Motor News

Ford has a lineup of SUVs and trucks for the virtual SEMA aftermarket show, including a custom Bronco and Bronco Sport as well as an F-150 and s Ranger.
The customized builds will be revealed in a virtual event on November 19 at 8 p.m. EST, and then the following day there are interactive live sessions where you can ask questions and take a closer look at the builds.
Most of the builds emphasize off-road capability and overall versatility.
Along with just about everything else this year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) aftermarket trade show didn’t go as planned—but Ford and other automakers still had customized versions of their vehicles to show. Ahead of a full virtual reveal tomorrow night, Ford has released images of customized Bronco, Bronco Sport, F-150, Ranger, and Mach-E vehicles.
These include a custom MAD Bronco Sport Badlands, an overlanding-capable version of this small SUV; a Bronco Badlands Sasquatch 2-Door concept, which is a modular Bronco that can be converted from a weekday commuter to a formidable off-roader; an F-150 Limited Hybrid SuperCrew by BDS Suspension, an F-150 which drops the weekday tools for adventure-ready gear on the weekends; and a Ford Ranger XLT Tremor SuperCrew, a reimagined Ranger built for the trails. The Mustang Mach-E 1400, which we enjoyed a ride in earlier this year, will also be featured at the event.

The virtual webcast will take place on November 19 at 8 p.m., and then on the following day, there are interactive live sessions where you can take a closer look at the builds and ask questions, which you can sign up for here.
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The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is one serious piece of kit. With a 720-hp twin-turbo V-8 under the hood and nearly as much aero as a GT3 race car, there’s no doubting its ability to dominate a road course. That’s why we weren’t too surprised to hear a rumor back in October that the car had broken the Nürburgring production-car lap record. It turns out that rumor was true.
Mercedes-AMG confirmed today that the GT Black Series set a blisteringly quick 6:43.616 lap time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, beating the previous production car record-holder, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, by 1.354 seconds. The car, piloted by GT3 driver Maro Engel, was on its factory-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tires. Mercedes said the camber and adjustable sway bars were set to their most aggressive settings, while the manually adjustable suspension was lowered by 0.2 inch up front and 0.1 inch at the rear for maximum aerodynamic effectiveness.

“With speeds of up to almost 168 mph in the Kesselchen section of the track and well over 186 mph on the long Döttinger Höhe straight, the AMG GT Black Series is significantly faster than my GT3 race car,” Engel said in a statement released by AMG. “It’s really impressive how much downforce the Black Series generates and how confident and reliably it can be driven, even at the absolute limit.”

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It’s worth noting this 6:43 lap was recorded based on the ‘Ring’s old style of measuring lap times. The traditional track layout had cars entering and exiting the track at different places, omitting the small straight that comes after Turn 13. Under the Nürburgring’s new “official” method of recording lap times, which uses a single start/finish line and includes that small straight, the Black Series set a 6:48 lap time—still a production car record. (The Lamborghini lap record was set using the old method.)

While the AMG’s lap is certainly impressive, it’s only a matter of time until the next generation of hybrid and EV hypercars reaches the Green Hell. Until then, though, the Black Series is your Nürburgring king.

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The 2021 Range Rover Velar sees updates to its powertrain options along with its infotainment system as a few years separate it from its 2017 launch.
A 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six has been hybridized with a 48-volt electrical system, and two levels of that powertrain—with 335 or 395 horsepower—are available.
The Velar also gains Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro infotainment system, which after using the system in the new Defender, we can say it’s an upgrade from the past system.
Land Rover’s Range Rover Velar has been around a few years since its 2017 launch, and so for 2021, the Velar is getting updated powertrain options along with a new infotainment system to help keep it competitive in a crowded field. The 2021 Velar is also getting a price bump of $600 for this coming year and will start at $58,050.

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The 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine seen on the 2020 doesn’t see any changes for this coming year, but the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six does. The latter engine will offer two different configurations, both bolstered by 48-volt electrical systems. The less powerful of those two options churns out 335 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, and the more powerful option puts out 395 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque.
Similar to the outgoing model year, the Velar models equipped with the turbo six-cylinder engines come standard with air suspension, and every Velar has all-wheel drive. Land Rover claims that the 395-hp variant of the turbo six will reach 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. These hybridized 3.0-liter turbo sixes first appeared on the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport last year, and Car and Driver tested the 395-hp version on the 2019 Range Rover Sport last year.

Land Rover

Along with the powertrain update, the 2021 Velar also gets an update to its infotainment as it will now come standard with Land Rover’s Pivi Pro system and a 10.0-inch infotainment screen. This new system, Land Rover claims, is more responsive and easier to use—claims that we have held up to scrutiny as we’ve used the system in the new Land Rover Defender.
A active noise-cancellation system is new to the Velar for 2021, along with a 360-degree camera and a wearable Activity Key, which can replace the standard key fob. Land Rover hasn’t released any information about the SV Autobiography model yet, but we expect it to receive these same tech updates, including to the infotainment system. Meanwhile, the top-end Velar, the R-Dynamic HSE, is priced starting at $78,050.
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One year into its second generation, the 2021 Range Rover Evoque is getting the brand’s new Pivi Pro infotainment system and new electrical architecture.
A cabin-filtration system is a newly available option and there are a couple of new colors on the palette.
A modest price hike raises the base version’s point of entry to $44,350.

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Like its platform mate, the Discovery Sport, the 2021 Range Rover Evoque is getting Land Rover’s new electrical architecture and infotainment system that launched on the new Defender. Dubbed Pivi Pro, the infotainment system integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and online connectivity allows the system to receive over-the-air updates. Users can modify the system to suit their needs and from our experience with the Defender, we’ve found it to be an improvement over the old system.

Nick Dimbleby/Land Rover

In addition to two new colors—Portofino Blue and Lantau Bronze—buyers can also choose to equip the Evoque with a new cabin air-filtration system that can switch itself on when allergens or pollution are detected.

Nick Dimbleby/Land Rover

Newly available for 2021 is a rear-collision monitor that uses radar to sense and warn if you’re about to be rear ended or if there are obstacles behind the Evoque. Land Rover also now offers a new three-dimensional view of the Evoque that displays in the infotainment touchscreen and operates at speeds up to 19 mph. All the extra standard equipment comes with a minor price hike: the entry point for the base Evoque rises $650, to $44,350. The top-end R-Dynamic HSE P250 model starts at $54,450.

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GM is launching OnStar Insurance adding an additional level of service to its OnStar subscriptions.
The service will be available as traditional insurance, or subscribers can let OnStar analyze their driving habits to get potentially lower rates.
OnStar Insurance will launch in Arizona with GM employees this year and will likely be available nationwide to everyone by the end of 2021.

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GM is getting back into the insurance game. The automaker had its own insurance up until the financial crisis and sold it off in 2008. Now, 12 years later, it’s dipping back into the realm of actuaries, coverage, and premiums with an OnStar twist.
Today GM announced that it will begin a pilot program of OnStar Insurance. As you may have guessed, the insurance would give drivers the option to use data collected from the OnStar service to offer them lower premiums based on their driving habits. If you’re not keen on an automaker (and its insurance carrier partner, American Family Insurance) knowing exactly how you drive, there’s also the option to sign up for typical insurance that doesn’t know that maybe you speed sometimes while on the highway.
GM says that bundling OnStar’s service with insurance offers an additional level of security and peace of mind. Andrew Rose, president of OnStar Insurance services, told Car and Driver, “The GM ecosystem can bring great value to a claims process.” He pointed to a scenario where an OnStar subscriber gets a phone call after a collision and said that with OnStar Insurance, that level of service could be extended to use data from the vehicle to determine the damage, figure out the parts needed, and help order a courtesy vehicle based on the type of vehicle a person owns. Rose also said the system could help expedite determining if a vehicle is a total loss and could potentially help with figuring out how to finance a new GM with the company’s financial arm.
If an OnStar Insurance user has non-GM vehicles they want on their plan, they could work with tAmerican Family for multi-vehicle discounts. So you’re not dealing with multiple insurance carriers if you like a multi-brand household.
OnStar Insurance won’t be available for everyone right away. Initially, the service will launch in Arizona with GM employees. But Rose said that if everything goes to plan, the service will be available nationwide by the end of 2021.
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The second-generation Subaru BRZ is here with a 228-hp 2.4-liter boxer-four and standard six-speed manual transmission (#SavetheManuals).
It’s nearly the same size as its predecessor, but it has a new look with added aero as well as a digital cockpit.
The 2022 Subaru BRZ will go on sale in the U.S. in the fall of 2021.
As automotive enthusiasts we always want more. That’s why, when rumors started to swirl that the next-gen Subaru BRZ could use forced induction to make more power, we got excited, hoping that a turbocharged engine would give the rear-wheel-drive sports car more potency. Subaru didn’t fulfill that fantasy, but we’re fine with that because the 2022 BRZ will still be more powerful than its predecessor while keeping its purist-sports-car formula.

View Photos

Subaru

In order to stick to that creed while making more power, the second-generation BRZ replaces the previous-gen’s 2.0-liter engine with a more powerful naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four that revs to 7500 rpm. The slightly larger-displacement engine produces 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, increases of 23 horsepower and 28 lb-ft. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, although a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and a new Sport mode is available.

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View Photos of the 2022 Subaru BRZ

At just over an inch longer and half an inch lower, the 2022 BRZ has almost the same proportions as the previous-generation car, though its wheelbase has been stretched by two-tenths of an inch. The new BRZ also has more upright headlights, jagged looks, and sleeker taillights connected by a style line. Its grille is lowered, and new side vents behind the front wheels send air from under the front of the car to the more pronounced side skirts for additional downforce. Small fins on the rear-wheel arches also aid grip, as does an integrated rear lip spoiler. The base Premium model sits on 17-inch wheels while the Limited is equipped with a set of 18s.

View Photos

Subaru

Subaru has also improved the BRZ’s interior with a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster, which can be customized to display things including a water temperature gauge and a g-meter. The previous model’s standard 6.2-inch infotainment screen is swapped out for a larger 8.0-inch unit with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and the bucket seats keep their red stitching.
The 2022 Subaru BRZ, available as either a Premium or Limited model, will go on sale in the U.S. in the fall of next year. Pricing is expected to start around $30,000.
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The 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport has a new electrical architecture and the Pivi Pro infotainment system from the Defender.
Lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition, and a driver-condition monitor are now standard.
Land Rover has discontinued the base version, which raises the point of entry by $4100; the new starting price is $42,950 for the Discovery Sport S P250.
For 2021, Land Rover’s Discovery Sport receives an easier-to-use infotainment system made possible by a new electrical architecture that boasts a staggering 85 ECUs. Now if a British vehicle with 85 onboard computers doesn’t sound like the greatest idea you’ve ever heard, you’re not alone.

Land Rover

Dubbed Pivi Pro, the new infotainment system adds standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and comes with a modem to allow for over-the-air updates. Land Rover boasts that it has the same intuitive usability as a smartphone and can be configured to suit the user’s needs and we’ve found it to work well in the Land Rover Defender. Drivers may also appreciate that the system doesn’t have to reboot every time the Disco Sport shuts off. A dedicated power source allows the infotainment system to sleep when the ignition is off.

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To let drivers and passengers breathe easier, Land Rover now offers a cabin air-filtration system that will keep even tiny particles out of the interior. The system can be manually turned on, but it also has sensors for pollutants and allergens and will automatically turn on when needed.

Land Rover

For the safety minded, the Discovery Sport will now come standard with traffic-sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, a driver condition monitor that watches the driver to make sure eyes and attention remain on the road, and a surround camera that gives a view of the vehicle’s surroundings.
Land Rover has dropped the base Discovery Sport Standard 4WD model, which means the lineup now starts at the S 4WD model. While the price change from 2020 to 2021 on the S 4WD is only $400, the loss of the old base model means that the Discovery Sport’s point of entry is $4100 more than before, with the base model starting at $42,950 and topping out at $48,000 for the R-Dynamic SE P250.

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Honda has hinted that the new Civic may add an option for all-wheel drive.
It won’t be available at launch, Honda suggested, but may be added to the lineup later on.
The 2022 Civic sedan will go on sale in spring 2021, with other versions to follow.
It seems that the new Honda Civic will offer all-wheel drive, marking the first time since the wagovan of the 1980s and early 1990s that the venerable compact car has come with an AWD variant. Honda hasn’t officially announced AWD availability quite yet, but Honda senior planner Dan Calhoun all but confirmed it to C/D when we saw the 2022 Civic prototype in person.

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All we know so far is that all-wheel drive won’t be available initially when the 2022 Civic launches in the spring of 2021. The sedan model is set to arrive first, with the hatchback, Si, and Type R variants to follow. We’d guess that the standard Civic hatchback and sedan are the most likely candidates for AWD, possibly for the 2023 model year. The current Type R is known for being one of the highest-performance front-wheel-drive cars on the market, so a switch to all-wheel drive would be a surprising move for that variant.
Overall, though, this move is hardly shocking, as other competitors such as the Mazda 3 have also added all-wheel-drive systems recently; the Subaru Impreza has long offered standard all-wheel drive in this segment. Stay tuned for more details on the 2022 Civic as we learn more about its powertrains, features, and model lineup closer to its launch next year.
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