Motor News

Ford has shared the first official images of the 2023 Bronco Raptor, as exclusively captured by Bronco Nation. These photos show the Bronco Raptor’s wide stance, available 37-inch tires, and other exterior details. Ford says the Bronco Raptor will arrive next year, and it’ll join the F-150 Raptor that’s on sale now. Ford Bronco enthusiast website, Bronco Nation, is lucky enough to have gotten an official sneak peak at the upcoming Bronco Raptor, which will arrive next year and join the F-150 Raptor in Ford’s new high-performance off-road lineup. We’ve seen spy photos of the Bronco Raptor before, but these lightly camouflaged images show its assertive stance, burly rubber, and aggressive looks.

The Ford Bronco Raptor will be equipped with Fox’s Live Wire twin-tube bypass dampers (also used on the F-150 Raptor), making it ride much higher than the standard SUV. It’ll be available with 37-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain tires (also a newly available option on the F-150 Raptor), though a set of smaller 35-inch tires should be standard. Tying all these aggressive elements together will be a significantly wider stance, as clearly seen here, with bulging fender flares. It also has a “Ford” script grille like the F-150 Raptor, amber headlights and marker lights, meaning it’ll be more than 80 inches wide, skid plates, and darker, unique taillights.

Ford has yet to reveal any details on what will power the Bronco Raptor, but rumor has it that it’ll use a significantly more powerful EcoBoost V-6. Currently, the Bronco’s most powerful engine is a 330-hp twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 that helped propel the two-door Bronco First Edition to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds in our testing. The Bronco Raptor’s output should be much higher and could even be around 450 horsepower, close to the new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392’s 470-hp V-8. Look for more information, including powertrain specs, on the 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor as the automaker releases more information closer to its arrival next year. For now, we’ll drool over these images thanks to Bronco Nation.
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Porsche has a new Platinum Edition available on the Panamera’s base, 4, and 4 E-Hybrid models. It adds equipment included in the $8170 or $6640 Premium package and unique satin platinum trim. Pricing starts at $103,250 for the base model Panamera, and they’ll arrive in the spring. Porsche’s new Taycan electric sedan now outsells the Panamera sedan, but the German automaker isn’t giving up on it gas-powered sedan offering. A new Platinum Edition model adds some features and special trim to the Panamera’s base, 4, and 4 E-Hybrid models to provide a bit more flair and give buyers another reason to put off the switch to electric vehicles.
The changes are mainly cosmetic, including black trim surrounding the windows and sport exhaust, smoked-out taillights, and satin platinum 21-inch Exclusive Design sport wheels, though customers can still option the standard Panamera’s 20-inch wheels. That same satin finish that’s found on the wheels is seen on the side air outlets on the side of the car and all exterior badging. The car pictured here is an E-Hybrid, so it also has acid green accents. Customers can choose from 13 different colors at no extra cost, four optional special color choices, or from an extensive array custom colors.

Stepping inside, you’ll notice brushed aluminum trim, starting on the door sills, which have “Platinum Edition” badging. These models come equipped with the Premium package, which costs $8170 on the Panamera and Panamera 4 and $6640 on the 4 E-Hybrid. It adds dynamic LED headlights, 14-way adjustable comfort seats, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, and a Bose surround sound system.
Panamera and Panamera 4 models are powered by a 325-hp turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6, while 4 E-Hybrids get a 455-hp powertrain using the boosted V-6 and are EPA-rated at 52 MPGe. Also included in the aforementioned Premium package are Porsche’s adaptive dampers and air springs, they come standard on the 4 E-Hybrid model. When we tested a more powerful 4S model, which isn’t available in Platinum Edition, equipped with that setup, we said that it “feels like a 911 limousine”.Pricing for the 2022 Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition starts at $103,250 for the base model, an increase of $14,500 over the standard car’s base price. The Platinum Edition costs $107,350 for the 4S, $116,550 for the 4 E-Hybrid. They’ll arrive at dealerships in the spring.
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Porsche launched Sonderwunsch, a new in-depth customization program that sees the Porsche Classic parts division team up with their Exclusive Manufaktur bespoke car service.The first creation of this new program is this 911 GT3, which pays homage to the 956 that Paolo Barilla won Le Mans with in 1985.Barilla was deeply involved in the project, even helping secure the gearbox to the engine, becoming an official Porsche production employee in the process.Earlier this year, Porsche launched Sonderwunsch, a new initiative to design one-off dream cars based on old or new Porsches. The division is a collaboration between Porsche Classic—the company’s restoration and parts department—and Exclusive Manufaktur, which builds Porsche’s bespoke vehicles. While customization usually brings unique materials or paint jobs, the Sonderwunsch program promises owners the ability to modify virtually anything they want, including powertrain and suspension parts. Now the first product of Sonderwunsch has arrived, a 911 GT3, modified by Paolo Barilla for his 60th birthday and honoring the Porsche 956 that he took to overall victory at Le Mans in 1985.

Porsche

The most obvious callback to Barilla’s 956 is the GT3’s livery, which combines Summer Yellow paint with white and black stripes. Although the Le Mans–winning car’s sponsors have been left off the new creation, the number seven is still emblazoned on the hood and doors. The wheel design mimics the 956’s when it triumphed at the Circuit de la Sarthe, with white wheels at the front—harkening back to the aeroblades from the race car—and gold wheels at the rear. The black and yellow combo continues inside.

Porsche

The rear wing is modified with redesigned end plates that are influenced by the chunky wing on the 956. Engineers from the production 911 GT3 team were involved early on and tested the new wing in the wind tunnel to maintain aerodynamic performance. Inside, the gear lever is a spherical aluminum unit meant to recall the magnesium ball from the 956’s gear shifter. There are also custom sills with the “956 Le Mans 1985” printed alongside a silhouette of Barilla’s race winning car.

Barilla was closely involved in the project, which took three years to go from initial sketch to finished product. The timeline was so long, in fact, that development began with the previous 991 GT3, since the 992 was still in development at the time. Barilla paid three visits to Porsche during the development of his special 911 GT3, and he was even hired as an official production employee so he could attach the gearbox to the engine using a torque-controlled screw device. No price was announced for Barilla’s creation, but given the bespoke nature of the product, it was likely a healthy sum in addition to the GT3’s $162,450 base price.
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Hyundai and Kia will reveal new electric SUV concepts within the next week. The Hyundai Ioniq 7 should be close in size to the Palisade SUV, and the Kia EV9 should be like the Telluride. Both EV SUVs will be built on Hyundai Motor Group’s new E-GMP electric platform. Hyundai Motor Group’s electric lineup is growing, as Kia promises 11 new electric vehicles by 2026 and Hyundai 23 by 2025. Both brands have teased their coming EV SUVs in concept form, and both will debut soon. The Kia EV9 concept, which will be a large SUV like the 10Best-winning Telluride, will be revealed November 11 at 3 a.m. Eastern time, while the Ioniq 7 concept will debut November 17 at 12:55 pm, during the L.A. auto show.

Hyundai Ioniq 7 Concept interior.
Hyundai

From a silhouette teaser Kia shared on Instagram, we can see that the EV9 will have a boxy shape similar to the Telluride. The image of the Ioniq 7 shows that it has similar styling as the Ioniq 5, and previews a lounge-like interior with cozy lighting elements. It’s not clear yet if the new EVs will be a seven-seater like the Telluride and Palisade, but we’ll know more next week. The company’s new electric lineup will have a numeric naming scheme, and these SUVs will join the existing Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 models, both of which have wacky, futuristic styling.

These SUVs will share an iteration of the group’s E-GMP electric platform and should offer either a single-motor powertrain or a dual-motor setup providing all-wheel drive. The Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, along with the other upcoming promised EVs, use the shared electric platform, and they offer either single-or dual-motor setups. The Kia EV6 has two battery packs available providing up to a claimed 300 miles of range. Check back here for more information on Kia and Hyundai’s newest electric vehicles when we learn more about then in concept form soon. The production models will likely make their debut sometime in 2022 and go on sale shortly after.
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The cast of Saturday Night Live rarely ventures into the realm of car culture, but we always enjoy it when they do. This week’s episode, hosted by Kieran Culkin, featured a funny sketch involving a heist of a Lamborghini Diablo that goes wrong because the thief doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission. Yet another reason to #SavetheManuals.

It starts off in a billionaire’s garage, where we can also see a Tesla Model S, a BMW i8, and an Aston Martin Vantage in addition to the black Diablo. The thief, played by Chris Redd, hops into the Lamborghini and is immediately derailed as soon as he sees the three pedals and the stick on the center console—a gated manual shifter, no less. (We have to admit we were a bit confused at how the thief was able to start the car without knowing anything about how to use a clutch, but we’ll let it slide.)Hilarity ensues as his co-conspirators unsuccessfully attempt to explain how to use the gearbox over the walkie-talkie. We won’t spoil the entire sketch, but in the end the Diablo sadly doesn’t make it out of the garage intact.Watch the clip above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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A well-kept, one-owner classic truck has found its way out of hiding and onto the Bring a Trailer auction site with a current bid of $12,500.You won’t find many old Suburbans anywhere, and especially not ones with a three-speed, column-mounted manual transmission with a 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine under the hood. Add in the decent amount of upkeep that was done over the years, and you’ve got yourself an unusual opportunity here.Options that the original buyer chose include power steering, chrome bumpers, and a 32-gallon fuel tank. And AM radio, of course.Older vehicle in great shape? Check. Spiraling demand for classic cars during a pandemic? Check. One more owner ready to take advantage of the situation? Checkmate. The vehicle auction site Bring a Trailer currently has a listing for a 1976 GMC Suburban Sierra C1500 in what appears to be incredible shape, and the current bid is sitting at $12,500. The current seller is a dealer in New Jersey, and the auction ends in four days.

Bring a Trailer

This shiny black Suburban was apparently owned by a single owner from its original purchase in March 1976 at Thorpe’s Pontiac in Tannersville, New York, until some time in 2020. The original cost, after fees and discounts, came to $5577.60, thanks to an unusual combination of options. There’s a 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine (not a straight-six, as some might prefer) paired with a column-mounted three-speed manual transmission. The truck was ordered with power steering, chrome bumpers, and a 32-gallon fuel tank. Inside, the Suburban’s front and rear bench seats are covered in classic plaid saddle vinyl (the rear seats fold up), and the truck also comes with rubber floor mats and wood-grain trim. Occupants will be able to enjoy the rich, authentic sounds of AM radio as they cruise around in this beast of a truck.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

The 15-inch wheels currently use 235/75 Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner A/T tires, and the wheel cylinders were reportedly replaced in April 2021. The brake master cylinder was also replaced at some point. Other repairs done over the years include repainting the inner rear tailgate and some dent repair on the exterior of the rear tailgate. There is some water on the front seat bottoms and part of the rear cargo area shows rust. The coolant temperature gauge doesn’t work. The five-digit odometer currently displays just under 24,000 miles, but it has rolled over at least once, and the total mileage is unknown. The owner’s manual, miscellaneous GMC promotional booklets, and maintenance records are included in the sale.

Bring a Trailer

It’s difficult to compare today’s prices with those of even a few years ago, given how the pandemic and other factors have ramped up prices for various collectibles and used cars, but it’s worth at least looking at other figures. Classic.com sales results for seventh-generation Suburbans (built between 1973 and 1991) averaged $13,624 over 34 sales in the past five years. This average includes plenty of Suburbans that were not kept up to stay as nice as the current example, but it’s at least something to keep in mind. There’s also a 1977 GMC Chevrolet Suburban Sierra Classic with three rows of seats and running boards currently on eBay with a buy-it-now price of $14,995.
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A man in Kansas who bought a 1959 Corvette has found himself litigating with the state in an attempt to keep them from destroying the car. The Kafkaesque situation causes shivers for other car owners but also points to steps all buyers of classic cars need to follow.This is a process I am quite familiar with. I had a client who bought a classic car from Michigan that was seized by the state police in his home state when they found a VIN discrepancy between the primary VIN tag and a VIN stamped on the firewall.

Richard Martinez bought the 1959 Corvette from a dealer in Indiana and sought to have it registered in Kansas. During that process, the Kansas Highway Patrol found a discrepancy: the VIN tag on the door post did not match a VIN stamped on the frame. Various news reports mention the VIN being found in a “secret” location but those locations aren’t as secret as they were before the internet came along. Corvettes from 1959 had the VIN stamped into the frame at least once, though it can be hard to locate the stamping 60 years later.The KHP told Martinez that the car was going to be seized under Kansas law, due to the VIN issue. Kansas law 8-116(b) prohibits “knowingly” owning or having custody or possession of a motor vehicle if the “original vehicle identification number has been destroyed, removed, altered or defaced.” The statute orders law enforcement officers to “seize and take possession” of such vehicles and the vehicles are treated as “contraband.” Generally speaking, the law says, “Articles of contraband shall be destroyed.”Martinez hired an attorney and it’s been reported that he has already spent $30,000 on legal fees. He also notes that the car has been damaged while in storage–if he wins this case and gets the car returned to him, he will spend almost another $30,000 getting it repaired–in the matter of a car that cost him $50,000 to begin with.What is making headlines in this case is that the state of Kansas has made no allegation of wrongdoing on the part of Martinez. He appears to be “innocent” in this matter–it is the car that is in the wrong.Martinez has noted that the statutes of Kansas allow for the state to go another route on this matter. Assuming that the Corvette contains no stolen parts and is merely a mix-and-match special, the Highway Patrol could assign the car a new VIN. The statute is vague on how exactly this happens. “If the highway patrol is satisfied that the vehicle contains no stolen parts . . . the highway patrol shall determine the make, model and year of the vehicle, and shall assign” the vehicle a VIN that the state will accept as legal.But how do you “satisfy” the Highway Patrol that the car contains no stolen parts? Is that the job of the state police to prove, or for the owner of the car to disprove? And what does “satisfied” actually mean? Legally, it is a pretty weird standard to be written into a law. As it stands, the Highway Patrol is saying they are NOT satisfied – but they admit they have no proof that anything on the car is actually stolen.Martinez is in a very tough position. The law exists for a good reason. If cars could easily be sold with bad VINs, it would presumably make things easier for car thieves and other bad actors. But what about an innocent buyer like Martinez? No one has yet come forward to claim the car, or parts of it. A lot of people are lining up on the side of Martinez here, including the Kansas Justice Institute, who pointed out that a similar case made it to the Supreme Court of Illinois. There, an innocent buyer of a car with a bad VIN got to keep the car when the court ruled the statute violated the due process rights of the car buyer.Of course, Illinois law will not be binding on the courts of Kansas.I can tell you that in the case I handled, the stolen car was returned by the state police to its original owner—the one who had reported it stolen decades ago. We were forced to sue the selling dealer to get my client his money back, which we managed to do, although litigation always takes longer than we’d like.We’ll have to wait to see what the courts in Kansas do with the Martinez Corvette. In the meantime, if you are going to buy a classic car, you will want to take some cautionary steps. You can pay to have an expert inspect the vehicle for you and ask them to specifically check all the VIN locations to make sure they match. Or, you can Google the model year and name thus: “1959 Corvette VIN locations” and watch how badly the internet keeps those locations “secret.”After all, Martinez could win this case. But no one buys a classic car just so they can litigate its ownership for a few years before they can legally drive it.Steve Lehto is a writer and attorney from Michigan. He specializes in Lemon Law and frequently writes about cars and the law. His most recent books include Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow and Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird: Design, Development, Production and Competition. He also has a YouTube channel where he talks about these things.

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It’s been a couple of weeks since our last episode, but we’re all well rested and ready to reengage in the silliness that is Window Shopping. This week we’re looking at cars that we didn’t like at first, but that grew on us over time and eventually won us over to the point that we might even like to own them now. First up is R&T senior editor John Pearley Huffman who can’t be bothered to actually search for a car listing and instead presents Toyota’s website where he finds a number of hybrids that he now likes. Clearly, he didn’t quite grasp the challenge. Fortunately, senior editor Joey Capparella did understand the assignment and he selects a forgotten Acura TL that has a manual and all-wheel drive. Capparella admits to not having much love for that TL when it was new, but finding it online today has him rethinking his opinion.The next presentation comes from staff editor Austin Irwin who makes a controversial choice when he selects the first-gen Miata. But Irwin isn’t the only one who didn’t really get the early Miata’s appeal at first. Like Irwin, deputy testing director K.C. Colwell selects a car that is now nearly universally loved. Colwell’s pick of the E36 BMW M3 raises some eyebrows, but he explains that the hype surrounding the car was so great that he doubted the veracity of the claims. Like Irwin, Colwell admits that once he drove one, he fell in love.Speaking of love, host Tony Quiroga has professed his love for Buicks from the late ’80s and into the ’90s. His pick is the least expensive of the bunch and it is also likely the rarest. Quiroga confesses that endless Buick YouTube videos got to him and changed his mind about the two-seat Reatta. After watching, may you’ll change your mind about one of these cars, but then again maybe not.

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