Motor News

The 2021 Lexus LS500 starts at $77,025 and touts a smoother ride and quieter engine.
The interior updates include a 12.3-inch touchscreen that supplements the touchpad in the center console.
The 2021 Lexus LS500 will be in showrooms in late November, with the LS500h hybrid arriving in early 2021.
If the terms “quiet” and “smooth” come to mind when you think luxury, then Lexus has some good news for you. The automaker says the 2021 Lexus LS500 improves on the current-gen model in both respects, and it comes with a starting price of $77,025 for the base rear-wheel-drive trim level, a $550 increase over the 2020 model’s $76,475 base price.

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In addition to a new headlight and taillight design, the next-gen LS500 is also getting a technology bump with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. The Remote Touch Interface (RTI) touchpad is still there, but the larger screen, which is located closer to the driver, should alleviate some of the ergonomic issues we faced in the 2018 LS500.

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Lexus

Lexus says it has tuned the suspension and chassis, including revised spring and damper rates, for that improvement in ride quality. The 2021 LS500 also gets larger-diameter front and rear anti-roll bars and larger front and rear liquid-filled bushings.
While the powerplant has remained the same as far as power is concerned, with a 416-hp twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 in the LS500 and a 354-hp 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine with two electric motors in the LS500h hybrid, the automaker says the latest vehicles will have engine tweaks for better efficiency and quieter operation. Lexus says that the 10-speed transmission has gotten some love; its shift logic has been updated to keep the engine in a more responsive section of the powerband.
Rounding out the pricing, while the rear-wheel-drive LS500 starts at $77,025, the AWD LS500 will have a starting price of $80,275. Meanwhile, for the sportier trim levels, the LS500 F Sport will start at $80,625 while the AWD LS500 will set you back $83,875. All will land in dealerships in late November. Pricing for the LS500h will be announced closer to that vehicle’s delivery, which should be in early 2021.

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A 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S laid down a 7:27.80 lap on the Nürburgring’s 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit, a new official record for oberklasse (executive-class luxury) cars.
The Nordschleife is where the world’s carmakers go to compete for outright production-vehicle lap records. The previous oberklasse record holder was a Porsche Panamera Turbo S, which cranked off a 7:29.81 official time on September 24, 2020.
AMG Development engineer and former racer Demian Schaffert recaptured the record he had set in 2018 in another GT63 S, which is the one the Panamera eclipsed.
Mercedes-AMG’s mighty GT63 S has just reclaimed fastest-luxury-car honors from the Porsche Panamera Turbo S at the fabled Nürburgring with a 7:27.80 lap on the 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit. A factory-backed Porsche Panamera Turbo S had only recently bested the 2018 record set by another GT63 S.

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The Turbo S ran a 7:29.81 lap on September 24, which beat the GT63 S’s previous time by just 0.3 second; the 2021 GT 63 S topped the Panamera by 2.01 seconds. For now, at least, the car we dubbed “the great white shark of luxury cars” is the big fish on a track nicknamed “the Green Hell.”

Mercedes-Benz

The GT63 S was totally stock, says AMG, and was equipped much like our most recent test car: with the optional AMG Aerodynamics package and track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The driver was AMG development engineer Demian Schaffert. The company put the 2.3-second lap-time improvement down to subtle revisions of the 2021 model’s suspension.

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Manufacturers have long competed for production-car, lap-time glory on the Nürburgring’s 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit. Recognized as the world’s most challenging racetrack, it snakes through the forest near the town of Nürburg in the heart of the Eifel mountains. Officially, the track has 73 corners, but some say adding the lesser twists and kinks that a driver must navigate brings the total to 100 or more. A typical road-racing circuit has 10 to 15 turns.
The track’s hilly topography—there’s 1000 feet of elevation change across its distance—and humpy surface throw every type of corner at the cars and their drivers. Speeds for powerful passenger cars like the GT63 S range from about 40 mph in the slowest turns to 180 mph or more on the long back straight. The high speeds, hard braking, and sine-wave pavement challenge suspensions, brakes, powertrains, and tires. Weather can be a problem as well: the track is so large that it can be sunny at one end but rainy at the other. Even on a cloudless day, parts of the track might be damp from morning dew, making record runs difficult.

Mercedes-Benz

The official track website recognizes records in 12 categories. Seven are for production vehicles: mini/sub-compact cars; compact cars; mid-size cars; luxury (executive-class) cars; sports cars; super sports cars; and SUVs/vans/trucks/off-road vehicles. There are also categories for race cars, prototypes/concept cars, and two categories for EVs. The site has records listed for most of those classes. While the GT563 S is an undeniable rocket ride, consider that the production-car record holder, a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, lapped the circuit at 6:44.97, an amazing 42.83 seconds quicker than the AMG sedan.
The timing process has changed slightly in the past several years. About two years ago, track management revised how flying laps are timed in a way that has added roughly 761 feet and several seconds to a lap. That means earlier record lap times are not strictly comparable to more recent ones. But the times set by the Panamera and GT63 S are. Which means for now, the great white shark rules the ‘Ring.

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General Motors has recalled 194,105 of its vehicles in the U.S. built between 2018 and 2020 due to a potential oil transmission leak that could lead to a loss of power.
The bulk of the recall affects the Chevrolet Cruze from 2018 and 2019 model years, but other Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet vehicles are also included.
Owners will be notified beginning on December 14.
General Motors has recalled 194,105 vehicles in the U.S. built between 2018 and 2020 from across its brands due to missing bolts. The problem could lead to a transmission oil leak, and ultimately the loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash. If there is an ignition source, this leaked oil can also increase the potential for a fire, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The affected vehicles include the following: 2018 Chevrolet Malibu; 2018–2019 Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Cruze; 2018–2020 Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse and GMC Terrain; 2019–2020 Buick Enclave, Buick Encore, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer, and GMC Acadia; and 2020 Cadillac XT6.
With 122,980 vehicles being recalled, the Cruze makes up the bulk of the recall. Owners of vehicles on the list should go the NHTSA website or NHTSA’s new recall app to see if their vehicle is involved in the recall.
Dealers will inspect the start/stop transmission accumulator—the part that is potentially missing bolts—and replace it if any bolts are missing. The recall is expected to begin on December 14.
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Ram announced the 2021 Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition, which celebrates 75 years of the off-road-ready truck.
It’s equipped with unique badging, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, and Ram’s new off-road pages in the infotainment screen, which were first introduced on the 702-hp 1500 TRX.
The special edition trucks will arrive by the end of the year starting at $66,945.
Fiat Chrysler, Ram’s parent company, loves special editions. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Power Wagon, which, along with the 702-hp Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX, is the most off-road-capable truck in Ram’s lineup, it’s offering trucks decked out with 75th-anniversary badging, blacked-out trim, and two features first introduced on the TRX.

Ram

The 75th Anniversary Power Wagons get 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, an option introduced on the 1500 TRX (however, the TRX gets 18s), wrapped in 33-inch tires (the TRX gets 35-inch rubber), as well as the Ram infotainment system’s new off-road pages, also first introduced on the most powerful production pickup. The off-road pages display things like the truck’s ride height, transfer case position, and pitch and roll. This special Power Wagon is also equipped with locking front and rear differentials, an electronic disconnecting front sway bar, and a 12,000-pound Warn winch.

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It wouldn’t be a special edition if you weren’t reminded of it all over the place. “Power Wagon 75” badges adorn the doors, door inserts, and bucket seats. The exterior features black trim as does the interior on the dashboard and interior badging, and a 17-speaker Harman Kardon sound system is standard.
The 2021 Ram Power Wagon 75th Anniversary Edition will arrive at dealerships by the end of this year starting at $66,945.
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Land Rover’s three-row Discovery SUV cruises into 2021 with new powertrains, updated infotainment, and freshened styling.
Gone are last year’s diesel and supercharged V-6 engines; new engines include a turbo four and a turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt hybrid system.
The Discovery inherits the new Pivi Pro infotainment system from the Defender and also gains a new midrange R-Dynamic trim level.
While styling tweaks for the 2021 Land Rover Defender are fairly subtle, the brand’s three-row family SUV receives more meaningful updates under the hood and inside the cabin. Last year’s Discovery models were available with either a 254-hp turbo-diesel V-6 or a supercharged gasoline-powered 340-hp V-6 engine, but both have been tossed out in favor of a 296-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. The six-cylinder engine makes 355 horsepower with help from a 48-volt hybrid system. The previously optional air suspension is now standard equipment.

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Land Rover

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New front and rear lighting elements include new matrix LED headlamps and an updated daytime running light design. The Discovery’s grille has been restyled to fit in better among newer Land Rover models. There are new 20- and 22-inch wheel designs, and the Discovery script on the rear liftgate has been relocated to a slightly lower position.
Land Rover is also launching a new midrange R-Dynamic trim for 2021, shown in photos here. The R-Dynamic is expected to become the volume-selling model; it wears a sportier look with glossy black exterior accents, black wheels, and two-tone leather upholstery with contrast stitching.

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Interior of R-Dynamic model.
Land Rover

Inside, the Disco receives Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro infotainment system on a new 11.4-inch touchscreen display. Launched in the reimagined 2020 Defender, Pivi Pro boasts a more simplistic menu layout, quicker-responses, and over-the-air update capability. In our experience, the new system isn’t perfect, but it’s a huge glow-up over the older InControl Touch system found in previous model years.
Pivi Pro offers more features at the driver’s fingertips as well, including handy controls for second- and third-row power-operated seats and a novel 360-degree camera system which also shows what’s directly under the Discovery’s hood. The camera system should be useful for off-road maneuvering, particularly when traversing difficult terrain.

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Land Rover

Other interior updates include a new toggle-style shift lever, more heavily padded second-row seats, additional USB-C ports, and rear-seat air vents that have been moved to the back of the center console for better airflow. A wireless smartphone charging pad and a new cabin filtration system have also been added. Land Rover’s wearable activity key also receives an upgrade with the 2021 model year, featuring new touchscreen controls and options to lock, unlock, and start the Discovery remotely.
The 2021 Discovery is expected in U.S. dealerships by the end of 2020 with a starting price of $55,250 for the base S model with the turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Upgrading to the midrange R-Dynamic moves the starting price to $57,750; the R-Dynamic with the more powerful inline-six engine starts at $63,250, and the top-spec HSE, which comes standard with the six-cylinder, costs $70,250.
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Chevy shows off the upcoming 2022 Bolt EUV’s infotainment system, which has what the company is calling a Power Flow screen that gives information on power regeneration through braking.
The interior of the upcoming Bolt is far darker than that of the current Bolt EV, with a more traditional layout and use of buttons.
The 2022 Bolt EV and Bolt EUV will go on sale next summer.
Chevrolet has shared a video on Twitter of the upcoming 2022 Bolt EUV’s Power Flow screen that gave us a peek at what to expect from the larger Bolt crossover that’s headed to market in late 2021.

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In the video, we see the typical EV animation highlighting a vehicle’s battery either sending or receiving energy from the motor. The layout of the infotainment system is different from what’s in the current Bolt EV, with a more minimalistic array of onscreen controls below the Battery Power feature. For example, the large green band of color for Energy that took up the left-hand-side corner of the current Bolt’s display has now been replaced with a single leaf situated next to controls for navigation, phone, media, and the home button.

Chevrolet

Below the screen, the climate controls have been moved off the same angled plane as the display and have shrunk considerably from the large buttons and knobs found in the current Bolt.
The controls and dash in general in the video no longer have the white and dark-gray color scheme, instead opting for a more subdued darker look. Off in the distance, we see the instrument panel which, like the infotainment system, has a darker color palette.
What we see in this teaser is far from groundbreaking, at least in appearance. However, the Bolt EUV will be the first Chevy product and first EV to feature Cadillac’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist technology. GM says the 2022 Bolt and Bolt EUV will be in showrooms in the summer of 2021.

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President-Elect Joe Biden is a car guy who has said he sees EVs as the future of transportation.
Biden has stated the wish to swap government fleet vehicles with American-made EVs and create a system that offers rebates or incentives for consumers to replace gas cars with electric vehicles.
Automakers seem to be onboard with Biden’s plans so far, as they look for regulatory stability in the United States.
When President Donald Trump took office, some automakers were keen to have him take some of the heat off them when it comes to fuel-economy standards set by former President Barack Obama. Trump obliged but went further than anticipated and triggered lawsuits from California and other states and uncertainty in the industry as a whole. With Joe Biden announced as the winner of the 2020 presidential race, things are likely to settle but also head in the opposite direction, ecologically speaking.

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Back in July, then candidate Biden announced a Cash for Clunkers–type plan to offer incentives or rebates to trade in less efficient vehicles for EVs made in the United States. Biden also wants to replace the government’s fleet of vehicles with EVs. That’s great news for automakers like Ford, Rivian, Tesla, Lordstown, and GM, all of which are building electric vehicles in America.
Even if the trade-in scheme fails to materialize, migrating government fleets to EVs could be a huge win for EV investments automakers have made in the past few years and plan to make for the future. The Wall Street Journal reports that automotive executives are saying that if the president-elect does follow through to support EVs at a government level, it will help bolster investment in the technology.
As for internal-combustion engines, Biden plans on working with states on stricter emissions guidelines. That means traditional vehicles will be cleaner but likely also more expensive. It’s also important that it would mean less uncertainty for automakers. If they have a single national plan to work toward, it reduces the anxiety of figuring out a patchwork of regulations.
Ford, GM Express Support
Ford told Car and Driver, “We congratulate President-Elect Biden and the newly and re-elected officials across all levels of government. It is our hope these leaders will focus on bringing the country together and pursue policies that encourage U.S. manufacturing, sustainability, and global economic stability.”
During a call about its battery technology, GM’s vice president of electric and autonomous programs, Ken Morris, said about the Biden win: “We’re looking forward to working with the Biden administration in support of policies that will foster greater adoption of EVs across all 50 states and encourage investments in R&D and manufacturing.”
Morris continued: “At the end of the day, climate change is a global concern. And the best way to remove automobile emissions from the environmental equation is an all-electric zero-emissions future.”
The Biden administration will also likely relax at least some tariffs on international parts, which is good news for all automakers considering building a vehicle requires a global supply chain.
As for concerns that the government might not see the value in older cars and forcibly replace them all with EVs, that’s highly unlikely from a guy who owns a 1967 Corvette Stingray convertible and uses it to rip burnouts and drag race former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
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Hyundai has confirmed that there will be an N performance version of the new Elantra sedan.
This model will sit above the existing N Line model and should offer the same 275-hp turbo-four as the Veloster N.
The Elantra N will likely arrive sometime in late 2021 or early 2022.
The three-door Hyundai Veloster N hot hatchback will soon gain a four-door sedan counterpart. Hyundai has confirmed the existence of an Elantra N performance model and shared camouflaged photos of a prototype. We expect its specs to mirror the Veloster N’s, as the two cars are closely related.

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The Elantra N will slide in at the top of the lineup, above the recently announced N Line version which makes 201 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four. We expect the Elantra N to have the larger and more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four from the Veloster N, which makes 275 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. It will offer a six-speed manual transmission and likely the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic that was introduced to the Veloster N lineup for the 2021 model year.

Hyundai

As we saw in earlier spy photos of the Elantra N, we can see here that the sporty sedan will have a more aggressive appearance than the N Line, with a fairly large rear spoiler and a body kit. It will also likely have chassis upgrades such as a stiffer suspension and larger brakes, along with larger wheels wrapped in summer tires.
The Elantra N will compete with the VW Jetta GLI and Honda Civic Si, although it will be more powerful than both of those. Expect its starting price to be somewhere in the low-$30,000 range and for it to arrive sometime near the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.
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