Motor News

If you love the Shelby Cobra and have a ton of money to blow on cars, we have some good news. The most extreme factory-built Shelby Cobra in existence is coming up for auction.
CSX 3015 is the sole surviving Cobra 427 Super Snake assembled by Shelby American, according to Barrett-Jackson. The auction house is planning to sell the car during its Scottsdale, Arizona, event in March 2021. The only other example, CSX 3303, was destroyed when it was driven off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean, killing its owner.

Godzilla’s Ride

It’s easy to see why people consider the 427 Super Snake the ultimate Cobra. The normal 427-cubic-inch V-8, already a bit too powerful for the chassis, is equipped with not one but two Paxton superchargers in Super Snake spec. Sending power to the rear wheels is a three-speed automatic transmission. We’re certain this thing is a handful behind the wheel. It also looks menacing.

This particular Cobra started out as a factory 427 competition model—one of 23 built in 1965—before being turned into a Super Snake in 1967. It remains in good original condition, with its original engine block, body panels, brake calipers, rear end, and exhaust system.
The car was most recently sold at auction in 2015 for $5.1 million. Before that, it changed hands in 2007 for $5.5 million. So if you want to get your hands on it, be prepared to fork over a whole lot of cash.

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The Hyundai Santa Fe will soon have a plug-in-hybrid model, and it will join a hybrid model as well as two gasoline-powered Santa Fes.
The plug-in hybrid uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a 13.0-kWh battery and electric motor for a total of 260 horsepower.
The Santa Fe PHEV will go on sale in the summer starting at around $35,000 with the standard hybrid arriving in the spring.

The new Hyundai Santa Fe SUV is more attractive for the 2021 model year, and it will come with two new gasoline engines as well as in a hybrid model (pictured above). A plug-in hybrid will also be joining the lineup for the 2022 model year, which will be the only one among its group of competitors that include the Honda Passport, Nissan Murano, and Ford Edge. The new plug-in will also join a list of other plug-in-hybrid SUV offerings from Audi, Mitsubishi, and Toyota when it goes on sale in the summer.

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid engine bay.
Hyundai

The Santa Fe plug-in hybrid uses a 177-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a 13.0-kW battery pack and an electric motor that makes 90 horsepower. Total output is 260 horsepower that’s sent to all four wheels. The hybrid model pairs the turbo 1.6-liter (pictured above) with a 60-hp electric motor for a total of 226 horsepower, and two gas-powered four-cylinders are also available. Hyundai estimates that the hybrid will achieve 34 mpg, while the plug-in will get 33 mpg and 30 miles of electric driving range.

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The hybrid models don’t see significant visual changes compared to the gas-powered versions. The plug-in hybrid will be available as two trim levels, SEL and Limited, with the SEL getting Hyundai’s digital key and Smart Sense safety features standard as well as a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen. Limited models get Hyundai’s Smart Park, a 360-degree camera, ventilated leather seats, and a 10.3-inch screen as standard.
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid will arrive first, in the spring, and the plug-in-hybrid model will go on sale in the summer starting at around $35,000 for the SEL. The entry-level gasoline-powered Santa Fe SE starts at $28,025.
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The 2022 Maserati Grecale will be a new compact SUV model arriving later this year.
These photos show a prototype version of the crossover testing.
It will likely carry a starting price of under $50,000 and compete with the BMW X3 and Porsche Macan.
Maserati has shared a few new images of the upcoming 2022 Grecale in prototype form. This compact SUV will launch later this year and is expected to compete with cars such as the BMW X3 and Porsche Macan, fitting in below the mid-size Levante in Maserati’s SUV lineup.

Maserati

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As you’d expect, the Grecale’s proportions look similar to its big sibling’s, with a long hood and a similar C-pillar treatment. Because the Grecale will be built in the same factory as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, we can expect that the two models will share some components. Maserati has also said that it will offer a hybrid version of the Grecale, and eventually the company plans to offer a battery-electric version of all its models, too.
There may also be a high-performance Trofeo version of the Grecale in the cards. The Trofeo treatment for the Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante includes a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 built by Ferrari, but we don’t know if that engine will make its way into this smaller SUV or not.
Maserati says that it will reveal more details about the Grecale later in 2021. It’s likely to be the least expensive Maserati, possibly starting under $50,000 (the Ghibli currently holds that title, starting at $73,685.) We expect it to reach U.S. dealerships by the end of the year, or possibly in early 2022.
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Honda has revealed a new version of the HR-V subcompact crossover for Europe.
This Europe-spec version now comes standard with a hybrid powertrain.
A new 2022 Honda HR-V should be headed to the U.S. later this year, but it may be somewhat different from this version.
A new Honda HR-V has landed in Europe, and Honda has confirmed that the next generation of the U.S.-spec subcompact SUV is on its way as well. We’re not sure at this point how different our version will be, but we’re thinking that this Europe-spec model gives us a pretty good indication of our version’s basic look, if not its powertrain offerings.
Honda said in a statement, “The development of a successor to the Honda HR-V for the U.S. market is underway. This new HR-V will be designed to meet the distinct needs of U.S. customers, and will differ from the Honda Vezel/HR-V that will be revealed on February 18 for other regions.” We think this means that the 2022 Honda HR-V for the U.S. will have its own engine lineup and feature different front and rear fascias.

Honda

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The new HR-V for Europe looks charming and more modern than the current model, with a distinctive front grille and a sharply sloped rear hatch. It retains the same central fuel tank layout as the old model, which means it keeps its spacious rear seat and cargo area with the so-called “magic seats” that fold flat into the floor and also allow you to flip up the bottom cushion. The dashboard design is clean and simple, with a tablet-style infotainment screen in the center and three knobs for the climate controls below.
At this point, all Honda is saying about the HR-V’s hybrid drivetrain is that it’s the same two-motor setup seen in the company’s other hybrids including the Insight and the CR-V and Accord hybrids. We won’t be surprised to see an HR-V hybrid join the U.S. lineup as well, but it will likely come standard with a conventional gasoline engine in our market, like all of its competitors here. The turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four found in the Civic, CR-V, and Accord seems a likely choice, and front-wheel drive will likely be standard with all-wheel drive optional.

Honda hasn’t said when it plans to release details about the redesigned U.S. HR-V, but we expect to hear more possibly in the fall. It should go on sale here either by the end of 2021 or early in 2022.
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The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the ultimate factory drag car. With an 840-hp supercharged V-8, drag slicks, and even a trans brake, it has all the hardware needed to smoke the competition. But as we can see from this latest drag race video, it can’t exactly perform at its best without a sticky, prepped drag surface.
The Carwow YouTube channel managed to get a Demon together with a brand-new Porsche 911 Turbo S for a few drag races on a damp runway in the United Kingdom. On paper, the Demon should be able to smoke the 911, but thanks to the conditions, it isn’t able to perform at its best. Even with some high-level throttle modulation, it’s not able to get off the line without at least some wheelspin.

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The 911, on the other hand, performs flawlessly despite the weather and the iffy surface. Thanks to its standard all-wheel drive and a massively capable launch control system, it takes no effort at all to get the car moving without any drama. And with 640 horsepower on tap, it sure moves.
Even through a roll race, the Challenger can’t find the grip, spinning its wheels at the start. To squeeze out a win, the host has to start in fourth gear to prevent the tires from spinning.
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If you like giving people rides, just not in your own car or maybe because you don’t have a car, Kinto is a service that will get you behind the wheel of a Toyota for around $200 a week.
A new deal in Vancouver, British Columbia, adds the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai to the list of vehicles people can rent for up to four weeks if they drive for Lyft.
In the U.S., Kinto operates with Uber in Southern California and Fort Bend, Texas, but the Mirai is not part of the program there.
Renting a car just to use it as you drive for a ride-sharing app is nothing new, but the setup is getting some high-pressure tweaks in Vancouver, Canada, thanks to Toyota and Lyft. The gist? For $200 a week you can get behind the wheel of a hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai, and then it’s up to you to hustle your way to profits.
The plan is being operated by Toyota’s Kinto Share program, which will charge eligible Lyft drivers $198 plus fees and taxes for seven days in a Mirai. Drivers can reserve a Mirai for up to a month at a time, and Kinto covers the insurance and scheduled maintenance, but not the fuel, for the rental during this time. You also don’t get any keys with this rental, as access to the car is done completely through your smartphone and the Kinto Share app. Also, you have to go to a local Toyota dealership to pick up the car, and it turns out that the $200-a-week cost is only good until late summer. The rates jump to $288 a week after August 1, 2021.

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The benefits of driving a hydrogen-powered car are similar to a battery EV since they both produce zero emissions. An H2 vehicle can be refilled in less than 10 minutes as hydrogen stations, and Lyft notes there are three such stations in and around Vancouver. Lyft said that around 20 percent of all of the vehicles involved in the Lyft platform in the Metro Vancouver region are either zero-emission vehicles or hybrids.
The Mirais available through this deal are the first-gen models, specifically from the 2019 model year, not the much better-looking second-gen vehicle which, in the U.S. at least, is only sold in California. Kinto makes a note in its FAQ that that 2019 Mirai does not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But where do they get refueled? Lyft supplies the addresses of three hydrogen refueling stations that are up and running in metro Vancouver.
Kinto did not respond to our questions about a possible expansion of the Mirai service to the U.S., where it would really only work in the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas. Kinto currently operates two U.S. locations, in Southern California and Fort Bend, Texas, where it offers “weekly, daily, & hourly car rentals for Uber, delivery, & personal use.” In the U.S., Kinto offers a number of Toyota vehicles, including hybrids, starting at a cost of $5.50 an hour or $215 a week, plus taxes.
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Kia has released a new sedan model called the K8, which replaces the Cadenza (also known as the K7 in global markets).
The K8 features Kia’s new logo and design language.
We don’t expect to see this car come to the U.S., as Kia dropped the Cadenza from its lineup on our shores recently.
Kia just killed off its Cadenza large sedan in the U.S., which means we aren’t likely to get its replacement, called the K8 (the Cadenza was called the K7 globally). And that’s a shame, because the K8 features an elegant design and looks like it could be a worthy competitor to sedans like the Lexus ES.

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The K8 is slightly longer than the car it replaces. Although Kia has yet to release mechanical details, it appears to continue with a front-wheel-drive, transverse-engine layout. The company does say that many of the K8’s design details—such as the interesting patterned grille treatment and the angular taillights—will make their way onto other upcoming Kia models.

Kia

The K8 is also the first Kia to feature the company’s new logo. The block letters are prominently displayed on the hood and trunklid. We have an inkling that the new 2022 Kia Carnival minivan will be the first car in the U.S. to get this new emblem; it will be revealed next week.
We don’t know yet what engines the K8 has, and Kia hasn’t shown photos of the interior, either. The car will go on sale later this year, likely starting in South Korea first. But don’t hold your breath for it to ever arrive on our shores.
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Lotus hopes to race the E-R9 race car by 2030, which would coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Lotus Mark IX’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955.
One of the car’s unique aero innovations is body panels with active surfaces that can change their shape and attitude to the airflow with the press of a button by the driver.
The Lotus E-R9 features an advanced electric drivetrain that powers each wheel independently.
Lotus is targeting 2030 for its E-R9 electric racer, and the company is hoping that the car’s interactive design and electric powerplant will put the competition in the rearview mirror.
Lotus unveiled these renderings of its new car on Tuesday.

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Among its innovations are an active aerodynamics system with adjustable body panels that can change their shape in relation to airflow when triggered by the driver at the press of a button or automatically, through what Lotus is calling “performance sensor inputs.”

The Lotus E-R9 has a bit of a Delta Wing look to it.
Lotus

The car’s E-R branding stands for Endurance Racer, while 9 is a nod to Lotus’s racing past. Lotus hopes to race the car in 2030, which would mark the 75th anniversary of the Lotus Mark IX’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955. Company founder Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart drove the original Mark IX.
According to Lotus, the E-R9 was developed by the engineering team of Richard Hill, chief aerodynamicist at Lotus, and Louis Kerr, principal platform engineer on the Lotus Evija electric hypercar as well as technical director, GT, Geely Group Motorsports International. Russell Carr, design director for Lotus, led the design team.

Lotus Cars

“What we’ve tried to do is to push the boundaries of where we are technically today and extrapolate into the future,” Hill said in a press release. “The Lotus E-R9 incorporates technologies which we fully expect to develop and be practical. Lotus has an amazing history of developing unique solutions, and we’ve done it many times in motorsport and with our road cars.”

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The Lotus E-R9 features an electric drivetrain that powers each wheel independently.
“Battery energy density and power density are developing significantly year on year,” Kerr said. “Before 2030, we’ll have mixed-cell-chemistry batteries that give the best of both worlds, as well as the ability to hot-swap batteries during pit stops.”
The car builds on technology already integrated on the Lotus Evija electric hypercar, though for the E-R9 it would be fully adjustable by the driver inside the cockpit.

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