Motor News

The 2024 Land Cruiser returns with three distinct trims—a base model called the 1958, a mid-tier trim called Land Cruiser, and a top-of-the-line First Edition.Each trim gets unique looks, with different headlight designs, different wheel and tire options, and off-road accessories like a front skid plate. While the base model’s cabin has an 8.0-inch touchscreen, pricier Land Cruisers upgrade to a 12.3-inch unit.The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser’s return to the United States sees the rugged SUV shift downmarket, bringing a more varied model lineup. While its predecessor started at nearly $90,000 and effectively came in one fully loaded trim, the new Land Cruiser will open in the mid-$50,000 range and be offered with three distinct models. The Land Cruiser 1958 represents the stripped-down base trim and sits below the standard model and a limited-production First Edition. Exploring the Trims Toyota made sure to visually distinguish each model. The 1958 comes with round LED headlights, LED fog lamps, and rides on 18-inch wheels shod in 245/70 all-season tires. The next-level Land Cruiser sports a different face with rectangular LED headlights and Rigid LED fog lamps that can switch between white and amber light. The 18-inch wheels also wear larger 265/70 all-season rubber, but this trim offers 20-inch wheels with 265/60 tires too. The First Edition reverts to the round headlights and adds a roof rack, rock rails, and front skid plate. There’s also mud flaps behind the wheels, a rear door guard, and a tailgate light. Seven paint colors will be available, including a new shade called Meteor Shower. The Trail Dust and Heritage Blue hues come as a two-tone look with the roof painted in Grayscape.2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958.ToyotaThe cabins are also noticeably different. The 1958 model is equipped with manually adjustable cloth seats. They’re heated, though, and so is the steering wheel. An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard, but the other models have a larger 12.3-inch unit. Toyota’s faux leather covers the seats on the mid-tier Land Cruiser, which are heated, ventilated, and have power adjustments. 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser.ToyotaThe mid-tier Land Cruiser offers a Premium package that swaps the synthetic leather for the real stuff and adds a 14-speaker JBL sound system. The package also includes a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and a sunroof. Most of these features appear on the First Edition too, which also receives a key wrapped in a unique stitched case. The more expensive trim also packs more off-road goodies. The 1958 comes with a rear locking differential, Toyota’s Crawl control—a low-speed cruise control for off-roading—and a 2400-watt AC inverter for powering accessories. The standard Land Cruiser model brings Multi-Terrain Select, which is Toyota’s name for various terrain-specific drive modes that help the SUV find as much grip as possible in adverse conditions. The mid-tier model also features an electronic disconnecting front anti-roll bar and a Multi-Terrain Monitor that uses multiple camera views to help drivers avoid obstacles on the trail.2024 Toyota Land Cruiser.ToyotaThe Land Cruiser goes on sale next spring with these three trims, but we’ll have to wait and see if Toyota adds an even more off-road-oriented models with TRD branding down the line. A range-topping TRD Pro model could get even more robust hardware and plenty of blacked-out accents. A Trailhunter version—a nameplate first seen on the new Tacoma and focused on overlanding adventures—could also be in the cards.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

Porsche’s newest special-edition 911 is the lightest in the current 992 generation. The 2024 911 S/T is a limited edition, using the 518-hp engine from the GT3 RS, the body of a GT3 Touring, and a manual transmission. As a celebration of the 60-year anniversary of the 911, production of the limited edition will be capped at 1963 cars. Pricing will start at $291,650.Porsche is once again trying to prove to the world that it can make each new 911 model feel distinct, and alone in its purpose. And there sure are a lot of 911 models. The brand has now pulled back the sheet on its newest special edition, the 911 S/T.And this time around, the changes are pretty special. Porsche is targeting a blend of the raw on-track performance of the 911 GT3 RS, and the still impressive, if more livable, nature of the GT3 Touring. The only element of the GT3 RS we know for sure makes it over to the S/T is the horsepower figure, which is cranked up to 518 ponies out of the 4.0-liter flat-six. As the S/T is designed for back roads rather than time attacks, the body of the car comes from the more down-to-earth GT3 Touring. PorscheForgoing track day visions of grandeur also allows for a few tenths of pure speed to be taken away. Why is that a good thing? you ask. Three pedals is why.Why Is Slower Better? Three Pedals Is WhyAccording to Porsche, the engineers working on the car developed a new clutch exclusively for the S/T. Combined with a single-mass flywheel, the new clutch reduces the weight of rotating mass in the car by roughly 23 pounds. Couple the reduced weight with the shortened gear ratio (compared to the standard GT3), and response time is noticeably improved, according to Porsche. According to Porsche, the 911 S/T launches to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and can achieve a top track speed of 186 mph. Slower than a PDK-equipped GT3, sure, but still plenty quick. More on GT3/ GT3 RSThe engineers didn’t just reduce weight from the clutch. The hood, roof, front fenders, and doors are all made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), as are the rear axle anti-roll bar and shear panel (stiffening element on the rear axle). The car also comes standard with magnesium wheels. Selecting forged magnesium wheels on the 2023 718 Cayman GT4 RS adds $15,640 to your bill. Porsche also fits the anniversary model with the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system, a lithium-ion starter battery, and lightweight glass as standard. Combine that with the savings in the powertrain, and the S/T tips the scales at 3056 pounds, making it 70 pounds lighter than a GT3 Touring equipped with a manual gearbox. Carbon Buckets It may be obvious from the noticeably absent rear wing attached to the car, but Porsche designed the aero elements of the S/T to be more at home on back roads than a racetrack. The extending rear spoiler comes equipped with a Gurney flap. CFRP bucket seats are standard fare, but the four-way-adjustable Sports Seat Plus option is available at no extra charge. Size 255/35ZR-20 tires wrap the 20-inch front wheels, while size 315/30ZR-21 tires are fitted to the rears. PorscheAs far as styling for the special edition, the optional Heritage Design package, as well as Shore Blue Metallic exterior paint, and the Ceramica wheel color are all exclusive to the S/T. The interior has cloth seat centers in Classic Cognac with black pinstriping. The Porsche logo and the 911 S/T model designation on the rear of the car are finished in a gold color.As a celebration of the 60-year anniversary of the 911, production of the edition will be capped at 1963 cars. Pricing will start at $291,650, and deliveries are expected to begin in spring 2024 for the U.S. 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 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

If you’re going to build an electric SUV, it may as well look cool, right? That seems to be the guiding premise behind Pininfarina’s Pura Vision design concept, which will debut at Pebble Beach and previews a possible “electric luxury utility vehicle” that they’ve dubbed “e-LUV”. Not to be confused with the Chevy LUV.To your first and most obvious question: Yes, it does have whitewall tires, possibly the first 23-inch whitewalls we’ve seen. And somehow, that works! It also has forward-hinged doors, rear-hinged doors, and gullwing doors. If the rear hatch were a pair of Lambo doors, that would really cover all the kinds of doors, but we’re still impressed. The gullwing sections span both the front and rear door openings and are hinged to a central overhead backbone. Since there’s no B-pillar, opening everything up creates a portal you could drive a Chevy LUV through. Whether this setup is production-feasible remains to be seen, but concept cars are supposed to be about probing the outer reaches of possibility, not simply previewing a done-deal production car. (Unless they’re Porsche concept cars. Then they’re probably previewing a done-deal production car.)The Pura Vision is a two-plus-two, in the manner of the Ferrari Purosangue. Between the back seats is a wine cooler, and not the Bartles & Jaymes kind—it’ll chill a bottle of your favorite plonk en route to the Hamptons, or Lake Tahoe, or wherever it is that people in Dubai drive for vacations. The upholstery on the upper seat backs and headliner is 30 percent wool and 70 percent recycled polyester, which the company says, “already meets Automobili Pininfarina durability standards for production vehicles.” (Sounds like a hint, there.) The central touchscreen can be powered down into the dash for those times when you’d like to banish touchscreens from your field of view for at least a few minutes.As for the powertrain, well… this isn’t that kind of concept. At Pebble, it’ll be static. But the Pininfarina Battista has 1877 horsepower, so if an upcoming e-LUV got that powertrain, it would probably be able to tow a decent-sized Boston Whaler up the boat ramp. Even with half that corral, it would still be far more powerful than any production internal-combustion SUV. Alas, we’ll have to wait and see on that, and pricing. Car and DriverWhether horsepower is a four-digit number and pricing is a seven-digit affair depends on how high upmarket Pininfarina intends to go. Based on their recent history, the answer there would be: all the way to the top.More from PininfarinaSenior 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

Ford will unveil a refreshed F-150 at the Detroit auto show in September. However, spy photos give us an early undisguised look at the facelifted pickup truck, specifically the top-spec Platinum model. Ford CEO Jim Farley assuaged the potential fears of many traditional F-150 shoppers with forward-looking statements regarding internal-combustion and hybrid powertrains—rather than a push toward electrification. The refreshed 2024 Ford F-150 has been spotted undisguised ahead of its scheduled reveal next month at the Detroit auto show. As we can see in the images captured by our spy photographer, Ford’s gas-fed half-ton pickup truck will get slight revisions over the outgoing model year. While we can only see cosmetic changes, the photos give us a good look at the F-150’s revised grille, headlights, and front bumper, specifically on the top-spec Platinum model. We also have a shot of the truck’s new-look taillights. As people can see, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but perhaps there will be other tweaks inside or under the hood. For that, we’ll have to wait until the official debut.GLENN PAULINA|Car and DriverHighlighting HybridsLast week, following a second-quarter earnings call with reporters, Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that the refreshed F-150 will be revealed at the Detroit auto show, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. Farley also discussed Ford’s plans for future electrification as well as how traditional truck shoppers have nothing to worry about as far as being forced into buying an EV. Despite also selling the electric F-150 Lightning, Farley said that Ford plans to continue to push hybrid vehicles, rather than making a jump towards immediate electrification.”We believe demand for our internal-combustion and our hybrid portfolio will be . . . potentially longer and richer than most expected,” he told reporters. “We made sure Ford is profitable as we move through this ICE-to-EV transition.”The report by the Free Press also confirmed the popularity of Ford’s hybrid trucks and underscores why the brand would double down on the hybrid model, with 10 percent of all F-150s and 56 percent of all Mavericks sold being hybrid models. More F-150 NewsAssociate 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

A 1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster is up for auction on Bring a Trailer until Thursday, August 3.The droptop Diablo is powered by a 530-hp 5.7-liter V-12 paired with a gated five-speed manual. The Lambo’s “VT” designation means it has all-wheel drive, and it’s said that only 23 examples were sold in the U.S. in 1999.Imagine it’s summertime 1999 and you’re snicking through the exposed shift gates of a brand-new Lamborghini Diablo roadster, with the wind whipping in your hair and Cher’s “Believe” blaring through the speakers.Now come back to the reality of 2023. The last combustion-only Lambo has been sold, but there’s still a chance to bring that imaginary scene to life with the ’99 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster that’s currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.Bring a TrailerThe black Diablo on BaT features a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V-12 with a 7500-rpm redline. The engine’s 530 horses arrive when the tach hits 7100 rpm, and 448 pound-feet of torque comes online at 5600 revs. A gated five-speed manual provides a satisfying way to manage the V-12’s fury, which is sent to both axles—hence the “VT” designation that denotes it has all-wheel drive (“SV” models are rear-drive). While the droptop Diablo VT, at around 3760 pounds, was said to be 200 pounds heavier than the SV, it topped out at a claimed 208 mph versus the latter’s 199-mph cap. We didn’t get to strap our test equipment to a ’99 Diablo back in the day, but we did slide behind the wheel of a silver VT roadster as part of its facelift. The exterior makeover included ditching the pop-up headlights for exposed units that were plucked from the Nissan 300ZX parts bin and adopting a set of 18-inch OZ racing wheels. Inside, the Diablo received a new dashboard with electronically controlled analog gauges and various ergonomic improvements.Bring a TrailerThe Lamborghini Diablo debuted for the 1990 model year as the successor to the Countach, which is arguably the most recognizable supercar ever built. During its development, the bigwigs at Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata sought a top speed of at least 198 mph. The firm’s engineers were able to beat that bogey, with the original Diablo claiming a top speed of 202 mph.It’s said that only 23 Diablo VT roadsters were sold in the U.S., making this a rare opportunity. The BaT auction ends on Thursday, August 3.Driving the DiabloSenior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

On Monday, July 31, Nissan revealed this track-focused NISMO variant of the Nissan Z, which slots in above the Z Performance. With 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, the Z NISMO is the most powerful of the current Z cars.There’ll be no manual for NISMO, but a retuned nine-speed automatic transmission and a Track mode for faster shifts. We saw it in spy shots wrapped in camo, and in a teaser video wreathed in tire smoke, but now Nissan has officially unveiled the 2024 Z NISMO. Like most performance variants, the NISMO treatment is focused on upgrades to the track-driving experience, both visually and mechanically. Early WordThe Z NISMO is a step up from the Nissan Z Performance trim. Where that model offers a limited-slip differential, bigger wheels and brakes, stiffer suspension, and better seats, the NISMO takes all that to the next level and adds in redesigned bodywork, stickier rubber, and more horsepower. How Much More Power?Let’s start there. Under the hood, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 gets a redesigned wastegate, better cooling, and performance-enhancing ignition timing, based off the GT-R NISMO. The results are 20 extra horses and 34 more pound-feet of torque over the standard Z. The Z NISMO makes 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, with peak torque from 2000 to 5200 rpm. The hotted-up engine gets a bigger oil cooler too, so you can use all that power on track for longer. No ManualThe Z NISMO will only be available with the nine-speed automatic transmission, but it comes with NISMO-only clutch packs and retuned engine management software, so downshifts are nearly twice as fast and launch control is more aggressive at the start. There’s also a Sport+ driving mode, designed to be quick enough on the downshifts that the driver needn’t even use the shift paddles. Those do remain, though, for those who like to have something to do in the car. The most obvious changes outside the car are where Nissan has extended the front fascia in a visual callback to the G-Nose on the Fairlady 240ZG. The new nose has a reworked grille opening filled with a fine honeycomb mesh to allow additional cooling for the engine. Just in case you might miss that extended spoiler, it’s highlighted with a brash red line. The red stripe runs all the way to the back, and if that’s not enough to clue you in that this is the top Z, NISMO badges and a black-painted roof make this version stand out.Other aero add-ons include extensions at the front corners to channel wind past the wheels, and a three-piece rear spoiler that merges into the top of the rear quarters. Like the Z Performance, the Z NISMO rides on 19-inch wheels, but these are gloss black and 0.5 inch wider. The front wheels are 10 inches wide, and in the back there’s a solid tire patch on 10.5-inch rollers. Despite being larger, they are lighter than those on the Performance. Nissan wraps the new wheels in Dunlop SP Sport MAXX GT600 tires.Behind the wheels are larger 4-piston caliper, 15.0-inch brake rotors in the front and 13.8-inch rotors in the rear, clamped by a heavy-duty brake pad. Chassis changes include additional bracing all around and under the car, increasing torsional rigidity by 2.5 percent over the Z Performance. Instead of the carbon driveshaft found on the other Z, the track-ready NISMO goes back to steel. Stiffer bushings and mounting points as well as larger dampers add to the NISMO’s track agility. NissanRedInside, the red theme continues on the anodized Stop/Start button and the drive mode selector. New graphics in the digital display echo the red exterior outline, and flash a NISMO-only animation on startup. Leather and faux suede Recaro seats (manually adjusted only) showcase a red center and NISMO logos in the headrest, and even the steering wheel was redesigned with a red accent mark at the top. NissanThe Z NISMO comes in a choice of five colors, four of which are available on all Z trims, Brilliant Silver, Passion Red, Black Diamond Pearl, and Everest White Pearl and one of which is a NISMO-exclusive, the slatey-blue Stealth Grey.Pricing has yet to be announced, but the Z NISMO goes on sale in the fall as a 2024 model.Current and Past ZSenior 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

Ford is recalling more than 870,000 F-150 pickup trucks from 2021–2023 model years to fix a potentially malfunctioning parking brake.Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explain that the electric brake can be inadvertently activated because of a wiring problem.Owners will be notified starting September 11. The ultra-popular Ford F-150 could experience a problem with unintended activation of the parking brake. The problem affects some 870,701 pickups from the 2021 through 2023 model years. The recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describes a problem in which the rear axle wiring harness may come in contact with the rear axle housing. Over time, this contact could cause the tape and circuit insulation to wear down and expose the wiring underneath, leading to a short circuit. Owners may see a parking brake warning light illuminate, along with an instrument-panel message about a problem.Andrew Trahan|Car and DriverAs of July 11, NHTSA had been informed of 918 reports about the wire chafing problem. Of these, 299 stated they experienced unwarranted parking brake activation, 19 of which happened while driving. There were no accidents or injuries reported related to the problem, which affects single-exhaust F-150 models built from January 2020 through February 2023. To remedy the issue, dealers will install a tie strap and tape wrap, and if needed will replace the harness.Owners can visit the NHTSA recalls website to determine if their truck is included in the recall. Ford will send a notice of next steps to owners in September. Summer Editorial InternAlessandra Kaestner, a Chicago native, has always been interested in journalism. She remembers listening to NPR every day before school with her parents and trying to race her dad to get the New York Times from the front door. Alessandra continued her passion for journalism by working at her university’s newspaper during her first year and into her sophomore year: the Cornell Daily Sun. She is majoring in psychology and philosophy and wants to explore law and journalism. Although she does not have a lot of background in the world of cars, Alessandra is interested in expanding her knowledge and gaining experience. She could not be more excited to work with so many talented people at Car and Driver. More

This rare Ford Pinto is one of the oddest vehicles of the Seventies.Side panels and porthole windows replaced the standard side glass, and a choice of graphics was offered.This example also sports a mad-plaid interior and an eye-searing ’70s color scheme.Car and DriverMany, many questionable decisions were made in the 1970s, but one easily understandable craze was the mania for heavily customized vans. Just scroll through the #vanlife hashtag on Instagram, and you’ll see plenty of people dedicated to turning boxy utility vehicles into a lifestyle accessory—although maybe not with shag carpeting and airbrushed unicorns these days. But, in 1978, what if you were a would-be vanner on a budget? Ford had you covered with the frugal and fun Pinto Cruising Wagon. Bring a TrailerThis 1978 example, up for sale on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a tangerine-hued fever dream and features porthole windows, an interior that looks like an industrial accident at the Creamsicle factory, and far-out exterior graphics. It is 10 pounds of Bee Gees in a five-pound bag.Bring a TrailerIntroduced in 1970 after a breakneck-paced development championed by Lee Iacocca, the Pinto was meant to be Ford’s riposte to the Volkswagen Beetle. Much was made of the early Pinto’s reputation for catching fire in collisions—and it did—but in retrospect, plenty of other 1970s subcompact cars were also relatively unsafe. By the late 1970s, Ford had a recall solution for the fuel tank issue and was still selling nearly 200,000 Pintos a year.Bring a TrailerHowever, the platform was aging, and the rise of cheap and cheerful Japanese subcompacts had changed the market forever. Looking to inject a little fun into the Pinto, Ford’s marketing department cast about for anything the kids were into these days. Rock music? Vans? Smoking the Devil’s Lettuce? Bell-bottom jeans and platform shoes? Well, maybe let’s do the van thing.Bring a TrailerBased on a humble Pinto station wagon, the Cruising Wagon featured metal panels in the back with the requisite bubble window. This 1978 example shows 59,000 miles on the odometer and is powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 88 horsepower. A four-speed transmission wakes things up a little, and Pintos are pretty light cars, so it should be able to keep up with modern traffic.And anyway, this is a machine for cruising, man. Hardly any of these oddball van-wagons are left, what with the semi-disposable nature of the Pinto. A survivor like this is a time capsule of the SoCal Seventies vibe, all sun-soaked days and long evenings at the beach. This one has a cassette stereo rather than an eight-track, so it should be easy to put together a suitably 1970s soundtrack for your summer cruising.But you’d better move fast. This no-reserve auction ends on August 2. 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