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Bob Bondurant, who went from winning races on the international stage to teaching others to win races at his famous driving school, has passed away at age 88.Bondurant had been in an assisted living facility for some time.In racing, Bondurant was part of a small cadre of American drivers who travelled to Europe in the early 1960s to take on the world’s best in sports cars and in Formula 1, after several years driving sports cars in the U.S. Bondurant started out in the burgeoning West Coast sports car racing scene, competing against the likes of Dan Gurney, Carroll Shelby and Ritchie Ginther before any of those guys were famous. At first he raced Corvettes, winning the LA Times Grand Prix in 1962.From there he started racing for Carroll Shelby and switched to Cobras. After U.S. wins driving Cobras, Bondurant went to Europe for the 1964 season, where he competed in races that are now legend: Spa, Nurburgring and the Targa Florio. But it was his class victory driving the Cobra Daytona Coupe at Le Mans that year that may have been his crowning achievement on a race track. He won the GT class at Le Mans co-driving with fellow American Dan Gurney. The following year he helped bring home the FIA Manufacturer’s Championship for Shelby and Ford. He also drove a Ford GT40 MkI, Ferrari 365 P2 and a Corvette in sports cars in 1967.In Formula 1 Bondurant raced for Ferrari, BRM and Dan Gurney’s AAR team. His career-best finish was a fourth place at Monaco in 1966 piloting a BRM.

Bondurant won his class racing the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe at Le Mans, bringing the championship home to the U.S. in the process.
Bondurant School

A crash the following year at Watkins Glen spelled the end of his racing career. But when the driver’s side door closes, another door opens, and it lead to a second career as an instructor. He helped coach the actors in the 1966 John Frankenheimer film Grand Prix, and went on to start the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 1968, after working for Carroll Shelby as an instructor. Two of the school’s first students were actors Robert Wagner and Paul Newman. The experience lead to a lifelong interest in racing from Newman, who remained friends with Bondurant throughout both mens’ lives. A press release for his school from about ten years ago sums up Bondurant’s switch to teaching people how to drive instead of just driving himself.“…he is better known as the leading authority on advanced driver training and has been at the forefront of professional driving instruction since the late ‘60s. Utilizing the Bondurant Method, over 250,000 students ranging from housewives, racers, and celebrities to teenagers, professionals, and police officers have learned from Bondurant’s expertise. “On Feb. 14, 1968, the doors opened at Orange County International Raceway, near Los Angeles, with three students. The next week there were two students, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner, training for the film ‘Winning.’ Bondurant was technical advisor, camera car driver and actor-instructor for the film. Ever since then, both Bondurant and his school have enjoyed success after success.”

Bondurant and actor Yves Montand during the filming of Grand Prix in 1966.
Getty Images

It was successful for almost 40 years. The school ultimately ran into problems, though, plagued with accusations of mismanagement, and it declared bankruptcy in 2019. Its assets were sold to new owners, who did not, apparently, buy the Bondurant name. Under the new owners the school is still going strong, with new asphalt and many of your favorite instructors, but it’s under the name, Radford Racing School.When it was still the Bondurant School, and Bob was there every day, those who worked for him loved him.“I knew Bob really well, he handpicked me to go work for his racing school right after I graduated high school and worked there for about four years,” said racing driver and instructor Tommy Boileau. “I spent almost every day with him for about four years. Bob was just, he was absolutely incredible. He was just a kind soul and to listen to him tell the stories of back when he was in his prime and racing in Formula One for Ferrari, doing all those cool things, and then just all the amazing actors and celebrities he worked with over the years of the racing school, he was just one of a kind for sure, he was a character.”

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2021 is the fourth year of the Hot Wheels Legends competition, in which builders vie to have their car chosen to be re-created as a small-scale collectible Car and Driver was invited to join Jay Leno, Ted Wu, Bryan Benedict, Brendon Vetuskey, Henrik Fisker, Sara Choi, and Mad Mike to choose a winner. The judging will be livestreamed on Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube or Hot Wheels Facebook Live at noon ET on Saturday, Nov 13.Hot Wheels started its Legends Tour in 2018, and each year since has hosted a traveling car show to choose regional winners, and finally, an all-out champion from car builders all over the world. We were on hand for the debut of the 2020 winner, Riley Stair’s 1970 Firebird, and now, this year, we have the pleasure of helping choose which of the 2021 finalists will get to see their big car made small and ready to go through the loop-de-loop.

The judging is taking place in Jay Leno’s garage in Burbank, California. Just being in Leno’s garage is already like falling into a car toybox, so it’s the perfect place to see some of the Legends contestants in person, and argue passionately for a winner. The judges, besides me (Elana, trying hard not to shame Car and Driver by being too excited about absolutely everything), include several designers from Hot Wheels, full-size car designer Henrik Fisker, customizer Mad Mike, and drifter Sara Choi.

2020 Lulu is among the finalists.
Mattel

We’ll be narrowing it down from 10 cars to only one, and it’s not an easy decision. All the entries would be excellent in miniature form. Some have incredible backstories, others show impeccable work, some have both! There’s also a wide variety of cars to choose from. American muscle, German luxury, Braaaaaaap-ready rotaries, and complete one-off, hand-built customs. Here’s a quickie list of what we’ll be looking at during the judging. 1991 Porsche 911 Baja from Sun Valley, California: This thing is so clean, it would win a purist over to the Safari 911 thing.Custom aluminum racer named “Lulu” from Santa Fe, New Mexico: Paul Kalenian built an Indy-inspired, polished aluminum car from scratch.1969 Daytona Charger Superbird “Scraptona” from Macomb, Michigan: With a NASCAR small-block under its patchwork fenders, the Scraptona is in the running for best-sounding for sure. 2003 Exoskeleton Nissan 350Z from San Mateo, California: What to do with half a 350Z? Make a tube-frame back end, and drive around looking like a render come to life. 1968 Mercedes Benz 250S from Penticton, British Columbia, Canada: Perfect patina and a surprising stance for a classy Merc. 1990 Volkswagen Beetle from Mexico: This is a neat little car. Chopped and stretched, it sits low and looks like a toy already. 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser from the United Kingdom: This one isn’t just for show, it’s a family-owned race car that regularly runs Santa Pod dragstrip.Wittgenstein from Germany: What’s a Wittgenstein? We’ll all find out together. 1986 Daihatsu Mira from Malaysia: This tiny truck is all forehead. And green glitter. 1973 Mazda 616 Capella from New Zealand: Giving the Dodge some competition on the engine-noise front. Braaap. It’s going to be a real challenge to choose between them.

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Ford is adding a Heritage Edition package to the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT5oo to celebrate its 55-year anniversary.It adds a Brittany Blue paint job with either Wimbledon White or Absolute Black racing stripes to the 760-hp muscle car. It will be available to order next week starting at $76,800.Ford sent off the beloved Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT supercar by giving them Heritage Edition models honoring the company’s history. Now it’s doing the same for its most powerful road car ever made, the GT500, but we hope we don’t have to soon say goodbye to another high-performance Mustang.
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The Mustang Shelby GT500’s Heritage Edition package is inspired by a livery from the original 1967 GT500. It’s finished in a gorgeous Brittany Blue, and customers have the option of two different stripes, either in Wimbledon White or Absolute Black. The hand-painted option costs $10,000, just like on the standard car, while the vinyl option is standard and includes a side stripe.

A supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 making 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque powers the Mustang Shelby GT500, and it’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. In Car and Driver testing, a GT500 equipped with its standard summer tires reached 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and hit the quarter mile in 11.3 seconds at 132 mph. When we tested the 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500, its 355-hp 7.0-liter V-8 propelled it to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and through the quarter in 15.0-seconds at 95 mph.Additionally, Ford is adding Code Orange, available on the GT, F-150 Raptor, and upcoming Bronco Raptor, to the GT500’s list of color choices. And there’s a new Coastal Limited Edition available on the 310-hp Mustang EcoBoost Premium that includes unique 19-inch dark-finished wheels, a black grille, unique vinyl side stripes, and it’s exclusively available in Brittany Blue, Cyber Orange, or Rapid Red.
Orders for the 2022 Mustang, including the Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition and EcoBoost Premium Coastal Edition, open on Monday, November 15. The Heritage Edition package adds $2140 to the GT500’s price, increasing it to $76,800, and the Coastal Edition starts at $35,415. They’ll arrive at dealerships in the spring.
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The 2022 Toyota RAV4 adds sleek new headlights on all trims except the base LE and LED fog lamps on the higher grades.There is a new SE Hybrid trim that will slot below the XSE on the sportier side of the RAV4 Hybrid’s lineup.The 2022 RAV4 goes on sale next month, and Toyota will reveal pricing details closer to its on-sale date.Besides the full-sized pickup trucks from the Big Three, the Toyota RAV4 is America’s best-selling vehicle, totaling 313,447 units sold through the third quarter of 2021. Now Toyota has announced a slew of updates for the 2022 RAV4, including new colors, redesigned headlights, and a new SE Hybrid trim.
The new SE Hybrid joins the sportier side of the RAV4 Hybrid’s lineup, positioned below the XSE and with a more athletic attitude than the XLE and Limited trims. Inside, the SE Hybrid features a 7.0-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, and cloth seats. Buyers can also opt for the Weather package, which adds a heated leather steering wheel, heated front seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers with a de-icer function and the Convenience package, which includes a sunroof, a power tailgate, and a 9.0-inch touchscreen.

The SE Hybrid trim also brings a new color to the RAV4 range, Cavalry Blue, which can also be had on the XSE and the TRD Off-Road. The XLE Premium Hybrid, Limited Hybrid, and XSE Hybrid all get a new wheel design, while the LE Hybrid, XLE, and XLE Hybrid have a new wheel color. Sharper-looking headlights appear on all trims except the base LE, and Toyota added LED fog lamps for the XLE Premium, Limited, Adventure and TRD Off-Road. The XSE Hybrid also gains the vertical LED running lights seen on the 2021 XSE Prime. Inside there are minor updates including LED interior lighting and, on all trims besides the LE, illuminated switches.
Toyota has yet to reveal pricing for the 2022 RAV4, but we expect a slight increase over the 2021 model. The SE Hybrid should start in the low $30,000 range. Powertrains should carry over unchanged, meaning a 203-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which adds two electric motors for 219 hp in the hybrid models and three electric motors in the plug-in Prime, good for a combined 302 hp. Toyota says more details will be release in mid-December when the 2022 RAV4 goes on sale.
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Acura has revealed a prototype of the new Integra, a historic nameplate making its return after a long absence.It shares a chassis and a powertrain with the latest Honda Civic.The 2023 Integra hatchback will go on sale in the U.S. starting sometime in 2022.When the Acura Integra departed the U.S. market in 2001, it was also the final model in the Acura lineup with a pronounceable name. Twenty years later, the Integra is also the first model to bring it back. Replacing the ILX in the Acura lineup, the Integra is primed to cater to both nostalgia buffs and young enthusiasts alike.

The 2023 Integra rides on the same platform found under the Civic Si, and shares its 1.5-liter turbocharged four along with its limited-slip differential. No power output was given, but we’re guessing it’ll make at least 200 hp. Also making a comeback is an available six-speed manual transmission—the first Acura to feature a stick since the 2015 ILX. There’s also the Civic Type R’s rev-matching feature on tap. An automatic transmission will also be offered, further differentiating it from the stick-only Civic Si.
The four-door hatchback configuration makes a return as well, last seen on the first-generation Integra. With no trunk to impede its progress, the roofline gently swoops completely rearward, kicked up right at the end by a subtle decklid spoiler. The rear styling is inspired by the second- and third-generation models, with a wide expanse of sheetmetal bisecting two swoopy taillights and punctuated with a prominent Acura logo. Unlike all three past generations, however, there will be no three-door version this time around. Indy Yellow Pearl paint adds punch to the overall silhouette. It’s unlikely that the color-matched tailpipes will make production.We wish Acura were equally as daring with the front end, which features Acura’s handsome familial grille. LED lighting front and rear adds some sparkle, and the embossed “INTEGRA” on the front and rear bumpers is a nice touch.
Acura is mum on further details, though they did reveal that the 2023 Integra will launch sometime next year with a starting price of roughly $30,000. While it’s several grand more expensive than the Civic Si and departing ILX, Acura is banking on the performance angle to woo the hearts of younger drivers.
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Chevrolet Racing will offer a Z06 GT3.R customer race car starting in 2024. It uses the same aluminum chassis as the C8 Z06 road car and a modified version of the 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank V-8. Customers will be able to race in the IMSA WeatherTech Series and other GT3 racing series with the Z06 GT3.R. The Chevrolet C8.R race car’s 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 engine laid the groundwork for the engine used in the new C8 Corvette Z06, which returns to its purist heritage for 2023. And things are only heating up for Corvette racing because the C8.R will be replaced by this new Z06 GT3.R starting for the 2024 season, and a customer racing version will be available, too, just like BMW, Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche, to name a few, have done for years.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s new customer race car uses the same aluminum chassis as the C8 Z06 road car, but it’s modified for track-only use. Chevy says it has a similar aerodynamic silhouette as the road car—other than the large GT3 wing and other additional aerodynamic elements for GT3 racing, of course. The road car has an available Z07 performance package that adds stickier tires, carbon wheels, and a larger wing. Chevrolet Racing has yet to announce details on the rest of the new race car’s components.

The naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 is modified for use in the Z06 GT3.R, and due to series regulations, it will be limited to between 500 and 600 horsepower. The LT6 engine used in the production car, first used in the C8.R, is the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 engine ever installed in a road car, making 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and it revs to 8600 rpm. A Chevrolet Racing spokesperson told us that the Z06 GT3.R is still undergoing testing and that final specs and details will likely be released next year along with pricing. The company hopes to start taking customer orders by the end of next year, too. Chevrolet also announced that it will enter in multiple endurance racing championships in the C8.R for the 2022 season including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. It’s planning a two-car team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
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Subaru has joined the EV market with a compact SUV called Solterra. The 2023 Solterra was developed in partnership with Toyota’s bZ4X. The Solterra comes with all-wheel drive and “Grip Control,” an off-road cruise control technology.Playing off its reputation for sensible, earth-friendly adventure vehicles, Subaru joins the EV marketplace with a small crossover designed around the outdoorsy activities Subaru owners are known for. The 2023 Solterra—whose name is a combination of the Latin words for “Sun” and “Earth,” is a small, AWD, two-motor electric SUV that’s closely related to Toyota’s bZ4X but is tweaked to appeal to the Subaru customer.

Photos of the Solterra show a long wheelbase with short overhangs at nose and tail. Subaru’s current design language of plastic-cladded sides extends beyond the wheel arches up the front fenders to flank a body-color hexagonal grille whose blocked-out design clearly defines the Solterra as an electric vehicle at first look. In the back are jutting awnings of rear roof spoiler over complicated multi-element taillights. A glass roof lights up the cabin over both front and rear seats. Inside, the seating position is almost van-like, with a low dash and instrument panel set above the steering wheel. The center console is divided into multiple smaller storage areas, including a wireless charging pad. The cabin looks bright and spacious, with textured material on the seats and along the dash. In the center of the dash sits a 12.3-inch screen with wireless smartphone connection.
Subaru’s AWD system in the Solterra is controlled by two electric motors mounted between the front and rear axles that produce a total of 215 horsepower. The Solterra comes with X-mode, which controls each wheel individually to provide better traction on uneven or slippery surfaces, and Subaru’s “Grip Control,” acts as a cruise control even in off-road situations. Three driving modes are available: Eco, Normal, and Power, and regenerative braking can be adjusted with the steering wheel paddles.Range and performance numbers are not yet released, but Subaru says the cruising range was designed with “the distances of daily use” in mind, and that the Solterra will be compatible with DC quick-charging. The battery should be the same size as the bZ4X’s, which provides roughly 64.0 kWh of capacity. We should get more detailed U.S. information on Subaru’s new EV when it debuts next week at the Los Angeles auto show.
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Ferrari has a new one-off creation, the V-12-powered BR20, based on the GTC4Lusso.The BR20 gets a sleek roofline, thanks to Ferrari removing the rear seats.The interior features two shades of rich brown leather and carbon-fiber accents.Nearly every year, Ferrari’s Special Projects division crafts an exquisite, limited-production model for a select group of extremely wealthy clientele. Last year it was the Omologata, a sleek one-off based on the 812 Superfast, while 2019 brought the bonkers P80/C, a unique track toy using the 488 GT3 as a starting point. As 2021 draws to a close, Ferrari’s Special Projects team has burst back on the scene with the BR20, a two-seat V-12 coupe developed from the GTC4Lusso shooting brake as an homage to the iconic Ferrari coupes of the ‘50s and ‘60s.While the GTC4Lusso is the most usable Ferrari (at least until the Purosangue SUV arrives next year) thanks to its hatchback and four seats, the BR20 ditches the rear chairs in favor of a rakish roofline, making it look like the 812 Superfast from some angles. Under the hood lies the GTC4Lusso’s 6.3-liter V-12, and Ferrari doesn’t mention any mechanical modifications, meaning the BR20 is good for the same 680 horsepower and 514 pound-feet of torque as the donor car.

The engine may be unchanged, the but bodywork certainly isn’t. The BR20 is three inches longer than the GTC4Lusso and the elegant roofline calls to mind classics like the 500 Superfast. An aerodynamic channel in the rear pillar creates a flying buttress, while the roof is painted black. The BR20 retains the dual taillight look from the GTC4Lusso but pairs it with a more chiseled rear bumper with a diffuser that works in conjunction with active flaps on the underbody. Dual exhaust tips poke out from either side of the bumper. Up front, the wide-mouthed grille features a thin carbon fiber mustache with chrome inserts, while the headlights are lower and smaller than those on the GTC4Lusso.

The cabin appears very similar in design to the donor car but is swathed in two shades of brown leather and decorated with carbon fiber. The seats are wrapped in dark brown Heritage Testa di Moro leather with silver cross-stitching, while the rear bench and luggage compartment are decked out in oak trim with carbon fiber accents. Ferrari says the BR20 was developed for a long-standing customer, and while there is no word on what it costs, the graceful one-off was probably a sizable sum more than the GTC4Lusso’s $303,750 starting price.
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