Motor News

The Mullen GT is an electric sports car from a startup with roots in China.It claims a 60 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph.The price is $150,000 and deliveries are said to start in 2025 or 2026.Deep in Citi Field Lot E is an unidentifiable coupe under a green tent. Its low-slung body, cloaked in flat gray with a large black swoosh, is more concealing with every closing step. There’s a dragonfly emblem on the nose. A side swoosh is finished in exposed carbon and channels air to a pair of heat exchangers. The tail says Mullen. It’s the Mullen GT, an electric sports car from a startup that plans to start delivering cars in the U.S. in 2025 or 2026.Like many automotive startups, Mullen’s backstory is complicated. It starts with the 2015 Shanghai debut of the Qiantu K50, an electric sports car that parent company Great Wall Huaguan would sell in China from 2018 until 2020. Later, at the 2019 New York Auto Show, a California company called Mullen Automotive pledged to import kits and sell finished, fully-certified examples in 2020. We’ve tracked many EV brands that have yet to sell a single car in the U.S., such as Bollinger, of which Mullen now owns a 60 percent stake. Mullen’s Nasdaq IPO was in November 2021 and it had a second reveal weeks later at the Los Angeles Auto Show, an SUV coupe called the Mullen Five. Now, at this parking lot in Queens, we’re devoting an afternoon to Mullen’s elusive two-seater, the rebadged EV that Qiantu quit building three years ago. While Mullen was also prepping to build rebadged Chinese cargo vans and trucksin Mississippi, the K50 was using at least four names. Until last March, it was the Dragonfly K50, Mullen K50, Qiantu K50 by Mullen, or Mullen Dragonfly. Next to us is Mitchell Dyche, an engineer whose six-foot-five frame comfortably fits in the cozy cabin. He says he specified the 19-inch center-lock wheels, Brembo brakes, and the Pirelli P Zero tires. The rest is Qiantu’s original vision, right down to the manufacturer etchings on the glass. Up close, it looks good. Inside and out, the Mullen GT has the proportions and dimensions of a mid-engine car. It has about the same footprint as an Acura NSX. The body gaps could be tighter, but the GT is not the scrappy prototype we expected. There’s a large portrait touchscreen canted toward the driver that’s still under development, a digital instrument panel, and a large curved shifter. Unlike countless Chinese cars, the GT doesn’t overtly copy the design of any established brands. And while it’s a demonstrator, there’s noticeable polish.MullenThe dual-motor setup is silent and devoid of whine, the regen is smooth, body motions are controlled, and the steering is pleasantly weighted. The specs are reasonable for a performance EV: About 400 horsepower packed into an aluminum frame with carbon body panels, all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, a 78.0-kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery with the bulk of its cells behind the driver, and a claimed 230 miles of range. In Sport mode, the GT gets a little perkier, though in our three short laps we didn’t feel either motor shifting torque. Grip and stopping power are expectedly high.But Mullen has downgraded the GT’s performance since March, when it More

The camper versions of Volkswagen’s iconic Microbus may be great to camp in, but they’re not so great to drive. This build solves that problem.Created (mostly) from a 1974 VW Type 2, this VW is sure to be the only one of its kind at Burning Man.This is one Bring a Trailer auction where you’ll instead want to bring a tow vehicle.Volkswagen Microbus campers are undeniably cool. They’re also undeniably slow. Attaching a cart to a team of sloths is probably a faster way to get around. And maybe it isn’t the greatest idea to drive around in modern traffic in a vehicle where the front crash protection is basically just your legs. But what if you could have all the fun of a pop-top vintage VW, without the downsides? Have we got the camper for you.Car and DriverToday’s pick at auction site Bring A Trailer (or in this case, maybe Bring a Trailer Hitch?)—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a 1974 Volkswagen Type 2 Westfalia… trailer. It’s a wacky but well-executed idea that gets rid of the slow vintage-vehicle part of Westfalia ownership but lets you keep the quirky camper fun.Bring a TrailerThe builder took a 1974 VW Type 2, repaired all the rust, then welded up the front doors and wheel wells and jettisoned the front axle and steering gear. A new tube-frame chassis underneath provides structural strength, and the removal of the engine creates more storage than you’d get in a powered Westy. The interior is finished in nicely contrasting bamboo and tweed, and foam insulation keeps the cold at bay. A pop-top camper top from a 1972 Wesfalia completes the makeover.Bring a TrailerWith a stated total weight of 2360 pounds and a tongue weight of 250 pounds, this Westfalia trailer can be towed by a broad range of vehicles. Embrace an environmentally friendly attitude, as befits a 1970s Westfalia, and hook it up behind your EV and go enjoy nature. Or strap this thing behind a Ram TRX and beat everyone else to the psychedelic rock festival. Bring a TrailerOf course, the real power move would be to tow this trailer with another Westfalia, although it would have to be one of those resto-modded ones done up with a Subaru engine and upgraded brakes. Imagine the double-takes you’d get when cruising down the highway.Related StoriesIn any event, this fun little VW bus-trailer is going to be headed out on new adventures soon. The no-reserve auction ends October 5.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

In the 1980s, Honda packaged a folding scooter with its City subcompact car. Now, here’s that same concept updated for the EV era.Both vehicles are proof-of-concept for a new easily recyclable acrylic construction.Details on power and range are thin, but the want factor is high.Honda’s Motocompo was a folding scooter designed to fit in the trunk of the company’s City subcompact car. It’s such a fun and quirky machine that it’s become highly collectible, and Hot Wheels even made a scale-sized City Turbo II with a couple of plastic Motocompos tucked in back. Now Honda is teasing an all-electric return of this well-loved accessory.Honda has shared images of a new small EV concept for the 2023 Tokyo auto show, and the electric scooter that goes with it. (Honda also plans to show off a new EV sports car, perhaps a potential replacement for the NSX, but that won’t be revealed for a few more weeks.)First, the car, which is called the SUSTAINA-C. Built from an acrylic that’s designed to be easily recycled, it’s a fun and friendly looking little two-door hatchback. While this is only a concept, it’s hard not to wish for roads full of happy little cars like this rather than the modern sea of angry-looking crossovers.HondaThe scooter is even better, and we especially love the name. It’s called the Honda Pocket, and it’s likewise made out of the same recyclable acrylic. There are no details on powertrains for either vehicle, but the thought of parking a zippy little Honda hatchback, popping a scooter out of the trunk, and zipping off to your favorite urban ramen joint is an appealing one. Obviously this combo would work better in parking-starved Tokyo than Los Angeles, but as urban centers get denser, the idea of onboard last-mile mobility makes more sense.HondaHonda is also showing a scooter that is much more pragmatic: the SC e concept. This fairly conventional-looking scooter is fitted with two of Honda’s swappable Mobile Power Packs, and it would be a game-changer for Tokyo traffic. Scooters are already a popular mass mobility option, and the ability to swap batteries at a charging station would open up EV ownership for apartment dwellers.Look for more information still to come within the next few weeks about Honda’s reveals for the Tokyo auto show.More on the City and MotocompoContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

BMW’s Z3 roadster appeared in 1996 as a sort of German-accented Miata.The arrival of the six-cylinder engine added greatly to the Z3’s appeal.This Z3 2.8 with just 28K miles is up for auction at no reserve.Car and DriverThe roaring success of the Mazda Miata touched off a roadster mania in the 1990s, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche all fielding attainable (if not quite Miata-level affordable) two-seaters. BMW’s Z3 arrived in 1996 with a 138-hp 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine under its classically-inspired long hood. It only took a year for the Z3 to more fully reach its potential, with the arrival of a 2.8-liter inline-six bringing an additional 51 horsepower concurrent with a limited-slip rear differential. Swollen rear fenders, necessary to clear a 2.5-inch wider track, nicely balanced the styling.Bring a TrailerThis crisp-looking example currently on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is powered by that desirable six, paired, crucially, with BMW’s ultra-slick five-speed manual.Bring a TrailerIn an in-period road test, we clocked a ’97 Z3 2.8 at 6.3 seconds to 60 mph, a result that’s still credible today. For 1999, the 2.8-liter engine saw output nudged to 193 horsepower. This 2000 model also benefits from other running changes including the fitment of side airbags, rollover hoops, and a slightly nicer interior. This car also boasts a power top, heated seats, and leather trim. Bring a TrailerRecent service includes the replacement of the drive belt, a new transmission selector seal, and new rear dampers (last year). The plastic rear window for the top has also been replaced. While there are a few minor paint chips and underbody scuffs noted, but the car overall appears to be in very tidy condition as befits its odometer reading of just 28,000 miles.Bring a TrailerThis car is located in Newburgh, New York, and can’t you just picture flying out and driving it home, flogging it down twisty roads with a contrail of foliage behind you? With New York State’s leaves already changing to an autumnal palette of red and gold, now’s the time to enjoy a classic roadster. Related StoriesAct fast, however, as this no-reserve auction ends October 1.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

BMW is preparing a second-generation X2, after discontinuing the sleeker alternative to the X1 after the 2023 model year.The teaser shows an angular grille lined with LEDs and a more sharply sloping roofline than the previous X2.The 2025 X2 should use the same four-cylinder engines as the X1, with a 241-hp base model and a 312-hp M35i performance variant.BMW pioneered the oxymoronic “SUV coupe” segment when it launched the sloped-back X6 in 2008 as a sportier-looking alternative to the X5 crossover. A slinkier X2 joined the lineup as a counterpart to the subcompact X1 in 2018, but underwent minimal changes before fizzling out after 2023. But BMW is readying a replacement, teasing a second-generation X2 in a recent video. The X2 is shrouded in darkness in the video, but a shot of the silhouette reveals a roofline that dives downward in a more dramatic fashion than the previous X2, capped off by a small lip spoiler. We also catch a glimpse of the front end’s bold LED lighting, which outlines the octagonal kidney grille, mimicking the the look seen on the XM performance SUV. The headlights feature two vertical LED elements with a slight kink in the middle, similar to the refreshed 2024 X5.More BMW NewsBMW didn’t provide any other hints about the next generation X2 but the crossover is expected to ride on the same platform as the latest X1, which debuted for 2023. The X2 should use the same engines as its more practical sibling, with a 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four in the base model. The M35i performance model that joins the X1 lineup for 2024 should also make an appearance, with the turbo 2.0-liter tuned to produce 312 hp. BMW is expected to also reveal an electric iX2, but its unclear if this will be offered in the United States since the iX1 has remained an Europe-only affair. The second generation X2 should debut before the end of the year and arrive in the U.S. as a 2025 model.This 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.Associate 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

Toyota unveiled a new limited-edition version of the full-size Tundra pickup based on the 1794 trim. The special edition comes with a Fox Shocks 1.1 inch lift kit and a specially designed leather interior. It will be limited to 1500 units when it goes on sale next spring.Toyota’s upwards quest to make a dent in the Big Three’s full-size truck dominance continues. To that end, Toyota announced a new special-edition version of the Tundra called the 1794 Limited Edition complete with a different look inside and out and a lift kit. ToyotaMost of the changes for the 1794 Limited Edition come in the way of visual and material changes, though the special edition does get a small performance boost in the way of 2.5 inch Fox internal bypass shocks with piggyback reservoirs and a 1.1 inch lift. The exterior of the truck distinguishes itself from the rest of the flock with a dark chrome finish for the grille and side moldings, as well as blacked-out accents. The tailgate ditches the standard “TUNDRA” text, and replaces it with a special stamp to further differentiate the truck.The interior sets itself even further apart from other Tundras with the inclusion of copious amounts of brown leather. According to Toyota, the design was developed in conjunction with the Texas based Saddleback Leather Company.ToyotaAs a bonus, Toyota is including a matching set of leather accessories with the truck, including an overnight bag, tool roll, owner’s manual case, key glove, and small bag. The 1794 Limited Edition will be kept to 1500 units and will go on sale some time in spring 2024. We’re not sure on official pricing yet, but we imagine it will come in a few thousand dollars above the standard 1794 trim’s $64,310 starting price. More on the TundraThis 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.Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

We all know what it feels like to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if cars had feelings, there’s a 964-era Porsche 911 in the Seattle area that would definitely know all about that one. That’s because it happened to be parked in a garage in close proximity to a Polaris Slingshot that thieves had targeted for the Gone in 60 Seconds treatment. Tucked in under a car cover, the Guards Red 964 obviously wasn’t a daily driver and probably wouldn’t immediately be missed. And so the Porsche—freshly painted, with H&R suspension and a Das Sport half cage—joined the Polaris in an unauthorized exit from the garage, and the owner was none the wiser until receiving a call from the police a few weeks later asking, “Do you know where your car is?” He didn’t, but he was about to find out that the Porsche community had already tracked down his car, albeit not unscathed.Auburn Police DepartmentWhy were the police looking for a car that wasn’t reported stolen? Well, as it happens, the thieves didn’t stop their crime spree at grand theft auto, and the red 911 had been spotted near the scene of a homicide. Police in Auburn, Washington, had grainy security camera footage of a red 911 but they couldn’t tell much else about it. So they did the logical thing and tracked down somebody who could, calling boutique Seattle Porsche shop Dobson Stuttgart to ask for help. There, sales and marketing manager Matt Adair took a look at the photos and immediately knew what car to look for—though he didn’t know whose it was.Beat up and covered in fingerprint dust, but recovered.Matt Adair|Car and Driver“I ID’d it as a 1990-ish 964 with aftermarket wheels,” Adair says. “There aren’t a lot of 964s around, so I asked if they wanted me to dig into that. They did, so I hit up my Porsche groups and a few others and got an outpouring of people who saw the car in Northgate, or Tacoma. Apparently it had been making the rounds for a few weeks.”But initially, the sightings from Adair’s Porsche network were strictly past tense, leads gone cold. Within 24 hours, though, a contact in Portland, Oregon, said he found it. “He sent a photo and it was the car,” says Adair. “I called the Auburn PD and the detective I’d talked to wasn’t there.” Thus Adair undertook the strange and awkward task of calling 911 and convincing the dispatcher that police were required at a particular address in Oregon, on account of a stolen red 911 on grey Rotiforms parked outside. “Then they had an officer in Portland call me, since I knew where the car was, and they were there within a half hour and arrested the guy.” Ouch.Matt Adair|Car and DriverThe car was towed back to Dobson Stuttgart covered in black fingerprint dust and wearing the scars of its unfortunate road trip. “The owner called me and said, ‘Now what?’ and I told him that based on my experience with stolen cars, it’ll probably be totaled,” Adair says. The trunk was taped down, since the latch had been pried open with a crowbar. The ignition now started with a flat-blade screwdriver. Underneath, the thieves looked to have hit a speed bump at freeway pace—or gone off-roading—based on dents to the engine case. The Fabspeed exhaust was partially ripped off, the lower bodywork scraped up. More ouch.Matt Adair|Car and DriverA sad result, but at least the car was recovered and its illicit custodian arrested before more mayhem ensued—the search warrant for the car reads “theft of motor vehicle” and “murder in the second degree”. And if the choice of vehicle had been anything more anodyne than a perfect red 964, that suspect might still be at large. Moral: if you’re getting up to crimes, don’t cross the Porsche-heads.More Police ChasesSenior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

The 911 GT3 R Rennsport debuted at the 2023 Rennsport Reunion in Monterey, California. It will be a limited edition of 77 cars. The naturally aspirated six-cylinder revs to 9400 rpm and makes 611 hp. Only the hood and roof are shared with the standard GT3 R. Redefining the idea of a track toy, Porsche has released a version of its 911 GT3 R that has so much power and downforce, it’s illegal. Well, it’s illegal by FIA competition rules. The competition 911 GT3 that the Rennsport is based on was designed specifically to be raced in FIA or IMSA events like Le Mans or the Daytona 24, where strict rules govern the “Balance of Power” as to how light a car can be, what gearing it can use, and how much horsepower and aero is permitted. The 911 GT3 Rennsport asks, “What if those rules didn’t apply?”Designed by Grant Larson and Thorsten Klein from the Style Porsche team—which heads up many of Porsche’s one-off and special-edition projects, the 911 GT3 Rennsport is low and long. The hood and roof are shared with the standard GT3 R, but all other body panels are different from the homologated race car’s. All the air intakes and ground effects are also specific to the GT3 R Rennsport. Even the mirrors are gone, replaced with a three-camera system that shows the driver traffic via a monitor in the cockpit.By traffic, of course, we mean only other racers. The GT3 R Rennsport is about as not–street legal as you can get, and you’re unlikely to go unnoticed if you try to take it through a fast-food window. If you did, though, there’s plenty of room to rest your lunch on the massive rear wing, which is based on the Brumos Porsche 935/77, which won the 1978 24 Hours of Daytona. The wing works as more than a picnic bench. Downforce is so extreme that Porsche had to add additional supports to hold it up. You’ll be eating alone, though: like the GT3 R, the Rennsport model is a single seater, with most of the interior taken up by a roll cage. PorscheUnderneath, the GT3 R Rennsport is almost the same as the GT3 R. The car rides on a bespoke Michelin tire. The front suspension has unequal-length control arms and the rear is a multilink setup. The KW Shocks are five-way adjustable and Porsche Motorsport delivers the car with the chassis already tuned for general performance. Additional fine-tuning can be done using available shims. The AP brakes are aluminum monoblocks, with titanium backing plates behind the pads which reduce unsprung weight by a little more than two pounds. The fuel tank is lighter too, by about the same amount. There’s no air conditioning. The driver is cooled by a ventilated seat. The planned curb weight is 2734 pounds. You can get your GT3 Rennsport in seven different colors. The standard is Agate Grey and raw carbon, but if you’d prefer Ruby Star—as you should—it’s possible. Three liveries based on Porsche history will also be available, one designed around the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, one in classic Porsche Motorsport red and white, and one in various shades of blue. All GT3 Rennsports sit on 18-inch BBS wheels which do meet the tech requirements of a center-locking competition wheel, even if the car they are bolted to is a right-ole cheater. PorscheOne of the major limitations in FIA competition is power, and the GT3 R Rennsport doesn’t play by those rules. The Rennsport uses the 4.2-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine from the standard GT3 R, but rather than a limited 557 hp, the special edition makes 611 hp and the direct injection is specifically tuned to run on E25 bioethonol and eFuel, although it can also run on conventional gasoline. All that power goes to the rear wheels via a sequential six-speed gearbox. Paddles on the wheel control the shifts, and the transmission ratio has a different sixth gear, making the GT3 R Rennsport 12 mph faster than the GT3 R on the top end. If you want to hear it, an unmuffled version is available, but for those who might ever want to hear something else—or run at a track with decibel limits—two muffled and catalytic convertor versions are also on the order sheet. Get your orders in now, as Porsche is only making 77 examples of the $1,046,000 GT3 R Rennsport. More 911 GT3sThis 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 Editor, FeaturesLike a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews.     More