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Ford debuted the new Ranger mid-size pickup for global markets, previewing the model that will be sold in the U.S. shortly after. It continues to use a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. It will enter production next year, though we expect it to arrive in the U.S. for the 2023 model year. Ford is in the midst of an overhaul of its truck lineup, which starts with the new entry-level Maverick compact pickup and works all the way up each segment to the heavy-duty F-series trucks. The Ranger is next up for a redesign to help it be more competitive with mid-sizers from Chevy, Jeep, and Toyota, and we’re getting a sneak preview of the new model, which should arrive in the U.S. by 2023, from the version that was just debuted first for global markets.

Ford

The new truck looks like the unibody Maverick matured into a mid-size body-on-frame truck, using similarly styled C-shaped LED headlights and bolder wheel arches, which now have a side step located behind them. Ford stretched the Ranger’s wheelbase by 2.0 inches and widened the track also by 2.0 inches, which should help improve its ride. The new truck will use a similar suspension setup as the current truck, but Ford positioned the rear dampers outside of the frame rails.

Ford continues to use the turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque in the current truck (a variety of diesel engines are available in other markets), and it’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. We expect it to offer a similar 7500-pound max towing capability as the current truck. A six-speed manual is available on the global version, but it’s unlikely to be available in the States. An upcoming Ranger Raptor model should be available in the U.S. soon after the next-gen model arrives, and it’s expected to use a version of the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 found in the Bronco.

Ford

The Ranger’s aging interior and infotainment system was in dire need of a refresh, and the next-gen’s cabin looks to be a huge improvement. A 10.1-inch touchscreen is standard, though Ford’s massive vertically oriented 12.0-inch unit is available, and they both run its SYNC 4 infotainment system that can control drive modes and show off-road controls. There’s a newly available wireless charing pad and Ford extended cargo space in the doors and under the rear seats. The next-gen Ford Ranger will enter production next year at Ford’s plants in Thailand and South Africa, and we should know more about the version that’ll be sold in the States soon, as it’s expected to arrive for the 2023 model year.
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Chevrolet and GMC confirmed to Car and Driver that the 2022 Silverado and Sierra will be available in a regular-cab configuration, which will be offered either with a standard bed or a long bed.The two-door versions of GM’s full-size trucks will only come on the base trims, the Silverado WT and the Sierra Pro.The standard bed, which measures 79.4 inches, was not available on either truck during the current generation before their 2022 model year facelifts.Trucks have strayed far from their roots. Originally filling the role of bare-bones workhorses, pickup trucks have become luxury items, with the average price for a full-size truck now over $56,000 as of May 2021, according to Kelley Blue Book. Many trucks never leave the pavement, with their owners opting for svelte, four-door crew-cab models to fit the whole family in comfort. But those who still want a simple truck can rejoice because Chevrolet and GMC have confirmed that the refreshed 2022 Silverado and Sierra will be available as two-door, regular cab models with a standard bed.

GMC

There is a caveat, however. If you want the regular-cab, standard-box versions of the General Motors truck twins, you will need to buy the base models. A spokesperson for Chevrolet told Car and Driver that the regular cab, ether with the standard bed or the long bed, will only be produced for the cheapest Silverado WT trim. For the Sierra, a GMC representative affirmed that the regular-cab model with either the standard or long bed will only be offered on the base Pro grade.

This is the first time that the two-door Silverado or Sierra will be available with a standard bed (measuring 79.4 inches) for the current generation. A regular-cab model with the 98.2-inch-long bed could be had on the pre-facelift Silverado and Sierra and continues as an option for the base-model trucks. If you want a two-door Silverado or Sierra in a fancier trim level, you’re out of luck—unless you move to the Middle East, where you can buy a two-door with a standard bed in the Trail Boss or RST trims. No pricing information is available yet for these old-school pickup-truck configurations, but expect the regular-cab, standard-bed models to cost slightly less than the equivalent long-bed versions.
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Polestar has revealed that the Precept concept will enter production as the Polestar 5.The Polestar 5 will be launched in 2024, following the 2023 Polestar 3 and future Polestar 4 SUVs.Polestar showed an image of a near-production 5, which ditches cameras for real side-view mirrors and seems to have removed the lidar pod jutting out from the roof on the concept.In early 2020, Polestar debuted the jaw-dropping Precept concept, a sharp, low-slung electric four-door hatchback said to preview the future of Polestar design and featuring a protruding lidar pod on the roof for advanced driver-assistance features. Then in September of this year, Polestar revealed that the Precept will enter production before 2025 and become the flagship model in the lineup. At that time, the company showed an image of a prototype Precept under development. Now, the Swedish electric automaker has announced more details about the upcoming production version of the Precept and provided a behind-the-scenes look at the car transitioning from concept to road car.

The original Precept concept from 2020.
Polestar

Polestar has now revealed that the Precept concept will reach showrooms as the Polestar 5. So far Polestar has sold the 1, a sleek two-door grand-tourer, and the 2, a boxy Tesla Model 3 competitor. Polestar has confirmed that the 5 will be launched in 2024, and presumably following the 3 and 4, both of which will be SUVs. In terms of classifying the 5, the Precept concept featured four doors and a hatchback at the rear, and Polestar is dubbing the the upcoming car “an electric performance four-door grand touring car,” making it a competitor to the likes of the Tesla Model S, Lucid Air, and Mercedes EQS. In the behind-the-scenes video below, Polestar shows the process for transferring the exterior design of the Precept to a production model. The company says the Precept’s taut, creased design language will bleed over onto the Polestar 3 SUV that’s due next year. Polestar also provided a single image of a “near production” Polestar 5. We see that the 5 will feature regular side-view mirrors instead of cameras and subtle changes to the front end, and the lidar sensor is no longer perched on the roof. Stay tuned for more details on the 5 as Polestar continues the development of its stunning concept into a production car.
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Kia has teased the second-generation Niro crossover with a set of dark images.The Niro will draw heavily upon the HabaNiro concept, with similar lighting signatures and a two-tone body.The Niro will be unveiled at the Seoul Mobility Show in South Korea on November 25.Kia used the Los Angeles auto show to reveal the blocky EV9 concept, previewing a full-sized electric SUV that is due in 2024. Now Kia is preparing to unveil another eco-friendly model, the second-generation Niro crossover, and has released these teaser images. The new Niro will be shown in full at the Seoul Mobility Show on November 25, with a U.S.-specific launch likely happening later.

2019 Kia HabaNiro concept.
Kia

The current Niro has been in production since the 2017 model year, so a redesign is long overdue. Kia says the new Niro will be influenced by the HabaNiro concept first seen at the 2019 New York auto show. Although most of the bodywork is obscured, both the U-shaped LEDs and the thin bar running the full width of the front end look very similar to the lighting elements from the concept. At the rear, the vertical lights are carried over from the concept, as is the thick, red-painted C-pillar. It’s unclear whether the C-pillar will always be red or if other color options will be available for the two-tone look. The interior shots show a simple design and a screen stretching across the dashboard.

Kia

Kia

The current Niro is offered with three powertrains: a standard hybrid mating a 1.6-liter four-cylinder to an electric motor, a plug-in hybrid with a larger battery pack good for 26 miles of electric driving, and a fully electric model. The latter uses a single 201-hp electric motor and has a range of 239 miles thanks to its 64.0-kWh battery. Kia hasn’t said if the new Niro will continue to offer a variety of powertrains or if it will switch to become purely electric. The HabaNiro concept was a full EV, but given that the Niro is not adopting the “EVX” nomenclature used by the rest of Kia’s electric lineup—such as the new EV6—we imagine it will continue to come as a hybrid. Look for more information on the next Niro later this week.
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David Dewhurst Photography/Toyota

Toyota is recalling 227,490 U.S.-market Camry sedans from the 2018 and 2019 model years over a problem that could cause sudden loss of brake assistance.The vane cap inside the car’s vacuum pump can wear out prematurely, break, and cause pump failure, which in turn could affect power-braking assistance. The problem does not affect the Camry hybrid, which Toyota said in its filing does not have the vacuum pump. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has posted a recall notice for more than 200,000 Toyota Camry cars over a problem that could lead to the sudden loss of braking assist. The problem involves a defective cap on the rotating vane in the mechanical vacuum pump. Toyota said that premature wear, particularly when the vehicle experiences “frequent braking and/or long periods of idling,” can cause the cap to get stuck between the vane and the pump housing and break, at which point the pump would no longer supply vacuum to the brake booster. The brakes will continue to work, but without continued vacuum the power assist could “be suddenly reduced” without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.The recall includes Toyota Camry models built between January 16, 2017, and September 13, 2018. Dealers will repair or replace the vacuum pump at no charge. Notifications will start going out to owners of the affected Camrys in mid-December. Meanwhile, owners of 2018 or 2019 Camrys can visit the NHTSA recalls site to get further information or find out if their car is included in the recall.

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Shelby American via Facebook

Details are pretty much zilch for now about this teaser posted by Shelby American on social media, but that isn’t stopping speculation about what’s to come next month. All we know is that it’s supposed to be “something special” and will arrive in the middle of December.Will it be a new Shelby GT350? A GT500KR? A Shelby Bronco? Or none of the above?No idea, but we do know that Shelby showed off a modified Mustang Mach-E concept at SEMA this month, so that’s something.When it comes to the ratio of generating comments with the fewest number of words, Shelby American is doing well. Simply by posting a picture of a current-gen Mustang not that well hidden under a cloth wrap, the company said the following on Facebook: “December 15, 2021 . . . something special will be unveiled.” Now, 1200 Likes and 590 Shares later (as of this writing), the people are curious about what spruced-up Ford might arrive next month.
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The most likely guess, based on the car under wraps in the picture, is another Shelby-modified Mustang. Motor1 notes that December 15 is an important date in the history of the Las Vegas-based tuner: December 15, 2009, is when Shelby Automobiles again became Shelby American.Speculation across the internet—informed and wildly uninformed—as to what Shelby has up its sleeve ranges from a Shelby-modified Shelby GT350 to a new GT500KR. Some voices are claiming the news will be about a Shelby Bronco model, which might seem ridiculous considering the obviously non-Bronco shape of this teaser. Then again, as the Ford Authority blog has stated, 2022 Ford Bronco production will start on, you guessed it, December 15. Or maybe this is just a corporate news announcement and there won’t be a new vehicle involved at all, making the draped Mustang just the “pic for attention” present on so many online posts.

Wes Duenkel/Ford

While we speculate, we can familiarize ourselves with some of Shelby’s recent doings. Shelby displayed the modified Shelby Mustang Mach-E concept shown above at SEMA earlier this month. This model was equipped with special Recaro racing seats, graphene-infused composite materials, and the traditional blue and white stripes on the exterior. Ford also began taking pre-orders for the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 on November 15. This model has a starting price of $76,695.
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Ferrari revealed the Daytona SP3 during an event at the Mugello racetrack in Italy today; it’s the latest in an ongoing series of “Icona” ultra-limited-edition cars.The Daytona SP3 has the iconic look of the sports-prototype racers that won the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours and features Ferrari’s equally iconic naturally aspirated mid-mounted 829-hp V-12.Only a few clients and collectors will be able to buy this Ferrari, and very likely at a seven-figure price. There is no such thing as a commonplace Ferrari, but some are definitely more special than others. The Italian company reserves its best efforts for the limited-run “Icona” specials that sit high up in its hierarchy, the cars that only the brand’s most loyal (and wealthy) customers are allowed to buy. The Daytona SP3, which has just been unveiled at Ferrari’s Finali Mondiali event at the Mugello circuit in Italy, is the latest of these—and it looks absolutely stunning.

The combination of the words “Ferrari” and “Daytona” is likely to turn thoughts to the 365GTB/4 coupe and GTS/4 Spider from the late Sixties. Both of these were commonly known as Daytonas, a name inspired by Ferrari’s famous 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 Daytona 24-hour race, but the title was never official—and that car had its engine at the front. The new, fully sanctioned Daytona has been inspired by the famous victory, specifically the trio of sports prototypes that took the podium places: a 330P3/4, a 330P4, and a 412P.

330P4s that took 1st and 2nd place at the 24 Hours of Daytona, 1967.
Ferrari

The car’s design pays obvious tribute to the muscular contours of those sports-car racers, and the SP3 shares their mid-engine layout with a mighty V-12 mounted behind the passenger compartment.

Ferrari

Ferrari

The engine is based on the 6.5-liter unit fitted to the 812 Competizione, but with a new induction and exhaust system for its changed position within the car. Internal upgrades include titanium con rods. Piston pins, camshafts and sliding finger valve followers have all been treated with what is described as a Diamond Like Carbon treatment to reduce friction. Together with other modifications to the direct injection fueling system—with twin pumps supplying four separate fuel rails—the Daytona’s engine now produces 829 horsepower, 10 hp more than the Competizione. That makes it the most powerful Ferrari road-car combustion engine. Drive reaches the rear wheels through a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox.Although clearly inspired by the company’s ’60s sports prototypes, especially with the wraparound windshield and the heavily defined wheel arches, the Daytona SP3’s bodywork is thoroughly modern. The monocoque tub and all exterior panels are made from carbon fiber, with Ferrari claiming a dry weight of 3275 pounds.

Ferrari

Aerodynamics have been carefully considered, especially given the cooling requirements of the hugely powerful engine, but the Daytona looks much more subtle than the supercar norm, without aggressive wing elements. We’re told that the car does produce positive downforce, with much of this created by carefully optimized underbody ducting creating ground-effect assistance. We were particularly taken by the strakes on the rear. These, according to the company, are intended to “create the impression of a light, radical, structured monolithic volume that lends the Daytona SP3 a look that is both futuristic and a nod to signatures from Ferrari’s DNA.” We get strong 512 Testarossa vibes.

Ferrari

The new Daytona’s interior skews modern: retro ratio further to the left than the outside, using the same digital dashboard and UI as the SF90 Stradale. Seats are integrated into the body, and driving position adjustment is by a movable pedal box. The way the fabric for both sides links over the center tunnel is another nod to the way the ’60s sports cars were designed. Although these official images only show it without a roof, the SP3 features a clip-in targa panel and so should be more usable than its predecessors in Ferrari’s Icona series, the roofless and screenless SP1 and SP2 Monza.

Ferrari

Two details are conspicuously absent from the official release: price and proposed production numbers. This is one of those Ferraris that only the company’s elite customers will be invited to buy. It is hard to imagine that many of any of them will grumble at what will certainly be a seven-figure price tag, and it seems likely that volumes won’t be higher than the 500 limit of the Monza SP1 and SP2. As the official release puts it, this is a car “aimed solely at Ferrari’s top clients and collectors, proud ambassadors for the Prancing Horse marque.” That would be a fine club to be a member of, but also a very expensive one.
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Hard-hitting, insightful and full of hyperbolic political tension, Window Shopping returns to YouTube this week with another inspiring challenge. The goal this week was to find examples of cars that, upon a redesign, practically destroyed that brand forever. That’s like, well, how the ’58 Chevy was worse than the ’57. Or how the ’58 Thunderbird pretty much wiped away the awesome of the ’57. But surprisingly, all five of this week’s august panelists picked vehicles of more recent vintage. Cars that sucked—in the recent past.Beaming in from España is contributor Jonathan Ramsey whose choice hails from an entirely different hemisphere than the one he’s in. Road & Track’s John Pearley Huffman hones in on a major mistake from a company that rarely makes mistakes. Senior editor Joey Capparella finds yet another silver (Actually, it’s red—Ed.) Japanese car as his nominee. Second Sub-Assistant to the Plenary of Objective Testing K.C. Colwell picks out one of the great betrayals in the history ovals that are blue. And finally, there’s our moderator, Poobah-elect Tony Quiroga who picks on a marginal car from a marginal manufacturer.You know you have an hour to kill. So kill it with this exciting—okay, exciting-ish—adventure in arguing about things that don’t matter. Because nihilism is a philosophical dead-end and Window Shopping is the antidote.

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