall length of 74.0 inches, or 14.0 inches longer than those of the Condor and Condor Overland, both of which can sleep up to two adults. At 165 pounds, the aluminum-bodied Condor Overland outweighs its Condor and Condor XL kin by 30 and five pounds, respectively.While the Condor Overland’s pièce de résistance may be its aluminum construction, the tent’s interior is arguably its most important feature for the people who will use it. After all, this is presumably the space where overlanders go to catch a few winks of sleep as they journey through remote and exotic places. To this end, Roofnest fits the Overland with a 2.5-inch-thick foam mattress with a washable cover so users can tidy up between stops. The company says two adults “and a dog or child” can sleep inside, and there’s a 650-pound weight limit.Additionally, Roofnest fits the Condor Overland with the likes of a battery-powered LED light strip (with a dimmer, no less!), a ground mat, two shoe bags, a skylight, and a 7.5-foot ladder. Those looking to bring some more perks from home into their Condor Overland’s living quarters can always strap such niceties to the tent’s available shell-mounted crossbars, which are capable of holding up to 100 pounds of extra gear with the tent stowed and 40 pounds with the tent in use.
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The BMW XM concept is a preview of a new SUV that will be the second stand-alone M model (after the M1 of the late 1970s). The XM concept is powered by a plug-in-hybrid powertrain using BMW’s twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and produces 750 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful M production car. It will be built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and we’ll know more details and specs by the time it debuts in production form next year. Marcus Syring, BMW M’s head of design, says the company wanted something unexpected to celebrate the firm’s 50th anniversary, and here it is: the XM concept, a 750-hp plug-in-hybrid SUV with design elements inspired by the original M car, the M1 of the late 1970s.

BMW says it made this concept an SUV to fit into a growing segment of high-performance utes such as the Lamborghini Urus and the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue. After all, one out of three M cars sold in the United States is an SUV. Earlier spy photos and trademarks had suggested that BMW was working on an X8 and X8 M coupe-like SUV to slot in the lineup above the X7 three-row SUV, but it appears that the XM has taken its place. The new SUV will only be sold as a high-performance M model, and this concept you see here is about 80 to 90 percent of what the production version will be when it arrives at the end of next year, Syring says.

“Good design starts with good proportions,” he says. The XM’s design will incorporate the elements of BMW’s SUVs, M Power, its luxury class, and electrification altogether. Its thin daytime running lights and horizontal kidney grilles give an aggressive look when approaching other cars on the road. It’s “big for presence,” he says about the iconic kidney grilles. Two BMW roundels on the rear window are reminiscent of the M1. The XM has the same 122.2-inch wheelbase as the X7 SUV, and it rides on a set of 23-inch wheels. Even the two-tone bronze and gray color scheme could be a production option. The XM’s plug-in-hybrid powertrain uses BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine paired with an electric motor and produces 750 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful production M car ever, according to BMW, ahead of the 627-hp M5 CS. The XM also outmuscles the Lamborghini Urus (641 horsepower), Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid (670 horsepower), and the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat (710 horsepower). Syring says it’s possible that this powertrain could be used in other M models such as the M5. BMW is hoping for around 30 miles of electric driving range.
Syring wanted the XM’s driver and passengers to feel like rock stars, he says, with the cockpit as the front stage with a curved display screen and the rear seat as backstage (there isn’t a third row as in the X7.) The central controls and vents are canted in a group of three like the M logo. This vintage brown leather will likely make production, Syring says, and it’s paired with carbon-fiber elements. “It’s that strong,” he says. “We have to do it.” The rear seats, however, are covered in a deep aqua quilted velvet material, though that’s unlikely to make production, but the textured headliner will, and it’s illuminated with ambient lighting. The XM will enter production at the end of next year at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a price expected to start well over $100,000. Check back here for more details and specs when the production version is revealed, likely next year.
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Genesis has revealed the first photos of the 2023 Genesis G90 sedan.The G90 serves as the brand’s flagship and is larger and more expensive than the mid-size G80 sedan.The new model should be available in the U.S. starting sometime in 2022.Genesis still follows luxury-brand tradition and has a full-size sedan serving as its flagship model—at least until a possible GV90 SUV arrives—and the G90 will soon enter a new generation. These first photos shows off the 2023 G90’s new look, which takes the brand’s design language to new heights and looks about as extravagant as a Bentley Flying Spur. We’ve yet to see the interior or learn any specifications, but we’re eager to learn more about the latest Genesis model.

Significantly larger than the mid-size G80, the G90 will likely ride on the same platform as that lesser sedan but with a stretched wheelbase. There will also be a long-wheelbase version of the G90 similar to the Mercedes-Maybach S-class that features an additional 7.5-inch stretch. The G90’s proportions thus give this model significantly more presence, and the new model’s lines feature more sharp creases and hard edges that give it less of a slab-sided look. The intricately detailed headlights and taillights are also more angular than on other Genesis models but feature the same “two lines” motif.

We expect to see a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 engine serving as the base powertrain, but we’re not sure if the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 used in the current G90 will return. Instead, we’re more likely to see an EV variant called the Electrified G90.Details are slim at this point, but we should know more about the new G90 within the next few months as Genesis releases specifications and photos of the interior before its arrival at dealerships sometime in 2022.
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Hoonigan announced today it’s launching season two of Hoonicorn vs. the World, a web series on YouTube where Ken Block drag-races an assortment of ridiculous and cool vehicles on a runway using his 1400-hp Gymkhana Mustang. For season two, there’s a major twist: Instead of Block driving the Hoonicorn, it’ll be his 14-year-old daughter, Lia, behind the wheel.

Despite her age, Lia Block is no stranger to driving Ken’s Gymkhana cars. Last year she learned how to drift while behind the wheel of Ken’s 1978 Mk 2 Ford Escort. Now, she’ll be racing against cars such as a Tesla Model S Plaid and one of the world’s fastest Nissan GT-Rs, using the heavily modified ’65 Ford Mustang that originally appeared in Gymkhana 7. The first episode, above, has Lia going up against a 4000-hp Pro Stock Corvette, driven by NHRA driver Alex Laughlin. A number of modifications have been made to the Hoonicorn for season two, including additional bars added to the roll cage and a new halo bucket seat for more driver protection. Paddle shifters and a new set of wheels have also been installed. The car is now wearing an all-new livery from Death Spray Custom that’s meant as a tribute to the original design first launched with the car in 2014. “With the excitement from the fans on Hoonicorn vs. the World season one, we knew it had to come back,” Ken Block said in a statement. “I hadn’t planned to race the Hoonicorn again since my contract with Ford expired at the end of 2020, but at the same time Lia was taking a very serious interest in racing—so, the stars just aligned to make this opportunity happen. So, we got to keep a Block in the Hoonicorn, just a different Block!”
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