Motor News

Lexus has shared more information about a new battery-powered EV drivetrain called Direct 4.
With 201-hp front and rear electric motors, this powertrain is currently installed in a prototype for a future Lexus electric SUV.
Lexus EVs may launch in Europe before coming to America, but Toyota has confirmed EV models for the U.S. market as well.
Toyota is finally jumping into the EV fray, and Lexus has now shared more information about its future electric drivetrain. Called Direct4, this system uses front- and rear-mounted electric motors and is currently installed in a prototype for a new battery-powered Lexus crossover.

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Lexus says that the front and rear motors each produce 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, but hasn’t shared total output for the powertrain. The prototype appears to be a compact or mid-size crossover, possibly a new addition to the lineup. We’re not sure if the bodywork seen here is representative of what the eventual production model will look like, but Lexus also provided a teaser photo showing a design concept for this upcoming EV crossover.

Lexus

This new Lexus Direct4 system indicates that the first of Toyota’s new EV models may wear a Lexus badge. But we don’t yet know which EVs will reach the U.S. market first. Toyota confirmed that an electric crossover will reach the European market and that EV models will come to America in the “short term.”
A version of the Direct4 system will also have applications in future Lexus hybrids, as demonstrated on a Lexus ES prototype. In this case, it features a 174-horsepower gasoline engine, a 107-hp electric motor powering the front wheels and another 107-hp electric motor powering the rear wheels.

Lexus

So far, Lexus’s EV rollout has been limited to certain regions, as it sells an electric version of the UX small crossover in China and Europe called the UX300e. But now that Toyota has confirmed plans for EV models in the U.S. market in the near future, we expect to hear more about future Lexus and Toyota EVs with this Direct4 system in the coming months.
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Maserati is making changes to its 2021 lineup, which includes the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans and the Levante SUV.
The updates include visual tweaks and newly available technology features.
These 2021 models are already on sale at dealerships in the U.S.
Maserati refers to the changes it’s making to the 2021 lineup as “non-invasive,” but we’re more inclined to call it a minor tweak. The 2021 Ghibli sedan, Quattroporte sedan, and Levante SUV each benefit from freshened front- and rear-end styling, along with a few newly available connectivity and driver-assist features.

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The changes in front include reshaped grilles and extra chrome or black trim inserts (depending on trim level). The updated rear ends feature new taillights with an LED accent light that’s meant to mimic a boomerang shape. The GranLusso and GranSport appearance packages remain for each model, with the Lusso having a more chrome-heavy look and the GranSport incorporating black trim and a more aggressive body kit.

Maserati Levante
Maserati

Maserati Ghibli
Maserati

Inside, the Ghibli and Quattroporte get a larger infotainment screen with a new graphic interface, while the Levante retains the same size screen but gets the improved graphics. The gauge cluster also gets an updated look with a higher-resolution display screen in between the speedometer and tachometer.

Maserati Quattroporte infotainment screen
Maserati

Newly available driver-assistance features include an upgraded a more capable adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist system that can now operate on roads other than highways.
The 2021 Maserati Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante are available now at U.S. dealerships. Prices start at $73,685 for the Ghibli, $75,985 for the Levante, and $104,185 for the Quattroporte.
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The top Denali model, which we spied testing, will get the hands-free advanced driver-assist tech, and drivers will be able to tow while using the system. More

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

The capsized car-carrying ship Golden Ray is in the midst of a salvage operation off the coast of Georgia with thousands of ruined brand-new vehicles on board.
Among them, we now know, were Kia Telluride, Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox, GMC Terrain, full-size GM SUVs, Mercedes-Benz SUVs, and Ram pickups.
According to investigation testimony, taller and heavier Tellurides were swapped for subcompact Hyundai Accent and Kia Forte cars partway through the ship’s journey.
If you’ve followed the saga of the capsized cargo ship Golden Ray, you already know that it was filled with cars, trucks, and SUVs. Now we know more details about that cargo and a possible reason for the maritime disaster: on an early stop in the ship’s voyage, nearly 300 Hyundai Accent and Kia Forte subcompacts were removed to make way for Kia Telluride SUVs, which are much heavier and taller, changing the balance of the cargo to disastrous effect.

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As the investigation has revealed, a total of 316 brand-new Kia Telluride SUVs were among the vehicles destroyed when the 36,000-metric-ton car carrier rolled onto its port side and capsized off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia, on its way to Baltimore in the still, wee hours of September 8, 2019. A multiagency command is currently in the process of cutting the partially submerged 656-foot ship into eight segments and hauling it off by barge for further dismantling and recycling on shore.
After months of planning and delays due to hurricanes and COVID-19, the team completed a successful first cut of the bow in late November. From its aft side as shown in the photo above, taken on December 1, the section resembled a giant, rusted-out multilayer cake, with a jumble of mangled salvage-yard fodder oozing out like so much jam and frosting.
What Other Vehicles Were on Board?
Some 4300 vehicles were aboard the Hyundai-owned Golden Ray at the time of her capsizing. The pre-load plan diagram shows most were a mix of factory-fresh Ram 1500, 2500, and 5500 series trucks, Chevrolet Blazers and Equinoxes, and Mercedes SUVs bound for Saudi Arabia. (An RV and several other personal vehicles were inside, too.) When the Golden Ray ported in Brunswick a day earlier for cargo to be rolled on and off (hence why car carrier ships are nicknamed RoRos), around 285 Hyundai Accent and Kia Forte cars were offloaded and the Tellurides driven aboard. Forty of those SUVs had spots reserved on the Golden Ray’s 12th deck before the ship disembarked. The difference between one of those small cars and a beefy Telluride? Roughly 1200 pounds.
As the First Coast News reported on the investigation, the Golden Ray “likely had too much cargo and not enough counterweight in the hull to keep it upright . . . When the ship made the sharp turn out to sea in the Saint Simon’s Sound, it rolled over due to the instability.”

Altogether, a thorough forensic analysis conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard concluded that the Golden Ray took on 1000 metric tons more cargo—not all in Telluride girth, of course. Meanwhile, it discharged at least 1500 metric tons of ballast water immediately prior to arriving in Brunswick. That water weight could have counterbalanced the severe list the ship experienced while turning out of the channel toward the Atlantic on its way out of town. In a hearing in September to deduce the cause of the accident, Jeffrey Falzarano, a professor of ocean engineering at Texas A&M, likened the idea of righting a listing car carrier to “trying to balance a pencil on its tip. It’s very hard to do.”
What’s more, the hull door reserved for the pilot (the local mariner tasked with steering cargo ships in and out of port) was left open by the crew, which caused the ship to take on water as it listed. “Even prior to possible downflooding, the vessel would’ve heeled significantly and likely resulted in capsize,” added Lt. Ian Oviatt, who led the Coast Guard study. “Our analysis is that the downflooding merely exacerbated the capsize.”
The full conclusion of the accident investigation—a joint effort of the Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal, and others— could take another year to reach.
Still, this much seems certain: If it hadn’t been for the quick actions of the pilot at the helm, neither he nor the ship’s captain nor the Golden Ray’s 22 crewmembers might have survived.
Instead, the only casualties were of the four-wheeled variety.
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The 2021 Jaguar F-type Heritage 60 Edition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the revered E-type, and it’s finished in Sherwood Green.
The special edition is based on an F-type R, which is powered by a 575-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8.
Limited to 60 cars, the F-type Heritage 60 Edition will arrive in the U.S. in March.
Jaguar is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the legendary E-type with a special-edition Sherwood Green 2021 F-type called the Heritage 60 Edition. The honorary cars are limited to just 60 examples worldwide, and their special-edition badging is shared with six 3.8-liter E-type 60 Collection cars restored by Jaguar Classic for the occasion.

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Jaguar

Sherwood Green hasn’t been an option on a Jag since the 1960s, and it’s being resurrected to adorn the Heritage 60 Edition. The limited-edition cars sit on exclusive gloss-black 20-inch wheels and have gloss-black and chrome accents and black brake calipers. The green paint job looks dashing paired with a two-tone Caraway (tan) and Ebony Windsor (black) leather interior with an E-type–inspired aluminum console trim. “E-Type 60th Anniversary” logos are stitched into the headrests and embellish the doorsills.

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Jaguar updated its F-type sports car for 2021 with a revised look and engine lineup. The 2021 F-type Heritage 60 Edition is based on the F-type R model and is available as either a coupe or convertible. Both are powered by a 575-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that sends power to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. During Car and Driver testing, an F-type R coupe launched to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds on its way to a 11.7-second quarter-mile at 121 mph.
Each of the 60 special-edition F-types will be built at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant in the United Kingdom and rounded off by the SV Bespoke team at Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire. They’ll arrive in the U.S. in March, although Jaguar hasn’t announced pricing yet. For reference, the 2021 F-type R starts at $104,350 for the coupe and $107,050 for the convertible.
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If you, like many of us, have a dog who goes berserk at the sound of a delivery van, you may soon be in luck. That’s because Mercedes plans to join Ford, Rivian, and GM in the quest to silence our vans and our dogs by making them electric. The vans, not the dogs. Although Ford’s been looking into that, too.
That’s according to a report in Automotive News. Benz told Automobilwoche, AN’s German-language counterpart, that it will offer an electric Sprinter by 2023. The platform will be new, rather than retrofitted, with a front module, rear module, and underbody battery tray module providing flexibility in both body sizes and battery capacity. The idea of an electric Sprinter seems inevitable—with Ford announcing an electric Transit on the way, the pressure is on Mercedes-Benz to offer an electrified Sprinter alternative.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes already makes an eSprinter for Europe, and Amazon ordered 1800 of Benz’s electric vans (about 600 of the smaller Vitos and 1200 Sprinters) this year. That’s far shy of the 20,000 internal-combustion Sprinters that Amazon ordered for the U.S., never mind the 100,000 vans they ordered from Rivian. In the parlance of the biz, Benz better get with some next-day delivery, because in seven to 10 days the competition will have taken over.

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And electric delivery vans are uniquely suited for their mission, even with relatively modest batteries. For instance, the Ford E-Transit will have 126 miles of range from a 67.0-kWh pack, which is smaller than the standard 75.6-kWh pack in the Mustang Mach-E. They’re great for the “last mile” deliveries—not the long-haul stuff, but that ultimate destination on the tracking slip, the local warehouse or distribution center. Those places are naturally suited for setting up charging infrastructure (they already have parking for lots of vans), and each day’s route is a known quantity. This is not for the DHL driver heading for Glasgow, Montana, America’s Most Isolated Town.

Mercedes-Benz

Unlike the internal-combustion models, Benz’s Europe-market electric Sprinters are front-wheel drive, with 114 horsepower and 218 pound-feet of torque. A 55.0-kWh battery mounted under the floor delivers 104 miles of range on the European cycle. Max payload is 1964 pounds, which means the eSprinter could haul more than 1500 Bob Ross Chia Pets. (And yes, with 11 cubic meters of cargo capacity, they’d all fit, with room to spare.) Of course, you know, they could also fit a bigger battery, or dual motors for all-wheel drive. And they should, because 114 horsepower makes the Ram ProMaster look like the Renault Espace F1.
Plus, think about the possibilities for the nomadic van denizens. When you’re driving around atop a huge battery, van glamping could get even more comfortable. You might not need shore power or a generator if you’ve got 100 kilowatt-hours under the floorboards. Just throwing that number out there. Because once we have enough battery, then we can add bigger motors. And then, finally, the Sprinter might really live up to its name.
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Acura has revealed the production version of the 2022 MDX SUV, which was previously shown in prototype form.
The redesigned MDX starts at $47,925 and ranges up to $61,675 for a loaded version.
The 2022 MDX will go on sale in the U.S. February 2.
Acura showed the redesigned 2022 MDX in prototype form in October, and now we know all about the real deal, the production version of the new three-row SUV that will go on sale in the U.S. early in 2021. Pricing, dimensions, and full specifications show that the new model is larger, better-equipped, and a few thousand dollars more expensive than its predecessor. The standard model is offered with A-Spec, Technology, and Advance packages, and a more powerful Type S variant will arrive a few months later.

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Acura

The 2022 Acura MDX starts at $47,925, a $2400 uptick from the old model’s base price. It’s powered by the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque, but a ten-speed automatic transmission replaces the old nine-speed. Front-wheel drive is standard and SH-AWD is a $2000 option on the base version and models equipped with the Technology package. SH-AWD comes standard on the A-Spec, starting at $58,125, and the loaded model with the Advance package, starting at $61,725.
You’ll pay more for the new MDX, but you’ll also get more car. The new model is longer and wider than before and has a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase. This makes for more interior space, with third-row legroom growing by 1 inch and cargo space behind the third row growing by 2 cubic feet, to 18 cubic feet. All 2022 MDX models have a second-row seat with a removable center section that can either be configured for separate captain’s chairs or a three-passenger bench; total seating capacity is six passengers with the section removed or seven passengers with it installed.

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Acura

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Acura has yet to release pricing for the Type S model, which will have standard SH-AWD, a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine with 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, and upgraded tires and brakes. It will also come standard with equipment such as an ELS premium audio system and will offer unique colors and interior trim options.
Acura says the standard 2022 MDX will go on sale starting February 2, 2021, with the Type S set to follow in late summer of 2021.
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Ken Block has defined the stunt series Gymkhana for over a decade, dazzling the world with insane jumps and inch-precision drifts. But 2020 is a year of changes, so this year’s installment features Travis Pastrana in an 862-hp Subaru tearing through Annapolis, Maryland, and the surrounding area.
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For those unfamiliar, Gymkhana is a YouTube series wherein Ken Block—or Pastrana, this time—pushes the limits of automotive stunts, stringing drifts together in tight complexes or jumping over low-flying aircraft. Each one expands on the insanity, with 12 years of one-upmanship leading to some truly spectacular scenes. The 2020 installment carries the torch, this time with Block rival Travis Pastrana taking the spotlight.

Hoonigan

It starts in Annapolis with a high-flying jump over a speedboat cutting down the river. Due to this and the part later in the video where Pastrana dips a wheel off a dock and dangles above the water, you can see supplemental oxygen mounted in the door panel of the Subaru. Even the best get it wrong sometimes. The rest of the video follows him through crowded city streets, into a tandem drift with the 2022 Subaru BRZ by the docks, and through a 150-mph jump outside Pastrana’s childhood home.

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All of this is accomplished in an 862-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter Subaru WRX STI rally car making 664 pound-feet of torque. It takes 50 psi of boost to get those numbers out of a 2.3, but the engine still revs to 8000 rpm. That’d make it a rocketship regardless, but for good measure, Subaru also fitted it with a carbon-fiber body, active aero, and upgraded tires. This allows for some of the best four-wheel slides you’ll ever see, making the video well worth the watch.

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