Motor News

The new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is redesigned with a new look inside and out.
It has the same 3.5-liter V-6 as before but a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
The 2022 Pathfinder will go on sale this summer, likely starting around $33,000.
Although nostalgia for old-school, body-on-frame SUVs is running high these days, Nissan’s new 2022 Pathfinder is staying in the family-crossover milieu. Like its predecessor, this new version of the three-row SUV prioritizes cupholders over suspension travel, although it does looks a bit more rugged—and far more modern—than before. And if you’re keen on nostalgia, know that Nissan has incorporated at least one subtle design cue from the original: the three slats at the top of the grille that hark back to the first-generation, truck-based Pathfinder.

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Nissan

The 2022 Pathfinder’s wheelbase is the same as the old model’s, and the new model is 1.5 inches longer, 0.6 inch wider, and 0.5 inch taller than before. There’s slightly more cargo space with the third row raised but slightly less room with the second- and third-row seats folded.

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The naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine is carryover, but its specs remain competitive enough in the three-row-SUV segment: 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. The biggest powertrain change is a nine-speed automatic from supplier ZF that replaces the continuously variable automatic (CVT) from before. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive optional on all trims, and AWD models get a set of driving modes meant for various terrains including snow, sand, and mud.
Nissan boasts that the Pathfinder can be equipped to tow up to 6000 pounds, more than many of its closest competitors—and that applies to both front- and all-wheel-drive models when equipped with a towing package.
The third-row seat now has three seatbelts rather than two, increasing total seating capacity to eight. Newly optional are second-row captain’s chairs that reduce that number to seven; a second-row bench is standard on most trim levels. Two USB ports come standard in the rear, with an option for a 120-volt power outlet in the second row and an extra USB port for the third row.

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Nissan

Compared with its predecessor, the new Pathfinder’s dashboard looks far more attractive, and its tech offerings are finally up to class standards. The standard infotainment system is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; upper trims offer a larger 9.0-inch screen and can be had with wireless Apple CarPlay capability. The top Platinum trim also comes with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a head-up display, along with nicer leather trim.
Many driver-assistance features come standard on the base Pathfinder S, while the mid-level SV model includes the ProPilot Assist system that’s able to combine adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist on the highway. The SL trim adds an upgraded version of ProPilot that links with the navigation system to predict freeway curves ahead of time.
Nissan has yet to release pricing, but we expect it will range from around $33,000 up to $45,000 for a loaded Platinum with all-wheel drive. The 2022 Pathfinder will reach dealerships this summer.
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CNBC reports that Apple and Hyundai-Kia are close to finalizing a deal to build an autonomous Apple car.
The vehicle would be completely designed by Apple and built at Kia’s factory in West Point, Georgia.
The self-driving autonomous vehicle would be built without a driver’s seat and could potentially go into production in 2024.

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The courtship between Apple and Hyundai’s Kia to build an Apple car seems to be progressing nicely. According to a report by CNBC, the two companies are close to finalizing a deal that would have Kia building an electric, autonomous Apple vehicle at a Kia assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
According to CNBC’s sources, the deal hinges on Apple being in control of both the software and hardware of the vehicle. In other words, it would not be a Kia or Hyundai with Apple technology but would instead be an Apple vehicle that’s built by the Korean automaker in the United States under Apple’s direction.
This is the same situation that Apple and other hardware tech companies have had with manufacturers for decades. For example, Apple’s iPhone is designed by Apple but built by manufacturing partners including Foxconn. The vehicle is tentatively scheduled to go into production in 2024.
Still, if Apple does team up with Kia, it could use Hyundai’s recently announced E-GMP EV platform as the base for any electric vehicle it decides to build. That could negate the need for Apple to come up with its own battery system. Hyundai and Kia plan to have 23 global EVs by 2025.
For those hoping to get their hands on their very own Apple car, the report brings some bad news. The vehicle is reportedly said to be built without a driver’s seat or controls. Sources told CNBC that Apple wants an electric, autonomous vehicle to hop on the mobility trend. You might not be able to buy an Apple vehicle, but you could hail one for an autonomous trip around town.
While a deal is reportedly close to being completed, there’s still the chance that Apple could change its mind and go with another automaker or even just pull back from the automotive world and work on its Apple car in secret for a few more years before entering the field.
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Ford Performance built the Bronco 4600 race truck to compete in the Ultra4 stock class later this year.
It unveiled the vehicle today at the King of Hammers race in California, where the Bronco 4400 rally trucks will be competing in the Ultra4 unlimited class.
The highly customized stock Bronco 4600 will begin testing later this month and is likely to make its race debut in the Baja 1000 in November.
After showing three 4400 rally class Ford Broncos earlier this week, Ford Performance is back with a 4600 race truck to battle in the Ultra4 stock class. The 4400 Unlimited Class vehicles shown off earlier this week have extensive modifications, including a custom tubular chassis, the Bronc0 4600 uses the same chassis, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, and transmissions found in the Sasquatch trim level that anyone could order from the automaker.

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The 4600 Bronco will be shown off at the King of the Hammers event where a trio of 4400 rally Broncos will be competing, but we won’t see it race until sometime later this year in the Ultra4 stock class, likely during the 2021 Baja 1000 that’s scheduled to start on November 20, 2021. Ahead of that, Ford Performance says it will be testing the 4600 Bronco later this month.
The chassis and powertrain may be the same as what you’ll find in the two-door Sasquatch trim level, but the suspension has gotten a major upgrade with a High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) system that includes Fox coilover shocks, Wilwood Engineering brakes, and 35-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain KM3 tires mounted to Method Race Wheels 202 forged beadlock wheels. It’s also outfitted with Triton Engineering control arms, a heavy-duty Howe hydraulic steering rack with cooler, and a Dana AdvanTEK e-locking differential.

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Ford

The automaker also tossed on the bright livery shown here to pay homage to the 1969 Baja-1000 winning Ford Bronco. The front is meant to take inspiration from that victory but as the paint extends to the sides of the vehicle and toward the rear its meant to evoke a transition to the modern Bronco.
Ford says that it took what it learned from competing with the Bronco R prototype in the 2019 and 2020 Baja 1000 to help Ford Performance determine how to outfit the vehicle. The purpose of the 4600 is to be a test bed of aftermarket performance parts for the Bronco. The automaker expects to see various racing teams using the platform and Ford Performance to fill out the Ultra4 stock class.
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Ford has confirmed that a higher-performance version of its F-150 Raptor, the Raptor R, is coming next year.
The 2021 F-150 Raptor (pictured above) is powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6, while the Raptor R could use the supercharged V-8 from the Mustang Shelby GT500, making more than 700 horsepower.
The Raptor R will take on the 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX.
Something big was missing from the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor’s debut: the higher-performance Raptor that we spied earlier this year resonating with a powerful V-8 rumble. Ford did confirm, however, that it will be called the Raptor R, and it’ll arrive next year with its sights set on quickly going after the 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX.

Ford

The F-150 Raptor debuted for 2010 with a 310-hp 5.4-liter V-8 under the hood, though for its second model year, Ford added an optional 411-hp 6.2-liter V-8. The second generation Raptor, which was revealed in 2015, got the switch to a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 making 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. The 2021 Raptor (pictured above), now in its third generation, is still using Ford’s twin-turbo six—Ford hasn’t announced its power and torque figures—even though Ram is clearly taunting Ford (with savage Easter eggs, that is) with its 1500 TRX, which is powered by a 702-hp Hellcat supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The new truck also introduces the change to a coil-spring rear suspension, which is also found on the Ram.

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Ford’s strongest answer to the TRX will be the Raptor R. It’s likely to be powered by a version of the Predator supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 that makes 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque in the Mustang Shelby GT500. We expect the Raptor R to have a more aggressive look as well that could include a different grille, fenders, wheels, and exterior graphics.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little longer for an adequate competitor to the Ram 1500 TRX, but by then, could Stellantis shove the 797-hp Hellcat Redeye engine into the off-road pickup? That would certainly heat things up even more.

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The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor is here, featuring new coil springs in the rear, the most suspension travel of any factory pickup, and optional 37-inch tires.
It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6, though a Raptor R, likely with a supercharged V-8, is coming next year.
The 2021 F-150 Raptor will arrive in the summer and is expected to start at around $59,000.
Ford says that since 2009 it has sold more F-150 Raptors than Chevy sold Corvettes. We believe them. Think about it, how often is there a day that you don’t spot one? Raptors even stalk the concrete jungles of Southern California, a place where the official state vehicle might as well be the Toyota Prius. It took 12 years for another truckmaker to launch a rival, the stonking Ram 1500 TRX, and Ford has just answered with the third-generation Ford F-150 Raptor—and with a Raptor R coming after that.

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Ford

All the usual elements of Ford’s would-be trophy truck are in play: long-travel suspension, knobby all-terrain tires, and skid plates to protect the relatively soft underbelly from hard impacts following short flights. It’s a recipe Ford knows well, after all. And, just as with the workaday 11th-generation F-150, this Raptor is tweaking the formula just enough and even stealing a play from Ram.
Control arms still underpin the independent front suspension, but, as half-ton Rams have done since 2009, the Raptor now swaps its old-timey leaf-spring suspenders for a pair of contemporary coil springs and a few links, including a Panhard rod. Ford says the new design contributes to a better utilization of torque through improved traction. This translates to more speed through the desert. We like more speed.

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And when the speed is so much that little hills cause the Raptor to take flight, the 2021 has a little more squish room than before. With 14.0 inches in front and 15.0 inches in the rear, the Raptor has the most suspension travel of any factory pickup. But those numbers only apply to the base 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2, the optional 37-inch BFGs reduce travel by an inch in front and 0.9 inch in the rear. But what is lost in travel is made up with improved approach, departure, and breakover angles and ground clearance, which grows from 12.0 inches with the 35s to 13.1 with the 37s. Three 17-inch wheels are available. The base wheel is the only one that will not accept a beadlock ring.

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Ford

Adaptive dampers from damping giant Fox Shox are beefy as well. Thicker bodies handle the larger damping forces of the internal-bypass shocks. The rear dampers have external reservoirs. The Live Valve technology adapts to driving style and terrain, varying the damping up to 500 times a second.
If you were hoping for a V-8, that’s gonna have to wait for next year’s Raptor R. For 2021, the Raptor gets what amounts to a carry-over engine. The twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6, or high-output 3.5 EcoBoost, will likely make a handful more horses than the 450-hp 2020 model. Peak torque of 510 pound-feet is unlikely to wander from the peak that starts at 3500 rpm. The possibility of a few more horses is made possible by a new equal-length exhaust system with muffler bypass valves that, when activated, sounds menacing in a way that few V-6s have ever. The HO EcoBoost mates to a 10-speed automatic transmission and an automatic four-wheel-drive transfer case that, unless things went very wrong in Ford’s trans development, will shuffle gears and driveline modes seamlessly. A limited-slip differential is again an option, while a locking rear is standard. Both axles house 4.10:1 gears.

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Ford

Ford nixed the extended-cab Raptor, so all are crew cabs. The frames are fortified with upgraded mounting points for the front suspension and all the bracketry for the new rear suspension as well as the addition of a Raptor-specific trailer hitch, which looks dished to make room for a full-size 37-inch spare. Ford likes to point out that its customers expect to be able to use Raptors as trucks, so no bed-mounted spares.
Just as with the new F-150, the Raptor carries all the electronic doodads and organic Wi-Fi that keep peoples’ phones and brains connected to the Matrix. So that means wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability as well as over-the-air updates for the Sync 4 infotainment system. Ford’s Pro Power onboard generator system offers 2.0 kW of AC power should your Raptor’s rear suspension travel be tested by a tailgate party. Both payload and towing capacities grow 200 pounds, to 1400 pounds and 8200 pounds respectively. We expect the Raptor’s curb weight to climb by a similar amount, to about 6200 pounds. We expect a small price increase, too, but the truck should start around $59,000.

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Ford

Ford’s suite of advanced safety features is standard, as are many drive modes. Lots of drive modes. They are Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Normal, Off-Road, Baja, and Rock Crawl, which adjust throttle, transfer case, damping, and transmission programming. One more interesting mode isn’t for going fast, but rather for going slow off-road, or rock crawling. Ford calls it one-pedal drive, and it is just as it sounds. When lifting off the throttle, the brakes are automatically engaged like aggressive regenerative brakes on an EV. While not a g0-fast feature, a Raptor that never sees dirt is a terrible waste of potential and it should give novice off-roaders the confidence to take their shiny new trucks down a trail. Or at least something to play with until that faster R launches next year.
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The latest Bowlus Road Chief rolling palace is the $265,000 Terra Firma 26-foot travel trailer.
Health-conscious buyers will appreciate built-in water and HEPA air filters.
Pets can be treated to a personalized matching bed and integrated food and water bowls.
The luxury travel-trailer manufacturer that makes the Bowlus Road Chief, has launched the Terra Firma model, its third and most lavish model yet. The Terra Firma rides on the same 26-foot platform as the brand’s Endless Highways series trailers and sports the same polished-chrome exterior styling, but adds interior amenities with people and pets in mind.

Bowlus Road Chief

An onboard water-filtration system uses s carbon filter to deliver better-tasting and safer water through the designer faucets in the kitchen and bathroom. Bowlus has also included a HEPA air filter and built-in UVC lighting elements to reduce bacteria and other impurities in the air inside the trailer. High-tech touchscreen controls for the trailer’s power management system are also standard and can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app.

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The Terra Firma features upholstery and linens rendered in light-colored natural tones, and even four-legged family members will find comfort here with a personalized pet bed. Integrated into one of the lower drawers in the dining area is a set of food and water bowls. Like other Bowlus models, the Terra Firma packs a large lithium iron phosphate battery pack, good for a week’s worth of grid-free camping.

Bowlus Road Chief

As the demand for travel trailers and motorhomes continues to surge during the extended COVID-19 pandemic, wealthy travelers may find that Bowlus’s more traditional rivals don’t quite cut it when it comes to style and luxury. Toward that end, the company provides a seemingly endless list of ways to customize one of its hand-crafted trailers to suit the individual buyer. The Terra Firma currently carries the highest price of all three of Bowlus’s trailers at $265,000; interested parties can order their bespoke trailer now through the Bowlus Road Chief website.
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Porsche has added an AI build suggestion tool to its online configurator.
A blue lightbulb icon on the screen suggests options and gives their prices. It’s based on the tool’s Recommendation Engine, which “learns” about your preferences from other choices you’ve made.
Porsche says no two users get the same set of recommendations, and it claims the tool is 90 percent accurate in giving buyers what they really want.
Porsche’s configurator has a seemingly endless amount of options, giving customers numerous possibilities when building their ideal Porsche sports car, sedan, or SUV. Now, the German automaker has added an AI assistant tool that gives suggestions on options, because who doesn’t want to make their Porsche as expensive as “humanly” possible?

Porsche

The suggestion tool is a small blue lightbulb icon that’s located at the bottom right of the screen when building a Porsche on its online configurator. When we were building a 2021 911 Turbo S, we got suggestions to add a Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur leather interior ($10,680), a Burmester sound system ($3980), and a front axle lift system ($2770). Porsche’s AI also told us the $10,680 bespoke leather interior is an 86 percent match for us. And it would be, if only our pockets were deeper than the Mariana Trench.

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Porsche says the suggestions are based off millions of data points from the configurator (it sometimes seems that there are that many options, too), and it uses algorithms to find patterns and predict user options. Porsche boasts that its recommendations are more than 90 percent accurate in suggesting something that the customer will end up choosing. Bentley launched a similar program in 2015, using facial recognition to build customers a suggested Bentayga SUV, though it’s no longer available.
The new suggestion tool is available on Porsche’s online configurators in Germany, China, Switzerland, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S, and Porsche says it’ll be available elsewhere in the world soon. It works on all Porsche models from the 718 Boxster and Cayman to the Cayenne SUV.
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Airstream is launching a variant of its midrange Flying Cloud travel trailer with a built-in office area.
The 30-foot trailer combines the space and luxury of the regular model with a special setup intended to give remote workers or students a dedicated place to work.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues into 2021, the RV industry is poised for continued success as Americans look to motorhomes and travel trailers as alternatives to vacations that involve flights and hotel stays.
An unexpected winner during the tumultuous, virus-choked 2020 calendar year was the American RV industry, as more families took to the road to cure the quarantine blues. As remote work and school continues to be the norm for many, the opportunity to satisfy one’s wanderlust while remaining dedicated to a career or home-schooling children is something luxury travel-trailer maker Airstream is hoping to enable with its latest product.

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Airstream

Based on the brand’s mid-range Flying Cloud trailer, the new 30FB Office floor plan offers a built-in desk in the back adjacent to the lavatory that would allow a remote worker to maintain a 40-hour work week while also traveling the country. The desk features built-in drawers for storage, USB ports for charging devices, and a pull-out table to create a larger workspace. It’s not the most roomy home office, but Airstream has put considerable thought into setting it up perfectly for video conference calls, with blackout curtains on the windows and a privacy divider to shut the area off from the rest of the trailer.

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Airstream

The new model is based on the 30-foot-long Flying Cloud—the lineup’s longest model—and features a queen-size bed in the front and a spacious dinette that also can be transformed into a bed for guests or children. The office area can also be used for guest accommodations if needed, as the integrated side seat can be transformed into a twin bed.

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Mobile internet is available through the brand’s Airstream Connected service, which uses AT&T and the 4G LTE network. Plans start from $25 per month, but remote workers will likely need more connectivity than that basic plan offers. Airstream also offers an optional roof-mounted antenna to make the best use of campground-provided Wi-Fi signals at a campsite. Workers or students who need a more robust service may find that newer 5G hotspot devices provide a better method for getting online from the road. That technology, however, isn’t as widespread as 4G and may limit destinations for working road trippers.

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Airstream

According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), RV sales surged to over 430,000 new motorhomes and travel trailers sold in 2020—an increase of 6 percent over 2019. RVIA is projecting an even more lucrative 2021 for the industry, with sales expected to grow to over 500,000 this year thanks to growing interest from Millennial and Gen-X demographic groups.
Airstream’s decision to offer a mobile office floor plan appears to be a smart one and it’s a trend that could spread to other motorhome and travel-trailer manufacturers in 2021. The Flying Cloud 30FB Office starts at $107,500 and is available for order at Airstream dealers now.
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