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    Polestar 3 Electric SUV Confirmed to Start Production in 2022

    Polestar has confirmed that its next model will be the Polestar 3, an electric SUV.Production will start sometime in 2022 at Volvo’s plant in South Carolina.A teaser photo shows the Polestar 3’s silhouette, and it will ride on a new EV platform.Polestar will further expand its lineup next year with a new model called the Polestar 3. The company describes it as an “aerodynamic performance electric SUV,” which makes us think it will be styled like SUV “coupes” such as the BMW X4 or Mercedes GLC Coupe. It will ride on a new Volvo EV platform, and a teaser photo gives a hint at its silhouette.Notably, the Polestar 3 will be the EV subbrand’s first model to be built in the U.S. Production is scheduled to start sometime in 2022 at Volvo’s new plant in South Carolina, which currently builds the S60 sedan and will soon start building the next-generation XC90 SUV.

    The 3 will follow the Polestar 1, a plug-in-hybrid coupe that recently ended production, and the Polestar 2, an electric hatchback currently on sale that starts at $61,200. Polestar has also said it plans to build a production version of the Precept concept, a larger flagship sedan with advanced driver-assistance features.Look for more information on the Polestar 3 to come later this year. It will likely go on sale in the U.S. in late 2022 as a 2023 model.
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    Listen to the One-Off Bugatti Bolide's Wild Straight-Piped 1850-HP W-16 Engine

    The Bolide is the most extreme Bugatti ever built. A one-off project introduced in October 2020, it’s a lightweight track-only missile on wheels with an 1850-horsepower version of the company’s widely used quad-turbo W-16 engine. In person, it sounds absolutely maniacal.

    The NM2255 YouTube channel got the chance to inspect the Bolide up close during this year’s Milano Monza Motor Show, giving us our first real-life look at the lightweight hypercar. The Bolide’s insane proportions and ultra-aggressive aero are even more pronounced when seen through the lens of a normal camera. And that wild X-shaped taillight configuration is just the coolest. The most interesting part of this video isn’t how the Bolide looks, though. It’s how the car sounds. Because the car doesn’t have to conform to any emissions or sound regulations, Bugatti didn’t bother to put any sort of obstructions or muffling in the exhaust. The result, as you’ve probably guessed, is a very loud vehicle, even at idle. When Bugatti employees go to start the car up, it makes a loud bark, startling onlookers. We can only imagine how it would sound at wide-open throttle on a race track.

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    Lincoln Going Full EV by 2030, Starting with an Electric SUV in 2022

    Lincoln announced it will transition to an all-electric lineup of luxury vehicles by 2030, starting with a new EV SUV that will debut in 2022. With similar styling as the Zephyr Reflection concept car shown earlier this year, the new EV SUV will feature the next iteration of the brand’s “Quiet Flight” design language.A Lincoln equipped with a hands-free driving mode is in the works and the company also intends to double down on concierge-style servicing and will launch a new smartphone app.Starting with a new SUV that is scheduled to debut next year, Lincoln will move toward a fully electric lineup of luxury vehicles over the next decade. This isn’t the first we’ve heard of a Lincoln electric SUV—we speculated it could be called Mark E—as it was first planned as a part of a partnership with Rivian before Lincoln later clarified it would use its own platform. With a design inspired by the Zephyr Reflection concept car, the future Lincoln SUV is said to represent the brand’s new design language.

    Lincoln

    The new model will be roughly the size of the current Aviator but will have a distinct design to distinguish it from its gas-powered stablemate. An LED lighting setup stretches across the SUV’s grille and extends into the headlamps; inside, a large digital display stretches the entirety of the vehicle’s dashboard. From a sketch of the cabin, we can see a flat floor that should help create an open and airy feel.

    Lincoln

    This new Lincoln will ride on a new battery-electric architecture that can accommodate both rear- and all-wheel-drive arrangements. The company hasn’t released any details about horsepower or range, but we expect Lincoln’s first EV to deliver between 300 and 400 miles per charge as well as enough power to complete with other electric luxury SUVs, such as the Audi e-tron, the Jaguar I-Pace, and the Tesla Model X.Lincoln Active Glide, a semi-autonomous driving mode with hands-free capability, will launch soon as well. The system will take on Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot, but, like those driving modes, Active Glide is not fully autonomous as it requires the driver to still pay attention to the road and prepare to take over should the car need human intervention. The company says that a full third of all new Lincoln purchases happened remotely in 2020 and claims that additional steps are being taken to foster a digital sales experience that allows shoppers to skip the dealership. Buyers will be able to select a new Lincoln and complete a transaction online, including financing and vehicle trade-in. An upgraded smartphone app is also on the way and should provide more options for owners to schedule concierge-style maintenance and detailing services.
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    502-HP 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Arrives Sans Rear Wing

    The wingless 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring will arrive in the U.S. early next year. It replaces the standard GT3’s swan-neck wing for an automatically adjustable rear spoiler. Orders are open now starting at $163,450, the same as the standard GT3. Porsche’s 911 GT3 will again, for the second time, add a Touring package that deletes the rear wing to look more incognito while ripping toward its 9000-rpm redline. It’ll still be offered as a no-cost option on the new 992-generation model, and it will start arriving in the States early next year.
    The standard GT3’s wing hangs from swan-neck pylons creating up to 150 percent more downforce than its predecessor. The Touring package equips an automatically deployed rear spoiler that can also be raised and lowered using a button in the infotainment screen. The rest of the car is unchanged. Porsche says the Touring’s curb weight is 3164 pounds, the same as the standard GT3. On our scales, it weighed 3222 pounds. Both GT3s use an unequal-length control-arm front suspension inspired by the 911 RSR race car—a first for the 911—and also new adaptive dampers.

    And they’re powered by the same naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six that produces 502 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque with a 9000-rpm rev limiter. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is standard, carried over from the previous GT3, but a six-speed manual is available at no extra charge. However, on both GT3s, the do-it-yourself gearbox isn’t available in California because of sound restrictions. In our test, the automatic-equipped GT3 reached 60 mph in 2.7 seconds. Top speed is the same at 199 mph for manual-equipped cars and 197 mph with the automatic. Other visual tweaks with the Touring package include silver trim outlining the windows, and the front end’s color matches the body (the standard GT3’s is blacked out). A “GT3 Touring” badge rests on the rear grille, and the sport exhaust tips are finished in silver but can be ordered in black. Their interior features more leather, including Touring-specific embossed surfaces, and fabric seat inserts.The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring is available to order now and will arrive in the U.S. early next year starting at $163,450, the same price as the standard GT3.
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    Porsche Can't Sell Its 2022 911 GT3 with a Manual in California

    Porsche can’t sell the 2022 911 GT3 with the manual transmission in California because it’s too loud, exceeding vehicle noise limits in the state’s Code of Regulations.The 992-generation 911 GT3 is powered by a 502-hp naturally aspirated flat-six that revs to 9000 rpm. Those in California who ordered the 911 GT3 with the optional six-speed manual will have the option to switch to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Those in California who want to buy—or have ordered—a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 with the optional six-speed manual transmission are out of luck. Porsche informed us that, due to the state’s sound regulations, it can’t sell the manual-equipped cars there, only the ones with the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

    2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring.
    Porsche

    The German automaker said that it was just informed of the issue, which includes both the bewinged standard GT3 and the recently announced Touring package cars. Those in California who ordered the 992-generation 911 GT3 with the manual transmission will be contacted by dealers individually and be given the opportunity to switch to the standard PDK dual-clutch automatic.

    Porsche tells us that California’s Code of Regulations (CCR) 1046 references the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) test procedure J1470 for its exterior-noise criteria, which was last revised in 1998. There’s a newer SAE standard for pass-by noise, J2805, which presumably the GT3 was designed to and meets, and Porsche expected California to update its regs to this latest standard before the GT3 went on sale. But, for now, the GT3 is stuck in limbo awaiting that change. Porsche says that it’s working with California State Highway Patrol to come to a solution but has no estimated timeline of when that might happen. Somewhere in the details of those two SAE testing procedures is why the manual fails one but not the other; we’re digging into those specifics and will update this story when we have a more complete explanation.The 911 GT3 is powered by a 502-hp naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, and it redlines at 9000 rpm. In our test, an example equipped with the standard dual-clutch automatic, which will be available in California, reached 60 mph in 2.7 seconds. Even though California won’t help us #SavetheManuals, at least the GT3 isn’t banned altogether.
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    Road & Track Teams with Hot Wheels Again for Virtual Legends Tour

    Hot Wheels is holding its second virtual Legends Tour, beginning its search for its next fan-inspired die-cast car. As you may remember, last year the Tour went virtual for the first time. This year, Road & Track is proud to be teaming up with Hot Wheels once again as one of their “stops” on the tour.Think you’re the next die-cast designer? As the winner, not only will your design turn into a 1:64 die-cast car to be sold to the world (to be played with by kids and adults everywhere), but you’ll also be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends. Submit your designs here, and make sure to tune in to Road & Track’s YouTube page on June 24 at 8 p.m. eastern to watch the judging panel LIVE.

    Last year’s Legends Tour was a major virtual success with more than six million people tuned in to all livestreams. This year’s Road & Track “stop” will be hosted by motorsports ambassador Jarod DeAnda alongside Road & Track editor-in-chief Mike Guy and Autoweek West coast editor Mark Vaughn. Plus, expect appearances from real Hot Wheels designers and special guests.Let’s see what you’ve got. SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN This content is provided by the Road & Track marketing team.

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    2022 Toyota Tundra Could Have a Hybrid V-6 Engine

    Toyota shared an image of the new Tundra’s engine cover, which shows three intake runners per side.We think it suggests a hybrid setup with a V-6 gas engine, either twin-turbocharged or naturally aspirated. The 2022 Tundra will debut soon, and it should go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year. Toyota will debut the new Tundra full-size pickup truck later this year, and we’ve already gotten a glimpse at the new truck’s front end. Now Toyota is sharing a few details of what will power the new truck: the iForce MAX powertrain, and it could be a V-6 hybrid.

    Toyota

    The current-generation Tundra uses the 5.7-liter iForce V-8 engine, which produces 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. We expect that the new iForce MAX will be a hybrid drivetrain with either a twin-turbocharged or naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine because of three intake runners on each side and blue “MAX” lettering. A nonhybrid version of this six-cylinder makes 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in the new global Land Cruiser. Toyota also says that an electric pickup truck will arrive soon, but it’s not clear if it’ll be a Tundra.

    We’ve seen Tundra prototypes testing with covered rear suspensions, which suggest that the new trucks could ditch the current leaf-spring setup. The new truck could have coil springs, air springs, or even an independent rear suspension.This new powertrain will broaden the Tundra’s appeal now that there are more hybrid and electric full-size pickup offerings available and on the way. Look for more information on the new Tundra in the coming months, and it should go on sale in the U.S. by the end of the year.
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    Joseph Anderson Remembers a Life of Leadership, from Vietnam to Pontiac to CEO

    Joseph Anderson turned his experience leading soldiers in war into a career managing auto workers in factories. Anderson, one of four Black Americans to graduate from West Point in 1965, commanded infantry troops in Vietnam during two tours with the 1st Cavalry Division. His unit was featured in the 1967 Oscar-winning documentary The Anderson Platoon. He received two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, three Army Commendation medals, and 11 Air Medals over the course of his military career.After 13 years of service, Anderson joined General Motors’s Pontiac Motor Division to—as he puts it—lead troops carrying wrenches rather than rifles. One of the first Black plant managers at GM, Anderson ultimately rose to head the company’s body hardware business, which had 7000 employees and $1 billion in revenue. At age 78, he is the CEO of TAG Holdings, a company he started in the ’90s to acquire businesses in the automotive, heavy equipment, aerospace, and defense industries. Anderson recently spoke with us about his experience in the military, in the auto industry, and as a Black man in America. The interview is part of a Hearst project called Lift Every Voice, which records the wisdom and life experiences of Black Americans ages 75 and older by connecting them with a new generation of Black journalists.De’Aundre Barnes: You were accepted into one of the most prestigious military academies in the country. When you saw that acceptance letter to West Point, how were you feeling?Joseph Anderson: Well, I’d like to correct you. It’s the most prestigious military academy in the United States, much more than the Naval Academy and Air Force. I just want to make that clear on the record, De’Aundre. Sorry about that. I thought I was going to go to the University of Kansas in engineering. And I participated in an American Legion program called Boys State, and while I went to Boys State I got selected for Boys Nation. And when I came back from Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., West Point sent me a postcard saying, Congratulations on this honor, and you’re the kind of young man that we’d like to have come to West Point. They sent all 100 of us, two from each state at Boys Nation. They sent me the requirements for application, and I did that. The senator from Kansas selected a principal person and then a first alternate, and I was a second alternate. And somehow the principal and first alternate didn’t make it, so when I got a call from the academy in June saying, “If you’re still interested, show up in July,” I was very excited. Part of it is, it was going to be a great educational experience, and, secondly, it was not going to be a financial burden on my family. But to be quite honest, I did not have any background or understanding or appreciation for the military, as is often the case with young men coming into the academies. But you learn very quickly, and it worked for me.Have you always known that you wanted to serve your country, or did you have another plan for your life?I had another plan. As I said, I thought I’d go into engineering. Now, did I know any Negro—at that time Negro—or African American or Black engineers? No, I didn’t. But with the good grades that I had, I thought that would be the appropriate experience for me and so I anticipated doing that.

    Courtesy of Joseph Anderson

    You’re a highly decorated man. What was going through your mind when you received your first medal for valor in the Army?When I received my Silver Star for my first big combat operation I had been there a very short time, and I just did what I needed to do to support and protect my soldiers, my platoon. You’re not thinking about a medal at that time; you’re thinking about coming out of it alive. And so when I got back into base camp and was rewarded for that particular event, I was pleased—I was honored with the honor—but it was not something that you’re there to do or gain or benefit from. You’re there just to lead your platoon and get your folks home alive.

    From the documentary The Anderson Platoon.
    YouTube

    In 1966, the documentary The Anderson Platoon was released to show what it was like during the Vietnam War. What persuaded you to participate in the documentary, and what did you want the outcome to be once it was released?Well, in the Army things just are given to you or directed toward you, De’Aundre. Coming back from that first event, where I had received the Silver Star, I had a lot of visibility and high profile. And so, when this crew from France came to my organization, the 1st Cavalry Division, and my brigade, they assigned them to me. I was an African American, I was a West Pointer, I had taken French in college at West Point, and so they assigned them to me. I didn’t ask for them. And quite frankly, I had some reservations about them in that I didn’t know who these three people were that were part of this film crew. And I didn’t know what they would do out in the field, maybe cause trouble and get us into difficulty, making noise at the wrong time or something. That turned out to be absolutely not the case, and they became lifelong friends. In fact, I visited Pierre Schoendoerffer, the producer, in France. So it was a great experience, but again not one that I had any choice about.As it turned out, they were world travelers and had done a variety of things in difficult circumstances. Pierre Schoendoerffer himself had been captured and was a prisoner of war with the French Army in Vietnam, so he knew the country, knew the circumstances very well. He and his cameraman and sound man came to see what the Americans were doing in Vietnam, to carry that back to the French, who had been there earlier. But he did such a great job that it just took the country by storm in France.He showed it on French television in the first part of 1967. It was so well received it showed again three weeks later. CBS heard about it, brought him to New York to have him narrate the documentary in English, and it was shown on the Fourth of July 1967 in the United States. The same thing happened: It just took the country by storm. It was shown again three weeks later, and it won both an Oscar and an Emmy in 1967.

    Courtesy of Joseph Anderson

    The automotive industry, as I understand it, has not been the best as far as being racially accepting or progressive. What was your experience like rising through your career?I was recruited out of the Army along with an Air Force two-star general. We were recruited to bring executive leadership in operations and manufacturing into the auto industry. And so I was interviewed by both Ford and General Motors with that goal in mind on their part. I made the decision to go with General Motors and started out with Pontiac Motor Division, in manufacturing, again leading people.The auto industry has been a source of employment for minorities, for African Americans, for many, many generations, coming out the South. When I came in, in the late ’70s, early ’80s, we were the first African American individuals in the executive group in manufacturing and operations. Of course, subsequent to that time there have been a number of other high-level African American men and women in a variety of positions, and they’ve had African Americans on the board of directors. So, from where they were, they’ve come a long way. Are they where they can be and should be? Not until there is an African American chairman of the board or an African American CEO. Then we’ll know we’ve arrived.

    valaurian waller

    Can you tell me how TAG Holdings, the company you run as CEO, came to be?When I bought my first company in 1994 after leaving General Motors, I went with a gentleman for a couple of months and then decided to do it on my own. TAG Holdings, standing for The Anderson Group, was the organizational structure that I created. As I would acquire companies, they would be under TAG Holdings. Over the course of the years, I’ve bought and been majority owner of about 15 different companies. And they come and go in terms of me owning them, and then selling them.What would you say is the most challenging part about being an African American CEO, especially with the social-justice climate we’re going through today?I find it challenging, because the social-justice issues are real. Every single day of my life I wake up I’m a Black man in America and there’s no two ways about that, and those realities face us. You watch the news every night and you see the issues that are going on, and it’s challenging to say the least. Nonetheless, in terms of the things that I do every day—operating my businesses, mentoring young men and women who ask how can they do what I do, serving on boards like the Federal Reserve Bank board—those are all activities and responsibilities that I have assumed in spite of some of the issues and challenges that still exist about race in this country.

    valaurian waller

    You’re a successful African American man who drives nice cars. Have you ever felt that people—especially police officers—felt you didn’t belong in those cars because of your skin color?In this calendar year, I’ve had two incidents. One, I was doing a little bit over the speed. I won’t say how much, but a female police officer pulled me over and told me how fast I was going and she went back to her car and did her thing and came back and she said, “Okay, I’m just going to give you a warning, because it was your birthday last week.” And so what can I say except she treated me very nicely? I was stopped another time, I was driving my Escalade, and he pulled me over and said, “You did a rolling stop with the traffic light.” I said, “Well, officer, nobody’s around and I was just turning right.” He did give me a ticket. So I guess that was a big deal, a Black man in an Escalade not stopping the vehicle fully. Should I stop fully? Obviously. Is that something that everybody gets stopped for? I don’t know. But these are the kinds of issues and challenges that clearly come into your mind when driving while Black.You say you’ve personally experienced few instances of overt racism, but you lived through the civil rights movement. Does America seem more inclusive today than it did in the ’60s, or do the problems look the same now as then?In terms of today’s environment as an African American, as compared to the past, clearly individuals like myself, who are business owners, there are more and more of us, and African Americans who are serving on public boards. Those numbers have increased dramatically. There was a network of African Americans who collaborated together called the Executive Leadership Council, which was formed to help us mentor each other on how to be senior executives in major corporations. Subsequent to that there was an organization formed called the Black Corporate Directors Conference, and that was put together to help us mentor each other on how to serve on boards. But there’s no question that there is still a gap in terms of those who are having those kinds of successes. And the masses and majority of African Americans with lower incomes, and levels of home ownership. All those things are dramatically behind the average for the country as a whole. So we’ve still got a lot of work to do. There’s been some progress, without question, but there’s still a lot of work left to do.My final question is, what advice do you have for the next generation of Black entrepreneurs?The recommendation that I have for the next generation of entrepreneurs is learn from those of us who are already here. We’ve made mistakes. Some of us have survived and learned from those lessons. Use that as a starting point and be very focused on strategic perspectives that exist in the marketplace, in industry and so forth. And don’t focus on where others of us have been, identify the opportunities in the future. Engage and create a circumstance for yourself. Opportunities are going to open up, because the marketplace likes winners. They like success. And, yes, there are more challenges, but on the other hand winners are winners, and the marketplace will support winners.

    Hearst

    Joseph Anderson was interviewed and photographed for Lift Every Voice, in partnership with Lexus. Lift Every Voice records the wisdom and life experiences of the oldest generation of Black Americans by connecting them with a new generation of Black journalists. The complete series is running across Hearst magazine, newspaper, and television sites around Juneteenth 2021. Go to oprahdaily.com/lifteveryvoice for more stories. If you appreciated this story, there are two groups you could consider supporting: The National Association of Black Journalists allows you to direct your dollars to scholarships and fellowships that support the educational and professional development of aspiring young journalists. The National Caucus & Center on Black Aging is dedicated to improving the quality of life of older African-Americans with educational programs that provide them the tools they need to advocate for themselves.

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