Motor News

This week’s viewer-submitted challenge was to find an interesting or cool version of an otherwise boring car. The budget was $50,000, and almost all the contestants played exceedingly to type. The only exception was contributor Jonathon Ramsey, who decided to use his European sabbatical as chance to buy a brand-new GR Yaris off a Spanish dealer lot. Would bearing the hot hatch crown in Europe and zero miles on the odo would be enough to sway the jury? Maybe in a just world.Senior editor Joey Capparella started with a second-gen Subaru Forester XT, then spent 50% of the purchase price on modifications to make it cool. His stiffest competition didn’t come from colleagues but the fact that Subaru made the even more interesting and cool Forester STI.Deputy testing director K.C. Colwell sourced a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII. Perhaps better than the WRX STI of the time but just as harsh, we revisited Car and Driver’s long-term test of the car back in the day. Apparently drivers over 40 tended to avoid it. With four of our five presenters over 40, there was a good chance voters would avoid it, too. Road & Track senior editor John Pearley Huffman outdid himself with a 1981 Ford Thunderbird Silver Heritage Edition. We’re still speechless, so it’s best you just watch him make the most questionable arguments since The Chewbacca Defense.Lastly, cars director Tony Quiroga went back to the past and to Germany via Italy with an all-wheel-drive Golf Rallye. The most expensive car in the episode was basically VW’s version of a Lancia Delta Integrale without any of the Integrale’s success, begging the question: is that actually cool?

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This boldly painted 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera, the second in a series of “art cars” created for a Canadian museum, is up for auction on Bring a Trailer.The eye-catching look was dreamt up by Canadian artist Jean-Pierre Lafrance and painted onto the car by specialist Yves Thibeault using several techniques, from airbrushing to finger-painting.The 911 underneath uses 3.2-liter flat-six and a five-speed manual transmission, and bidding currently sits at $57,000 with four days left.Most new cars are painted white, black, grey, or silver, so a vibrant paint color helps your car stand out amongst the sea of anonymous vehicles. But if you want to make it really easy to remember where you parked at the big-box store, you should spring for this 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe, an “art car” for sale on auction site Bring a Trailer boasting a one-of-a-kind paint job.

Bring a Trailer

This Porsche was the second in a string of 911s custom-painted for the Art Cars Project, which saw several artists decorate the iconic German sports car as part of a collaboration with the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec in Canada. Called “Masterpiece II,” this particular art car’s abstract look was created by Canadian painter Jean-Pierre Lafrance. Lafrance’s vision was then applied to the Porsche by auto-body painter Yves Thibeault via a number of techniques, from airbrushing to finger-painting.

Bring a Trailer

Underneath the snazzy paint is a stock 1989 Porsche 911, powered by a 3.2-liter flat-six that made 217 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque when new. It has a five-speed manual transmission and the 205/55 front and 225/50 rear Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires are wrapped around white 16-inch Fuchs wheels. The interior is decked out in Mahogany leather upholstery and features niceties such as power front seats, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, and a Blaupunkt cassette stereo system. There’s also a sunroof.

The odometer shows 114,000 miles, but the listing notes that the Carfax report shows mileage inconsistencies in January 2011 and June 2021. The car was acquired by the current owner back in 2013, and less than 1000 miles have been added since. “Masterpiece II” has recently been serviced and is being offered on dealer consignment in California with an Arizona title. Currently, bidding sits at $57,000 with four days remaining on the auction, but expect the price to rise in the coming days, as another 1989 Porsche 911 art car from the same project sold for $72,000 on Bring a Trailer earlier this year.
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The INEOS Grenadier, which honors the uncluttered design of the original Land Rover Defender, is set to hit the U.S. market in 2023.The U.S. won’t receive the diesel option, with only the gas-powered 3.0-liter inline-six from BMW available under the hood.INEOS is currently finding dealer networks to partner with, and preorders will open to the general public in two weeks.The INEOS Grenadier, revealed last summer, is a boxy off-road SUV bearing a strong resemblance to the original Land Rover Defender. The owner of British chemical company INEOS, Jim Radcliffe, had been a huge Defender enthusiast, and when the original Defender ended production, Radcliffe tried to buy the rights. When Land Rover wouldn’t bite, Radcliffe forged his own path, creating a back-to-basics SUV—with solid axles and locking differentials—that mimicked the squared-off Defender’s design. After a legal battle revealed that Land Rover did not have exclusive rights to the Defender’s shape, INEOS set to work developing the Grenadier, and we now have details on INEOS’s plan to bring the Grenadier stateside.

INEOS

INEOS is aiming to start sales of the Grenadier in the United States in 2023, but the chemical company will need to find places to sell the off-roader. According to Edmunds, at a recent roundtable discussion Greg Clark, the head of commercial operations for North America, said that INEOS is currently evaluating dealer networks to partner with and that INEOS may link up with more than one dealer group.

Americans will only have one choice of engine in their Grenadier when, and if, sales begin in 2023: a 3.0-liter inline-six supplied by BMW. According to Clark, there wasn’t enough of a business case for INEOS to consider bringing to the U.S. the diesel powertrain that will be offered in other markets. The gearbox is coming from ZF, and INEOS has worked with Magna Steyr on development and testing. At the moment, Clark said that INEOS is hoping to provide a five-year/60,000-mile warranty, although that is not set in stone. The Grenadier is set to be produced in Austria. INEOS’s first SUVs will begin rolling off the line next summer, headed to customers in Europe. Production for the U.S. market will begin in early summer of 2023, with deliveries by the end of that year. Today, preorders opened for the 75,000 people who registered their early interest in the vehicle, and preorders will open to everyone else in two weeks. There is no word yet on what the INEOS Grenadier might cost in the United States.
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This 2022 Nissan Frontier wears a livery inspired by the brand’s ’80s off-road race trucks, and what’s more, it will compete in the all-women 2021 Rebelle Rally.Based on the already rugged Pro-4X model, this one-off version has off-road parts from Nissan’s motorsports division, NISMO.The roster includes 4.0-inch cowl-mounted lights, a performance exhaust, unique wheels, and an upgraded suspension.After undergoing a generational transformation, the 2022 Nissan Frontier will also appear as a one-off rally truck that pays homage to the brand’s Hardbody off-road race trucks from the 1980s. It’ll compete in October in the all-women’s 2021 Rebelle Rally, which is said to be the longest off-road rally in America.
For anyone who’s unfamiliar with the Nissan Hardbody trucks that raced in the ’80s, they were very successful and had a distinctive red, white, and blue livery. A very similar visual treatment is seen on the new Frontier racer, with a wrap that covers the front end and rooftop in red and splits most of the sides and the rear with white and blue colors. A smattering of decals call attention to its Nissan branding and assortment of parts from NISMO, the company’s motorsports division.

Among the myriad parts courtesy of NISMO are 4.0-inch lights mounted high on the Frontier’s cowl, a performance exhaust system with a chome-tipped tailpipe, and an off-road-oriented suspension kit. The rally-ready mid-size pickup truck also rides on special 10-spoke, 17-inch wheels shod with BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires.
The ’22 Frontier used for the rally is based on the already rugged Pro-4X model. We drove one in Utah and appreciated the new truck’s much improved interior, enhanced features, and overall refinement compared with its predecessor. Every Frontier features a 310-hp 3.8-liter V-6 and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Pro-4X comes standard with all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels, an electronically locking rear differential, Bilstein dampers, underbody skid plates, and four-wheel drive (the Pro-X is a similar-looking rear-drive version).

Nissan’s Team Wild Grace will race the retro-themed Frontier in the 2021 Rebelle Rally that spans eight days and covers more than 1500 miles of desert between Nevada, Arizona, and California. The rally starts on October 7 at the Hoover Dam in Nevada and ends on October 16 in California’s Imperial Dunes.
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Genesis has revealed more details about the 2023 GV60 electric vehicle.It will offer three powertrain setups ranging from 225 hp to 429 hp.Expect to see the GV60 go on sale in the U.S. in 2022.After showing off the look of its first EV last month, Genesis is now sharing more specifications for the 2023 GV60. Set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, this new electric model shares its E-GMP platform and various powertrain setups with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 but promises a more luxurious interior than those mainstream models.The GV60 will be offered only with the larger of the two battery pack options from the Hyundai and Kia, which measures 77.4 kWh. Its base rear-wheel-drive one-motor powertrain makes 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model has 314 horsepower and 446 pound-feet. Genesis will offer a performance dual-motor model as well, which has 429 hp and 446 pound-feet and claims a zero-to-62-mph time of 4.0 seconds.

While we don’t yet know about U.S.-specific EPA range ratings for the GV60, Genesis is claiming that the RWD model offers the most range, at 280 miles for the Korea-market version. The AWD version drops that claim to 249 miles and the performance model offers the least range, at a claimed 229 miles.New tech features available in the GV60 include facial recognition software that can unlock and start the car without a key when combined with fingerprint readers on the door and dashboard of the car. There’s also an interesting shifter that’s styled to look like a crystal ball. Genesis says it has used recyclable materials for the interior from fish nets and plastic bottles.We’ll learn more U.S. details about the GV60 in the coming months, such as EPA efficiency numbers and pricing. We expect it to start somewhere around $55,000.
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Whether you’re using Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist, there are benefits and risks to buying or selling a car. Scams and privacy concerns are high on the list of things to watch out for.Facebook, for example, has a billion people using Marketplace, and it relies on automated anti-fraud software as well as around 400 contract workers to police those transactions, according to a new ProPublica report.eBay offers an escrow service and can provide refunds, and Craigslist now requires car sellers to pay for their listing, which has reduced fraud. But it still helps to educate yourself.It’s not easy to keep a billion people following the rules. That’s the problem with Facebook Marketplace, which now has that many people on the site buying and selling goods. But success is no excuse for endangering users, which brings us to ProPublica’s recent research on the social media giant and how Facebook allowed thousands of Marketplace listings that break the company’s own rules, risking users’ safety.

Obviously, thousands of people have safely sold their car or truck using sites like Marketplace or eBay or Craigslist. And thousands more will. But not everyone, as a 2015 story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows. There, robbers used Craigslist to offer deals on vehicles including a 2011 Honda Accord and a 2007 Dodge Caliber but requested the buyers show up with cash. Then, when they did, the “sellers” instead robbed the interested buyers. Stories like these are not hard to find, and may help encourage sellers and buyers to learn what safety measures are in place—and which actions it makes sense to take on their own—when car dealing online.

Facebook Marketplace

ProPublica notes that Facebook uses a few different methods to keep Marketplace safe and reliable. First, there is anti-fraud software to detect scams, but since this isn’t the most accurate tech, Facebook also uses around 400 Accenture employees to “respond to user complaints and to review listings flagged by the software,” ProPublica said. One of the problems here is that these employees were given access to Facebook Messenger inboxes, which led to them spying on people. A Facebook spokesperson told ProPublica this access has been changed. Another issue is that these 400 workers each need to deal with around 600 complaints or help requests a day, giving them less than a minute to deal with each one. ProPublica published its own guide giving tips to “avoid being scammed” on the Marketplace that’s worth a look. Craigslist and eBay, which have been in the classified sales game longer than Facebook, seem to have better security measures in place. eBay offers an escrow service and will offer refunds if the sale ends up being fraudulent. Craigslist now also charges people to list a car for sale, and that has lowered the amount of fraud happening on the site, experts told ProPublica.We put together a list of 10 tips to successfully buy a car on Craigslist six years ago, and the safety components we mentioned, like meeting in a public place, if possible, and creating a paper trail in case anything goes wrong, remain valuable. When it comes to buying a car or truck on Facebook Marketplace, Facebook itself says that shoppers should “take some extra time and care” to better understand the deal and that keeping personal information and yourself safe should be a “top priority.” There are similar bits of advice on third-party sites. Home security company ADT recommends seven steps to stay safe when selling items on Craigslist (but most of them would work well on other sites as well), including using a proxy email address, trusting your instincts when it comes to meeting potential buyers and making sure the transaction is worth your time. Given the prices of used cars these days, that last one is likely to be a resounding yes, but it’s still important to keep in mind.
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Jeep revealed the 2022 Grand Cherokee two-row model, and it adds a new 4xe plug-in hybrid that promises 57 MPGe and up to 6000 pounds of towing capabilities. It uses a similar powertrain as the Wrangler 4xe: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors and a roughly 14.0-kWh battery that makes a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The Grand Cherokee 4xe will be on sale early next year in Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, and Summit trims. Jeep says that the Wrangler 4xe, which went on sale earlier this year, is the best selling plug-in hybrid in the U.S. It’s adding to the 4xe lineup (pronounced “four by E”) with the new Grand Cherokee 4xe that uses a similar powertrain, comes standard with four-wheel drive, and will be on sale early next year. On top of that, Jeep says it will offer an electric SUV in every segment by 2025.
The Grand Cherokee 4xe uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors, one at the front connected through the accessory belt and the other in place of the transmission’s torque converter, feeding off a roughly 14.0-kWh lithium ion battery pack. Working in harmony, the powertrain produces 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, the same as the Wrangler PHEV. Jeep says the Grand Cherokee 4xe will achieve 57 MPGe, travel up to 25 miles on the battery alone, and tow up to 6000 pounds.

Eco Coaching pages displayed on the 10.1-inch digital gauge cluster show the plug-in-hybrid powertrain’s power flow, regenerative braking, and scheduled charging. When we tested a Wrangler 4xe, which is EPA-estimated at 49 MPGe, we found the transition between electric driving and hybrid power to be rough. Like the Wrangler, the Grand Cherokee 4xe has buttons on the left of the steering wheel that control hybrid, electric, and eSave, which prioritizes the gas engine to save battery, modes.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe is available in Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, and Summit trims with the new Trailhawk model adding a front sway bar disconnect, electronically controlled rear locking differential, Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires, and blue accents exclusive to the 4xe model. It will be on sale in the U.S. early next year starting at around $50,000.
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Jeep has revealed the two-row version of the new Grand Cherokee.The 2022 Grand Cherokee will offer a plug-in-hybrid model called 4xe.There’s also a Trailhawk off-road trim level that can be combined with the hybrid powertrain.The Jeep Grand Cherokee has classically been a mid-size SUV with two rows of seats. But Jeep flipped the script with the latest generation, introducing the fifth-generation SUV’s redesign first with a new three-row L model. The company is now getting around to launching the standard-wheelbase version of the new model, and the 2022 Grand Cherokee will arrive in the U.S. later this year to replace the outgoing 2021 two-row model that’s currently being sold alongside the new Grand Cherokee L.The two-row Grand Cherokee has a five-inch shorter wheelbase than the three-row model, and it’s nearly a foot shorter in overall length. But the styling is similar to the Grand Cherokee L’s aside from some trim differences and unique wheel designs. The rear end looks a bit sleeker and features a floating pillar design.Inside, the biggest difference is the seating setup. A three-place second-row bench makes for five-passenger capacity, and neither a third row nor second-row captain’s chairs are available like you’ll find in the L. The dashboard is otherwise similar and offers a digital gauge cluster as standard along with central infotainment screens ranging from 8.4 to 10.1 inches depending on trim level. There’s even an optional screen available for the front passenger that can display functions including audio and navigation.
The two-row model also differentiates itself with a broader lineup that includes an off-road Trailhawk model and a 4xe plug-in-hybrid variant. These two configurations can even be combined into a single Grand Cherokee that offers the opportunity for electric driving in off-road settings. We’ve detailed the 4xe powertrain separately, but the basics are the same as in the Wrangler 4xe: a total of 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet from a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four gasoline engine plus two electric motors. Jeep claims an electric driving range estimate of 25 miles on a full charge.

The nonhybrid powertrains are the same for the two-row and three-row models. A 3.6-liter V-6 with 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque is standard, while a 5.7-liter V-8 with 357 hp and 390 pound-feet of torque is optional. Rear-wheel drive is standard with the V-6 and a choice of several different four-wheel-drive systems are optional, while the V-8 comes only with four-wheel drive. An eight-speed automatic is standard across the board.The trim levels comprise Laredo, Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, and Summit, with the V-8 optional on the latter three models. The 4xe hybrid setup is available on all but the base Laredo. There’s a wide range of equipment levels contained within the broad lineup, with the Laredo making do with cloth seats, 17-inch wheels, and black plastic exterior trim and the Summit loading up with tons of chrome, 20-inch wheels, fancy leather upholstery, and a McIntosh audio system.Many driver-assistance features are standard equipment, with the notable optional systems including a 360-degree camera system, drowsy driver detection, and a night-vision camera. A trailer-towing package is also optional; the V-6 can tow up to 6200 pounds, the V-8 up to 7200 pounds, and the 4xe up to 6000 pounds.
The only versions of the Grand Cherokee that earn Jeep’s “Trail Rated” badge are the Overland with an optional off-road package and the Trailhawk. The Trailhawk features Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires, an air suspension with increased ground clearance, and the most sophisticated four-wheel-drive system called Quadra-Drive II that has a transfer case and an electronic limited-slip rear differential. It also has skid plates, red tow hooks (blue if you opt for the 4xe), and a hood decal.Jeep has yet to announce prices for the 2022 Grand Cherokee lineup, but we expect it to start a few thousand dollars lower than the Grand Cherokee L, which ranges from $40,570 for the base Laredo up to $64,194 for a Summit Reserve. Nonhybrid models will go on sale first, in the fourth quarter of 2021, while the Grand Cherokee 4xe will arrive in the U.S. in early 2022.
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