Motor News

A document from the NHTSA has revealed a few details regarding the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck ahead of the start of deliveries in November.The document shows that the Cybertruck will come with dual-motor and tri-motor setups, with the single-motor version that was supposed to cost under $40K notably absent.The document also revealed the Cybertruck will have a gross vehicle weight rating between 8001 and 10,000 pounds, depending on the specification.The start of deliveries for the angular Tesla Cybertruck is, after years of delays, nearly upon us, with the automaker announcing last week that the first production units will reach customers on November 30. Still, official specifications remain a mystery, with Tesla yet to divulge how closely the production model will hew to the original prototype revealed in 2019. But now a document published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—first shared on a Tesla forum—appears to reveal some of the truck’s details, including motor configurations and an approximate idea of the truck’s weight.Cybertruck Decoded The NHTSA document is a decoder for the vehicle identification number, or VIN, for all 2024 Tesla models. The document breaks down the meaning of each of the VIN’s seventeen digits, but there are two that caught our eye.First, the eighth digit represents the vehicle’s motor and drive unit, with two designations for the Cybertruck listed on the document. “D” symbolizes a dual-motor variant, while “E” stands for a tri-motor Performance model. Tesla had originally announced that the Cybertruck would also be offered with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive specification that was supposed to start at $39,900, but it appears that won’t be available for 2024, if ever. TeslaThe second point of interest is the sixth digit, which corresponds to the gross vehicle weight rating, the maximum loaded weight of your vehicle which includes the weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo. There are two ratings listed for the Cybertruck: “G” represents a GVWR between 8001 and 9000 pounds, while “H” stands for a GVWR between 9001 and 10,000 pounds. While this doesn’t tell us the precise weight of the Cybertruck, it means the truck will likely weigh around 7000 pounds, with some variants likely coming in well over 8000 pounds. For context, the Rivian R1T has a GVWR of 8532 pounds, the F-150 Lightning has a GVWR between 8250 and 8550 pounds, and the GMC Hummer EV pickup is rated at 10,550 pounds. All of these ratings are roughly 1000 to 2000 pounds higher than the weight of the vehicles. More detailed specifications should arrive when Tesla delivers the first Cybertrucks next month.More Tesla NewsAssociate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

The Toyota IMV 0 concept is a two-seat electric pickup truck with a configurable flat-bed section.The IMV 0 is intended to be customized to individual users’ needs, and Toyota’s renderings preview the possibilities. From a food truck to an off-roader to a rescue vehicle, the IMV 0 concept is a build-your-own truck.The Toyota IMV 0 concept is basically a blank canvas for customers to transform into whatever they need it to be. The Honda Ridgeline-sized pickup truck has an electric powertrain, a two-door cabin with seating for two people, and a flat-bed section that can be outfitted with myriad setups.IMV 0 PossibilitiesWhile Toyota hasn’t released any information about the IMV 0’s powertrain, the automaker has shared details about its dimensions. Without any add-ons, the truck measures 208.7 inches long. It’s also 70.3 inches wide and 68.5 inches tall. There’s 121.5 inches between its axles, meaning its wheelbase is about as long as the full-size Toyota Sequoia SUV.ToyotaToyota will showcase the IMV 0 concept at the Tokyo auto show, however, it’s unclear if it’ll only be the stripped-down truck or if it’ll be accompanied by physical versions of the various renderings Toyota has released. ToyotaFor example, there’s one representation that is a Red Cross rescue vehicle equipped with an ambulance-like rear section. Others show the IMV 0 configured as a delivery vehicle with packages on the back, one that looks like a sport truck with brightly colored accents, and another with what appears to be a futuristic camper.ToyotaToyotaThere are also renderings of the IMV 0 as a miniature food truck, which likely entices small businesses looking for alternatives to refurbished school buses and such. Our favorite rendering of what the Toyota IMV 0 concept can be is the baby off-roader. The handsome-looking thing is outfitted with oversized tires, a beefy front bumper with auxiliary lighting, a bed-mounted roof rack, and an additional cabin section, presumably for extra seating.More on Toyota ConceptsThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

The F10-generation M5 was the last to offer a manual transmission.The Competition version turned up the output of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 to 575 horsepower.This M5 is reportedly one of 118 to combine the stick shift with the Competition package.Car and DriverThe BMW M5 was the last holdout among the German, high-performance executive sedans to offer a manual transmission, but those days ended after the 2016 model year. This 2015 M5, up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is from the waning days of the stick shift. What makes it even rarer is that it combines the row-your-own gearbox with the Competition package, said to be just 118 to do so.Bring a TrailerIn the M5, the six-speed manual replaced the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and it also includes a rev-matching function. The Competition package was a $7500 option that upped the output of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8’s from 560 to 575 horsepower. It also included a revised suspension with a 0.4-inch lower ride height, 20-inch wheels, an M Dynamic drive mode, and black-chrome exhaust outlets. Like all M5s, it has numerous settings for the suspension, steering, throttle mapping, and more, but two of your favorite combos can be saved and then accessed via the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel.In C/D testing of the non-Competition M5, we found the manual to be 0.3 second slower to 60 mph than the automatic version, but 4.0 seconds is still pretty quick.Bring a TrailerOne has to imagine that this car’s Sakhir Orange Merino leather interior is also a rare spec, and it makes a lively counterpoint to the Singapore Gray Metallic exterior. This M5 was also optioned with the Executive Package, which brought a head-up display, soft-close doors, four-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel, among other niceties. Bring a TrailerWith just 25K miles on the odometer, this car may be as close as you’re going to get to a new BMW M5 manual. Certainly, BMW isn’t making them anymore, and those days aren’t going to return.This auction ends on October 27.Deputy Editor, Reviews and FeaturesJoe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar. More

Toyota is showing a new concept pickup truck called the EPU, and it’s electric.The EPU concept is smaller than a Tacoma, at 199.6 inches long.We’ll see it for the first time in the flesh at the Tokyo auto show, and it looks like it could reach production soon.The ongoing talk about an upcoming Toyota electric truck is increasing in volume thanks to this new concept called the EPU, a name which we assume stands for electric pickup. Set to be shown at the Tokyo auto show, the EPU is a four-door crew-cab pickup that’s significantly shorter than the Tacoma, measuring 199.6 inches in length. It features a unibody construction, suggesting it could go up against models such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.Toyota hasn’t released any technical details yet, but we assume this will ride on a new electric platform. Its wheelbase is long and measures 131.9 inches, which fits in between the outgoing Tacoma’s short- and long-bed configurations and is significantly longer than the Maverick’s. That explains the truck’s slightly unusual proportions, as the rear axle is mounted further back than we’re used to seeing on a compact pickup.The exterior design is remarkably devoid of any odd concept touches, making this EPU look like it could go into production soon. The interior is a bit more futuristic, featuring large display screens, a minimalist dashboard, and a yoke-style steering wheel.This concept looks significantly different than the previous mid-size electric truck concept Toyota showed a few years ago. That model looked more similar to the new 2024 Tacoma, suggesting that perhaps Toyota is planning multiple electric trucks. We’re not certain that both of them will come to the U.S. market, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they do. Look for more information to come soon, as Toyota will be showing the EPU concept at the Tokyo auto show next week.More Toyota EVsSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

The Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept previews the first electric Land Cruiser.Toyota says the three-row EV SUV measures 202.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 67.1 inches tall.The LC Se’s 120.1-inch wheelbase is about eight inches longer than the regular 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser’s.The Toyota Land Cruiser has been revived in the U.S. after the brand’s iconic off-roader took a dirt nap for a few years. Before the 250-series LC has even hit dealerships, Toyota is giving all of us a glimpse of what the first electric model could look like with today’s reveal of the Land Cruiser Se concept.Electric Land CruiserWhen it comes to concepts, details are usually scarce. While that’s largely the case here, Toyota has released some interesting information along with several digital renderings. For example, we’re told the Land Cruiser Se measures 202.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 67.1 inches tall. It also has a wheelbase that stretches 120.1 inches. That’s almost eight extra inches between its axles than the new production model.Toyota says the unibody LC Se has three rows of seats with room for seven passengers. There’s no mention of powertrains, other than the concept offers a “high-torque driving experience.” There’s little doubt that its theoretical powertrain consists of dual electric motors providing all-wheel drive—it is a Land Cruiser after all. The concept suggests its not limited to traveling paved roadways, either, as the press release mentions “confidence in tackling tough terrain.”While there’s no other information about the Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept, its boxy body is undeniably alluring. Surprisingly, it shares little likeness with its current production counterparts. In fact, were it not for the “Toyota” script on its snout and above its razor-thin taillight band, we wouldn’t even associate it with the automaker. More Land Cruiser NewsThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Mazda will launch a new two-row mid-size SUV, the CX-70, in the U.S. sometime next year.Based on the same platform as the CX-90, the CX-70 was originally supposed to arrive this year.It will offer a hybrid powertrain and is likely to also have Mazda’s new 3.3-liter inline-six.Now that Mazda has launched the three-row CX-90 SUV, we’ve been waiting for its smaller sibling to arrive. Called the CX-70, this two-row mid-size crossover was originally slated to go on sale by the end of this year, but Mazda’s North American CEO Tom Donnelly told Automotive News that this new model will now launch sometime in 2024.The addition of the CX-70 is part of Mazda’s goal to grow its U.S. sales by offering more models to America’s SUV-hungry buyers. The company’s lineup will soon include the CX-30 subcompact, the CX-50 and CX-5 in the compact segment, and the CX-70 and CX-90 in the mid-size segment.We already have an idea of what to expect from the CX-70, as Mazda already said that it will essentially be a widebody version of the CX-60 (pictured), an SUV that’s already on sale in Europe. The CX-70 will have a shorter wheelbase than the CX-90 but will use the same longitudinal-engine platform and is likely to share powertrains with its larger sibling. Donnelly also confirmed that the CX-70 will be offered with a hybrid powertrain, almost surely the same setup as the CX-90 PHEV that uses a 2.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine. The CX-90’s turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six, which produces either 280 hp or 340 hp depending on trim level, should also make its way into the CX-70.More information on the CX-70 is surely coming within the next few months, although Mazda has not provided a specific timeframe for when it will debut.More on Mazda SUVsSenior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

It’s that time of year again! October means a chill in the air, chili in the Crockpot, and Window Shop arguments over winter beaters and how much to spend on one. Our last two winter challenges set the budgets at $5000 and $7500, and our “Most Reliable Used Cars for $5000” challenge was a de facto winter beater episode. This year, the panel got to spend a whopping $12,000 to survive three months of whatever’s going on with the climate (and inflation). Given a full roster of six contestants, we’re proud to admit almost none of them used the money wisely.Road & Track senior editor John Pearley Huffman applied his laser focus to the word “beater,” then went to Colorado to find one. We’re not sure why so many cars in that state look like they’ve been dragged out of the Grand Canyon, but we’re pretty sure Pearley would have done better with one of the Grand Canyon mules. The mule would have been a nicer shade of brown than the car, and at least as reliable. Senior editor Joey Capparella, whose nose for older Japanese economy cars is unmatched, hooked up an unmolested Subaru WRX. The plain black wagon spoke so deeply to executive editor K.C. Colwell that Colwell did all the speaking for Capparella’s presentation.Senior editor and SoCal dweller Elana Scherr might not even believe in snow. She was so put off by the concept of winter that she didn’t read her listing carefully and ended up buying half an Argo. Don’t try to understand that sentence, just watch the video and let her explain.Contributor Jonathon Ramsey went for luxury, because Ramsey going for luxury is even more reliable than winter of late. His calculus: A bulletproof German engine surrounded by potentially dodgy German electronics that only have to last three months? Isaac Newton, the inventor of calculus, would approve. Colwell, rested from his Subaru presentation, returned to the speaker’s lectern to show an English rectangle with a German engine, making it doubly dodgy—unless it isn’t, which is always possible with English cars. And editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga emerged from left field with another automotive marsupial. He won huge style points. But the car might do as well in a real Michigan winter as a mammalian marsupial would. (Hint: Not well.)Your wonderland awaits, and it includes the line, “The windows only suck when you want to use them.”More Window Shopping More

Opportunities to purchase a genuine Ford GT40 don’t come up that often. Ford built just over 100 examples of the iconic sports racer across its four iterations, with the majority serving as competition cars. That’s not the case for this particular example offered for sale by PistonHeads, which happens to be an original press car from Ford’s U.K. fleet. Chassis P/1069 is one of a few Mk I GT40s that was commissioned in “road trim” specification, built to order by Ford in the United States. The car was initially finished in opalescent Silver Blue paint and came equipped with a 289-cubic-inch V-8, wire wheels, and map pockets like other roadgoing GT40s. Annals of HistoryAfter the car was complete, Ford loaned it to a Swiss company associated with Scuderia Filipinetti, which displayed the car at the 1967 Geneva auto show. The GT40 was resprayed green before its debut at the show. The car would receive coverage in a few of the British auto rags at the time before ultimately being sold into private hands in 1971, and resold in 2007. P/1069 has lived a relatively public life in the years since, including a number of stops at historic races and events. You might have even caught a glimpse of the car at this year’s Goodwood festivities. PistonHeadsWhile there isn’t a ton of public information about the car beyond that, the seller will surely have a treasure trove of tales for any interested parties. There is no asking price attached to the listing, with PistonHeads suggesting that any buyers come prepared with nearly eight figures. That shouldn’t be too surprising; every bit of GT40 history carries a dedicated fan base. The less affluent among us can always look to one of the many kit car companies for a “cheap” alternative. PistonHeadsBorn and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.  More