Motor News

Land Rover’s Classic Division has released a limited run of 25 of the retro Defender Works V8 Trophy shown here, based on the now defunct old-school Defender.
Among those produced will be both two-door (90) and four-door (110) models, all in the Eastnor Yellow color reminiscent of Camel Trophy entries of the 1980s and 1990s.
Not surprisingly, this old-school SUV won’t be sold in the U.S.; Defender fans here will have to shop the 2021 Land Rover Defender instead.
Breaking up can be hard to do. Land Rover seems to be finding it particularly tough to split up with its most iconic model, launching another new edition of the Defender that officially retired five years ago. This is the limited-run Defender Works V8 Trophy.

Tested: Nowhere Bound in a 1995 Defender 90

Tested: Eight-Way 1997 Off-Road Challenge

Don’t think that this is an alternative to the new and much more advanced Defender that went on sale last year. The Works V8 Trophy is a product of Land Rover’s Classic Division, and the limited run of 25 will all be based on existing chassis. In other words, they’re aftermarket conversions. Both short-wheelbase two-door 90 and long-wheelbase four-door 110 station wagons will be produced, with power coming from a naturally aspirated version of JLR’s 5.0-liter V-8 making 399 horsepower and 379 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox will also be standard, something no original Defender left the factory with.

Land Rover

The new power output is similarly non-prototypical. Most of the original Defenders were sold in Europe with a variety of four- and five- cylinder turbo-diesel engines, but the U.S. did get a version fitted with the long-lived 3.5-liter pushrod V-8 that Rover acquired from Buick in the Sixties. So equipped, the 1997 U.S. spec Defender had 182 horsepower and drove through a four-speed automatic gearbox. Land Rover has previously offered this 5.0-liter conversion with the Defender Works V8, which we drove in the U.K. back in 2018, and which the company claims is capable of dispatching the zero-to-60-mph benchmark in just 5.6 seconds in short-wheelbase form.

From 2018: We Drive Land Rover Defender Works V8

The obvious difference between the earlier Works V8 and the Works V8 Trophy is the custard yellow paint scheme of the new car referencing the Camel Trophy that ran between 1980 and 2000, and which Land Rover supplied vehicles for. The cigarette sponsorship has obviously gone—and the color is now referred to as Eastnor Yellow, after Land Rover’s English test center—but the connection to the adventurous event is further emphasized by a substantial external roll cage and additional underbody protection, a raised air intake, and an electric winch. Other mechanical changes from the base Defender include bigger brakes and new telescopic dampers.

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Land Rover

Sadly for U.S. buyers, the Works V8 Trophy won’t be sold here, due to the base Defender’s lack of federal approval. For U.S. buyers looking for a reworked classic Defender, there are several options using cars old enough to be legally brought into the country. British tuner Twisted produces both a version powered by a 6.2-liter GM V-8 and a fully electrified version.

Twisted Makes Land Rover Defender into an EV

Tested: Defender 110 Refines an Off-Road Icon

This Defender Is Unlike Any Land Rover Ever Made

But, in those parts of the world that will be able to buy it—Europe, Africa, parts of the Middle East, and Africa—it will cost a substantial $270,000 at current exchange rates. That is a significant increase over the approximate price of $210,000 that Land Rover Classic charged for the last Works V8, although buyers will have the chance to drive the vehicles at a three-day event at Eastnor, which the company says will help them to “create their own stories, battle scars, and patina.” That’s some expensive patina.

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After senior editor Joey Capparella took last week off, the Window Shop regulars reassemble to take up a challenge from a viewer: Find the best badge-engineered car for under $15,000. The objective turns out to be more difficult than expected, and we spend a fair amount of time arguing over the definition of “badge engineered.”
Contributing editor Jonathon Ramsey ventures to the Land Down Under and returns with a Pontiac G8 GT. In a textbook case of bringing a modified gun to a knife fight, he touts the aftermarket bits added to Pontiac’s performance sports-sedan swan song—like six-piston calipers and a Corvette badge—and then tries to sell the idea of an email tune for the automatic transmission. If you have never heard of an e-mail tune, consider yourself lucky.
Fresh from his week off, Capparella attempts to convince us that choosing a Mercury Mystique is a great idea because it’s actually a badge-engineered car twice over, being a Europe-market Ford that became a U.S.-market Ford that became a Mercury. If that’s confusing, watching the video isn’t any better.
Deputy testing director K.C. Colwell finds a Lincoln Blackwood, which leads us to ask several questions: When is a Lincoln not a Ford? When is a Suzuki a Nissan? Is that wood? And is it Mr. Vader or Lord Vader?
Contributor John Pearley Huffman puts forth a legitimate example of badge engineering, but his internet skills yield two near-death project cars. Huffman continues his fruitless search during the show until we finally force him to stop. Finally, deputy editor and ringleader Tony Quiroga surprises the Zoom room with yet another Oldsmobile. His pick features deafening power locks, deer whistles that appear to have worked, and power locks that sound like a bolt-action rifle. In the end, we have some laughs, a winner is crowned, and we advance the culture.
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Jeep has released pricing for the new three-row version of the Grand Cherokee, the 2021 Grand Cherokee L.
It starts between $2775–$8080 higher than the equivalent two-row Grand Cherokee models.
The Grand Cherokee L will go on sale this spring.
If you want more Grand Cherokee, you’re going to have to pay more. The new, larger 2021 Grand Cherokee L with three rows of seats is predictably more expensive than the existing two-row version, with prices starting at $38,490 and rising to over $60,000 for the top trim levels. Depending on model, the L costs between $2775–$8080 more than the equivalent two-row; but remember, the L is also the first representative of the Grand Cherokee’s new generation, while the two-row version of the new design won’t arrive until the 2022 model year.

2021 Grand Cherokee L’s Four Trim Levels Explained

What the Jeep Grand Cherokee Lineup Has in Store

How Does the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Stack Up?

The L starts off with the Laredo trim, which comes standard with rear-wheel drive and a 3.6-liter V-6. Jeep has yet to release option pricing for the available all-wheel-drive system or any available packages. The next model is the Limited, which starts at $45,490 and adds features such as a power liftgate, leather seats, and heated second-row seats.

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Grand Cherokee L Summit
Jeep

The Overland starts at $56,490 and offers a 5.7-liter V-8 as an optional upgrade (pricing for the engine isn’t available yet). It also comes with features such as a power-folding third row of seats, a cooling function for the second-row seats, and an upgraded audio system. The $60,490 Summit, appropriately enough, sits at the top of the lineup and has extras such as 20-inch wheels, four-zone climate control, nappa leather seats, and massaging front seats.
Jeep says the 2021 Grand Cherokee L start arriving at U.S. dealerships in the spring, and we’ll update this post as more detailed pricing information becomes available.
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Polestar’s three-year production run of its flagship, the $150,000-plus Polestar 1, will be over with by late 2021.
The automaker announced that the final build slots for the vehicle are available now for those interested in purchasing the vehicle.
U.S. buyers are allotted 125 vehicles of the final 500-car run.
The Polestar 1 was meant to be a halo vehicle to garner attention for a newly established automaker. The powerful hybrid GT did just that, turning heads at auto shows and helping the Volvo stand-alone brand justify jumping deeper into the EV world with the Polestar 2. But now that the vehicle has done its job, it’s entering its final production run.

Revealed: Polestar’s First Car, the Polestar 1

Polestar 1 Is a Concept Car Brought to Life

2020 Polestar 1

Polestar announced today that the remaining build slots for the final production run of the vehicle are now available. If you have the desire and means to buy the Polestar 1, now’s your last chance to get your hands on the carbon-fiber-bodied hybrid GT with 619 horsepower.

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Polestar

The Polestar 1’s design is based on a Volvo concept coupe that was on display at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. The Polestar performance division of Volvo was spun off into its own EV automaker, bringing that concept to life as a performance hybrid.
Priced starting at $156,500, the Polestar 1 was never going to be a mass-market vehicle. Its limited run of 1500 vehicles built over its three-year production life, of which and the automaker is allotting 375 for U.S. customers, makes it one of the more exclusive hybrids out there. It also helps that it looks magnificent.

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Infiniti has released a few details about the 2022 QX60 three-row SUV.
It will have a new design and feature a nine-speed automatic transmission rather than the current model’s CVT.
We’ll see the new QX60 in full soon and it should go on sale later this year.
Now that its downmarket Nissan Pathfinder sibling has debuted, Infiniti is ready to talk about the new 2022 QX60 luxury three-row SUV. This new model will feature the same powertrain changes as the Pathfinder, swapping the current continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a new nine-speed automatic from supplier ZF. The QX60’s version of the 3.5-liter V-6 will continue to make a bit more power than what’s in the Nissan, at 295 horsepower.

Infiniti Reveals QX60 Monograph Concept

View Photos of the Infiniti QX60 Monograph

These new photos of a QX60 prototype don’t show off much about the new model’s styling, but we did get a preview last year thanks to the QX60 Monograph concept (pictured below). This gave away much of the new QX60’s exterior design, which looks far more modern and upscale than the current model that has been around since 2013, when it first arrived as the JX35.
The concept car didn’t have an interior, but we expect the cabin to make a significant step ahead, too. It will likely have nicer materials, more available features, and a more up-to-date tech interface. Three rows of seats will come standard, like before, and we expect the available seating arrangements to mirror the Pathfinder’s. The Nissan now offers either an eight-passenger setup with a three-place bench in the second and third rows, or a seven-passenger setup with newly available second-row captain’s chairs.

2022 Nissan Pathfinder Adds Features, Ditches CVT

Infiniti says it will release more information soon about the 2022 QX60, so look for official photos and more details to come within the next few months. It will go on sale in the U.S. later this year.
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Airstream will donate enough money to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) to plant 118,405 trees which will neutralize all emissions for all trailers and motorhomes sold in 2021.
The new Caravan to Carbon Neutral program also allows owners to contribute additional funds to plant even more trees.
Carbon Reduction Kits start at just $50 and include a decal to tout your camper’s carbon neutrality.
Citing a growing commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, luxury RV manufacturer Airstream announced today that it will work to offset enough carbon emissions to cover all emissions resulting from the use of every trailer and motorhome it sells in 2021. That means buyers of 2021 Airstream models can travel this year knowing the emissions from their vehicles aren’t contributing to climate change.

Carbon Reduction Kit: Silver
airstreamsupplycompany.com
$50.00

Carbon Reduction Kit: Gold
airstreamsupplycompany.com
$100.00

Carbon Reduction Kit: Platinum
airstreamsupplycompany.com
$250.00

Airstream is calling this plan the Caravan to Carbon Neutral and says that in order to neutralize its fleet’s emissions this year it will donate enough money to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) to cover the planting of 118,405 new trees. Current and prospective Airstream owners are also being encouraged to chip in to offset additional emissions by purchasing a Carbon Reduction Kit for their campers by donating money to the NFF.
The kits come in three levels, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, which start at $50 and top out at $250; all of which include a 5-inch by 4-inch decal that can be displayed on the buyer’s Airstream. The most expensive of the three kits also includes a Caravan to Carbon Neutral flag and provides enough funding to the NFF to plant 250 trees.
The RV-maker, which is based in Ohio, is no stranger to green initiatives. It uses renewable energy credits at its production facility to offset electricity usage there and all of its current products are Certified Green by TRA Certification, a third-party RV-industry watchdog group.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across North America in 2021, limiting leisure air travel and vacation opportunities, the RV industry is expected to see additional year-over-year increases in new-model sales, according to a report by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). Last year, despite the numerous pandemic lockdowns, RV sales rose by 6% to 430,412 units; the RVIA estimates that as many as 502,000 American consumers will purchase a new RV in 2021.

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Airstream Lineup Grows with New Basecamp Trailers

With more Americans turning to RVs for family vacations and a growing number of workers taking advantage of their new work-from-anywhere lifestyle, a growing concern of vehicle emissions due to towing heavy trailers or driving large motorhomes is understandable. At the moment, few electric vehicles are set up for regular towing duty and those that are, including the Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X SUVs, will see their estimated driving ranges significantly sapped in the process.
Heavier duty electric pickup trucks, such as the GMC Hummer EV, the Rivian R1T, and the Tesla Cybertruck, are on the horizon but in the meantime, purchasing carbon offsets for gasoline- or diesel-powered tow vehicles is a good alternative to emissions-free towing.
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The next Mercedes-Benz C-class, shown here in prototype form, will be four-cylinder only and come with Mercedes’s nine-speed automatic transmission.
That includes AMG versions, which will get hybridized four-cylinder powertrains—even the AMG C63.
U.S. buyers are expected to get a C300 sedan, followed by AMG versions and possibly a plug-in hybrid, with an on-sale date probably in late 2021.
There it is, the new C-class: Still partially covered, but impressive, with a wide stance and a fair amount of what designers call the prestigemass, the measure of prestige: the length of the body between the front axle and the root of the A-pillar. It is even longer than before, a clear indication that the C-class has kept its rear-wheel-drive layout.

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Mercedes-Benz

“It is impossible to achieve this kind of handling and balance with a front-wheel-drive platform,” says Christian Früh, head engineer for the new C-class whose responsibilities have also included the E-class coupe and cabriolet. The C-class has been an incredible success story for Mercedes-Benz, with a history that stretches back to the W201 Baby Benz, launched in 1982. The new model marks the sixth generation if you include the 190, which did not yet bear the C-class moniker.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Shows Off Its New Look

2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Why the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Endures and Shines

In a way, the C-class returns to its roots. It will come with four cylinders only, just like the W201; it took three years before the company that was then called Daimler-Benz added a six-cylinder derivative. We doubt the new model, internally called W206, will ever get a six-cylinder version. There will be nothing but four-bangers, from the Europe-only C180 and the C200 up to the C300, rated at around 250 horsepower and available with rear- or all-wheel drive. Europe will get some extremely efficient diesel engines, and Daimler is planning to add plug-in hybrids based both on the diesel and gasoline versions. The other versions will have a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, without exception.
The plug-in hybrids will be the most powerful C-class models, with the exception of the AMG derivatives. But alas, those will lose their V-6 and brutal V-8 engines as well. The next generation of AMG C-class models will be fitted with hybridized four-cylinder powertrains—even the AMG C63. It will be rated at over 500 horsepower. Some customers will be saddened by the loss of the manual transmission, which was still offered in Europe on some versions of the current-gen C-class, but every new C-class will be fitted with the company’s homemade (and excellent) nine-speed automatic.
But there is plenty of good news about the new C-class. It is not just more efficient than the predecessor, it also comes with strong improvements. The center console is a huge touchpad, and the digital instrumentation and the infotainment system work with extreme precision and quickness. The Burmester audio system turns the car into a veritable concert hall. The engineers at Daimler realize that a lot of customers spend more money on their car hi-fi system than on the one at home. They also use it more frequently.

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Mercedes-Benz

There’s more innovation: The head-up system now projects information almost 15 feet ahead of the car, making it far more legible. And over-the-air updates will be possible. While the optional air suspension is gone, there will be different chassis setups, with electronically adjustable dampers on the top-end version. And for the first time, Mercedes-Benz is offering rear-axle steering, which adds high-speed stability and makes the car supremely maneuverable in the city.
Two more things have changed. First, there is no more overlap with Renault. While the previous generation was temporarily available with co-developed powertrains, no such collaboration happened with the new model. And second, Daimler will no longer offer a classic grille with a hood-mounted star—unless you live in China, where the not-for-export long-wheelbase version still comes with the heritage look.
Europe will get a station wagon version of the new model, while the current C-class coupe and convertible continue on the existing platform, alongside their slightly bigger E-class siblings. Engineer Früh, we suspect, is already busy working on the appropriate replacements.
For the U.S. market, we expect to see the C300 sedan, followed by AMG versions and possibly the plug-in hybrid. Sales could begin late in 2021.
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The 2021 Ford Mustang configurator is now live, so you can build out your own car, including a GT500 or a Mach 1, the new variant in the Mustang lineup this year.
The GT500 can now be had with a new carbon-fiber handling package as well as several new colors.
The Mach 1, which comes standard with a manual transmission, offers a $3500 handling package.
Ford’s updated 2021 Mustang, including the Shelby GT500 and the new Mach 1, will soon be reaching dealers. While you wait, you can decide what your perfect spec would be on the live online configurator. You can now build out the GT500 with the new carbon-fiber handling package or spec the new Mach 1, which comes standard with a manual transmission and a 480-hp 5.0-liter V-8.

2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Adds Flashy Colors

480-HP Mustang Mach 1 Handling Pack Costs $3500

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at Lightning Lap 20

That carbon-fiber handling package on the GT500 includes 20-inch painted carbon-fiber wheels along with adjustable strut top mounts, an oil catch can, a Gurney flap, and splitter wickers. The 2021 GT500 and other Mustangs come in three new colors: Grabber Yellow, Antimatter Blue, and Carbonized Gray Metallic. The Mach 1 will also be offered in an exclusive Fighter Jet Gray, shown in the photo above.
The Mach 1 comes with a manual transmission as standard but can also be had with a 10-speed automatic transmission as well as a $3500 handling package. The Mach 1 starts at $52,915, while the high-performance GT500, which maintains its 760-hp supercharged 5.2-liter V-8, starts at $74,095.
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