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Despite all of its recent controversies, Lordstown confirmed this week that it will start building its first vehicle this September in Ohio.One of those controversies led to the resignation of founder and CEO Steve Burns, who the New York Times said left because he made inaccurate statements about pre-orders for the truck.Lordstown Motors’ president, Rich Schmidt, laid out the progress the company had made in preparing for production, including reconditioning stamping presses, paint spray testing and getting the battery and hub motor lines up and running.UPDATE 6/18/21, 10 a.m.: In an SEC disclosure filed Thursday, Lordstown “clarified” Lordstown president Rich Schmidt’s claim that the company has “firm orders” for its Endurance production in 2021 and 2022. The clarification basically says Schmidt did not tell the truth: “Although these vehicle purchase agreements provide us with a significant indicator of demand for the Endurance, these agreements do not represent binding purchase orders or other firm purchase commitments . . . To date, we have engaged in limited marketing activities and we have no binding purchase orders or commitments from customers.”It’s been a rough few weeks for Lordstown Motors, but the new leaders at the company are not backing down from their claim that the Endurance electric pickup truck will start production in September 2021. This week, Lordstown announced that founder and CEO Steve Burns had resigned. In a company statement, Lordstown thanked Burns for his “passion and commitment to the company,” but did not explain why he left the company. The New York Times reported that an internal investigation led by Lordstown’s board of directors found “issues regarding the accuracy of certain statements regarding the company’s pre-orders.” We were not able to reach Burns for comment about his departure, but whatever the actual reason, the company turned to an in-house executive as his replacement. Lordstown Motors’ lead independent director, Angela Strand, was appointed executive chairwoman and will manage Lordstown’s transition until a new, permanent CEO is found. Lordstown’s chief financial officer, Julio Rodriguez, also resigned this week and was replaced by interim CFO Becky Roof.

Speaking at a virtual Automotive Press Association (APA) event Tuesday, Strand said the company remains on track to begin building vehicles this fall with plans to deliver them to customers in the first quarter of 2022.”What’s not changing is our plan to start limited production in late September. It’s a new day at Lordstown and there are no disruptions, and there will be no disruptions, to our day-to-day operations,” she said. Lordstown Motors president Rich Schmidt echoed Strand’s commitment during the APA event, explaining how the startup automaker’s work converting an old General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio (hence the name), into a facility that can build a variety of electric vehicles started in November 2019 and continues today. Many of the production areas are ready today to produce vehicles, at a low volume, Schmidt said. He added that the body shop that had been used to make the company’s beta prototypes has been retooled to prepare for production and that the paint shop started spray programming last week. Lordstown is also currently commissioning its battery and hub motor lines, each of which measures around 400,000 square feet, Schmidt said. The hub motor line should be operational in July. Lordstown is also currently reconditioning the stamping presses and, overall, the retooling process is about 85 percent complete, he said.

Lordstown

Lordstown also responded this week to a report from investment research firm Hindenburg Research that claimed it was “unrealistic” to expect Lordstown to start production of the Endurance this fall. Lordstown issued a statement from a Special Committee of its Board of Directors that called the report, “in significant respects, false and misleading.” In particular, the company announcement said, “its challenges to the viability of Lordstown Motors’ technology and timeline to start of production are not accurate,” but Lordstown did admit that Hindenburg did “identify issues regarding the accuracy of certain statements regarding the Company’s pre-orders.”In the APA event, Schmidt wouldn’t say how many orders Lordstown currently has for the Endurance, other than to restate that, “we have enough orders for production for 2021 and 2022. Those are firm orders that we have for those two years.”Next week, Lordstown is hosting “Lordstown Week,” a media event that should reinforce the message that the company is making progress on getting the Endurance into customer hands.
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These leaked dealer photos of the 2022 Toyota Tundra show the off-road-focused TRD Pro model. The new truck is expected to use a twin-turbo V-6 engine, and there could also be a hybrid option. It’ll make its debut in the coming months and should go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year. Toyota will debut its new full-size Tundra pickup truck later this year, and we’ve already seen official photos of its front end and new V-6 engine cover. Now leaked dealer photos posted on the Toyota Tundra Forum show the off-road-ready TRD Pro model, and it’s a much improved look from the previous generation, which has been around for more than a decade.

tundras.com

tundras.com

The Japanese automaker gave us a glimpse of the new truck’s grille last month, and this TRD Pro model has a large “Toyota” badge above an LED light strip that’s integrated into the blacked-out grille. The truck is sitting on a set of black TRD Pro-specific wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber, and there’s a black pattern surrounding the wheel arches. A large debossed “TRD Pro” logo is stamped into the tailgate, and three amber marker lights are on the rear, too, suggesting that this truck could be more than 80 inches wide.

We expect the new Tundra to be powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine as seen from a photo Toyota released this week of the truck’s engine cover. The iForce MAX, however, could be a hybrid drivetrain because of blue “MAX” lettering on its logo. The current-generation Tundra uses the 5.7-liter iForce V-8 engine, which produces 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. The new Tundra should also have a new rear suspension setup, ditching the old truck’s leaf springs in favor of coil springs, air springs, or possibly an independent rear suspension.

tundras.com

Look for the full details on the new Toyota Tundra in the coming months. The new truck could go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year. Pricing is expected to start around $36,000 for a base model truck, and this TRD Pro model should start just over $50,000.
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Porsche revealed the 2022 911 GT3 Touring this week—a comfier, more subtle version of the razor-sharp new GT3 that was introduced earlier this year. Buried at the bottom of Porsche’s press release was a jarring, disappointing admission: “The seven-speed PDK gearbox will be the only transmission offered in California with the 911 GT3.” That’s right: The six-speed manual, a no-cost option that would seem to be ideal in the raw, visceral, naturally aspirated GT3, can’t be sold in California, the state where you’d expect to see the greatest number of this sports cars sold.It all comes down to noise. According to a Porsche spokesperson, the GT3 passes California’s drive-by noise test when equipped with the PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; with the six-speed stick, it fails. It’s a factor of the way the test is performed—and which testing method California chooses to employ.

The California Code of Regulations specifies that highway vehicles must pass a drive-by noise test designed by SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers—specifically, SAE J1470, “Measurement of Noise Emitted by Accelerating Highway Vehicles.” This SAE paper goes into extreme detail explaining the design and layout of the ideal testing environment, the proper arrangement of the measuring equipment, the exact condition of the vehicle to be tested, and on and on. But basically, the test boils down to this: A vehicle accelerates past a microphone, and the sound pressure level, in decibels, is recorded. SAE J1470 aims to measure “the highest noise level consistent with urban driving.” The exact testing method varies based on vehicle size, power output, peak acceleration rate, and gearing, but generally, it involves a full-throttle run starting at 50 km/h (31 mph) and continuing until the engine reaches its peak-power rpm. Manual-transmission vehicles are tested in either second or third gear; given the GT3’s curb weight and power output, the procedure calls for third. Here’s the thing: Automatic-transmission vehicles aren’t necessarily tested at wide-open throttle. The method specified in J1470 states that “the throttle shall, as rapidly as possible, be opened as fully as will ensure maximum acceleration without operating kickdown” (emphasis added), and held at that position until the car reaches the end of the testing area. “Kickdown,” as defined by the SAE, means “a forced downshift to the lowest possible gear (first or low gear).”You see the problem here. The PDK-equipped GT3 can do nearly 80 km/h in first. Certainly, flooring the accelerator in an automatic GT3 would trigger a multi-gear downshift all the way to first. So while the procedure calls for the manual GT3 to run full-throttle nearly to redline in third, the same procedure prohibits full-throttle acceleration in the automatic version of the very same car. Hence, the PDK passes the test, while the manual fails.Porsche’s spokesperson would not answer any specific questions about how the manual or automatic GT3 performed in California’s noise tests. But the Porsche representative did highlight something notable: SAE J1470 is no longer the most up-to-date testing method when it comes to measuring drive-by noise.See, SAE J1470 was first published in late 1984. The paper reveals itself to be relatively out of date when it comes to automotive drivetrain technology: the standard test procedure assumes that the typical stick-shift vehicle is “equipped with a manually operated gearbox having not more than four forward gear ratios.” There are alternative testing parameters for vehicles with highfalutin gearboxes with more than four forward ratios, and SAE has published updated versions of the test method since 1984. But the basic framework of J1470 seems insufficient for testing modern vehicles in 2021.SAE International addressed this with an entirely new vehicle standard: SAE J2805, published in 2008 and updated as recently as May 2020. J2805 completely revamps the drive-by test procedure. Rather than a full-throttle (or nearly full-throttle) drive-by, J2805 lays out a hugely complex method of calculating the appropriate rate of acceleration for each individual vehicle being tested. As the very first paragraph of J2805 states, this updated procedure “is based on extensive statistical investigations of vehicle operation in real traffic.” J2805 includes techniques appropriate for hybrid vehicles and other advanced drivetrain designs that did not exist when J1470 method was published. Long story short, J2805 more accurately simulates “acceleration at a partial throttle condition in urban traffic.”Here’s the problem: California doesn’t use J2805. Vehicle noise testing is performed by the California Highway Patrol, as defined by California Code of Regulations Title 13, Section 1046. That regulation specifies SAE J1470 as the official testing procedure. So while Porsche assumedly engineered the GT3 to pass the updated J2805 test with both available transmissions, in California, the old method is still the law of the land. (Porsche’s spokesperson indicated that CHP has been planning to update its testing regulations to incorporate the new SAE procedure; Road & Track reached out to CHP for comment but did not receive a reply at publication time.)So for now, Porsche can’t sell you a 502-horsepower 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual in California—despite the fact that the PDK-equipped GT3 has the same engine, the same exact exhaust system, and, as far as we can tell, makes the same amount of noise. “We don’t know when the new SAE J2805 procedure will be adopted by California, therefore we can’t guarantee the sale of the manual gearbox on the 911 GT3—and where there’s doubt, we’re always cautious,” Porsche’s spokesperson told Road & Track via email. Our contact at Porsche was eager to point out that the noise regulation issue does not affect any other 911 variant, nor does it apply to the 718 Boxster or Cayman. So if you want a brand-new Porsche sports car with a manual transmission, and you want to put a California license plate on it, you’ve got every model available to you—except the one you really, really want.

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With Cadillac’s hotshoe Bill Wise behind the wheel, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing lapped the Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in 2:52.5 seconds. At Car and Driver’s annual Lightning Lap, the CT4-V lapped the 4.1-mile circuit in 3:06.2 seconds. The CT4-V Blackwing is powered by a 472-hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 backed by a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission.
Remember in elementary school when paper chain-link countdowns were the buzz? Those simple craft projects counted down the most important days such as holidays and birthdays. For us, they’re used to measure how many rotations around the sun remain before we arrive at the greatest days of our year: Lightning Lap. Cadillac just dropped a video of the CT4-V Blackwing lapping our home track, giving us 172 reasons to get excited for this year’s event.

With Cadillac hotshoe Bill Wise manning the controls, the CT4-V Blackwing got around the 4.1-mile Grand Course in a speedy 2:52.5 seconds. For reference, we lapped the circuit in the junior CT4-V in 3:06.2. Development drivers have many talents, one of them being, of course, that they’re extremely good at driving. Typically, we at C/D trail their times by a few seconds. Not because we’re slugs, but because the sheer amount of seat time they have trumps the five or six sessions that we might get behind the wheel. The Blackwing’s predecessor, the Cadillac ATS-V, spun a 2:59.8, and we expect to lop a good bit of time off that. What else did Bill Wise beat? Check out the list here.

CT4-V Blackwing. Photo not from VIR run.
Cadillac

Though we have yet to drive the CT4-V Blackwing, we do know its details. Motivation will come from the same twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 that powered the ATS-V. A freer-breathing intake and other engine revisions have uncorked an additional 8 horsepower for a total of 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a 10-speed automatic (which Cadillac set the time with) will cost an extra $2275. The Blackwing will feature larger brake rotors squeezed by Brembo brake calipers–six pistons up front and four in rear. It will roll on Blackwing-spec Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, which we’re told will perform more like Michelin’s Cup 2 gumballs. Watching the CT4-V and Blackwing laps side by side reveals the obvious: More power equates to more speed. At the start/finish line and on the back straight, the Blackwing carries roughly a 13-mph advantage. When the 325-hp 2.7-liter CTS-V runs out of steam through the uphill esses, the Blackwing continues to gain speed. And the Michelins simply outperform the junior V’s Continental SportContact 6s in every dynamic function. More grip grants greater cornering speeds and the ability to stomp on the Brembos deeper into the braking zones. We’re ecstatic to get behind the wheel of the new Blackwing. It should arrive in dealer showrooms sometime this summer for an intriguing $59,990 starting price. And if the CT4 is capable of this, what about the 668-hp CT5-V Blackwing? There goes another link in our paper chain.

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The flashy new Kia logo is on display on the Telluride’s wide-mouthed grille, which undergoes a minor revision.Lower trim levels gain bigger screens and more tech, while Kia’s navigation-based adaptive cruise control is applied across the lineup.The Telluride is only a bit more expensive across the board, with the LX and S trims up $600 and $700 respectively, while the higher-end EX and SX models only increase by $200.The Kia Telluride has been a booming success. The mid-size SUV was named to Car and Driver’s 10Best list for 2020 and 2021, also collecting an Editors’ Choice award both years, and the excellence that earned those accolades has also been reflected in strong sales. Despite being initially introduced back in 2019 (for the 2020 model year), the Telluride’s sales have only improved, up 68 percent so far in 2021 compared to 2020. Kia now seeks to build on that success with the freshened 2022 model, which features Kia’s snazzy new logo, among other enhancements.

The only exterior changes occur on the Telluride’s already assertive front end. Kia’s signature “tiger nose” grille is now adorned by the updated logo, which does away with the previous oval surround in favor of a more dynamic font with the letters K, I, and A linked together. The only other discernible exterior change is that the grille’s mesh is now blacked out rather than chrome.
The other upgrades appear in the Telluride’s upscale interior. All trim levels now gain Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control-Curve, a form of adaptive cruise control that uses navigation data to adjust speed for upcoming bends in the road before returning the vehicle’s speed to the preset level. Kia has also made some of its more luxurious features standard on the lower LX and S trims, among them a 10.3-inch touchscreen, automatic climate control, and semi-autonomous highway-driving assist. Under the hood, the Telluride retains the same 291-hp naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6, which is used on every trim level in the Telluride lineup.Prices have increased only slightly for 2022. The base LX FWD trim now costs $34,015, a $600 bump versus 2021. The front-wheel-drive S is now $36,515, up $700 compared to last year, while the EX FWD only increases by $200, to $39,015. The top-of-the-line SX trim, in FWD guise, is now $43,915, also $200 more than the 2021 version. All-wheel drive still adds $2000 to the price of each trim level.
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Honda will end production of the Clarity fuel-cell and plug-in-hybrid models in August 2021.The Clarity was initially available as an EV as well, but that model was dropped last year.Honda says the Clarity will still be available to lease through 2022.The Honda Clarity, initially available as a plug-in hybrid, a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, and an EV, will end production in August 2021. The announcement was first reported by Nikkei and Honda confirmed the news to C/D. The EV version was dropped last year, and now the PHEV and hydrogen versions will soon disappear from the lineup as well.

So far in 2021, Honda has only sold 1896 examples of the Clarity, and full-year sales in 2020 totaled just 4215 units, down from 11,654 units in 2019. Honda does not break out sales of the hydrogen fuel-cell Clarity, which is available only for lease in certain states. The company does say that production through August of this year will allow for the Clarity to be available to lease through the 2022 calendar year. This will leave the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo as the remaining hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on sale in the U.S.We don’t think that there is be a direct replacement for the Clarity on the horizon, but Honda is planning several new electric vehicles. A new Honda EV SUV model using GM’s Ultium battery packs will arrive for the 2024 model year, and the company has set a goal to gradually increase its electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle offerings over the next two decades. By 2040, Honda says it will sell only battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles.
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Acura has confirmed specs for the 2022 MDX Type S three-row SUV.It has the same 355-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 as the TLX Type S sedan.The MDX Type S will go on sale later this year.The Acura TLX Type S sedan’s SUV stablemate, the 2022 MDX Type S, is on its way and will arrive at U.S. dealerships later this year. Before it goes on sale, Acura has confirmed more specs for the new performance version of the three-row SUV and released a few more photos of it in the eye-catching Tiger Eye Pearl exterior color.

With the same turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 as the TLX, the MDX Type S has 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 65 hp and 87 pound-feet over the base MDX’s 3.5-liter V-6. As such, we expect it to be significantly quicker than the standard model, which got to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds in our testing. When equipped with an optional towing package, the MDX Type S is rated to tow up to 5000 pounds, matching the rating for the SH-AWD version of the base model.

Acura

A ten-speed automatic transmission and SH-AWD are standard on all Type S models. The front brakes are upgraded and feature Brembo calipers, and the Type S also features an extra driving mode called Sport+ that’s said to sharpen the steering and throttle response. Acura previously told us that it won’t offer a summer-tire option for the MDX Type S like it does for the TLX Type S, so we expect to see all-season tires as standard.We still don’t have pricing for the MDX Type S, but we anticipate it will start around $65,000. More info will come later this year.
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Volvo is recalling 85,550 U.S.-market vehicles from the 2019 and 2020 model years over an issue with the fuel pump that could lead to engine stallingThe report filed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the only 2019–2020 Volvo that is not included is the XC40.Volvo will notify owners starting August 1 and will swap out a fuse to a different one in dealerships at no charge. Volvo will recall 2019 and 2020 vehicles from nearly all of its model lines—with the XC40 the only excluded model in the lineup—to replace a fuse that could lead to fuel pump issues and possibly to engine stalling. That means that the S60, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC60, and XC90 are all subject to the recall, adding up to 85,550 vehicles in the U.S. market.The report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that this issue has actually happened in 46 vehicles. The agency said that drivers might experience the problem just after waking up the vehicle, as when unlocking it, opening the door, or pushing on the brake pedal before starting to drive, saying the fuse might blow when the engine control module “demands shut off of the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) due to electrical current peaks.” If the fuse blows, the low-pressure fuel pump will obviously no longer function, which could prevent the engine from starting. However, plug-in-hybrid models could either stop safely or keep moving as long as the battery has charge. Volvo has received no reports of injuries or accidents related to the issue. Owners can check the NHTSA recalls website for more information and to see if their vehicle is included. They should begin getting notifications from Volvo on August 1.The fix? It’s what we’ve long been told not to do: Replace a fuse with a higher-capacity one. But that’s the remedy in this case, exchanging the 15-amp fuse for a 20-amp part, something that Volvo started doing on the production line at the tail end of 2019.

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